The black mask (closed for heartofcourage)

“Make yourself at home, Demetri. If you need anything, just ask.” She said, shooing him towards the bathroom as she made her way down the hall into her bedroom.

She closed the door and changed into more comfortable clothing. She didn’t look attractive in her pajama bottoms and her oversized sweatshirt, but they were comfortable and after a long day she didn’t care. After phoning the hospital to check on the man that she’d taken there earlier that evening, she moved into the kitchen and started cooking something for dinner.

She could hear the shower running and it made her smile. She hoped that he was finding comfort in the little activities that humans took for granted. She made the bed while her meal cooked, placing clean sheets and pillows on the fold out and waited for Demetri to reappear.
 
Demetri was shooed off to the bathroom..blinking a bit but giving a little nod, he standing upright as he walked to it. In a way he was glad that the whole crossing running water thing wasn't real...be hard to make yourself presentable..the layers upon layers of thick clothing were dropped off him..reveling a lithe, but athletic form..almost like a runner's build. His skin that pale-lightgrey color as his face. He first turned on the bathroom light..but he gave a light hiss from the sudden brightness immediately turning it off. Artificial light did nothing to hurt him..just was a pain in the ass at points. He kept the room dark..his eyesight working far better that way.

The sound the shower turned on as Denetri stepped in, starting to scrub himself almost surprised himself at the layers upon layers of dirt and who knows what else that came off him in the form of dark colored water..taking a moment to scrub his athletic form clean.
 
Caroline took the time to dig through a bag of clothing that she was going to take to the shelter the next day, pulling something clean that she thought might fit Demetri. She knocked on the door, waiting until she got a response.

“I’m leaving some clean clothes for you here in the hallway. I think they should fit you.” She said through the door, leaving the folded pile on the floor as she went back to the kitchen and dished up the meal that she’d made.

She sat at her little kitchen table, taking her time to eat the food and let it sate her hunger. It had been a very strange evening all together, but she hoped that it would work out for the best.
 
Soon a familer figure walked in, hand over his eyes breifly at the light within the area, but slowly lowered as they got adjusted to it. He looked far diffrent now..his face was exposed full, no heavy collar or hood covering anything up. The pair of clothing she picked out for him did fit, a Simple grey tank top that lightly defined his athletic form and kept his arms exposed and a pair of jeans that were lightly baggy, but not enough to slip off.

He gave a soft "Thank you.." as he would have normally just ate the food like a animal, and there was a gleam of feral intent in his eye showing he was about to..but he then stopped himself offering a little polite nod as he plucked up the silverware..it took him him a few moments and some clumsy stabbing into the plate, but soon he was using them like a normal person would..or as best he could within his hands..as his digits were tipped with short but thick sharp claws..making holding the silverware a bit awkward.
 
“Feel better?” She asked him, watching as he made a few clumsy attempts at eating with the silverware before he managed to make due. “You certainly look better.” Her smile was warm an inviting as he ate across from her.

“Demetri, what were you banished for?” Caroline asked after a few moments of silence. She had been wondering that question since he told her what he was and why he was there. “I mean, it doesn’t really matter, but I’m curious. You don’t seem like a bad person.”
 
Demetri gave a nod "Yes..I do feel better..far better." he spoke as he ate..hearing her words pausing "..you think so..?" he asked, eyebrow raised to her, responding with his own little smile. Her question had it immediately disappear as he began to think.

"It's..been so long I really..don't exactly remember..but I was far diffrent back then.." he spoke thinking a breif moment before he spoke again "..This..is very good..what is it?" he spoke pointing at the food, not exactly familer with what he was eating. True it was a bit of a obvious subject changer, but he'd right not remember the monster he was.
 
“Oh, this? It’s chicken spaghetti. It’s completely unhealthy but so good.” She said with a smile, knowing that he was changing the subject and decided not to press the subject. “So, I thought that vampires couldn’t eat human food. You seem to enjoy it.”

Her smile could light up a room. She'd been told that many times before when she'd used her positive attitude to help so many different people. Despite her life of social work, she was still incredibly lonely. She wanted someone that she could come home to each night and have casual conversations and fun adventures with. It was a dream, she knew, but she still held out hope.
 
"..it frankly does nothing for me..but the taste is comforting.." he responded "Thats why I ate the food you offered me before.." he spoke as he ate the curious mix of meat and pasta he has not had before "Oh..and before you say anything..don't worry on Garlic..it doesn't work..crosses do though..just..glad your not exactly the religious type.."

He let out a little laugh as he offered the smile back..it was more softer and reseved..the sort without teeth..mostly because he had a habit of not showing his fangs unless it was to scare or to feed...just something he was taught during the first few years of his undead life."
 
“Well, you never know what I have hidden around here.” She said with a grin, returning his teasing remark with one of her own. “I’ve got some chocolate cake if you’d like some.”

She stood from the table, walking to the fridge and bending over to look inside. She pulled out the plate with a slice of chocolate cake and offered it to him. She watched the way that he smiled. It was like he was afraid to show a part of himself and she found that incredibly sad.

“Can…can I see you fangs?” She asked him as she placed the plate on the table and waited to see if he would go along with her request.
 
Demetri paused at that "..Just..please do keep it that way.." he spoke half kidding half serious before he pasued "..What I have had is fine..I do thank you though." he responded before pausing hearing her question and noticed her reaction to his smile. After a moment hearing her words he looked a bit confused "..ok?" To him it was common curiosity to not bare them. But he opened his mouth to show them. His teeth gleamed white, they seeming to keep prestine even as a dead man as he bared his fanged, but didn't hiss along with it..she got a good look at them this time..instead of them being the front canines, though they were abnormally sharp, the long fangs were in the two front teeth inside his mouth, slight spaced apart and sharp like thick needle points.
 
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Caroline stared at the sharp fangs as he bared them for her. She couldn’t look away and she reached out and gently touched his cheek. He was deadly, that much she could see, but he acted kind and gentle around her. Almost like he was truly thankful for what she’d done. Her fingers remained on his cheek as she let him close his jaw. With a soft smile, she thanked him and took the cake to her seat, starting to eat the slice that she’d offered him.
 
Demetri slowly closed his jaw and watched her..that soft, toothless smile appering again as he watched her begin to eat the cake there was that moment of akward silence..normally he got questions why they were positioned as they were..but..he enjoyed the momentary silence he speaking up again "..you have another that comes here? I do not wish to scare potential dates away..though can play the big brother act if one of them hurts you.." he responded with a little laught.
 
She coughed as he asked about others coming around. She reached for a drink of water, the cake getting stuck in her throat at the sudden question. Caroline looked at Demetri and gave him a small smile and a blush spread across her cheeks.

“No, there’s no one else.” She said in a soft voice. “My only family lives a thousand miles away. My job doesn’t really give me time to make too many friends. You’re relatively safe here.”

Man, she sounded pathetic when she admitted that to him. Maybe she was pathetic to have a lonely little life like she did, but she found what she did was fulfilling. She looked at Demetri and sighed at the thought.

“Thanks for the offer though.”
 
Demetri pauses a moment noting the blush..blinking a moment..the pink color throwing him off a bit. He's not seen a blushing himan..and he could smell the blood that flushed on her skin breifly but he shook his head pushing to he back of his mind before he softly spoke "Good..and if your lonely..I shall keep you company..it's the least I can do..and you seem to be able to stand it.." he responded in turn.
 
“You’ll keep me company if I’m lonely?” She asked, giggling as he said that, her smile growing wider at the comment. “Well, Demetri, you can stay here as long as you like. It’s nice to have someone to talk to in the evenings.”

She picked up their plates and placed them in the sink, washing them as he sat at the table. It really was nice to have someone in her home in the evenings. They were a typically lonely time which she would fill with television and maybe a good book or two. Now, she had someone to talk to, someone to laugh with. It warmed her heart.
 
Demetri softly nodded "It is..we have been both lonesome beings..so..might as well find comfort in each other." he responded watching her her silently clean the plates as he shifted his weight to watch her..those golden eyes starting to study her movements in genuine curiosity. Some women want men who can pay attention..and because of his animal like instincts given to him by his unnatural rebirth..he had both the mental faculties and the sharp instinct to very well do that. "..What is it that you did at night when you came home from the shelter?"
 
“Well, I liked to cook, so I always have a home cooked meal.” She said, placing the plates on a rack to dry. “Then it would either end with a good book or a little TV.”

Caroline turned back to face Demetri and shivered to see the way that he watched her intently. He looked as if he were curious of her little rituals and movements, but most of all, the look on his face was telling her that he was seeing her in a way that a man saw a woman. Her cheeks flushed crimson and she wiped her palms absently on her pajamas, squirming under his gaze as a warmth spread through her body.
 
Dementri gives a soft nod, his gaze never breaking from her as he took in those little rituals..almost as if he was mentally recording them. "Tv..never saw the point in it..your imagination is far better of a entertainer..though in truth it also can be your worst enemy...but that's neither here nor there." he spoke "I am curious...do you wonder what I see when I look at you Caroline? Well..I do see a beautiful woman..blushing like a virgin on her wedding day.." he spoke with a light, teasing smile "But..what I mean is..as a vampire..do you wonder what do I see when I look at you?"
 
Caroline blushed brighter as he said that she looked like a blushing bride on her wedding day. “Well, I suppose that you see something to eat when you look at me.” She said in a soft voice, her back leaning against the counter as he continued to look at her.

“Food that isn’t a dead rat or tastes like garlic.” She smiled softly at that joke, hoping that he saw it as funny as she did. “You don’t scare me, Demetri. I don’t feel anything but at ease with you.” She bit her lower lip as the nerves got the better of her, a nervous tick that she'd had since she was a child.
 
Before she bit her lip in nervousnes at that moment he spoke up "and your going to bite your lip a bit..saw it in your jaw movements.." he spoke as his eyes gazed into hers "..No..not exactly Caroline..I could never see you as food..as you have done so much good for me..but when I look at you..I can see the littlest flex of your muscle fiber..I can smell the slightest bit of sweat and natural pheromone your skin gives off..I see your arteries and veins lightly flex and swell as they pump blood..I can hear your heart..even from this distance beat faster.."

After a moment of letting her realize what he meant he spoke again"..I..am a Apex predator..I was designed to hunt and track with perfect accuracy..to locate my prey..and predict it's movements." he spoke softly "..that..will be the kind of man you will be letting stay in your home..a man who can just simply gaze at you..and in moments read you like a open book..I do hope that will not unsettle you.."
 
Caroline raised a hand to place it over her heart when he said that he could hear it beating within her chest. It was beating faster, her breath coming quicker as his voice soothed over her. She knew what he was and knew what he could do to her and while that should have scared her, it didn’t really.

“No, it doesn’t.” She said softly, her hand falling from her chest as she stared at Demetri. “I’m fine with you being here for as long as you like. My home is now your home, Demetri.” She said it and she meant it.
 
Demetri looked over her in silence..his eyes running along her..he mentally almost calling every little moment..he seeing her arm twich as the brain gave it the reaction to cover her heart..his brain..constantly doing these calculations "..even when I talk with you like this..as two freinds would..my brain constantly does this..I..am glad..this does not unsettle you..just..a bit of insight what it is like within my mind.." he spoke as he stood now slowly moving closer to Caroline, taking her hand in his clawed one, paying careful attetion of those thick dark claws that tipped them as he leaned down to kiss her hand "..and I thank you for your hospitably.."
 
Caroline watched as he stood and walked with an incredibly grace towards her. His hand was large, tipped with wicked looking claws, but his touch was gentle as he took her hand in his and bent to kiss the back of her hand. She smiled at him and nodded, a warmth spreading through her as she squirmed slightly. She couldn’t help it. He was doing such strange things to her that it made her belly flip.

“You’re welcome, Demetri.” She said in a soft voice, not moving to pull her hand away. “It’s nice to have someone else around.”

She went silent for a long moment, trying to think of things to say to him that didn’t sound incredibly silly. “If you want some entertainment since you don’t like TV, I have some books that might interest you.” Why did you say that, Caroline? Now you sound like a complete dork. She frowned as she mentally scolded herself.
 
Demetri looked slowly up as he as she observed her..watching the reaction. Within his mind he could sense this growing warm and light squirm through her muscles..but he did not press it out of the fact he was raised a gentleman.
He slowly looked up and nodded to her in response "Yes..yes it is.."

Demetri slowly stood again listing he then offered a soft smile "I would like that..see what is in your collection and what you prefer to read..see if something from this modern era clicks.." he spoke as he paused seeing the frown "..why do you frown? This is a completely fine suggestion..I lived in a time where electricity did not exist."
 
“Well, I don’t have any too terribly interesting.” She said as she took his hand and led him into the living room, letting him look at the two bookshelves she had there. Most of the books were history books, picked up from second hand stores and resale shops for pocket change. She loved books, loved to collect them, and loved to read them.

“I don’t know. I just thought that it might be a stupid suggestion.” She said shyly as she watched him looking over the shelves, hopefully finding something that would keep his interest.
 
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