At the comment about him not dying of starvation.  Jaxon laughed and shook his head--damp curls flying around as he did so.  He bite his lip though battling a grin as he heard the next question from Oriel's lips.  The words had been offered as a rhetorical inquisition, but the playful excited side of the Cole made the opportunity difficult to pass up.  He was terrible at keeping secrets (despite how well he kept the secrets of his were affliction and rebellion alliance guarded).  

"We just might found that out," Jax said to O with a wriggle of his eyebrows.  "If I tell you a secret, can you keep it?" He drawled, glancing around to confirm there was really no one else around.  It was ironic that he was leaving the Arrows so soon after being plastered over Witch Weekly's pages as the team's poster boy.  But it was not for sure it--but the talks between PU and the Arrows were getting close to resolution.  It looked like Jax would be moving the PU before next season. "But we can talk about this inside, come on." 

Once the pair were inside the restaurant and ordering/flirting with the waitress was out of the way, Jaxon and his academic, artistic companion were left to their own devices for awhile. Drinks would come soon, but for now, they just had conversation to tide them over.

Leaning towards Oriel and resting his elbows and forearms on the table, Jaxon grinned at the other man.  His voice was uncharacteristically quiet as he said: "So, yeah--I might be moving over to Puddlemere. Nobody knows yet--and don't be running to your editor and tellin' her, not that I think that's much of the type of story Witch Weekly is looking to break before the Prophet, but I'm pretty excited.  It'd be awesome to be captain."

Oriel watched in barely-veiled amusement as Jaxon moved towards him, acting all secretive. He decided to humour him and lean forwards a bit too. Not too much though, because there were people around and he was in a magical pub with a famous Quidditch player. He didn't really want to be turning heads today. At all. Not even an inch.

He listened carefully, with growing happiness as Jaxon spoke of his possible transfer and promotion. He didn't know why he might want to change teams -although the promotion part was clear-, but Jaxon seemed happy. And anything that made someone happy like that was good, in his books. It might also have had something to do with the way the player's smile seemed a bit more elated and less sexual than usual, and how his eyes seemed to be almost sparkling with excitement. It made him seem vibrant, not in the sensual way he usually was, but different. And it was good.

"That's great! It's amazing, I'm sure they'll take you." He grinned widely. "You're a great player, there's no possible reason for them not to want you. I guess I'll be switching teams?"

There were few people in Jaxon's life that he could share this news with. It wasn't the sort of thing that he'd announce to other werewolves. He tried to keep his talk about his career down around that crowd--it already strongly set him apart that he kept with his high profile, high earning career. But he'd been bitten in the off months between his first and second year as a professional athlete---after a rookie season like he had (he'd earned rookie of the year and even earned a nomination for the seeker specific award for excellence), it did not make sense for him to leave the league. Plus, he was bound to his contract with the Arrows at that time. Trying to quit would have drawn way more attention to him. Though, his second and third seasons he had suffered a dip in performance trying to learn how to play and manage his were affliction at the same time. That led to some talk about him just having beginner's luck, but he overcame that bullshit. By his fourth year, he was improving again--and had continued to do the same for the last two years. Which brought them to now, and to this transfer and his 'promotion' to captain.

He beamed when Oriel congratulated him. "They do want to take me--and my contract is up with the Arrows, but there is still details to work out--but I'm pretty excited. It's a real honor to be makin' captain." His words died on his lips as the waitress came back towards them. She had their drinks and deposited them on the table with smiles and lash flutters all around, doing her best to garner the attention of the two handsome men. Jaxon drawled out a thank you ma'am coupled with a grin before turning his attention back to Oriel. The waitress eventually got the hint that she wasn't going to get anything more and promised their food would arrive shortly.

Once they were left to themselves, he was talking again: "But that might mean, I'll be back under your lens with a new logo painted on me chest." Jaxon commented with a laugh.

"And are you sayin' you'd become a PU fan just for little ole me? Such flattery. I love it." The flirty side of him was emerging. The man's lips curved into a sinful, wicked smirk--that dimple luring Oriel into any sort of sin that the academic artist might be willing to commit with the were.

Oriel didn't have any time to comment before the waitress showed up with the drinks, but there was also nothing for him to say. He might have been slightly addled by the brightness of the smile that had been sent towards him. It was different to the sly, enticing, sexy smirks the seeker usually sent. It was just happiness, bright and with nothing behind it other than that. Jaxon was excited and that was infectious.

The professor nodded at Cindy/Mindy in thanks, and took a sip of his pumpkin juice while Jaxon busied himself with her. Though that didn't last long and the other man's attention was soon turned back to him. The waitress left and the conversation continued. He snorted at Jaxon's comment of his shoot. He'd barely thought about it, but the first shoot was now indeed rendered obsolete. He was sure PU would want a shoot with their new captain, definitely, and Oriel was Witch Weekly's main photographer so unless they went private it'd be up to Oriel again. Not that he was complaining.

"Please, Jaxon, I'd come up with a whole new idea. It's overused now, anyway." It was true, after the issue had come out various other magazines had been 'inspired' by the raw surroundings and the 'unorthodox' way of representing the player's allegiance. Let it be said that none looked better than Oriel's because the idea fitted with Jaxon and Jaxon only.

It was nearly intoxicating, how Jaxon could turn something so boyish as a dimple into something so tempting. He was quite nearly tempted to lean over the table and give him something to grin about, but he didn't. After all, they were in public, first, and second; he didn't think Jaxon was here for that. But the short flash of that dimpled smile hovering above him in the dark passed unbidden, and Oriel wouldn't help but smirk in return.

"Well, the Arrows themselves haven't given me much to cheer for, have they?" He tilted his head slightly sideways, just in the way he'd had that night, inviting Jaxon to his neck. Which the other man had more than readily attacked before, if memory served.

The sound of his laughter was becoming commonplace in their little corner of the pub. Another round of the warm, husky chuckle came when Oriel promised a new idea for promoting Jaxon as the new leader of Puddlemere. "Well, get to thinkin', handsome, cause it will be happenin', I can just about gaurentee it."

His gaze remained focused on Oriel as he took a long drink of beer and then water. The smoldering gaze of the seeker lingering on any stretch of bare skin shown to him--the lines of the man's neck taunted him--his lips and tongue still remembering the taste and the feel of marking Oriel there, teeth dragging against the photographer's pulse point. The memory made his pants grow tighter. Another complaint from his stomach was the only thing that kept him from suggesting the pair of them get out of there and find somewhere more private to celebrate his good fortune.

Jaxon realized he had let his mind get distracted by fantasies and vivid memories and had half missed whatever Oriel had just said. It took a second to piece together half-heard words into a coherent thought. He stalled by bringing the beer to his lips again. "Ah, now, we tried, made it pretty deep, too, but yeah--fair point. PU has been sucking it up, too, though. I won't be inheritin' the best team out there, that's for sure. But they were definitely weakest at seeker--and well, I'm one hellauva seeker. And I'm also ramblin' about this. Obviously it ain't too easy for me to keep a secret--at least not when it's a good one."

There food arrived then, but this time, Jaxon's gaze didn't go to the flaunted breasts of the waitress as she leaned down to put his plate in front of him. The man's dark eyes stayed on Oriel and he wore a genuine smile. "Thanks for listenin' to me blab about it. Appreciate the dinner company, too, damn bit better than eatin' in here alone."

Oh, yes, Oriel already had ideas for a next shoot, should it happen. It had quite a lot to do with the Jaxon he was doing now. Not havoc, or broken glass, no brass or blue, or dark colours. But golden, gold dust, him illuminating the room around him, because that was what he seemed to do wherever he went. Oriel was glad to have run into him today, dinner by himself and another night locked up in his office doing dangerous experiments sure seemed... repetitive. But even the conversation held surprises when Jaxon was involved.

"Oh, I already am." His eyes trailed suggestively over the seeker's body, before meeting his eyes again and taking a sip of his drink.

He listened to Jaxon's rambling about his team. He seemed to have misunderstood, but he wasn't about to correct him. Oriel had meant that the Arrows hadn't given him much to cheer for personally because he didn't keep up with Quidditch, therefor his team preferences were just 'this one bloke who'd shown him an amazing time'. He could shamelessly say he was biased in this matter. But he let the other man speak, and listened to him with a smile on his face.

Feeling the seeker's eyes on him, he thanked Cindy/Mindy for the meal and smiled at her until she was satisfied and left. His sandwich was blue cheese, walnut and honey. Oh, she remembered he'd really liked that one. That was nice of her.

But he didn't pay much attention to the food once Jaxon started talking again. He was being thanked for listening, and for the company. It made Oriel smile. "As long as you talk, I'll listen. And I'll be keeping my lips sealed." He shrugged. "And that makes better dinner company for both of us, yeah?"

The way Oriel's eyes moved over him brought a burst of arrogant confidence to the seeker and he laughed deeply. "Oh, I bet you are," he drawled, before winking at the photographer.

The idea that someone did not keep up with Quidditch was not even a possibility in the seeker's mind. Jaxon had been obsessed with the sport since his first year at Hogwarts. Always athletic, he had played muggle sports before coming to the magical school--but Quidditch! Oh, Quidditch put muggle sports to shame. Adding in flying made all the difference. Adrenaline rushes for days!!!!

The food was there and Jaxon could not have been happier. He was so hungry. But he was not a pig, his mother had taught him manners. So, as he ate, he didn't look like a little piglet. "I just that I didn't mean to dominate the conversation--" He fell silent, though, as he dug into his Shepard's pie.

"Oh, I don't mind."

Oriel took a bite out of his sandwich, chewing slowly as he savoured the bittersweet taste. He ran his free hand absent-mindedly through his hair. He didn't mind the silence, most of his life was spent in silent pondering. He'd been more than content to listen to Jaxon ramble, but now that they were eating he felt that maybe he should pick up the conversation himself. In his mind, Jaxon didn't seem like the type of person to really appreciate silence when in company... or maybe he did. Oriel didn't know him well enough to form a real opinion.

Either way, Jaxon had already shared quite a bit, maybe Oriel should too. Conversation was a two way street, or however they saying went. Only... he didn't think he'd have much to tell the other man that would interest him. And from what he'd been able to gather from Jaxon's slight admittance outside, family was a delicate topic...

"I've been thinking of moving. Since I got the job a WW I've been able to make ends meet more easily, helping out pops has taken up less of my pay check. A bigger place might be better, I end up spending the night at Hogwarts just because my apartment is too crowded to reach the bed without stepping into five different paint buckets." Then he shrugged. "One of my coworkers at the school is looking for a roommate, she works at WW and at the school too, so I might talk to her about it. That is, if she doesn't mind me pretty much plastering art projects all over the walls. Most people mind, though, but she seems pretty eccentric from what I've seen so far so maybe she won't."

He finished off his sandwich pretty quickly, it was good and he didn't feel like getting anything else. He'd had a large lunch, the house-elves really knew how to cook. Then he kept drinking his pumpkin juice.

The food was good and filling. He ate quickly, glancing from plate to photographer and back again as Oriel picked up the responsibility of conversation while the seeker sated his hunger.

Jaxon smiled to himself as he ate- He was excited about Puddlemere...and now that his hunger was starting to fade, he was excited about where this impromptu dinner was going to lead. He had a very strong feeling that he and Oriel would be back between his sheets soon. The idea made his pants a bit tighter and brought a flash of deviance to his dark eyes.

The academic artist spoke about moving. At that word, Jaxon wrinkled his nose. Even with magic, moving still sucked--though considerably less than doing it the muggle way. "It can be good to have more space. I am not big on cohabitation, but if you like 'er, then maybe it'd be a decent idea. Probably good to be able to get away from the castle and still have a bed to sleep it."

The server came back--asked if they needed anything more as she cleared their plates away. "Nah, I'm good," Jaxon drawled, flashing her his wolfish grin. "One check, and I'll take it whenever," he instructed her, giving the woman a wink as he sent her on her way.

Oriel shrugged, considering the man's words. He didn't like Laelia, he didn't know Laelia. He might like her eventually, or maybe instantly, but either way, it'd be nice to have more space. He didn't doubt Jaxon would never be one to live with others, first of all because as much as he slept around, he seemed to be a pretty private bloke. Second reason... he slept around. If you do that then having a platonic co-habitant was not something that was useful, and it went without saying that there wouldn't be a non-platonic co-habitant.

Then he frowned. "You know, it's becoming a bad habit of yours to pay for everything. Y'already paid for the drinks last time." He told the other man as soon as the waitress had walked away. He didn't know why -maybe it'd been something one of his exes had planted into his head- but he never disagreed with someone he was accompanying when there was anyone close enough to overhear. "I'll pay for this and I'll pick up my tab while I'm at it."

He could tell the other man was eager to get away, if the darkening of his eyes was anything to go by. Out of experience, Oriel knew that it indeed was something to go by. And he wanted to go with him, something told him Jaxon had already had that in mind. Would he just give in in order to get out of there more quickly, or would he push back? To be quite honest, Oriel wouldn't put up an argument usually -he wanted to get out of here too- but having his dinner paid for and then getting laid, only to leave as soon as they were done left a bitter taste in his mouth. As if being bought dinner was payment.

He knew it wasn't meant like that, of course, but still.