Oliver Burton

As a leader, it was your job to keep your people safe, plain and simple. Even as he watched the woman's clear struggle upon her face as she considered just that. "I believe she should have." The rich baritone of his voice hardly wavered, peering at the petite woman before him with a lingering look. Oliver's nutmeg hued eyes heavy with unspoken memories and the raw emotion so clung to him them. As he thought of those souls, he had made it his duty to keep safe.

The desire to look into that coven she spoke of was spoken with a certain tenacity usually reserved for his business remained strong. He could hardly leave her wide open for another attack.. and if her coven leader refused lift a dainty finger about it.. perhaps he should. He already had a few people on retainer which would make it easy to do a bit of digging. Just how deep did it go? Was she still a target? His mind considering these questions. After all, it was Oliver's questions that kept him ahead of his own demons. There wasn't much Oliver couldn't get dirt on. "Yes. If there is anything to look into... I will find it.. I have good people whose purpose is to find out just that. At the very least we can find out how to keep you safe." He already blindly took charge, Chizue hardly asked for such a thing and he was already full steam ahead. Perhaps it was because his animal had somehow chosen her to protect, that need to do so hardly wavering, even in human form. His stare remained steadfast, the poor timid woman growing uncomfortable beneath its weight, like so many before her.

That intenseness remaining, even as she turned her own gaze to the ground. Something inside of him relishing in that timid behavior. That beast inside of him met him, as that inhuman possessive growl parted from him, the vampire flinching at its sound. He should have better control than that. The fact that he had shifted back should have been enough... to regain his usual infallible composure. Was she truly that scared of him? It was then she uttered that name and he nodded, committing it to memory.

Fortunately, after enlisting her assistance, he hardly considered that perhaps her vampiric nature would be triggered from the blood from his wound. He was not the only predator in the room and yet how blissfully easy it was to forget that. He was grateful at the sight of that medical kit, that faint sheen of sweat drawing a sheen to his forehead. Was there something inside of that leaden bullet that was meant to act like a slow moving poison? All he knew is that metal.. had to come out. He could see she was daunted... that hesitation ever apparent. As much as that briefcase and its files were important... there was little he could do about it now... that mission to save those vital papers mostly a failure. It would take time to remedy that... unfortunate blunder, he was sure. The corporate man already stretched far too soon as it was.. That for now was not an issue he could do anything about.

Finally, the petite woman reached for that medical kit, moving hesitantly to pluck those tweezers from their nestled space in that box. That look she gave in the state of disarray of her apartment was soon met with a promise that he would mend the damage. That mere agreeance was all she afforded him as if to appease him more than out of actually believing that he would come through for her. His focus shifted back toward the task at hand, everything else would have to wait, after all, what good was he wounded as he was?

And yet the moment he saw her descend to the ground, he could hardly help the way that prickle of lust rose within him. It should have been the last thing on his mind, considering this was about to get very, very uncomfortable for him. And yet, he was still a man and she was so very appealing to him. How ungentlemanly of him. Fortunately, he seemed to possess far more control over this manner than he did of his beast and he could conceal his manhood from view behind Chizue's plush pillow he had plucked from her couch. He knew that desire would entirely be short lived the moment, instructions at what to do falling from him, keeping his focus entirely on something else. Anything else. He swallowed as she waited no longer.. that singular warning the last one she offered.

That was when the real striking pain struck with a vengeance. How was it possible to hurt more now than it actually felt getting shot? All that poking and prodding caused his fingers to dig into that pillow, clenching his jaw. "Oh dear god.." He groaned, as that sheen turned to sweat now, a soft pant leaving him as he attempted to remain in complete control. That uttered apology spoken all the same... his gaze drew down to her once more... what was she doing? Digging for gold? He didn't dare ask... or acknowledge those words into existence.. instead... grating out those words of encouragement, even as every muscle clenched in his body in that moment. There was never a moment closer to passing out then there was now. "Its ok, you are almost there..." He urged her on, but truly how was he supposed to tell? But he was hopeful that statement to be true, even though he seemed about two seconds away from digging the cursed thing out himself.

The pain was simply that great. He could then feel that the next movement somehow caused that blood to flow, a steady line along his leg, reopening any healing his body attempted around that bullet. The Englishman could hardly help that wincing, the skin around his eyes crinkling from pain as his other hand curled into a fist in a bid to keep from cursing. This was horrible... He met her apologetic gaze, their eyes locked.. that pain must have shown within his eyes all the same because she muttered her own assurances Oh god how he hoped she was right. The feel of having that bullet removed almost had him on the floor panting in sweet, sweet liberation. The sound of that bloodied metal falling to the wood floor, akin to the sound of a fallen coin.

"Thank you.. You did well." Oliver praised despite his voice sounding a hint strained. "But I think I have a newfound dislike of.... Plastic tweezers..." That was the understatement of the century.. he was quite certain that they should all be... abolished from all first aid kits and replaced with metal ones. It was no surprise that the plastic, wider pronged tweezers surely made the whole ordeal far more painful. Those plastic toys they called a medical device were far better served to take out bee stings or.. splinters. Not a bullet lodged into his flesh.. he was sure of it. Then to be entirely fair, most people weren't digging bullets out of people in their living room.

"You wouldn't happen to have a pair of clothes I could.... borrow now do you?" How completely unprepared he was... He doubted he could squeeze into anything she owned, she was far too petite and yet.... He had little choice to accept his fate..... "Or a sheet... I am... afraid my hand in cramping... from holding this pillow..." God he hoped she didn't bring him a dress....