Boring, Boring, Boring...

[SEBASTIAN DAVENPORT]

Sebastian knew that Alyson wasn't with him of her own free will, but she was starting to piss him off. He was getting sick of her even bringing up the subject of leaving. And her attitude, although it could be nice when he felt they were taking playful jabs, was getting on his last nerve at the moment. "The next time you even bring up leaving I'll rip your pretty little tongue out of that mouth of yours. Do we have an understanding?" He asked and started to reach up to grab her by the face but stopped himself halfway to it and dropped his hand back down to his side.

He had tried to be patient but it wasn't working out well for him. "I could care less if you're happy. You're here for me, sweetheart. So get used to it, put on a smile and start coming to terms with the fact that you're not going anywhere unless I give the say so." His lips curled into a sneer and his face was getting closer to hers, his eyes seeming more dangerous than usual.

Sebastian wanted to have a nice evening. He wanted to take the girl out but it wasn't good enough for her. Nothing was good enough for the spoiled brat! "You should be grateful I took you out at all." He spat and then reached for her wrist. He was going to drag her out on that dock if that was what he had to do. And if she were lucky he wouldn't throw her over so she could be carried out into the ocean. Prestine said he needed patience. Prestine clearly never had someone like Alyson before.

[ALYSON MONTGOMERY]

Things had flipped so suddenly, Alyson thought maybe she had heard him wrong. He went from apologizing and asking what she wanted to snapping and telling her he just didn't care. Every fleeting hope she had of some amount of happiness was caught in the breeze that passed and went sailing out into the ocean, to be lost, likely, forever. In that moment he had completely crushed her. The girl became a whirlwind of emotion; hurt by his harsh words, hopeless from the crushing blow of reality that hit once more, and misery, knowing she would likely never know happiness again. What sense was there even to live? She could just run, let him do his worst, be free of him, but then all hope would truly be lost forever. At least alive there was a fighting chance of making it through this, even if it meant enduring the suffering hand of Sebastian.

"You should be grateful I took you out at all." She glared at him with tear stained eye, yanking at the wrist he'd just grabbed. There t was; the fiery anger that welled inside of her and topped all other emotions. She wasn't the victim he wanted her to be, and she never would be, no matter how hard he squashed her spirit. "Grateful!" She gasped as if the very thought was ludicrous. "Grateful for what? For taking me out on a leash like your dog? I'm not your damn dog!" She snapped, pulling fiercely at her wrist, but doing it in such a way that she wasn't drawing attention to herself, but she fought him as they walked, dragging her feet and forcing him to haul her along.

"You asked what would make me happy and I told you. See, this? This is why I won't cooperate with you, you freak!" She snapped, her feet moving as he pulled her. "I will never cooperate for you. I hate you!" She hissed like an idiot, enraged and not thinking clearly.

It didn't even occur to her that hardly anyone was around.

[SEBASTIAN DAVENPORT]

The tugging and pulling was nothing for him. He would have just hoisted her up over his shoulder if they hadn't been out in public. But instead he just tried to lightly pull her along, trying his best not to squeeze too hard and break her damn wrist. He had to try and keep his cool while there were still people around. The last thing he wanted was to gain attention to them since someone just might notice her, and if that were the case then there'd be a major problem.

So Sebastian tugged Alyson along and let her bitch and moan out her little human problems while his thoughts trailed off to how his next pet he'd be sure was a mute or at least someone who knew when to shut up. When they got far enough down the pier he turned to her and gave her wrist a rough yank toward him as if to get her to not only stop talking but to pay attention to him. He didn't even realize that she had finished talking before he'd even yanked her.

"Hate me, wish that I would die, dream about all the ways you wish you could kill me and run away. I don't care." He told her with a glare in his eyes and a snarl in his voice. Sebastian was at the end of his rope.

"I've tried being patient. Hell, I've tried being nice. But you are writing your own death sentence! Come on!" He sneered and pulled her forcefully along again, heading further down the pier. It was dark and half the lights didn't work anyway so he found a nice, dark spot and pushed her up against the wood planks that made up the side railings to keep people from falling off.

His hand moved up to her throat and he began to squeeze just enough to get his point across but not enough to cut off any of her air. He held her like that up against the wood, pushing her against it as a nippy breeze rolled by. "All I have to do is squeeze." Sebastian's words were so harsh that they even startled him a bit. It might have been a threat but it wasn't an empty one. He would keep his word. And to show he wasn't kidding around he did apply just enough pressure to show her the affects before he loosened his grip once more and held her by her throat firmly in place.

"Stop. Testing. Me."

---

---

Permission from Alyson to powerplay a bit.

[ALYSON MONTGOMERY]

"I've tried being patient. Hell, I've tried being nice. But you are writing your own death sentence! Come on!" Death sentence? Alyson struggled harder but to no avail. He wouldn't kill her, would he? She tried to think of a good enough reason to believe he wouldn't but what was stopping him? He already had her against her will. She had already been proven weak in comparison and he had a great deal of power over her, both physically and mentally. He had never been patient or nice in Alyson's opinion. He had his moments, she supposed, and he had been ignoring her lately, perhaps to him that had been patience? Either way she was beginning to panic.

He had her by the neck now, pressed against the railing keeping her from going over the side and into the bitter cold ocean. If she fell over, it would probably hurt but she could survive it. It would be cold as hell, but not lethal. That is unless he decided to go in after her and drawn her. Or, he could easily strangle her to death.

The girls hands instinctively went to her neck to try and pry his rigid fingers from her windpipe, too afraid to say anything as he sneered at her, her own eyes wide with terror. He was going to do it... he was going to kill her right then and there and no one would ever see it happen. Her body would wash ashore and the autopsy would show she'd been strangled and that would be it. She tried to gulp, but it was difficult with his hand there, her own fingers desperately clawing at his to get them to release her.

"All I have to do is squeeze." A chill ran down her spine as she felt the pressure on her throat. "Please.." She uttered, trying to shake her head, pulling his hands desperately with no avail. "Stop. Testing. Me." Alyson nodded, tears making her eyelids heavy. "Please let go.." She gasped, trying to suck in as much air as possible, as if each breath might be her last. "I'm sorry." She rasped frantically.

He had broken her. At least for the moment. Her mind was blank other than the fear that seemed to grip her like a vice. She couldn't think about anything clearly in that moment other than saying or doing anything to get him to let her go. "I'm sorry." She repeated, her voice quivering, tears streaking down her cheek.

[SEBASTIAN DAVENPORT]

When the tears came Sebastian knew he had actually gotten through to her. He could see the fear in her eyes that seemed to give him some satisfaction. Fear was how you trained someone. Not patience. And now that she feared him she would obey him without giving him a hard time. Or at least she would for the rest of the night he was sure.

Sebastian loosened his grip on her throat and moved both of his hands up to either sides of her face and used his thumbs to wipe the tears away that were rolling down her cheeks. His gentler side came out once again and he shook his head gently from side to side and made sure he dried her cheeks. "We can't have you looking a mess, can we?" He told her as if she were nothing more than a child and he had to fix her up.

He took a step back and looked the girl over to see if he had messed up her outfit. The dress looked stunning on her and he was starting to think that maybe they should have gone to the nightclub. At least there she wouldn't have a chance to talk over the music. His brows furrowed just slightly showing the slightest bit of remorse for what he did as his lips pursed together. He decided now that he'd scared her he ought to show her some kindness before she broke down right then and there.

"Look, I do want to keep you happy, but to an extent. Freedom is not an option so stop bringing it up. That's our new rule, got it? But going for long walks at night? That's definitely something that can be done. A phone call to your parents every now and then? Sure, that's reasonable enough. But don't annoy me with talk of leaving."

Sebastian felt like the night was shot all to hell and he had a feeling that Alyson had enough for one night as well. "Are you tired? Do you want to go back or do you want to stay out here a little longer?" He asked her and figured she was having an internal little human breakdown. He didn't know why he was still dealing with her. Why didn't he just kill her and get it over with? Because he enjoyed her company when she wasn't getting on his nerves. That was the reason.

"I don't want to kill you, Alyson. But sometimes my temper gets the best of me. But if you want, you can wander up and down the pier and I'll wait right here. I get the feeling you don't want to be around me right now." He was pretty sure that there was nobody else on the pier. But if there was he was hoping that Alyson would use her better judgment and not talk to them. Or else there would be consequences if Sebastian found out.

[ALYSON MONTGOMERY]

She sucked in a deep breath as he let go of her throat, her eyes wide, staring horrified up into his as he instantly switched his rage off. His hands were gently on her cheeks, his thumbs wiping the tears he'd made spill away, like he was her father trying to calm her after she'd skinned her knee falling off her bike. "We can't have you looking a mess, can we?" Alyson felt so mixed up in that moment. She was glad to be alive, glad he let her go, which made her feel grateful to him but resentful at the same time since he had nearly taken her life but had also given it back. It was such an odd combination that made her feel nothing short of confused.

His words seemed distant as he spoke to her about new rules and what she could reasonably expect him to give to her. She zoned in and out, the waves seeming to crash louder than his words. Or maybe it was because she was focusing on the sound of the waves instead of him.

"Are you tired? Do you want to go back or do you want to stay out here a little longer?" She was still staring at him with saucer sized eyes, not completely there. It was only partially because she felt he would kill her. The rest was not knowing what to do to save herself. Alyson, by nature, was stubborn and strong willed. She had never answered well to authority, but now her life was hanging in the balance and she would have to change her nature in order to survive. But how does one do that? She didn't want to live by his rules. The very thought was suffocating, and as she thought all this she had forgotten to answer him, afraid to, and not knowing the answer. Was she tired? No. She was far too startled for sleep. She wanted to go back, and didn't at the same time. Going back meant it would be a while until she would leave again, and she hated the idea of being confined to her room again so soon. But staying meant walking with him, while the room meant he would likely leave her be. She didn't know what she wanted.

She didn't know if he was being honest or not when he said he didn't want to kill her. She supposed he would have if he'd really wanted to, but ti didn't make her feel a whole lot better to hear him say that. It wouldn't stop i'm from doing it, it would only mean he didn't really want to.

"...if you want, you can wander up and down the pier and I'll wait right here. I get the feeling you don't want to be around me right now." She wondered what his first clue was. The girl waited until her captor released her face before scooting away, her words escaping her. She knew she couldn't run, but she knew she couldn't be around him.

She moved easily away from him, her steps fast and a little crooked. She hadn't even noticed she was shaking, or perhaps it had started when she moved away. A combination, she was sure, of the chill in the air and the complete horror of the previous few moments. Her arms folded over her torso and the tears slipped down her cheek again. It took all her control not to scream for help as she walked down the pier, the light of the moon reflecting off the water and brightening the sky a little more. There were hardly any people around, which was probably for the best. She wasn't sure what she would say if anyone approached her and asked if she was alright. She could lie, but her eyes would tell the truth. She was trapped.

Alyson peaked over her shoulder at the shrinking figure of Sebastian, making sure he wasn't following her. When she realized he wasn't, her steps slowed and she began to breath a little easier. How would she ever get out of this mess?

The salty wind whipped through her hair as she came to a stop near one of the lamp posts, looking out into the ocean, watching the waves crash onto themselves. What would happen if she jumped? She could swim away, careful to stay under water until she absolutely needed a breath. In the dark he would have a difficult time finding her, but the current would drag her out. She knew in the end she would likely drown before finding her freedom, and who was to say he wouldn't take Cassidy then? The girl gripped the wooden barrier and felt her knees grow weak. She lowered herself to the ground, her legs going out to the side as she pressed her forehead to the wooden bars, staring at the water. She reached over and pulled her shoes off with her right hand, rubbing her feet, unsure what to do with herself now.

The evening was ruined. She should have never bothered asking to go out.

[SEBASTIAN DAVENPORT]

Sebastian was beginning to realize more and more that he wasn't cut out for this sort of lifestyle. Not the way his sister was anyway. He couldn't just be nice and patient with these humans. He expected what he wanted when he wanted it. And that wasn't happening with Alyson.

He watched her as she walked away from him, noticing that she seemed to walk a little slower than usual. Maybe she wasn't used to the heels? He knew that she didn't have any way to leave the pier unless she walked right back past him. So there was no way for her to escape unless she jumped into the water. And even then he was sure he'd hear the splash.

So while he waited for her to get her air he leaned up against the wooden railing that kept people from falling off the dock. He looked out to the ocean, wanting to run off and go do something fun. But he knew he couldn't just leave her there. Would she be able to find her way back to his place? That could go bad if she did and brought the police. Not that he couldn't take care of them. He just simply didn't like it when they were involved since it usually tended to get a little messier.

Sebastian looked down the pier again and noticed that Alyson was now seated. He'd surely scared her half to death, although he didn't feel a single bit of remorse. She had asked for it by acting out. She could act the victim all she wanted but he knew better than to fall for it. Even if he did push off the railing and start to head down the pier towards her.

When he reached her he crouched down beside her and looked at her. He let out an exasperated sigh and rolled his eyes. "You know this was your fault." He told her nonchalantly and looked out at the ocean again, not meeting her eye since he had the feeling she was going to turn and look at him.

[ALYSON MONTGOMERY]

The loud, yet gentle sound of the waves crashing down upon themselves helped to ease the girls mind a little. There was a tranquil comfort in hearing the splashing water, feeling the salty mist waft up to meet her face. She was cold but it felt nice. It reminded her of when she was a girl and her family would go to the beach for a long weekend. They had only done it a few times in her youth due to financial problems, but the memories were crisp and sharp in her mind. Her eyelids slid closed over her hazel eyes and she tried to remember the feeling of playing in the sand, the seagulls crying above, the tide drifting in and hitting her feet as she attempted to make a crude sand castle. It made the corners of her lips curl up a little.

How simple her life had been then. The world had been far less complicated than it was now. She would have never imagined she would be in the situation she was now. Everyone had expected her to leave Texas and make something of herself. She'd never truly fit in. She wasn't like the others who left only to come crawling back in a few years ready to settle into the life they swore they wanted no part of. For Alyson it had never been like that. It was simply a matter of her just not fitting well there. She had been different than her peers. She had been destined for a life outside of her small town. Yet here she was, on the pier in Scriptor Bay, captive to a gorgeous man who had no desire to kill her, but would. She was still unsure of his intentions with her.

Did he mean to make her his life partner because he felt he wouldn't be able to find one? He was certainly odd, that was for sure. He was deformed, though you could only tell when his shirt was off. He preferred the night for some reason, probably because of his deformity, but he was so strong. He could climb down buildings, or he was extremely fast at getting downstairs from his home. "You know this was your fault." Alyson startled, her head whipping to look at him, having been so lost in her own thoughts she hadn't heard him coming.

She stared at him, allowing his words to seep in for a moment. Her fault? She immediately scowled in his direction, watching him stare out into the water. The light reflected off his raven black hair, his one blue eye bright and cold as it watched the waves crash, leaving the other side of his face in shadows. It was striking and she felt the annoyed look on her face fade. She felt bad for him. He was likely the way he was out of necessity. A man driven to capturing women because he was afraid otherwise he would be alone. It didn't help that he and his sister seemed like spoiled brats. That wasn't entirely their faults, though. Alyson knew better. She knew people who were spoiled were that way because their parents gave them what they wanted and they expected it from everyone else.

Aside form the attempt at killing her, he had tried to make her life with him bearable. He didn't force her into the cage, after all. He'd given her practically everything she'd ask for, at least material things. She really wanted for nothing. He was lonely, and truth be told, so was Alyson.

She watched him, feeling her anger slip away, though she was still cautious. Her cold hand reached out, brushing his stubbly cheek with her knuckles gently. "You can't blame me for wanting to escape." She said easily, no fear of backlash. Her eyes drifted back to the ocean, her heart throbbing. She didn't want to be a captive. She wanted to do what she wanted, but she also felt bad for this son of a bitch. "I won't mention it again." She said softly, more to the water than to him. Alyson sighed quietly and reached for her shoes and then grabbed the railing to help her stand up. She lifted each leg to slip her shoes back on, her eyes meeting him, unsure what he would do. She had mentally started to succumb to him, even if she would never completely submit. Then she did something that surprised even her; she reached a hand out for him to hold. If she didn't give him a reason to want to harm her, then he wouldn't she realized. He had a bad temper, and he often felt bad after acting out. As long as she did nothing to get him riled , he wasn't a threat. And showing a little compassion might get her what she wanted in the end. It was worth a shot..

[SEBASTIAN DAVENPORT]

When Sebastian crouched beside Alyson he expected a witty little retort from the blonde girl. Except there was none. There was no outburst or scoffing, no true looks of hatred. Although he was looking out at the water he could still see her out of the corner of his eye. He wanted to try and be patient. Because for some reason he had decided to keep her and he actually liked having her around. She was the first human he could stand to be around and could go without being entertained by her. He was fine with just lounging beside her as she watched television or listened to music. He'd never admit to it though.

"You can't blame me for wanting to escape."

When Alyson's knuckle touched Sebastian's cheek his eyes revealed that he was clearly startled but he didn't move. Not until her hand dropped once again and then he looked over at her. His features softened a bit, although they still had a hardness to them. His features were always hardened. He didn't say anything but just looked at her. It was true. He couldn't blame her for wanting to leave. He knew she wanted nothing more than to be free once more and he was keeping her from it.

When the girl got to her feet and began to put her shoes back on Sebastian followed suit and stood up but leaned up against the railing casually. He was clearly not a man of words that night or at least in that moment since he stood there in silence. Then Alyson did another thing that took Sebastian by surprise; her hand slipped into his. He stood up and looked down at her hand that was in his and slowly and as gingerly as he could he wrapped his fingers around her hand to hold it back. It was clear she was ready to head back or at least leave the pier so he began to slowly walk forward.

"It could still be a nice night. If you're hungry we could stop and get a bite to bring home with us. Maybe have ourselves a little game of chess? You probably want a relaxing evening after all the excitement." He said and tried to keep his voice soft. He didn't want to sound arrogant or even angry when he spoke to her now. She was starting to understand the way things were going to work from here on out and Sebastian felt that if she were going to behave then he could as well.

[ALYSON MONTGOMERY]

When Sebastian's fingers curled around hers she felt another wave of confusion. Her first instinct was to yank her hand away, still knowing he was the enemy, but she didn't. She was the one who had offered the gesture, so to pull away would be especially mean. Plus, she had somehow miraculously tossed the evenings tension away. She was still angry, still terrified of hi, but more calm now and a little more confident that the worst was over, but she had yet to realize her own power until he spoke again.

Her eyes were on him as he offered to get her supper and then continued to go on about the nice evening they could share together at home. It slowly dawned on Alyson that he could be manipulated, which gave her far more power than she could have expected.

Showing compassion and submission made him want to do things for her. The better she was for him, the more he would offer. At some point he might actually allow her to go with the promise of coming back. If she actually came back she could have both her freedom while being a captive. It didn't seem so terrible then.

Of course she had no idea if that was an actual possibility or not, but as it was she was getting nowhere. She could only try to charge into the brick wall so many times before she realized she had to climb over it. He was her obstacle, and she would need to over come him in order to survive.

"I'd like that." Her words met the same tone his had. She gulped and looked over at him, pushing the tiniest hint of a sad smile on her face. She wasn't completely over what happened. He had still tried to end her life and that was messed up, but the mood between them had seemed to changed quickly. Her gaze landed over at the sea once more and she sighed staring at it. "Maybe we could come back sometime." She suggested a little hesitantly, turning back towards Sebastian and giving him a little shrug before looking forward again. "I really wanted tonight to be nice." She didn't even mean to say it and blushed a little, her fingers sliding away from his as she crossed her hands over her stomach. She tried to recover quickly, not wanting her sadness to ruin everything again. She forced a smile on her face as she looked at him, pretending nothing was wrong. "But food will be good. Maybe something Italian. I haven't eaten Italian in a while."

[SEBASTIAN DAVENPORT]

When Alyson pulled away Sebastian didn't take it personal. He knew it was only a matter of time before she pulled away and he didn't fight her on it either. He just wanted to get her back inside where he knew that he wouldn't have to worry and he could let his guard down and relax a little. When she said that she wanted Italian food Sebastian contemplated on where would be a good place to pick some up. There were so many different places to choose from, but there was one in particular that he favored over the others. They used fresh ingredients and made their own mozzarella, something that he knew other restaurants didn't do. That also meant it was a little pricier but he was willing to pay a little extra for something that tasted better.

"Have you tried Vinny's Slice of Italy? It's one of the smaller restaurants that nobody really knows about. But it's been around for ages." He told her as if he were trying to impress her with his great taste in food. Not that he needed to impress her. But it couldn't do any harm.

His grey eyes watched her as they walked, almost like he wanted to be sure that she wasn't going to run off but at the same time just wanting to look at her because he enjoyed the sight of the girl. Now that he was calm and collected he wasn't rushing her or being rough with her in the slightest. He stayed at the same pace with her, if she sped up he'd do the same and if she slowed down then he'd take shorten his stride. At least he wasn't tailing her like he had at the beginning of the night.

"It's just down that way a bit. We can even sit down and have a nice meal. They're never busy." He told her and reached a hand up to touch Alyson's curly hair. Sebastian pulled a few of the strands away from her face and brushed them over her shoulder carefully. "You know when you're not giving me the death look you really are beautiful." He told her bluntly and honestly. It was true. She had a cuteness to her before but with the right clothing her beauty could show better.

[ALYSON MONTGOMERY]

"Have you tried Vinny's Slice of Italy?" Alyson shook her head. The only real Italian she had there was Dominos pizza, save for a couple of times she had splurged and gotten pasta from Gianno's. It was cheap and close to campus. She'd never even heard of the place Sebastian suggested, but it sounded good enough to her.

She rarely went out to eat real food on her budget. She didn't get much money from working and it wasn't like she had a large stipend for food from the university. She had a meal plan so the majority of her food prior to that week was cafeteria gourmet. She had probably eaten better with Bastian in the last week than she had in the last three years. Not that she would ever tell him that. She didn't want him to know how much he was spoiling her, and she hated to think of it that way. She was still being held against her will, fine things or not.

She sort of liked the idea of sitting in the restaurant. Maybe someone would recognize her! He would be wary of her, though. She had a feeling he wouldn't be careless if he was going to take her anywhere public, and when he explained they were never busy she knew it was unlikely anyone would know her face if she came in.

She felt his hand move her hair away and her body tensed slightly, unsure how to react. His touch had rarely been a kind one, and she half expected him to lash out at her for something she was unaware she had done, which had happened with him already. When she felt no pain she let out her breath, realizing his gesture.

"You know when you're not giving me the death look you really are beautiful." The compliment made shivers run down her spine. Was he being kind? Trying to hit on her? She knew he found her attractive, otherwise he wouldn't waste his time, and she'd heard from him and his sister he liked her curls. She wondered if he would kill her if she hacked them off one day while he was out.

Why was he complimenting her? She glanced at him quickly and gave a little shrug, not really sure how to react to it before looking at the ground, her arms still folded over her stomach. "Are you telling me I should scowl at your more or less?" She asked, though she was sort of teasing. She knew the answer. "Since I'm being so good for you now." She added with a little taunting smirk towards him, almost making fun of him for expecting her to act like a good girl. It was playful, but she had no idea how he would take it. The air was lighter between them now, but that didn't mean he wouldn't snap again. She hoped he wouldn't. She wasn't entirely sure she could handle attempted murder that night.

[SEBASTIAN DAVENPORT]

"Are you telling me I should scowl at your more or less?"

Alyson had to be witty, and Sebastian simply tsked and shook his head back and forth in a carefree manner. Of course she would have some sort of smart retort to his compliment. His compliments didn't come too often, of course he'd told her he liked her hair, but he didn't actually compliment her. So for it being something still new he got a decent reaction from the girl.

"This way." Sebastian nodded his head to the left and once they were off the pier and on steady ground he turned left, heading away from the street that held all the musicians. The night was still on the young side and he wasn't concerned about daylight coming just yet. He knew Vinny's was just a short little walk and the cool air felt great. He always preferred it to be cold outside and hot inside. He didn't mind getting sweaty and a bit dirty as long as he was doing it without his clothes on. And it always felt good when you opened up a window and a breeze of icy air gushed in after you were through.

The stroll was short, as Sebastian suspected it would be. And it wasn't long until they reached Vinny's Slice of Italy, a red bricked building that seemed to be squeezed in between two other, much taller buildings. Unless you knew of it you probably wouldn't even know that it was there. The door was tinted dark and it was difficult to see inside, not to mention there wasn't a sign declaring what sort of place it was. The only means on knowing whether it was open or not was a neon open sign that flashed in a tinted window. Even that was a little difficult to see. They obviously didn't plan it well. Or maybe they did it on purpose to keep away certain crowds. Either way Sebastian opened up the door and held it for Alyson. "After you." He told her and followed her inside.

Inside the restaurant the lighting was dim coming out of stained glass lamps that hung from the ceiling over the tables. There were only a few round tables and then four booths that lined the right wall. The left side of the restaurant was a small bar with a few stools, an opened door that lead to the kitchen next to the bar. Sebastian could feel the instant warmth of the restaurant atmosphere and stood up a bit straighter.

There was one other customer sitting at one of the round tables with a pint of beer and a slice of pizza on his plate. He didn't look to be eating but just sitting there staring at it. Almost like he was just trying to find a way to waste away some time. The bartender was drying out a glass behind the counter and gave a little gesture with his head that was the international greeting it seemed and spoke so they couple could hear him. "Seat yerselves anywhere."

Sebastian stuck his arm out, his hand open to motion for Alyson to pick where she wanted to sit. He'd prefer a booth since that way they could both relax but he was willing to let her decide this time. "Now where are we sitting?"

[ALYSON MONTGOMERY]

Alyson was almost disappointed when Sebastian ignored her comment altogether. She had thought he would poke back, but she realized maybe it was best he had kept his mouth shut. Who knew what sort of things he would say, and who knew how Alyson would take them. When he led her on she looked around, not entirely sure where they were since she hadn't ventured to that area before. A chill ran over her entire body as the night grew colder and she was faced against the harsh winds with nothing to protect her bare skin.

When he pulled a door open she was a little relieved to escape the chilly air, but hesitant. It was a little dodgy hole in the wall, or so it looked to be from the outside. Her eyes met him, trying to read if this were some sort of trick, but as always those cold, pale eyes didn't tell her a damn thing. She knew when he was angry and that was it, but it was only because of the way his eyebrows would lay low over his eyes. In a strange way she sort of liked not knowing how he felt, unless the unpredictable mood was a violent, life threatening one. For all she knew he was leading her to her death, but she had to trust him. There were literally no other options.

She ducked into the shady little building and looked around. It looked sort of legit. There was a bar, something she didn't usually see in nice Italian restaurants, but she realized it was probably made this way for a reason. It was probably really Italian, like mafia Italian. That was sort of scary to think, but also a little exciting.

"Now where are we sitting?" She had been so busy looking around she had forgotten that he was standing just there at her back. Alyson turned and gave him a quick look, acknowledging he'd spoken before looking around so she could decide where they were sitting. The seats all looked the same and she chose a little booth to the side about midway through the restaurant. It was far enough from the door to escape the wind if it opened, but close enough if they needed to run for some reason. Not that she expected to run, really, but in her mind it seemed like a legit thing to be concerned about.

Alyson moved to the booth and slid inside, almost immediately slipping her shoes off and giving her feet a little break. She didn't look up when she saw Sebastian joining her not a second later, grabbing at one of the menu's that was conveniently left on the table. She opened it and began running down the list of things to eat, surprised by the price tag next to them. Either they overcharged or there was a reason for their slightly higher prices. This was likely why he had taken her there.

Being the spiteful firecracker she was she decided to choose her dish by price tag first, taste second. Her stomach gave a little rumble as her mouth began to water at the words on the paper menu. Everything sounded amazing. "Well, I know what I'm getting." She told him, folding the menu shut and sliding it to the edge of the table "Portabello filet mignon for me." She wondered if he would object seeing as the side of pasta had crab meat in it, making the price tag even heftier. She rubbed at her cold arms and looked around the place. "And a cup of tea." She watched the man at the bar, not having looked back at Sebastian yet, though she leaned over the table a little to talk to him discreetly. "Does the mafia hang here or something?" She whispered before finally making eye contact.

[SEBASTIAN DAVENPORT]

Sebastian could care less what Alyson got to eat. As long as she wasn't getting carbs with a side of carbs and then topped with more carbs. He didn't want to see her put on any pounds and if that were to happen then he'd have to be sure to make her start exercising. But from the looks of her she looked like she could put back anything and not have to worry about gaining a single pound. She probably had a high metabolism. Sebastian was like that, but then again he was built differently and he was quite active both in and out of the bedroom. Although a little less in the bedroom since Alyson had come along, and he figured that was probably what made him snap the way he did tonight. He had needs.

Sebastian had hardly looked at the menu but he glanced over at what Alyson declared she was going to be eating and smirked silently to himself. He could clearly see why she was getting it. It was quite pricey and after another glance at the other prices he realized it was the most expensive dish on the menu. He just hoped she would eat it and not let the food go to waste. It wasn't the money that he was worried about but wasting a perfectly good meal. There was just no need for that. "I think I'll go with a nice lasagna." He stated as if the girl that was across the table cared about what he was going to eat.

He was lounging casually in the seat, sitting sideways and leaning back against the wall while he kept one leg propped up on the cushioned bench. Sebastian could make himself at home anywhere, and that was exactly what he was doing now. He looked over to the lonely guy who was staring down at a watch he had on his wrist and tapping his foot on the ground. His casual stance seemed to change to someone who was now waiting for something impatiently. Not that he cared what this disgusting human was waiting for. Why should he care?

That's when Alyson leaned forward, her voice low but still clear for Sebastian to hear. "Does the mafia hang here or something?"

The question brought a sly smile to the man's face and he looked at Alyson now instead of at the man. The guy behind the bar was making his way out from around the counter and heading in their direction. But there was still time for him to answer without being overheard. "Of course they do." He told her as if she were simply asking him about the weather in a matter of fact tone. He knew she'd probably think he was kidding. Then again it was hard to tell when Sebastian was joking and when he wasn't sometimes, unless he actually made it blatantly obvious that he was in fact teasing. Which wasn't what he was doing right then and there.

"What can uh get ye's?" The man that was behind the bar who was clearly their waiter said once he came up to the table. He pushed the menus together and tucked them under one arm and stood there waiting for one of them to talk and give up their order.

Sebastian's eyes wandered over to Alyson, realizing this is the first time he'd actually allowed someone other than himself and his sister to speak to Alyson since he'd taken her. Although it was something so simple he felt himself growing jealous and his jaw tensed up, grinding his teeth in his mouth for a minute. His cold grey eyes looked between the two of them before he realized he was just overreacting. He could break the server in half in under a second before he could even say another word. Not that he was going to. He sucked in a deep breath and turned his attention to Alyson and gestured to the waiting man. "After you." He was still a gentleman. Sort of. He'd wait for Alyson to give her order before he'd tell his own, the lasagna and of course a nice pint of whatever they had on draft.