Behrouz was surprised she reacted the way she did but did not show it on his face. The vampire sipped his tea as he listened to her words and nodded his head before looking at her with his calm purple eyes. "Friends is a good start. I don't intend to force a woman into any sort of relationship." He said as he set his tea down and leaned back on the couch. A flash of lightning appeared and lit up the sky as they sat there. "Maybe you should stay here the night. I sense the other vampires are still looking for your scent."

Samara shifted uncomfortably, unsure how to take his offer. Nodding in approval at his first statement, she spoke. "Good. If you did try to force yourself on me, I'd cut something off." her soft alto voice held an edge of a warning lest he get any ideas.

Before she could protest to staying in a strangers house, Samara gave a soft yelp of surprise and fear as thunder and lightning crashed outside. The woman cowered in a corner, covering her ears and bringing her knees to her chest. Eyes squeezed shut, she trembled, whimpering.

There were three things, and only three, that terrified the female to death:

Spiders and centipedes
True sociopaths
thunder and lightning

His eyes went to her as he looked back from the changing weather outside. Behrouz kneeled infront of her and sheltered her from the sight of the storm raging outside. "Shall I make the guest bed for you then?" He asked as he gave off a comforting aura for her. The vampire did not want her afraid of anything in his presence as long as he could help it.

Flinching slightly at the closeness of the vampire, Samara neertheless slowly nodded in assent, definately too scared to go home now. "I-I guess so....y-yes." the woman hated feeling weak and vulnerable, but she could not convince herself not to flinch or cower at the force of nature crashing in the sky.

He nodded as he left her there in the corner as a louder crash of thunder could be heard. His eyes closed as he felt sorry for the woman that Mother Nature trapped here with him. Behrouz grabbed a set of sheets, a blanket, and a pillow for her. The vampire dressed the queen size bed for her and took her some silk pajamas as he walked back over to her. "Here are some night clothes. There is a bathroom through that door." He said as he walked back to take a sip of tea.

Samara remained in her corner, curled up into a pathetic ball. Looking up as he produced nightclothes, she blinked quizically. "Um...where did you get these? And...w-where is the bed I'm sleeping in?" she took the soft silk pajamas, smiling weakly. Silk was her faorite pajama material. But still, she hoped he had a guest room so she could close and lock the door, just in case.

"I had other female companions, you know. When they left, I kept their clothes." Behrouz said as he stood up and walked towards the bedroom where she would be staying. His eyes on hers as he pointed her in the direction of the guest room. "When you exit the bathroom it is the second door on your right. I won't be up until late so there is no hurry to wake up. You will be on your own for breakfast, I only eat on a rare occassion." The vampire looked at her as he finished speaking. "Any questions you want to ask?"

Samara nodded, taking the clothes with a murmured "Thanks."
Walking towards the guest room, she shook her head, until she paused. "What happened...to the other women who have lived here?" she asked, fearing the answer and getting ready lest he grow angry at the question.

His eyes closed as his long purple hair covered most of his face. "They died." There was a sadness in his voice that showed he had cared for the women who had stayed here with him before. Afterall the apartment had 4 bedrooms and two bathrooms, much too big for one man to live in. Behrouz walked towards the bedroom at the end of the hall, two rooms away from hers, if she needed him. "If you need anything else, I'll be in my room." He said as he opened his door a little, not enough to get a good look at the room.

"Oh....I'm sorry....for bringing it up, and for losing them..." Samara could not help but feel a twinge of guilt and empathy for the man, er, vampire. Watching him go, she finally slipped inside her room, changing out of her clothes and putting on the silk pajamas.

He nodded slightly as he shut the door and walked to his four poster bed. Behrouz sat on the edge of the bed as the stormed raged on outside of the apartment building. His eyes closed as he took off his shirt and laid down on his bed. The vampire looked up at the ceiling as the lightning flashed across the sky. 'Amelia...Cassidy...Jamie...Cecilia...my dear friends...' The lonely man thought as he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Samara found herself unable to sleep. Laying on the bed, she stared up at the ceiling, a sigh issuing forth from her lips. Arms folded behind her head, the young woman cringed and squeeked at the storm, curling up on the floor after a loud crash of thunder. Drawing the sheet off the bed, she covered herself and huddled in a ball, sheet over her head.

The man walked to her door as the sunshined through her windows and waited for signs of her. It was nearly noon which was actually early but he could not fall back asleep. 'Something must not want me to fall back asleep...' He thought as he walked into the kitchen and started cooking some grilled cheese sandwhiches and tomato soup. A favorite of his when he was in the mood to eat something. His eyes on the food as he waited for her to appear.

Walking out of the bathroom after taking a shower and wearing her usual clothes, Samara followed the smell of food, surprised to see the presumed nocturnal male up. "Um....hello." She would have changed into something different than the previous day, but she was not about to rummage someone's home for clothes.

Behrouz looked up at her as he finished cooking six sandwhiches, four tradtional and two with meat, in case one of them wanted protein. He also fixed two mugs of tomato soup and laid out a bag of crackers. His eyes went to her clothes and then to her eyes. "I can find you some clean clothes if you want." The man said as he poured her a glass of lemonade.

"Um..ok, I would like something fresh to wear...thank you for the offer..and, thanks for making food." Samara smiled at the meal. She loved soup, and the only sandwich she ever really ate was grilled cheese. Yum! She would wait for him to be ready and to begin eating. After all, it was rude to sit and eat before a host or someone who wasn't immediate family to sit down and be ready.

His eyes went to her as he smiled and nodded softly. "Not a problem." Behrouz said as he took a bite of his sandwhich and soup. He looked down from her as he sipped his lemonade as he watched the sun touch his hand. But the sun didn't burn as he moved his hand out of the light. The man said nothing as he continued to eat his sandwhich.

As soon as he began eating, she smiled shyly, nibbling away at her sandwitch happily, only to pause in between bites to sip some soup and lemonade. The food was well made, and it ade her smile to have good food. As the sun hit his hand, she saw him move it, making her remember the rules of vampires being harmed by sun. "Does it...burn and hurt very bad to be touched by sunlight?"

He watched her eat and took bits of his sandwhich and dipped them in his soup before eating them. His eyes went to her as he sipped his lemonade and looked at his hand. "Somewhat." Behrouz rubbed at his slightly red hand and closed his eyes as he remembered Cecilia's death. The vampire's eyes grew sad before he closed them and sipped his lemonade.

"Is it mostly just you get subnburn easily or have sensitive skin and eyes or do you really feel some pain and weakness in sun?" she prodded, curiousity in her voice before she stopped, tilting her head to look at the man. Why did he look so sad? Placing down her half eaten sandwitch, Samara ventured to speak again. "I'm sorry..is...something wrong? You look unhappy..."

Behrouz looked down at his food and slowly opened his eyes. "Both. Our eyes are adapted for the night. The brightness of the sun could make us go blind if we were able to stand out in the sun long enough. But because our skin is not used to the light for this reason we grow weak and after ten minutes...only ashes remain..." He said silently as he looked up at her with the same sad eyes. "My friend Cecilia was killed by vampire hunters...they tied her to a stake before dawn and exposed her body to the sunlight..." His eyes closed as a single tear rolled down his cheek and onto the table. The vampire stood and took his dishes to the sink after he throughout his sandwhich and dumped his lemonade and soup.

Putting down the crust left over from her sandwich, Samara stood, wrapping her arms around the vampire, shyly, but not fearfully, before pulling him close to lean on her smaller frame. "I am sorry....you must suffer much pain during your lifetime....because people fear what they do not understand. I'm sorry...." her eyes looked sad and helpless to console him, not knowing what good she could do, but still, he looked like he needed a hug. Spometimes people just need a good hug.

His eyes grew wide as the vampire felt her arms around his middle and felt a slight blush rise to his cheeks. Behrouz stood there in slight shock before closing his eyes and turned around to hold her against him properly. "Thank you. It's been a long time since I have felt such a warm embrace." He looked down at her and gave her a smile that would melt a heart of steel. The vampire for some reason...did not want to let go of the mortal female...and she felt so good in his arms.

Feeling him turn around to hold her, Samara gasped in surprise, looking up and feeling her cheeks begin to burn, matching the darker under layers of her red blonde hair. She was tense, but soon relaxed, realizin he was not upset or holding her in a rough manner. His smile was indded a heart melting one, and her heart hammered in her chest. An confusing and intoxicating mix of uncertainty, shyness, warmth, excitement, and surprise bubbled inside with other things she could not name. She didn't squirm, despite her intial urge to. Samara was not good with men, and often shied from them or regarded them as naught more than freindly companions on ocassion, but she never hung out with one alone. As such, she was beet red and unsure what to make of being held close by the vampire.

He looked down at her as he felt her tense but smiled as she relaxed. The vampire felt her pulse grow faster as it reflected the hammering heart in her chest. Behrouz soon let go of the shy woman and kissed her hand, lightly. "Shall I lead you to were I store female clothing?" His voice was calm and collected as his eyes no longer held sadness, but happiness and a small amount of content.