No matter how much she might have tried, it was his smile, both devilish and charming, that the fae woman had remembered with nearly torturous and perfect clarify even in those moments where she had wanted to forget it. She couldn't count the moments when he would look at her in such a way, that wicked simple always accompanied by that hazel gaze of his so often trailing after her slender frame, so focused upon the the blue-eyed blonde woman that she could have almost tricked herself into believing that he might not have looked at another in such an intense and... hungry way. And yet to even dare and amuse such an idea was perhaps one of her most foolish imaginings yet. He was a High Lord of a faeirie kingdom, and she had been nothing more than a mere mortal who had stumbled upon him by what she could only think to have been fate. And, even now, despite the loss of her mortality, what worth did the fae woman have, especially to someone like him? She wasn't born of some royal bloodline in any sense, just the only child born to two devoted and hardworking humans in a rural town several hours from the city. She'd always been just another face in the crowd, and this hadn't bothered her. If anything, Lani yearned for that normalcy still despite the years that have come and gone. So, she knew better than to ever let herself think that she was the only one in his long, immortal life that he might have never looked at another the way he did her... but, somehow, the fae man had managed to make her feel like she was all that he saw then, and oh, how light her heart would feel when that wicked simper would very nearly gentle into something warm and affectionate! It had left her melting into him further, the softness she'd seen in him there in that cabin she knew to be nestled away in the forests of Somnia.

Once, she might have thought to delete the photo left there on her camera, thinking that maybe in doing so, the image of how his skin had been caressed ever so gently by early morning sunlight filtering weakly through the thin linen curtains, the soft rise and fall of his chiseled chest as he slept within the quiet confines of her living room, dark hair dishevels from those long, calloused fingers running through it as they so often did, the way he had looked so peaceful might fade away and ease the ache in her heart... but she had never been able to.

There is a look of pleasure, of wicked satisfaction as she confesses that she'd kept that photograph of him, and the fae woman is hardly surprised. Andras had never been bashful in making known the enjoyment he got from the blue-eyed blonde, and as his hazel gaze flickers down to blush-colored lips for but a moment lasting no longer than the blink of an eye before locking yet again with her own gaze, she wonders what it was that he'd been thinking. Surely he hadn't been thinking of a kiss?! It had been three years since they'd dare to taste one another, and at the mere thought of her lips locked with his, she recognizes the warmth that seems to spread not across fair-skinned cheeks, but her very essence. It was almost foreign, and yet almost instinctively, she remembers that this was how he'd often made her feel, left her wanting to feel the press of his lips against her own before they might travel down to the soft skin of her neck... What was wrong with her?! Hadn't she initially approached him for some kind of closure on what had happened between them? Had she been sober, she might have been able to push away these thoughts that began to stir from the depths Lani had been so very certain she'd locked them down in. Ah, but that was not the case this evening it seemed. Instead, here she was, playing that ever dangerous game of his, taking those wicked teases he dared to say and challenging him with an impish reply of her own. In a sensible state of mind, perhaps she would have blushed and insist on a neutral conversation topic, but she was far from her sensible self, the dark red haze settled entirely over any hesitations she might have had. His murmured words are an answer to her challenge, and still her baby blues glitter mischievously."Do you promise?", she asks then, her smile growing almost sultry then. He wanted feisty? Well then, she was happy to oblige.

She sees the delight illuminating his hazel gaze, entirely aware that he would practically revel in the way she teased him back almost as wickedly as he did her, but this was the dangerous dance that they would so often have with one another, wasn't it? He would seek to have her fair-skinned checks turn pink in shyness, and she would dare to try and catch the fae man off guard, finding a similar pleasure in the way that his eyes might widen in surprise or see how far she might be able to press that sense of self-control.

Entirely enveloped in the comforts of the wine, she does not allow for herself to overthink or overanalyze the fae man's invitation to those meats upon the precisely decorated porcelain plate, unable to hide the delight at the flavors bathing her tongue. As they seem to banter about whether there was a world that could ever hope to create food as delicious as Somnia, the fae man chuckles, speaking first of the chefs and then of how he, too, enjoyed cooking to the discontent of the sweet fae elder who had also always been within the fae woman's thoughts. Despite the haze hanging over her, Lani realizes that this was one of the few things about himself that Andras had shared with her, this having baby blue eyes blink softly at him as yet another memory of him in her kitchen helping prepare dinner for the meal they'd be sharing with her parents brings a soft smile to her lips."It doesn't surprise me, considering you'd nearly kicked me out of my own kitchen once and so easily finished preparing the chicken casserole", she replies then before taking one last mouthful of the food he'd offered her. It's then that he grins at the fae woman, taking hold of his own fork before taking another piece from the meal he'd ordered, his words entirely... playful that Lani can't help the soft laughter that slips from her lips."I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself", she admits, though there is no sheepishness like there would likely have been had she been sober. It was... enjoyable, more so than she thought it would have been, sitting there with the one she'd spent the last three years trying to move on from only to be so utterly unsuccessful. And, while she'd hardly known what to expect from her once hesitant decision to linger instead of slip away into the crowd after first seeing him, sharing a meal with him, talking like nothing had changed... none of this was what she might have considered possible.

What had he expected of this encounter, if anything at all? After the amount of time they'd spent here together, the increasing easiness of their conversations... the return of those familiar teasing and wicked simpers she thought she had left in her past... the fae woman would almost believe that Andras had been happy to see her. Had he thought of her as often as she'd thought of him? Had he, too, been trying to forget? And, if so, had he been successful? Yes, it seemed that he did recall moments they'd shared, but just how much had he kept?

Baby blue eyes glitter with something not unlike coy satisfaction as her daring and very nearly sultry reply to his attempt at teasing her has the table between them creaking, a fleeting expression of surprise and hunger coming alive in those dark, hazel eyes that lock so intently with hers. For a heartbeat, Lani was worried that the poor piece of furniture would meet an unfortunate fate far worse than the chair Andras had practically sent flying backwards. And yet, she is far too lost in the wine and her small victory as the fae man seems to draw ever closer to the limits of his control she tested with her boldness that the considered fate of that table is short-lived. That warmth rushes through Lani then as his hazel gaze darkens, tenor tones graveled with desire as he answers her challenge, asking the fae woman if they should either go back to her place or if she'd rather a more intimate approach. Blush-colored lips are painted with a coy smile as dark lashes blink slowly over baby blues."I supposed that all depends on how you want to see me in it, if you'd prefer only the dress, or those lacey things you'd given me underneath it as well", she whispers softly, each word ushered almost thoughtfully through her coy smile. Had he forgotten about the black lace lingerie he'd also given her, failed to recall the small, black lace nightgown she'd... modeled for him on their last evening together after her parents had left? Because she hadn't. She simply hadn't mentioned them in her earlier list of items that had been carefully tucked away into that box in her bedroom closet. The fae woman wonders then if he would have had quite enough of that table now, if perhaps she would have finally won the gam he so enjoyed, but she's only just barely aware of the last few remaining patrons. And, if she was in her drunken state, Andras most certainly was.

The fae woman watches him, baby blues glittering beneath long, dark lashes, ever-daring as her mind begins to notice the lights flickering around them... It's then that something within the fae woman that manages to slip through the haze and she realizes that the sun had gone down already, anxiety chasing away the moment entirely as she is now fumbling for her phone. How had that much time managed to slip by her?! Had she truly been so caught up in the fae man that even her awareness of the world abandoned her as it used to?

Lani is hardly aware of Andras as he runs those fingers through his hair, gathering his resolve and pushing himself to a stand before placing cash on the table and grabbing his jacket only to stand near her with that arm offered as he'd done before. Tenor tones reach her then, his tease bringing a more timid smile to her lips as Lani manages to get to her feet."I suppose I should have stopped at one glass", she remarks light-heartedly. She takes his arm then and allows the fae man to guide her out of the bistro after placing his jacket over her shoulders, his scent both overwhelming and somehow, despite everything, comforting.. so much so that she hardly hears the conversation between Andras and the waiter. She's leaning into the fae man as he gently pulls her along, a soft hum rising unbidden as she's entirely aware of his closeness, something Lani had been certain she would only have memories of. Dark lashes suddenly start feeling heavier as she takes a more unsteady step, Andras very nearly catching her and bringing her closer to him, his scent once again washing over her like a wave. Why was it so strong? Why hadn't she scented him like this? His words hardly break through the haze left by the wine and reeling induced by his touch and the way his scent seemed to surround her."It's in southern Dupont. Um, I think it's 248 Gardengrove Street... or maybe 284? I get confused on the number sometimes", she answers, a vague awareness that she hadn't quite gotten used to the address yet, still sometimes find that she'd accidentally flip the house numbers. And, in the same moment, the fae woman is also aware that the southern side of Dupont was practically on the other side of the city from where they were now."I'm sure a cab would be fine... It's... pretty far for a walk at night in the cold", she says then, stammering slightly as she leans further into him. He really didn't have to see her home, she could likely manage just fine, even if her less than sober state of being suggested otherwise.