Now, about that kiss...

Whether it was years of experience at buffering herself against violence, or that she was so much stronger when she was with Cyrus was unclear. But one thing for sure, Fallon's mind was more confused and focused on what had happened before the explosion, than the explosion itself, or afterward.

Of course neither she nor Cyrus had been hurt. In fact everyone she had been around seemed to have escaped bad injuries. So luckily she didn't have anything to worry about on that score. But the drive to the manor had been quiet, and Fallon was starting to worry.

Was Cyrus regretting the kiss...should she have not mentioned her feelings of love for him?

Once inside his home, she accepted his offer of a shower, knowing she must look and smell awful.

"I believe I will need to feed soon, but other than that, I can't think of anything else I'd need. I'll only be a bit."

She smiled and went into his bathroom, closing the door quietly behind her.
Moving as if she were programmed, Fallon slipped the dress off her shoulders, and stepped out of her panties. The dress had been constructed so she hadn't needed a bra, and she was glad she now had one less piece of clothing to replace. The dress was ruined, and Fallon knew it would be a while before she'd be able to afford another one. But that seemed petty at the moment.

Turning on the shower, and setting the water as warm as she could, she stepped out of her shoes, and into the hard spray.

Cyrus was glad Fallon stayed calm. After she closed the door of the bathroom he found the dressing gown his tailor had made for him as a tee shirt. Both were made of silk and black. He hung them both from the door jam so that when she opened the door they would both be visible.

Swiftly stripping out of his ruined clothes he put on a pair of loose lounging pants and lept off the landing into the living area. Pulling the small fridge that was hidden in the foliage open he extracted a hospital container. He had actually purchased several pints recently just to have a back up meal handy. The contacts Suki made were invaluable but how she met someone from the Red Cross he would not hazzard a guess. Once he placed it and two glasses on a low table he began to pace.

The events of the evening kept replaying themselves in his mind. The kiss, the fire, the feeling of utter confusion. Over and over he saw the fire grow in his mind. Each time the evening ended differently, generally resulting in his death or Fallon's. It was very upsetting.

Finally caving to his own instincts he shifted into his leopard fur and found comfort in raking his claws down the oak beams he had installed just for this purpose.

For several seconds Fallon just stood under the water, and let it beat into her skin. But not wanting to take advantage, or waste water, she then quickly washed. Her hair was last, and once she had gotten all the smokey residue from it she turned off the water. Putting down the bath mat, she stepped from the shower and grabbed two towels. They were deliciously warm, and she wrapped one around her head, as she began to dry her body. When she was pretty dry she folded both towels, and the mat, and returned them to the rods.

Standing in front of the mirror, her hair was a disaster, but she managed to pull it into some semblance of style with her fingers. She had so much curl in her hair, that without using a blow dryer she knew it would dry in a mass of lazy ringlets. It was a style she could live with in situations like this, even though she preferred a sleeker style.

Opening the door a few inches, she was about to poke her head out when she stuck it into the clothes Cyrus had hung there. Saying nothing, she reached up and took them off the door jamb, and into the bathroom. The material felt very expensive, and when Fallon slipped them on she liked the way they looked. She knew they were his, and a mannish style, but with her curves they seemed to work fine on her. Better than anything else, they were clean, and smelled good.

Gathering up her ruined gown and undergarments, Fallon checked the bathroom to make sure everything looked as it had prior to her use, and stepped out onto the landing. Stepping down into the room carefully, though with out much difficulty since she was barefoot, Fallon carried the clothes into the outer room and dumped them into the corner by the door. At some point they would need to be disposed of, but she didn't know how they went about that here. She just wanted the smelly smoky material as far away as she could put it.

Coming back into the main room, she jumped when she saw Cyrus, having totally missed him in his cat, earlier. Smiling, she walked over to him and reached into his fur at the area behind his ears. Wrong or right, she had no fear of him like this, and reacted to him much like she would have a house cat, scratching him with affection.

"You really are a magnificent animal...you know?"

Her hand moved under his chin, and she continued to scratch.

"But I don't think we'll be able to communicate very well like this..."

She sat on the couch, and patted the area next to her, still reacting to him as a leopard.

Having just finished shaking off the last bit of glass that had been wedged into his back, the leopard was interested as Fallon walked past him. Sitting still he watched her carry the ruined clothing towards the door. The stench of smoke hovered around it. She was smart to put it as far from her as possible.

He had never had anyone pet him like a housecat before. It was comforting and disconcerting at the same time. He supposed he really posed no more threat in this form than he did in his other form. The tip of his very long tail twitched as she patted a seat next to her. Feeling rather posessive he stalked up to her and rubbed his head all over her legs. Once he felt that she smelled like his and he could only smell her, he lept up to the cusion and shifted.

His hair was slightly smokey smelling but his body was fresh, cat baths would do that. He cocked his head to the side as he looked at her. Finally he remembered that he had left the blood out to warm while she bathed.

"While its not as good as fresh, I do have some sustinance here for you." The glasses beside the plastic container were black glass and shaped more like coffee cups. He refused to be a stereotypical vampire drinking out of crystal wine glasses.

It was oddly comforting when he rubbed against her legs. Again it reminded her of something a cat would do, but it felt different...somehow...a little exciting. But Fallon couldn't quite get her mind around that, so she went back to just seeing him as a cat.

Startled yet again when Cyrus changed back while sitting on the couch, Fallon smiled. He looked at her a bit oddly, and she was about to ask why, when he mentioned the blood. Seeing the cups, she picked them up and handed one to him.

"Thank you, I somehow expected you would have." She never wanted to take this man for granted, but the truth was that whether it was his age, or experience, or both, Fallon did expect he knew how to survive. It was his willingness to share that with her that she never wanted to come to expect.

The blood was filling, and also gave her a sense of calm, but as Panos had told her, not quite as tasty or satisfying as fresh. Tonight, Fallon couldn't care less. As long as she would live to wake tomorrow, she could have probably eaten dirt.

Blessed with a rather long tongue, Fallon managed to get almost every drop from the mug, and then blushed when she realized she must have appeared quite greedy.

Setting the cup down, she turned on the couch,and pulled one leg up, to lean sideways against the back of the couch. The silk t she was wearing just covered her almost to mid thigh, but the robe was much more modest on her, and she felt at ease there. So much so that she casually ran her hand from his shoulder down his arm, before sitting back again, and just watching him.

"Was that comforting for you, to change like that?"

Being that he hadn't been changed long, Fallon was curious.

He was happy to be able to provide her with a meal, not wholely satisfying though it may be. Drinking his glass down was easy. Just as he had decided not to lick the last few drops, Fallon did so. At least they had some similar habits he thought to himself as he too got the last bit of blood from the cup.

He set the glass down and thought about the evening. Trying his best to avoid thinking of the fire. At least he had been capable of performing his job of getting those in his care out safely then.

"It is comforting yes. Shifting allows me to leave my human worries aside and get out some of the instinctive urges that are caused by them."

It was her touch on his arm that made him realize he had not put on a shirt. He hoped she was not offended. Of course she was clad in only a shirt and dressing gown so it was not like either of them were being very proper at the moment.

"The older one gets the more abilities and flaws become apparent. I am gifted with four abilities; shapeshifting, agility, telekenisis and gliding. But I am also plagued by my flaws of excessive thirst, large fangs and a fear of fire."

Cyrus needed to pace or expend some energy while talking about this. It was very dificult to express the aftermath effects of the evening to one of the causes of his confusion. He chose three rocks from a nearby planter and began circling them in loops and intricate dances. If he could not pace they would for him.

"It is easy for me to perform my duties when called upon. My job was to get our clan and those Evenhets out to safety before the blast and after. Once they were safe and you were cleaning up I had to deal with my fear of the fire. It is easier to escape the mental 'what if' game as a leopard. Cloud leopards do not worry about what if, so I shifted and worked out my anxiety on a pillar."

Knowing that most humans and women did not respond well to violence he was not going to point out the piece of wood hidden behind foliage with deep claw marks up and down it. That one would need to be replaced soon.

"You did indicate that shifting back would be more conducive to talking."

As he talked, Fallon studied him, yet again. Watching people always intrigued Fallon, but Cyrus went beyond the everyday people. She didn't watch him for amusement, but to learn. And, there was the attraction. He was both pleasing on the eyes, and pleasing to her heart. A rare combination in her life but one she was learning to enjoy without fear.

The abilities he spoke of amazed her. She had known of her ability to blend in to the background...sort of hide herself from whatever scared her...for a few weeks now. She wasn't altogether sure how it happened though, and she hadn't been able to just recreate it on demand, though she had tried. From his explanation, she became a little excited, knowing that ability would get stronger in time.

While she still had the ability to just shut herself off from pain and terror, when Cyrus was beside her she found she had been doing that a lot less. Whether it was blind faith, or true knowledge that he would protect her, Fallon had given herself over to him to do just that. So far, he was the only man who had never let her down.

"I never knew you were afraid of fire. You seemed so...in control back at the ball. Oh Cyrus to be able to put that fear aside, and do what you did...it's incredible."

Fallon was both in awe of this man, and hurting for him as well. All things considered she was surprised he hadn't shifted as soon as they got into the car...or his home...

"And here I go almost demanding that you change back...I'm so sorry...please...you can go back until you feel healed...I don't mind, we can talk later."

She had been stroking his arm, just letting the backs of her fingers glide up and down in a manner she found soothing. But now she pulled her hand away, and clasped it with her other one, in her lap. She had been so selfish, putting her need to talk before his need to survive, and she felt horrible.

Catching the movement of the rocks, from the corner of her eyes, she turned and looked at them. It seemed to her this was more than his showing her another ability. Instead it felt to her like he was using the rock movement as a form of meditation. He didn't want to leave her, even in mind only, so instead he used his ability to move things, as a way of doing that.

"And that's why you do that now?"

She indicated the rocks with a nod of her head.

"That gives you an outlet, sort of?"

Fallon smiled.

"I should have an ability like that...then I wouldn't have to rely so heavily on you. It must become tiring, after a while, to have me always needing you."

She was torn between wanting to lay her head in his lap, and take him into her arms. Then she was also still full of other feelings...feelings that came and went between fearing for his well being, then fearing for her own, to wanting to give him pleasure, and show him how much he really meant to her.

Fallon knew how to pleasure a man, Ted had taught her that. How she achieved pleasure, she had taught herself. It never occurred to her that the two could be combined, because they never had been. But with Ted, though she performed the mechanics, it was never anything she enjoyed. Now, sitting next to this wonderful man she was growing to care about, more and more each day, she just knew she would receive pleasure from making him feel good.

She just wasn't sure he would let her yet.

She said nothing further on the earlier subject. She would wait to see if he wanted to shift back a while longer, or continue to move the rocks about. Her needs were secondary, and much less important to her now.

Nodding slightly the rocks danced in an intricate pattern. "Rather than pace or run to burn off energy this helps. I have become so used to using this power that I doubt I would know how to live without it. The only draw back is that you can only move things you have the physical strength to move. Mental power and physical power are tied. So even if you had this ability, you may be highly limited."

Why she felt she was a burden he was unsure of. He did not look at her that way, but as a willing resposibility. Which to him was a good choice rather than an imposition.

"I dont think of you as a burden. While I may be as in the dark about some things since I never planned on mentoring a fledgeling, this is an opportunity I had not thought to ever have. Also, you are an interesting woman. I enjoy getting to know you."

He liked how she looked in his clothes. The black looked nice on her pale skin. The drying curls intrigued him. Begged him to see if they were as soft and springy as they looked.

"You seem to challenge my preconceptions on many things, Fallon. I want to kiss you again but would hate to push myself onto you as I feel you may be reciprocating out of a sense of duty."

His explanation about his own abilities gave her pause, and she wondered if she might feel the same about her own...ten, fifty, however many years down the road. That small part of the concept itself was mind boggling, to think in terms of unlimited time. But would she one day accept her blending skill as just part of her skin...and use it as such?

Of course she was again glad to hear he didn't look upon her as a pest, or something he had no choice but to lead along. She had always known he had a choice...he owed her nothing, and could have easily turned his back on her. But now that he had made his decision, it was nice to hear he didn't regret it. She never wanted him to regret it.

The word 'fledgling' was a bit irritating. To Fallon it conjured up visions of a tiny, scrawny, half formed bird, following Cyrus around with it's mouth open...begging for food. While rationally she knew it was just a word, and in truth on some levels it did fit her position, she wished instead he would see her as a woman. She saw him as a mentor, but as a man first...and still hoped one day he might see her the same.

The way he looked at her then, became confusing. She could have sworn he gazed at her with a man's eyes...not a father's, nor a teachers. That look alone made her want to go to him and feel his skin next to her's. But coming on the heels of the 'fledgling' comment, she stopped herself.

That was until he verbally expressed the desire, and then it was again as it was at the ball, and Fallon knew he did see her as a woman.

"I don't know if my challenging you is a good thing, in your eyes. I could see where it might be, and given the option of choosing, I would choose that it was. But as for kissing me..."

Fallon let her eyes fill with heat, and put those eyes on his. If he was unsure of how she felt about him, she would do everything in her power to clarify that. For her, it felt obvious. Every pore on her body behaved as if it was opening to him. Just as he had rubbed his cat along her legs, she wanted to rub her body along his. Kiss him? She wanted so much more.

"I will always feel grateful to you Cyrus, but that gratitude would not translate itself into my wanting to be kissed by you. My wanting to buy you a pillow? That was a part of me that wanted to show you gratitude. The part of me that wants your kisses...is totally separate."

Picking up his hand, Fallon held it to the side of her head, and rubbed her hair in it. She then turned her face into it, and kissed his palm. The idea to then place his hand on her breast went passed. If he chose not to believe her now, she would keep other things in reserve for later. As long has he was not voicing any objections to them going beyond the mentor/student roles, Fallon was going to cling to the hope it would eventually happen.

Relieved that Fallon was not simply returning his attention out of gratitude, he gently put the rocks back in their spot. There was still enough worry in his mind to allow her to set the pace.

Her gaze turned firey, suddenly his feline insticts sat up and paid attention to the woman in front of him. The lids of his eyes closed half way as she lifted his hand to her face. At the touch of her lips to his skin the muscles underneith twitched and filled with tension.

Giving into temptation he ran his fingers through the still damp curls, gently rubbing the hair between his thumb and forefinger. Burrying his hand in her dark brown hair he revelled in the softness.

Leaning forward, with no pressure on her head so she could escape if she wanted, he gently placed a kiss on her lips. The contact was light, testing the water once more as he battled the animal urges that rose up. Instincts that demanded he dominate and bite her to rightfully claim her. Closing those off his eyes drifted shut as he revelled in her softness.

Thankful beyond reason, that he hadn't pulled away from her hand, Fallon almost purred as she felt his fingers in her hair.

Her heart lept into her throat, when she saw him lean towards her, and she held her breath in anticipation. She still remembered the kiss from the ball, and wanted to relive it to see if it had been all that she had felt then.

When his lips touched hers, her eyes closed as well. She felt her body tense, and then relax as she went from wanting him, to having him...so to speak.

His lips were firm, but only slightly parted...not at all asking anything of her. Yet she wanted to give to him, and her tongue passed through those lips without hesitation. Remembering his fangs, she did exert slight caution, until she found a way to turn her tongue to avoid being pierced by them.

The distance between them was somewhat awkward, and Fallon wanted a way to bridge that gap, so she could further the kiss. Her position on the couch made that very difficult though. Her hands grabbed his upper arms, and finally she was able to move a little closer to him. She was now better able to explore his mouth in a way that began leaving her breathless yet again.

"Does that feel like gratitude? Because if it does, maybe I'm doing something wrong..."

When her mouth left his, it only went as far as to rest against his cheek, and her words were spoken in a raspy whisper to his ear.

"Cyrus...I'm not a child...nor a porcelain doll. I know what I'm feeling is not some passing flirtation...and I won't break."

She could have been wrong, but she thought he might be trying to go carefully with her. And while she appreciated it, given her past life, at this point she knew he would never intentionally hurt her, and she needed him to know she knew.

Cyrus lost himself in Fallon's kisses. Her sweet mouth pressed firmly to his as her agile tongue danced nimbly around his fangs. When she pulled herself closer to him the feelings intensified. This feeling was still not wholely comfortable, but it was no longer completely foreign either. Doubts and reservations melted under the touch of her hands to his bare skin and her lips forcefully upon his.

Listening to Fallon's proclaimation in that husky voice near his ear he only managed a very low comment himself. "Promise?"

Without waiting for her response he slid himself sideways and backwards upon the couch until he was laying upon his back on it. The hand in her hair and a hand at the small of her back coaxed her to follow him until she was draped over him.

Once settled he began stringing kisses along her jaw and neck. Nipping playfully at her earlobe he continued his attentions to her soft skin. His hands gently traced circles upon her back. This was not the most comfortable place to consumate a budding relationship but there were cusions close by and the bed upstairs. For now he was happy just feeling her weight upon him and the silky smoothness of her skin against his.

Finally! Fallon felt Cyrus responding more than he had been, as if some wall between them had been removed and he now felt easier moving closer to her.

"I do promise." She confirmed, and willingly moved with him, to find herself lying half upon him, and half on the couch. She shivered when he began kissing her jaw, and groaned when his hands moved on her body. She longed to feel him...kiss him...touch him, but in her present position it was more than difficult.

Initially she rested on her elbows, bracing herself and leaving room for Cyrus to move beneath her. But the more he kissed her, the more she wanted to remove the space between them, and feel him against her.

The robe had slipped off her shoulders, and was now acting somewhat like a straight jacket, hindering the movement of her arms. Lifting one arm first, to move it behind her, she then moved Cyrus' arm so she could let the robe slide off. Putting his hand back on her, but this time a little lower...to rest upon her ass, she put that arm back next to his head, and shrugged the robe off her other arm.

Then there was just Fallon, the soft, silk shirt, and Cyrus.

Looking down into his eyes, and smiling, Fallon lowered her mouth to his but stopped at his piercing. Curious, she kissed it first, and then teased it with the tip of her tongue. Her eyes were locked on his, wanting to see if her actions repulsed him. When he made no overt movements to indicate her actions displeased him, she tilted her head upwards a little, and repeated the action to the piercings in his eyebrow. But her curiosity was appeased quickly, and she returned to his mouth, enjoying the feel of his lips and tongue more.

She was squirming above him causing friction along his torso. It was deliciously tantilizing. Finally she stopped and placed his hand upon the lush curve of her rear. Cyrus delicately stroked her flesh through the thin silk of the shirt.

Watching her through heavy lidded eyes as she smiled above him. The kisses to his piercings were unexpected. Considering how much he toyed with them he was pleased to note she did not find them offensive. He was willing to let her explore to her hearts content though it may drive him out of his mind. The reaction she displayed to the visible piercings made him hopefull she would enjoy his other two.

Groaning into her mouth he pulled her tighter against him. All that time spent toying with his eyebrow had ground her womanly curves against him provacatively. His hands pressed her ass down upon him firmly as his tongue delved deeply into her mouth. The knowledge that he could enjoy kissing her for a century or two was not enough to dampen his desire to continue doing just that.

"Your hands are amazing..."

The words slipped out more like a thought she hadn't meant to vocalize, but that got away from her anyway.

As the kissing continued, and became more intense, so his fondling of her. Fallon would have loved nothing more than to run her hands all over his body, the way he was with her, but she couldn't make herself move any more quickly than she already was. That she had followed through with her feelings as much as she had tonight, was almost a minor miracle.

Each touch, each kiss initiated by her, and not dismissed by him, gave her just a little more incentive, and confidence to try again.

Looking into his smoldering eyes made Fallon feel like her insides were melting jello. Realizing his excitement seemed to be growing gave Fallon renewed hope that he might truly be relishing her affections, and returning them.

Yet the minute she felt him hard against her thigh, Fallon stilled, and sobered. It was definitely the reaction she had been wanting from him, but now she knew she was also frightened by it.

So many images flashed through her mind. Would she be good enough for him? If they made love, and it turned out badly, would he never want to touch her again? Would he find her body desirable, or would the sight of her turn him off?

Moving her mouth from his, she was breathing heavily, and rested her cheek against his chest. Fallon brought her hand up to his chest, and casually ran her fingers over his nipple, but her intent now was to distract them both from where they seemed to have been headed. As much as she wanted him, she feared his rejection.

His hands ran over her back and the top curve of her buttocks, relishing the feel of her. Their kisses continued unabaited for quite some time. Slow, languid kisses that stoked a fire deep inside him. At her whispered comment he could only groan into her skin as he continued to kiss and nibble along every inch of flesh he could find.

When she stilled and rested her head on his chest he felt an urgent desire. A need to take her then, forcefully, swiftly. With restraint and gentleness he kissed the top of her head, enjoying the feeling of her dark curls against his skin. His hand gently rubbed up and down her spine, soothingly.

A quiet tone sounded in the silent suite. His daylight alarm played a single E note, once at ten minutes prior to sunrise and two at five minutes. Pushing himself upright he swept Fallon up into his arms.

"Cmon, lets go rest. Its not safe in this room during the day, the plants need light."

The metal shades could be activated to cover the outside windows but he prefered his forest to be lush and green. Thus the only ones that would slip in place at the second tone would be the security door for each pocket door and the bathroom skylights.

He wondered how she would take to sleeping in his bed. And how she would react to how he slept.

She heard the sound that seemed to alert Cyrus to something, and though she was still torn between continuing on, and remaining where she was, the option was taken from her when he stood with her in his arms.

Putting her arms around his neck, she kissed along his throat, and shoulders as she trusted him to take her to his bed. It was obviously much closer to sunup than she had been aware, and again Cyrus was prepared. In a quick moment of lucidity, Fallon took note of the things Cyrus had organized to protect himself. Then her mind drifted back to him, and the feel of their bodies as they moved against each other.

"Can you set a clock to make sure I get woken up on time? I have school later..."

It was necessity that spurred her question. She loved her job, but more so she couldn't afford to lose it.

But her mouth found his neck again, only willing to allow so much time to be distracted from him as her main focus.

He listened to the front security door slip into place. It could be opened with a single fingerprint and considered the latest in home security. Making his way up the stairs with Fallon snuggled in his arms was difficult. The kisses she was planting along his neck were distracting.

"I promise to have you up in plenty of time for work. Though you need clothes too. I can send Suki out for something while we sleep."

Once inside his bedroom he slid his door shut and activated that security door as well. He could hear the snick sound from the skylight shutter closing as well. Moving easily to the bed as the covers folded down, Cyrus placed Fallon gently upon the soft sheets.

With one firm and demanding kiss he stood up and tucked her into bed. He contemplated climbing in and snuggling up with her in his arms. He had not slept as a human in centuries though and was even now fighting the urge to shift.

"Will you mind if I sleep here with you? I dont, normally, sleep like this."

It was apparent why he took so many precautions, but Fallon thought if he hadn't been there with her now, she would have felt trapped. She loved his home, almost as much as her own, but she was still not really at home in it. Given that, and the fact that they were all locked in, Fallon would have been a lot more anxious had he not been there for her to draw comfort from.

"Thank you, but it wouldn't be a bother to wear this home, and change."

She was only half serious, and let the issue of clothing pass. Whatever Cyrus wanted to do, was fine with her.

Watching him tuck her in, Fallon's heart swelled. The kiss he had given her did little to quiet the sensations that had begun to grow downstairs, but his question confused and stilled her.

"Of course...I want you to sleep with me...but, if you don't normally sleep like this...how do you normally sleep? I don't want to put you out Cyrus, this is your home, and I've intruded here tonight."

He asked to sleep with her, or she would have gladly made a bed on the floor, and left him his bed. But...well, it was just confusing.

His phone zipped from the dressing table to his hand at her lack of strong disagreement about clothing. Swiftly punching the speed dial for his familiar he left her a very short message.

"Suki, I would appreciate it if you could pick up some suitable clothing for a friend of mine. She needs an outfit delivered to the Manor promptly at sunset, please have the driver here available for her as well. I would suggest a size five. Thank you Suki, have a good day." Flipping the phone close he flung it towards its resting spot where it landed gently in its charger.

At the questions from the brunette in his bed, Cyrus raked a hand through his hair. Best to just explain it so he could curl up either in the bed with her or on the floor somewhere.

"I have slept as a leopard for a very long time. I find it more comfortable, easier to find secure sleeping places as I am smaller in mass then and also less area for sun to find. I would hate to freak you out though."