"What if Christmas," he thought,"doesn't come from a store?"

[Basil Benson]

Unprovoked, Basil grabbed her at the waist.

"J'ai envie de toi." He replied, always getting a bit bolder than previously was Basil's preferred method of wooing. At least with girls like Colette.

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette's cheeks flushed a deeper shade of pink before she lowered herself on top of Basil and closed her eyes, letting her lips find his on instinct rather than visually. Things just seemed to work better that way.

[Basil Benson]

Luckily for Colette, upon contact with her Basil became visible which would probably serve as helpful the further they continued.

But at the moment, Basil hadn't noticed. He was busy with other things.

--------------

Once the rendezvous was said and done, Basil found himself in the shower, unsurprisingly. He was letting the water fall over his head, the visible poof of hair deflating under gravity as it did, lost in thought.

You stupid, love sick bastard.

[Colette Rosenhof]

While Basil was busy in the bathroom Colette had taken the opportunity to change into something a little more comfortable. She needed her suit to help retain her shape while she slept but she didn’t plan on sleeping for quite some time yet. For now she lounged in an oversized t-shirt and cotton panties, laying across the bed so that her legs dangled below the knee. She stared at the ceiling as she reflected on their day together, the last few hours in particular, and smiled to herself. Had things gone perfectly? Of course not. But it had been better than she could have ever hoped for.

She just hoped that housekeeping wouldn’t be too upset with them when they checked out.

[Basil Benson]

Basil had an idea to keep housekeeping happy, but for now he wasn't concerning himself with that.

Why was he like this? Why did his life depend so much on female attention? Colette didn't deserve to have to deal with his stupidity and he was baffled now in the aftermath why she would want to.

Basil sighed and turned off the shower, grabbing a towel to wrap around himself. While he had given her the appropriate amount of snuggle time, Basil hadn't stopped to get a change in his rush towards his near daily low key essential crisis.

Seemed now though that hiding it was pointless, not like she hadn't seen it two hours ago.

When he finally emerged, Basil smiled convincingly at Colette, ever the actor.

"Hey gorgeous." He greeted, brushing fingers across the arch of her foot before moving to find clothes.

As he had already told himself, whatever his problem was, it wasn't hers to deal with. She was too good for that.

[Colette Rosenhof]

An even wider smile broke upon Colette’s face when Basil stepped back into the bedroom, trying to draw her foot away with a twittering laugh.

“Allo handsome.” She shifted further up the bed and reoriented herself to properly align with one of the pillows. “I trust I was not too difficult to wash out?”

[Basil Benson]

"I've had worse." He replied casually, dropping the towel as he slid into bed next to her.

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette shimmied herself closer to Basil, intent on becoming the little spoon; for a little while at least. “Zat is about ze only time I will let you get away wiz zat answer.” The heel of her foot gently rubbed against his naked shin.

[Basil Benson]

"It wasn't a critique." Basil chuckled, and rolled onto his side, already figuring out what she was angling for. He gave her a quick peck on the back of the head for good measure.

"It's been a minute. Hopefully things weren't too horrendous for you."

[Colette Rosenhof]

"Zat is what I should be asking you, is it not? After all, unlike so many who say zis, I really am not like ozer girls, no?"

Colette sounded rather cheerful, so it didn't seem she was too down on herself.

"But no, you were wonderful Basil. Zank you for... being so patient."

[Basil Benson]

"Yes... Well... Hufflepuff." He replied, making a nerd joke to relieve the tension a bit.

"How are you not like other girls?"

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette did that quick little exhale through her nose that one does when they're stifling a little laugh, despite not needing to breath. "In just about every way, physically at least. Ze fact zat you are okay wiz zat... more zan okay given what we have shared... I zink you are somezing very special, Basil."

[Basil Benson]

Basil squeezed her a little closer to his chest and nuzzled into her ear, as pointless as it was.

"Hey there now..." He replied, sounding a bit admonishing at her scoff.

"A girl isn't decided by her physical make up. A girl is decided by whether or not that person identifies as a girl." Basil replied. "That goes for you as equally as anyone else."

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette smiled softly. "Zat is very sweet Basil... zough I was more zinking along ze lines of ze fact zat I do not have hair for you to run your fingers zhrough, or even bones."

[Basil Benson]

"I know what you meant." Basil replied, his tone firm. He wasn't intending on spoiling the moment with 'Lecture Basil' but she clearly wasn't listening to him and he got provoked out anyways.

Colette would feel Basil breaking the spooning by sliding himself upward. Having those pesky bones meant he needed to scoot up and bend around her to get a look at her in the face, her head ending up in his lap as he wriggled around, his spine curled along the length of the headboard.

"A bald woman is still a woman. Bones likewise don't factor into what makes a woman a woman, and I'm honestly still not certain why you're so obsessed with them considering my spine is what's keeping me in this weird position right now...

The fact of the matter is a disembodied brain in a jar without any ability to physically connect with the outside world, if it identified itself as a female, is still a woman... But unless I was responsible for some tragedy that got her like that or she had some extreme psychic powers, I'd probably suggest we see other people.

I'm sure your shapeshifter friend who probably chooses to be a woman would agree with me."

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette couldn't stop herself from smiling at Basil's mention of his position, resting her head on his lap and watching him as he spoke.

"You are right Basil. I am sorry for always doubting myself. I have spent too much of my life wondering if I would find someone who feels for me despite what I am, finding someone who feels for me because of what I am is just too wonderful."

[Basil Benson]

Basil didn't quite scoff in response himself, but the expression he made was somewhere between flattered and embarrassed as he chuckled awkwardly.

"You always act like I'm so selfless and get nothing out of this relationship. Why is that?"

[Colette Rosenhof]

"Oh zat is not true. I bake sweets for you." Oh she was being a smartass again.

[Basil Benson]

Being able to see his face meant Basil's ticks and social cues were not on display. He rolled his eyes and frowned at her ass rcasm.

"Yes, fresh pastries is my real end goal here. Can't you tell from my rotund physique how much I enjoy eating?" He was clearly being sarcastic back, being at least a quarter of his caloric intake was alcohol.... when he was having a good day.

[Colette Rosenhof]

"Well, I am still working on it." Colette said softly, reaching up to give Basil's cheek a little pat.

"I am sorry if I make you feel as zough I zink zis relationship is one-sided one somezing. It all just seems too perfect sometimes, you know? To be dating such a handsome, sweet, sensitive, intelligent -" There was an ever so slight pause. "- young man... most girls only dream of meeting zeir Prince Charming, no?"

[Basil Benson]

"I have a wheelbarrow full of issues." He replied. "You just like to ride in the bucket with them for some reason."

[Colette Rosenhof]

"Your issues keep my issues company and zey distract each ozer while we go have some fun. It is science."

[Basil Benson]

"I'll have to take your word on it. Cooking is a lot closer to science than literature. I've never been particularly good at the sciences." He replied, yawning a bit.

[Colette Rosenhof]

"I zink zat cooking is where science and art meet. Do we not put so much time into how it is presented? Or in your case, ze intricate descriptions on ze menu?" Colette reached up and stroked Basil's hair away from his face.

"Here I am, babbling about food and keeping you from your well-earned rest."

[Basil Benson]

"I'm okay." He said drearily rolling his head against her hand and smiling in both a dopey and tired manner.

[Colette Rosenhof]

"Are you certain? If ze pillows ze hotel has provided are not comfortable enough, I can make some special just for you." Her voice went a little sing-song at the last few words of her sentence.

[Basil Benson]

"I wouldn't mind snuggling up on you for a nap, but you don't need to do anything special for me. Just letting me snuggle is special enough.

Not really a boobs man anyways." He explained further so she knew he did catch her meaning, now shifting around so he could get into a more appropriate sleeping position.

[Colette Rosenhof]

"Mm, zat is good to know. Zough you may be getting a treat on your birzday whezer you want it or not." Colette wiggled into Basil's form to better snuggle with him.

[Basil Benson]

Basil almost made himself comfortable before pointing out- "Don't you need your second skin?"

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette sighed softly and closed her eyes. "Well, zat is to train myself to retain my shape while I sleep alone. I zink... I zink zat wiz someone else so close, I won't forget myself."

She turned her head slightly to look back at Basil. "Zough perhaps you are correct, zat is an experiment for anozer time, yes?"

[Basil Benson]

"Maybe tomorrow. I think I have a plan." He said wearily.

[Colette Rosenhof]

"Alright zen love, I will be but a moment." Colette turned to give Basil a little peck on his forehead before slipping off of the bed, picking up her suit from the floor. With her back toward him she just... poured herself in through the neck hole, her shirt and panties falling to the floor as the suit filled out and took on a more human shape. With a "zwoop" her feet were the last thing to pour into the mold, her hands pushing down on the hips as though she were tugging on a sweater dress, a mass which quickly took on the shape and features of her head and hair popping out of the neckhole. After a few stretches to ensure that everything was as it should be Colette joined Basil in the bed, her head and even her hair taking on that opaque bubblegum colour in her attempt to keep the pillows dry.

"Sweet dreams, Baseel."

[Basil Benson]

Basil had already taken precautions on the pillows, but would make more concerted efforts when he wasn't so tired. He wanted desperately to snuggle up on her torso, but he knew that putting weight on her was a baaaaad idea. Instead he settled for next to.

"Goodnight Madame." He replied.

----

On Christmas Eve, Basil was careful not to wake Colette from her slumber, and got to work. Before she had woken, he had used a 'Task Rabbit' to run some errands for him instead of the help. He didn't want to leave and make her think he'd abandoned her, but he also didn't want the staff at the hotel catching onto what he was doing. He gave special instructions to the Task Rabbit to wrap the items as gifts, and gave the staff at the front the heads up which kept them from stopping his would be accomplice.

Once he got his delivery, he went to the task of setting up his new gifts to himself and making use of them. Basil did not bother Colette from her slumber, but at around 10am she would be awoken by the smell of food.

White Toast and orange marmalade or Nuetlla, cured ham, smoked salmon, cheeses, apples and fruit chutneys.

And just for Colette, hot chocolate, apple-pomegranate juice, and strawberry covered waffles.

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette was... interesting to sleep beside. She didn't snore, actually it was quite the opposite. Colette's chest stopped rising and falling, her little nostrils stopped flaring, and behind those eyelids there was no movement that one sees when another is dreaming. Because behind those lids there were no eyes, and in her chest there weren't any lungs. So many of the things that people do naturally or subconsciously had to be done consciously or semi-consciously by Colette. Deeper into sleep her face even began to lose some of its definition, more resembling a mannequin than a girlfriend. Though little movements on Basil's part seemed to "firm" her up a bit.

When she was finally aroused from her slumber and stepped out into the living area of the hotel room she had taken the time to recompose her face. Her hair was much shorter than it had been the previous night, but most people did wake up a little dehydrated, especially during the winter months. Her yawn was more a pantomime than a biological response, the girl beaming at the breakfast spread out for the two of them to share. Her sleepyheaded demeanor was such a stark contrast to the latex suit she was wearing, not originally intended for such innocent and wholesome activities such as eating toast.

"My goodness, how lovely! A girl may find herself becoming spoiled from such treatment."

[Basil Benson]

"Good morning." Basil greeted back cheerfully... and invisibly.

"As one should." He replied to her commentary. There was another plate laid out for Basil that almost looked like a full breakfast, but with a few items omitted such as the blood pudding and the sausages, replaced instead with a larger helping of roasted mushrooms and tomatoes. But Basil, being mostly human, needed more proteins to function than she did. There was also some kind of fancy coffee, which is Colette knew her coffees was a latte, and some water.

If Colette's curiosity forced her to look around the room a bit more to find the source of an unusual sound, she'd notice somehow an oddly small pair of a washer and dryer were going which had been plugged into the wall, as well as an unwrapped item on the couch.

[Colette Rosenhof]

"Well zat did not work out well for Marie Antoinette, zough I suppose in my case I do not have to fear ze guillotine." She sat herself down and began to partake of the waffles, sampling from the salmon and other items. She wasn't far into the meal before she burst into a brief giggle from seemingly nothing.

"Basil, can you imagine what zis scene must look like to an outsider?" She asked, gesturing to herself in her attire and then back to Basil. She shook her head and smiled. It wasn't until she had her breakfast about two-thirds done that she bore a slightly puzzled expression.

"Were zose zere yesterday?" She asked, pointing to the washer and dryer chugging nearby.

[Basil Benson]

"Like I'm a lucky bastard." Basil replied to her query about what outsiders would think.

Basil looked up from his breakfast, and tilted his head to look at what Colette had noticed.

"Nope." He replied, offering no further explanation.

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette looked even more puzzled. "I zought... zat when one requested laundry services, zey took your clozing to their washers. Zis seems quite ze opposite."

[Basil Benson]

"One does.

But when one wants to hide what they've done from the help, they do the laundry themselves." He explains with a hint of mischief in his voice.

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette flushed and, were she capable of it, probably would have coughed on her food.

"I cannot be zat much worse zan other girls... can I?"