Sylvia watched the meeting disperse with Marie and that annoying Pippi Longstocking girl still singing, and sighed to herself. I never mean to be so rude to people, but Gods, they can be SO STUPID! She wandered through the kitchen until she found a bottle of wine and a chunk of velveeta cheese. She was definitely more in the mood for bitter and salt than for sweets. Treats in hand, she headed back towards her room, at the end of a long and dark hallway, across from the stairs that led up to the Observatory.

Her mind drifted back to the meeting, and she sighed, thinking things she never revealed to anyone. Quit it, Syl, you don't have feelings. You're a cold and ruthless bitch. It's just lust, it's just lust, it'll go away if you ignore it… She got to the door of her room, one of the only ones in the castle that was ever locked, and fumbled in her pocket for the key.

“Sylviaaa!!” a small voice called. A grey ball of fur came scampering down the hallway and Syl resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Leilani was actually one of the few beings in the castle that she could tolerate on a regular basis.

“What do ya want, cat?” she snapped, shifting the bottle of wine to her other hand.

“Sydney was looking for you,” she chirped, coming to stop at Syl's feet. “He was storming around the library throwing stuff and Terra got mad and kicked him out, which serves him right of course, and so I followed him and told him that he'd ought to take a chill pill and stop being such a jerk all the time and then maybe people like you wouldn't be afraid to say they liked him so I just wanted to let you know he was looking for you, gotta run, Marie and Sefie are playing Candyland with me and Milo so byeee!!” She ran off in the opposite direction and Syl groaned.

The twerp did not tell Sydney I liked him…I never should have told her that I thought his claws were cool…dammit, I feel like I'm back in fucking High School again… her hand found the key and just as she was about to turn it, she heard the all-too-familiar footfall at the end of the hall. She opened the door slightly, and stood waiting for his arrival.

“Good evening, Sylvia,” he said smoothly and she nodded without a word. “I heard some interesting things from our friend Leilani this evening.”

“She's a cat and she doesn't know anything. Why don't you go home to your lover boy and leave me the hell alone, ok?”

“Tsk, tsk,” Sydney remarked, leaning against the wall beside her door. “You forget that I can read hearts, Sylvia.”

Syl rolled her eyes and entered her room, turning to close the door behind her. “Too bad for you that I don't have a heart. Now get lost!” She slammed the door in his face and leaned against it, her heart racing just a little. What a jerk… She crossed her room, painted a deep shade of plum, and went rummaging through a desk drawer to find her corkscrew. After removing the top from the bottle of wine, she turned on the music, softly. She didn't need anyone else in the castle knowing that was a closet Sarah McLachlan fan or she'd never hear the end of it.

She reached onto a high shelf for a wine glass, pouring some of the dark red liquid on the dark brown wooden table in her room. Why the hell does he have to be so fucking sexy? Stupid lust reactions. I'd like to ride that man all night sometime…but hell, he's not the type to ever let someone do that.

She took a long swig of her wine and was about to settle down on her king size bed and turn the TV on when a flash a light in the middle of her room made her jump, nearly spilling her drink. “What the hell?! The door's locked for a reason, Sydney!” she snapped as his image came into focus.

“Well, it was awfully rude of you not to invite me in for a drink.”

“Do I look like I care?”

“In that case, I'll help myself.” Sylvia sighed as she watched Sydney take another wine glass from her shelf, knowing she was not going to be rid of him anytime soon. At the same time, she could not help but watch, mesmerized, as his long silver claws gracefully maneuvered both the wine glass and the bottle until he too had a full glass of the blood colored stuff. “A toast,” he proposed to her, an eerie grin on his angelic face.

“To what…?” she said suspiciously as they clinked glasses.

“To your riding me all night,” he said simply, downing the glass in one gulp.

Syl, in turn, dropped her glass right onto the wooden floor, wincing as it shattered and her face went first pale, then bright red. “GET OUT OF MY ROOM YOU THOUGHT ROBBING BASTARD!!” she belted at him, fists coming up and looking ready to slug him.

“Oh, Syl,” he frowned at her, “Is that any way to treat the object of your desire? I know how much you ache to feel my lips against yours, my claws leaving jagged lines over your pale flesh…”

“Shut up, shut up, shut up!!” she said, stomping her foot and throwing her hands over her ears like a child.

“If that's what you really want,” he remarked coolly, setting the glass down and corssing the few steps between them. In one graceful movement, he wrapped an arm around her waist, and lifted the other claw to tilt her infinitely startled face towards his, kissing her so lightly it was more like whisper of wind. He drew back, waiting to see her reaction with silent and inner glee. I'd forgotten how much FUN this could be…

Syl's dark blue violet eyes had fluttered closed at the action and now she blinked several times, her absolutely stunned reaction a priceless painting for Sydney. Her thoughts whirled so fast he gave up bothering to read them, and instead pulled her flush against his body, fixing her with a steely gaze. “Sydney…” she finally managed to choke out, starting to push him away.

“You didn't think my toast was serious, did you, Syl darling?” he said sweetly, his iron grip not allowing her to move at all.

Sylvia narrowed her eyes at him. “I know your magic and strength are far superior to mine, Sydney, but that doesn't give you any right to try and manipulate me.”

“I'm manipulating you by giving you what you want?” he said, a bemused expression crossing his features. “And I thought I was being nice!”

“What do you want from me?” she muttered, her breath catching in her throat even as she spoke. This close to him…dammit, I can't even think…calm down, Syl…

“I only want to allow you to fulfill that desire of yours,” he said sweetly. “We should all be allowed to indulge our feelings once in a while, shouldn't we?”

No, he couldn't possibly just want to fuck me…he's got his boy toy for that!! Ulterior Motive!! Her mind screamed at her, but Sydney's intense grey eyes seemed to make all thought melt from her until her entire being was nothing but the carnal hunger that arose in her every time he entered the room. “I don't have feelings, and you're a bastard…” she snarled at him and he laughed softly, under his breath, trailing the tip of one claw down her back just hard enough that she could feel it through her thin black dress.

“Well then, Syl,” he hissed in her ear, burying his face in her curly red hair. “If that is true for both of us…” He placed another whispery kiss on her neck, just below her ear. “Then revel in the fact that this will be nothing…” Another kiss. “…but cold and unfeeling, lust-induced, mind boggling sex.”

He turned her face to his again, claiming her lips as his property, and this time Syl did not fight him, but kissed him back, hungrily, letting her hands rise to run over the smooth and warm skin of his back. He scooped her into his arms, tossing her ungently down upon her bed and straddling her, planting kisses all over her face and down her neck, smirking in satisfaction as he heard her sigh. This is not happening, not happening, you'll wake up soon, Syl…

Sydney brought a claw to her chin, trailing it down to the neckline of her dress, letting it slice the buttons off it until the fabric fell away to leave her in nothing but black lace undergarments. “Of curse,” he murmured. “I would expect nothing but sexy attire from the bitch of the castle.”

Syl reached a hand up to his blonde hair and yanked his face away from her breats and towards her lips. “Shut up and kiss me,” she hissed.

Amused, Sydney complied with her wishes, tasting her lips, the flavor of wine still upon them, letting their tongues duel a fierce battle as his claws gracefully shredded the rest of her garments. He knew she wouldn't care, and even if she did, he would have done it anyway. “Is that what you wanted?” he whispered to her, laying an excrutaingly slow line of kisses down her middle.

“Not exactly…” she replied with a grunt. He looked up, letting their eyes meet, and she simply let him rb the images right out of her mind.

“Is that so?” he replied, genuinely surprised. “I didn't think someone like you would ever let someone do such things to her.” His mouth found her breast and he teased her, rolling her nipple around in his mouth.

I'll knee you if you ignore me… Her thought filtered into his mind and he stopped, laughing loudly.

“You are more fun than I anticipated,” he remarked, narrowing his eyes at her. “But you're mistaken if you think you can order me around.”

The two locked eyes again, a silent battle of wills. “I know you want it,” she finally hissed at him and he glared at her.

“Do not presume to know my thoughts, foolish girl,” he muttered, unnerved that she was right.

Syl, to her credit, took his momentary displeasure and used it against him, indeed kneeing him as promised, quickly flipping their bodies over until she was on top of him. She knew he could throw her off, even kill her, in a moment, if he so desired, but somehow she felt he would enjoy the game enough not to. “Why not? You already know mine,” she smirked. “My magic may not be as strong as yours, Sydney, but that does not mean it is ineffective.”

She pressed her body to his, kissing him again, her hands swiftly working the few laces that kept his alluring garments on. Moments later he was as nude as she, and she bent down without hesitation, taking him into her mouth, one hand cupping him, the other digging her nails into his thigh. Go ahead, Sydney… she thought at him with malice. You and I both know you could have anyone in this universe that you desire, and you and I both know what it is that gets you off…

Shut up, bitch… his internal voice spat back at her and she nipped at him, exceedingly proud that she had even gotten to him this much. I could leave you right now…and I know how you feel about being left in the cold…

Syl backed away and glared down at him in contempt. “Go down that road and I'll rip your fucking heart out,” she said icily. “Understood?”

Sydney knew he'd pushed her just a bit too far, and after a moment of silence, gave a curt nod.

“Look, we both know what the other wants…why not make this as mind boggling as you seem to believe it will be and indulge ourselves?”

Sydney smiled again, one claw reaching up to push a curl out of Syl's face. “For once, I couldn't have said it better myself.”

Sydney flipped the girl over again, his claws searching for the edge of her sheet, shredding it, letting his magic assist him in tying her to the bed. Already, even with his control, he ached for release… It was rare that anyone could even begin to push his buttons…or offer to indulge him the way she had. He trailed his claws over her flawless skin, bending to kiss her breasts again, her stomach. Her eyes had fluttered closed, most of her body left immovable by the restraints around her wrists, and with a thrill of glee deep within him, he took his claw again down her front, letting it slice the skin open just enough to leave a tiny trickle of blood down her body. His bent to kiss the line, his tongue tasting the blood, and moved to kiss her, letting the liquid, dark as the wine been, mingle between their lips. “Sydney…” she moaned, lifting her hips towards him as she felt the fire in her body rage uncontrollably.

“Tell me how much you want me,” he hissed to her, burying his face between her legs and teasing her ever so slightly, laughing softly as she writhed.

“Fuck me,” she hissed at him, her voice rising from a whisper to a whimper. “Now.”

“Please?” he requested, a smirk played across his features as he returned to kiss her lips again.

“Please,” she accorded him the checkmate in her match, knowing she wouldn't care in a moment anyways.

Sydney laughed again, his victory complete, and thrust himself into her, letting his claws reach to slice the bonds that held her captive. She wrapped her arms and legs around him, meeting every violent thrust with a motion as equally driving.

The wind outside her room seemed to howl as they slammed their bodies together again and again, time losing its substance in the carnal lust engulfing the room. Sydney's claws raked down her back, and through the haze of pain she felt herself go soaring right over the edge, shuddering uncontrollably in his arms.

Sydney felt the girl go limp in his arms, as equally from the blood loss as from her release, and seeing the crimson stained across the sheets, feeling the triumph as he thrust himself into her again, he let himself go as well, both of them tumbling back into the sheets in near exhaustion.

There were silent afterwards, Syl drifting off into unconsciousness soon after Sydney realized a healing spell would be in order to remedy their adventure. He rolled himself out of the bed not long after, retrieving his clothes and walking out onto her balcony. I have proved to myself…I love no one…I have no feelings, and I am every bit the bastard she told me I was… The sky was dark and overcast, and as the clouds covered the moon, he sighed deeply, letting the rain wash the blood away from his body…