By the Silvery Moon {LUNA}

[LUNA ♥ MELIAE]

The full moon. The mighty Goddess of the tides herself. Always ready to push and pull and twist until you have no choice but to obey. Some had it easy; not weres (because no one really enjoyed being forced to shift into some sort of animal without their permission), and certainly not angels. Who really wanted to have to walk around with giant wings hanging out of your shoulders for three days? Some might enjoy it, girls and guys who had people fawning over the colors of their feathers, angels who got all the attention.

Luna couldn't stand attention. Slender fingers dug into the wood on the pier as she sat on the edge, legs dangling and feet dipped in the cool water. Her wings, almost glowing with the silver feathers hidden among the white, were drooped against the pier, not so much because of her current mood but rather because they were heavy and it was comfortable to leave them like that. She tilted her head back, leaning back on her hands so she could gaze up at the full moon in all her splendor. Five years ago a similar moon had hung over her, but that moon hadn't been quite so forgiving to the fifteen year old she'd been.

"At least it's a beautiful nice," she murmured, speaking with an obvious English accent despite living in America. Tendrils of red hair fell into her eyes as she swung her legs a little. Droplets of water flung through the air, catching the light momentarily and making her smile.

She loved the light. Perhaps it was one of the reasons she'd been adept at photokinesis, because she loved creating light from all the small things. Arching her back a little, she lifted a hand to push her bangs out of her face, before the shift and squeak of weight on the end of the pier made her look up in surprise, flickers of light emitting from her fingertips before she relaxed and the light disappeared as she drew one knee up to hug it to her chest, blue dress falling around her ankle.

"Nice night, isn't it?"

[HENRY ♥ TAYLOR]

With a few more steps, Henry was able to see her fully. She looked up and he was struck by the color of her eyes. He couldn't quite explain what had come over him. He had seen beautiful angels before, that was nothing. There were so many beautiful girls in the school born of angels, faeries or mermaids. Henry dealt with them on a daily basis because he was the coveted Guidance Counselor. He was the guy who made them feel safe and sure enough the guy they all wanted. They were a dime a dozen, but there was something different about her.

The shimmering of her wings, the light glowing off her skin, but most importantly the warmth in her smile and her eyes hit something deep inside of him. It was almost as if the universe had shifted. As if everything that had ever mattered was lost to her. She was gravity, the moon and he was the tide. Before he knew it he was staring unable to move or speak because of the imprint, unknown to him. It took a moment before he could shake off the daze and he smiled at her.

Trying to remain steady he took a few steps and took a seat beside her at the end of the pier. He left a space between them to keep her comfortable while he unlaced his chucks. As he removed his shoes and socks, he let his feet sit in the chilled water. He shivered a bit feeling the shock on his heated skin as he set his shoes behind him. "I always forget how cold it gets out here." He laughed placing his hands on either side of him to rest.

Henry nodded softly in agreement with what she had said earlier. "A lot nicer than I expected." He grinned letting his unique, but light cajun accent peak. He was enamored with her. Not even more than a few minutes and something about her pulled him in. While he wouldn't admit that out loud, he was ready to do anything and everything to convince her to let him be enamored with her.

"I come out here a lot. It's my favorite spot in the entire school. It's weird that I've never seen ya around, I'm Henry, Henry Taylor, pleasure to meet ya." He lifted a hand and extended it to her, avoiding the hesitancy that would give away his nervousness. If looking at her stopped him in his tracks, he worried that touching her hand would stop his heart completely. He kept the warms smile on his face trying to stifle his amusement to himself.

[LUNA ♥ MELIAE]

Under the shade of the gazebo, the man was cast in shadow and it was only when he moved to sit beside her, far enough away to show he meant her no harm, that she took a good look at her mysterious guest. Grey-blue eyes looked back at her with something unknown flitting through them, an emotion she'd never really seen before or paid much attention to, and she found herself smiling in response to his own warm one. She breathed in as he spoke first, taking in his voice with the light Cajun accent, before her senses overtook her for a moment. She recognized the scent, the scent of a werewolf. At least she knew now she wasn't the only one drawn to the full moon and forced to act against her will.

As he unlaced his shoes and dipped his feet into the water, she let her own leg slip back down so she was trailing her toes in the cool liquid, fingers curling into the edge of the pier as she finally tore her gaze away from the male and back up to the moon. Male company wasn't unknown to her. She'd had her fair share of suitors, young men and the occasional woman who wanted to share in her life, or in her bed. Many because she was an Angel, descended from some of the more pure lines on the Island, while others because she had a beautiful personality and a bright smile - words that almost always translated to: 'girl, I really want to try you out for a ride'.

Needless to say, Luna steered clear of male company, choosing to surround herself with friends of various species - though she stayed far away from those with demonic blood. But she'd heard talk of Henry Taylor, the illusive guidance councilor all the girls seemed to fawn over, but could never touch. An almost amused smile, followed by a soft laugh, left her as she turned a little towards him, offering more than just a shoulder as she tipped her head to one side.

"I made the same mistake actually" she replied with a sheepish smile as she lifted one of her feet out of the water. "The first time I came down here, I lost a perfectly good pair of shoes because I flinched at the cold water and knocked them off the pier."

The laugh that followed was gentle, but one of inviting warmth as her eyes lowered to the offered hand before lifting her own away from the pier so she could slip her fingers into his. For just a moment her breath caught in his throat at the sensation of his warm skin against her own, and she looked up at him before a warm smile quirked the corners of her lips. "It's nice to meet you, Henry; I'm Luna."

Her voice was almost breathless, something she countered by flashing him another of her warm smiles before she lifted her eyes to meet his. "I guess tonight was your lucky night then..."

[HENRY ♥ TAYLOR]

Henry could feel the cool water warming up against his heated skin. Even then the current continued to bring cool water in to lap away at the warmth. It would have been refreshing on a hot day, but in the cool fall night it sent a bit of a shiver up Henry's spine. Luckily for him he was used to cold nights on Elysian. It was something that just game with Northern America and being isolated out in the big blue. Still, he missed the hot weather of Louisiana and the cool nights down by the bayou.

There was nothing quite like home. Henry loved home. It was the place where he learned no prejudice and how to love with a full heart. He learned how to cook spicy filling meals and boil up craw daddy's just the right way. Henry fished with his father and helped Mama get the kids ready for church. He was born and bred in the south and the warmth of Louisiana. Henry owed his upbringing everything. Without his family and support he would have never had the courage to stay and help the kids at St. Gabriel.

"If they weren't ruined by now, I probably might dive right in just to find them for you." He smiled almost contemplating actually doing that. He was almost irritated by the gravitational pull he felt towards her. It wasn't that he didn't like the attraction, but he was sure if he tried his hardest to make her every wish come true she might think he was a freak. "I'm a guidance counselor at St. Gabriel's so I've heard a lot of interesting stories about this pier and lake."

He laughed a bit keeping his eyes out into the distance. His mind was still lingering at the touch of their hands. He craved it now. To give her an embrace, to touch her hand and linger there. Henry was suddenly regretting being born a werewolf. As if there were any other choice. He kicked himself mentally trying to dishevel the anchored feeling. "Luna is a pretty name..." He said his voice cracking slightly as the nerves tightened his chords. He cleared his throat and tried to regain his manly bravado. "But I'm sure you hear that all the time."

He leaned back slowly, carefully lying down onto the pier to look up into the small circular opening in the gazebo. His eyes traced over the stars and the faint glimmer of the moon. "I would say so. Seems pretty lucky to me."

[LUNA ♥ MELIAE]

Cold never seemed to bother Luna all that much. After all, growing up in London she was used to constant dreary and rainy days, and more often than not cooler temperatures brought snow. Luna loved snow. She loved the texture, despite the fact too much made her clothes damp, and she loved eating fresh snow. It only ever seemed to snow over Christmas on Elysian, not that she didn't like it... but she was used to snow for half of the year sporadically.

"That certainly is a nice offer, Henry," she replied with a half laugh, lifting one of her legs out of the water so she could rest her arms and chin on her knee as she looked up at him. "But I don't think the story of how 'the angel recovered her shoes thanks to the elusive guidance councilor' would sit well on some of the other girls."

[/color]

She was a tease, she'd admit. She enjoyed being bright and cheerful, and teasing when she could. Smiling, she let her eyes lift to observe the features of her companion. She could see why the other girls talked about Henry as if he were gorgeous. He was gorgeous... but in a sort of Southern boy, rugged, earthy kind of way. It was a turn on, definitely, but Luna could see there was more to him than he appeared.

A soft laugh left her at his comment of her name, and the words that followed. It was true. Many boys often complimented her by saying her name was beautiful, and most of the time it never held much meaning. When Henry said it, however, it felt different. "I do, but... thank you. I think I like hearing that from you. It seems to have more truth to it than when it comes from someone my age..."

As he moved to lie back, she shifted so she didn't lose him in her line of sight. For a moment she contemplated lying beside him to stare at the stars, but for the time being she was content with watching him. "Seems pretty lucky to me too. So, Henry...you're a bit of an idol among the other girls at St. Gabriel's. I have to admit, I never really paid much attention to any of them, but I can see why they'd like you. You've got a charm about you..."

Charm. Charm was good. She enjoyed a guy who was charming, but honesty, respect and the ability to have a good time were things she looked for in a guy. And someone who enjoyed cooking. Not that she'd ever admit it, but she was a sucker for different types of cuisines, ever since her mother had shown her old family recipes when she was younger.[/blockquote][/size]

[HENRY ♥ TAYLOR]

He turned his head a little bit to look at her. He had to stifle a smile at the thought that she deserved a halo, but something about her teasing comments told Henry she was the type who would wear it cocked to the side for shits and giggles. She seemed quirky in the right kind of way, the kind of uniqueness that was hard to find in beautiful girls. She had wit. That's what it was, she had some kind of smart and tender heart, but maybe he was just making that up because he knew deep down falling for her was irreversible at this point. "I like your smile." He admitted giving her a little bit of a grin. "Too forward? Or should I jump in the lake and start looking for your shoes" He joked laughing a bit at the thought of him taking a nosedive straight into the frigid waters.

"Well then the other girls should try and be more like you, maybe then I'd pay attention." He winked before furrowing his brow. He sat up slightly leaning on his elbows for support. "Elusive? What's what supposed to mean?" He laughed shaking his head at the thought. Sure there were a few times were he literally was running and hiding around corners from some of the girls, but for the most part he gave it to them cut and dry. "What am I playing hide and seek with these girls now..." He shook his head knowing he had gotten in a lot of trouble with Alex over the girls swooning.

It was something Henry didn't quite understand. Back in his hometown he had one sweetheart. Her name was Bobbie Lynn and they had loved each other since they were toddlers, but the two of them split when Henry realized he never imprinted on her and it wasn't meant to be. When they split none of the town swooned over him and they didn't make such a big deal out of it. Even in high school his boyish looks didn't really get him anywhere. Of course once he hit college things seemed to change. After that, well, it was rough. Henry just had wanted to find her. The one.

"What is that age exactly?" He asked curious as to whether she was a student here or not. "If you don't mind me asking, I'm just curious. I just turned 24 myself." He said with a roll of his eyes, but kept the goofy smile crossed over his lips. Unfortunately Sephora alongside other staff were very keen on making big extravagant and obnoxious birthdays. This one was... interesting to say the least.

He laid back down cross his hands over his abdomen. It was funny how the world worked. One minute all he wanted to do was go for his nightly walk and the next he was imprinting on his soul mate. He had given up looking for her and after all that searching here she was in plain sight. "Thank you Miss Luna. Well I hope the next thing they're all talking about is how jealous they are because the guidance counselor is enamored with a certain angel and thinks she's absolutely beautiful." He laughed a little before turning his head to look at her. "Not implying anything at all..." He winked before settling his eyes on the stars again.

A small thought crossed his mind as he looked at one of the dippers. He sat up looking out into the horizon before turning to Luna. The look on his face was that of someone who's light bulb exploded in his head. "Would you let me cook dinner for you some night?" He asked on a whim. He figured if she said no then he was going to strip down into his boxers and jump into the lake and shiver until she said yes. Maybe not the best plan, but it was worth a shot.

[LUNA ♥ MELIAE]

There was something in the way Henry looked at her, in the obvious affection evident in his eyes as he smiled and joked and teased. It was refreshing, to find someone like that who she felt so at ease with, but deep down... maybe it was just hard for Luna to trust others. At Henry's comment, her cheeks darkened with color and she found herself smiling brighter. "I quite like your smile too, Henry." Her own admittance was followed by a mirror of his grin and she shook her head as she stretched out her legs. "Jumping into the lake might not be such a good idea. It looks freezing right now. We wouldn't want you catching a cold."

Leaning back on her hands a little, she lifted her chin to gaze up at the stars, smiling to herself as she listened to Henry's accented words. "Me? You know it's rude to ask a girl her age; luckily for you... I'm not that old fashioned. I'm twenty." She glanced towards him as he spoke, noting the roll of his eyes before she laughed. "I'm a college sophomore, if it makes you feel any better."

A comfortable silence fell after that, one in which she turned to watch him as he laid back down, eyes momentarily focused on his hands as they settled over his abdomen. It was his words that made her blush again, and she returned his wink with a scrunch of her nose before her wings stretched out and drooped against the pier again. "Compliments get you every where, Henry, but careful... not all angels are heavenly."

A laugh spilled from her lips at Henry's question, and she tipped her head to one side, copper bangs falling into her eyes as she contemplated letting him cook dinner for her. It was a nice gesture, and on any given day she might've accepted such a gesture from such a handsome, interesting young man. But whether it was because of the full moon or because being around Henry meant she could tease so easily, she smiled wide and shook her head.

"What kind of girl would I be if I so readily accepted the invitation for dinner from a handsome stranger I barely know, hm?" she hummed, her voice soft as she watched him with playful eyes, waiting for his reaction.

[HENRY ♥ TAYLOR]

It was interesting how long it took Henry to imprint. Some people imprinted when they were children, some in their teens and some, like Ross, believed they would never imprint. Henry had envied Ross once. Ross could choose who he loved and avoid being forced into a bond, but the moment he laid eyes on Luna imprinting seemed right. The bond was perfect and there was nothing to change that fact.

"Well I apologize Miss Luna, just trying to get to know you." He smiled. Henry would have to take a lecture from Alex about imprinting on a student, but he's heard of worse age gaps. He was sure Sephora would get a kick out of this especially since he teased her about her relationship with Luka. Still Henry couldn't help who he imprinted on and with the way Luna carried herself, he doubted this was going to be an easy catch, but he was willing to do everything to have her.

He laughed. As if she could be anything, but perfect or "heavenly" as she said. "Now why would you say that?" He asked raising his brows in curiosity.

When she declined Henry shook his head with a smile. "Well I don't know what king of gal that would make you..." He unbuttoned his shirt before removing it and tossing it onto the pier. Werewolf genes and years of working out had paid off for the chiseled Henry. He unlaced his shoes, letting the moon highlight the full flex of his muscles before taking them off. "I do know that it would make me the happiest man on the face of the Earth..."

Henry unbuttoned his pants and dropped those as well. She must have thought he was crazy now. There he was standing at the end of the pier in just his plain navy blue boxers. The cold hair making his body tense and outlining each muscular cut. He failed a bit at stifling a laugh before he turned and took a swan dive off the pier. With the spray of water he was sure she got a little feel of the icy cold drops. He reached the surface and began to tread water. "I'm not.... getting out... of this water... until you say yes..." He laughed trying to keep himself from shivering. It was a lot colder than he expected, but after all he was a little bit desperate.

[LUNA ♥ MELIAE]

As prudish as it sounded, literature and nature and the beauty of art had always been Luna's escape. She enjoyed watching the way clouds danced across the sky, the way animals could sense anything before it happened, the way a painter could map out an entire story on canvas with a few colors... she wasn't used to boys or being anything close to romantic. Her one attempt at a relationship ended with a night of very awkward sex that had left her feeling unfulfilled and stupid for even attempting to do it. Ever since that night, she'd sworn off guys... until she met the right person.

Momentarily lost in her thoughts, she looked up at the sound of Henry's voice, and smiled a little at his words. "It's quite alright, Mr. Taylor. Oh, wait... does that make you feel old? Should I call you Henry?" Her smile turned playful as she watched him, head cocked to one side as her wings moved slightly behind her. "And the reason I say that, is because some angels carry scars. The good ones just cover them up so others can't see."

Her smile faltered a little then, and she leaned forward to rest her chin on her arm as she gazed out across the water. She'd said too much. She didn't want Henry to think she was all morbid and depressed like... no one knew of her past, no one except maybe the headmaster, but she knew he'd never tell anyone. She didn't look up again until Henry spoke, her eyes taking him in carefully.

The angel's eyes widened as he started unbuttoning his shirt. Sure, she'd seen shirtless guys before, but Henry was... well... gorgeous. Color rose to her cheeks as he tossed it into the pier behind them, and she watched with bated breath as he leaned to remove his shoes, his body flexing quite nicely thanks to the movement. Breathing out sharply, she watched as he stood and started unbuttoning his pants. "H-Henry, what are you...-" Before she could continue, he'd dropped them, leaving him clad in just a pair of boxers. Unsure of how to take this new development, she allowed herself to regress into a hormone driven teen, her eyes lowering to take in his muscled torso and lean stomach. Oh, God.

The next thing she knew, he dived off the end of the pier, and she was sprayed with icy water. Squealing, she stumbled to her feet, eyes wide and wings stretching out behind her as she watched him tread water. His words made her laugh, and she stood on the very edge of the pier, dress almost floating in the moonlight as the hem brushed against her shins. "Henry, are you crazy? What if I keep saying no, hm? You'll catch a cold... or hypothermia. You... are the craziest werewolf I've ever met in my life."

Shaking her head as she laughed again, she crouched down and held out her hand. Even if she were a girl, she was an angel which meant she was stronger than most. "Yes, yes I'll have dinner with you. Yes, now come on. Out you come. I'd rather not have dinner with you while you're sniffling and sneezing."

[HENRY ♥ TAYLOR]

Henry was known for being a little unorthodox. Sometimes his brashness was praised for quick ingenuity and signs of born leadership and other times he was admonished for being so foolish. Either way everyone knew Henry for being the kind of guy to go big or go home when it came to making decisions. He flexed his fingers slightly as the cold began to seep into his bones. The water was frigid and though he kept moving to keep his circulation up, the waters icy touch still grabbed hold of him. He clenched his jaw keeping his movements steady not wanting to look like a complete wuss in front of Luna.

"You can call me Henry…" He breathed through clenched teeth. If it were a cartoon, he’d imagine he’d be in the situation where his teeth started chatterin and he would turn to a block of ice. It would have been quite a funny sight, but he doubted it was going to be easy to explain to Sephora what happened if she had to chip him out and warm him up to keep him from illness. It wasn’t hard to make Seph laugh, but she never let go of it once she was laughing at your stupidity. It seemed like that happened a lot to Henry. Seph was constantly laughing at his “goofball” ways and setting the other girls on edge.

That was the rumor he found particularly entertaining. Seph and Henry were pretty good friends and despite designating themselves as such, people assumed they were in some kind of secret relationship. While it was flattering to have students think he was good enough to get with a Siren, it was awkward when he made his visits to check on her. She just liked having someone to talk to and while they did spend enough time to be a couple, it wasn’t a secret that the two of them were disgusted by that idea. It just wasn’t in their bloodlines. She was a Siren and he was a Werewolf. Those two just didn’t mix for one reason or another.

"No, I’m just persistent." A bright smile stretched his lips as the water lapped at his shoulders. It almost felt like needles were pricking his skin as the water lapped at him. Each time the blood would warm his shoulders and then the cold water would prick at him again releasing the heat. "If you keep saying no, then I’m just going to stay here till you say yes or I die." He joked, knowing it was a little extreme. Still with the amount of cold that was taking over, it seemed like a fair possibility.

She extended her hand, finally giving in. Her smile was radiant and beautiful, almost as perfect as her unique and addicting laugh. Henry swam towards her and took her hand, helping himself up using the pier, but miscalculating the friction on the step, he slipped forward propelling his weight onto her slight frame. It knocked the both of them over and he felt his face heat up with embarrassment. He pressed his weight onto his elbows to make sure he wasn’t crushing her. Despite his knowledge of Angels, Henry still viewed her as a lady and being all pressed up on her like that, while enjoyable was not going to fly. "Sorry about that, I got a little excited…"


Henry laughed giving Luna his best apologetic smile. "I’m just glad you’re letting me make you dinner." He added sweetly. "So uh, what do you like to eat?" He asked trying to figure out how he was going to get up without it getting awkward.

[LUNA ♥ MELIAE]

Men could be so stupid sometimes. Not that Henry was stupid. But his methods were… interesting? Insane? Out of the box and brash? Yes, yes and yes. Luna found herself all the more intrigued by the guidance counselor, simply by the way he’d acted in order to get her to say yes. It was unique – none of the boys who’d tried to get her to date them in the past had tried jumping into a near frozen lake. He got points for that.

Shaking her head at his words, she laughed. “Aren’t you glad I didn’t keep saying no then?”

As Henry’s cold fingers laced with hers, she squeezed just enough to be sure she wouldn’t lose her grip before she tugged gently. That added with him slipping on the edge of the pier was enough for them both to go falling backwards. Her wings took the force of most of the fall, and the only real shock she got was from the water soaking into her dress. For just a moment she felt the weight of Henry’s body against hers – a weight, if she had to admit to herself, she didn’t really mind all that much – but when he shifted and rose up on his elbows over her, she found herself blushing and met his gaze only once before falling into that smile of his.

“I-It’s okay, guess a girl doesn’t know her own strength,” she laughed along with him, before she reached up one of her hands to press the palm against his bare shoulder. His skin was icy to the touch, and she frowned a little before concentrating as light began to filter from beneath her fingertips. “I can’t believe you did that. You’re freezing…”

She knew her photokinesis wouldn’t generate enough heat to heat him thoroughly, but it would take the edge off the chill. Without seeming too forward, she brushed her hand down his shoulder, down his arm to his elbow, before repeating the action with her other hand. By the time she was finished, the light slowly fading from her skin as she dropped them back to her sides, he felt warmer to the touch. “That should be better for you…” she said softly, her lips stretching in a small smile as she raised an eyebrow at him.

“Well, from your accent… I’d say you were born in the South, right?” Luna shifted a little, her voice soft as she gazed up at him. From the closeness, and the angle, Henry’s eyes were really deep, and she found herself losing her train of thought the longer she stared. “Why don’t you make me something traditional and Southern… if you want to, that is.”

[HENRY ♥ TAYLOR]

Not everyone in the world could be so happy. In this very moment, this ignorant little instance, Henry could have died and died happily. Here he was, palms flat on the pier deck with his arms holding up his body as he stared at possible the most beautiful human being he had ever come across. While she wasn't his yet, he was hers. No amount of trouble, turmoil or anything else would change that. It was irreversible, burned into his DNA and carved forever into the marble slab of his memory. Even if he were given a choice, Henry wouldn't have changed it.

Without missing a beat, Henry shifted his weight onto one of his arms and he quickly touched the tip of her nose with his other pointer finger. "Extremely glad, otherwise I'd be chasing you with a thermometer in my mouth and a blanket over my limbs." It was a teasing action and he quickly regained his posture. He had a bright smile across his lips and it was clear there wasn't much that could shake the cheerful wolf.

He shut his eyes for a moment as he felt the warmth of her touch. It radiated through him and in a way he was sure it made the bond even stronger. He shook his head a little bit, trying not to laugh as he opened his eyes. "I feel like this is a cruel joke God's playing on me." Without explaining he looked her in the eyes, never wanting to look away. "You definitely don't know you're own strength..." He teased.

Luna probably wouldn't guess or understand what he meant. When it came to imprinting, not many people understood it. Even weres had a hard time getting a grasp on it. What his family had told him, was that weres search out a mate that will create the next strongest were. It wasn't about solidifying the bloodline, it was about creating a stronger bloodline. Which of course was odd to weres when most of the new generation started imprinting outside of the werewolf line. Confusing, but Henry was sure there was some brilliant thing behind it.

"Thank you..." He smiled sincerely before carefully sitting up. He put a hand on hers feeling the softness of her skin and brushing away the water droplets that had remained. "You're not cold now are you?" After the dive he was sure she had sprayed her a little, but when they took the tumble she was sure her clothes got a little soaked. It was a chilly night and Henry would deeply regret if she got ill because of his impulsiveness.

He drew his eyes back up to hers and gave her the warmest smile he could muster. Home. There was nothing like mama's cooking and so Henry had to learn how to do it himself to keep him from running back to mama. "Anything for you, I'd love to give you a taste of Louisiana cooking." Without hesitation he reached forward and brushed a tendril of hair behind her ear, letting the pads of his fingers brush lightly against her cheek before he withdrew his hand. "When do you want the best dinner of your life?" A charismatic smile lit his lips as he rested his arms and head on his bent knees.

[LUNA ♥ MELIAE]

After trying to picture Henry chasing after her wrapped in a long blanket and laughing around a thermometer sticking out of his lips, she pressed her hand to her mouth to stifle her laugh, cheeks flushing with color at the image. “That… is certainly an interesting thing to picture, Henry… Thank you so much for that image.”

Her eyes followed his finger, going almost cross-eyed when he tapped the tip of her nose, before she ducked her head to one side, red hair falling into her features like a curtain. Henry was a flirt. She knew he was flirting with her, but in a way that made her warm and fuzzy on the inside. It was a nice kind of flirting, one to be expected from a man who was confident and sure of himself, not a boy who thought he was hot stuff. Perhaps it was his werewolf genes.

“Actually, it sounds more like a bad joke… ‘an angel and a werewolf were sitting on the pier one night…’” she scrunched her nose up at him playfully, her eyes meeting his once again, almost as if she were compelled to find her reflection in those blue orbs. “And that wasn’t even my full strength, Mr. Wolf. Most of that was your doing.”

She nodded once, noting the way he’d closed his eyes at her touch. His skin had felt nice when it was warmed. Smooth, yet rough in a way that most male skin was… and she’d been able to feel the muscle ripple under the surface of his tanned skin. It had been a bit of an exhilarating sensation, one she wasn’t sure if she wanted to experience again or not.

Luna shook her head at Henry’s words, smiling at the concern he showed for her wellbeing. “No, I’m fine, Henry, thank you. The good thing about that light is it warms me up when I use it, and you only really got a little bit of my dress wet.” As her voice trailed off, she lifted a hand to brush drops of water from her hair. It had certainly turned into an interesting night. Sitting up slowly, she rolled her shoulders, letting her wings stretch right out before she sighed and rested her chin on her knees after drawing them close to her chest.

His question of dinner made her look up, and she flushed a little as his fingers brushed across her cheek while he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. The touch was so soft, so innocent in nature, that it made her shiver and she smiled brightly – unable really to contain herself – before her eyes lifted to the full moon. “Perhaps after the full moon has passed, when I can retract my wings?” She looked back to him, meeting his gaze and the charismatic smile on his features before her tongue emerged to wet her lower lip. “The way you talk, you’re making me really curious about your cooking skills, Mr. Taylor. Am I to expect old family recipes, taught to you by your mama?” She laughed softly at her words, trying to attempt a ‘Southern’ accent as she spoke only to fail dismally.

After a moment of contemplative silence, she stretched out a little, and retrieved Henry’s forgotten shirt, before holding it out to him with an impish grin. “We wouldn’t want you sneezing into your cooking now, would we?”

[HENRY ♥ TAYLOR]

Henry took the shirt from her extended hand, with a thankful nod. ”That would be pretty gross wouldn’t it?” He laughed before slipping the shirt back on. He buttoned it up before reaching over to grab his jeans and continue the dressing process. That was the trouble of being a werewolf. He was always warm or overheating, there wasn’t much necessity for clothes besides decency. Of course in this situation he was glad she reminded him to put some clothes on. While it might have made a great joke, it was not some kind of rumor he needed going around. He already had to smack Ross in the back of the head for posting atrocious pictures of him naked after a shift.

Without saying much more he followed the silhouette of the trees up to the moon. It was a lovely thing, but it troubled a lot of the world. It had a deep hold on a lot of supernaturals and it was often the defining line between secrecy and survival. "Alright how about Saturday night then? I’ll take you to the Eiffel Restaurant." He paused for a moment making sure the details were alright in his head. "I have a friend there and it’s public so I promise no shenanigans, but we can have a private dining room and I can show you my chef skills."

With a shrug of his shoulders he presented the idea to her and continued explaining the small details. "My family was pretty big so Mama Taylor cooked a lot. She made sure her boys knew how to cook because she was afraid we’d starve if we left the house." Henry shook his head laughing at the thought. His mom was quite the character. Loving, crazy and a typical full of life southern woman. If it weren’t for her deep devotion to her plantation home and Louisiana life, she would have packed her bags to follow her boys. Though Mama Taylor definitely knew she had a place there. She sent the future wolves of the Shreveport pack straight to Henry for safety. She was the gatekeeper and the guide and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

He drew in a breath as his eyes traced over her wings. "May I?" He reached out a bit wantin to feel the texture of her wings. Were they soft, hard, cool to the touch or warm as her smile? He was curious about her, but Henry was never the one to intrude. It wasn’t his nature. "After she taught me a few things, I kept experimenting so that I could surprise her on birthdays. Mama Taylor had a handful with the boys in the house so I always wanted to help."

With a roll of his eyes he emphasized just how rowdy the boys in his household could get. Most people assumed Henry’s family included just himself and his siblings, but it included everyone in the radius of their small town home. When it came to the Taylor’s there was always an array of family members in his house. Constantly bombarded by visitors, Mama Taylor was everybody’s mama and she didn’t care who you belonged to, she would feed you, clothe you and keep you healthy until you wanted to go. "I can make everything from gumbo to New York style pizza. It all depends on what makes you the happiest, pretty girl…" He smiled giving her a playful nudge at the knees with the edge of his knuckles. He meant those words with every ounce of his heart.

[LUNA ♥ MELIAE]

Luna chuckled softly. "Pretty gross indeed," she agreed, nodding her head with an amused hum as he dressed himself. Decency told her to look away, but for just a moment she was drawn to the way his muscles rippled as he slipped the shirt on and buttoned it up. However, when he reached for his jeans she dropped her gaze, cheeks dusted with pink as she gazed back out towards the lake. It was a night like this, full moon and all, when she'd lost everything... full moons were always the worst for her. And yet, maybe... now she had something to change that. Maybe Henry could change her mind about the full moon and the curse that seemed to linger over her.

Lifting her eyes at the sound of his voice, she watched as he stared out at the moon much like she'd just been doing. Maybe he could be her savior...

"That sounds real nice, Henry," Luna replied, smiling gently as she rested her arms on her knees and leaned forward, chin perched neatly on her forearms. "Shenanigans, huh? Just what exactly is running through that wolfie mind of yours, hm, Mr. Taylor?" Her smile turned playful as she turned her head to one side to face him, hair falling to fan across her arms."Well, I'm sure Mama Taylor would be proud of her son, being proud enough to show off your cooking skills to a pretty girl you just met. She sounds like an amazing woman."

Talking about Henry's mother made her heart hurt, but before the sadness could change her features, she looked down, smiling more to herself than to him. The way he moved next, a hand lifting up towards her wings. As if longing for his touch, they fluttered slightly, and she nodded once before lifting them so they could brush against his fingertips. She adored her wings. They were soft, not quite cold but not quite warm, like stroking a puppy's fur while it's still fluffy and soft.

"I wish my mother had been as into cooking as yours." Her words were soft as she spoke after a moment of silence, her eyes staring out across the lake before the gentle nudge to her knee made her look back to him. "She didn't cook, she hired someone to arrange all our meals. I'm afraid I'm not that good a cook myself, just what I've taught myself through books and cooking shows. But I can make a mean cheesecake..."

She laughed a little, unable to help herself, at his compliment, and scrunched up her nose again. "Flattery. Why don't you make me your favourite dish, hm? I want to know what you enjoy eating the most..."