Not all gifts are "sweet" (Cassiel/open) - The White Tower

Turning around to face her he gave his shoulders a light hearted shrug.
"It's where it started. Going to war as a man" Charlie smiled at her. "And being somewhat flexible about my role makes it easier to do what I do. Easier to fit in and blend with whatever is needed for the assignment"

"You've got a steel pair of balls, Charlie," she Rose chuckled, touching his hand with the back of a finger.

"I wouldn't have ever thought to do anything like that. Nor would many others."

"Oh, I'm sure there's plenty who've done the same" he turned his hand so to take hers, giving it a gentle tug to pull her in close if she would allow him to do so. "Only difference between me and most, is that I'm good at it" Charlie grinned.

She came close with a smile, her free hand resting on his cheek-- though it was really just her fingertips.

"Yes, but... you found your niche. And judging from how I see you... You did it fast. Being good at something you do is only part of it. Many of the rest of us still don't quite know what to do with ourselves," she smiled brightly.

Charlie turned his head slightly so to touch his lips to her fingertips without taking his eyes off her.
"I made a choice... simple as that. And the next choice, well, it was taken for me. From there on out, I've simply adapted and improved. No bigger secret to it than that really" he smiled, parting his lips to catch one of her fingers if he was fast enough.

Oh, he caught it easily enough. After all, his laziness was wearing off on her quite a bit.
Her lips parted in a smile.

"Adaptation. The things our elders fear... The thing that neonates love. Some of us for the right reasons. And some of us... just to have fun."

The youth wrapped his arms around her waist, one hand around the wrist of the other as he held her close, resting his hips back against the sink and watching her with a smile as brushed the tip of his tongue against her fingertip and the gave it a light bite before letting go.

"Adapt or die, simple as that... Even the Elders realize this, but far too many are too stuck in their old ways to move with the times and as a general rule, they generally struggle to hang onto their power for as long as they can before either perishing or deciding that sleep is a better option. As if the problem will have gone away until the next time they wake up"

Charlie tilted his head to the side, still smiling at her.
"Stagnant water becomes putrid in time, doesn't take a genius to figure that one out"

"At least the water hasn't become stale here. Not yet, anyway," she smiled, pulling her finger away and placing it between her lips.

"There's just too much excitement here right now for any elders to go sticking their heads in the sand just yet. And those who do adapt... Those are the ones that make me wonder. Sure, they're after power. But what will those willing to change with the times do with that power?" Nefarious elders were... nefarious...

"Guess only time will tell"
It was a cliché, a horrible one at that, but it was said with a smirk and a hint of a laughter that suggested he was well aware of it at least.
"For now? I'm quite happy with where I am" the youth pulled her a little closer, letting one hand ease up her back before coming to rest at her shoulder. with a smile. "Who I 'm with..."

"I am too..." She grinned. "No Tremere in the closet to come out and spook me. No child wraiths with inconceivable intelligence calling calling me by terms of endearment. No stupid little clues to some stupid little game to solve."

She grinned again and kissed his lips softly.

"Just you and a punching bag," she gave him a wink.

"Sounds good to me" the youth grinned against her lips before returning the kiss with a bit more passion as he slipped his tongue past her lips to taste her with a soft sigh. One hand still resting on her back while the other found its way from her shoulder to the back of her neck to gently grasp her hair.

The youth was in fact very happy with here he was and who he was with.

She drew out the kiss for a bit longer, battling her tongue against his, covering his lips with her own. She pressed her forehead against his for a moment, again brushing the tips of her fingers across his cheek with the softest of smiles.

"I heard tell of the possibility of lightening tonight. I was going to go camp out on the balcony."

"now that.." he smiled. "Sounds like a perfect way to spend the evening..." Charlie untangled his fingers from her hair so that he could lightly scratch his manicured nails across the back of her neck instead.
"I'll bring some blankets, and we can camp on the sofa and watch the show. Sounds alright?"

She smiled with a relieved sigh. "It sounds wonderful. You get the blankets and I'll set up my camera. Maybe I'll get lucky," she chuckled pulling away from him slowly.

The youth touched his fingers to his lips and blew her a kiss.
"See you upstairs in a few" he smiled at her, turning away as he grabbed the tank top to pull it up and off, revealing a skinny back with good shoulder and a set of tightly wrapped bandages.
A change of clothes, some blankets, and a night on the sofa up on the balcony watching the lightning storm? Yeah, sounded good.

It didn't take long to get the professional camera set up on the tripod on the balcony. A long wire with a trigger control fed from the back of it. By the time Charlie made his way back, she was simply trying to fix the angle. Angles always seemed to be her issue with the damned thing.

Twist. Turn. Up, Down.

There... That should work.

Charlie, casually dressed, seemingly just having slipped into a hoodie and a pair of comfortable sweatpants, stopped and looked at her for a moment or two, his arms full of blankets and a couple of extra pillows.
The hoodie had been partially zipped up, though not all the way, meaning the Rose could see the bandages underneath it as the youth hadn't bothered with a t-shirt.

"Always liked how the air changes just before a storm" he smiled, leaning his head back and closing his eyes for a moment to draw a deep breath.

"Huh?" Cass stopped what she was doing, still staring at the camera. When she focused... she really focused.

"Oh, yes! You can smell the ozone in the air." She smiled, finally leaving the damn thing alone, other than to draw the cord to the sofa, laying it on the ground.

"C'mon, sugar... Get comfortable," she beckoned him with a finger toward the couch as she sat down. "You'll miss the opening credits," she winked.

Not as if she really had to ask him twice. The youth moved to the sofa, tucking a couple of pillows behind his back and pulling the blanket over himself as he got comfortable, half laying down really as he held the blanket open to invite her to join him. Wanting her in his arms again.
"I think this is just perfect for tonight" Charlie smiled at her.

She settled down close to Charlie, having no trouble getting comfortable and snuggling up against him as she pulled camera's trigger into her hand. She laid her head on his chest, staring out the window with a serene expression.

"You know what I'll miss being down here in Florida?"

"Mm, what?" Charlie smiled, gently tracing his fingers through her hair as his eyes traveled to the sky outside the glass.

"The snow," she replied in a whisper, cuddling up even more.

The youth smiled again, softly biting his lip as he looked at her, still easing his fingers through her hair with a gentle touch.
"You should come to Moscow sometime. I'll show you snow..." he whispered, kissing the top of her head.

"And the proper use of a sled?" She grinned... that sounded like such a good, fun idea.

"What? You want to see me make a fool of myself?" he chuckled, biting his lip softly as he looked back to the window. His fingers playing with a lock of her hair. "We could do that..."