The clock had struck midnight and Zoyaella wasn't slightly worried about getting home in time to greet her evil stepmother because; first of all, she didn't have one and secondly, she was living with a man who claimed to be made of ice but radiated the warmest heat she'd ever had the pleasure of feeling. Sure, Cinderella had found her Prince Charming because of a foot fetish, but she'd stumbled into hers because something about her big mouth dragged him in and what could be better than that?

Nothing.

It had felt like hours feeling around her new home in search of Aditya's room only to bang her head into a dizzying concussion that begged her to relinquish her aim to wake him and return to bed, but when had she ever been one to listen?

Never.

With her phone to her ear, her favourite takeaway on the line and her hair brushing his nose so he swatted at her, she giggled. "Psst, Aditya" she called.

"Hm?" He blinked, one fist rubbing his left eye, "Tell the jailer five more minutes" groaning loudly, he turned away from her.

Feeling the sudden waft of air slam into her chest, her lips downturned into a pout "Um" her hand smacked what she hoped was his shoulder, "I'm not the jailer, I'm Zoya".

Growling loudly, Aditya shot up, eyes bloodshot and wide as he scowled at her. "What. Do. You. Want?"

"Uh" her legs swayed, "I'm hungry, wanted to order a takeaway but I don't know your address". It probably seemed odd to a man, but she could've sworn she had pregnancy cravings when she wasn't even pregnant, waffles here, waffles there, waffles everywhere.

And guess what?

SHE WAS STILL HUNGRY.

Pinching the brim of his nose, he tossed his legs over the edge of the bed. "What time is it?" His arms lifted in a stretch that tightened his t-shirt against his muscular form.

Losing herself in the huskiness of his voice, she shook her head quickly. "Sometime after midnight, you want some waffles? Uncle does the bestttt waffles" blinking fast, her lips pursed to the left when his response was silence. "Don't mean to rush you, but I have someone on the phone so" she drifted off.

Snatching the phone, he grumbled the address into the mic then threw it carelessly onto the bed beside him. "Zoya" his head fell into his hands, "We're going to need some rules if you're staying here".

"Oh sure," she nodded, falling beside him messily so her shoulder bumped into his, "Like what?"

"How about not waking me up when I'm sleeping?" Aditya really was trying to be a nice guy, especially as it was kind of his fault she'd lost her home in the first place, but she made it far more difficult than he believed even slightly necessary. He got it, she was like an annoying child with a million questions, but this was neither the time nor the place.

"But what if I have a bad dream?" Zoya leant her cheek on his shoulder. She was partly teasing him and partly not, she'd never had someone to 'lean on' before and now she couldn't help but wonder what it'd be like to fall into awaiting arms rather than crash into the cold, hard ground.

Standing up, his hand rested on the dresser "You aren't a baby" he grit out, hair scraping his sharp jaw as his head turned, "You coped before, you can cope now".

Clicking her tongue, she placed her hands on her lap. "But that was when I didn't know what it was like to have someone" sensing his glare soften, she sighed loudly, "You never know what you've been missing until you find it" shrugging it off as nothing, she rose too.

Aditya's brows joined in the middle and with them, his feet moved so he met her halfway to the door. He couldn't figure her out even if he tried, simply because she was beyond his capability of understanding. Afterall, how could she always get it so right when the whole world got it so damn wrong? How could she see him when the eyes were the portal to the soul but she would never see his? "If you knew me" he began, entire body stiffening, "Really knew me, you'd know that it's better to have never had than to have yearned for when it comes to me".

"And if you knew me" she grinned, "Really knew me, you'd know that it's always better to have than to yearn for" she gestured to her eyes, "It took me a while to realise sight is more than what the eyes can see, perhaps it will take you a while to realise that you are more than you know?"

Before he could respond, a loud knock hit against his door. Shuffling past her, he yanked it open to a small man who almost fell back at the sight of a man so large and scary stood before a small woman with the widest smile.

They didn't fit, not at all, they were complete opposites, yet he couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to have her small hand in his as he walked down the streets focusing more on what she saw rather than what the rest did.

"Uncle" she squealed, throwing herself at him. "This is Aditya, he's my new friend" turning to him, she winked, "Nice, isn't he?"

Clearing his throat, Ramon nodded slowly. He knew of this man, who didn't? And he wasn't good, especially not for someone so pure, in fact, he was darkness embodied and he wouldn't have anyone dimming her light. "Are you sure this arrangement is" he paused, voice a mere whisper, "Safe?"

"Well, who's going to hurt me with Aditya here?" She shoved at his arm playfully.

"I believe he meant I'm the danger, Zoya" Aditya shoved his tongue into his cheek, biting down onto it till metal washed over his tastebuds.

"What?" She exclaimed loudly. "No, he didn't mean that" she assured then turned back toward Ramon, "Did you, Uncle?" Her face was contorted into one of deep concern, she couldn't have someone thinking such horrid things about her one and only friend. Aditya had done more for her than anyone else ever had and she wouldn't allow anyone to hurt him when he'd saved her from life on the streets. Upon getting no reply, her arms dropped to her sides "I think it's best you stick to judging a good waffle rather than judging a good person, mirrors reflect, people don't" shutting the door softly, she leant against it. Drumming her feet, Zoya raised her head uncomfortably "You wanna make homemade waffles instead?"

His jaw dropped, was that it? She stuck up for him when nothing pointed to him being good then moved on, was she really that innocent? Could anyone be? "You did hear what he said, right?" Scratching the back of his neck, he coughed uncomfortably.

"I did" her eyes watered. "Uncle doesn't know you as I do".

He chuckled roughly "You don't know me at all" turning away, he halted "You should never be that trusting" the warning brought the temperature in the room to minus degrees so his beating heart would continue to freeze and never thaw from the warmth she so badly wished to bring to him.

"The truster is not the issue, Aditya, the deceiver is" gripping the chain around her neck, Zoya brought it to her lips so the cross dug into her chin when she released it. "God, may my waffles be as good as I believe this man here to be and if I have viewed this man as more than what he is then give me good waffles out of pity".

Swirling around fast, his eyes narrowed in on her "Zoya?"

"Yes?" She smiled sweetly.

"I like waffles with chocolate sauce".

Her eyes crinkled, hands smacking together in joy "Then allow me, kind Sir" holding out her hand, Zoya put a thumb up to the sky in thanks when he finally took it.