Some time had passed since Olivia was brought back to Charlie’s cottage. She lay unconsciously under the shade of an oak until Samson happened upon her while he gathered acorns and pine cones from various trees. Shocked by her bloodied face, he wasted no time to bolt back to Charlie and to tell him what he found. Only moments later, the overly apprehensive elf went out to retrieve Olivia’s seemingly lifeless body from the woods. Though he was not expecting her to come back to him as soon as she did, he was relieved to see her again, but her current state made the reunion bittersweet. For hours, Charlie did the best he could to nurse her back to an acceptable state of physical stability. A small dosage of magic every hour or so was administered to the tiny elf’s body, speeding up the healing process. After a while, Charlie slipped away from the comatose elf to prepare dinner.

    The kitchen was small, but cozy. It was large enough to provide room for essential appliances and furniture, but moving space was limited, accommodating only enough capacity for one person at a time. For someone as large as Charlie, one would believe that he would need more space, but he was perfectly content where he was and had no intentions of leaving. He believed in living a humble life, one without fancy, expensive things. He wasn’t satisfied by material possessions, but just by the fact that he could enjoy his life in the peace and serenity of what was simple.

    The strong scent of chives, along with the accumulation of other various spices, filled Charlie’s kitchen as he opened his oven. The delicately seasoned leg of lamb lay beautifully in a large pan, surrounded by sliced onions and carrots with a few red potatoes roasting alongside it. Slipping on a pair of oven mitts, he carefully pulled out the steaming pan, placing it on top of the stove. Looking to his wall clock, it was already six in the evening. Olivia had been resting for a good 2 hours now, giving Charlie the amble opportunity to prepare dinner. Though he wasn’t sure whether she liked mutton or not, it wouldn’t hurt to at least try it.

    Charlie was fascinated by cooking at an early age, often watching the chefs in his previous residence flawlessly create meals from scratch, swiftly dicing vegetables and meats with care and using only the best spices they could find. He found great interest in the culinary profession and curiosity lead him to ask question after question. He secretly obtained various recipes from the chefs and hid them away from the prying eyes of his meddlesome cousins. As he became older, Charlie had evolved into an aspiring artist with both an appetite for the arts and for good food. He’d still watch the chefs from time to time and soon discovered that food preparation was an art form to him. The use of sauces to make patterns and the overall appearance of the meals themselves he thought were genius. He had even thought about being a chef himself, but his family looked down upon such menial tasks such as food preparation. Charlie’s life was plotted out before the day he was born, accepting nothing his family found “inappropriate” for a boy of his standards. He never liked being under a higher authority, especially one that decided how he would live. And soon, he left to find a life of his own.

    Finding a home proved to be a hard task, sending him from place to place, but his search was not in vain. Charlie’s cottage was previously owned by a benevolent, elderly troll who desperately sought for a tenant. Charlie happened upon it while traveling through the woods and the troll willingly sold it to him for just a few gold coins. It was in good condition, both on the inside and out and though the home was quite small and it was a tight squeeze in, Charlie happily accepted. He was just elated to have a place to call his own. With the troll being in quite a rush to leave, he left behind a few pieces of furniture and a pile of spell books, giving Charlie a new hobby.

    The thought rolled through his memory as he finished preparing the last bit of dinner, sprinkling a pinch of sage over a large bowl of mashed potatoes. He had made the same meal during his second month of being out on his own. Swiping the sweat from his brow, he smiled in satisfaction at the meal he arranged. This dinner was unusually small compared to what Charlie could actually eat, but he wanted to be considerate and refused to let his voracious appetite ruin his evening with Olivia. But, he couldn’t shake the feeling that it had already been ruined the moment he greeted her at the door.

    His heart panged with a stinging flutter and pale blue crept upon his skin like a fatal disease. Charlie liked Olivia from the moment he heard about her, but just the thought of her running away from him crushed him to his very core. He had come across many women before, but none quite like her. She seemed so understanding and accepting, not really caring what he looked like, but this was before they met. He dealt with the conflicting feelings in his heart, not sure if he should forget about her and spend the rest of his life alone or if he should give it another try.

    But would she be interested enough?

    Olivia slowly began to slip back into consciousness, stretching her arms into the air. She slept more peacefully than she could have ever imagined possible and felt comfortable, almost as if she were home. A surge of hope rushed over her and she sat up, looking around the room, only to frown in disappointment. She wasn’t home, but she had never felt so relaxed in a stranger’s household before, let alone in their bed. There was a peaceful aura in the room, none like she had ever felt before. The presence of magic was very strong as well, nearly overwhelming her senses. The retreating smoke of lilac and honey incense filled the room with an exotic aroma. She inhaled the soft scent and exhaled with a smile. Her smile faded as the bedroom doorknob began to rattle with worry. She quickly assumed a sleeping position under the sheets as the door creaked open softly. Closing her eyes tightly, she tried to keep as still as she could as his heavy footfalls made their way across the bedroom floor. The bed springs groaned as Charlie seated himself, smiling down at Olivia and chuckling softly.

    “Ya can’na fool me, Lass,” he whispered. “Ye’re na sleepin’.”

    Olivia gasped softly and latched onto the pillow as Charlie sat, feeling the silky surface slipping from under her. How could he have known that she wasn’t asleep? He had just walked into the room! Olivia bashfully poked her head from under the covers, smiling nervously at the still very intimidating Charlie. His brows raised in interest as she revealed herself, slowly slipping from under the covers.

    “Had a good nap? Ye were knocked out fer quite a while, now.”

    Olivia gave Charlie a single nod as she attempted to stand on the downy surface of the pillow, only to loose her balance.

    “Careful!” he cried out as he extended a hand to insure her safety. Olivia landed onto Charlie’s soft, warm palm without a scratch, but was amazed by the sheer size of his hand. She placed her own palm in the center of his, gently tracing one of the lines embedded in his leathery skin. Charlie’s eyes darted here and there as he examined the tiny elf’s movements, surprised by how curious she had become. Rose pink crept onto his cheeks as he chuckled weakly and softly cleared his throat. “S-so, how’s… how’s yer nose… ‘Livia?”

    Olivia lifted her eyes from Charlie’s palm, only to become lost in the shimmering pools of cascading browns that were his eyes. They were full of concern and glistened magnificently, even in the dull light of the hall.

    “Its fine,” she replied slowly, almost as if she were under a trance. Removing her hand from Charlie’s palm, she gently took a finger and ran it down the length of her nose, feeling no pain. Her eyes franticly searched for something else to focus on and her ears flattened slightly as she bit her bottom lip. She didn’t realize how completely foolish she had been to deny Charlie’s kindness and was too quick to stereotype him instantly with the general definition of what a giant was. “I can’t believe you actually helped me; kept me safe and comfortable and everything. Even after I acted like such a jerk!” She chuckled to herself in disbelief. “You could have left me there… I would have managed!”

    “Aye, I could have, but ye were hurt, na ta mention unconscious. I did’na wanna risk ya gettin’ snatched up by somethin’ out there. I would have blamed meself had anythin’ happened ta ya. Ye were me guest after all…”

    Olivia stayed quiet for a moment, thinking on what Charlie had said. Heaving a sigh, she looked up to the giant with a sincere smile.

    “Well, I’m still ‘yer guest, ain’t I’?” she asked, playfully mocking the giant’s thick accent.

    Charlie grinned and nodded slowly, amused by the elf’s attempt at his dialect.

    “Aye… Y’are. An’ I’ve got dinner on… if ye’re still interested, that is.”

    Olivia smiled the same sincere smile as before.

    “I’m pretty famished, so dinner sounds wonderful… Charlie.”

    Charlie’s heart steadily pounded under his chest and grew faster as Olivia spoke his name, sending a chill through his entire being.

    “You’ve been kind to me… More kind that I can remember anyone being to me before. I don’t deserve it… I’m sure I don’t, but I can’t ignore it. I owe you more than I can give, but I suppose dinner is a start. So, thank you… I appreciate it more than you know.”