Xaviers!

"Just examining the narrow end of a choice set of stems."

She hummed softly, using her finger as a bookmark as she closed the book in one hand, freeing the second to play with Basil's hair again.

"Are you... fond of feet, Basil?" She wasn't quite sure how to ask the question without bringing in some rather ugly words, and did not wish to shame or embarrass her boyfriend.

"Not actively, no. " He replied vaguely, as he tended to in these situations. " Only what they represent, and what they're attached to."

"Oh, good. Because I have not practiced toes very often."

Basil giggled.

"What would you have done if I said yes? Devoted the next month on feet?" He joked, but then his thoughts got serious.

"Wait... You didn't do that for... other things did you? Because of me?"

Colette raised an eyebrow and thought about Basil's question.

"Ze short answer is no, I had some practice before I had ever met you. But I have never had any reason to practice making proper feet."

Basil shifted about nervously now from his thoughts as a Basil was wont to do in a situation when he thought someone was catering to him.

"Aaand since no one wanted to see zem, and zere is still no one who wishes to see zem, I can put off practicing for anozer day."

Clearly upset by her answer, Basil's hold on her became tighter, something he tried to avoid doing for obvious reasons. The light hold he'd had on her to support her in her leisurely lay across his lap became something closer to a desperate hug as he stared her dead in the eye.

"Colette, don't you ever spend time changing yourself for others. Not for me, not for anyone. Do you understand?"

He must have been serious, he hardly ever used her given name.

The expression on Colette's face showed how much Basil's change in mood and actions had surprised her, her mouth agape. It took her a moment to formulate a response before she set the book down and placed her hands atop Basil's.

"Basil, I zought zat we talked about zis. If I try somezing new, I am not changing myself for ozers, I am experimenting. You yourself have told me zat my appearance is not who I am, no?

"My... powers, ze more I use zem, ze better I get at using zem. If someone makes a comment, a suggestion, an idea I have not considered before - and ze idea appeals to me, zen I will try it. Because if I am only doing ze same zings over and over again I will lose my flexibility, I will stagnate. And maybe, MAYBE, I will discover somezing zat works for me, somezing zat I like. But zat does not mean zat I am going to try to be whatever someone else wants or demands of me. Simply because an artist sometimes takes requests does not mean zat zey are obligated to draw everyzing zat is asked of zem, or even to draw it to ze person's specifications. Zey take requests because zey want to test zeir limits, to try zings zey would not normally consider zemselves, because zey like ze idea proposed to zem."

She gave Basil's nose a little tap with a gloved finger. "Let us say zat I have a wonderful recipe for a strawberry tart. And you tell me zat apricots are your favorite fruit. I can experiment wiz ze recipe to see if I can make it wiz apricots, adjust my ingredients until I believe it to be perfect. If I make zis recipe for you, I have not lost my recipe for strawberry tarts, or sworn to never make zem again, or to only ever make apricot tarts. I have simply learned two recipes when I knew only one. And I can use what I have learned to help me in ozer recipes in ze future.

"If I told you zat purple was my favorite colour, would you only wear purple suits for me? I would hope not. But I would not protest if you wore a purple tie on occasion, if you liked ze tie and colour as well.

"... does zis make sense to you?"

Basil still looked uncomfortable about the whole concept, but for some reason this time it seemed to land slightly better than previously.

"I... guess I just have a hard time telling when you're doing something for your own benefit versus others."

Colette stroked Basil's hair, leaning into him once more as she relaxed. "I am not as selfless as you would give me credit. But zat was a sweet gesture all ze same."

"How is it selfish?" Basil asked, letting himself be doted upon as per usual.

"I never said it was. But not everyzing I do is solely for ze benefit or pleasure of ozers."

Basil fell silent in thought, one of those knitted brows of concentration on his face until he practically looked ill to his stomach.

But then he spoke up with a question that was most definitely not what caused the boy so much stress.

"Is purple really your favourite colour?" He asked.

No big surprise that the King of Avoidance let it go.

Colette stroked Basil's cheek.

"I may limit myself to having one favorite man, but I could never limit myself to a single colour."

"I guess I'll have to just keep buying them all for you then." Basil reached to take her hand from his cheek.

"Shall i take over again, or do you have better plans for me?"

Colette gave Basil's hand a gentle squeeze. "Well zat depends. Are you feeling better?"

Basil shrugged, then nodded. "Yes... I think so...

Just questioning how I'm not supposed to think you selfless when you ask me questions about my welfare in situations most would say I bring upon my myself." He commented with a sheepish grin.

"Because I CARE about you, you silly boy. And no amount of posturing, or roles we assume, is going to change zat."

"Nor would I expect it to."

The comment opened a door he'd been meaning to, but hadn't had the chance to until now.

Basil was looking at her fingers as he spoke, stroking his own between hers playfully.

"There is no one, definitive way to approach this situation you know. Madame does not need to be heartless nor pretend to be in order to be Madame.

Every person is a bit different, and therefore so are all mistresses."

Colette's cheeks flushed a bit. Even though this was a part of their relationship, it was still something new for her, something she was inexperienced with.

"So, I should spend less time zinking about how to properly give commands, and more time asking for ze zings I really want, no?"

"And you... should be taking measures to find out if I am wearing every item that was included in that gift box."

"Indeed you should. You need only tell me what it is you desire and I will do my absolute best to accommodate."

Basil smirked, leaning upright with his back against the tree. He didn't let her go, but his hold of her loosened enough that if she wanted to move about, she could.

"Better." He replied. "How do you mean for me to do so?

These are the things I need to know my Queen. Without an understanding of your desires, I cannot hope to fulfill them. I may even fumble and spoil things for you if I am not careful.

You are not my first, but I am yours. You are the one who needs to be handled with care or I could ruin this."

"You are going to unwrap your present, starting from the extremities and working your way in. You are going to be very careful - no tearing the wrapping paper, you have to fold it and set it gently aside for when you help rewrap me later. And you are not going to stop until I tell you to." Colette smiles softly. "Better?"

"Yes. Much."

Basil then began the 'task' he had been assigned, gently shifting Colette about in such a fashion that his legs supported her torso, her head gently resting against his knee with the rest of her cradled in his lap, her legs stretching over the side of his other leg.

If he was going to undress her out here, he needed to be mindful that his girlfriend didn't touch the uncovered ground or she'd turn into so much dropped bubblegum. Unsexy.

Since she had been fairly specific about order, Basil started at her feet. He was already looking for an excuse to start there, but he didn't need one now. He was mindful and careful with the shoes and he had been instructed to be, but didn't seem to give them much other concern.

He considered her stockings but left them for now under the logic she meant for him to start 'at the extremities' so he wasn't just rushing to get his hands under her skirt.

He locked eyes with her for a moment as he went for her fascinator, smiling at her as he pulled gently to unlodge the clip from her gelatinous hair. It too was placed carefully and gently out of their way to prevent crushing it.

When he got to her hands, he lingered a bit. Taking up her right in his left, he pressed the gloved hand to his cheek and sighed, then rolled his face into the palm of her hand and took a deep breath. He paused there for a few moments before planting a kiss on her wrist, and then again in her palm after the glove's removal. He made sure not to linger too much, as he was told not to stop.

Colette cooed softly at the gentleness and precision of Basil's actions, making her feel every bit a princess. She smiled as she watched him, cheeks a darker shade of translucent pink.

"Tell me, Basil. Which do you prefer?" She gently cupped his cheeks in both hands, one now gloved and the other bare. The bare hand wasn't slimy, she had sense enough to solidify her digits before touching his skin. "This may prove important in the future."

Colette stroked Basil's ears with a finger each, studying his face for a moment. "Like coffee and tea, boz have zeir ideal situations, hmm? Very well. You may continue." She brushed her bare thumb over his lips.

Basil would give her thumb a quick kiss as he pulled the tie on her capelet loose to remove it. For the moment, he'd leave it pinned under her shoulders.

It left him with only the stockings and the dress left. Careful not to expose her, Basil folded an arm over her lap to keep her skirt pinned down and ran a hand up her thigh to undo the garter straps on one of her legs.

Something was off.

"There's definitely something missing."

"Well, some zings were not included in your package, so I had to do wizout." Colette closed her eyes for just a moment before she smiled. "Zere, is zat better?"

Basil narrowed his eyes at her skeptically with a sly smirk.

"You know that wasn't what I meant you cheeky little minx."

((FTB))

Later, Colette was laying with her arms wrapped around Basil's chest, half-wrapped up in the blanket to protect their modesty, glass dishes of food sitting in the grass nearby. She let out a soft and contented sigh as she rubbed her cheek against her boyfriend's form.

"Mmm... you are so warm."

Basil let off a tired chuckle.

"Yes, that's what happens after a work out." Basil laid a hand gently against the side of her head as she snuggled into him to leech all his bodyheat away.

That was one of the oddities of the girl, her temperature usually of her surrounding environment, often making her feel cool to the touch. But with Basil acting as her heat rock she had already reached a much more pleasant temperature. She let out a soft coo at his touch, moving her head into it like a cat getting its head scratched.

"Mm, I honestly zink zis may be my favorite part." She muttered softly.

"What, the part where you sap all the heat energy out of my body like a thermal vampire?" He joked.

Colette shifted a little bit, draping a leg over Basil's. "Well, yes? Or razer, feeling you so close, so much of you. Tender little touches..." She trailed off. "I do not know how to describe it properly."

Basil furrowed his brow and tilted his head.

"You can try it in French, if you like."

"Well, this feels just as wonderful as the moment we just shared. I feel this way every time you kiss me deeply with me, or hold me tight. The more of you I get to touch, the better I feel. Do you not feel the same way?"

"I don't know." Basil replied. "I guess it depends... do you mean to say it's the same experience for you?"

Colette mulled it over. "Ehm, the same, but different? The intense physicality definitely lends its own flavour...."