That Damn Imp
I
o0o
Puck floated over the park, enjoying this pocket of nature within the bustle of the city, basking in the midday sun. It was a slightly nippy morning, but the people who had chosen to make use of this park didn't seem concerned. Over at the jungle gym, several parents or nannies watched their charges tumble about and play, and several joggers made their way along the trail.
Koshka was a fetching sight in her exercise outfit, which contained of a pair of black sweat pants cut off at the calf, a long gray tank top, and a dark blue sports bra, its straps visible from beneath the tank. Her running shoes pounded the pavement in steady rhythm, her ponytail bouncing behind her head. The slim redhead made her way into a more wooded part of the trail, which extended beyond the park.
He appeared next to her, floating in the air. "Fancy meeting you out here this fine morning," he offered jovially. "What's a lovely thing like you doing in a place like this?"
She shot him a sideways glance, not breaking her jog. "Getting bothered by you, apparently. Honestly, if you're going to jog with me, do it the right way," she said, gesturing to him moving through the air. "Jogging helps clear the mind. Hopefully that's just what you need."
She's not telling me to go away! Yes! Given this small victory, Puck decided to acquiesce with her request. Using a bit of glamour, Puck transformed himself into an ordinary, if eclectic-looking human. His long, pointed ears were now small and curved, and his loose top had transformed into a plain white T-shirt. He didn't wear any shoes, though. Humans who saw him would just assume he was a hippy, most likely. Not that he cared much.
Koshka snorted, but decided to not make any comments on his bare feet as she jogged ahead of him, inadvertently giving him a view of her ass, the muscles flexing up and down as she ran. Puck did not hesitate to take advantage of this opportunity, and slowed a bit, whistling teasingly. Before she could reply, he darted up ahead of her, giving her a similar view of his own backside, his loose pants having been turned to blue sweatpants that hugged his own backside, providing what most would find a pleasing view.
"I think what annoys you is you find me irresistible," he offered over his shoulder, "and you don't know why. Don't worry. I get that a lot."
"You think I find you irresistible? Dream on, Puck. You wouldn't be the first man to see refusal as playing hard to get. I suppose all men really are alike, regardless of their... species." She raised her eyebrow, trying to not look at his nicely-shaped ass.
"Denial, denial," he chuckled, backing up to jog alongside her. "You can keep at it, but I know better." Reaching a hand over swiftly, Puck gave her ass a firm swat. He laughed, preparing himself to pounce away from any attempts at retribution. She growled and grabbed at him, her long nails raking along his arm as he scooted out of her grasp.
"I'm going to kick your ass, Puck, I warn you. Keep at it and you'll feel my vengeance!" she warned, raising her fist at him.
"Mmm..." Puck wiggled his eyebrows, shaking his arm where she'd scratched him. It was an unfamiliar sensation, but not an unwelcome one. "And see, now I've got you talking about my ass. I'm wearing you down."
"Puck, my antics are the stuff of nightmares. An ocean of blood has been spilled in my name… names. I see nothing wrong with using sharp, pointy implements to solve problems." she replied flatly before her lips stretched into an almost predatory grin. "And no, that's not a challenge for you to take on… that's a warning."
"Well, aren't you one badass, sexy little demon," he quipped back. "And it's a nice one, by the way. Your ass." Puck groped at the air teasingly, grinning. "Oh and for what it's worth Koshka, I may be a bit on the short side, but I'm not little where it counts."
An erotic image of him came to her mind unbidden, with him naked and showing off said endowment. And damn, if that didn't actually get her a bit wet! What was frustrating was that it was not the first time her imagination had undressed the Puck for her. She scowled at him. "Hmph, go away, can't a woman just enjoy a quiet morning jog? I guess it's true what they have been saying on the news about hoodlums hanging around the park and harassing the joggers."
"That wasn't me... but I can see where you'd assume otherwise. I do tend to cause trouble. 'Go away' though. Not gonna happen." Puck's feet left the ground as floated up a ways and laid back on the air, locking his hands behind his head. "Shouldn't I be able to enjoy the park, just like anyone else? It is 'public', right? And they did a nice job on it. Some excellent sights out here to admire…"
Koshka was tempted to whip out some of her magic ans give him a good, searing blast, but there were people nearby and she didn't wish to place an innocent life at risk, or have to cast forgetfulness magic on witnesses. She sighed and rolled her eyes, continuing her jog, lifting her middle finger at him as she passed by him.
Puck flew past a bird, the creature less spooked by a fae than it would be by a human. As he flew by, he gestured down at Koshka. "She digs me," he explained, nodding. Of course, he knew the quick chat would be overheard.
Flying faster to catch up, he dipped lower, before starting to run again, his feet slapping the ground. He laughed softly. "Is it just that you need to cut loose? Learn to have a little fun? I mean, come on. Why not give me a chance to show you what I can really do? You won't be disappointed."
She snorted at that. "And what would your idea of a good time be, mischief-maker? You have a terrible attention span, and an even worse sense of humor," she replied, jabbing at him, hoping to annoy him as much as he annoyed her. "As I said before, you're not my type. You have the attention span of a young child. I enjoy real men who know how to be adults. At least, adultier than you."
"I can focus when it counts. I've stayed in the same, still form for days, waiting for the right time to spring a joke. And besides, look at you," he looked her over once again. "How could I not focus? It's already hard enough to think about anything else." In truth, her comments about his sense of humor did hit a bit close to home. Puck did his best to hide it behind his smiles and jokes. Besides, his tricks were meant to help and amuse people. He couldn't do that if he let things get him down.
"And as for being an adult, I'm older than any human male on this big, blue rock. I'm more of an adult than any of them could ever be," he jogged a bit closer so she could see how he teasingly raised his eyebrows. "In more ways than one."
She had to bite back a grin. "I guess it's true what they say, age is just a number. Now, are you going to continue trying to distract me, or will you let me resume jogging? I see some nice beefcake." she said as a muscular male jogger was visible around the bend, coming their way.
"I'm going to keep pestering you, of course," he shrugged. "And I know you see some nice beefcake," he ran a hand teasingly down his chest, "you were just talking about how I'm so distracting. There has to be a good reason why you just can't keep your eyes off me." Puck eyed the other jogger, but quickly turned his attention back to Koshka. They jogged past one another, Koshka and the other man regarding one another with polite nods. Puck waved cheerfully, and the man looked just a bit perplexed, but waved back.
The pair made it into a more open area. There was no play equipment here, but several people were sitting on benches sipping their morning coffee or stretching out. On the streets that formed the corner of the park, people milled about, getting off the bus and entering various buildings to get to work. At the corner was a hotdog cart, and Koshka jogged towards it.
Puck regarded the cart with a faint scowl, processed meat was not his thing. Some of the things these humans ate…
"You would be surprised at how good some of the food around here is," Koshka commented as she purchased a dog from the vendor, asking for onion and relish, with a thick dash of mustard. After paying the man, she bit into her breakfast with satisfaction. The man was one she'd seen several times before, and his onions and relish were always fresh. She exchanged a few friendly words with him before taking a couple of steps back to let someone else purchase a hotdog.
"Humans are not without their charms," she said in an aside, meant only for Puck's ears after she swallowed a couple of mouthfuls. The man glanced towards Puck, but he shook his head, trailing after Koshka. He waved his hand through the air before dropping it to his leg as if reaching into a pocket and pulled back a shiny, red apple.
"I'll take your word for it," he replied, biting into the fruit with an audible crunch. "They're amusing, if nothing else. I've spent my fair share of time with them; we all know that. Lately though, I prefer your company. Just in case you hadn't noticed."
"Should I consider myself lucky?" the redhead replied dryly as she sat on a bench to eat her hotdog, pulling a bottle of water from her small backpack. "I suppose you ran out of pretty fae or humans to chase after."
"Lucky? Definitely. There are still all sorts of pretty fae and humans," he plopped down onto the bench, making a show of scooting up beside her. "If I wanted them, I'd be after them. But, I... want... you..." Puck tilted his head, resting it teasingly against her shoulder. "What's a matter? Worried you'll never be able to enjoy anyone else after you've had all of me?"
"You make much of your skills, Puck." Part of her did find it cute how he was sidling up to her like he was a cat, and she was tempted to reach and pet his head, running her fingers through that long, white hair. Why did that fucking imp have to be so cute? "But I'm afraid I would just frighten you." she said with a small smirk as she scooted away from him.
"Nothing frightens me," he shot back defiantly, hopping back to his feet and jogging in place. "I still don't get why you do this. It's so much easier just to fly. And besides, we could be expending all this energy in... funner ways."
"I have my money, and that's all the fun this girl can handle," Koshka shot back as she finished her hotdog, licking some relish off her fingers and inadvertently giving him a show, her pink tongue darting out in a way that had Puck thinking about that tongue darting out against something else. "Diamonds are my best friend, and I sleep in a pile of money. What more could I want?" She rose to her feet and returned to the trail.
"Oh, so that's it!" he shot back, admiring the show. "You don't think you could handle me. I expected more confidence out of you, Koshka. Maybe I should go find some wild little fae girl." Puck grinned, challenging the demon, as he remained at her side when she resumed her jogging, "As for what you could want, I could make you feel like the magic's running through you without even using it. There's a reason they've written poems and stories about my amazing skills."
"Your reverse psychology will not work, Puck. I know your tricks." She wagged her finger at him, placing her hand on her hip. "Trying to make it seem as if one is scared might work on a mortal, but I know my power well, Puck. I'm too smart for that. Go on and find some fae girl to nibble on your ears if you're so horny." Though she would never admit it, she enjoyed their banter. Even after all the centuries she'd known him, he still found ways to amuse her. Of course, she wouldn't laugh out loud, that would only encourage his antics further.
"You're the one that said your money's all the fun you can handle; not me." Puck's hands went to his own hips, mirroring her gesture. "You are smart though, I'll give you that. You came up with that visual of nibbling on my ears real quick. Unless, of course, you've already been fantasizing about nibbling on them. I know I've been thinking about getting my mouth on you," His tongue curled from between his lips, slowly swiping along his upper lip before slipping back behind his teeth.
Damn you. She felt her stomach tighten in a warm knot at the visual of them using their tongues along one another. And where had that ear thing come from, anyhow? When did she get the idea that his ears would be fun to play with?
"Hmph." She headed out of the park, now on her way home. "I have to open my shop in a bit. I do have to support myself and keep the money coming in, unlike you."
"Yeah... on that one, I do have it easy. Coming and going as I please. I could work for a living if I had to," he shrugged. "I just don't have to. I'll see you later, I hope you have a nice day with your money!" With that, just as quickly as he'd shown up earlier, Puck vanished... at least for the moment. It was no secret that he could pop back up at any time.
"Heh." Koshka shook her head. That Puck... he certainly was an interesting fellow. What would it be like to nibble on his ears... and elsewhere? She blinked, scowling to herself as she resumed her jog, focusing on the scenery in front of her as she tried to pull her mind from her would-be suitor.
o0o
Koshka glared at the would-be perpetrator with clear disdain, tapping the counter with her manicured fingers as the young man tried to talk over her, arguing with her over the kind of items she would buy, which did not include televisions. Not only that, but the shopkeeper suspected that the TV was probably stolen. She would bet a month's earnings that the TV had been taken from somewhere within a few blocks of this store, otherwise why would he be trying to sell it to her? One definite giveaway was that there was no remote, and when she'd casually inquired after it, the man had shrugged.
"Sir, I told you, I only buy valuable metal and stones. I have n need for a television. Kindly take your sagging jeans and get the fuck out of here, mkay?"
"Fuck you, cracker bitch!" the man squawked angrily, trying to intimidate the petite woman with his bulk. At that, she swiftly reached under the counter and pulled out a shotgun. "Out. Now."
The man swallowed and took his TV back.
"Actually, no, leave the TV. It's mine now." When he started to protest, she cocked her gun. He looked down the barrel and backed away. She smirked at him. "Now, if you want to round up your friends and break into this store tonight... please do. It's been a while since I had some fun." She gave him a smirk that made a chilly January evening seem warm and inviting.
The hood rat ambled out of the store, muttering to himself. She put away her shotgun and sat back down in her chair after pushing the television to the side, sipping her coffee and reading her newspaper as she waited for her next customer.
Puck eyed the confrontation from across the street, using a careful touch of magic to listen in to the conversation and observe the confrontation, akin to being the proverbial fly on the wall, if from a distance. He bit down on his lip, holding back laughter as Koshka scared away the young thug. Once the man sullenly took his leave, the trickster allowed himself a few more moments to admire Koshka. Sighing, he dropped slowly to the ground.
Though he could sense that, just maybe, he was wearing her down, his insistent approach had yet to seal the deal. While Puck was a lot of things, patient wasn't among them. And, having spent the last week – and over a thousand years – mulling over his options, he was pretty certain he had settled on a workable plan. If he could be the kind of man Koshka wanted, would she take an interest in him?
He'd gone into carrying out his plan with careful attention. He couldn't use simple glamour for his guise. He had to have a substantial background to further his persona. So, after some investigating, he had come up with a back-story that seemed plausible, and gave him a legitimate reason to seek the services of Koshka Dengiov.
So he'd formed the persona, and body, of a tall, conventionally attractive human male. It'd felt a bit odd, taking on this shell, but Koshka would have detected glamour. After backing away from the window, he slipped down the alleyway, emerging several moments later as a sharply-dressed man, silver-framed glasses resting on the aquiline bridge of his nose. His suit was navy blue, with a starched white shirt and pewter-hued tie. His blonde hair was short-cropped and neatly-styled, and in his left hand was a suitcase.
Puck looked down at himself, wiggling around a bit to adjust to his new height, which now put him squarely at six feet one, nearly a foot taller than he really was. Lifting his head, he pushed the bridge of the glasses up his nose before squaring his shoulders and walking down the sidewalk to the shop. He caught the reflection of his new self in the windows of the storefront. How would Koshka react to this?
He took a deep breath as he stopped at the door in front of Koshka's shop, looking at the sign next to the door. Clearing his throat, he looked himself over and adjusted his suit. As he opened the door, he heard the ring of a bell, and much as he wanted to fix his attention on Koshka, he forced himself to glance around the shop, like a casual customer seeing if a shop is worth his time. He removed his glasses and wiped them with a cloth he'd pulled out of his pocket, before slipping them back on.
Koshka looked up from her newspaper as she heard the bell ring, and as the he made his way into the space, she felt her heart skip a beat. Gods,.. he was a magnificent specimen of a male. Tall, neat, handsome... and completely professional-looking. She barely registered her shock as she became aware of a deep yearning, If this had been some shitty 90's cartoon featuring a blue hedgehog that looked like the entire setup had been written and animated by ten-year olds, she'd have become a heart and floated around him. She collected herself as she watched him attend to his glasses.
"Welcome to The Money Box, where our motto is 'you spend money to get money'! How can I help you?" Koshka stated, managing to maintain her cool as she rose from her seat to stand in front of her counter.
The man approached the counter and peered down at her over the rims of his glasses. She swallowed thickly.
"Good afternoon," the man offered, "This is your shop then?" he looked around, as if perhaps expecting a proprietor that was a bit older. "Very well. I'm Malcolm Allaway." He reached out his right hand, the briefcase held firmly in his left. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."
She took his hand. Inappropriate fantasies danced through her mind as she looked at him. She imagined gagging him with his own tie while grinding against him, or using it to tie his hands to her headboard. Yes... Her nipples hardened under her loose but thin burgundy sweater. "And what service may this shop render you, Mr. Allaway?"
He shook her hand firmly, holding it perhaps just a bit longer than he needed to. As he let go, his fingers slid along the back of her hand. "I've a small collection of valuable coins to be appraised and, potentially, sold," he replied. "Is there somewhere we could sit down and do business?"
She paused before nodding, coming around the counter to a door at the side of the room. "This is my office, make yourself comfortable." It was the typical setup, with a desk and a few chairs. The room was tastefully decorated with some framed coins on the walls, and to the side, a cabinet and counter-top with several pieces of equipment for weighing or assessing the purity of various metals. "Put the coins here on my desk, I have a good light here." She sat back in her chair comfortably, gesturing him to use the bare surface
Malcolm took his time, settling into one of the chairs, resting the briefcase on his lap. He flipped the numbers on the case's combination lock and set it onto the desk, turning it so the inside would be easily visible to Koshka
"These Abbasid gold dinars have been in my client's collection for some time," he offered, opening the case to reveal the dozen Middle Eastern coins. Each was ensconced in its own individual, protective case, all of which were nestled in dips in thick, soft foam. "Appraisers have attested to their authenticity, based on both metallurgy and translation of the Kufic script. Of course, your establishment has a reputation for a discerning eye for quality and value, so I opted to bring them here."
"Well, you don't come across these coins every day, even in my profession." Carefully, she took one coin out of its protective case, after having donned gloves. She examined it under the magnifier. She already knew it was gold from just the feel of it, but that was a demonic ability, and naturally, one she couldn't simply advertise to her customers. She couldn't make her job look too easy, after all, and humans liked their certifications. Silly paperwork, but she could understand its necessity.
"You were told the truth. These coins are authentic, and are of definite value. I can offer you five thousand dollars for the lot." She loved haggling, and coin and pawn dealers did quite a bit of it.
"Even on the low end of their estimated value, these go for nearly twice that. And as you've surely seen for yourself, these are in excellent condition for their age. I feel that eleven thousand is a much fairer price to be asked for these coins." Malcolm replied evenly.
"You've done your research, hmm? I'll go for six."
"If I were to accept such a price, my client would be greatly insulted. Ten thousand, for a dozen of these coins, is a fair investment."
"Do recall that I run a shop. I need to make profit off this. However, I'll be fair and go up to sixty-eight hundred."
"You drive a hard bargain, madame. I certainly can see why you have such a reputation. My client is eager to spend his money, so let's say nine thousand."
"Seventy-five hundred."
"Eighty-five."
"Eighty."
"Eighty-four."
"Eighty-two." Koshka rested her chin on her hand, regarding him with a faint smile.
"I hope you enjoy your coins. I'm sure you will get more enjoyment out of them than my client did."
Koshka nodded briefly before she rose to her feet. He handed over the suitcase, having no further need of it. She raised her eyebrow a bit at this gesture, and inwardly, Puck panicked for a moment, wondering if he should ask for it back. His face remained calm, almost deadpan, and Koshka took the suitcase and set it aside before walking past him. "The receipts are up front, would your client prefer cash or a check?" Her skirt brushed against his shoulder, and he caught a faint whiff of her perfume, smiling to himself before he rose to his feet and followed her outside the room.
"I feel I've been quite generous in accepting your offer, Ms. Dengiov. Perhaps, you'll allow me one, final condition before we sign anything. Allow me to use this windfall to treat you to dinner. I find it's the ideal way to truly finalize such an agreement."
"I thought you were selling this for a client," Koshka replied. Fortunately, Puck had dome quite a bit of studying, and he'd spent enough time among the humans through the ages to pick up on their habits.
"Yes, but I receive a commission." Nice save, Puck told himself when he saw Koshka raise her eyebrow again, this time in understanding.
"My, is this my lucky day?" she asked with the hint of a flirtatious smile. She turned from him to get the cash and make out the receipt. He drummed his fingers very lightly along the edge of the counter. So far, so good. In fact, better than good. He could practically taste her desire for him. She was like a cat in hear, and though he certainly wanted to stir Koshka up, he honestly hadn't expected her to fall for him this hard.
As he ruminated on the effectiveness of his persona, he caught her glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. He offered her a slight, vague smile, instead of the puckish grin he might have offered in the past.
Koshka pulled out the necessary paperwork, taking a deep breath before she turned back to him. Why did she desire him so much? There was no magic around him, not that some silly love charm or spell would work on her, anyway. Hmm. Facing him, she counted out eighty-two crisp hundred-dollar bills before placing it all in a manila envelope. The gold coins she'd just bought would make a nice addition to her stash, and was much more valuable to her than American paper money. Not that the currency didn't have its uses…
"So, what did you have in mind?" she asked, Dinner with Malcolm… already she knew what she would wear… provided that Malcolm gave her the proper response Would he be more generous or stingy with his commission?
"Hmm. How do you feel about Mediterranean cuisine? There's a lovely bistro downtown that comes to mind. Mostly Italian, Greek and Moroccan main dishes, but the menu is rather diverse. And luck has nothing to do with it. We're merely concluding a successful business transaction." Something about the hint of a smile on his lips suggested that Malcolm was hoping for more than that.
"Sounds grand. How about I close up early tonight? Dinner at say, 6-ish,. Unless you have to work?" she asked, trying to appear casual while inside she was practically flipping heads over heels for him. He looked damn good in his suit, and she was sure he would look just as good out of it. "Well aren't you eager?" he quipped, his smile becoming just a bit more pronounced. "Six works just fine. Where shall I pick you up?"
"Right here, unless you'd rather not roll your car in this neighborhood," she teased.
"Roll my car?" his eyebrows quirked slightly. "I will be here at 6:00 sharp, Ms. Dengiov. It has been a pleasure doing business with you. Now, shall we complete that paperwork so I can be on my way?" He asked the question teasingly, the corner of his mouth still curved with a hint of a smile. It was as if he was suggesting that she didn't want him to leave.
"Oh, are you in a hurry?" she shot back casually as she put the papers together and showed him where to sign, her fingers lightly brushing against his as she handed him a pen.
"I never hurry when I am having a pleasant time," he replied casually, filling out the forms in a flowing, old-fashioned cursive. When their hands touched he looked up from his work, catching her eye. When he returned the pen, he pointedly held it so she'd have to touch more of his hand, and touch it longer, to take it. "Unless, of course, I see something I like. Then I hurry to make it mine," though he kept his tone casually, his pointed glance with the comment could only really mean one thing.
"Oh, is that so? I am afraid that I am not one of these people that... becomes 'yours'." She smiled at him. Her fingers slid along his as she tugged the pen out of his grip. "You will find that I am quite the handful to deal with, Mr. Allaway. But if you're game... then I am." She exuded wisdom and confidence, but then she was an ages-old demon who had plenty of experience in dealing with men. If not overgrown imps… She blinked and pulled her focus back to the transaction. The receipts now signed, she handed him the envelope. Malcolm took the money and slid it into the inside pocket of his jacket.
"Oh, I have no interest in a woman that is content to be a… trophy. Now one that's a handful…" he grinned, "you have my attention. We'll see how things go at dinner tonight, hmm?" He slid a business card out of his wallet, sliding it across the counter, his hand lingering on the card. His eyes met hers again as he felt the tips of her fingers make contact with his own.
"It has been a true pleasure to make your acquaintance. I look forward to furthering it tonight." Was it just his imagination, or did he detect a faint blush of her cheeks? Looking down at her hand, he took a gamble and took gentle hold of her fingers, guiding her hand up so that he could lean his head down and lightly brush his lips against her knuckles. Judging from the quickening of her pulse he sensed, he let her hand linger for a moment longer in his before he released his hold.
"I am sure the pleasure will be mine, Mr. Allaway," Koshka replied, the faintest hint of a purr to her voice. He felt a shiver of pleasure pass along his spine before he forced himself to turn away from her and walk towards the door. Just before he exited, he looked over his shoulder at her one last time, drinking in the sight of her, their eyes making contact. There was a faint smile on her lips, and she lifted her hand, wiggling her fingers in a friendly good-bye gesture. At that, he smiled, returning her wave with a light swipe through the air before he left the store.
Puck was tempted to do a victory dance, to pump his fist through the air, to do a cartwheel or let out a loud whoop or… well, just about anything a person would do when happy and excited about something.
He spent much of his time around humans, and was familiar with many of their ways. There were different ways to court a woman, and he'd been prepared to exercise some patience with Koshka. His original plan was to simply encounter her a few times on a professional basis, with various coins from his stash, obtained through various deals or payments in the past. He didn't have much use for money personally, but recognized its value in this world, and having spare gold lying around certainly helped. Malcolm's 'client' would have more to offer Koshka… and now Malcolm was going to offer more than that, sooner than he had expected.
Not that Puck minded, of course. He'd been prepared to take it slow, and familiarize himself with Koshka before trying to move beyond a business relationship. Now they would have dinner together! His lips spread into a very Puckish grin as he strode down the sidewalk before turning around the corner, disappearing into the thin air.
o0o
Well, that was a lot of fun to write. Hope it was just as fun for you to read! Feedback – love it, crave it, and draw inspiration and sustenance from it. Seriously, reviews are my lifeblood.
I'd like to reply to a couple of comments. ForeverACharmedOne, thanks so much! And Madame Thome, your comments about the spiders made me LOL. Now I can't help but imagine Koshka as one of these terrifying huge spiders from Australia. (warning, guys, do NOT Google for images of this unless you want a healthy dose of NOPENOPENOPE and/or nightmare fuel. Seriously!)