He lingered close to her side as she finished cleaning up the restaurant. He made an effort to help, but most objects fell through his grip as if he weren’t even there at all. She could tell he was frustrated by his current situation, but she was confident there was something she could do to help. When she had finished her usual work at the restaurant, she grabbed her keys and the diary, leading the ghost of a man outside. She looked up, glancing in his direction and exhaling a weary sigh.
"You know, you're lucky. There aren't many women who would invite a ghost into their house," she said teasingly, and he looked more than vaguely apologetic. "Oh, Herc, I'm teasing. It's not as I'd just leave you here. Truth be told, all of this is actually rather exciting," she assured him, leading him to her clunker of a vehicle. He looked at the vehicle with something akin to disdain and Kira couldn't help rolling her eyes.
“How do you live like this?” He asked, seeming genuinely curious.
“We can’t all be born with a silver spoon,” she retorted, opening the driver’s side door. “And beggars can’t be choosers,” she added with a quirk of her lips.
“I did not mean to offend you, I simply meant…,” he paused, seeming to consider his words. “If I were still of the living, you wouldn’t be living in such meager conditions. You deserve so much more than the night shift sweeping up some small diner,” he said passionately, and Kira reddened at how bold the ghost man was being.
“If you were of the living, you wouldn’t even know I was alive,” she said bluntly, slipping into her car. She set the diary on the center console, and he phased through the car to settle in the passenger seat. She swallowed her instinct to tell him to buckle up, realizing belatedly what a silly notion that was. She did fasten her own seatbelt, however, starting up the ignition and backing out of the parking lot. She turned on her favorite radio station, singing along with one of her favorite songs. She could feel the ghost man’s eyes upon her as she drove, and she considered him from the corner of her eye. She paused in her cheerful singing, parting her lips to ask what had him so fascinated. Before she could get the words out, however, he spoke.
“You have a beautiful singing voice,” he murmured, and she felt herself grow warm once more. She cursed herself for allowing herself to swoon over a dead man, but she supposed this was not the normal situation.
The drive to her apartment was a short one. When she slipped out of the car, she was careful to grab the diary and carry it inside with her. She briefly worried how it may look for her to come home with some strange man, but the doorman only greeted her with a smile. It was as if Hercules were not even there. As the two stepped into the elevator to reach her floor, she turned towards the spirit with a quirked brow.
“Do you have any idea why I’m the only one who can see you?” She inquired, and he shrugged his shoulders uncertainly.
“I’m not sure. I can only hope that I was meant to find you. Perhaps you can solve the mystery of my death. I suppose I’m intended to cross over, once my worldly matters are settled…,” he trailed off, and Kira struggled to ignore the pang in her heart at the thought of the man leaving this world.
“I’ll do whatever I can to help you,” she assured him, and he met her gaze with a warm smile.
"I know you will. You are a kind woman, Kira. I only wish…," he paused, averting his eyes. "I only wish I could have known you while I was of the living. I wish there were more I could give you than this diary," he blurted. She smiled, reaching out to rest a hand on his shoulder. His warmth never ceased to surprise her, but she certainly wasn't complaining.
“Oh, Hercules. You have no idea how long I’ve wished for something more than my boring, day to day life. You may be unable to give me riches, but you’ve given me something I would have never experienced otherwise. You’re giving me the adventure of a lifetime,” she assured him with a broad smile. He returned her fond expression, remaining silent until the elevator dinged to indicated they were on the correct floor. She stepped out, striding down the long halls to her run-down apartment. She was vaguely embarrassed for the man to see her living conditions, but she supposed it was better than leaving him at the restaurant. She pulled the door open, stepping inside and setting the diary on her coffee table. He looked somewhat uncertain as he took in their surroundings, but offered her a wordless smile.
“So,” he began, and she rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly.
"I'm going to get a shower, then we can look over the contents of the diary more thoroughly. I'm only a few pages in, so hopefully, there's something that can help you deeper in the book. You, ah. Stay out here while I get all freshened up, okay?" Kira muttered, feeling embarrassed by the idea of the ghost man following her into the shower. He smiled mischievously as if able to tell what she was thinking.
“I’ll be right here waiting for you,” he murmured, offering her a sly smile and a wink. Her heart seemed to clench in her chest, and as she shuffled to the bathroom, she wondered just what she was getting wrapped up in.