"Y..you? You're gonna...," She didn't finish her words, he interrupted.
"No, am not, right now Queen Mother is looking for a solution before your powers activate, we don't know at which age, I also don't want to die," he said the last statement gloomily. "So, what else do you want to know Mia?"
"Are you real?" she opened her eyes at what she had just blurted out, her hands flew to cover her mouth, she shut her eyes feeling sorry about what she asked. There was silence around her.
When she opened her eyes, the guy was gone.
'Oh no! Did I upset him!?!' she stood up tensed, but when she turned around, she stumbled on his hard broad chest. He stood there looking at her worried expressions, raising his one eyebrow. He did not seem angry with her question.
"Thank heavens! You're still here," she suddenly hugged him, happy he was not upset. He stiffened for a moment.. When Mia felt that he did not respond to her hug, she realized he was not the Zane she was used to hugging like a teddy bear, she quickly pulled away.
"Am sorry, Xander, my question was not meant that way, I..just everything feels so real and unreal..." he disrupted her before she could finish her words.
"Its fine, since I was fired at Raquel's, do you know where I could stay? Queen Mother told me to watch over you until your power activates, I can't go back to Saki. She gave me gold coins to buy a house and make myself comfortable in this dimension. Help me look for a house to buy, if we don't find any by today, I'll have to stay in your house as a guest," the tone in his voice was rather commanding. Mia recalled that Greta's house did not have a guest room, she would be a nerve wreck if Xander, stayed in her bedroom.
They stood up, and walked around the estate, looking for a house. "Xander, may I ask a question?" Mia looked at him as they walked.
"Go ahead," he looked ahead bored, probably tired of her questions.
"How old are you?"
He stopped walking and stared at her unique grayish-blue eyes. "I don't know how the human world works about age, but what I know is that they have a short lifespan. Phoenicians live for about a thousand decades, but I have lived for exactly two decades."
"Oh my goodness!! you are so young!!" Mia exclaimed, "Here you are only 20 years old, and am 16, a difference of 4. You have so much knowledge for a twenty year old, wow, you guys can live up to ten thousand years old, we humans can live only up to 100 years," she was smiling widely at what she just discovered. They continued walking as Xander wondered why the heck such information would make her smile like that.
"At what age do Phoenicians age, and marry?" she asked again, curiosity taking the better part of her.
"We don't age, and get old like humans, our hair colour changes dull, that's how you'll know if we age, we are supposed to marry and get kids at the 3rd decade, a person like me to marry and get kids is still too young," he said, walking faster.
"You are so smart for your age," she added, but Xander remained quiet.
It was getting late, as they strolled looking for vacant houses, dusk was approaching. "Xander, slow down, am tired..." Mia said, sitting on a public bench. "You are tired? Oh..I forgot you are a human," he sat down next to her. "It seems I shall be spending the night at your house," he said casually, and the girl beside her tensed.
"Let's go introduce me to your guardian before its gets late, I don't want trouble with dramatic humans," he stood up, and Mia followed him like a lamb. They walked until they reached Greta's house, someone opened the door before they even knocked. It was Greta, and it seemed like she was in a hurry to leave again.
"Hi, Darling," she hugged Mia, "Sorry, I need to work overnight," she then looked at the red haired boy, "And who are you young man?" Before Mia could introduce him to Greta, he introduced himself.
"Nice to meet you Miss Greta, my name is Xany, Mia's boyfriend, I'd like to spend the night here with her, may I?" he didn't beat around the bush, and Mia's heart palpitated faster than ever. 'Did he just..' she couldn't believe the cold guy was acting human, and lying after telling Mia not to lie about them being together.
Greta was shocked at his straight forward and confident confession.
"B..but..," Greta turned to Mia, who was glaring piercingly at him."Will you be comfortable with him around? You can prepare the big couch for him to sleep," she said but Xander butted into their conversation. "I want to sleep with Mia in her room," he said shamelessly.
Greta looked at Mia and she nodded at her as confirmation. "Okay, there is plenty food, I shall be back tomorrow," she went, feeling happy that Mia was socializing and now had a boyfriend.
After they entered the house, Mia shut the door and clutched his arm tightly in anger. "What the heck Xander, why did you make it so awkward, you literally embarrassed me, she must be thinking how shameless I am, I thought I was the one to introduce you. Why did you do that?"
"I hate wasting time Mia, if I said we just met, she would not let me in, a boyfriend is enough for her to trust me. Besides, didn't you tell that stupid guy that I was your boyfriend? What's for supper, am getting hungry," he lied to end that conversation. Suddenly, a white fluffy animal approached them, barking, and he jumped into Mia's arms.
"Hi there little guy," Xander took him from her hands, but the dog ferociously barked. He bit Xander to let go, which he did but the bite did not hurt him.
"Relax Toby, he is my friend, Xander, he will be spending the night here," Mia said and chills ran down her spine at her last words. Mia warmed food in the microwave, but Xander refused to eat.
"Didn't you say you were hungry just now?" Mia said suspiciously.
"I change my mind, eat and go to sleep, I shall be here on the couch, I don't really need sleep" he said with his husky voice, as he took a seat.
"Don't you guys sleep?" she asked and the guy let out a pleasant laughter. Mia looked at him, it was the first time she had ever seen him laugh. "Goodness Mia, you have no idea how I have been suppressing my laughter, but what you've just said...huh...I can't take it. Do you think we are monsters? Sleep is a state of rest and am not tired now, I can go for days without sleeping, but that doesn't mean we don't sleep, naive being..tsk," he rolled his eyes, a smirk still playing on his lips.
"Sorry,"Mia apologized sincerely but the guy just shut his eyes, and did not say anything else. Mia was captivated by the guy's beauty, from his red hair to red lips and jawline. His long red eyelashes settled on his cheeks, and Mia could tell that he had a rough childhood like her. Of course Mia did not know how she could tell, she was always this weird, guessing and thinking of stuff that might be true.
After eating and feeding Toby, she stopped and looked at the man who sat on the couch with his eyes shut. "Goodnight Xander," she said expectant of an answer from him, but he did not speak. She walked away, but when she was ascending the stairs she heard him say, "Beware of Greta, she's up to something, I can sense something not good, I can't tell what exactly, don't get too attached to her" Mia snapped her head to look at him, baffled by what he told her.
"Uh, no, you are wrong, Greta is my mo .. like my mom, she has been taking care of me for 4 years, her intentions are pure, nothing has ever been off with her. I.. I'll have to pretend that you and everything...doesn't exist if you try to... make her look like a bad person, or harm her. She gives me the happiness that I need, I..won't listen about any of that, so, I'll.." She stuttered feeling guilty because she has never talked to someone rudely before.
"Foolish little human girl, just go to sleep, I will find out what she is up to," he shaked his head in annoyance.
"How dare you call me foolish Xander," she approached the relaxed guy, fuming, "We are almost the same age yet you dare call me little," she stomped in front of him, folding her arms.
Suddenly the man snapped his eyes open, grabbed her arm, and in split second, she found herself under him, with him on top of her, both her hands had been pinned on the couch. They were in such an intimate position that Mia turned red with embarrassment.
"Right now, you are just being a nuisance, I want to meditate and I don't need bugs like you around me, got that buttercup? Go to sleep," his breath hitched on her face, they were so close and one movement of hers, they lips would meet. Mia realized the way the man was looking pissed off, his thoughts were not even close to what Mia was thinking now.
He released her, and she run like a prey, which made him laugh in amusement at her action.
'Her name should be buttercup instead'.