You could feel the tension from the group as they received a lecture from the [i]human[/i] about the situation they were in. Her help was invaluable to them in learning what they can about their marks and there were many voices that began to speak in protest including Cal who had remained calm until this point and it was obvious she was ready to panic.

“Quiet!” Axel called out, much to the surprise of the group his tone was a lot more harsh then they were used to and everyone seemed to clam up and Leon casted a concerned glance towards Alexander who seemed ready to jump as needed. However Axel remained fine with their reactions and didn’t think much of it. “It’s her choice.” He said in a much more calm toned, sounding almost embarrassed to speak up against his boss and friends. “We can’t force her to do something she doesn’t want to do, nor will we. That’s not what we are meant to do, we are supposed to help, not hinder…”

“This coming from a Punishment god…” Leon muttered only to be told to watch his tongue by Alexander.

Turning back to Lee he gave a gentle sigh. “I’ll walk you to the bus stop.” Which he did, in silence and keeping his distance as to avoid making her uncomfortable; he then experienced the sadness of watching that bus drive away, who knew his first time on earth and his first experiences with some of the great inventions of their kind would make him so incredibly sad. 

Every day for the next two weeks, Axel was rarely found within the house until near nightfall. From early in the morning to the evening, the young man was downtown in the city, either sitting or standing outside of her studio desperate to spend time with the only human being he knew. Despite their kind interactions he still felt like there was some distance so, one afternoon when her classes finished he did something bold.

“Hey Lee…” He said sheepishly as he stepped into the studio after the exiting students. “Can… can I… I mean I’d like to… Is there a possibility…” Taking in a deep breathe he finally got out his question. “May I take you out to dinner?”