Angel gasped. She would have struggled but she was stunned at the moment. Her jaw had pretty much dropped. She was also quite speechless, unable to really say a word as he did that. She did gasp again though when she landed on the bed after that. She frowned and looked at him. She was surprised he had actually did that. She finally took a bite of the cookie she held in her hand.

Andrew moved away, picked up the plate from the floor and set it beside her on the bed. The apple rolled off the plate across the bedspread but Andrew caught it under his hand before it could roll onto the floor. He moved to put it back on the plate with the remaining cookies, but thought better of it. He held it out, offering the apple to Angel if she wanted it.

Angel blinked. She hesitated. She was silent for a moment or two. However, she found herself slowly reaching out her hand towards him after that.

She was moving so slowly. Andrew tried to be patient. He knew she didn't trust him. But if she was going to take the food anyway why didn't she just take it at once? The way she could drag out a single movement only reminded him that this was insane. To feed the person trying to kill you, to treat her like a guest was a dangerous bargain. Perhaps one day she would be taking food with one hand and raising a weapon to take his life with the other.

Andrew moved the apple closer. It would be faster if she didn't have to reach as far. He really didn't want to be around the person that wanted him dead any longer than necessary.

Angel blinked. Before she could even register what had happened, the apple was in her hand. She frowned and looked from the apple to the beast. Suddenly, the one question that had been in the back of her mind sprang forth.
"...why?"

Andrew scratched his elbow. Now that she questioned it, he supposed this wasn't directly connected to preserving his life. She could sleep on the floor and still learn he was innocent, not out killing people. She could wait for breakfast to eat, and still gain strength to go find the real killer.

If he treated her like a guest, she would be more likely to be in his side. That was why he was doing this, right?

Right. No reason to consider anything else. He had his answer.

"So you know I'm not trying to kill anyone, even you. I woke you up so you could watch the Thunderstorm with me, but then you looked" he didn't say upset "hungry, so I brought you food. It's the most normal thing in the world."

Angel narrowed her eyes.
"You should have killed me. Then you would not have to worry about your life."
She pointed out the obvious.

"I don't kill people. I need you to understand that." He said bending at the waist to lean his head down to eye level with her. "I am going to live, and so is everyone else if I have anything to do with it."

Angel blinked.
"maybe I would like it if you...got rid of me."
She looked away. She felt like a failure since she failed at her goal that brought her there in the first place.

Andrew stared at her and he had a sinking feeling she wasn't exaggerating. He sat down at the foot of the bed and folded his hands in his lap. What do you say to something like that he wondered.

"Why?"

Angel narrowed her eyes. She frowned and sighed.
"..why not?"
She looked away.

Andrews voice exploded into a lecture "To help those people! Someone out there, like me, isn't controlling themselves and people are suffering for it! These people need help! Who's going to help them? Me? No one will have anything to do with me! I can go roaming the woods looking for a murderer, but anyone that finds me is going to try and kill me. And I deserve it. But I'd rather just live an isolated little life knowing everyone around is safe. But they're not, and you can actually help them. Isn't that what you wanted? To-"

Angel snarled and jumped up. She cut him off.
"That is not....!"
She stopped and sighed.
"...That is not...entirely true."
She looked at the floor. She sighed again.
".....money....vengeance....against all beasts."

Andrew took a step back. It seemed like he'd lost some ground, like it didn't matter as much if he wasn't threatening the local village. He was a beast. That could not be denied. So he was still on her list to kill. He moved sideways a bit, discreetly getting closer to the door in case he needed to escape.

"I'd like you to know I haven't been a beast very long, if that's any reasurance. I'd very much like to be an exception to your vengeance."

He didn't bother mentioning he'd love to stop being a beast, because the likelihood of that happening seemed impossible. Besides, she'd probably just offer to kill him so he wouldn't have to be a beast any longer.

Angel narrowed her eyes. She didn't believe him. That much was obvious.
"I have my doubts."
She frowned. She still didn't entirely trust him.

"That is perfectly reasonable. I'd be more than happy to do anything I can to alleviate your every suspicion. What can I do? Regale you with stories of my boyhood? Describe the school lessons learned in my youth? Detail the travels of my manhood, the crowded cities I've walked through, monuments seen, the finest of meals I've eaten?" He was rambling, but he was desperate to try even the smallest something to prove his pre-beast human state.

Angel sighed. She shrugged.
"I do not know. I doubt if I would believe anything."
She frowned and looked away. She had quite a bit of mistrust, and for good reason.

He couldn't blame her, but he had to try something.

"When I was human..."

No telling her about spending time picknicking in the woods wouldn't help him. Sitting high on a hill overlooking a city, terrible idea. Suddenly everything he could think of was condemning.

"...well, um, I really enjoyed dancing. Usually. Some partners were not as skilled as others, some were too distracted to live up to their potential. And my mother was so pushy I could hardly stand to the side to catch my breath, and enjoy the candle light in the room sparkling off the silver threads and precious jewelry pieces. No I had to keep dancing and dancing. And now there is no one to dance with because I can not go to the great halls and hear the music echoing from the rafters. I cannot touch anyone even in the smallest most common way, and that is what I miss the most. The welcome."

He decided that was enough for now, even if it didn't do him any good with Angel. Remembering any more wouldn't help him either.

Angel blinked. She frowned for a moment. She had a sudden thought when he told her that. She had enjoyed the same thing as a child, before her parents died, but she did not say that out loud. she was hesitant to admit that to him. She was often lonely after a while though, as her parents were busy talking to others and conversing after a while, and there weren't too many others her own age to dance with and play with. She fought a tear as she remembered those memories.

"I'll let you get some sleep. I know humans need plenty of rest." He said heading for the door again to close it behind him.

What a day it had been. He'd need rest too before facing whatever would come next.