A Date of Requirement (Vin / Keela) 5

[Shava]

Keela thought about it, then nodded, but her expression was slightly incredulous. Not wanting to offend him by saying something negative about his mother, she spoke carefully. "You're mother wanted you to be a pirate?" She tilted her head, confused. "I'd think she'd be trying to keep you from something like that." Thinking that sounded a bit judgmental, she shifted to "Is there a story there?" When he mentioned bikes being better than brooms her expression turned shocked, then skeptical. She could clearly see, however, the light that had sparked and now glinted in his eyes as he spoke of them. She smiled, remembering that he'd promised to take her on a ride one day, if she decided she wanted one. Looking at him and the way his eyes lit like Christmas morning at the prpospect of riding, she decided she wanted to very much, but saw fit not to mention it just then. "Is it...I mean, is it safe?" Anything that went over ten miles an hour had its risks. Keela had ridden on or in every major transportation known to man, with the notable exceptions of a motorcycle and a submarine. She liked trains as a rule for sight seeing, and brooms for just about everything else. She couldn't imagine ever caring for something more than she loved to fly, but she reserved judgment.

Thinking of her conversation with Cern, and the chaos of the shopping trip with Lilly, Keela bit her lip. "I wouldn't say more peaceful exactly", she amended, "maybe just a different brand of chaos." She saw in his eyes that there was more he wanted to say on the subject, and so was surprised when he didn't. She didn't want to think like that. Her brother was also one of her closest friends, maybe the closet one she had. If he and Vincent couldn't get along, how could Keela consider commiting to a relationship with him? Nervous about causing more tension, but no less curious, she spoke: "That's important to you isn't? To feel like you're on the higher ground, like you have the advantage?" It was half observation, half ascertation, but it appeared to her that in order to feel comfortable, Vin had to be in control, and having the upper hand was imperative in control. It came through in the way he did everything, from dealing with people to kissing. The latter though permeated her mind with the memory of the kiss from earlier, and she flushed with the warmth it brought. Well, in certain things at least, Keela didn't mind his having the upper hand, he cold weild it all he liked for all she cared, as long as he kept kissing her like that.

She recognized that he was a bit off-kilter, and strove to lighten the mood. Shrugging, she smiled cheekily. "Wouldn't know", she answered, "never found anyone I felt out-classed by." It wasn't true, she was a teenage girl after all with teenage insecurities. After several moments, the expression melted, and she amended: "At least, no one I'll admit to." His touch sent racing shivers up her arms and through the rest of her in warm, tingling streaks. She realized that, despite early on when he'd touched her often as a means of proving his point that they had chemistry, he'd staved off as of late, only doing so if the situation called for it, and even then sparingly. She found herself missing his attempts to seduce her openly, if only for the prolonged contact they afforded, the thoght made her smile in a soft, sardonic manner. She tilted her head to regard him thoughtfully. His pirate analogies were profound to her, but she still had difficulty picturing herself as the pirate rather than him. "Why is that?" she asked him, curious.

When he answered her question about his presence outside her dorm, she nodded. smiling somewhat incredulously as though she didn't believe him. His tone had turned flattering, which was perhaps the first side of him she'd become familiar with originally. She still had trouble taking his compliments, still had trouble wondering who had heard them before she had, and how often they'd been practiced. Out loud, she settled with: "I wasn't avoiding you per se", she insisted. "I was avoiding the possibility of getting taken in by you." It had the air of being brutally honest, but she felt he had a right to understand her early reasoning. "You have to understand, we'd just met, and some of the stories I heard were....well...they were awful." Looking back, she knew there'd been a bit of both truth and gossip melded in most of what she'd heard, but she hadn't known it then. "The year had just started, and there I was thinking I'd already gotten myself into trouble." She didn't want to hurt his feelings, but she did want him to understand. "You were foreign to me....you still are." The last part she murmured softly as an after thought.

Keela thought about the question, and then shrugged. "It would take a pretty big storm to raise the water level that high", she said after a moment. "But, I don't think its impossible." She couldn't remember ever having seen a storm bad enough to create waves that tall. "They are very impressive though, the storms", she agreed. "I sit up here and watch them sometimes, unless I'm trying to calm down the younger ones. We had one last year where dad had to take mum out on a house call during a bad storm. He wouldn't let her go alone." She could still see the serious expression on her dad's face before they'd left, charging Cern with caring for everyone and keeping them all safe. Despite being the oldest, Keela didn't resent her brother's position, he was being taught to be the man of the house, and Keela understood that that was necessary. There were some rules of pureblood society that ran deep enough that even people like her parents adhered to them. She may have been their oldest, but Cernenus was the heir. It wasn't a position she envied. "We spent most of the night all piled together with Aunt Aimid and Aunt' Boann's families." However, despite the adults' presence, she and Cern had felt responsible for the younger ones.

The image of the serious look in Cern's eyes made her smile somewhat sadly. He'd been growing up even then, and she'd been too involved to see it. She grinned as his observation brought her back from the past. "After seeing everything today, I wouldn't be surprised if the room actually had sleeves." It was far fetched, but then so was swimming in the ocean and getting a look at ancient architecture from two separate countries in the span of an hour. She shrugged, not wanting to discredit her father, but she felt compelled to correct him. "It wasn't really dad, though he did finish it. The structure was already in place before he was born." Still, what he said was true enough. "I've always thoguht it was pretty awesome because it hasn't changed. I've been looking at more or less this same view since I was old enough to remember." He surprised her when he mentioned trying to show her his own home. Feeling her crumbling defenses weaken even further, she found herself watching his lips as he spoke, catching herself, her eyes shot back up to his, and she blushed. "Does what for you?" she tried to clarify, embarrassed at having gotten distracted by the idea of kissing him again. She resisted the urge to stare at the floor until she bore a hole through it.

[Shava]

Vincent pursed his lips, trying to think what to say about his mother to her. It was actually tricky because what he wanted to say wasn't something one should say to their mother or about her either way. "Mom is a bit...well, wild. Some people grow out of it and some never do; she's an eternal ball of energy with a love for life which often ignores what others think is right or proper. Since we had pirates in the family history, she decided she wanted one for herself." He grinned as he shook his head at his mother's behavior; he knew she was a hard person to forget especially when family. "She kind of has to be experienced to be believed, but yeah the story would take a long time to tell. I'll save that for another date shall I?"His eyes danced merrily, knowing she would see what he was promising.

He could see she wasn't convinced about motorcycles, but once she got on one, she'd see. "Oh I had to take a lot of tests before I was allowed to drive. I have a muggle license and there are lots of safety things to be aware of. See, this is why I'm building my own; working magic into it for safety and protection makes it less risky and far more fun. I have to have an adult on the bike right now when I drive, but mom has let me have a few solos too." The look on his face said those had been rare treasures he very much enjoyed. The way she phrased it sounded so bad; it wasn't the way he always thought about it actually. "Not exactly right, but you're close. Knowing that you have the right spot for what you believe is...comforting, more then anything else, a way of staying true to oneself."

One side of his mouth went up with the rest straight as he debated how to phrase something. "Adults always have the upper hand in the way we live so at least being in the best spot mentally makes it a lot easier to put up with what they hold over our heads. Having someone else's beliefs thrust into my head isn't something I really care for so maybe on that I like feeling like I know I'm right." Seeing the blush in her cheeks as she remembered something he gave her a sober look and caught her hand up bringing her closer. "Don't worry, Keela, I know how to share. I like the thought of you being in control..." Of course, he was thinking about another kind of control, but she didn't probably comprehend that part yet! Heck, you had to get the basics probably before you could even comprehend the different variati--

Oh that comment could not be resisted.

Before she took them elsewhere, Vincent slipped his arms around her waist again, curling his arm at the wrist to help pull her in and up against his chest. Sure it was manhandling a touch, but for some reason he got the feeling she would like a little of that at the moment and he often followed his instincts. Whisper soft he said "Cause Pirates are good at taking what they want and bringing life to everything they do," and he kissed her again, a bit more directly saying that he very much wanted her! After a few moments he released the kiss but did not move away, his breath playing over the skin of her cheek, deliciously warm. "As you did at the Lake long ago, my Captain..." Referring to himself as her first mate brought other ideas to his mind, but he suppressed them for the moment; best not to scare away the innocent lamb who had no idea what the wolf was suggesting...

There wasn't much he could say about what she had heard, though there was lots he would like to refute. Shrugging, he acknowledge with a nod she had a point. "Okay, understood. And I wasn't exactly being careful about stopping rumors either, didn't think then it would matter so much. But in my defense, I didn't realize I would be meeting anyone here I would want to spend time with like this." Listening to her talk about storms and then her father's work on the house he made small noises to show he was listening, but he was also getting his mind set on what he wanted to show her from his own home. When she questioned his comments he grinned at her. "Well ours is both isolated and hidden by magic. You have to have family to even be able to see the house so let me show you the best part."



Vincent made sure he had her hand before he concentrated on the room. As the view of the house flickered into view he spoke normally, leading her to the front doors. "This is the yard inside the boundary. On the other side of the wall is the island view, but the walls let us do magic and practice flying in a pretty big space." The yard was easily a few hundred feet across and was worth noticing! The lawn faded away and they were inside the front hall, dark wood of a very high quality workmanship surrounding them.



"Okay, let's test the room a bit. Abraham?" A faded white and transparent figure appeared out of the wall, though vague and hard to see details on. 'Yes Master Vincent?'
"Wow, Abraham, you are awfully faded here. Can you open the front hall for us, then close it off, then open the upstairs for me?" The figure bowed slightly and suddenly an open doorway appeared in front of them showing a hall into the house.
"See, if a family member doesn't say who you are, you can't find anything." That hallway vanished into the wall as if it had never existed and then a staircase leading up appeared in the same place!

"Abraham is centuries old and part of the house. If I told him you were a guest, then you'd have access only to one guest room and a few main rooms. You'd not be able to use magic to find anything else which is why everything is so safe here. I think he used to serve in real life one of the older Moons and then got worked into the house after he died. He always painfully polite and nice. Anything you'd like to see? We've got tons of rooms here..." He waited only a moment before he said casually. "By the way, I was hoping no one has asked you to the Yule ball yet? If not, I'd really consider it an honor if you'd let me take you..."

[Shava]

Keela saw his hesitation, and wondered for a moment if his mother might have been a touchy subject. She wondered if her mother had known Mrs. Moon at school, and if she had, what she'd have to say about her daughter dating the former Slytherin's son. Keela bit her lip, best to keep the whole thing to herself for now until things panned a bit more certain. Remembering what he'd told her during one of their first meetings about his grandfather's personality, Keela thought she might understand. "It sort of makes sense since, well, you know, she never really got to be a kid when she was young." Keela smiled, and shook her head, remembering the dance from the previous year, and his choice of costume. She grinned teasingly at him, "so, do you wear that pirate costume all the time when you're home?" It seemed a bit much for him, since he generally liked to give the appearance of having everything under control. Keela resisted the urge to point out that she hadn't agreed to another date yet, knowing that it was very likely she would at this point. "In some ways, she sounds like mum...well...except mum was a Gryffindor." She didn't elaborate, if he wanted her to explain herself, he'd ask.

His explanation of his riding experience eased her misgivings slightly. After all, if he'd had to take so many tests, surely he was a safe driver or they wouldn't have passed him, right? She'd seen bikes in passing during her travels, and picturing Vin on one made her smile. The way his face lit up made her soften, and what was left of her defenses crumbled into dusty ash, blown away by the force of her attraction to him. This, however, was not to say she wasn't still cautious, she certainly was. Cern had had a point, when he'd lauded Vincent's status as a Slytherin. For even though both her aunts were former snakes, they'd each told her in no uncertain terms to fully trust neither word nor deed of a snake who wanted something. 'Any means to achieve their ends' the words echoed from a lecture given by her father when she'd started to blossom years ago. "Were you nervous?" she asked as a means of distracting herself from her confounded thoughts. "When you rode by yourself for the first time?" She tried to remember if she'd been nervous during her first time out on a broom, but couldn't quite recall. She remembered only the sheer awe she'd felt at being allowed to fly on her own. Keela thought about the statement a moment, wondering what his being true to himself meant to him.

It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him, but she reigned in the curiosity as the topic shifted. The slight upturn of his mouth gave away that she'd amused him, but she wasn't certain how. As he spoke, she concentrated on his voice, trying not to watch the way his lips moved. Finally, she turned her head, still listening, and leaned fully against him, closing her eyes completely. His words left her feeling vaguely uneasy. People with a need for control tended to be domineering and demanding. Laid back as he seemed, she wondered if there was another side to Vincent she had yet to see, the thought made her queasy, and her stomach flipped. As though he'd read her mind, he continued, causing her to sit up and turn her head so that she could look at him. When he took her hand, she met his eyes. The comment might have been meant to reassure her, but there was something in his tone and in his eyes that inexplicably made her shiver. A strange tinging sensation wound its way from the tips of her fingers up her arms and through her chest. Struggling for a sense of balance among her off-kilter thoughts, she searched for a way to lighten the conversation. "I am in control" she assured him cheekily, "you just don't know it yet." Sobering, her eyes bore into his, radiating sincerity. "Can you admit when you're wrong though?" It was a slightly presumptuous question, but one which would reveal a great deal of his character whatever he said.

Keela felt herself being pulled into him, and despite her better judgment, she didn't resist. She found the idea that he could move her so easily a bit intimidating, but then, his strength was also somewhat reassuring. The whisper tingled like a burning sensation, traveling down her spine in a single, heated spiral. In retrospect, she should have expected him to kiss her, should have seen it coming a mile away. But, hindsight as they said was always 20-20, and Keela was making everything up as she went along besides. She had only a moment to react, to pull away if she wanted and maybe she should have, but she didn't. In the next moment he was kissing her. Her eyes went wide a moment before they slid closed. There was desire in this kiss, he wasn't intent on treading lightly this time. Keela, for her part, felt the heavy sort of warmth that comes from the glow of a warm fire, and then, without warning, she was blazing. Lost in entirely new sensations, she felt a sense of awareness shoot through her body like a live wire, and she was kissing him back. Shifting so that she knelt between his legs, she raised her arms, crossing them at his neck. Pressing herself against him, she wanted him, wanted something she couldn't put a name to or define, couldn't understand, but she wanted it no less for its vagueness.

When he pulled back just enough to see her face, she was flushed, breathing as though she'd just finished pre-practice work-outs, and looking as though she'd just been pole-axed. Eyes wide, she opened her mouth, closed it again, After he spoke, she too found her voice. "Vin...I...I'm sorry. I have no idea...that is...I'm not sure what just happened." His breath on her cheek was like the embers after the fire, slowing the wildfire sensations into a general warmth that permeated and made her limbs heavy. The fog cleared slowly in both her ears and eyes, she barely made out his words as he defended himself. She smiled a bit sardonically, though the expression wavered under her effort to regain relative control of her emotions (and her hormones). "Sorry I jinxed your plan", she told him. "I wasn't exactly planning on falling for a Slytherin either." Falling for...well that certainly revealed more than she herself had been aware of. She didn't retract the statement, but neither did she linger on it, hoping they could both pass over her slip. As the room shifted, she focused on it rather than on him, needing distraction.

Keela nodded as he spoke, taking in her surroundings. The yard was large, perfect for playing Quidditch. She almost laughed, even adled her brain could still focus on sports. Confused at first when he called for someone, she almost tripped as she backed away from the suprising figure. She'd always considered the magic that protected her own home to be impressive, overkill, but impressive. What stood before her, however, awed her even further. Glacing at the ghost, she was unsure what to say, there hadn't been anything in her ettiquite lessons about 'what to say to your date's ethereal ghost butler' after all. Straightening, she offered him a small smile and a soft "Hello sir", before glancing back at Vincent curiously. The room seemed to only be leaving things in place in order for them to travel through, and the disappearing landscape threw Keela off-balance. After a moment's hesitation, she ventured: "I don't suppose you've got a ballroom do you? Somewhere we could dance?" Dancing was familiar, something she could do without any real thought or stress. Besides, it was a good excuse to practice, and she hadn't much since Cern and Lilli had started dating. She found herself wondering what his bedroom might be like, but quashed the thought immediately. There was asking for trouble if she'd ever heard of it!

His invitation startled her, she'd been hoping he'd ask, but had actually forgotten about it in light of recent events. She smiled at his casual tone. "I don't know, we went together last year, and you know, it probably isn't very sporting of me not to give the other girls a chance." This she said with an entirely straight face that melted into a grin a moment later. She'd wanted to see if she could break his cool. "I'd love to go with you Vin, I really would. Think we could get some practice in just now?"

[Shava]

There were many things to say about Vincent's mother, but truly in this case experience was what you needed to have. Just hearing about her never prepared one for what might happen, which was nearly anything. The look he gave her about the pirate costume was not hostile as much as resigned. "Well she has gotten me interested in them, certainly, but no, I gave up most costumes when I was a kid..." He pursed his lips as he looked at her and then pointed to the rings in his ear; there were five all in different metals one for year year completed. "I may not be a pirate nor am I trying to be one, but my mother has, well, impacted a lot about them into my life." he shrugged, amused at what she might be thinking about him.

Giving her a raised eyebrow about her mother, he let it pass for the moment.

Good question. "Oh yeah, definitely! Mom was keeping me under eye from a distance, but yeah I was nervous. The whole wondering if I can do it against hoping there were no idiots on the road kind of thing, but I've done it just often enough to feel a lot better about it." Indeed, his mother believed in experience teaching one what was good and what was not. The fact she had let him study a bit with a pickpocket and burglar would also make a number of people think she was nuts, but Vin appreciate the trust all the more. Probably one of the reasons he let her get away with so much in his own life! "Mom is...an experience, but she lets you push yourself to the extremes you want to as well. Not too many kids get the chances I've had and I love her for that."

She tried to be tongue in cheek with him, but he knew she had very little idea how hard it was to be in control unless you knew what was coming as well. In nearly anything, actually! An experienced boy, he knew, could play an inexperienced girl like a fiddle once she showed interest. Knowing that also taught him what the signs were and where the line was as well; he was trying to capture her for life, not for a bit of temporary fun! And with women it was necessary to establish something very long term, not rushed. He was sure his patience in letting her come around had established a good start, a place where she could eventually feel very secure with him. Let her feel in control and become comfortable with him, that would suit him well. "I have before, I'm sure I will again. Life is all about learning from your mistakes. The trick is putting yourself in positions where it doesn't happen often." He smiled with mischievousness at her.

Another moment clearly like that one long ago at the Lake happened and she stopped being the meek and cautious lamb and became a predator of her own, seeking from him such a thing he knew he cold not give her yet. He returned her kiss, helping her to extend the time, feed her own fire and know he was warming himself on it too! When she recovered enough she tried to apologize and he slipped a finger up to her lips to quiet her, liking the fact she had not even realized how close to him she really had gotten kneeling between his legs. "Do not apologize for something I have desired for a long time, Keela, I know you don't understand how hard it is for a guy to be a gentleman, but trust me you really are the one in control. I won't go too far unless you desire to go there..." 'Although too many more kisses like that and I might have to nudge her enough that she wants me to lose control...' he thought, feeling his body react to her.

"Oh Keela, your family has experience with other houses, mine does not. I think it's a bigger shock I have fallen for the sweetest badger ever..." There, take of that as she wished, he was hooked on her in more then one way, enough so he already wanted her for his wife. This kiss was just as much a reinforcement of that first desire and his need to have her was all the stronger then before.

When she backed up in front of Abraham he caught her hand again, pulling her close as if to protect her, help her to feel it was safe. She greeted the ghost who bowed his head in her direction in greeting. "When we meet the real thing, Keela, he's much more detailed and defined. I don't think the room can duplicate living creatures well really any more then it can do past memories like a ghost can be..." She seemed a bit confused or non-comprehending of the house and it's defenses, but her question about a ball room was clear enough. "Oddly no, the family apparently believed in smaller functions, not big parties unless it was just family. But we have some spaces that will work for one I think." Her response to his question brought a relieved smile to his face; it was a good sign for the date! it had a sound of teasing to it he liked very much.

"See now I like the teasing, darling one, so you're just sinking the hook in deeper." Nodding he slipped his arm in hers and said "Here we go." The room changed again to a two parter suite, one end a very old bedroom style in a largely open space and the other a sitting room, looking as if they had once belonged to some great queen. "These rooms are rarely used except for a pair of ghost children my mom invited to stay with us. They play a lot of ball in here, but it's not really used for anything else. I think my great great great grandam would appreciate it being used for a dance." Pulling his wand out of his sleeve he waved it enough to move the furniture to the sides of the sitting room and then he took her hand back as he put the wand away. "What kind of dance would my Captain like? Her mate will do his best to serve well..." He intentionally left his phrasing open for her interpretation!

[Shava]

His expression at her teasing about his choice of clothing during summer holidays made her grin. She lifted her right shoulder in a casual shrug, giving him an innocent look in return. Her grin turned wicked, "most?" she asked, her curiosity peaked. "So some of them still make the cut then?" He seemd vaguely irritated with her, and the grin melted away slowly, as though it had taken the time to slide off of her face. She willingly followed his gesturing to the rings in his ear. As much attention as she paid him, she'd never counted them, or thought to ask if they meant anything. She eyed them, noting that there were five and that they were all different colors. Couldn't be his age, he didn't have five siblings, he was a fifth year...that must have been it. She didn't ask him about it, too hesitant based on his expression to question him any further than he was willing to go himself. Keela herself didn't have any piercings, no true inclination to have anyone force a needle through any part of her skin, even for accessorizing purposes. Pulling her hair back, she motioned to her own ears. "No piercings here, not especially fond of needles." She glanced back at his ears and then into his eyes, her expression giving off that he'd thoroughly scrambled her reading of him. "I can't help feeling there's a lot about you I don't know", she said after several moments of considering him. "It makes me nervous", and curious, she added to herself. She felt like a moth pulled to the flame of bright light somewhere.

She was surprised, especially given his expression, that he let the comment about her mother pass without investigation. It was unlike him. Keela remembered learning to ride a broom on the back lawn as a young girl. They'd had to fly exceptionally low to avoid being spotted, and her mother had hovered close in case something happened. She remembered the expression of pride on her father's face when she'd lifted off the first time. Her parents had shared a look meant only for the two of them. Shaking herself out of her revelerie, Keela glanced up as though she were remembering his presence. "How long will it be before you can drive on your own?" she asked softly, unfamiliar with the laws surrounding muggle transportation. Both her parents had muggle drivers' licenses, but they'd gotten them after they graduated Hogwarts as a sort of novelty. Keela nodded, her own mother was a bit of a piece of work too. Rosalie Summerby was a plethera of oposing concepts all self-contained. It was a trait she'd passed on to her eldest, if not her heir who was almost always the steadier of the two siblings. Keela sometimes felt that if she didn't experience enough in a day she'd explode. She wanted to grasp life by its horns and run with it as quickly as she could. After a few seconds, she couldn't help asking: "What about your father?" she asked curiously, "we haven't talked about him much." Everyone knew Professor Silver of course, Keela had been in his class every year including this one. As of yet the subject of her relationship with his son hadn't come up.

Good answer...was her first thought. The mischievous smile was her favorite, and she felt warmed by her reaction to it. The way his eyes glinted sent nervous sensations pattering peckishly through her chest and into her stomach. "But if life is about learning from your mistakes and you don't make them often, doesn't that mean you don't learn much?" She didn't often use reverse logic on anyone, it was a cheap form of sarcasm that was good for little else except flirtation. But, in this case, since she was flirting for all she was worth, it couldn't hurt. "Aunt Boanna always tell us that in order to be old and wise you must first be young and stupid", she confided. "I always thought it was a funny way to put it. Mum insists its better to learn from other people's mistakes instead of having to make them yourself." She shrugged, "I guess it depends on the person really." It was interesting. It had always been interesting having three of the four Hogwarts house personalities in her family tree, much less in the same house! Her mum and dad tended to agree on most everything important. Her mum and her aunts did butt heads occasionally, but rarely, and usually over casual details.

Her skin was tinged dark after the heat of the moment kiss, and she appeared to be trying to gain her bearings. Despite his assurances, she was embarrassed. More than that, she was unsure of what in Merlin's name had just happened. One minute she'd been enjoying kissing him, and the next...oh the next! The seriousness of his next statement did wonders in dousing the hot sensations singing through her blood. Truthfully, she wouldn't have known how to ask for those things even if she'd been willing. Certainly she knew the basics, but as for how one got from point A to point B...well...in that she was completely and totally ignorant. The hazy fog of lust driven hormones evaporated like a steam, gone as quickly and powerfully as it had come. Lowering her eyes, she struggled with the desire to quell her embarrassment. She envied anew his ability to be completely comfortable in any situation. He appeared perfectly calm and collected and here she was trying to remember how to breathe and speak at the same time! With this realization came insecurity. Had he enjoyed it as much as she had? What if she was bad at kissing and he was just too polite to tell her? She had, after all, fairly jumped him. Knowing her emotions were bound to be out of wack this time of year did little to combat the mounting doubts. She wasn't sure what to say to his statement, and so after several moments she settled on. "I don't know what I want." It was true enough, and on several levels.

Recognizing his attempts at distracting her, the corner of her lip twitched upward even while her eyes remained slightly dark. She understood he was trying to be sweet, but she was fighting her own internal battles with herself. "I doubt I'm the sweetest, I did try to knock one of the Slytherin beaters off his broom last year", she reminded him. "I might try it this year with the seeker", she gave a mischievous smile her best shot. It wasn't normally her style to divert him when he was being this way, but she wasn't sure she had it in her to respond in kind at the moment. Keela nodded, allowing herself to be lead through since she had absolutely no idea where she might be going. Keela nodded. "Great Grandmum believed her entire year was wasted if she didn't throw at least one ball every three months", she admitted. "Its part of the reason Cern and I learned to dance, she wanted to be able to showcase her family." Nevermind that her parents' wedding had been the society event of the year or that their betrothal had royally ticked off none other than Lucius Malfoy himself. Gran had wanted to prove that her family's social standing could not be outdone, and by the time she'd passed there were few who would have said otherwise.

She blushed at the endearment, still unaccustomed to his using them in casual conversation. "You should get used to it then, because I tend to tease often." It had the sound of an unintentional innuendo, one which Keela hadn't meant to imply but none the less realized. Flushing even darker, she closed her mouth. The shift as the room changed made her slightly dizzy, odd since it was no less than the twelfth time it had happened. Glancing around, her mouth dropped open. "It's..." she started, then paused before starting again. "It's beautiful." The space bespoke an elegance that seemed out of place in Vin's life. The contrast between his alternative style and the elaborate design of the room was startling, and Keela had to resist the urge to laugh. "That's a shame", she said softly when he mentioned the rooms often went unused. "It seems like such a waste to let something this lovely go unappreciated." She caught the innuendo, and scolded him playfully with her eyes. "I'm sure he will", she responded in kind, a somewhat sardnoic edge to her voice before glancing up at the ceiling thoughtfully. Biting her lip, she smiled slowly. Sliding her wand from its place on her hip, she grinned at him. "I never was terribly good at keeping it attached to my arm." Holding the tip to her hip, she concentrated until her dress had lengthened slightly, but with considerable slits on either side. "Ever heard of a Broken Tango?"

[Shava]

The confusion in her eyes about him was nothing he wasn't used to; people never really read him right to begin with. He was used to fitting in no one's pigeonholes and he was fine with that. "Sorry, Keela, I'm not easy to classify personality wise. I'd like to think I'm one of those people it takes experience to understand, a deeper one at least. Most people only look at appearances but I have more depth then you'd think." He placed a finger on the end of her nose with a soft smile. "But my dear, you have the right to ask questions. I want you to understand more so I wish to answer. Let me give you an idea of what I mean about depth." Holding up his hand he showed her the ring he wore on his right hand ring finger.

"Now most people don't even register it as more then a ring. Knowing what you know, you'd probably guess it was from my mom. What do you think of it?" He turned it so she could see the whole circumference of it. When she had guessed his smile grew wider, his eyes softer. "Not exactly. It's a gift from Char, my oldest sis. She's in your year. She gave it to me with the understanding that I was the treasure to her." The ring was rough on purpose, much meaning in it's whole look. It was a fond look which crossed his face, a look which said he had been deeply touched by it as well. "We're more then a bunch of crazy haired lunatics, we're family and I am," his arm around her waist drew her tight up against him (not uncomfortably) and his look intesified meaning these words were very important to him "regardless of anything you might hear, intensely protective over those I love."

He saw she got his meaning, that she was one of those, by the expression in her eyes. "My family is precious to me, from siblings to cousins and I have a lot of them, but I'd go to bat for every single one of them even if it meant I was in danger. You could say I do things with passion because I always put my heart in my words. If nothing else judge me by that." Vin hoped she understood that he meant her as family as well, or at least hoped she would allow herself to be. If she chose him, he would be as fierce about protecting her as his little brother Darius, even more so. He shrugged at the conversation change, his eyes alight for another reason. "In Europe and the UK not till I'm 21, but in Africa and NOrth America and the Orient" a place he was very curious about "I'm already legal to drive. Dad used his connections to help my get an early permit as a Christmas present last year, but the age for solo is higher here then anywhere."

Smiling at the question, he wondered how much she realized about his father and concluded she may not remember he was animagus in class or at least had done it before. "Dad? Stylish, used to getting his way, and pretty smart. I understand it took him a lot to win my mom's heart and I'm surprised how much he manages to deal with at home. He knows what battles not to fight. He chose what path to aim me for and gives me a free rein to choose my own way." An idea of his bedroom flashed in his mind, the curious twist of personalities there and thought it would help her to understand more, but he wasn't sure she was ready for the idea yet. He chuckled at her quip and nodded at her own words. "I probably fall in the middle then. I try to pay attention to what others fail at, but everyone misses the boat sometimes. I just try and be prepared first before I jump into anything."

The confusion of emotions he could almost watch like a film across her face, the inward struggle he could have finished off with another kiss, but did not. Vincent wanted her to choose him, not later to say she had been tricked of course! Ducking his head down enough to look up into hers and get her eyes' attention he said "Keela, as long as we're on the same boat, I'm your first mate. I'll take your orders with a smile because I'm happy you are letting me be at your side. If you want to delegate things, feel free. I can do the details if you set the course." Leaning forward he kissed her cheek, softly to show he knew how precious she was, how fragile the moment was. "You have no idea how much I want this to work for both of us..." Not many people realized how smart Vincent actually was; he liked being dominate and being the one in control, but he had seen his mother as a tough in-your-face woman as well and his father had seemed at first to be letting her run things. Over the years he had seen that by his father's actions in letting his mom do as she wished, that when he did say something, they always ended up headed to that conclusion.

Osiris was a very clever man in directing things from behind. Vincent had modeled a lot of his thoughts about relationships off him. When she chose him (he avoided the word if in his mind), she would be choosing a partnership and he was sure would work to make sure things worked for them both. He would direct her in small things and let her have a head when they were headed where he wanted anyway. Over time she would come to depend on him, lean on him for support especially with their first kids and he would slowly come to have dominance in the most complete way possible without magic. She was, so far as he was concerned, a prize worth waiting for, a girl to wrap around his finger and their children would have advantages most would never stand a chance of getting. "I never said Badger's weren't tough, Keela, only that you were the sweetest of them. Take the compliment as it is meant. As for knocking a seeker off his broom, well, there is a reason we stay far above the competition, but that would be a long way to fall."

He nodded at her reaction to the room. Some of his ancestor's had some serious attitude. "In her day she kind of held court in her rooms with some important people. Most of us prefer home to remain for family with few guests invited inside. You have to be pretty special to get inside our house these days; it's the one place we can all be ourselves without apology and everyone else just puts up with it. It was hard for Darius to come to school this year. He's never really comfortable around outsiders and this place was...safe base to him I think." She lengthened her dress a bit and made it more proper for dancing. "Hmm, heard of it, but have never done it. How different is it from the normal one?"

[Shava]

Keela shrugged, having gathered as much from their previous conversations. "It's not something you should have to apologize for", she assured him. "It just means less sleep for those of us trying to decode your inner workings", she smiled to let him know she was teasing, at least somewhat. The casual touch made her smile, though trying to focus on it made her go cross-eyed, and she laughed. She grinned mischievously at him, "I have the right to ask any questions?" she murmured. Thoughtful, she eyed him from under her lashes. She wasn't certain she wanted the answer to most of her most pressing questions yet. Those were better left for another time, one that didn't involve a first date perhaps. Eyeing the ring critically, her lips turned up. It looked like a silver-etched treasure map to her. Fitting, she couldn't help thinking, for a pirate in training with a penchant for the metallic.

She considered him carefully, glancing at the ring once more before she spoke. "It looks like some sort of coded treasure map?" The statement was also half-inquiry. "Its cool though", she assured him, "very unique." Keela knew of his sister, though as of yet they'd never officially met. It surprised her in retrospect that she hadn't been given some variation of a protective older sibling speech like the one she'd given Lilli about Cern. Smiling softly as she gazed at the accessory with new interest, she took his hand and brought it closer. Releasing him, she nodded. "I get it, you're the treasure so she gave you the ring that looks like a treasure map." The thought was endearing. "That's very sweet", she admitted. "Clever too." She was really rather at a loss. She'd underestimated him, that much was becoming increasingly clear. She'd also misjudged him at least somewhat, but she wasn't ready to admit that to anyone yet, much less to him. He pulled her close, and she smiled as she wrapped her arms comfortably around his neck. His next statement knocked the wind out of her, and her heart beat picked up in double time. Love...he loved her?Did he really? Her eyes widened, but she didn't even attempt to speak for several moments.

That was it, he had her, and she thought he probably knew it. If there was one thing they emphatically had in common it was their views on the importance of family. If the whole thing was a farce, Keela couldn't help thinking it was a bloody good one. It was a wonder he didn't have more experience. She wondered briefly how anyone had ever stood a chance of denying him anything he wanted. The thought was at once intriguing and terrifying. She searched for any remnants of her earlier reservations. They were there, but equally silent in the face of his newest revelation. "You...I..." she couldn't get her thoughts in order. Feeling supremely inadequate, she settled for. "I think I'm done judging you at all, Vin." At least, she was finished judging him by what she'd heard. Even though, she had to acknowledge that at least some of what she'd heard he'd confirmed to be true. She was falling in love with him, Merlin help her she was in love with him. The color drained from her face, and she suddenly looked very unsure of herself. She had insisted from the moment after they'd kissed that this wouldn't happen, and yet...her she was, and she hadn't the slightest clue what she was going to do now.

The conversation shifted, giving her time to come to terms with the new thoughts and emotions she found herself totally unprepared for. Was this how Cern had felt when Lilli had appeared out of nowhere? She made a note to apologize to him the first chance she got. When he explained the age laws to her, she shrugged. "Maybe that isn't such a bad thing, we can just explore elsewhere until you're legal here." She hadn't been aware she'd included herself in his future and indirectly included him in hers. Rather than correct the statement, she added. "Besides, I'll be legal sooner, maybe I could drive", and then she grinned wickedly at him. "That is, if you'll teach me." A few months ago she wouldn't have even considered it, but she wanted to understand his fascination with all things mechanical.

From that explanation, Vincent sounded very much like his father. With all of his freedom, Keela thought, it was sort of miraculous he wasn't even wilder than he came off at first glance. "Who do you think you're more like?" she was curious to what the thought. "Your mum or your dad?" Keela knew what she thought, but then, she also had no experience with his mum. "Somehow I can't picture you as being overly cautious about anything." That was most definitely her job between the two of them. Still, she smiled. "I think I'm probably a bit more reckless than most, dad says I got all of mom's lioness traits." He normally said this only when she was in trouble for doing something either over-adventurous or terribly stubborn. That part, however, wasn't necessary to her story and she kept it to herself for the moment.

Keela couldn't help thinking there must have been a catch somewhere. Vin was a classic case for needing control like oxygen, the idea of him willingly taking orders from anyone just didn't mesh with what she'd learned of him. "It really means that much to you?" her tone was skeptical, "being with me?" His explanation sounded closer. He wanted her to give him the go ahead and then he'd more or less handle the rest. But, she wasn't sure she liked the idea of being handled, even by someone like him. The kiss on the cheek felt unnaturally chaste coming from him, but was no less welcome. The warm sensation bloomed across her skin, raising a rosy pink that fanned out across her face and down her neck. The effect he had was startling, and Keela found herself wishing for the first time in her life that she'd been more prepared to feel like this. Before she could talk herself out of it, she decided to be honest. "Sometimes I just wish you'd tell me."

Slightly shamed, she bit her lip as she glanced up at him, suddenly shy. "I'm sorry Vin...I guess I...I just don't know how to...do this." The admission cost her, and she prayed he wouldn't ask her to elaborate. "I feel like I did the first time I got on a broom, only this time there's no safety net to catch me if I fall off." When he responded to her seeker comment, she thought of her own predicament. "Tell me about it", she agreed passively, thoroughly distracted by the myriad of thoughts and emotions that had overtaken her earlier euphoria. "Its just...all this is...well its been a long time since I felt quite this out of my element." As long as she was being honest, she might as well go for broke. "I'm worried about all of this. I'm trying to trust you but...part of me wonders what will happen next year when all this is behind us." It was the easiest and least revealing way to touch on her doubts about him.

The tension eased out of her shoulders as they spoke of dancing. Now, this was her element. To Vincent, she shrugged. "Not very. The frame isn't as structured and there's more improv, that's why its considered broken. I guess you could say its the more modern version." It was all in all a very evocative dance when done properly, and Keela wondered why she hadn't just suggested a waltz. She didn't acknowledge the idea that she might have done it to be close to him, she hadn't come that far in accepting herself yet. "We can go for the classics if you'd rather, I'm just looking to stretch my legs a bit. It's been a while since I've done this, and I don't want to be rusty for the Yule Ball. Go ahead, Vin. Your choice."

[Shava]

The real trick to seduction was, Vincent knew, making it stick. Some people (mostly idiotic boys in the teens his father had told him once) were successful in the basic seduction and then tossed it all away while getting what they wanted, the purely physical release their mind craved. Whereas if they were patient, a girl would not only let them have that, but keep letting them have it as long as they kept the seduction successful. Stupid, but young men were often unthinking as he had noticed in his observations of those in the older years. Vin was not after the short term, however, he wanted the whole package. If he played his cards right and she did fall for him then eventually she would stop resisting him at all and that, he personally felt, was something worth holding out a bit longer for. He knew the easy method and a few girls had already bent over backward for him and he had very much enjoyed it, but he had much bigger fish to fry.

Keela's genetic family alone had been enough to convince him his children would have a good mix to avoid the pureblood backwardness that his fellow dorm mates preached. And if nothing else having kids with her would guarantee him his duty to family done and done well indeed! But her tentative personalty was enough that he felt comfortable with the idea of keeping her close, letting her in on his secrets over time, sharing the discovery of the world with her. Maybe that was what freed his mind and allowed him to take that step of admitting his attraction to her was more then just a crush. But he had heard from many that emotions grew in time as well and what he felt now would surely grow much stronger when he was around her more. "Well I'd hope you wouldn't get too personal like asking for measurements and such like that of me or prying into my dad's finances, but I think I can trust you that you won't go too far too fast." He grinned at her to take the sting out of the words; she certainly had manners so he wasn't very serious about that part.

It was clear she liked him physically at the least as she not only didn't resist, but opened herself up more, slipping her arms around his neck. His next words however caused a stunned look to cross her face and she nearly stuttered; clearly he had surprised her greatly with his truth about family. Had he won through at least some? It seemed so, especially when she said she was done judging. "Does that mean I get to hear it or are you saying the next date is automatically on?" She kind of answered that a minute later when she mentioned exploring elsewhere till he was older. His smile became more broader, more cheerful, and maybe a touch relieved! His arm around her tightened just a tad, possessively in a way. "That is the best news ever, Keela, and of course I will teach you! We'll try you on it first see what you think. Do you think your cat will want to go with us when we go?" 'Us,' he thought suddenly aware of how all-encompassing that really was.

Vin thought about her question a moment, debating with himself a bit. "Ash is so like mom it's scary, Char and I are more fifty-fifty. Maybe an edge more dad actually. I definitely get my travel urge from her though." Tilting an eyebrow up at her he had a very questining look on his face as she spoke about herself. "You? Reckless? So Cern is like the cautious one?" Most siblings went different ways or the same in extremes and he didn't see them as vastly different, but who knew? Or maybe it was just his siblings that hit all the extremes. He chuckled at her question, seeing why she found it hard to believe. "Darli-- You know I need to come up with a better nickname for you then that. I'll have to think about that. Anyway, in relationships the woman always sets down the boundaries, what she will allow and not. The guy is almost never anything but the supplicant, hoping to be found acceptable. It's built into our genes I think, the instincts about we work together." Probably at least part of it because for nine months they could be so helpless or needing protection and they went towards the male for that, so they set the rules of the space they would live in.

Putting his other arm around her he met his hands in the middle lower of her back and clasped them, settling in comfortably to a good feeling embrace. "Does it mean that much? Yes. I can see you on my arm going places, showing you off, lying on a couch with you curled up in front of me. But it's more then looks. You are smart and thoughtful, you care about people and don't jump into things even when all your instincts are screaming yes. I respect that; you want to be sure about things before you commit yourself." he nodded, seriously thoughtful as he spoke. She was careful and he wanted that kind of person raising his kids with him; she wouldn't do stupid things like so many others probably could be depended on to do. "And yes, you did kiss me first and damn what a kiss that was! I enjoyed it more then this last one, though it was pretty amazing as well! I love the way you taste and the smell of your hair gives me goosebumps. I want you." There was no mystery in what he wanted about her, nor did he try and hide that; she had asked him to tell her.

"But above all of that, when we first spoke you probably knew nothing about me except my house. And you didn't prejudge me then. I asked a genuine question and you answered me and went on to let me try. You didn't hoard your secret talent nor did you make fun of me while I tried, though I was pretty pathetic at it." One hand came up for a moment to brush a strand of hair out of his face that had fallen over slightly before running his hand across her cheek liking the feel of her skin. "You are a very genuinely, beautiful person, Keela, inside and out. I might not have ever crossed your paths again except for those stones and there you showed me who you really are, without a mask. Why would I consider being with anyone who wasn't like that?" She expressed her unease with the situation and he ran one hand up and down her back, trying to sooth her down a bit, feel more comforting to her. Letting her talk he marshaled his thoughts, thinking how best to phrase what he wanted her to hear. "Well...I can't claim to be an expert at love cause this is my first time, but it seems to me if we're dating, then we're in this together, right? So I'm here to hold you when you need it and the same for me when I'm having a rough time at decisions. What matters to me is that you are willing to meet me halfway, to be here with me, Keela, that means the world..."

After he had explained the room and she had explained the dance, he slid his hand down her arm into her hand and held it up in a obvious attempt to pretend he was just asking for her for a dance. "Well then, Ms Summerby, if I may have this dance, I would like to take you tangoing and then once you feel better stretched, maybe you can show me how to break it..." Vin was a pretty decent dancer, though not a huge competitor, but there was something about dancing with a woman who you wanted physically which certainly taught you enough about how she could use her body to flare up your own edge. The next few minutes proved to be more then a little interesting...

[Shava]

If Keela had been listening to her head at that moment, she'd have heard a combination of every lecture her brother had ever given her, in his best impression of their father of course. However, Keela wasn't listening to her head, she was listening to her heart (and quite possibly a few other more negligible internal organs).Vincent was confusing, but then, he also appeared to be being totally honest with her. Part of her couldn't help wondering if that might have been the reason why he was confusing. She couldn't help feeling that even in his vulnerable moments, he was still ultimately in control, as if it was all just part of some bigger plan. The question Keela wanted to ask most of all was what that bigger plan actually was. This was assuming she ever got the nerve up to ask such a question, and she wasn't counting on it. Gryffindor bravery only got you so far when it came second-generation. A cooler mindset prevailed instead, and she was left to analyze and re-analyze until he managed to distract her again.

The emotions playing in his eyes were fast becoming one of her favorite things to watch. She loved his eyes, and the passion behind them rendered her almost entranced in their intensity. It took her a moment to process his meaning, but when she did she flushed scarlet. Measurements...? Finances...? "Vincent Silver-Moon!" She hadn't called him anything other than 'Vin' in a long time, but she couldn't help feeling a bit offended. It took her a moment to comprehend the rest of his sentence, and she narrowed her eyes at him for a moment before her expression relaxed. "Of course you can." She sighed, "what am I going to do with you?" He was a rollarcoaster, or at least, he made her feel like one. Cloud nine one minute and floundering the next, she wondered if her brother had faired any better when he and Lilli were first getting started. Given how short a time it had taken for them to establish things, she doubted it. She'd never admit it, but sometimes she wished she could be more like her brother. Maybe it was a guy thing, she mused, being able to find what you wanted and take hold of it that way. "It goes both ways you know, if you want to know something, just ask." That wasn't to say she'd necessarily tell him, but he could ask.

Tilting her head, Keela gave him a look that clearly said he was the master of ruining moments. Sighing again, she laid her head on his chest. "Yes, we can go on a second date." She wondered if the Yule ball would be it. It was still a few weeks away, and Keela felt a pang at the idea of not hanging out with him again sooner. Part of her wanted to just give in already, at least if they were officially dating she wouldn't have to look for excuses to see him between now and then. The corners of her lips tugged upwards, and she turned her head slightly so that he couldn't see her expression. He sounded so excited by the prospect of teaching her to ride that her inhibitions were put on the back burner for the moment. "Sounds like a plan", she agreed. "Just...don't let me fall off." While she doubted there was any chance she'd get hurt on his watch, she couldn't help feeling a bit nervous, she'd never been on a motorcycle before. A grin crossed her face as she wondered what her parents would say, most especially her father. Taranis Summerby had been an adult without ever really being a kid, and he'd been nearly as straight laced as any red-blooded male could be expected to handle even back when he and Keela's mum had started dating. What would they think about her making plans to ride off on a motorcycle with a boy into parts unknown? She bit her lip, best not to mention it just yet. To Vin she said: "I'm not sure if he'll want to go, but I know I'd have a hard time being without him. He's been around since I was eleven. If there was a way to take him, I'd like to."

Keela listened as he recounted his basic family dynamics for her, filing the information away for later. She was sure she could get along with his older sister, but the younger girl was infamous, and Keela wasn't sure they'd have anything in common. She had no idea how she and Darius would get on, he was so quiet all the time. "It depends on what it is. Sports? I'm willing to dive head first into whatever happens to be coming. Cern isn't much of an athlete, but he's probably better at relationships than I am." Or, at least, he was braver, but that wasn't something she was willing to share with Vin. "I'm a bit worried about meeting Ashley", she admitted "and Darius is kind of intimidating for a first year." She hated to tell him, but was fairly certain he already knew. "She's almost as famous as you are." She smiled at she said it, a light-hearted jab at his ability to garner attention, and thereby gossip, wherever he went. When he mentioned nicknames, she smiled. "Well, Cern calls me Kee, but he'd probably get offended if I let someone else use it. My middle name's Rose after my mum." She grinned up at him. "I should probably find a new one too, 'Vin' isn't particularly original is it?"As she listened, she couldn't help thinking he was an odd mix of arrogance and acceptance. He was sure of himself, sure of his place, but then there were other things that made him humble, made him human.

When he brought his other arm around to embrace her, she felt at once comforted and disconcerted. She'd never felt this comfortable with someone who wasn't family before, male or female. Her head found its way back to his chest, and she closed her eyes, momentarily reveling in the feeling. She could see it too, she admitted to herself. Against her closed eyelids, the images played out as he described them, vivid and warm and wonderful. She was glad he understood, so much so that she couldn't even find it in herself to be bothered by the fact that he'd pinned her so accurately. Respect... She and her mother had had a conversation about respect over the summer after the first few letters from Vin had come. They'd sat down over tea and biscuits while the boys were out and the younger children were upstairs. Rosalie had told Keela to be careful that any boy she might be interested in didn't just love her, that he should also respect her. It amused Keela because from what Vin was saying, he might have been in the room with them. His admission pulsed in her ears, causing her blood to heat up again. He wanted her, respected her, cared about her, that covered all the important parts, right? She'd asked and he'd told her, simple as that.

She raised up to her toes and kissed him, not a long kiss, nor a heated one. It lasted only a second or two, but she wanted him to understand what it meant for her, and she wasn't yet familiar with the ways in which people expressed such sentiments. She lowered herself onto the balls of her feet and glanced up into his face shyly. It was the first time since that day by the lake that she'd taken the iniative to kiss him, and, though it was nothing like their first, she was proud of herself for it anyway. She laughed softly, "my aunts are both Slytherins, and they're great, bit on the sneaky side, but great." She shifted one of the arms that was draped around his neck so that she could toy absently with the hair above his collar. "And you weren't pathetic. When I learned how to do that I was like seven. I've just had a bit more practice" At his touch, she leaned into his hand, smiling serenely. When he put it like that, the whole thing seemed natural, inevitable even. "Are you always this persuasive?" her tone was light, but the question serious.

Her head jerked up from where she'd been resting, and she looked at him, surprised. "Your first time? Really?" She grinned, "the whole world?" Still, her eyes were soft, almost awed. She bit her lip. She smiled at his formality and then adopted the manner afforded by her great-grandmum. "Why Mr. Silver-Moon, I'd be honored." Taking his hand, she adjusted her frame. The room, ever sensitive, began playing some generic, sensuous-toned melody. When he drew her up into proper frame, she smiled, pleased. After swaying her hips a moment or two to gather the rythm of the song, she shifted into him, circling her right leg en point in a sort of semi-circle. When he pulled her in so that the actual dancing could begin, she grinned wickedly at him, pressing her body to his in a way that, while proper for the dance, was a bit more intimate than strictly necessary. Rolling her upper body, she allowed herself to get lost both in him and in the music. Since he seemed to know what he was doing, she followed him willing step for step, flourishing occasionally with the intent of showing off for him. As they wound their way around the floor, she began to feel as though she were melding into him. Glancing up at him playfully, she wrapped one leg around his calves briefly, brushing from the back of his knee to his ankle before assuming proper stance again. It was the first time she'd danced like this with someone other than her instructor or her brother, and she finally understood all the fuss about the tango. It was a dance of intimacy and passion, something to be savored, much like the way she was feeling about him right now.

When the music faded, she was breathing harder than normal, both from exertion and reaction. They were still standing close enough that she could feel his breath against her cheek, feel him pressed against her, she hadn't even let go of his hands yet, temporarily stilled and in awe of what he'd inspired in her. Eyes shining, she brushed her lips across the spot on his neck just above his collar. "Thank you for the dance, Vin", she murmured. "It was....incredible." She paused, bit her lip, "I love you", she whispered, and Merlin help her, she did.

[Shava]

Hearing her words he knew he had toed the line only barley which amused him quite a lot. "Oh come on, Keela, it was a joke! You said you were going to tease me, I think I can tease you back, that's only fair..." But then she offered him a chance to ask back some questions and he had to take the chance despite the timing. "All right, seems fair. Tell me, Of all the places you have been and lived, where attracts you the most for a future family? Like, where would you consider raising a family from what you have experienced so far?" That should get an interesting answer! Hearing he could have a second date was a good omen and he responded quickly. "Awesome, maybe in the next week or so? I'd like to see you again before the ball. Heck, you have to tell me what colors you choose this time anyway..."

They had spoken about colors before the Halloween dance last year, he hoped she remembered how well that had gone. Now maybe he wouldn't be in costume, but he could surely get something that would fit her own look.

Her motorcycle comment caused him to give her an eye to eye look. "Keela, I will be more careful then you can imagine. I don't want to risk you getting hurt." After all this time trying to get her back to first base alone? No way would he risk that investment! He wasn't going to go worry-wart on her, but he'd be careful enough! "Well first off don't call her anything but Ash. Ashley isn't her name so that's tricky sailing. As for you, I'll think of something, just might take awhile. You however could call me by my middle name if you can think of something." With real sarcasm he added, his head tilted towards her at an angle "Just imagine if you will that my mother named me after two pirates so my middle name is Teach." His eyes showed his amusement at his mother, but a bit iffy on his middle name.

Something he said had clicked with her, clearly, and he wondered what it was. She kissed him in thanks, not emotion-filled, telling him she really appreciated him at that moment. He took it and kissed back as much, even though it didn't last long. She explained how she hadn't thought he was pathetic and played with his hair a bit, something that was so personal he felt even more cheered. "Hmm, maybe a little bit. Of course the whole thing. Don't you think together we can handle it?" He grinned back, enjoying her reaction, knowing he was persuasive and enjoying the results from it. The dance, when it started, was as much a turn on as he had expected, brushing her several times and when she hooked her leg around his his eyes might have glowed on his own! The dance with her became far more intimate then he might have expected from her, but it was confirmation that she was buying into him more and more.

That certainly was a sign he had been praying for for awhile!

And being beside a girl he had pursued so long who was so excited by what they had just done she was breathing heavy was another whole level of turn on above that! "Anything for you, Captain of my heart." he pulled her close and slid an arm around her waist pulling her close for another kiss which he spoke just before their lips touched again "I do believe we have agreement there, my beautiful Keela, for I love you as well..." This kiss, unlike the one before the dance, was charged with their current emotional states and was for more then one reason breathless.