I was out of breath, so much for not being late to work. I pulled on my sweater and ran out to the car. College and work was beginning to stress me out. I was gonna ask for less hours a week when I finished my four hour shift. I got close to fifteen dollars per hour, but with how much college was adding to my normal work load I couldn't keep up the hours I currently had. I started the ignition and drove to work. I clocked in and started to my job as a night stocker at a pet store. It was ten o clock and I figured if I finished my shift I could get back home by two-thirty. I didn't have to go to school until eleven that morning. As long as I didn't get distracted, I would be fine.

"Kankri!" I turned and saw my manager walking towards me with the strangest looking character, handsome as he was. "this is Cronus he just started working here and I figured you could show him the ropes"

"yeah, sure I guess" I stood and held my hand out to him. "hello, my name is Kankri. It's a pleasure to meet you"

"likewise" his voice was deep with an accent that sounded familiar, but I couldn't quite place it. he shook my hand. He had a firm grip.

"I also figured you could use some help with the big bags of food"

"I can handle them myself, but thank you for your concern" I looked back at Cronus. Strange name for someone who looked like him. His hair was jet black and slicked back with hair product. His horns were like lightning bolts that protruded from his head. He was obviously a seadweller. His fins were the first things I noticed, after all. His eyes were a slightly violet colour. He was muscular and fit, no doubt about that. He wore a black leather jacket over what looked like a tattered shirt bearing what I could only assume was his sign. He had a similar sign scarred into his forehead above his right eyebrow. His black pants fit nicely to his legs and the legs were tucked into some black leather boots. I could only assume he was trying to pull off the greaser look, which he did. Quite nicely, if I may say so myself. "so let me show you what we're going to be working on today"

I walked him over to the cat foods and told him that we were going to be putting the new catfood on the top area, then I walked him over to the cart holding what was needed to be stocked. I had him wheel it back to where we were at and ran to find me a step ladder. I walked back to where he was and set the step ladder in front of the area of the brand and type of food we had received. I climbed up and started pulling the bags of food to the edge and had Cronus lower them to the ground separate from the new food. He handed me the new bags and I put them up on the top shelf. After a few bags were put up I had him start handing me the older bags, to put up front so we could get rid of them. It was going well until the last bag. I got a text and my phone fell out of my pocket, distracting me enough that I lost my balance and fell off the step ladder. I never hit the ground, but the bag of cat food did. I came to my senses and realized I was staring deep into violet-gray eyes. Suddenly the temperature was very high under my sweater.

"you okay, chief?"

"yes, but do you mind placing my back on my feet?" he slowly sat me upright, and made sure I could stand before releasing me. I reached over and picked up my phone to check the text, and of course it was my younger brother. He always messaged me at the wrong time. I wasn't even going to bother to read it. I shoved my phone back into my pocket and went to finish my shift with Cronus.

"what time do you get off?"

"two if I'm lucky and finish my part"

"well, I think it will be easier with me here don't you think?"

"I don't know possibly not its training its not supposed to go by faster"

"what if we finish before two?"

"then I will go and help someone else until time for me to leave, or I can train you on some other things if needed"

"cool" he was at least six foot seven inches. Over a foot taller than me. At five foot three I came up to his abdomen. His shoes made a heavy noise with each step he took. For someone really tall, he sure did keep pace with me easy. I looked up at him. He had a square jaw line. It suited him very well. From what I could tell, his collar bone poked out prominently. He glanced down at me. I looked forward. My face was turning red, I was sure of it. he was truly attractive, but I couldn't help but feel like an idiot for ogling at him like I have been.

By the time we finished my part, it was almost one in the morning. I was talking to Cronus about some other things for his training that he would need to know, when the manager came up and told us we could leave early. We went to the back and clocked out. Cronus followed me to my car talking about wanting to go eat, but not being sure what he wanted and if there was anything I could recommend.

"there's a nice Greek restaurant a few blocks from here. If I have a long shift I go there for lunch. Theres also a number of cafes in the area that have some pretty good food, if you don't want something big to eat"

"I think I'll just walk home and eat something. Maybe my parents cooked or somethin'. I'm not huge on cafes or Greek foods"

"what do you like to eat?"

"I like burgers and Italian food for the most part"

"there's an olive garden about ten minutes away from here. I pass it everyday going here or to school"

"you're still in school?"

"yeah I'm going to the university here. It's my third year and its really starting to stress me"

"I actually just transferred to the university here. I moved out of my parents house and with my now ex girlfriend. And she was cheatin' on me so I left her and transferred my classes from that college to here. I moved into an apartment a few miles out that way" he pointed towards where I lived "I don't even know why, I don't have a vehicle and my parents live between here and the college"

"so you're not using it? at all?"

"nah, its kinda out of the way. Where do you live?"

"that way I live with my family, but I'm trying to save out to move out. My father is a minister and doesn't agree with my lifestyle 'choices' so needless to say he doesn't consider me his son anymore"

"what kind of lifestyle choice did you make?"

"its not important" I could feel my face heating up again.

"what if, you and I shared the apartment?"

"what?"

"yeah I mean, we go to school together and work together so it would be like car pooling. And you could get away from the father who stopped being a father" it was a good idea, but I don't know how well it would work out. I just met him and he's already inviting me to share an apartment with him. "don't worry, chief, it's a two bedroom apartment" honestly it did make me feel better. "you can even quit if you start feeling uncomfortable" that was another relief. So if it didn't work out I could leave and he wouldn't get mad at me.

"there's no harm in it, so long as you keep your messes cleaned up and I can even help with rent"

"and if you start feeling uncomfortable you can back out anytime"

"sure why not? When would be a good time for me to start moving my stuff in?"

"whenever is good with you, chief"

"I don't work tomorrow so tomorrow after school ill get a moving truck and get my necessities out"

"don't worry about that, my dad runs a moving company, we can get everything tomorrow I can even get you a key made" he held his hand out to me. "deal?" I smiled and shook his hand.

"deal"