Aurel

seventeen

"What?"

"Is he your boyfriend, sweet thing? The one who brought you those pretty roses."

"Put the knife down first..."

"How dare you cheat on me!" He ran at her and she screamed, turning to run away from him. A black mist drifted past her and she stopped running as she heard Whitmore shout in pain. Turning, she found Lio standing there, holding his now weaponless hand. Looking him dead in his eyes, he broke one of his fingers, and then another one, eyes staring down at him as he fell to his knees, trying to yank his hand away.

"Lio?" With a simple upward movement of his arm, he brought the injured man to his feet. Leaning down he said something into his ear and whatever it was wasn't good because Whitmore started screaming and made a break for it.

Turning around, he disappeared and reappeared right in front of her, taking her face in his hands.

"Are you all right, poppet?"

"Yeah..." The event had her shaking and she sought comfort from him, coming to hug him.

"Thank God you're here." Pressing his chin against the top of her head, he rubbed small circles into her back and wrapped embraced her until she stopped trembling.

"I am too." Shaking her head against his chest, she pulled away from him, careful to keep hold on the roses.

"How long has he been doing that?" He asked although he already knew. For months at least. Possibly longer than that.

"He started everyday but started to lessen his visits, when Jay would send his guys out here."

"Jay?"

"Yeah, the security guy."

"Ah,"

"Yeah, he always looks out for me. He wasn't here today." That explained it then.

"How'd you know I was out here?" He thought about lying to her but decided to be honest. After all, that's what they'd been building their little situation on.

"I make sure you leave work safely almost everyday." At her flabbergasted expression, he grinned.

"Aren't you glad I did today?"

"I mean... yeah but that's still kinda creepy."

"Beggars can't be choosers," Rolling her eyes, she let a smile reply to his laugh. He stood by while she put his roses in the backseat on the floor. He opened her door, waiting until she got in.

"Looks like my job here is done." She stopped him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him back into the open window.

"Does it bother you that we haven't made anything official?" At the sudden question, he blinked his confusion.

"I'm sorry?"

"I mean we've been getting to know one another for three months now and we haven't declared anything yet. I was talking to Sarah and she-"

"Whose rules are we playing by here? Our own or Sarah's?" His question shut her mouth.

"I don't have a problem with the pace. Do you?"

"No! No...I'm good..." A cute little smile on his face, he lifted his fingers and caressed her cheek.

"I've moved fast before. Entirely too fast. We moved fast and we ended fast." Leaning in further, he kissed her forehead.

"I want to take my time with you, Jasper." Lifting arms up, she wrapped them around his neck and her fingers slipped in and through his hair, gently combing through the strands.