It's a sin to kill a mockingbird.

He laughed when she played coy and gave her a look “I’m not sure. I’m just one odd duck who comes up with crazy assumptions” Just as France never was so nice to someone, he was never so playful. He was usually a failure around women. He had tried to flirt with very few women but had never accomplished to be suave in anyway, he always came out awkward and fumbling. But something about France made him feel at ease abut also working hard to impress her. It was an odd combination that seemed to be working for him. He shook his head “No. Certainly not. My car...looks nothing like that one” He pointed to hers. Her answer was vague and didn’t even really give him an answer, but he was assuming maybe his hunch was right?

He tilted his head and was going to ask if she really had a butler, but decided not to. He probably wouldn’t get a straight answer anyway. “It was wonderful to meet you, France” He said with a smile and stepped back from her car “Have a good rest of the night” He watched her get in the car then glanced around before stepping back further and turned to walk away back to his apartment. Well, at least his night hadn’t been a total waste.

He had expected that first night would be the last night he ever saw the mysterious and beautiful France. But he found the next night when he couldn’t sleep he made his way to the diner again. And the next night. And the next night. At first he could lie through his teeth that he just liked the brownies and cupcakes at the diner, but after a while it got a little insanely obvious why he was really visiting the diner every night and that reason had been because he had wanted to see her. So finally he had decided he either needed to ask her out, fail and stop pestering the woman or ask her out, not sound like a fumbling fool and perhaps get a yes. And a yes is exactly what he got, to his utter surprise.

He walked in and didn’t see her, so he went to sit and knew she’d come to him when she wanted, just like always. When she came out and over to his table he stared at her, even though he knew it was rude and he told himself to stop…he couldn’t stop. He hadn’t see her in anything but her waitress uniform, this was…this was a very pleasant change “Good evening” He smiled, blinking a few times to snap himself out of it and look at her face like a proper gentleman. He tilted his head and chuckled “Are we getting on a plane?” He joked.

He laughed and picked something up beside him on the seat before standing up and handed her a bouquet of red roses “I was not sure what your favorite flower was and felt it too obvious to ask. I hope their alright” He just grinned and followed her and although he knew she was joking around, he wouldn’t be surprised if there really was a plane waiting for them. He still hadn’t figured out how she had such nice things working as a waitress, but was still convinced she was a rich girl with a trust fund but didn’t like people to know that.

He loved her humor. He didn’t have much of a sense of humor himself, so he was at least able to enjoy hers. He snapped his fingers and smiled “Darn, I must have taken too long to get here” He tried to be funny though around her, to match the wit she had and so he wouldn’t come off as so boring. He was very surprised by her sudden offer, he had assumed to be taking her out to a nice restaurant. It was a surprise yes, but a pleasant one….one to which he would continue to be a gentleman like always, of course. “I, would love too. That would be wonderful”

When her face lit up his did as well, happy to see she did like them. He had given flowers to women before, few times, but he had. Never had he gotten such a…exuberant reaction. The kiss shocked him, he hadn’t been expecting it, not a woman who yes was playful and a bit of a tease, but a lady. He hadn’t even expected a peck on the cheek for them, so this kiss was quite welcomed. Of course by the time he got over the initial shock and allowed himself to enjoy it, her lips were already pulling away. Damn…why did he take so long to react? Hopefully he’d get another chance, but then again he had no more gifts to give except the flowers.

He opened the car door for her and then got in himself and asked her idly about work and how things were as they drove to her place. Once they reached their destination he felt a bit more at ease, not even having realized he had been anxious on the ride there. “Looks very nice” He commented earnestly as he got out of the car and looked over her apartment complex. It wasn’t the big fancy mansion he had been expecting from her, but she seemed to be full of surprises at all times. He never knew what to expect and he liked that. Life got so mundane, especially his own. She made things ever so…fascinating and new.

“No thanks needed. I simply thought they reflected you” He grinned as he watched her touch the flower petals. He stepped inside the apartment after she did and looked around. No it wasn’t a million dollar place, but it was far nicer than his small little apartment. It was far more than a waitress could afford, so he was going back to his previous thought, once again, that she was secretly filthy rich. Oh the psychologist in him, always processing and dissecting. He went to go stand in the middle of the living room area, looking around but keeping his hands to himself. He smelled the food and chuckled, realizing she had been planning for him to come over from the start. He walked closer to the kitchen a laugh “I eat at the diner, don’t I? Should give your answer right there”

He shrugged, a little bashful. He didn’t try to be a gentleman, he just knew that was the proper way to behave with a woman. “Insomnia is how” He chuckled a bit. He didn’t believe in fate or destiny or any of that, he was a man of science and logic and reason. Did he think he was destined to go to that diner and meet her? No. Did he think he was lucky to have insomnia because he ended up meeting her and she was wonderful? Yes. He looked over as she came out of the kitchen and like she had hoped, stared again now that she had removed the sweater and he could see…more. He just cleared his throat a bit to try and distract himself from her and nodded “I’d love a tour, yes”

Her bedroom first? He thought a woman’s bedroom was a sacred ground a man was never allowed to see. Apparently he was getting a special pass. He was intrigued to look around and get glimpses of who she was and what she liked. He saw the repeat pictures of the same two people and looked at her curiously “Family?” He wondered before being lead to a second bedroom. Second bedroom? He had one bedroom the size of a closet. “You really do travel” he chuckled to see everything in the second bedroom. He didn’t have anything from Egypt; he hadn’t been able to bring anything but the clothes on his back so his eyes lit about when he spotted a few things that he recognized.

“I’m more than willing to tell you about myself” The question was, was she willing to talk about herself? She had been more than mysterious, if he was going to share, she would have to share too and he had plenty of questions. He followed her back to the living room and smiled “Do you need any help in the kitchen?” He asked before he’d go and relax.

“How are they related to you?” He wanted, no at this point it was needed, to know more about her, even the little things. Did she have parents? Siblings? Friends? Grandparents? He had nothing and he knew it was a risk to ask her about her family, because she would in return ask him about his…and he had no clue about his family. He couldn’t even remember anything about them. He shook his head “None. I don’t believe I was able to bring anything with me from Egypt when I came here, not that I had much to begin with I’m sure”

Her question was heavy, it was very load. Life…he had learned all about life in college and spoke about life to his patients and what they wanted from life, but it’s not like anyone ever asked a psychologist about life. What he wanted to say was he wanted to be normal. To not feel afraid to fall asleep, to be able to remember everything he did, whether it was bad or good he didn’t care. What he wanted out of life was control…but he couldn’t say that. She’d think him a nutcase “I suppose what any man would want. Love. Marriage. A nice home, a family” Yes, give the mundane boring answer part of him, not that it wasn’t a true answer.

“I’d love some, thank you” He said before going to the couch and carefully sitting down, with the caution most did when entering the space of another’s home.

Ah so these people weren’t blood family, but friend family. Alright, that mystery was slightly solved. Where was her real family? Well at least now he didn’t have to speak about his non-existent family. He didn’t even have a make shift family. He had no real friends, no family, no companions of any sort. It was just him alone and the few acquaintances he had that he hardly ever spoke too. She was the first person that he had actually spent any time with that was not a patient.

He took the glass and thanked her once more before turning his bdy to face her better on the couch. He took a sip of the whine “Mm, very good” He commented before turning his full attention to her with a smile. When she called him out on his answer he laughed “Ah, yes, it is rather cookie cutter but it is what I hope for in life” It was…among other, stranger things. “I moved here because psychology has not yet caught up with Egypt. I heard America had many loony people” He smirked for a moment and took another sip before continuing “What about yourself?”

He had no idea what was going to happen. For him, this would just be a quiet evening dinner where they walked and got to know each other better. He didn’t expect anything else nor would he try anything. He chuckled and made a slight face of guilt “Ah yes…yes I do, tend to do that at times” He was so bad at it, he really was, but people fascinated him and he loved to pick them apart and figure out why they ticked. Maybe because he couldn’t figure himself out, he had to do it to other people “But I promise I will try to be on my best behavior and not shrink you. I swear” He thought flaws were good. People needed to have weaknesses; it’s what truly kept them going.

When she touched him…it sent many crazy hormonal things through his body, but he didn’t show them on his face. “I d-do miss it, yes” So much for not showing she was affecting him “But I didn’t leave much. No family. No friends or connections. I just…got up and left” Or so he assumed. One day he was in Egypt, the next he woke up and he was in America. How he got there he wasn’t sure, but he had cooked up the story that he had wanted to come here to be a psychologist. Damn the damned timer. When she left, this time he took a gulp of wine then glanced back at her “Wonderful. It smells fantastic” He got up and walked into the kitchen, looking around and smiled/

Some effect? If only she knew just how deeply her effect on him was and how lucky he felt himself that he could hide it so well so she didn’t think he was some silly boy that couldn’t handle being around a woman. It was true that he felt like a silly boy, but he didn’t want her to know that or she’d probably kick him out and go find a real man and not him who had no backbone and had never been with a woman like her. She was gorgeous…he still didn’t know why she was interested in him, it was a bit baffling to him but he wasn’t complaining. He’d take in her attention for as long as she wanted to give it to him.

The dinner was wonderful, he wasn’t a very good cook and often made instant little meals, nothing special. It was nice to have a home cooked meal like this, was a good change of pace. “That was an absolutely delicious dinner. You outdid yourself” He told her with a smile after he had finished eating. He wiped his mouth with a napkin then set it down, looking to her as she poured him more wine and chuckled “I think I just might. What did you make?” he asked curiously. After all the wonderful food, he was interested to know what else she had cooked up.

He chuckled “You wouldn’t need to create a reason for me to come here” He wanted to spend time with her. If she had invited him to her home just to sit on the couch and talk with nothing else, he would have been happy to do it and come back again. He watched her grab the plates and watched her, getting up somewhat “Do you want some help cleaning up?” He just wanted to be polite and not sit around like some man who expected her to serve him. She did it at the diner and he just wanted to make sure to offer to help out in her own home.

The cake looked amazing. He never had much of a sweet tooth, until he went to the diner and now his sweet tooth had grown quite significantly. He got up and followed her back into the living room “Well with all this wine and chocolate you sure know the proper spy tactics to make me talk” He teased as he picked up his wine glass to take along with him.

He wasn’t good with hints. He was used to asking questions with patients, over and over and delving deeper and deeper into each sentence and word until he figured out the little pebble of information that wasn’t being said and that made that person tick. He of course knew by now she was interested in him in some romantic way, but still he didn’t get it. All the touching was new to him, touching like this wasn’t allowed in Egypt and his body just keep reeling everything she did it but respectful was always, he did not return the touching. He kept his hands to himself like a good little boy while his insides jumped around like a grasshopper.

He sat down as she went to get her wine. He picked up his fork and took a piece of the cake to try it, making a satisfied sound at the taste of it. Very good cake. Very good and this was a man who preferred boring plain pie. He sat back when she returned and chuckled “I’m quite boring, I promise. I don’t have many secrets” Except one big secret which he refused to share because she’d probably call the police and say he was a lunatic.

Oh yes, always the stoic man indeed. The touching was nice but, she had yet to give him permission to touch her and no way would he just…grab at her. He was dubious to the fact she as asking for affection, he just thought she was…well, he wasn’t sure what she was doing, maybe just some subtle flirting. He may be a psychiatrist but women? Women he still didn’t understand when it came to dating. He would stay polite and well-mannered and keep his distance until she told him otherwise. Her question threw him off and he blinked, staring in surprise “What? No, of course not” He said, a bit horrified that he had done something to make her think he believed her to be boring.

“You’re enchanting” The words left him before he could even control them. Enchanting? Would that flatter her or was that far too large of a word to use? He sighed “Yes, I have been told I can be a bit…dull” He set down his wine and turned back to looking at her “I apologize, I do. I do not mean to bore you in any way or seem like I am hiding things. I suppose I’m not a very good conservationist with, well, beautiful women. I do not do much in my life. I’m afraid I am not a very in depth human being with many exciting corners.” She would cut him loose, he knew it. She was exciting and playful and full of curiosity and he? He was as exciting as toast.

When she laughed for calling her enchanting he groaned on the inside and outside he made a face and chuckled a bit. Oh wonderful…she probably thought he was a dud. But didn’t women like that? For men to be poetic and say sweet words? He didn’t know. He had no clue so he was just trying his best. He laughed “Your too sweet but yes, I am boring” He wasn’t suave or had great stories to tell or debonair…that’s the kind of man he would see being with France. A man in a sharp suit with slicked back hair and one of those smiles that women swooned over. Khalid? He had none of that and yet for some reason she liked him. Or maybe she took pity on him. There was that too.

When she called him bewitching he laughed and shook his head, giving her a playful look for making fun of him calling her enchanting. When she grew serious he did as well, gazing into her eyes “I enjoy spending time with you as well” She was wonderful, he had never met a woman like her before. Every day he woke up looking forward to see her and went to bed every night thinking about her. When she moved closer his heart was beating wildly in his chest but still, kept his hands to himself even though she wasn’t. He smiled sincerely “Well, I greatly enjoy you being yourself as well” He gazed at her a bit longer then took in a breath and shifted a bit to lean more towards her “May I kiss you?” He asked softly, a bit of uncertainty in his voice even with her being so close and so obviously asking for it.