Nicolas paused for a moment, feeling a rush of emotion.<span style="font-style: italic">I... Have someone...? Someone that wants to hear my story...? And be by my side...?</span>He looked into her eyes as if he was searching for something.<span style="font-style: italic">She... Forgives me...? And... Actually does want to be friends...? I've never had a friend before...</span>He continued searching as he listened to the darling woman in front of him. As she finished he sat there quietly, pacing back and forth in his mind.<span style="font-style: italic">So this is how I've made every person I've met feel... Despicable...</span>He slowly shook his head.<span style="font-style: italic">So this is what having a friend feels like... How it feels to not be alone...</span>He snapped back to reality as she mentioned food, "Whatever you'd like to cook." He said hungrily as he smiled back.<span style="font-style: italic">She is such a beautiful young woman... She has noble cause...</span>He looked to Niya, smiling.<br/><br/>He sat back in his chair, relaxing and thawing out in front of the fire. He has done much today. Not just physically, but mentally as well.<span style="font-style: italic">Am I able... To change...? There's no going back now I suppose... I promised... I don't think it'll be a hard promise to keep...</span>He looked back and Maria.<span style="font-style: italic">I feel like I'm going to enjoy it too much not to...</span>He finally spoke up further about everything Maria had said to him, "That's fine, Maria. I don't mind. There's not much housework around here, and I don't think I need solitude anymore." He finally spoke the truth. "I'm starting to believe<span style="font-weight: bold">good</span>people in my company may be a bit better." He intentionally avoided her question of being friends, still thinking it over.<span style="font-style: italic">Is she this willing to be friends after the way I've treated her...? Everyone else just ran away... Does she have this much will in her...?</span>He began searching her eyes again and finally found what he was looking for, sincerity.<span style="font-style: italic">I will accept and be her friend... But I would rather show it... Do friends have to tell each other they are friends...?</span>Not sure of the answer, he decided he would see how things went.<br/><br/>He called Coal to his side and began vigorously rubbing her head, flopping her ears about. "Did you enjoy your company, girly?" The two looked at each almost as if they were having a conversation through telepathy, the dog panting and slightly growling as she enjoyed her head rub. He looked back at Maria, "Did<span style="font-style: italic">you</span>enjoy your host?" smiling, realizing he was talking about a dog. He continued to flop her ears around, with two hands now as she stepped in front of him and faced him, accidentally thinking out loud, "I always wondered, what does this sound like to them?"<span style="font-style: italic">Uh oh... Don't make a dumbass of yourself... You're a man of simple needs, but you're not an idiot... Wait... Snap out of it loverboy, she's just became your friend, I doubt you'll get much further than that...</span>He blushed a bit at this thought, coughing and changing subjects, "But, uh... Yeah. You can make whatever you can come up with." Scratching the back of his head for a moment, he added on, "I tell ya what, I'll even help clean up this time as part of my apology. You deserve a little help for that good food of yours." smiling as he looked back into her seemingly sparkling eyes. "It's the best I've had in a long time." In all seriousness, he meant it. He hadn't had a meal that wasn't somewhat burnt in some time, being that no one took the time to teach him how to properly cook other than making sure there was no sign of blood in the meat.