Chapter 2 - Cling till midnight

"You can talk?" Alastair frown in confusion. Pulling his hands back to him as he did so. Making Zizi's round blue eyes to snapped to him.

"Sisi?" Zizi cluelessly look at him as she tried to snatch his fingers back. Stretching her arms as far as she can but Alastair won't let her.

"Answer me first. Can you talk or understand me?" He stated firmly. Hiding his arms behind his back. Away from the woman's prying hands.

"Sisi!" Zizi softly shouted. Glaring at him in irritation and her lips pouting in dismay. Moving her glistening heavy icy blue tail closer to try and touch his hands again.

But with all her moving, Alastair's large jacket that was just randomly tied and not securedly covering her front, started to sway. Showing the corner bulge of her breast. Making Alastair momentarily freeze.

"Stop! Don't move." Alastair half shouted  in panic, in a rush to stop her from moving, held her icy cold hands. Which immediately put a smile on Zizi's face and a painful shiver on Alastair's spine.

She caress his warm hands and put her small face in between it. Startling Alastair to try and pull his hands back but Zizi won't let him. She firmly grasp his hands. Not letting her source of warmth to escape again.

"Do you like my hands cause they're warm?" Alastair cluelessly asked with his deep almost guttural voice. Fixedly watching the blue eyed female smile contently on his palms. Making his lips twitch a bit and his eyes gradually softening in adornment.

"L-Like..warm." Zizi slowly and softly answered him. Testing the new sounds she can now pronounced.

"Good." Alastair praised. Patting her head much to Zizi's enjoyment as she release a soft giggle that seems to tickle the tall man's inside.

"Wait. I'll just test something so don't panic when I get my hands back. Ok?" The black haired male cautiously requested but his face still remain as blank as ever.

The long black haired female look at him intently. Weighing what he requested before she slowly nod. Slowly unclaspping all her fingers until all what she can feel is the same old coldness that seep through her bones.

She should already be used by it. But the long black haired woman didn't know why she felt like, she can't live without the warmth she just experienced.

A warmth that seems to spread all over her body and soul. And made her suddenly understood the unknown sounds that the beautiful man spoke off and even made her able to copy it as her own.

All of that unexplainable things happened with just a simple touch of their fingers.

That's why Zizi was so reluctant to part with that warmth, with the man who let her experience it for the first time.

She didn't know why but her eyelids slightly produce some water, making her eyes blurred for an unknown reason. Until a single drop fell on her left cheeks

Startling and scaring the tall, black haired male.

"H-Hey, Are you crying?" Alastair cautiously ask. "I'm sorry." He hurriedly apologize even if he's not aware of wrong he have done.

Wiping the tears from the corner of her eye as he did so and holding her small face to make her look at him. Not minding the chilling pain on his fingers when he wipe and hold her small face.

"Here. You can touch me again."

Zizi didn't even pause as she hurriedly lay her small pale hand on top of his bigger hands, savoring the heat that his hands provide on her face.

Not letting her other hand simply hang on her side, she took his other hand and clasp their fingers together. Interlocking it base on the flashes of images she saw on his mind.

"Sisi..like.."

"You don't like it when I pull my hands? Why?" Alastair crouch his back to almost be at her eye level. Looking intently at her teary blue eyes in wonder.

But Zizi's didn't answer. She just clutch his hands tightly and look at him in a pitiful manner. Tears still clinging through her eyes. Wetting his right hand that was placed on her left cheek. But the raven haired male didn't mind. He continued to soothe and calm her down.

Not saying anything unnecessary, just his touch is more than enough to calm the long black haired female. Until all her tears dried up and her earlier bright smile appeared again.

The two didn't talk again and peaceful silence settled between them, which Alastair didn't find the least bit uncomfortable. Just looking at each other and savoring each other's chill and warmth, unconsciously calm his stressed mind.

Slowly, bit by bit. He's slowly understanding her.

And as time slowly passed by, the tall black haired male realize that she was not as cold as he remembered. Nowhere near being warm as a normal human but not on the scale of negative degrees.

"I'm Alastair." The beautiful tall raven haired male introduced himself. Stretching his numb legs and cracking his back while his face remains the unchanged.

He didn't realize that he have been sitting in an uncomfortable position since he saw and started talking to her.

"Can you say my name?" He casually asked. Looking at her intently in the eyes as caress her small pale hands on his bigger palm. Patiently waiting for Zizi to answer him.

"afhgw-ter" Zizi mumbled incoherently. Smiling cheekily in the end. Proudly showing her small shiny fangs.

"What?"

"What." The long haired woman  copied. Giggling softly as she said it perfectly.

"No. Not that. My name, say my name Alastair. "

"Afhsj-twer." Zizi mumbled, a bit lowder this time.

"No." Alastair sternly replied. A frown adorning his forehead. "Alastair. A-Las-Ter."

"Afhsgyer."

Alastair wants to massage his eyebrows but because Zizi is holding it firmly he could only sigh deeply at her answer. He don't know why but it always triggered him when someone says his name incorrectly.

"Copy me, ok."

Zizi violently nod her head as she cheekily look at the stressed male in front of her. Making a strand of her wet hair cling on her cheeks but she just let it be.

"A-"

"Ah." Zizi softly copied. Her mouth wide open which made her look a bit foolish.

"-las"

"-las."

"-ter. Alastair." The tall male finished. Intently looking at Zizi and waiting for her to say his name.

"-ter. Ahfsgjter?" Zizi cheekily called. Smiling sweetly at the end as she rub her small face at his hand to appease the said male.

It's still hard for her to correctly speak more than one syllable. So she could only say sorry through her action.

*sigh*

Alastair heave a deep sigh again. Not like he can get angry at Zizi for not being able to say his name correctly because she obviously can't.

Alastair only pat her head as a sign of him accepting her apology and to stop the girl from rubbing her face at his hand. Her continues rubbing have  been causing him to feel an itch which he can't accurately pinpoint where.

"It's alright. Just call me what you're comfortable at." Alastair dismissively stated.

"..Ter?" Zizi softly called out. Testing the name that rolled out her tongue.

"..."

Alastair emotionlessly purse his lips. Contemplating whether he should accept that nickname. But looking at the girl smilling sweetly at him, the tall male could only reluctantly agree.

"I guess that's fine."

"Hehe...Ter?" Zizi called again.

"Yes?"

"Ter?"

"Stop calling me or I'll go." Alastair jokingly stood up but was forcefully pulled down by a small pale hands. Making him land heavily on his bottom.

"Aw..T-that hurts.." the tall raven haired male blankly muttered, still a bit daze as he massage his aching bottom.

"I was joking. But I was serious at the last part. I'm going now cause it's getting dark."

"!!!"

But Zizi refused to let go. Her eyebrows in a frown as she tightly held his hands.

"It's getting dark so I have to go home. Besides I can't sleep here." Alastair emotionlessly stated. Trying but failing to get his hands back. "Let go."

"..H-Home?.. N-no.." Zizi erased her frown as she look at the raven haired male pitifully. Shedding a few tear drops to make the raven haired male feel guilty for possibly leaving her.

"..."

Alastair look at the girl intently as he massage his forehead to ease the pain.

In the end, he could only sigh deeply. Letting the woman's pitiful appearance fool him into agreeing.

"ok. I'll stay but only for a few minutes and no more than that." The tall male sternly replied. Finding a comfortable position to sit down.

Hearing the male's response. Zizi immediately flashed a bright smile, her eyes turning crescent as she rub her small face against the male hands.

"Stop doing that. It's uncomfortable." Alastair bluntly stated. He wants to pull his hands back but he already knew what would happen so he could only restrain himself.

Zizi just smile cheekily as she stop her movement and just suit herself on feeling the male's warmth. Making the male feel something unknown inside.

"Remember, I'll just stay for a few minutes and I'll go home." Alastair reminded but Zizi only flashed a mysterious smile that the handsome didn't notice.

In the end, Alastair didn't go home until it's almost midnight.

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02/25/21