Confidently, he strode out the embellished front entrance of the lavished hotel. How he afforded it didn't matter this moment as he made his exit, black boots taking steep and soft steps in the snow imprinted with many other soles previously before him. Bother to find car? He felt he didn't need to as he reached the bottom, his back straighter than a board, his chin tilted upward as if expressing utter pride before those hiding their faces in their scarves, or simply, trying to reach a destination before their hands had been completely numb.

The snow had been lighter today, it falling gracefully down the cloud ridden sky rather than the night before. This was a convincing factor to be a man and just simply walk to wherever he may find a satisfying breakfast. Walking in the snow, despite the bitter and numbing temperature, provided Gilbert with two things...Or so he had convinced himself.

One, both him and Gilbird, his reliable companion, agreed that he looked awesome in snow-gear, of course, next to any lack of clothing in the summer and anything in between. Why hide how that amazing navy button up coat and scarf looked on him in the car? Second, it was practice for the day he'd be caught in a snow storm and would have to save some gorgeous skier from the harsh brutal avalanches that would await them. He'd whisk her away in his arms, riding the avalanche on his own two feet like a god.

Kesesese, many reasons to love the snow, all having to do with the attributes he owned...Or so...He convinced himself he owned.

So he walked along the sidewalks of this bustling city area, even with these weather conditions, he trudged rubber soles in thick snow, his hands kept warm in the cotton pockets of his coat. His kept his eyes out for a quick cheap way to get his grub on, preferably with a woman serving him so he can ease his way into her heart, letting her clumsy hands drop his meal, and thus, free food along with shaky apologies!

Still wondering, his thoughts going through the scenarios of how to gain a free meal solely with charm, he paused.

…Slowly, he turned his head and found a woman trying to drag loads of heavy groceries out of her car. She was dark-haired, dark-skinned and had been short and petite, all with a round face set with a pair of very round brown eyes. The corners of his lips turned upwards as he immediately took the chance to approach the helpless stranger.

She dropped a plastic bag, and when she had glanced back up after muttering a curse or two, throwing back cans and certain items into it, she saw a seemingly innocent, appealing and smiling face. The crimson eyed man on his knees had picked up a few rolling oranges, handing them all back to her after wiping them on his coat and patting off specs of snow with his gloves. She blinked.

"I...Oh wow, thank you." She took the oranges back into her grip looking stunned from the unexpected help.

Gilbert stood up, putting his hand out to help the woman up from the freezing ground. She hadn't even thought twice as she grabbed at his hand with her own.

"Heh, no prob. You just seemed you had a lot to deal with at once. Thought I'd help out," he stated smoothly, "now, I wouldn't mind to also carry those bags for you to your door." The lids of his eyes fell halfway down his red irises, pale eyelashes curved just like his fake smile. She stared a bit stupefied at that moment, then had shaken her head to break a trance.

"O-oh no! I will be fine with these, I'm not all that clumsy," she joked, a forced giggle pushing it's way through white teeth.

He laughed along with a moment, a very pseudo laugh he applied to be deep and alluring, rather than his real laugh...Which sounded more like a cackling sinister child, most of the part. 'Oh man, her face, her hands. So easy to tell she's digging me', "Alright, I'm glad I could help at the slightest~!"

There was a pause between the two, a cold air pushing at their hair as they both stood. The young woman batted thick dark lashes that cascaded under he eyes in a perfect and somewhat harsh curve.

'Fake lashes', he observed with a small snicker in his mind, 'learned to tell.'

Her darkly lined lips pulled up in a tight lipped smile, "well thank you. I really appreciate it..." another bat of her eyelashes, her voice growing forcibly softer and more hush, "you know...I don't know a lot of me-...people who are as helpful to me." She made the word "helpful" seem like something much less innocent that it had been.

"Oh? Maybe you need more people like me in your life" he flirted back; more blunt than she had been.

She whipped her scarf back giving a giggle as she scribbled something on the back of a receipt she retrieved from a grocery bag, quickly done on her knee with a dull pencil from her pocket. She handed it to him bashfully before grabbing her bags, "Maybe" she concluded as she got up, beginning to strut off differently than she had been walking before, "see you arrrooouunnd!"

Gilbert looked at the back of the receipt and hadn't been surprised to find the girls number chicken scratched on the back. He grabbed at his chick's cage, only to boast along with the fluffy creatures chirping, "See that Gilbird? Women are much too easy for me!" he bragged, giving a sinister little chuckle. With this, he shoved the paper in his pocket along with others; some sticky notes and some even ripped from a book, all crinkling as he smiled thinking of nights he could only image in fuzzy, hazy blurs.

He took a turn at this moment ...And knew it just had been his lucky day. Right in front of him was a small bakery, and while looking in the large windows, a seemingly beautiful woman wiping at the counters to clean off flour. He was too far to make out her features, but had seen a small boy and a elder in front of her, a smile gracing on her features. Gilbert walked up to the window instantly, trying to make it obvious he hadn't been studying the woman as she handed the older man a scone, to then which she leaned over to hand the small boy a sprinkled donut with an even sweeter smile. She waved at them goodbye as it looked like the two hadn't even paid, leaving the bakery right beside Gilbert as he had been staring in, a little ringing bell from the door catching his attention. The younger boy and the grandpa like figure were smiling and laughing together as they walked further into the snowy distance.

This looked like free food immediately to him. Not only that, but this woman was outstanding, ten times the beauty than the woman he just ran into prior than this. She opened her eyes, a brilliant shade of green suddenly flashing at him. She raised an eyebrow, and for some strange reason Gilbert's heart stopped at this. She looked like she laughed a quick moment before signaling with her hands for him to walk in. The man glanced side to side in backwards directions to see if she had been trying to talk to someone else. He looked forward again at this woman, pointing at himself questioningly. She nodded enthusiastically, looking as if she laughed out the words: "Yes! You!"

He grinned and walked to the door, gripping the handle and walking into the warm and welcoming bakery, greeted as well with the woman's warm and welcoming smile. He was the only one in there at that moment, meaning it probably had not been a very busy place at all. He stood in front of the counter, now closer to this woman as she was shuffling for things inside of a box. It had been her bottom only facing him now as she seemed frustrated trying to find something. This caught Gilbert's attention more than the menu as his eyes ran down deviously her bottom and her legs. He grinned, 'number and free food, and man, my day will be all set. This is going to be too easy!'

Gilbird chirped inside his cage as the woman stood completely on her knee's now, glancing over at whatever made the noise. Gilbert stood as inviting as he could be, knowing she'd run over any second now, gushing over his adorable little wing man just like every other woman had...That or straight for his own face at least. She raised an eyebrow again as he eyes met the smaller bird, "Strange..." she remarked with a little snort of laughter, "any reason why you carry that around with you?"

'Did she just-?' He blinked, a bit unprepared for this question. He answered otherwise, maybe wondering if she hadn't seen him entirely, "Well, just can't be anywhere without me. The little guy loves me." he smirked again, propping his elbow on the front counter as if he had been preparing for the gushing to happen now.

"Cool." she nonchalantly replied, standing up as she wiped he hands on her dress. She fastened her long brown hair in a pony-tail, "what do you want today?"

"I...Uh", how or why she didn't seem to care didn't make any sense whatsoever to him. Maybe he hadn't done a adequate job yet to allure her? "I'm not sure actually," he attempted to radiate another smile down at her again, "You look like a woman of good taste. Maybe you can tell me?"

She glowered up, words she said seeming to belittle him for some reason, "That's not a part of my job actually." She stood up, "you ask for food, I give it to you, and you pay. That is how it works here sir."

This was so weird. She wasn't even giggling now! She seemed like something had been irritating her now. 'Quick, think of something!', he reached in his pocket, and put on a fake expression. He frowned infront of her and slapped his forehead, "Oh no! I forgot my wallet at home!" he lied, hoping she'd buy it. She had to as his frown became deeper, trying to make puppy eyes as he had practiced and done so successfully once or twice before.

"How unfortunate. Maybe you should go home to get it sir." She used the word "sir" so coldly here, and he had no idea as to why she put that sort of emphasis on it.

"Man...Home is so far. I might have to find another way to feed my...Nephew. Poor little guy, two years old. Must be starving right now." 'Pity points, pity points~!'

"Hm. Go ask for money out on the streets then." She looked straight into his face, looking stern, "I don't give things out for free." She thought angrily to herself, 'what do you think I am dumbass? Easy? Stupid?'

His eyes went wide at this statement, "That- but you..."

"What?"

He shook his head, shaking off the idea of giving up so soon and calling bullshit. He was going to have to do this the hard way, "Fine." he sighed dramatically, turning his eyes again towards her, "I'll admit it. I only walked in here because I wasn't just interested in the food." he leaned further into the counter so she could see his face better, which almost didn't work as planned seeming him closing up to her face gave him a feeling he felt as if he was never in touch with another lady...Well he had used to, so actually, the feeling had somewhat been recognizable. Something awkward...Something...He hadn't felt in forever with a woman now.

Nervousness...Dear god, she has a amazing face. Why wasn't she smiling like before? This was starting to become much too frustrating for him. His mouth dropped a bit now as he was a bit dumbfounded. He bit his lip, tapping his fingers on the counter top and he actually looked away.

"Well sir, whatever you came here for, the only thing you can buy is food. Food and nothing else."

"Oh, but what about a name then?" he chuckled a little more shakily then he hoped for. Usually he didn't care for names, but this time...

She actually snarled a tad bit as he was turned away, leaning in so she had been just only a bit closer to where his ear was, only to remark again, "-nothing else. Food with money and maybe a seat. Got it?"

There was a big pause...If he was going to leave, it had to be with a bang, and he thought heavily about how these last words maybe would finally have her swoon, "Oooh, a little attitude to your customer? I don't mind the-..." he actually realized she had a name tag now and got lost in trying to pronounce her name, "Eli...Eli-zay-beeta?"

"Elizabeta." she corrected coldly.

He decided to be playful, standing up and away from the counter with a childish smile and a little snort of laughter, "So exotic, but too hard to pronounce! I'll call you Lizzy."

"No. You will call me by my real name. Now what do you want?" usually she was very polite to her customers..But this guy was getting on her last nerve.

He blinked, looking up at the menu, "I...Um..."

She stood there unfazed, almost looking impatient now as if she wanted him out of there.

"Plain donut?"

With this, she pulled a donut out from under the glass counter, putting it in a crinkly small white bag and handing it to him. Knowing she wasn't going to give in with the money idea he had, he pulled out his wallet and handed a couple of bucks for the donut. He had instantly taken a bite, and was really impressed. The dough was soft and somewhat chewy and he could easily say it was the best donut he had ever had, even though he hadn't eaten many in his life.

He decided to praise her, thinking she might of been those kind of women who loved to be showered in compliments, "Oh wow!" he choked out a bit muffled from the donut, before actually taking a swallow, "This is really-"

"I thought you said you needed to get food for your nephew and you didn't have a wallet?" She had been really close to smiling. 'Men are such terrible liars!' , she wanted to laugh so bad, but held it in well. It was hard after watching the man put the donut in his mouth to something more like wanting to put his foot in his mouth. His eyes widened, as he took another swallow.

He took a look at the clock instantly, putting on an act as fast as he could, "Damn! Got to go! What do you know?" he rushed out the door immediately, leaving the woman in hysterical laughter once the door closed and the bell finally had made another ring.

He walked quickly along the sidewalks with very familiar feelings to him as he took a last peak and saw Elizabeta laughing. First off, he had been very angry, obviously, that he didn't get his way. Secondly, he was still hungry as he seemed to drop the rest of the donut on his way out the door.

Third? Well...It had been a feeling that drove him crazy seeming it took a blow to a very large and bursting ego. A feeling that made him want to turn back and take his money back. A feeling that felt at its worst because it had been from not just any woman, but one like no other that he had met before.

Rejection.

A/N: Meeh, not too happy with the outcome of this chapter. Whatever, beats not posting it at all or taking forever to get it finished. Damn homework. *heartbreak* X'D