Chapter three:

{Jenos Hazard}

After the cerimony finaly ended everyone seemed to want to crowd the new number at once to ask him about his proposition. I hung back, silently wishing they would go talk among themselves for a while so I could go talk to Xiaoli too.

'I don't really want to talk about his propsition, it was pretty straight forward. Maybe I'll ask him something about himself?' I shuttered. 'No, wait. That would seem kinda creepy. I don't want to scare him off.' I turned my attention to the window.

'I'm overthinking this...' I scolded myself.

''Hello. Your number seven right?'' Asked an oddly familiar voice from behind me.

''Yes.'' I answered. Turning to look at the new number ten and wondering for a few moments how my voice could sound so steady when I felt so nervous.

''I hope I'm not disturbing you.'' He said politely, moving to lean against the oak window frame and look out over a small garden of white roses that ended in a rusty steel fence.

''Not at all.'' I answered, trying despiratly to think of something to say.

''That proposal of yours was very interesting.'' I said. 'Damn! Thats exactly what I didn't want to talk about!'

''Thank you.'' He answered, turning to look at me with stunning blue grey eyes that made me feel as if he were looking straight through me. I felt my breathing hitch slightly and my mind went blank. ''Are you alright?'' He asked after a moment.

''Er.. y-yes, I'm fine. Why?'' I stuttered.

''Your staring at me. You were staring before too.'' Xiaoli said looking down.

'Is he blushing?' I looked closer, he turned away. 'I think he is blushing.'

''It's creepy.''

'Oh, so thats it then.' I feel disappointed somehow...

''I heard...'' He said suddenly, changing the topic. ''About your friends Naizer, Baluga, and Ash.''

''Who told you?'' I asked quietly, leaning against the window frame. 'Damn it... This is not something I want to talk about right now.'

''Jenos.'' Came Anubis's deep bark from behind me.

''Yes. What is it?''

''We're going to go hear Belze play the piano if you and Xiaoli want to join us.''

''Alright. Maybe later.'' I answered, looking back to see that everyone, aside from Anubis and sephiria had gone to hear the piano being played. Sephiria holding onto Anubis's thick fur as they walked off to join the others.

I sighed softly. 'I hope Xiaoli didn't hear that.'

''You seem upset.'' Xiaoli noted with a frown.

'So he did hear me then...' My eyes started to feel watery.

''I'm upset more today because they made you a number.'' I said without thinking and imediately regretted it.

'Damn it! I'm so stupid.. I hope he doesn't take offense to that. Even if he does it doesn't matter to me though, right?' Xiaoli stiffened.

''And whats wrong with me becoming a number?'' He said coldly.

'I guess I did offend him... Um, how do I fix this now?' He leaned in slowly, until his face was only a couple inches from mine. I froze, feeling my cheeks heat up.

''So.'' He said quietly in a dangerous tone. ''Why shouldn't I be a number?'' I made the mistake of glancing up at him and finding myself held in place by a pair of stunning blue grey eyes filled with ice. I suddenly became acutely aware of Xiaoli's intoxicating scent drifting around us that made my already pounding heart beat faster.

'He smells sweet but not too sweet. Maybe refreshing is a better way to describe it? Either way, he smells really good...'

''Well.'' He said, snapping me from my thoughts with his beautiful voice seemingly laced with ice and fire at the same time.

''I-I don't...'' I began but he had heard enough. He spun around and walked off toward the hallway leading to the room by now filled with the other numbers.

That night I lay awake. I can't stop thinking about the way he smells. Finally, close to two in the morning, I could place that scent...

'He smells like the air, right after a heavy storm when you can still smell the rain.'