Once he'd felt her drawing near, maybe just to be a smart ass, that arm reached through the open window of the driver's side to retrieve a bottle of scotch from the dashboard. Holding the cigarette between this teeth, he twisted off the cap and exchanged vice for vice - both of which he needed significantly less these days than that time almost a year ago. And his face and groin were significantly less damaged.

Hex... well, one thing hadn't changed much in the past year. His attire for one. Jeans with tears in them - though these had a bit more of old engine grease stain that wouldn't come out no matter how many times he washed them - and an old band tee with the sleeves torn off. Those very same boots he still wore, the leather biker ones.

As for the sweatshirt she stole, he didn't mind. There was something strangely gratifying in the way that she liked to wear them after they had his scent attached to the fabric. It was a habit of hers he didn't really mind her never shaking.

As for now? He was still sprawled, cigarette almost reaching its end and the bottle tucked into his palm as that long legged Vixen made her way to the car. He didn't look over until she'd spoken, but the corner of his mouth was twitching in a way that said he was forcing himself not to - both look and smirk. It was a fruitless cause, though, when those two familiar words tugged at his memory, almost an echo. His head turned to look at her, just to find she was looking at him instead of the car. His dimpled grin broke loose then, if not a bit wry. "...I like to think so."

Any prospect that he wasn't up to something went to **** when that grin turned devilish all of a sudden.

All that acting was paying off. He looked her over and she let him, shifting her weight to one booted foot as she rocked back on her heels. Fingers of the one hand slipped into the back pocket of her jeans, fingers of the other lifted the bottle back to her mouth as she drank from it once more. Swallowing, a pleased grin flickered over her features, there and gone again, because he'd remembered his line but she wasn't supposed to be smiling at him yet.

Looking him over once more herself, she made a point to spend some time on it. After a moment's thought, she even lifted one ringed thumb to catch a stray drop of whiskey at the corner of her mouth. It was hard, harder still to keep from breaking out of the moment, especially with him grinning at her like that. Her heart fluttered in her chest, a nervous beating of butterfly wings, but she swallowed, kept her cool. "...what. Y'gonna be the first person ever not to ask me what I'm doing out by myself at this hour? I like you already, stranger."

They'd both done their own form of acting, though hers was much more professional. And she was doing better than him at keeping it cool. The urge to drop the act and get close to her was.. well, the struggle was real but he forced himself to stay on the hood of that car.

Saying his lines like they were both reading from scripts, established from memory, "I won't, as long as you don't ask why I'm sitting on a hearse in the middle of the street by myself." The urge to get more sly with that statement, maybe a little clever considering he'd planned all this was bit back. "You may regret saying that."

Remembering it like it was yesterday, he followed her swig with one of his own, then took a drag of his cigarette before sliding off the hood of the hearse to his feet. He made a grand show of stretching out with a groan. That part, may have been exaggerated greatly.

The struggle was mutual. At once totally charmed and more than a little weak kneed by the fact that he remembered it all so perfectly, Saila was biting down hard enough on the inside of her cheek that she'd begun to taste the faint telltale strains of copper. The wound healed as soon as it opened. Following the script, she arched a brow quizzically. "...Ain't scared." A twist of a smirk dragged one corner of her mouth higher than the other. "And I suck at regretting things."

He moved, easing off the hood of the car, just like last time. The more distance he put between them, the stronger the urge to launch herself at him. The teen shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "Am I scaring you away?"

It was almost painful to put that distance between them, when really he wanted to tug her closer. Still, he stuck to his guns - for now. Even though the two lines she recited had the corner of his mouth twitching with the effort it took not to smile at it, if only for all that had passed in the time since then.

"Nope. Just stretching my legs before my ass goes to sleep." He even went as far as pulling out his phone to look at the clock. "Damn, three hours. No wonder my ass is sore." It wasn't true, but he still stuck to the script! He couldn't help but chuckle at that, which worked for the moment.

His phone was put away as he stretched again, but not until after he'd put the bottle on the hood of the car. He took a drag of his cigarette, the paper crackling down to the filter as he flicked it away - the first subtle change. When he turned his eyes to look at her, the smile was softer as those dimpled poked into his cheeks, his tone matching it as he faltered in his role. "Though I am considering going for a drive." He paused, "you want to come?"

His laugh was softer, easier. His smile, too, was different. It was the smile she loved, that boyish grin with those **** dimples, the one that made an absolute melted mess of her heart. Saila was struck, suddenly, at the dramatic change in Hex. She'd been aware of it all along, of course, but when you spent as much time with someone as they had together, it was easy to lose track of the incremental shift. The man who'd stood opposite her a year ago was a wounded thing, violent and tense, his energy erratic and jagged. The one who stood opposite her now was warm, inviting, excited, happy. Her smile matched his, her casual veneer cracking ominously.

I **** love you.

She dropped her chin in a nod, swept a tendril of purple from her face. "...Yeah." Here, she deviated just a little. "I really, really do." Her lips pursed playfully, but it was a sign: she wasn't going to be able to keep this up much longer. "Y'got a name?"

The change in both of them was phenomenal. He was... all of that. Hex had been a god damn wreck of a man, very nearly a shell of violence, tension and anger. He was spiteful, wounded. Saila had been carefree - still was, and now she had much more experience tucked into her belt. There was an atmosphere of wisdom about her now, even if he wasn't sure she could see it in herself. But she'd changed, too. Life has a way of that happening.

And it was that moment, that as fun as it was to re-enact the first time they'd met... They had changed. And he'd come to realize, that though the steps they were taking in those plans for the day didn't change, he didn't want to act the way it was the first time.

He loved the way things were now. He loved her.

The change in her script had him smiling warmly, that tell-tale purse of her lips that he understood. Chuckling under his breath, she wouldn't have to as he seemed to toss the script out the window altogether. Instead of picking up that bottle like he had the first night and getting into the car, his legs carried him toward her as he abandoned the scotch. "I do," he nodded, looking to the ground for a moment until he was standing in front of her. "Hex.." He told her, with a bit of a smirk and tilt of his head. "But I like the way you say it more," he told her, "...and I'll still never call you Purple," he promised with a curl of a grin before he was reaching for her.

He broke script then, moving towards her, and the urge to meet him halfway got that much stronger. Her fingers flared at her sides, curling and stretching out again by turns, her weight shifting restlessly from one foot to the other. She was a more confident thing. No less fearless, but at least somewhat less reckless. It was amazing the difference a year could make.

Close and then closer. It was all she could do not to pounce him while he looked down. He spoke at last, and she grinned so wide it felt like her face might break. "Hex," she echoed him, rolling the syllable that wasn't even a little bit foreign to her anymore over her tongue. After a moment, she nodded, but really, she was practically crawling out of her own skin, so hard was she fighting to keep herself from touching him. "Good name," she whispered, and then it was all over.

The minute he reached for her, Saila practically threw herself at him, their bodies colliding as she used his broad shoulders to lift herself. Long legs wrapping his hips, she caught him in a vise grip, her fingers crawling up the back of his neck into his hair. Just before she kissed him, she paused, going still in his arms. "Hang on, one sec." Still grinning ear to ear, she fit her hands over the legs of his sunglasses and lifted them gently off his face.

"There's my baby," the teen purred, pleased.

The way she said it, like it was the first time though he'd heard it a multitude of times in the past year, it still sang in his ears like the first. It made his smile break loose even more boyishly, the dimples deepening in his cheeks before he chuckled to the whisper of it being a good name.

He reached, and wasn't expecting the sudden lunge from the woman. His eyes widened a bit behind those glasses as he barked out a laugh that was no less than pleased by it. His arms instinctively wrapped around her as they collided, and he did his part in helping her get on up there - even though she didn't seem to need it, climbing him like a damn tree. His lids lowered some to the fingers in his hair, his arms wrapped around her as he held her off the ground. Fingers splayed over her back, tangling in those long locks spilling down her back like a curtain of silk.

His chin lifted, welcoming of the kiss... that never quite met. The sudden stilling had him doing so, the instruction to wait had him arching a brow above a lens of the aviators. "Hm?" He hummed questioningly, just to smile ever more warmly when he caught on to what she was doing. He held still while she removed them, those golden pools peering up at those strange mismatched orbs before that telltale rumble in his chest matched the purr in hers with those words. "Here I am," he muttered to her, just as his want to kiss her took over and he pressed his lips to hers, arms locking all the more around her to keep her there as every ounce of what he was feeling in that moment spilled into his kiss.

Saila managed to fold the glasses in one hand, clutching them in half her coiled fingers as the rest gripped the gripped the liquor bottle, their mouths meeting at last. Her legs drew tighter over his hips, her lips found his in a hungry rush. Every ounce of energy he put into it was returned to him twice over, an urgent enthusiasm in the way their tongues tangled. Her other hand cradled his face, fingers curling just behind his ear to trace at the fine little hairs there.

It had been a year and it had been a moment - the time stretching out forever and then snapping back in the blink of an eye. How long had they been kissing? Was it only a few seconds or had hours past already? The girl didn't know, couldn't have said.

He let her get situated before starting off, keeping his driving arm out of the way until he raised a brow to the snagging of his shoulder and the looking. A brief moment of consideration, he chuckled. "It's not back there if you're looking for the booze." He might've already had it set up somewhere.

His head ducked a bit so she could get her arm behind it, just to settle as his foot hit the gas a little more to get on their way. His lids grew heavy, yet didn't close, when she played with those short hairs at the nape of his neck. Ah, the days where no one could touch his hair, now he often got lost in Saila's fingers running through it. Those heavy lids blinked a couple times before a dark brow arched to the mention of being in luck. "Oh?..." Then she told him of the shopping trip. "Ohhhhh. Mhn. Do I get a personal modeling show?" His brows waggling at her. She didn't seem to intend on telling him, and he didn't ask.

As he sped down that road, heading out of the city and onto the calmer, quieter streets lined with trees, he smirked. "You wanna take your chance with the stereo?" There was a glance shot her way, almost devious, and challenging all in one. "Luckily, I can't eject you without ejecting myself, so..." His teasing tone trailed off into a snicker, eyes steady on the road as the gates to Rhy'Din city were now officially in the rearview mirror.

"...I was just curious..." she said with a snicker, leaning forward enough to press a kiss to his cheek and then settling back anew. She tilted her head curiously, giving him a look like she was weighing how to answer. "Maybe," she said finally, doubtfully, squinting a little as she peered at him skeptically. "If you're really good..."

It was strangely comfortable, just like it had been last time, sitting in his lap as he drove. Shifting her weight slightly so she could lean against his chest, Saila laid her head there, along the ridge of his shoulder. She was content, honestly, to listen to the rumble of the engine, the rush of the wind, the steady beat of his heart. Enveloped in his heat, she could shut out pretty much everything else, feeling safe and comfortable there as she always did. His question made her laugh. "Well, you know, I do have a burning desire to hear some Britney Spears..."

Peeling herself away from him, she ducked her head to stay out of his line of sight and leaned across him to access the interface for the stereo system. Laughing quietly, she shook her head. "Man. I had no idea what this thing did the first time I touched it."

He said nothing more on the missing case of booze that had sparked her curiosity, only a secretive smirk that softened with the kiss to his cheek. A hum left him, no less than pleased until she was giving him that damned look and he raised a brow in response. "Maybe?" He pouted a little bit, but it was hard to keep it as that skeptical look was making it harder not to grin. "Really good? But babe..." He started, giving her a pointed look that seemed serious. "I already told you I was going to be very thorough." Chuckling, he shook his head.

Content couldn't quite describe what it felt like to have Saila in his lap while he was driving. It was almost greedy, almost selfish, almost gluttonous in its desirable appeal. To have two of his favorite things at once - driving, and his woman. The comforting weight of her frame nestled into him while he could hear the rumbling engine, feel the vibrations of the moving vehicle in his hands gripped around the steering wheel.

The feeling only heightened when she settled in and laid her head on his chest. There was no hesitation as his chin tucked to brush his lips over her forehead, to lightly nuzzle the bridge of her nose with the tip of his. At least until she talked about the burning desire. His nose crinkled instantly. "Don't you do it," he barked a laugh.

The moment she pulled away, his thoughts got away from him, almost instantly regretting mentioning the stereo. He might've mentioned it, had her comment not distracted him from it. Snickering, he smirked with a shake of his head as he switched hands to drive with, the right forearm now restling lazily over her lap. "You had me fooled. The way you were touchin' it, I thought you were admiring it or something. But," he chuckled. "You've always had plenty of surprises up your sleeves." He smirked, his eyes peeling away from the road to look at her before returning just as he turned around a bend.

"Well, I mean. I was admiring it," the teen confessed, scrolling through various menus on the system with a practiced familiarity this time. "--But I was also trying to figure out what the hell it even did." A soft laugh spilled from her lips as she found the screen she wanted, and queued up the exact same album she had the first time -- Tool's Undertow. With a satisfied grin, she settled back against him, snuggling into the warmth of his chest once more.

Taking a deep breath, she tipped her head back to look up at him, letting it out again in a happy sigh. "I love you."

Her confession made him smirk, chuckling at the resolution. His mouth opened to say something until the music pouring in from the speakers had him pausing, curling his lips into an almost nostalgic smile of that first night until it warmed into that dimpled grin. "Not baaaad, Saila. Not bad," he hummed easily, quoting himself from the first night as she settled back. Exchanging hands to hold the steering wheel with, the arm tucked between her and the door shifted a little bit to wind around her some.

His eyes drifted down when she looked up at him, unable to keep the contact up considering what he was doing. Those three words turned his smile softer as he ducked his head to brush his lips over hers, eyes flicking between the road and the woman in his lap. "I love you too, babe." Stealing a kiss, one he made a mental note of putting more effort into when he didn't have to worry about them crashing, he nuzzled her cheek before lifting his head back up.

The drive wasn't overly long, and it was only a matter of minutes before the hearse's speed started to slow as he came upon a drive way. Taking the turn slow as the wheels left the asphalt on the road in exchange for dirt, he kept it at a sluggish but steady pace as trees could be seen on each side of the vehicle, lining the drive way.

Giving the Nephilim a smirk when he went back to quoting himself, she didn't follow suit this time, but the amusement sparkled clearly in her peculiar eyes. Tipping her face into that kiss when it came, there was a little giggle that was muffled against his lips -- most likely brought on by the sheer recklessness of kissing while driving -- and for once she didn't begrudge him when he pulled away.

Because an accident right now would really kill the whole anniversary vibe.

The car slowed, and Saila turned to look out the windows, brows furrowing when she realized that they'd gotten off the pavement. Her brows quirked, quizzical. "Curiouser and curiouser."

He could be reckless, a touch less these days than in his 'youth' but even he knew when to quit. If only because of how easily he could get lost in that woman's kisses. An accident would surely put a damper on the night.

There was a secretive grin on his face as she said that line, bringing a chuckle from him as he started the introduction to the evening along the way. As the wheels crunched over the gravel, he... felt it necessary to make a point. "Honestly, I got this a couple weeks ago. After..." His brows furrowed a bit as his eyes stuck to the dirt road for more than one reason. "The mayhem in the city. It got me thinking about a few things." He shifted a bit in the seat. "The city can get pretty hectic and sometimes... it's nice just to have a quiet place to go." He paused. "...Or a safe place to go," he finished with a mutter.

The line of trees began to thin and then break as he slowed the pace even more when the dirt road ended abruptly to show the spacious area. "I bought this place," he admitted. "Was going to show it to you and maybe have a weekend away... buuuuut," he snickered, finally casting his eyes to her when the car had stopped and he'd knocked the gear into park. Shrugging a bit, "then I realized last week that our anniversary was coming up. So I waited."

The spacious area was surrounded in a half circle by trees, and on the other side it opened even wider to the lake rimmed by gravelly sand. There was a modest cabin tucked to the side near the water, a circle of rocks close by that surrounded what looked to be a fire pit. It wasn't anything showy or abundantly grandiouse, but it was cozy and comfortable. And overall, quiet.

"I don't know about you, but since the crazy in the city... it can feel a little overwhelming," his nose crinkled a bit in the admission. Since the Cleanse, his powers had amplified considerably, and he'd begun to breach further into his abilities since the spell had knocked it somewhat out of whack. Being surrounded by everyone else's energies while he was getting accustomed to the small change, it could get a little less than pleasant at times.

Of course she immediately knew what he was referring to when he mentioned that he'd done it a 'couple of weeks ago'. Internally, the girl flinched guiltily-- whenever she thought about what Hex and Quinn both had been through, waiting on her to wake up, she felt absolutely terrible. Not quite trusting herself to speak, she just listened to his explanation, but her fingers moved gently, affectionately, over his chest.

When he was finished, Saila nodded slowly. "That makes sense," said the girl quietly. "A lot of the non-humans I've spoken to all had somewhere specific to go." Her smile resurfaced after several solemn seconds when he mentioned holding off on a weekend away until their anniversary. "You and your surprises," she whispered, her smile warming slowly.

Her gaze moved over the clearing, taking in its little details. "Wow. This is really pretty," she said softly after a moment. Quinn's house was on the lake, too, but it was huge and ostentatious. This one wasn't -- nice, but nothing flashy. She liked it already. "Is there a porch overlooking the lake?"

He hadn't intended that internal flinch, but neither did he notice it. Those moments waiting for her to wake up had been dreadful, admittedly. He had been hopeful, of course, but there was that lingering fear that she wouldn't wake up. Those few days, left with nothing but worry and his own thoughts; there was one that came up above the rest. If she woke, he didn't want her in that line of fire again. She felt guilty for what him and Quinn had been through while she was unconscious; he felt guilty for not getting her out of there in time.

Those fingers that moved over his chest were both soothing and comforting. No, this wasn't like before, like when Coilin had made that crazy show to her in the past. He hadn't bought it for her. But even so, the quiet space was just as open to her as it was to him. He nodded slowly, agreeing that it was somewhere specific to go, just to smile a bit and chuckle softly to her talk of his surprises. "It's a habit. Don't get your hopes up of me quittin' it any time soon," he teased lightly, leaning his head forward enough to smear his lips along her jaw.

He let her take in the view, not making any move to get out of the car yet. Though he did cut the engine and pulled the keys out of the ignition. Tool still played, but would be cut off as soon as he opened the driver's door. Unlike his uncle and a good number of his family, Hex wasn't big on flashy--well, besides his cars. Big houses just reminded him how it could feel so empty, the opposite of claustrophobic.

His secretive smile returned as he glanced toward the cabin. "There is... Among other things." He chuckled, finally tugging on the latch and nudging the door open that forced silence into the car. "Wanna go check it out?" The way he said it... there was possibly another surprise.

The engine went still, but Saila didn't make any particular move, either. She stayed where she was, comfortable in his lap, taking in the sight of the lake before them. She scanned its periphery, looking to see whether this was the same lake they'd gone swimming in that first night, or the one that the gypsy camp and Quinn's house both overlooked.

It was the tone of his voice, more than anything, that had her turning back to look up at him, suspicious. Her eyes narrowed, brows furrowing as she peered at him. "...You're up to something else..." she said, and it wasn't even a little bit of a question. "Yes." There was a decisive nod that followed. "Let's go see."

When the door was open, the teen grabbed the oh-**** handle and used it to lift her upper body. Her circus training classes had put real muscular definition into those slim arms, and she did it easily, graceful. Once her weight was supported, she retracted her legs from across the seats, folding the left one back on itself with a twist to her torso so she could clear the steering wheel and put her foot on the ground.

It took a little more bending and folding to extract herself completely, but she managed it, moving a few steps away from the car to give him room to stand. Already she was gravitating towards the house, wanting to see what it was he was up to.

She had more impulse control than he seemed to. His chest rumbled with a chuckle that turned quickly into a hum at the feel of her fingers on his skin, raising goosebumps along the inked flesh. His fingers spread to allow enough space for hers to slide between. "Who would've thought that would happen, right?" He mumbled the tease against her neck, the tipping not lasting too long as he brought her back up. His nuzzling ceased enough to press a kiss to the side of her neck over her pulse before his head lifted. "The best?" He wasn't so sure but... "I'll take it," he barked out a laugh, swaying his hips behind her with that almost boyish grin as his head was still in the space over her shoulder. Those molten gold orbs flicked to the bed then her, "you wanna test it out?"

...He didn't have to be a mind reader to know she was keeping her impulse in control. Barely.

Saila felt his smile more so that saw it, her own brightening in response. "Yes," she said with a decisive nod, trying hard not to snicker. "Yes I most absolutely want to try it out."

With that, she tightened her grip on his hands and pitched herself forward, hoping to twist at a sharp angle before the impact so that they landed on their sides and not, you know, face first. But it was a risk she was willing to take, either way!

There was a low chuckle to her decisiveness, but he had no more than a moment to arch a brow as she latched onto his hands. The immovable mountain molded to putty in her hands, moving with her with a bark of laughter as she pitched them both forward -- but at least had enough sense of direction to twist with her. Landing on his side behind her, the bed slab buckled underneath their combined weight and impact but held strong. He glanced up with a grin. At least there was no disasters!

His arms were firm around her waist as he gave her a squeeze, keeping her tight to his chest, his nose nuzzled into the back of her neck almost playfully. "Smooth maneuver, Flippy," he teased lightly, just to let out a grunt as he kept hold of her and scooted them both up the mattress to get them more completely onto the bed instead of their legs dangling off the end. "Almoooooost, got it," he huffed, giving her that boyishly dimpled grin.

At least a little relieved when she didn't find herself with a mouth full of mattress, Saila giggled as their bodies jostled on impact, the bed swinging lazily on its ropes. The mercurial girl was kinda holding her breath, though, hoping like hell that there wouldn't be a subsequent crash as either the brackets or the porch timbers gave and the suspended bed came crashing down. When she was sure that it wouldn't, she giggled even more.

"Hey, better to find out now, right? We can get pretty carried away sometimes..." Hex had her pulled up snugly against him, which suited her just fine because he was warm and he smelled good. She was kinda dragged along for a minute as he pulled them both up higher on the bed, at least until she figured out what he was doing, and then she helped him with it to make it easier. "...Y'gotta admit that was kinda fun."

Considering his mass... he really didn't wanna smoosh her face into the mattress upon impact! She had a pretty face, he'd like to keep it that way.. He was confident in his ability to hook up the bed and make sure it was sturdy, but still... he'd been a little worried that they'd go thudding to the floor of the porch! Luckily they hadn't.

Letting out another chuckle, he nodded in agreement. "True... better to find out now, though... do you really think it would stop us?" His brow arched as he peered down at her with an almost sly smirk. Please, those two? Their inner bunny spirit animals would still be going even with the crash! With her help, they were at least more settled on the bed and he loosened his arms a bit to maneuver onto one elbow to prop himself up. He kept her close through all of his movement. "It was fun," he admitted. "You know what's also fun?" His head came forward to rest his chin on her shoulder, a slow grin curling in that devilish way as his golden pools flicked down at her.

She appreciated not having her face smooshed, though it totally would have been her fault. Settling up against him as Hex got himself situated, the girl rolled, twisting her neck enough to be able to catch sight of him, smirking. "...Well, no. No it probably wouldn't." Conceding his statement with a laugh that was punctuated by the way she wiggled her hips juuuust a little where they were pressed back against his body.

Because that was totally an accident, yeah? Sure.

To his second question, the young actress feigned innocent. Because acting, you see. "No, what?" She wanted to know.

It totally would've been her fault! ... He still didn't want her face smooshed, though. The way she twisted her neck to see him, his chin left her shoulder to find the nook of her neck where he nosed in and gave another nuzzle to the curve of her jaw. That curl of a smirk was present until that 'accidental' wiggle of hips had him giving her waist a squeeze in what would seem like an innocent hug... were it not for the way his own hips tilted to press back against her own. Totally an accident. Tooootally.

Psst. Wasn't an accident.

The actress pulled another innocent stunt that had him lifting his head, giving her a rather serious expression, as if he wasn't a dirty bird whose thoughts often got away from him. "...Sky diving." A firm nod was given to emphasize the statement, at least until a smile broke through the cracks of his serious expression.

"...But also this," he told her, releasing his grip on her waist with the top arm so he could slide it underneath her legs. With a slick maneuver, he scooped her up while the muscles of his abdomen flexed to pull him into a sitting position. Once there, he'd pull her close to his chest and press his lips to hers.

A shiver snaked down Saila's spine when he buried his face in her neck; the shiver intensified when he scooped her up against his chest like that. Saila was all about being considered an equal, proud of her own abilities, but that didn't mean she couldn't admire her man's strength. Girlishly, she found the way he could pick her up like that, carry her around seemingly for hours without ever getting fatigued, attractive as hell. "I do love sky-di----" her words cut off when she found herself swept up into his arms, a soft smile stealing across her face. "But I love you more." The words were all but erased against his mouth as she met his kiss and returned it.

Saila was certainly an equal. Her abilities weren't undermined or underestimated in the least by that man, but that didn't mean he didn't like the moments of her clinging to him like a spider monkey, or princess-carrying her around (ironically, considering he'd once said he'd never do it!).

Cradling her against his chest, he returned the smile before that kiss connected, only to be contorted a bit as his smile broadened against her lips to the words she managed before it'd cut her off. "I love you, too... definitely more than sky diving," he murmured against her lips before setting her on his lap, the arm at her back curling her in against him as he deepened the kiss. The hand he'd once used to scoop up her legs slid around her back to embrace her in the thick coils of his arms in the midst of the kiss.

Now that the L word was actually out, the banks of the Nile surmounted at last, it seemed they were going to drown each other in it. Saila scarcely minded, melting a little every time she heard Hex say it. Abandoning herself to his kiss, she settled in his lap, twisting her torso such that she could wind her arms around his shoulders, her finger crawling up the back of his neck into his hair.

Time appeared to have stopped, marked only by the gentle sway of the bed on its ropes in the breeze. The teen freed one hand, using it to tug at the hem of his shirt.

It took them a while to get to the shores, though once they'd stepped from the waters, they didn't seem to recede back into it. Each time he heard her say it, instead of jumbling his thoughts, it seemed to halt them altogether. The venturing fingers into his hair and over his neck had a tickle of electricity climbing down his spine, raising light goosebumps along his arms through the ink.

Lost in the kiss, no sounds or movements but hers were noticed by the Big Guy. But even in the midst of drowning in her kiss, the corner of his mouth curled to the tug he felt at his shirt. Chuckling softly, he broke the kiss at last with a nod. "Yes ma'am," he murmured, though it sounded more like a rumbling purr as he loosened his hold on her to lean back a bit. Reaching behind his head, he grasped the collar of what used to be a tee shirt before tugging it up and over his head. The flex of chest and arm muscle with the movement calmed as his arms lowered, dropping the fabric of the shirt aside as his head dipped to bump his nose to hers with a soft smile. "Totally think it should be even though, just sayin'."

When first he pulled away, Saila's lips began to curl into what looked rather suspiciously like a pout, but the expression froze and then melted away as he uttered his yes, ma'am and then reversed itself as he pulled his shirt off. She was shameless in the way she watched, her strange eyes feasting on each newly exposed inch of his torso. By the time he'd tugged the fabric free, her expression was a full blown grin, and she was staring fixedly, unapologetically, at his chest and abs. The Nephilim said something about it being even, and the mercurial teen was positively mystified as to his meaning. So sue her, she'd been distracted. "I'm sorry, what was that?" She said several beats later, not sounding particularly sorry as she reluctantly dragged her gaze upwards.

Incubus or not, there was a particular way that Saila looked at him that made him feel significant. Even as she was feasting on him with her eyes, that grin of hers had his own curling in an almost bashful way. She was the only woman that could make him feel like the sexiest man on the planet, confuse the hell out of him for her looking at him like that, while also making his stomach flop and his heart skip a beat with that look. But it was the way she seemed so distracted by his shirtless torso she'd seen a million times already that had him chuckling helplessly. Mimicking her action, his fingers tugged lightly at the hem of her shirt with that devilish grin. "I saaaaid.. it should totally be even," just for his nose to crinkle faintly.

"...You wearing clothing should be a crime." Then he blinked, and that devilish grin got at least ten times more sinful. "... I do owe you a strip search." Then, "a very thorough strip search," he amended. The 'thorough' part was very important!

It was precisely the same way he made her feel, time and again. The centuries old incubus who'd been with untold thousands of women, and still he stared at her, riveted, like an adolescent boy with his first girly mag. Saila's lower lip caught in her teeth as she caught sight of the way he was looking at her looking at him, and she leaned in suddenly despite the tug at her shirt, pressing a warm, wet kiss to his mouth.

Just as suddenly, though, she pulled away again. "Oh, well. In that case, shouldn't I let you pull my shirt off?" Her pale brows arched inquisitively, but her expression was playfully knowing.