They had met up around the time the shops were generally closing, had even lingered at a bar for a leisurely drink. But Violet had not been worried: getting a bit of alcohol into Felix had been more important than arriving before the signs were turned. The vampire had planned accordingly. It helped to be the editor of the Wizarding World’s blue chip fashion magazine. Friends were so willing to schedule after-hours appointments, to keep their lights on for private fittings. Better to prolong dinner than to leave Miss Islington’s date robe-less.

They had, of course, arrived on time. And hadn’t the entire design house been thrilled with the frowning wizard on the pedestal?  If the drinks had not helped to sooth the dragon-keeper’s mood, Violet had still managed to persuade him to model for her. He was always well-dressed, but she had generously offered to help him find the perfect look to match her own. Particularly since he wasn’t keen on attending the event in the first place.

She had pointed out, multiple times (dryly, after a while), that he was the dragon expert of the pair of them. He could bite the wand and spend a night raising funds for the creatures to whom he’d devoted his professional life. But Felix was miraculously stubborn.

It was a good thing his date had a sharp eye. It had only taken a couple of hours, drinks and shopping. When they left the shop with emptier pockets, it was to apparate to the cooler, higher altitudes of the Alps. As much as Violet suited London, the rush of fresh air and rural, mountainous landscapes were a nice change of pace to showrooms and three-way mirrors. (She was so fond of a good three-way view of a well-made set of robes.)

All of his complaining aside, tonight’s victory meant that he was more likely to show up for the actual gala. Whether he wanted to or not wasn’t particularly relevant. “They’ll have a bar,” she said, as they stepped through the door. She watched him carefully; whatever his mood had been, Violet had wanted him before they even arrived home. But she was a patient woman.

She watched him as he hung the robes by the front door— almost as if she were watching a new employee show their merit— and then moved back onto the front porch, looking out at the sky as she approached the wood railing. “Did you think, when you looked up my name in that magazine, that I was a complete recluse?” She asked, her back to him. But her voice was mild, as was her expression. “My condition aside.” She looked over her shoulder, finally, a small smile on her lips. "You can complain all you like, but I’m not attending alone.” She turned completely now, leaning into the wood for a moment as she appraised him. “I would prefer you as my date. No one else will look quite so good in those robes.” Which had cost him a fortune.

Felix was quick to point out that just because he was the dragon expert out of the two did not mean he had to attend a charity for them. He had things to do! There were always excuses he could find when it came to attending events, especially if he couldn’t dip out whenever he wanted. He had done well getting out of any thus far; why had he decided to date someone who really enjoyed putting herself out there?

If he complained louder than a toddler might, it was just because he was making a stand. Decked out in his muddy shoes and all. Violet had seemed rather unhappy with his choice of fitting attire. In the end, though, he was an adult and stubborn to boot.

She seemed just as determined, though. Or maybe more so, since he ended up walking away with some ridiculously tailored dress robes. Expensive suckers... he was going to never buy another set, if he had his way. Felix was not a fan of staying still for so long. The constant parading in front of mirrors had been his undoing, a momentary fit being thrown about how he wasn’t going to go to this event anyway.

But then who was hanging up the robes when they got back to his place? The man in the muddy shoes. Ugh, she’d won. It had probably been partially the alcohol and mostly that amazingly cut dress. His eyes had definitely wandered during his longer winded disagreements.

It was comforting to be back at home. Even if she was going to continue to squawk about the charity event.

Felix took a deep breath and held it as she started talking, turning to follow her out onto the porch. He took a seat and lounged back, shoes finding their way onto a table top. “I don’t know how much thinking I was doing about your social life.” Not much would be the truth. Or not at all, since he was mostly thinking about her sans dress.

Eyes rolled for her benefit as he sighed heavily, fingers lacing behind his head as he rocked his feet back and forth. “Not unless they have my same measurements. They could’ve stayed a little longer on my inseam.” As if in thought, he gave himself a good feel, nodding. “You could take someone else. I’ll help pick out some nice arm candy.” Felix had built himself a home in the not-so-populated Alps so that he wouldn’t have to interact with people if he didn’t have to.

It also helped that his job involved dragons that didn’t talk to him. Which were all points he’d brought up to her multiple times throughout the evening. Finally he stopped playing with his trousers and rested his arms on either side of the chair, hands grasping the ends lightly as his head cocked. “What is the point of going to some event that people just want to take your money for? You can do that without going; send a little owl with a check.”

Violet might have been flattered, but it did not show very obviously on her face. He had obviously thought his defiance adorable, or something like it. She didn’t mind a good rebellion. But Felix’s muddy shoes and overly casual workwear had been a headache. Or would have been, if Violet were particularly susceptible. Luckily, they had not been out been out just on the verge of sunset. She had not been amused to introduce him to longtime collaborators when he looked like that. Even if his face was, luckily, distracting— and he fit for the mold for the sort of man tailors delighted in dressing.

Her eyes lingered on his shoes before looking back up at his face again. “My social life seems to have taken a liking to you. Didn’t you notice you were being flirted with all night?” Luckily, old friends knew better than to go beyond joking. She couldn’t fault them for their looks, though. Even in those wretched, muddy shoes.

She noticed, in the corner of her eye, where his hand went, but casually refused to follow it. Instead, she continued to hold his gaze, even when he rolled his eyes. That bit of humor that had surfaced on her lips a moment ago was back, restrained in cornflower blue. “I think the inseam is appropriately snug… you were the one who showed up without anything to… reign yourself in. I thought it was cold?” Somehow, the vampire managed not to glance down.

“Go on, then. What sort of man do you suggest?” She tilted her head a tiny bit, cheek bone cutting against the backdrop of navy blue night. “Younger?” She took a step forward. “Better taste in footwear?” Another. “Maybe one who knows inseam charms?” She was about halfway to him now, looking down. “And while I’m off to this party, what will you be doing?” Finally, her eyes flickered to his inseam and back up, the questioning hanging there, not needing to be voiced. “It’s almost as if you’ve failed to realize that your brain might be of service that night.”

Now she smiled.

But it became a parted lip thing, teeth barely visible. “A check is fleeting, Felix. When you shake a hand and force someone to remember your name, they’re bound to repeat the favor. Among others. You never know when you might need someone’s expertise or alliance. A check is not personable.” Not that Violet Islington was the soft and squishy sort of inviting; she was an imposing figure, and that made its own mark. She knew how to work a room, too. Right now, she was interested in working a dragon keeper. “At the very least, help them raise money so that you can spare some of yours for a new pair of shoes.”

“Flirted with?” Wasn’t that just how people were? He raised an eyebrow and watched her for a moment before glancing past her to the darker night. “Were they not being overly friendly? I thought that was how you fashion people were.” A smirk, this time, as his attention turned back to her.

Eyes narrowed as she poked fun at his attempt to ruin the fitting. His lack of underwear had only backfired on him. Felix had to explain why things had been so tucked up and close; the room hadn’t been super warm, so it was completely appropriate. “It was cold. I’ve warmed up since.” Obviously. He was less of a shower, anyway. Whatever he could say to boost himself.

Her questions were met with a sharp sigh. Felix watched her advance as his eyebrow rose. His brain? “How about one of your assistants. Someone who wouldn’t dare to touch you, but would dress well enough for you.” As for what he would be doing... relaxing. Without a doubt. His hand moved down and continued to play with his trousers. “I’m sure I can keep myself entertained. You know I’m not always the nicest with strangers.”

Wasn’t it their first night meeting that he’d had some unsavory comments about his then-date? She should know better than to want to take him to places where they might encourage him to open his mouth.

“It has your information on it; how is that not personable?” Not many extreme socialites got into dragon taming and handling. In smaller groups, they worked best. Focus on the project at hand. It fostered independence and leadership. As well as a bit of showmanship, at times. He much preferred to work by himself (or with just a couple hands). On the other hand... he knew that was why he wasn’t a bigger ranch.

Eyes rolled again. “These are worn in and fit my feet perfectly.” He bounced them back and forth just to make a point. “They aren’t falling apart, so they don’t need replaced.” Felix had a few pairs of shoes, but he didn’t overdo it on the wardrobe. Work shoes, casual shoes, and a couple dress shoes for his frequent pick ups. Or, what had been frequent, anyway.

“Are you saying you don’t like me as I am, Violet?” Muddy shoes and all. His feet came down off the table and planted themselves onto the deck, knees leaning out comfortably.

“As if you don’t know when you’re being flirted with.” But then, the fashion crowd did have its own way of conveying messages. “Winston and Madeline were quite taken with your inseam. But maybe you don’t notice if they’re over thirty. Or look it.” Or they had been taken with his lack of layers. Cold rooms aside. Violet merely continued to stare as he insisted it had been cold. “Have you?” She asked, a bit maddeningly perhaps.

She knew what he had, cold or warm, was plenty.

But how could she not allow him to struggle for a moment? It was the shoes that had done him in.

“My assistants are not tall enough for your robes.” Her personal ones, anyway. Three women. But there were plenty more in Runwitch’s offices. “I could always find a male model last minute, but most of them are terribly boring. And they don’t understand how clocks work.” Female models would need a different fit in the trousers, to be sure.

It was her turn to raise brows, only it was less noticeable than Felix’s had been. “I don’t doubt you can keep yourself entertained, but I’m curious as to how…” Girls who didn’t like art? Building new additions to his home in the span of a night? “I don’t think I’ve left enough lipstick in your washroom for you to write essays all night. You’re plenty nice with strangers.” The ones whose loaned him their backs as parchment, anyway.

If the woman had any hesitations about letting him speak freely in front of a room full of charitable society types, she hid it well. In honesty, there was nothing stupid Felix could say that would damage her own reputation. He was not boring, and that was what mattered.

“It has your information on it; how is that not personable?”

“Ah, we’re feeling smart, are we?” She did feel the urge to smile. As he made a show with his shoes, Violet stood silent and let him. He could get it all out night. Come the night of event, he would be wearing a nice, clean pair and perhaps complaining about breaking them in. “By all means, keep them. But find another pair the next time we go shopping. The no shoes rule might extend to filthy shoes.” Not that wizard didn’t have magic; he could have cleaned them, if he’d wanted to. It had been on purpose. He seemed to still be in rebellion mode as he let them hit the ground. His knees made such a lovely perch, Violet took another small step forward.

“I’m saying… I prefer your inappropriateness in appropriate settings.” Her smile widened and another step had her grazing his knees. It was not entirely true; again, she’d wanted him company because he was the least boring man she’d dated in decades. “Here is good. Where I have private access.” A pale hand extended to his cheek, cold. She was sure it was the sort of cold he wouldn’t mind. “Will you take those off?” She added in a whisper, not looking at the shoes. She had begun to shrug out of the coat, just barely, so that her shoulders were bared.

Felix could only smirk; he usually was pretty spot on with people flirting with him. Over thirty... he made a face and shook his head. “Either twenties or over a hundred, that’s my taste.” He raised an eyebrow. “And female.” Not that he had been terribly inconvenienced to get down for his inseam measurement. Felix had expected more of a reaction from Violet, though; that had been disappointing.

“You could find out.” Even if it was chillier here, there was something to being snug under a pair of worn in trousers. As she went through her possibilities, Felix let his head lounge back and roll to the side, admiring her as she contemplated. “Clocks like clocks or like... woman stuff?” Once it was better explained, his mouth formed an ‘O’ and he nodded in understanding. He could start being late for things, if that was how he got out of events.

He smirked and shrugged. “If you wanted to stay home with me that night... you could find out.” Essays with lipstick weren’t fun without someone to write it on. “I could borrow one of your assistants for the essays. You take a male model, I borrow the assistant.” His smirk grew a little wider as he poked fun.

It was slightly thrilling, the way she spoke and expected to be obeyed. It was partly why it had been so fun showing up as he had. Make him get a set of dress robes? Fine, but then she wouldn’t like how he prepares for it. Or... well, that had already happened, obviously. If he’d worn them around the barn, really kicking around some mud while he did some chores that morning, it had merely been coincidence.

An all too familiar tug started as she got close. His eyes strayed to her chest, tongue slipping out to wet his lips. Felix stayed still, finally glancing back up as her hand touched his cheek. He leaned into it, barely, before kissing her palm. “No.” He smirked and reached out, pulling her down into his lap. “I’m thinking about making you wear them.” Even if they wouldn’t fit. Even if they were too big. He kissed her neck, biting lightly into it before making his way to her lips.

After a moment, he pulled back. “How about we make a deal...” He offered his end of it.

“I wonder what that big gap says about your person.” If there was some satisfaction in knowing that was over one hundred, female, and had the appearance of a twenty-something, it was only just visible. Violet was very good at not revealing much in her face when she didn’t want to. Case in point, the rather unmoved expression she had offered Felix earlier, when she’d saw what was under those cargo pants. Which was to say nothing at all. Or not nothing, but… cold skin. She was accustomed to people in various states of undress, but she had been even more determined not to give him the satisfaction. Still, he had caught her off guard.

“You could find out.”

“Mhmm,” was all he got in return.

The topic of clocks was a trickier one, though Violet was generally blunt about such things when she did decide to discuss them. Perhaps it had been a poor choice of words, this once. The quick explanation seemed adequate for Felix, but she lingered on his words for a moment. Just as he understood flirting... “I’m sure you understand how those other clocks work,” was what she said after a moment. “You do have the evidence to show for it.”

His relentless stubbornness was impressive. “You see, I can’t stay home that night, because I’ve already agreed to attend. Both of us have.” In some manner or another. Like Violet’s signature to a return owl. The idea that he should borrow an assistant was really pushing it. “How avant garde,” she said, pleasantly. It was easy to keep the jealousy out of one’s tone with practice. Violet was not easily attached, but she was very fond of this one. She did not need to share her play things with her assistants. “Or was it… overdone? The man finds an excuse to stay in and has a tryst with a younger girl. Yes, I think that plot has been tired out.” She was not sure what she would do, should it actually happen. Teeth out, probably. “If you’re going to use an assistant, you’ll need an editor for oversight, I’m afraid. Nice try, though.”

If she didn’t want him misbehaving in that way, there was something refreshing about being told no. Violet didn’t hear the word often. The kiss to her palm was a sweet sting of promise. As she was pulled down, she let the coat slide further down her arms… and then carefully adjusted herself, avoiding those shoes. “Are you also thinking about being locked in your barn?” She inquired placidly. “Because then you would have no access at all to your footwear.” Her smile became a little warmer, even if her hand and everything else about her was cold. His lips on her neck were a fire, a flame she had rarely known in the past hundred years. A light of sorts. She titled her head back to accommodate him, tamed for a moment by the man who refused to follow instructions.

Someone biting her neck was always a delicious irony, one Violet couldn’t refuse.

“And if I... fulfill my end,” she began quietly. “You attend the event as my date?” She pulled back to study his face. The hand that had been on his cheek moved forward, fingers now pressing to his lips. Her eyes moved down to his neck, that vein that always looked so appealing. Her fingers trailed toward it, soft and silent. She leaned in, returning his playful bite with a softer gracing of her lips, moving down toward his collarbone. She slowly sank out of his lap, knees finding a satisfying seat. Violet paused to shrug the rest of the way of the coat and lay it across the arm of his chair, painfully slow. Then she looked down at his footwear and back up at him. “Be a gentleman, won't you?”

There was probably a lot to be said about the age gap. To be fair, she was the first over one-hundred woman he’d dated. And Felix didn’t plan on seeking it out regularly. She was just fine. Beyond her, he didn’t know... when it happened, he’d probably go back to his safe range of under thirty. “That commitment scares me.” He smirked and cocked an eyebrow; that’s what he’d been told before, anyway. It sounded about right.

His tongue moved along his teeth for a moment before he shrugged in agreement. “Just one very wealthy piece of evidence.” It was important to keep things wrapped; as much as he did love his daughter, she was a sucker for his finances. Keeping her clothed during growth spurts had made a few gray hairs pop up near his temples. That, or just her growing up to be so much like her mum that it terrified him old.

Eyes narrowed at her proclamation. Both of them had. He laughed at the plot she spun, shaking his head. “Maybe said man wouldn’t fish around if the older woman would just stay put.” And the argument came full circle. “Wait, I can have both?” Felix thought about it briefly. Maybe that would be reason enough to be dragged along to this ridiculous event...

“I wasn’t thinking about that, no.” He chuckled and looked over her skin, eyes roaming up her jawline before finally cutting over to her eyes.

Felix considered her end of the deal. He had hoped that she would give in to something about his shoes. His heart beat faster as she leaned in to his neck, mouth parting just slightly as she kissed there. Finally he nodded his head in agreement to the deal. That didn’t mean that he couldn’t continue to argue and moan about the event. Part of Felix had known she’d get him to go. How irritating...

As she moved down, however, he couldn’t help that he was thinking less and less of the upcoming doomsday event. A gentleman? He smirked and stayed where he was for just a few moments, long enough to maybe make her think he wasn’t going to. Finally he leaned forward and worked one off, tossing it aside before focusing on the other. Once they were both off and away, he settled back into his chair, hand resting on top of her head. “It’s not too cold out here for you?”

M for suggestiveness

Her laughs were not always easily shared, but this time Violet did laugh. He’d pegged himself so bluntly. “Not enough to stop you from eventually caving to a set of robes,” she pointed out. He could commit that far, at least.

“You’ve managed so far. Just wait until she graduates and she wants to take her gap year.” Some things had been a constant for decades. It was a tradition among Hogwartians. Violet had come from a stricter time, had had the option of being a witch devoted to her work, or marrying young (her parents’ preference), but she had gotten a bit of travel in, still. The bulk of it had come after the bite, of course. And then her parents had not been so keen.

As his eyes narrowed, her own seemed to take on a curious light. “Of course. Blame the woman for your indiscretions.” It was obvious, though, that she was humored. Another old plot. “I’ve already had that experience. Not with an assistant, of course. But it wasn’t… overly interesting for me,” she concluded slowly. "But I wouldn’t want to crush your fantasies. So, be my guest...” It just wouldn’t be with her, her face said. Or her assistant. Violet knew better than to mix those parts of her life, however well acquainted Felix had become with her desk.

The lap of his well-worn attire was something she could find interested in, though. She enjoyed his laugh, that casual consideration of being locked in the barn. She enjoyed his nod even more. All she needed was to feel it as she trailed down.

Once there, in her new position, she waited like a chess opponent for him to oblige. But he was a defiant man. All those years in the desolation of the mountains, with dragons and flannel for company, Violet thought. As she waited, her eyes moved momentarily to the beast tattooed on his arm; its smoke was a lazy, cool haze now, as if it knew its owner was purposely taking his sweet time. As if they were connected by mood. What lay beneath it was not distinguishable.

“Not at all,” she said, satisfied with his eventual surrender. She settled further into her spot. Violet did not get cold easily. A perk of her condition. “What about you?” She asked, a barely concealed smile, those teeth showing just barely.

She did, however, get hungry. But that could wait…

Her hands made pleasurable work of the zipper and button, even if they were not her favorite trousers. All the better to help remove them. At least partially. Or get them out of her way. He had seemed stifled, hadn’t he? Once he was free, she helped to warm him. A blood-hungry mouth joined pale fingers, teasing, drawing it out, and then hotly pursuing. That thin line of danger, the threat of fangs, was less fragile than it seemed. But from a visual and even tactile perspective, it certainly heightened things. White-blonde hair poured over one shoulder, caught between marble skin and rougher, nearly-muddied material as the vampire persisted. A muted sound escaped her mouth.

A set of robes that he would keep until he either outgrew them or they ripped. She might have thought she made him cave, but really... he was looking at a savings in investment return. Who was smart now? This guy.

Felix did grimace at the reminder of his other investment that he was sort of upside down on. Gabby... Who, in their right mind, actively tried to have kids? Especially if they thought honestly about the longterm consequences and cost. He shook his head and refused to answer. Felix was afraid if he tried, he might vomit instead. She was going to graduate soon and be a full-fledged adult. That he’d be responsible for unleashing on the world.

“Thankfully she has a whole summer holiday to work for that.” Even if she had gotten more vocal about her dislike of shoveling out the dragon stalls. It had taught her work ethic and keeping to a job until it was done, no matter how unpleasant. Especially when he locked her out of the house until she had done it. That was old news, though. She knew what was expected of her when she was home.

Blaming others was always Felix’s strong suit. He smirked. “I will.” His mouth dropped open at her admission, questions flying forward to crash against his brain, short circuiting him for just a moment. Finally his brain and mouth worked together. “When? How could it not be interesting?” Felix had dabbled in a few things over the years. Trying to satisfy two women at once wasn’t high on his list of repeats, but if she had been offering, he wouldn’t have said no.

Since she wasn’t, though, then it was just as well.

Not that he was complaining! What she was willing to do was plenty enough for him. Felix smirked and shook his head. “I’m warming up nicely now.” Even if his nose, ears, and extremities were starting to cool in the evening air. He didn’t want to give in so easily.

To the cold, anyway. His breath caught as she worked at his trousers. Felix watched her as he slumped against the back of the chair, grinning to himself as she got to it. A bottled up breath escaped him, his hand moving with her up and down as he helped her with her rhythm. Not that she needed much help. She was definitely well versed.

After a short while, Felix was moving with her, hips in time with her, uncontrollable breaths escaping with moans and promises. He warned her, but it wasn’t exactly necessary. His body stiffened and shuddered, an overwhelming satisfaction cooling him even further. Finally Felix settled back into the chair and grinned, lazily blinking as he looked down at Violet. “You are determined to have me be your date.” Felix leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “I’m cold now... we should go inside.”

When he stood, he fixed his trousers and offered her a helping hand up. Felix collapsed in the living room, grinning happily. So much for keeping his stubborn argument going. “Have you had anything to drink yet, Violet?” His hand trailed her arm gently - he had gotten her a few bottles for the house.

M for adult themes

“You know, if she ever tires of being all alone out here with her antisocial father, I would be happy to give her a position for the summer. She must have better taste in shoes than you have.” She didn’t think it a bad thing, to instill work ethic in a child. Most of them needed more of it. But she could see where he might run into problems, wrangling a teenage girl into a twelve-hour shift of cleaning up after dragons.

His cocky I will was met with the sort face that said I believe you.

“Several years ago. I prefer... to take my time and give all of my attention to the task at hand.” Not that there wasn’t fun in it; casual encounters generally suited her. But Violet had not found it any more exhilarating than having one person to herself.

Her smile became more obvious at his answer. She was glad he was finally warm. She had not minded him cold, either, minus his presentation for her friends. It was perhaps a bit more than they expected to see of Violet’s date, but it had certainly not been too chilly.

There was something about the way a person’s breath escalated that she found intoxicating. His help gave Violet her own sense of warmth, and she was pleased with every little reaction— gripping fingers, stiffening limbs, the blue of the veins in his arms. The laziness of his movements when they had finished was equally satisfying. Violet did not believe in  jobs that weren’t thorough.

“Determination keeps you young,” she answered, looking up at him, serene as he kissed her forehead. As she climbed up with his help, her free hand came up to her mouth, fingers tracing the outline of lips. She smoothed her dress and laid her coat over one of his arms, pausing in the entryway for him to hang it beside the new robes.

She sat beside him in the living room, taking her time to lower herself onto the furniture’s edge, whereas Felix simply collapsed. Legs crossed before Violet pushed back into the cushions, turning to look at him. The question did not surprise her, but she did find herself… stuck on the words somehow. Like they were dizzying. She had not forgotten the appeal of his veins. His arms, his neck. The heat off his body. Finally, her lips parted, followed by an honest, “No.” Her eyes, often still, roamed now, a slow sweep framed by long lashes. When they reached his neck again, they moved back up, quickly. As if they had never been there at all.

Would Felix really subject Violet to the ministrations of his teenage daughter and her lack of a work ethic? He considered it quietly for a moment, tapping his chin in thought. “What if my attachment to the shoes is because she got them for me?” Talk about a full circle. Felix winked at her as he cocked his finger in her direction, his face not giving away if he was being honest or not.

Several years ago was very vague. He was determined to remember this bit of information to bring up at a later time. He kind of wanted details to sate his curiosity. Felix was very curious. He loved understanding how something ticked. Which perhaps... was one reason she was so entertaining. There were a few lifetimes wrapped up in hers; eventually, she would have so much experience and wealth of knowledge... Where did it all go?

“I was wondering what they were going to start marketing next.” Youth, it seemed, came at a hefty price. That included never enjoying garlic again, or a full cooked dinner that could be garnished with it. Among other things... like an amazing sunrise. Felix glanced to the coat that was handed to him, eyebrow raising as he gave her a flat look. Did he look like a bellboy?

Obviously he did. In the post-enjoyment state, he couldn’t find it in him to be a complete ass.

He noticed her examination, and he had an idea of what it involved. Felix tilted his head away from her, showing off his neck as he relaxed his forehead against his fist, elbow digging into the arm of the couch. Felix lightly bit into his lower lip as he considered his words. “You’ve never asked me for a taste. Am I not the right type?”

“Somehow I doubt that.” His look was matched with a less amused, more knowing one. “But if she did, I’m sure you can part with them long enough to wash them.” She studied him carefully, that wink and pointing finger. “Isn’t that how you preserve treasured gifts? Taking care of them properly?” Her eyes roamed to where he kept his wand. It was so easy, with magic.

Violet laughed briefly at his joke. It was a natural, sincere laugh. Youth and money were people’s favorite things. And the ones that tended to get everyone in trouble. Though Violet could not read his mind, she had a similar thought; there were prices paid for eternal youth.

She paid no mind to any visible thought he might have given her coat, or her expectation that he hang it. It was his house.

His neck was a more delectable dish than Violet could put into words, and she only barely tasted it, a kiss, the press of a tongue— a perpetual tease. She was fully in control of her appetite, had been for ages, but it did mean that the hunger wasn’t there. His teeth on his lip like that… if anything were to test the vampire, it was that. She continued to stare, unblinking.

And then she tilted her head down a bit, forward in both acknowledgement and some gesture to stop or correct him. “You are exactly the right type,” she said slowly. There was a danger in the admission, something that warned him. Violet’s tongue pressed against the back of her teeth, which were firmly shut together, albeit visible. The fangs were perhaps more noticeable now, though her lips were not parted too much. Smooth but pointy, catching light, they were a stark contrast to her lips. That same shade of lipstick she’d offered him the night they’d met. “It’s not a thing one asks lightly.”

Not of people one liked. Granted, she had not exactly expected to see him again that first night. But she had had a drink that night, too. “I don’t want to scare you off.” Quite literally. But a small smile danced on her lips now. “Which I suppose I should know better than to think.” He had known what she was that first night, and again when he tracked her to her office. He had accommodated her in every way, this seemingly, serially casual man. “It’s… not something I need, Felix.” But her eyes said the rest. It was something she wanted. More than a date to a charity gala. Perhaps more than Felix had wanted his little treat. “Are you interested?”

“I thought the idea of gifts was to enjoy them how you see fit? I use them, they get muddy. Thus... I’m using them how they were intended.” Not to be confused with the fact that he’d had them for five or six years and hardly dragged them out. That just meant he wanted them to last until he wanted to really wear them in.

Arguments about proper use of gifts were best saved for another day. After all, hadn’t he just given her a gift? And she just swallowed it like they hadn’t worked hard for it. He smirked as his eyes danced over her face.

On the sofa, Felix relaxed into the cushions and watched her back, letting go of his lower lip as he half grinned. Exactly, huh? Did certain people’s blood taste terrible? Was there an acquired taste to one human over another? He couldn’t comprehend what was so desirable about a copper-tasting liquid as sustenance, but he wasn’t a vampire either. “No... I suppose it isn’t.”

His grin deepened and he shifted just slightly on the sofa, crossing his leg over. She needed blood, just not his, he got that. Felix wanted her to ask, though. Wanted it to be something more than just an assumption based on the way her eyes lit up.

Finally they were getting somewhere! Felix laughed and shifted once again, leaning forward towards her. His own index finger grazed her lips, tip of it touching the tip of her fang. “I don’t know how I could continue to date you and not be interested.” In a rather tender moment, for Felix, he leaned forward further and kissed the corner of her mouth, lip brushing over her visible teeth before he pulled back. The trailing of his finger moved to her neck, her dress, tracing it down to between her cleavage, ending with it hooked in the fabric at the bottom. “Do you want it?”

When he got the answer he wanted, Felix settled back into the cushions and put his arms behind his head. “Then... show me.” He was willing and offering and... Felix wasn’t exactly certain what he was doing, but he was doing it anyway. He pulled his wand out and turned some music on, letting the volume settle softly to add to the background. “I think I saw this in your collection.” Some relaxed band from the seventies told their ballad as he waited for her.

Violet decided that it was not worth it, to discuss the care of gifts. She could admit he had a point; but she could just as easily tell him he was being what children called a massive prat.

She won, in some manner, getting him to remove the dirty trainers. And since their destination was the house, there was no need for him to put them back on. The vampire easily resisted any urge to discard them. They were quickly forgotten, the attention she had given them now reserved for their owner.

If it was not the most common occurrence, for someone to be intrigued rather than afraid of such a discussion, Felix’s mixture of curiosity and encouragement was rarer still. And exactly what Violet needed. He was her type, in all manners. If he knew the scent of his blood, the way the words on his tongue had her holding herself back by a thread, the way his veins made the bottled stuff seem dull and dry…

His touch of her fang was a headrush, a spark like involuntary magic, if Violet had only still possessed it. She did, just a different sort. And then warmth, almost too quickly, but so wonderful. She sat still. The kiss was a softer thing, a moment for Violet to catch her breath and feel something else. That urge she was holding back was easier to temper now. Her limbs seemed to thaw, an arm came up toward his neck. She blinked as she look at him now, just once. It was his words.

The fever his fingertips spread over cold skin had her pressing closer, eyes going heavy and relaxed. “Yes,” she said, eyes locked on his, not needing to stray despite her desire. She wanted it, and wanted to give him the answer he was waiting for.

As he shifted, she did the same, slower, more careful, perhaps. His invitation was clear. Her eyes darted to the side, in the direction of where he had pointed his wand, but she didn’t turn her head. The music was enough to satisfy her curiosity. And bare those fangs a little more. “The perfect mood music,” she said in an amused whisper. “I’ve always had good taste.”

She moved closer, legs tangling into his as she shifted into his lap. Her hand traced his cheek again. The other came up, splaying gently in the crook of his neck. Sliding toward his shoulder. Her face leaned closer, eyes still on his as she kissed him again, in much the same way he had kissed her. Then her eyes moved to his jaw, her mouth following suit, a trail of kisses and almost-tickling drag of teeth. When she reached his neck, she let her hand fall from his shoulder, while the other slid down a few inches, to nape of his neck on the opposite side of where her mouth was traveling. She paused there, like someone about to jump from a high place and trust in magic, or science, or whatever they depended upon. Intuition. There was a single breath on his skin. Teeth sunk in with a suddenness that was quite opposite the lead-in.

Violet’s eyelid fluttered and she drank.