The anticipation in the car was palpable. Kandomere couldn't stop turning his head to look at her and every time her did, all he wanted to do was turn around and go back.
Alice was smirking. She could see his head turn periodically out of the corner of her eye. It was rather pleasant to know how she was affecting him, especially considering that the dress she'd chosen was moderate compared to the ones that Alavara had wanted her to wear. The dress dropped almost to her ankles, and her cleavage was covered by the bodice. It was however, a very fitted bodice that hugged her entire torso, only flaring out below her hips. She wouldn't have had an issue wearing something a little more scandalous, but given the formal nature of their first date, it felt more appropriate to wear something classic and demure.
As far as Kandomere was concerned, she could have decided on ripped jeans and a football shirt. She could have decided to enact a random Instagram trend and worn plastic bags. He hadn't become fond of her because of how she dressed. He'd seen her in a server's uniform, an unflattering hospital gown, and an array of every day casual clothing. None of it had any bearing on how he'd come to think of her. Her drive to forge a better standard of living for herself by enduring such bigotry from his people, her staunch protection of her friend, her willingness to venture into orc and dwarf communities so she could capture how they experienced life. By all accounts, she was quite friendly with most races, except for most of his own.
It still bothered him that Faltorin likely wouldn't suffer any consequences for his assault on her, something that he wished he could change. He'd been working with humans long enough to know that elf/human relations weren't always so easy to navigate. Elves by their nature and their long-forged position of privilege, believed themselves to be superior in every way. When he'd first decided to join the MTF his parents had understood, but had faced scrutiny from their friends because of the lowly status of his chosen profession. Elves were usually expected to work in finance or law, closely followed by medical fields and, of course, fashion. It was only when he rose through the ranks fairly quickly and became Special Agent in Charge of his department that his own people began to give him the respect he deserved. Despite what some of his human colleagues had thought, he hadn't used his privilege to gain his position, though it had been offered within a year. He refused any promotion within the first three years, wanting to 'earn his stripes' and learn the ropes as everyone else had to.
Pride was something Alice had noticed in him immediately upon meeting him. The way he carried himself, the way he dressed, the way he'd sprung into action against Faltorin. Anyone who'd never spent quality time around elves would simply mistake him for just another snotty elf. She'd never experienced such concern from an elf, except for Kyra, and her initial abrasiveness towards him had come from not really knowing how to deal with an elf who cared. She still didn't really know what they were to each other at this point, but she'd quickly decided that it was too soon to put labels on anything. Attraction was certainly no problem for them, but attraction alone wouldn't build something more.
The Ball was being held just outside of the Elven District and Alice suspected this was deliberate due to the mixed nature of the Bureau's employees. Her nerves only heightened when Kandomere led her into the foyer of the 1930's era building, submitting his name, department, and rank to the human concierge checking people off his clipboard.
Eyes were on them both as they entered the main hall where many of Kandomere's colleagues were milling about, drinking champagne and talking shop.
Montehugh waved at them as his petite wife peered around his large frame.
Kandomere led Alice over and fought the urge to shake his head at the huge grin on his partner's face.
"Lookin' good, boss! You brought a date?" Montehugh commented, tipping his champagne glass at Alice.
"You remember Alice? She's now working for Alavara as her chief photographer," Kandomere replied.
Alice flushed in response. It felt a little odd for him to volunteer the information about where she worked and who for. Montehugh would surely know that Kandomere had been instrumental in getting her the job.
"Nice. Gotta be better than waitressing?"
Alice glowered at him. "Work is work. As long as it pays the bills."
"Yeah, true, but, you're staying in his spare place free, aren't you?"
Kandomere winced inwardly. He was afraid of such a reaction to seeing Alice as his date.
"As I told Alice, it is actually to my benefit to have someone occupy the apartment. Buying both apartments on that floor allows someone of my status to control who I share my space with. There are many people I would not wish to share a floor with."
Alice could see what he was doing. But, his assurances wouldn't stop the gossip that was bound to happen. She didn't think Montehugh had any problem with her being with him, he just lacked any subtlety.
"Well, I definitely appreciated a place to crash when my wife didn't like you working me like a dog!" Montehugh bellowed.
"You do work him far too hard," his wife piped up.
"I do apologise, I try to keep the late nights to a minimum."
Alice tried to ignore the scrutiny she could still feel from every one around them, but glancing around as Kandomere and Montehugh talked revealed dozens of elven eyes on her, many whispering to each other in apparent disgust.
The banquet hall was soon opened and they all took their seats. Alice tried not to be perturbed by the generic 'Guest' name card in front of her seat. Kandomere pulled her seat out before she could do it herself. Chivalry wasn't something she was used to, and wasn't something she was hugely fond of.
She slipped the wrap off her shoulders and draped it over the back of her chair as Kandomere took his seat next to her. The menu was limited to only three choices per course, and all were far fancier than the type of food she'd been serving in Norkas' restaurant.
An array of wine and spirits was offered in abundance, including some elvish varieties that she'd never tried. She struggled to read the elvish descriptions.
Kandomere smiled at the deep frown. "The top one is a fruity and sweet sparkling wine. Slightly more floral than a Spumante."
"Something you'd recommend?" Alice asked.
"Absolutely. Either that, or an elvish whiskey."
Alice wasn't a big drinker, so she opted for the wine over the whiskey. Kandomere ordered his whiskey, and Montehugh, who had been seated on Kandomere's left side, made the Maître D bring him the beer menu.
Kandomere had been right. The wine was delicious and far too easy to drink. She was on her second when their food began to arrive, and Kandomere struggled to suppress the urge to stroke her flushed cheek.
"Do you work with all these people?" she asked him.
"Not directly. The man over on the far table with the pinstripe suit and grey hair is the Head of the Bureau. He is technically my boss, though I have ultimate control over my department."
"Would you like his job one day?"
"Honestly? No. It would put me behind a desk far more than I am now. Catching the Inferni is more important than any career ambition I might have."
After what Alavara had told her about his sister, she understood his motivation. She didn't mention it though, not wanting to sour the night with sad thoughts. Instead, Kandomere asked her how she was getting on with Alavara. He already knew what Alavara thought, but he was curious about what Alice thought.
As it was, Alice had nothing but good things to say. Her voice had a note of disbelief as she spoke on how much she'd done for her, and not just helping her dress for tonight.
As the meal wound down, there were numerous speeches given by the elves and humans in charge of the respective divisions, waxing lyrical about performance and setting out goals for the future. Talk on the Inferni seemed to be the driving force behind every speech regarding the MTF. One Inferni coven's demise hadn't lessened the fervour with which they seemed to operate under. She only hoped it wouldn't mean that she'd see Kandomere even less than she currently did.
The Ball Room adjacent to where they had been eating was opened so that the drinking and conversing could continue, along with some tasteful and, as Alice suspected, less than tasteful dancing could ensue.
Dancing. Would Kandomere dance? She'd never seen elves dance. She had no idea how to do anything formal. She'd been to many of Dorghu's monthly parties and formal dancing was certainly not something that took place amongst orcs.
Kandomere could sense the trepidation in her as they made their way into the Ball Room, so he led her to the bar and ordered them drinks, hoping it might help to calm her a little.
Alice watched as Montehugh spun his wife around the floor, far more gracefully than she would have thought possible. They were utterly ignoring anyone who might be looking at them with anything other than admiration. Elves will always be elves, and their distaste at anything they deemed to be lesser than would always be present.
Kandomere leaned close to her ear. "I'd like to dance with you, if you'd like?"
"I don't know how… There's never been a need for me to learn," Alice responded.
Kandomere took her hand. "Let me guide you."
If she'd have pulled back, he wouldn't have forced the issue, but she allowed him to pull her towards the dance floor, giving her a twirl, rather enjoying how the dress she'd chosen flared out before he pulled her in close. People were still staring as he guided her around the floor, Alice giggling as she stumbled a few times, treading on his shoes at least once.
She eventually got the hang of how they moved together, finally allowing herself to simply enjoy being with him. The tension that had been building in the car was back. He was holding her tightly against his chest, a hand pressed against the curve of her back. Their foreheads were touching as they moved together and Alice completely lost track of all time. They could have been dancing for hours as the slow burn of anticipation settled within them.
It was only when the three glasses of wine made themselves known that she finally pulled back, indicating that she needed to visit the bathroom.
Kandomere reluctantly let her go and made his way over to Montehugh, who was now talking animatedly to their SWAT colleagues.
Alice used the bathroom and was about to unlock the stall door when she heard a group of female elves enter, talking loudly in elvish to one another. She heard Kandomere's name mentioned and froze in place.
"Can you believe after all these years that he would bring a human?" one elf said, disgust dripping from her lips.
"It's utterly scandalous! He's never dared to bring anyone before!" said another.
"Isn't it obvious? He's hired her! She's an escort! A whore!" said the third.
"Such a waste of elvish seed! Does he not think he should at least ask his own kind?" said the first elf, adding more red to her overly plump lips.
"Maybe he enjoys dirty humans. They have such filthy inferior minds. With all the work he does, he likely needs a night of dirty sex. Such actions wouldn't be worthy of an elf date," the third elf added, spraying a musky perfume that wafted over the door of Alice's stall.
"Whatever she's charging, he's overpaying. She's not even slim!"
"Maybe he likes his whores chunky?" said the second elf.
The other two shrieked in laughter and they left the bathroom.
Alice waited 30 seconds before opened the stall door. She let out a long breath and braced herself against the sink. Although her ability to read elvish wasn't the best, she understood spoken elvish far more. She'd been called many things in her time living amongst elves, but being called a paid whore was a first. She desperately tried not to let it sour her feelings, but she couldn't shake off the feeling that what they'd said about him never taking anyone before was suspect. It wasn't something she didn't already know, Alavara had told her he never took anyone. It just made her wonder; why her?
The wonderful anticipation that had been building had cooled significantly as she returned to Kandomere's side. She gave him a weak smile, trying not to let her emotions ruin the night.
Kandomere could tell something was different. "Are you alright?"
"Oh, yes, it's just the wine. It went to my head a little," Alice lied, forcing another smile.
Even without heightened senses, he could hear the lie for what it was. Something had happened, but he wasn't about to force the issue. Instead, he simply stood beside her, letting a hand rest gently around her waist.
His touch still felt good, but the thought that those elves were watching them bothered her more than it should. Alavara had said that dating an elf was no different to dating a human, but so far, she was finding things to be far more complicated. The racial divide wasn't going to be undone in one night.
By the time 10:30pm had rolled around, Alice just wanted to go home. Kandomere could sense that she'd reached her limit of polite conversation with his now drunk partner. He made his excuses and went to retrieve Alice's wrap, offering his arm to her as they left.
She was completely silent he drove them home. The delicious tension that had stayed with them most of the night had vanished. He had no idea what had caused the change.
When he pulled up, he'd barely pulled the keys from the ignition when Alice opened her door and stepped out, walking back to the building ahead of him. He raced to catch up and took hold of her hand to stop her.
"Alice, what has happened? I don't understand what changed?" he asked, trying to get her to turn around.
Her should slumped and she let out a heavy sigh. "I was so stupidly naïve…" she said.
"Naïve? About what?"
"Being treated like dog shit as a waitress I can handle. Getting dressed up for the privilege of it, I wasn't prepared for," she answered.
"I don't understand. Who was treating you like shit?" He was confused. Montehugh could be blunt, but he'd never be purposely unpleasant.
"You really have no idea, do you?"
"About what?"
She let out a harsher huff. "They think you paid me!"
"Paid you? To do what?"
"To be your whore for the night!" she yelled.
Kandomere blinked. That had been unexpected. "Who said such a thing?"
"Some elvish women. They said it was suspect that you'd never taken anyone before, and now you turn up with a human."
"They said this to you?" he asked, horrified that someone would be so vile.
"No, I overheard them in the bathroom."
He stroked his hands down her arms. "I'm sorry my kind are so vile to you. I wish you'd told me earlier, I would have…"
"It wouldn't have made a difference. Besides, I didn't see who they were. It's not just them. Your partner also made that crack about you letting me live for free. People are going to keep seeing things like that and think I'm paying you in kind. Me being human puts us at an imbalance."
"Montehugh likes to think he's funny. He knows better. He certainly knows me better," he tried to explain.
"You're missing the point. You gave me a place to live, paid for my medical expenses, got me a job by pulling some personal strings, and took me as your one and only ever date to the Bureau Ball. Don't you see how it all looks?"
"I didn't realise you'd care about such things."
"I didn't say I did. But that doesn't mean things are going to be smooth sailing for us. People are always going to have an opinion about such things," she explained.
She wasn't wrong. He hated the fact that he couldn't protect her from such things. But, he wouldn't let it stop him from wanting who he wanted.
He lifted his hand and stroked her cheek. "If I don't care and you don't care, what others think Is immaterial. There are no laws we are breaking, and it won't affect your work with Alavara."
"Being called scum because I wasn't born with pointy ears isn't anything I haven't heard. I just… I wasn't prepared for it tonight." She leaned closer and put her hands on his chest.
"You shouldn't have to be," he said, leaning in to kiss her.
No longer worried about him messing up Alavara's handy work, she let the kiss happen, humming softly as his tongue caressed hers. She chuckled against his lips when she felt his hands drift down to her behind, gently squeezing as he pulled her firmly against him.
She left a hand move between them so she could feel his interest, earning a deep groan as her fingers slid down the outline of his shaft. It was only when she unzipped his trousers that propriety caused him to grab her wrist just as she was reaching through his briefs.
He pulled back from her lips and smiled at her frown. "Let's continue inside…" he whispered, taking her hand and pulling her into the building foyer.
Once in the lift, she resumed her groping as she threw an arm around his neck, slipping her fingers inside his underwear and finally feeling the hot and hard flesh as she wrapped her hand around him. She tilted her head to finally get a good look at him and groaned. He was as perfectly formed as she'd imagined.
Kandomere was busy grunting against her neck as she stroked her handful. "You were such a terrible tease the other day when you walked away from me, waving this dangerous weapon around…" Alice said.
Kandomere chuckled. He'd heard many terms used before, but dangerous weapon was a new one. "At the risk of sounding cliché and continuing the weapon metaphor, I don't regret waiting, but waiting to feel you come around me has been almost unbearable."
"I'm glad I'm not the only one," she said, stroking him in earnest until the lift reached their floor.
He wasted no time in pulling her towards his apartment, fumbling with his keys in his eagerness. She had to admit, it was nice to see him so flustered.
As soon as they were through his door, the hunger returned. He pressed hard against her, a hand cradling her cheek as he kissed her, and the other smoothing over her breast. Alice had resumed her enthusiastic stroking, giving a twist on the upstroke and enjoying the rhythmic groans into her mouth.
It hadn't been his intention to let her continue stroking him, but it just felt so exquisite to have her hand on his cock instead of his own. It had been far too long.
He'd spent the night in various stages of arousal and it didn't take long for her warm and firm grip to elicit uncontrolled panting from him as his head dropped back. His orgasm hit him hard and pulled a deep, guttural groan from him as he spilled over her hand and her dress.
Alice was grinning widely at watching him come so undone. His legs were trembling and his eyes were fluttering. She might have been worried about a power imbalance earlier, but right now, she definitely had the upper hand.
When he was finally able to focus, he looked back down at her smiling face. She'd finally let go of his cock and lifted her hand to her mouth. Just as she was about to take a swipe with her tongue, he pulled her hand to his own mouth, cleaning her of his come. She let out a trembling sigh at the sight and gripped his jacket, pulling his lips to hers.
"No fair! I worked hard for that, I want a taste!" she exclaimed, swiping her tongue against his lips.
He chuckled and kissed her, swirling his tongue around hers, sharing what he'd not yet swallowed. Alice hummed, finally getting a taste of him. Salty and sweet, and far more pleasant than any human's she'd tasted.
"Mmm, you taste good…" she whispered against his lips.
"Now it's my turn to get a taste of you," Kandomere declared, pulling away only so he could pull her to the bedroom.
Once inside, he focused entirely on undressing her, starting first with the dress he'd now ruined. He was sure it could be dry-cleaned. He unzipped the back and pulled off her shoulders, sinking down to his knees to he could remove her shoes. He tossed both items aside and focused on unhooking her bra, his eyes taking in the sight of her breasts as it slipped off her shoulders.
Now standing only in her knickers, he ran his hands over her soft belly, following them with kisses as his hands moved to cup her breasts, his thumbs brushing gently over her plump nipples.
He moved his hands down to her rounded hips and pushed gently, getting her to sit on the edge of the bed. He stood up and toed off his shoes, not bothering with the laces as he pulled off his jacket.
Alice watched him intently as he carefully removed his cufflinks and tiepin, followed by the pocket watch and his tie. He made short work of removing his waistcoat and shirt, and when he finally undid his trousers fully, Alice chuckled at the sight of his cock still poking out at her through his underwear. He was hard again, but his immediate need was no longer a concern. He pulled off his trousers and underwear, and lastly his socks, standing completely naked.
He was glorious. It was common for elves to be tall and athletically slender, but Kandomere was more of an average human height and far more broadly built. She had the oddest urge to lick him all over.
He didn't give her chance to satisfy her urge and he knelt in front of her. She let her hands run over the dark hair on his chest, smiling to herself. Kandomere understood why.
"Humans spread the oddest rumours about my people," he said.
"Yeah, I've heard the hairless thing. I've no idea where it came from. I'm glad it's not true."
As much as it would be nice to discuss a fondness for body hair, Kandomere didn't want to wait any longer. He gently pushed on her shoulders, encouraging her to lie back as he parted her thighs and shifted between them whilst he was still kneeling. He pressed his nose against the lacy and wet fabric of her knickers and inhaled deeply, grunting as he extended his tongue, giving the wetness a lick. Alice moaned softly at the feel, her hips rolling ever so slightly. Even though the material, he could feel the heat of her swollen clit.
He moved his hands so he could pull her knickers down, finally getting a view of what he'd wanted. Her thick auburn curls were glistening with wetness. He let out a much loudly grunt of appreciation. She was exactly as nature intended.
Alice looked down, momentarily worried when he grunted. She'd dated men in the past who had berated her for not removing her hair. It was something she refused to do, but it didn't stop her from feeling nervous about his reaction. Fortunately, his actions quickly answered her question as he pressed his face fully into her crotch. She let out a soft sigh, feeling as she moistened his chin.
For Kandomere, it was glorious. Silky soft and utterly full of her scent. He shifted so he could help her slide fully onto the bed and settled her amongst the pillows. He moved to lie between her thighs, spreading them wide as he let his tongue slide through her curls towards her engorged clit. He alternated between circling her clit and dipping his tongue into the creamy arousal dribbling from her entrance.
Alice moaned and a hand went to his head, threading her fingers through his hair. Her hips rolled with every dip of his tongue, enjoying how it felt as it slid inside her. Her hand gave a firm tug to his hair when he diverted all of his attention to her swollen clit, suckling gently at first, then flicking his tongue over it, the head swelling further as the hood retracted.
She was panting hard as her hips rocked firmly against his face, a hand thrown above her head as it gripped the pillows. Her pants became moans as he suckled on her clit in earnest, delicious tingles spreading through her body as her climax quickly built. He kept his mouth firmly around her clit as he slipped his middle finger into her, curling it upwards and stoking firmly.
Her lips parted at the added pleasure, her hips bucking uncontrollably and her moans growing louder. Her climax exploded within her abdomen as her clit bounced within his mouth, her core clenching hard around his finger. She cried out and her back arched as she pulled hard on his hair. He gave her clit a final few swipes with his tongue as she rode out her pleasure, finally relaxing into the pillows.
He pulled his finger free and sucked it into his mouth, humming pleasantly. "I was right; you taste exquisite."
Alice gave a weak smile, her eyes still closed as she relaxed in the after effects of her orgasm.
Kandomere shifted over her, settling his hips against hers, his cock still hard. He didn't move to slip inside her just yet, he was more than content to kiss his way across her belly and up to her breasts. Alice cradled his head as his mouth found a plump nipple.
When he finally lifted his head to look at her, he caught sight of the soft underarm hair he'd simply not noticed earlier. He stroked his fingers through it, which caused Alice to pull her arm down.
"Sorry… I get a rash when I shave," she whispered.
"Why would you be sorry?"
"Just… I know some people don't like it."
"Do you like it?" he asked.
Alice shrugged. "Never bothered me. It doesn't cause me any issues."
"Then it does not bother me," he said, pulling her arm back up so he could feel the softness again.
She bit her lip, then lifted her other arm above her head. He ran his fingers through the other underarm hair and leaned down to kiss her, slipping his tongue between her lips. She let out a noise as she could taste herself, her hips rolling against his.
He slipped a hand between them so he could finally position himself where he'd been aching to be for days. He pushed forward, slowly slipping inside her and groaning against her lips as her heat surrounded him.
She could feel the delightful stretch as he filled her more completely than his finger had. He spread his thigh wide so he could angle himself perfectly and press his groin against hers, moving gently at first so he could set a rhythm, her ankles locking around him as his groin began to grind against her clit.
He made sure to repeat the grinding motion when he heard her groan and felt her hips rock in tandem. He felt so good inside her, the thick head very gently prodding her cervix with each movement as his groin brushed against her clit. It wasn't lost on her how well they fit together, given she didn't need to stimulate herself. She'd never experienced multiple orgasms with a partner before, only ever by her own hand.
Kandomere was grateful that he'd already come once. The second he slipped inside her, he knew that he'd not have lasted more than a few seconds if he hadn't. Her tight warmth utterly engulfed him in a way he'd not experienced before. He could already feel his balls pulling tight as he moved, his forehead pressed against hers as a hand moved to massage her breast, rolling her nipple between his finger and thumb.
She was already beginning to quiver around him as his pace quickened, a gentle flick of his hips with each thrust making a light slapping sound between them. She gave a swipe of his lips with her tongue and he responded instantly with a kiss, both moaning loudly in turn.
A particularly firm grind against her clit and a roll of her nipple with his fingers caused her to crash into another climax, her muscles clenching hard around his cock, which pulsed in response. She cried out against his lips just as his own orgasm burst from him, his hips shoving firmly forward as his cock spilled deeply, his come splashing around her cervix.
They lay pressed together for a long while, both breathing heavily in the aftermath of their pleasure, his cock still nestled within her even as he slowly softened.
He eventually moved off her, his cock slipping from her as he collapsed next to her. Alice turned her head to look at him, enjoying just how dishevelled he looked and how wild his hair was after all her tugging. Kandomere could feel her eyes on him and simply chuckled, pulling her to him so she was lying pressed against his side, her leg thrown over his. He could feel his come dribbling out of her and onto his leg, but he didn't care.
Alice was content to simply enjoy the moment, her hand stroking over his chest.
"Worth the wait?" she asked.
"There are no words… But, I do know one thing," he said.
"What's that?"
"There will be no more waiting," he replied, leaning down to kiss her forehead.
Alice chuckled. She wondered if he'd follow through on his first thought when he'd first kissed her and fuck her against a wall. It was definitely one for the list.