superhuman

o2.

"You like my flowers?" Halle'd somehow krept up on me and nudged my elbow. She was a dwarf next to me, her tiny stature reaching just a couple notches above my shoulder. I nodded, entriely too wonderstruck to speak, yet I'd still endeavored to husk, "they're beautiful." Her lips curled into the most graceful grin I'd ever seen and I could've sworn her cheeks went puce for just a moment as her light chestnut eyes found mine. They glimmered knowingly with fascination and intensity. My stomach was a whirlwind of butterflies and I could momentarily feel my knees buckle. She opened her mouth to speak but in place of her small, soughful voice came a much deeper, huskier one.

"Hal?" I cringed at the bittersweet sound of his all too masculine voice.

Sydney.

Halle turned and beamed her most precious smile, embracing his thick, muscular person into her arms. I watched warily as he nuzzled his nose into her hair and sniffed, momentarily glancing at me. He pulled away and asked Halle of my identity, staring at me, scrutinizing me.

"This is Tony."

Sydney held out his hand to me and I hesitantly grasped it, internally cursing my emasculate arm. His grip exerted a lot more power and strength against my gentler, effeminate one. "Sydney," he murmured affably, a little smirk peeking underneath his manly mustache. I nodded smoothly.

"You a friend of Audrey's or—" His glare employs a bit more intensity and he gently tosses his head to one side, his eyebrows particially risen. Scrutinizing me.

"I... um... er..." My throat felt gravely numb as my lips eagerly endeavored to articulate a passable reason as to why I'd be here. I gave Halle a quick glance with anxious eyes hoping she'd suspect my unease and accumulate some terse excuse. She caught my gaze and quickly gave me a reassuring look, her eyes glimmering with amusement.

"Tony's here to help out a little." She smiled her most believable smile at the two of us and it was almost terribly suspenseful gauging Sydney's impassive face for a response or contortion. He merely nodded but still attacked me with his dark eyes. I acquired a morsel of what little virility I had and stared back, but with a lot less potency. He's a hell of a lot more intimidating in person than he'd ever been from the depths of the basement, where he and I'd both remained untouchable. My subconcious trembles.

Sydney bent his arm and briefly regarded the time. His eyes widened slightly, his lips mometarily pursed as he took one last formidable look at me. "Baby, I have to go." He frowned as if his departure would be the most adverese misfortune we'd ever see. Halle mocked his frown and crooned, "but, you just got here. Have you even spoken to Audrey or my mother yet?" Sydney sighed, exasperated. He swore that he'd greeted the two of them when he'd first arrived but even I could see the dishonesty on his lips; Halle hadn't seemed to be fooled either. She stood akimbo now, acquiescing halfheartedly to his cajoling. "I'll be back later on, I promise." Sydney gave Halle a leery grin before sweetly kissing her lips. I reached my eyes to the cloudless, azure sky envoiusly, my hands unmindlfully crawling into my pants' pockets.

x

"Would you like some tea?" Halle asked me that night. The day was a fairly productive one, in spite of all the edgy stares and even edgier inquiries. According to the neighborhood, now Halle's a saint for taking in a "homeless man". She watched me from the missing aparture to the kitchen, an oversized, ivory button-up nightshirt hanging from the small of her shoulders. "Please."

I ran my fingertips along the soft, creamy leather of the loveseat and momentarily admired the smooth, glossy woodwork sliding my naked feet against it. I gaped a few paintings that flushed classically with the pure blanched walling. Halle returned and set next to me, one leg tucked beneath the other. She idly entertained her fingers, only periodically glancing up at me. Talk to me, I don't bite.