SPD: In The Shadows
Chapter 7: How Sweet the Two.
"This is infuriating! Why won't she wake up?! So far... I have walked and carried her for roughly twenty minutes! If she knew who I was, she would not be so carefree! Why, would I... Emp..." It was quick, he caught himself in time before he carelessly spouted out his identity and grumbled. Along the sidewalk and among citizens, he wandered in search of the so-called Restaurant she mentioned before. "Why, do I... Have to stoop so low as to carry a pathetic, insignificant, wor-" Once again, he paused, but not so much to catch himself as before but due to the stir in his arms.
"G- Grim?" Vibrant eyes looked up to meet dark ones when Feige woke up. The fact that she was in his arms, barely registered, only the taps from his shoes and the murmurs of the citizens reached her ears. Finally, realization lit up her face and panic became fuel for her to thrash. "G- Grim! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! How long have you been carrying me?! How long did I pass out?! A- Are you o- okay?! Oh lord- people are staring!" Despite her attempt to whisper-yell, she quickly yanked onto her hood to hide her face when she saw many passerby eyes on her.
"Silence!" Annoyed, he was, even though his voice cracked, he quickly cleared his throat and averted his attention. "Roughly... Twenty minutes! You had better be grateful," His words began to mumble when he leaned over to let her feet touch the ground.
"I... I am. Really. Thank you," After she steadied herself, she hardly paid attention to his face when her eyes began to examine the area. "Ah. I know where we are. Come on, it's just over here," Nervous she was, the motion of her hand as she began to walk away told him to follow and so he did.
The brunette didn't know of the triumphant smirk he had, nonetheless, the woman led him through crowds and saw the large sign she'd seen only a couple of times in the past. The all too familiar smell of beef and chicken flooded her nose when the double doors would fly open upon each customer's visit. Into her pocket, she pulled out money and began to count. Much to her displeasure there was enough for both of them but not enough to last her the next few days. I blame Take-out. Sighing, shaking her head to snap out of it, she did her best to stay positive and smile.
Carefully to her side, she tugged onto his sleeve and looked up to see his impatient eyes. "Do you want me to go in and... Pay? That way, you won't have to be around e- everyone," As awkward as it was, she wanted to be considerate of how he felt. She nearly gasped when his hand jerked away.
"Let us just go in and get this over with," With a quick adjustment of his attire, a grumble from his lips, and a roll of his shoulders, he stepped in.
"O- Okay," Quietly she followed along and took in the sight of the containers that held various foods; buffet Servers all aligned. she could see deserts, different kinds of beef, and vegetables, but they seemed to have a wider assortment of chicken and bread. The sight lit up her eyes that she nearly forgot Grim accompanied her. From her shoes, thuds echoed as she rushed to the long line, which led to the register, and gestured for him to stand close.
Even though so many people were around her, there was just something about having Grim around, that was easing a bit of her anxiety. Don't look at everyone else! Don't look, don't look! Just look at him... Just look at him and his sexy gla-... Wait, what am I saying?! Beet-red her face turned when she noticed just how close he was and how his curious gaze fell onto her. Quickly her head whipped around and looked down at her shoes, overly embarrassed that she let her thoughts get ahead of her. No Feige! Bad! Stop ogling the poor guy! Her pale hands swiftly patted at her cheeks and rubbed her face into them, before she moved when the line did.
She had no idea that Grim lifted a brow, confused, at her strange behavior. Nonetheless, time passed as they went through and paid for their entry.
At the table furthest away from everyone, in a corner, and near one of the large windows was where they sat. Two large plates sat in front of them, sodas, and smaller plates with tiny deserts. "I hope you like it," Shyly she smiled and stared at her food, for she dared not look at him lest she'd expose the warm flush on her cheeks.
However, glanced at his plate, taking note of the food she chose for him since he wasn't familiar with Earth sustenance. Chicken breast, mashed potatoes with gravy, and sweet peas. As for his dessert plate that was placed to the side, she picked two brownies for him that had chocolate chips inside. She, too, had a similar assortment, for her plate had mostly chicken and mashed potatoes with a tiny bit of peas. The woman paid her chocolate and peanut butter cookies no mind, as she jabbed her fork into her hot chicken.
Its delicious flavor flooded her taste buds after she put it in her mouth. It was enough to nearly make her eyes roll and close, she barely caught a glimpse of Grim doing the same to his chicken. With the fork still in her mouth, seeing him tear a piece and stick it into his made anticipation grow.
With a face of disgust, he quickly spat it out and sipped at the soda she bought him. "Earth food sounded just as vile as it tasted!" Growling, he was angry beyond words, for he couldn't find the right way to explain how repulsive it was.
Violet eyes were downcast upon his outburst, Feige was hoping to pay him back with good food and drink. To hear those words made disappointment reflect in her gaze and stare sadly at her plate, she didn't care to remove the fork from her lips. However, when the light clink of silverware reached her ears and another grumble from the man, they peeked up to see him try the mashed potatoes. If it's not good, then why is he eating again? I don't get it. He was silent as she watched him nearly devour the potatoes and pull his desert plate closer.
The moment one of his brownies touched his tongue, he froze, and his once angrily knitted brows relaxed. So sweet, it was to taste, its warmth and moisture, a bit crispy on the outside, it was probably the next best thing to Soda he's ever had. "What... is this again?" His mouth was full when he lifted the half-eaten desert and gave her a bewildered stare that she could've sworn was almost childlike.
"B- Brownie... It's a Brownie," Feige was so busy watching him, that she almost forgot about her food. However, he made her curious when he whipped around and hid his face to eat the rest of the Brownies. "How does it... Taste?" Subtle, she leaned to the side to try and see his face but ultimately failed when he began to lick off the chocolate on his fingers.
"It is unbearable... Why is Earth's sustenance so diverse and disgusting?" His fingers grasped the fancy plastic cup and eagerly began to drink from the straw, to him the desserts paled in comparison.
She tried not to show it, the clench in her heart, the disappointment, her frown said it all, and slowly her fork poked at her food. I guess... Earth food isn't for everyone. He does like Soda though, so maybe I could treat him to all different kinds of flavors? Deep in thought, her violet eyes dazed as she bit into her food. The sensation on her tongue, the chicken she just dipped into her mashed potatoes distracted her from Grim's sudden shift in position.
It's so good! I love mixing my food! When I was in school and way before the accident, I was taught to combine foods to make new flavors and it's been a horrible habit of mine.~ I miss this! Her eyes were tightly shut and her feet began to curl against one another the moment her taste buds were flooded.
Now that she was so engrossed in her food, she didn't notice the amused look on Grim's face. This time she shredded the chicken breast and put them into her mashed potatoes. Mixing them, with one big glob onto her fork, she took another bite and nearly fell into a daze. The brunette was in her little world of flavors, even the tiny bit of sweet peas that she almost forgot about was mixed in next.
The way she devoured her food almost made a complete snort escape Grim, for he quickly adjusted his position and cleared his throat. "Are you done, yet?" The impatience in his voice, to Feige's ears, sounded almost forced when he asked.
Nearly half of her plate was eaten after she paused to stare up at his amused face. Cheeks flushed at the realization that he watched her ill-mannered behavior, it was instinctive to avoid eye contact and cover her mouth. "S- Sorry... I forgot about... Manners," This time she hesitantly poked at her food and shrunk in her seat. If she could hide the entirety of her face and eat at the same time, she'd use that method everywhere.
"Hahahahaha!" Just as before, his laughter sounded as though he were a villain from the old movies. With a hand on his stomach and his head leaned back, the outburst nearly startled the brunette.
The very image that popped up into Feige's mind was that of an old villainous cartoon character who would laugh at a hero's dilemma. It'd be a lie if she told herself it was unappealing, for she was trying to hide her small smile and the giggle that was threatening to escape.
It was barely heard, but regardless, she heard him stop and saw him stare at her curiously. "I heard that... What is so funny?" With a swift tilt of his head, onto his elbows, he leaned over and bore his dark eyes into hers. If he hadn't pushed his plates aside he would've had food on his sleeves.
"N- Nothing! Nothing, it's just... Your laugh," Her small hand covered her mouth to try and hide the smile that wanted to make itself known. I can't! I can't! I can't even look at him, hahaha! His laughter is contagious! Earlier I heard him laugh and I kept seeing a cartoon villain, it's too adorable! Again, a giggle left her lips. She had to swallow what food she had before averting her eyes to her plate.
"What about... My laugh? Is it intimidating? Does it make you nervous? Perhaps I should laugh more often, it may teach you to not overstep your boundaries with-" Once more her giggles overran his words, which caused a grumble in his throat. Stern, knitted brows, Grim didn't appear too happy with her enjoyment. "You are making light of me, aren't you?" He wanted to scare her, to make her quiver before him, to show the superiority that he had for eons during his reign over the empire. But for some reason, she giggled even more and didn't even try to hide it this time.
"Hahaha, I'm sorry! I- It's just... Y- You sound... Adorable! Your l- laugh makes me think of an old villainy cartoon character from a story! Hahahaha!" And with that, she had to push her plate away to not bury her face into her food. Feige leaned and held her stomach, it was hard not to when her laughter was unbearable to hold in.
"Adorable?! I am beyond such a thing! How dare you compare me to whatever it is you humans portray as a villain... I will show you a kind of evil that you will never... Forget!" From his seat, he stood up and exposed vibrant red in his otherwise dark eyes. With hand outstretched to her, he was going to use his power to instill fear into her mind when he paused.
Feige's hand had gripped his, upon the sight of a tiny cut near one of his fingers. "Grim! Y- You're hurt! I'm so sorry, you probably g- got it when we had a rough landing earlier... And it looks like it's bleeding a little," Concern reflected in her violet eyes the moment she saw it. She wasted no time to use one of their napkins and cover it up to soak up the blood. "You're right, I'm sorry... It's wrong to compare people to others, regardless of status or standing... Is it wrong that I l- like... Your laugh?" Blushing from cheeks to ears, she did her best to ignore her burning face as she kept dabbing at his small cut.
No words, pure silence between the two, she didn't know he looked away. "I suppose not," Despite his mumbled reply, his voice cracked.
"Thank you for eating with me. I know you didn't like it much so... Maybe I could... Buy you different flavored sodas?" Cautiously, after she let go of his hand, she peeked at the tall man and saw the tiny hint of eagerness in his mysterious eyes. Even if he didn't return his gaze and kept them on the other customers in the restaurant, she could still tell that he liked the idea.
"Yes. To make up for this disgusting food," With a sneer on his lips, he stepped away from his seat and adjusted his attire.
"Sure," Quietly, she inched past the table and stacked the plates with one last bite of her food. I'm done anyway. I think I put too much on my plate. I'm stuffed.~ She pondered for a moment and with a quick sip of her soda, her feet patted away.
After they finished up and left, their trek through the massive amount of people was silent. The thuds of feet, chatter around them, and her head low to avoid others meeting her gaze, she kept close to his side. "Um... G- Grim. I'm not used to this sort of thing but... Has anything cool happened lately? I mean like- something fun? Y- You know... I'd like to be f- friends if that's okay. I'd like to get to know you a bit. You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to, I'd just... Like to talk is all," There wouldn't be any amount of words that could describe how awkward or nervous she felt.
Her heartbeat could be felt in her neck and against her ribs the more she tried to step a little bit out of her comfort zone. It was unsettling, wanting to avoid this altogether would be wonderful but she knew a friend would be better than none at all.
"Friends? Haha, you make me laugh..." Quietly, as he followed along her side he trailed off to carefully ponder. If he spoke about the recent events and his success, it'd most likely give his identity away and ruin his hard work with Feige. "I... Have achieved obtaining something great. Something that will make my plans in the future, go a lot smoothly," Answered the shady man who hardly glanced at the earthy-haired woman.
"Cool! What are your plans for the future? What did you achieve?" Purely interested, her attention moved from the sidewalk up to see the side of his face, and watched a smirk tug on his lips.
"I have successfully obtained Irridium! My... People will be thrilled and it will further our survivability. I have collected resources from other planets too, to ensure my people's strength," When his hands were pushed into his pockets to his jacket, inside they clenched in hopes that he didn't give away too much.
"T- That's awesome! So was it a trade of sorts?! Are you an administrator of some kind? A duke, or someone who works for higher-ups among your people?!" Excited, Feige's face beamed and all nervousness was pushed aside when she began to side-step and try to face him more.
Taken aback, astonished he was, he never expected her to ask such questions when she was living on the streets and knew little to nothing about those things. "I have been across star systems and galaxies. I travel a lot through space. So no... I am more than that," With an arrogant huff and averting his attention, he made sure to leave out important details that could easily give him away.
"Whoa... Is Space as pretty as people say it is? I always wanted to go to Space and see all of the galaxies and stars... A- A pity, right? Maybe someday I could, or maybe after I die- then again it'd be too late by then," Her quiet mumbles never went unheard near the end, for she didn't notice the curious brow he lifted when she looked away.
"It is vast. Something your little mind will never be able to comprehend," The way he said that was as though the very thought of it being pretty had never crossed his mind.
"Anyway- Whatever your status is... It sounds like you're doing a great job. T- There are a lot of alien species out there, each with their own lives and cultures. So- I'm sure someday... You'll reach your goal. D- Do you work out?" Once again, red had tinted her cheeks. When she recalled feeling his muscles when he caught her from the fall earlier and carried her for twenty minutes or so, to her it'd make sense if he did.
"Yes. In my position, I have to be strong to be able to handle the kind of tasks I'm assigned to. I am a warrior, I have fought many times over in the past and gained my strength. I also have connections to all kinds of other alien species and defeat anyone who challenges me," The thought of the Power Rangers and others in the past who confronted him, brought out anger. His fist which was pulled out, shook at the idea of vengeance.
"Hehehe, you sound like a Veteran Soldier or a War Lord who has loads of experience. That's cool to not let anyone step all over you... Push you around or berate you. I wished I had that kind of courage," From admiring his tenacity her eyes soon filled with pain when she began to mumble the last bit and recalled memories none-too-pleasant. She had no idea that her eyes glowed for a moment after they averted them from his. The images that came to her mind, were where students at her school gossiped and pointed fingers as she'd pass. Receiving pranks from others and distancing.
Grim, however, saw all of those images, which somehow angered him more and brought an outburst that startled her. "Then the next time they step on you- show them no mercy! You are too soft. You are a coward," He saw it, now was his chance to teach her not to be so afraid all of the time. It will be one step closer to teaching her how to control her power and so that he can use it.
"I... I know that. I know! I didn't mean for this conversation to go south like this. S- Sorry," As awkward as it was, she fully faced him and expressed the guilt on her face. It wasn't her intention to make things gloomy, she just wanted to get to know him. But admiring his traits eventually led her into dark thoughts and almost drove her into an abyss of depression. "Um, I think I know where we are now. You... Don't have to come with me, if you don't want to. Considering your status, I can imagine how busy you are. Is there any way we can stay in contact? I don't have a phone or anything, though," Shamefully her head lowered, upset that there was no real way to be able to talk to him.
"W- Wait, I do have an old phone I used in my school years. Maybe I can use that to text you? Before... I started living on the streets, my parents gave me it and I think it still has the Universal App," Fidgeting with the hem of her oversized jacket sleeves, she barely peeked up at him and watched him avert his gaze to ponder.
To be able to stay in contact with the very weapon he's trying to earn trust from, would be a good improvement in his plans. Therefore, from his pocket, he pulled out the same teleportation button and gave her a stern look. "Wait here," Quickly into a dark alley he ran and ignored the passerby stares, before he vanished from the click of his device.
"Wow... He's fancy. I wished I had a teleport thingy. I could rush myself to the toilet," Amazed, not even a giggle, to no one in particular she spoke and pondered various ways that she could use such a thing.
Seconds turned into minutes as she stood there. Her back was to a stone wall of a building, with her head low and arms in her pockets. The longer she stood around, the more she saw the stares of others and each time her power almost activated.
"Here," Rough and deep, Grim's voice caused her to jolt and look to the side. "I found this Universal App you spoke of and made myself a profile," To her, he showed an alien communication device that could be similar to a rectangular touch-screen phone. However, it's bizarre details told her otherwise.
"O- Oh! Okay. I'll grab my phone once I get home. I put it in one of my old boxes I use for storage," Shyly she continued her way down the sidewalk and hid the smile that tugged on her lips. "Your profile said, 'Grimly'?" Curious now, she peeked at him and watched a hesitant nod. Hahaha, what a cute profile name. That would... Probably be a great nickname for him! Giggling and returning her attention to the sidewalk, she saw the rotting fence just ahead.
It took them no time at all to get through the fence. Naturally, Grim took the parkour route after she squeezed between the boards and made it to the other side. The thud from his landing made her take a couple of steps back and nervously make her way into her shelter. Behind her followed the tall, dark, and handsome man.
Through the material, she heard it flutter closed before she walked over to a tattered box and opened it. There before she sat old belongings, such as school yearbooks full of pictures, her parent's photos, an old brush that still had lint in it, and below it all was her phone. It was small, but a similar rectangular shape similar to Grim's device.
When she pulled it out and pressed the button on the side, there was no response. "Of course it's dead... It hasn't been charged in years," A sigh of defeat was enough proof of her disappointment, for she looked at her friend who stood idly in the doorway, and shook her head.
Abruptly, with a quick movement, she dropped the phone upon the sudden zap when Grim reached his hand out and shot out indigo electricity. Utterly shocked she was, nonetheless, all had gone silent and Grim still hadn't lowered his arm.
After a passing moment, the phone she dropped flared to life, with its loading screen showing that it was turning on and lighting up the part of her tent. "Whoa! That was so cool! You-... You almost fried me though. But thank you!" Delighted she was, she didn't even lift her gaze to see his triumphant smirk, the excitement she felt kept her distracted.
Quickly she picked it back up and typed in many passwords until one of them finally worked. After she tapped on an app, she opened the Universal one and typed in his profile name. "Okay... I sent you a friend request," There was no reason to look at him because there was no doubt he'd find the request on his own and accept it. When she waited about a minute, there on her screen, a green checkmark showed that he approved. "G- Great! Um... I guess, I'll see you later? We can text on the phone now," Warmth filled her cheeks when her violet hues peeked at his dark ones, and saw a rather satisfied look.
"Yes," With that, he wasted no more time and left through the tent. The teleporter he used before was used once again and left an awestruck Feige alone, which was soon replaced with a cute smile.
On her phone, she looked down and sent the first text. Good luck! Happily, she typed and cheered him on. Next to it, was an emote of a chibified character from an anime giving him a thumbs-up and a sparkle in their eyes.
"I know he'll read it," The thought of being able to talk to him more made her giggle to herself and walk over to her makeshift bed to lie down.
The ship that was afloat in Space, Gruumm leaned back into his throne and pondered the earlier events. Startling her awake, catching her, and dropping her. Her caution in handling him while she took off to the sky, the sonic speed she had that gave him an adrenaline rush, how she could hardly stay balanced after their crash land. That moment when she woke up and blushed heavily in his arms as she tried to hide. What got him the most was when her lips barely grazed his cheekbone when she fainted and when he had a small cut on his hand, she cared for it as if it were serious.
Slowly his hand lifted so he could see the hardly noticeable cut and used it to touch the spot where he felt her lips. Entranced, lost in his hidden thoughts, it took him a bit to recognize the vibration on his device; an indication that he received a message.
"She... Is different. What did she do to me? Is this some sort of magic? A Spell? I don't understand!" Angrily, he pulled out the device and brought up the text he got from her. Reading the encouraging message and the strangely adorable emote just below it was causing a faint grumble to leave his otherwise skeletal face.
Thoughts about her reaction, and how excited she was to hear of his successes and progress, instilled delight. A kind of joy he'd normally feel when someone he'd hire would complete a mission on his behalf. "My laugh... Is not... Adorable!" Harshly his fist banged onto the arm of his throne, and his ruby eyes glinted red through the shadows of the room.
Despite his anger and embarrassment over her comments, he found her shy giggles more appealing than he'd like to admit. The more he recalled her laughter, the more he wanted to facepalm and push it to the back of his mind.
"The next time I see her again... I will begin her training! To strengthen her telekinetic power and her control! She will be- my weapon!" With both arms in the air, he yelled, determined to make her his trump card.