Tobias nodded, “Always nice to have someone watching your back...” his voice trailed off, his mind wandering for a bit.<br/><br/>Shaking himself from his thoughts he pushed up from the table as well, waiting for her to walk away before sitting back down. Ingrained manners from his childhood, his parents would be proud.<br/><br/>“So, what is her story?” Samuele asked as he came over to chat while the pizza was finishing up.<br/><br/>“Um, well honestly I don't know. Just kind of met her,” he shrugged and smiled, “She looked like she could do with a meal and I could do with some company” trying to play off how they met as something casual and nothing special.<br/><br/>Samuele smirked, though before he could say anything his wife returned with the drinks, “Sammy, leave the boy and his date be. Get back to the oven and make sure that that you don't burn their pizza” she says shooing him away with a bump of her hip as she set the tray down on the table. Depositing the two cups of pepsi, then a pitcher of water with a couple of empty cups. “She is a lovely girl, Toby. I am so happy for you” she says brushing back his hair again, much to his embarrassment.<br/><br/>“Angela, please. She is just a friend, nothing more” Tobias persisted and was in the process of shooing her away, as politely as possible, when he heard the bathroom door open. At the sound of her approaching the table he once again pushed up from the table. A welcoming smile already on his face though it shifted when he actually caught sight of her. It was a mild look of shock, as seeing her had caught him rather off guard. Perhaps, it was the fact he had never taken any real thought onto how she looked up her scarf. Like none at all, so just suddenly seeing her was, a bit of a shock.<br/><br/>In the background Samuele and Angela were murmuring in approval, their voices being what finally snapped Tobias from his daze. The smile going back to being friendly, well mostly friendly, he could not help the appreciative gleam that was now in his eyes.<br/><br/>Before he could think of what to say, much to his relief, Samuele brought them a medium cheese pizza and couple plates.<br/><br/>“Alright, careful its hot” he said, giving Tobias a wink which had him blushing deeply.<br/><br/>Clearing his throat to cover up the sudden flushing of his face he went about dishing her a piece and then himself.<br/><br/>“I will warn you now, like when he says hot, he means it. I always end up burning the roof of my mouth though because I don't listen...” he joked about himself as he took a cautious bite and did his best not look like a complete fool while he chewed the very hot piece.<br/><br/><span style="color: #BFBFFF">The progression of emotion and acknowledgement on his face was interesting, foreign to her. Her walk had been one of self-conscious hurry, partly because she didn't want to be looked at any longer than she needed to be...And the other for feeling out of place suddenly exposed.<br/><br/>Lily had heard the chair scraping back against the floor, her eyes having wandered over the little establishment, taking in the homey charms (or what she considered to be homey) before coming to rest on Tobias's frame. Starting from the floor, her eyes moved up his body in a leisurely pace, not even realizing she was doing it. Her eyes moving slower as it reached the opening in his jumper, she felt her chest constricting, heart pounding heavily. Ending on his eyes, the blue orbs pulling her in to the point that she felt she was drowning. Taking everything she had, she pulled her gray eyes away from his own, walking past him to sit back in her seat.<br/><br/>It was funny, the concept of time...What felt like an eternity of staring, the way her eyes had held onto his...the pace she <span style="font-style: italic">felt</span> she'd been walking...It was merely a matter of seconds.<br/><br/>The lasting effect tormented her.<br/><br/>In almost every way he was comparable to one of the heroes in her books, saving the damsel in distress. Taking her in under his wing and giving her care when no one else did. Not that she'd say she was a damsel, or that this was a book, but in her mind, the resemblance was uncanny. Even down to the minute details of his eyes, the way they appeared stormy, deep, had a way of drawing in anyone caught within their mysterious depths easily.<br/><br/>Just like the dreams she'd had.<br/><br/>Face flushing deeply at this, she let her head drop, focusing on a particular grain in the table as she willed the blush to go away. And, though she'd never seen herself blush, she had a feeling it would be quite the stark contrast against her cadaverous skin. Although she couldn't tell what Samuele and Angela were talking about meanwhile, the reaction from Tobias was noted, his smile resuming what it'd once been: simply friendly, with just a small hint of subtle change. Not a change she could quite place, but it was notable.<br/><br/>Eyes snapping to the tray in Samuele's hand, she stared, trying to figure out how she was supposed to eat the blasted thing. The feeling of idiocy reigned supreme in her mind as she continued to stare it down, the quip, along with Toby's blush completely missed. His sudden throat clearing though, had her looking at him with a slight frown, with overtones of concern.<br/><br/>As he handed her the plate, she looked down at it, only to return her eyes to his slice. A half-hearted laugh resounded through the place in quiet, melodic tones before attempting to lift her piece. Feeling the heat through her cotton gloves, she winced, the bitter memory of many a burned taste bud flooding her. Looking at it, the smell of it overwhelming her senses, Lily opened her mouth, and took her first dainty bite.<br/><br/>Heaven.<br/><br/>That was the first word she thought of when tasting that pizza.<br/><br/>...Followed by hot.<br/><br/>Very hot.<br/><br/>Putting the piece down, she reached for the bubbly concoction in front of her, guessing it was the Pepsi and took a sip. The carbonation tickled her nose, the bubbles almost burning the entire way down her throat, differently than the hot sauce...but still a burn. A small hiccup followed, and she was setting the glass back down to take in what she'd just tasted.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Pizza...is amazing,</span> she thought to herself happily. <span style="font-style: italic">Even if it hurt...And the Pepsi.........I can live without that.</span><br/><br/>Slanting a gaze his way, her tongue darted out over her lips, pulling in the lower to nibble on in thought before she finally got a firm grasp of the English language. "...So, how long have you known them?" Lily asked quietly, before her eyes widened. "If it's alright to ask," she hastily added, not wanting to overstep.</span><br/><br/>Tobias took a drink from his soda, to distract himself from watching her tongue, setting it down to answer her question, “Um...for about a year now..” he said rubbing the right side of his neck. “Kind of stumbled on them when I came back from....from....work...” he said stumbling over a word to fill in for war.<br/><br/><span style="color: #BFBFFF">"Sounds like a lucky stumble," she replied, a slight smile pulling at her lips. Finally feeling slightly comfortable, she was confident she didn't sound like a bumbling moron, and felt her body in turn respond. She didn't sit quite so rigid in the chair, her smile reaching her eyes, adding a gleam beneath their gray surfaces. "They seem nice." <br/><br/>Not wanting to press the "work" issue, she instead turned her attention elsewhere. "And do you do anything for a hobby?" Another laugh followed, a little louder this time and spilling forth into her next words. "I realize I'm being a bit random...But I've a horrible habit of filling quiet, so I ask anything you don't want to answer, just tell me."</span><br/><br/>Tobias smiled in turn, the only thing that kept him from leaning a bit closer to her, was that Angela would get on him for his elbows being on the table. “Nah, you are fine. There are only a few things that I won't talk about, but other than that I am an open book” he gave her a friendly smile to reassure her. “As for a hobby...” his voice trailed off, while he thought, his fingers drawing circles in the table as he thought.<br/><br/>Chuckling and shaking his head, “Um, well does working out count? I mean aside from that and the occasional bit of singing that I do when I am alone.."<span style="color: #BFBFFF"><span style="font-style: italic">He sings? Can he be anymore per</span>- The thought cut off as she forced herself to pay attention to what he was saying and not fantasize as nothing would come of it anyway.</span>"...I don't really do much” he said with a friendly smile. “What about you? You have hobbies? Save for playing hide and seek?” the last bit of a friendly tease, trying to see if she would laugh.<br/><br/><span style="color: #BFBFFF">Rather than feel her smile growing, it sort of teetered, falling the smallest bit before resuming the brilliance it'd once held, her eyes not quite as bright this time around. Tracing the rum of her cup, she shook her head with a slight laugh. <br/><br/>"If I played hide and seek, I'd be terrible, as you've seen," she quipped, a shrug accompanying her words. "You found me didn't you?" Pausing, she let out a a seemingly happy sigh. "I'm more of a reader than anything else. I tend to get lost in books rather easily."<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">'Bout as easily as your eyes...</span> she added to herself.<br/><br/>"So you sing?" she asked, turning the conversation back to him, before adding playfully, "Are you any good?"</span><br/><br/>“Well to be fair if I was not there to remove the trash I probably would not have found you” he said, trying to reassure her. “So, I would have to say that you are pretty darn good at the game. I mean, look at me,” he says leaning back in his chair a bit, his arms spread wide. “Imagine my big ass trying to hide. I think in that game you would definitely win” he chuckled laughing at himself.<br/><br/><span style="color: #BFBFFF">"I'm more of a reader than anything else. I tend to get lost in books rather easily."</span><br/><br/>“Escaping into another world, a world where there are happy endings for all the heroes...” he said softly, the smile on his lips a thoughtful one. “I use to read a bit too when I was younger. Now...” he shrugs, “Sometimes the real world is too hard to escape...” there was a harshness that came to his eyes for a second, before it was gone and he was focusing back on her, back on the present.<br/><br/><span style="color: #BFBFFF">"So you sing?" she asked, turning the conversation back to him, before adding playfully, "Are you any good?" </span><br/><br/>Grinning and blushing a bit, “Well, I had a couple lessons as a kid. Something about my mother wanting me to have a softer side. I am....decent. Not going to be trying out for any show or anything, but I can say that your ears will only bleed for a bit” he smirks as he winks at her, before going back to his pizza.<br/><br/>“What about you? Any hidden talents?” he asked once he was done chewing.<br/><br/><span style="color: #BFBFFF">Sitting there, she mulled it over for a good minute, trying to find some hidden talent that she had. <span style="font-style: italic">If you count killing people with a single touch...one,</span> Lily thought bitterly. "If I do, they're hidden pretty well," she finally answered, with a shake of her head.</span><br/><br/>He nodded, taking a drink of his soda before saying, “Well sometimes we do not see how special we are until we are seen through the eyes of another” his eyes meeting her own for a moment, holding them, before he looks away. “At least that is something my mother always said” he finishes with somewhat of an afterthought.<br/><br/><span style="color: #BFBFFF">That thought alone had her hooked, her mind forming pictures before she knew what to do with them. All the while her eyes held his own, the blue in them like the sea after a storm...Pulling her in by the undertow. No warning. Had he not turned his gaze away, she'd have been hooked as her mind wandered, moving over the different scenes that played out, though each had one constancy:<br/><br/>Him.<br/><br/>Each time her thoughts shifted, it was another era, another time. Scenes she'd read over and over in her favorite books suddenly coming to fruition as she wondered over his words. <span style="font-style: italic">How do you see me...?</span> she wondered, eyes still on him while he focused elsewhere. Different story lines playing out behind her eyes, though their appearances remained the same. In one instance, he was a count, and she a penniless maid. Another, he was an adventurer, on the search for treasure and she was a damsel in distress.<br/><br/>Each time she tried to figure out how he felt, based on visual cues...But never had anything concrete. Not until later in the story, anyway. Her own had only just begun. She'd only just escaped her captors, fled to an unfamiliar place...And met the man that could presumably be the equivalent of her knight in shining armor. <span style="font-style: italic">Not that I could ever really have a knight...But it's a nice thought,</span> she told herself again. <br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">How do you see me...?</span></span><br/><br/>“So, what do you think of the pizza? Best you ever had, right?” he asked with a smile.<br/><br/><span style="color: #BFBFFF">After her long pause, the image stirring up more questions than it answered, her eyes widened in embarrassment. Having only just realized he'd been staring at her, waiting for an answer, she flushed a vibrant hue of red as she struggled to form the words. "By far, the best pizza I ever had!" Lily replied hastily, fairly tripping over the words. Laughing a shy smile, she looked down pulling off a piece of her crust. "So, what's your favorite all time food?"</span><br/><br/>Her blush made him smile and drew attention to how pale she was, leading him to think maybe she was like sensitive to the sun? That would explain why she was all covered up despite how hot it was. Setting that thought aside for the moment he thought about her question, surprising himself that it was not something he could answer right off the bat.<br/><br/>“Hmm...well I would have to say it would be my mother's meatloaf. Have yet to find anything that comes close to how could that tasted” he smiled and nodded as if to add more of a confirmation to his own statement. “What about you?” he asked, taking another bite of his pizza while he waited for her answer.<br/><br/><span style="color: #BFBFFF">Pretending he hadn't just seen her momentary lapse, she thought about something else, not understanding why she was blushing so much around him, or why she was so nervous. Shrugging, she just shook her head for a moment, before responding. "...I don't have one." Her eyes looked back up to his own, almost as if questioning if that was the wrong response or not, worry flashing in their gray depths.</span><br/><br/>Tobias smiled, hoping to reassure her, “Well you are young yet and have yet to try all of the different foods there are out there. I, on the other hand, have done a bit of traveling so I am able to know what my favorite is. So, no worries. Ok?” he smiled reaching across the table as if to lay his hand on top of hers, seeking to reassure her.<br/><br/><span style="color: #BFBFFF">Her eyes didn't leave his, but this time she was focused on his hand. She wanted his touch, just to feel what it was like...just once...to not be hustled around by her guards and instead just to feel a gentle touch. One that wouldn't mean to control her, but instead just be a friend, comforting. As it inched closer, she made a split second decision to instead pick up her pizza to take another small bite. A small, almost sad smile flickered across her lips as she ate, eyes having dropped from his own to focus on the slice, before she replaced it on her plate and looked up at him curiously.<br/><br/>"So...If you've done some traveling," she started, her tone still ringing of sadness, though it was only an overtone, overtaken by her curiosity. "...And you say I'm young yet...as well as your comment in the alley...How old <span style="font-style: italic">are</span> you? If you don't mind my asking, that is."</span><br/><br/>The quick way she pulled her hand away was not lost on Tobias and for a moment his hand just sat there, partly across the table, kind of like that odd man out. Awkwardly there, for all to see, it was not a good feeling. Slowly he retracted his hand back to his side of the table, his eyes cast down as he stared at his plate, seeming to be focusing on the pizza but truthfully he was chastising himself. It was not like they were friends, not really anyway, so he should not have thought it was okay to just reach out and touch her.<br/><br/>So wrapped up on his moment of self hate he did not really hear what she said, not fully anyway. “Hmm....oh....umm 27” he said meeting her eyes, a somewhat strained smile given as he joked, “Yeah, I am pretty much an old man now. At least I often feel like an old man,” he shrugged and took a sip of his drink. “How old are you? If you don't mind my asking?” his tone going back to being friendly, though he had changed his posture a bit. Sitting back in his chair some. Keeping one hand occupied with his cup, while the other seemed to be content with playing with the glass spice shakers. Shifting them about with his fingers, in an absentminded fashion.<br/><br/><span style="color: #BFBFFF">She could see the strain, hear how the smile didn't really reach his tone and felt like an idiot. It was hard to fight that reaction, though, having been in the habit for so long. Pushing all of that aside, she instead focused on his words. Head tilting a bit, looking at him in slight surprise. Hearing that he was twenty-seven wasn't what she was expecting, having pegged him for younger. <span style="font-style: italic">Far from old,</span> she thought to herself. "I'm eighteen," Lily answered after a pause, tone a bit uncertain, but still holding at least a speck of conviction.</span><br/><br/>Tobias smirked, “Yeah. I am old” he says chuckling to himself. “So, you were very correct in stating that you were an adult. I do apologize for that earlier. I have a habit of equating age to size, using me as a basis of size reference. Though I should probably not do that, given that...well” he gestures at himself. There was a bit of a pause as he just sat there looking down at his crust, having eaten his slice though had yet to grab himself another. Likely it would just end up being boxed up and taken home, so that he could have it for dinner.<br/><br/>Glancing up at her he realized she would need something to eat later, maybe he could give her the pizza? Though where would she eat it? Speaking before he had a chance to really think, “So, where do you live?” he stated rather bluntly, which had him stammering to sound less like a sexual predator, “Ummm....I mean....like after we get done lunch. Where would you be heading? I could walk you there to make sure you got there alright....NOT that I am like interested in following you home or something. I just don't think anyone should walk around in the city alone....” he sighed rubbing his face with his hands, then running them up through his hair.<br/><br/><span style="color: #BFBFFF">Lily's facade dropped a fraction as his question rendered. <span style="font-style: italic">Where am I heading?</span> she wondered, eyes glancing out of the window as she thought. As she hadn't had an actual plan when she left, being that the trip was spur of the moment...and as she had no money...It wasn't like she could really stay anywhere. She just had to keep moving. "I'm heading wherever the wind takes me," she answered cryptically. "No specific direction in mind...And don't worry, I hadn't thought you were interested in following me home," she added with a small grin. "If I had a set place to walk to...I'd have welcomed the company, so thank you just the same."</span><br/><br/>Tobias smiled, though her intentional dodging of the question had him concerned. Though she had a right to do as she wanted with her life. “Well, should the wind end up blowing you back in this direction...” he said as he took a napkin and a pen from the chest pocket of his jumper, he quickly jotted down his number. “Give me a call. We can have pizza together again, or maybe something else. As I can't really cook so I am usually eating out” he chuckled and passed the napkin to her, taking care to retract his hand back to his side of the table.<br/><br/>Glancing at the still hotish pizza he, dished her out another slice, then another for himself as well. That left about 4 slices for later. That done he pushed back from the table and stood, “I'm going to go and get a box for this, because I am pretty certain we are not going to be finishing this all right now” he smiled and walked over to the counter to talk softly with Samuele for a bit while he paid for the lunch and got a box for the left over pizza.<br/><br/>“She is molto bello, no?” Samuele said giving Tobias a teasing smile.<br/><br/>“Yes, very beautiful. But she is just passing through town, plus I am a bit too old for her,” Tobias said as he fished out his wallet.<br/><br/>Samuele rolled his eyes as he rung them up, including his usual discount for veterans, even though Tobias always insisted that he did not. “Toby, love, does not care about age. So, why should you?” he asked him taking the money and beginning to make change.<br/><br/>Tobias just sighed, “Why do you always jump to it being love? I mean it could just be us being friends. It would be nice to have friends you know,” Tobias shot back as he took his change and promptly put it in the tip jar. “I swear you Italians are only ever thinking about one thing!” he snapped, though there was just enough humor in his tone to let Samuele know he was just joking.<br/><br/>Samuele just chuckled, “Tu sei solo geloso, che noi siamo i veri padroni d'amore,” he rattled off at Tobias who only shook his head and headed back to the table.<br/><br/><br/><span style="color: #BFBFFF">Her eyes left his smile, darting down to the napkin he was writing on, eyebrows rising as she saw his number. Blinking up at him in confusion, her heart beat wildly in her chest. It was just like one of the few modern books she'd read: The hero gives her his number, telling her to feel free to call whenever; That they'd do something. Her gloved hand took the napkin, a small smile on her face as her eyes took it in, committing it to memory just in case.<br/><br/>As he dished her out another slice of pizza, her mind began to wander, not on the number she'd been given, but on his reaction to her subconscious rejection of his hand. It wasn't as if she didn't want to be touched, to have that contact with someone, anyone. She wanted to know what it was like, to feel that connection with a person, to have their hand reassuringly on her own as her eyes gazed into theirs.<br/><br/>But she'd never have it.<br/><br/>Not without killing them...<br/><br/>Picking at her piece of pizza, she watched his movements out of the corner of her eye, looking at his hands out of curiosity. It started there, wondering what they felt like. They looked strong...Like the hands she'd seen on the covers of her novels. Strong enough to sweep a girl off her feet... And those arms. Though his movements didn't require much strength, the muscles still bounced and moved all the same, catching her attention.<br/><br/>And those eyes...<br/><br/>His smile had her smiling a slightly nervous on in turn, as he wandered off to get a box for the food. The fleeting figure had her heart beating all the faster, watching the grace that he moved in, taking him in, committing to memory the potential hero she'd soon be leaving. That had her smile falling from her lips as she thought about how she didn't want it to end. She didn't want to leave him, to leave the one person she'd met that'd been nice to her because he was a genuinely nice, and not because he needed something.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">“Beautiful...Passing through town...”</span><br/><br/>She straightened up, eyes snapping back to his form. <span style="font-style: italic">Did...Is he...?</span> Lily couldn't even finish a thought as she tuned into the conversation. That one little snippet had her wondering if it really was her they were talking about. <span style="font-style: italic">Does he really think I'm beautiful?</span><br/><br/>“Love does not care about age...”<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Love? Is that this feeling?<br/><br/>No, it couldn't be. I just met him...And he wouldn't be with me...I'm not lovable.</span><br/><br/>It was so simple a thought to her, a fact that had been drilled into her from the time she was young. How could anyone love something they couldn't touch? She was a mistake, something that should have never been born. As much as she wanted to hope that someone could, that she'd lead a normal life, eventually marry, have that life she'd always read about...It wouldn't be. <br/><br/>It never could.<br/><br/>She heard something else, but in Italian and lamented not understanding it. Every book she'd read with the language came with footnotes to explain them. <span style="font-style: italic">Yet another thing I wish was real,</span> Lily thought wryly before focusing on her pizza, acting unaware of the conversation that had just taken place. It wasn't right to ease drop, or assume it was her they'd been talking about. Why comment on something when she could be way off base?<br/><br/>Picking at her slice, she looked up at him as he drew closer, a small smile taking place once more on her face. "Thank you for the pizza, Tobias," she started, eyes dropping for a moment before returning to the gorgeous blue gaze that captured her so completely. <span style="font-style: italic">I'd pay you back if I could...</span> "So, is it back to work for you?"</span>