A call from Kat’s upstairs neighbor sent her on a detour one night as she walked home from a long shift.

Ten minutes later, she stood in the bird food aisle, staring at a yellow sticker, brow furrowed as she calculated the best price per ounce for birdseed. Finally, she plucked a bag from the shelf. Tucking it safely in the crook of her arm, she drifted over to the live pets section to admire the hamsters before getting into the long line at the checkout.

Overhead, pop music fuzzed through the speakers. Kat rocked on her heels and then pulled out her phone to make the wait more productive. She read an e-mail from her grandparents, smiling distantly at their plucky confidence as they prepared to move. But her smile faded as she looked over another unread message, a reminder from Alistair State University to sign up for the spring semester.

By the time she got to the register, her inbox was empty, and she was itching to get home and eat. She paid for the bird food, declined a bag, and headed for the exit.

She trotted off beneath the friendly glow of the street lamps, enjoying the evening breeze and assembling a plan for dinner. Potatoes au gratin would take too long, but the potatoes did need to get eaten before-

A man’s shout halted Kat’s stride.

 Kat clutched the bag of birdseed, squinting at an alleyway. A man in a scuffed leather coat leaned against the brick wall, his movements shaky, his features obscured by shadows.

She watched warily as he mumbled to himself, then edged towards the street, picking up her pace while some of Cami’s earliest advice on city living rang in her head.

‘If you see somebody freaky, don’t be nice. Leave.’

But the man lunged out from the alley before she’d gotten past, and Kat stopped short, realizing that going further would only bring her closer to him.

The man’s voice rose in a garbled string of curses as he fixed her with a wild glare.

“Hey! Where you goin’, huh?” he barked.

“N-nowhere. Just going home.” The birdseed crinkled as she clutched it, casting her eyes around. She took a tentative step towards the street, and the man lurched dangerously. Kat retreated towards the other side of the alley.

“Don’t walk away while I’m talking to you!” the man spat. His arm jerked forward, and something glinted in the streetlight.

Glass exploded against the wall beside her head, the sound like a gunshot. Kat jumped as pain lanced through her left cheek. Her lungs tightened, and her breathing stuttered. Every part of her screamed to run, but she stood still, rooted to the ground. The man shambled closer, spit flying as he spewed a litany of curses, and yet she still could not move, could only stare at him, at the broken glass shards scattered on the sidewalk.

Static roared in her ears, overridden only by the rapid beat of her heart and the harsh sawing of her frantic breaths. Tears obscured her vision.

A dark blur sped from behind her, colliding with the unstable man and sending him sprawling to the sidewalk. Strong hands landed on her shoulders and steered her away from the alley, around the corner of a building.

Kat struggled to focus. A pair of hard green eyes found hers and she recognized Darius standing in front of her. His lips moved, but she could only shake her head, unable to hear him over the roaring in her ears. He tugged one of her hands, pulled her hoodie sleeve past her fingers, and then pressed it to her cheek. She panted, barely registering his hand, smoothing her hair. His mouth moved, but no sounds reached her.

The grip on Kat’s lungs loosened. She lowered her hand from her cheek, but Darius pushed it back, though not before she saw the dark smears on her fingers.

“...pressure on it. I’ll call an ambulance.” His words managed to break through the suffocating bubble of her panic attack.

“N-no.” She gasped, springing to life at the thought of an ambulance bill. “I’m okay... Don’t c-call.”

“Precious, you’re bleeding, and you can barely breathe,” Darius said bluntly. “You need medical attention. I’m at least taking you to a clinic.”

Kat’s world slowly regained sound and color even as her limbs remained cold and heavy. “I... I get... panic attacks...” She looked up at him, wide-eyed. “Please, I just want to go home.”

His mouth tightened, and his eyes flicked towards the sidewalk. After a few seconds, he nodded, his expression grim. “Fine. You alright to walk?”

“Yes,” Kat numbly stepped forward as Darius pressed a hand between her shoulder blades, speed-walking her toward her apartment. A groan tugged Kat’s attention back towards the man on the ground, but Darius resolutely marched them further ahead.

“Don’t worry about him. He got what he deserved. Worry about you,” he said firmly. ”I’ll make sure you’re safe and check if your eye is alright.” He cursed under his breath. “I won’t let anything like this happen again. I’m sorry.”

Kat struggled to keep up with him, both physically and mentally. The cut on her cheek burned, but her breathing had steadied. She swallowed, trying to respond.

“I...” Kat grasped the bag of birdseed closer to her body. “It’s not your fault.”

Darius didn’t reply. He stiffly scanned their surroundings as they crossed the street.

They reached Kat’s building, and she entered the door code. As soon as the lock clicked, Darius pulled it open and ushered her inside, over to the elevator. The blinds in Mr. Walker’s office moved as the doors closed, and Kat hoped he hadn’t seen the blood. Once they got to the second floor, Kat led the way to her door, and when she unlocked her apartment, he followed her inside. While she flicked the lights on, he stalked into the kitchenette, wet a paper towel, and handed it to her.

“Thanks.” Kat accepted the towel and sat on a barstool by the counter, setting the bird food down to dab at her cheek, lightheaded.

“You’ll need antiseptic,” Darius said, his eyes on the cut.

Kat nodded and moved to rise from the bar stool, but he intercepted her.

“I’ll get it. It’s in the bathroom, right?” He was halfway down the hall before she could respond. He shuffled around in the bathroom and returned with a bandage and a disinfectant tube.

She dabbed the blood away from the cut and applied the ointment, hissing as it stung. Darius reached towards the bandage, and Kat waved him off, pressing it across her cheek.

“I’ve done this a few times.” She smiled wryly at him and winced when the motion hurt. “Sorry for all the fuss.” She added in a whisper.

Darius’s mouth pulled to one side, a shadow on his face that the kitchen lights couldn’t reach. “You might need stitches for that. I still think I should take you to a clinic.”

Kat gently poked at the bandage, relieved that it contained the blood.

 “I don’t think it’s as bad as it looks. Think I’d make a good horror movie extra? She asked, trying to lighten the mood. She wondered if Cami was sleeping through the drama or if she was home yet. She kept her voice down just in case.

Darius stayed quiet. He went to the fridge and pulled the freezer open, digging stiffly through the contents.

“Beneath the prehistoric shrimp,” Kat said, guessing what he was after.

Darius shifted a rime-encrusted bag and pulled out an ice pack, offering it to her. Kat nodded her thanks and pressed it to her aching cheek. She leaned back, eyes closed. The adrenaline had faded and exhaustion crept in. The floors creaked as Darius moved from the kitchen to the tiny living room.

“Kat, what were you doing out alone this late?”

Disliking something in his low tone, Kat opened one eye to see him inspecting the lock on her apartment door. “I mean, it’s not a habit,” she said defensively. “My neighbor upstairs asked me to pick up some bird food for her cockatoo.” She indicated the bag on the counter.

“Kat.” His face softened for a brief moment, then became stony once more. “The world’s a vicious place, and I need to know you’ll be safe. Promise me you won’t go out alone at night again.”

Kat squirmed in her seat, shuffling her feet against the legs of the bar stool.

“I... I promise,” she said humbly, seeing she’d deeply worried him. Guilt swirled queasily in her gut. “I’m sorry.”

Darius searched her eyes carefully and then nodded, accepting her answer. He came and rested a hand on her knee. When she pulled it away, he let it drop.

Worry bubbled inside as she saw traces of red in the creases of Darius’s knuckles. “Darius, is that guy okay? It was an accident that I got cut. I don’t think he meant to hurt me.”

He blinked at her, his expression unreadable. “He’ll be just fine.”

“I hope so...” Kat said in relief.

“...You’re very forgiving.”

Kat bit her bottom lip. “I wouldn’t want to be judged my whole life for making one mistake.”

“You could have lost your eye. Or worse,” Darius whispered darkly. He mumbled something she didn’t catch, then got up and checked the balcony lock.

Kat shuddered, reliving the moment when the man had lurched crazily towards her, eyes bloodshot, mouth wide and angry as he yelled. The yelling. It was always the yelling that got to her. Her fingers crept up, touching the edge of the bandage.

“You came out of nowhere, I... thank you,” Kat whispered.

“I was going to walk you home from work but you’d already gone, so I figured I’d catch up... I’m just glad I got there in time.”

A chirrup sounded in the quiet apartment, and Darius winced, looking at his phone. Kat recognized the expression even before he opened his mouth.

“...I have to go see a client.” The words dragged from his throat by force. “I’m sorry. Are you sure you’re going to be alright?”

 “I understand. You don’t have to stay. And don’t worry, I’ll be okay.” Kat said reassuringly. “You’ve already done so much.”

Darius stood up and rubbed the side of his forehead. “Kat...”

 “I’m fine,” Kat repeated. “Before you go,” she snatched the disinfectant from the table and handed it to him. “You should put some on your knuckles.”

“Yeah. Thank you.” Some of the tension left his shoulders as he took the tube and applied some ointment. He set the tube beside the key bowl and drummed his fingers against his leg.

They lingered by the door.

Kat shifted her weight from one foot to the other, unsure how to dispel the sudden awkwardness. This was the first time she’d let a guy she knew into her apartment who wasn’t her landlord or a work colleague. At least the apartment wasn’t a complete mess. She wondered if Darius had noticed Cami’s empty beer can by the fridge or the overflowing trash bin.

She tapped her fist against her thigh. “Thanks for... y’know, everything. Please be careful walking back to your van.”

He let out a breath that was almost a sigh. “Don’t worry about me, Kat. Sleep well—I’ll be here to walk you to work in the morning.”

Kat hadn’t wanted to ask but found herself relieved when he volunteered. It was hard not to feel shaken by the night’s unexpected encounter.

“Thanks, Darius.