All I want is the taste that your lips allow


"This is a joke, right?" Stefan mutters as he looks at the invitation, but Klaus is grinning like a cheshire cat. The hybrid's smile only dies a little as he notices the apprehension on Stefan's face, and drops a little more as Stefan adds, "Did you have something to do with this?"

"Now why would I do that?" he purrs, returning his attention to the piece of paper.

"A party where everyone dresses up in 20's attire? I wonder," Stefan says dryly.

Klaus leaves the room with a devilish smirk on his face, and Stefan shouts abuse after him. All he gets in return is a shouted, "Better pull out that tuxedo, Mr Salvatore. And don't forget to bring the ripper. He looks ever so smart in a suit."

Stefan balls up the paper and pegs it at the hybrid's receding back. Then he stands and wanders over to his closet. Of course, there's nothing inside that even remotely resembles a 20's suit. Nor does he have any idea where one could purchase such a suit at such short notice. A fancy dress store? In his size?

"Here," Klaus mutters, holding out a suit bag. When Stefan takes it and lays it on the bed, unzipping it and peeking inside, he frowns.

"But this is..."

"Yes," Klaus snaps heatedly, and Stefan can't help but grin a little. "Yes, this is a suit worn in the 20's."

"By me," he replies, despite it being rather obvious Klaus had been hoping to avoid having that detail mentioned.

"By you."

"And pray tell, Klaus, how you got your hands on one of my suits?"

A new look comes over Klaus' face, and he smiles deviously. "Now that would be kissing and telling, my dear ripper. Get dressed, will you? Make sure it still fits."

But as the hybrid turns to leave this time he finds himself restrained by a strong, cool hand. And Stefan steps into his personal space, leaning close to his face to say, "Is there something about us you're not letting me remember yet, Klaus?"

"When I want you to know," Klaus says over the sudden flutter in his heart, "I'll tell you."

Stefan releases him, because alienating the hybrid now will not get him answers. With a slightly hurt look on his face he turns to the suit and pulls it out. He can still smell blood on it, still smell himself on it. With a start, he realises that the last time he remembers wearing this suit was two days after he had first met Klaus. And one of the few days he couldn't remember from that time, even after Klaus had told him he could.

What happened? he thinks to himself, fingering the material as though it will give up its answers to him.

When he has it on, Klaus returns and tuts quietly. "You're a little rounder, ripper."

Moving across the room swiftly, he catches the hybrid mid-run and they both tumble onto the bed, suits and all. Pinning him there, Stefan grins. "If you don't like it, the door is always open."

"Oh, I hardly think I'm going anywhere," Klaus replies. "We should both, however, be making our way out. It'd be a pity to be late."

Stefan grunts in annoyance, but nonetheless drags himself off Klaus. The hybrid stands and brushes off his suit, grinning like a fool as Stefan swaggers to the door. "Coming, Klaus?"

"Oh, not yet. But I'm sure I will tonight," he says, abruptly standing close enough to whisper it into Stefan's ear. It occurs to Stefan then, as his legs begin to turn to mush along with his insides, that Klaus should really keep the talking to a minimum. Otherwise, they won't be going anywhere.

He's entirely certain they could find ways to make tonight great without ever stepping foot outside the bedroom.

Klaus, on the other hand, has different ideas. He is already out the door, and dragging Stefan down the stairs with him. The two of them come to the front door, stepping out into the frigid night air. Stefan stands there in utter shock, his breath steaming in front of his face, staring at the stretch limousine that awaits them.

"This is supposed to be a 20's party," he reprimands the hybrid, but Klaus merely snorts and opens the door for his lover.

"There are some things that were worth waiting a hundred years for," he replies curtly, with a look up through his eyelashes at Stefan. "Modern automobiles were one of them."

"And what else?" Stefan asks when they're both seated in the limo and the car is beginning to move.

"Oh, you know," Klaus says, leaning back and closing his eyes, "I do have a fondness for computers."

"Is that so?" the vampire chuckles, and abruptly Klaus has a foreign hand running up the inside of his thigh. Hissing in a breath, his eyes jerk open. "Is that all you waited for?"

"You aren't so good at playing games yet, ripper," he tells Stefan, but as the other man's hand draws dangerously near to his groin and suddenly falls away, Klaus finds himself rethinking that statement. "Where do you think you're going with that?"

"Oh, I thought I wasn't any good at playing games?" Stefan teases. "So I figured I should stop while I'm ahead."

Klaus leans over, lips pressing against Stefan's throat and stubble scratching his tanned skin. "Don't."

By the time they arrive at the party, Stefan looks particularly ruffled. His hair is sitting at an odd angle, and as they step from the car Klaus pauses to neaten the vampire's bowtie. "You look ravishing, love."

"I believe the term is ravished," Damon intones from nearby. The two lovers look over at the other Salvatore, then frown. Damon is leaned against a tree with a bottle of centuries old scotch in his hand. It's less than half full, and as they stand there Damon takes a long swig from it. "Get a room."

"We had one," Stefan says dryly. "What happened to you this time, brother?"

"Ric is here," Damon replies, and both Klaus and Stefan frown. Upon seeing this, Damon snarkily adds, "With Psycho Lady Killer M.D."

"I thought you two were-" Stefan begins, but Damon narrows his eyes.

"We were. Apparently getting bloodjacked by that bitch is no more than I deserved for getting involved," he says, then takes another drink and sneers at them. "Go on, then. You're going to be late to the party."

Stefan goes to move closer, but Klaus rests a hand on his arm and shakes his head. At first, the vampire seems like he might go anyway, but eventually he nods to Klaus and the two of them move back towards the Lockwood mansion. It's bustling with activity. People mill around the property and inside the sizeable abode. Though most of them are dressed correctly, Stefan can see numerous mistakes in costumes and outfits. Glancing at Klaus, he wonders how many of the people around them are wearing genuine 20's attire. Certainly none of them can claim such authenticity as the hybrid and the vampire bring with them.

As they come within earshot of the place, Stefan's thoughts switch track. He begins now to wonder just how Klaus will treat him in the public eye. Maybe they aren't here as dates at all, perhaps Klaus intends for them to appear no more than friends.

When they begin up the steps, however, Klaus abolishes the doubt from his mind by stepping closer and taking Stefan's arm in his. "Well," he says quietly, "at least some conventions have changed since the 20's."

"Oh, please," Stefan replies. "You expect me to believe Rebekah wasn't with Gloria whenever she was sneaking out of our sight?"

Klaus chuckles lightly. "Never in the public eye."

Mayor Lockwood spots them, does a double take and then smiles brightly before approaching the duo. "Klaus, Stefan, it's so good to see you two here tonight. Have you seen Damon? He excused himself to go to the bathroom and I haven't seen him since. I was hoping to introduce him to one of the guests."

"Damon is otherwise indisposed currently," Klaus replies eloquently. "I'm certain he'll be back soon."

She smiles at them, then says, "I assume these suits are the genuine article, of course."

"Certainly," Klaus says. "Preserved from the 20's. They've not seen an occasion like this in far too long. I must say, I was thrilled to receive the invitation. The 20's were magical."

"I'll have to take your word for that," Mayor Lockwood replies, then her eye catches a familiar face and she bids them farewell.

"Rebekah would love this," Stefan comments. "She certainly held herself well in the 20's."

Klaus glares at him, then looks around the room and smiles. "I'll be right back."

It's almost half an hour before Stefan sees him again, and it's preceded by Damon and Alaric entering through the main doors - together. Klaus appears at his side almost simultaneously, and Stefan looks at him curiously. At first, he thinks maybe it's just a coincidence. But there's something in Klaus' expression that changes his mind, and he frowns. "Did you do something?"

"I...may have offered them a push in the correct direction," he replies, and Stefan can't help but smile.

"You did Damon a favour?"

"Hardly," Klaus snaps, slightly offended by the idea. "No one likes a sulking Salvatore. I saw an opportunity to prevent it and I took it. That's all."

Amusement dances side by side with lust in Stefan's eyes, and after a short moment he grabs Klaus and drags him into the nearest empty room, their lips meeting as soon as the door is shut and locked behind them.


I am so sorry this has taken so long. Novel writing has been calling me away and only now, a week and 6,047 words later have I been able to drag myself out of that hole and write something completely unrelated. FanFiction is always such a relief after novel writing. No worrying about proper sentence structure and proper grammar. Finally getting to just focus on the characters and the story.

Hope you enjoyed it, sorry again for the appalling wait.