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To be most honest, Qadir hadn't expected her reaction at all, and as her fingers touched this skin he felt his breath catch in his throat. Did he mind? Oh heaven's not at all. Her soft skin felt like the touch of an angel and yet it was as warm and welcomed as a crackling fire in the deep cold of winter. For a first time his eyes looked lost, searching for something in her face or in her own eyes. He looked confused for no reason, for clearly he knew why his teeth were like they were. Qadir was stumbling. His sugar coated tongue lay still within his mouth and he looked like he could do little more than blink. Maybe it was just the way she was looking at him or the touch that she'd given him, but old memories were stirring.

Moving his hand from where it held her hair, he'd take the hand that touched his face, cradling it against his cheek and closing his eyes for a moment. Qadir did not like feeling lost. He was scared of the way his heart was racing and the way his stomach seemed to be falling right through him. Turning his head slightly he'd place a soft kiss upon he back of her hand, his lips grazing across her skin for just a moment before he'd decided he'd collected himself enough to talk. "It was a long time ago..." he started, but his voice caught in his throat and made the words wobble like a child just learning how to walk.

Clearing his throat he'd start again, "A long time ago someone changed my life, someone I don't remember and don't care to search for the answers to." Tilting his head sllightly he'd lick one of his free fingers and rub at the crook of his neck. Girly as it was, make-up was rubbed away to reveal scars, bright upon his dark skin. They were glaringly obvious and clearly why he'd resorted to covering them unlike how others might. "I'm a vampire my dear," he finished, a teasing, jovial smile upon his face, but unlike usual his eyes were void of their usual excitement. He'd told people a hundred times over what he was, so why now was he looking so much different than usual?

Everything together made Qadir's ears roar as if he'd just stepped out into the midst of an ocean raging in a terrible storm. He could hardly hear her over the din, but he could tell she'd somewhere misunderstood where the hurt in his eyes was coming from. Shaking his head he'd brush her hands away from his neck, away from the scars that didn't mean a damned thing to him. The action wasn't harsh in any manner, but he felt sorry for it the moment it had transpired. Looking apologetic he'd smile again, "You've not caused me pain Crystal, you're giving me a feeling I haven't felt for...for so many years," he'd say softly.

Shifting to move closer to the woman, he slipped his arm about her waist, resting a hand against her lower back and pulling her against him the best he could given the positions there were in. He'd kiss her again this time, still gentle and sweet, but longer this time. It still, honestly, was just a friendly gesture, but it was one with more meaning. Qadir usually found himself swept up in moments, but if asked he'd usually say he kept his head about him and reacted like a normal human being, but this was not one of those ocassions.

It lasted only a moment, but it felt right to Qadir and he didn't want to scare Crystal away, if she could even be scared away at this point. "I should hope you don't think less of me. I'm not a bad person and I don't ever intend to be. I refuse to turn into what that beast made me and I refuse to hurt others like it did. I never want my presence to be more than a welcomed one." Another smile and the light in his eyes was gradually returning. People just..didn't react to him the way that this woman did and it was exciting and interesting. No one had ever really worried about him like that. They'd either been too scared to reply or they'd have blathered on about how 'totally cool' it would be to live forever, sucking the blood of those that had wronged them.

How childish.

Qadir couldn't help but laugh at Crystal's words and it was with that laughter that he was very clearly back to his old self. Watching her reach for her lemonade he realized that their food had been brought and left by the irritable waitress and to his intense distaste had probably gotten cold by now. Not that he cared, he had Crystal to occupy his mind, and with such a wonderful thing to think about, what room does hunger have within one's thoughts? Qadir shifted his seat a bit so he could continue to hold her comfortably. Trutly, the man wanted to pluck her right out of her seat and pull her into his lap, but restraint was a virtue Qadir was valuing at the moment.

"I haven't had a home cooked meal in ages!" he managed, hardly able to hold in his excitement. A squeeze about her waist pulled her just a bit closer to his larger frame, but he was by no means rough with her. "But you know what they say about inviting vampires to dinner. You might end up becoming the meal, hmm?" Qadir teased. He certainly had no intention of ever, ever doing anything so horrible to her, but what good was having such good jokes up your sleeve just begging to come out if you didn't use them? Most of the time, Qadir actually enjoyed his life as a vampire and enjoyed making a mockery of it.

A hand was moved to brush her hair away gently, fingers lingering over the crook of her neck and his eyes shifted to watch as if he were actually contemplating the action. "I happen to believe that you would be my most...favorite meal of all Crystal," he'd murmurr, trying to make his words sound dashing and cool. It couldn't last though and all he could manage to do was not laugh while he spoke. The laughter bubbled up soon after he'd given his words a moment to sink in though, and he'd lean in to press a quick kiss to her flesh. "I hate blood. Tastes bloody awful if you get what I mean. When I was younger and medicine wasn't advanced enough I had to resort to it to live, but these days I take a pill that keeps me from dying and allows me to live mostly like a real human."

Qadir rested back against his chair slightly, looking at the pizza and fries and wondering just what his favorite meal was. He couldn't actually think of a lot of things he didn't like that probably came from his happiness to just be alive and not take things for granted, such as good food. That silly little mind of his had already worked itself into a frenzy, imagining Crystal in a cute little apron (what girl doesn't look cute in an apron?) and cooking dinner. "I really like spicy foods," he replied finally, snapping out of his little fantasy that he wasn't about to share with the woman beside him. "But I also like things that are sour, even though I shouldn't eat them. Do you know how bad puckering is when your teeth are this sharp? I'm a total sucker for rice strangely enough though. Rice with anything spicy on the side, or even on top."

Qadir gave a mock bow the best that he could in their position, tilting his head so the golden strands shifted and caught the light and seemed to glow against the black stands that simply melt into one another. "My dear, I am at you beck and call whenever you wish of me, for if it were up to me I'd take you back to my place and keep you all to myself until even the sands of time were swept away." He smiled and tightened his arm about her in a gentle half-embrace before bettering himself and wrapping both arms to encircle to woman and draw her close, making her his and his alone in the small shop they sat in. Not that anyone cared to watch them at this point, but if they did they'd not catch sight of her, wrapped up against him as she was.

"I would truly find anything that you cooked for me a bite of heaven Crystal and I cannot wait to recieve your invite," he'd whisper against her hair, his warm breath stirring the curling locks that he wanted nothing more than to play with for hours on end. He didn't for a moment believe that her cooking could even be a bit as terrible as she was attempting to make it out to be.

Dearest Qadir? "My" Dearest Qadir? The man let his head fall to the side in an attempt to glimpse her face, but he did not desire to shift her out of a position she was clearly comfortable with, a position she actually seemed to be trying to get closer in with. "Crystal, I'd never make an offer I did not full-heartedly mean. You on the other hand should be more careful of your offers or an old vampire like myself might have to take advantage of it." The woman had no idea what she was giving herself into, offering to cook for him, offering to visit when he was feeling lonely.

Crystal had managed to pin two things into one of the most important things to Qadir: comfort. Be it comfortable with his life, his home, the way he dressed, or comfort with others, the word was high on Qadir's favorite list of words. Home-cooked meals were not something Qadir came across often, or actually something he'd ever been offered since the times of wife and family. Of course his mother had cooked for him, as had his wife, but those were years past and her was a woman offering to cook for him 'any time' he desired. Or if he simply desired her company? Who would not desire the company of someone like the dark-haired woman before him?

Qadir was sorely debating simply picking the woman up princess-style and carrying her out of the restraunt and back to his place right there and now. It wasn't fair for her to tease him like that, but he was pretty sure he deserved it anyway. "I find the walk from my place to your delightful shop a wonderful walk; it is neither too long, nor is it too short. I dare say I hope I recieve the invite before I leave you when dawn comes. I did promise Mrs. Rose I'd have you back then."

Qadir, in fact, did not let the woman escape his grasp. With a shake of his head he gave her a bright smile and a shrug of those broad shoulders. "Crystal, tonight I've tasted the single most wonderful thing, and I don't think that I will be able to even think about eating food until the taste has lingered from my lips." Lifting his hand to her cheek he'd trace along the cuve of her cheek bone before letting a finger fall to her lips, the tips caressing the flesh as tenderly as he'd touched the flower earlier in her shop. He let his fingers wander, enjoying the curve of her lips and the way her jaw line dipped and merged with a neck that any other vampire would have certainly claimed their own by now.

Curfews were for little children in his opinion, and he'd happily make it up to Rose if it ment sneaking away for even a few extra moments of time with the woman in his arms. Of course, if she insisted upon getting home he would more than happily whisk her away, back to her mother and the embrace of all her flowers. Qadir was not the type to hold women against their wishes. "The life of a vampire gives way to a great deal of 'conveniences' so I'm apt to say that at your very word I shall come to you. I can think of nothing more important than you."

"Somewhere else?" he asked, musing over it slightly before nodding and shifting to shuffle about in one of his pockets to find the money to pay for the meal. Perhaps surprisingly he did not take out an overly extensive amount of money like some rich folks did. What was the point of flashing that in a room of people who could turn on you at any moment? Peering at the money he looked at the uneaten food and pondered just how much it would cost plus tip. Finally he shrugged and dropped whatever amount onto the table. It was bound to pay off the meal and give the waitress at least 50% tip, maybe even 75% if she was lucky.

Curling his arms protectively about Crystal he swept her off the seat and into his lap before standing and slipping the two of them out of the room as unobviously as he could. This certainly wasn't the easiest of feats since he was now carrying her like a princess in a fairy tale. He wanted to say something cheesey like "Your wish is my command" but for now he just smiled at the woman in his arms as the cool night air brushed their hair against their faces.