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Kian disliked the mall on a good day and a week before Christmas he was rather sure that the mall and anyone in it should be burned to the ground. It wasn't as if someone setting fire to the mall would be all that strange. If he and Katrina did it, or their other identities did it, it would juts get blamed on the 'damned terrorists' anyway.

Can't shop with thousands of other people if there's no mall.

Reaching up he shifted his glasses so he could rub the bridge of his nose and try and collect his thoughts. He'd stepped out of the store Katrina had wandered in looking for more gifts. The store was small enough that it was easier to stay out of the way and 'guard' the bags.

Thankfully they had been able to find things easily enough but there were still a few too many people for his liking and his temper was starting to get stretched a little too thin.

He was a bit surprised when his phone buzzed but pulled it out after shifting the bags at his feet.

[ Text to Kat ] You keep better track of that than I do.

Kian had really only bothered paying attention to there even being candles in the house after Katrina had started spending more time there. Some had appeared one day and now there seemed to be at least one in every room. After a moment he sent a second text

[ Text to Kat ] The one in the bedroom has been used quite a bit so it may be low.

[ Text to Kat ] Lunch sounds wonderful so long as it is not in this ******** mall.

Between the time he'd sent her the second text and her reply he'd had to keep three people from tripping over him and their purchases despite the fact that he was well out of the walking path. People were far too concerned with either their phones or getting from point a to point b to actually notice anything in their path.

Least of all a man well over six feet tall. Somehow.

While he waited he decided to look for somewhere they could eat. The wonders of technology meant there were plenty of app's to tell him the average wait time at any given place he might want. With all the holiday shoppers out he wanted somewhere that no everyone else was going so they could get a bit of peace.

[ Text to Kat: ] I believe you have gotten, at minimum, two somethings for everyone important. The only person you haven't purchased anything for is me and you are with me so that would defeat the purpose.

He did have to smile slightly at her worry. He had assumed she was fretting because she hadn't been able to buy presents like this for her friends before. But if she was worrying she'd forgotten someone, given the contents of the shopping bags, the only one he could think of was himself.

[ Text to Kat: ] And you don't need to worry about that.

Kian was glad when he saw Katrina making her way through the store back toward him and got out of the crowd. It meant they could get out of all the mess and away from the mall if nothing else.

"I did, there's a noodle shop not far from my home that should be rather empty this time of day and their dishes are delicious." He picked up the bags at his feet nodding in the direction of the parking garage. "If you're sure we're done here then we can make our way there."

Hopefully she was done and would stop worrying about whatever she kept thinking she forgot.