An Unexpected Twist

[Davi Baptiste]

The sound Lysander made at the bite sent another pulse of heat through Davi, and feeling the way his body tensed beneath his hands nearly made him lose the last threads of restraint he still possessed.

Nearly.

But then the bell rang. And despite the frustration that flashed through Lysander so openly, Davi couldn’t help the breathless laugh that escaped him at the timing of it all. “Mm,” he murmured against his mouth after that final kiss, still slightly dazed from it. “I think someone out there has a truly terrible sense of timing.” Though the way Lysander looked at him before pulling away almost made him want to drag him right back.

Almost.

Davi watched him go with no small amount of appreciation, especially as the glamour slipped back into place over pale hair. Merlin help him, he already preferred him without it now. It was odd, for some reason he felt like the color hid more than just his familial connection; it hid a very important truth about Lysander like missing the forest for the trees. Once the door shut, Davi took a long breath and leaned back against the desk for a moment, gathering himself. Then, with practiced calm, he slid back down from the edge of it and began straightening himself out.

His vest strings were adjusted first, smoothing the slight disruption Lysander’s hand had caused. Then his shirt cuffs, his jacket once he retrieved it from the chair, fingers brushing briefly over the velvet-wrapped mirror to ensure it remained safely where he’d left it. By the time Lysander returned, Davi looked composed again. Well, mostly. There was still warmth lingering in his gaze when he looked over at him, and his eyes dropped immediately to the reddened knuckles before lifting back to his face.

“You know,” he said lightly, the corner of his mouth curving upward, “most people would probably be more rattled after hearing whatever that was.” But he sounded more amused than bothered. Honestly, Davi had long since learned there was always a risk of interruption before things truly progressed too far. It was why he maintained such control over himself in the first place. A lesson survival and life in general had taught him very early.

So instead of frustration, he simply leaned one hip back against the desk and folded his arms loosely. “I’m beginning to suspect,” he added, eyes warming again as they settled on Lysander, “that expecting me to simply exist around you without causing trouble may be entirely unrealistic.” His gaze flicked briefly toward Lysander’s hands again.

“Though I admit,” he said softly, faint amusement threading beneath the words, “I’m rather curious what exactly someone had to do to interrupt you badly enough to earn that… or was it just what they interrupted?” He wasn't above teasing him verbally now, despite the tension still lingering they were both thinking with their brains again.

[Lysander Malfoy]

It had taken all of his willpower to walk away to deal with the problem, and seeing him on the desk that way had not helped. But now they were both cooled a bit, enough to keep their clothes on. He took a deep breath as he put one hand into his pocket, moving back over towards Davi, "Trouble? For who?" he smirked a little, "There was just someone who was overdue for a lesson. Normally, such measures are not necessary, and no one would try to get my attention once I've said I'm unavailable."

"It's a mix of being interrupted, and the fact they were breaking my rules," he said, "With tempers flaring from time to time due to the nature of the club, fights occur. My staff can usually handle it before it becomes a problem. This particular fellow is one that can't lose gracefully. But perhaps I've finally gotten the message across."

"The timing of that lesson needing to happen was just unfortunate for him... and me," Lysander took a deep breath, "Perhaps we'll find a more appropriate time to avoid such unnecessary noise... when my house isn't connected to my business. Though, we are here... I could give a tour, if you're not in a rush to get away," he chuckled, "And this time, I will behave," he added.

[Davi Baptiste]

Davi watched him approach again, noting the steadying breath, the hand slipping into his pocket, the lingering tension still threaded through him despite the regained composure. It was oddly reassuring, knowing he hadn’t imagined the effect they had on one another. At the question of trouble, his smile returned immediately; smaller this time, but warmer. “Well,” he drawled lightly, “judging by the state of your self-control a few minutes ago, I’d say primarily trouble for you.”

The tease was gentle rather than smug, his gaze flicking briefly toward Lysander’s mouth before returning to his eyes. As Lysander explained, Davi listened with genuine attention. The mention of rules, of discipline, of enforcing order beneath the polished veneer of the Rose fit everything he had already begun piecing together about him. There was violence here, yes, but controlled violence. Structured. Governed. Lysander didn’t strike him as a man who tolerated chaos simply for the sake of ego.

“The unfortunate timing certainly sounds like it worked against him,” Davi murmured, amusement threading beneath the sympathy. “Though I suppose being the man who interrupted you at the wrong moment is punishment in itself.” His gaze dropped once more toward the faint redness still lingering along Lysander’s knuckles before lifting again thoughtfully. “I imagine most people learn quickly not to test boundaries you’ve already made clear.”

Then the offer of the rest of the tour came, paired with that promise to behave. Davi’s brow lifted slightly at that, openly unconvinced. “Oh, now you’ll behave,” he mused, pushing lightly off the desk. “Interesting timing for this sudden commitment to restraint.” Still, there was obvious fondness creeping into his tone now, impossible to fully hide anymore. He made his way closer to Lysander, shoving one hand into his pocket before he gave a little shrug of his shoulders.

“I’m not in any rush to leave,” he admitted. “Though I will have to eventually but I would like to see the rest of it.” A small pause followed before his mouth curved again. “Though perhaps we should avoid any more desks for the remainder of the evening. Purely in the interest of helping you maintain this newfound dedication to behaving.”

[Lysander Malfoy]

"To be fair," Lysander smirked, "You weren't exactly trying to help with that," he chuckled a little, though he did ruffle his hair again as he redropped the glamour. It seemed it wasn't something he bothered to keep up when he was home. That, at least, here he felt he could stop pretending.

"It usually doesn't end well for them, no. Not always so," he looked at his own knuckles for a moment, "Aggressively, but that one had tried my patience. That was strike three," he said. Not apologizing for the aggression, not apologizing for who and what he was, but an acknowledgment that he wasn't one who sought it out. He was just the one to shut it down in a there are no questions kind of way, "Lessons like those tend to have a ripple effect. Hopefully, in the let's not go there kind of way."

"And again," Lysander looked at him, "You act like you're not entirely the reason I was losing that restraint," he smirked, "I was trying to behave until you put that mouth of yours to a more mischievous use," he looked towards Davi's mouth this time before back to his eyes, "So perhaps it's you who needs to make that promise," he winked at him before turning and moving towards a door that was on the same level as them rather than the one down the stairs, "Hope you're prepared to be the object of fascination for my staff."

[Davi Baptiste]

Davi’s grin turned positively wicked at that look, dark eyes never wavering from Lysander’s as he stepped closer again, close enough that the warmth between them threatened to start that fire all over. His gaze flicked briefly to the other man’s mouth before returning to his eyes. “Mm, I noticed,” he murmured smoothly, utterly unrepentant about his role in any of it.

The mention of his mouth drew another smile from him, slower this time, almost dangerous in its own quiet way. Davi tilted his head slightly, expression thoughtful as though genuinely considering the accusation before he answered. “Oh, I don’t know…” he said lightly, voice dipped low enough to curl between them, “You haven’t even begun to see what my mouth can do.”

And then, because if he stayed too close for too long he might very well test that theory immediately, Davi stepped past him toward the door with infuriating calmness. The movement let his shoulder brush lightly against Lysander’s as he passed, deliberate enough to be felt.

Once outside the office, he folded his hands loosely behind his back, waiting while Lysander, his attention drifting briefly down the corridor before returning to him again. The anticipation simmering beneath his skin had settled into something warmer now, less frantic but no less consuming.

At the mention of being a curiosity for the staff, Davi chuckled softly. “I teach Divination at Hogwarts and I'm 'American',” he reminded him, amusement threading through his tone. “I’ve been a curiosity since the moment I arrived there.” His smile softened slightly after that, gaze lingering over Lysander a moment longer than strictly necessary.

“Though I suspect your staff’s curiosity may be for entirely different reasons.”

[Lysander Malfoy]

It took everything in him to maintain the control he had to have before he carried Davi off to his room, looking up at the ceiling like he might find more restraint somewhere up there. "You really like to push your luck," he mused as he followed after him.

"That school never was well at being understanding," Lysander scoffed, shaking his head, "Though yes, I've never brought anyone into the house through those doors before. And I've never really let anyone inside that isn't family," he explained, starting through what was a connected library, his office tucked into the back. The room was about the size of a bedroom, but the walls were lined with shelves, and there were couches in the center. The shelves were similar to the ones in his office in colors, but were actually filled with books of all sorts, and seemingly organized by author. The couches were a deep blue velvet with dark wooden accents and legs. He opened the door out of the library, a hall with white walls and a dark marble floor. Its base was white, but it seemed he'd picked the marble with the most veins, causing it to look much darker.

There was a large crystal chandelier off to the right, lighting up not just the floor they were on, but the foyer it hung over, which was visible over a railing only a few feet away. There were a variety of doors around the floor they were on, but most were closed. As they stepped into the common area, they'd also get a waft of dinner that was being cooked in the kitchens down below.

An older woman suddenly appeared from one of the rooms that looked like another office, though smaller and a bit more clinical-looking, which might have been her choice rather than his. "Oh! Sir! We wer-" She stopped as she saw Davi, now doubly surprised.

"Davi, meet Madame Bonnie Price, my head of staff," Lysander said, motioning from Davi to the woman, who gave a proper courtesy. She wasn't wearing a stereotypical maid's outfit, but rather a simple black dress, looking, like her office, clinical and neat, her greying hair tucked tight into an updo.

"Apologies, sir, we had no idea you'd be bringing guests," she said, sounding a little flustered at the sudden wrench.

"No, that would be me needing to apologize, Bonnie. I should have indicated it might be a possibility; I just didn't want to assume," He said as he looked towards Davi with a smirk.

Bonnie didn't need to read that look more than once to understand before looking towards Davi, "Do you have any food restrictions?" she asked, "I can make sure the cook accounts for it."

[Davi Baptiste]

Davi’s brows lifted slightly at the comment about luck, the smile that followed warm with amusement rather than surprise.“Not my luck,” he replied easily as he fell into step beside him again, dark eyes briefly flicking toward Lysander, “But I do like to push. Part of my charm, I think.”And perhaps his downfall too, though right now he found he minded that less and less where Lysander was concerned.

As they moved through the house, Davi let himself actually look. Not the careful, polite sort of glance one gave out of obligation, but genuine observation. The library alone caught and held his attention for several moments, his gaze dragging over shelves overflowing with books before he followed Lysander onward. It was… unexpectedly elegant. Refined in a way he should have expected from a Malfoy and yet entirely unlike the cold, severe aesthetic he had come to associate with that family name.

The white walls and crystal caught his attention most. Even the darker elements felt intentional rather than oppressive. “It’s beautiful,” he admitted quietly, glancing toward the chandelier before looking back at Lysander with a faint smile. “I confess, I expected far more black and green.”The smell drifting up from the kitchens caught him off guard next, enough that he slowed just slightly before the woman appeared. Davi straightened instinctively at the introduction, inclining his head politely toward Madame Price after her courtesy.

“A pleasure to meet you, Madame Price.” The exchange that followed made realization flicker slowly across his face. Dinner. Ah. His attention shifted briefly toward Lysander at that look and accompanying smirk, as though trying to determine whether this had been intentional from the beginning or if Lysander was simply allowing the misunderstanding to continue because it amused him. Davi, meanwhile, had absolutely not planned on staying long enough for supper.

Still, he answered Bonnie politely, smooth despite the slight surprise lingering beneath it. “No restrictions, thankfully,” he said gently before glancing sideways toward Lysander again, one brow lifting ever so slightly in silent question. “Though I admit I was unaware I might be staying long enough to trouble your staff.” The look he gave him after that made it clear he suspected Lysander may have known considerably more about that possibility than he had.

[Lysander Malfoy]

Lysander gave a throaty chuckle at his response, "I'd say I hope you don't regret when you push too far," he smirked at him, "But I have a feeling that's exactly what you want."

Hearing that he expected more green got a bark of a laugh, "No, unlike my cousins, I don't prefer my home to be depressing to be in," he said, shaking his head, "I have to live here, after all."

Lysander held up a hand at the look, "To be fair," he said, "My plans technically stopped at the mirror," he assured him, "I didn't assume you'd stay. I certainly didn't assume what happened after giving it to you," He smirked at that, and there was something about his tone that had Bonnie clearing her throat.

"I'll suggest an extra plate, in case you do choose to stay, but it's not trouble if you have other plans, sir," she said to Davi, "Though supper is still some time away, Cook just starts early with some parts of the meal," she added then gave another curtsey to them both, "Call if you need me," she said before walking over to the stairs that would lead down into the foyer, her heels clacking against the marble.

"You're certainly under no obligation to stay that long," Lysander added in case it needed saying, "But the invitation is always there," he motioned to the other doors, resuming the tour, "The rest of the rooms up here are bedrooms with mine being over there," he pointed to a closed door that was almost directly across from the office though the door was closer to the far wall. Lysander then also started towards the stairs, "Maybe I'll show that... when we have a bit more time and fewer interruptions," he mused with a smirk, "But there is a sitting room with a piano down below and the dining room, the kitchen, another smaller library with books that I'm a bit more willing to let guests touch, whenever the few I do allow here come by. Usually just my sister and Miral," he said as he looked towards him, standing at the top step, "And of course, access out to the gardens proper."

[Davi Baptiste]

Davi looked entirely unconvinced by Lysander’s attempt at innocence, though the smile tugging at his mouth made it clear he wasn’t truly objecting to any of it. “Mm. Of course they did,” he murmured smoothly at the claim that the plans had stopped at the mirror. “Everything after that was simply a series of unforeseen circumstances.” The look he gave him after that made it abundantly clear exactly how little he believed that.

Still, there was warmth beneath the teasing, especially when Lysander admitted he hadn’t expected what happened afterward. Davi’s gaze lingered on him a moment too long before Bonnie’s tactful retreat pulled his attention away again. “I’ll try not to scandalize your staff too terribly before supper then,” he said lightly, though there was just enough amusement in his tone to suggest he might already be failing at that.

As Lysander resumed the tour, Davi followed easily beside him, hands slipping back into his pockets as his attention moved between the rooms being pointed out and the man guiding him through them. The mention of the bedrooms earned the faintest flick of his eyes toward the indicated door before returning to Lysander’s face. “Dangerous thing to say to someone you’ve already accused of pushing boundaries,” he mused softly.

And yet the thought clearly interested him far more than it should have. When Lysander mentioned showing him later, with more time and fewer interruptions, Davi’s smile turned slower, subtler. He stepped down onto the stair below him, close enough now that his voice no longer needed to carry. “Well,” he said quietly, gaze holding his, “I suppose that depends entirely on whether you intend to invite me back.”

The answer already felt obvious between them, but Davi seemed to enjoy making him say such things aloud. At the mention of the smaller library and gardens, his expression softened into something more openly pleased. “You realize every room you show me only makes it harder to leave, yes?” he asked, the teasing gentler now but no less flirtatious. “First the greenhouse, now books and gardens. At this rate I’ll start suspecting you planned this very carefully after all.”

[Lysander Malfoy]

"Hopeful suggestions that you thankfully agreed to," Lysander corrected him, "They're already going to be gossiping for the rest of eternity," he waved his hand like it was no matter, "At least that will stop some of their other rumors." he said as he ran his hand through his hair.

When he said telling him where his bedroom was was dangerous, Lysander smirked at him in a way that said he almost hoped he would push it there, but he smirked as he looked down at him, "Invite you back?" he mused in a low voice, "I don't want you to leave," he said, as straightforward as ever.

"I truly only planned to give you that mirror. Did I hope it might lead to where it has, certainly. But I will leave every step forward for you to decide what we take. I think I've made my intentions and desires quite clear," he hummed, reaching up a hand to run his hand under his jaw, leaning in as he might kiss him, but stopping just short, "I am impeccably patient, Rook."