Graverobber had never been in love before.
He didn't know what it does to the body. To the head.
Over the days that followed he began to notice the little changes in how he saw Shilo. There was still that animalistic attraction that lived in his gut. That impulsive need to pull her close, kiss her hard and never let go.
But Graverobber didn't know that other things could come to mind when you looked at the person you loved.
When Shilo would go into her father's room, he'd watch through the crack in the door. She'd pick up a journal, crawl into the worn armchair and begin reading. Graverobber found he loved the way Shilo read. Her legs curled beneath her, face resting on her palm; hours she'd stay like that. Sometimes her brow would furrow if she was confused, or she'd stand up to test some movement on her own body, trying to understand the way muscles and bones worked beneath her skin. Quiet determination that Graverobber didn't know could be so adorable.
Shilo would say strange things too that he later realized were testaments of her own affection.
Things like, "we should stay in bed forever." when they woke up, or "don't hide your scars" when he turned away from her to undress.
For some reason, it took a while for Graverobber to get past his own insecurities. He didn't think that Shilo could want to see his mangled body, or stay curled in the crook of his arm all day.
But when you love someone, everything they are is beautiful.
And every time they made love, Graverobber fell for her all over again.
He'd traced every inch of her skin, the planes of her face, the roundness of her breasts, even the thin lines on her legs from her rapid growth this past year.
Everything Shilo was, he loved.
One morning, when the sky was it's usual clouded red, Graverobber slipped out of bed early to try and fix breakfast.
This would be his third attempt.
His first try resulted in some undercooked meat that had him and Shilo fighting for the bathroom all night.
The second led to a small fire that he managed to subdue quickly at the sacrifice of his own shirt. Leaving him to explain the smoky kitchen and his bare chest to Shilo who was lost in a fit of hysteric laughter.
But this time he hoped to redeem himself.
Graverobber made sure the pan was hot enough before soaking the bread in eggs and laying it down to cook. Then waited to flip it until he was sure nothing was raw.
He cleaned the plate and even warmed the syrup on the side.
The syrup had been the most expensive thing. It was all synthetic because there weren't any trees for sap left anywhere. The hydroponic chambers could produce sugar cane and plenty of other vegetables, but they couldn't sustain a whole tree.
Graverobber wasn't sure he'd ever seen a healthy tree in his life.
But the syrup was important. Shilo had said her dad would stir it in with her medicine when she was little but stopped when she got older. Then it became a treat, something her dad would only give her if she was feeling really sick or sad. Toast with syrup, Shilo's favorite food.
He hoped he'd done it right, hope she'd be excited to have it.
Graverobber could hear Shilo moving upstairs, perfect timing. At the last second he decided to grab a handful of the dried flowers from outside the door.
Shilo might tease him about it but he wanted everything to be perfect.
He went to the front entrance that, since moving in, he had never opened.
Pulling open the heavy inner door, Graverobber cursed under his breath.
Slumped against the wrought iron grate was a girl. A drugged out slag if Graverobber ever saw one.
Why she was half crawled up Shilo's front stoop, he had no idea.
He also had no idea if she was even breathing.
Graverobber slowly pushed the door open, snaking his arm out first to keep the girl from toppling down the steps.
Once the door was open her body fell flat at his feet and he recognized she was the other waitress from Lynn's. The one The Bitch had been snickering with when he'd gone to visit Shilo. She was barely dressed, either on purpose or by accident. There was a long cut on her upper arm that looked like it had bled a lot. There was a pool of red on the concrete beneath her.
Graverobber cursed again. He bent down to check her pulse and the girl stirred.
"Nng…" She opened her mouth to speak and a slew of vomit poured out.
Graverobber jumped back. Of all the times to be barefoot.
Clutching the door frame, trying to avoid the filth, he nudged the girl with his foot.
"Hey… You. Get up." He said, jostling her. "You can't stay here."
"Nng…" the girl tried to speak again, "Nat…" She managed to get the words past her tongue. "Nat… where's Nat?"
"What are you…" Graverobber did not need this right now. He was trying to be romantic Goddamnit.
"What's going on?" Shilo asked, suddenly pushing past him. She was wearing her chunky, black boots but they were untied. Like she just yanked them on and came out.
She walked right through the vomit to cradle the girl's face.
"Mally? Hey, Mally, wake up. Open your eyes." Shilo demanded softly.
"Nat… I didn't…" The girl, Mally, started.
"Shh. It's okay. Let's go. I got you." Shilo started to lift the girl. "Help me." She told Graverobber. He looked at her confused, were they gonna throw her over the fence or something?
"Graves. Help. Now!" Shilo commanded. He grabbed the girl's other arm and hoisted her up. Shilo ran inside and veered right to the living room.
"Hurry up, lay her on the coffee table." She called.
He gagged at the smell coming off of the girl's body. Shilo quickly laid down a thick towel on top of the long, coffee table. Graverobber lay her down and the girl immediately lurched to the side. Shilo just barely got a basin under her in time for the next cascade of bile to erupt.
He watched, stunned, while Shilo gently held back the girl's hair and spoke to her softly. When she was done puking, Shilo coaxed her onto her back and turned her attention to the deep cut on her arm.
"Graves," She said, "can you get me a bucket of warm water, a big bowl, and a wash cloth?" Graverobber just stared, confused and hypnotized. Shilo looked at him intensely. " Graves. Please?"
He blinked and rushed out of the room to get what she needed.