The next morning, Shirayuki was woken up by Obi lightly knocking on her door and offering her some breakfast and a tour of his abode. Much to her pleasant surprise, she was almost completely devoid of any of the worse symptoms of her illness, so she happily obliged. Any reason to get out of bed was a good reason for her.

"And in here is the kitchen, mostly run by the lovely Madam Geneva -" She and Obi were peeking around the edge of a door frame into the last room on the tour, having already observed the rest of the fairly nice apartment. Geneva could be seen in the kitchen listening to Obi and then tossing a hand towel at him.

"May as well only be run by me, thanks, sir," she quipped back in irritation, but Shirayuki didn't miss the smile she shot at him before fussing over something on the stove.

Obi laughed, leading Shirayuki away from the kitchen door and finally ending in the living room. "And you've obviously already seen the living room since you tried to sneak out so rudely. But here it is."

Shirayuki blushed, wondering if he would continue to tease her about that. Giving a nervous laugh, she said, "Yeah, sorry about that. Being on the run for so long really can change a person's instincts, huh?"

"I would say so," Obi agreed. "I would probably know that better than anyone. Would you like to have a seat?" He indicated to the couch in front of the tv, which was positioned above the fireplace's mantel. She was surprised to see the fireplace being used, with a happy flame licking away in the hearth.

"Oh…" Shirayuki was uncertain. "Uh, well, since I'm feeling a bit better, I thought I might need to head out soon..."

"Have you not thought about my offer?" he asked, tilting his head and raising an eyebrow in question as he sat down. His sharp, cat-like eyes glinted with the fire light.

"Offer?" For a moment, she was confused by what he meant, then it dawned on her. "Oh! Right. Sorry. I had completely forgotten."

"So I take it you haven't thought about it then?" He gave her an amused smirk, indicating for her to have a seat by him on the sofa.

"I'm afraid I haven't," she admitted, acquiescing to his invitation and settling by him. "I'm sorry. It's a generous offer, but I feel like I've kind of invaded your life enough as it is."

"Nah," he brushed her off, looking at the fire with a half-crooked smile tilting his lips. "If anything it's the other way around, as I've done my best to squeeze into your life. However, having such a fascinating person invade my life definitely would not be the worst thing that's ever happened to me." The look he gave her was playful, almost teasing.

Shirayuki couldn't help but blush again, removing her eyes from the man and focusing on the fire as well. "W-well, still. Would you really be willing to give a perfect stranger off the street a job when I'm sure there are many others you must trust - "

At that, Obi let out a short bark of laughter, startling her enough to make her jump.

"Sorry," he breathed through another low laugh. "Believe me, I've known you for less than a week and I already trust you more than I do almost anyone in this entire city. New Orleans isn't too a bad place, but a lot of the people are a different breed of selfish. Not the type I want running my bar, ya know?"

Shirayuki nodded, knowing the exact type he was speaking of. But still…

"What about Geneva? You said she works at the bar too?"

"Yeahhhh," he said slowly, hesitantly, scratching the back of his head. "But she's more of a maid than anything. Great for serving and cleaning, not that great for pouring the actual drinks though."

At that moment, said woman came in the room carrying a tray as she pointedly glared at Obi. "Excuse me, boy, but it's not my fault you wanna poison your customers with the amount of alcohol you add to their drinks."

"It's a bar. They're paying me to poison them!" he argued back good-naturedly, taking the tray from her and setting it on the coffee table.

"But you'll never make a profit!" she fussed, pointing a finger at him with her other hand on her hip. "Anywho, I need to head on down so I can make a list of cleaning supplies for you to order before we open. Is there anything else you need here before I go?"

Obi waved a hand dismissively. "We're fine, Geneva. When Fred comes in, make sure he looks presentable, please. No one wants to see him in his tightie whities behind my bar again."

Geneva nodded, strolling from the room without another word.

"She seems dependable," Shirayuki couldn't help but say, staring at the doorway Geneva had disappeared through. 'Wait, tightie whities?'

"Very much so. But you're avoiding giving me an answer, now." The way he spoke so lightheartedly made it seem like the man was always in a good mood, and it made him extremely likeable. But he was pushy, that much was certain.

"Well…" What was she supposed to say? How was she supposed to respond to his offer? She hardly knew the man, and she was in a completely unfamiliar city. She definitely hadn't planned on staying for very long. Then again, Obi had been right about one thing. There wasn't much further for her to go without following the coastline through Texas and crossing the border, which she had no intention of doing in the first place. But she literally lacked everything necessary to even have a job. "I w-would but… You understand I have nothing, right? I don't even have a single change of clothes to make myself presentable."

"I'm not worried about clothes," Obi said, leaning his head back as he looked at her from the corner of his eye. "If you agree to work for me, I'll take you to get some clothes first thing tomorrow morning as a thank you."

"Oh no, I couldn't possibly -"

"Please, Miss," Obi said, cutting her off with genuine sincerity lacing his voice. "Believe me when I say that you'd be doing me a favor. You're under no obligation to, though. If you'd still like to leave, feel free. I'd just hate to see someone like you not be given a chance."

At that, Shirayuki gave a confused blink. "What do you mean, someone like me?"

Leaning up, his smile dropped and he gave her a mildly wondering look, as if it were obvious and he didn't understand why she didn't get it. "A good person," he finally replied simply, reaching over and snagging the end of her long, red ponytail that had been resting on her shoulder. Feeling the red locks between two fingers for just a moment, he locked his golden eyes with her emerald ones. Releasing the red strands, he said, "I can't quite place it, but there's something about you. Something that says you're well worth keeping around... Though it may have something to do with you completely doming that guy with a crate. I'm not sure." He gave her a soft laugh and she couldn't help but smile in return.

"Okay, Obi," she finally said, setting her resolve. "I'll do it."

At that, Obi's expression lit up as brightly as the sun, and Shirayuki could honestly hardly believe her words caused such a reaction. He was already almost overly attractive as it was with his confidence and rugged good looks, but with the genuine happiness he exuded, it made it difficult to not notice him. "Great! We'll go to the shops in the morning, maybe the French Market. You should still rest some today."

Shirayuki still felt slightly embarrassed, not liking accepting help from an almost perfect stranger. However, she could always just pay him back or refuse wages in exchange for the clothes. He was helping her enough to get her on her feet, which was what she needed anyway. She would remain hopeful she might be able to open another bar of her own or maybe finish her degree (she did not plan on going back to Tanbarun), but she knew she could only take things one step at a time. Her current step was obtaining any money possible, which a job at a bar would do well to provide.

"Thank you, Obi. I… I really don't know if I'll be able to thank you enough, honestly."

"Don't worry about it," he said, still smiling brightly. "Between your beauty and unlikeliness to drink my entire stock, my sales can only go up from here."

Shirayuki couldn't stop herself from choking at his words.

Later that evening, after Obi had left to attend to a shipment, Shirayuki found herself sitting in the large window seat of the guest room. Looking out into the night sky, she frowned at the low-rolling clouds that reflected the city's light. She was trying her best not to think too much about anything.

She felt nervous. It had been months since she had stayed in the same place for more than a couple of days, so being idle had her feeling a bit paranoid. That, and the fact that she was in a stranger's home absolutely alone. And said stranger was taking her, a complete nobody to him, clothes shopping the next morning. The situation all the way around made her uncomfortable.

'Would you be more comfortable warming Raj's bed?'

Ugh. No, of course not. She didn't like the idea of accepting help from anyone, or bringing unsuspecting bystanders into her train wreck of a life, but with the situation she was in it made sense to have at least one person in her corner. If Obi could help her just enough to where she could be self-reliant again, then she needed to swallow her pride and accept the assistance. If nothing else, she really liked Obi, and he didn't give her any creepy or malevolent vibes. The only thing that made her think there was something deeper to him was that she knew for a fact he could take on several grown men in a fight and not even come away with a scratch. That still puzzled her.

Surprisingly, Shirayuki was actually looking forward to going to the shops the next morning. She had changed back into Obi's baggy clothing at his insistence after encountering her wanting to sneak out the night before. Her clothes really had been worn down to bare threads, and barely offered her any modesty without the hoodie anymore due to some unfortunately placed holes. She understood if they made him uncomfortable, and it made her a bit uncomfortable too. However, she couldn't just keep wearing the man's oversized garments, either. So new clothes it was, and she was excited to get some fresh air while she was at it. She'd been inside for three days, and not going outside made her feel a little crowded. However, at the same time, she was grateful for the shelter. It was less likely for her to be spotted than if she were still on the streets.

Looking down at the ruby-hued hair hanging from her shoulder, she sighed.

'Maybe I won't have to dye it after all…'

Maybe New Orleans would be a good place for her. It was far, far away from her old life, and she knew literally no-one, with the exception of Obi and Geneva. She was certain that no one else had really seen her or her hair

'But working in a bar means a lot of people will soon…'

Damn, that was problematic. Maybe she did still need to dye it after all. Her best option was to just check the shops while she and Obi were there the next morning to see if they had any kind of dye. She still had the money Obi had given her that first day. It should be enough.

"Good evening, Miss."

Obi's voice nearly shocked her from her seat, causing her to visibly jump and clutch the front of her (his) shirt.

"Oh! Obi! You scared me." Shirayuki stood facing him, with her back to the window. "I wasn't expecting you back so soon."

She saw him standing just a few feet away, arms crossed as he gave her a curious look. "Soon? It's past midnight. It's kinda late."

"Oh," she breathed out, looking down at her hands as they twisted together. Why couldn't she overcome this nervousness? "Right. I guess I just don't feel very tired."

"Would you care for a drink, then?" he asked, the corners of his cat-like eyes wrinkling with his smile. "A little alcohol will do wonders."

"Hmm," she said, thinking. It had been quite a long time since she had drank any kind of alcohol. She was never one to drink very much, but just a night cap wouldn't hurt, right? "Sure."

"Great, come on."

Obi led the way down the stairs and to the living area. He had Shirayuki sit while he went to the kitchen. Only a moment later, he reappeared, holding two glasses of a light purple liquid. Handing one to her, he dropped to the couch, splaying his legs as he tilted his head back with a sigh. He stayed like that a moment before directing one golden eye in her direction, noticing her watching him. Straightening up, he took a sip from his glass and said, "Sorry. It's been kind of a long day."

"I'm sorry." Shirayuki immediately felt guilt stab at her insides. He had been doing so much for her, he was probably exhausted trying to take care of his business, too. "I - "

"It has nothing to do with you, worry wart," he cut her off with a laugh and reached out a hand to ruffle her hair. "So don't go blaming yourself like I can hear you doing in your head. I've just been taking care of a few side projects so I haven't been getting much sleep. It's no big deal."

"Well, maybe you should go to bed?" she tried, tilting her head at him.

"I plan to," he said, taking another sip of his drink before holding it in front of him. "I wanted to have a drink first. Do you actually plan on joining me or are you just going to babysit that glass all night?" He tilted the corner of his lips up, smirking at her.

Shirayuki could feel her cheeks flush as she looked down at her drink. The purple liquid wavered in the glass. "Oh, right." Bringing the glass to her lips, she misjudged how full the glass was and tipped a bit too much into her mouth. She swallowed quickly before coughing, bringing a hand quickly to her mouth as her throat burned. She choked for just a couple of minutes before sheepishly locking eyes with an amused drinking companion.

"I'm guessing I was right about you not being much of a drinker, Miss. Which is surprising, considering you ran a bar."

Shirayuki narrowed her eyes, feeling a small smudge of affront roll through her. "Well, sir, while you may be right, I believe Geneva was also right. You clearly pour too much alcohol into your mixed drinks. Was this supposed to be a vodka cranberry?"

At that, Obi laughed. Taking another drink, he said, "If you say so, Jon Taffer. I may have been a little heavy-handed on the liquor. I usually do for my nightly glass. Would you like for me to make you another? I understand if you can't handle it."

Her cheeks reddened, her mouth setting into a thin line for a moment before responding, "It's fine. I don't mind." She took another large drink, doing her absolute best not to choke on the burn. Her eyes watered a bit, however, but she only continued looking at him with a stubborn glint in her eye.

"If you say so, Miss," he said with a grin, which was partially hidden behind the glass he held to his lips. As he took another swig, he looked at her from the corner of his eye. "Let me know if you see any pink elephants."

Shirayuki could already feel the warmth spreading through her body from the alcohol, and she was sure her cheeks were already flushed, but she wouldn't back down. "I'll be… fine." She took another long drink from her glass, leaving only about half left. Looking over, she could see that Obi's glass was already almost empty.

Obi noticed her looking and drained the rest before standing. "I think I'm gonna make another. Be right back."

Once Obi had disappeared into the kitchen, Shirayuki hurriedly downed another large gulp from her glass. The burn of it almost made her gag, but she continued until there was only about a quarter of her cup left. She was starting to not mind the taste though, and the pleasant thrum of the alcohol navigating her system helped her relax more than she had in months. When Obi reappeared from the kitchen, he found the redhead sitting and staring at the fire as she held her nearly empty glass. An almost dazed smile graced her features as her emerald eyes flickered with fire light.

Obi paused, looking at her with a bewildered expression. When Shirayuki noticed, she looked up and gave him a smile. "Welcome back. Everything goin' good?" Yeah, there was a strong chance she was buzzing from the alcohol.

"Maybe," he replied breathlessly, almost silently. His feline-esque gaze lingered on her for a long moment.

"Huh?" Shirayuki couldn't make out what he had said, his tone being too quick and low. He didn't bother repeating himself, though. Shaking his head, he sat next to her once more.

"Are you alright? You look a bit flushed," he said, leaning back against the couch as he looked at her.

"M'fine," she said with an upward lilt, her eyes half closed as she continued looking at the fire. The lazy smile floated gently across her lips. Eyes widening a fraction, she suddenly looked at him in alarm. "But you? What about you?"

Obi leaned back, his expression crumpling into one of confusion. "Wh- what about me?"

"Are you okay?" she asked in a tone reminiscent of panic as she leaned towards him. Setting her glass on the table, she placed both hands on the couch between the two to support her as she leaned closer to look at him. She scrutinized his expression for a long, quiet moment before saying, "Heh… Your eyes remind me of a kitty cat."

Obi laughed, unable to contain his amusement. "Wow. Who knew you could be such a different person with alcohol?"

She huffed out another one-syllable laugh, leaning back as she picked up her glass, downing the remainder of it. She only coughed a brief moment before setting the glass back down. Reaching back, she tugged on the elastic band holding her hair, loosening it and pulling it free. Her shining red mane tumbled down her shoulders, reaching just below her navel. She felt nice, warm, almost happy. "What about you?" she managed to get out with very little slurring. "You seem… seem the same, though. What'sh … what's up with that?"

"I drink quite often, Miss. It takes a lot more than a couple of these to impair me." He waved his glass for emphasis before taking a drink from it.

After a couple more minutes, she finally asked, "Why do you drink a lot? Are you sad?"

Obi's brow drew together, giving him an expression she wasn't familiar with. It was only there for a moment, though, before he replaced it with his usual tilted smile. "Not really. I just like it, I guess. Helps me relax. I'd ask if you'd like another, but you already seem to have had enough. I can't imagine what a single Hand Grenade¹ would do to you."

Shirayuki was barely paying attention, the fogginess in her mind clouding her thoughts. She felt great, if not a little sleepy. Obi's voice was nice to listen to as well, and the strong, low timbre in his voice made her feel warm.

"Miss?"

"Hmm?" she managed to respond, opening her eyes after she realized they had been closed while she listened to him. She saw Obi's amber orbs looking at her with a bit of trepidation.

"You might wanna go ahead and call it a night. Would you like some help getting up the stairs?"

"M'fine," she mumbled, standing up unsteadily. He was right. She felt tired, and a bed sounded wonderful. She still got excited at the prospect of sleeping in a real bed. He followed suit, standing up beside her. Looking at him with glassy, half-open eyes and a dazed smile, she said, "Thanks, Obi."

He gave her a raised eyebrow. "Not sure what for, but anytime."

Shirayuki was already walking away, swaying slightly as she headed for the stairs. As she took her first step, she missed the stair entirely, causing her to pitch forward. Obi was there in a second, gripping her by the shoulders to keep her upright.

"Whoa, there. Alright, you definitely need some help. Come on."

With that, he propped her against himself and helped heave her up the steps. Once they reached the top, he led her into the guest room and finally released her once they were next to the bed.

She swayed on her feet unsteadily, but didn't immediately fall into the bed. Instead, she looked up at him, her eyes shining. "Really, Obi. Thank you." Her voice wavered a bit, bottom lip trembling. "I… It feels like it's been years… since anyone was this nice to me…" Tears slipped from her eyes, her words slightly slurred. "You don't know me… Y-you don't owe me anything… but you're shtill helping me… and I just - "

Shirayuki suddenly paused when she felt the pressure of Obi's hand on top of her head. He leaned down to eye level with her, his face a few inches away from hers. In a sincere tone, with a warm smile, he said, "It's my pleasure, Miss. I really do want to help you. All you have to do is let me."

His bright golden eyes were soft, boring into hers. She couldn't see any type of trickery reflected there. Sure, she was pretty tipsy and probably didn't have the best judgement, but she just had a gut feeling that she could trust him. She wanted to trust him. He'd never given her any reason not to. So, she decided she would try.

The next day, after a few hours of shopping around the French Quarters and picking out a few nondescript items of clothing, Obi and Shirayuki finally felt they had gotten anything she could possibly need (sans certain female items, which she didn't need because she had an implant).

After they were done, Obi managed to convince her to come with him to Cafe du Monde, as he apparently had quite the craving for beignets. She wasn't exactly keen on being out in public more than she needed to be, but he seemed so eager that she hated to tell him no. Her hood would have to suffice.

There was only a short wait to get a table, since it was a Tuesday and not many tourists were fond of outdoor seating in January. Shirayuki didn't mind, as the fresh air was nice. Once the two had ordered and settled in, Shirayuki looked awkwardly at the table in front of her, wondering what she should do next.

She had finally made the decision to trust Obi, one she hadn't regretted so far (aside from his suggestion of a red dress looking good with her hair - she did not trust him on that). But they were still practically strangers, having only known each other for four days. It was probably a good idea to try to get to know him a little better. But before she could even open her mouth, however, he was already speaking.

"Is there anywhere else you need to stop by?"

"Huh? Oh." She hadn't been expecting that question. The hint of her red hair in her peripheral reminded her though… "Um… a pharmacy? Or somewhere that sells hair dye in general?"

Obi looked slightly taken aback, sitting up a little bit straighter as his eyes widened a fraction. "You still plan to dye your hair?"

"Yeah," she replied, her mouth watering slightly as a waitress passed them carrying a tray of pastries and coffee. Dragging her eyes away from the waitress and back to Obi's confused stare, she continued, "If I'm going to be working at your bar, I can't wear my hood all the time can I?"

"That's up to you, though I'm sure it'd probably make your job harder," he said, tilting his head at her slightly. "Miss, I don't… It's probably not necessary for you to dye over your hair. This is New Orleans. Every other person walking around down here has odd colored hair. You don't look out of place at all. It may help you blend in a bit more, actually. Of course, if you really need to..."

He had a point. Since Shirayuki had arrived, she'd seen tons of people with wild colored hair, even some with hues very close to her own.

"No," she finally responded, her fingers itching to close her hood around her face more. She resisted the urge. "You're right. Dying my hair is a bit extreme, especially when I actually like my hair. And it's a bar, so the lighting and stuff will be different, right?" She had yet to see the actual place, as Obi had led her out a back stairwell from the upper floors of the building. The whole building had four stories, with the top two floors being Obi's living space. The second floor was used for storage, and the first floor, of course, was the bar.

"Absolutely, Miss," he said enthusiastically, a smile lighting up his face. "Nothing but neons. I think you'll be okay. So, is there anything else you might need before we head back?"

"Oh, no," she said, shaking her head. She already had too much stuff to carry, and without a place to store it, she was going to have to find some type of bag. Which actually fell under his question, once she thought about it. Changing her answer she said, "Um, actually… I could probably use some type of bag. I… I don't know if I could keep up with and carry all this…" she said, looking to the shopping bags on the ground by their table.

Obi's smile dropped, twisting into confusion quickly. "Why would you…? You did notice the closet and dresser in the guest room, right?"

"What? No, I mean for when I leave? I can't… I mean, I'm not exactly staying with you. I'm just kind of… crashing there while I'm sick, right?"

Obi blinked at her, the vacant stare he provided making her slightly uncomfortable for only a moment before he burst into laughter, disturbing some pigeons on the nearby sidewalk and causing a few heads to turn to look at the two of them. Shirayuki sat back straight, expression alarmed as she waited for him to calm down.

It only took him a few moments before he finally gasped out, "Wow, Miss. That's just… Wow. You really must not trust people. Not that I blame you."

"Huh?" Now it was her turn to look puzzled.

Giving her a light grin, he said with a breathy laugh, "Did you honestly think I was just going to kick you back out on the street when you got better? My new bartender? I'm not that heartless."

"Wh-what?"

"Just so there's no misunderstandings - " His tone was serious now, and the look he gave her didn't indicate any kind of joking on his behalf. " - That room is yours for as long you need it, Miss. It has sat empty for god knows how long. I'm not gonna miss the extra space."

"Obi…" Shirayuki didn't really know what to say. She had assumed that she would just find somewhere relatively safe to sleep while she worked towards earning some money. She really didn't intend to leave New Orleans now that she realized there wasn't anywhere else for her to really go, and blending in appeared to be feasible. Obi doing all of this stuff for her was a bit overwhelming, and she was beyond moved by his kindness.

Her tears could not be suppressed as they bubbled up and spilled over. She immediately reached to wipe them away, but not before the waitress arrived, setting two plates of sugary goodness and coffee between the two of them. The waitress saw her tears before Shirayuki could get rid of them, causing the waitress to mean-mug Obi before walking away. Obi definitely noticed, giving an embarrassed half-smile as he scratched the back of his head.

"Oh, uh, it's not…" He didn't have time to explain as the waitress left earshot. Gripping his shoulder, he mumbled, "Well, that was awkward." Turning his attention back to Shirayuki, who had managed to wipe away the wetness from her eyes, he smiled sheepishly. "Well, I'm pretty sure she thinks I just broke up with you. I guess my day is never complete without having pissed off at least one stranger."

At that, Shirayuki couldn't help but laugh, her watery eyes shining. When she laughed, she noticed Obi still as he looked at her. Clearing her throat, she felt her cheeks heat slightly in embarrassment. "Um, sorry. I uh…"

"Don't apologize, Miss," Obi said quickly, cutting her off. "It was nice. Hearing you laugh. It usually takes me just a couple of hours to break down someone with my jokes but you took a lot more work. It was worth it, though."

At that, Shirayuki blushed a bit more deeply.

"Well, let's eat!" he said excitedly, picking up a beignet.

Please R&R!