Once Leas could park in front of the sandwich shop and the silver Toyota MR2 popped down its headlights, Idonea tried to open the door to find it locked.

“Seriously, Leas. You’re testing my patience.” Idonea grumbled, really hating the idea that he just made fun of her for her healthy respect for car driving regulations and safety. This is definitely why I don’t drive or ride with anyone!?

“Haha. I don’t want you to run off yet!” Leas didn’t shut off the vehicle, the radio screen flickered with its digitized light telling the time of day. He rummages through his center console to pry out this blank CD in a case. Idonea saw something scribbled in black sharpie on the clear plastic. She thinks she can read ‘audio workshop 1994’.

Her curiosity dampened her earlier hurt pride, as one of his many fans, she could assume what it was by the sight of it. “Are these your recordings?”

“Good guess. I like to record some of my guitar solos just to find the perfect lyrics to attach to them. This one has been on my mind for far too long without any progress.” He popped the CD out of the case and inserted it, pausing before he hit the play button. “Do you want to hear it?”

Oh, gods yes!?

 “Sure.” Idonea leaned into the brown leather, pretending to be not as interested as she felt. She did a great job, crossing her arms over her bosom to really play it cool.

Smooth Nea.

“Alright! It won’t take long, lovely Idonea.” He pressed the play button, and the static is what introduced her ears. Then she heard the guitar! The soft tickle to her ears is sweet and playful. Just like what she deals with hanging around Leasdich Brennan. The strumming increased in its tempo, the rhythm so hypnotizing even her heart matched it. Without words, there was emotion painting the music notes, from the happy and playful to the adventurous and confident. A symphony of the outer layers of Leas.

The song ends and she couldn’t find the proper words to explain the intricate beauty of this mere workshop. Idonea stared at the speaker nearest to her, she didn’t even notice Leas waiting for her comment so patiently.

When she does, she coughs in her hand to remove the nervousness. He looked so cute waiting, just so eager to have her input. “I am not musically adept, are you sure you want to know what I think?”

He nodded his freckled face, beaming with the brilliance of stars. Even his near purple eyes matched the brightness, yet he is eager to listen. He wasn’t saying anything to pressure her.

So cute…

“R-right. Your work is always amazing. I may not be the right person to ask.” Idonea never knew she would feel this warmth in her chest. Maybe it was the way he was so willing to listen to her opinions. It had been a long time since someone ever sat down to ask her.

“Good!” Leas shut off the car and unlock the doors. He gave her a playful wink towards her. “Think it over while we eat some hot sandwiches.”

It was getting too hard to tell this man to sod off, his presence brought this warmth to her like the summers in Egypt. The pragmatic side of her keeps blaming it on his sweet aroma that is addicting to her sensitive nose. Or the sugary speech he seems to keep by his side, ready to shave off some of her general prickliness.

Fighting it is so hard, yet he is still a mortal to her. It would be foolish to pursue something more than distant friendship. This is why she mustered a quick reflex.

“Would you like me to get the door for you-“

“No thanks!” Idonea opened the car door and slid right out. Her dignity needed to be kept together for their sake. Besides, chivalry wasn’t ever needed in any of her flings before. She’s too proud to allow it. The day that it happened, it meant a willing compromise was made. She thought she had upset the radio host. That is why she kept from looking his way.

No such thing. There was no smell of hurt emotions, just a man whistling the tune of his workshop while he secured his vehicle. He isn’t like some of the males in her immortal lifetime, always crying over her emasculating nature.

Not Leas. Idonea waited on the sidewalk, couldn’t help but peek over at him. He was as serene as ever, the appearance of a casual angel. His red t-shirt he wore barely hid the tattoos on his arms, the Norse runes out on display. The blue jeans that accentuate his rather long legs were clean and fitted. His loafers are clean like the rest of him. In fact, there wasn’t even a stray stitch from his shirt. He buys quality over flashy based on what she saw in his room. Questioning his priorities, since it looked like he might have spent the most money on the band's merchandise or his vehicle.

“My lovely Idonea,” Leas called to her, hand circling over her empty hand. It felt like a dream to hold hands with her favorite radio host. “I am sure you are starving. Come.”

Oh…this hunger can’t be satiated by a mere sandwich.

“Famished. There is no need to hold hands if you're uncomfortable.” Idonea could feel the shiver of lust come back, the temptation to find a lonely alleyway or maybe even use his car to go over some joint body exercise rose to the back of her consciousness. This is why she was trying to deflect any more of his touches.

“Uncomfortable? Not in the slightest. My pained heart needs your touch!” He feigned a pout, even his fake pouts were as endearing as his smiles. Though she could smell the diabolical mischief. “Since we are taking things slow, this is the most that I can ask of you.”

You are not that upset!?

“Alright. Fine! Can we eat?” Idonea grumbled, fighting back the stupid dance that her heart was doing. Years of fighting through wars and the training of a rather strict pack leader hardened her face. She learned to work through anxieties. This obsession shouldn’t be any different…right?

His soft chuckle caught her off-guard. His undeterred front says a lot about him. He can either be seeing past her hard shell or he is incredibly stupid.

“Of course, my beautiful peanut~!”

Peanut!? These nicknames are getting out of hand. She’s truly starting to believe he had no circuitry going through that brain of his.

Idonea didn’t bite his head off for the improper nickname, he had already been dealt with maybe five different ones and she became numb to it. It was unnecessary to correct him. Correcting him meant that she was committed to this relationship, and she didn’t want to have him believe she was ready to. Just two more dates and she will get to leave.

She just wished she could get her fix and walk away. It wasn’t the first time she had a fling and gracefully moved on from it, it had just been a while.

However, something about the way her primal side kept scratching at her pragmatic wall told her she couldn’t get away with that if it was Leas. This is dangerous.

If he was so dangerous, she did a terrible job at keeping control. Afterall, she allowed him again to guide her to this quaint sandwich stand.

They had to eat in the open like some of the older couples she saw nearby, some took a few benches, or they were standing beneath the awnings. Some noticed her with Leas, and she could already hear their whispering.

“Isn’t that the butch, missus?”

"I believe so!? Who’s she with?”

“Someone who doesn’t know better.”

The whispering wasn’t really much whispering for someone with sensitive ears like her, and this time their comments really did hurt. There was a split moment where she loosened her grip around his hand to try to slip out.

That was a queue for the extraordinary radio host. He tightens his hand around her gruff one. With a tilt of his blond head towards her, he spoke as loud as possible. “I really recommend the pastrami here! They really do the cuts themselves because the slices are just thicker and full of flavor, my sweet sunshine!”

Is he trying to-? Did he notice? She realized the whispering died down after his second most ridiculous nickname for her. If it was intentional, Leas hid it well. He was completely unbothered by the attention, humming along to the workshop tune.

Her heart swelled with warm gratitude; it was so much that she nearly sputtered a ‘thank you’. Instead, she just nodded, not realizing the blush that formed on her face anyway. “Yes…I’ll try it.”

“You’re cute when you blush~!” Leas never turns a blind eye when she is embarrassing herself.

“Stop it!”

There was no way to stop him. He was trying to get closer to her by bumping arms here and there during their wait in line. Once they got to the stand, he was quick to order four sandwiches. Idonea wondered why so many. On a closer inspection, the sandwich was about six inches at best, stacked with layers of juicy meat. With both having voracious appetites, a six-inch sandwich isn’t going to fill her up. Two weren’t enough either.

Leas paid for the sandwiches and at best it took the sandwich maker about three minutes to make four very thick hot piping sandwiches. It was all placed in a paper bag for Leas to snatch and wave at her. The plan, of course, didn’t include the open table near the sandwich stand.

“I have a perfect spot!”

Idonea rolled her yellow eyes, following his every whim, since she had enough time in her day not because she sought after his company. Not at all. They walked a good while, slipping through some tiny alleyways and crossing streets.

Kilkeel always smelled salty, being a port town, but the closer they went to the portside the more she could recognize the fish and seaweed smell.

The dreary day made the smell hang thick in the air, and suddenly she felt right. Working at the portside always kept her pleasantly busy. Now that it’s not trawling season, she had more time than she could ever wish to have. At least, with her job there was some social aspect, but now when she is home alone her ‘work social’ life takes a heavy nosedive.

Leas changed that. He inserted himself in her time like a car crash, the wreckage parts being his constant teasing. At least, that is how she saw it for the longest time. Now…

“Idonea! We are going to have our lunch here.” The beautiful radio host, who neither let go of her hand or let her take the bag of sandwiches, motioned his head towards the bench beneath a light post. This bench is old, made of metal bars and wooden planks big enough just for them. This thing still stood against the test of time, sturdy and strong facing towards the ocean horizon. The light post looked just as old as the bench. Idonea wondered if it even turned on anymore. This side of the pier was void of the public. When it gets dreary like this, the locals aren’t interested in walking along the port.

Doesn’t change the fact that this is starting to feel more like a date than a simple lunch outing. “Leas…what does a date mean in the dictionary?”

“Haha, I just want the best for my lovely temptress! Now come sit down!”

The ex-Viking should turn around and leave. A Viking pride still lives within her and simple swooning or displays of affection should not sway a warrior.

“Sure.” You are a sad excuse of a Viking werewolf. Idonea sat with him on this bench that she was certain was younger than her. It took their combined weight better than how she is handling this situation.

He let go of her hand just to pull out two sandwiches and offered them to her. Those smiling eyes are telling her to eat. The aggressive coddling was new to her, but she wasn’t complaining yet, taking the sandwiches while giving a curt thank you. There wasn’t much coaxing for her when food was involved.

They ate in mostly silence, watching the darker line of the horizon and the shifting of waves. Boats were lined up further down this pier and they bobbed with the waves. The skies were grayed out with the smell of rain tickling her nose and was pretty certain it wouldn’t rain till later tonight. At least that’s what Sky News radio promised this morning. They haven’t been wrong, right?

“Idonea…”

Her chewing face swiveled to catch him finished with his first sandwich already and tossing the dirty wrapping in the paper bag. Holy…cow…

“I hope the pup returns to her owners safely.” Leas said this almost out of nowhere, but with the forlorn smile and the darkening of his eyes suggested that he was thinking about the fake dog all this time. It stirred something in her, making her swallow the food in her mouth.

Don’t do it Nea…

“She’s fine! I bet she will come visit you in no time.” Idonea wanted so much to strangle herself from digging her own grave.

“Really?” Leas quirked an inquiring brow, his lonely musk had a sliver of hope in it.

Just stay quiet, Nea.

“Yep…she annoys me all the time and all I do is walk her.” Idonea promises, trying to fight the twitching on her brow. Instead, she just faced towards the ocean.

“Haha. That is great to hear.” His voice fluctuated back to his normal chipper tone. So quick too, she suspects that he only pouted to get her attention.

Even so, she now unconsciously promised that the “dog” would come back. Meaning she has to turn into a werewolf more than once to keep this charade up or hurt his feelings. How is she going to juggle that? Stupid Nea…

In order to not spiral in her own folly, she had to change the subject. At least, it is about something she would rather talk about. “Your music… I might have a suggestion.”

“Hmm?” Leas must be working through his second sandwich. He wasn’t prepared to have this conversation based on how full his freckled cheeks were when she checked.

Oh gods…he’s like a ground squirrel!? Idonea bit down the inside of her cheek to stop herself from giggling. These sides of him are just fun to witness.

“Alright. Just listen. Your workshop sounds very personal to you, and you are from Iceland. Why don’t you just sing short verses in your native tongue?” Once she laid that out, she went back to eating the rest of her first sandwich since Leas wasn’t going to respond right away.

As was expected, he kept his silence. His second sandwich had to be finished before he could really even give an answer. The first thing he pointed out, “You can tell that much about my unfinished song?”

“Pfft. Anyone can if they listen close enough.” Idonea deflected, the fluster on her face still there. This is still Leasdich Brennan, the sightless-one-sided crush she had before meeting him still affects her. She knows EVERY song. Don’t ever tell him that!?

“Well, I think…”