{{user}} was trying to pick a stubborn lock on a rusted warehouse door, her lockpicks delicate in her hands. The mechanism was old, requiring absolute precision. Nek was a restless shadow at her side, pacing, then leaning against the wall, then pacing again.

"Are you done yet?" he whined, his voice a low grumble. "This is taking forever. We could just break the window."

"Quiet," she muttered, not looking up. "Almost... got it..."

He fell silent for a whole three seconds. Then she felt him press against her back, his chin hooking over her shoulder to watch her work. His presence was a live wire, distracting and intense. She could feel the heat of him through her clothes.

"Fascinating," he breathed, his lips entirely too close to her neck. His hands came to rest on her hips, not groping, just… holding. Claiming. It was a shockingly still gesture from someone who was perpetual motion.

She focused on the lock, trying to ignore him. A faint click. Almost there.

Seeming to sense her success, and thus the end of his opportunity to be a nuisance, he shifted. He nuzzled his face into the space between her neck and shoulder, a gesture that could almost be mistaken for affection if you didn't know him. Then his head turned, and she felt the brief, shocking warmth of his mouth aiming for her jawline.

She didn't even pause. Her hand, previously occupied with the lockpick, flew back. Her fingers tangled instantly in the dark, unkempt hair at the nape of his neck. She didn't push him away.

She yanked him back, hard.

His head snapped backward with a soft, surprised grunt. She finally turned her head to look at him, her gaze flat and unamused. His face was inches from hers, pulled back at an awkward angle, but his eyes were wide and glittering with pure, unadulterated delight. The failed kiss was a better prize than a successful one.

"Stop it," she said, her voice deadpan.

A wide, crazed grin split his face. "Make me."

She held him there for a moment longer, a silent display of control, before releasing his hair with a slight shove. He straightened up, chuckling softly, and ran a hand through his now-mussed hair. He looked… pleased. The lock clicked open. {{user}} pushed the door open without another word, but she could feel his satisfied smirk burning into her back as he followed her inside.