Doctor Lauren Stephens stepped out of Eliza's guest bedroom, softly shutting the door behind her. She was only a few inches taller than Eliza, but she had long, dark caramel-colored hair and eyes that outshined emeralds. If Eliza swung on that side of the street, she easily would have asked the doctor to join her for a drink. Instead, Lauren became Eliza's only female friend.

She wasn't sure if it was the fact that she and Lauren were constantly busy, so their friendship was based on trust that the other would still be around when either came back. It worked for the both of them. Eliza always had issues being friends with anyone, but especially other women. She didn't want to hang out with them at all hours of the day, but they thought otherwise. Lauren changed that. Maybe there were other people she could trust...

Eliza sat at her dining table, eating orange chicken from the local Chinese restaurant. She had rice and veggies, but those were long gone within her bowels. She would never admit it openly, but Eliza was stress eating. Ares was irritating, but she didn't like seeing him hurt.

"He's a sweet-talker, huh?" Lauren said as she joined Eliza at the table. "He spent his whole exam trying to ask me out on a date. I had to give him a sedative to quiet him down just so I could look over him."

Eliza rolled her eyes. The sharp strike of jealousy reared up in her belly. "He's an ass. Don't pay him any mind. The first day we actually met, he asked me to team up with him after shamelessly flirting with me. You'll learn to ignore it."

Lauren's laugh reminded Eliza of church bells. Smooth, musical, and clear. "You always seem to attract good-looking men to your side. I'm still blown away by how easy it is for you to resist them. Are you sure you're not gay?"

"Of course not. I like men, just not the ones I attract." She ate a piece of warm chicken. "Ares is no exception."

Her friend snagged a piece of chicken for herself, licking her fingers. Lauren's eyes closed in delight and she moaned in pleasure. "That is so good! I'm going to order myself some if that's okay."

Eliza pointed out the menu on her fridge and continued to eat her own food. She didn't really hear her friend talk on the phone. Her thoughts went to the man lying in her extra room. Lauren seemed relaxed, so he must have been okay. The doctor would have said so otherwise.

Once she heard the noise of Lauren's communicator shutting the call down, she turned to the brunette.

"So, how is he?"

Lauren's smile diminished as she went into doctor mode. "He'll be just fine. He had a bit of bruising on his ribs and his knuckles are in just as bad of shape. There isn't anything serious to worry about. Just keep him resting and eating. You did a good job taking care of the cosmetic wounds."

She blushed a little. Any compliment from the doctor was a big deal in Eliza's eyes. "I've had a lot of practice."

Suddenly Lauren was back to her joyful self. "I wouldn't expect any less from a bounty hunter. Oh!" She dug into her back pocket for a piece of paper with an address on it. "Ares asked if someone could get him a few items from his apartment like clothes and general hygiene items."

Eliza sighed, taking the paper. It was better for her to go since she was almost finished with her dinner. Plus, if Ares did need anything medically, Lauren was clearly more qualified to help. But she didn't want to go to his apartment. Eliza was already thinking the worst of what she would find beyond the front door.

"Can you watch him while I'm gone?"

"I'll make sure to be around even after I eat. Keep your communicator nearby just in case anything changes. Be safe and don't be too intimidated by entering the man's home." She smiled mischievously.

The bounty hunter rolled her eyes and gathered her things before going to her starship. She entered the address in her ship's GPS and took off in a hurry. The sooner she got there, the sooner she could get back home.

It took a bit of bartering with the landlord before Eliza was let into Ares' apartment. She had to swallow her pride and disgust to convince the uninterested man that she had a love relationship with her partner. Her gag reflex fought against her controlling mind and she held a forced smile until she was finally led to the apartment.

Okay, Ares wasn't that bad, but even acting as if she liked him was a struggle. She didn't see herself being happy with anyone yet, but that didn't matter at the time.

"Here it is. Lock the handle as you leave." The landlord opened the door for her, scowling, and then marched back to the elevator.

Eliza felt bad for the next person that encountered him.

To her surprise, Ares kept his home extremely clean. She shut the door behind her and stared. The walls were an off-white, much cheaper for owners to upkeep, and pictures of all kinds of things littered the wall directly in front of her. Photos of Earth, Mars, cities, and so much more welcomed Eliza closer. Why would Ares have those kinds of things as decoration? Did they all mean something? Was he a photographer?

Shrugging, Eliza went through an entryway on her left that led to a basic kitchen. A small card table sat against the far corner with two folding chairs. The only appliances on his counters were a small microwave and a coffeemaker. Ares seemed to live simply, like her. It was strange for some reason; unexpected.

She walked down the hallway, also on her left as she exited the kitchen. On her right, a living room with only a loveseat and a small television on a simple wood coffee table. It was rather bland, not at all like Ares' personality. On the left, there was a single door that led to the only bedroom. It looked like the bathroom was attached to it and both rooms were as immaculate as the rest of the apartment.

His bedroom was drenched in his scent, earthy with a hint of cinnamon. Being near him so often, she finally deciphered what he smelled like. A double bed and box springs sat on the floor. It was up against the wall with a single side table of pine next to it. Only an alarm clock and a small lamp sat on it.

Underneath the one window in the room that was covered with a light-canceling curtain, was his dresser. It was also pine. There were three small drawers in a row with three wider drawers in a column under those. It didn't look like he had any form of a closet, so Eliza was quick to rummage through the dresser once she found a duffel bag in a corner of his room beside a row of shoes.

Awkwardly, the first drawer she opened was his underwear and sock drawer. Eliza grabbed a few random dark pairs of undergarments, trying to ignore the fact that he seemed to prefer boxer briefs. She also grabbed some socks.

It didn't take her long to go through the rest of the dresser and grab a couple of shirts, pairs of jeans, and a jacket. She never knew if the weather would betray the forecast, which wasn't uncommon even for artificial weather.

To be kind, Eliza also grabbed another pair of sneakers for him as well as a pillow and the blanket at the end of his bed. She wasn't fond of him, but she didn't want him to feel uncomfortable while he was stuck in her home. She also didn't want him pestering her to go and pick up random items from his apartment. She didn't want to come back.

As quickly as she could, she gathered some things from his bathroom he'd need and then left the apartment behind her. Well, as soon as she made sure she locked the door. Eliza was not in the mood to deal with the landlord.