Zechs looked a little startled, for a fraction of a moment, before he recovered his calm again. He took a good look at the boy - a really good look. Though he did trust Hakuba - enough so that the detective now knew about Tallgeese, and his relationship with Tyki, and now even the ZERO system - he was really too cynical for him to believe someone would drop everything and move in with a guy just because they wanted to.

And then Zechs suspected something - though it was the wrong thing. His eyes narrowed in warning. "If you wish to remain out of some semblance of pity, then know now you are not welcome."

There were few things Zechs hated more than to be pitied. Especially as he was coming to respect the boy a good deal. While they did not know each other well, Zechs liked him well enough that Hakuba had the ability to hurt him - especially his pride. This was one of the reasons the man made few friends.