Thunderstorms and Pizza [Abby]

[MARIUS DAKANIS]

The weather had taken an unexpected turn for the worst. The weather broadcasting said that it must have been a storm that rolled onto the bay that started the night of the masquerade, only there was no sign that it was going to happen. But the weather wasn't the only thing that had been unexplainable. The hospital had some trouble as well and as much as he had tried to keep everything under control there were rumors leaked about strange occurrences at the hospital by both staff and patients. Marius couldn't wait to tell Abby all about it, wanting to get her opinion on the matter. So when she called him up and asked if he wanted to come over for pizza, he couldn't see a better opportunity.

Marius was glad that they were going to hang out and be casual. He hadn't even realized that the last two were pretty formal dates, and this would give them a chance to actually relax around each other. He enjoyed the time they spent together. The masquerade had been such a wonderful evening and they'd even managed to meet another couple and exchanged numbers with them before dancing away the rest of the night. And he'd been a gentleman, kissed her goodnight and went on his way.

But because of the weather they were choosing to stay indoors for this date, and although he was planning on inviting her over to his place he was glad they were doing it at hers instead. Hers had a warm, welcoming feel to it while his was much more cold and vacant. When you worked his hours you didn't have time to decorate.

He shut the door when he got out of his car and clicked the fob to lock it up, hearing it chirp and seeing the lights flash. The sky was dark and gloomy, looking dangerously like rain. He'd decided to just go with a pair of blue jeans this time since he'd dressed up the last two times. It wasn't often he got to wear jeans so it felt special to him to be able to just go casual. His shirt was a grey v-neck and his hair was combed in its usual fashion. Tucked under his arm was a six pack of Bud Light and in his hand a bottle of wine.

Marius reached the door and rang the doorbell before knocking lightly with the knuckle of his middle and index fingers. He didn't have to wait too long and figured it was because Abby already knew he had been on his way. He stuck the keys into his jeans pocket just as she was opening the door and grabbed the six pack out from under his arm so he could hold it in one hand and the wine bottle in the other, showing them both to her. "I didn't know which to bring. I didn't think flowers would have been a good idea since... well," he glanced over his shoulder playfully as if to say you already have all the flowers you need.

The man grinned at her and stepped over the threshold, but before he went in he leaned down and gave her a kiss on the cheek, then made his way inside.

[ABIGAIL JAMES]

Abby hated being stuck inside all day, but the weather absolutely sucked. She and Marius had such a wonderful time at the masquerade, but it was followed by days of just crappy weather. But, since she was stuck inside, Abby decided she would work on her grandmother’s birthday gift, a landscape of the area surrounding her hometown in Italy. It would cost a small fortune to ship to her grandmother, but it was worth it. She knew she would call her from Italy and spill praises and thanks and probably even cry over the phone because she missed Abby so much. Her birthday wasn’t for another couple months, but Abby liked to get ahead of herself when it came to projects like this. Knowing Marius was coming later, she set up her easel in an empty spot in the main area that was pretty much out of the way. She had stretched her own canvas a few weeks ago, which she set up on the easel and she clipped the photo she was using to the top of the easel. She spent the rest of the day sketching on the canvas, mixing paints and dabbing them expertly across the canvas. Her work often engrossed her and she lost track of time. Her jeans, already artfully be-speckled with a hundred different paints, got a couple more stains, as did the white tank top she wore in her warm house.

When it came time for Marius to show, she had paint dotting her hands and arms and even a few smudges on her face. Abby always ended up with paint on her body, finding she usually misjudged how close her brush was coming to her body in her concentration to get the colors on her canvas. The knock on her door surprised her and she looked at the clock. When did it get so late?! She felt like her stomach was hollow suddenly and she quickly stepped barefoot to the door, her hair gathered up in a ponytail on top of her head, cascading in a long, curly rope to just above her shoulder blades. Opening the door, there was Marius with…a lot of alcohol. She smiled wide at him, probably looking an absolute mess. “I didn’t know which to bring. I didn’t think flowers were a good idea since…well.” He looked to her garden with a playful smile and she laughed. “Well, you chose wisely. I like both,” she said with a cute little shrug and then stepped aside so he could come in out of the chill air. Before she got too far, though, he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek, making her blush and her heart skip as she returned the gesture with a giggle.

Once he was in, her house suddenly feeling ten times warmer than the outside, she smiled wide, hardly remembering she had paint on her face. “I’ve been painting all day and I lost track of time. I meant to clean up before you got here, but…well…” She held up her paint covered hands as proof. “Obviously I didn’t.” She giggled again, leading the way to her kitchen, past the painting she was working on. “The painting’s for my grandma in Italy. It’s a scene from the area around her hometown. I got the picture from my mom. I figured it would be a nice present,” she said with a light shrug. Abby’s style was very realistic and she paid high attention to detail, obvious in her work. The colors were muted and bright mixed together tastefully. For Abby, it was second nature, but she was still a little shy to show Marius her work for the first time.

She indicated the kitchen, clearly visible and open to the living area and smiled. “You can put the beer in the fridge and just leave the wine out. I’m going to scrub this paint off.” In the kitchen, he would find the magical hub of her house, but she didn’t mind if he saw it now. She had dried bouquets of plants hanging in her window and jars of different dried herbs, plants, and other items lined neatly on the counters and up in the glass cabinets. In the bathroom, she scrubbed the paint off her hands, arms and face, all of which came up pretty easily. It was oil paint, after all. She dried off and moved into her room quickly to change with the door shut silently. Lightning quick she changed into a clean pair of jeans and a plain yellow t-shirt. It was only about five minutes before she came back to Marius with a smile, noticing that Ham had come out from his hiding spot under the table to beg for love. “In case you’re wondering, yes, the kitchen is where the magic happens,” she said playfully. “I haven’t ordered the pizza yet. What would you like on it? I’m famished, so I’ll eat anything at this point.” She gave a laugh, but it was true; Abby wasn’t picky when it came to her pizza, so she was open to anything he wanted. All she knew was she was starving.

[MARIUS DAKANIS]

After pecking her cheek and stepping indoors Marius' eyes had to adjust to the change in lighting. It had been dark outside and when he came in it nice and brightly lit. "I've been painting all day and I lost track of time. I meant to clean up before you got here, but...well..." He noted her paint laced hands and chuckled. He thought it was cute the way she was covered in paint and by covered, it really was everywhere. Her face, her hands, even all over her clothes. But her pants looked like they were an old pair that she wore when she painted since most of it looked old and faded in with the denim. "Obviously I didn't." "Obviously," he teased her playfully and followed her towards the kitchen but stopped when he saw the painting.

"The painting's for my grandma in Italy. It's a scene from the area around her hometown. I got the picture from my mom. I figured it would be a nice present," It was remarkable. He could see the picture that was clipped up in the corner that she was using for reference and his brows raised to show his surprise. "I knew you taught art but you didn't tell me you were an artist outside of the classroom. Is there anything you don't do well?" A small smile curled up on his lips and he looked to her. "Besides walking into holes at the beach, that is?" He was actually glad for that fluke otherwise he wouldn't have met her.

"You can put the beer in the fridge and just leave the wine out. I'm going to scrub this paint off." Marius watched Abby head off to another part of the house before he set the bottle of wine down on the counter and went straight for the fridge so that he could chill the beer. Nobody liked warm beer and as much as he enjoyed wine, it was the beer that he wanted tonight. Beer was easier to mellow out with and that was exactly what he wanted to do. Once the beer was tucked in the fridge with all of the other things that Abby stored in there he took the opportunity to actually look around. Abby's kitchen seemed to have a lot of personality to it. In fact, the personality matched her perfectly from what he knew of her. The plants that were hanging up to dry he wondered if they were medicinal herbs or if she was going to use them for something else.

He was going to turn around and go back to check out her painting when he spotted the cat coming out mewing. Crouching down he reached out and brushed back the soft coat on the feline who curved its back into his touch. "In case you're wondering, yes, the kitchen is where the magic happens." He looked up to see Abby there in fresh clothes and laughed at what she said. "I haven't ordered the pizza yet. What would you like on it? I'm famished, so I'll eat anything at this point." It was nice to know that she wasn't picky about what it was they ate. There was nothing more trouble than a woman who was picky in everything that they ate. Like a pizza without any cheese. What was the point then?

"How about we just order something with a little of everything and pick off what we don't like?" Marius knew that if he told her she could pick they'd probably just go back and forth with the whole 'you pick' 'no you pick!' thing that couples always did when they didn't want to be the one to actually make a choice. He slowly stood back up and took a good look at Abby. "You look nice. Though the paint was a good look for you."

[ABIGAIL JAMES]

“How about we just order something with a little of everything and pick off what we don’t like?” Abby gave a big smile and a shrug, moving closer to him. “Okay!” she replied cheerfully. She watched as he stood back up, noticing that he was looking her over and her smile turned a little flirtatious. “You look nice. Though the paint was a good look for you.” She let her eyes look up to the ceiling as she shrugged cutely. “That’s why I became an artist,” she said playfully, giggling afterward. When she was standing in front of him she reached up and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, feeling a little daring. “You look nice too. I like you in jeans,” she said softly but with a coy undertone. She gave a soft laugh before standing on tiptoe and pressing her lips to his. Abby couldn’t deny, she liked kissing the man, and this was the first time they were really alone on a date. She saw this as the perfect opportunity to kiss him all she wanted. One of her hands rested on the base of his neck, lightly playing with the tips of his short hair while the other moved to rest on his scruffy jaw. It was a more passionate kiss than she had been able to give before now and she felt herself getting swallowed into it.

While the kissing was starting to make her feel dizzy and breathless, she didn’t want to get carried away…well, not yet. She pulled away from his lips only to come back and give him another peck with a smile. When she came back to standing flatfooted again, she bit her bottom lip as she smiled up at him and let her arms fall from his shoulders. “I’m going to order that pizza,” she said softly. Her face was flushed and she felt dizzy and she definitely didn’t want to stop kissing him, but her stomach was going to start growling soon, which she didn’t think would be very cute. She walked out to the living area and grabbed her phone off the nightstand she always set up next to her easel when she was painting. As she was waiting for the pizza place to pick up the phone, she noticed her palette still had plenty of paints in it, including black paint. She had an idea and she smiled wickedly at the thought. Discreetly, she put a glob on her finger and wandered away from the table before turning to look at Marius again, now coming out of her kitchen. She ordered a large supreme pizza and got the total before thanking the guy who picked up and hanging up her phone.

“Okay, so they said it’ll be about twenty minutes. Hopefully I don’t pass out before it arrives,” she teased placing her phone back on the table. She walked over to Marius with a big smile and biting her lip again. “You know, I was thinking…” she started, getting close to him again. Her finger came up and placed a smudge of black paint on the tip of his nose with a giggle. “Paint would look good on you too.” She laughed at his reaction and before he could try to wipe it off she drew a heart on the end of his nose and colored it in. “Aw, it does look good on you!” she said with a big smile. He looked like some kind of animal with that black-tipped nose, but a very cute animal.

[MARIUS DAKANIS]

"That's why I became an artist," The way she looked upwards, smiling and shrugging was just so adorable. Marius laughed and watched her, fascinated by all her little ways. She knew how to have a good time and she had one of the best sense of humors he'd seen in a long time. "You look nice too. I like you in jeans," He was going to thank her for the compliment or try to think up something witty to say to match her little remark but nothing came to mind. It didn't matter though because Abby was coming up to him and landing a kiss on his lips. The kiss wasn't just a short peck like he'd been giving her mostly, just wanting to take it slow and enjoy her company. He was a little old fashioned, yes, but that was because he didn't want to find himself getting hurt. But when she kissed him his brows knitted up causing his forehead to crease while his eyes slid shut and he wrapped an arm around her waist to draw her closer and letting his lips work against hers in the deep kiss that they shared.

Marius wanted to continue to kiss her, but a part of him was glad that Abby pulled away from him. He found he was standing there breathing a little heavier than he had been before their kissing session began, and his eyes remained on her. "I'm going to order that pizza," He nodded, "That's a good idea." He licked his lips and watched her as she headed off to go order the pizza. He took the short amount time that she was gone to look at the plants she had hanging once more and noticing how some of them gave off scents while others seemed to have no smell at all. He didn't know why some of them smelled and some didn't, but then again he wasn't exactly very well educated in plants.

When Abby came back he turned and greeted her with a warm look on his face that was in his eyes. "Okay, so they said it'll be about twenty minutes. Hopefully I don't pass out before it arrives," Twenty minutes wasn't too bad actually, and he figured she could give him a proper tour or explain to him about the hanging plants during that time. "You know, I was thinking..." "Oh no, here it comes." He joked and waited to hear what it was she had to say but it wasn't what she had to say but what she had to do. He felt the cold and wet feel of the paint on the tip of his nose and just stood there with his eyes on her. "Paint would look good on you too." He scrunched up his nose at her and enjoyed the sound of her laugh, staying perfectly still so she could finish her finger painting on his nose. "Aw, it does look good on you!"

"Oh does it now?" He wrapped his arms around her waist and figured she'd probably try to squirm away but he managed to nuzzle his nose up to her neck, smudging the paint and leaving a long smear of the black oil paints down the side of her neck. When he pulled away the little bit that was on his nose had spread and there was some on his right cheek. But he didn't stop there. Oh no! Marius wasn't finished with Abby just yet and he knew exactly where she had dipped her fingers wet with the black paint. He headed over to her canvas and saw the palette and dipped his thumb into a bit of light green. Marius put his hand down by his side and walked straight for Abby, ready to paint her face green. That is, if she didn't run.

[ABIGAIL JAMES]

“Oh does it now?” Abby nodded with a bright smile and then laughed as Marius brought his face closer. He wrapped his arms around her and she tried to squirm away, squealing as he brought that painted nose closer. She turned her face away, but she felt his nose on her neck, making her laugh and squeal at the same time. It felt nice to have his face in her neck, and she felt her heart pump a little faster with it, but her clean hand was clenched on his shoulder mostly because she didn’t want that paint on her! When he pulled away, she laughed at the black smudge on his cheek and the little bit that was left on his nose. He let go of her and moved to her palette, and she followed his movements with her eyes. She gasped lightly, seeing what he was going to do and she bit her lip with the challenge. He was already moving toward her, so she let him come toward her enough to free her palette again. The she slipped away.

She ran around the table to avoid him, laughing as she did so, and squealed as she just barely managed to not get caught by him. Ham swatted at her ankles as she flew past him, but she ignored him. She needed to get to the palette! When she got there, she knew Marius was only a couple steps behind so she quickly just dipped the tips of her four main fingers in paint before turning around as Marius reached her. She laughed as she touched her painted fingertips to his forehead and started to drag them down around his eye all the way to his jaw. His thumb was working on her face too and she just wrinkled her nose as they painted each other’s faces. Her fingers dragged down the rest of his cheek too, leaving his face an interesting amalgamation of greens, brown, and red. Her fingertips ran out of paint, but her work was done.

With a big smile and bright eyes, she adored her work. “You look lovely, darling,” she commented, laughing afterward. He was just so cute, even with half his face painted, and a smudge of black paint on the other half. She had wrapped her clean left arm around his shoulders at some point during their battle and she took the opportunity to kiss him again. She giggled against his lips, knowing some of his paint was rubbing off on her face, but then the paint on her face was going to rub off on him as well. Just being able to be this silly with a guy but also being able to have interesting intellectual conversations with him was more than she could have ever hoped for. When she pulled away, she smiled brightly at his blue eyes and she wondered if it was too soon to know she was falling in love with him. She dipped her finger in a glob of paint on his forehead and painted another heart on the tip of his nose. “There! It’s a masterpiece,” she announced playfully.

[MARIUS DAKANIS]

He'd chased Abby around the table trying to smudge the green paint on her face but she was quick and kept avoiding him. Abby went heading straight for the palette and he knew that was his chance to make his move! He was right on her tail when she dipped her hands into the wet paint and almost simultaneously they began to smear paint down each other's faces. She ran her fingers down the side of his face and he brushed the green over her cheeks and forehead before reaching for some of the yellow and dabbing it all around playfully.

"You look lovely, darling," he was chuckling and grinning up a storm at the little masterpiece that was their faces. "And you look just like one of your flowers," Marius teased even though he did think so in the moment. She looked like a bright sunflower and he dabbed some brown down the length of her nose. When they kissed it only made more paint smear between the two of them and he was sure they looked like warriors with their face paint, ready to charge into battle. If only they had period clothing maybe they could pull it off. Wouldn't that be a site for the pizza delivery guy?

He stayed still while she painted another heart, "There! It's a masterpiece," he wriggled his nose at her and then grabbed her around the waist so he could pull her in for another kiss. Marius liked the way Abby's lips felt against his, and in their playfulness he found it the perfect opportunity to keep on kissing her. Her lips were soft against his and he could feel the paint being transferred back and forth as he mashed his lips against hers. He let out a satisfied, light groan against her lips before he pulled away.

"The pizza man is going to be in for a treat." He winked at her and then pulled away to go towards the fridge, opening it up casually as if he was the one who actually lived there and pulled out one of the beers. "Beer?" Marius asked and held it up curiously and when she said she did he pulled out another and twisted the cap off of each of them and then handed one over. He brought the opening to his lips and took a long sip before setting it down on the counter. Bud Light wasn't his favorite beer but it was good enough. He preferred German beers but it wasn't for everyone.

"How have you been feeling lately?" He asked when they settled down and were drinking their beers. He leaned against the kitchen counter and watched her with mild concern showing through on his face. "I've been hearing things lately about this weather. Actually, it's been a zoo at the hospital.. literally." He wasn't kidding. The second night after the weather had gotten all weird and dark the hospital was chaotic. "The strangest thing happened. I had to work the night shift a few nights back and when I arrived the hospital was just chaotic." He motioned with his hands, becoming animated as he spoke but his face continued to look confused and he looked around as if he was trying to envision what he was saying. Like he needed to see it all to describe it to her. "Patients who could walk were running out of the building. Nurses and even a few doctors tried doing the same thing. But it was like nobody had enough time and.. they all just started turning into different animals." Her looked back to her, wondering if this was news to her or not. Did she know what this meant? She was a Guardian, and he knew there was a type of Guardian who could turn into animals but he'd never actually seen it before that night. The sight of it was both glorious and horrifying since he hadn't been expecting it. "An ostrich chased me through the maternity ward." He couldn't stifle the chuckle that came out. It just sounded so bizarre.

[ABIGAIL JAMES]

Abby giggled at the way Marius wiggled his nose and continued to smile as he pulled her in for another kiss. Her lips against his felt wonderful and the arm of her clean hand wrapped around his shoulder as her paint covered hand rested against his face. There was paint rubbing off on both of them, but she hardly cared as their kiss deepened. She was losing herself again and a sigh escaped her nose as they kissed. Marius made a soft groaning sound and she felt her heart jump into her throat in delight. It was such a small sound, but man it made desire burn hot in her stomach. It was a good thing he pulled away because she might have pulled him into her bedroom and forgotten about pizza if he hadn’t. Though she was glad for it, she was disappointed too and the fire in her stomach got a good dose of cold water. “The pizza man is going to be in for a treat.” Abby giggled and nodded as she let her arms slip down to her sides. “Yeah,” she said through her giggles. She followed him to the kitchen, still covered in paint and not caring. He went into her fridge and she smiled at how comfortable he was in her home already. “Beer?” She nodded enthusiastically. “Please,” she replied, moving past him and further into the kitchen as he twisted the top off her beer. She took it and took a sip before setting it on the counter while she hopped up next to it. Her legs swung off the edge lightly, making herself comfortable like only someone who had done that many times could. Truth was, she liked standing in her kitchen with Lafayette while they drank tea or something harder.

Marius’ eyes came back to her, concerned as she sipped her beer, making her brow knitted a little. “How have you been feeling lately?” She shrugged. “Fine, I guess. Maybe a little weaker,” she replied nonchalantly. “I’ve been hearing things lately about this weather. Actually, it’s been a zoo at the hospital…literally.” Her brow lowered over her big eyes as they widened slightly. How was the hospital a zoo? “The strangest thing happened. I had to work the nightshift a few nights back and when I arrived the hospital was just chaotic.” He began talking with his hands and his face became very animated and she smiled at it, though she listened intently. She hadn’t seen him talk so excitedly before, but it was endearing and she sipped her beer as she listened. “Patients who could walk were running out of the building. Nurses and even a few doctors tried doing the same thing. But it was like nobody had enough time and…they all just started turning into different animals.” Abby’s hand came to her mouth to keep the beer from spilling out as she swallowed. When she had, her eyes were wide and her eyebrows rose in surprise. “What?!” she exclaimed. She’d never heard of such a mass shift before, especially not before the full moon. Did they plan it? From the rush that Marius described, she didn’t think so. “An ostrich chased me through the maternity ward.” Abby laughed loud, her laugh always coming out with a cute raspy undertone. “Did you take her egg?” she teased before taking another sip of beer.

When she placed her bottle down, she watched where she placed it, considering before looking back to him. “That sounds like a mass Therian shift. Therians are shape shifters, but they only take on the shape of one animal. They can shift at any time, but on the full moon, they can’t stop from shifting when the sun goes down. But the full moon is still like a week away…the weather must be making them lose control of their shifts early…I wonder if it does that every night, since the storm hasn’t let it up…” She considered it a moment, her eyes drifting to her refrigerator door before coming back to his. “The weather has affected me and Lafayette some, though. Lafayette is my best friend…he’s gay, don’t worry,” she said with a cute, coy smile. “Our magic has come out weaker and I’ve came up with a really strange concoction when I was trying to make a purgative potion yesterday. I think it ended up being poison because it just didn’t smell right and when I dropped some on a flower, it withered within the hour, so I just dumped it out. As for my health, though, I feel fine. Maybe a little less energetic, but that’s about it.” She gave a little shrug, still swinging her legs lightly, then she smiled wide. “Not that you could tell from looking at our faces,” she added playfully, laughing. “Then again, witches are kind of different from the other guardians. We’re the outsiders of the guardian community, mostly because we’re practically human. If we didn’t want to use our powers, we wouldn’t have to, and we could blend in perfectly with humans. It’s been a point of contention in the past between witches and the other guardians but it doesn’t really bother me.” She gave another good-humored shrug and a cute, lopsided smile and tilt of her head.

A knock came at the door and Abby turned to look past the small snack bar that allowed her a view of the living area from her kitchen. The door was directly behind her and she remembered it was the pizza man. She hopped off the counter, ready to hurry to the door and pay him so she could eat her dinner! She was prepared to eat half the pizza by herself.

[MARIUS DAKANIS]

"Did you take her egg?" He raised his right brow at her and chuckled, taking another swig of the beer before he too set it down on the counter so he could fold his arms over his chest with his back against the counter. Marius was relaxed and enjoying himself, listening to Abby explain that what he described must have been a mass Therian shift. "Therians are shape shifters, but they only take on the shape of one animal. They can shift at any time, but on the full moon, they can't stop from shifting when the sun goes does. But the full moon is still like a week away...the weather must be making them lose control of their shifts early...I wonder if it does that every night, since the storm hasn't let it up..." The storm? Could that be the culprit to all the weird occurences around the city? He'd heard a buzz that it happened at a bar as well from a drunken man who had come to the ER because he managed to run out of the bar and get hit by a car. Fortunately the car was actually parked and most of the damage was done to the car, but he'd given himself a minor concussion in doing so.

"The weather has affected me and Lafayette some, though. Lafayette is my best friend...he's gay, don't worry." She had a gay best friend? Marius felt that every woman should have one, that was just his personal opinion. It kept them busy with the things they could enjoy as best buds like shopping or watching chick flicks. Not that Marius wouldn't do it if he was asked to, but he always thought that women would have more fun shopping with someone who they didn't think was being biased when they asked for their opinion. "Our magic has come out weaker and I've came up with a really strange concoction when I was trying to make a purgative potion yesterday. I think it ended up being poison because it just didn't smell right and when I dropped some on a flower, it withered within the hour, so I just dumped it out. As for my health, though, I feel fine. Maybe a little less energetic, but that's about it." He nodded slowly like he was trying to take in everything she just said. "Not that you could tell from looking at our faces." He looked up to see her colorful face and had to laugh again. They must have looked so strange hanging around her kitchen having a serious conversation while they had paint all over their faces. Not that he was one to complain.

Abby went on to explain how witches were different from the rest of the Guardians and he found this news to be fascinating. They were human when the others weren't. Which meant that they didn't come through the so called 'tree portal' that he'd heard about, but they were still magical nonetheless and just as special. "Well-" he was interrupted by a knock at the door and he looked past Abby to the door, reminded that they had ordered a pizza. His attention was brought back to Abby when she hopped off the counter and he realized that she was planning on answering and more than likely paying for their delivery. Even if they were in her house and she was the one who had invited him over and ordered the pizza, he wasn't going to just let her pay for it. Marius was one of those men who had to pay for everything. It wasn't because he made enough to afford it (though he did) but because it was just the gentleman thing to do and that was what he was taught to do. And he enjoyed paying. So when she turned to head for the door he rushed to her side and coiled an arm around her waist and took her right off her feet, picking her up and twisting his body so that when he set her down she was behind him. "No, I've got it." He told her and went to the door, opening it up to greet the pizza man.

"Hey uh, how ya doin'? I got a pizza." The pizza man said but he was staring down at the receipt when the door opened. When he looked up the surprise on his face was priceless, and Marius tried to keep a straight face trying to troll the man into thinking nothing was odd about his colorful face. "How much?" "Uh... w-well uh.. twe-twenty-two thirty nine." He was obviously thrown off and he looked over and could see Abby inside with the same paint stained face. Marius reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet opening the bill fold and running his thumb across the bills in his wallet and plucking out thirty dollars, holding it out for the delivery guy.

[ABIGAIL JAMES]

Abby was prepared to snatch up her wallet and go answer the door, but before she could leave the kitchen, there was an arm coiling around her waist. Her hands came over Marius’ arm and she squealed and laughed in surprise when he picked her up and set her behind him. “No, I’ve got it.” She smiled wide at him and watched as he went to answer the door. She bit her lip a little as she did watch thinking he was just so cute…and he had a cute butt. But as he answered the door, the pizza guy’s face priceless when he finally looked up, Abby noticed a little black figure making its way up behind Marius. She scrambled forward so her kitten wouldn’t shoot between Marius’ legs and out into the yard. It appeared she startled the pizza guy by charging straight toward the men, her face painted and hissing, “Oh, no you don’t!” He took a step back in her doorway, drawing Marius’ eyes back to her as she scooped up her little black kitten. She smiled at them, hiking Ham up onto her shoulder, probably looking like some ridiculous flower child of the sixties. The guy was just watching her with big eyes as she came up beside Marius and took the pizza box from his hand. “Thank you!” she chirped before sneaking her food inside.

When the door shut, she looked back at Marius and laughed. “Next time we order pizza, we’re wearing kilts and using blue paint. I’ll make some prop swords,” she offered with a huge grin. She giggled as she set the pizza on the table and then went to the kitchen to get plates, Ham still bobbing on her shoulder, looking around a little bewildered. He’d been caught and he hadn’t quite figured out how. He was small enough, though, that he was able to perch on her shoulder, which he did as she carried the plates and their beers back to the table. It was a little bit of a balancing act, but she walked back with a big smile and a kitten on her shoulder. “All witches have to have a black cat. It’s a rule,” she teased, giggling as Ham gave a helpless mew from her shoulder, not quite sure how to get down. She picked him up and set him gently on the floor again so he could weave through her legs. She gave him his beer and set the plates on the table, flipping the pizza box lid back to reveal the gloriousness inside.

As she reached for a piece she noticed her hand and realized there was still paint all over them. She laughed and reached for his hand. “Let’s clean up before we accidentally ingest this paint and poison ourselves,” she suggested, pulling him to her bathroom. She opened the linen closet in there and handed him an old, clean hand towel and grabbing one for herself. She waited for Marius to wash his hands first and then did the same for herself before wetting her cloth and wiping at her face in the mirror. She laughed when she got a good look at what he’d done. “Apparently I’m the great sunflower warrior,” she announced with a big smile, looking at Marius in the mirror, wiping the paint away. It all smudged together, but soon it was all gone and she looked like Abby again. She dried her face on the clean washcloth she always had hanging on her towel rack and handed it to him afterward so he could do the same. When he had she smiled at him, looking past him to the door he was blocking standing at her sink. The bathroom wasn’t terribly wide by the sink, so he easily blocked her. “You’re barring me from my dinner, doctor,” she said playfully, putting her hand on her hip like she was frustrated. It was obvious, though, that she was far from actually angry. He was too cute to be mad at.

[MARIUS DAKANIS]

He'd done such a good job keeping a straight face until Abby came rushing and hissing like some crazed woman. That's when he started to smile and shake his head, letting her take the pizza and then shutting the door on the pizza man. He'd gotten enough of a show out of them and now he'd have a story to tell when he got back to the restaurant. He followed her back towards the kitchen laughing at what just happened, knowing if he'd been greeted by two face painted adults he'd probably pale and become speechless as well.

"Next time we order pizza, we're wearing kilts and using blue paint. I'll make some prop swords," That would definitely be something! "Ah, Braveheart! We can wave our fake swords in the air and shout 'are we ready for war?' as soon as we open the door. Maybe Hamlet would enjoy a little kilt as well," he reached out to try and pet Hamlet while he was stuck on Abby's shoulder but the cat was too worried about finding a way down and swatted at his hand so he pulled it back and laughed. "All witches have to have a black cat. It's a rule," The unwritten rule. "Well you have the witch stereotype down to a tee. Black cat, herbs and potions, all you need is the little wart on the tip of that cute little nose and you'll be set." He teased and tapped her paint streaked nose with his finger. "Then again, I think we can do without the wart. Your nose is perfect just the way it is."

He let Abby set everything out and set the beer she'd handed him down on the table. His eyes went to her hand, watching her paint hand reach for a piece but then she retracted it when she saw the paint and grinned at her. "Let's clean up before we accidentally ingest this paint and poison ourselves," He allowed her to pull him along into the bathroom and gratefully took the cloth from her. He washed his hands first and before he could clean the paint off his face she was already getting cleaned up. "Apparently I'm the great sunflower warrior," He looked into the mirror bringing his face close to hers and chuckling. "I think you've just earned yourself a new nickname," he said softly before pulling away so she could wash her face without him hovering close by. When she was done he did the same, using the sink and dampening the cloth and wiping away at the paint that was on his face. When he was done he didn't move, using the dry part of the cloth to dry his face when Abby spoke up. "You're barring me from my dinner, doctor." He peeked over at her from the corner of his eye and raised his brows at her curiously. She was pretending to be impatient and he heaved a fake sigh. "Now what sort of manners are those?" He teased her and stood in the door frame for a moment longer before he finally stepped out and moved down the hall. "Come along, sunflower. Don't want your dinner to get cold," he teased and headed back for the table.

With clean hands he picked up a slice of pizza and put it on his plate, looking it over. She got most of the toppings alright, and he was wondering which ones he wanted to pick up. In the end he decided to peel out the pepperoni from underneath all the other meats and vegetables and playfully stuck them on Abby's plate. He took a swig of his beer and dropped another pepperoni down. "I hope you enjoy pepperoni, because you can have all of mine."

[ABIGAIL JAMES]

After her playful admonishment, Marius peeked up at Abby from behind the towel, raising his eyebrows at her. She smiled wide at the sigh he gave, knowing he was kidding by how exaggerated it was. “Now what sort of manners are those?” Abby giggled, watching him stand in her doorframe, blocking her more. “A heathen’s,” she replied simply, cocking her head to the side with a big smile. He began to move out of her doorframe and down the small hallway back to the table. “Come along, sunflower. Don’t want your dinner to get cold.” Her smile spread all the way across her face at her new nickname. Here they were, the third date, and she already had a nickname; she loved it. She was falling head over heels for this handsome doctor and fast. She followed close behind, happy as a clam and ready for food!

Ham had gotten on the table and was sniffing the pizza when they reached the table and she tsked and picked him up, setting him on the floor again. Marius was grabbing a slice, and she grabbed two. It was like heaven in a thin cardboard box. He was picking off the pepperoni and at first it confused her, then he was dropping them on her plate playfully. She smiled, watching him pick off the meat. “I hope you enjoy pepperoni, because you can have all of mine.” Her jaw dropped playfully. “You must be some kind of crazy person if you don’t like pepperoni,” she teased, shaking her head. She gave a big smile to further prove she was kidding, sitting at the table and pulling her beer to her. She put his pepperonis on her slices carefully and then picked up a slice and bit into it. It was probably because she was hungry, but she’d never tasted pizza so good. Good pizza, decent beer, and a good guy; it was a good night all around.

Now that they were sitting and clean, she figured she could strike up a conversation to find out some more basics about Marius. “So I know you liked Braveheart,” she started playfully. “What kinds of movies do you like? Do you have a favorite?” Abby was something of a movie buff and she had quite a collection, so movies were always a good conversation topic for her. And over pizza and beer, the topic was perfect! Pizza, beer and movies went together like peas and carrots.

[MARIUS DAKANIS]

"You must be some kind of crazy person if you don't like pepperoni," Marius looked over at Abby, flashing his grin and shaking his head. "I never said I didn't like pepperoni, don't assume." He teased lightly and watched her place them carefully on her own pieces of pizza. "It's weird but I don't like when its cooked." He loved cold pepperoni and could eat it any time of the day but when it was covered in grease it just didn't appeal to him. "You're some kind of crazy person," he said under his breath playfully and then glanced over at her to see if she heard.

"So I know you liked Braveheart," He had just taken a bite of his pizza when he looked up at her and made a little 'hmm?' sound with his mouth, chewing slowly before washing it down with the beer. "What kinds of movies do you like? Do you have a favorite?" A favorite movie? There were many things that Marius took pleasure in with the spare time, and although his selection may not have been great he did enjoy movies. "A favorite movie.." he said aloud and obviously looked like he was really considering it. "I am going to have to say... The Breakfast Club," he might not have looked like a Breakfast Club sort of guy but that was one of his favorites. "I enjoy movies directed by John Hughes. They don't have all those special effects you see in all the movies these days. They have one straight story, whether it's a group of diverse teenagers in detention or someone who decides to just take the day off. There is no guessing as to what the movie is about. It's laid out for you and the music isn't half bad either." He pretty much just raved about John Hughes and his movies like he was a dedicated fan.

Chuckling he rolled his shoulders. "I don't go to the movies often. Although I do love British television. I get BBC and if my television isn't on the news it's on that channel." He confessed before taking another bite of his pizza and admiring her. They had just had a paint battle like children, but as they sat there now nobody would have guessed. Well, unless they happened to be the pizza delivery boy, poor guy. Abby made him feel young and carefree when he was in her presence, which wasn't something that he felt often. It was hard to have careless fun when you worked a job with such ridiculous hours and where people died around you everyday. It was a nice release to come here and be with her, and he was glad that they were being casual this time around.

"So. What about you? What's your favorite movie or television show? Tell me why and don't leave any details out." He smiled and reached his free hand over to the one she wasn't using for her pizza. His fingers moved along the back of her hand gently. He just wanted to touch her and it felt nice without being too obstructive. He did want to hear what her favorite movie was after all.

[ABIGAIL JAMES]

Abby munched on her pizza as Marius considered her question as he chewed. She still found it funny that he had chastised her for assuming he didn’t like pepperoni. And, really, how cute and quirky was it that he didn’t like cooked pepperoni, but he liked cold pepperoni? This man had to be flawless; quirky, yes, but flawlessly so. “A favorite movie…” She raised her eyebrows as she took another bite of pizza, looking over at him. “I am going to have to say…The Breakfast Club.” Abby covered her mouth demurely as she grinned wide before she’d finished chewing; it was a closed-lipped smile so she wouldn’t show off her half-masticated pizza, but once she swallowed it, she showed more teeth. “Really?” she asked. Marius didn’t seem the type to like movies like The Breakfast Club. “I enjoy movies directed by John Hughes. They don’t have all those special effects you see in all the movies these days. They have one straight story, whether it’s a group of diverse teenagers in detention or someone who decides to just take the day off. There is no guessing as to what the movie is about. It’s laid out for you and the music isn’t half bad either.” She nodded as he spoke, listening to the sound of his voice and considering what he said. It was really an interesting twist to the man sitting catty corner to her. He certainly had a lighthearted side to him and he was a straightforward person himself. It was no wonder that he liked a straightforward plot in a movie. She found she was staring a little bit and she smiled wider. “I love The Breakfast Club! I didn’t see it until I was in late middle school, I think, but that was the perfect time for me to watch it,” she commented. She took another bite of pizza, down to the crust of her first piece now. Her stomach was quite happy.

“I don’t go to the movies often. Although I do love British television. I get BBC and if my television isn’t on the news, it’s on that channel.” Abby jumped a little in her seat her eyes widening as she finished chewing the pizza in her mouth, nodding. “I like British TV too! I’ll put BBC America on when they have the miniseries marathons. I got hooked to a miniseries adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Little Dorrit, and after that I just wanted to watch more British shows. The humor is so dry, it cracks me up,” she commented with a little laugh. That was something she could have predicted about him. He seemed the type to enjoy British TV and the news. “I don’t watch the news often, though. I listen to the radio on the way to work and get major highlights, but the news is just too depressing to me. I’m not uninformed, but I choose what I read up on.” She gave a little shrug, smiling at him, noting yet another difference between them. It was okay, though. At least now she wouldn’t have to read the paper to get her news, she could just ask Marius!

“So. What about you? What’s your favorite movie or television show? Tell me why and don’t leave any details out.” His smile was kind and she smiled back, looking away to consider her answer, still holding her pizza crust in one hand. She would eat it after she answered his question, but she had to really think about it. There were so many movies to choose from! As she was thinking, though, she felt his fingers on her hand and she looked down at it, caught off guard. When she looked back up at him, her cheeks actually flushed a little and she felt butterflies in her stomach. Marius was to first man in a very long time that genuinely gave her the jitters and made her blush. With Gavin it was different because they were both fucked up on love potion, but Marius…no, it was all real. After a moment of staring at him a little bewildered, she smiled wide again, lifting her fingers slightly to lace them in his as she stared at his handsome face. He could really make her swoon. She blinked a couple times to snap herself out of it, feeling a little silly as she laughed lightly and shook her head at herself. “Sorry, um…I guess I would have to say Gone with the Wind is my very favorite movie. I love how it follows Scarlet from this selfish, silly child to a strong, independent, and still very childish and flawed woman. I love that she’s the protagonist, but she’s so far from perfect and brimming with flaws. The scenery and the costumes are beautiful and the story is so wonderful, I could watch it a thousand times and never be bored…maybe I’ve already done that,” she said with a little laugh. “And in the end, she doesn’t get what she wants, but she still has hope that she will. It’s such an imperfect story and that’s what makes it great.” She set the crust in her hand down and reached for her beer, taking a sip before she answered the second part of the question. “My favorite TV show is Friends. It’s so funny and lighthearted, but it has its serious parts too. I just love all the different relationships in the show and then how they all relate together. And it just cracks me up,” she said with a little giggle at the end. “I have all of the seasons on DVD. It’s kind of an obsession.” She gave a cute little shrug, her fingers still laced in his still. She liked holding his hand, just having any kind of physical contact. Even his hand in hers made her heart race, and she had to shake her head a little and laugh at herself. “I don’t know what it is about you Marius, but…you make me feel like I’m in high school again; all giddy and everything,” she said with a light blush and a big smile. Her fingers squeezed his hand just enough that he would feel it. She giggled a little and took a bite out of the crust of her pizza slice.

[MARIUS DAKANIS]

There was no question that the news was depressing and they hardly ever put anything on that didn't leave you feeling down by the end of it. He liked to get snippets of the weather and the bits and pieces that scrolled at the bottom more than anything else. He didn't find any interest in the Today show or any of that sort of thing where they had guest chefs who would cook up something that they swore only took five minutes but actually had an hour for prep time. That just wasn't his thing.

"Sorry, um...I guess I would have to say Gone with the Wind is my very favorite movie. I love how it follows Scarlet from this selfish, silly child to a strong, independent, and still very childish and flawed woman. I love that she's the protagonist, but she's so far from perfect and brimming with flaws. The scenery and the costumes are beautiful and the story is so wonderful, I could watch it a thousand times and never be bored...maybe I've already done that," She left him smiling when she laughed. He'd seen the movie and he understood what she meant. But with all the movies that there were to choose from and for her to choose such a timeless classic.. it was interesting. He was learning more and more about her everytime he saw her and he was glad. If they ran out of things to talk about and to keep one another interested already then there would be a problem.

"And in the end, she doesn't get what she wants, but she still has hope that she will. It's such an imperfect story and that's what makes it great." It was true. Movies these days were so predictable. You knew what was going to happen by the end of the movie and where was the fun in that? "My favorite TV show is Friends. It's so funny and lighthearted, but it has its serious parts too. I just love all the different relationships in the show and then how they all relate together. And it just cracks me up. I have all of the seasons on DVD. It's kind of an obsession." The way Abby described why she enjoyed each of them was fascinating. Most people said their favorite movie was such because they found it funny, sad, scary or whatever else. It was because of the genre and how they felt it was the best of said genre. But with Abby it was about the relationships and how everything was portrayed. He had to remind himself that she was an artist and that she gave an artist's point of view and it made sense.

"I don't know what it is about you Marius, but...you make me feel like I'm in high school again; all giddy and everything," he grinned at her almost bashfully and looked down at his plate. He'd only taken a few bites of his pizza since he'd gotten so wrapped up in their conversation. When she engaged him into a conversation he gave her his full attention.

"I often have that effect on people," he said but after a pause he smiled at her to let her know that he was only kidding. Most of the people that he spoke to who weren't patients often times gawked at him or couldn't string words together to form proper sentences and therefore lost his interest. He had a feeling it had to do with his slight accent. It was clear that he wasn't from America the way his accent was laced around certain everyday words. "There are enough serious moments in life, and I think that we should fill all of our spare time with as much fun and laughter as we can. Because what else is there?" Marius rolled his shoulders in a shrug and then picked up his beer and polished it off.

Standing up he took his bottle along with Abby's, giving hers a little shake to be sure it was almost empty. He moved to go set them on the counter since he didn't know if she had recycling or not (although he was pretty sure she would) but they could get to it later. Marius opened up the fridge and pulled out another two Bud Lights, twisted off the caps and moved back over to the table. He was really starting to relax and enjoy himself. Abby made him feel comfortable enough to be himself. He didn't have to be so stiff and proper around her the way he was with people he didn't really know.

He came up behind Abby's chair and leaned in to give her a quick peck on the neck before he set her beer down on the table. Lowering himself into his seat he started to eat his pizza again and when he finished it he reached for another piece and like before he plucked off the pepperonis and tossed them onto Abby's plate. "And you, Abigail James," He said her name with a grin on his lips, "are just a ray of sunshine. Even when everything else seems to be grim you bring light and joy."