"I know," Taylor replied. "And I'll give you space if you ask for it. But I want to make sure it's what you want." He looked at her. "I don't want you unhappy."

Sera huffed out a breath. She wasn't feeling quite that forgiving yet for that to work on her. "Doesn't matter right now. Stay, go, your choice." Because she wasn't going to ask him for anything.

Unless he pissed her of more somehow. But then she'd be demanding, not asking, that he leave.

"I think it does matter," Taylor countered. "I think it matters quite a bit, or else I wouldn't have brought it up." Yes, he knew he was walking a very fine line at the moment, but even anger would be better than this... nothingness.

Sera looked at him for a moment before she shrugged. "It doesn't matter, Taylor. I don't care right now." Which was part of the problem. She just didn't care.

"Why not?" Taylor pressed. "Why don't you care?" Hell, if their situations were reversed, he was fairly sure he'd be ripping mad that she'd slept with another man, didn't matter what for.

"Eaiser." Sera glowered briefly at him before she got up to go do dishes. She didn't want to talk anymore.

"That won't make it better, Sera," Taylor said as she walked away. He sighed. He could make her feel, of course, but he doubted she would appreciate what he would make her feel. Getting up, he took his plate in to the sink. "I'll head back to my apartment, then," he said. "You're more than welcome to join me any time you want, my door will be open for you." That was the best he could do, for the moment. It was obvious she didn't want him around.

Sera nodded after a moment. "Alright. I'll keep that in mind." She looked at him for a moment before looking back at her dishes. She didn't want to feel anything. Not right now.

With that, Taylor slipped on his shoes, grabbed his keys, and left. Clearly, Sera needed space at the moment.

Meanwhile, Rose was very happily snuggled into Damien's bed: pleased, relaxed, and dozing with him.

Damien was stretched out next to her, his hand splayed possessively across her back. He was a very happy shifter. He was also purring quietly.

Rose cuddled closer. She found the purring comforting, and she sighed slightly.

"Love you," she murmured to him.

"Love you too," Damien murmured. He pulled her closer, pressing a kiss to her temple.

Taylor managed to stay out of Sera's way for a week, somehow. He wasn't really entirely sure how, but he was damn sure it was time to do something about it. Deciding he'd given Sera enough time, he made a plan. And the first step of that plan was talking to Damien.

"You have a minute?" he asked, going to find his friend.

"Sure." Damien looked up from some paperwork. "What's up?" He leaned back in his seat, looking at Taylor. Okay, he'd looked worse, but he was starting to look twitchy and edgy.

"I don't care what you do, or how you do it," Taylor said mildly, looking at his friend, "but you and Rose are going to stay out of the house this weekend. Your apartment, a motel, I don't care. Not the house."

Damien blinked before realization dawned. "Okay. Not in the house. Got it." He could manage that, probably. Just take a weekend trip with her, or suggest she stay at his place for a few days. That wouldn't be the hard part. "I hope you survive."

Taylor nodded. Good, they understood each other.

"I will," he replied. "And I might even get Sera to forgive me. We'll see."

Damien nodded. "Well, good luck with that. I'll get Rose to come straight home with me after work so you don't have to worry about that."

Taylor nodded.

"Thanks," he said. "I owe you one."

"I'll collect later sometime." Damien grinned briefly. "Now go finish plotting like I know you're doing."

"Already working on it," Taylor replied, sauntering off again. He needed to make sure the rest of his plan was in order.

Damien rolled his eyes and pulled out his phone to text Rose.

You feel like coming over after work and spending the weekend? I think Taylor's planning on getting back into Sera's good graces.

Rose brightened when she got the text.

Sure, she replied. Sounds like fun. Absently, she checked the calendar. Fairly close to the moon, but still a few days away. What are your plans?

Go back to my place, I can make dinner, we can watch movies. Maybe we could go take a little weekend trip down to one of those little tourist trap towns or something. Because there were a few in driving distance that he was fairly sure Rose could spend two days just looking around and shopping and having fun. And the town was pretty enough that he wouldn't even mind the shopping.

Sounds like fun, Rose replied. And if he decided he wanted to go for a run, well, she wouldn't mind. She was used to that by now.