A matter of style (Cassiel) - The White Tower

He'd sent her a text, let the receptionist/doorman know to let her up when she came there.

The youth was sitting on the couch, the tv turned onto a music channel and filling the room to the soft sound of the Seatbelts' Aideu while Charlie seemed lost in a book. One elbow resting ont he back of the sofa, his hand supporting his head and his legs crossed.

It did not take long for Cass to get there. She was wearing a pair of well loved jeans and a black fitted tank top. Her hair was pulled bak into a braid and she wore a basic pair of red ballet flats on her feet.

When the elevator opened to Charlie's pad, she smiled and sauntered in towards him.

” Hey, sugar. Did you miss me?”

He closed the book he'd been holding one hand and put it away as he looked up at her with a genuine smile.
"I'd be lying if I said I didn't" Charlie held out a hand for her, inviting her to join him on the sofa. "How have you been?"

She took his hand and gracefully turned to sit next to him, crossing her left leg over her right. She smiled sweetly to him, brushing a fly away of hair behind her ear.

” I've been well. Can't say there has ben much hapenung. But I've enjoyed a bit of quit. You?”

"Mmm, quiet can be a good thing occasionally. I hope I didn't interrupt anything by asking you over though?" he asked with a smile as he tilted his head to the side, looking at her with steel blue eyes as he reached out to nudge a lingering strand of hair away from her face with a light touch.
"I was impatient and... well" the sentence seemed to fade mid way even if he was still smiling, his focus on her entirely.

She gave a light laugh, catching his hand with cold fingers.

” You haven't interrupted anything, darlin. Impatient?” Curious she was, indeed.

"I wanted to show a bit of appreciation, for all you've done for me..." Charlie smiled, letting his fingers play with hers as he leaned in a little closer. "And I thought it would be the perfect thing to give it to you on the opening night of your exhibition, but.... I don't know when that will be so..." he reached behind him and picked up a small box that had apparently been hidden just out of her sight behind some pillows.
"I thought perhaps you'd like it now? Give you a chance to tell me if you even like it?" the youth smiled, holding the box up with three fingers. "Because otherwise I'll have to take it back and come up with something better, though I do hope... that it will be to your taste"

She watched him pull out the box and het smile brightened. She looked at the pretty box and traced her finger over tje gold ribbon.

” The standard reaction is that you should't habe. But.. I'm not your standard girl. So I'm glad you did.” Her smile never waveted as she gently began to untie the ribbon.

"Good..." he chuckled, leaning back and watching her unwrap the gift as he rested his head against the back of his hand.
"I realize it might be a bit of a cliché but I saw it and I thought of you" Charlie said softly as the ring came into view. "I originally thought of getting you a brooch but this?" his lips parted as he eased the tip of his tongue across a canine without taking his eyes off her. "I just fell for it..."
Rubies and diamonds set in platinum, the youth liked pretty expensive things that was for sure. He watched her, awaiting her reaction.

Cass' eyes went wide as she stared at the ring. She ran her fingers over the rubies in awe and surprise.

” Charlie...oh my God..” The Rose smiled sweetly in her shock.

"I'll take that as a good sign" the youth smiled brightly at her, a soft chuckle escaping his lips as he reached out again and touched her cheek with a gentle fingers for a brief moment. "Red's a good colour on you..." he whispered sweetly, still watching her with smiling eyes.

” It's beautiful, Charlie. No one has ever gotten me a gift like this.” She beamed at him... And then very suddenly threw her arms around his neck.

” I don't know what I did to deserve this, but... Thank you. So tell me what I did so I know what to keep doing!”

He let out a soft chuckle, moving his arms around her in return and nuzzling against the corner of her neck for a moment to get a breath of her scent.
"Just keep being you" the youth smiled, closing his eyes for a moment and just enjoying holding her close before pulling back slightly to look into her eyes as a hand moved to her cheek. "You deserve gifts, gorgeous... I'm surprised someone like you haven't already grown tired of being showered with them" he smiled, locking his gaze with hers.

She kept her dazzling smile and blushed ever so slightly. Cass leaned into his touch, holding a hand to his on her cheek.

"Getting showered in jewels is a first for me," she chuckled. "I guess I'm just not that kind of Toreador."

Really, she looked like a bashful little girl as she took the ring from the box and slipped it onto the ring finger of her right hand, feeling the weight of it and staring at it with her fingers spread wide.

"The red does look good," she finally admitted. "I could never lavish you with such gifts, Charlie..." There was the slightest twinge of guilt in the sentence.

"I don't need you to give me anything Cass" the youth smiled softly, easing his fingers in under her chin to lift her eyes so to meet his again. "You've done much for me already... Including showing me your pictures. An honour I truly, deeply, treasure..."
He brushed his thumb slowly across her chin, still with that same gentle touch as before.
"And I do love seeing that smile of yours"

"Keep talking-- I don't think it will ever go away," she said as she pulled him closer to her and brushed her lips against his. "I'll gladly share my work with you any time. You have but to ask..."

"I might just ask you again soon then...." he whispered against her lips, just barely touching them as he spoke. "Because I don't want that smile to ever leave..."
He eased his fingers up her back and touched her lips with a feather light kiss by his own.

"Mmm..." She grinned against him. "A charmer-- a real charmer. What am I going to do with you?" Mischievously said.

Charlie's lips parted in a grin as he chuckled.
"You're free to do quite a lot you know..." he brushed his thumb across her lips as he drew his breath, looking into her eyes. "But I don't demand anything from you... only what you'll give me"

"Good," she smiled. "Because I don't react well to demands."

She pulled back, taking his right arm in her hands, letting her fingers slide under the fabric of the sleeve of his shirt feeling for bandages. She repeated the process on his left arm.

"No recurrences of violence? No pissed of Gangrel using you as a scratching post?"

"No worse than a few bruises now and then, a few scratches that takes a little longer to heal" he chuckled, briefly touching his fingers to his chest as if to indicate said scratches. "No big new scars anywhere.." Charlie smiled at her. "So no, no Gangrels using me as their personal scratching post" Charlie smiled at her, letting her check him for for bandages that wouldn't be there.

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Edit: spelling

"Good!" She seemed satisfied, even as she continued to run her fingers and hands over him. Which was enjoyable in its own right.

"I much prefer to be able to touch you without fear of hurting you," she winked. "Now, try and keep yourself this way, huh?"

"Oh, I do try" the youth laughed, slowly leaning back until he was laying down. Looking up at her and enjoying her touch if his smile was anything to go by at least.

"Your touch is a good motivation" he reached out to take her hand, holding it gently as he eased his thumb across the ring on her finger. "And I'd hate it if you some day took that away...."

"Well, I don't think you'll have to worry about that coming from me," she sighed as she gently squeezed his hand and watched his fingers before her brown eyes found his again.

Cass slithered her way up on top of Charlie and made herself quite comfortable.

"You make it so I don't want to leave this domain. I don't know how that's possible. You must be one hell of a magician."

Gentle hands found her hips as he moved on top of him, the youth still with the pleased look of a cat on his face as he bit his lip softly and tilted his head to the side.
"No magic at all... simply means I must be doing something right..." he whispered sweetly. "And now that I know what it is... I'll just have to keep doing it, won't I?" he added with a soft chuckle as his hands rubbed her hips for a moment before easing up the sides of her body and slipping around her waist.
"And I'm not hearing any complaints sooo..."