After my satisfying escape into emptiness and serenity, I am left craving for more of this time- for this to be my life rather than the utter confusion and instability which had infested it as of late. However, my complete silence and peace is interrupted one last time as the murmurs of voices around me stir me from my deep slumber.

Giving in to the demands of the world for me to return, I turn over on to my back on whatever surface I lay on now and move to wipe my eyes so as to ease my sight back into the light one last time. Removing my hands from my eyes gradually as I open my eyes, I successfully prevent the light from completely overwhelming me once again and am able to return to the world of consciousness relatively well enough.

With my eyes still squinted, I attempt to get a look around at my surroundings and am only met with complete unfamiliarity. However, as I try to remind myself of where I am,  I'm met with the flashing back of my most recent memories.

After quite a strenuous trip to wherever Theodore was guiding me and me having to endure the utter exhaustion which was overwhelming me, I found myself being led into a building he seemed familiar with and in yet another elevator with Theodore Harrington today but this time I couldn't care less about any close proximity or tension. This time I shamelessly lean into him as he holds me up and lets me rest on his shoulder to save my energy for the rest of our journey.

When the elevator doors open, he continues to make his way away through the abandoned office, flicking on lights wherever it was required as he guided me along. It was clear that this was a space he was welcome to, him having instinctively led us here and knowing his way around. Honestly, he could've taken me anywhere at that moment and I couldn't have cared less as long as it wasn't the hospital.

When we finally reached his desired destination it was obvious from the moment we stopped, Theodore opening the glass, wooden trimmed doors to the flawless office I found myself in at this moment. I had stared at the dazzling view of the nightlife from this office, which I assumed was his. It almost rivalled the view from his balcony if it was only a more open perspective rather than shrouded by the view of other buildings.

His office could be described as a combination of modern and rustic, the modern glass of his timber legged desk contrasting wonderfully with the raw texture of the floor to ceiling bookshelves which embellished a whole wall and were filled to the brim with book after book. However, the most intriguing feature of all had to be the photo frames which also rested on these shelves, me being so easily endeared by a glimpse at the Theodore who was just like any other average person with images of family and captured memories surrounding him. With an extremely limited attention span at that moment from my severe fatigue and apparent dehydration as well, I barely got a chance to examine these photos; only just noticing one which seemed to be of a small child and a woman.

After my entrance into the office I faintly recall how Theodore how promptly checked on me and provided me with both some water and a snack he had found in his desk drawers, before finally allowing me to sleep after a substantial amount of pleas. This was how, I now remember,  I ended up on this smooth leather of the lounge in his office, covered with a blanket and necessities waiting for me on an ottoman nearby.

As I stretch out my body from the fetal position which I had squeezed myself into, I allow myself to sigh softly in response to the incredible feeling that rushes through me from the movements, having been in the position for an unknown amount of time. It is when I allow for a sign to leave my lips, whilst I move to sit up and shift the blanket off of me, that I hear a sudden movement near me.

I look up and find Theodore sprawled across an armchair to the left of me.  I hadn't seen it when I first opened my eyes and was now left surprised with his presence so quickly after waking up, something I did not foresee happening in my future. It's obvious he's been sleeping as well with his hair more tousled than I've ever seen before, he's smooth button up shirt from earlier now extremely creased, and his jacket spread across his body like a blanket.

I can see the fatigue in his eyes from being awoken midway through his sleep and with it seemingly being the middle of the night, as the darkness still looms over the city from the view outside of the windows. However, a look of alertness seems to also overcome his increasingly shadowed eyes, which appear to be in the intensely dark blue state that makes them appear a brown from further away.

"Is everything okay?" he checks, moving forward in his seat so that he is ready to launch forward if need be and  seemingly observe me closer- completely abandoning his chances of falling back asleep.

"I'm fine. It just felt good to stretch a bit," I reply, his shoulders noticeably relaxing once I do. "Sorry I woke you up."

He discards of the jacket he has draped across his body and moves to stand up.

"Don't apologise. It's fine. As long as you're okay." he tells me, continuing to move closer to me. He lifts the tray, which holds the glass of water and crackers he had found earlier, from the grey ottoman and replaces it with himself so that the tray is now resting in his lap while he sits right next to me.

With the lights outside having dimmed down and the serenity of this time overwhelming us both, a comfortable silence falls between us as we both adjust to consciousness and to each other. We both just sit there for a moment, not talking, shifting between quick glances at one another and glances at the calmed world which now rested outside these walls.

There was something about being awake at this hour, when you know that even in a city such as New York City that allegedly never sleeps, that there are so many out there who have put away the troubles of the world and lay resting in the warm comfort of their abodes. It's reassuring knowing that all the troubles and pressures of our worlds can be put on pause for the slightest moment and we can find this escape. The privacy and exclusivity that you possess is also eerily thrilling when you realise that its just you and whoever you are with all alone with all the seclusion, space and time you could desire; creating an intimacy that can rarely be rivalled.

As we sit barely a metre away from one another in complete silence, I somehow don't feel the sense of discomfort I would in any other moment of complete silence with Theodore. I barely register our lack of conversation as I get so caught up in observing every little detail to the best of my ability, from the office I sit in to the intriguing man who sits next to me watching me just as much.

As I analyse every inch of what is clearly his office and a private place for him, I can feel his eyes doing their own analysing as they linger on me. At first I ignore it so as not to confront my clear recognition of it but I eventually give in and simply stare back at him like my eyes have been begging me to. When I do completely allow myself to drink in his sight, I'm not disappointed with the illumination of the full moon flooding in from the windows and combining with the light of a lamp to cast an etherial shadow over him. With his body facing me, the right side of him is exposed to said light, letting an enchanting contrast be created between the various tones it creates and leading to a range of captivating perspectives of him.

Under this light, his hair, which is still roughly tousled yet perfect in its own way, seems to truly possess an extra sense of darkness that compliments the delicate lightness of his skin tone without the sun light around to catch the traces of gold. The fragile light also seems to just catch the sliver of colour which remains in his irises as his pupils have dilated so largely, as his eyes flick across my face, that the ebony has nearly completely taken over the navy that normally rests there.

If I had ever thought of him as a captivating creature before, now this was intensified and even I could not deny no matter how wrong it was to say so. It's refreshing yet also alarming to find just how charming but also endearing he seems to look even at this time of the night as he allows for his composure to relax for even the slightest of moments, so that he is just like any other guy of his age, not the young success and charmer which he really is. I am so deeply enthralled by the sight of Theodore at this moment that I can't even begin to think about how it is possible for me to feel this way or try to deny my thoughts. And I don't want to because I know the confusion which will follow once I step down that wormhole.

"Are you really okay?" he asks, breaking the silence which I had somehow grown comfortable with and not allowing me to continue with my thorough observation of him. Like he has done oh so many times in my short time of knowing him, he begins to move forward in his seat so that his elbows rest on his thighs and his hands grip each other tightly in between as if restraining himself. As I look to his face to reply I notice the way his eyebrows have seemed to come together with what appears to be genuine worry as he awaits my response.

"I really am, for now." I answer truthfully with a touch of a smile added as my way of expressing gratitude, which I can recall significantly contrasts with my behaviour around him only hours ago at that restaurant.

It's absurd and quite frightening to me how one guy is able to play with emotions so easily and quickly, like he's holding a remote and flicking through the channels. However, I truly do have to be grateful to him. If he hadn't had been there earlier for me who knows what would've ended up happening. I most definitely would've ended up in the hospital, which would've been my worst nightmare due to the peculiar phobia I've possessed for as long as I could remember.

"The only reason I'm okay right now is thanks to you," I declare in a hush like manner which I really don't understand considering there is no one around, "So, really... thank you."

When I say this his mouth lifts into a soft smile that, combined with the innocence his tiredness has created across his face, is truly endearing.

"You're more than welcome." he almost whispers back before we return to the comfortable silence for a few moments after, simply staring back at one another as we try to somehow decipher one another. 

From what I have seen of Theodore in my short time of knowing him, he seems to have this perfect facade constantly on display, expressing the emotions and reactions that he knew everyone else wanted. It was not that I was saying that I found him to be insincere- no, I did feel that he felt some of these emotions he was conveying at some level.

Rather, from what I had observed, I felt like he largely suppressed part of himself when around others to please them. It was only now that I was truly alone with him and he was at one of his most raw and vulnerable states, considering that it was the middle of the night and we were in his private space, that I could notice the clear difference that existed between public and private Theodore. It reminded me of the guy I met on that balcony. 

To be quite honest, seeing this side of him was only making me more intrigued by him as I begun to wonder what this concealed Theodore was truly like and what kind of stories hid behind his walls to make him this way.

"You should probably try to have something to eat and drink," he points out, lifting the tray with the water and snacks  from the table and resting it on his lap in front on me, "You need all the energy you can get. Whichever sickness you've caught, from what I can see, has really knocked you down." he tells me, outstretching his arm to offer the glass of water resting firmly within his hands to me.

Nodding, as I take the glass from his hands gratefully, I tell him "you're probably right. I think I caught something the other night at dinner and it had me up all night."

"It probably doesn't help that you didn't give yourself much of a break today at work, and that you seem to be quite dehydrated." he adds on, as I rub my tongue over my lips to moisten them.

I'm surprise he noticed what I had been doing all day. I figured he had more important things to focus on. 

"I hate to admit it but you're probably right." I admit, the both of us chuckling lightly under our breaths at both my clear hesitance regarding any boosting of his ego and my stubbornness which had led me to this state.

Wanting to solve the issue of my dehydration, and also attempting to distract myself from the smirk that is slowly growing from my admission that he was right, I take another sip of the cool water awaiting between my hands. However, I find myself glancing above the glass to observe him as he watches me indiscreetly too.

"So, what made you bring me here?" I ask, truly curious as to why this was the solution to the issue of my fainting.

"Well, I take it you've guessed that this is my office," he says, with me nodding in response as the glass of water still rests below my lips, hands cradling it like a warm cup of tea, "After you left the restaurant I followed you because I didn't want to leave us on such a bad foot, plus you weren't looking like you were in the best condition. So I paid the bill and tried to follow you which, might I add, was extremely hard considering how fast you were somehow walking. I just managed to catch up to you when you started looking kind of dizzy and I made it just in time to help you before you fainted to the floor.  I noticed we were only a street away from my office so when you absolutely refused to get any medical attention I just wanted to get you somewhere to rest as soon as possible. So I figured this was my best option since it was so close by and I had access." he explains, making quite the valid argument.

Now that I had time to think about it all, I found it rather strange to acknowledge that I was indeed in Theodore Harrington's office in the middle of the night with no one around but us. I had never anticipated that I would ever find myself here, let alone in this situation. My plan after these last few confusing days of knowing him and, in particular, the chaos of last night's dinner was to stay as far away from him as possible so as to save myself the stresses of his presence in my life. But, after how he so selflessly helped me, and now having spent this time with this new part of him, I wonder if that is possible.

Breaking me out of my world of overthinking, my eyes immediately follow Theodore as he moves from his spot on the ottoman to randomly walk over to his desk where his phone seems to be. It is only once he returns to where I am seated that I recognise that it was not in fact his phone which he had suddenly gone to collect but instead mine.

"Your phone was going off a lot earlier in the night." he tells me as he returns the iPhone to me and sits back down in front of me. It is when he tells me this that I instantly realise how I had completely forgotten about a certain vivacious best friend of mine who had probably been sitting at home waiting for me and worrying.

"Oh my god, Jess. I completely forgot," I say, putting the glass of water down so I can run my fingers through my presumably erratic hair with anxiety, "She's probably already reported me as missing, knowing her. I'm not really the staying out all night type and if I do I let her know." I explain.

As I quickly go through my phone to check my call log and messages, Theodore thankfully comes to the rescue telling me, "I hope you don't mind but I answered a call from this friend of yours." 

When he tells me this, I instantly feel a sense of relief flourish within me knowing that she would also be relieved of any worries. 

"She had called a couple of times so I figured she might have been worrying about where you were or that something was wrong. When I told her that you were safe with me and that you were recovering for the moment she seemed to calm down and also know who I was which helped the situation." he adds, making me blush when he brings up the fact that I've clearly spoken about him with my friends, but ultimately continuing to calm me.

"Oh," I simply reply, with my mouth poised in an O shape for a moment as I ponder over what Jess might have thought was going on between Theodore and myself. She was well aware of my attraction to him, and was not exactly my sister's biggest fan, so I hoped that she hadn't made any comments before he revealed the whole fainting thing; if he even did. 

Nonetheless, I am once again left to be grateful for all that he has done for me over the last few hours regardless of our past; from the hero like saving of me to the respecting of my wishes to filling Jess in. So, I shift my mouth from the shape of surprise which it had been resting in to utter a quiet "thank you" to him once again on this long night.

He responds with a slight nod of his head and smiles back at me in recognition before he continues, "I explained to her everything that had happened and that you'd be safe in my hands. She wanted me to let you know either way that she was just one call away if you needed anything."

I nod in response but don't make any move to contact her, feeling safe between these four walls with Theodore sitting right in front of me. There was a sense of trust and appreciation that he had managed to build within me in these short hours, something that few have been able to do and that Jess seemed to possess too for some reason. Theodore seemed to be thinking the same thing as he then comments, "Your friend Jess really is quite trusting. She hasn't even met me and she trusted me when I said that you were safe in my hands. I could be a serial killer for all you guys know."

Unable to restrain myself from letting out a slight snort in response to the truth in his words, I find myself embarrassed regarding my method of laughter but then also heartened by the innocent tight lipped smile that stretches across his face as he notices it.

"It's okay. I've watched enough Criminal Minds episodes to figure out if you were a serial killer and how to escape you if you were," I reply, trying to detract the attention away  from my embarrassing habit, "Plus, I'm sure she did enough googling of you once she heard that you were the mysterious guy dating my sister that she feels she knows enough about you." I add, being up front about my mentioning of him to my friend.

"Right, the classic Google search and stalk," he jokes. "Did you take it upon yourself as well to play the role of the detective?" he asks, biting his lip in a way that is almost taunting me as he attempts to restrain his amusement.

"I may have done a little bit of research.... it was literally my job today after all." I answer, gratefully hiding behind the shield of my job as an excuse so it doesn't seem like I was some obsessed or