Walking Home (Decadence and Candira)

"Normally, librarians frown upon overdue books, you know. But maybe I'll let it slide if you bring them back and show up without causing trouble." She smiled and then tried to remember him in the library with her. She liked it when he reminded her of the boy she used to know. It was sweet of him to tell her that he was still afraid to swim, and that he used to like the library. It was a much happier time for both of them. The recovery of memories, however, was interrupted by Professor Layton. Sophie smiled at her appearance and leaned against Keith a little as he sat down.

The announcement didn't much surprise her, but she chuckled softly. Of course they were expected to get to know each other better. She smiled as he said he liked the class and watched him. He was charming when he wasn't trying to hit on her. "So, do you want to get to know me better or work on the project?" she asked, keeping in mind that she had to be at another class once this one was over. She tilted her head, wondering which one he would choose.

Keith grinned at her. "Let's continue where we left off. We could always work on the project after class is over." He then took her hand, holding them as though they were seated across from each other at a romantic place like Vinnie's. "So tell me more about you, Sophie. Why aren't you in Princeton or Harvard instead of here, and what are you planning on majoring in?

"I guess you know a bit of my story. I don't know what I want to do with my life right now. So far, I'm just drifting through it all. I've got a court hearing soon regarding my little jail time you know about. I have shady friends on the side that need me to do some favors for them, or else I won't get that quality lawyer I mentioned to you about. I don't have a car right now, though, so I've been taking the bus. What else? Oh, I'm still lucky to be here, since the college hasn't kicked me out yet."

Maybe he was forcing it a bit too much. Keith just wanted to take the time right now to learn more about her.

Sophie smiled at him and let him hold her hands while they talked to each other. She let him ask his questions and listened intently as he told her about the way he was living now. It was good to know him better. She liked that about this class as well. Though the pretty redhead did know some of his story, she found herself wondering what he might be good at. What he might enjoy. She listened to the bit about his shady friends and frowned, wondering if he realized that some of these favors were probably what were getting him into trouble. Her worry was back again. He seemed to have more problems than he was having fun.

"You know, I can help you with your probation. I'll be a tutor if you want. I can't teach you everything, but I can help you study at least. And if you show up to your classes, I bet that would help you. And if you're willing to pay gas money, I can give you a ride in the mornings." After hearing about all of his troubles, Sophie just wanted to help him. He was a nice guy who just needed a second chance and someone to believe in him. She found herself wanting to be that someone.

"I didn't go to Princeton or Harvard because I can't afford it, for one. But I don't really know what I want either. I kind of like my job in the library, so I figured I could major in library science and maybe get a business degree or something. And I don't need to go to an Ivy League school for that." Her grey eyes stared into his green ones as she watched him.

She was so attentive and considerate. Keith noticed as she'd look at him with those gray eyes she was genuinely concerned for him. And the idea that they were going to go to school again together--this time, in her car? How could he refuse that idea? "That is...like the sweetest thing anyone's ever wanted to do for me," he said, beaming at the proposition. "I've been so behind in Dillinger's class--and shit, I'm not so hot in my other classes as well. I would so appreciate it, Sophie. By the way, you know what that means, right? It means we get to go to school again together like we once did--granted, it's not exactly the same, but it's a new spin on an old idea." He smiled at her as he finished that sentence, squeezing her hands again.

Now he felt like he wanted to help her. He wanted to take care of her; he wanted to do things which would have a positive effect on her life, much in the same way she was doing for him. It didn't feel right for him to let her take care of him all of the time without giving her anything in return. That wasn't how Keith rolled. "Would you still consider it if you had the money to? I'm still sorry for making you post my bail last night. I'll pay you back when I have the chance to. You don't have to worry about that. But going back to money, if it's an issue, I could always help with your funding."

At the mention of her going to school with him all over again, she smiled. "I guess you're right. I'm glad we'll have a chance to start over--at least a little." She squeezed his hand back and thought of how this was a good step in the positive direction. If Professor Layton hadn't been clairvoyant, then fate had decided to deal her one hell of a hand. Keith Corbett was back in her life, and it didn't look like he was going to be leaving it any time soon. This time, she knew how he felt. This time, she was aware of the way she affected him--at least a little.

"Going to a college like Harvard? Even if I had the money, I don't know if I'd want to go. They're great colleges, but there's more to it than just good grades and money. I don't know, I don't feel like I'd be a good fit there. Besides, I don't really know what I want to do," she said with a smile. "What's the point in wasting money in a place like that when I can explore as much as I want here?"

Keith continued to gaze at her with his green eyes. When he felt her grip tighten on his hand like that, it just confirmed to him that there was real beauty in his life, and its name was Sophia Renard. That particular brand of beautiful had simply been missing in his life for far too long. With her back in the picture now, he could see a light at the end of the tunnel. Well, his life hadn't been that bad, but he was simply happy they were on good terms once again.

He blinked at her opinion of Ivy League schools. It then began to dawn on him how important his well being was to her. Her peace of mind for him was what mattered to her. This nearly made him keel over his seat. He had been too distracted with so many other insignificant things to really notice that. It seemed like she didn't really care much about the typical materialism; she was a real, down-to-earth gal. If Keith wanted to help her in some way, it was probably best he be more careful about his life, like for that promise she made him make last night, which he failed to acknowledge. It was going to be difficult, but who ever said love was easy?

His hand went up to her head once again. His thumb slid over her temple, and rode down her cheeks alongside her straight hair. "Sophie, do you remember last night when you wanted me to promise to you to be more careful about my life? Well, I never realized how much that meant to you, and I apologize if I blew you off there. I was just afraid I wouldn't be able to keep it." He paused, then sighed, smiling. "I don't think I'm afraid anymore. I'll promise to you I'll be more careful with my life, because I know that if I'm not, then I won't have a chance to see you again, and I don't want that to happen."

He was getting really, really mushy. Too fast. But this was an exception. This exception was named Sophia Renard.

She smiled at him and found herself blushing a bit as he cupped her cheek. He was being sincere now, wasn't he? As she listened to him, she was so glad he had reconsidered the promise she really wanted from him. The one that said he would start taking better care of himself. "Do you really mean it?" she asked. Her eyes were full of hope for him. Hope that he would get his act back together and do something good for himself. And it slowly began to dawn on her how much she must have meant to him to get him to make the promise to her.

His life hadn't been terribly easy up until this point, but she hoped that it would get a little easier if he was more careful. She smiled at him and gave him a warm hug, full of happiness. It meant a lot to her to know that he would at least try to keep safe. He was trying because he cared about her, and that meant a lot. "Thanks, Keith."

"Of course I mean it," he said. "You're like, the world to me. The worst part of it is, we've only hung out for a few days. Imagine what it'd be like after a few weeks." He was only teasing, of course. It was fun to tussle with that fiery redhead every now and then.

And he did mean it. He was already taking school a little more seriously, while establishing some kind of routine with her which revolved around school. Sure, he still had his business to take care of with Vinnie and the boys, but he had been cool with them for a while, so another gig or two wouldn't be difficult.

He tilted his head against hers when she hugged him, caressing her back. "Anything for you, Sophie. Anything." He closed his eyes, savoring their tender embrace.

It happened so soon, but class ended, causing everybody to disperse towards the exit. Keith got up with her, holding her hand as he lead her up to her feet. It was time to part ways. "After your next class, do you want to head over to my place so we can work on the project?" He asked. "And to help me with catching up. You are my tutor, anyhow." He remembered he still owed her money for bailing him out last night, and he was determined to return that money to her. He just hoped she wasn't too busy afterward.

She was the world to him? Sophie felt her heart beat faster in her chest as he said it, but smiled and gave him a little look that seemed to say, "I know you're joking." She smiled and let him rub her back, glad that he was at least taking the promise seriously. It made her feel better already to know that he was going to be more careful. He really was a worthwhile guy once she got past all the sarcasm and smarmy pick up lines. He was smart and funny in his own way, and, despite the side of her that wanted to deny it, he was hot.

Anything for her? Was he still teasing her? Or was he being sincere again? It was hard to tell so she just accepted it. Before she knew it, class was over and he was helping her to her feet. She let him hold her hand as they walked toward the exit and smiled, thinking of when they were kids again. It was always a little something like this. And then he started to speak to her again.

"Well, after my next class, I still have another one. But after that I can come help you. Figure out where you are and I'll help catch you up after we work a little bit on our project. Want me to bring something for supper? Or should I eat before I head over?"

He ruminated on it for a bit. "My, you are one busy gal. I respect that. Just hit me up after you're done with class, and we'll meet up. We'll just decide from there." Even though he thought about heading home first, he wanted to at least show her his place in a more formal manner, rather than having her just drop by. "As for food, sure, bring something--surprise me!" He was curious what she usually ate, and how neatly she was going to rearrange the morsels this time.

As for what to do while he waited for her...

"Okay. I'll see you in a little while then. I'll stop at the store on my way over and see you then." It felt good to have plans with a friend that didn't involve bailing that friend out. It made her smile to think of the joke she would never actually use. "I'll see you then." That said, she hugged him and decided it was her turn to have some fun with him. As they exited the classroom and the building into the sunshine, she leaned up and kissed his cheek cutely. "See ya later!" And then she took off to her next class. Little did she know, someone had been watching her, and the way she acted around Keith Corbett.

The next two classes were a little more dull than usual, but she got the feeling that it was just because she was anticipating seeing her friend again. It had been so long since they'd just been themselves around each other that it was good to just be around him and get used to his sense of humor. Hopefully he wouldn't be too distracted by her being around this time.

After class she thought about what she might like to eat and then drove over to the store and picked up a two liter of Ruby Red Squirt and made her way to the frozen foods aisle. She grabbed a skillet meal for chicken-fried rice and smiled as she made her way to the register, happy to be on her way. She pulled out her cellphone as she got back to her car and closed the trunk. When he picked up, Sophie smiled.

"Hey, it's me. Where did you want to meet up?"

Keith actually thought about visiting the library, but decided not to. Instead, he pretended to go off his own way, only to change course and linger in the direction of where Sophie's next two classes were. He seated himself from afar on a bench outside, folding his legs as he maintained his vigilant watch. As much as the last few hours made him forget about Jeff and his rabid fraternity, he still remembered the events of the morning. Keith had managed to keep his watchful eye on Sophie until she left campus in her car, which he was then relieved that nothing had happened to her. He was still annoyed by the fact that he couldn't follow her to the store, but then realized that she'd be okay in a public place.

He could still feel her kiss on his cheek, which he hadn't touched since she gave him that abrupt peck. It felt so tender and heartfelt, and beneath all of his worry for her, he was excited as all hell to spend some more time with her. Just when the thought of food began to fill his thoughts, his smart phone rang. He checked the call and smiled as he saw Sophie's name, answering it.

"Hi there, you pretty redhead," he said. "Cause any more accidents?" He chuckled. "I'm at the parking lot, so swing by and pick me up there."

Oddly enough, she found that she was very happy to hear his voice, even as he teased her. "Haha, no. I've been a good girl--no accidents here." She smiled and shook her head as she turned at the stop light. After confirming which parking lot he would be waiting in, Sophie said, "Okay, I'll be there in a few minutes," and hung up. The short drive to campus gave her time to think on the recent change in their relationship. Jeff, the most unsavory character she'd had the misfortune of meeting, had brought the two of them back together again. Since then, she'd managed to work out the reason Keith had been so mean to her over the years, and they'd been able to reconcile their differences. Now they were friends.

She was the kind of friend who bailed him out of jail when he'd just called to let her know he was alright. He was the kind of friend who didn't want her to worry if he disappeared for a few days. She was the kind who helped him with school and tried her best to be supportive. He was the kind of friend who protected her and comforted her. Already, after just a day, they were becoming close friends again. There were issues of trust and they still had to get to know each other better, but Sophie was sure that if things kept up the way they were, they'd be thick as theives again in no time. Then again, maybe she ought to have reconsidered the use of that particular idiom.

After a few moments, the pretty redhead was pulling into the parking lot, her CD player currently playing a CD from Ludo. She turned down the volume and put her car in park once she saw him standing there. A normal girl would be salivating over Keith. She kept her fantasies to herself in many ways, and after finding out just how much he fantasized about her today, quite a few had been storming into her head. She fought them off because they were friends, and half of her fantasies were only in her head because he'd drawn them. No, Keith was a sweet guy deep down, and that was who she was interested in. Even if he was hot. When she pulled up she unlocked the door for him and waved at him, waiting for him to climb in and remind her where they were going.

Keith stood at the sidewalk of the parking lot, clearly out in the open for her to see. He smiled when he saw her in the car, approaching the door to open it and slip inside, slamming the door shut. His glowing jade eyes met hers as he pulled on his seat belt. "How was class." He said, smirking at her. He smoothed his white polo shirt under the wide strap of the safety belt. The strap fastened over his body, accentuating the hard flatness of his stomach as his chest contrasted from it by noticeably rising from it. "It seems like we've got a long day ahead of us." He said as he relaxed back against the seat, placing both his hands behind his head. "Since you're supposed to tutor me." He chuckled.

He made sure she reached his place, navigating her whenever she asked, with a calm voice and a steady finger pointing to wherever she needed to turn. He remained relaxed in his seat throughout the ride, listening to some of Ludo's album in her CD player, and then wondering if any of those songs seemed to relate what she was thinking of him...from a female perspective. It kind of made his head hurt transplanting her personality into the all-guy group, so he decided to leave it dead like that, with broken brides and love and all of that in between.

Once they made it to his apartment, he opened the door, thinking for a moment how this reminded him of last night when she drove him out of the station, before getting out and closing the door. He waited for her to leave her car before leading her up the stairs to his humble abode. Once up, he unlocked his door and went inside.

Keith's apartment room was surprisingly clean and well-decorated. Populating the living area were various assortments of Ikea furnishings which were kept tidy and neat. Along the walls, there were bookshelves filled with art books--manga, anime, Japanese architecture, some art books of various kinds which ranged from disturbingly racy to the tame works of the landscape and nature variety. On another shelf, were novels and books--mostly political and historic with some classics thrown in, where there was a copy of A People's History of the United States, Reefer Madness, 1984, along with books by Kurt Vonnegut, and J.D. Salinger. There was a large, comfy red couch which looked clean and inviting. In the corner, sat a 55" LCD TV on a glass stand, which held a dusty Xbox 360 and a clean, slim-model Playstation 3. Standing noticeably on the wooden coffee table was a purple glass bong, situated on the table, all lonely and eager for attention. He removed his shoes when he went inside.

Sophie found that it was hard not to appreciate how good he looked. But it was his eyes that really made her stop and want to stare. And then his perfectly framed face with that reckless grin of his. It was no wonder he was such a lady killer. But she kept her mind on the way he happened to be reacting to her and the look on his face. She smiled at him and waited until he was buckled in before she pulled out of the parking lot. "Well, aren't you in a good mood? My classes were a little dull, but every class has its dull sessions," she said, smiling over at him. "And long nights are long nights. But if I'm there past midnight, you'll owe me." And with that, she followed his directions perfectly and made a mental note of how to get to his apartment from campus. Ludo was one of her favorite bands and she hadn't thought much of it when he'd climbed in. She had absolutely no idea how confusing she was. So she said nothing of it when she stopped the car.

Once she got to his place, she grabbed the groceries out of the trunk and locked her car up before heading up with him. She smiled at the sense of style the place seemed to portray. Obviously, he was into Asian cultures, especially Japanese, but the mighty bong was clearly not off his radar. From what she could see as she took off her shoes and walked in with him, he was a very well-read individual with many interests. It wasn't that Keith wasn't interested, it was that he just didn't want to apply himself. He didn't care enough about his grades and his classes. She wondered what he wanted to do with his life. Maybe she could motivate him with that?

"Wow, you're place is nice. It's good to see that you're taking good care of it. A lot of guys really don't do that," she said, hoping that he would accept the compliment. She set down her school bag near his table and held the groceries. "So, do I get a tour?" She asked, tilting her fiery head to the side. She looked into his bright eyes again, finding that the more she stared at them the more she liked them.

Keith shrugged at her compliment, trying to be modest. "Thanks. I...usually don't use the place that much. The bong usually has more mileage, so my apartment's easier to maintain as a result." He noticed she had been hauling her groceries upstairs the entire way. "Oh, let me handle that," he said, taking the bag into his arms. He walked into the kitchen, setting the groceries on the small dining table. There were two chairs, as though he had anticipated her being there to need it. Or, having two chairs just made it easier to accommodate guests.

He took a few glances into the bag. "Chicken-fried rice, hm? Should I let you arrange the food? You may do a neater job with it."

The kitchen was about equivalent in cleanliness as the rest of the place. Keith loved Ikea, and everything there seemed plucked straight out of the Fall Catalog. Even the stove was clean, and it looked nearly unused. He leaned back against it, looking at her. "So you want a tour, huh?" He then walked towards her, taking her hand and guiding her towards the hallway.

There were two rooms. One, which looked like his bedroom, had the door opened, while a second room had its door closed. "This here's my bedroom," he said, showing her. Compared to the living room, there really wasn't much of a drastic change in style. Queen-sized bed with cherry wood posts, a clean desk with plenty of pencils and pens, and a slanted, drawing table. It looked unused and nearly brand-new. No posters on the wall either.

"I haven't had too much time to personalize the room," he said to her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "Oh, that's right. I almost forgot." He rushed over to the nightstand and pulled open its drawer, taking out a stuffed envelope full of cash. He also grabbed a camcorder from his desk before handing the envelope to her. "This should cover the bail amount," he said, looking at her in the eyes. "Please take it, because that was a lot of money. And also..." He shook the camcorder in his hand. "We can shoot in HD with this," he said, smiling.

Modesty, she found, was an attractive trait in him, but one that she wasn't entirely sure he needed to show in this case. Then again, she began to question the reason for the quality of his accommodations. She hoped that nothing illegal had been done to come across them. It all looked so...new. She let him take the bag from her and smiled. "I can take care of dinner, but that means you have clean up duty." Even his kitchen looked really nice. She had to hand it to him, even if he rarely used his apartment or his equipment, it looked pretty well maintained.

She took his hand and let him lead her around, smiling at the way he seemed so proud to show off for her. Though she was more impressed with the way he hadn't made any jokes about the two of them and going into his bedroom, she had to admit that he had taste. Her smile faded only a little when he pulled out the envelop and handed it to her. "I...you really don't have to cover it all now," she said. "I didn't really expect you to pay me back at all. Not because I didn't think you could, but I don't know...I guess I don't think you should have to. But if it will make you feel better, I guess I'll take it." The camera brought her smile back when he mentioned filming in HD.

"Cool. It'll be nice to have that advantage, at least," she said with a grin. "Well, color me impressed. I'm glad I get to see how you live. Looks like you're doing well for yourself. It looks like you need to enjoy it a little more though. Maybe you should stay in more often," she offered, tilting her head. "Anyway, finish the tour so I can make us food." She was excited to be there, but a little nervous, and cooking would help her calm down a bit.

Keith glanced at her, flipping on the camcorder and pressing the record button. The tiny red bulb came on. He pointed the camera at her, framing her beautiful figure in the lens and immortalizing it onto film. From the small screen, he took in her purple shirt she wore, which clung to her curves. He noticed the necklace she wore, zooming back to study her that pretty face and long, flowing straight hair. The red, luscious fury behind it all made him want to know what her reaction would look like once she realized she was being filmed. Then, taking slow steps towards her, he backed her into the kitchen. "I couldn't help it," he said, smiling. "I thought I'd mind as well get started on the project right now. Don't worry, I'll edit it."

He ignored her request to show him the rest of the place, for a good reason. Even though all that remained of his apartment to show was the bathroom and that room with the door closed, he thought she had seen enough. He didn't want her going into that room, and the thought of her asking him about it made him feel a little nervous--and Keith wasn't the type that got nervous easily.

"I'd like to help you cook," he said, keeping the camcorder on her. "Maybe we can do this together."

It took her a few moments to realize what Keith was doing, but the instant she realized he was recording her, she registered surprise and a little bit of embarrassment. She raised her eyebrows and blushed softly, laughing as he trained the camera on her and started to slowly step toward her. Seeing as he didn't seem like he would stop, she allowed him to back her into the kitchen and chuckled a little. "Alright, if you edit it, it's okay." She smiled and tilted her head curiously when he said he wanted to help her cook. "I thought you wanted me to cook so we wouldn't make a mess," she said.

It struck her as a little odd that he didn't really didn't want to finish the tour, but everyone gets hungry, and it wouldn't hurt to get started on their project. "Fair enough. Hey, do you have a tripod for that thing?" she asked. "Maybe this would be good footage for the project?" For a moment, she wondered if he would go for it, but she didn't think he would deny it. "I'll start getting the stuff ready and you can find me a big skillet and some vegetable oil."

She flashed a warm smile at him before starting to take the things she'd bought out of her grocery bag. She stuffed the 2 liter into the fridge, taking a quick glance at the contents within. In the past few days, Sophie had done a lot of wondering about whether or not Keith took care of himself. Her sudden concern for him stemmed from finding out more about his life. Had she known before, maybe she would have been more forgiving. Shaking that thought from her head, she finished unpacking the stuff she'd bought for the two of them.

Keith's fridge was clean and organized, just like the rest of his place. There was the usual milk (1% low fat), assorted vegetables, and condiments. There was a box of Yuengling inside, in which half of the beer cans were emptied from the paper container, as well a stack of brownies with saran wrap over them. A small sign was toothpicked over the brown cubes, which held the picture of hemp leaves.

He set the camera on a table, which was still recording. "Not really, but I can still get a great view from here on the table," he said, staring into the screen. Sophie's butt was in clear view as she bent over in front of him to put her stuff in the fridge. Oh my God, did it look nice. He waited for her to look back so he could see the look on her face. "Yeah, I agree. It would make great footage."

He then walked around and gathered for her the oil and pans, as well as a fresh onion, garlic, a kitchen knife, and a cutting board. He placed them neatly on the counter as he stood behind her, looking down at her back to see what she was going to do.

Sophie was glad that he had managed to stock his fridge and take care of himself. A little less enthused that he had hemp brownies on hand, but at least he was feeding himself good food. She turned at just the right moment to see exactly what he was managing to get on film and shot him a bland look that clearly expressed her displeasure for the fact that he was checking her out via camera. Such a shame, he'd been doing so well until now. "I think if you want it to take better footage, it should rest on stack of books or something. After all, my ass is stellar, but you don't have much of one," she teased.

She turned to look at him as he finished setting the things down for her. As she did, her shoulder ran into his chest and she found that he was standing very close to her. Why did that always disarm her? And WHY did he have to smell so nice. He was warm and he was firm and he was there, and it made her incredibly nervous. But the minute she lost her composure she felt she would be at something of a disadvantage. "Oh, sorry, I didn't realize you were right there," she said with a smile. "Could you get me a spatula too? We'll need that. Do you cook a lot?" she asked, using the knife to cut open the bag of chicken fillets. All she needed to do was cut the little strips into more manageable sizes that way. She put a little bit of the oil into the pan and set it on the stove, carefully avoiding him. And then she came back to the chicken she'd taken out and started to cut it masterfully.

"You can cut the onions and garlic if you want," she said with a little smile.

Even though he knew she was so self-conscious about her looks, Keith couldn't help it. But then again, most women were probably like that. Although, seeing her face peek from behind her ass like that was well worth the trouble. She had no idea how much Keith enjoyed the view, and how much he wanted to appreciate that figure of hers. He wouldn't have minded being filmed undressing himself. And yes, her ass was more stellar in comparison to his, which was something he did not mind at all. He mused the thought with a smile when she teased him.

After observing her for a moment, he rummaged through the drawer and found a spatula for her to use. "I try to cook whenever I can," he said. "I don't spend too much time in the kitchen, though." His eyes rolled over to her unwrapping the chicken to prepare it. She seemed to do it so casually, and that was a good thing, since it showed that she at least knew what she was doing in the kitchen. I mean, she had to if she were taking the lead there. "How about you?"

He noticed how far she kept herself from him, as though he was a really hot object that would burn her if she got too close. It amused him how standoffish she appeared to be, yet judging from how she reacted to him in Dillinger's class earlier today, that was far from the case.

The onions and the garlic were a bitch to cut, but after a while, he managed to chop them up with careful slices which were so unlike the professionals on the Food Network, it nearly made him look OCD in comparison as he cut everything up with slow, deliberate strokes. His eyes began to sting, watering a bit while he sniffed the itch away. "You see, I did the hard work for you," he said, blinking, then rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. A little bit of eyeliner smeared as he did that, making one eye appear even more dark. "That way, you don't have to do it." He uttered, chuckling.

Sophia Renard was a woman who had been teased most of her life about her appearance. She was very self conscious about the way she looked now because she was still worried that she might be teased--and also that she might attract unwanted attention. At least part of that was being taken into consideration now. It wasn't that Sophie minded being captured on film, it was just that she didn't want Keith to be the kind of guy who only focused on her outer beauty. She couldn't help but feel upset when that appeared to be what he was doing, even if he'd told her that he appreciated more about her than that. He had yet to show her in as many ways as he showed her he liked the way she looked.

Her humor seemed to diffuse the situation, however, and that was a good thing. Sophie was good at stir fry and the like, and she knew how to handle it well. Even the food preparation was first class. After a few moments, she put the knife down and washed it off, along with her hands before she moved on to the next step. Turning the burner on, she took the pan and put his garlic inside of it and waited for to cook a little as she answered his questions. "Me? I usually cook my meals, but sometimes I bum it off of my parents or break down and order in. I don't usually go out unless I'm with someone though." She smiled softly and continued to make sure there was always a little bit of space between them. It wasn't that she didn't like him--it's just that being so close to him was a little...distracting. And the last thing she needed was a trip to the hospital because she'd been careless with a knife.

When she turned and saw that he'd cut the onions, she smiled and set the knife down, noting how his eyes were watering, and now smudged. For some reason, she thought it was adorable. "Thank you for doing the hard part," she said reaching up with her hands, one holding his face and the other resting there, and carefully using her thumb to wipe away the extra make up. His eyes caught her again for a moment and she lingered a little longer than she'd meant to. "If you wanna do an easy part you can grab the frozen peppers from the fridge and open them," she said, letting go of him and then putting the chicken into the large skillet to cook. Next, she went to the fridge and got out the container of white rice she'd stashed in it and got it ready to pour into the skillet as well. Then all she would need was eggs, some water, and the spice packet....plus the frozen peppers. Things were still going pretty smoothly in her book. She just hoped that they would continue this way for awhile.

He blinked as she thumbed away that black smear, pausing as he kept his gaze into that gray pool of her eyes. Now were they more blue or more green...he still couldn't tell. It was like Sophie all over again. Different shades, depending on his mood, perhaps. He wondered what was going through her mind as she touched his face like that, which she had done so casually as though it was a reflex of some sort. Keith blinked again, breathing with a warm smile. "Thanks," he said, staring at her, while pondering the thought again. "Why do you care about me so much?" He blurted out without really thinking. He then abruptly went to the fridge and took out the peppers and opened them, looking at her with a bright, expectant look. He handed the bag to her.

She smiled and nodded when he thanked her for brushing away the smear. She'd just gone back to flipping around the chicken until it had started to brown a bit. She was just pushing it to the edges of the pan when he blurted out the question. "What?" she looked at him, surprised and paused for a moment before taking the bag and opening it. "Hmm, I could ask the same thing to you, you know." She smiled a little and went back to dealing with the stuff she was dealing with. "If you crack me two eggs in a bowl and scramble them, I'll tell you," she said with a smile. As she dumped in the rice she grabbed the packet of seasoning and some water and mixed them in as the package required while she dumped in some peppers, resealed the bag, and then tossed in the onions he'd cut for them. Stirring it all together, she thought about it. Why did she care?

"I care about you because you're my friend," she said with a little smile. "I know we haven't always been that way, but...I don't know. Once you get past the pick up lines and the drawings, and the general ass kingery," she teased again, "You're really a nice guy. And how can I just sit back when I can help you and we're friends? And I don't want to see someone I care about get hurt. Does that make sense?"