After he left Koshka's apartment that morning, Puck found himself torn between decisions. There was what he wanted to do as Puck. And then there was what he understood to be proper, as Malcolm. Some human notions were annoying to him, yet he knew that in the human world, this or that behavior was considered polite, decorous, the mark of high class, and so on.
Almost immediately after he'd left her apartment, he was overcome with the urge to turn back and return to her. Parting is sweet sorrow, Puck mused as he recalled the warmth of Koshka's body so eagerly pressed against – or wrapped around – his own.
He'd managed to distract himself with other pursuits for the day, among them thinking about what to do next as Malcolm. After his night with Koshka and a surprising glimpse into the tenderness that the normally acerbic redhead was capable of, he only desired her all the more. He needed to figure things that he could do entirely by mundane means. No waving his hand and making roses or anything else appear by magic. No using his powers to whisk away inconveniences, like heavy traffic or annoying persons. No magic as Malcolm, period. This self-imposed limitation was difficult for him at times, to be sure.
For a creature of wild magic such as the Puck, who worked the mystical energy often without thinking, he knew he was gambling with his strategy for courting Koshka. Slipping up was not an option, and not merely acting, but functioning as a mundane person was no easy feat for one such as the Puck. She was likely to be pissed – more than likely, actually – if she found out that she'd spent the night with the man who she'd eluded for over a milennium.
Yet, after last night, Puck was loath to abandon this strategy that had so far repaid any inconvenience he experienced as Malcolm with enormous dividends. He would simply continue on as Malcolm, and continue enjoying these dividends. What reason was there not to? Oh yeah, there was that fact about getting a vengeance demon pissed off, but he'd think about that another time.
In the meanwhile... he'd waited the entire day, knowing that she would be working, to send her a text. She'd given him her number, and he'd managed to be patient enough all day. She should be home now, so he picked up the smartphone he'd recently obtained, and input her number, taking a moment to decide what to say.
Finally, his fingers tapped the screen, a bit slowly as he was still getting used to the device.
'I had a fantastic time, and I would love to see you again soon. When's a good time for you?' he asked. He was eager to see her again, but didn't want to make that too obvious. He had to be calm and cool. Well, not too cool, obviously. He was trying to be all... 'adulty'. At least, what humans were supposed to consider being a proper adult. He'd started off with being wooden and stiff, relaxing a bit into the date as he noticed her warming to him. Still, he had to be careful.
Setting the phone aside, he glanced over at the purchases he'd made today. He'd bought a few things for his apartment, as well as several potted plants. The loft apartment had large windows, filling the space with a light that to him, simply needed to be complemented with some plants. Besides, as a nature entity, he started to get antsy in spaces that were too... well, mundane. He simply didn't understand why humans would want to live in places devoid of fresh air or greenery.
The greenery helped to balance out the cool, neutral colors of the walls and furnishings. He'd also been careful in his decorations. Normally, the fae have chosen vivid colors and eclectic designs, but it was Malcolm that this apartment had been selected for, not him. He'd just obtained more clothing for his human persona. The salespeople – particularly the women – in the stores he'd gone to were attentive and eager to please. He had little doubt that it was because of his physical appearance. But then, he'd designed Malcolm to be a prime male specimen, adding the glasses to balance him out a bit.
More clothing was to be had – pajamas, exercise wear, casual clothing, and of course, more suits and ties. He'd gone a bit crazy with the ties, he had to admit, but some of the ties he saw were very nice. One was a black and red paisley pattern, the deep, vibrant hue catching his eye, and bound to meet Koshka's approval, given her love of the color. He grinned as he held up the tie, examining it after he'd removed it from the box.
After nearly a quarter of an hour, his phone buzzed, and Puck jumped a bit. He picked the phone off the black lacquered end table and glanced at it.
'Hey, Malcolm! Glad the feeling's mutual. How about Thursday night?' That was two nights from now, and Puck's first thought was to convince her to move it to tomorrow night. After all, who could blame him for wanting to see her so much? However, he took a deep breath, and typed in his response.
'That sounds great. What did you have in mind?' He had plenty of things on mind, much of it sexual.
'How about I cook us dinner? I could come over to your place'
Ooh. Puck looked around. He had some basic cooking supplies and food items. He would need to get some fancy doodads, if cooking shows were any indication. Well, not a problem. After all, he was a responsible adult. If that was what Koshka wanted...
'So you're sexy, smart, and a cook? I really am a lucky man' Puck was not much of a cook – magicking up food was easy enough, but to prepare it the mundane way was something he had yet to master – or even do with basic competence.
'Just let me know if you have any food allergies. I can prep some of it here and cook it at your place'
'All right. I have basic kitchen equipment, and an updated kitchen. And no allergies'
'Great. We'll discuss details later. I'm going to bed. Good night'
'Sweet dreams' Puck replied, setting the phone down after she'd signed off. Well, so far, so good. He didn't doubt that Koshka would look just as hot in his bed as she did in her own.
"Mmm." Puck gave out a soft hum of relief as his head lolled back against the sofa, staring out through the windows, his purchases forgotten for the moment as he entertained himself with vivid, pleasant memories of their night together, and positions he'd like to try with her.
o0o
Puck checked his phone late the next morning. He smiled as he read her message. 'Was just thinking about you. Really looking forward to tomorrow night.'
He waited before he responded to her, wondering what the best response to her would be. He had to be calm and collected. Yet, he had found himself with a morning erection, doubtless to his dreams and fantasies of Koshka, now made reality with vivid memories. Patience as a virtue was so over-rated. Therefore, Malcolm had to be patient. Malcolm acted this way because a subconscious part of Puck, however often ignored it was, knew it was the right thing to do.
'I miss you too,' Puck responded in an honest manner. 'I look forward to the pleasure of your company,' he added with a deliberately more reserved tone. He hit the Send button and looked down at the screen. Compared to communications thousands of years ago, it seemed almost magical that humans had found a way to communicate so quickly. Days, weeks, and months became mere minutes, even seconds with these devices.
A few more minutes passed by before the phone buzzed with her reply.
