Loving Change - Chapter Two

Turning the key till she heard the click of the lock coming undone, Sam pushed open the front door and walked in. Following closely behind her into the open plan living and kitchen area, Tyron scanned the entire room like he was in an art museum or science lab.

"So... You - live here?" He wondered aloud looking at her furniture and decor. Raising an eyebrow questioningly at his question, Sam chose to not bother answering and turned the kettle on instead. Getting out two mugs for hot chocolates she could see him, out of the corner of her eye, looking at some photos she kept around the place. Tyron kept staring at the pictures on the walls and in frames on tables; most had Sam with other people who looked her age and others with groups of people that looked similar to her. In every photo he could see Sam was smiling or laughing. She looked happy. But there was just something - ...different - between the Sam in these photos and the Sam he had met. 'When will I see her smile like that?" He wondered.

Coming up beside Tyron, without even looking at him, Sam lightly nudged his side to get his attention and handed him the hot drink.

"Who are they?" He asked in a whisper, afraid to ruin the comfortable silence. Wrapping his hands around the mug for warmth he eyed the strange substance before mimicking Sam's movements and taking a sip - and made the greatest discovery of his life.

"This liquid - what is it!?" Tyron exclaimed between mouthfuls of the sweet drink. Sam couldn't contain her laughter as she watched the man disregard any manners he once had and started guzzling down the hot chocolate. Hearing laughter Tyron stopped what he was doing and looked at Sam questioningly.

When she had calmed herself down enough to look at him again, she opened her eyes only to start laughing again. The hot chocolate had left Tyron with a frothy upper lip.

"Why are you laughing!?" Tyron snapped like a child. Quieting down Sam smiled kindly at him as she lifted the napkin in her hand, which Tyron only now noticed, towards his face. Backing away from her Tyron looked accusingly at Sam. "What do you think you're doing?", He was treating Sam like she was mad. "Don't touch me mortal!" Tyron threatened. Skulking away to who know where in the house, he left Sam to her own devices. Taking herself and her half full mug to her 'work room', Sam planted herself in the beanbag chair. With her laptop and her hot chocolate, she sat by the big floor to ceiling window, before she knew it hours flew by.

Seeing the first few stars appear in the early evening sky Sam procrastinated starting dinner thinking takeaway was a nice idea. Then the stranger in her house came to mind and Sam decided she didn't want to know what he would do if a random pizza guy came to the door. Motivating herself out of her comfortable spot Sam wandered back down to the kitchen seeing an empty mug on the bench waiting for her. 'Doesn't even clean up after himself.' Sam sighed defeated. 'Hope he isn't like this all the time.' Getting everything out that she needed to make nachos Sam prepared the easy dish and busied herself with washing up while it cooked. Soon the cheesy scent wafted throughout the house and caught the attention of the brooding man pacing on the back deck. tyron suddenly realised how hungry he was and thought it better to leave his thoughts behind in favour of finding whatever food smelled so delicious.

Walking into the kitchen the warm air calmed him in some way and he took a seat at the bench, watching Sam bustle about doing this and that. Tyron rather enjoyed the thought of her making dinner for him like this - she amused him to no end. Sensing another's presence Sam stopped for a moment to see him sitting watching her every move, smirking like always.

"Are you just gonna sit there watching like a creeper or are you gonna help?" Sam snapped at him fed up with his childish behaviour and tantrums. Realising he'd been starring Tyron nodded dumbly and stood up but didn't know what to do beyond that. Sighing, Sam handed him some cutlery and some place mats.

Pointing to the dining table on the other side of the room she told him, "Go set the table, please." Obeying without question or remark he went over but found he had no idea what she meant by "set the table". Back on his home world this is what servants were for but Tyron felt like he didn't want to fail her for whatever reason. So going by his memories of the dining hall back home Tyron did his best to please her.

Pulling the nachos from the oven Sam did the final touches and walked the meals over to the table. Setting them down Sam realised things were in odd places or the wrong way round - but she was smiling about it - or rather, about the man sitting opposite her who seemed so proud of his work. Not pointing out the little mistakes Sam got up from the table and moved herself to the fridge.

"Where are you going?" Tyron asked. If Sam didn't know any better she would have said he sounded worried about her having left.

"Getting a drink. Would you like anything?" She offered him with a genuinely kind smile. Tyron was almost caught off guard by the sight but he thought about her offer for a moment trying to think of any Earthling beverages he knew of.

He concluded with telling her, "Surprise me." Shrugging Sam pulled two glass bottles from the fridge and brought them back to the table with her.

Twisting the top off both bottles Sam put one in front of Tyron and took a sip of her own. Lifting the bottle for inspection Tyron looked at it carefully, reading its label. 'Guava Sparkling Drink?' he questioned himself. It sounded like some kind of rare foreign poison to him. Apparently, Sam picked up on this fact.

"It isn't poisonous. It won't kill you." She giggled to him between mouthfuls of food. Listening to her advice he took a small sip of the red-pink liquid. Tasting the sweet fruity flavour he agreed it wasn't poisoned but simply had a very strong sweet flavour that he would have to get used to. 'What am I saying?', Tyron laughed in his mind. 'Before long I'll be free of this place and be back on my own planet. Give it some time and someone will be back to check on me and when they do I'll be here waiting.' He reminded himself but had trouble ridding himself of a small feeling of doubt at the back of his mind. Looking up at the woman sitting opposite him that feeling of doubt of ever going home only grew as he watched her smile down at the creature with its head on her lap. She could make him smile by simply giggling as she fed a little to the... 'Wait. What?'.

Doing a double take Tyron eyed the canine cuddling up to Sam like it was an infant.

"What is that?" He whispered across the table, never once looking away from the fluffy beast.

"Oh, don't worry, this is just Colton." Sam reassured him as if it were a casual talk about the weather.

"That's lovely. But what is Colton?" Tyron specified with sarcastic sweetness.

"He's a wolf husky hybrid. And a cuddler." She laughed at her words and rubbed Colton's head as he sent Tyron a look that said "I'm the favourite around here. Don't bother trying". Glaring at the smug hybrid Tyron continued to eat silently with an irritated air around him. The lack of his famous smirk set Sam on edge.

His smirk meant he was acting like himself, that much she already knew but having gone so long without seeing it on his face made her worry - was he planning something.

The rest of dinner remained sealed in silence bar the sounds of the cutlery. Not saying a word Tyron took both Sam's plate and his own to the kitchen. Tyron thought it odd a woman living on her own having such a large kitchen but ignored his thoughts. Shocked by the sudden display of chivalry Sam watched as he paced around the kitchen trying to think of where to put the dishes. Shaking herself from her reverie, Sam got up from the old dark wooden table and started to prepare dessert. Dessert meaning toaster waffles with ice cream and maple syrup. Giving up on finding wherever he was looking for Tyron left the plates in the deep stainless steel double sinks. He noticed Sam making more food and quickly set about clearing the rest of the table.

"Can we have more of that hot... drink?" Sam heard from the other end of the room. Smiling she chuckled at his lack of knowledge about everyday things, then again he wasn't from earth. She would have to ask him about that later Sam thought.

"Only if you answer come questions I have." Sam bargained. The words Tyron had been waiting for - dreading. There was no easy way to explain anything but he did really want that beverage.

"Fine. But get the food and drink first. It will likely take a while."

Furrowing her brows at him slightly confused Sam quietly complied while choosing to ignore his commanding words and tone. Hearing the toaster ding distracted Sam for the time being and bought Tyron some time to gather his thoughts. Should he really tell her? Does he want her to fear him? Should he lie? Or should he tell her everything? 'Damn this woman and whatever spell she has put on me.' Tyron cursed to himself, frustrated that he let a mortal woman sway him like this. Sounds of the kettle boiling brought his head out of the clouds.

Seeing Sam stirring the liquid in the mugs Tyron moved to take the smaller plates so Sam could manage the mugs. Setting everything down on the table Tyron and Sam fell into a comfortable silence, enjoying the peace of simply knowing each other were there. As minutes turned to hours, their mugs empty and only crumbs left on the plates, Sam could feel her eyes getting heavier by every passing second. Stifling a yawn Sam took the things back to the kitchen and into the sink to become a tomorrow's problem. Tyron observed her sluggish movements and drooping eyelids realising how late it must be into the night he got up ready to excuse himself to one of her spare rooms. Sam on the other hand started going away from the bedrooms and towards her workroom.

Tyron noticed this and followed her out of curiosity, and though he would never admit it, also because he didn't know which one of the rooms he was permitted to sleep in.

"Where is it we are going?" Tyron questioned from behind the zombie like Sam.

Sam only just realised she was being silently followed by her extraterrestrial house mate, "Oh!", turning around to face the looming figure behind her in the hallway. "Um, I'm just going to my work room. You head to bed if you want, I'm just finishing up something." Tyron stood confused wile she continued down the hall a little further.

"What do you do for work?" Tyron had wondered before but never voiced his question. She had a large and luxurious house on, what appeared to be, expensive property but he he didn't see any signs of ... well, anything really. If he didn't know any better he'd have thought she didn't work at all.

"I'm an author and an artist." She answered simply, looking back over her shoulder at her guest. The look on Tyron's face said it all, he had no idea what she just told him.

"Ahh, um, what exactly is an a-auth-thur?" He questioned her with a nervous blush dusting his features. 'He's too adorable under those layers of ego and ... well a lot of layers. But he's still far too cute like this!' Sam thought.

Hearing her soft giggles Tyron blushed darker and started to justify himself and failing miserably, "I probably don't know simply because you ignorant mortals call things different names to what we do!".

"Being an author means I write books and being an artist I -"

"I know what an artist is!" Loki defended his pride, crossing his arms like a child. Shrugging her shoulders Sam turned and continued to drag her tired self down the long hall.

Coming to an abrupt stop for a minute, as if suddenly using all her energy to trying desperately to hold onto a train of thought, Sam blinked a few times before heading back in Loki's direction.

"I'm an idiot. I haven't shown you where your room is yet." Sighing out of both frustration and tiredness Sam escorted Tyron back down the hallway and sleepily through the living area, and up the stairs to the bedrooms.