• Obsessed with this cover of 'Stay' sung by Jared Leto, aka the Joker •

"We should've done this way earlier," I sighed as I combed my hand through his hair. "I'm sorry I put it off so long. I shouldn't have."

"It really hasn't been a problem," Charlie assured me. "I honestly haven't even felt it."

I watched him for a moment, but then took a breath and lifted my scissor. "Well. Even so, here we go. Your first haircut."

"Don't make it too short," He told as I begun cutting the first few locks. I felt like a bugle should be playing Taps in the background as the first of his golden threads hit the floor.

"I promise I won't," I assured him as I continued trimming it. "I understand if you don't like it short. Didn't they buzz cut you in there?"

"Yes, but that's not the reason," He replied. "I like it when you comb your fingers through it and pull on it when I have my tongue on you. I want you to be able to keep doing that."

I involuntarily paused with the scissor for a moment when I felt the heat crawl up my neck and tint my entire face a very vivid red. I was suddenly so happy he was sitting with his back facing me. "Uhm... duly noted."

I then continued cutting his blond locks, taking a little more off the sides and leaving more at the top. Not so much that it looked like Johnny Bravo, but just enough so that I—well, enough so that I kept his wish. By the time I felt satisfied with the result, I ran my fingers through his hair and then heard the deepest sound come from Charlie's chest.

"Did you just purr?" I asked, a grin lifting to my lips as he continued doing it. "Seriously? You're purring, Charlie."

"I'd like to remind you..." He tilted his head a little and let me comb my fingers down the side of his face to his ears. Goosebumps rose on his skin. "That human isn't the only thing I am."

"Really? So you purr if I pet you, and you'll twitch your leg if I scratch you behind your ear?" I teased, yanking a little on his ear.

"No, but I might growl," He warned and turned around on the stool, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me towards him so that I fell against him with a gasp. "Maybe even bite."

"Animal," I chuckled and steadied myself on his shoulders. But then a thought suddenly occurred to me. "Speaking of which, remember when we talked about those? How you've never petted one?"

Charlie rose a brow, but then nodded. "Yes?"

"Well... how would you like to do that?"

He looked even more confused now. "What do you mean?"

I combed my hand through his freshly cut hair again, then watched as he closed his eyes and purred at me again. "Have you ever heard of the Zoo?"

~~~

Walking around in the closest Zoo that was about an hour away from where I lived, Charlie's attention was like a goldfish; He was so busy staring at all the animals, he couldn't pay attention to a word I said.

"Panthera Leos!" He almost pulled my arm off as he ran us to the enclosure where the lions lazily laid under their rocks and trees, sleeping as they did most of the daytime hours. "Look, Carly!"

"I'm looking," I smiled as he put his hands on the railing on the fence, looking ready to jump over the moat that separated man from lion. "They're beautiful, aren't they?"

He honestly resembled all the other kids who excitedly looked at the big cats slumming under the sun that warmed the air. Charlie wore his shades as always, but the glow of his eyes almost shone through them.

"Can I pet them? Please, Carly, can I?" He pleaded and looked at me as I came to his side, seeing him practically give me the puppy eyes.

"You can't pet the lions, Charlie, they'll eat you," I chuckled and shook my head when he frowned. "You'll have to settle for just looking."

"But they're not hungry," He said and looked back at them. He pointed to one lioness. "Except for her. She's carrying cubs."

I blinked in brief shock at him. "You can tell that? How?"

"I sense it." He replied as if that was self explanatory.

"Right," I said, taking in a breath. "You know what, for some reason it doesn't surprise me anymore. You have so many hidden gifts we've yet to discover."

And of course my mind managed to squirm inwardly at that when my dirty side took the wheel for a second. Only a second.

"Can we see the Loxodontas next?" Charlie then asked and turned to me. "Please?"

"Of course. Lead the way." I only said that since my Latin ran out on that one.

Charlie continued to take us to what turned out to be the elephants enclosure, a big, grassy, dirt-filled splotch of ground where the giant animals stood and chewed on a few leafs and branches. The look on his face as he laid eyes on them was one of pure exhilaration. I think even without asking him, I had found his favorite animal.

"I read about them while I was in there," He said and looked at a little elephant calf that ran around with its trunk against its forehead, chasing away a bird that thought it could take rest on the ground. "I remember learning a quote that said 'elephants never forget.' They're one of the few herbivore species outside of the primate family that shows empathy and genuine affection towards their fellow kind. They communicate through touch, sound, smell and sight, just like humans," He told, looking absolutely entranced at the animal. "They're magnificent."

Magnificent was just one of the adjectives I had taught him, but other than to compliment me, he hadn't really used them on anything. Now, staring at the young calf running around and playing amongst its larger family members, he suddenly found a reason to use it.

"They are," I agreed and leaned against the railing, watched them like he did and tried to see them with his eyes. "I like elephants as well."

Charlie tilted his head a little and stared intensely at the calf who suddenly stopped running around and flapped his ears. He did that for a few seconds, but then begun running again, except this time he ran with a specific goal in mind.

Eagerly running up to the fence, sticking out his little trunk, he tooted at Charlie who smiled brightly at him and waved. The elephant flapped its ears again, then quickly ran back to his mommy, his little tail dangling after him.

"How did you do that?" I asked as Charlie straightened out again. "You called him to you, didn't you? You summoned him somehow."

"Seismic communication," He replied as if that was obvious as well. "Elephants use it to talk long distance and to navigate. I can, too."

"Wow," I said, impressed, but then shook my head when he grinned. "Show off."

"I've never tried it before with a mammal, I wanted to see if it worked."

"Well from the looks of that little guy," I smiled and nodded towards the baby elephant who had returned to his running adventures again, "I'd say it worked. I think he likes you."

"I like him, too," Charlie told, but then as always leaned down to me and whispered in my ear; "But I like you more. And I can actually pet you."

Rolling my eyes and smiling, I let him take my hand as we begun walking. "And speaking of which, it's my turn to pick the next enclosure."

"Where to?" He excitedly wanted to know, already glancing around to find the next.

"I promise you'll like this one."

~~~

Squatting in the middle of the petting zoo, a place normally meant for kids to pet more innocent animals, Charlie's 6'7 self now sat amidst goats, sheep and a single mule. I couldn't stop laughing as he just stared at all the animals who curiously came up to him and nibbled at his outstretched hand.

"They like me," He stated in a confused voice, but then a smile the size of Texas slid onto his face, portraying blooming happiness. "Carly, look! They like me!"

"Of course they do," I said, and like a proud mom, I felt like crying. For the first time someone else than me liked him, came up to him and wasn't scared of coming too close to him. When he reached out to nervously pet a baby lamb, I had to swallow a sob as the sheep bleated at him. It stayed still and even let him pick it up and hold it in his arms. Charlie looked like he was about to soar from the ground.

I knew then I had to capture this moment. Reaching into my pocket, I quickly pulled out my phone and turned on the camera. "Charlie, look here for a second."

Raising his head and lifting a brow when he saw me holding up my phone, he looked at me with confusion. "What?"

"Smile," I chuckled when all he did was tilt his head dumbfounded, the lamb in his arms doing the same thing. I captured a quick photo of that, but then repeated; "Come on, smile for me. I'm taking a picture."

Hesitant for only a moment, Charlie then curved his lips up to a little smile and let me take a picture of him holding the lamb that bleated again. I took a few more for good measure, but then climbed into the enclosure as well and slowly came up to him. He kept smiling as I crouched down next to him and brushed the lamb over its head. "You don't have to smile anymore now, you can stop if you want to."

"I can't," He said and looked down at the lamb that bleated at me, too. "I can't stop, Carly."

"Then please don't," I smiled back and then turned my eyes down to the lamb. "Hi there, buddy. Aren't you a cutie, yes you are. You're so soft, so fluffy, such a cute boy."

"It's a girl," Charlie corrected and looked down at it as well. "She likes you, but I like you more, remember that."

I looked up at him and shook my head with a smile, seeing how he smiled back. There was almost a hint of teasing to it, a glint in his eye I couldn't remember having seen before. Whether he was aware of it or not, I couldn't tell.

"Excuse me," A female voice then suddenly said and caused me and Charlie to pop out of our bubble. I glanced up and found two young women, perhaps in their twenties, looking at us adoringly. "Hi, sorry to interrupt, but could we ask you to take a picture for us, please?"

"Sure, of course," I smiled and quickly stood up, brushed my hands off in my pants. "Where do you want it?"

"Right here," The woman said and handed me her phone, already set to camera. She then slinked her arm around her... her girlfriend as I discovered when the other one pressed her lips to her cheek, tenderly. I smiled and snapped the photo, took a few extra, then handed them the phone back. "Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome," I replied and then crouched back down to Charlie who had curiously watched the whole thing. When I came back to him, he smiled and then looked down at the lamb again, rocked it gently. It had almost fallen asleep in his arms. I couldn't blame it; I had done the same thing many nights.

"Would you like us to take a picture of you guys as well?" One of the girls then chirped and looked at us with that look again, awe. "You look super cute. You're like, couples goals."

"Oh, no, we're not—"

"Yes," Charlie spoke up before I could finish, surprising me by engaging with a stranger for the very first time. He looked up at the girls through his shades and swallowed nervously. "Please."

I looked at him for a moment, but then saw him shift his eyes to me, wanting me to give them my phone so they could take a picture. I was in shock to say the least, but then hesitantly arose and handed my phone over to one of the girls who immediately held it up.

"Smile!" She announced and pointed it at us, me scooting a little closer to Charlie when his frame was so large I was scared the camera wouldn't fit him. He turned his head and looked at me, then smiled just as she took the picture. "So cute! One more where you're both smiling!"

I hadn't smiled? I didn't realize before I noticed how my whole body had frozen up and turned into stone. But in the best way possible. Charlie's happiness paralyzed me and had me forgetting to breathe, also. I quickly sucked in a breath and turned my eyes to the camera, giving the best smile I could produce in the moment. Charlie did the same.

The girl took a few photos of us before she handed it back with a smile. I thanked her, and then they went on their merry way while Charlie and I remained in the petting zoo's enclosure, surrounded by goats and sheep.

"They weren't scared of me either," Charlie then noted and looked at me with a peculiar expression, as if he couldn't quite believe it. "They didn't run away from me or attacked me."

"Because they didn't judge you," I smiled and cupped his face. "See? Not all humans are bad. Some are good, and some are even sweet like those two."

"I liked them," He replied and looked into my eyes. I could see his glowing moons even through the dark shades. "But I like you more."

~~~

A few hours and a lunch later, we came back from the Zoo, Charlie having bought a shirt with a lion print on it as a souvenir of his first time going there. It had been a great day, but I was exhausted from walking around since Charlie had wanted to visit every enclosure six times. Needless to say my feet were sore, but Charlie was still hype.

"I need to relax before we do anything else," I groaned as I laid down on the couch, throwing my feet up. Charlie sat down as well, rubbing where his prosthetic leg attached to his real. "How are you feeling, though? What did you think of the Zoo?"

"I liked it," He said, instead taking my feet now and moving them into his lap, grabbing my right foot and pulling off my sock. "The animals were spectacular."

Another beautiful adjective. "Weren't they? I really liked the... oh, sweet Jesus," I moaned when he pulled off my other sock and then begun massaging my foot slowly, pressing down on all the right points. He rubbed my tendons and drew a soft mewl from me as he went in between my toes. "God, that feels good."

"You feel good," Charlie murmured and slowly rotated my foot, loosening up the joint. He then suddenly smiled a little. "Fragile human."

"Excuse me?" I rose a brow when his smile grew and transformed into a coy smirk. "Fragile?"

"I just mean, you're so easily broken. Your feet are in knots, your body is coiled in tension from walking all day. Creatures don't experience that."

"Well then, Creature, care to explain to me the tension in your pants right now?"

Charlie opened his mouth, but then frowned and looked down, seeing the semi-bulge in his pants. He then turned his eyes to me. "That's you. That's always you."

And then in a sweep, he crawled on top of me with animalistic prowess and pinned me down on the couch with his body, pulling a gasp from my lips when he descended on them. "Charlie!"

He broke me off with his mouth and kissed me hard, causing all of my said tense muscles to clench up tightly, then relax completely. My eyes fluttered closed as his tongue slid across my lips, then into my mouth, and that was it for my tired body; I eased under him and wrapped my arms around his waist, gripping his back. Charlie growled much like a lion and then pressed his groin to mine, rubbing me with his now very prominent bulge. My legs automatically spread for him and curled around his hips. But, of course, just as his erection pushed against my throbbing core, my phone decided to ring.

I gasped and pulled away from his lips. Shit. "Charlie. Charlie, I have to get that. It could be... it is C.E.N.T.U.R.I.E.S calling, it's their ringtone."

Charlie exhaled hard, clenched his jaw, but then pulled back with a nod. I instantly sat up and tried to shake off my arousal before I reached into my back pocket and pulled my phone out. Looking at the screen, it was indeed C.E.N.T.U.R.I.E.S calling. I got up from the couch and pressed answer.

"Hello?"

"Ms Bloom," Came Mr Alan's voice, the guy who had assigned me Charlie. "I hope I'm not disturbing."

"Uh... no," I said and had to swallow the lump in my throat as I glanced briefly at Charlie who had sat up on the couch and now ran a hand through his hair, still massively erect. "I'm always free to talk when it's you. What can I do for you, Sir?"

"Actually, we need to speak to Creature 6402-C," He replied to my surprise and made me raise my brows. "I'm afraid we require his unique abilities for a moment. A brief conversation on the phone with him should do."

"Oh," I eyed Charlie out and saw him having raised his brow as well, but then frowned. My guess was that he could hear everything being said. "Is, uh... you're not going to... I mean..."

"We're just going to ask him some questions about a problem we're working on. It's absolutely harmless, I can assure you it won't harm him in any way. Now, if you don't mind, time is a bit of a factor, Ms Bloom."

"Right," I said and turned to Charlie who stood up. "He's right here. Charlie? It's for you."

He gave a short nod, then took the phone as I handed it to him and pressed it to his ear. "Yes?" I heard Mr Alan's muffled voice speak and saw as whatever he said made Charlie frown deeper, but then slowly nod again. "Yes. Yes. Okay." He then slowly begun wandering away from me, distractedly scratching the back of his head while mumbling more words. "No... yes, that would correct. No, in the neutron-scattering facility. Yes, we probed the fundamental processes at work in the new micro-emulsions we developed to enable rapid detection and identification of hazardous radioactive isotopes..."

Charlie slowly walked upstairs to his room and I let him, since I had a feeling whatever he was helping with would take a while to explain or... whatever it was that he did. I sighed and combed my hands through my hair as well and tried to regain focus of it all again. It always got hard when our two worlds suddenly collided – our fantasy and the real one. The fantasy was the one where me and Charlie kept kissing, while the real one was where he was C.E.N.T.U.R.I.E.S's Creature and I was their paid employee. Paid.

It hadn't even occurred to me before now that every kiss and every touch was billable. I pushed the thought away when it caused a morbid taste to evolve in my mouth. I didn't even want to think of it like that. That was just... God, wrong on so many levels.

But what isn't wrong between you and him? My inner voice drawled.

I shook my head, but then decided to lie down on the couch and smack my feet up again. I had a mild headache now and it wasn't getting better by thinking about all this. Therefore, while I let Charlie do his duty, I curled over on my side and decided to take a power nap. Just a quick one.

I fell asleep almost instantaneously.

~~~

I woke up to a wonderful aroma. Spices, herbs and oils wafted up into my nose and made me inhale deeply as a soft hand caressed my cheek.

"Carly?"

"Mmm... Charlie?" I sleepily murmured and pried my eyelids apart. Blinking first to rid my eyes of sleep, it took a second before Charlie's face became clear, hovering above me. He was squatting next to me, eye-level with me on the couch, smiling. "What's going on? What's that smell?"

"I cooked dinner," He said and watched me widen my eyes in shock and immediately shoot up, glaring towards the dining table where... holy shit, a feast worthy for kings and queens presented itself. "Your melatonin levels were high and you needed to restore your energy, so I let you rest while I cooked," He looked insecure for a moment when I just kept gaping. "I... I hope that was okay?"

"That's... you cooked." I stated dumbfounded and then snapped my eyes to him, blinking even more stupidly. "But I... I never taught you how to cook, Charlie! How'd you do it?"

"I read a couple of your cook books," He said and automatically made me turn my eyes to the considerable pile of books on the floor I hadn't noticed until now. They were all my cookbooks, both vegan, vegetarian and worldly recipes I had procured over the years. From the looks of the dining table, he had made a little of everything.

"I... how long was I asleep?" I asked feebly, wondering how the heck I had slept through him broiling what looked like creme brûlée and chopping twenty different fruits and vegetables.

"Almost three hours," He said and made me gasp. Charlie looked worried at that and added; "Should I not have done it...?"

"No, Charlie—no, I mean yes, I mean—" I started over when I was a rambling mess. "This is so amazing. I don't know what to say. You absolutely did a great job, I'm stunned."

He exhaled audibly and then stood up. "Thank you. So, are you hungry?"

I nodded and took his hand when he offered it and let him pull me up to my feet. "Definitely. God, it looks so delicious. You learned to cook gourmet dishes in just three hours?"

"One," He replied as we walked up to the table. He pulled out my chair for me, then sat down next to me afterwards. "The other 105 minutes I spent cooking. It was actually quite fun," He nervously glanced at me when I sniffed all the food while taking my napkin and placing it in my lap.

My mouth watered, and I also couldn't deny the tightening in my lower belly. Charlie had cooked and set the table, and to top it all off, he had also set a candle in the middle of it all, though it remained unlit since he wasn't allowed near fire. He had prepared an almost romantic dinner whether he knew it or not (though a suspicious part of me suspected he did), and I couldn't deny the effect it had on me. My lungs breathed a little faster and my heart clenched a bit harder.

"Charlie, this is truly amazing. Thank you so much. I'm really, really impressed, I hope you know that."

He gave me a little smile, but then we both dug in and ate until we both were beyond full. The food was incredible. Better than any food I had ever tasted in expensive Michelin restaurants. I suspected Charlie's tuned senses played a part in that. Whatever it was, it was just amazing.

I stopped counting the portions Charlie ate after the eighth, but I only managed four, with the last one being a tiny one. Then came dessert, and by that time, I could barely move. We ate for nearly an hour and a half, talked about different things, until finally there was nothing left to talk about.

"I'll do the dishes," I told as we begun clearing off the table, me scooping the leftover food into Tupperware containers. I had enough to feed a whole army. Or many another Charlie. "You go prepare for bed, I've got a big thing planned tomorrow I want you to be well-rested for."

"Are you sure?" He asked and eyed all the dishes. "I can help."

"It's okay, most of it goes into the dishwasher, the rest I'll do by hand. It's fine, I promise," I smiled when he hovered around. "Go upstairs, I'll be up in ten minutes."

"Alright. Carly?"

"Mm?"

Charlie turned me around by my hips and cupped my head before I could respond and then kissed me. Stunned, it took me a moment before my lips replied to his and moved as he kissed me slowly, deeply. When he pulled back I was breathless and my body was left tingling as he begun walking upstairs.

"O... kaaay..." I exhaled shakily, but then shook my head. Snap out of it.

I seriously needed a mental slap. Or a very real one.

Ten minutes later (which had stretched to fifteen if truth be told. I might've put going upstairs off as long as I could), I climbed up the stairs and found Charlie lying in his bed, reading one of his comic books. His prosthetic leg stood next to the bed as always, leaving his blunt leg to rest freely. He didn't have the covers on as I made it to the top of the staircase and knocked softly on his open door.

"Charlie?" He turned his head to me and instantly smiled when I came in, putting his comic down. He sat up a little more, flexing his bare torso, which of course my eyes didn't miss. I tried to act natural as I sat down next to him the mattress and smiled back at him. "All ready for bed?"

He nodded and then dropped his eyes to my hand. He gently took it and I then watched with my breath in my throat as he lifted it to his lips. He kissed the top first, then turned it over and softly kissed my palm, trailing down to my wrist. He kissed it tenderly and then sighed, closing his eyes.

And I pretty much turned into putty. I couldn't withstand his lips when they slowly trailed further up my arm, pulling me closer until he cupped my face instead and laced his lips over mine. I tasted mint and him, got drawn into his arms, engulfed in all that was him and was almost drowning when I felt his other hand suddenly slip between my legs. Like a bolt of lightening, I snapped out of it.

"Charlie, no," I whispered and tried to pull back, but he stubbornly kept me put. "Charlie..."

"You told me what it meant to be human," He replied, allowing me to pull back only enough so that he could look me in the eyes. His moons glowed at me, sobriety and sincerity shining inside them along with... along with that dangerous word I couldn't bring myself to teach him. "You told me that humans choose what they like and dislike, what they prefer to eat, whom they prefer to be with. Well I prefer you," He said and leaned closer again, pressed his forehead against mine. "I like you. I want to be with you. I choose you, Carly. Every fiber, molecule, neutron, proton and electron wants to be near you and have you. Nobody else."

God, no. I couldn't keep fighting him on this. I was at already at my breaking point. Mutely, I felt like screaming. My eyes watered as he kept staring into mine, perhaps sensing my resolve, his magenta orbs burning with fervor and a fire I had never seen before.

Something had happened inside him today. Something strong and powerful.

"But, Carly... not one fucking atom of me cares about what C.E.N.T.U.R.I.E.S will do if they find out," His eyes hardened to purple iron and caused my breath to vanish. "They can lock me up forever, they can terminate me, they can do whatever the fuck they want—it'll all be worth it for you. I like you," He cupped my face and then brushed my cheek. "Carly, I love you."

• • •

I think I prolly killed some of you with this cliffhanger.