(Sorry on mobile so no read more)
Dust danced in the light filtering through the blinds covering sliding glass doors. The coffee pot gurgled lazily in the background as Tess pulled a pan from the cabinet and turned a stove eye on with a flick.
She periodically glanced out of the corner of her eye to her house guest. The Beast had taken to running a hand across the floor, feeling the difference between the rug, hardwood, and kitchen tiles with each sweep on his hand. His fascination with the different textures of the floor was almost cute.
The thought was quickly shut down at the sound of one of his claws scraping a tile.
The Beast yanked his back and cradled it to his chest as if he'd been stung. He glared at the ground as if it were to blame, visable eye narrowed and his lips turned into a pout.
Okay, still kinda cute. She laughed through her nose and shook her head. The Beast shot her a petulant look and slinked into the hallway out of sight. Tess poured the steaming coffee into a mug slowly and kept her ears peeled for any troubling noises.
She looked at the thawed package of bacon she had taken out of the freezer the night before.
Would the Beast eat meat if she cooked it? The sinew she saw stuck between his teeth the night before had given more insight to his diet than Tess was ready (or willing) to learn. Her main concern was the bacteria, but would it matter to him?
Did he hunt his food or scavenge it?
Had he ever eaten pork before?
Maybe he had eaten boar before, that was the same thing, right?
Did boars even live around here?
Was she overthinking this?
What if there where preservatives in the bacon that would make him sick?
She was definitely overthinking this.
Sighing, she turned the eye off and grabbed a pair of scissors off the drying rack. She pursed her lips as juice leaked from package and on to her hands.
"Hey, Beast!" Tess raised her voice slightly as she tossed the scissors in the sink.
The Beast popped his head around the corner with an irritated expression.
"C'mere, try not to throw it all up."
She gingerly placed each strip of bacon on a plate, noise scrunching up in distaste. Tess crouched and held the plate to him, "Eat up, dude."
The Beast stared at her with no comprehension on his face.
"What am I doing? You aren't a dog," she chastised herself.
Tess remained low to the ground as she moved forward and tried again. He leaned forward and sniffed, but made to move to eat.
"Seriously? It's dead, raw, and gross. You love that stuff."
He flinched at the harsh tone of her voice. Tess felt a pang of guilt.
"Uh, sorry...." she rubbed the back of her neck and looked away. "Didn't mean to snap at you."
Tess softened her voice and tried again, "Here, Beast. This is yours. I got it for you." She placed the plate on the floor and push it toward him. "I won't take it from you, honest. All yours, B-man."
Tess frowned. B-man? "You need a normal name, dude."
The Beast's hesitation broke and he snatched up a few slices and shoved them into his mouth.
Tess wrinkled her nose. "Ew."
Atleast he was human enough to chew with his mouth closed. Mostly.
He paused at the sound of her voice, a fistful of meat halfway to his mouth. He looked back and forth between his breakfast and Tess as he seemed to contemplate something.
To her surprise and disgust, the Beast thrust his hand forward and offering the raw meat to her as it dangled just inches away from her face.
"Um, no thanks. Like I said, all yours pal," she replied in the most polite tone she could muster.
The Beast looked genuinely confused as Tess gently pushed his hand away from her. Then he simply shrugged as if to say, "more for me", and continued to eat.
Tess groaned as she pushed herself to her feet. Holding her hands in front of her as if she were a surgeon, she jogged to the sink and scrubbed her hands vigorously.
The magnitude of his gesture wasn't lost on her. The man had been living like an animal for God knows how long. And animals usually weren't too keen on sharing food.
Did this mean he trusted her? It was more likely that he just thought she was just barely able to take care of herself. He probably thought she needed a babysitter.
Tess smiled at the notion as she leaned back against the counter and sipped her still-steaming coffee. Now that he was confident his meal was his and his alone the Beast slowed down, opting to chew slowly and savor each bite.
"Since you can't eat at the table, maybe I'll join you on the floor," she remarked as she took another sip.
The Beast twitched his ears at her words but ultimately decided his meal was more interesting.
Tess kept talking, "Y'know, at my high school, there weren't enough tables in the cafeteria for all the students. So my friends and I sat on the floor."
Tess felt a wave of nostalgia at the memory. "Damn, seems so long ago now. Time flies, huh?"
"I wonder what kind of stuff do you remember, B."
They allowed the comfortable silence to grow, and Tess felt the stress of the last couple weeks physically being lifted from her shoulders. Even the Beast seemed lighter than he'd probably been in a long time.
And just like that, the stress was back.
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