Instead of an explosive device, Jinx holds in her hand a small felt box, tapping it on the counter as she glares at Vander.
“Jinx,” Silco calls from the top of the stairs. “Did you move my cufflinks?”
“Yeah, sorry!” she hollers back. “I’ve got them down here.”
Vander glances up the stairs, then curiously back at Jinx. She lifts an eyebrow, flicking the box open and closed.
Silco mutters as he traipses downstairs, his suit coat hanging over his elbow. His tie is loose and his sleeves are unbuttoned.
Vander’s mouth goes dry when he sees him.
“Why did you take them?” Silco asks, a bit snappish and distracted.
Jinx pulls an apologetic pout. She doesn’t answer, just flips the box open and leaves it on the counter beside her.
Silco briefly meets Vander’s gaze with a rueful shake of his head. He hangs his coat over a barstool, his collar open at the throat. He rolls one sleeve down and then the other, buttoning them over delicate wrists with long elegant fingers.
Vander gazes at him, hot coffee pot in hand. A familiar feeling washes over him, of being ravenous in his soul. His chest warms, his stomach fluttering while he goes dizzy with hunger. It’s not only sexual. Sometimes he thinks he wants to eat Silco whole.
Silco’s shirt is crisp and clean, the cuffs decorated with embroidered vines. His long legs are clad in pressed trousers tucked in tall utility boots. His vest is dark green with gold buckles, fitted snugly around his impossibly narrow waist.
Vander’s heart pumps blood throughout his body, tingling in his fingers and nethers. He puts the coffee pot down and ignores his shaking hands to grab a mug and pour Silco a cup. Vander’s eyes flicker up at him again as he sets the mug on the counter between them.
Silco hums in thanks, securing his gold cufflinks. Then he lifts his chin and tightens his tie over the knot in his throat, smoothing his collar in place. Vander grabs hold of the counter to keep from swooning.
Silco pins his tie clip and accepts his cup of coffee, wandering over to his usual spot at the booth beside the bar, where Vander has placed his newspapers on the table. Vander lets out a breath and turns to finish setting up breakfast.
Jinx stands up on the rungs of her stool. She leans over and slaps the counter between them.
“You’re welcome,” she sneers, her blue eyes intense. Vander gapes, a little afraid, until her mouth quirks with mirth she can’t quite hide.
“Thank you,” he murmurs. He is still dazed from the experience.
Instigator(s) on AO3 - Chapter 13: Love is a reservoir
