Xaviers!

Basil shrugged.

"Not especially."

Allowing himself to be tamed back to prone by her affection, Basil's expression changed to amused quickly.

"Besides, you couldn't handle two people as attractive as I am in your life.

That child would be so goddamned spoiled by you I can't even fathom, all for being pretty."

"Ah yes, because out of ze two of us, it is I who does ze spoiling of ze ozer, no?" Colette smirked, snuggling in tight.

"But you are not wrong."

"I spoil you because you deserve it.

You dote on me because you think I'm cute.

Imagine how much you're going to dote on something that actually is adorable."

"So you are saying zat ze only benefit of having you instead of a bulldog is zat ze dog does not buy me presents? I am content wiz a single pet for now. Perhaps some day I will undergo mitosis, and zen zere will be enough of me to handle two."

"Oh I'm much better than owning a bulldog. I'm prettier. Sleeker, quieter, much more graceful.

And A bulldog can barely function as a creature, so they definitely can't bring you tokens of affection to lay at your feet in return for all of the proper care you give them...

A cat can however. " Basil replied. Since she seemed determined to compare him to an animal, might as well be one that wasn't completely disgusting.

"And are you suggesting I can't please two of you?" He countered.

"Or are you telling me you're so bad at sharing you can't even share with yourself?"

"Please two? Of course you could mon canard." Colette grinned, deliberately sidestepping Basil's hint to tease him. "But you have no hope of keeping your wonderfully sleek figure wiz two of us coaxing you to eat."

"I meeeaaaaaaaan, I would probably need the extra calories. I'd be getting plenty of exercise." He quipped back.

"No ducks. Ducks don't know how to keep it to themselves. I'm much classier than a duck."

"Mmm... no, I have settled on duck. They wiggle zeir tails in such a cute manner, it suits you."

Now she was just messing with him.

"Sounds more like you than I." He observed. "Sashaying your little tail in front of me to get my attention. I'd never go with duck though."

"Well yes, but cats are not known for following directions very well... unless it suits zeir interests."

"Are you certain you've issued any directions that didn't suit my own interests?" He countered with a smirk.

"It's for you to decide Madame.

But I get to veto anything that'd.... spoil my appetite."

Colette rested her face in Basil's neck, cuddling in close. "Of course you do, mon chat."

Wrapping his other arm around Colette, Basil's eyelids sank ever so slightly, attempting to fight dozing off.

"We can't sleep out here, can we?

I don't think I thought this out fully." He chuckled.

"Well, not for long at least. We must get ready for ze party at some time during ze day.

"Did you enjoy working wiz ze decorations?"

"Yes, I did." He replied.

"Something about making things puts me at ease. I don't know why exactly..." He meandered mentally to ponder it for a moment.

"Perhaps it's because it's something I can do without assistance and not have it be utter shit. The end product speaks to that.

What about you? They didn't work you too hard on food did they?"

"Mm, perhaps zat is somezing zat you could explore once you graduate. Have you ever considered... doing woodworking, or somezing?"

Colette grinned at the question. "Oh, I worked like a slave. But I get to submit my work to my cooking instructor for extra credit and kitchen hours. Zere were so many fun recipes, I could not decide, so I tried to do as many of zem as I could."

"You really love ducks don't you?" He joked at the mentioning of wood working.

"Guess I better leave space for you to stuff me like a goose." He added.

Colette tilted her head in confusion. "What does woodworking have to do wiz ducks? Now you are ze one with ducks on ze brain."

"Whittled ducks? You know? 'It's not perfect, but it's the best I could do'?"

He quoted something she may not be familiar with.

Colette didn't look like she was getting it at all.

"Is zat a... educational requirement for all British students?"

"No. It's just the first thing I think of when I think of woodworking.

Well, that and Jesus Christ. Didn't he do something with wood?

I forget that's not my cuppa."

"Well he was a carpenter, zough I do not believe zat he himself drove ze nails into the piece he is most famous for."

Basil laughed.

"I was going to go that dark, but then I realized your family is Roman Catholic and I thought better of it."

"Oh, I give ze church more respect zan it deserves." There was a hint of bitterness in Colette's voice, but just a bit. "But I cannot imagine zat Jesus could not take a joke."

" My respect would be for you, of course. The Catholic Church can rot in the hopeless abyss they've invented to curse upon anyone who they don't define as normal for all I care."

"Mmm, good boy." Colette closed her eyes and smiled, approving of Basil's enthusiasm.

"... Well behaved enough to reward?" He asked with a smirk.

"Baseel!" Colette tittered. "If I keep rewarding you, we will be late for ze party!" The woman rolled over on top of her boyfriend, her weight forcing him to lay on his back.

"Fashionably late."

Basil bobbed his eyebrows at being pinned down against the ground.

"You know, internet studies suggest that habitually late people are happier people.

And you of all people know that anything posted on the internet is scientific fact. "

"You know, zere are better zings zan talking zat you could be doing wiz your mouz right now."

Basil used his one free hand to brush his thumb across her bottom lip.

"Frankly, after today's admission, the same could be said for you.

Provided you're still committed to that cat bath."