Adventurerers! Planning [Closed to lilgiastar and The Dark L

---

Adriel was in a sulky mood as he trudged into the Oxford Library. Normally, he wouldn't be since he was visiting Art, but his father had somehow caught wind of his little crush on Art and lectured him about 'delicate hearts' and 'wooing' and all of that like he hadn't been in a relationship before! Well, technically those didn't last very long, but those had been based on them thinking he was hot and fun, and he was pretty much thinking of them as 'a good time for the moment until things fall apart.'

However, Art was different! He was actually crushing on him because of those big eyes, dry gallows humor, and his intelligence! Then after those came his desire for Art's slim and soft body. Crushing on Art was hard business and he had already been mooning after him for the past year and a half of their three year friendship! Technically, he had one ex that he still slept with on occasion, but they had happily settled into a friends-with-loving-benefits type of arrangement and he had never crushed on Antoine. Theirs was definitely a whirlwind affair with a strong friendly bond in between, so he had very much insisted that that was different during the lecture and...

Well, he was two hours late now. Art was going to be all cranky.

As Adriel slipped into Art's cozy office, he found he was half right. Art was furiously tapping away at his type writer with several crumpled up balls of papers all over the place, and he was muttering fifteen century torture techniques in alphabetical order. Adriel immediately tried to back pedal out because Art could be absolutely terrifying, but that was when Art ripped out the paper, crumpled it in his hands, and screeched "YOU HAD BETTER NOT BE DEAD, ADRIEL!"

"I'm here!" Adriel yelped rather than make his escape, and Art whirled around, ran up to him, and flung himself up against him while hugging his neck.

"Adriel!" Art cheered out, but before he could wrap his arms to return the hug, Art backed up and leveled him with a glare that burned with the heat of a sun going supernova. "Adriel!" That was was more snarled, and Art put his hands on his hips like a very angry mother and flared his nostrils. "You better have a better excuse than you got distracted by a movie flick!"

Adriel beamed at Art and stepped forward to sweep Art up into his own arms and spin him around in a circle before he set the less-angry-but-definitely-ruffled-up librarian. "Nope, father wanted to give me a last minute lecture about protecting your virtue~" Adriel sang, leaving out the part that the lecture had been about Adriel not being allowed to just play with Art like he did 'all the others.' "Father worries about you so!"

Art's angry red flush quickly turned into a pink one as he forgot about his anger to eep and took a step back. "No, no, I don't want to hear it!" Art said, then put his hands over his ears. "Lalalalalalalalalala!"

Adriel snickered, then moved past Art so he could pick up a crumpled paper to open it up, but whatever was on it was something Art didn't want known since he flung himself on Adriel as Adriel bent over. They both crashed to the floor in a tangle of limbs, but he was able to twist enough so Art more landed on him than he did on the floor. "Oof."

"You can't read that!" Art said in a panicked tone, not even noticing that he had tackled Adriel down to the ground in his haste to bat away all the papers out of Adriel's reach. "It's private! PRIVATE! Leave them alone!"

Adriel had his hands up in surrender and was nodding along to Art's demands like the whipped man he was. "You can get off on me - get off of me!" Adriel said, hastily correcting the slip of his tongue that Art didn't seem to notice. It was so so hard to have a crush on someone so oblivious! Thankfully, Art no longer minded him in his space most of the time which was a huuuuge difference from the 'no contact' boundary Art stood with for nearly the entire first year of their friendship. He kind of missed that shy and grump Art who was so cute, but this one was more fun.

"My little boy, all grown up and keeping secrets from his best friend!" Adriel wailed, and Art's eyed widened with panic as he tried to scramble back. Alas, he didn't make it far, only onto Adriel's lap before Adriel was sitting up to hug Art and nuzzle his cheek. "You used to tell me everything," he dramatically sighed out. "Now you are going to leave the nest and be off finding Atlantis and everything!"

By the time he pulled back to grin at Art, Art was red faced and looking very embarrassed. Art leaned forward to give him the tiniest hug back - really more of a press of chests together - then Art scrambled off to crawl around and collect all the papers strewn about. "Still as bouncy as ever," Art said, trying to sound bitchy but his voice came out fond. "How is Dr. Pennington?"

"He keeps telling you to call him Uncle David," Adriel reminded Art as he rolled to flop belly down while watching Art crawl around because of his wiggling butt. "And he's doing ok. The Vatican is still pushing the ICW to give him an Order of Merlin for finding Gomorrah, but the ICW is a mess with how Grindelwald wrecked New York City, got caught, and they are trying to find a place that will actually hold him. And you know father, he just wants to be left alone so he can find the sister city Sodom."

"I can't call him Uncle!" Art exclaimed as he twisted to look back at Adriel, and what a sight that was! Well, if the facial feature was one of need rather than scandalized. "And he should get that Order! People looked for it for thousands of years and he found it!"

Adriel let out a quiet sigh as Art resumed cleaning which let him resume watching. "You two are so silly," Adriel replied back. "You know he adores his favorite apprentice. Only apprentice, really, but that just makes you more special because the only other person he has taught stuff to is me. You might have initially accepted so you could stick around the Valley, but he initially offered because he liked you. And you like him back! Admit it!"

Art took away the wonderful view because he sat down next to the rubbish bin and scowled at him. "I never said I didn't like him," Art replied as he began putting the armload of paper balls into the wastebasket one by one. However, even that much of an admission from Art meant he absolutely adored Adriel's father right back. Art hadn't needed to take the apprenticeship when it was offered, but he did because he had idolized Adriel's father a smidge. As in two sets of every book, one copy signed and kept mint, the other for reading. "It's just inappropriate to call him Uncle. I also already have one in Guatemala."

"That you still haven't met though he does have the best chocolate," Adriel said as his eyes took on a dreamy gleam. "So delicious." Art had shared a small cube, but Adriel still remembered it like it was yesterday even though it had been last year. "I really need to find a criollo bean farm and buy a giant sack to give you your father to make more. Still the best chocolate ever!" Adriel blinked. "Where were we? Oh, I remember, and I answered so it's my turn! How is everything going with Jessica?"

Jessica was one of the workers at the Ashmolean who had a passion for Ancient Greece, and Adriel had set the two up for the first date to watch Greek Street together. He had told them it was a musical about a singer from Soho, and Art was disappointed, but he went along since she seemed to like the idea even more and Adriel had encouraged Art to try one more time. Both of them hated the movie, and from that hatred had bloomed a relationship that started with Art inviting her (at his prompting) to the Spanish restaurant so they could mock the film together.

"Oh," Art said with a flush, and he studiously found something else to look at. Anything else. Which is how a book from Art's desk landed on Art's head since he had tried to blindly grab for it. "Ouch!" Adriel watched as Art managed to catch the book before it hit the floor, and his attempt at trying to avoid the conversation turned into a genuine worry as he checked his book over for any damage.

Adriel let Art have his moment until Art breathed a sigh of relief. "So... Jessica?" Adriel prompted, then tilted his head to try and catch Art's mumble except it was too low and too mumbled. "Sorry, I didn't catch that. Will you please speak a little clearly?"

Adriel hadn't dared assume that the relationship was going good or bad because Art sometimes acted strange. "We broke up," Art said with a frown, then he got to his feet and got himself busy. "Last month right after I sent the last letter. She wanted to take things a little further since I would be gone for so long, so she stuck her hand in my pants, but... Nothing happened. I couldn't... And she got angry and said I probably didn't think she was pretty enough... And it all happened very fast and we haven't talked since."

Adriel had gotten to his feet as Art told his tale, and he began to put the books he knew would not be coming along onto the shelves exactly where they were supposed to go because gods forbid he accidentally mis-shelve a single one. Art would hold it against him for months if he ever did such a thing. Or Adriel assumed so - the idea of learning what the punishment for that was scary.

"So she dumped you because you couldn't get it up?" Adriel asked, and Art didn't reply but he did raise his shoulders to his ears as he curled up like he was waiting for a verbal blow. This was one of those times he wasn't allowed to touch Art at all. "It happens sometimes because of anxiety and other things. And it sounds like she was being pushy about it and you just went along?" Art gave a tiny nod. "There's nothing wrong with you, she should have respected your space. You have made it clear to her that you wanted to wait until marriage for those kinds of things."

"But what if... I'm broken down there?" Art asked in a small voice.

"You can ejaculate just fine," Adriel reassured. "You told me about your shower activities and how it feels better than when you first tried, remember? And I gave you some tips so you could try to increase your own pleasure. If you were uncomfortable, then she would have had to work even harder, but she wasn't even patient about that. Even I sometimes don't want to do things like that, and when I'm not in the mood, it takes longer because they need to put me in the mood."

Art's shoulders had lowered a little bit and he sniffed. "Oh," he mumbled, and Adriel figured Art was beginning to blush now even if Art's back was to him. "I didn't know."

Adriel put the last book up on the highest shelf though he had to get on his tippy toes for it. "That's cause your dad's 'Talk' absolutely sucked and you won't let me give you a proper one," he answered in a bland tone. The man might be able to make the best chocolate from criollo beans, but it still pissed him off at how Art had been left to flounder through pretty much every aspect of a man's basic needs. "Look on the bright side, Art. You had a girlfriend for almost a whole year, and now you are more familiar with what kind of qualities you want that isn't 'she must be smart and not ugly.' You need someone who respects chastity, who is kind and patient, who will respect your personal space, and she doesn't have to be in the same field of work to understand you love your job and be happy that you are happy. You didn't neglect Jessica - you spent a minimum of two days a week with her, with one of them being a date even if it was just making dinner at home as I had suggested, took initiative a few times like the first time you two held hands, and she might have given you the first kiss on the cheek, but you gave her the first kiss on the mouth. Now, I don't know why Jessica did what she did - she might have been panicking because you would be gone so long and was afraid you might find someone else - but what she did was wrong. It's up to you to decide if what she did was a forgivable act and also take the initiative in these instances. Women are very weird and complex creatures, so she probably thought she was in the right at first because she thought you were not interested in her and it embarrassed her to be 'rejected' in that way, then, if she realized what she did was wrong, she might now be too embarrassed because she was too forward and she thinks you must think she is a scarlet woman or something."

And Adriel might have said that women were complex creatures, but Art was even more complex with the way he bought but also very very simple like at these times. Art would take people he trusted at face value, so Adriel had to be very careful with things like teasing and sarcasm since Art still couldn't identify it most of the time unless Adriel was deliberately holding up a finger. That same quality made it very hard for people to get along with Art because they would think he was easily offended rather than realize that he just didn't recognize those things more often than not.

"I don't know," Art finally said as he slumped his shoulders in defeat. "It's been a month and she probably has a new boyfriend, so it doesn't matter now."

Art also easily gave up when it came to any human interaction, so even though he had a couple friends and less bullies now, his low self esteem would drop them even though he was more tenacious than a snapping turtle that hadn't heard any thunder when it came to his work. "Maybe, but maybe not," Adriel said. "If she is worth it to you, you will try and see if anything can be salvaged before we leave, but we can only conjecture why she did that so you have to judge her by the act itself at the moment and decide if it's worth risking her sticking her hand in your pants again. People might have reasons, but it's easy to find excuses so you can do acts that are wrong. It is harder to refrain from doing wrong acts because it's also easy to dismiss the fact that those types of reasons are almost always selfish."

And finally Art took a step back from his desk to turn around and give Adriel Sad Eyes, but his body language was beginning to open up which meant he would be safe to touch soon. "I think this is something I would need time to think through," Art slowly said, repeating an 'excuse that is okay to use if you need to think' that Adriel had told him before. "But I don't have time?"

Adriel nodded even as he shrugged. "You don't have time, no," Adriel agreed. "And if we find Atlantis and you get famous, you will always wonder if she came back only for your fame. Sometimes you have to make these hard decision without time to think them through, and you can only hope you are right. Do you love her enough to try again?"

Art frowned, though it was less sad and more thoughtful. "What is love supposed to feel like?" Art finally asked.

Adriel blinked with surprised, then he leaned back against the shelf and crossed his left shin over the right shin as well as his arms. "Hmmm, well, first you always think about them," Adriel explained as he thought about the people he had loved, but most of all how he felt about Art. "You wonder if they are doing ok, you hope that they are healthy or happy, and you look forward to seeing them more than you look forward to a delicious dinner, though maybe not as much or just as much as you look forward to getting your hands on an ancient statue or a rare book you need. They are often the first person you think about when waking or the last thing you think about before falling asleep, and you always want them to be by your side and can see yourself happy with them next year, in ten years, and when you are old and grey and have to help them eat food because they are also old and grey but are sick. You get a warm feeling in your stomach or chest when you think about doing something pleasant - like sitting in front of the fireplace during winter while bundled up under the same blanket to share warmth, and telling each other stories while roasting marshmallows or sausages over the open flame. And, when you go shopping, sometimes you will stop in front of something and just randomly think 'huh, I bet they would really like this. Also, you might fight or argue with them, but you still love them even though you are angry.'"

Art's eyes had slowly grown larger as Adriel talked about what love felt like, and when he finished, Art scrunched his face with confusion. "But... those are best friend feelings," Art stated in a simple way, and the world completely flipped Adriel on his head and he nearly fell over because Art loved him and didn't even know that. "With Jessica, it was more like... family dinners? I usually didn't want to do things, but I wanted to try since I want a wife and kids and you were helping me. So it wasn't as bad as family dinners, but..." Art gave a helpless shrug, something he had picked up from Adriel and started using recently.

Adriel sarcastically thanked Art in his head since this was now one of those times where Adriel had to shove selfish reasons down and try and thing of the right thing! "Well, it sounds like she isn't worth it for you," he honestly said. "Have you considered adoption for children? Or do you want to pass down your genes?"

Art looked like he had been hit over the head with a cast iron skillet. "I... don't know?"

Adriel nodded. "Then it is one of those things you have to think about - you don't try and have a family and children unless you know for sure that you want all of them, and it is definitely something you think on for as long as you need," he explained, then clapped his hands together once while he stood up straight and gave Art his more cheerful smile yet. "Now, let's work on our voyage plans and what we still need to buy and what we already have!"

Artemio Reyes, the man who found Atlantis, was no longer used to being denied. He has found it makes him angry to be told no, and his current fascination, Adriel Chee, has done exactly that. He had been intending to woo the beautiful man and had made an agreement with him... Only to break it that very night. It had not been intentional, he just hadn't been able to help himself since he was used to being able to reach out and take, but that look of betrayal he had gotten had made him defensive and he had worsened the pain by resorting to a cruel retort. Now he had to think about how to fix this, but... How?

Adriel Chee, working for an international archeology certificate, was completely done with Artemio Reyes. 'Art' broke contract the second contract and only made the first contract to get him in a vulnerable position of having to work as an assistant for an entire thirty days. Adriel was going to try and get through the time he had to serve without letting down his guard or showing his back to his employer. Even if the man had written beautiful research papers, he was greedy and self serving, and Adriel would never trust him again.

---

Adriel did not think he had ever been this angry in his life, but when he woke up the next morning, everything that happened the night before came crashing down and rather than hurt, he was livid. Not that he could do anything, not with how well Mr. Reyes was politically protected and how absolute the contract Adriel had signed was. He wasn't afraid of being punished himself, however it would probably drag his tribe into it, they would demand a reparation price and most likely be denied, and they would suffer. His English family would suffer if they knew. The curse breakers would probably get involved, and it could end up becoming a civil war in the archeology community and Adriel did not want to be even peripherally responsible for that.

However, Adriel was very very good at polite displeasure. He had grown up on lessons for communication since Words were a gift from the gods and it using it to harm or help others should not be accidental acts. He wouldn't make the community go to a civil war, but he would start a cold war within this tent to keep Mr. Reyes at a spear length of distance from him. Before, he had been acting as a proper Englishman, but now that he felt like he had to survive this ordeal intact, he was falling back on his roots.

One of those root lessons was to never write down their oral tales or traditions. Some tales had been told and the white men had written them, however writing was not sacred or holy like words were so they kept most of those to themselves. Contracts, on the other hand, were promises and deals in a physical form, and breaking faith was only something a counsel could judge except he wasn't going to tell his people. He would work because he was not the type of person that would spit on a deal he had made, but he would not go out of his way for this man nor was he going to talk about ancient magic or the gods or anything that he held sacred and had never written down.

The night before was a very very long bath as he tried to get himself clean, but the morning began with him dressing in proper English attire like he was putting on tribal armor since he had not been summoned to work with Malek that morning. Mr. Reyes no doubt wanted to keep him close, so Adriel had to make sure that nothing about his attitude or words could be directly reprimanded or punished.

"Good morning, Mr. Reyes," he greeted in an impersonal and polite tone as he entered the living room and looked to where the study area was in this large space. "I will be making biscuits and gravy for our breakfast unless you prefer something else."

"Art," Mr. Reyes corrected. "That's fine. You will be translating the tablet today."

"I will be sure to work through it as quickly as I can with minimal errors, Mr. Reyes," Adriel said with a polite smile, then he turned and walked towards the kitchen and acted like he had no seen that flicker of irritation his boss had made when he refused to use his name.

He was left alone to cook, so breakfast was done relatively quickly and he set Mr. Reyes' bowl down on his desk while keeping out of grabbing range by approaching from the opposite smile. He gave a polite smile then turned on his heel to go back for his own bowl, and once again, he pretended not to notice how Mr. Reyes had opened his mouth like he had wanted to say something. Since it was not voiced, he could get away with it, and he ate his food alone in the kitchen then washed up the dished with a quick spell.

After that, he worked on the tablet in the living room, though he did send cleaning charms at the couches before he sat, and he took the couch against the tent wall that would let him watch over the whole main room. The first hour was rather quiet, but during the second hour Mr. Reyes called out his name in a quiet tone.

"Yes, Mr. Reyes?" he asked in a polite tone as he set his notes off to the side. "Did you need something?"

To his surprise, he saw the man hesitate for the first time. "No, nevermind," his boss said with a shake of his head. "But please call me Art."

"I couldn't possibly," Adriel said with a friendlier but still polite smile. Communication was not just words, it was also body language, and Adriel had not forgotten his lessons even though he had been spending most of his time away from his tribe in the past few years for certificates. "It would be highly inappropriate since I am contracted as an assistant. I need to show the proper respect."

That definitely caused a flash of anger to flicker across Art's face, and but it ended with pursed lips and white knuckles with how hard his boss was squeezing his pen. "Stop that," Mr. Reyes snapped. "I don't care if people think it is inappropriate, you will call me Art."

Adriel gave Art a look of polite confusion. "Mr. Reyes, I could also get in trouble for inappropriate conduct, so I cannot possibly act so familiar," he replied, a polite reminder that it wasn't only about Mr. Reyes. "I apologize if it upsets you, sir, but even if you are protected, I am not." He definitely meant that in many ways. "As such, it is best that I act like a proper assistant rather than a friend or anything else."

Art's eyes flashed since the insinuations had not been subtle at all, and the pen in his hand snapped. "I didn't hurt you last night," Art nearly growled. "I didn't assault you since you were willing. Stop acting like I committed a grave crime."

"You made a contract with the sole intention to get me to trust you enough to lower my guard before you broke it, sir," Adriel replied with a polite smile. "It may be a little rude to say, but your words and promises mean nothing to me anymore. I am not treating you as the borderline rapist that you are - tricking another into a situation and ignoring their boundaries actually is a crime to me and my tribe - however I am treating you as my boss since I did sign an assistant contract, and as such, the only respectful name to call you is Mr. Reyes."

Art scowled even harder, but he seemed to notice the pen since he dropped it to the side and pulled out some napkins. "Fine, if I break your contract and let you go, will you stop being angry?" Art asked in a petulant tone as he began wiping his hands clean. "Or we could redo it."

"I am not angry, sir, and I do not trust your word," Adriel said, still keeping his tone consistent. It was also true - he wasn't angry he was livid, and he would passive aggressive this to Christian hell if need be. "Even if you say you won't, I would worry that you would tell the community that I broke the contract with you and am unreliable as you threatened to do the first time I wanted to quit. It guarantees that I work for you for thirty days, live in your tent, eat the food you provide, and do translations and other tasks I am certified for that you need done. At the moment, you actually are keeping it since it has been twisted into a contract of ownership rather than one for job security, but you may, of course, fire me instead. It would still ruin my name, but at least I would not be called oath breaker."

Art stared at him, his expression a mix of stunned, guilt, but still mainly anger, then he looked away and used his want to finish cleaning up the rest of the ink spill. Adriel waited for a minute, and when Art didn't say anything, he picked up his notes to resume working like he had not been interrupted at all. It felt better to think of his situation as slavery rather than sexual assault, so he felt a little less violated even if he knew that wasn't the truth, and now Art couldn't try and mock him for being 'another one of those people that want to cry assault despite being willing' again.

"Is there anything I can do to fix this?" Art asked in a quieter voice a few minutes later. "It wasn't on purpose, I thought you wanted it."

"Sir, part of our contract mentioned 'heat of the moment' actions that should not occur," Adriel politely reminded Art as he continued to work. "You cannot please ignorance since it was very clearly outlined. You may seek reparation, of course, however the matter would need to be brought up to my tribe's elders, a counsel would need to be formed, there would need to be your family or a group of your own peers who are of proper age to stand in as your own elders, and everything would need to be laid out so a fair price could be determined. It would end up turning into a scandal of the century, so it is understandable that you would not go that route as most White Men don't."

"I'm not white," Art snapped, but Adriel did not look up from his work. "Why can't I just pay you if you just want some gold for this?"

"Reparation has nothing to do with gold or money, Mr. Reyes," Adriel politely explained as he looked up to meet Art's eyes. "Those things are almost never asked for. If I requested money, I would just be a prostitute or a whore like you had previously implied, yes? However, it would have to be brought up to a counsel so things are fairly judged in a way that meant you would not be overpaying and I would have to decide if I accept it or not. The most common form of exchange for something like this would be one or two goats to convey that the person in the wrong is trying to improve the quality of life they lowered through harm or things they stole from the wronged party. However, I don't stay on my lands long enough to care for goats or a horse or anything like that so I would decline." Adriel then tilted his head and smiled a little wider in a polite way again. "Your skin color may not be white, no, but you are part of the White Tribes. You were born and raised to their values, not another culture's values, and while I do know how to speak and act English along with other cultures, I am a Native, sir."

Art looked speechless and confused, so Adriel lowered his head and resumed his work again. Lunch passed by without a word, people came in and out to hand Art reports, and Adriel was left alone. When night fell and the work shifts were technically over, he set his work to the side and went to the kitchen to prepare dinner but laid another alert ward down at the entrance. He was in the middle of kneading ground beef into burger patties when it went off, and he tensed up as he turned around and took a step to the side since he didn't want slammed into as had happened before, but Art was stopped barely a step inside.

"May I help you, Mr. Reyes?" Adriel asked, going back to his polite smile as he forced his body to relax and controlled his breathing to slow down his heartbeat from that spike of fear. "I'm afraid my hands are a little full at the moment, but-"

"I said stop that," Art snapped out, though he was unhappily frowning instead of wearing an angry expression. "Last night was an accident - I lost control and I didn't mean to break your contract."

Adriel wanted to wash his hands since they were slimy with eggs and blood, but he wasn't going to turn around so he picked up the bowl and cradled it in one arm so he could resume kneading with his right hand. "Mr. Reyes, after the deed was done, you made it very clear that the act was deliberate because you intend to own me," Adriel politely reminded Art. "Tripping with a knife in hand and it cutting someone while you flail is an accident. Leaving a knife on the ground and someone cutting their foot open on it on accident is negligence. Stabbing someone, even in the heat of the moment, is a cruel and deliberate action. Even if you regret it afterwards, something like that cannot be undone."

Art looked like he had been sucker punched for a split second, then he scowled at Adriel. "You let yourself get 'stabbed' just so you can demand things from me," he accused. "Reparations indeed!"

"I already explained a full counsel would be needed and declined a direct payment was unwanted," Adriel said, his tone still polite but much cooler and his smile cold. "I also said I would not accept a reparation price anyway. I will serve my thirty days as your assistant, or you can fire me. Like I said, the latter would still ruin my reputation as a good worker that I have spent over a decade building, but it is better than that and being known as untrustworthy, and trying to report anything as assault would get me laughed right out just as it has with all the other people. I will not put myself in another situation to be vulnerable to you since I do not trust you, Mr. Reyes, and I would prefer to be fired than be paid off."

"Those other people threw themselves at me," Art hissed, very much on the defensive now. "They begged me! I did not assault them!"

Adriel's smile went back to a more polite one than the cold one he had been using. "Of course, Mr. Reyes," he agreed in a pleasant but still polite way. "I apologize, it is highly inappropriate of me to say otherwise when even the papers agree with you. If there is nothing else, sir, I would like to finish cooking dinner."

Art looked like he wanted to tear his hair out as he leveled a glare at Adriel, but he turned on his heel and walked out instead. Adriel finished cooking without any other interruptions, set Art's food at his desk, then turned to eat alone in the kitchen again. After that, he placed the tablet into its box, collected his notes, and left to retire to his own room, and laid down the strongest notice-me-not in his doorway along with several types of alert charms and a spell to obscure his room from anyone looking inside without blocking his own sight out. The regular locking charms on the curtain that kept his room private was next, then he went to the bathroom and did the same thing to those sets of curtains. With two layers of protection between him and the outside, he pulled out a hammock and camp bedding, used sticking charms to secure it to the walls, then he hopped into his hammock that was over the tub where his head was and over the sink where his feet was and dimmed the lights to sleep.

"Adriel, I know you are there even if I can't find your room!" was the angry shout that woke Adriel up, and he checked the time and noted that it hadn't even been two hours. "I am not done talking with you!"

"My apologies, sir, I thought that work was over for the day," Adriel politely called out and he looked down to determine the best way to get out of his bed without hurting himself. "Please give me half an hour to appropriately dress and I will resume my work on the tablet."

"I said talk, not work!" Art shouted. "Stop deliberately misunderstanding me!"

"Sir, the work contract states that I am to be available at all hours for translations," Adriel politely pointed out. "If it is not work related, I would request my sleep not being interrupted so that I may be rested enough to work tomorrow."

"What if I just say sorry?" Art asked in a mix of resignation and irritation.

"Apologies, Mr. Reyes, but I do not trust your word," Adriel politely said. "I would believe you would just be saying the word to resume your attempts to own me. There is a seventeenth century saying you may know: Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me, and I do try not to be a fool. Trust once broken is hard to regain, sir, and I was only interested in you as a colleague to begin with. I lack the experience to keep up with your game, so I shall not play it at all."

"I don't want to own you!" Art exclaimed. "I just want to keep you at my side! I have offered to marry you, even! I'm not playing a game, Adriel, I want you!"

"I fail to see the difference when you do not respect me as a person but as an object or a pet to keep," Adriel said in a dry tone, his own annoyance and his tiredness finally making him break character. "I wouldn't marry you even if you offered me complete access to Atlantis. I already explained all of this to you, and I don't like repeating myself when I just want to sleep. If there is nothing else, I am going back to bed."

There was silence for a few seconds, then Art replied. "No, nothing else," he said, sounding depressed. Then it finally went quiet.

Adriel refused to feel guilty for Art's feelings when Art had not been considering his at all. He was also glad and relieved that his spells could keep Art out. He closed his eyes and went back to sleep.

"Uh, sir? He's not in here," was said in a low tone, but it still snapped Adriel awake from his fitful sleep. It took him a second, then he scowled as he recognized the voice and pulled out his wand. "I am still getting paid, right?"

"What do you mean he isn't there - did you check the bathroom?!" he heard Art quietly hiss. Silently, he sent off a message patronus to Malek, making it take the path that would go through the wall that bordered to the outside. "It is on the right! You idiot!"

Adriel silently slipped out of his hammock, and even though his landing wasn't silent, it wasn't loud enough to get through the obscuring and protection spells in the bathroom. He refreshed the notice-me-not spell that the curse breaker brought down and stared at the curtains with irritation.

"This is not a very good way to earn my trust, Mr. Reyes," Adriel said in a polite voice. "I'm afraid it has actually set you further back. I would like to request that you fire me." Adriel had to flick his wand again to cast the spell since it was still being worked on. "And if you bring down my ward again, Chris, I will use my nastier spells on you. Malek already knows of your activities."

Adriel heard the man curse, and he apparently tried to storm out going by the stomps except it turned into a short scuffle with hiss words that was too low for Adriel to catch. "If you leave now, I am not going to pay you," he finally heard Art threaten.

"Don't give a shit," Chris replied in a pissed off tone. "Adriel is bad enough, but even if I survived him, Malek would turn me into paste and nobody would know I existed in the first place because Arabic curses are fucked up. Now, let go."

Adriel mentally sighed as he listened to Chris begin to stomp off. "How did you tell Malek if you are here?!" he heard Art say in a tone that demanded an answer. "I think you are bluffing!"

"Believe as you wish, sir, however I'm ninety percent sure you won't be castrated," Adriel said, his tone polite but edging into the dry area. "I can't guarantee the same for Chris." The steps that had paused suddenly took off at a spring. "I am also aware that I cannot threaten you or curse you in any way, not without just about everyone coming down on my head. So I will politely ask to please respect the sacrosanctity of my bedroom and do not do this again... Though I doubt you would be able to bribe another curse breaker to attempt this once they see what happens to Chris."

"I thought you were sleeping, why are you in the bathroom?"

"Why does anyone use the bathroom, Mr. Reyes?" Adriel asked, his tone very dry now. "A man does not enjoy having to defend themselves while sitting on the porcelain throne, nor holding conversations at..." Adriel checked the time real quick. "One thirty four at night. I suggest you get to sleep as well, Mr. Reyes, since you are a busy man." Adriel changed his tone to a more hopeful one. "Unless you want to start the paperwork to fire me?"

"No!" he heard Art snarl, then the he listened to footsteps stomp away.

Adriel silently crept to the curtain and listened at it for a few minutes, and when he heard nothing, he peeked out. Nobody was in his room even after checking it with spells, so he set another set of ward into the doorway, laid down a very delicate and rubbery thin thread of magic in them at the bottom, wove that in and out of the other spells, stretched the thread hair thin so the end was under his own bed, then attached a paralysis curse to it. Now anyone who didn't notice that tiny sliver of magic or thought it was nothing because it didn't do anything would have the paralysis curse sling shotted right into their face if a single one of those spells was brought down. His knowledge of hunting traps and creativity was what made him most dangerous, and it was why Chris didn't want anything to do with him once he indicated that he was awake and ready to attack. It was times like these that made him wonder if he should have gone the path of the curse breaker so he could do worse things rather than the path of the archeologist as he had done, but he truly did enjoy excavating ancient ruins and didn't particularly like hurting people.

He slid the curtain shut, then went back to his hammock to sleep. He would lay down more traps when he woke up, his floor would be covered in traps that were set to go off if anyone else but him or those he invited came in, and if the spells interacted with each other to turn into something unpredictably nasty? Well, it wouldn't be his fault if anyone, including Art, broke into his room in the middle of the night with ill intentions. Not now that Chris and Malek could both support his claims to trying to keep himself protected from unwanted advances.

---

The next day was similar, except it was Art's turn to cook the meals. Adriel very obviously checked his food and drinks for any tampering before he consumed anything, and he worked on translations. The only other difference was the silence, and while Adriel kept his side of the room arctic cold, Art's side of the room was even more depressed. That night, he wasn't bothered at all.

On the third day, he was woken up by Malek's patronus telling him that Malek would be coming in an hour, and he got dressed in his tomb clothes and braided his hair back before putting it up by wrapping a sheer scarf around his head like a bandana that would catch his sweat. After that was a plain straw hat for more protection against the sun, then he added a few more traps in his room.

Honestly, his floor was beginning to look like a menagerie of various microscopic organisms as seen in magazines when someone with the ability to see magic looked in his room. He supposed he could do his walls and ceiling next since there was almost no empty space on the floor after spending hours over the past couple days putting down traps he was making up on the spot. It was a surprisingly fun activity, and he wondered if he could make the ones he did on the walls resemble leaves and animals though mage sight.

"Adriel, you are with Malek today!" he heard Art snap out, so he turned to leave his room and gave Malek a cheerful smile.

"Finish pumping the water out of the tunnel?" he asked Malek in a friendly and carefree tone as the other man looked him up and down like he was making Adriel was okay, then he nodded at the question. "Great, I want to see the next corridor and finish reading that story on the walls."

"What story?" Art interrupted, and Adriel turned his polite smile as he faced him and Art's eye twitched. "Why hasn't anyone told me there is a story there?"

"Apologies, Mr. Reyes, but photography down there is too dangerous at the moment as are personnel that are inexperienced with the dangers of cursed tunnels," he politely said, and he heard Malek's short snort of amusement. Art scowled. "As per instructions and the NDA contract signed, we are also not writing down nor telling people what the writings say. I am reading it to myself much like one would do a book, however I cannot inform you what it says as the secrecy contract did not name anyone as an exception."

"Get. Out."

Adriel gave Art a courteous bow. "Of course, Mr. Reyes," he replied in a tone that did not have any cheek to it, then he turned, grabbed Malek's arm, and half dragged the man who was struggling with his breathing out of the tent. They only got halfway across the camp, and Adriel had to support even more of Malek's weight when the Arab began howling with laughter. Adriel could see how it was funny, but since he viewed is as a war, he himself didn't laugh though he did smile with amusement for the first time in days. Malek finally hiccupped to a stop with his laughing when they were well out of camp, and Adriel gave him a curious look. "So what happened with Chris?"

Malek sobered up rather quickly at the question. "He claimed he wasn't aware it was your room," Malek said in a grave tone. "I currently have him benched and was going to ask for your side today."

"He knew it was - he had told Art I was not in my bed," Adriel calmly replied, and it made Malek begin to scowl. "I am willing to take a truth serum or offer memory of the event, or both if need be. I request the neutral party of goblins to judge him, though I will be willing to drop all charges if he makes an unbreakable vow with me to testify the truth in courts if anything gets to the level where I need witnesses, and I can't say I care that it would be perjury."

"What is happening in there, Adriel?" Malek asked, sounding even more unhappy. "I have never seen Art's eye twitch and I never expected one of my men to be paid under the table to break into your room."

"Mr. Reyes has expressed his displeasure at my refusal to engage in a sexual relationship with him no matter what he offers, and he is even more displeased that the reason why is because I don't trust him," Adriel truthfully answered without actually giving the context away. "My wards had been a basic precaution since he has been making me feel paranoid by not respecting my space, but I did not expect him to try and break through them in the middle of the night, either. I believe he just wanted to talk to persuade me to see things his way, but as you said, I am inexperienced in these matters and do not wish to give him any leeway in attempts to seduce me."

Malek gave him a flat look. "You could have just said you don't trust him enough to fuck, and you aren't comfortable with his advances," he replied in a deadpan tone, and Adriel blinked then tilted his head as he considered that that was true. "Did he do something to make you angry enough to be so concise?"

Now it was Adriel's turn to scowl since he didn't realize he was being obvious. "I am not angry," Adriel honestly replied. "I am livid and trying to get myself fired while maintaining my competence so the only reason he can state is my attitude, which he would then have to explain was far too polite. He has already threatened that if I quit, he will have me blacklisted from the archeology community, and we both know he can so don't try to protest. Even the goblins wouldn't hire me since it would be so politically delicate. If he fires me, I can keep some of my reputation at least. Now, can we get to the tunnels, please? I want to be somewhere cool by the time the sun and heat really gets going."

Malek agreed, and this time he kept Adriel working until almost the end of the day which was a break from the tent. On the way back, Adriel reminded Malek once again that he would take care of his own problem unless he ended up in a position where he actually was in danger and couldn't get out of it, then asked him to let him know the next time they worked together what Chris' choice was rather than through messages that Art might overhear or intercept.

"Right, just remember that I'll come to your aid," Malek said, then the last stretch to Art's tent was walked in silence. Malek clapped him on the shoulder and he gave a nod goodbye, then they split with him going to the tent. He came to a stop three steps in because there were two goats in a hay filled mobile pen in the middle of the tent with two giant men holding onto ropes to... keep them in place? There was also no Art, but it was hard to miss Adriel's absolutely bewildered expression so the bigger of the two men returned it with a look of unhappy exasperation.

"He says it is a gift to you, not a reparation, but since they are man eating goats, he has also hired us to keep them in check."

Adriel stared at the bigger man who had spoken in Egyptian, and the man pursed his lips in that 'I don't fucking know what it going on, don't ask me!' way.

"Are they actually man eating goats?" Adriel carefully asked, wondering if Art got him some kind of vicious attack goats or something.

"No, they are not," the man replied in a flat tone, though his eyes shone with sympathy at Adriel's bewilderment. "They are both males. The Changthangi goat from Northern India provides the finest Pashmir cashmere wool in the world, and there are five other females for a starting herd in another tent." The man paused to see if Adriel would say anything, but Adriel was staring at the weirdest damned goat he had ever seen. "This is a male Kamori goat from Pakistan. It provides the finest milk and meat in the world, and there are ten other females for starting a herd in another tent."

Adriel and the other bigger man stared at each other once again while the other one continued to look like a stoic guard. They were both Art's 'type,' and Adriel had no idea what to do in this situation. He wished his Grandfather or his Grams was there to help him with this.

"He also says that your livelihood and quality of life means a significant amount to him."

Adriel realized he had to say something because the his staring was making the big man begin to nervously shift. "I can't take care of these goats," he carefully replied. "There are too many for my allotted space in my tribal lands, and I do not stay anywhere for long."

"He says he will buy ten acres of the finest farmland for you if you but indicate where you wish it to be," the man replied. "And we are contracted for one year to assist you with the goats and keep them from eating him."

Adriel stared again and wondered if it was too late to slowly back out of the tent and pretend that he was in the wrong spot. Probably. "Where is he?" Adriel asked. "I will explain why I cannot take them myself."

The two men exchanged glanced, then the big man gestured to the hall that led to all the other rooms. "He ran away that way after giving us those messages to relay to you, and we have not seen him since," Big Man replied. "He appears to be terrified of goats, but he said they were smaller than horses are big enough that they would be able to chew off an arm and swallow it whole."

Adriel stared because he wasn't going to call these gentlemen liars, not with there were two goats in the living room as proof to some of the tale, but it was outlandish. Goats and horses would die if they tried to eat meat since they could not digest it at all. It would rot in the digestive system somewhere since there were no enzymes to break them down, and the horse or goat would die shortly after that because of bloating, infection, and poison in their blood system. Perhaps Art was just looking for excuses to not see Adriel directly decline his gifts.

"Thank you" Adriel finally remembered to say, then he walked around the men and the goats so go down the hallway. He was about to call out 'Art,' snapped his mouth shut when he realized he almost broke character, opened his mouth to call out Mr. Reyes, but that also didn't sound right. So he went to the door he knew belonged to Art nearly at the far end and knocked on it.

Art opened his door a tiny crack and his eyes darted around from about rib height because he was apparently cowering. "You didn't bring them with you, did you?" Art whispered out. "The evil man eating goats. The guards are still guarding them?"

Adriel was not going to touch that. "They are there and relayed your message, but I have come to decline your gift," he replied in a politely apologetic tone. "I do not have the time those impressive goats need dedicated to them, nor do I wish to be a goat herder." Ah, he felt a bit more balance now that he had declined them. "Mr. Reyes, I am an archeologist. While some may appreciate the you have tried to go around the reparation refusal, I will not be accused of using you for gifts or money."

Art scowled up at him. "I won't accuse you," he stated as he stood back up, though he tellingly did not open his door further nor did he try and step out. "You already proved your point. Just take the goats! I don't want them eating me in my sleep, and they eat everything! including tents! I was told the pen they are in can't be eaten, but it would only hold them back! Especially the one with horns. He could gore me!"

Adriel gave Art his most polite and pretty close-mouthed smile. "I'm afraid you will have to return them, sir," he replied. "And I'm sure the men will not mind if you break their contracts as long as you pay them well enough. Or take them to your bed. They are your type after all."

Adriel turned to leave but Art hissed at him. "They are not my type!" he hotly denied. "I want you! Please, just give me another chance? I will stick with your boundaries this time."

"I am not a fool, and I need a shower," Adriel said in a curt tone, then started walking away. "I will cook dinner after I am clean. I will bring your portion to your room if you continue to hide rather than getting rid of your man eating goats by the time dinner is ready."

Then Adriel was far enough away to no longer hear Art's whispers that he had been speaking over, and he entered his room and checked if his wards had been tampered with at all. They hadn't been, so he showered and changed into proper English attire, then he went to the living room where there were no goats, but there was a fainted Art close to the tent flap. Figuring it was none of his business, he went straight to the kitchen, laid out the usual alarm charm, and he began to put together a Caesar salad with chicken breasts and macaroni and cheese for the side. Art did eventually wake up, though Adriel wasn't sure when since he hadn't tripped the alarm. He caught him out of the corner of his eye moping right outside the kitchen area.

Artemio Reyes! Brooding! The very idea of someone like him sulking over Adriel's rejection was laughable, not when Adriel was a nobody and Art pretty much stood at the top of the archeology and history pyramids. And he was politically powerful, exceptionally rich, and a real genius unlike Adriel who was only smart and had had to learn everything through determined studying and exploring. Adriel couldn't afford to falter in his self declared war because he had a hard time holding grudges, preferring the route of peace instead. Sometimes, war has to be declared for the safety of all, especially when another has already attacked and proven themselves dishonorable.

"I really am sorry," Art finally said once Adriel had closed the oven doors for the macaroni and cheese and began to chop up the chicken. "I don't know how to make it up to you. Or regain your trust. I've... never been in this situation. Before I was famous, I had no friends, people mocked and hurt me, and even my own family thought my history a waste of time and that my finding of Atlantis was me finding a pile of worthless rubble. We don't speak anymore. After I got famous... Everyone that hated me before suddenly wanted to be friends. The guy who regularly tripped and made fun of me for wanting to find Atlantis was suddenly acting like my best friend. The board that had rejected my proposals and ignored me for years were suddenly telling everyone that I was one of their greatest accomplishments. And everyone wanted to be seen with me, even if it was only for one or two nights."

Adriel almost faltered again except he recalled that Art had given him a similar speech on the very kitchen floor he was cutting his chicken on. "Congratulations, you have become just like those you once hated, sir," Adriel replied in a bland tone as he chopped a chicken breast a little too hard, then he had to catch the meat before it fell. "Well, congratulations if that was your goal - to be just like every other cruel person in this world since you have clearly managed to excel at it. If that wasn't your goal, then I'm sorry to hear that and I hope you find someone or something else better in your life that are not sycophants or social ladder climbers."

"I found you," Art said in a small voice. "And then I made a mistake."

"Well, at least you are no longer calling it an accident," Adriel replied as he scowled at the chicken he had finished chopping, then he began to dump it in a bowl so he could add starch and seasoning to it. "However, there can be no feelings of any kind where there is no trust, Mr. Reyes. I would prefer if you fire me or let me continue my work, but please stop pursuing me or trying to befriend me. I have my own goals in life, and they do not include you."

"I could make it easier for you to achieve your goals?"

"No, thank you."

"Could I have time to learn how to regain your trust?"

"We have our work contract and that is all, sir."

"How can I be part of your life and make you happy?"

"I am sure you have learned that happiness cannot be bribed or bought if your stories are true."

"What if... I learned to love you?"

"I have my own goals, and they do not include you, sir."

"Damnit, Adriel!" Art shouted, but Adriel was expecting anger to happen soon so he didn't jump or turn around because he was busy mixing the spices and the raw chicken up. "Why are you so difficult?!"

Adriel set the bowl down and turned to face Art with a blank expression. "Mr. Reyes, you just gave me a speech about how your job, your family, and your peers treated you poorly, and when you finally achieved something for yourself that they wanted, you took what they threw at you," Adriel pointed out in a neutral tone. "If I were that type of person, I might have accepted the offer of marriage when you acted like you desperately wanted me. If I were that type of person, I would have accepted whatever it was you wanted to give me for my forgiveness, then smiled and acted like you wanted just so I could keep taking more like you have done to your peers and those people you work with, and I would be just like you in that I would hold resentment and hatred in my heart while I went along with whatever it was that you wanted. As long as it gets you whatever you want, yes? You use your position of power in ways I find abhorrent, and that makes us very different people. May I please finish dinner and work without harassment?"

Art looked absolutely sick and devastated as Adriel pointed all of those things out, wielding truth as a rifle and his aiming with his words as bullets meant to pierce and bury themselves deep. Then, with a choked sob, Art fled without a word into the corridor, and Adriel was left to himself in the kitchen. He knew what he had just done was cruel, and he probably broke Art, but it was better than being broken himself.

Or that was what he told himself as he resumed his cooking to try and stop the overwhelming guilt felt. Art might have sounded earnest in his pleas for forgiveness, but he had also sounded earnest then he agreed to make a contract with him trading boundaries for photos. To Art, money meant getting his own way, so to Adriel, those goats had been meaningless. He couldn't trust anything Art did anymore... And it hurt that the man he had admired for so long turned out was this instead.

---

Adriel saw very little of Art over the next couple days. He spent his days with Malek, and when he was done, the tablet would be out and Art would not be around. Adriel continued to cook for two and left Art's meals out in front of his door without knocking, and the plates would be cleaned and put away by morning and evening so Adriel assumed Art was probably eating. 

Of those two Egyptian or Arabic men, Adriel did not have a clue. They had disappeared with the goats, though the camp rumors about the goats for the last two days was strong. Everyone wondered what the goats were for and they pestered him about it until earlier today when he gave a very polite smile and told them he had requested goats for a sacrificial ritual, but found out that the life force of both herds combined would not be enough, although three or four humans would suffice if anyone wanted to volunteer and find out what he intended to do with goats.

Honestly, being thought of as a goat murdering ancient magic master was way way better than people knowing that Art was trying to gift him with goats and... Two men? And ten acres, too. He still wasn't clear on what the men would have been for since they seemed the type of people that Art would have with him. Not that it was any of Adriel's business - Art could be holed up in his room having a threesome with those two men for all he cared. And no, just because he thought about Art often and felt guilty did not mean that he was concerned or actually cared. And even if he did, he would never admit it since it would be just another weakness Art would try to exploit.

Yes, Adriel knew he was demonizing Art in his head now, but he really didn't feel like he had a choice in anything except for how he felt and it was driving him nuts. Art should have fired him, not run away crying. How was it fair that the man that hurt him thought he had the right to cry and be upset?! That should be Adriel's right, but he hadn't done that!

By day three, Adriel was outright refusing to apologize. That dinner was made of real Ancient Greek recipes, and he had put a folded card next to each food to explain what each was and what it represented to which festivals, traditions, timeline, or region didn't mean anything. He just felt like Ancient Greek food that night, and figured it would be wasted if the other person eating didn't know what they were since some of them would be considered weird to an Englishman. Like the stingray. 

On day four, twelve days into his contract, Adriel finished the tablet and was annoyed that it was just a tax record. Mind, it did give insight to the period's goods, how much taxes were charged, for what the taxes were used and... twenty percent was a lot, but it was better than the serfdom system in some European countries. And that was twenty percent of whatever the people made - be it gold or harvest or even manual labor - twenty percent of that went to the pharaoh who mainly used it for building projects and other things that might immortalize their name for all time.

So... less annoyed that it was a tax record, more annoyed that it wasn't a tale or spell or anything near as fun as it could have been. He placed the tablet into its box, his completed translation on top of the box, then got up to decide on dinner. He was dithering around between more traditional Egyptian recipes or popping off to the wetlands to make a flamingo dish that represented the might of Ra when he heard a shuffling sound and looked up to see Art almost trip his way into the den. 

Art looked despondent, and even though it was summer, he was wearing a thick and soft sweater that would have had him drenched with sweat if he stepped out of the tent for ten minutes. He didn't even notice Adriel as he stumbled his way to the couch where Adriel had been working, then he flopped down and leaned forward like he was going to look at the paper, except he just slumped and... gave up.

Adriel knew it was not in his job description to say or do anything. He curled his fists as he tried to stop the feeling of pity welling up inside him and that insidious voice that tried to tell him to just forgive. He didn't manage the former, but he did manage to shove the latter back into its box again, then he cleared his throat. Art's head jerked up and he looked shocked and afraid.

"I am debating between some Ancient Egyptian traditional dishes, or the dish that was meant to celebrate Ra," he said rather than comment on anything else. "Do you have a preference? I would need to go and hunt for the latter one, but it would only take ten or so minutes."

Art looked confused. "Hunt?" he asked. "Hunt what?"

Adriel politely smiled. "Flamingo," he said, and Art looked absolutely dismayed the idea. "Their pink and fiery plumage was thought to embodiment of Ra, so they were often eaten. The Greeks, however, thought they represented life, death, and rebirth like the magical phoenix. I am going to go by your expression and guess you do not wish to try it."

"Can't you just buy it at the market?!" Art asked out of shock. "Not hunt one?"

Adriel shook his head no. "The Greater Flamingo is the breed, and they only congregate in specific areas," he explained. "If they tried to regularly the wild flamingo population, the birds would quickly become extinct with how many people there are now. They also cannot be domesticated since they very specific dietary needs that people cannot provide, so there are no flamingo farms where they are born or raised. Meats from the market also come from live animals, but if you do not want to try flamingo, there are some pigeons that are raised-"

"NO!" Art shouted as he recoiled with horror. "Not pigeons! Pigeons are evil!"

Adriel wondered if maybe the goat incident wasn't just isolated to goats and horses. Pigeons were even less harmful, but Art was petrified. "Dandelion and nettle salad and a dessert of chilled fruits?" he offered after a second's pause, and when Art vehemently nodded an agreement in the same way anyone would while screaming 'anything BUT THAT!', he shrugged. "Then I will go to the market. My translations are done, so if there is any other translation projects you need done, please place them on the table."

Adriel was about to twist to apparate out, but Art raised an arm towards him like he wanted to grab him except they were too far apart for even a lunge to work. "WAIT!" Art cried out, and Adriel paused. Art floundered for a second, like he didn't know what to say, then his eyes got large and wet as he looked up. "I've... been leaving you alone and letting you work, right?" Art asked, and Adriel gave a wary nod. His reaction made Art's hand drop and he slumped and stared at the ground. "You are right, I'm a monster. I became everything I despised about people. I... don't know how to fix that."

Adriel tilted his head. "The bible states 'do unto others as you would have done unto you,'" he quoted. "You hated being treated that way. The simple solution is to not treat others that way. You know right from wrong, but you just don't care. You have to care about that and care about the people around you to begin fixing your problem. It is not an easy thing to do, but it is the right thing to do. Then you have to go further than that and think about how your actions will affect others, especially those you care about. When you want someone, you have to care about them, not just care for them. A man can survive with food and water and little else, but they cannot live. To live, you must feel loved, cared for, supported, have fun, suffer sadness, go through anxiety, be afraid but determined to go forth anyway, and so much more. It is sad to not have felt like you were loved, but it is not an excuse to hurt others, especially when you know what pain is like. Compassion and caring are things that prevent us from becoming something like the Manticore, and from that springs love if the other returns the feelings and feels equally the same for you. That is why I said I would not do anything without love - if you don't have compassion and caring, then you will treat me badly and I will end up hating you, myself, or both of us. I'm also not interested in looking for someone to love for many more years."

A range of conflicting emotions went through Art too fast for Adriel to recognize, though confusion was the most prominent one. "My parents said they fell in love at first sight," Art slowly said like someone trying to drag up a buried memory. "They looked at each other and knew they were meant for the other even though neither could speak the other's language much. They said I would know who I love when I saw them but... Every time I thought I found it, I was rejected. The first two times was long ago and both women, and I didn't learn until after I became famous that I... prefer men. The first girl just wanted me for homework and the second was mocking me behind my back. Then you are the third."

"You thought to own and possess me without any kind of care or compassion, and force me if you had to," Adriel snapped. "That isn't love. That is obsession and taking your anger out on everyone else even if they had never done you wrong. Every person out there cannot be a sycophant, a social ladder climber, or interested in you because of fame. I know you have treated every person like that because you even treated me like something that needed to be broken and remade to your whims. That is like saying you absolutely love a house, then you automatically begin changing everything until it is no longer that house. It might be acceptable though hypocritical if it is just property or an object, but I am not a house, property, or an object. Nobody likes to be used and treated like a non-entity, especially by someone who doesn't care about their feelings or their wants, only their health and what they can make the other person do for them." Adriel scowled, then. "And stop making me lecture you - I am not a mind healer. Go see one if you actually want to change because they can offer you better support."

Adriel popped out right after that, then did the shopping for fresh fruits and vegetables in Cairo. When he got back, Art was nowhere to be found, so he put Art's meal outside his door, ate his own, then retired to his room.

---

Another three days passed before there was an encounter, and it was when Adriel was stumbling into the tent after a difficult day that nearly ended up with the whole team blown up because of one idiot's stupid mistake. Adriel had had to channel and ground a lot of magic while trying to tie the unraveling threads without letting the wild magic touch that work. Malek had immediately evacuated everyone, and it was only when he got back to assist that Adriel finally got enough breathing room for the both of them to work together and repair the damage before it collapsed the whole tunnel system. 

Magical traps could be a bitch. However, it was the fifteenth day so he was halfway through his contract, and even though he had not been working on the dig itself, it was all logged under archeology hours and he had finally achieved the minimum he needed. That meant even if he was fired now, he had succeeded. 

And of course that was the day that Art was finally working at his desk again, but when he saw Adriel, he got up and Adriel automatically forced himself to move into a defensive position and whip out his wand like a rattlesnake warning a dangerous foe away. Art stared at him with worry and fear, and Adriel stared back with wariness and a glare to cover up how tired he was. 

Art was the first to move, and he placed his hands down on the desk and made sure it was between them. "I just wanted to make sure you are fine," Art explained.

"I'm fine," Adriel bit out.

"You are singed and covered in scratches," Art carefully pointed out. "I just want to heal or help you since it looked like you were going to fall over."

"I'm fine," Adriel said, curtly this time which was better than the first time, and he began to crab walk towards the corridor so he didn't have to turn his back. "I just need a shower. I suggest you try not to follow since my room is trapped with non-lethal spells that will work against anyone that isn't me or anyone I didn't invite in."

Art looked hurt. "I just wanted to help," he said in a soft voice. "I guess you really don't trust me."

"I don't," Adriel replied, then felt like he was close enough to his destination for him to turn and flee into his room. He staggered as soon as he got into the safety of his wards, then dropped to the ground so he could violently cough up the dust and blood in his throat. Right, a tablespoon of honey before a shower, a shower, bandaging or healing the marks that apparently covered him... Actually a bath after a shower sounded nice. With an herbal mix for strains and pain. It always was amusing to turn a bath into a crude potion, and he could check over his hair and what needed to be done to repair it if the overflow of magic had burned it. Which was likely... The Egyptians absolutely loved their fire and their diseases. Oh, so a general cure potion would also be good, and a general one for poisons, too. 

Adriel pulled the two potions out of his pouch to down, then he got to his feet and staggered into the bathroom. He held the sink as he stripped to keep his balanced, then he pulled out a jar of natural honey and a spoon. He held the the overly sweet syrup in his mouth with a grimace, capped the jar, then dropped the spoon into the sink. After that, he turned on the shower and got in to wash while he let the honey in his mouth break down and slide down his throat.

Sometimes, Adriel really hated apprentice curse breakers because they could cause disasters like what had happened today. Yes, the place was called as safe to travel through, but it had not been safe to cast wand magic in yet and the guy had lit up a lumos to point towards an alcove that he thought he had seen movement in. That was all it took, and the whole team would probably be out of commission for two or three days while he, Malek, and a few others who had managed to take a bit of the curses until Adriel had drawn the brunt of the attack and buried it so deep that it was further below the natural aquifers to keep the natural groundwater that flooded various areas of the tunnels from becoming cursed as well. Even if Adriel had to hold curses and wards for a few minutes alone, it was worth it since Malek got everybody else that might try to 'help' out before things got worse.

Ah, and it hurt, of course. Because the Egyptians loved fire, and even if fire one was of his better elements, cursed flames was very different, especially when driven by beliefs in gods very different to his own. He really had been born in the wrong era, had he been born in one of the ancient civilizations, he was sure he would have made a great High Priest of one god or another.

"Adriel!" he heard someone shout, and he blinked and realized he was sitting in the tub with the water bounding on him. "Adriel? Adriel?!"

"What?" he croaked, then raised his hand to his throat because it shouldn't be that scratchy.

"Oh, thank gods, Malek nearly died!" whoever it was said. "Can I come in?"

"Who is it?"

There was a moment of silence. "Dirwent," came the name, and Adriel recognized it as Malek's second in command. "Art warned me your room is trapped?"

Adriel rasped out a dry laugh, then he carefully got himself up and held onto the wall so he could step out without slipping. The water was still running when he grabbed his robes and threw them on, then he nearly tipped over when he tried to get through the curtains, and the only reason he didn't was because the curtains were magically reinforced so catching himself on them didn't make them tear out.

"Coming," he huffed, and when he looked out, he saw Dirwent and Art were both outside his door while looking at the area apprehensively. "Just Dirwent."

Art looked a combination of angry and resigned, then he trudged off. It wasn't until Adriel could no longer hear his footsteps that he went to his doorway, stuck his hand out of his words, then gave a low whistle. "Grab my hand and don't let go," he warned, then pulled the man in. Rather, he weakly pulled his hand back and Dirwent followed, but it was close enough and Dirwent was ever so kind to immediately support his weight. "I want to finish my bath."

"How are you even still up?" the curse breaker asked. "Malek went down almost an hour ago, and nobody thought about what condition you might be in and I ran over as soon as I realized you probably had it worse."

Adriel blinked up at him. "Common sense dictates taking general antidotes and cures when you feel that bad after dealing with an Egyptian trap," he said as he squinted his eyes. How was he a second in command if he didn't know that? "Then I added a spoon of honey because it was used as a cure for a lot of Egyptian ailments and was recently found by medical studies to have antibiotic properties to it when taken raw."

"Oh, right, I forget you are a wise head sometimes," Dirwent said, then he hoisted Adriel up and half carried him back to the shower. "So... We can't wake Malek up. Any suggestions?"

Adriel pulled off his robe so he could get back in, and Dirwent lent him the use of his arm while politely looking away even though it wet his sleeve. "Symptoms?" he asked as he nudged the plug into the tub so it could start to fill. Sitting was a very good idea. "Before and after, as much as you recall in chronological order."

"He looked exhausted at first, then he began to cough up blood," Dirwent reported as Adriel began to drop herbs from his pouch into the water while making a low humming sound and stirring with a slow movement of his feet meant to resemble a dance. Even if it was too slow. Better that than making a mistake with a bathtub potion. "Then his skin began to form cracks... Kind of like how you look cut up, actually. That was when we realized he was cursed and tried to undo it, but we have only managed to stall it."

"That's because it's a divine curse that acts like a disease or poison," Adriel chuckled out, then threw down some sage and black sand. "People can say 'ancient magic' this and 'ancient magic' that, but lumping it into one category is like lumping all of the wand spells into one category. Help me sit, please?" 

Dirwent pushed the curtains to the side and intended to not look, but Adriel saw the confusion on his face when he saw the tub was filled with leaves and sand. Still, he didn't say anything as he helped Adriel sit, and once he was down, Adriel released the arm then switched the water flow from the shower to the spout and made it hotter. He pulled out a bottle of rose water, dumped the whole thing in, then came a stick of agarwood and a stick of cinnamon that was tossed into the spot the water was flowing into. 

"Bathtub potion," Adriel chuckled. "That's what I call it, anyway. Very primitive form of potion making, and could technically be categorized as magical tea, though again, it is a different art. Great for aches, pains, skin conditions, certain types of curses, cleansing rituals, and a few other things. This is for aches, pains, and then I had to change the recipe a bit when you mentioned my scratches were not actually scratches. Anything else after the skin cracked?"

"He choked and began convulsing, and we barely managed to keep him alive by putting a pause on the curse," Dirwent replied in a grim tone. "Then I ran over here thinking I would have to put a pause on yours if you were still alive, and I don't think I have ever heard Art panic like that before. He was about to leap right into your room, and I had to stop him. You must be a really good assistant, he never takes a personal one."

Adriel gave a noncommittal hum as he realized that Malek hadn't told anyone just as he had promised. He pulled out a bottle of eucalyptus oil and gestured to the honey by the sink. "Will you please bring me the honey?" he asked as he set the oil down on the edge of the tub, then he pulled out a small wooden bowl and a brush meant for mixing the cream from a shaving kit. He poured a large dollop into the bowl, capped it before more could come out, then he picked up the eucalyptus oil and pointed the brush at the tub's spigot. "Please turn that off before it overflows. I need to focus on an ointment."

Dirwent watched with interest as Adriel began to carefully hum while thinking his chants since he couldn't sing, then he used the brush to begin mixing the two together. When it took on the look of a golden colored paste, he reached into his bag, pulled out a unicorn hair, and used a bit of fire magic to burn it so the ash fell into the mix. That, too, was mixed, and the paste turned a brassy color, then Adriel pulled out a knife, cut open his finger before Dirwent could do a thing, then let his blood drip into the bowl as he offered the blade hilt first.

"Please put that in the sink then heal my finger?" he requested, and thank goodness the man did that without question. Finally, Adriel stirred it up until it turned turned into the shade of rose gold, then he applied it to his neck and settled back. "Take that and put it on Malek's throat first," Adriel said as he dropped the brush into the bowl. "Use the brush, nobody should touch the ointment, and apply what is left over his chest to cover heart first, then lungs. Wake him, tell him he needs to perform the strongest cleansing ritual he knows on himself, and assist him with the arrangements. The ointment will allow him to breathe and prevent the curse from advancing into his blood, but it will last only two hours so the preparations must be done efficiently."

Dirwent nodded as he picked up the bowl and looked to be ready to rush off, then he hesitated. "You will be ok?" he cautiously asked. "Do you need anything more?"

Adriel looked up and gave a polite smile - the same one he made when he offered to sacrifice people. "I can breathe and I will be fine, but you don't want to see the next part," he said, then made a shooing motion. "Tell Art I will be fine after a night of rest and that I should be left undisturbed unless it is a clear emergency like the treatment didn't work on Malek. Check on the others that were clipped - if they are showing signs of exhaustion, then they will probably need a healer before it progresses, but they shouldn't need anything else since Malek and I took the brunt of it. I estimate that he has an eighty percent chance of full recovery, but the longer you dally, the less sure a recovery will be."

The last bit was kind of a fib - Adriel knew that the fix should work if Malek was suffering the same thing he was, and he was almost certain they didn't differ except that he had immediately began treating himself while Malek had not and those around him had not realized what was happening until it was nearly too late. However, he was tired and wanted to just relax and finish this, but he couldn't since he didn't know Dirwent well enough to relax his guard. Before, yes, but he still felt vulnerable without clothes even if he refused to show it.

Dirwent paled, gave a quick bow of respect, then ran out. Adriel waited for the tub to finish filling to his satisfaction - an inch more - then he turned off the water and laid back. Finally, he relaxed, then he pulled out a tiny blade of silver. He pursed his lips as he poked a hole in each limb and then his belly, then he tossed the blade out onto the floor so it slid to the other wall and laid back to meditate. 

The water slowly turned pink, but the wounds were too small to truly be dangerous. It was only when he began to cleanse that anyone who watched would have been alarmed. Pink turned brown, then black, and it sank into the black sand at the bottom of the tub. When he was done, the punctures looked like small nicks, and the cracked skin was acting more like a sunburn's peeling. Adriel groaned as he sat up, began to pant for air since that had also been exhausting, then pulled himself out of the tub and grabbed the wall so he could get out.

This time, his balance was steadier, so he wrapped his hair up in a towel, patted his body with a second one, then stumbled into his room and into the bed because there was no way he could set up his hammock. Not when he couldn't drain the tub. He would clean up in the morning.

---

Adriel slept the rest of that day, the whole night, and half the next day with only one barely recalled moment of getting up to take a piss at one point or another. He would have slept longer, except his stomach rumbled, and he knew he hadn't eaten in about thirty hours. He whined as he curled up and wished he could just take falcon form to swallow a rodent then find a place high and safe to sleep even longer in, but Egypt was not friendly at all for his breed so he couldn't take the easy meal out.

The first thing he did was pull out his wand and have magic take care of the tangles that having plants then sleeping with a towel and wet hair caused. After that, he pulled on a white sweater and pajama bottoms, used the bathroom charm on himself, and finally felt ready to maybe leave the bed. He really didn't want to go out while vulnerable, but a check at the door showed no food was there like he had been doing for Art, and the only other things he had to do besides eat was to clean that tub and... Yeah. No. Eating and maybe seeing Art was a better thought at the moment than scrubbing the tub and cleaning the mess in the bathroom up. 

Adriel tucked his wand into his left sleeve so it would be accessible, then he peeked out. Seeing no immediate thread, he quietly made his way into the kitchen in the most direct way possible. He had just pulled out an apple to eat when he heard a throat clear behind him, and without thinking, he twisted and chucked the fruit at whoever made the sound because he was exceptionally tense, but it missed and smashed against the wall. 

A moment later, he realized he was looking at Art who was looking a bit terrified at the how close the crushed apple was being but a foot away from him, but to Adriel, it felt like he missed by a mile and grimaced at how far away it was. "Oops?" Adriel offered. "You startled me. I'm tired but I need food." He paused. "Did Malek survive?"

"Yes, though I am told he is still in a healing sleep," Art said as he took a cautious step back. "I can cook a meal for you if you just want to set on the couch."

Adriel stared at Art for so long that Art began to flush and take another step back, then he finally shrugged. "If there is raw meat, you can just warm it up - warm, not cook - and I can eat that in my other form then go back to sleep," he finally said, too tired to really give a shit. "Otherwise, a hearty soup or a stew would be best since I haven't eaten for so long and I'm still recovering."

They both watched each other for a few seconds, then Art slowly began to edge his way into the kitchen with his hands held up and gave Adriel enough space to edge out until their positions were reversed. "I will do a soup my father used to make," Art finally replied as they both relaxed their body languages. "I don't have the right vegetables, but there are some that can substitute. It will take a few hours... Would you like any reading material?"

Adriel tilted his head as he stared at Art again - a very falcon-like behavior when they were puzzling over something, and something Adriel usually refrained from doing because he had been told it unnerved people except he was too tired for polite manners - then slowly shook his head no as he figured out that Art did not have any underlying motives - not going by his body language, anyway. He appeared genuinely concerned and relieved, and like he was trying not to upset Adriel at all.

"I have some Sherlock Holmes books on me," he slowly replied. "Don't touch me if I fall asleep." Then he turned and stumbled off to the couch so he could curl up on it and just go right back to sleep without a second thought since he was too tired for polite or civilized behavior. Or for self preservation paranoia.

It was his nose that woke him up a couple hours later because the smell was wonderful and his stomach growled again. He peeked an eye open, saw a small bowl of chilled fruits and a gravy dish of chocolate syrup right next to it, then fell on it like he hadn't seen food in days. Even the dish with the chocolate was licked clean, then he curled up and fell right back to sleep.

"Adriel?" was quietly spoken, but Adriel tensed up and tried to back away except something was blocking him so he popped his eyes open with a threatening hiss. Art was behind the other couch and making sure there was distance between them, and that made him relax. "I'm sorry if I startled you, but dinner has been ready for an hour and I just wanted to check if you were ready to eat." Art paused for a second. "Also, you have chocolate syrup on your nose and your right sleeve."

Adriel was carefully staring at Art again to study his body language rather than his words, then he gave a nod and slowly sat up. "Thank you," he said almost belatedly, and Art gave a nod before he turned to head into the kitchen. Adriel licked a clean part of his right sleeve to wet it, and Art came out with two bowls and a basket of fresh bread as Adriel was scrubbing his nose clean. He lowered his hand, looked up at Art, and Art gave him a nod as he set the bowls with their spoons and basket down.

"Your nose is clean," Art said as he sat down on the other couch, the table in between them. Art shifted uncomfortably since Adriel was staring once again, then he leaned forward to pick up his own and grabbed a roll. "The site is quarantined for the moment since we don't know what all was contaminated. Everyone else that was brushed with the curse only needed the healer's assistance since it had not moved on to a dangerous stage. With both you and Malek asleep, we have not been able to get many answers."

Adriel relaxed and reached out to pick up the bowl now that he was on a more familiar ground. "Nothing else is contaminated it, I channeled the curse far beneath the aquifers so that the natural groundwater that seeps into the tunnels as well as the camp's wells would not be affected," he reported, and Art paled since apparently nobody had thought about the wells. "Malek evacuated everyone while I held the curse and the wards to keep the tunnels from collapsing, then he repaired the wards with a little assistance from me while I sank and neutralized the curse. I mean, if there is anything alive that far beneath the earth, it is definitely dead in an excruciating way, but aside from that possibility, everything is fine." Adriel reached out and grabbed a roll. "Oh, and quarantined is a very good idea since the wards are pretty much held together with a bit of spit and a prayer. Malek and I will need to go down there to finish repairs before it can be considered safe."

"You aren't a curse breaker," Art said with a frown as Adriel began to eat. "You nearly died! You shouldn't be going down there - leave it to Malek when he recovers."

Adriel gave Adriel a flat look as he continued to eat, and only after two more bites did he break the silence. "My presence was requested mainly for my ancient magic knowledge with translations being secondary," he said. "While I realize that such a stupid statement comes from your concern, it is unwarranted. I am the only person that can rebuild those wards unless you want to chance one of the noble magical families of Egypt, though Grindelwald might possibly know enough to cobble something together, but I wouldn't rely on either one unless you intend to offer them so much that they would not look for a way to take advantage of the situation and steal the site. I didn't nearly die - Malek nearly died. I only got sick for a bit, but I do know how these things work, so despite taking the brunt of that entire curse with Malek only being exposed to the peripheral radiation from being so close to me while we worked, I still survived and was able to provide a cure for Malek because I was only sick and I am not stupid." Art looked about ready to deny him anyway, but Adriel cut him off. "Would you like someone telling you that you are no longer allowed to go into Atlantis despite being the most knowledgeable person about it because you were hurt? No? Then don't dismiss my skills."

Art shut his mouth and stabbed at his soup with his spoon as he glared into his bowl like it had just pissed on his favorite book. Adriel grabbed a second roll and continued to eat, finding that soaking the bread was filling without making him feel sick from how rich the flavor was, and nibbling at the vegetables inside was nice. The meat was bird - peahen he was thinking - and while he normally would have eaten that, too, the fruits he had earlier was still making him half full and he liked veggies over meat. 

"You are right and I am sorry," Art said, and Adriel looked up with confusion for a moment until he realized that Art was replying to what he had said. Then he wondered if there was a polyjuiced someone across from him because Art never apologized. "No, I mean it, I am sorry for doubting your skills. I would be very upset if someone doubted mine... I used to be very upset when people doubted Atlantis and thought I was doing a fool's errand."

Adriel wanted to ask 'who are you and what have you done with Art?' except if it really was an imposter, that would probably start a battle he could not be able to win. An O.W.L student could probably take him down if they scored at least an EE. However, he wasn't capable of subtle right now. He would just ignore it and wait for them to slip, they always do. "I accept your apology," he diplomatically replied before he resumed eating. See? He was getting back into manners again!

"So, how do you feel?" Art asked after another minute of silence went by. "Besides tired, I mean. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"I should be fine, and the next time I wake I will probably be less surly," Adriel replied, being mindful of his answer. "I should also be fully recovered, or near enough to begin light work like translations." Adriel paused. "How are you doing?"

Art hesitated then he began to poke his food. "I've been seeing a mind healer since you told me, and it is... helping," Art said, and his tone implied that he hated saying any of that. "I want to be able to properly care for you if you ever change your mind and allow me another chance."

Adriel froze for a moment, then he set his bowl on the table and stood up. "Nope, too tired for this," he bitched, then paused before he headed towards his room. "Tell me next time. Dinner was good, I'm full, and thank you again."

Art didn't say anything, and Adriel didn't look back, but the air seemed just a little bit lighter.

---

Adriel knew he should probably stop antagonizing Art, but the man was so amusing that he couldn't help but poke for different reactions. Not that he was unprofessional enough to just poke, though. Adriel was a very complex person that almost never had one reason for things, and the bout of sex that left Art unable to move around without assistance was not an exception.

Yes, one was just because he couldn't get enough of Art's reactions, and the second reason was for the sex. However, Adriel had Art lay off to the side while he broke down camp quickly and efficiently, caught and tossed a few worms into the tent for the lizard with Arts glaring approval, then he tied Art to his back and then tied the lizard tent to Art's waist with strict instructions to be silent.

Art couldn't move quietly to save his life, and Adriel definitely needed silence for the next part. They were moving as the sky turned grey and mist laid thick over the ground an in the bamboo forest, and Art dozed off because of the steady gait as he kept his steps light and steady so there would be no noise. There was a town up ahead that would definitely be held by one of the three military groups of the region, so he wanted to slip past while visibility was low.

Were he alone, it would have been easy, but with the additional passengers, he had to pull out his bow and arrow since even the light brush of the lizard's canvas tent against Art's slacks sounded loud to him. This close to a town, there was almost no broken limbs or sticks on the ground to step on, but he still focused on his footing so as to not disturb Art's light sleep. However, just as they were blind to him, he was blind to them, so when he saw a person a split second before they noticed him, he sent his arrow straight into their neck without pausing and raced passed the body as it fell to the ground.

The sound alerted others, but only in a cautious sense. He could hear them calling out to each other to check in, and it made it easier for him to make it around the outer perimeter he found himself in. Art stirred a little because of the noise, quietly groaned, then fell right back asleep, and Adriel was very glad he had worn out the man this much the day before since even with warnings, this type of thing was unsettling for most people.

He barely made it past the town by the time the sun began to peek out and slowly burn the fog away. Adriel didn't stop running for an hour after that, and only once there were well and deep inside the wilderness once more did he finally slow down to a walk. He was breathing hard and could feel how sweaty his back was where Art pressed against him, and once his muscles had cooled off, he came to a stop and woke Art up as he began to untie the harness.

"Where are we?" Art grumbled as he carefully slid off of Adriel's back with his assistance. "Is it already morning? I thought I heard people talking at one point."

"You did," Adriel grunted, then he began to crawl over to a mossy patch of rocks. "Was one of the Chinese military forces which means the Japanese haven't gotten this far yet. I had to take down the one that spotted us before he could cry out an alarm, and what you heard was his regiment calling out to each other to see if anyone spotted anything. Stay awake and keep watch, I need to sleep for a couple hours."

Adriel shifted into his jaguar form and leapt up onto the largest rock. "Do I need to do anything?" Art asked with a quiver in his tone and a scent blossoming into the tangy smell of fear, and Adriel shook his head no before he curled up on the rock. "So I just watch?" Adriel lifted his head and gave Art his most disdainful and annoyed cat-look that he could, and when Art quietly settled down, Adriel dropped off to sleep.

It wasn't the light dozing of the night before - he needed a few solid hours of sleep after that exertion - and it was the sunlight on his fur that woke him. He curled his tongue as he yawned, then got up to stretch, but his waking up routine was disrupted by the mere face that Art was not in the grassy spot he was in when Adriel went to sleep. Adriel looked around the clearing from his perch on the rock, but there was still no Art, so he leapt down, put his nose to the grass, and began to track his ward.

Adriel thought Art fully realized the danger they were in, but apparently not since Art's scent was heading towards the river. Art was slow because of how stiff his body probably still was, and it seemed like he had only left half an hour ago since he was only two thirds of the way there. Adriel transformed back to a human once he snuck up behind Art who as paying zero attention to his surroundings as he tried to traverse over the rocky ground, clapped one hand over his mouth, and made a shushing sound when Art tried to scream.

"You do realize you could have gotten one or both of us killed doing this, right?" Adriel asked, not bothering to hide his irritation as he pulled Art's body up against his with the other arm to stop him from flailing. "Hunters could have mistaken me for a special leopard whose pelt could have sold for a lot, and you could have gotten to the river that I am guessing you are looking for only to be shot down because one of the boats was a Japanese force trying to sneak into that town we passed to attack by land and water. I said keep watch, how hard is that to do?"

"I need a bath," Art hissed as he twisted around when Adriel let go of his mouth. "I have been... You... There is stuff in my pants! From yesterday! I need to get clean!"

Adriel smiled down at Art, though his eyes definitely remained cold for it which had Art sucking in a deep breath and going completely still. "A bath is not more important than either of our lives," Adriel clearly stated as he completely let go of Art and took a step back. "You don't need one, you want one. Wait until dark when it will be safer to enter the water, and I will take you there. I would have taken you last night when I went for a quick rinse during my patrol, but I let you sleep instead. Now, lets have a quick lunch as we will continue to move."

Art looked livid as he hissed at Adriel - apparently much too angry and scared for any words now - then he yanked open his bag and pulled out a tin of sardines that Adriel had to catch when Art attempted to bean him in the head with it. He reached back in for his own sardines and a bag of crackers, then he gingerly sat down with a wince of pain and Adriel moved to sit by him so they could share the crackers.

"I hate you," Art bitched as he offered Adriel the bag, and he pulled out half a dozen for himself to put it in his lap. "Did you have to scare me like that? Or do that yesterday? Everything hurts and I feel icky and it's all your fault!"

Adriel was turning the key on the sardine as Art vented his frustrations at him, and Adriel glanced over at Art just as the top finished peeling back. "Well, I'm hoping that I scared the lesson into you this time about how dangerous this is," Adriel said, then he picked up a cracker from his lap. "You hired me because you know how dangerous this is, but it's probably just words on a paper for you. As we speak, there is another town out there being burned down, the women raped, and the men and the children killed off by the Japanese as we speak. Or the Chinese. You want us to go through here to get to your site, and then from there we are going to have to find out what made your team go missing or dead. You also weren't arguing against yesterday - you were very much enjoying it, you just don't enjoy the aftermath. Never had sex that fun before?"

Ah, and there was the more indignantly ruffled Art rather than the livid one. "I have had plenty of fun sex before!" Art exclaimed, then he made a face when Adriel picked up one of the fish by its tail and dropped it head and all into his mouth. "That's gross - you should use a fork at least!" Art grabbed two from his pouch and thrust one at Adriel who cause it as he was pushing the cracker into his mouth next before Art began to turn the key on his tin. "It doesn't have to leave me hurting everywhere to be fun! What if I did that to you?!"

Adriel gave Art an innocent look as he chewed his large mouthful of fish and cracker, then swallowed and gave a closed mouth smile. "If you could take me like that, then I think it would be fun," he said with amusement. "However, you lack the strength, cunning, and fighting skill for that. And patience - you are a very impatient person."

"Impatient?!" Art spluttered out, accidentally spitting out some cracker and fish crumbs, then he furiously chewed as he glared at Adriel who had picked up his next fish with the fork to eat it just like he had the first one. "Ew, no! You aren't supposed to eat the head or tail - oh my god that is so gross. I can't watch you eat that, and I am not impatient!"

Adriel waited until he was done chewing up and swallowing the fish before he spoke. "The head is very tasty and brains of an animal are always rich in a lot of nutrients," Adriel explained as he picked up the cracker that should have gone with the fish. "I prefer frying the tails so they are crispy, but they are also good and can be used to make things like fish broth the same as the head can be. It's only the organs you shouldn't eat since there could be worms, but these are gutted then cooked before being put into the tins and shipped out. And yes, impatient."

Art had made a face of disgust at Adriel's explanation of the edible parts of a fish, then he scowled. "I am perfectly patient I'll have you know," he said in a prim tone once he swallowed. "You have to be to work in archeology! Some things are so delicate or brittle that you have to use a very fine paint brush made of the softest camel hair to brush away grains of sand, and it can take days or weeks to unearth something like that!"

"And then you wander around a forest you don't know with enemies you aren't sure of the location of while leaving your vulnerable and sleeping guide that carried you at a run for almost three hours after keeping watch and hunting and cooking all night, and you did it because you are impatient for a bath," Adriel teased, though he delivered it in a very dry tone that sounded serious. He blinked when Art looked stricken, then shrugged. "I am teasing you... Kind of, anyway. This is very serious, but there are times we can play just fine. Right now, we are far enough from everything that nobody will hear us as long as we don't get loud. The river is a little too close for comfort to let things get too loud since water tends to carry or hide the oddest sounds. You need to play while you can like now or the stress and fear will get to you quickly."

Art made a face at Adriel again, though it wasn't because Adriel had his head back to drop the next fish into his mouth. "What do you mean by play?" Art asked in a suspicious tone, though he did lower his voice. "How is this playing? We are arguing!"

Adriel smiled at Art as he chewed his fish up with a hum, then licked his lips after. "No we aren't - you are getting frustrated and hissy at me while I play with you," Adriel replied in a chipper tone. "Arguing would be where we are both mad, but I was only upset for a moment until I told you what you did was wrong, and as long as you don't go running off on your own again, I won't get mad. However, I won't trust you to watch for my safety anymore, but that wasn't part of the contract so I will make do the next time I exhaust myself."

And now Art looked very upset and guilty as he turned large eyes on Adriel. "I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking," he mumbled. "I just feel sticky and gross and I didn't realize you expected me to watch for your safety, just watch the area."

Adriel hummed. "Eat, Art, we need to move soon," he replied as he carefully began to pick another sardine up with his fork. "They are probably still looking for the one that killed the soldier this morning, and it won't be long before they branch out this way since they have probably checked the town by now. We don't have time for guilt or apologies - they are useless - so just don't do it again."

Art frowned, then he poked at his sardines and nibbled on crackers as Adriel finished up his fish. When it looked like Art wasn't going to eat his sardines, Adriel asked for them, and Art offered them up without a word and finished his own crackers while Adriel ate the fish - including the heads Art had left in there. Once he was done, he transformed into a leopard to dig a hole off to the side, then he fetched the tins before he pulled out the harness again.

"Okay, we need to get you in this again, but I will be fine at a moderate pace," he explained as he handed it to Art to put on. "Most of the stickiness was probably from my sweat and the fog's humidity, but if you need to take care of bathroom needs, do it in the hole I made. You can clean yourself up with a wet towel, but that should either go back into your back to wash later or it should also go into the hole. I'm going to scout real quick to make sure nobody is near, but please cover the hole when you are done."

---

Adriel traveled with Art on his back for a few more hours after that, and Art was fairly quiet for the duration. Adriel set up camp again, only this time he showed Art how to do it properly, then he told Art to stay since he was going to hunt for their meals but that he could forage in the area for any edible mushrooms and plants. Thankfully, Art was intelligent since he had brought along a book, and then he... put the lizard on a dragon leash? Adriel stared at the magical costume with flappy wings on a lizard.

"It's cute, isn't it?" Art said, his eyes sparkly with excitement as he held the spikey thing up in his hand like Adriel really needed to see it closer or something. With his other hand, he began to dig into his bag to show off some other things meant for the reptile. "He also has a costume with spikes and another with fins that I made for him so he could look like one of the dragonasarauses! Then there is an assortment of sweaters I and my sister have crocheted for him, a Guatemalan outfit my father had made for his scaly grandson, a unicorn and an axolotl costume that my grandfather insisted on since he says Drakaris probably has days where he doesn't want to be a dragon, dinosaur, or a lizard, and his very own set of Ravenclaw robes. And that is just what I brought along - he has a whole lot more clothes at home."

Adriel had a horrified realization that Art was one of those pet owners that dressed up his pets and really did think of it as his kid, and he took a step back while he gave the lizard a look of sympathy. That poor thing... "If you ever put a bow or something on my leopard form, I will tear it apart," he warned, then turned into his cat as he twirled around and fled the scene. If the lizard thought getting free food was worth that level of humiliation, it was none of his business, but he had no problem with chomping down on a hand if someone upset him enough.

Adriel had heard a "Merlin, can you believe that, Drakaris?!" spoken in an indignant tone, but he ignored it as he began to do a perimeter check. This time he was more thorough about making sure it wasn't part of a tiger's territory as he looked for any traces of humans or food, and he wasn't shy about getting close to the river to look for a good spot to take Art to for a bath. It was while he was scouting that he came across a Chinese alligator den, and he started digging inside the mound for the eggs while keeping an eye on the waterline since they were delicious.

He managed to find and devour most of the eggs when a ripple in the water signified a quickly approaching alligator coming to protect its young, and he waited in ambush and leapt as the reptile got into water shallow enough for a fight. The battle was quick but noisy, and it was over almost as soon as it had begun because jaguars hunted giant crocodiles so an alligator's spine wasn't difficult to chomp down on to paralyze it. Unsurprisingly, its bellows attracted a late evening fisherman, but Adriel ignored it as he dragged the dying alligator to shore.

The fisherman gawked for a second, then he pulled out a pipe and began to pack it as Adriel let go of the large reptile and circled around it to make sure it was paralyzed. It was, so he chomped down on its throat to finish it off, and when he saw the fisherman was still smoking and watching from what he thought was a safe distance, he hissed at the man then began to splash into the water. That got the guy dropping his pipe into the river to begin poling real fast while his cormorant flapped its wings with panic.

Adriel swam out far enough to pick up the pipe and make sure the fisherman wasn't going to try sneaking back to watch before he swam back to shore and dropped the wet pipe next to his kill. He wasn't worried about his form since jaguars looked like bigger versions of leopards, and leopards were native in the area along with tigers. Twice the size of one, and his coat pattern was easily mistaken for a leopard's patterns, and the man probably thought he was a strange crossbreed of leopard and tiger since his body was stockier and his tail was slightly shorter. Or some leopard demon or spirit - depended on how superstitious that man was.

A final check of the area was done to make sure there were no other nests or humans about, then Adriel turned back into a man to collect the remaining eggs and the pipe. He then slung the alligator over his shoulder and headed straight for camp, only stopping to collect plants and mushrooms along the way. By the time he was there, Art was sitting by the firepit all covered in mud, and he looked rather miserable. Spikey thing was on top of his head also covered in mud.

"What happened to you?" Adriel asked as he dropped the plants next to Art, then turned to carry the alligator to a tree so he could dig a second pit that would be for the offal and trash. "You look like you got in a wrestling contest."

"Shut up," Art grumbled, then he sharply inhaled when he looked up at Adriel. "Did you kill a poor alligator?!"

Adriel began to tie a twine around the alligator's neck. "Yep," he agreed as he worked on a simple slip knot. "I also want to boil the eggs. You should try it - it tastes fishy and it is good for the brain and blood, and it helps improve memory."

"You can't just eat those unborn babies!" Art protested as Adriel slung the twine over a sturdy branch about ten feet off the ground so he could hoist it up. "That's barbaric!"

Adriel glanced back at Art and blinked with surprise. "It is a delicacy all over the world," he corrected before he resumed lifting the alligator while eyeing the nearby root he planned to tie it off to. "I also already ate most of the nest, and they won't survive anyway now that the mother is dead. Did you know that Chinese alligators are solitary while the ones in America are social? Mind, if their borrows get large enough, a few might live together if the hunting is also good, but the burrow wasn't big enough for others so it will be a good bathing spot for you tonight."

"Don't look, Drakaris!" Art cried out, and Adriel glanced back to see Art clutching his lizard to his chest before he turned back to dig the pit under the hanging body. "This is cannibalism, Adriel! We can't eat that!"

"Spiky thing isn't going to be eating alligator - and they might be reptiles, but they very much are not the same breed," Adriel sighed as he shoveled out the next bit of dirt. "You are a human mammal, and are about as different to an alligator as a deer is different to one and there is no cannibalism there. Even if we fed the lizard some of this meat, it still wouldn't be cannibalism since humans that eat monkeys are not called cannibals. I figured you would be squeamish about that so I haven't hunted down any of the macaques in the area."

"I don't want either of them!" Art whined, and Adriel looked back then shook his head because Art's eyes were beginning to get watery. "That poor momma and her babies... That is monstrous!"

"Well, you are either eating it or a good portion will go to waste," Adriel calmly explained as he tossed the shovel to the side, then he heard Art whimper when he pulled out his hunting knife so he could begin gutting it. "When we were buying supplies, I told you to get things that could last for a long time so I could bolster our rations with wild game. You never specified you didn't want alligator, and it is very tasty. Mmm, the heart and liver will be good roasted on a stick. Anyway, it is barely over four feet long which means she is fully grown and has no doubt had at least two or three nests prior to this year. The ones in America need to be at least seven feet long before their first mating season, but that is far too large for us. I will be smoking the meat all night, but there is still some pangolin stew for you. Alligator tastes like a combination of dark chicken meat with a slightly white fish flavor on the edge."

Art was whimpering and whispering quiet words of reassurance to his lizard when Adriel glanced back, and he was rocking the thing while keeping it against his chest to keep it from seeing what Adriel was doing. Adriel rolled his eyes, and the next half hour was spent quickly stripping the hide and cutting off the edible parts before he set the rest off to the side to eat as a jaguar.

"The pit is for trash and wastes," Adriel explained as he carried the bloody chunks over. "I need a tarp to put this on, will you pull out the small one and lay it out for me, please?"

Art very grudgingly removed one hand from his lizard so he could pull out the brand new and folded up tarp. He flapped it around with one hand until it opened up, but the motion started spikey thing into moving and he dropped it on the ground as he tried to grab the reptile. "No, Drakaris, you can't see this!" Art exclaimed, then he shoved the lizard into his shirt. "Stay there until we get a bath, you can't go into your tent all muddy."

Since the tarp and Adriel's request was forgotten, he carefully cradled the meat in one arm so he could drag the tarp out and put them on it. "You still haven't told me how you got to be in that state," Adriel pointed out as he watched the lizard flop around inside of Art's shirt in an effort to get out. "You are also panicking your lizard more than the alligator ever could because he doesn't care if there is alligator meat here but he does care about being stuffed inside your shirt."

"Like you would know," Art hissed as he waited for his lizard to calm down. "You haven't even used his name yet! Spikey thing does not count! He is my baby - I have raised from a tiny little egg to a fully mature adult, so I know him best."

Adriel raised an eyebrow as he smirked with amusement. "If you say so," he skeptically agreed, then stood up to find the right bamboo he needed. "So... mud? Or are you dodging the question?"

Art, who had been very much dodging the question, scowled at Adriel's back. "We slipped and fell," he badly lied, his voice completely unsteady. "And there was a mud puddle. And we landed in it. Then we tried to get out and slipped again. It was an evil puddle."

Adriel looked back at Art with an incredulous expression. "You expect me to believe that story?" he asked, then grinned when Art flushed and ducked his head. "Hm, I'm going to guess spi- your lizard jumped off when you were not holding the leash because you found mushrooms or plants so you had to chase it, and it scrambled across a mud puddle which you tripped into. I'm also going to guess you slipped several times in an effort to get out once you had his leash, or it was a pretty deep mudhole."

"That's not what happened," Art lied again in a grumbling tone, but he couldn't look up and had turned even more red. "We slipped. And fell. And tripped."

"And lost the plants you had collected in the mud because of the fall," Adriel said in an amused tone. "If you managed to find any."

Art turned completely red and scooched around to turn his back to Adriel with the air of someone highly embarrassed but trying to act offended. "Believe whatever you want," Art huffed, and Adriel chuckled then he began to chop at bamboo with a machete.

In all, it took about an hour to get meat and chopped veggies and mushrooms wrapped in edible leaves, stuff them into the thick bamboo tree he had chopped into smaller parts, put the eggs inside of one with water to boil, then get the heart and the liver roasting on a stick over the heat of the low coals. "This will last us for a few days," he told Art. "Asians that live in the country cook and pack their foods like this, and as long as you don't open the wax covering I will be putting over the top and don't leave it in the sun, they can last for up to five days. Will you be eating it?"

Art curled up around his lizard as he hunched down. "It's better than letting it go to waste," Art said in an unhappy tone. "But no more alligators. Or pangolins! And definitely no monkeys!"

Adriel quietly sighed to himself. "That leaves us with rabbit and-"

"Not the bunnies, either!" Art exclaimed as he turned around with a scowl. "We can do fruits and vegetables."

Adriel gave Art a very blank look. "We need protien," he slowly stated. "Just eating vegetables and mushrooms will leave us with loose and runny bowels - or it will for you, anyway. I'll still hunt as a jaguar, but I'll do it only where you can't see me eating monkeys and salamanders and bunnies. Going with only vegetables is not an option." Art was scowling, but Adriel decided to change the subject to something Art would find more important. "No, you know what? We will talk about this later - if you want a bath we have to go now. You have to be quiet - no speaking allowed in anything louder than a whisper."

Art scrambled up with one hand to his stomach to keep his lizard in place, and they set off.

---

Art was still scowling when they reached the river, then he awkwardly stood there and looked at Adriel. Adriel glanced around and wondered if Art was feeling unhappy about the torn up burrow that could barely be seen, but Art was staring at him and not at the ground. When Adriel gave him a look of confusion, his scowl returned twice as strong.

"You have to turn around so I can get undressed," Art whispered in an annoyed tone. "Stop staring!"

Adriel raised an eyebrow as he rocked back on his heels and crossed his arms over his chest. "I've had my dick in your ass twice and I've seen every bit of you," Adriel stated in an unimpressed and very low tone. "I am keeping watch over you since there are things like alligators, tigers, and leopards among other stuff. And bears. Not to mention humans, too. Strip, Art."

Art scowled at him which made Adriel smile with amusement, then he turned his back and slowly undressed. Adriel watched pale skin glow under the moonlight, and Art once Art was naked with his lizard in his hands, he looked into the dark water and froze. "What if there is something right inside?" Art quietly hissed. "Why couldn't we do this during the day?"

Adriel began to strip off his own clothes since he realized he would need to enter with Art. "I already told you why, now hush," he whispered, and Adriel turned to glare at him, realized Adriel was half naked, let out a quiet little squeak, then turned back to find the river the most interesting view in the world. Adriel quietly huffed with laughter, pulled off the last of his clothes, then he turned into a jaguar and brushed past Art on the way to the river. Art quietly squeaked when he curled his tail around Art's leg as he peered into the water with his superior night vision, then he quietly waded in until he was at chest height and turned back into a man so the water barely reached his hips. He glanced back over his shoulder to Art who seemed to be staring at him with an expression of awe, and he gave Art a flirtatious smile which made Art jerk his head down. Adriel could see how hard Art had gotten by staring at him, but he waited where he was until Art got close.

"I'll rinse off and hold your lizard while you wash," Adriel quietly offered as he held his hands out, and Art reluctantly passed over the reptile without raising his eyes. That just meant Art was staring at the curve of his hips and butt and a little bit of his tone stomach since he had twisted just a bit, then he was facing out over the water where he could keep an eye out for movement while he carefully but firmly held the lizard in one hand and gently cleaned off the partially hard mud.

After a couple minutes, Art finally began to move, then he quietly cursed. "I forgot the soap," he softly mumbled, but when he turned to wade back to shore, Adriel partially turned around to tap Art on the should. Art looked back and frowned with confusion, but it was quickly gone when Adriel pulled out a fresh bar of scentless soap for Art to use. "Oh, thanks."

Adriel quietly hummed an acknowledgement then resumed keeping watch and gently petting the lizard with wet fingers to loosen up the mud on it. The lizard was clean first, and Adriel pulled out a small basket to put it inside of. The lizard tried to escape, but Adriel dumped a small hand towel on top of it then quickly closed the lid.

Of course, that was when Adriel heard the sound of quiet voices carrying down the river. He moved towards Art with a finger pressed to his lips to indicate silence, then slowly began to usher Art towards the shore. "Don't lift your feet above the water surface," he quietly whispered into Art's ear. "Lay down on the bank, be quiet, don't move."

Art nodded with a fearful expression on his face, and he obeyed while he used the arm Adriel offered to keep himself from tripping. As soon as they reached the bank, Art laid out, and Adriel set the basket next to Art's head before he quickly began to cover Art's body with a layer of mud. Art buried his face in his arms as he shivered, and Adriel turned into a jaguar and interposed himself between the river and Art's body and leaned back against the latter to help keep Art warm.

After a short period, three small fishing rafts came around the river bend and he recognized one of them as the man from that evening. Adriel quietly sighed since it looked like the man was back with his buddies, and he got up to run along the bank upriver. He heard Art let out a very quiet whimper, but thankfully it was swallowed down a second later. He waited until he was a good distance away from Art, then he made a bit of noise when he leapt into a tree that had the men startling and telling each other they heard noise where he was at.

Not a single man carried a weapon, and two of the three rafts began poling in his direction with the man from earlier waiting back and trying to caution his friends not to approach. He waited until the lantern light got close, then he let out a quiet grown and he slunk out further which got startled cries from the two men. They stayed and stared at him despite the original man telling them he warned them and Adriel's own warning growl, and the original man began to pole away as Adriel leapt down by the bank with a splash and made a false charge at the two men.

They screamed as they swung their poles in his direction, but he had stopped well short of the rafts right before the shallows dropped off into deeper water and roared at them. His roars differed from a leopard in that it was less a normal roar and more of a loud sawing growl, but it was enough to make them scream a second time. One of the men nearly topped off his craft and only saved himself by jamming his pole into the riverbed to catch himself, and the second man began to pole away while shouting at the unbalanced one to hurry. He let out one more warning roar at their retreating backs, then he turned to head back towards Art.

"You didn't kill them, right?" Art asked in a trembling voice, already sitting up and looking at Adriel with wide eyed fear. "I heard blood curdling screams..."

Adriel turned back into a man and rolled his eyes. "Shhh," he quietly murmured. "They aren't hurt or dead, just scared out of their wits and smelled heavily of alcohol. Get back into the water and clean yourself quickly, we need to move just in case they bring more back."

Art nodded, then he carefully got up. Adriel moved to his side to help him into the water, then he went back for both sets of clothing to wash them himself. There was only the unavoidable soft sounds of splashing water between the two of them for the next ten minutes, then Art began to wade out to the bank first. He got dressed as Adriel finished washing the clothes, then he slung them over his shoulders and joined Art who was picking up the basket to curiously look it over. Art opened his mouth to say something, but Adriel shook his head no as he pressed a finger to Art's lips, then he held out the wet clothes to Art who grimaced as he let them be folded over an arm.

Adriel turned into a jaguar again to lead Art back to the camp, and once they were there Art set the basket down and began to hang the clothes on tree branches he could reach. Adriel shifted back to a man so he could pull out a new set of old dark green canvas pants, a regular green cotton shirt, then a brown tweed vest over it. It didn't look great, but it was decent for camouflage colors, then he approached the fire pit and rotated the slow roasting organs. Art moved in to join him, and he pulled out the previous night's cauldron from his pouch then put it on top of the coals and began to rearrange the bamboo sticks.

"So what happened?" Art asked as he placed the basket with the lizard into his lap while Adriel worked. "For the screams and stuff."

"A fisherman saw me kill the alligator earlier today, and I chased him off," he explained. "I'm guessing he got drunk, told others about a giant leopard killing a full grown alligator, and they didn't believe him so he was going to show them the spot. I recognized one of them as the guy from earlier today, and he kept warning his friends not to get close, but of course they did because leopards are known to be shy and unaggressive unless defending their food. So they stared at me, I gave a warning frown, first guy told them he warned them and left, and when the other two didn't leave, I leapt down and did a false charge which was the first set of screams. I stopped and outright roared, they screamed again, and they got their wits together enough to begin poling away as well. I didn't want them going down further since you were laying in the spot close to the kill and they might have wanted to get a close look."

"So nobody was hurt?" Art asked, then he breathed a sigh of relief when Adriel shook his head no. Then he looked at Adriel with confusion. "Why did you kill that one person but not these?"

"These are innocent fishermen," Adriel replied. "No weapons and just drunk and stupid. The man in the fog and his people would have tried to chase us down, so I had to silence him before he could shout. Not that the civilians are less of a threat - if they see foreigners, they will run if they don't have anything to fight with or they will fight with their farming equipment or whatever is at hand as often as not. We aren't Japanese, but remember that the Imperial race means that the Europeans have been trying to control the country as well. The Japanese actually became aggressive because they saw what was happening in China, and they needed resources very quickly to go from their iron age to modern day technology in less than a few decades so that they wouldn't be taken over."

"The Chinese are opium addicts that fight among each other, so they need outside governments to settle their country down," Art replied with a frown, obviously unhappy about the whole war business. "I read the muggle papers."

"The papers that report what the crown wants them to report?" Adriel asked in a dry tone, then he sat back and wiped the sweat off his brow. "England grew poppy in their Indian colonies and exported to Hong Kong to get the people that didn't know better addicted. There was a trade imbalance because China was selling a lot of tea to England, and Britain needed to recoup the money leaving their country. They waged war using narcotics, and the Dutch were waging war through economy and modern weapons, and China found itself having to sell ancient imperial gold objects and the like. Japan picked up centuries of technology in less than a tenth of if that time since they didn't want to be forced to give up national treasures for some weapons, and they made opium illegal to use except as medication that had to go through the government almost as soon as their borders had been forced open by Europeans. China had made it illegal even earlier, but the Japanese are weirdly loyal to their emperor so they obeyed the edict while Britain was smuggling it into China. Now we have a robust drug trade all throughout this side of the Atlantic, and it's pretty prominent in America though cocaine is the more popular illegal drug with opium being more difficult to get. Keep in mind that it was the Portuguese that initially introduced opium to China, but Britain was the leading seller within a few decades and they were the prominent smugglers once China tried to ban it."

"That's not what I have have read," Art said with a scowl, then he opened the basket to pull out his lizard and got up to put the reptile in its tent. "They are addicts and nearly stripped us of all the silver to support their habits just for tea, so we had to take their economy in hand to make things more fair."

"Propaganda that means the Chinese were selling a lot of tea to England, but England had nothing the Chinese really wanted," Adriel explained. "Like I said, the Dutch introduced it to the Chinese in a form to be smoked, but England already had opium farms because the English were addicted to laudanum which is opium mixed with alcohol. England made the opium farms larger to sell more directly to the people, China made it illegal because it was causing a lot of deaths, England ignored the ban and smuggled it in to keep getting more of its people addicted, and it got bad enough to make the Chinese system collapse because even officials fell prey to the drug. That abuse is what made opium illegal in many countries, and why there has been a lot of talk about going after the drug trade lately. The Dutch opened up Pandora's Box and the English made it worse. America isn't much better when their own doctors okay the use of codeine for simple cold and minor pain medications that don't need prescriptions, then they wonder why there is suddenly hundreds of thousands of addicts and children are dying in their sleep from it being in children's cough medication." Adriel paused then smiled back at Art who was staring at him. "Mind, I don't care one way or another what people do to themselves, but the propaganda and lies to justify treating others badly does bother me. Did you know that the Ancient Sumerians were the first in record to harvest poppy and called it 'the plant of joy'? The Egyptians also used it recreationally while the Greeks used it medicinally. I am sure it was used even further in the past, but cuneiform is the oldest text we have been able to translate. There are older proto-scripts, but they were more for things like tax records or nobody has been able to translate them at all."

"How do you know all this?" Art demanded to know with a frown. "You're supposed to just be a... criminal? Bodyguard? Drifter?"

"I spent summers in Knossos, the royal library of Hattusa, Valley of the Kings, Abydos, Shomron, ancient Samarra, Tell Halaf, Carchemish, Uruk, Etemenanki - but only after I had a huge fit since I wanted to see the ziggurat dedicated to Marduk, and then places like Oceania, India, and Africa chasing after leads or information," Adriel said with a slightly bitter smile. "That doesn't include my winter travels all over Central America for trade in goods and recipes, and all of that before I was seventeen. As soon as I turned seventeen, I was considered an adult by English standard, and I was an adult at the age of twelve with my birth tribe, so I continued to drift, yes. I occasionally do legal work like this, manual labor for muggles, smuggling which was nice since I got to smuggle to the City of Ur during the Arabic insurrection, and the bit about Interpol is under secrecy so don't bother to ask."

Art looked startled. "Why do you live like that?" Art asked as he settled down by the firepit. "Don't you have a home or family? I mean, I know Dr. Pennington died in Africa, but what about others?"

"I'm more at home around the wild lands of the Balkans," Adriel said in a casual tone with a shrug. "I live as a jaguar for long periods of time, and only when I begin feeling myself slip do I return to civilization to look for work or company. Once I'm done socializing, I take a job that will lead me to another country, and I don't stay in any area for longer than a season. I get to see and do all the interesting things this way... Like you."

Art narrowed his eyes when Adriel leered at him, then he stuck his nose up in the air. "I'm not letting you do that again," he announced. "I can only barely sit down and walk again! It hurts."

Adriel blinked since Art had not complained since that morning, then he pounced on Art with a laugh and made him fall back. "You should have said sooner," Adriel quietly laughed out as he ignored Art's flailing and attempts at shoving to roll him over onto his belly so he could straddle Art's legs. "Stay still, I'm going to give you a massage." Art was still flailing, but he went limp as soon as Adriel dug his thumbs into the lower back right above the pelvic bone, and Art groaned. "No, I'm not interested in sex tonight, I'm just easing your pain. Sheesh, you have some intense knots."

Art groaned an agreement, so Adriel continued to massage him until he was nothing but a limp noodle. He rolled Art onto his back again to massage Art's chest, shoulders, and his hip joints, then he worked on the upper thighs until he heard Art give a quiet snore. That was when he unbuttoned the front of Art's pants and began to lick Art's erection while he continued to massage Art's thighs.

"Mmmmm," Art moaned after a few minutes, then he buried his fingers into Adriel's hair and then yanked. "You said only a massage!"

"Yes, and this is tense," Adriel replied with irritation from having his hair so rudely pulled though he didn't stop the massage. "I'm only going to suck you off - you like that, yes? In China, it is a common practice that is part of the massage and is not considered sexual. Just a final release of tension."

Art looked down at him with a cranky and skeptical expression, then he pulled his fingers out of Adriel's hair. "Go slow," he commanded.

"That was the plan," Adriel purred as Art relaxed, then he nuzzled Art's member with his cheek. "Nice and sensual like the rest of the massage was."

Art watched when Adriel went back to licking from base to tip, but when he curled his tongue to catch the precum that began to drip from the slit, Art's breath stuttered and he buried his fingers in Adriel's hair once more. Adriel paid attention to what areas made Art grip his hair tighter, what kind of licks would get Art's breath to stutter or quietly groan, and when he used his lips to give light caresses with a hot breath, Art bucked his hips up and moaned. Art let him keep it slow like that for a little longer, but when his hair started getting tugged when Art made a needy little sound, he finally sucked Art's penis into his mouth until it was all in, then he began to rub with his tongue while he kept Art in his throat.

Art tried to buck to get Adriel to move, but Adriel's hands gripped Art's thighs to his hips down. Art tugged his hair, but he seemed content to continue to keep it slow since he was panting and squirming rather than trying to make Adriel do more. When Adriel began to make a deep humming sound that made his throat vibrate, Art pulled Adriel's head down to bury himself as deep as possible as he gasped with pleasure. Adriel then released Art's thighs to slowly slide his hands up under Art's shirt, then he began to lightly brush across the nipples and Art hissed when he found he was able to buck his hips.

From there, Adriel provided a hot mouth that stroked with a velvety tongue, and he kept his lips sealed around Art's shaft as he let Art continue to thrust inside. Art began slow, but it wasn't long before every hard breath had the whisper of a sound of pleasure, and Art gently began to increase his speed.

Adriel was a bit amused at how careful Art was being to try not to choke him, so he began to bob his head to meet Art's thrusts which was finally what motivated Art to go harder. Adriel began to gently tug on Art's nipples, then pinched them, and when he could feel Art getting close to coming, he finally sucked and eagerly swallowed when Art ejaculated with a whine in the back of his throat. Adriel gentled down to suckling until Art stopped coming, and he only pulled back when Art went limp with a sigh of contentment and was soft.

"We can do this every night until you are feeling better," Adriel offered in a slightly raspy voice as he slid his hands back down to begin buttoning up Art's pants. "I like how you taste and this is better than arguing, yes?"

Art was very relaxed until Adriel asked that last question, and he opened his eyes to give Adriel a narrowed eye look of suspicion before he groaned and let his head fall back so he could stare up at the sky above. "Yes, it is better than arguing," he sighed out. "You're not expecting anything, are you?"

Adriel pushed himself up and twisted around so that he could sit by the fire pit once again. "No," he scoffed as he reached out to grab the stick with the liver on it. "You can take my offer and decline sex - I don't care. You taste good and I like having you squirm with pleasure. I am sure you feel you deserve some reward for the way I enjoy playing with you, and I only play when I feel like it. You are one of the more entertaining people I have met."

Art groaned with irritation as he sat up. "Thanks," he said in a dry tone, then he stretched and groaned again though it was the groan of someone who feels good. Adriel pulled out a hand towel so he could grab the handle of the cauldron without burning himself, then he stood and picked it up to set it down next to Art. "Thanks."

The second thanks was actually meant, and Adriel grunted an acknowledgement as he sat back down and blew on the liver. "We should be out of the province by late afternoon tomorrow," Adriel said. "Than I'll apparate us to Fujian?"

Art nodded. "North of Nanping in the forest of Huangzhang of Yangping district," he replied, then scowled when Adriel gave him a blank look. "What?"

"That is a whole mountain of wildlands you are talking about," Adriel clearly stated. "If I get you close enough, can you apparate us to that camp? I can get us to Xinfang village to the east of the region."

"I can," Art said, then started to dig around in his bag for a spoon. "I have been to Gencheng village south by southeast a couple times since it is a little closer, but I know of Xinfang."

Adriel nodded, glad to have the next step of the journey plotted out. "If you normally come from the south, then if there are enemies, they won't expect us from the east," he stated. "Eat and sleep, I'll take care of watch again tonight."

Art goes beet red, but he crosses his arms and scowls because he can't believe that that was flirting! Or that Antoine liked to be spanked! Who would even like to be spanked?! He is certain that Antoine is teasing him because he winked like Adriel winked, and he didn't like how embarrassed he was now! Thinking to turn the tables, he narrowed his eyes at Antoine. "I don't believe you like to be spanked by Adriel - you have to prove it or take it back," Art said, thinking to turn the tables and make Antoine blush! 

Adriel froze for a split second, and Antoine used that to his advantage to eagerly accept the challenge and managed to wiggle out of his chair. "Please spank me!" he begged as he latched himself on to Adriel who was trying to gently push him away. He gave a wicked grin because he realized Adriel was trying to be polite! He widened his eyes up at Adriel to look pitiful and made himself lightly flush. "I am naughty, spank me please?" 

Adriel gave a nervous laugh as he tried to get Antoine off him without resorting to anything violent or painful. "No, he really does like it," he said to Art while outright trying to ignore the look he was getting. "You don't want to see it."

Art was pleased to see Antoine turn a little pink but he also felt like something was clawing at his insides because Antoine was trying to hug Adriel at the dinner table and that was rude! "No, I want to see it," he replied back, still scowling at the blonde. With Adriel's input, his confidence that Antoine was lying just to tease him faltered a little, but a little voice in his head was also telling him that he deserved to see proof and Antoine deserved to be spanked. "He needs at least ten because he is being naughty like he said. And it has to be real spankings - I will be able to tell."

Antoine buried his face in Adriel's chest as he took advantage of the frozen and shocked speechlessness that Art had caused, and he hid his triumphant smile against Adriel while he swallowed his giggles. "At least twenty!" he exclaimed, then arranged his expression into a sad and repentant one when he felt Adriel's hand grip the back of his neck to pry him off. "I misbehaved after all."

Adriel almost got himself caught by big blue eyes that were getting dewy, but he managed to look past Antoine to Art and gave a weak smile. "No, really, you don't-"

"I do," Art cut off, now frowning at Adriel with genuinely big sad eyed because he was starting to feel hurt that Adriel wouldn't punish the other guy. "You should be defending my honor since I'm calling him out on it!"

Adriel completely folded with two sets of eyes that looked both sad and pleasing directed right at him - Art's eyes managed to finish Antoine's attempt to ensnare him because that was genuine upset. Oh, gods, he was doomed and Antoine was a manipulative little piece of shit that he was definitely going to punish later. During the winter, actually... He would suspend the troublemaker and deny him any orgasms for an entire day... Three if Antoine came! "Fine, fine," he agreed, then he glanced around for a spot to do this and decided the curtained bench behind Art was a good spot since Art wanted to see it anyway. Actually, on second thought, if Antoine came while he was being spanked, maybe Art would feel better about this afternoon since it would show that he wasn't the only one those things happened to? Of course, he would still punish Antoine since he wasn't supposed to come tonight. Or no, the order was that he wasn't allowed to masturbate tonight or tomorrow, so it seemed like it wouldn't be a three day punishment. "I'll do it on the couch behind you."

Art felt the clawing sensation ease since Adriel was taking his side on this, so he watched as Adriel pulled Antoine to the bench and scooched his chair back so he could watch. Adriel sat down in the center and patted his lap as he glanced at Art's smug and vindictive little smile, then he prayed to... Well, nobody, now. Apparently none of the gods were showing him mercy today. He could tell that Antoine was eager as he laid out across the bench even if the blonde was pouting and sulking for Art's sake, and then Antoine made sure he was positioned right so that he was facing Art while his feet were on the other side of bench.

"No sounds, no making a mess," Adriel told Antoine in a last ditch effort to keep things from getting too terrible. He was trying to protect Art from Antoine's little show except that Art fell for it hook, line and sinker. "Otherwise I'll suspend you for three days in January."

Art frowned with confusion and wondered if that meant that Adriel was not going to let Antoine on his boat for three days like how people were suspended from school for three days? He opened his mouth to ask, except Adriel gave Antoine his first spank, and it was hard enough to rock the blonde's body even though Adriel was holding Antoine down with his other hand. He glanced at Antoine's face since he was expecting to see pain and was going to stop Adriel, except he heard Antoine suck in air with the second spank as he saw plump and parted lips, a nice and even flush across pale skin that made Antoine look as soft and silky as Eros carved from pink marble, blue eyes that were directly holding his gaze even though they looked a little foggy and the blue part was narrow because of how large the pupils were, and the third spank seemed to make Antoine glow with happiness even though there was no such thing as a glowing person except through magic.

Adriel was trying his best not to watch Art and Antoine, but they were right there in the corner of his eye and he could see Art staring at Antoine, see Art's breathing was beginning to quicken, and most condemning of all, see how Art's pants was beginning to tent up. He swallowed a whimper as he made sure the fourth spank came down with a very loud sound, and a brief rub had Antoine shudder and he could feel that the back of Antoine's pants was damp even if he couldn't see it because of the glamour that had been used to hide the evidence of their earlier fun.

Antoine was exceptionally turned on - not only had Adriel denied him any completion earlier that day, but Art looked absolutely enraptured as his blush deepened. Oh, he was one hundred percent certain that Art was interested in men even if he somehow convinced Adriel he was not, and he licked his lips after the fifth spank while he panted hard just to see Art's eyes drop for that split second to watch. Now he really wanted a threesome - even if it meant taking turns since Art was obviously inexperienced and wouldn't let him touch him while being fine with Adriel's proximity - so he would just have to try to convince Adriel that it would be in his best interest to draw Art into some play time. Not yet since Adriel was still teaching Art how to socialize, but maybe this summer after the second quarter ended, and he would need to engage Art with a letter exchange to try and develop a trust between the two of them. Then the sixth spank broke his furious thinking because it burned perfectly and had rocked his body in a way that had his erection rub against Adriel's hard thigh, but he managed to keep his moan silent.

Art felt like he could move and think again when Antoine closed his eyes with very obvious pleasure that couldn't be mistaken for anything else, so he made sure to look away and watch the spanking so he wouldn't get caught staring again. How did Antoine enjoy that? Art didn't like being hit but... watching this was making his stomach flood with eat and he could barely keep himself from squirming. Actually, he realized he was hard, so he quickly shrugged off his outer jacket to place in his lap and hoped that nobody had noticed. He had no idea how many spanks there had been, but he opened up his mouth to put a stop to it.

"And ten," Adriel said to Art's relief. "Is that enough, Art?"

"Nnn, please more," Antoine begged Art as he opened his tear-filled eyes. He had been so close! 

Art's mouth was dry as he realized they were both looking at him, and he was expected to answer. "No," Art heard himself say even though he had meant to say yes, it was enough, but he found himself swimming in beautiful blue eyes and completely forgot how to talk again. Absently, he noted there were three spankings before he was released from that potent gaze, and it was only because Antoine squeezed his eyes shut and quietly whined in the back of his throat as his hips began to twitch and Art knew what that was since it was the same exact jerks he had made that afternoon when Adriel had... He couldn't think about that right now because he suddenly felt the need to do what he had done in the shower except he couldn't just flee. Right? Right, he couldn't leave Adriel alone because he had promised to try! 

"Okay, that's enough," Art squeaked out when he realized Antoine was still being spanked, then he cleared his throat with an embarrassed blush since his voice had almost cracked. "Uh, right, he doesn't need to be..." Art flushed even harder when he realized that it hadn't been a punishment and Antoine had told him he had liked it! "No more!"

Adriel politely pretended to not notice Art's flustered state as he rubbed the worst of the sting that Antoine was no doubt feeling, and he felt Antoine immediately relax. "Right," Adriel agreed, though he had no idea what to say, then stopped rubbing to just let his hand casually stay. "So, different people like different things, and there is nothing to be ashamed about. Right Antoine?"

"Thank you Art and Adriel," Antoine mumbled, high off of endorphins, dopamine, and finally getting to come after the denial session Adriel had had him under. "That was very nice."

Art decided maybe he could flee after all when he realized Adriel knew that Art knew that Antoine had done that. And it was because of Art! And he had gotten painfully hard from it! And Adriel might say there was nothing to be ashamed about, but Art had no idea what to think since he knew his parents would be absolutely scandalized if they had seen this! Though it did make him suddenly think of Apollo and Adonis with Adriel being the perfectly beautiful Apollo and Antoine was Adonis who was a beautiful man. 

"I'll send Antoine back now," Adriel said in a more cheerful tone as he realized that Art was too shocked to say, do, or process anything. "Come come, it's time for you to retire, Antoine. Art and I have to be up very early so we need to prepare for bed."

"Bed, yes bed!" Art immediately exclaimed, glad to find an excuse to run off and shower. "I will go get ready for bed goodnight Sir Antoine and Adriel and dinner was nice and the eclairs were good!" Then he kept his jacket clutched to himself as he stood up, stumbled on his own chair in his haste to get away, then stumbled on the Persian carpet and barely managed to keep himself from going down because of his sheer need to get away!

"Mmm, mon amour, I think he likes men too," Antoine quietly said once Art was out of hearing. "We should-"

"Ah ah, you were bad," Adriel chided Antoine before the blonde could continue with whatever mad idea was in his head. "Devious brat, off you go, no goodnight kiss as part of your punishment."

Antoine's eyes widened and he pouted back at Adriel, but Adriel gave him a very stern look that expected him to obey his command and it made him quail. "Okay, mon beau," he agreed as he carefully got off, but he could see how hard Adriel was so he stayed knelt on the floor and fluttered his eyelashes at Adriel and placed his hands on Adriel's thighs to slowly slide them up. "Could I give you a goodnight kiss? I am your poupette but was terribly selfish to get my spanking."

Adriel really wished he had a divine being he could trust at this moment as he made a shooing motion instead. "No, that would be a reward," he sternly told Antoine even if his dick was very eager to accept the offer of a blowjob. "You were very naughty so no reward for you."

Antoine pouted and he used Adriel's thighs to help himself stand up. "I'm sorry, I will be extra dutiful as your date to make up for this," he said, and he really hoped January would come quick since he was looking forward to whatever punishment Adriel would be able to set up with months of planning. "Goodnight, mon amour."

"Goodnight, Antoine," Adriel sighed with a hint of fondness but mostly of exasperation. Antoine popped out a moment later, and Adriel shook his head. How did he manage to get into these messes? Poor Art must be terribly confused, so he would have to explain that it was perfectly normal to react to an erotic sight even if he was straight and it was two men he was seeing. That it also didn't make Art gay, and if he had used what had happened to take care of himself in the shower, Antoine would also not hold it against him but would be thrilled, and then warn Art that it was best to not tell Antoine about it or he would try to put on more shows for Art.

Right, Adriel was definitely feeling sorry for Art, but at least he would get a good night of sleep tonight after so many activities and pleasures today.

Both Adriel and Remy gave Art a blank look, but Adriel's only lasted for a split second before he stepped towards Art. "You were able to do that last time because it was only measurements," he replied in a quiet tone to break the bad news as gently as possible. "If it's my presence you don't want, I can leave, but I figured you would feel better if I stayed. I don't mind either way, but Remy has to be the one to do it to make sure all of it fits well and to do minor adjustments where necessary." Behind him Remy turned and started preparing a pot while he pretended not to hear anything at all. "I know it is scary, but remember that he is a professional and will work as quickly as he can because he knows you won't like it. I am having you go first so you have time to recover and read the card while I take my turn, and with a little bit of luck, there will be no major adjustments needed for either one of us."

Art still looked stubborn, so Adriel leaned in. "If it's his touching that is bothering you, I can stand in front of you and distract you with my own touching so you won't notice him," he offered in a quieter voice and noted that Art stiffened up more with a shiver. "Nothing bad, just light touching or stroking your hair. If it's that you will only be in your underwear, then it should distract you from that, too. That's the only idea I can give, though."

Art shivered again as his mind danced with the image of Adriel's hands on his naked torso. Touch him? Would Adriel's hands lightly trail down his front like he had touched his neck? What if he actually took Art in hand this time and stroked like Art had imagined in the shower? Stroke him until the white stuff came out? Art could watch in the mirrors as Adriel ran his hand down his chest and belly to-

"Are you okay, Art?" Adriel asked in a concerned tone which broke Art out of his fantasy. "You look red and faint. Do you need a calming potion?"

"Yes!" Art agreed in a shrill and panicked tone since he realized he had fantasized about Adriel right here in the middle of a store and what was he even thinking?! And he was all hard! The calming potion would fix that, but he grabbed Adriel's shirt when Adriel was going to step back because Art didn't want him to see how hard he was and tried to shake him! "Give me the potion right now!"

Adriel blinked at how panicked Art sounded, then he reached into his pouch while Art clung to his shirt and yanked at it like a desperate man in need of water. Art only let go with one hand to snatch the vial up, then he chugged it down. "Feeling better?" he asked Art as he carefully took the bottle back, and Art immediately took hold of his shirt again when he tried to lean back to get a look at Art. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Art replied in a robotic tone. His panic had gone away, but his thing was still hard! "You don't need to touch me. Just sit on the couch. And write. On the index card so I can memorize what you said." Art felt a flicker of relief as he finally felt himself begin to soften.

"Okay," Adriel agreed in the same tone one might use on a drunk person who had been acting erratic and had only just managed to calm down. "I'll sit on the couch and write the speech, the excuses, and the four basic things you need to focus on, and you can ignore everything else and let me and Marina take care of everything else."

Art finally released Adriel and gave a curt nod. At least he could strip and not panic now even if he wouldn't be allowed to have the potion at the ceremony. Art turned to walk towards the mirrors, resigned to his horrible fate.

---

As soon as Adriel was under the hot spray of water, he soaped up his hand then began to stroke his erection. Normally, this was a perfunctory duty he would perform a few times a month for stress relief, but he was painfully hard, not used to it, and just grabbing it made him gasp with relief. A month ago, he was perfectly fine being celibate and hadn't wanted a relationship, but Atlantis' statis as a myth hadn't deterred Art and Adriel was finding Art's dogged pursuit of him a heady thing.

He still couldn't quite believe that Artemio Reyes wanted him. His body, yes - Adriel was very much convinced that Art wanted his body. Even thinking that made the pleasure of masturbation spike, so Adriel slowed down his strokes a little bit since he didn't want to finish too quick. Art was currently denying himself this pleasure, and it was because he wanted to be inside of Adriel the next time he came, and Adriel panted as he imagined feeling himself being filled with Art's hot semen. In a way, it had happened, but Adriel had not been ready for something like that so he had not paid attention when it had happened except to feel disgusted. This time, in his fantasy, he had willingly opened himself up to Art and Art slid inside like his tone had, and Adriel reached behind him to touch his hole with his other hand.

"Art," he moaned as he started coming, and he stroked and fingered himself through it until he had to lean against the shower wall because of how weak his knees felt. He was panting since it was the hardest he had ever made himself come, then he flushed with humiliation because of what he had fantasized. He was still not ready for something like that - he wasn't even sure if he was ready for what he asked for tonight. However, he wanted to give Art pleasure as well, but Art had made his own boundary for that and Adriel had to respect it.

Had Art actually said he was only interested in coming in Adriel, Adriel would not have believed him. However, Art had also said 'or a stranger because you are gone' which meant that Art was willing to be celibate for however long it took for Adriel to feel comfortable with that step... Or if Art left Adriel before then, Adriel would not have his body used in that way. He wondered if Art was hurting and in pain from how hard he had also been as he rinsed the shampoo out of his hair, and he wondered if Art was at least using his own hand.

The rest of the shower went by fast, and he used magic to pull the water out of his hair once he had dried off his body. He looked at his naked body in the mirror and sucked on his lower lip as he touched the darkest kiss marks peppered all over his neck and torso, then he took a deep breath and looked inside the shopping bag he had put on the counter. He pulled out and sifted through things until he was left with a black two piece set and a white one piece set, and he was going to go with the white one until a random though told him he should wait for that one. He grabbed the black set and carefully put them on since they looked so delicate that he worried they would tear. He looked in the mirror, decided the kiss bruises didn't look night, then he healed them up.


Adriel posed in the mirror a few times, then arranged his privates so they didn't look as lumpy - something easier to do now that he was soft. He thought about making his hair nice and smooth, but the messier look matched well with the set, so he decided to stay with that. Unable to stall any longer, Adriel slipped out of his room and quietly padded to Art's room. The door was shut so he knocked on it, but it apparently wasn't shut all the way since that made the door creak open. He poked his head in, noted that the room was empty, and he walked over to the bed where he intended to wait for Art.

There was a small pile of chains and leather on the bed, so he curiously picked them up as he sat on the edge to see what they were. The collar and leash was obvious, but he wasn't sure what the other two things attached to it was for. A collar and leash for a chimaera, perhaps? He began to open up the smaller collars to see if they opened enough for that option when he startled into a yelp.

"I heard you," Art said in a dark tone, and Adriel blinked as he looked in the direction it came from and saw Art sitting in a chair that was in the least lit part of the room. "You moaned my name as you pleasured yourself." Adriel blushed and was glad that that was all he had said out loud. "Now we discuss punishments."

Adriel was confused. "Punishments?" he asked. "Did I do something wrong?"

"What did I say about your pleasure, Adriel?"

"That I only needed to worry about mine and not yours?"

"You are now in a session, so you should be addressing me properly," Art informed, then he stood up and slowly prowled towards Adriel. "I said I was in charge of your safety and your pleasure. You masturbated in the shower - couldn't even wait until you were here - and you stole that orgasm I was working very hard to tease you towards away from me." Adriel paled and stayed still as Art loomed over him. "You also healed all of the marks."

"I am sorry, master," Adriel apologized in a shaky tone as he looked up. "I didn't know I wasn't allowed to touch myself, and I healed the marks so I would look nice and you could reapply them to me tonight."

"Pet," Art crooned as he cupped Adriel's cheek, but Adriel stayed frozen with trepidation since the tone sounded gentle, but it was gentle in a menacing way. "You are lucky you are still in your training period. I will forgive you, but you will be introduced to punishments. I will not take it far, but you do need to learn what could happen in the future. Do you remember your safe word?"

Adriel sharply inhaled as he was reminded that he was safe. "Caracaras," he quietly replied as his hands fisted the leather collar he had completely forgotten about. "What are punishments, master?"

"In this case, it is an introduction to your new restraints," Art purred, sounding satisfied that Adriel had asked that question. "You will try to wear them for the next hour to show how apologetic you are and prove how good you want to be, pet. You should have known better - if you had thought for only a couple of minutes, you would have known it would make me unhappy. You also could have asked for permission and you would have found out then. Your pleasure is mine Adriel. Mine to give, and mine to withhold."

"Yes, master," Adriel said in a tone that was barely above a whisper. "I want to be good and I will try them."

Adriel let go of the leather in his hands when Art gave it a gentle tug, and he realized that maybe it wasn't for a chimaera after all. "Hold your hands up to your neck and look up, pet," Art said, and Adriel complied. Art adjusted his hands as he stared up at the ceiling, then he felt the cool and soft texture of leather going around his neck. His mouth opened when he began to pant and he wondered why something this simple was already making his belly feel hot. The leather around his throat was tightened, a finger was inserted to make sure it wasn't too tight, then Adriel's panting picked up when the next bit went around his wrist and his eyes fell shut. "Look at you, already soaking your panties even though you came crying out my name not even half an hour ago. What were you thinking when you were using thoughts of me to pleasure yourself?"

"The things we've been doing and how you look at me," Adriel moaned out as the cuff on his wrist was tightly secured. "... And what it might be like if you were in me."

Art paused and Adriel heard his breathing hitch. "Is that so?" Art asked as he put Adriel's other wrist into the cuff connected to his collar. "And how do you imagine how that will feel?"

Adriel flushed with embarrassment since he had not wanted to admit the last part and he was worried Art would laugh at him. "Hot like your tongue, but I could feel you deep inside and it felt so full," Adriel huskily replied, then startled a little when he felt something touch his face.

"Shhh, sorry pet, I didn't mean to scare you," Art crooned, this time in a gentle way as he gripped Adriel's hair and expertly tied something to Adriel's face. "I thought you saw the blindfold, but yes, it is part of your punishment." Adriel heard the chain being picked up and felt it get connected to the ring on the collar. "There, that is a good pet. You have enough leeway to free yourself if you really want to, but you really want to show me how sorry you are and how good you want to be, right?"

"Yes, master," Adriel said on an exhale as he used a breathing exercise to calm himself down. "You are right - I should have asked first for all of it. May I please be allowed to heal myself before each session to have a new set of marks put on me? I would like to be a clean canvas for you."

Art hissed and Adriel jerked with a moan as he felt his nipple get pinched. "I would like that a lot, pet," Art purred. "But you have to ask me before every session, okay? And we will be putting that chastity garment on you soon - I will make it tomorrow. Now come, follow where I lead you to. I will go slowly so you don't trip, and you will use the gentle tugs of the leash to move in the right direction. I want silence from you, and you are not to speak without permission from here on out, okay? The only exception is your safe word or an emergency."

Adriel nodded and carefully stood up when he felt a gentle tug urging him off the bed. He stayed silent and used his hearing as well as the tugs as a guide while he kept his steps cautious, and he could feel the difference when the floor went from Art's carpeted room to the corridor with a rug. He had a good sense of direction so he knew he was being led deeper into the tent, but he didn't know how far they were going.

"Do you like the color red, Adriel?" Art asked, and Adriel nodded. "Good. We are not going to the photography room if you are wondering that. I won't say where we are going, though... Being blind and at my mercy is the whole point of your punishment."

Adriel heard some curtains being shifted, and he followed the tug into the new space. He knew it was not the photography room since that was closer to the beginning of the corridor, but he knew he had just walked a length of space that the corridor was not supposed to reach. The not knowing and not seeing was making him dizzy with a mix of anticipation and fear, and he knew he was putting a lot of trust in Art at the moment to not do something to him before he could get out of cuffs and collar.

"Stop." Adriel stopped and stayed still. "Good pet... You did surprisingly well on your first try. Everyone always stumbles at least once. Speak and tell me why."

"I grew up in a tribe, master," Adriel explained as he fought to subdue the panic that was beginning to simmer. "One of the initiation rites is the path of hunting, and you have to be able to hunt at night during the new moon as part of it. The floor here is flat and there was nothing to trip on, but I can walk in any forest I am familiar with with little problem as long as I can at least see the silhouettes of my immediate surroundings."

"I see," Art purred at the same time as Adriel gasped. He had not expected the hand on his belly or how close Art was to him. His skin broke out in goosebumps when Art's hand left as he anticipated the next touch, but none came and his leash was dropped. "When I am not holding your leash, you are to remain where you are." Adriel nodded since he didn't know if he was allowed to speak or not, and he felt the precum from the tip of his penis get swiped off since he had gotten too hard and the crown had pushed up out of the waistband. "Open your mouth, Adriel." Adriel obediently opened his mouth and could immediately tell that Art had wiped the precum off on his tongue since he could taste himself. He kept his mouth open, then he heard Art quietly chuckle before he began to plunder his mouth, and he didn't break off until Adriel swayed with dizziness from the overwhelming sensations. "Get down on your knees."

Adriel wobbled as he carefully got down on his knees - it was difficult to do without his hands to act as a counter balance. The floor in here was hard, lifeless, and cold like cement rather than stone, so the new position was not comfortable at all.

"Tell me, are you curious about tasting me?" Art asked, and Adriel looked up in his direction to answer, but he continued. "See what my precum tastes like? Suck me and swallow me? Speak and tell me your honest thoughts, not what you think I might want to hear."

"I haven't thought at all about it, master," Adriel honestly replied. "Now that you mention it, I am curious, but I was thinking about seeing and touching before."

Adriel felt a hand cup his cheek. "Would you like to try?" Art asked in a gentle tone. "I said I would not come unless I was in you, and your mouth does count. The decision is yours, though - I will continue to wait if that is what you want."

Adriel swallowed a couple times because his stomach knotted up with nerves even though he felt himself leak out some more precum as well. "Yes, master," Adriel breathed out, then he opened his mouth and held out his tongue and waited.

Nothing was said or done for several seconds - Adriel could only hear the both of them breathing hard, then he heard the sound of a belt buckle being undone. "Very well - I am curious how much you can take," Art finally said. "You look so eager that it is hard to tell you no, but let me give you a couple ground rules since you haven't done this before, right?" Adriel shook his head no, but he kept his mouth open and his tongue out even for that. "First, no teeth. Use your lips and your tongue, but teeth should not scrape across the flesh at all. Second, you need to suck. Think about how I suck on your nipple with I am being gentle, and that is the pressure you want to apply. Third, I control the pace. You are not to lean in, bob your head, or anything. You are allowed to back away if you do not want to do it or find yourself choking, but you are not giving me pleasure - I am taking my pleasure from you. And finally, I will go slow when I push in to see how deep you can take me. Keep your throat relaxed, use your lips like a seal, and breath through your nose. For now, I will let you taste and acclimate yourself to the flavor - most men are not sweet tasting like you are."

That was when something hot and velvety soft wipe itself on his tongue, and when Art pulled back, he immediately withdrew his tongue to suck on it and see what Art's precum tasted like. Art was right - he was very salty, the texture was a little thicker, and there was a bitter edge to it, but it wasn't horrible so Adriel opened his mouth and stuck his tongue out again. The next couple minutes was only filled with their harsh breathing and the wet sounds of Adriel licking and tasting, and even if the flavor itself wasn't that great, the way he heard Art's breathing picked up made it feel like it tasted good. Finally, fingers were buried into his hair, and rather than just a swipe, he felt Art being to guide himself inside of his mouth.

"I could come like this and watch as ropes of come paints the back of your throat," Art breathed out as he inched his way in. "Keep your mouth open for now." Art used his hair to tilt his head further up, and Adriel stayed still as he felt Art's penis slide down inside of his throat and Art made a very throaty sound of surprise. "Holy shit, you don't have a gag reflex." Adriel stayed still as Art rubbed his velvety head in and out of Adriel's throat like he was testing something, and Art full on groaned. "Seal your lips, pet, and suck when I start to move. Use your tongue to massage, but I will remind you again you cannot use teeth, so make sure your lips are protecting me from them."

Adriel sealed his lips around the shaft and gently began to suckle as he rubbed his tongue back and forth, and Art's other hand moved to grip his hair as well. Art started slow like he said he would, and Adriel figured out a pattern he could use for sucking and licking without slurping or breaking the seal, but it did sound very sloppy until that point. Once he adjusted to the tip of Art's penis dipping in and out of his throat, that was when Art's thrusts became longer so it went in even deeper. Adriel almost choked on the unfamiliar penetration and loudly slurped instead, and it took him a bit longer to figure out the new patter while Art's breathing sped up. Adriel began his suckling again, but he also started to swallow every time Art plunge in, then there was a very wet squelch when Art pulled out all the way and Adriel felt a mix of drool and precum drop down his chin.

"Fuck, your mouth almost made me come," Art panted out. "You still have a little more than an inch to learn how to take, though. Speak and tell me how you feel about this."

"It is an-" Adriel began, then he coughed because his throat got caught and felt a little raw. "Sorry, master. It feels interesting and I like that you are taking your pleasure from me. The taste is very different from mine, but not intolerable, and I look forward to tasting your come."

"Open," Art commanded, and Adriel obediently opened his mouth as his hair was released. Rather than Arts penis, he felt two fingers slide in, and he immediately sealed his lips around then and began to suck and tongue as he felt his leash get picked up. "You are pleasing your master greatly," Art purred, and Adriel felt Art's wet cock bumping and brushing up against his right cheek. "One day, I'm going to come all over your face, Adriel. For now, open your mouth and be prepared to take all of me as soon as I enter."

Adriel opened his mouth, and Art's fingers were replaced by his thick dick, and Adriel sealed his lips around it as he relaxed and opened his throat. Art grabbed the back of his head and pulled Adriel's head in as he thrust out, and Adriel struggled for a brief second because his airway was completely blocked, his nose was crushed up against Art's pubes, and his throat felt like it had bulged out like a frog. He forced himself to relax by beginning to convulsively swallow, and it made Art moan and grind his pelvis against Adriel's face a few times like he was trying to wiggle in even deeper before he pulled out enough for Adriel to noisily suck in air through his nose.

"You will be such a good cock warmer," Art breathed out. "Your throat is heavenly. Take in enough air to hold your breath for at least a minute, and when I come, try not to spill a drop and hold it in your mouth so you can properly taste it."

Adriel sucked in a deep breath, then he rubbed his tongue on the underside of Art's penis and Art took it for the signal it was since he thrust back in. It hurt to have his throat fucked the way Art was doing it - he was thrusting and pulling Adriel's head in and it was all Adriel could do to not break the seal. He used his tongue and he was unable to suck, but Art was moaning and muttering curses so he apparently didn't mind. Then Adriel's face was pressed hard up against Art's pubes and he felt a thick spurt like warm mucus slide down his throat, and Art pulled back so the rest of his ejaculation landed on the back of Adriel's tongue, then there was one last thrust into his throat that was held for another few seconds before Art pulled out with a groan.

"Fuck, your first time and it's probably the best blowjob I've gotten," Art muttered, and Adriel didn't think he was meant to hear it but he felt proud as he swirled what was in his mouth around. Definitely thicker than Adriel's was - he suspected Art needed to drink more water - and it tasted like gelatinous seaweed with a hint of pool water. Despite the gross description, the flavors balanced themselves out in a way that none of those tasted horrible, then he opened his mouth when Art pressed down on his lip with a finger to show that it was still there. "Good pet, swallow it if you think you can." Adriel closed his mouth to swallow, then he licked his lips and continued to swallow to get all of it down before it actually did make him sick. "You are so perfect and constantly filled with surprises. I wasn't going to let you come tonight since you had taken the opportunity away from me, but you have more than pleased me. Get up."

Adriel tried to get up, but after being on his knees for so long, he yelped when he began to topple over. Art caught him before he could land on the floor, then Adriel heard him grunt as he felt himself being picked up, and he stayed as still as possible and silently prayed that he wouldn't be dropped as Art staggered a few steps. Thankfully Art recovered, and though he was straining to hold Adriel, he didn't drop him before Adriel felt himself being lowered onto what felt like a chair covered in hard leather. 

"I'm getting a gym installed in one of the rooms tomorrow, I won't tolerate not being able to carry you whenever I want," Art bitched out loud, sounding upset at himself as he touched and carefully adjusted Adriel in a way that had Adriel thinking Art was checking him for injuries. "You are such a good pet, not a sound made even during that. Now, you are currently sitting on a very special bench. I want you to carefully get on your knees where you are sitting at and bend over the back of your seat."

Adriel thought the instructions sounded odd, but after a bit of wiggling, he found that the bench was narrow enough for him to grab the edges to help twist himself into the requestions position. It was definitely an odd chair since the back of the chair was an even longer bench that had his torso slanted down a little bit, and he was trying to puzzle out what it was when he felt Art take a wrist and somehow detached the chain.

"That's a good boy," Art praised as Adriel let him move that hand, and a moment later it was released and a tug told him he was now shackled  to the weird chair. "That first shopping trip when I bought all those underwear, I also bought a lot of new furniture." Art paused as he repeated the same thing with Adriel's other cuff, then Adriel raised his body up as much as he could so Art could pull the chain leash pinned under him out. "This is called a whipping bench, but that's not what we are using it for." Adriel had tensed up, but he relaxed when Art said it wasn't for that. He thought of a few Spanish inquisition benches, and decided his imagination was overreacting since this was a lot more comfortable than one of those torture devices. "No, if or when I introduce you to spanking, that will be on my lap or across my work desk - something I have never allowed for others. I didn't like touching them if I'm honest." Adriel could hear the tinge of disgust, then he felt Art's fingers brushing across his back. "I love touching you, though. That is why I got this bench - it is so I can touch all I want and you just have to accept it."

Adriel felt Art open the back of the bra and the straps slid off. "Open your mouth, Adriel," Art ordered, and Adriel stretched forward until he was able to feel empty space under his chin, then he opened his mouth. Art placed a finger in it a few seconds later, and Adriel immediately began to suck on it as he felt Art do something with his leash. "There, now you are properly in position. In the future I will also cuff your ankles, but that would be a bit too much for your first time and I want you to love your whipping bench. Open." Adriel opened up his mouth, and the finger slid out but a half hard cock slid in. "Suck while I finish explaining. So the book says you should be fully informed when introduced to new experiences and toys, but I should be experienced in how to use them or learn from someone with experience unless you are very willing to be experimented on and I know I won't hurt you doing so. Tonight, it will only be fingers and tongue on your hole as you asked. I will not be stroking you, and you do not have the room to hump your bench stretched out as you are." Adriel whined but it was stopped when Art shoved his now hard cock down Adriel's throat. "Listen and no complaining. I am introducing you to something you will find exceptionally enjoyable since I doubt you are one of the men that cannot get pleasure from being penetrated. Not with the way you were reacting with my tongue in your ass, anyway. I will be using a special potion that will slick your passage with my fingers-" Art pulled back out and Adriel drooled all over the floor as he gasped for air. He had been terrified that he would have to resort to biting soon, but Art was apparently being attentive "-and I will slowly add in more fingers as I stretch you out. Caracas will stop the session, of course, but if you say 'red light' then I will take that to mean you do not want more fingers. Just to be on the safe side, I won't go past three even if you thing you can take it. You may ask questions now."

Adriel trembled as he realized he was in a very helpless position now. "Are the restrained guarded against the unlocking spell?" Adriel asked, nearly having to choke out his words because of his abused throat and what it had also just gone through. Then there was a bottle against his lips, a cautious sniff told him it was a healing one, and he drank as Art carefully fed it to him. "Thank you, master."

"You need to let me know when you are hurting - it qualifies under the emergency rule," Art chided as he stroked Adriel's hair and cheeks. "Yes, I am experienced, but I am not experience in knowing how to care and I don't want you hurting. You need to tell me if I went overboard on something, okay pet?"

"I didn't mind you using my mouth the way you did," Adriel slowly explained, trying to find the words to something he wasn't fully aware of yet. "It hurt, but it felt good in other ways. I wanted you in my mouth and I wanted to taste you, so I liked that it had felt like you were going to make me swallow all of it. The first spurt actually did get forced down and I would have enjoyed if you had stayed buried like that so I had to take all of it. I am glad I got to taste, but I liked what you did."

Adriel heard Art blow out a sigh of relief. "You might like it, but tell me afterwards so you can be healed, okay?" Art asked.

"Yes, master."

"To answer your question, no, they are not warded or protected from any magic at all," Art replied. "They do not have unbreakable charms on them, either. They are completely muggle in make. I want you to feel helpless but not be helpless so you know I am not going to force you into anything. If you don't like something, tell me even if you are under a silence command. Do you understand?"

"Yes, master," Adriel repeated, then he felt the head of Art's dick bump against his face and he opened his mouth expecting it to go in. However, Art was walking away, and Adriel drooped a little with disappointment since Art had apparently stood up and the bump had been an accident rather than an offer. "Will you please feed me again tonight?"

It almost came out as a whine, but Adriel heard Art's breath catch in his throat before Art cleared it out. "If you can come on my fingers and tongue at least twice, then I will reward you with that," Art said, and Adriel shivered. "Is there any more questions?"

"No, master," Adriel breathily replied as anticipation coiled in his stomach. 

"Good, then you are under a silence order once again with the exceptions being that you are in pain, require other bodily things like water, or if you don't like something," Art said in a stern tone, then Adriel's hips tried to twitch when he felt fingers trails outside his underwear along the crack. "Hmm, and I think I need to open a hole for your cock so you don't come all over the new bench."

Adriel felt Art begin to peel down his underwear, and he assisted by raising his knees to help Art remove them all the way. He heard Art take a deep breath - was he sniffing the panties? - and goosebumps prickled out when things became silent once again. Adriel stayed still as seconds felt like minutes as he waited for a touch, but he heard a whispered incantation and he groaned with relief when his erection stopped being squished because a hole had appeared like Art had mentioned. He was expecting to hear footsteps, but lips pressed against the tip which had him trying to buck his hips forward with a moan, but all they did was slurp out the precum with the suction only done across the tip and Adriel managed to change his whine into a groan of disappointment when the mouth was removed. 

"So delicious," Art purred after he licked his lips. "Give me a few minutes to get the potion and to change my clothes into something more appropriate for this, and we will get started."

---

The wait felt like eternity to Adriel who could only hear Art's footsteps once in a while when he came back to the room to put something by Adriel's bench. Then Adriel heard the curtains draw close, and Art was wearing shoes since the sound of soft shoes turned into something that sounded hard and clipped like boots. The unhurried steps stopped behind him, and Adriel started to breathe very shallowly so he could try and figure out what Art was doing. He strained his hearing and all of his senses, and while he thought that maybe the smell of leather had gotten stronger, there was nothing.

Or rather, there was nothing until cold and hard spikes trailed down his back, and the explosion of sensation had Adriel fighting his restraints because he was trying to arch his back and follow the feeling as he moaned with pleasure.

"That is a better reaction than I expected," Art said with a dark chuckle, then the spikes slowly began to drag up his sides starting from his hips. "These are special gloves that I saw on that shopping trip. Cairo has a whole underground bazaar dedicated to the strange, the unusual, and the sexual, did you know? That's why my shopping trip that day was a couple hours longer than I had expected it to be - underwear and all these delightful toys that I wanted to use on you. You really love this one, though."

Adriel had managed to stifle his moans though not his squirming and gasping, and he had no idea what kind of gloves Art was talking about but he loved the feel of the metal that felt sharp enough to lightly burn when Art raked it hard, but was far too dull to break skin. When Art went slow and hard, it forced his body to undulate, and when it was gentle at any speed, Adriel tried to lean into it with a whimper since it tingled but in a cold way rather than Art's warm tingles when he trailed his fingers on Adriel's skin.

It was also torture. Distantly, he knew he was leaking again, and it felt wonderful, but it wasn't enough. He wanted to beg, but he wasn't allowed to, so he was forced to use his body to try and convey more more more while sounds poured out of his open mouth that he would never have thought to make. He could hear Art's steps as he slowly circled Adriel's bench, and he lifted his hands which made Adriel slump with a groan of relief only for Art to shove his dick down Adriel's throat.

Adriel reflexively sucked and convulsively swallowed with enthusiasm though he couldn't breathe at all. "Ah, pet," Art gasped out, and Adriel's face was crushed up against leather rather than pubes and he nuzzled as he did everything he could to please Art so that maybe he would be rewarded. He felt the cool metal spikes dig in to his scalp as Art ground himself, and he tried to hum with pleasure but choked instead. "Ah," Art breathed out, and with a couple of quick thrusts he started coming down Adriel's throat as Adriel genuinely began to struggle for air. Art immediately released him and Adriel coughed out some of the come, but Art was still coming so he felt his face and his mask get splattered with the remainder of the ejaculation. "Ugh, it felt like you sucked that directly out of my balls when I was only trying to gag you. Lick me clean since you were so messy."

Adriel was fairly sure he coughed some of Art's semen out of his nose since he could feel something warm leaking out of a nostril, but he started to lick as ordered when Art pressed his softening member to his face. "Don't forget to lick and suck on my balls, too," he heard Art sigh out, and it was probably the most relaxed tone he had heard from Art who was normally tense all of the time. It was tricky to clean Art's balls at the angle he could go at, but Art seemed satisfied since he began to stroke Adriel's hair back and the gloved made his scalp tingle which made him moan. "I suppose I won't count this as your meal since more of it got on you and the floor rather than inside of you. Don't forget that I am expecting you to come at least twice."

Adriel groaned because he no longer felt like finishing. Not that he was soft or anything, but he was tired and just wanted Art to keep using his mouth. then he felt a light trace of cool metal on his member that made him flinch because of how sensitive he felt, and he heard Art chuckle with genuine amusement. "Oh, you naughty boy, you came while I was in your mouth," Art said in a gleeful tone. "Well, just like mine didn't count, this one doesn't count since I specified that it's on my fingers and tongue."

Adriel whimpered since he hadn't even known he had come but it did explain his wrung out state. If he were to guess on when he came, he would definitely point at the time when he began to choke since he was feeling good from being used but also struggling for air and afraid he was going to choke to death. He wondered why he was still so hard if he came - it should have gone down like it normally did - then he made himself cough to make sure his air passages were clear.

Adriel was just beginning to relax and was going to hear where Art was, but he felt bare hands spread his cheeks apart and moaned out a whine when Art immediately started kissing and tonguing his hole the same way he had plundered Adriel's mouth earlier. His body immediately tightened up again as he pulled on his restraints, but the collar's chain was still secure in its spot so there was still no give, and his arms had only a little bit more movement than his head did. Art forced his tongue in which felt absolutely amazing except he was still feeling sensitive everywhere, then he sobbed when Art began to wiggle his tongue and his body went lax to open up for Art's mouth.

Art moaned as he used his tongue in a way to mimic sex, and all Adriel could do was mewl and take it while his dick twitched and oozed, but seemed to have hit a plateau on how enthusiastic it wanted to be at the moment. Adriel wanted to come just to get it over with, but he was apparently too spent and then Art was pulling back.

"Awe, it's winking at me," Art coo'ed as Adriel felt his hole flutter, and Art spread his cheeks as far apart as possible to blow a cool stream of air directly on it. Adriel gasped since it felt almost icy with the cooling saliva on it as well, then Art pressed the flat of his tongue up against Adriel's hole and he bucked and whined then focused on the collar around his throat since jerking on it so much was beginning to make his skin burn enough to distract him from the intense pleasure. He whimpered when Art pulled back since he expected more of that torture, but Art let go of his butt and he was finally allowed to slump and try to recover.

"We're not finished yet, pet," Art said, and Adriel moaned to indicate that he knew. "That was just a taste for me." Adriel sharply inhaled when he felt something viscous land at the top if his crack before it began a very slow roll down. "No, you are about to get a taste of pleasure since I'm going to show you what I mean."

Adriel was already overloaded with pleasure - he felt like he had had a banquet already. He could hear something wet behind him, and he felt the liquid begin to slide over his hole on its gravity fueled journey towards the ground, but it didn't get to go any further since Art pushed a finger in all the way to the knuckle in one slick glide. Adriel hadn't even had time to react, but he moaned as his body clenched around the finger buried in him, then Art reached into the hole in the bench with his other hand and began to slowly stroke Adriel's member. 

That seemed to be the last straw since his body completely gave up any fight it had, and he was far too tired to do anything but let it happen. Art's finger immediately began to slowly pump in and out at the same pace as his dick was being stroked, and Adriel gave Art all of his open mouthed moans without any resistance. Then Art let go of his dick which was a relief, but he curled his finger in a 'come hither' gesture, and Adriel found himself coming from the blinding pleasure it caused. 

Art didn't stop, though, and Adriel continued to come until there was nothing left. Adriel whined since he knew that meant it would begin to hurt soon, but Art continued to rub that spot, and Adriel began to involuntarily spasm and gasp each time Art did that. "That's one," Art stated in a dark tone that Adriel had heard on people who were hurting others for their own pleasure and gain. "But it seems you have run out. Pity that you spent the load you needed in the shower."

Adriel began to cry, but his body still stayed relaxed barring the spasms Art was causing. Thankfully, Art straightened out his finger so that spot was no longer feeling as intense as it was, then he cried harder because he could feel a second finger pressing against his relaxed rim to gain entry with a small pinch of pain that made Adriel moan since it was not pleasure and infinitely better in that split second because it gave a tiny reprieve. That finger also glided in as easy as the first one did, but Adriel could definitely feel a stretching burn that would have had him pushing back if he could, but the collar prevented that from happening.

"Look at you, already taking two fingers from me," Art purred. "Just watching them slide in and out is making me hard again. It's too bad I can't do this at the same time I use your mouth, but after coming twice, I should be able to draw my pleasure out of you for a while. If you can orgasm again, anyway."

Then Art crooked both fingers a bit, and the sounds it forced from Adriel sounded like the short staccato moans a woman made when she was having a great time. Oh gods, and his dick was still completely soft! How could he continue to feel so good when he couldn't even get hard anymore?! He keened in the back of his throat when he felt a third finger against his rim, but it turned out to be Art's thumb. Adriel shuddered as he felt it rub his stretched out rim, then Art twisted his wrist a little which got him off of that spot and let Adriel gulp down some air.

"So responsive," Art happily sighed out. "It's like your body wants me to do this to it. What do you think, Adriel? It's like you are the final puzzle piece I didn't even know I was missing. Should I use your mouth for a little bit and let your arse have a small break?" Adriel made a sound of agreement, and Art laughed. "No, that would be selfish of me, you are right. You still need a third finger after all."

Adriel didn't realize that Art was beginning to push in a third one - he had thought it was still the thumb that had been massaging the stretch and now his hole burned. It made his body try to tense up a few times in a feeble attempt to stop the penetration, but Art still got it in and his body shuddered as the burn went deeper until it was with the other fingers. Adriel panted as he reassured himself that it was almost over now that there were three fingers inside him, but they curled up into that spot and the pain in combination with the pleasure had Adriel crying out as his body tried to buck back. It felt like waves were crashing against him, and if asked, Adriel would have said his ejaculations could not compare though he would not describe it as pleasure. It was overwhelming, it felt good, it felt like being hit by lightning, and it felt like an explosion. He didn't want it to end, but much like his prick, his ass would only accept so much When he gained a sense of self that went further than how the fingers in his butt felt, he gave a weak moan, but Art was still pumping his fingers in and out and had not stopped at all.

"Back with me, pet?" Art asked, and Adriel moaned again. "Good... You enjoyed that, and you will enjoy it if you let me inside of you in the future. It will be hot like my tongue and you will feel so full, and you will have that pleasure on top of it all." Art chuckled when Adriel whined because he had used Adriel's own description for that. "Oh, you were close, pet. There is a burning stretch not only because of girth, but also because of length. One day I will have you bound on my bed, and I will use your prick this way, too. I love how it feels, but I hated having anyone in me, so I only use toys and only when alone. Ever since I saw yours, I have been thinking about riding it because it would feel better than any other toy I have. Think about it for a moment - how would it feel if I allowed you to come deep inside of me after I've taken my own pleasure at least twice from you?"

Adriel whimpered since he could feel his penis attempting to fill itself up. To be bound to Art's bed and used as a toy like that? He closed his eyes and tried to stop thinking since he didn't want to get hard. "My hot heat sheathed tightly around your penis, Adriel," Art moaned, and Adriel knew Art was doing this to get a reaction from him, but even knowing that didn't stop the imaged from flashing through his mind. "There would be a toy in your arse so you would still feel stretched and full, but I would be bouncing on your cock and there would already be a load of my come splattered all over your chest. Yes, moan for me since it is a wonderful imagery. Would you like to lose both virginities to me, Adriel? Maybe you want that one first before you let me in you?"

Adriel wished he could turn his hearing off as he raggedly continued to moan. The dried come all over his face just made everything feel more erotic rather than gross, and his butt was being forced to make wet squelching noises. He was hard again, and he could feel his body begin to burn even though he didn't think it was possible to go again. 

"I wouldn't mind," Art purred, then Adriel felt Art's free hand grasp his cock and stroked in time to what he was doing with Adriel's arse, and that spot flared to life with a vengeance that made him son. "I would gladly bounce on this." Art gave it a small squeeze mid-stroke as he said 'this.' "I haven't use any toys this big, though. I would be so tight, and you would be taking my anal virginity. Or rather, I would be making you take mine from me. I would grind down and wiggle my hips to get you as deep as I could every time I came down, and I wouldn't go up very much just to feel you as deep inside as possible. I would not have allowed you to come for three days so when you finally come inside me, there would be so much that it wouldn't all stay inside. You would have three days worth of my come being kept inside of you by that dildo and-"

Adriel's hearing stopped working because he was hit with another intense orgasm. It differed from the first in that there was a sharp pain in his shaft as the slit fluttered because nothing could come out, but the waves were trying to drag him under this time like an undertow that could not be fought. Adriel embraced both feelings since he had no will at all to fight, and he floated there in that silence distant from his body which was being battered by the waves. 

When things calmed down and it felt safe to step back into himself, he was having his scalp rubbed while Art murmured reassurances that he was very good, and Adriel's mouth was finally filled and he had already been sucking for a bit if the drool dripping off his chin was a clue. The dick was just in there and he was doing all of the work to it, and he realized he could see and that his restraints were off.

"There we go, just keep sucking until you feel better, love," Art murmured, and Adriel suspected that Art didn't know he was aware. Love? Did Art realize how deep his feelings were? "When you come to yourself, we can go to bed. No, I don't expect anything else out of you tonight - you are worn out. I also intend to let you stay in bed tomorrow, I'll bring you breakfast in bed, and it will mean I will have to strip my sheets and put on a new one because there will be crumbs and I can't stand the thought of my sheets being dirty, but I don't think you are dirty. If anything, I am making you dirty, but I can't help it. I want you so much, Adriel. I want to marry you and share everything with you if you would just let me have you. I want to hear your cries of pleasure, and I want you to break in my hands like you just did. Then I want to put you back together and spoil you because..."

Art trailed off sounding confused and a little upset, and Adriel realized that Art still hadn't identified love yet. However, he did want Art to come down his throat still - it was his reward for suffering through all that - so he pulled himself forward a little bit with an enthusiastic sound since he got it to go deeper even if it was only by a fraction, then he outright moaned when Art's hips twitched forward.

"Still want me to come down your throat?" Art asked, sounding surprised, and Adriel looked up as he nodded his head yes and hummed it as well. "I suppose you should get your reward, then. Were you listening to me just now?"

Adriel groaned when Art began to sink deeper into his mouth, and he mmhmmed another yes and properly sealed his lips around Art's shaft. When Art bottomed out, Adriel moved his armed to loosely embrace Art's thighs, and Art seemed to get the hint since he began to lazily thrust in and out and let Adriel work on his own beathing.

"Mmmm, so do you want breakfast in bed in the morning?" Art asked, and Adriel moved a hand back so he could cup Art's balls and groan. "You want a belly filled with come first?" Adriel hummed a yes, and Art gave a grin of delight. "If you wake up first and let me pamper you until at least noon, then you may wake me up by sucking me off."

Adriel made a sound of agreement and went back to hugging Art's thighs as he sucked, sucked, tasted, swallowed, then breathed, and Art sighed with content as he watched himself slide in and out of Adriel's mouth while Adriel continued to look up at him. They fell silent then, Adriel busy with his reward, and he figured that Art didn't want to broach those other topics he had been talking about since Art didn't ask anything further though his eyes seemed to be saying something in a language that Adriel couldn't interpret. Art's pace was slow like he was making love, and Adriel didn't try to rush him, so they watched each other for a while until Art finally closed his eyes.

"Take a deep breath," Art breathed out, and Adriel did so before holding it. Art thrust in all the way, and he kept his thrusting deep, and Adriel closed his eyes and began swallowing in anticipation of what came next. It was just in time since he felt come sliding down to his stomach, and he hugged Art's legs tight as he nuzzled his face into the crotchless leather pants Art was wearing, and he continued to swallow even when nothing was coming out. Art seemed to enjoy the feeling since he stilled his hands and allowed Adriel to keep him in, but eventually the need for air was great so he let go and Art stepped back so Adriel could gasp for air.

"Just to clarify, the session is over," Art said in a gentle tone. "And this is the sex room. As I mentioned before, all of the furniture is new because there is no way I would have put you on something countless of others have been on. You are precious to me. Irreplaceable. Incomparable. The only compatible person I have ever found." Art paused to kneel down and picked up a potion when he offered Adriel. "For your throat and the rest of your aches. The end of the work contract we made is in six days and... I don't want you to leave. I also won't put you under a new contract though I do want to keep you in an assistant position since your insight has been invaluable. You single handedly saved my curse breaker team, you were able to keep the leader from dying from a curse, you came up with the idea of an engineer for very delicate tablets, and you are the only person at the moment who can translate those tablets. Whatever pay Oxford is giving you, I will add another three hundred percent to it if you stay. Of your own free will, of course."

Art had rambled and sounded nervous at the end as he shifted, and he hadn't given Adriel the ability to reply so he had gingerly sat himself up. His arse felt weird, wet and it ached where Art abused that pleasure spot, but he had a feeling he would not have been able to sit up at all without the potion. He looked up at Art and saw a tiny amount of hope buried deep inside an expectation of being rejected, and he gave Art a gentle smile. "No need for the extra income, Art," Adriel said, carefully forming his words to make sure his throat would work right. "I don't want to leave, either. I want to continue to explore what we might develop between us, so please don't give me extra pay for staying when I want to stay. I don't want you to end up feeling like you bought my affection when I do not sell such a thing at all."

Art's eyes had grown large, and they looked suspiciously damp as Art tilted his face up for a kiss. There were no more words exchanged on that matter, but the kiss they shared said plenty about how they felt. Together, they went back to Art's room, and Adriel snuggled up against Art in the same way he had been snuggled against him the last time he slept nude and Art in his pajamas. He fell asleep to Art's finger rubbing his still slick hole, and he hoped he got to wake up first.

In 1921, after his father's death, Adriel Chee accepted an offer from the Mavros - land for a horse conservation in exchange for his services to be available to them. Though he was only 23 years old at that time, he had been making a big name is certain niche circles, and his services had been sought after by every major magical ministry there was. He turned away the Americans because of the way they had treated the tribes, and he had turned away England because it hurt too much to be around things that reminded him of his loss. He had spent the last year in Africa to recover his father's body, and the Mavros had managed to ambush him on his way back to the Congo and gave him what he wanted - a new life and freedom from all of his original countries.

Adriel turned into a hermit, one that worked for the Mavros on occasion, but not part of them and allowed to enjoy his solitude with his wild mustangs. However, the people that remembered him told each other stories about feats they had seem him do before he had disappeared, and unknowing to Adriel, a legend started to come about. It was a legend the Mavros wanted to perpetuate for their own gains so they also fed into it, and after half a dozen years, the name Adriel Chee was forgotten and instead it was The Hermit. From there, the stories evolved further, and it became known that there was a Horse Lord, a Hermit, that lived in the mountains of Ancient Greece. An immortal being, or a forgotten god, nobody was quite sure, but he was said to know things that had long been lost and could use magic that no other could replicate.

Adriel, on the other hand, spent his time relaxing in the wilds of the Greek countryside in an area so remote that it had been left alone even by modern man. He had no idea what the curse breaker, rune master, and Mavros communities had done with his name in the decade he had spent in his new land. If any job took him to the Americas, he had popped in to visit his tribe and would bring gifts, but that was only because of how much he had cared for his own lands. From people, he felt adrift, much like Atovura was, and aside his immediate family, he had only kept in contact with him and with Antoine.

Back in England, one Artemio Reyes had not found anyone to answer the ad for a bodyguard and fellow expedition fellow. It had taken him half a dozen years to finally get a grant, and he knew it would be the only one he would ever get to find Atlantis. His choices were to go alone and die or to give up his dream, and since Atlantis was the only reason he had not committed suicide, he chose the former option.

Art got himself stuck on Crete - he had no idea how to use a boat so he needed to hire a boat and a captain, and though he had the funds, nobody would accept a job when they found out he wanted to head into unplottable magical waters. Too many had been lost out there, and while some of the outer islands were occasionally used, those deeper in the magical sea were not touched. He realized he would need to talk to an adventurer type of person who might know and offered to buy a curse breaker who called himself Amon drinks if he would just give him some advice, and Art decided that Amon was a complete jerk when the man had outright laughed when Art had mentioned the magical seas and hadn't even gotten to the Atlantis part of things. However, the tipsy man said something that a socially oblivious Art had taken as advice since he had not known was sarcasm was, and Art decided he would try this last lead.

"If you are going to an impossible area, you might as well find an impossible person. The Horse Lord is said to live in the wilds of Greece, and you would have better luck finding him to take you since there is no captain you can hire that will go that way."

Art went to Demeter's District to do research at the library that housed the now defunct Athena's Library books and scrolls, and there he met a librarian by the name of Athena who actually listened to his tales of woe and helped him find old stories on mysterious islands in the seas as well as what stories she had heard about the Horse Lord legends. Slowly, he pieced together the mysteries behind the tales and managed to connect it to Knossos, and since he was able to look up the records because of his archivist status and his connection to Oxford, he found a name 'Adriel Chee' which had been in that camp. Further research on that name showed that this person had been in all sorts of major archeology finds, but there was no certificates to his name, some acknowledgements with the British Museum that they had that name as a translator but nobody knew where he was, where he came from, nor had anyone seen him. Art couldn't figure out the nationality of the man, and only stories of his strength, intelligence, affinity with magic, and his beauty were told. Art knew this was a man or a being, not a spirit or a god, and he began to do what he did best - find bits of truth to find a location.

Through it all, Athena stayed by his side, and it made Art wary but also cautiously hopeful. He didn't like how she clung to him, how she tried to hug him, or how she always sat extremely close even when there was room, but it was the first time he had gone out on dates with someone and he liked not feeling rejected. When he made a breakthrough to Adriel's location out in the mountains, she had offered him a sweet drink for them to celebrate with, and it tasted delicious. Art had no idea it contained alcohol, so when he woke up the next morning in her bed with the both of them naked and no memory of the night before, he freaked out and ran when she admitted she had tried to have sex with him but he had been too drunk to finish.

Art ran to the mountains where Adriel, the Horse Lord and possibly an immortal being was supposed to live, and he began to climb. There was nothing left for him but this now. Even his chastity vows had been stolen because even Athena, who had said she loved him, had not respected that about him. So he would find this Horse Lord and he would go to Atlantis with him, or he would die in these mountains looking for a way to get to Atlantis. He no longer cared anymore.

---

Art's whole body screamed in pain, but he was too dehydrated to shed any tears. He could smell water and hear a waterfall, and it had to be over the next ridge. That's what he had thought about the last two ridges he had dragged himself over, but this time he could feel the wetness in the air and taste it on his tongue. He just had to ignore his broken and bleeding nails, the cuts all over his body, and his broken or sprained right ankle, but he could rest by the water and tend to his wounds for a few days, then continue his search.

Art knew he was in the right area. The whole place was saturated with potent magic that made his hair rise and he had seen beautiful wild horses running around around from a distance. He could admire them from afar since he had seen many horses ridden my constables or pulling carriages in London, and he knew horses better than he knew other animals because his grandfather would drag him to horse races and made him learn about them. These horses were a breed that Art had never seen before, perfectly proportioned for speed and endurance, and they were sturdy. They could dance as delicately as an Arabian horse could, their speed might even top those horses, and they were wild but didn't fear his presence at all. Art definitely felt the intruder, and he knew they were watching him at times, but it was with curious eyes that didn't terrify Art like pigeons and cats and lizards did. They never came close, but they often were not far, and for some reason, he felt safe when he would see them in peaceful valleys. He had no doubt they would squish him if he did something bad, but Art was only here to find their lord who might be a beautiful man or a beautiful stallion larger than any others around.

The magical land actually felt very surreal - an impossible place in a modern time. Had it been a couple thousand years ago, Art could believe something like this existed. It it weren't for the pain he was in, he would think it all a dream, but it gave him a strange hope. An impossible place with impossible horses and impossible magic meant there was almost definitely an impossible person here. Art just had to find him. And that was how he kept finding the strength to drag himself through this wild land, and it was the wild fauna and flora of Greece book he had bought before he left London that had helped him find the things he could eat when he lost his food bag on the second day. Lost. As in it vanished one day. He wasn't even sure when it had disappeared, but he had had it that morning, and once he had wandered into the magical territory, it was missing when he looked for it to make dinner.

Scavenging was made easier by the wild fruit trees and berry vines and such that grew everywhere. The watercress he was scrambling over now looked and - yes, tasted - delicious. Everything he had found had tasted delicious, but the downside was that he had had to eat everything raw because fire spells did not work so he could not pick and cook mushrooms or try to bury some wild yams he had seen in some coals for sweet baked yam. Art really wanted a hot meal, but be really needed water, so one last pullup had him on top of the next ridge, and he sobbed when he saw what was ahead.



Water, the waterfall he had been chasing, but now he had to find a way down without breaking his neck.

Trying to get to the rocks where the waterfall was at was frankly suicide - he would slip and bash his head in on those sharp looking edges if he were lucky, and if he weren't, he would break both legs and would slowly die with plenty of food and water around but unable to reach them. He looked the other way, then he breathed a sigh of relief since there was a horse trail that he had learned he could use as long as he was careful not to fall. They were easier to walk on than regular ground, so he was glad to see it now.

Art eventually got to the water, then he slowly and painfully began to strip his clothes. He had to clean out all of his scrapes before he healed them, and he would need to be clean so he could check his ankle. The cold water was horrible in one way, but it also numbed the pain, and he slowly waded out into the waterfall so he could use it like a shower.

Art spent some time in the water just getting clean and hydrating himself through osmosis, and since it was easier to let the water support his weight, he picked water cress and even found a grape vine with some delicious looking green grapes similar but larger to the ones that had been growing in Demeter District. Art flinched since thinking of that community had made him think of Athena and the way she took advantage of him, then he grimly shoved it down and went to sit on the large rock right below the surface of the water next to the waterfall to eat.

It was nice to leave his legs in the water while his body warmed up under the sun but stayed feeling refreshed because of the mist from the waterfall. He waited until he finished his meal to finally take a look at his ankle, then he grimaced at how purple and red it was. A bit of careful touching had him sigh with relief since it was a sprain rather than a fracture or a break, and he could heal a sprain even if it was as bad as this one looked. He looked back at his clothes on the bank since his wand was there along with everything else, then he reluctantly went to grab them since the clothes needed to be washed along with the others he wore before it got too late for them to dry.

Art healed his ankle as soon as he reached his items, then he unhappily frowned as he went back into the water with all of his things. Wearing a backpack while wet wasn't ideal - he would end up with rashes because of the straps - but his chest belt was in it and this had been the longest he had let himself be apart while awake. It contained all of his precious resources, so it was a testament to how much he needed water that he had allowed himself to part with it for over an hour.

It was while Art was scrubbing the clothes against the rock that he noticed something weird about the shadow behind the waterfall. He had ignored it this whole time because he hadn't wanted to even contemplate the idea that there might be a lizard on a rock - this was HIS pool! - but the sun was beginning to slant light under it and he realized it was a dark space rather than the shadow of the rock. Art suddenly felt goosebumps erupt all over his body because he realized he was alone, naked, in the middle of a pool in magical territory, and there was a deep, dark, scary thing right in front of him. 

Obviously there was something in there. Art couldn't hear anything over the thunder of the water, but he stayed frozen where he was with his clothes squashed against the rock that he had been using as a wash board. If he moved... something would come out of it. He just knew it! So he stayed, staring, not even daring to blink, for a full hour until the sun had lowered far enough that he could being to make out what was back there. To his shock and awe, he realized it was an opened too perfect to be anything but deliberate, there was a ledge he could barely see, and now that he was looking, he could see that camouflaged within the rocks below the water he had been sitting and washing things on were steps that looked natural unless you knew exactly where to look. 

Now, Art wasn't suicidal - he was still terrified even though he was awed, especially since he could feel eyed on him now. He couldn't look away from the dark opening since the eyes might be inside, but they could just as easily be behind him! Or above him! About to reach out for him!



It was horrible and Art knew he would become a heARTy stew if he so much as breathed wrong, so he stayed and panicked inside his brain until the sun was pretty low. Finally he was able to see what was inside, and he gaped.


Art realized it was far too late to set up a camp outside, but he didn't care. He had just found an ancient Greek ruin! He clutched his wet clothes to his chest with his left hand and shakily held his wand in his right, then he carefully made his way up the ancient stone steps and carefully stepped into the pull on the other side of the ledge only to find out it was warm. Very warm with how cold he realized he was after standing and staring at the cave for hours, and he groaned as he dropped his pack and his clothes on the ledge so he could sink into the water.

With how low the sun was, Art only spent ten minutes in there, but it was the best ten minutes in his life. All of that tension from hours of paralyzed fear just melted away and he groaned. However, he knew he had to get himself dry and fast then see if the cave was wide enough for his small tent or he would be caught out at night and in the dark and Art didn't want that at all. So he grabbed his pack and his wet clothes, waded to the right side of the cave, and carefully climbed out without dropping anything into the water. Except his wand. Which he realized he let go of while relaxing, so he sighed, left his things there, and waded back out to get his wand before he got out so he could remove a towel from his pack and dry himself off. He didn't have any clothes except for pajamas to wear, so he cast a lumos, picked up his things, and he began to explore the cave. 


To Art's surprise, the cave didn't get dark the further he went in - it widened into a large area, and he could see stairs. Plenty of light from the setting sun was seeping in from various openings, so Art stopped at the large rock and quickly draped his clothes on it for them to dry out, then he put on his shoes so he could continue to go. It was gross wearing shoes without socks - especially with how dirty his shoes had become while traipsing all over the wilds for three days - but he didn't want to cut his feet open on something. The ground looked fine at the moment, but it could get rockier ahead, so it was best to take precautions no matter how icky. The towel was wrapped around his waist, and the backpack was put on, and Art began to go up the stairs while he wondered what the Ancient Greeks might have used it for.

When he reached the top, looking down the right opening is where he realized he might have made a tiny mistake. Maybe. There were magical lights that way, and an open door. Still, he was curious, so he quietly snuck down and peeked inside. It was... a bathroom and shower?


Art backed out and wondered where he was since he highly doubted that the ancient Greeks had things like the recently invented terrycloth towel which Art was actually a little envious about since he had a linen one around his waist. He looked down the left passage and he definitely knew he had made a mistake. It was a den room in a style he had never seen before, and it was also lit up. 

Still, he continued to roam around since it seemed like nobody was around, and he identified various rooms. Kitchen. A second den that had an opening on the side of a cliff with plants that probably hid it. A bedroom that made Art's stomach plummet when he realized the carvings on the rock above the bed were serious Rune Master runes, and he slowly started to back up only to freeze when he bumped into something that was sniffing his neck. Art slowly turned around, then he squeaked.




Standing behind him was the most beautiful man that Art had ever seen wearing some kind of obsidian and silver necklace and a full length skirt. He took a step forward and Art took a step back as he realized that no, they were just really baggy red pants, and they were so long that Art could barely see a perfectly formed big toe.

Art couldn't bring himself to look at anything but that toe, and he continued to step back as the feet in front of him stepped forward, and he continued to catch more glimpses of other beautiful toes until he stumbled against the bed he had forgotten about and sat down on it with a sound of surprise. He didn't even notice how he dropped his wand or where it rolled off to since he was staring up at the handsome face again.

"You're the first person to find my home on your own," was the first thing that broke the silence, and Art looked up and whimpered since the man was very much in his space, and Art was forced to lean back as he leaned forward. His voice was deep like he had not used it in a long time, but it still came out smooth and soft like velvet, and Art could only stare as he fall back on the bed. "In a towel no less. Why are you here?"

Art turned red as he realized that the half naked man was more clothed than he was, and he stopped breathing when the stranger placed his hands on either side of Art on the bed to box him in, but he didn't continue to lower himself. Art heard the man ask a question in another European tongue that he guessed was Italian, then another in French which had Art turning even more red, then he switched to another that Art finally understood since it was Latin.

"Maybe you understand this one?"

"English is fine," Art finally managed to croak, then he cleared his throat and tried to glare, but it was very very hard to glare when all of that bare skin was so close to his own bare skin. There was a few seconds of silence since Art had no idea what to say to perfection itself, then he began to hyperventilate because the man decided to get comfortable on Art though he used his elbows to keep Art from being crushed.

"Well, at least my intruder is pretty," the man sighed, and Art's brain kind of crashed at being called pretty. Or maybe it was because of how hot he felt with all the skin contact. "Should I hand you to the Mavros or keep you myself?"

"What?" Art numbly asked. He had no idea what a Mavros was, he couldn't believe he had been called pretty, and he didn't even know what keeping him would even mean since it wasn't like he was a dog. The man just sighed at him like Art was being an idiot, then Art squeezed his eyes shut and turned his face away with a whimper because the man had lowered his head to... sniff at Art's neck again? "Please don't eat me?" he squeaked out.

"Mmm, I think I'll keep you," Art heard him say before the man rolled his hips in a way that made Art go blind with pleasure. The next thing Art knew was there was something hot and nice on his neck, he had wrapped his legs around the man's waist, and the man had slid one hand under his back to lift him up in a way that allowed the removal of the backpack while it exposed his throat more. Art fisted the man's hair as soon as the bag was off of him, and he realized that all of the noise in the room was coming from him but they were noises he had never made before. "What is your name?"

Art could not think, but one didn't really need to think to answer something like that. "Art," he moaned as he ground his hips up into the perfect abdomen that Apollo would have felt honored to carve. It felt even better when his towel was removed.

"Is that for Arthur?" the man asked in between kisses on Art's neck, then the question was repeated since it hadn't registered the first time. "Is Art for Arthur?"

"Artemio," Art gasped out as he was laid back on the bed. "Oh, Merlin."

"Adriel," the man corrected, and the name rang a distant bell in Art's head that was ignored when he felt a hot tongue in his ear. "You would be my goddess?"

Art froze, but it wasn't because of the question. It was because he felt a finger pressing up against his hole/ It felt good, wonderful, really, but it terrified him out of the weird haze of pleasure he was in. "No!" Art shouted in a panicked tone, but the man was immediately backing away from him with his hands up in the air before Art could try to bite or scratch or kick. He grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around himself, then he began to wail. "No no no no!" By the time he was done yelling, the man had disappeared, and Art curled up and sobbed as he held the blanket tightly around him.

He was so confused! First Athena tried to do things to him, and he hadn't even liked her touch. With Adriel, he had really loved the touch but it had been so wrong! Wait. Adriel? Art knew that name. He choked on a sob as he realized he found the Horse Lord, then he burst into hysterical laughter since he had found a legendary person that was supposed to be impossible to find that really was as beautiful as the stories said, but Art had just blown it. He broke into his home in nothing but a towel, humped the man's stomach, then screamed at him. Art was never going to find Atlantis now.

---

Adriel was rather annoyed since his home had been found, and the only way it could have been found was by someone with no intentions of stealing, killing, burning, looting, and all those other annoying things that trespassers often tried to enter his lands for. They couldn't even enter the property itself if there was an ounce of greed in them, so he had not been worried that Art was here with ill intentions. He did see how hard Art had gotten as soon as he had turned around so thought that maybe the other man would want a bit of fun in his bed since he had sat on his bed and had been looking up with lust in his eyes, but the man had gotten off with nothing but a grind of their hips then freaked out and acted like Adriel was a monster when he had been the one writing and moaning up against him like a one shilling whore.

He had fled the room as soon as he had been looked at like he was a rapist, went to the kitchen, and used a wet towel to wipe the come from Art off of his belly. He was more than a little annoyed by the time he put a shirt on since he figured this might have been a prank from Maroon or maybe a hazing of a new Grey, so he was feeling pretty wrathful by the time he apparated to the cave. The first thing he did was seek out Beige who was his main contact, and when he had no idea what Adriel was talking about, Adriel went to Maroon's lab and found out it wasn't him, either. A few others were questioned, and by then everyone knew Adriel was looking for the one who used him to haze a Grey, so Silver finally deigned to show himself and told Adriel there were only two new greys, and both were accounted for. 

Adriel gave Silver the only name he had to go by - an Englishman called Artemio going by the accent - and he got his answers swiftly then. A historian from Oxford who had been searching for the Horse Lord for weeks, and that was when Adriel found out about the stories on him. He gave Silver a flat look and said they had practically sent him to his home even if they hadn't pointed the way because of course a nosy historian is going to look into stupid legends like that, then he stormed out since he was done with people for the day. The remainder of the day and the night was spent with one of the horse herds in his Mustang animagus form since they could give him comfort, and the next morning, he went back to his home figuring that the man would have already fled by then. 

Art hadn't, and he was sitting in Adriel's kitchen drinking Adriel's breakfast tea while wearing pajamas. 

"Why are you still here, Mr. Reyes," Adriel snapped as he stomped into his kitchen to make his own cup of tea. "You should already be gone. Go away."

Art yelped and dropped his cup which shattered on the floor, but Adriel tossed a repairing charm at it with a flick of his hand while he wondered where he had put his pouch at. It had his wand, but he rarely kept either of them on him when he was on his own lands. "Sorry!" Art cried out as he scrambled off the stool to pick up the fixed but empty mug, embarrassed that he had managed to mess up even the second meeting without even getting a greeting off. "I'll clean it up! I didn't mean to spill it!"

"You should be leaving," Adriel bit out as he looked behind him to scowl at Art who immediately cowered under his glare. "I don't like uninvited humans on my land. I thought you were sent here by the Mavros, not that you were a historian looking for 'the Horse Lord.' Go away."

"I'm not looking for you!" Art protested with a frown. "Or I am, but only because I'm looking for Atlantis and I was told you were the only one that might be willing to help me!" Art paused, about to ask what a Mavros was, except a confused looking Adriel spoke up before he could.

Adriel furrowed his brows with confusion at the weird babbling coming from the man that had broken into his home and was now in his kitchen wearing pajamas. "Pardon?" he asked, not sure if he had heard that right.

Art took a deep breath and slowly let it out to calm his nerves. "I couldn't find anyone that would accept an expedition to Atlantis in Britain even though I finally managed to get a grant, so I came down here to search for it on my own since it is the only think I care about anymore," Art said in a brisk tone as he repeated the lines he had practiced all night. "When I got here, not a single captain or ship would go into the unchartered waters of the magical Aegean sea. I met an Egyptian curse breaker in Crete and bought him drinks in hopes he would tell me if he knew anyone that I might be able to hire, and he told me to find you."

Adriel closed his eyes and cursed the Mavros in his head for making up the stupid legends. And for their incorrect information. The historian was after Atlantis, not him, and what even was his life? "I become a hermit and yet I'm still being harassed," Adriel bitterly mumbled, then he tossed the spoon he had used to stir his tea with and took a sip of the scalding drink. "Not interested, I don't do outside contract work."

"I can offer you five thousand galleons!"

"I don't care about gold."

Art looked down at the tea covered floor and scowled since he didn't have anything except for the grand money to offer, and even then he only had almost six thousand after spending so much time in Greece trying to find a captain then trying to find Adriel. "What do you want then, my body?" Art scoffed. "Fine, you can have it, I don't care. I am ruined anyway, and all I want is Atlantis."

Adriel gave Art a flat look. "I don't have sex with the unwilling, either," he spat out, insulted that Art thought he might do anything for sex with someone that had looked at him like he was a monster. "You were the one that came all over me and seemed so willing, and when I asked to make sure, you freaked out on me. I'm not interested in sex with you."

Art flushed red and his eyes teared up with humiliation, but he held his breath and counted in his head so he wouldn't burst into tears. "Fine," Art nearly choked out, then he swallowed hard. "What is your price for helping me find Atlantis?"

"The only thing I work for is magic," Adriel bluntly told Art as he worked on calming down since he hadn't meant to put that expression on Art's face. "You know what? I'm not talking until I have breakfast. Go find somewhere else to be until I've eaten, then I might hear you out."

"I can cook for you?" Art quickly offered in a slightly wobbly tone, desperate to do whatever it took to get Adriel to listen to him. "I can make a full English breakfast, even."

"Too heavy," Adriel dismissed. "I eat fruits, vegetables, fish, and sometimes wild game, goat, or sheep. I don't like fried foods or things with garlic and other strong spices. Just go to the den or something and give me some space."

"Okay," Art mumbled as he continued to stare at the dirty floor. He wanted to clean it, but he didn't know where the cleaning supplies were, he had no idea where his wand was, and he didn't want to annoy Adriel more. So he set his empty cup on the counter and left the kitchen to go sit in the more comfortable looking den that did not overlook a cliff, sat on the couch, and brought his knees to his chest to quietly cry into his knees.

Once Art sulked off, Adriel began to cook a mushroom, tomato, and spinach omelet with chopped up ham from a wild boar chopped, then had a citron preserve and toast that he added to the breakfast. He washed Art's cup and remade tea for the both of them, then he floated all of the plates and things for tea with a crook of his finger and headed towards the living room that Art was in. Art was no doubt hungry, so he had made two sets of plates for Art to eat. Even if he was put out and annoyed by Art's presence, he wasn't going to eat alone in front of him.

A choice Adriel felt was a good one when he saw Art sitting up in a fetal position looking absolutely miserable. He pretended not to notice the red rimmed blood shot eyes and the dried tearstains as he directed Art's plates and tea with a point of his finger, then he stalked to sit on the couch a couple cushions down. "Eat," he ordered when Art just stared at the food. "I remade tea for you as well, so use the sugar or honey or milk or whatever. We will talk after we eat."

Adriel sounded very curt and demanding, but Art's misery lessened when Adriel said they would talk. Then it registered that Adriel had told him to eat, and he looked up with a trembling lower lip. "You made me food?" Art asked in a small voice. He had been smelling the wonderful aroma of cooked food, but he had thought Adriel was only making it for himself. "Why?"

Adriel gave Art an irritated look as he pulled the toast he had taken a large bite of away to set down. "Eat," he ordered once he chewed and swallowed his toast. "I'm not going to eat in front of you and just let you starve."

Art put his feet back on the floor and dropped his eyes to obey. He had expected to starve, and he normally would not accept, but there had only been raw plants for days, no dinner last night, and his stomach growled as he leaned forward to pick up a fork. He cut out a piece of omelet with the edge and put it in his mouth, and his frown got even bigger as his eyes began to water again because he didn't deserve something that tasted this good. He continued to eat while he discreetly wiped his eyes with his sleeve, and he stayed quiet.

Adriel silently lamented that the file on Art was so bare bones as he continued to eat while pretending he couldn't hear the sniffling or see Art constantly wipe tears off of his face. All he did was give a man some food, and Art was falling apart. Adriel didn't want to deal with it at all, but he supposed he would need to offer reparations if Art felt this violated. Art was apparently very hungry since he had pretty much gobbled up everything and was nursing the tea and had calmed back down by the time he finished eating.

"So talk," Adriel said as he leaned back, then swirled his finger in the air to send the dishes to the sink for Pekky to wash. She was a terrified little thing he had gotten a couple years ago and nursed back to health, but she loved house work and anything to do with clothes so he left those things to her. "You couldn't find a captain to Atlantis so decided to find me?" Art nodded. "Why do you think I know where Atlantis is? You do know the horse lord thing is bullshit, right?"

Art flushed because he had been half convinced that this was some immortal being since nobody could be that beautiful. "I know where Atlantis is," Art said as he stared into his cup, then he uncomfortably shifted because he remembered again how it felt to had Adriel on top of him and how it had felt like his skin had lightning dancing on it and focus. "I know where it is! But I can't find a ship willing to take me because it is the unplottable region of the magical sea. I have a map, though! It's a map of the water currents which does tell me where everything is - or at least where the currents are disrupted at. I'm a cartographer and I was told my map wasn't worth it! I was told that you might."

"Told by who?" Adriel sighed as he picked up his tea. "I already said the rumors were made worse by the Mavros."

"He said his name was Amon," Art said with a shrug. "You keep saying that word, and I don't think you mean it as the color black."

"Mavros Magos," Adriel said with a raised eyebrow. Everyone knew what Mavros were. "They are like the Unspeakables in England you might say. The black mages of Greece are real... A real pain in my ass sometimes. I don't know an Amon, so he must be a pretty young curse breaker."

"About my age," Art agreed, but he didn't even know where to begin about that statement on black mages since it was confusing. "So... Dark wizards are after you?"

Adriel blinked at Art. "No," he said, then tilted his head. "Dark as you Brits define it isn't accurate, and no, they are not after me. They just like to cause me trouble sometimes, though I have no idea what their stupid plot is with the horse lord shit. I thought you were sent to me by them yesterday since seeing a mostly naked man in my bedroom is a joke or a gift I would expect from them."

Art began to bristle up only to deflate because he had no right to be angry when he was the intruder. "I'm sorry," he mumbled. "I was looking for you, but I thought I found an Ancient Greek ruin behind a waterfall. Then I realized it wasn't, and I should have left, but I thought it was empty and I needed somewhere to sleep last night. Then I saw the bedroom and it had a fire and was going to leave, but I bumped into you and..." Art trailed off since he couldn't say he threw himself at Adriel even though he practically had. Kind of. "I am sorry I gave you the wrong impression, but I'm..." Art's lips bitterly twisted as he trailed off since he couldn't say he was celibate and the one time he actually was with a female he apparently couldn't perform even though he had done just fine against the stomach of a stranger. He ducked his head to hide his face in his arm and sobbed. "Sorry, I'm sorry!"

Adriel was absolutely confused now - Art just started to break down again and... maybe Art was blaming himself? "It's not your fault," Adriel reassured. "I got the wrong impression and pressed, but we both made a mistake yesterday and I backed away as soon as you said no so everything is fine, okay? I don't blame you, though I still don't understand how you were in the state that you were."

It took Art a few tries to get himself under control because he felt so violated by Athena and didn't understand why he didn't feel that way about Adriel even though he was straight! He didn't like men that way! It was wrong! "I had sprained my ankle," Art began to speak. "After being lost for three days, I sprained my ankle yesterday morning because I could hear the waterfall and I was so thirsty and I didn't pay attention so I fell and had to crawl over three ridges before I finally found it. And I was dirty and sweaty and had scratches and my finger still feel like they will never recover, but I had planned to stay there for a couple days to rest and heal before I continued to look for you. And I was washing my clothes - I only packed three sets since that is all that will fit in my pack along with my tent and the food I did have but the bag disappeared - so that is why I was only wearing a towel because I left them on that rock in the cave with the stairs. And I don't know what I was thinking when I kept going deeper into your house - I was curious and stupid and I didn't mean to make you mad I'm so sorry!"

Adriel heaved a sigh as he brought his teacup up to his lips, then he took a sip before he replied. "I am upset at the Mavros, I do not blame you for what happened in the bedroom since we both made a mistake there, and I am annoyed that there is a person in my house at all that isn't a Mavros or invited in by me," he said as he watched the liquid in his cup. "Pekky is probably taking care of your clothes already, or has done so, and now you know I don't do contract work and I'm not interested in gold."

"But you said you work for magic," Art said as he jerked his head up. "I promise you the magic from Atlantis as payment! If we find spells and stuff, you can have them!"

Adriel glanced at Art and saw the manic gleam in his bloodshot eyes. "Ancient magic doesn't work that way," Adriel said. "It is imbued into foundations, concepts, and essences of things. It is not a force that can be tamed like you do with your wand spells or tribal people do with their elemental and wandless magics, it is magic given life in a way or like... Fiendfyre. For one person to use it, there must be a lot of willpower, and even then it might not be enough. The ancients worked in groups to make and maintain things with one person leading the collective will of them all. You would have to offer me Atlantis itself if you are offering magic, otherwise the offer is useless."

"I'll do that then," Art said in a desperate tone. "You don't understand - I need to find it! It's the only thing that is keeping me alive now!"

Adriel glanced at Art, saw he looked physically healthy if a bit scratched up, then reached out to sense him and felt the traces of a broken curse on him. Probably from crossing into his territory since Adriel didn't allow anything that might harm the things in his land on his land. "If you are worried about whatever curse was on you, it's broken because you are on my land," Adriel said with a shrug. "Now you have time to find Atlantis and don't need to offer it to me."

Art was confused. "What curse?" he asked, then shook his head no. "The curse doesn't matter. I mean I don't care about my life anymore and I want to die, but not until I find Atlantis since that is all that has kept me alive for years!"

Adriel thought that Art was now being highly dramatic about things, so he took a sip of his tea as he waved Art down. "Calm down," he said. "Things can't be so bad that you would choose death over-"

"It is," Art cut off with a glare. "I've never had friends, and I thought I had a girlfriend finally, but she... I wanted to wait until I was married and she got me drunk a few nights ago because I finally figured out where you were after I figured out your name and I thought it was juice since it was sweet and fruity. So I don't even have my chastity left! Everyone at my job hates me, my parents love me but I'm a burden to them because I'm too smart, my grandfather and my siblings hate me, and I'm tired of living! I was bullied all my life, I'm still bullied at my job, and even though I have a laundry list of certificates and licenses, my bosses refused my grant for years and this is my only chance to find Atlantis since everyone mocks me about that! I couldn't find a single person that would come on the expedition because everyone laughed at my ideas, and I didn't even get to mention Atlantis at all to any of the captains when I went looking for a ship because they laughed at me as soon as I said I wanted to go into the magical sea!"

Adriel scowled when he heard that Art had been raped by his 'girlfriend' a few nights ago and Art's reaction in the bedroom suddenly made sense. However, none of those other things were his problem, and the girlfriend bit was only a problem because of how it had made Art transfer those feelings of abhorrence to him even though Adriel saw how Art still kept getting hard around him. "I want half ownership of Atlantis," he stated. "With you owning the other half but it going to me if you commit suicide because there is no way I will share it with Oxford who will try to monetize and ruin it. It will be an iron clad goblin made contract. However, I don't appreciate that you looked at me and treated me like I was her even though you were all for it until then. I don't like to be treated like I did something wrong when it is the crime of others."

"I-I'm sorry," Art stuttered out, then he shook his head. "And I didn't compare you to her! I'm just straight!"

Adriel blinked, then he gave Art a slow smile as he set his cup down. Art looked a bit bewildered, but when Adriel slowly licked his lips as he kept his eyes on Art's face, Art started to pink and his pupils dilated as he glanced down at Adriel's mouth. Adriel was amused that Art was very much interested in him and unaware that he wasn't just straight, and he figured Art might be muggleborn or muggle raised. "I also want a kiss to seal the deal," he purred in a low and seductive tone, and delighted in how Art shifted then brought his cup down into his lap to try and hide the growing erection from Adriel while maintaining eye contact and acting like he hadn't done that. "I want you to keep an open mind as we do. Don't think about genders or relationships or anything, just feel and relax and let me touch you. I won't push you to sex, but I think third base isn't a terrible thing. If you can't stand it, you can say no, but you must try to keep an open mind."

Art was screaming at his body to stop with the tingling and being hard, then he realized he was also forgetting how to breathe and was unable to look away. Adriel was waiting for him to reply and didn't look upset or anything... He was looking at Art in a way that Art was completely unfamiliar with and it was making his belly twist up. He told himself it was only a kiss and touching, and he hated being touched and he didn't even kiss her. Then he wondered if Adriel was actually some kind of magical being since he had never said he was human, only that the legends were stupid, and there was some kind of entrancing magic going on.

Art could almost see the electricity in the air, and his skin prickled as he remembered how that had felt like on Adriel's bed. And Adriel said there would be no sex, only a third base whatever that was. And it wasn't like he hadn't already offered his body in payment anyway. There was even a part that wanted to try it again. "AlrIght," he agreed, then flushed even harder because his voice had cracked.

Adriel slid one cushion closer then patted the one next to him. "Set your cup down and come here," he said in a low and soothing tone. Art was obviously inexperienced, but being 'ruined' as Art had earlier put it meant he was in the non-virgin category. Not that Adriel was trying to take advantage of that - he would have accepted the earlier offer or would not have stipulated they would not be having sex if he were. Art was very obviously traumatized and very obviously attracted to him, so he just wanted to try and offer a good experience and hopefully slow down the death wish the guy had. Going on an adventure with someone suicidal was a very stupid thing to do, and Art would be a danger to himself and everyone around him if he continued his self destructive thoughts about himself. "It's okay, Art... I already know you are hard. Just set the cup down, sit next to me, and I'll start with a gentle kiss."

Art's hands were so shaky that he slopped some of the tea onto the table, and he just wanted to melt and disappear. However, he would do anything for Atlantis at this point, so rather than flee like every single cell in himself was poised to do, he wiped his hands on his pants then scooted over. There was a few inches between them, but Adriel neatly took care of that problem by turning to straddle Art's lap and cupped his face in both hands. Art was breathing hard as he stayed very still and looked up at the beautiful person above him, then he forgot to breathe when soft lips brushed against his own dried and cracked ones. A second brush had his mouth parting to lick his lips, and a third made Art softly moan because it felt like every part of him was coming to life. He tilted his head back a little more to meet the fourth one, but Adriel tilted his head a little bit and Art groaned as he felt his thing twitch because Adriel had gently sucked on his lower lip. When Adriel came close for a fifth, Art's jaw went slack as his eyes fluttered shut, and he leaned forward a tiny bit.

Adriel was a little surprised by how accepting Art was, but he was pleased as he slanted their mouths together and carefully used his tongue to tease Art's tongue out while getting some whimpers out of him. Had he not been so good at ready body language, he would have suspected Art of lying with how pliant he had become, but Art was also a man that was clinging to a single thing to stay afloat in a storm wrecked sea. Art's hands were limp on the couch which meant he was either lost in the moment, didn't know what to do, or was letting Adriel handle the whole thing. Adriel lowered his hands and began to stroke Art's sides, and Art flinched for a moment then relaxed.

"That's good," Adriel crooned as he paused the kiss to admire the flushed look on Art's face. "You're being so good and so sweet for me." He leaned forward to give Art's lower lip a gentle suck which made Art moan again. "I'm going to slowly unbutton your shirt, and if you need to put a stop to it, just say so. I won't get mad."

Art took a shuddering breath when his brain struggled to work and gave a slow nod, but he didn't open his eyes and waited for the next kiss which he got. Adriel's mouth was very soft and warm, and Art didn't think he had ever felt something so soft and warm. Athena's breast had been soft and warm the time she had taken his hand and pushed it under her shirt as she tried to kiss him, but that didn't compare and Adriel was being so gentle. He could barely feel the buttons starting from the bottom coming undone, and it was only because he was feeling hyper sensitive, and the minute movements of his top was brushing against his nipples which just made his core ache for more. He had no idea what he was doing or supposed to do, but Adriel did, so he continued to let him do whatever because for the first time, Art didn't feel afraid or disgusted by being close to someone. He could focus on the kissing since it was the most soothing thing he had ever felt, and he planned to trust Adriel with his life so why not this, whatever it was, as well.

Adriel kept his movements slow and gentle, and when Art would quiver, he would pause the kiss to suck on Art's lower lip and wait to undo the button until Art was relaxed. It took several minutes, but he let Art's shirt fall open on its own as he undid the last button at the neck and pulled back from the kiss a little. "Sshh, I'm not going to hurt you," Adriel said in a soothing tone since Art was beginning to tremble. "Come on, lets lay you down on the couch - no sex, I promise, I only want you comfortable. I'm not going to put my weight on you and I'll kiss you some more. Can you do that for me and be good?"

Art shivered as the word 'good' crossed Adriel's lips again, and he yearned to be told he was going to be good. He already knew Adriel said no sex - they were both men so it wasn't possible anyway - and with a lot of awkward shuffling, Art managed to lay himself down and flushed when it meant his chest was completely exposed. He started to raise a hand to pull it closed, thought twice about it since he knew Adriel had undone it for a reason, then he gave a confused whine and opened his eyes because he was afraid to do the wrong thing.

"Shhh, just relax," Adriel said as he resumed stroking Art's sides. "There is nothing to be afraid of, and you can say no when you do become afraid. You are being very good, so take a couple of deep breaths and I'll give you some more kisses." The fearful look in Art's eyes melted away, and Art slowly took a deep breathe then let it out twice while Adriel continued to soothe him in the same way. Art seemed to respond very well to being called good, and he seemed eager to please now that he had opened up his mind, so Adriel gave him plenty of praise about that and resumed the kiss when Art's lashes began to flutter once he was done with the second deep breath.

Adriel continued to kiss and pet Art's sides for a few minutes, then he rested his hands on Art's ribs during an up motion. Art squirmed just a tiny bit, but he quickly relaxed, so Adriel slowly began to slide his hands towards Art's belly only to raise them when Art flinched very hard. "No, no, don't be afraid," Adriel coo'ed. "I'm just touching your belly and chest. I am not going to hurt you, I promise."

Art had never had anyone touch his belly. His sides kind of - his family always gave him hugs even though he hated them, so he had learned to stay still for that. Not that he was having to tolerate Adriel's touching - part of him wanted those warm hands back because it was starting to feel cold. Adriel was still straddled over him, but there was no weight and being treated like he was precious rather than something to be grabbed or used meant he wasn't feeling enclosed. "I know," Art whispered, not wanting to break what was happening with his voice but needing to answer. He felt relieved when Adriel smiled at him and relaxed. "I just... Nobody has touched my stomach so it felt weird." Athena had touched his chest, but he had not liked that. Adriel was different, though, and Art had promised to try, so he closed his eyes when the kissing resumed and stayed still when a pair of hands splayed out on his belly. It took him a few minutes to get used to it, but he was grateful that Adriel was being patient and just kissing him until he relaxed.

Adriel began to slowly slide his hands up to the sternum then back down to the navel until Art got used to it, then he broke off the kiss to start kissing Art's neck. Art squirmed as he grabbed Adriel's shirt tightly with a quiet whine as he heavily panted, and Adriel brushed Art's nipples with his thumb on the next slide up. Art's hips twitched as he cried out with pleasure, and Adriel went to the more soothing belly rubs and resumed kissing Art's mouth. He was surprised that Art was so responsive to come from that alone, but he wasn't done when Art if Art wasn't done.

"Good boy," Adriel breathed into Art's ear when Art's hips stopped their little thrusting motions. "Shhh, you're doing very good. Did you like that? Would you like some more of that?"

"W-what?" Art asked, his word sounding like a stutter because of how shallowly he was panting as he tried to recover from that burst of pleasure. He had no idea what had happened and why it felt so good, but he didn't want it to stop. Not if whatever it was he had done was the good thing to do. "Yes, I want to be good and it felt good. What was it? What happened?"

Adriel blinked when he realized he had someone exceptionally ignorant writhing just from his hands and some kissing, then he smiled because it had been a while since he had had something so fun. "You came," he purred into Art's ear, then sucked on the earlobe and got a gasp out of Art. "That's what is supposed to happen when you are properly touched. Do you want me to keep touching you?"

Art moaned since Adriel had breathed that question directly in his ear in a way that sent a wave of pleasure down his spine. "Yes," he panted out. He knew it would normally be a no because he shouldn't be enjoying these things, but he was already ruined and intended to die after he found Atlantis so he wanted to enjoy it. Suicide was a one way pass straight to hell, but Art had been living a hellish life so he didn't care about that. If he wasn't going to care about that, then he wasn't going to care that Adriel was a man because what was one more sin anyway? Nothing, not when this was the first good thing to happen to him and he was being told he was good for doing it instead of always being told he was bad when he was doing the things he was supposed to do. "I want you to touch me, it feels so go~od..."

Adriel planted soft and dry kissed along Art's jawline to get back to Art's lips, and he groaned into the kiss as he slid his hands up to Art's collarbone. Art arched his chest out as he whined into the kiss, so Adriel slid his hands back down to carefully tweak the nipples which turned Art's whine into a full out hedonistic moan. Adriel completely forgot about his bad mood as he played with Art's body like a musical instrument for a bit, then he shifted a bit to ease the tightness in his pants and planted a kiss on Art's chin.

"May I touch in between your legs?" he coo'ed as he began to brush his lips on Art's throat. "If I stroke you, it will feel so much better. That's why you are hard down there and twitching - it wants to be touched. Do you want to be touched there?"

Art felt tears spill from his eyes as he sobbed out his next moan. "Yesss," he said as his hips bucked up in remembrance of how good it had felt when Adriel had just rubbed once with his hip the previous day. He appreciated that Adriel was asking and making sure - it made him feel treasured and like his feelings mattered - but he didn't like that it forced him to think rather than just feel because he was saying yes to another man he didn't even know when he hadn't said yes to Athena. Athena had never made him feel the way Adriel did, though. It felt like his parents and everyone else - he had tolerated her because he knew he was supposed to, but she had never made his blood feel like it was on fire like Adriel did. "Touch me touch me!"

It wasn't the first time Adriel had had someone sobbing with pleasure beneath him, so he thought nothing of Art's tears as he began to suck on Art's throat and slide his hands down to Art's waistband. He hadn't even tugged when Art let out a sound of desperation as he lifted his hips, so Adriel pulled them down to Art's thighs and began to stroke Art's hips as he kissed his way towards a nipple. Art's fingers dug into his hair when Adriel brushed his lips against the first one, then he cried out with frustration when Adriel moved his head towards the other one. Art realized what he was doing, and he pushed his chest out with a needy sound, so Adriel laved his tongue on it and moved his hand to touch the wet crown of Art's erection.

That was all it took for Art to come a second time, and Adriel made sure it splattered into his hand by cupping the head as he continued to lick and then lightly nibble on Art's nipple. Art had quite the grip on his hair, but Adriel enjoyed a bit of rough pain, and hearing the delicious sounds that Art was making at the moment as the historian bucked and squirmed under him was worth it. Even if he wasn't getting sex, he was getting really good wank material, and Art seemed to be getting something he needed from it since he was still letting out choked sobs here and there.

When Art finished coming, Adriel took him in hand, but he only stroked with his thumb to pet and help soothe Art rather than overstimulate him. It also kept Art from going all the way soft, and he moved back to the first nipple to give it the proper attention it wanted and Art moved to eagerly feed it to him. "I don't know if I can," Art sobbed out even as he yanked on Adriel's hair to press him harder against his nipple, and a hard suck had Art relaxing his hold a small bit to shudder. "Uuuhhnnn, Adriel, I don't know if I can again!"

Adriel gave the nipple a light nip as he released it from his mouth. "Shhh, I will know when you are ready again," he soothed, and Art's fingers loosened a little more with relief. "Just relax, Art. I would like to kiss and suck down there to make you come the third time. Do you want that when you are ready?"

Art let out a guttural moan and weakly twitched his hips at the thought. "Yes," Art sighed out, then let his body go limp while he held onto Adriel's head. 

Adriel began to suck on Art's nipple with a moan since Art had completely given himself over for the moment. Such a deliciously responsive thing - he wondered how Art stayed chaste this whole time since he was about Adriel's age if not a little older. Art moved almost intuitively when Adriel used his other hand to strip the pajama bottoms completely off, rolled his head to bare his throat when Adriel kissed up to it, and he whimpered so sweetly. 

"Such a good boy," Adriel mumbled into Art's skin, and he felt Art's prick jump in his hand. Definitely a praise kink, so he kissed his way up to Art's ear to quietly moan more praises into it. "You have a fantastic body. You are so responsive and you are doing just a great job. It is such a pleasure to touch and kiss you, to taste your excitement, and I love the effect I have on you. Yes, I know, you like being good for me, don't you. You are so beautiful when you squirm beneath me like this."

Art's insides were goo as he felt more tears spill out while he moaned and began to move his hips so he could feel that slide in Adriel's hand even though it wasn't all the way hard. He had never felt so much need to please someone, but Adriel was appreciating him and he never knew he needed or wanted to be appreciated so much. It filled a hole deep inside of him - a large and empty one that he had lived with so long, and he hadn't realized it was there until Adriel's compliments started to seal the largest cracks with a warm feeling. "Yes," he moaned, since he wanted to be good always for this man. "Yes, yes yessss!"

"Such a compliant and good boy deserved a reward," Adriel breathed into Art's ear. "I'm going to start kissing you down there." He gave Art's member a gentle squeeze. "Let go of my hair when you are ready, then put your hands above your head and keep them there for me when I begin. Can you make me very happy by doing that?"

Art immediately began to untangle his hands from Adriel's hair with a sob of desperation since he could finally do something! As soon as his hands were above his head, Adriel kissed him like he was tasting every bit of the inside of Art's mouth, and Art opened up for him with a moan to be more good for Adriel and it got him more praises as Adriel began to kiss down his neck, chest, belly, and... Art blushed hard and went completely still when he felt a hot breath wash over his wet erection, then he shuddered and almost brought his hands down to grab Adriel's hair when he felt the velvety warm tongue taste that from the root of his core and all the way to the tip which was beginning to drip again. A small part of him wondered if he tasted food since Adriel made a mmm sound and continued to lap at it, but the rest of him was trying to keep his hands above his head and let Adriel drape a leg over his shoulder to expose Art even more.

The new position felt decadent and lewd, especially when Adriel swallowed him up and then a wet finger rubbed against his hole. Art cried out from the conflict of feelings since part of him reminded him that sodomy was a sin, but it wasn't sodomy if it was just a finger and it was only rubbing on the outside and now it was sliding up underneath his balls and stroking the empty space between the hole and the balls. That sent light jolts of pleasure to his core, and he fully hardened in Adriel's mouth and it was the best feeling ever.

Art had been making a lot of noise before, but it was nothing compared to now. Art's Aaah~ cries echoed in the cave of his home, and Adriel groaned as he kept Art's penis in his mouth like a cock warmer so that Art didn't pop as fast as he had the other times. He kept going back to rub against Art's hole that was slick with Art's own come since he was using that as lubrication, but he wasn't going to push in since come made for terrible lubrication on a virgin hole and his pouch with his wand and his oils was... somewhere. Still, Art eventually stopped tensing up when he touched the hole, and it wasn't until Art began to push back against his finger while he twisted and squirmed for more that Adriel began to suck and begin to bob his head.

Art managed to hold out for a few minutes, and his cries grew shrill before he was coming hard with a scream. Adriel sucked and swallowed the small load (understandable, since it was the third one), and he gently stopped when Art was a shivering mess and moved so he could pull Art up into his lap. "Such a good boy, you did great," he coo'ed into Art's ear as he gently cradled and rocked him. "You made my morning and I'm so proud of you. Yes, you did very good and kept your hands up like I had asked, and I know that must have been so difficult since you hadn't felt these things before. Then you let me use my mouth and gave me such a nice little treat that tasted so delicious. You performed so perfectly just for me... Such a good boy. Did you like that? Would you like to do that some more later?"

Art hadn't been sure how to feel when he was pulled into Adriel's lap, but rather than the dreaded hug he had been expecting, he was cradled and soothed and he relaxed into Adriel's chest and felt a glow of pride inside of his chest. When was the last time he felt such pride? It was always tainted by something else - he was proud of finding Atlantis but it was tainted because it was the only reason he hadn't killed himself. Tests at school had been too easy to feel pride over, and Sarah's anger and jealousy at his scores had tainted the pride for his OWLs and NEWTs. He had felt proud when he got that first apprenticeship, but that had quickly gone away at the overworked and underpaid treatment he got. Adriel was offering him more of this feeling, this untainted pride in making Adriel happy with his body, and even though he knew it was wrong, he wanted it so much.

"I liked it," Art whispered, terrified to admit it but knowing it was the truth. "Why do you want to do this?" An important question since he was ugly, inexperienced, and Adriel had already said many times that he didn't want sex. But anger slowly began to leak in "You already said you don't want me for... that other stuff. I don't understand why you are saying I'm being good when I'm NOT and everyone HATES ME!"

Adriel grimaced since Art couldn't see him - he had meant for it to help but Art was breaking down even more. "I don't want sex unless you are willing," he murmured in a calm and soothing tone as he splayed a hand out on Art's stomach. "I would love to use a body like yours for my pleasure. You are so responsive to my touch even though you are straight, and you sound so beautiful when you are crying with ecstasy. Remember that I am not everyone, my Artemio... You might be a little broken, but everyone is because the world is a terrible place. It's not your fault though - everyone use you to make themselves feel better. I just want you to feel better, you let me let you feel good, and that took a lot of trust from you so you were a very good boy."

"I said I was willing," Art whined as his face scrunched up. He didn't want to cry again, but he couldn't stop it. "I said I would for payment and you said no!"

"That isn't willing, Art," Adriel soothed as he started to rub Art's belly. "Willing is what we just did. You wanted it, were eager for it, and was glad for it. You were offering something you were only willing to tolerate because you wanted something else even though you didn't want to have sex. It was just the only thing you could think of that I might want, but I don't like doing things with other people unless they want to do it themselves."

Art had his arms up so he could sob into his sleeves. "W-wanting that makes me a terrible person," Art cried. "We are men. I'm not supposed to want it!"

"Says the society that has treated you so badly?" Adriel asked in a wry tone, then he nuzzled the side of Art's neck. "There is nothing wrong with it. It was done in Ancient Greece, in Ancient Rome, Sumer, Egypt, the Ottoman empire, and many countries today allows it. The king that passed the buggery law in England was a homosexual but completely denied it because the church had told him it was unnatural and he was afraid of going to hell, but there are so many religions out there and the Abrahamic religions aren't the oldest or the wisest ones. If you want peace and wisdom, look to Buddhism. If you want oldest, there are Hindu scriptures that date back at least three thousand years ago for actual proof of their age. There is Shinto if you want the oldest and still practiced polytheistic religion which can be traced to at least five thousands years ago going by proof of artifacts rather than proof of texts. The Chinese and the African tribes also have religions that stretch into pre-history. In very few religions that are older than the Abrahamic ones is homosexuality banned. Yes, there are sects of those religions that condemn it, but that is their own view even though their texts do not condemn it. It was seen as a natural part of the world in that period - there are even animals that are only attracted to their own sex. What matters is how you treat yourself and your fellow mankind, not what you eat or who you love or lust after."

Art's sobs had slowly died out as Adriel laid all of those facts out to him since he could not argue with a single one of them. He was fighting an entire life of indoctrination, though, so he still felt like it was wrong. Unable to argue that, he asked his next question. "What are you?"

Adriel raised an eyebrow since he was sure he had told Art several times that the 'legends' were bullshit. "Human," he replied. "Originally from a tribe in the Americas, half British, and I've been living as a hermit for..." He paused. "About eleven years now. I have to work for the Mavros on occasion, but aside from that I'm left alone. I didn't like the world, so I brought my herds with me and settled here before they were hunted to extinction which they are beginning to border on. I still visit my grandparents in England or my tribe in the Americas if my jobs take me close enough that a few apparitions will get me there, but I cut my ties with all governments and refuse to participate with society."

Art wiped the snot off his face with a sleeve so he could twist to look at Adriel with an incredulous expression. "There is no way!" he denied. "You have the beauty of the gods! Magic... I've seen you do things with just gestures! Your property and your horses are practically alive! I could feel it!"

Adriel sighed with amused exasperation then leaned in to steal a quick kiss even though it was salty with tears. "Defense and offensive magic mastery, rune mastery, ancient magics expert, and tribal magics user from tribes in various countries around the world," he said with amusement. "I've learned from witch doctors in the deepest jungled of Africa, voodoo priestesses of the Caribbeans, ocean magics from the islands of Oceania, magical texts from Ur, Babylon, and the Hittites, and magics of Ancient Egypt and Greece. A bit of a levitation spell without a wand is nothing, especially since I'm not using your wingardium leviosa to do it, and as far as the land and horses go..." Adriel shrugged. "I told you that ancient magic has its own life like fiendfyre does, and I have the willpower to exert my commands on raw magic. Some of those horses are my own children and grandchildren from my animagus form because when I came here, I was completely broken and would occasionally forget I was a man in the first couple years it took me to pull myself together. As such, some are highly intelligent and are definitely sentient, and they would have been keeping an eye on you to make sure you were going to do anything destructive." Adriel raised his hands to put then on the back of his head and leaned away from Art into the cushions. "No, I'm not proud of it, but it is what it is and I would not deny my own children when I am responsible for their creation. I'm also not the first nor will I be the last animagus to have gotten lost in their forms. Most don't come back and stay lost to the animal mind, but I'm not most just like you are not most, right? You have found a place said to be a myth, and I am inclined to believe it since you also found me based off of completely fabricated stories that have a kernel of truth if you squint your eyes, spin in a circle until you are dizzy, then look at it upside down through a circus mirror."

Art was giddy that someone finally believed him, and that last imagery made him smile for a brief second since it sounded funny. "I suppose that makes sense," he agreed even as he shoved the knowledge that some of the horses were kind-of-people away. That wasn't something he could grasp even if he knew there were half humans and half beings from various magical races. Horses weren't magical, so it just sounded wrong and he wasn't going to think ab out it since it sounded like Adriel had not done it on purpose. "So you will really help me get to Atlantis?"

"Yes, though I will need a thousand galleons of your expedition money for supplies and a ship," Adriel agreed as his mind raced through things that would be needed. "And I'll have to call in some favors to have that ship enchanted to the gills because there are some pretty weird things in the magical seas. You will not go on any island I say is too dangerous, and we will need to shop for more clothes for you because three outfits is not enough. Then I need to find out where you came in from since whatever curse was on you would not have passed my protections, so I'll be able to find out what it was and see if anything needs to be done about it. Was it only food in your food bag?"

"Food and the journal I was supposed to keep for Oxford," Art said as he wrinkled his nose. "I didn't get to use it since I hadn't started on my expedition."

Adriel hummed in thought. "I will find your stuff and see if it is okay," he said. "You will be staying here until the boat is ready and our contract is written up, and I'll continue to try and get you to enjoy something about life so you have something more to live for than just Atlantis. Why? Don't forget I'm a hermit, Art. I know what you are going through, and I only wish such miseries on my worst enemies, not on a delectable morsel like you." Adriel gave a roguish grin when Art began to blush. "Now, go on and shower, and yes, you can use the liquid soaps and shampoos that I make myself in there. I insist, actually - your skin is dry and your hair is damaged from the sun and such, and the soaps I make are very gentle and will help you heal. Pekky will have your clean clothes on the counter when you come out of the shower, but don't expect to see her. She is terrified of people since she was also broken by her last family, and they tried to slit her throat so she is also mute. I nursed her back to life and she has lived here since."

Art was horrified to hear that story. "That's terrible," he whispered. "How old was she when...?"

Adriel shrugged. "It's hard to tell a house elf's age, but if she were human, I would estimate something like her late teens now," Adriel said, then tilted his head when Art looked even more horrified. "She was the only one that survived - that family had several elves they had treated very horribly, and when they left Greece, they killed them all. The collapse of the Ottoman Empire ruined a lot of lives, but that always happens when an empire falls. The English empire will also fall one day since they have made many enemies of those they are trying to rule as have the French, the Spanish, and all the others  that were part of the problem for the Great War. I studied warfare and tactics, politics, and diplomacy, so it's an easy enough pattern to spot. Anyway, go on and shower unless you are sitting naked in my lap because you want to do more of that again?"

Art turned red, and he scrambled off and grabbed his pants and underwear on the floor as he fled to the lower levels where the shower was. Yes, he wanted it again, but he would need to struggle against the wrongness of it all.

Art had already been half hard and was screaming internally at his body about not doing weird things in front of people when a sentence Adriel said had him snapping his head around to look down at Adriel as he flushed hard. 'Unless you want me to suck on your neck or other areas, anyway,' was what Adriel had said, and already feeling upset from hunger and his thing, seeing that Adriel had teased him about it had him see red just like that day with Ochre and Maroon. The world flashed by in a blur, and he only became aware when he heard his voice snarling like an animal and he widened his eyes as he stared up at Adriel...



Adriel had definitely not expected Art to give a shriek of rage and suddenly jump on him, but as he twisted onto his back to catch the flailing and angry man, he supposed he probably should have waited until Art was not so cranky to bring up the subject. Art flailed on top of him and he bit his tongue when Art's angry movements had Art's erection press against his own crotch in just the wrong way (or right, had it been intentional), but he ignore how he was growing hard as he twisted them back around so Art was under him with his hands pinned above his head.

The crackers were everywhere. Art's plate had gone flying when he had tried to attack, and Adriel's own plate landed on the floor since Art's hands had clipped the edge and made it flip. He silently lamented the loss of his apple and cheddar cracker as he waited out Art's little tantrum, and after one particularly vicious sounding snarl (or rather, a cat coughing up a hairball noise), Art froze under him and he smiled down at Art.

"I should have waited to bring it up when you weren't so stressed out," he said in a gentle tone before Art could begin apologizing. "I know the subject of sex is a very touchy conversation for you, but it is unhealthy to suppress yourself this much. Even your mind healer said so! Friends do talk about these things with each other because it isn't like it can be talked about with family and such. I mean, no, I did used to talk to my dad about it, but that was because it was funny to see him change colors and flail at me and tell me to get out of his tent and cause trouble elsewhere, but I'm shameless as I've said on many occasions and there is definitely nothing to be ashamed about."

Art stared at him with wide eyes and a red face, and Adriel figured it was because Art was praying to the gods that he couldn't feel Art's erection pressed up against his thigh. "Also, this is normal," he said in an even more soothing voice as he shifted a little to just rub against it so he could make a point, but Art's eyes rolled up to the top of his head and he gasped with pleasure which made Adriel freeze. "Sorry, I should remember how responsive you are," he murmured in a quieter tone to keep Art from panicking. "But yes, it is normal, and guys can get hard just because our pants shift even a tiny bit or even for no reason. You can't control your nipples getting hard when it gets cold, nor can you stop a blink when something gets in your eye. It's normal, Art, and if you are worrying about it being a sin, God made our bodies this way so you shouldn't be ashamed of your body."

Art was definitely red now and couldn't seem to get a single word out, so Adriel smiled down at him and let go of Art's wrists so he could sit up. Art grabbed the front of his shirt which pulled him off balance, and he barely managed to catch himself before he landed on Art. It brought their faces very close together, and he heard Art give a near-silent whine before Art looked up and away.

Adriel had no idea what to do with a mute Art who would not let him get up and would not look at him. "Hey, I'm not going to criticize you over these things," he said in a soothing tone. "What's wrong? I promise not to make fun of you."

"You did make fun of me," Art choked out, and Adriel felt so guilty when he saw tears begin to form. "You said... And then you were holding up a finger so you were teasing me but it wasn't nice!"

Adriel grimaced and settled himself on Art. "Shhh, it was friendly flirting, and I'm sorry I upset you with that," he sincerely apologized. "That is what I mean about these things being a pretty big part of me, Art. I can stop myself from not checking you out, and I can stop myself from not touching you. It is harder to stop myself from thinking about you, and my mouth speaks too often. It is meant to be playful banter, and I wasn't making fun of you for it. You are attractive and I can't help my own reactions to you on occasion."

Adriel moved this time to show Art that he was hard, and Art's eyes widened as he gasped. Still, Art refused to look at him. "...neck," Art mumbled so quietly that he almost missed it.

"What about it?" Adriel quietly asked, confused why Art was bringing it up when it seemed that subject was what kept upsetting him. "I'm not making fun of you for yesterday. Like I said, I found it exceptionally sexy."

"No," Art said with an angry glare at the wall he was still staring at. Adriel was immediately going to get off since he thought Art wanted him off, but Art opened his mouth. "I want... on my neck again."

Adriel sharply inhaled, and Art immediately started to shrink. "No, no, I'm surprised, not disgusted or anything negative," he quickly reassured while his brain tried to figure out why the answer for 2+2 had suddenly turned into π rather than 4. Something was not computing properly in his brain because his whole being was shying away from it. "What do you want on your neck again?"

"Tongue," Art barely managed to whimper out as he closed his eyes, and Adriel's brain finally got the answer 4, but now the problem was 'what is the radius of Jupiter's orbit from the sun?' "On my neck."

Adriel groaned from his belly since he had fully hardened, and going by Art's minute shifting, Art was fully aware of it. "Art, you are asking me for inappropriate touching," Adriel replied in a near-whisper. He practically had to force those words out since his brain was telling him to eat the lovely spread below him, and he kind of wanted to cry because it wasn't fair. "I mean, I would love to, but that will make my self control hard. You have no idea what you do to me."

Art craned his face further away as he squeezed his eyes shut even tighter, and Adriel realized Art was baring his throat in a silent plea. They both stayed in that position for several seconds, and Adriel finally lowered his lips to ghost them along the straining tendon in Art's neck, and he felt Art's hips twitch up and the hands on his shirt gripped tighter. Art's breathing had turned very shallow with anticipation while Adriel's own was deep from worry and want, but it was the tiny sound that escaped from Art's mouth that made Adriel's resistance crumble.

Art had breathed out a very tiny moan, and Adriel sealed his mouth on Art's neck then rubbed his erection into Art's soft belly with a groan of pleasure. When he sucked, Art gasped and squirmed, so Adriel made sure his next slow thrust had Art's erection rubbing into his own thigh. Art let out a throaty moan, and Adriel just stopped thinking and started feeling.

Adriel kissed and sucked all over Art's neck as he grinded against Art for both of their pleasure, and Art panted and moved his head around as his hips twitched to make small motions to match his movements. He moved his left hand since the right elbow was taking all his weight, and he tugged down Art's shirt to expose his collarbone to suck on that. Art whined as he arched his back to let Adriel suck there as well, and Adriel moaned into Art's skin then began to mark up the other side of Art's neck.

Art managed to hold out until Adriel was halfway up that side when he gasped and bucked his hips, so Adriel made his movements faster to match Art's twitched and squirms. He was pretty sure that Art was coming, especially with the way he was letting out soft sounds of pleasure with every exhale of his fast panting, and Adriel gently bit down an inch below Art's jawline as he groaned out his own pleasure.

Not that Adriel had come - he wasn't going to do that to Art. He didn't have permission and Art was asking for his own pleasure, not for Adriel's pleasure. But it was a delicious tease with the way his groan made Art's soft sounds turn into a full out low moan, and when Art's body suddenly went still beneath his, Adriel relaxed gave Art's neck one last gentle suck.

"Yeah, I might have been teasing you, but it is also an honest offer," Adriel breathed out. "I'm not asking anything from you or expecting anything in return. If you want me to do this, you can ask any time."

"Okay," Art agreed in a sated tone. Adriel knew that 'okay' was only a post orgasm buzz and Art would probably try to go back to sexually repressing himself, but unfortunately for Art, he let his own cat out of the bag.

Adriel ran his tongue up Art's neck which made Art shiver. "Good boy," he breathed out under Art's jaw. "You did a great job. Seeing you like this is a pleasure. Are you feeling better now?"

That was when the delicious smell of freshly baked meat buns popped up on the spot Art had been sitting at - too far for them to knock over but close enough to be enticing. "Yeah, there is food," Art replied, and Adriel got up with a quiet laugh when Art pushed at his chest. "Then I need to shower!"

"We are taking a bath together after this," Adriel reminded Art in a perky tone as he sat back down in the spot Art vacated and snagged up a slice. Art was very very red, but he seemed a lot more calm, so Adriel figured Art was cranky from sexual frustration as well as hunger. "Eat, then shower, then relax."

Art's initial plans had been to go straight to an apprenticeship after Hogwarts, but the archivist that accepted his application said he had to get some life experience under his belt. He had been very upset since he thought that they were implying that he was 'just a kid' or whatever, but surprisingly it was his mom who explained it to him. After she found out, of course.

"Oh, you're growing up so fast!" she had wailed while giving him a tight hug that he very much hated. "Let me see that!" The letter had been snatched out of his hands before he could stop her or tell her what it said - only that it had been a letter from a Master Archivist about an apprenticeship - and he had glared down at the floor since he knew she would probably suggest he try working at the ministry with his grandfather or something. Except that wasn't what happened at all.

"Oh, how wonderful!" his mom had said, and his heart had plummeted. She didn't get it. She never got it. Nobody understood that he- "Your mentor is so considerate!" How was telling him he was a kid considerate?! "He wants you to go on a tour of some kind just like I did after graduation!" He didn't want a tour! "It will be a valuable learning experience - oh, I must tell your papa all about it! You should look at what countries you would like to see!" She paused. "But be careful about the where sine the Great War is happening. That pretty much leaves Europe out of it, but you could try the Americas like I did and find yourself a wife!"

Art was absolutely not going to the Americas now. He had started to think about it for a tiny split second to see what Guatemala was like until she mentioned marriage. "I'll go look at some maps," he said in a resigned tone. And he had.

The Americas were out, Europe was out which was a shame since he would have picked Greece in a heartbeat, Egypt was out since England and the Ottoman empire were currently fighting over it, China was out because of the whole Sinai war over there.... There was no way he would survive all the lizards that lived in Africa... Which left him with India and the peaceful countries around it like Nepal.

Peaceful sounded nice. And there were ancient temples in the mountains of Nepal. He didn't know much about the region, but he did know it was very rich in history. And he was kind of curious now that he was looking into it. However it also looked primitive, so he looked towards the neutral countries of Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, and Norway. There would be sites there with runes that he was fluent in, there would be English speakers, and those three countries were close enough that he could save money by traveling on foot and could stay at hostels at night rather than sleep in a tent.

Both of his parents were very supportive of the idea of him travelling. They bought him a nice backpack that had a secret wizard space pocket on the inside but was otherwise completely muggle-safe, gave him money as his graduation gift to do his tour with, and kept talking about finding someone to love just like they had. A tiny part of him did yearn for a 'love at first sight' moment, but he knew better than to hope since life was always full of disappointments for him. He hated every moment of the planning and packing, didn't want to do it at all, but he was definitely ready to go by the end of the week just to get away from all that talk about finding true love on his adventure.

It was a very confusing and hectic week that went by in a blur, and the only thing he got to do was decide on the countries. He deliberately made sure his 'tour' would not last longer than a month - two if he was really slow - but that was all he controlled. His mother picked his clothes, his father picked his necessities, all of those were bought new for him, and his grandfather reluctantly and viciously gave him a muggle map with foot routes thinking to offend him. Too bad Art hadn't told any of them his plans to travel by foot, otherwise it would have not been a helpful gift at all. Seeing his grandfather's face sour when he realized it would be useful was the best graduation present Art got himself.

Sarah was still young, but she had gotten very angry about the trip until she managed to get her own 'world tour' plans for the future that would last twice as long as his (which was fine, he deliberately kept his as short as possible) in all the nice cities like Paris, Prague, Amsterdam, and other places in Europe where the wizarding communities were. An expensive trip that their grandfather was going to mostly pay for. Bully for her, Art didn't care. He just wanted to see some of the archeology sites like the 83 meter longhouse uncovered in Vestvågøya or the Viking burial sites in Norresundby and island of Björkö. He wished he could have gone to Greece or Egypt, or didn't have to go at all, but at least he knew what the archivist meant by life experience. A peaceful stroll in the cooler countries not far from his own during the summer was probably for the best if he had to do this.

That was how he found himself walking a road with a lot of muggles his age who were also doing their own world tour in the only peaceful region of Europe. Art really hated it for the first week since his body was sore and one of the hostels he stayed at even had fleas in the furniture, but when there was no demand on his time, his history hobby was not mocked, and everyone around him was polite or even helpful, it started to become freeing. No parents to nag at him to go on dates, no sense of urgency to start working now to get away from his family, and no fears that someone was going to bully him. He had seen only one altercation like that - a guy wearing glasses was mocked at by another - and all the other guys had immediately jumped to the spectacled one's defense. Art learned that everyone on the trails looked out for each other to make sure they were all safe. Safety in numbers also meant there were no lizards or cats or birds or anything, too!

The best part was that there were no women. Going on foot was too dangerous for muggle women, and the muggles also considered women too weak for that. Art didn't have to worry at all about finding 'romance'! He only had to worry about making sure he could get to the next hostel on the map by evening, and that was all. Some of the backpackers even knew historical locations that were not on a map but was something that shared by word of mouth through backpackers and locals in the region.

Some of the more handsome men made Art think of Greek and Roman statues which nice since he didn't get to go to Greece, and he didn't really think about how his eyes kept getting drawn towards those people. He didn't think about it much at all until he caught a glimpse of two of the more handsome men he had seen playfully duck into a side alley and [link=https://i.ibb.co/TPcj4xn/image.png[/link]began to kiss[/link] just as he walked past, then that was all he could think about.

Art managed to stay focused until he hit Oslo a few days after that incident, but it was hard and his body kept getting flushed so he decided to stay in the city for a short time. There were many archeology sites in and around the city, and Art found out there was a magical community in Oslo! There was a small street in the center of the city in the oldest district that none of the muggles could see, but it was open for Art and he could see the magical stores and the buildings that looked like long houses with mossy roofs and giant gothic monstrosities. There was a very small red building that had an 18+ age requirement that was a 'cultural dance hall' according to the elder Futhark runes, and Art could smell food coming from it so he figured it was a small folk museum with a cafe or small diner. Since he had missed lunch and it was getting close to dinner, he decided to go in.

There were stairs that led down, and Art realized it was an underground establishment with the building itself being some kind of magical gate that prevented anyone younger than 18 from entering. Strange, but he thought maybe some of the old Viking dances could be violent ones about pillaging and war which would explain the age requirement. History was very bloody and the medieval period was spectacularly gruesome, and it would explain the red lighting in the small lobby he stepped into. There was a female waitress in a traditional outfit that almost looked like it had been tailored to show off her very large bosom that Art struggled not to look at simply because of how distastefully flashy it was that greeted him.

"Would you like to have a male or a female service you today?" she asked with a coy smile. The room was a tavern, but there were only a couple people in a small corner since work hours were not over for most people. "Public or private rooms?"

Art thought about leaving until he realized he could actually pick someone else. "Male," he replied. He wasn't trying to be rude since it could be a cultural thing for the magical people to wear revealing things, but his discomfort made his tone brusque. "Private room, but food is served here, right?"

"Yes, mostly traditional fares though we do have fish and chips and meat pies for tourists. Please go through the door on the right and you can pick any of the private rooms since you are the first one here today. There will already be a menu, so you can tap the items you want and your entertainer will bring it in."

Art glanced over at the two people in the booth who were obviously customers which meant he wasn't the first one, but she mentioned an entertainer. "Entertainer?" he asked with a confused frown.

"Yes, you are in a dance hall," she replied with a polite smile. She had dropped the coy one when he requested a male server, but Art was very confused. "Dancers? Burlesque for the English?"

Art blinked since he did not know this was one of those types of halls, but her attire suddenly made a lot more sense. Then he realized he had asked for a male server and turned red, but burlesque dancers were just dancers on a stage and he had been feeling off around men so maybe he could just watch whatever the show was and finally get over it. He nodded at her then turned to go through the right door feeling very embarrassed but figuring it was too late to back out anyway. He picked the room that was the furthest back so he wouldn't be disturbed or seen if more people came in.

The rooms were all decorated in various ways, but the one he found himself in was lit with brass lamps and had dark furniture. There was a low table with padded white sheepskin fur to sit on, and there were several pillows around the room that he could grab for comfort. He wasn't used to sitting on the floor and didn't know if there was some kind of manners he had to observe, so he was very careful not to put his shoes on it when he sat down and straightened his legs under the table so they wouldn't touch the fur.

Art picked up the menu then stared at it since it was in Dutch rather than English or any of the runic alphabets. He started wondering if he should just leave since he was obviously in over his head and there wasn't even a stage in the room so he was obviously misunderstanding something, but that was when his 'entertainer' came in. All of the other guys on the route he had seen couldn't compare - none of the statues he had seen in pictures or museums could compare - and Art could only stare as his 'entertainer' slipped in with a smile that could easily make many sign their souls away.


Long raven black hair spilled down his back - so long that Art hadn't even seen women with that length unless they were very old or had never cut their hair. He was shirtless and his skin tight pants were sheer! Not that Art could see anything - the gold belt around the waist was such that it automatically drew one's eyes to the bulge in the front, but there was a dark colored cup covering it and Art couldn't tell if it was part of the pants or was just being worn. The footwear was soft like dance slippers but went up to the calves like boots and were kept in place by gold bands. Art didn't think there was enough air in the room for the both of them when he sat on the sheepskin fur that Art was also on then smirked at him.

"Like what you see?" the guy purred in an American accent and Art just wanted to die. This beautiful creature in front of him was definitely not human, and Art finally realized he was staring with his mouth open. "I am your entertainer and my stage name is Prince, but you can call me whatever you would like. I came in since it seems like you need some help with the menu, do you need me to translate or explain any of the dishes?"

"I'll just have the fish and chips," Art replied in a faint tone since he didn't think he could handle anything more complicated than that. He knew he was staring but he really couldn't look away. At all. This was so unreal that he felt like the moment he took his eyes off of Prince, the man would disappear like a mirage. "This is my first time at a dance hall? I thought there would be a stage? Are you something like a veela except a male?" Male Veela didn't exist, but there could be a sentient race he had missed or was very rare.

"Such flattery," Prince said, and Art had no idea how he managed to flatter him, but he wanted to do it some more since Prince relaxed and spread his legs open and there was almost nothing left to the imagination except for everything. The outfit was tantalizingly revealing but not completely so, and if he compared it to the blond woman out front that showed off the top of her cleavage, Prince's clothes (or lack of) was far more obscene. Yet Art didn't feel like Prince's outfit was distasteful like he did with hers. "I'm completely human if you are worried about that, though I am often told that I'm the devil's child. The public side has a stage, but the private rooms are for more personal dances."

"Personal dances?" Art asked in a higher pitched voice. He wanted to reach out and touch to see if the copper skin and dark hair was as soft as it looked, but he also wanted to run away. And he was stuck because his legs were under the table and if he tried to pull them out he would kick Prince or knock the table over. Embarrassing himself that way felt way worse than the current frozen and fascinated fear he was feeling. "I wouldn't care if you weren't human, but you have an American accent. Your existence makes no sense."

Art realized how offensive the last statement was too late, but Prince only laughed. It wasn't a mean laugh, either - it was a laugh like Art had said a good joke. "You really are flattering me," he said as he put his hands down to lean forward almost into Art's space. "I like you."

The proximity was hard enough but those last three words were impossible. "Don't mock me," he replied with a scowl. What else could it be? Nobody liked him! Prince was probably very angry but hiding it under lies because Art was a customer. "I can leave."

"I'm not mocking you," Prince said with a genuinely confused look as he settled back a few inches. "So far you have insinuated that I'm far too beautiful to be human and too complicated to figure out." Art was stunned that Prince put to words his feelings better than he could. "I'm allowed to like that, yes? It also helps that you are a very beautiful man, but if I am coming on too strongly, I apologize. A personal dance in a private room is meant to be sensual, but those that work this side are allowed to go as far or do as little as they wish. This isn't a brothel - it is an establishment for adult entertainment. I think you are beautiful and I like your compliments so I was flirting."

Art found himself going back to being confused. "Flirting?" he asked in a bewildered tone, then he realized it might be part of Prince's job duties. "Nobody flirts with me. I'm ugly. I'm also here to eat, but I thought there was going to be a burlesque show. You can go if you want, I can just eat and then leave."

Prince gave him a look like he thought Art was being strange. "No, I'm being honest that I like you," he said which Art felt very skeptical about. "You very obviously have no idea what kind of place this is, but that's what made your compliments so nice. Your reactions to me are genuine so of course I am going to be flattered. If I'm making you uncomfortable, I can leave and let them know you would rather have a regular waiter and dancer come by."

Art felt a flutter of panic when Prince gave him a friendly smile and looked like he was about to get up. "No!" he quickly exclaimed, then flushed at the puzzled look he got. "I mean, you're already here. And explaining things to me? And I didn't make you mad?" Prince also seemed friendly and nice, so maybe he could explain the men kissing thing? Since he had apparently been flirting with him? "Can we just talk? Can I ask personal questions? Oh, my name is Art."

This time it was Prince who looked wary, and Art regretted the last question. "We can talk and you can ask, but I won't answer questions about my personal life," he replied, and Art felt relieved since that wasn't what he was going to talk about. "It's a safety precaution - no offense to you, but it's part of the rules for working here. Some customers have gotten very pushy in the past over entertainers they thought they were in love with and forgot that these things are for entertainment. Yes, sometimes sexual things can happen, but that is purely up to us and we can't ask for money or gifts since this isn't a brothel. People forget that sometimes."

"Oh," Art said with a sigh of relief. It actually sounded like a good rule. "No, I am not going to ask about your personal life. I'm just... confused. Have you done things with other men?"

Prince looked very amused by the question. "Oh yes, I enjoy both men and women," he said, and even though it wasn't stated in a seductive tone or anything, the boldness made Art blush and look away. "I'm a little more partial to men, but not by much. Would you like to touch me?" Art squeaked when Prince moved forward and languorously laid out on his belly. He had his right hand under his cheek to keep his head up and was peering up at Art through the longest eyelashes he had ever noticed. "I'll let you touch me if that is why you are asking?"

"No!" Art squeaked as he leaned away - Prince was too close! Just inches from his thigh! And the new position let Art see rippling back muscles barely veiled by the dark silky hair, and Art could also see how there was a tiny scrap of black fabric coming out from in between Prince's nicely shaped arse that was neither too big, too hard, or too soft. It was muscular but there was a thin layer of fattier tissue over it that softened it enough to round it which made it perfect. Art couldn't look away, and it was a quiet huff of laughter that broke him out of the thoughts that were trying to describe the best arse in the world. "I wasn't staring! Just... Looking at your hair. It is very long. Did you use a spell?"

"Nope, I've never cut my hair in my life," Prince explained as he brought his chest up a little higher by propping his elbows and folding his arms under himself. That caused all kinds of delicious movements down the sleek back, and Art managed to catch a pair of dimples that briefly appear on the buttocks that he wanted to see again. "Do you want to play with my hair? I like to have it touched."

The room was so hot and Art wished he could take his jacket off except every layer of fabric seemed to matter since Prince was wearing almost nothing at all. He could take off his backpack and set it off to the side. "I don't know how to answer that," Art said in a panicky tone while wondering if removing his backpack was a good idea or not. "I mean, it's wrong. For guys. Except I saw them kissing a few days ago and I've felt very weird since then and now you are very pretty and I don't know what to do since I'm going to get married and have kids one day!"

Art was babbling and he knew he was babbling, but he couldn't get his mouth to stop running! "But I don't want to get married to any of the girls my parents keep introducing me to and they expect me to find a wife during my European tour except I keep thinking about the kissing guys and now there is you!" Art then clapped his hands over his mouth and fearfully met Prince's dark brown eyes. Rather than disgust, anger, or judgement, all he could see was warmth in them, but he stayed quiet since he didn't want to risk opening his mouth again.

"Your feelings are your own and are perfectly normal," Prince said in a soothing tone, but he was also gracefully pulling himself up into a sitting position and it was just inches away from him. "I already said I like you, Art. You are very sweet. Would you like to explore how you feel with me? I won't touch you at all - you can do all the touching and you can ask for whatever you want and I'll say yes or no without judgement."

Art was about to say no except... He was in a private room in Oslo with a handsome man he would never see in his life again and nobody would ever know. More than handsome - Prince was beautiful and mysterious with a strong presence that was just shy of overwhelming. And he seemed to understand what Art was saying when everyone else would get mad at him! And Prince was letting him decide! Just sitting there patiently even though Art hadn't moved or said a word close enough to easily touch but far enough that Art wasn't suffocating still.

"You won't get mad or hit me?" Art fearfully asked around the hands still covering his mouth. Prince shook his head no without dropping that sinful smile but Art knew he always messed things up so he had to ask more. "And I can ask for anything?" A nod yes. "And you will let me?"

"If I agree to it," Prince replied in a low voice that almost made Art shiver. "There is very little I would say no to you for I think. Move at your own pace, Art... I won't push or ask for anything. All the power is in your hands. Right now you have blanket approval to touch me with your hands wherever you would like, and if you want me to touch you, just ask. Nobody will know what we get up to in here, I promise."

Right. Art could touch. Prince had asked him to touch him a few times now. He kept his left hand still covering his mouth, but he shakily reached out with his right one to touch dark hair. It was softer than silk and he knew his mother would kill to have hair like this. "Wow," he whispered, and when Prince gave him an encouraging smile, he ran his fingers in it. The longer he pet the hair without Prince moving or looking upset, the more he relaxed, and he finally began to reach out with his left hand to touch the soft skin at the collarbone but ended up jerking back because Prince leaned a little closer. "Uhm, sorry! Sorry! I was just going to touch your shoulder!"

"Shhh, you have blanket approval to touch me wherever you wish, Art," Prince reassured on a low voice. "Shoulder, chest, hair... lips..."

That last word almost sounded like a moan with how husky Prince said it, and that memory of two men kissing flashed through his head before he licked his lips and wondered what it would be like to touch Adriel's lips. They were full and pouty - another trait he knew his mom and most women would die for - and they looked soft and like they might taste nice. He wanted to see what they were like since he got the feeling that it would be nothing like getting kissed by one of his family members but that was far too much when he had only touched hair so fair.

"I need to order my food," Art almost whispered. He needed some time! And he really was hungry except his stomach was doing flips so he wasn't sure he could eat at all. "Did you want something?"

Art stopped breathing when Prince leaned forward almost close enough to touch him, then Art felt a pang of disappointment when Prince sat back with Art's menu in his hand. "You want fish and chips, right?" Art nodded. "Any drinks? I recommend coffee or apple juice for something non-alcoholic, or mead or punsch if you would prefer a little bit of liquid courage. One glass of either won't make you drunk, but it might help you relax a little."

Art thought it might be a good idea. He knew mead was made with honey, but he wasn't sure what the other drink was. "What is punsch?" he carefully asked. It sounded like punch so he didn't want to cause a mix-up. "I haven't heard of it."

"It's a hot fruit drink with some spirits in it," Prince explained. "You can pick apple, orange, or pineapple for the fruit, then the rest is sugar, water, spices, and alcohol. Punsch is the Hindi word for 'five' and it Dutch traders introduced it here almost two hundred years ago. Very popular since it tastes delicious, and you can also request chocolate, banana slices, or almonds to be added for additional flavor. I've noticed most non-locals enjoy punsch or the beer most."

"Do you like it?" Art asked.

"I like the pineapple juice with orange and banana slices with an almond flavored spirit," Prince explained in a friendly tone. Art was beginning to relax now that the topic was on food rather than touching or kissing or anything like that. "I like the apple cider most, but you can drink that just about anywhere."

"I'll try the punsch, but also a glass of water in case I don't like it," Art decided. He watched Prince touch various things on the menu with his fingers and wondered how much he would be paying for this lunch. "What are you ordering to eat?"

"Just a small plate of fruits with yogurt," Prince said with a different type of smile that had Art uncomfortably shift. That was when he realized his pants were tented up because he was painfully hard and he quickly began to pull his backpack and jacket off so he could hide his lap. "My snacks are on the house as long as I don't go overboard with it, but I never do. I like to eat small snacks throughout the day rather than two or three large meals."

Art felt relieved that he wasn't paying for a huge dinner like it had appeared, but he did wonder what this would cost him all around. "Uhm, so how much does the private room cost?" he asked as he shoved his jacket into his lap. "I didn't get any explanation about how this worked and I only just graduated and I'm not... rich."

"The private room costs one silver per hour on top of the meal," Prince said to Art's relief. It wasn't cheap but it also wasn't expensive and was within his budget as long as he didn't spend hours here every day. "You get one free dance, then it's up to us if we want to stick around to entertain you longer or move on to a different room. I like dancing so I usually do a couple dances as well as talk to people since I like hearing stories, but I'll stay as long as you want to help you figure out if you like men and if it feels right or wrong to you."

"Why?" Art asked with a sudden frown. "People don't like to spend time with me and if you aren't allowed to take payment or gifts, I don't see why you are staying. I don't have interesting stories or anything."

Prince looked surprised and Art wondered what he had said was so surprising. "Because I like you," Prince said, and it was said so simply and sincerely that Art couldn't find a mock or a lie in it. "It can also be fun to give someone their first kiss from own gender and I love the way you keep looking at me."

"How do I keep looking at you?" Art asked. "I mean, the staring was accidental and from my initial shock because of your hair and... clothes. And stuff..."

Art glanced down and blushed hard as he trailed off, but when he peeked at Prince to see if he was upset, he froze. Prince was almost nose to nose with him and his eyes were dark pools that Art felt sucked in by. "You keep looking at me like you have never seen anyone so beautiful," Prince purred. Art stopped breathing. "You look like you want to put your hands all over me to see if I am real." Art breathed, but only a sharp inhale. "Your eyes linger on every bit like you want to categorize everything you see, but you are also adorably shy and scared of your own feelings."

"I'm not shy!" Art denied as he jerked back. It was the first inaccurate thing he could latch to so he could break himself out of that hypnotic moment, but it wasn't the only one. "I'm also not afraid of my own feelings! I just saw something a few days ago and now I'm curious since I don't know why men would be attracted to each other."

"Don't you?" Prince asked with a slow smile, but he was pulling back so Art no longer felt like he was about to be sucked down a rabbit hole. Prince didn't stop pulling back, though, and Art was scared he did something wrong since his entertainer was standing up. "I'll give you your first dance now while we wait for the meal."

Art was relieved since Prince wasn't leaving. He watched and did not stare at the lovely butt as Prince moved to what Art had thought was a bench with pillows and lifted the top up to show it was actually a chest. Prince pulled out a gramophone and set it down on top of the lid once he closed it, then he twirled a finger and a record from the shelves on the other side of the room came flying over. Art's breathe caught since he had never seen wandless and wordless magic so casually wielded before, and definitely not by someone who looked close to his own age.

Then music began to play. It sounded familiar though Art knew he had never heard it before, then he realized it was Latin American music. He stared at Prince to look him over again, but he wasn't very familiar with how the people of Central and South America looked to tell if he came from one of those countries. He had heard the Brazilians were well shaped people...

Art's thoughts came to a complete stop with Prince suddenly began to move once the opening notes of the song finished and the female singer joined in. She was singing in Spanish, but he didn't pay attention to the lyrics as he watched the dance alternate between bursts of movements done in spins then slow and sensual moves that made him feel very strange. There would be an undulation that would make Art squirm like he was expecting Prince to start stripping or touching himself or something, but rather than complete the direction it made his imagination run, Prince would spin in a way that made his hair flare out like a velvet cape and the jewelry around his waist flash to draw the eyes. With the eyes drawn down to that area, the next move would be another provocative undulation or thrust or other hip movements that made Art think of tangled sheets, and Art was kept on the edge of his seat like that until the lyrics for the chorus began to sink in.

She was singing about a night of passion and Prince was mimicking those moves, and Art finally understood how another man could be attractive to want to kiss. He wondered if this was the whole love at first sight thing his parents talked about - Art had never felt the tingling warmth or the yearning for something he didn't understand in his life before. He wanted to touch Prince's body while he moved to feel the muscles under his hands and... Was it wrong? The magical world didn't care and Prince said his feelings were perfectly normal and okay to have. It was all very overwhelming, so when the food and drinks blossomed on the table, he grabbed his juice and sipped it for the 'liquid courage' people would talk about.

The music came to a stop before he finished his sip and Prince winked at him with a smile. "Dance and beat is one of the oldest known forms of magic," Prince stated as he walked back to the gramophone. Art knew the hypnotic sway of the hips and the way Prince bent over were further temptations to make Art want to run his hands all over the beautiful man. "That was a mix of Rumba and slow Samba with music from Costa Rica, and it is probably one of the most sensual dances in the world."

Art couldn't do anything except hold hit warm juice and stare - his brain felt fuzzy and sluggish while his body felt alive. Prince put away the record into its sleeve then tossed it back to the shelf it had come from with another show of magic that absolutely had to mean the record itself was enchanted since there was no way a simple dancer could use magic like that. Then Prince came back towards him, and his eyes got wider while the rest of him froze up. He wanted whatever was happening, but it was Unknown so he was going to let Prince do whatever it was. Maybe a kiss?

Except Prince just sat down close to him - further than the couple inches that had separated them when Art had touched, but almost a foot away was still much closer than they had started when they were on opposite sides of the skin. "Would you like me to feed you?"

"No!" Art yelped, and the only reason his juice didn't spill was because Prince reached out to stabilize the cup. "I mean I can feed myself! I'm not a baby!"

"You are very much not a baby," Prince agreed as he leaned in to help guide the cup to the table. "Food can be an intimate flirtation between two people, though."

Art did not understand what was being said, but he let go of the cup and let Prince set it down for him. "It's just eating," Art said. "Food isn't for flirting."

When Prince smiled in a devious way, Art wondered if he should have kept his mouth shut. Without looking away from Art's eyes, his hand went from Art's up to the fruit platter, then he dipped a finger into his yogurt which was gross. Or it was gross until Prince licked it off, then he sucked on his finger in a way that was just as bad as that dance had been since it made Art wonder what it would feel like to have his finger sucked on like that.

"Eating can be turned into a very sensual or even erotic activity, Art," Prince purred, then he leaned back on his hands with a friendlier smile that broke the hold on Art's brain to finally let him think again. "I'll give you a break so you can eat. Do you like the punsch?"

It took Art a second to realize Adriel meant the drink, and another second to realize that he had no idea what it had tasted like. "Yes," he answered since he couldn't say his whole world had narrowed to the way Prince had moved and had no idea if he liked it or not. He ripped his eyes away when he realized he was still staring at Prince's lips and he grabbed a spoon so he could focus on eating.

The punch actually did taste very good when he sampled it in between bites. He would not have suspected any alcohol in it at all and thought it an interesting drink dessert had Prince not explained it to him. He knew that Prince had taken his bowl of fruit and yogurt and was laying on his side with them, but he was very careful not to look that way since who knew what he would see with lips and tongue and fingers. He needed to think and thinking about Prince was very detrimental to thinking about anything else.

A surprise, really. Art usually had several subjects in his mind going at the same time with only lizards and cats able to make his brain freeze. Now this beautiful dancer who was willing to let Art touch him also did the same thing to his brain, except he cause warmth and heat while the evil man eating creatures caused cold dread. He didn't think he would survive a second dance because it would probably make him spontaneously combust, but rather than terrify him like all other death scenarios did, all he could think was 'at least it would be a fast way to go.'

He knew he also had a bigger question he had to think through, but he would shy away when he asked himself 'what am I going to do after I finish eating?' He definitely couldn't leave even if a part of him wished he could regret having come here. It had just confused him more! Life was so much simpler when he was confused about seeing two guys kissing. Now he wanted to kiss one himself and was wondering if he had found his future... husband? Oh gods, what would his parents think if he brought home an exotic dancer?! That was a man! Well, his mom was absent minded enough that she would probably think Prince was a girl at first and his father had never spoken about men being together which probably meant he hated gay people like his grandfather did. Sarah would have something new to bully him about, too!

No, no, there was no way he could marry Prince even if it was love. But would it hurt to experience love for one day? Prince said he liked him. Did he love Art? How did he know if the other person fell in love with him? What if-

"You're overthinking something, Art," Prince said in a teasing tone, and Art made the mistake of looking down. The sinful creature was lazily licking yogurt off a peach slice that had the pink fleshy colored skin facing his direction, then Art just about had a heart attack when Prince slipped the whole thing inside his mouth by sealing his lips around it and sucking it in. No, there was no way Art was leaving now even though he knew he would be experiencing heartbreak when he had to go back to England alone. Art was stuck here watching the juice from the peach that had remained on Adriel's lips slowly begin to slide to one corner, then a pink tongue darted out to lick it off before enough could accumulate to trail down his cheek. "There you go... Just keep your mind on the now and don't worry about tomorrow. I would love to be your little secret."

Art wondered where exactly was the courage he should have gotten from the fruit drink. Maybe he had to drink more than half? He couldn't think about love anyway - Prince had made it clear that his name wasn't Prince and that certain personal information wouldn't be handed out. He was a professional entertainer! Art was obviously just seeing things. But that was a good thing since it meant that things didn't have to get complicated, Prince was a professional so could teach Art what he needed to know, and Art had a safe person and place to experiment to explore this type of attraction he had never felt for anyone.

"Okay," Art belatedly agreed. He had no idea what to do next, but Prince rolled onto his back and flexibly curled around his platter so his head was but inches from Art's thigh. Then Prince parted his lips and licked them before he glanced down at his fruits. "What?"

"Would you like to feed me?" Prince asked with an innocent smile that Art didn't trust one bit. "I don't mind if you want to treat me like a pet and I won't see it as you treating me like a child."

Art froze. If he fed Prince, it meant his fingers would get close to those lips, right? And if he accidentally touched one, that would be normal, right? Were they as soft as they looked? "Which one?" Art asked in a shaky voice. Was that nerves? Excitement? Fear?

"Mmm, you can pick, master," he purred, and Art once again felt like his heart stopped. Master? Oh. Why did that title send a thrill through him? "Or you can feed me yogurt with just your fingers if you wish. Even some of your own dinner is fine as long as you feed me with your fingers rather than a fork."

Art swallowed hard since he was pretty sure that Prince was telling him that it was okay to touch his lips. Again. He did mention that earlier. Art was definitely going to have a heart attack soon if his heart kept pounding as hard as it was, but he still reached out to pick up a cherry by its stem and dipped it in the yogurt. He slowly moved the cherry towards those luscious lips and for some reason felt surprised when they opened and that velvety pink tongue came out to help guide it into his mouth. He was shocked even more when Prince even sucked the stem into his mouth and barely let go in time.

"You're not supposed to eat the stem or the pit," he couldn't help but say. What if Prince choked? Except Prince winked up at him and was still chewing so he was okay, right? Then a little bit of green poked out from between Prince's lips and Art realized he wasn't chewing. His breathing was very shallow as he waited to see what was going to happen with bated breath, and he blinked when Prince smiled up at him with the stem held in between his teeth only it had a knot in the middle. He didn't know what that meant at first, but then he recalled overhearing a conversation some of the girls in his year was having over a bowl of fresh cherries. They were all goading each other into trying to tie knots in the stem with only their tongue to prove how good of a kisser they were. Art turned red and watched as Prince pulled the knotted stem out of his mouth and he counted two knots in it.

"You can still touch me, master," Prince said with a flutter of his lashes as he set the knot down on the edge of his fruit tray. "Pet me while you feed me if you want? I'll lick your fingers clean if you hold them in front of my lips."

Art had been wanting to touch Prince's mouth so much that his thumb was on the bottom lip without him telling his hand to move and then the tongue slipped between the lower lip and his thumb pad then continued up. It was warm and moist rather than drooly and slimy like he thought a tongue might feel like, and he didn't notice it being drawn in until lips sealed right above his nail bed and sucked. He had no idea how or why a bolt of pleasure went from the end of his thumb to the pit of his stomach, but a moan also slipped out of his mouth and Prince's answering moan kept him from feeling embarrassed and he slowly sank his thumb in more.

Art had no idea how having his thumb sucked on could feel so good. It was all texture and heat that continued to feed that pool in his belly, and when his thumb was in all the way, the tongue stretched out to lav his palm before it withdrew so Prince could suck. His free hand pushed down on his lap since the palm lick had made the jolt of pleasure hit his crotch, then he was making a mess in his pants because his absent reaction had caused him to rub his hard erection once which made him begin to ejaculate.

The moments in the shower was nothing compared to how good it felt at the moment. He didn't notice his panting turning into quiet sounds of need or how his hips were twitching up so his own tight pants gave him some friction. He felt like he was floating in a warm pool that touched every little bit of him and he stayed in that happy spot until it began to fade away.

Reality came crashing down and Art yanked his hand back with a mortified squeak. He had just come from Prince sucking on his thumb! Oh gods he just embarrassed himself! Except Prince wasn't looking at him mockingly or anything - if anything he looked like he was very pleased with Art.

"Would you like me to lick the mess in your pants clean, master? I would love to see what you taste like there, too."

Oh gods, having Prince's mouth on his thumb had caused that. What would happen if he let Prince do that to his thing? He would definitely not walk away innocent if that happened! He would already never be innocent again! "How?" he managed to choke out. How did Prince do that with just his thumb?!

Prince pushed his platter under the table and rolled onto his belly. "Well, you or I would unbutton your pants, then all you would have to do is lean back and let me-"

"I mean how did you make me do that from my thumb?!" Art asked in a shrill tone. He didn't mean to cut Prince off, but he really was going to have a heart attack if that had continued. "That's... It... It isn't supposed to even feel that good!"

"It feels so good because you also make me feel so good," Prince purred. "You keep giving me complimefnts and don't even know you are doing so. It pleases me greatly to know that I can give you such pleasure, master. I can give you more by taking care of the mess I caused, only I promise that if you come this time, I will swallow it rather than let it go to waste."

Art dumbly nodded and watched Prince slowly get up on his hands and knees. The sinful man continued to keep his movements slow and careful as he reached out to lightly tug on the jacket. When Art made no move to stop him, the jacket was slowly pulled away, then Art blushed at the large wet spot on his crotch and covered it with his hands. "No, don't look!"

"But master, that was my fault," Prince said in a guilty voice, and Art froze again when he saw the silent begging for forgiveness in the expression Prince was making. "You should be demanding that I lick it all clean for making you make a mess. If you want me to, anyway? You can demand other things from me instead if you want like a kiss to show how sorry I am or a dance for you to watch while you clean it up."

That was way too many options for Art but he already knew he wouldn't survive another dance. He also didn't want to embarrass himself by showing how inexperienced he was to not even know how to kiss! "You can get me a clean cloth to clean myself with?" he asked, then he felt relieved when Prince smiled and gave him a nod. A surprisingly nice and soft handkerchief came out of nowhere (wandless conjuration?!) when Prince sat back and raised a hand to his neck, then he offered it to Art who accepted it while he wondered what magic this conundrum had.

"Are you sure you are human?" Art couldn't help but ask, then he shook his head. "Nevermind. Is there a restroom I can get to without being seen?"

Art was startled to get a pout. "I could spell your pants clean if you wish, master," he said, and Art felt relieved since it meant that he wouldn't have to leave the room or ask Prince to leave the room. And that he had not upset him by implying that Art didn't think he was human. But now that the weird buzzing feeling in his head was fading away, being called master felt weird. "I am very good with cleaning charms."

"Just call me Art, please," Art mumbled as he looked down. "Will you please clean me with a spell?"

"Of course," Prince said, only it was spoken more in the tone he had started with rather than the submissive one he had been using. A wand came out of nowhere when Prince reached up towards his neck again, and Art realized Prince had been acting submissive. He couldn't imagine such a proud and confident person actually being submissive to anyone. Art could see Prince leading an ancient Persian army to battle with Spartan forces as a leader, so he must have been acting harmless to put Art at ease and it had worked. "There we go. I'm still willing to help you experiment if you wish to continue?"

The sudden change from acting like a pet to the confident and beautiful man reminded Art that Prince was a professional entertainer It broke Art's heart a little bit, but it also caused a massive flood of relief since it meant that he wouldn't leave someone in love with him behind. He already knew he couldn't take Prince back to England with him - he sounded American or maybe even Latino though what either was doing working as a dancer in Norway was a mystery - so he didn't have the right to feel a little heart broken. He had decided to try and figure out why two men would kiss, got a lot more than he had bargained for, and now he had to decide if he wanted to actually see what else there was or back away and never do this again.

Art peeked at the Prince and... well... He would have so many regrets if he left now. He knew that with absolute certainty. Nobody had ever looked at him like Prince was currently doing. Like he was interested in Art's answer and hopeful that it was a positive one. He also didn't have to worry that this was all for money since Prince had made it very clear that the only thing he owed any customer was a single dance and some socializing, and Art had already gotten both. He still wanted to touch Prince all over and feel the muscles and soft skin, and he wasn't feeling as hesitant as he was before since he had already done the most embarrassing thing he could which was to come in his pants which Prince seemed to like that he did.

"Can I touch you again?" he nervously asked. Just because he felt like he could ask now didn't mean he still wasn't expecting rejection. "I only got to touch your hair and... lips..."

"I would love to have you touch me, Art," Prince purred. Art could suddenly feel that static again and he flushed as he wondered if it was some kind of magic. "You can even touch below the waistline wherever you wish. Keep it only to your hands for now, but if you want more, ask and you might get it."

Prince leaned back on his hands and shook his hair out behind him so that none were left on his neck and shoulders. He was giving Art complete access to his chest and neck, and even his lap and everything with the way he was sitting on his knees with them spread open a few inches. Enough to be welcoming, but not enough for Art to see anything unless they moved further apart. Finally, for the first time since he sat down, he pulled his legs out from under the table then grimaced at the pins and needles feeling. "Do I need to take off my shoes?" Art asked as he managed to pull his feet off to the side so they didn't land on the white fur. "I didn't want to make anything dirty."

"You should take them off just to get more comfortable," Prince replied with a sultry smile. "That way you don't have to worry about accidentally stepping on or kicking me, either. If you are more comfortable as you are, then that is fine, too."

Art hadn't even thought about accidentally stepping on Prince, but with his occasional clumsiness he knew it was a possibility so he began to unlace the boots. "So then what?" Art asked as he kept all his focus on getting his shoes off. "Do I just start touching you after this?"

"Oh, please do," Prince requested in a darker tone. "Run your hands over my skin or through my hair. If you wish to use your mouth to taste, that is acceptable from the waist up. If you want to know how men like to be touched further, I can instruct you on the basics though you need to remember that every person is different in their likes and dislikes. I can show you what most like which is a good starting point, and when you have future partners, you should figure theirs out by touch or by questions." Prince paused. "I bathed right before I came in here just in case you are wondering. I bathe at least once a day."

Art hadn't thought about that because Prince looked so clean, but having it said out loud was reassuring. He set his boots off to the side, then he got on his knees to shuffle close to his entertainer. Prince stayed still and watched him through lidded eyes while looking completely relaxed, and he didn't do anything while Art fluttered his hands since he didn't know what to touch first. He supposed that out of all of it, the shoulders were the most harmless, so he reached out to place his hands on them and was amazed.

"You are so warm and soft," Art breathed out while shuffling a tiny bit closer so he could stroke the skin there. Prince tilted his head back a bit so Art included the sides of his neck, too. "I don't think I've ever touched anything so amazing. Are all men like this? No, they probably aren't since I think my mother would also want your skin along with your hair and your lashes and your lips." He began to slide his hands down to the pectoral muscles. "And this is better than any ancient statue I have ever seen in person or in photos. More defined and realistic but still so soft and warm. You could easily be the male version of Helen of Troy and gods and kingdoms would have gone to battle over you. Then again, you would have had your own kingdom and probably ended up with a goddess for your wife if you had been born in Ancient Greece. Do you know about Apollo? You could represent him so well with your sun kissed skin and-"

Art shut his mouth and nearly tumbled back with how hard he jerked away. He had started babbling about history! Everyone he tried to talk to about history hated when he brought it up! He squeezed his eyes shut and waited for the mocking laughter when he heard Prince shift, and his heart plummeted when there was a quiet chuckle.

"I love your compliments," he heard Prince breathe practically into his ear. "Putting me right up there with a daughter of Zeus that was part of the reason for the Trojan wars and then Apollo himself! Do you want to kiss me? I wish to kiss you. You are so beautiful when your eyes light up with excitement and I love that just touching me made you look so happy."

Art peeked his eyes open as he felt a thrill go down his spine, but Prince was so close that he forgot how to breathe. Just tilting his head up a little had them practically nose to nose and he could feel Prince's warm breath on his lips. That reminded him to breathe again, except now they were sharing the same air and Art could almost taste the fruits he could smell from the other's sweet breath. Art tilted his head up just a tiny bit more so their lips brushed together and he closed his eyes to get ready for his first kiss, but there was a sudden knock on the door and Prince barely sat back in time so they weren't caught in a compromised position.

To Art's annoyance, it was that blonde from the tavern and he didn't think he hated anyone more in his life than he did that woman right now. "Prince, your father sent a message about an emergency in Gaza," she rambled. Emergency? Gaza? "The muggle bombings broke open a cursed tomb and there is an ICW call out to any that can assist in containing the undead before they get to the city. The goblins already put your name forward and there is a portkey at the ministry waiting for you right now. The regular curse breakers are still trying to contain the whatever in the Vale of the Wizards - I couldn't catch that word - and they say they might need your assistance there as well."

"Okay, Vilde," Prince said with an unhappy pout. "Give me a minute and I'll head out now."

"Right, sorry, it was a Red message that went off in my office so I came down to tell you," she replied, then she turned and left leaving the mood all ruined.

"Gaza?" Art asked. Ancient Egypt! "Vale of the Wizards?"

"Mmm, I work in a lot of archeology sites and I'm actually here for one of the Viking ones as a small vacation from the hectic emergencies the stupid war keeps causing," Prince answered with a pout, and Art's heart thumped hard in his chest. Oh. Oh wow. Prince worked in archeology? "I have an open invitation to work at the dance halls in this region anytime I'm around so I get free meals and rooms to stay in. I'm sorry, Art, but I have to run."

"But-" Art began to say since he needed to know more! If Prince was some type of archeologist - one that the ICW and the goblins recommended for emergencies - he could take him home! There was the whole issue of Prince being a guy and his grandfather and sister mocking him for it, but he had a feeling that Prince wouldn't stand for that. "But-"

Prince leaned in and silenced Art with a gentle kiss that tasted of cherries and left him feeling dizzy. "Maybe I'll get to see you again one day, Art," Prince purred. "A red letter means I have to run now, but I hope the kiss explains the rest of your questions on men."

Prince was standing before Art could even catch his breath and he watched how all the records and a couple other items in the room flew towards Prince and shrank as they neared him. "But-" Art tried again, but Prince just winked back at him as the items disappeared then disapparated in a nearly silent pop. No. No no no no NO! Art now had to go search the world for Prince starting with Gaza! Except he didn't have a name and only a description! Then again, there shouldn't be that many demigods in the world with copper skin, long raven black hair, and an American accent. Though it did sound a little British there at the end? Or had that been his imagination?

That kiss hadn't explained anything to Art except reinforce the idea he had found the love of his life. Who cared about kissing other men if one could kiss Prince? And touch him. He was perfect! Art just needed to explain he was also a historian who was going to get into archeology and then they could live happily ever after!

Art hurriedly pulled on his boots then picked up his jacket and backpack before dropping some coin on the table. He had to run and find a portkey to Gaza now! He would find Prince - his very own prince charming - even if he had to actually make his 'world tour' a real world tour. He could finally have someone that understood him and wouldn't get angry about dinner topics that turned into debates about history, and he wasn't going to let that go! Especially not after that kiss. He needed more!