Doe's POV:

I quirked up a brow at his tone, staring at the hand he had offered me.

Trying to pretend like the confidence in his voice didn't add to the curiosity this night so far has brought me.

I don't think I've ever seen any sort of confidence from him fully reach his eyes.

It was an interesting sight and one that further added to the challenge that started this.

But if he was so willing, then what did I have to lose?

I grabbed his hand, feeling him gently begin to pull.

Gentle even through that vampiric poise...

It was just enough to help get my feet under me on this seat, keeping my body low through the few crouched steps I took to stand over where his legs now sat straight.

I'll admit... I didn't quite know what I was doing.

What position I was supposed to be in or what he expected of me, but just like with the backrub, I knew I'd figure it out through context.

Our gazes never broke as I moved, and mine only flickered away for a second as he released my hand, both of his hands skimming the back-side of my upper calf.

A small pressure from his first fingers against the back of my knees gave me the hint that I needed.

His hands moved just a little bit further up my legs as I descended, guiding my knees to either side of him with his hold now on my bare lower thighs.

The coolness of his touch felt amplified at this moment. That or the rest of my body just felt hot.

After some quick inspection, I concluded the latter.

Yet another thing I couldn't make coherent sense of, but maybe I'd finally get some answers once he does it.

I didn't know anything more on the subject than just how to give one, so I truly didn't know what to expect.

I just hoped that the lack of knowledge doesn't make me look stupid during an activity I challenged with such certainty.

This is something they taught me multiple times as I grew up. I should know what I was doing.

His hands lifted me again while he shifted his legs and straightened his back, causing me to set my hands on his shoulders for some stability.

I was spiteful of the fact that even now, sitting like this, he was still slightly taller than me.

All while staring down at me with that smirk that had gotten wider since the last time I gave it a glance.

Cheeky vampire.

"So," He began, taking his left hand from my leg to tuck my hair behind my shoulders, "Just one?"

I was told that multiple was typically the way to go, though Khloe only had the one.

"Just one," I repeated.

I just wanted to know what it felt like after all.

Although the anticipation for whatever this unknown feeling was going to be was sending my body into an excitement I didn't understand and was thus left to hide.

I was taught that these sorts of things rarely came by themselves and often followed with some sort of sexual act.

Though, I knew that wasn't what was happening here.

As much as I tried to deny it for no other reason than my stubbornness, I trusted Xander.

"Coming right up," He quietly sang, adding some more light-heartedness to the unfamiliar situation I was beginning to stress over.

I appreciated it for a short second until his hand moved again.

Large fingers found their way into my hair, the sensation causing goosebumps to immediately spread their way through my body.

A small gasp was all I would allow to leave my mouth, though the fabric of Xander's shirt now bunched in my hands gave me away.

I was expecting some sort of laugh from him at my reaction, only getting a sharp inhale from him as well, and a narrowing of his eyes.

He watched me closely as he slowly altered the position of my head, turning it in a way that exposed my neck

The movement... the memories of having to expose my neck like this...

I've only ever had one thing follow after this, which sent my body into a slight instinctive panic I was quickly scurrying to diffuse.

No. Not now!

And of course, especially during the times I don't want him to, he noticed my short hesitance.

I was grateful for the fact that he didn't just completely remove himself from me, just widened his gaze and paused his movements.

Shit...

I gave him a soft smile as he warily looked me over, hoping it would be enough to convince him to keep going without actually having to say the words.

I didn't want my past fears to ruin my life anymore, but that was so much easier said than done.

After a slight tug on his shirt, he complied, leaning his head down to the spot he'd exposed.

Mind over matter. I can do this.

I know he's not going for a bite, so there's no need to freak out.

Yet despite what I was reminding myself of, the second I felt his breath on my neck none of it worked.

I completely froze, drawing in a quick breath and pushing back against his shoulders out of survival instinct.

Which caused him to stop as well.

The skin on my neck had never felt anything other than some elaborate form of pain.

Whether it was from bites or tears or asphyxiation.

I wasn't surprised by my reaction but still cursed its existence for showing in a moment like this.

A moment where she was no longer an issue. It was just me and him now.

There was safety with him. I didn't have to worry.

I knew that and yet...

I wanted to be done with letting her ruin things for me.

I wanted to cover the memories she's stained with memories of him.

To cover every last trace of her.

So that situations like this, where we're trying to have fun, stop getting cut short.

Which is why the moment he began to lift his head away, my hand shot into his hair in an attempt to keep him there.

"I'm sorry," the whisper came out panicked, not from the memories this brought, but the worry that I'd just ruined this, "It was just a bad reaction, I swear. Please don't stop."

I was aware that he often took these types of reactions to heart, and I didn't want her past actions affecting him more than they already did.

We both deserved that peace.

"Never apologize for that," his voice was as hushed as mine, thumb rubbing against my head "Are you sure you want me to keep going?"

"I am," was my hasty reply.

There was a pause, which I can almost guarantee was from him checking if I was lying.

I was telling the truth and there wasn't a single doubt in my mind about that.

But he still didn't move save for the thumb rubs against my head and now down where his other hand was placed on my thigh.

The silence and stillness struck up another worry.

"What are you waiting for?" I questioned.

The chuckle he gave me in response to the anxiousness in my voice worked... more than it should have in cutting it down.

A show that my stupid reaction didn't completely kill the playfulness that started this, to begin with.

"Waiting for you to relax again," he answered, pulling back just enough to meet my eyes, "What can I do to get you there?"

His soft words admittedly surprised me.

The realization that he was willing to work with me.

I... wasn't expecting him not to it just felt different.

The obvious fact that he understood, that he knew what was going through my head and he wanted to help me through it as much as I did.

Or maybe it was just the fact that this time, I trusted it entirely.

The ease in his voice, and the patient dedication in his eyes.

All of which brought forth another thing I couldn't begin to comprehend, but wanted to grab it anyways and hold it tight.

Whatever it was bloomed a warmth through my chest which then rose to my face.

Wordlessly, I grabbed the wrist of the hand he had on my thigh and moved it so it sat around my lower back.

I knew he was still cautious of my back but just hoped that he'd follow along.

He did, using that new hold to pull me closer to him.

I basked in the feeling, using it to clear away the last remaining haunting thoughts.

It helped me realize that I'd been trying to fight the urge to just melt into his arms because it was so foreign.

Such an uncharacteristic impulse to come from me at a time like this, whether it was from past experiences or just my stubbornness in a time when I wasn't crying or something.

I was so opposed to surrendering because I thought it would make me seem weak.

But doing this... it wasn't surrender, it was just trust.

It felt vulnerable but not in a way that frightened me.

I took a moment just to feel him, letting him envelop my senses and secure the knowledge that it was only him and I.

Taking in that scent I knew meant safety while wrapped up in him.

Only a few seconds later, a deep content sigh blew from me as I set my forehead on his shoulder, taking the tension from my body with it.

I willingly let myself lean into his embrace, allowing and accepting the comforts he was offering as they came.

"Atta girl," he breathed into my ear, shooting a chill down my spine from both the words and the sensation.

My fingers curled into the silken strands of his hair as a response, pushing him towards my neck.

He, again, altered the positioning of my head, this time with no issue.

Another hitch in my breathing came from his lips on my neck, though this time was for another reason.

The gentle touch on a part of me that's never known anything close just left me briefly staggered.

He delayed a short moment, analyzing something before repeating his action about an inch to the right.

And again and again, he placed little kisses across the side of my neck.

The new sensation was strange but I quickly found myself thinking it to be a rather pleasant one.

It was almost a tease in of itself, the short bursts of his lips grazing my skin feeling somewhat unsatisfying.

This wasn't included in what I was taught.

"Xander?" my voice squeaked.

"Trust me," He responded in that same deep tone as before, pulling an acceptance from me a little too easily.

So what else could I do except hold tighter to his shirt and hair, and enjoy?

It didn't take long for me to notice the heat radiating off my body, almost making me crave the temperature of his just to even it out.

To offer some relief.

His hand left my hair, fingers trailing down the back of my neck and his thumb tucking under my chin.

It didn't take much convincing on his part to get me to turn my head upwards.

A short-lasting rumble in his chest was the only response I could hear before he moved over to the side of my neck that was previously unavailable.

I instinctively muffled the small sound that lept from my throat as his tongue flicked against the skin right above my collar bone.

His mouth planted over that same spot not even a second later, the heat radiating through the mouth of a being who was naturally cold surprising me in a way I found myself enjoying.

My breaths trembled through the rush of it all, the press of his fangs as he sucked on that spot being a careful reminder of what bloodthirsty creature I wanted so close.

This wasn't at all what I was expecting.

No, my expectations were greatly exceeded, maybe even too much so, but I didn't want him to stop.

What was happening to me?

Was this normal?

"Just one?" the somewhat breathless words blew against my hot skin.

I thanked the fact that he couldn't see my face, knowing just how bright red it was.

This level of embarrassment was also one of the many things I wasn't used to.

I squeezed my eyes shut, swallowing my pride and stubborn nature with it.

He'd shown me that maybe I could just let down my entire guard every once in a while.

When the time was right.

"Keep going."

We were already here... and he was offering.

I swear I could feel his sly smirk before he quickly complied, lips raising right under my jaw before repeating the same action.

The immediate sensation of which caused me to let out a quiet pant.

Which sounded another rumble of his chest that sounded to be cut short.

He continued his antics from there, calculating where on my neck and shoulders he was going to strike next.

He'd switch between those tender kisses and the harder pressed of his mouth, never leaving me with a pattern I could keep up with.

When the knock came at the door at the arrival of our food, we both just held each other tighter.

They'll leave it at the door and we can get it later.

For now, he was mine.

All mine.