The cub yawned, which turned into a soft roar, breaking the silence.
"You should eat!" Damon reached his hand out, pointing to the food behind Echo.
Echo nodded, taking a step back, she smiled, and turned to the food, bending down to keep Hunter on the ground.
Damon turned around and walked towards the window. He stared at the pool outside.
Echo picked the tray up, as Hunter climbed up to the table, to whisper in her ears, "Damon hasn't had breakfast yet."
Nodding, Echo turned around, her gaze fell on Damon. She walked to the bed, and sat down, facing him.
"Damon," she called in a soft voice.
"Hmm," he turned around to look at her.
She smiled, as she stretched her hand out motioning him to come to her.
"What?"
"Have you eaten?"
"Ka… Echo… I'll have breakfast later," Damon replied, turning back to the window.
Echo felt like she needed him to eat. He was taking great care of her, so shouldn't she too, and it would be a good time to bring up the topic about him having a partner. Thinking to herself, Echo came up with a solution.
"If you don't eat, I won't either."
Damon felt his hands clenched into a fist. Why was she so adamant to get him to eat? He just wanted to take care of her, if he sat down and ate with her, wouldn't it remind her of when Finn was alive? Would that not hurt her feelings?
"Damon. Please, I know you want to take great care of me, but that doesn't mean you should neglect yourself."
Damon closed his eyes. 'Ugh! She's always been such a stubborn girl. I can't believe her. What will she do next?... No no! Don't even think about it,' he thought.
"Fine," Damon turned to look at Echo, earning him a smile from her.
Echo smiled sweetly, she had finally managed to convince the man she thought was very stubborn. "Come sit," Echo prodded, patting the bed next to where she was seated.
Damon slowly walked towards her, sitting down. Echo cut a piece of chicken with a knife, and pricked it with a fork, pointing it to Damon's mouth.
Echo watched as Damon hesitated. He looked at Echo, and then at the piece of chicken. She smiled at him, "Don't worry, it's not going to bite."
Damon glared at Echo, "You do know that I made this, so I should be the one feeding you."
"What? It doesn't matter who made it, and who's feeding who!" Echo blurted.
"Of course it matters, you should taste it and tell me how it is," Damon grabbed Echo's small and delicate hand, and gently turned the fork to her mouth. "Taste it."
Echo stared at Damon's hand over hers. She smiled, and opened her mouth, taking in the chicken. She chewed it, and turned to Damon, "It's really good. It's sweet... I love it. You should try it. Here."
He took his hand away, as she took a piece and fed him. He smiled, and they carried on eating.
—
The chicken was fully eaten, except for the bones that were still on the tray. Damon turned to Echo, and she had a little bit of food leftover near her lip.
"You've got something on…" he trailed off, when she stuck her tongue out of her mouth, and whipped it left and right around her lip.
"Is it gone?" She asked, innocently.
Damon nodded, while chuckling a little. "... I'm glad you're still the same you. You haven't changed much, despite it being a year."
Echo looked at him, and smiled. It was a good time to ask him if he had a girlfriend.
"Damon." Echo paused, "Do you have a girlfriend?" She got nervous when he just stared at her. Did she say something wrong? Was she wrong to ask him? She was worried that he'll start hating her now.
"Damon!" Kaia called out in an urgent tone, entering the room.
Damon turned to Kaia, standing up, his voice got much deeper, and commanding when he spoke, "What is it?"
"We've got a problem!" Kaia blurted, she glanced at Echo, and then at Damon.
—
The commander was walking down the stairs to the main hall. Sebastian rushed over, walking beside him.
"Any news from Echo?" Sebastian asked.
The commander glanced at Sebastian, "I thought you would be happy without her around."
"It's been a whole night, and she's not here yet!" Sebastian blurted.
The commander stopped, and turned to Sebastian, "If we can get Damon on our side of this fight, we wouldn't have to lose most of our warriors."
Sebastian sighed, "I understand that, but have you thought what might happen if he got in her head? What if she changes sides?"
"Sebastian! She's the chosen warrior, by the witches. I don't think she'll switch sides that easily," the commander replied, vanishing into the briefing room.
—
Echo glanced at Damon, and then at Kaia.
"There are demons outside ready to attack you," Kaia had a cold gaze as she looked at Echo, "They want her, just let them take her, and they'll even give you more respect."
Damon held Echo's hand, "Tell them she's under my protection."
"That's not going to go well with them, Damon," Kaia replied.
Damon glared at Kaia, "I'm not letting them take her away. She's under my protection, they can kill me if they want her."
"Damon!" Echo called out. She stood up from the bed, and their eyes locked. "This is crazy, just send me out there. I'll take them out."
"No!" Damon tightened the grip on her hand, he pulled her closer to him, and looked at her, his breath was raspy. "They'll kill you. You have no idea about them, please just listen to me, okay?" He tilted his head, as he stared at her face.
"I can fight Damon. I'm not the girl you used to know. I can handle myself," Echo replied. She knew demons, they would fight their own kind just to get what they want. If Damon went out there alone, he'd either get injured, or be dead in seconds.
Damon glanced at Kaia, "How many demons are out there?"
"Twenty give or take a few," Kaia replied.
Kaia's reply made Damon look at Echo again, "That's not many demons. I can take them out." He walked past her.