What's Underneath (Closed for Faux_Pas)

Alex Reagen sat in his large mansion, staring out at the world. After his parents died when he was 6, he was shipped from foster home to foster home. He had grown up surrounded by troubles. Every foster family didn't want him. When he was shipped off to the next house, it was the same thing. Once he turned 18, he moved out, and moved into the mansion. He was left wealthy, but was withdrawn.

After never seeing love growing up, Alex stayed away from the world. Instead, he brought parts to him. He had a butler, a personal trainer, and other staff for his mansion. Yet he rarely left. The world had hated him. Now, he didn't like the world.

Nothing would change Alex's opinion of the world. Especially the young woman he always saw walking her dog. Every day she walked. It was clockwork. It became a routine for him. He always stopped and watched her. He wondered why she clung so close to her daughter, or why she had a cane. She didn't have a limp that he could see.

He was thinking about why she could need a cane, when her dog suddenly got loose. He watched as the dog tore through the open gate to his mansion. Why was the gate open? He couldn't tell why it was open, but he watched as the dog tore the lawn up. It didn't bother him that much, since he would be able to easily pay for the damage. He saw his butler, Robert running out, and couldn't get downstairs quick enough to stop him.

It had been nearly 15 years since Rose Moor last saw a sunrise.
The last thing she ever saw had been an accident, an attempt to help her father. He had always been so wrapped up in his toys, his cars. Rose was only 5. She had wanted to help. Dad had so many different tools and gadgets and amazing things... Things he told her not to touch.
But she wanted to be helpful.
Just a screwdriver, that was ask she wanted to get. To help.
Instead, she knocked over a bottle. Just a tiny bottle, but enough to splash its contents onto her... Acid he was using to clean the engine.

She still remembered the sunrise from that morning, every day. Every time she woke up.
It helped. Fit her routine. Every day became a routine. Her days... Always tge same. That was easier...

The place she passed every morning had a very big yard. Woods, or at least a decent sized growth of trees surrounding it. She could hear the animals in the branches, the sound of the empty black walnut shells they tossed at her and Romeo. She found it a slight nuisance, but Romeo... To him, it was a taunting and an invitation to fight.

Rose was proud of the golden lab and his restraint on most mornings, merely giving a growl of anger at the aggression shown towards the walking pair, then choosing to continue walking along with her. Her grip on his lead was light, trusting him to guide her as needed. They had been a pair for about 6 months, Romeo learning her routines and the paths to take. It was hard at times, but Rose had learned along with him. She was used to getting independent. But Romeo...well, it was nice to have sometime to spend time with.

The morning walk took them past this house, every morning. A jaunt for the dog, a trip for coffee for the young woman. He seemed to always enjoy it. Except for those squirrels....

"Easy, Romeo." Rose frowned slightly as she felt him start to tug, his neck pulling towards that gate once more. "Just ignore them, big guy. They only do it to get you going."

Another growl. He wasn't budging.
"Ro, come on. We'll be late. Let's just- Ow!" One of the nuts pegged her upside the head, the sudden jolt a bit of a surprise. She reached up to rub the point of impact, loosening her grip on Romeo for just a moment to hold her cane-
Only to cry out as he bolted off into the yard.
That gate! Open?! "Romeo! ROMEO!"

Rose panicked then. She wasn't even sure where the gate door was. He had abandoned her to go after the attacking squirrel! Frantically searching down the side of the gate, her cane trying to tap out the entry way, she continued to shout for the dog. "Romeo, please! Come back here! Please!" She was nearly in tears as she tried to find the dog, an effort made even harder with her lack of sight. "Just leave it be, please! Come here! Oh, Romeo... Please..."

Alex watched as that big lab chased after the squirrels. He thought nothing of it. He had a gated drive, and then a privacy line of fences. The lab could tear through those trees and not bother anything. It was when the squirrel turned toward the house that Alex got worried. His butler, Rupert, loved his rose beds. He had taken care of them since Alex moved in.

That big lab was heading right for them.

Alex watched in horror as the flower beds were laid to waste by that dog. Alex wouldn't have cared, but he knew who the dog belonged to. He also knew Rupert's temper. He quickly made his way outside. He found the dog, and quickly brought him to heel. He saw Rupert walking down the drive at a sharp clip and knew trouble was coming.

"Your dog ruined my master's rose beds! You'll have to pay for that!" Rupert said. He was absolutely livid at what that damn dog had done. His precious roses, gone in an instant. He wanted revenge, and he could see the woman wouldn't be able to say no.

"Rupert. Shut up and go back to the kitchen and make some coffee for our guest!" Alx said sternly. When Rupert looked at him, Alex fixes the older man with a withering glare. Rupert had learned not to make Alex cross, and he could tell Alex as very cross with him. Rupert bowed and immediately went to make coffee.

Alex smiled kindly and walked Romeo to the woman. He took her soft hand and gently put the lab's leash back.

"Please come inside and have some coffee. I know that is what you get since I see you walking to somewhere, then back with coffee in your hand. We also need to get this matter straightened out, Alex said. His voice carried little emotion as he took the woman's hand and then her cane. He guided her up to his house, effectively stopping any efforts to leave.

When they got into the house, Rupert had coffee waiting. Alex lead the woman to a chair and then had a seat next to her.

"Now then. First order of business. What is your name?" Alex asked. His voice wasn't threatening, but not exactly friendly either.

Something approaching. Not Romeo... Bigger. Rose drew a breath, clutching at her cane and starting to shake her head as a man's voice began to yell at her. "Wait, I- He didn't mean to- I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, he was only trying... to..." She trailed off, jumping slightly as a new voice joined in, cutting her off and sternly demanding the first man return to the house.

He must have been the "master" this Rupert fellow was referring to. "I'm sorry about all that, I truly am...," She started softly, unsure of what to say as she felt the man moving closer. Something pressed into her hand. Leather. Romeo's lead! She clutched it tightly, turning her head in the direction of the man's voice and scent. "Thank you..."

An invitation inside?
For... coffee? That he...

Rose blushed slightly at the realization he was actually watching her every morning like that. The matter of Romeo's damage, however, killed that smile that had started, nodding lightly at that. "I- I know. I really am, horribly sorry for that. I don't know what came over him. Because I said ow... I think he wanted to..."

His hand was on hers, clasping over her cane... guiding her up the walk she felt beneath her shoes. She always wore thinner soled shoes of some sort- easier to tell the difference in terrain. Winter made it a touch harder. Hopefully Romeo would fix that this year.

The house was warm. It felt... big. She could hear sounds, so distant, yet still inside... a scent that hit her nose immediately. A rich robust coffee brewing off in his kitchen. He led her to a chair, letting her settle, Romeo still keeping to her side and laying at her feet, the gentle sound of his pantings hitting her ears.

"My name is Rose... Rose Moor. The..
troublemaker... is Romeo." There was still a heavy amount of hesitance to her voice, her head already trying to come up with some way to repay the damages caused by the overprotective dog. She didn't make much money at all, and from the way that "Rupert" had reacted, it sounded like the dog had caused some rather extensive damage to some rather expensive plants. Just the ambiance of the home she was in was giving off a warning to just how much trouble he had gotten her into.

"It's nice to meet you Rose. My name is Alex, Alex Reagan. The man who was yelling at you is my butler, Rupert. Unfortunately he loves those roses. I'm not too partial to them, so for now, you owe me nothing," he said.

The true reason behind his statement was twofold. He wanted to fire Rupert, so hoped he would be angry enough to say something, and he knew Rose didn't make enough to be financially stable and repay Rupert. He had had a hard enough life, and he wouldn't put someone else in that situation.

"If you'd like, we can let Romeo out in the back yard. There's plenty for him to destroy back there, Alex said. The joking tone was evident in his voice. It was true that Romeo could tear the back yard apart, but Alex was fine with that. He was tired of Rupert, and wanted to bring in a landscaping few to take care of the outer area of the house, and not one person. He also hated the way Rupert didn't listen to his suggestions.

Alex smiled and then went to get the cups, silently writin down Rupert's notice of unemployment. He came back and sat down in front of Rose. He studied her quietly. She was gorgeous. She appeared to be in her early to middle 20s. She had beautiful flowing hair and piercing eyes. Her lips were full, yet delicate.

He quickly shook his head. It was rude to stare. Besides, he knew no one cared about him, so why try?

"Would you like anything with your coffee?" Alex asked. The pain from his thoughts was evident in his voice. The scars from his childhood were still raw. He needed no one, and knew no one wanted him. He waited on her instructions for how to fix the coffee in front of her.

"Alex..." Rose repeated his name back, trying to memorize it as she ran her fingers against Romeo's lead. A tiny frown came through as he gave the man who had been so upset acknowledgement. though her brows raised a bit as he seemed to wave off the damage so easily. That petting hand on the lead reached down with that, gently rubbing the top of Romeo's head. "Seems you've gotten off easy, fella. But maybe we can stop with the animal chasing?"

The offer of letting the pup outside was met with a quick nod, Rose smiling a touch with that. "I think he'd enjoy that. I live in a rather small apartment, and there's not much of a back yard. Part of why we take that walk every morning. He... tries to be a good boy."

Her distant gaze was set off towards the center of the room, rather unfocused on anything in particular, but she seemed to be genuinely set on what Alex had to say. His voice was kind, even if it did seem rather conflicting in its tones. The touch of laughter that seeped through with the suggestion for the dog, however, made a smile blossom on her lips.

She could hear him getting up, shifting herself back out of his way, continuing to pet against her dog's head gently. The worry over the damages caused was starting to fade away, Alex's dismissal of the matter slowly sinking in.

But the way he had said it.
For now.
A touch of concern from that.

More sounds, the light tinkling of metal against ceramic. A pouring noise. The growing scent of freshly brewed coffee. Rose smiled again as he came before her, the even stronger smell filling the air.

Silence was a scary thing for her. Was Romeo chewing something? Was something wrong with her shirt? It didn't feel out of place...

He finally spoke, asking what she would like in her drink.

"Thank you," She started softly, moving forward in the seat a bit, tilting her head slightly in his direction. People still preferred an attempt at eye contact from her, even when she wasn't able to actually give it. So many thought she was being rude or ignorant- she simply couldn't tell. "Four sugars, please. Just a little dash of milk."

Her smile grew a bit more.
Even without vision, her eyes still shone brightly when she smiled- something her father had always pointed out. "You can see things we can't, Rose. That's why they do that. They cam look past everything we take advantage of..."

She could see him, from his voice. His motions. The way he took to his home, the way he handed things to her.

"You're sure it's alright if Romeo plays in your yard? I'd hate for him to cause more destruction on you."

Alex smiled. He had always had a weakness for dogs. He had built a large area into the mansion's property for dogs. He actually had several, and knew Romeo would fit right in, as long as he paid attention to Teaka, Alex' 2 year old female husky. She was the leader around here, and only bowed to Alex.

"Romeo will fit in just fine. Even if he were to destroy anything, you would owe me nothing. You won't owe me anything at all for what he did destroy already. I've already seen to who's truly responsible," Alex said, meaning the notice of unemployment for Rupert.

"In fact, if you'd like, I want to show you something," he said, placing his hand on Rose's to let her know he would lead her. He knew she was blind, and didn't expect what others expected. He had lived in a foster home with a foster sister who was blind. She was the only person who had shown any love to him. He had learned to be her eyes and ears, and she in turn had shown him how to truly see someone. Unfortunately she had been killed in a car accident. A pedestrian had knocked her off of the curb, not knowing she was blind. She hadn't seen the car coming, and no one had helped her to get out of the way. The SUV hit her at 45mph, ending her life in an instant.

Alex suppressed that memory, a tear silently sliding down his face. After Lily had died, he had shut himself off. After Lily, no one was close to him. He shook that thought off and helped Rose out of her chair. He knew that she could still drink her coffee as he guided her safely, while Romeo followed along.

"The reason why I know Romeo won't tear anything up is because I have a few friends who are his size, and some who are even bigger!" Alex said as they approached the long pen where his dogs were. They easily had an acre of space to roam, and all of them came running when he whistled.

"As long as Romeo understands that Teaka here is the boss, and she is queen, then he will be fine," Alex said, placing Rose's hand in front of Teaka. Teaka sniffed her out, then immediately licked her hand before barking her approval. Alex thought it odd, since Teaka normally loathed females. He shrugged and then guided Rose to a bench not far from the gate after letting Romeo off his leash and into the pen.

"I want to apologize for Rupert. He gets out of control and acts like he runs things. You owe me nothing for the roses. From now on, just bring Romeo back here, or knock on my door, and he can play with my pups. I'll even supply coffee much better than what you are probably drinking," Alex said. He wanted people around him. Not because he needed to feel like he was cared for, but because it made him feel normal. He knew they would never care for him, but at least they could see him as a human being, instead of a rich man.

He smiled as he waited for Rose to speak, figuring she would have something to say on all of this.

His tone had changed, not so hurt or upset. That brought Rose down a bit from her tensed stance, relaxing her hand on Romeo's lead and finding the dog had loosened up a bit as well. Something he said seemed to confuse her, but she didn't want to question it... Didn't want to make more trouble on something that Romeo had just managed to get out of.

"Show me...?" She started to ask on what it was he was referring to, feeling the warmth of his hand once again touching against hers. Taking a firm hold of it, Romeo's lead loose from her opposite hand as she stood up from the chair. Following him, listening and taking in their surroundings, a light smile coming to her lips as she heard the door open a bit and the sound of the backyard he had mentioned.

Dogs in the distance.
Alex confirmed it with his mention of his own 'friends", explaining the dogs he had already. The soft panting of one of them could be heard, a tiny noise coming from Romeo. No barking. That was a plus. "He's just a baby... I'm hoping he can learn well enough to stay out of the big dogs' way."

She jumped slightly as Alex guided her hand down to the lead dog's nose, the soft warmth and wetness of it's muzzle against her fingers bringing a light giggle to her throat. "Hello to you too, Miss Teaka."

A lick. Rose beamed.
Romeo was getting antsy, shifting now, whimpering. He wanted to play.

"Easy, boy. I'll let you. One second." She reached down slowly, undoing the clasps of the lead and letting him shake off before joining the other dogs. His excited little yip seemed so strange compared to the sounds of the others, but made her smile even more.

Alex led her to another seat, letting her feel out a spot beside him and giving her even more surprising news.

"You're... You're certain?" She hesitated with that, slowly tilting her head and listening once more. "This place is so big. All the time and money you must have invested into it- And my overly protective pup decides to tear through it all to go after the evil squirrel..." She sighed with that, shaking her head. "I can't just... act like he didn't do anything. That was my fault. I should have held onto him better, done more to stop him."

She bit onto her lip, thinking this over. He seemed nice enough. In fact, he seemed to come off as... lonely. Maybe it was just the air of a rich man?

"Let me pay you back. In some way. Please."

How much good could a blind girl be to him?

"I'll cook for you. I'll just need to learn what you like. I may not be able to see, but I do know how to cook. It just... takes me a bit."

She drew another breath, then forced another smile. "Cookies. To go with your delicious coffee. Which, yes, is much better than the tiny cup I pay three dollars for every morning..."

Alex smiled at the thought of her cooking. He would actually be glad to have someone around. He wasn't a terrible cook, but more often than not, things just seemed to end up burnt when he cooked them.

"Okay. If that is what you'd like to do, we can have that as our arrangement. You don't owe me anything. I think my dogs are just happy to have made a new friend," he said, genuinely pleased for them. His dogs loved him, and he them.

Alex smiled as he gently took Rose's hand. "Lets go get you a key, and then we can sit and talk about some things. I trust you, but would like to get to know someone who will be coming over here. Also, I'd like to know how you'd like to set my kitchen up so that it would best suit you," he said.

He wasn't trying to take pity on Rose, but just to make things more convenient. He had learned from Lily that people with disabilities didn't need pity, but being helpful was a boon to them. He gently took Rose's hand, picking up her coffee in the other.

"The pups will be okay now. It appears that Romeo and Teaka are getting along just fine, now that he knows who's boss," Alex said with a chuckle.

He gently guided Rose to the kitchen again, then waited for her to sit. He smiled as he sat and then started asking questions. "Where would you like your appliances? What type of appliances would you like to use? Where do you want your utensils? Do you like help when you cook? What types of foods can you cook?" he asked, taking his time with each and writing down her answers, as well as drawing up a layout that he would have installed after she left.

He heard footsteps and then quietly said, "Excuse me," before standing and taking Rupert's notice of severance. He found him outside of the door, and immediately hauled him into a different room.

"You're fired. The one good thing that happened when I turned 18 was that I had control of whether or not you remained in my employ. I decided to keep you, but today crossed the line. Pack your things and leave immediately before I call the police and have you escorted out of here," Alex said coldly. He couldn't abide the way Rupert treated Rose, or anyone who walked by. He might not have believed in love, but he did believe in treating others with respect.

He silenced whatever Rupert was going to say with a whithering glance, and then proceeded to head back to where Rose was.

He smiled and asked, "Sorry about that. An issue needed to be taken care of. Now, if you would, would you like to tell me a bit about yourself?"

The deal was accepted. That brought a touch of relief for Rose, nodding slightly at the terms he had of his own for the plan. The fact he was so willing to have the "offender" wandering his property calmed her a bit as well, hearing Romeo give another playful bark outside with the others. "You're own dogs seem to be happy. I hope Romeo doesn't cause any more trouble for you out there. He can get a bit rambunctious when there's others around. He's like a toddler, I suppose. Needs to show off for new friends."

She found her hand taken up once more, and found that she also liked it. He wasn't trying to tug her around the house, acting like she was a helpless little blind girl. He seemed to just want to guide her, make a new unfamiliar place a bit easier. The plans for this new deal between them discussed, his ideas for it. A key? She smiled a bit at that, nervous on the idea... But it seemed alright so far. "Oh, you don't need to reset anything for me. I just- I'll need to readjust myself for it. Learn where everything is. Your stove wouldn't happen to be gas, would it? I have a bit of trouble with those. Believe me, I can adapt quite well with places. It's far easier than making others try to fix things for me. It's more troublesome than it needs to be..."

He excused himself suddenly, the sounds of footsteps in the hall catching her ear before he slid off his chair. "Oh. Yes, of course..." As he left the room, she slipped off her own seat, slowly gliding her hand against his countertop, trying to familiarize herself with the surface on her own. Sink. Long gooseneck faucet. Two bays. Stainless steel. A bit further over. Butcher block. Lots of knives! Ahh, and there was the stove. She gingerly ran her hands against the edge, finding the knobs and making sure all were off before running her hands against the surface. Oh, a flat top glass. That would make things even easier.

She heard his steps returning before he even spoke, turning back around quickly. "Quite alright. I hope that everything is okay?"

He asked about her. She hesitated slightly, then nodded. "Very well. I've lived around here for most of my life. It's easier for me to navigate somewhere I know. Romeo and I have been together for only a few months, and it's working out fairly well. My father used to help me out, but... Well, I'm almost 21. It's time for me to try things myself. I got tired of being treated like a little kid. I may not be able to see, but I really don't need him hovering over me all the time. A little help is one thing, but the way Dad did it- Too much. So, I got an apartment for myself, signed up to get Ro, and so far... things are going wonderfully. Aside from him being a bit overprotective." She laughed a little with that, taking in the room as best she could with the sounds and scents around her.

Something about him. Something seemed to just... radiate from him. "What about you, if I might ask?"

Alex' mouth tightened a bit. Rose had been honest, so he would as well. "I'm an orphan. My parents died when I was 6. From there I was shipped around foster homes. The only foster home I felt welcome at had a girl 4 years older than me. Her name was Lily and she was blind. I learned more from her than any one else. We used to talk regularly, but then she was killed in an accident. After that, I waited until I was 18. The policies my parents had were released to me, and I bought this place. I fixed it up and have been living. After Lily died, I shut myself off. The man you met was the one other person I knew. That's me in a nutshell," he said quietly.

Alex never really liked talking about himself. It dredged up painful memories. He had had enough of that today. Rose didn't look like Lily, but she was in the same situation. Maybe that had been why he hadn't wanted to make her pay. He sighed softly and then stood.

"Well, now that we have the introductions out of the way, what would you like to do? If you have somewhere to be, we can talk tomorrow. If not, and you'd like to talk, I'm more than happy to talk now," he said. He stood and went to the door.

He watched the dogs playing and thought about how Teaka had taken to Rose. No one had ever been accepted that fast. He turned back to Rose and knew there was something special about her. He just couldn't put his finger on what exactly it was.

"I see..." Rose was gentle with her words, listening to all he had to tell her. Honest, open about himself. His life had been rather rough. No wonder he seemed all alone here. At least the dogs kept him company...

"The other man. Mister Rupert. You- You just fired him, didn't you?" She was slow in her question, trying to not offend him with asking it. "I... I wasn't meaning to listen in or anything. I just- well. I tend to hear things a bit better than other people." She frowned slightly. "I hope you don't... Ah... Sorry."

He stood up. She heard his feet moving across the floor, heading back out towards the doorway as he spoke. Rose bit her lips together, trying to think. SHe wanted to say something, anything... but what was she supposed to say to him about all this?

"The dogs sound very happy out there. You're not shut out from everyone... Those pups seem very happy with you. Dogs can tell a lot about a person, and can connect in their own ways. I mean, Romeo..." She paused, then shook her head. She was rambling. Nerves.

"I had no other plans for today, Mister Reagan... Other than needing to buy some groceries." She paused, thinking that over for a moment. "I should buy things for what I plan to cook for you. Would you- Maybe you should come with me. I'll try not to slow you down too much, and you can help me find the things you enjoy." She smiled with that.

Alex smiled at Rose's suggestion, and then went over to take her hand, pulling her towards his garage. "I like how that sounds. And I'll be buying what goes to my house. Oh, and I think I'll drive," he said, making a joke, hoping she'd laugh.

"Yes, I did fire Rupert. What he did and how he acted towards you was just the straw that broke the camel's back. He had been getting on my nerves for a few years now, acting and doing things that didn't sit well with me. He and I also never fully got along. He was the best in a long line of failures, but ultimately, it works out for the best," Alex said to Rose.

They got into his SUV, a rather low key Ford Edge for his status, and made their way to the supermarket. Alex smiled and linked Rose's arm with his. "Now we are just a couple going shopping," he said, knowing she could hear the smile in his voice. He didn't know why he said it, but it felt better than looking like he was her guide.

He pulled a cart out, and put her other hand on the cart to set the pace as the walked through the store, Alex leading the way as he was told what to look for. He actually thought they made a pretty good team doing this. He just wondered what Rose's thoughts were on the matter.