Zevran's face still held the lingering warmth of their conversation, now just a little drowsy as he walked down the corridor. Suddenly, someone appeared at the top of the stairs, and Zevran could immediately tell that today for him the corridor held far more excitement than the common room. Though, he would have gladly skipped this kind of excitement coming his way.

The petite lady stormed over with a determined stride, her curly locks bouncing angrily, and her eyes flashed with sparks.

"Where the hell have you been?"

Zevran opened his mouth to speak, but decided against burdening the moment with flimsy excuses. Instead, he tried to smile at her, raising his eyebrows apologetically. He thought to say her name, but... Finally, he just muttered, "I'm sorry."

"Oh! I waited all evening for you to show up!" she stomped her foot, clenching her fists at her sides, her face flushing redder by the second. "Do you have any idea such a disgusting creature he is? Probably not!"

Zevran didn't reply, only sighed, avoiding any commentary on who might have had it worse in the realm of sexuality. He knew she wanted some kind of recompense from him. Instinct told him to get on with it, but deep down, that was the last thing he wanted at the moment. So he stayed silent.

She continued to rant, now with a hint of self-pity. "And you've got nothing to say?!" Perhaps she thought if no one else pitied her, she might as well do it herself, hoping Zevran would take the hint. "At least hold me and comfort me!"

Zevran's expression softened slightly, proud of how easily the lady laid herself open to him. Now, whether or not he felt like hunting was another matter, but the sight of caught prey, this mental catalogue, still held a certain charm.

"Oh, come on...!" He gave her a slightly more genuine smile, stepping closer with his arms wide open.

She didn't hesitate for long, immediately folding herself into his embrace, though she muttered with a pout, "You could have saved me!"

Zevran rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "Sorry, I can't save everyone..."

As the words left his lips, he sensed their poor resonance—not just for the lady but for himself, as if he'd used an excuse that he himself hardly believed. A bitter taste lingered, and he gazed into the distance over her head with a downturned mouth. Perhaps she sensed something as well because she suddenly looked up at him with a questioning expression.

"Everyone? Who did you save today, if not me? You rogue!" she pushed at his chest, rejecting the embrace she'd just asked for. "Come on, out with it—who's the little twit I need to tear into? I know the serving girls here well enough!"

Zevran's face likely showed that he needed this least of all. "Please..."

"No, no, no! Now I really need to know! I can't stand those little brats—hate them, every one of them. Now spill it—who was it?"

"Please, really...!" He reached for her again, but she jumped back, pointing her finger at him like a tiny sword. To Zevran, it was nothing but that—a little toy sword. "Look, truly, there's no point in this..."

"There is! I insist, tell me her name! Who was it?"

"None of them. Leave them alone, please don't make a scene with the serving girls. And not here, either; some people are probably trying to sleep..."

"I don't care!" This time, she raised her voice, almost purposefully loud. "I want to know who's been interfering, and if I find out, I'll go down there and...!" She tried to slip past him, but he caught her arm just in time, twirling her back into his embrace.

"Come now, I'm here now. I'll tend to you. Forget about them, hmm? Alright?"

Though she didn't pull herself out of his grasp and turned back toward him, she didn't come closer either. Zevran took this as a half-victory and, even though he had no real desire, managed a winning smile as he drew her nearer, brushing a gengle hand over her pouty cheek.

"Zevran!" The irritation lingered, though the distance between them had lessened. "You have no idea how rough it is for me here. Some people treat me so harshly. Only you're gentle with me, always. And then there are these silly girls! They've caused me so much trouble. You don't know; you can't imagine how hard the life of a courtesan is..."

"Of course, I don't," he murmured softly, both to her and to himself, resisting the urge to grimace.

"See? That's why I want revenge! At least on them..." A glint of malice flashed in her eyes.

"No, you don't want that, you'd much prefer a sweet kiss, am I right?" He tried another charming smile, a mask over the nothingness beneath.

The little lady stayed serious. "No, I don't! I won't let this go."

Seeing he wasn't making any headway, Zevran sighed. "You really don't want to know."

"Oh, but I do!"

"No, trust me..."

"Yes, I do! I want to know why you didn't come. Tell me!"

"Please... I don't want to hurt you, my little dove..."

"Oh, now I'm your little dove?"

"Don't shout here in the hallway; you'll wake someone..."

"Zevran! I'm telling you I'm not backing down! I want to know who kept you away. Full stop!"

He gave up. Letting go of her, he glanced to the side, finally allowing his true feelings to show on his face, and shook his head with mild disapproval. "Promise me one thing: you won't make a scene with the serving girls."

"That, I can't promise!"

Though his tone remained gentle, an unmistakable firmness crept in. "No, you must promise. This has nothing to do with them."

"I'll believe that when I see it!"

"Please, don't make a scene. It'd be pointless. Leave them be."

"Well then, tell me why you didn't come to me?"

"Because... I forgot."

The raw truth in that phrase tightened the air between them, and Zevran wished for everything around them to disappear, for him to wake up knowing nothing, as though from a bad dream. Her face lengthened with disappointment, and Zevran had to look away.

"You forgot...? You forgot me?"

The man frowned, hesitating over whether to launch into a long stream of excuses. In the end, he refrained. He added only, "No, not you. I could never forget you..." and the name failed to complete the sentence. He knew how false it sounded.

He couldn't bear to look at her pained expression any longer, stepped closer to embrace her—only to receive a resounding slap. He stood there, mouth agape, took a deep breath, and didn't respond.

"I don't need your hugs!" she cried, eyes wet with tears. "And I don't need your kisses either—save them for someone else! For some other fool who believes you're worth waiting for!"

That last one stung. Zevran felt more than he showed, and a fine line creased his brow.

"You're no different from any other man, Zevran! I don't know why I thought you were! No, you're the worst of them all—you liar, you lustful deceiver, you unreliable rogue!"

He said nothing. He knew it would be pointless.

Slowly, she turned away, wiping her eyes as she made her way down the corridor. Zevran couldn't just stand there. He ran after her, catching her by both arms, bending down to meet her gaze.

"What did you expect from me? This is who I am; I've always been this—an embrace, a moment's pleasure, a few sweet words. I can't offer anything more!"

"You are a fool, if you think you really can't," she grumbled.

Zevran straightened, stung with pride.

"Fine, be that, then! But I don't need it!" She pushed him away. "I was foolish to wait for you! And every other woman who ever will for you let be curs...!"

He might have tolerated the insults aimed at himself, but when she wanted to curse Dina, he could take no more. He grabbed her, covering her mouth with his hand, she fought, swinging at the air, striking him a few times before he pinned her wrists.

Through tear-laden lashes, her blazing eyes met his, and she spat in his face. "I never want to see you again!" Her voice was low but significant. Wrenching herself from his grip, she spun around and stormed off, her heels clacking against the floor.

Zevran was left alone in the darkness, his hand pressed against his forehead.