Do You Know Who You Are?

@ castle.

Charlotte hummed a little in thought as she looked up at him. He couldn't be older than his late thirties, but if he was saying that he'd owned the bar for at least fifteen years, that meant he had to be older than what she'd originally guessed. She was incredibly grateful when he agreed to come in with her, unlocking the doors and leading him up to the fourth floor where her apartment was, letting him in first just in case someone was waiting for her. Once inside she waited in the living room like she'd been told while he checked her bedroom and the rest of the cozy apartment.

She visibly relaxed when he gave the all clear, smiling up at him as she nodded a little. "Thank you so much for coming up and checking, I know if was silly of me to ask.." she looked surprised as he offered her his phone number and told her to use it if she ever thought she was being followed, although when he promised to find her and keep her safe if that happened she sucked in a little breath, brows knitting together in confusion. She'd heard him say those words to her before, she was sure of it.. But they'd only met a few hours ago, so it couldn't be. She frowned a bit in confusion as she studied him for a moment, nodding slowly when he asked her to promise him.

"I promise." She murmured before wrapping her arms around his torso in a hug, tucking her face into his chest as she closed her eyes contently. He seemed so familiar, so safe, and she couldn't explain any of it, but she wanted him to stay with her.. Or was it need?

"Don't go.." she whispered softly before lifting her head to look at him, a faint frown formed on her lips. "I don't want you to leave.."

Antonio wondered if Charlotte would hold to her promise. He was hopeful that she would because all he really wanted to do was make sure that she was safe and happy. She had already suffered because of her love for him, he didn't want her to have to suffer any more. Not at his hand and certainly not at another demon's hands. Antonio had watched her light go out more times than he cared to think about, every time he closed his eyes he saw another time. Charas' deaths haunted him, day in and day out. He would do anything to prevent another one.

He flashed her a small smile when she thanked him, nodding his head even before she had finished speaking. "Of course, darlin'," he spoke, taking a small step toward her. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and keep her close, to make sure that no harm ever came to her but he couldn't do that. Charlotte barely knew his name, let alone what she meant to him or who he was. He was sure it would scare her if he suddenly started to declare his undying love for her.

Antonio was surprised when Charlotte hugged him. He let out a strangled noise of surprise before his arms slid around her shoulders and held her to his chest. He breathed a small sigh of relief as he ran his fingers through her hair, cherishing the feeling of Charlotte so close to him. His body ached at the thought of parting from her and almost as if on command, Charlotte was telling him not to go.

He gave a nod that he realized she couldn't even see. Antonio looked down to her, flashing a bit of an uneasy smile as he nodded. "If you want me to stay, I will, darlin'. Anything in the world for you," he mumbled, already realizing that his walls had been decimated. Charlotte could ask anything of him and he'd kill to deliver for her. He cupped her cheek, brushing his thumb over her bottom lip. "Hey now. You don't get to frown like that. I much prefer a smile on those pretty little lips." Antonio wondered if he was being too forward but he didn't think he had it in him to even care.

@ castle.

Charlotte let out a content sigh as he wrapped his arms around her, relaxing into his arms. She felt safe and at ease like that, and she smiled happily as she gazed up at him as he promised to do anything for her. Normally it would be weird for someone to say that after knowing someone for only a few hours, but coming from him made her feel warm and happy inside, and she didn't really understand how she'd gone so long without having him in her life. She rested her head in his hands as she closed her eyes with a content sigh.

Her smile widened as he asked her to, lightly resting her hands against his chest as he looked up at him. "I'd happily smile for you, Antonio... " She murmured softly, turning to press a kiss to the inside of his palm as she closed her eyes contently.

Panic settled in the back of his mind because Antonio wasn't a foolish man. He knew what her being so close to him would mean. Already, the demons that had been chasing her would be reporting to higher level demons. Eventually it would reach a demon's ears who didn't care for Cain and Charas being reunited. But for now, he realized that he couldn't stress about it at the moment. He had to protect Charlotte, he had to cherish her in all the ways that she deserved to be cherished.

Antonio swallowed the lump that formed in his throat as Charlotte kissed the inside of his palm. "You should probably get some rest," he murmured, twisting a strand of her hair around his finger. "Do you have to work in the morning?" He asked, reluctant to even have to part from her for a few moments after they were together again. So long they had been separated, Antonio wanted to be selfish and he wanted to keep her to himself for just a few days - already his mind was thinking of who he could get to cover his shifts at Kolasi for the next few days. Until Antonio could bear the thought of not being at her side.

@ castle.

Charlotte sighed contently as he ran his fingers through her hair, leaning into his hand contently as she gazed up at him. She shook her head a little when he asked if she had work in the morning, reaching a hand up to stroke his cheek gently. "No. My classes were cancelled for tomorrow, and I can always take a day off from studying... Do you have work in the morning? I can let you go, if you need to.." she offered, slowly and reluctantly pulling back a little. She didn't want him to go, her heart hurt just thinking about it, but she'd let him go if he needed to go.

Antonio couldn't even begin to describe the elation that washed over him as Charlotte told him that she had nothing to do tomorrow. He started to shake his head almost immediately, even before she finished speaking. If Charlotte wanted him to stay here, he would. He would do anything that she asked of him, he wondered just how long it would take before she understood that. He swallowed the lump that formed in his throat at the thought.

"Darlin', I am the owner of Kolasi. If I do not want to go into work, I don't. I can easily have someone work my shifts," Antonio said, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. He sighed, leaning into her touch. "Why don't you take a bath? I'll pour you some wine.. if you have it. Then you can relax. You've had a long day, you deserve to relax, darlin'."

@ castle.

A slow smile spread across Charlotte's lips as he informed her that he could take the day off tomorrow as well, happily moving back into his arms as he ran his fingers through her hair. "That's a pretty neat perk. I just have tomorrow off because of a holiday that they canceled classes for, but at least it gives me a three day weekend." She smiled, leaning her head into his hand.

She looked up at him when he suggested that she take a bath, taking his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze while her other hand still rested against his cheek. " But what would you do while I took my bath? I'm sure you've had a long day as well and deserve a chance to relax.... You could join me." She blurted out the last part suddenly, a bright blush heating up her cheeks as she looked up at him with slightly wide eyes.

Antonio let out a soft laugh, nodding at Charlottte's words. "There's plenty of neat perks that come along with being the owner, darlin'," he commented softly. He gave her hand a squeeze as soon as her hand loosened around his. Of all the things that he had expected from Charlotte, it wasn't the offer for him to join her. His face broke into a wide grin and he nodded, still hesitant. Antonio knew that making sure her apartment was safe had been toeing the razor thin line of what was acceptable and what wasn't but if he joined her in the tub.. then it was all over. His promise to Charas all those millennia ago would no longer stand.

Exhaling slowly, Antonio reached up and laced his fingers through the hand cupping his cheek. He took a small step backward, motioning toward the hallway. "Why don't you start the bath and I'll grab the wine, hm? I'll just be a minute, darlin'."

@ castle.

Charlotte smiled as he agreed, standing on her toes to press a gentle kiss to his cheek, although it was pretty close to the corner of his lips. She nodded a little at his instructions to start the bath, sighing happily as he laced their fingers together. "Alright... it should be in the cupboard above the sink, if I have any." She informed him before reluctantly releasing his hand and moving into the bathroom to begin to fill up the tub with hot water, humming to herself as she slipped out of her shoes and socks with a little content sigh, fingers starting to unbutton the buttons on her blouse while she waited for Antonio to come back.

Antonio was reluctant to separate from Charlotte, even long enough just to grab the bottle of wine in her cupboard. He grabbed two wine glasses before he started for the direction of the bathroom. He hesitated outside of the door, wondering how she would feel when he stepped inside. Surely, she was getting undressed. That was how a person took a bath but was she going to be comfortable with him seeing her naked? He'd done it a hundred times before but she knew nothing of those times.

Clearing his throat as he nudged the door open, Antonio was careful to shut it behind him. He bit down on his bottom lip, not looking up from his task of pouring a bit of wine into each of their glasses. Finally, Antonio forced himself to look up but he was careful not to look directly at Charlotte. He didn't want her to feel nervous or ashamed or anything else of the sort. "Here, darlin'," he murmured as he held the glass to her.

@ castle.

By the time he returned Charlotte had discarded her pants and had finished unbuttoning her blouse but had yet to take it off fully, sitting on the edge of the tub in her pretty lace bra and panties while she waited for the tub to fill. She looked up when she heard him come in, shutting the water off when the tub was full before standing, taking the wine glass from him before stepping closer hesitantly, a blush on her cheeks. She'd had sex once in high school, and it was terrible so she didn't really count it, and it had kind of ruined her desire to date anyone again, but Antonio was different, and while she'd normally be a blushing stammering mess, she felt like she'd done this before, like it was natural to be there with him, so she didn't worry about it as much.

"Thank you.." she murmured, taking a sip of her wine before setting the glass down so she could wrap her arms loosely around his waist, resting her chin against his chest as she looked up at him, trying to meet his eyes. "Are.. Are you going to join me in the tub?"

Antonio looked up finally when Charlotte's arms wrapped around his torso. He gave her a small, unsure smile as he tilted his head to the side. He reached up, brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Of course, darlin'," he murmured, reaching to set his wine glass down beside hers. He leaned down to press a hesitant kiss to Charlotte's lips, his breathe hitched as he pulled her closer to him. He wanted nothing more than to ravish her, to make sweet, slow love to her before he fucked her until neither of them could go any longer. He wanted to so badly because he had missed her more than he had ever even thought was possible.

Reaching up to undo the buttons of his shirt, Antonio shrugged it off quickly. It wasn't until he caught sight of the mark on his arm that he froze, fear flooding his system. He wasn't ready for this - he knew that the moment Charlotte spotted the mark on his arm, she would at least be able to piece something together. Maybe not the entire story but surely the mark on his arm would tell her something. How would she react? Would she be angry or scared or something else entirely?

Swallowing around the lump that formed in his throat, Antonio gave a weak smile. He was going to remain as calm as he could, not wanting to alert her to the truth that was right there in front of her face. If she only looked, Antonio felt like his world would fall apart all over again and that he would lose her. He wasn't ready for that.

@ castle.

Charlotte leaned her head into his hand as he brushed his fingers though his hair, and even though she was a blushing mess as he pressed the kiss to her lips she happily returned his kiss, her fingers moving up to gently cup his cheeks as he drew her closer. It felt so right to be kissing him, and she was amazed that she hadn't done it sooner.

She leaned back a little to give him the space to shrug off his shirt, catching a brief glimpse of the mark on his arm before he pulled her in for another kiss that she was happily distracted by, wrapping her arms around his neck loosely as she pressed closer.

She had the sudden urge to tell him that she loved him, and it caught her by surprise, and she was careful not to say anything as she worried that he'd get freaked out and leave, although some part of her felt like he'd repeat it back to her if she said it, as it was obvious that he cared for her.

Antonio's arm slid around Charlotte's waist and he held her to him. He would have been happy to just stand there kissing her for the entirety of the evening. He wouldn't have minded because he wanted nothing more than to be happy, with her by his side. Whatever Charlotte asked of him, he would have happily provided it for her. Anything at all for her, he would do. He wanted to do. Antonio kneeled slightly, just enough so that he could lift Charlotte up.

He leaned forward, setting her down carefully in the water. He smiled down at her, motioning for her to scoot forward in the bath. When she had, Antonio was quick to step into the bath behind her. He sank beneath the water, sighing in contentment as he leaned back against the edge of the tub. "It has admittedly been a long time since I took a bath," he murmured with a light laugh. "I tend to forget how relaxing they can be."

@ castle.

Charlotte giggled softly against his lips as he lifted her and set her in the tub, gladly making room for him when he motioned for her to do so. Once in and comfortable she leaned back against his chest, curling into his arms as she looked up at him. "I try to take a bath on the weekend to unwind.. It's very helpful, I think, with dealing with stress.." she explained with a content sigh as the warm water soaked into her skin, closing her eyes as she rested against him. "You can use my tub anytime, if you want." She offered with a little smile, cracking an eye open to look up at him.

"So, what are we going to talk about now? Books? TV? The weather?" She asked curiously, trailing her fingers up and down his arms slowly. Her fingers brushed lightly over the mark on his arm and she shifted bit to get a better look at it, eyebrows furrowing a little in thought as she did. She'd seen it momentarily at the bar when he'd told whoever had been following her to leave, and he'd showed them the mark.. So maybe it was some sort of gang tattoo? It was obviously something important to him, so she didn't didn't want to make a fuss about asking about it, especially if he didn't want to answer her questions.

Antonio couldn't help but let out a small laugh at Charlotte's offer. He nodded, pressing a few, soft kisses over her shoulder. He breathed a small sigh as he ran his hands gently over her sides. He wasn't going to let his hands travel any further despite what he wanted because he didn't know what Charlotte would or wouldn't be comfortable with. He was just going to let her lead them wherever she saw fit. His body tensed as Charlotte's fingers brushed against the mark on his skin. It was raised slightly, telling of the heat that seared the mark into his skin forever.

"Whatever you want to talk about, darlin'," Antonio offered quietly. He smiled, pressing a light kiss to her forehead. "Gotta be honest though, I don't watch a whole lot of movies though... if you want to talk about them, go ahead, but I can't say I'll be able to do much of anything other than nod my head and tell you it sounds interested," he said with a small chuckle. He grinned, his eyes roaming over Charlotte's back.

"Want me to wash your hair?" Antonio offered quietly, giving her a light squeeze with one of his arms.

@ castle.

Charlotte smiled happily as she felt the laughter rumble through his chest, unable to help but giggle a little as she curled further into his arms, her body perfectly fit to his. She hummed happily as he ran his hands down her sides, resting her head against his chest as she happily relaxed against him, fingers brushing over the mark on his arm slowly, as if trying to memorize the feel under her fingertips. It seemed more like a scar or a brand rather than a tattoo, and she worried about what horrors he had gone through when receiving it if it was in fact a brand. She wanted to make sure that he never felt that pain or suffering again, and she pressed a gentle kiss to his chest over his heart as her hands came up to rest against his chest as she carefully rolled over to lay on her stomach as she looked up at him with a small smile.

She blushed as he pressed a few kisses to her shoulder and then her forehead, smiling as she pressed closer, fingers lightly brushing over his chest and cheeks as she listened to him. She scooted further up his body to press a gentle kiss to his lips when he offered to wash her hair, nodding a little. "That sounds nice.. The shampoo is behind you on the ledge."

The longer that Charlotte seemed fascinated by the mark on his arm, the more afraid that Antonio found himself becoming. He had already hinted at Cain's mark to her earlier, would she be able to piece together what was on his arm? He was hopeful that she wouldn't because surely it was only a skip away from realizing who he actually was. Exhaling, Antonio ground his teeth together in an attempt to calm himself down. Humming quietly, Antonio gave a nod of his head. He glanced over to where the shampoo was and was quick to grab the bottle before he turned back to Charlotte.

If she looked too closely, she would see more scars that littered his body from all of the battles that Antonio had participated in. They were all so old and he healed faster than the average human so his scars were quite light; hard to notice unless you knew to look for them.

"Just lean back a little. I won't get any in your eyes. I promise," Antonio murmured, happily running his fingers through Charlotte's hair to wet it more before he squeezed some of the shampoo into his hand. He began massaging the soap into her hair, a gentle smile settling on his features.

@ castle.

Charlotte smiled contently as he agreed to wash her hair, shifting a little to sit up so he could better wash her hair, sighing happily as he began to massage the shampoo into her hair, leaning her head back into his hands. She took time to study his face happily, as if trying to memorize his features or come up with why he seemed so familiar to her. Maybe she'd met him before in the grocery store or something, but she didn't think that she'd have forgotten meeting someone like him before today. Once she felt she'd adequately memorized his face she began to look over the rest of him, fingers gently tracing their way across his skin as she looked him over.

She frowned a little as she noticed the fain't little scars dotting his skin, fingers carefully tracing over a few of the ones around his collarbone and chest. "..What happened?" She asked softly after a moment, leaning forward to press a gentle kiss over one of the ones that looked worse before her eyes met his again.

Antonio was so lost in what he was doing that he didn't notice that Charlotte was studying his features. He was content to play with her hair even after he had worked the shampoo through her hair. Jumping slightly when Charlotte spoke, pulling him out of his thoughts. "Hm?" He asked, glancing down to the scars as Charlotte continued to trace over them. Antonio swallowed, giving a tiny nod of his head when he realized what she was talking about.

"Let's just say that I was a troubled kid. I got into my fair share of fights. Don't do any of that any more though," Antonio said as if he was promising Charas and not the woman in front of him. It was a reminder of the promise that he had once made her, that he would always keep it to her. Antonio would never fight again, not if it meant being able to keep the promise to her. "I'm too old, y'know?" He teased, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. "It wasn't good but it made me who I am so at least I have that. Otherwise would I have even had Kolasi so that I could meet you, hm?" He asked, a bright grin growing on his features. "Imagine if we had never met. That sounds awful."