After we spent a good amount of time crying, I wiped off our tears and rubbed his knee again. He is probably stronger than I am, no doubt about it. I can't imagine having no home.
"Dan, how would you like to move in with me?" I asked him, and I threw my head back in surprise I had asked somebody I just met to come live with me. It couldn't be bad though, could it? I mean, he needed somewhere to live, and zombies were going to kill him if all he could do was sit in the shadows. He raised his eyebrows and considered my offer. It took a bit for him to think until Dan finally decided to trust me and move in. His head bobbed up and down, giving me his final answer. A grin crept up my lips and I took his hand, helping him up.
We cautiously began walking out of the alleyway. His hand was still in mine and neither of us really cared. Our eyes and ears were open and we stayed clear of any other monsters until one suddenly appeared behind us. At first we didn't know it at all, but the zombie's strange stench filled our noses and, turning around, there was a gray, filthy, bloody, undead human. He screamed as loud as possible, the sound hurting my sensitive pale ears. Dan and I ran as fast as we could, forgetting our hands. His bangs got in his eyes and I was certain he couldn't see but apparently he could because he still ran beside me, turning wherever I turned.
It didn't take long until we finally reached my apartment. My keys jingled and jangled in my hands as I played with the doorknob. A quiet click and I knew we were in. The door swung open and we ran inside. I closed the door back, locked it, and just melted against it. We were both out of breath, panting from all the running.
As we both caught our breath, he sat down on the couch. His nose wrinkled when he saw the white hairs on it. His head turned to me, giving me a strange look. I looked right back at him, and those gorgeous eyes played with my heartbeat. I raised one eyebrow at him, telling him to explain to me what was wrong.
"Do you have a dog?" he asked me, and I chuckled.
"No, I don't. I don't have a cat either." He looked at me like I had grown a second head. I might has well have grown one. I have a unicorn for goodness sake, how am I supposed to tell him that while keeping it cool? Of course, just my luck, Angel made her horse-like neigh and I face-palmed. Dan jumped at the noise and got off of the couch, ready to inspect the apartment. I stopped him, putting my arm in front of his chest.
"Do you have a horse in this apartment?" he asked me. I looked at him sheepishly and shook my head. I bet he thought I was lying, and I bet he wanted to just walk out of the room right then and there, but he just stood there, staring at me. His arm pushed mine away and he followed where the noise came from. His left foot was in my room, and then his right. Opening the closet, his jaw dropped from discovering my sweet Angel. I walked into the room, my face red and my hands buried in my pockets. Just when I thought Dan was going to scream, he smiled.
"What a beautiful creature. Is this a unicorn?" he asked me, and I nodded. He smiled and stroked Angel on her back. I raised my eyebrows, surprised that he didn't freak out. I let him enjoy my baby until I had to finally ask him.
"Why aren't you freaking out about seeing Angel?" I questioned, and he waved his hand.
"I have seen a unicorn before. I used to live in the forest, with my p-parents," he responded, but I could only focus on how he stuttered on that last word. I wondered what happened to his parents. Did they abandon him? Were they dead? Did they lose him? My brain told me I should just save that question for later and let Dan be happy for a moment. He was.
After a few minutes of relaxed silence, I walked into the guest bedroom and started to make it look comfy. I didn't know if he had any other clothes, but probably not because he didn't bring any. I called him into the room and he walked in with a smile on his face.
"Dan, this is where you'll be sleeping," I pointed at the bed. He grinned wider and I continued, "I think you should get a nice shower before you do anything. Just go into the bathroom, it's the first door on the right, and put your clothes in the hallway. Body wash and shampoo will be in the bath, and you can use a small rag for washing which will be in the closet. Wash up well and I'll clean your clothes, alright?" He nodded and I nodded back. His legs dragged him into the bathroom and I waited for him to toss out his clothes. A minute of shuffling sounds and they were out into the hallway. Dan closed the door back and turned on the water. I picked up his clothes (which were very filthy) and I threw them in the wash. I sighed and relaxed my shoulders until I heard a scream.
I ran to the bathroom and knocked on the door. "Dan? Is everything alright?" I asked, my worry obvious in my voice.
"The water is burning me! How do I cool it down?" I was surprised he didn't know how to turn it down until I remembered – he came from the bloody streets. I just giggled a bit and put my hand over my face.
"It's alright Dan, just get out of the shower and cover up with a towel. I'll be right in to help you." He agreed and opened up the small closet to retrieve a large bath towel. When he told me he had it on, I opened the door and felt the water. It was scorching hot. I jumped back and waved my hand to cool it off. I turned down the water to a comfortable temperature and walked out, careful to not look at him. The door closed quickly and I stood in the hallway, asking myself why I was acting so strange.