Sero couldn't help but feel a small smile tug at the corner of his lips after hearing her words. A surge of gratitude washed over him at how Elizabeth seemed to understand him. "Yeah, I guess." He paused for a moment, then gestured at the pendant. "So, what do we do with this thing?"
"What is it?" Elizabeth asked, stepping closer to him and leaning forward to glance at the pendant. Sero became acutely aware of how sweet her dark violet hair smelled, taking note of the curious gleam in her honey brown eyes.
"Uh... something I found. My Sponsor... she said it was something tainted and corrupted. And we shouldn't... uh, touch it," Sero stammered, feeling a bit awkward. He sensed Aphiel’s presence quietly slipping away. Whether it was to give him privacy between him and Elizabeth, or the goddess was jumping right into figuring out what the pendant was, Sero didn’t think much of it.
"Have you told the others yet?" Elizabeth turned to him, their faces uncomfortably close as their eyes met.
"No, not yet," Sero admitted, feeling his cheeks heat up. "I was about to text Kit when I ran into you."
"Hmm," Elizabeth stepped away, tapping her chin with a gloved finger. "Maybe it's better that I tell them, so that they don't realize you're not staying out of things."
"Y-yeah, that's smart," Sero agreed. "Thanks, Liz. You're, uh, really good at this."
"Liz?" Elizabeth flicked her gaze back toward him, amused. "You into nicknames?"
"Um, not really," Sero said, feeling himself blush. "I-I mean, it's not like I'm into nicknames or anything. I don't- I don't know what I'm saying."
Elizabeth laughed, covering her mouth with a hand. "It's fine. I know you weren't expecting me to be on board with you, so I get that you might be confused. But anyways, you can call me Liz if you want."
"Thanks. Liz," Sero added hesitantly. It was slightly funny to know that Elizabeth was unaware that she was the root cause of his blushing. He cleared his throat, trying to get back to the task at hand. "So, what do we do now?"
"Well, since your Sponsor said it was dangerous to touch, I think we just let the others know for now, and lock down this place so we can figure out what this thing is." Elizabeth suggested, her voice calm and confident. "I flew out as soon as your location informed me that you left the infirmary, so we'll either have to walk back, or wait for someone to pick us up."
"Your suit can fly?" Sero asked, his eyes gleaming excitedly. "Wait, you came out here alone?"
"Don't worry about it," Elizabeth said dismissively, waving her hand. "I've been in worse situations before. Now, shall we find somewhere to sit and wait for the others?"
"I've got a better idea," Sero smirked. "Give me your hand and close your eyes."
After successfully using his Cat Paradox on someone else for the first time, the both of them found themselves back in Sero's penthouse.
"Oh my- what just happened?" Elizabeth stumbled unsteadily, grasping at Sero for support. Her Empress suit had disappeared, revealing a deep purple blouse tucked into her jeans.
"I teleported us back to my place," Sero chuckled softly, holding onto her. "Sorry, probably should've warned you, huh?"
Elizabeth seemed to steady herself as she took in her surroundings. "It's... fine," she smiled weakly. "I've gone through worse."
Sero helped her settle on the couch before venturing to his kitchen. "Want anything to drink?"
"No, thank you," she said, watching him from where she sat. "I'm still a bit... unsettled." She paused, taking a deep breath. "I'll need to inform the others about our discovery."
"Sure," Sero walked back over with two bottles of water, plopping on the couch across from her. "I'll stay here. For real, since you've agreed to work with me in secret."
"Thank you," she nodded, accepting one of the waters. "In return, I won't keep a tracker on you."
"Well, after giving it some thought, I don't mind that anymore," Sero shot back with a playful grin.
Elizabeth arched an eyebrow. "You're in a better mood after I'm allowing you to do things covertly, aren't you?" she asked, her voice teasing.
Sero grinned, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm just happy to have your trust, Liz." He took a sip of water, then set it down on a nearby table. "So, you'll keep me updated, right? Even if you're not keeping a tracker on me?"
"Of course," she assured him. "I'll make sure to keep you in the loop. Now, I suppose I should be going back. There's still much to be done." She hesitated, then asked, "Will you be okay here alone?"
Sero glanced around his restored penthouse, which felt as lonely as the day he moved in. He hadn't realized how much he missed the company of Luna, Nala, and Casey. At least Luna and Nala were safe at Gregor's home.
"Yeah, I'll be fine," Sero lied, trying to convince himself more than her. "It's not like anything's going to happen here. I'll just... think about what we should do next." He forced a laugh, feeling a pit forming in his stomach.
"How about I come back to keep you company after I finish what I need to do?" Elizabeth offered, her expression gentle and sincere. "I know it's not the same, but it might help."
Sero hesitated, surprised by the offer. He wanted to refuse, to appear fine and stable, but the truth was, he wanted her company. It would be nice to have someone to talk to. "Okay," he managed to say, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'd like that."
Elizabeth smiled warmly, dimples prominent in her cheeks. "Alright, then. I'll come back as soon as I can. Just give me a call when you need me." She rose from the couch and moved toward the door, pausing to look back at him. "Take care of yourself, Sero."
"I will," he replied, feeling a weight lift from his chest. "Thank you."
Elizabeth stepped out of the door, leaving Sero alone once again. He took a deep breath and walked over to the window, gazing out at the city below. The sun was beginning to set, painting the sky in hues of red and orange. It was beautiful, but he couldn't help but feel a sense of loss and emptiness. He missed his friends, his family. He missed his life before everything went to shit.
The night had settled in by the time Elizabeth came back. A knock on his penthouse door caused Sero to hastily open it, his heart racing with hope. She smiled wearily at him, her eyes red from exhaustion. He stepped aside, letting her in, and closed the door behind her.
"Guessing the work was rough," Sero said, gesturing for her to sit on the couch in the living room as he scuttled to the kitchen. "I made dinner, just in case you haven't eaten."
"That's thoughtful of you," she said, sitting down and taking off her shoes. "Smells delicious." She watched as Sero busied himself in the kitchen, moving around the room with an ease that seemed almost effortless.
"Yeah, I just decided I'd try my hand at cooking since I can't really... do anything else right now."
Elizabeth seemed deep in thought as Sero brought over the dishes he cooked. He had made a simple but delicious-smelling pasta with tomato sauce and basil. "Thank you," she said, smiling gratefully as he set the dishes on the coffee table in front of her. "This really is appreciated."
"What do you want to drink?"
Elizabeth thought for a moment before answering. "I'd love some wine, if you have any."
"Sure. What kind?" Sero headed to the kitchen cabinets, emulating Lawbreak.
"White would be great," she called after him. "Whatever you think is good."
Sero returned with a bottle of white wine and two glasses, courtesy of Cat Paradox. Setting them on the coffee table beside her, he poured them both a generous amount. "Thanks," she said, taking a sip of her wine as he sat down beside her.
They ate in silence for a while, savoring the food and the companionship. Sero couldn't help but notice how relaxed she seemed, how easily she smiled. Just like the first night he'd met her, Elizabeth was... enchanting. He found himself wishing he could talk to her about something else, anything else, but the reality of their situation hung over them like a dark cloud.
"Are you doing okay?" Elizabeth asked him quietly after a while, setting her glass down.
"Yeah... I'm alright. Why?"
"The others are worried about you. The Janitors, Kit, Luna, Nala, and even Amaya."
Sero sipped his glass, avoiding Elizabeth's gaze. "Are they saying anything?"
"Just... Amaya had to tell us how you handled the Culling members at Dr. Malek's practice."
"Oh... yeah. I mean, I didn't really have much choice, did I?" Sero said, feeling a bit uncomfortable. "They were going to hurt people."
Elizabeth nodded, her expression softening. "I know. It's just that... they're worried about you, you know? You've been through so much, and now this. I haven't known you long and even I think that brutality was out of character for you."
Sero looked away, not sure what to say. He knew he had changed, but he didn't want to admit it. Worse, admitting it would also prove that what Dante said was true, that people were right to fear him.
"I'm just... tired of losing those I care about." Sero confessed, his voice barely above a whisper. He didn't want to admit that he believed everything that happened to him was because he was complacent, that he only did the bare minimum and was now paying the price for it. Adopting a more ruthless approach had actually yielded results, like when he prevented a Culling member from opening an outbreak or keeping him and Amaya safe at Dr. Malek's practice. Hell, if it wasn't for his Dominate and Mind Search skills, Sero probably wouldn't have been able to get this far.
"Hey, I might not completely understand, but I get the gist of it. I know you're feeling pretty... lost right now. While I don't agree with your methods, I do have to admit I share your justifications." She took a sip of her wine before continuing. "I'm not here to tell you that it's all going to be okay, because honestly, I don't know if it will. I just know that it's ignorant to think that we'd be able to get through all of this without making some... difficult choices."
Elizabeth set her glass down and gazed at Sero. "I really shouldn't be saying this, but I'm not going to tell you to stop doing what you've been doing because I have a feeling you won't listen. But what I will say is that somewhere down the line I hope you don't forget who you are, or who your friends are."
Sero still couldn't meet her eyes. "I... I won't."
Elizabeth reached out to grasp his hand, squeezing it comfortingly. In that moment, Sero knew it was wrong, but he found himself comparing Amaya's comfort to Elizabeth's, realizing that the latter was much more genuine.
"Thanks," Sero muttered, gently slipping his hand away. While he was still certain of his feelings for Amaya, there was something about Elizabeth that made him feel... safe. Like she truly understood him on a level that Amaya never could. Of course, Elizabeth did say she was good at reading people.
"Well, if you're okay with it, how about we set aside this depressing talk and focus on something more... uplifting?" Elizabeth suggested with a small smile.
"Like what?" Sero asked, raising an eyebrow. He felt relieved to be talking about something other than the constant threat of the Culling or their own dark thoughts.
Elizabeth tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Well, what else could we do indoors at night?"
Sero considered her question. "There's always a movie, or a board game...?"
Elizabeth's gaze drifted towards his flatscreen TV, then trailed down to the gaming device Nala had rented from the association. "Oh, you have the newest Series Z?"
"Huh? Oh yeah, the association loaned that to me- well, technically to Nala, but I haven't touched it. Why, do you play video games?"
"Not to brag, but I'm the best," Elizabeth's eyes flashed mischievously, dimples appearing on her cheeks as she smiled. "How about we play? Loser has to take a shot of whatever alcohol you have."
Sero raised an eyebrow. "You sure? I've heard that some of those games are really hard." He paused, considering her offer. "But okay, why not? I think I got some liquor somewhere."
