The hand at his hip sent a pleasant shiver up his very long spine. Aleksandr could appreciate a little boldness, even in such a small gesture. It certainly wasn't the most daring move, but the young man seemed to be testing is boundaries and finding his courage. The snake would simply have to show him how it was done.

Derek wanted a phone number, but he had gotten into a bad habit of leaving his own phone at his apartment. Carrying bulky things was a hassle, but if there was the possibility of collecting numbers from promising meetings he might reconsider. Sending the number from his phone wasn't currently an option, so he'd have to go to the source.

Taking the hand at his hip by the wrist Aleksandr carefully lifted it and maneuvered the young man it was attached to into a spin. His other arm wrapped around Derek's waist and gently pulled him flush against his scaled chest while he continued to sway to be beat. He meant to hold the young man in place, but was not gripping so tight that escape was impossible.

Releasing the wrist he slowly slid his free hand down Derek's side and into his front right pocket. He let it linger just a moment before removing the hand and the young man's phone with it. "I do enjoy the park," he replied, saving his number in the phone under 'Out of Your League' with a little snake emoji as a reminder. "Coffee I also like. And maybe dessert."

Derek chewed on his lip nervously as he waited for an answer on whether or not he would be able to get his number. If it was a fell, then Derek would still be proud of himself. He took a chance on someone that was way out of his league and even got to dance with him. In Derek's mind, this was all he could ever ask for.

When Aleksandr took his hand off of his hip, Derek started to apologize. That is until the beautiful serpent spun him. Derek couldn't help but blush. No one had ever...danced with him like this before. It was a new experience that Derek, no matter how this night went, would never forget. Derek's breath got caught in his throat when he felt Aleksandr's scales against his brown skin.

A lot of things were racing through his mind right now like whether Aleksandr was a constrictor or if he was venomous. Either way, Derek would be fine with dying. He didn't know where to put his hands so he just rested them on Aleksandr's chest. It felt a bit weird since Derek was usually the one to be doing the waist holding, but he'd have to get over that.

Derek was about to speak until he felt his hand slip into his front pocket. Derek tried to speak, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get a word out.

"Maybe...maybe dinner." Derek whispered in an almost husky voice. He slowly slid his hands down from his chest to his waist. "But, ah, coffee at the park sounds good too." He searched Aleksandr's eyes for a bit before blushing and looking down.

"Maybe dinner another night." It had to have been getting late at that point. Not that he was opposed to late nights, but it would limit their options for dinner when a number of places closed at a certain time. If Derek still wanted a dinner date some other time they could make an earlier evening of it so they wouldn't feel rushed or restricted.

Coffee, on the other hand, could be found at almost any time of night and the Park didn't close until late. Staying out after closing hours could be fun, too. Aleksandr had no qualms about breaking the rules. An adrenaline filled brush with the law was always an interesting date when done right. All that excess energy was often put to good use after the fact.

"You are wanting to leave for coffee now?" he asked, watching in amusement as the young man failed to hold eye contact for more than a few minutes. Aleksandr knew his eyes could be unnerving for some, but this was nothing more than endearing bashfulness. "You are sure you can handle me on your own?" He ran a nail lightly up Derek's spine with one hand and slid the phone back into his pocked with the other.

"Right, not tonight," Derek shook his head, chuckling a bit nervously, "it's alright late an' all." He slowly looked back up at Aleksandr's gorgeous face and bit his lip for the fourth time that night. He needed to keep that under control.

Then Derek started to jump ahead and think about the possibilities of being together with Aleksandr. That was something that Derek hated about himself; projecting into the future. He was sure that Aleksandr had other guys he talked to. Hotter guys, smarter guys. Guys that could relate with being physically mutated. Derek took in a deep breath and lowered his gaze to his chest and bit the inside of his cheek.

"If you would like," Derek stated, "I wouldn't mind goin' out for coffee." Derek cleared his throat and gently traced circles on Aleksandr's sides with his thumbs. His face heated up when he asked if he could handle him on his own. "I sure hope so," he whispered, "I am sort of an animal charmer." He added with a grin.

He slowly looked up at Aleksandr when he remembered something. "Shoot! I ordered my food!" Derek hoped that no one had taken it or the bartender through it out. "Do you mind if we go ahead now so I can get my food while it's still...warm."

"Coffee it is then." Some fresh air would be nice after being surrounded by so much heat radiating from the bodies around them as well as all the smells and vibrations. A little quiet for his senses was always welcome. The weather had finally warmed up to tolerable levels, too. It was so much nicer having the freedom to be outside rather than curled up indoors under a heat lamp for hours at a time.

"Charming yes. We will see about the animals," he replied, relinquishing his grip on the young man's waist so they could begin making their way off the dance floor. Aleksandr might have been less that human, but he wasn't so easily tamed. The self proclaimed animal charmer might have his hands fuller than anticipated.

He stopped short at Derek's sudden outburst, turning away from the direction of the door and toward the bar. He vaguely recalled a menu order being placed but hadn't given it a second thought once he'd started speaking with the other young man. "Yes, yes, go and get your food. Is my fault you left it, my apologies." Hopefully it was still warm. He didn't know how much time they'd spent out on the dance floor so it was entirely possible for it to have gone cold.

"If it is cold, I will buy for dinner another night and make it up to you," he offered, following Derek toward the bar and peering over his shoulder. It would be a shame if they decided to cut the night short so he could head home and get some warm food in his belly, but Aleksandr would understand.

So, it was official Aleksandr and himself would be going out for coffee in a few minutes. Derek couldn't believe that he actually agreed. He bit his lip tried not to have a goofy smile across his face. "Cool, thanks for agreein' to go get coffee with me."

Derek smirked. He didn't know if ALeksandr thought that he was playing around when he told him that he was an animal charmer. It was true, Derek did have the power to influence the behavior of animals. Maybe he'd bring it up during their little coffee pre-date.

"Thank you!" Derek made a beeline for the bar and made for his food and the two servings of daiquiris he had. "You don't have to do that," Derek looked over his shoulder as Aleksandr followed him, "if it is cold, I'll just heat it up when I get back to my apartment." He asked the bartender to put it into a to-go box and place it in the bag. The bartender did so and handed his food to Derek. The latter gave him a ten dollar tip.

Turning around full to look at Aleksandr, he smiled and placed a shaky hand on the small of his back. "You ready to get coffee now?" He asked as he headed out from the bar. He didn't know where the nearest coffee place was, but he and his new "friend" was going to find one.

The offer was declined, but Aleksandr decide he'd probably still offer to pay whenever the plans were actually made. Not having to buy clothes for himself meant that any money not reserved for rent could be spent elsewhere instead and he hardly ever minded putting some of it toward date nights. He would have to remember to set some aside to reserve for their dinner just in case it slipped his mind before the date was set.

"If you are sure. I would hate to be keeping someone from a hot meal." There was nothing worse that trying to eat cold food that was meant to be consumed hot. It made him a little chilly just thinking about putting something cold in his belly. Cold on the outside was bad enough, but being cold from the inside by choice was nothing short of self hatred.

Feeling the hand at his back Aleksandr allowed Derek to corral him toward the door and out onto the street. There were a number of coffee shop littering the streets of New York, not all of them good, but the majority were acceptable and easily accessible. A lot of chains had popped up on what seemed like every street corner almost overnight. Most of what they offered hardly sounded like coffee, but they were often the best options for late night caffeine fiends.

After checking to make sure his choice was acceptable, Aleksandr ducked into a one of the chain stores a few blocks down. Maybe they could try for a smaller independent coffee shop another time. The serpent placed an order for a regular coffee with a little milk and a disproportionate amount of sugar. He would pay for Derek's order as well. The least he could do was buy the kid a hot coffee after ruining his dinner plans.

"Your home is nearby?" he asked, savoring the heat from his cup in his hands, but not daring to take a sip of the scalding coffee just yet. "You would maybe like to put away your food before the Park?"

Derek didn't know if it was just him, but everything that came from Aleksandr's mouth sounded both sexual and sensible. It made the hairs on his arms stand up in attention. He liked that he cared about whether his food was going to be hot or not. In Derek's mind, he would simply heat up his food when he got back to the Homeycomb Co-Op. No harm, no foul. "I think it's still good. Thank you for your concern, though."

His heart only seemed to be faster with his hand on the small of Aleksandr's back. He was super excited and even gave Aleksandr a small squeeze. Derek Menes couldn't let his hormones get the best of him so he dropped his hand and stuffed it into his back pocket. He didn't want to send the wrong message to Aleksandr that he only wanted...tail.

When they came to the coffee shop, Derek insisted that he would pay for himself, but knew that it was in vain. Derek ordered himself a simple iced caramel coffee with a chocolate chip cookie. Now settled with his coffee and cookie, Derek listened to Aleksandr's question.

"Oh, I stay at the Honeycome Co-Op? It's amazin' there." Derek's accent thickened a bit before he turned his gaze away from Aleksandr. He was just too gorgeous so stare at.

Aleksandr paused half way to taking a tentative sip from his cup. It was a good thing he hadn't taken the sip yet or he might have actually done a spit take. As it was he simply stared at Derek over the rim of his cup for a moment, processing the new information before a wide grin broke out over his face and an amused chuckle escaped him.

"You are living at Honeycomb?" he repeated, stifling the laughter as soon as he could. This was too good. What were the odds that in such a big city with so many bars he'd wind up pairing off with the one guy that he shared a building with. "I live at Honeycomb also. Second floor. I am new resident," he continued, grin still in place.

"I suppose we will be taking each other home tonight," he said, grin widening just a fraction. Derek might not think so, but Aleksandr found the whole thing rather amusing in an absurd kind of way. At least they wouldn't have any trouble getting in contact with each other.

Derek took a sip of his coffee as he watched Aleksandr's expression. "What?"Derek didn't know why he was looking at him like that. Maybe there was something on his face?

When Aleksandr explained that he was also a cohabitant of the Honeycomb Co-Op, Derek gave the same look to Aleksandr that he gave him. "...Oh." He gulped. He could feel his face get warm and his palms start to sweat. So Derek wouldn't have to go far in order see the sexy serpent. Derek slowly lowered his cup and grinned back at him. "I-I'm on the third floor."

"So, i guess that means we'll be seein' a lot of each other, huh?" Derek chewed on his bottom lip and tried not to seem too giddy.

"Yes, I think we will." Especially with things like the group dinners set up to keep the residents in touch with each other. Aleksandr hadn't attended one just yet, often preferring less conventional meals, but if they provided an excuse to get to spend time with the other cohabitants and if any of the others were as much fun as Derek he might have to start making appearances.

"I have second floor all for myself. For now anyway." He paused to finally sip from his cup. It was almost too sweet with all the sugar in it, but that's how he liked it. Just cool enough not to burn his tongue, too, but hot enough that he could feel it warming his throat and stomach. Pure bliss in a cup.

The Co-Op was shaping up to be an exciting environment. The last time he'd lived with a group had been at the Mansion and the majority of inhabitants there were children. Living with a group closer to his own age would be much nicer. He didn't have to temper himself quite so much around other adults.

"There are three empty rooms besides mine," he continued with a casual shrug, giving his coffee a few more stirs to get the last of the excess sugar off the bottom of the cup. "Plenty of room if you are needing some quiet or a new bed. I will not tell management if you are sneaking around."

Derek fought back a giggle. He wasn't the one to make such a noise, but sometimes when a hot mutant or guy in general gave him attention like this then he was almost inclined to. Almost, hence him holding it back.

"Oh? Does it ever get lonely? I'm sure if feels like you have the apartment floor all to yourself." Derek on the other hand had two apartment mates: Richard and the guy on the end. He had met Richard when he gave him a brief tour of the house as well as going with him to Central Park when the zoo was closed. Derek took a sip of his iced coffee and moaned a bit at the flavor. It was rather good. Better than what he excepted.

"Thank you for the offer," Derek paused before continuing, "or maybe I'll go down there to check on you to see how you're doin' 'nd all." Derek chewed on his straw in thought. He studied Aleksandr's scales and felt a little fuzzy inside. "So should I save the questions I want to ask you for dinner?"[/color

"Is sometimes lonely, yes. The basement has some company, but is not the same as living on the same floor with someone," Aleksandr answered. From what he could tell the Co-Op was still relatively new so there weren't too many residents yet. He was pretty sure the main floor was devoid of tenets as well, but he didn't doubt more people would move in rather quickly once the building was more well known. "But is nice to have extra space. It allows me also to walk around naked." Not that he was really ever not naked, but it was a novelty that most people living on their own seemed to enjoy.

"Yes, is good to be checked on," he replied again with faux thoughtfulness. He had not missed the little moan that had gotten away from Derek after sipping his coffee. It had very much caught his attention, but he chose not to comment on it. He did, however, entertain the thought of what other sounds he could drag out of the young man over time. "Who knows what kind of trouble a snake like me could be doing all on his own?"

Taking another sip of his coffee he took a moment to contemplate the last question. He was terribly curious about what was on the other young man's mind and it was hard to pass up an opportunity to talk about himself. "Maybe some questions now and some later?" he offered as a compromise, unable to resist completely. "Unless you can't wait until next time, then we will just have to find other ways to entertain ourselves."

Derek frowned a bit when Aleksandr told him that it could get lonely for him since he was the only one on his floor. Derek was about to comfort him until he got blindsided by the added statement. "...Oh! That's...always good," Derek paused, "but aren't you always naked? Unless you're wearing clothes right now that I can't see."

Unknown to the Tempting Snake's nasty thoughts, Derek took a bite out of his cookie. That was also good and gooey. He loved gooey things. "I'm sure you don't behave yourself." That was supposed to be a thought. Derek's face was so hot that someone could fry an egg on it. "Sorry, that was inappropriate." Derek shook his head and gave himself a mental facepalm. He tried not to look to flustered.

Aleksandr certainly had a way with words, "uh, some questions now and the rest later." Derek took a sip of his coffee. "So how does your anatomy and physiology work?"

"Technically yes. But is fun to pretend sometimes." His serpentine body afforded him some modesty in certain respects so clothing was no longer a necessity, which as far as he was concerned was just another perk to his mutaton. But even so some people were still a bit scandalized by his lack of dress, though they were often few and far between. He sometimes like to amuse himself by thinking about how they might react to a naked serpent lounging out in the open for anyone to see.

He had to laugh at the accidental slip and quick apology of Derek's. If only the young man knew some of the things running through Aleksandr's head at any given moment he might not be so quick to be embarrassed by what he said. "Oh yes. I hear I am very much a handful. In more ways than one," he replied with a wink.

Anatomy was often one of the first things others were keen to understand about the snake man, which was understandable. Anything that varied from the average human shape was often a point of interest and figuring out how it worked was the best way for people to try and fully grasp it. That was probably why dissection was such a popular trope in some areas of storytelling.

"Is mostly the same as humans on top, except for the head," he answered, absentmindedly running a hand up into the tails growing from his skull. It wasn't as easy as brushing a hand through a head of hair. At least one of the tails always wound up wrapped around a wrist or a couple of fingers. "Flat nose, forked tongue, yellow eyes," he continued, distractedly setting his coffee down to count on his fingers. "The tails do as they wish. There are fangs that retract and venom in the cheeks. The jaw can dislocate."

"The bottom is the snake. Mostly just a big spine, lots of ribs and muscle. Good for constricting." Looking down at himself he ran a hand across his chest as if trying to decide if he'd missed anything. "There are some intestinal changes on my inside. And one or two others, but that is for private discussion."