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Zalia hesitated for probably the umpteenth time that day. Was this really so smart? She looked at Bade warily. He was bigger and stronger, and despite her being half-vampire she wasn't all that good at fighting. "How do you like your meat cooked?" She swallowed the nervous lump in her throat and got into his truck. She felt incredibly tense and scared now.

He hesitated because she could feel the hesitation in her. "Any way, really." He stopped midway of putting his keys in the door and looked at her. "Are you alright?"

Zalia decided to be completely honest. The car hadn't started and the door wasn't locked, so she still had a chance to run. "I'm scared." she said. Her voice wavered. "I'm alone in a car with a man who I don't know and who could easily overpower me, and I'm going to his house."

She closed her eyes, her body shivering a little. "I'm scared."

He laughed at the absurdity of the situation. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for this to be so awkward. Uhm.. I can get you a hotel?" He couldn't think of a way of helping her without coming off like a crazy.

Zalia's fear was shattered when he laughed, and she looked at him strangely. He was odd. That was for certain. When he spoke of getting her a hotel she blinked and shook her head. "N-no! No, I could never make you do that for me.." She blushed a little.

"It's...it's okay. You're nice. Strange, but nice. I just...I have a little trouble trusting people." But anyone who would laugh at something like that certainly couldn't be bad. "Thank you...for all your help." She'd warm up to him. In time. It was just very difficult to get past the fear and shyness.

"If it makes you feel any better," he continued to unlock the car and open a door for her. "I won't be home very long in the evening these next few days." He plopped himself behind the steering wheel and locked his seat belt. The car looked beat up and old on the outside but its guts seemed new. Turning the ignition a thought struck him, "Do you have any belongings you need to pick up somewhere?"

Zalia settled into the seat and nodded a little. "Okay." She didn't ask why not, feeling that it might be prying too much. When he asked about belongings, she blushed a little. "I...have a carry bag down the street from where you ran into me." She didn't have any other belongings.

"Alright, just show me the way."

---

After picking up her things and driving to his apartment complex, Bade parked on the road and helped her out. Everyone he passed he greeted with a smile and a nod. Had anyone been paying attention, they might have noticed many of the people here were similar in looks to Bade. This may or may not have been a coincidence.

He led her up stairs to his apartment which was pretty plain and undecorated. Only one door in the place was closed, that happened to be his room. When you walked into the place, it was an open living room with the kitchen off the right. The kitchen was open save for one half wall. Past there was the hallway of rooms. Bade's was on the end; there were two guests rooms and one bathroom besides. He showed the entire place to her with the exception of his room. He set her up with new sheets and blanket for her room.

It didn't take long for Zalia to direct him to where she could pick up her things, and when they reached the complex she got out and followed him dutifully. She was silent and shy, but she followed him like a puppy, or maybe a shadow. He was safe, compared to the strangers that she didn't know.

After the tour of his apartment she thanked him and put her bag down on the floor of her room. It was nice to have a room to herself, and a bed. She went out into the kitchen then and looked inside the fridge to see what was there for her to make. The least she could do was make him a good supper in thanks for taking care of her.

Once she found the right things and familiarized herself with where everything was, she cooked up a nice, delicious steak meal. He'd said he liked meat, after all. Steak, corn and potatoes, and some instant pudding as a dessert. She set the table and put the food out. "Bade, supper is ready."

He had disappeared into his room after letting her settle in. His room had a bathroom which was apparent as he came out with a towel over his head indicating he had just showered. He now wore the same jeans with a wife beater and walked into the kitchen rubbing his hair dry. When the towel left his head his hair still stood in every direction possible and he seemed content leaving it that way. He sat at his four person table and grinned ear to ear.

"You're the best," He took a deep breath of air to keep the scent. "Will you be joining me?"

Zalia couldn't help but giggle at his hair. She went into the bathroom and came out with a comb. "Have you ever seen this before?" She teased, setting it down on the table beside him. The atmosphere was so calm, and she'd become so relaxed while cooking. It was like this was already her own home. She nodded at his question. "Yes, I will." She sat down at the table, let him serve himself first and then took what she wanted of the food.

"What time do you go to work tomorrow?" she asked curiously after a few minutes of silence.

"No, I haven't." He said to the comb and gave it a strange look. He had already tucked into his food, taking big cuts of his steak before touching anything else. He ate with a big smile on his face. In between chewing he answered.

"UH, I kind of make my own schedule... So... Some time early? It's better to get out there before the sun starts to beat down on us." He swallowed his bite and washed it down with a glass of water. "But I may not even come back tonight if I'm out too late running." He took another bite before he realized what he had just said. The fork paused in his mouth while he eyes fell on her to see if she caught his slip.

Zalia ate her food calmly, savoring the delicious taste. "Okay." she nodded a little in understanding, and when he 'slipped', she smiled. "You run? That's pretty cool." She smiled softly. "Though I guess you don't just get to be big and strong so naturally. Running is healthy for you." She finished her food and put away her dishes, then took the comb and stood behind him. Carefully, gently, she brushed the comb through his hair in a mild attempt to at least get those locks under control. She was careful and gentle; she didn't want to hurt him.

He nearly choked when he swallowed his whole bite unchewed. "Right, no, not naturally. Uhhuh." He coughed down the food. He had a brief moment of panic wondering what he was doing; this girl had nothing to do with his world, he shouldn't bring her into it unawares. "Zalia..." She had just set the comb to his scalp and he cut himself off.

"UH.. So... Do you have.. Family?" He put his fork down, the corn and potatoes barely touched.

Zalia blinked and looked at him, rather concerned. "Are you okay?" He'd just almost choked after all. When he said her name she paused her actions, but as the question was asked she resumed them. "...yes." she said quietly.

A finger pointed to his corn and potatoes. "You can't survive on meat alone. You need to eat well to stay healthy and strong." She found herself worrying about him. She didn't want him to get sick or anything. She wanted him to stay healthy and strong.

"Oh, ah. Yea." He pushed the vegetables around with his fork before scooping a meager amount up and swallowing them relatively whole. "Where is your family?"

He placed his fork and knife in his plate and pushed it back away from him. He silently let her fuss over him and when she was done with his hair he stopped the urge to run his hand through it, ultimately messing it up again.

Zalia didn't make it too nice. She let it stay a bit scruffy while making sure he at least didn't have any knots. Then she took his dishes and put them away, putting away the leftover food as well. "I don't know." she said. Her answers were rather...uninforming.

"My mom died when I was young and my father disowned me a while ago." Maybe that would keep him from asking anymore questions. She didn't want to talk about her family. She hated and feared her father, and she hated her mother for loving such a wicked man.

"Hey, I'll uhm...I'll bring you lunch tomorrow, okay? At work. It's the least I can do since you're letting me stay here. And I'll be going out anyways to look for a job, so I can cook you some lunch, pack it up and take it to you."

"Yea, that would be nice." His speech was slow as he was staring at nothing and obviously thinking. His thoughts had taken him very far away; somewhere in the woods perhaps. Without his noticing, the sun had drifted down the horizon and the moon was on the rise. It was not quite full today, but it made his anxious to be indoors. It was rather visible in his person as he got up to check outside.

Zalia watched him. He seemed antsy. "O-oh! If I'm keeping you from your nightly run, please go ahead. I'm just going to tidy up a bit and then probably go to bed." She smiled a little at him. "Thank you again for letting me stay." She stepped away then, going to do just as she'd said. The apartment wasn't too dirty, so there wasn't much for her to do. But she did what she could, and then she'd go to bed.

He turned to look at her; this expression was as if he'd never seen her before... It softened the longer he looked before he broke the contact. he realized that was probably awkward but his spirit was already in the underbrush running and cavorting with his kin. "Okay." That was the only word he seemed able to spit out.

He left the kitchen, ran to his room momentarily and then made for the front door. Had he been any slower, Zaila may have had time to notice his shoes were not on his feet and he didn't bother to bring a jacket. Instead he disappeared out the door for the night.

((Shall we fast forward? ))