Ben felt his eyes pop open from Lora's kiss, desperately wanting to hold her close and wanting to push her away as well. "Lora." Ben said as he placed a hand on her shoulder and broke their kiss. "What was that?" He asked, wary of her intentions considering he'd allowed her into his home. Surely she didn't think she had to repay him somehow.

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Lorabelle looked at him curiously as she inquired, "Don't you know? You're a human.. I don't know what you humans call it, but it's something done to say 'thank you' or to show you're really happy. That's what I saw when I watched the humans from afar, anyway.. Is that wrong? Did I not do it right?"

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Ben blushed as he ran his fingers through his hair, relieved and disappointed that Lora hadn't known the signifigance of awhat a kiss was. "Not exactly." He laughed nervously. "I mean, you didn't do anything wrong. Its just, that's not what a kiss is for." He explained. "Its what you when you like someone. And not just as friends. I mean-" Ben stopped his ramblings to look up at Lora. "Its sort of complicated."

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"You mean, when you're like Gena and Jack?" Lorabelle inquired with a curious look, "Do they.. kiss?"

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"Yes, they kiss." Ben said, not bothering to mention what else went on behind their closed doors. "Kissing is kind of a special thing. Something you save for a person you truly like." He said, doing a horrible job of explaining such things.

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"But I like you: You've been kind to me. Why must I not kiss you if I like you? Do you not like me?" Lorabelle asked softly, "If that was the case, you needn't have made excuses.. You could have just told me, Ben.. I am sorry I kissed you. I promise, it will never happen again," Lorabelle assured him with a smile.

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"I do like you, Lora." Ben said quickly. "But kissing someone is for a different kind of feeling. Its more of a love feeling then simple liking someone as a friend." He said with a sigh. "I'm sorry I've done a horrible job of explaining things. But its hard to describe feelings of love and kissing." He said softly.

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"I think I understand... Kissing is right for people like Gena and Jack. But for us, it's not right?" Lorabelle asked as she tried to make sense of it all, "Is there anything else I shouldn't do?"

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Ben pursed his lips together as he ran through a list of inappropiate things that would be wrong but figured that Lora wouldn't know of most of these things. "Kissing is really the main thing." Ben smiled warmly at Lora.

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Lora nodded with sigh, "Are you angry with me for kissing you? I've never done it before.. I'm sorry.. I didn't realize it was so wrong.."

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"I'm not blaming you for anything." Ben assured her with a warm smile. "I know you didn't know otherwise." He said before standing from the bed. "I have to be to class soon. Would you mind staying here?" Ben asked as he looked from his watch to Lora.

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Biting her lower lip as she looked around, Lorabelle asked softly as she hopped off the bed and stood in front of Ben, "How long will you be gone?"

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"Only an hour." Ben said, unsure of if she knew what that meant. Taking Lora's hand, Ben led her to the kitchen and pointed to the clock. "When the long arm is at the 12 and the little arm is at the 4, I'll be back." Ben explained as he dropped her hand and slipped into his nearby coat. "Stay out of trouble?" He asked with a warm smile as he zipped the front of his coat and hooked his messenger bag over his shoulder.

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Lorabelle smiled as she hugged Ben, "Thank you, for everything. I promise I'll stay here and behave. I'll watch the magic box while you are gone. Is there anything else to see besides food being made?"

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"Yes." Ben said after slipping into his shoes and taking teh remote from the sofa. "This button will change the channels." Ben said as he hit the channel-up button. "And this button will take you backwards through the channels." He said, pressing the opposite channel-down button. "Have fun." He said with a smile before handing the remote to Lora and going out the door, locking the door of his apartment behind him.

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Watching in wonder, Lorabelle picked up the device that controlled the magic box and plopped herself down on the bouncy cushion. Laying down, Lorabelle smiled as she began pressing buttons at will. Coming across a moving picture that looked like human pets chasing each other, Lorabelle giggled and laughed as she watched it, the pictures lasting for quite some time until changing to another set of pictures that looked to be of the same type; Lorabelle made a mental note to ask what they were when Ben returned.

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Ben yawned as he left his class, a small pounding in his temple. "Newvine!" He heard a voice shout, causing him to turn around. "We're hitting the bars tonight, you in?" One of Ben's friends, Kevin, asked.

"Sorry guys, I've got plans." Ben said to the small group forming around Kevin.

"The only time a guy ditches a bar is for a girl." One of the guys laughed. "Good luck." He called to Ben with a wink who in turn rolled his eyes before heading back to his apartment where he hoped Lora would still be patiently waiting.

.

As the pictures played within the magic box, Lorabelle curled up on the couch, her eyes drooping as the time wore on. After an hour or so, Lorabelle fell asleep upon the soft cushions; her arms being used as pillows due to her form now being too big to use flower petals and not knowing what the humans used to sleep on.

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Ben slipped into the door a few moments later, having taken a shortcut through the woods. "Lora?" He called out as he was a bit nervous that she had left while he was at class. Ben followed the sound of the television to the living room where he found a sleeping Lora. Being as quiet as possible, Ben lifted Lora from the couch and cradled her in his arms as he brought her into the bedroom where he laid her carefully across the bed. Ben tucked the sheets around her before making his way to the kitchen and starting dinner.

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Unconsciously snuggling deeper into the blankets as if she were trying to take comfort from them, Lorabelle began to toss and turn as a frown appeared upon her features - her dreams filled with memories of her banishment trial: The courts, the Fae, the disappointment - it was all there ten fold and vibrant within her mind as she slept.

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Ben stirred together the sauce for his favorite pasta dish, pene pasta with a mix of marinara and alfreado sauces over top. Ben drained the pasta in the sink before pouring it into a nearby bowl. Ben stirred in the sauce gently before placing it on the nearby table and taking the garlic bread out of the oven.

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As Lorabelle dreamed, she began to speak in her native Fae tongue as she became entangled in the sheets and blankets, her pillows getting pushed away from her as her nightmare continued. It was as if the blankets and the pillows were her nightmare, and she were unconsciously trying to push them away in hopes her nightmare would leave her thoughts.

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Ben cocked an eyebrow as he heard Lora moving around in the bedroom. "Lora?" He asked as he looked in the door, seeing her tangle in the sheets and speaking a strange language he'd never heard. "Lora." He said as he approached the bed and tried to calm her by putting his arms around her gently.

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Lorabelle's eyes shot open as she felt something surround her. Seeing that it was Ben, Lorabelle turned towards Ben and burried her face in his chest. "I'm sorry.. Did I worry you? Was I speaking in my sleep?" Lorabelle asked softly, not realizing she was still speaking in her native Fae tongue.

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"What?" Ben asked confused, he'd thought she was simply jibbering in her sleep but as she continued talking he'd figured that she was speaking in a different language all together. "Lora, I can't understand you." He said as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and stroked her arms comfortingly.

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