Perfect night for company. (Alexis and Zakhar)

Zakhar's laughter had calmed slightly when she crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a scolding look.

But it started up again, louder than before when she burst into laughter too.

How childish they must have seemed from the outside world. Two adults playing around in a body of water like little children.

He didn't care what others thought of this. He was having a lot of fun.

"Mudak."
She cursed jokingly, punching the man's shoulder playfully.

"I'm going to be picking bits and pieces out of my hair for weeks."
She giggled, shaking her head as she noticed a few leaves and twigs floating about in the water, her silver hair fanned out around her.

"Next time I am going to fly off before you can launch a counter-attack."
She added, giving the man a warm smile.
_______________
'Asshole'

He snorted then staggered back, clutching his shoulder jokingly.

"You wound me, Alexis."

How long had it been since he had played around like this? Every time he tried doing so with Lino, the boy cringed away and begged he act the cruel Master that he knew.

"Good luck." His ran his hands through his hair slicking it back and brushing his fringe out of his face.

"I am good at catching little bird that try to fly away." When he was younger he used to chase and catch anything that could fly. It had been a great source of entertainment for his younger self.

"Oh Zakhar, if that little hit hurt, I don't think you'll be lasting long on the full moon, perhaps I should go in your place."

She replied with a chuckle, she could only imagine how well that would go.

"I'm sure the wolves would just love chasing my fluffy little tail around the forest."

She could imagine it now, her fox form would be tiny in comparison to all those wolves.

"Yes but I am not a little bird, you would not be able to catch me."

She replied, Alexis was not some little sparrow that he would be able to toy with, no, she was much faster than that.

"If I thought you would be killed watching Volk, you will definitely be killed running with them."

He leaned forwards to tug a lock of her hair, pulling her closer.

The chill of the cold water was starting to get to him but instead of getting out, he pulled Lex onto his lap and took advantage of her body heat. He envied vampires for being able to retain their body heat like that.

"Big bird is easier to catch."

She looked at him with fake shock.
"You don't think I would be able to take on an entire pack of wolves in my fox form? Owch, that hurts."

She let out a surprised little murmur as she was pulled into his lap, but quickly understood when she felt his cold skin.

She grabbed his arms and wrapped them around her tiny torso, placing her arms over top of them, that should keep him warm enough.

"Bigger bird, bigger claws."

He arched a brow in response to the question.

No, no he didn't think she would be able to take on the pack alone. And if she did, he'd have to rethink brave and call her foolish again.

Zakhar nuzzled closer to her, pulling her as close as he could. She was so warm.

"Bigger bird, bigger target."

She chuckled and shook her head.
"I know, I'd be dead before I even got a chance to transform."

She wasn't stupid, she may risk watching from the roof but there was no way she would go anywhere near the forest on the full moon.

"Silly wolf, if you're cold we should get out of the water."
She suggested, though she could sit in here all night and not feel the cold, he was already trying to find warmth.

Zakhar shrugged.

He was comfortable all but the cold. He could handle the cold if he had body heat. Which, at the moment, he did.

So he was content to sit here.

He nuzzled closer to her, eyes sliding shut.

Alexis shook her head, it was clear to her that this man needed a bit of comforting, even if he didn't know it himself.
Though as a vampire she was more in tune with peoples emotions.

"Wolf, this is not how you hug a woman."
She scolded softly, moving in his grip, turning around and wrapping her legs around his waist, bringing his head to rest against her chest as she stroked his hair tentatively.

There was nothing sexual in what she did, she just knew that being held to a woman's chest was always comforting, no matter who you were.

He let her move in his grip and pull him closer.

He nuzzled closer to her, burying his face into her warm chest, pulling her closer.

There was nothing sexual about the way he pulled her closer. He just wanted to feel a woman. Though the desire to touch a woman was a sexual one, there was nothing sexual about holding Alexis like this.

For all his flirting he knew that he probably wouldn't enjoy coupling with the vampire. She was a friend; someone to banter with and tease.

A smile spread across her lips, it felt nice being able to just embrace someone without having to worry about mixed signals or attachment.

It was very clear that the two of them could never be more than friends, granted she could see them becoming close to one another but their dynamic would not suit any other type of relationship, plus they both had eyes for others.

Her fingers continued to run through his raven hair as he pulled her closer.

Calm.

He felt calm and peaceful.

It had been too long since he had been able just relax and let go like this. He had been so high strung in the past few months keeping a perfect Master façade for Lino.

It felt good to be like this.

Her eyes glowed warmly as she gazed down at him, for a man that had seemed so highly strung at first he was completely relaxed now, sitting in a water feature of all places.

It would be nice to have a friend who she could be like this with, perhaps next time they could choose a more comfortable setting, sitting in the library reading seemed like a nice alternative.

In barely a whisper she hummed a soothing tune, her fingers still running through his dark hair as her other hand stroked his back softly.

His eyes slid shut and he just sat with her in his arms.

He wanted to say something but he didn't know what to say. So he stayed silent, listening to her quiet, steady heartbeat and soaking in her warmth.

The Lycan leaned back into the touch of fingers on his hair a little, a very low rumble beginning in his chest.

For someone so dominating he was very compliant in her hands, a rare side of him she suspected.

"Come on, Zakhar."
She muttered softly, giving his hair a gentle tug.

"Time to get out of the water, I wont be held responsible for you catching a cold."
She added, looking down at him with a warm smile.

"How often do Volk get sick?"

He hadn't even had so much as a sniffle since he was human. Zakhar didn't get sick. Ever.

But he wrapped his arms tighter around her and stood, perching himself on the edge of the fountain with her in his lap.

"I don't know, I haven't spent a lot of time around lycan, and the times I did they weren't exactly desirable company."

Before coming to the coven every lycan she had met had been a hunter coming after her blood.

Her legs tightened around him and her arms wrapped around his neck as he stood, but relaxed again quickly as he sat back down.

He definitely was not keen on letting her go any time soon, not that she minded in the slightest.

"Volk don't get sick."

Not with anything as simple as a cold. If they were unlucky, they could pick up an illness that would kill a human and suffer with it for a while, but otherwise they rarely got sick.

He rested his chin on the vampire's shoulder and nuzzled into her neck.

"I'll remember that."

She nestled in against him, laying against his chest as her hand came up to stroke his hair again, she loved the feel of his soft dark locks.

"I figured that you would be like vampires when it came to illness, so few things affect us."

"So little affect us that we say nothing does."

Lycan were much closer to humans than vampires were but what they lacked in magical powers, they made up with amazing immune systems.

The low rumbling began again. He loved the feeling of fingers threading through his hair. It felt like being pet. No Lycan would admit it - they were far too prideful - but they were as affectionate as any everyday puppy when they were being stroked.

Zakhar would sooner kill Alexis than admit t her that he liked being pet, even if she made her own assumptions on it from the way he reacted.

"Lycan are much more resilient than vampire's, I envy you."

She admitted, her hands continuing to stroke through the man's hair, her nails gently scratching against his scalp.

He really was just a big puppy, most lycan were as long as you could approach them correctly, and most men had the same weakness, women.

She moved her second hand to stroke the back of his neck and just below his ears as the other continued to rake through his hair.

"I envy vampires." He envied their affinity with the elements.

He'd give an arm and a leg for the ability to control something useful like fire or water. To be able to go anywhere without worrying about freezing to death or dehydrating would be something people would kill for.

A soft shiver ran down his spine when her nails scraped against his scalp.

He leaned into the fingers stroking the back of his neck, his rumbling purr increasing in volume.

"I don't see why you would, could you really live your life never seeing daylight?
I'd choose any other species over being a vampire."

She admitted, there were things about her that she would change if she could, even if it meant losing her powers.

Alexis continued to stroke him, the hand that rubbed his neck moved, running her nails up and down the side of his neck from under his ear to the curve of his shoulder.

"There are downsides and advantages to all species. People never want to be the species they are when there are other alternatives."

Everyone wanted what they couldn't have - it was basic behaviour of any sentient being. What you can't have is desirable.

He pulled the woman a little closer, purrs sounding loudly now.