Roleplay City
Oberon Castle => OBERON CASTLE: Drink Today, Die Tomorrow => Domiciles => Topic started by: Kysis on March 13, 2008, 04:15:16 AM
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(For EO; I set this before Lam loses her job)
Since Kysis had gotten back from Kreos, every day and every night had felt like an eternity. After Alia\'s burial, Captain Wilson practically moved into the manor, spending nights there, mornings there. Rico did not look being so close to that room, where the Captain and Kysis were together. It bothered him worse when the townhouse was offered as an alternative. Rico had liked it at first, but then Kysis had to jump on the idea like it was the last kalamata olive on Earth. That hurt.
So he was in the townhouse with the Captain\'s strangely quiet servant, whom Rico had insulted many times just to get a jab in at his master. Probably not the smartest idea. But, pride had always been a thing Rico could not let go of, and would not forget now. Out of pride he had not apologized, or done anything else to make amends. It was making life awkward. Silence did not sit well with the bard-inclined Retainer.
Some days were spent learning food and spice names in English. Some days were spent at the shop, trying to sell weaponry (and often succeeding). Some days were spent playing with his bow to keep his arms strong, running solo practices, playing one of his instruments (the rebec, not the organette) when he was too tired to continue. Rico missed singing but did not feel like practicing without an audience. He was moody. Passive-aggressive. Rico knew he was failing badly at trying to stave off depression.
In his mind there was only one solution and Kysis was not coming around to it.
The morning prior to the current, Rico had finally convinced Kysis to do a sparring round, after the Captain left. Rico had warmed up before hand, did really well. He tripped Kysis into him and stole a kiss, which was ended so fast Rico had not even gotten to taste it. Kysis refused to look at him and yelled at him to leave, immediately, or else. Sad, moping, Rico did. He hadn\'t dared go back to the manor since.
Rico walked out of his room, pulling on an olive green tunic as he closed the door with his sock encased foot. Ruffling a hand over his hair, he made sure it looked alright by feel. It was fine. Rico needed to shave, however, but that could happen later. Stubble was fine for breakfast. He just wanted a piece of the pita bread he had made the night before and to drizzle it with some honey. Perhaps he might even talk to Matthew.
Maybe.
He came in the kitchen groggy and unsure of what he was going to do, much less say.
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Matthew was not having a good day, and it only got worse when he shivered his way into the kitchen - after banging the back door closed with an extremely loud slam - dripping muddy water all over the floor, and found Rico calmly eating an appetising looking breakfast. It made the Oberon native even more cranky, in fact.
He\'d been over to the manor to prepare its inhabitants\' breakfast, as was part of his usual routine. Ever since the first morning after Rico had moved in with him, that had been his job. He did breakfasts, Rico did lunches and they prepared dinners together. Matthew hadn\'t been certain why, but he\'d figured it had had something to do with the fact that Lam was suffering terrible morning sickness, thereby demanding very boring breakfasts (by Rico\'s standards). He also hadn\'t seemed to approve of the way that Lord Liari had fussed over his pregnant fiancée that first morning after he\'d moved out, probably because he didn\'t like her at all.
Matthew wasn\'t sure what that was about, either. He\'d asked Lam why it was that the Greek man constantly made derogatory comments about her, what had she done to him (for Matthew knew well that Lam could offend anyone, given half a chance), but she\'d given him an inscrutable look and said that he didn\'t approve of her marrying Kysis, because they were such close friends. She\'d looked like there was more to tell and he\'d asked if there was any more to it - if she\'d done nothig to Rico, why was he so set against her? It didn\'t make sense! - but she\'d said that, beyond those words, it wasn\'t her place to hypothesise and he\'d better ask Rico.
Well, there was no chance of that happening. In fact, his housemate had Matthew\'s lips so well bound from biting his tongue every time he said something nasty about Lam, that he\'d barely spoken two words to the newcomer. It was Matthew\'s opinion that Rico had every right to like and dislike anyone he wished, so he wouldn\'t try to convince him otherwise, when no-one knew Lam like he did, but it was becoming more and more difficult to hold back whenever something nasty and uncalled for was stated.
This morning, he simply couldn\'t any longer (though it wasn\'t directed at Rico when he spoke).
"Some people shouldn\'t be allowed to drive merchant caravans!" he greeted Rico from the doorway of the kitchen (he had stood there for almost a minute, deciding what to do, before he came up with following his feelings, rather than his head, for once), his voice louder than it had been in years, and quivering with anger. After that announcement, he moved into the kitchen and headed for the fire.
"I was minding my own business," he continued as he reached his target and removed his jacket - which was marginally covered with muddy water. It was his shirt, pants and face that seemed to have borne the greatest of the wash, "on my way to the markets from the manor," he explained loudly, positioning his jacket on the back of the chair from beside Rico (he\'d pulled it back to be near him), before he paused to whip his entire upper body\'s garments off over his head and throw them down onto the floor before him, where they landed with a wet slap.
There was muddy wetness clinging to his chest - which was a surprisingly nice shape, with firm pectorals and a narrow waist around a flat stomach. Though not ostentatiously hairy, there was a light smattering of blonde hairs across it, tapering down to the waistband of his pants, too, but they looked darker at the moment because they were wet. He was not an overtly physical man, but his body was trim and neat from all the housework and walking he did - he very rarely stood still or sat down from dawn to dusk on any day, after all.
"When I noticed this merchant caravan trundling up the road towards me. Very politely, I stood to the side - I was against a brick wall, I couldn\'t do much else except let it pass, quite frankly," he complained, glancing at Rico as he toed his boots off and began untying the string of his pants at the same time. Whether his companion was paying attention to him was not strictly relevant at that point, however, for he was too mad to worry about it. He needed to vent and Rico provided a welcome opportunity to do so (though the Greek man likely thought it was the most contained and stilted rant he\'d ever seen. Even when he was enraged as he was now, Matthew found it difficult to actually let his emotions take hold of him and simply vomit forth his feelings), whether he liked it or not.
"So I was standing there, watching it roll towards me, when the idiot driver decided it was a good idea to speed the horses up - on a side road! Well, next thing I knew, the bloody thing was flying past and there just happened to be a wheel rut right before me... filled with melting snow, mud, slushy water and.... and.... Talon knows what else!" he blustered, bending forward to yank his pants off. He threw his hands up for good measure when tht was done. This left him standing before the fire, slightly behind Rico, in only his underwear. Though the material went from his waist to his ankles, it was thin, wet and clinging across his muscular thighs and rather sheer in its whiteness, so that the shadows and and bulges beneath left very little to the imagination, with regard to his... benefits, so to speak.
Matthew flung his pants down on top of the shirts he\'d formerly thrown down, and placed his hands on his hips demandingly. "Now I need to bathe before I do anything else and I ask you, does that sound like the sort of thing a sane, rational driver would do? Hurl his van down a street barely wider than it, endangering the lives of innocent people?" He was staring at Rico now, a slight blush colouring his muddied cheeks, giving away how upset he was. His blue eyes flashed with anger and he thrust a hand out towards his housemate, as if the answer he was demanding might be placed meekly on his flattened palm.
Bathing wasn\'t how he\'d planned to spend his morning - he hadn\'t even reached the markets, after all that, he\'d had to turn home immediately. Technically, it wasn\'t the inconvenience of it - since Lam moved out, all of Matthew\'s belongings had gone up to her room and Rico had taken the one next door (he\'d taken her large bed, too, for Matthew was quite happy with his single one) when her armour and fighting paraphernalia was moved out, so they\'d made Matthew\'s old room beside the kitchen the bathing room, because it was closer to the water source and where they both spent the majority of their time - it was the fact of it. He shouldn\'t have to start off his day drawing his own bath simply because of some fool\'s ignorance to the safety standards everyone in a city was accustomed to, should he?
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Rico had glanced at Matthew upon his entrance, a brown brow arching up at the sight of him muddy and wet. Well, it certainly looked bad. And his rant was humoring. It was so stiff and civil that it did not seem a rant at all, Rico listening carefully. It was like a kitten was trying to threaten a kennel of a king’s hunting dogs. It would have been cute, but Rico hardly gave a damn. Matthew was bitching about something menial going wrong. Rico was sure he had much better fish to fry in the matter.
The wet slap, first one, did not throw him off at all. Rico kept eating peacefully, his Greek flatbread going perfectly just slightly warmed and accented with honey. It was a good, if bitter, way to start the day. Rico was taking another nibble (to savor the flavor) when another slap followed. Alright, maybe a shirt? Hmmm. Rico did not turn to look, abiding his time listening and mentally laughing.
It was the third slap of wet clothing and the question that had Rico turning to look at him, eyes finding him nearly naked, eyes unable to stop themselves from raking over him. The food he was trying to swallow did not quite go down right, Rico turning quickly away and coughing, covering his mouth. He blinked while staring at the wall, wondering how in Aphrodite’s name a simple servant had stayed so fit, and why he had to be stripping down right there. Didn’t he know? Didn’t everyone know about Rico’s particular dislike of the female body and his like of the male gender?
Apparently not.
Well, Matthew and Lam were not as close as Rico had once thought. Maybe his constant jabs at the Captain were not answered because Matthew didn’t care.
“That was rather… stupid of them. Ah… What were you getting from the market?”
There were a few things Rico had wanted from the market but had not yet gotten, though that was hardly the biggest matter on his mind. Rico was trying to distract himself from what was standing behind him. Did all commoners just drop their pants anywhere they pleased?! It was so… uncivilized. Rico hoped Matthew hadn’t done this normally around the Captain.
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It was only once Rico looked at him and spluttered that it dawned on Matthew that he\'d actually taken all his clothes off. He\'d been so angry and so intent on getting warmer - because the wetness in the frosty morning air had not been pleasant, whereas he was getting warmer almost instantly by standing by the low-burning fire as he was - that it hadn\'t occurred to him to worry about modesty.
It threw him off momentarily and his cheeks coloured in embarrassment, but he didn\'t think it was a terrible thing, ultimately. Sure, the two of them had kept to themselves and bathed independently, but they were both men, it shouldn\'t really matter how he was clothed - or wasn\'t, as the case was, should it? Except he got the feeling that it did.
"Just the usual," Matthew replied, crossing his arms across himself in order that he rub his biceps to warm himself further, giving a negligent shrug as he did. "We need some more vegetables if possible - I was hoping for some silverbeet but if there was any, it\'ll be gone by the time I get there now," he frowned, deciding he might as well get on with the bathing that had to be done. He turned to put more wood into the stove, to build up the fire so he could warm the water.
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Silverbeat? Rico had yet to come across it in his studies of Oberon food, and the English names of everything. It was hard to get the herbs he needed for Greek cooking when he could not properly ask for them in the market, by what the sellers knew they by. Rico would have to look it up. It sounded in high demand.
But that was hardly a good way to keep him distracted. Didn\'t Matthew know how to carry on a conversation? Rico was frustrated, but knew he, himself, had barely put forth the effort until now. That was part of the reason why it was so awkward. Matthew was practically naked! In the kitchen! And practically nothing was left to the imagination!
It was even a distraction from his own misery which had been sparked anew the previous morning. It did not come to mind at the moment, Rico too busy fretting about being distracted to mope on it any more. For now at least.
He glanced back over, forcing himself to keep his eyes fixed on Matthew\'s face. Rico had not expected Matthew to be cut like that.... face. FACE!!!
"I can help draw the bath?"
There. That was a way to get him out of eyesight. Well, until he came back in with the bathwater, but still, it was a break and time to prepare himself for the sight. Matthew should have given some warning that he was disrobing. It reminded Rico of Kysis when they were younger. The young lord in training had slung his cloths off without thinking while Rico was around. It hadn\'t helped things any. At all.
Rico finished his last bite of pita, swallowing it down carefully before standing. Rico doubted Matthew would have much nice to say about having to go draw water while still damp and muddy, and getting other clothing in such a state just to walk out in the crisp air. So, he offered. What was the harm?
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Matthew straightened from bending over to peer into the stove (not thinking about the fact that he\'d changed the view from his front to his taut rear), satisfied with the amount of wood he\'d stuffed in there. He looked at Rico in surprise. It was nice to see him making an effort to be nice; in fact, it was downright stunning. Matthew had to consciously school his features into a smile, rather than a raised-eyebrowed look that matched his shock.
"That would be... uh, I\'d be grateful," he accepted, reaching up and pulling his nape-length hair free of the tie holding it in place at the back of his head. He ran a hand through it unconsciously as he looked down at the buckets of water on either side of the stove, considering. He kept four inside all through winter and made sure he went out the back and smashed away any overnight ice in the well on a daily basis, usually bringing in another bucket to replace what was used the day before - Lam had liked to bathe regularly and he was always afraid a big frost would strike and turn their well useless, so he was always prepared.
"Since these have been inside, they won\'t take too long to heat, but I\'d appreciate you refilling them once I tip them in," he told Rico, lifting one of the pails onto the stove top before turning and nodding with his statement. It sent his fine hair fanning out around his face annoyingly, causing him to push it back as he leaned down and got another bucket up onto the stove (covering all the decent space, really), then had to repeat the process of shoving his hair back. Likely, Rico hadn\'t realised until that moment how blonde Matthew was, for he always kept his hair tied back and it just looked brown for the most part.
"I suppose I have time for breakfast while it gets hot," he said with a little laugh as he leaned down to pick up his ruined clothing (ensuring it didn\'t touch his drying body). He paused before he walked it out to the laundering pile in the little room behind the kitchen, looking enquiringly at Rico. "Will you want to bathe as well?" If his companion wanted a bath, he would let him go first because he wouldn\'t dirty the water nearly as much as Matthew would.
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There was already water inside. Rico should have remembered, from the brief amount of time he had spent in the townhouse. He felt like an idiot, but also knew he would have to get more water once those were ready. A little bit of a blush still reached his cheeks, just a pink dusting.
Rico wasn’t trying to be nice, but it served to get Matthew to talk more. The young Retainer could concentrate on his lips while he was speaking. It was not a great distraction (they were rather full, Rico noted, bigger than Kysis’). The unruly hair was a better way to get his mind off the body which had just bent over before him. Was Matthew mocking him? Either that, or Matthew really was completely oblivious.
Wait. Blond? Rico saw the hair as it shown by the early morning light and the fire, its looking distinctly golden. He could have sworn it was brown, rather like his own hair, but it wasn’t. It didn’t matter. “Ah…” Bathe as well? This early? Matthew had an excuse but Rico did not. In fact, Rico was thinking about doing some practice routines, and that would get him rather sweaty. He would need to bathe after that, so he was at least presentable when he had to go back to the manor. Rico had shirked his lunch and dinner duties the day before, and knew he could not again without seeming suspicious (and facing the wrath of the Captain when she learned what he had tried doing).
“I was going to practice later, so I… no. I’ll just have to take another one later anyway.” Rico licked his lips, a nervous habit of his, chewing at the bottom one a little bit as he looked at the two pails of water, trying to calculate how many times he would have to travel back and forth. Not too many, he hoped. “Probably.”
And he probably sounded a bit like an idiot at the moment, though Rico could blame waking up late (which he never did). Would Matthew know differently? Well, they did have rooms next to one another, but still. Rico had no clue and did not feel like pondering it. He would use the excuse if questioned either way.
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Matthew watched Rico\'s mouth, seeing him biting his lip and wondering at the gesture. It was almost as if he was unsure of himself; prior to this point, he\'d always been certain of what he said - especially if it was negative and to do with Lam. It gave him some hope that the man wasn\'t the entirely hard shell he\'d assumed, if he could show that he had some second thoughts every now and then (even if it was just about bathing).
"Alright. Just me, then," he said, breaking out of his reverie with a slight shake of his head (staring at the other man\'s mouth was rather rude, now that he thought about it), he took his clothes out of the kitchen. When he returned, he set about getting himself some more food. When he\'d got something that would suffice - he\'d eaten a some porridge at the manor, so he didn\'t need a lot now - he sat at the table beside Rico.
Now that he\'d aired his feelings of anger, he felt much better and concentrated on eating, having nothing else to say (though it did feel strange to be sitting at the table barely dressed).
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Rico let out a soft sigh, hoping it was not noticeable as he looked at the buckets of water, trying to see if they were hot enough for a bath. Not quiet yet. It was good Matthew just kept on going without seeming awkward, like Rico was. At the moment, at least. There were very few many things in the world that made Rico flustered. Being alone in a room with Kysis, either early in the morning or late at night after sparring was always one of those moments. Women flirting with him with another time. Why did women flirt with bards anyway? Most male bards, from what Rico had seen, were absolute whores and heart-breakers. Who would want that?
This was a situation to be added to the list of awkwardness. Being in a room with a half-naked man whom was not noticed as attractive until he strutted it all out in the open.
That thought had Rico even more uncomfortable, his sitting back in his chair. Luckily he maintained his grace in plopping back down. He strummed his fingers on the table, trying to conjure up a song in his head and failing miserably. His brain was mush. Great.
"What do you plan on doing for the rest of the day?"
In all his time there, Rico had not noticed Matthew having a regular routine, but that was mostly likely because Rico himself did not have a regular routine anymore, thus was never really in the same place at the same time two days in a row. Rico stared at the fire, knowing full well that he would have to stand up a little to check the water again. He did not like that Matthew was taller than him, which became obvious while sitting next to him. So Rico tried concentrating everywhere but Matthew. He was young, and attractive and---
CONCENTRATE!
Rico strummed his fingers on the table some more.
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Matthew turned to look at Rico, again surprised that he was being cordially chatted to, but better able to mask it this time because he had a mouth full of food. He chewed politely and then swallowed, not wanting to be rude and speak with his mouth otherwise occupied, even though this left a noticeable silence while he looked at Rico.
"Well, after I get clean again, I\'ll go back to the markets and see what\'s left. Hopefully, the farmers won\'t all have sold out. After that, I thought I\'d work on tonight\'s dessert - unless you\'re free to teach me a new Greek recipe?" he enquired, his blue eyes lighting up and a warm smile dancing about his full lips at the thought.
Rico hadn\'t done any teaching for ages; since he\'d moved into the townehouse, it had been the other way around, with Matthew doing the instructing so that his new housemate could find his way around the kitchen. Knowing the names of all the ingredients and discussing what they were used for so that Rico could identify the Greek name for them had been about as close as the two had got to cooking together (not to mention having an actual conversation. Well, until now, anyway).
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That interest made him pause for a moment. Rico was about to get up, put the hot water in the tub so he could get some more when Matthew said he wanted another recipe. A while ago Rico had promised to teach Matthew about Greek cooking, and he never had. That was mostly because Rico had met the Captain that same night. The woman Kysis was going to marry.
The whole situation still made Rico want to pull his hair out and scream at the top of his lungs.
But he didn’t.
Rico looked at Matthew, noting the smile, the look in his eyes. He wasn’t joking. There was one thing Rico would not teach Matthew: baklava. No. Only Rico could cook that for the couple, so there was at least one thing he was needed for. If Matthew knew that trump card, Rico would be sent back to Greece in a heartbeat. He knew it.
So not baklava. Perhaps something else, though, Rico thinking. Matthew might have something in mind. “I’m free. I’ve been momentarily kicked out of the manor, anyway.” At that Rico let out a full sigh, slumping into his chair a little. Then he remembered the water, getting up, taking the pails into the bathing room and dumping them in, going out to draw more water. It took a little bit, but soon he was back in, muscles taught as he carried the buckets easily to set by the fire again.
With that he sat. It would be a waiting game again. Hopefully the other water didn’t go cold while they waited.
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Sensing his moment, Matthew had just been about to ask what the story between Rico and Lam was and why he would have been \'kicked out\' of the manor when... the Greek man got up and set about pouring the water into the steel tub in the next room. Matthew\'s open mouth closed with disappointment as he realised that he\'d let the moment slip by. He was also frustrated that he didn\'t have the confidence to bring it up again; he would just have to hope it was raised while they were cooking... or something.
He followed Rico into his old bedroom silently, carrying the other bucket of hot water. He was careful not to run into his housemate, watching the water but glancing up and offering a distracted smile as he shuffled into the room, muscles straining as Rico\'s had been until his bucket was emptied. Then, they put the remaining water into the metal buckets (for two of them were lined wood) to heat on the stove and rico went out to refill them. Matthew went upstairs to get a clean set of clothes.
Before long, they were back to sitting in the kitchen again but the blonde was far more animated now that he knew he definitely was going to be learning to make something new. He fiddled with his hair and wriggled about on his chair more, facing Rico as he spoke to him with obvious enthusiasm (and possibly a little bit of hero worship, given that the Greek man was about to impart wisdom he could never get anywhere else - a foreign recipe). "Do you know what you want to teach me to make? Is there anything special you\'d like me to get while I\'m at the markets?"
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Rico didn\'t want help. He had been trying to dodge any question about the manor. However, it seemed busying himself had worked just affectively as he had thought doing the task alone would. And when he heard Matthew speak again at the table, he almost flinched. Almost. Then he realized what Matthew was saying. Oh good, the servant boy knew when to drop something. That would work well when dealing with Kysis (if he had said that out loud, it would have been as a growl).
Anything he needed? Rico thought for a moment. Damn. He had totally forgotten what he was going to get when Matthew started stripping. And since Matthew was still barely clothed (Rico had accidentally gotten another look while they were moving the water), his brain was not inclined to remember.
"I have no idea. I can teach you to make a filo pie.... if the market has everything for the dough, plus pine nuts." Rico considered it for a moment, then decided to throw a few more ideas out there and see which ones stuck. "Or hummus. Since we already have pitas, it might be good to make hummus."
At least his thoughts were starting to kick up, now that he was sitting, and Matthew was sitting, and Rico was not looking in the fellow servant\'s direction. Rico had never liked the idea of being called, or considered, a servant. He was raised like a noble, paid like a noble, why was he still considered a commoner? Rico did not voice any of that argument, as it was one that had been blaring through his head since the last time he went to a tavern, in which he tried starting some rumors. Did it work? Rico hadn\'t heard his own rumor yet, so he wouldn\'t know.
"Do you have any preferences?"
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"The pie sounds good," Matthew decided, even though Rico had sounded more enthusiastic about the hummus. "I have some pine nuts, roasted to preserve them from last season, and plenty of flour and salt for dough. We could make a few pies, enough for everyone at the manor for dinner as well," he said, sounding almost chirpy now.
Of course, mentioning dinner and the manor humbled Matthew somewhat and he was back to wondering about why the retainer wasn\'t welcome there and what his problem with the residents was but... he couldn\'t bring himself to ask.
To cover the sudden silence, he said the first thing that came to mind while he tidied up the remains of his small snack. "In fact, tell me the ingredients for hummus and I can look for those while I\'m there. As you say, we have pita bread and I\'m keen to learn, so we could have that here, just for the two of us."
He gave a friendly smile, hoping the conspiratorial phrasing might foster some unity between them and make it easier for them to live together. So far, it had been an anxious thing but Matthew was rather liking this turn of events, and he could only put it down to better communication (about mutually interesting topics, rather than harping on the one that divided them). He stared directly into Rico\'s expressive eyes as he smiled - in a manner than might be interpreted as intimate but was really just him trying to be encouraging.
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Matthew\'s ignorance was almost endearing. Almost. Rico couldn\'t help but glance back over at him, considering the idea. Well, if Matthew was so eager to learn, and all Rico would have been doing anyway was sulking, so why not? It sounded like a good distraction from his excommunication. Rico didn\'t agree with his imposed exile, but he could not fight it either. The decision was final, for now. And Rico could haunt the manor by sending Matthew over there with Greek recipes.
"For the hummus we need.... chickpeas, garlic and olive oil. I already have the olive oil. We need something like..." Rico thought hard, trying to remember the English name for what he was thinking, "spinach for the pies, and a chicken too. They can be made without meat, but it is not as substantial."
Rico went over the ingredient checklist in his mind, trying to be sure that he hit everything. Spices. Rico was currently out of everything but basil, but he did not need any basil. That sounded like luck right there. "Oh, and oregano." Rico checked his belt real quick, realizing he had left his money in his room. "I have been meaning to get herbs for a while and have some money for it..."
Half standing up, Rico looked over at the water before plopping back down. Not quite yet. Maybe soon? Then, while Matthew was bathing, Rico could get that money. Perhaps they would go better. Rico had a whole list of spices he wanted for future cooking, and since they kept well, it would be fine to get them all together. Some spices Rico could not even get in Oberon, which was frustrating, so every so often Rico would send Kreos a letter and they would send up the supplies he needed. It was nice, being able to do that.
"Maybe we can go together?"
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If he\'d been smiling already, then the offer left Matthew absolutely beaming. Gone was the anger from being drenched in muddy water by the carriage; it seemed that it had actually been just the catalyst needed to get the two housemates communicating properly. Matthew stood up to put his belongings near the washtub and to tip the water into his bath, suddenly very excited. "I\'d love that," he said honestly, and set off to get ready.
~*~
Later that night, Matthew let himself in through the back door of the townhouse in a far better mood, but a great deal more tired. He\'d had a very busy day, in the end. The trip through the market had been one of the best he could remember having, for he finally had an equal by his side (and frequently pressing against it, whenever his attention was sought or he needed to get Rico\'s attention by squeezing his arm), with whom he could speak in depth, discussing ingredients and debating the benefits of each.
After the market, he and Rico had worked as an efficient team again, with Matthew doing a lot of initial peering over Rico\'s shoulder, but then doing as he\'d done, learning by creating personally. He\'d found the process fascinating and had been quite regretful that it had had to come to an end so the pies could be cooked. They\'d gone over really well at the manor, too, with Lord Liari giving a great many compliments to Matthew as he ate - the Oberon native was greatly looking forward to reaching his own home so that he could try them for himself.
The manor\'s kitchen cleaned, he\'d left as soon as he could, rather wishing Rico had been there to receive the praise as well. He really could not understand why the man was unwelcome there and had decided on the brisk walk home that he would ask. He knew Rico was spending his time training and bathing while he was out delivering dinner at the manor and the two of them had organised that they would eat together when he got home. Matthew would ask then. Probably.
"The menu was very well received," Matthew announced with a smile as he walked into the townhouse\'s warm kitchen. He\'d hung up his scarf and jacket on the hooks out in the hall and was dressed only in a snug pair of pants and a loose shirt that was tucked into their waistband. He\'d left his boots by the back door and was walking about in his socks now, feeling warm and happy. His blue eyes were glittering at Rico as he rubbed his hands together happily. "I\'m looking forward to tasting it myself."
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Rico allowed himself a quiet smile, knowing the menu would have been well received before hand. It was a rare occasion in Kreos when they would get filo pie, so making it was supposed to be a jab. However, Rico\'s happiness over the menu being fine and well was entirely bittersweet. Matthew had been the one bathing in praises that night. Rico had been practicing his frustration out with a sword and a thick block of wood (that had quite a few chunks out of it now), and then taking a bath to rid himself of sweat before his housemate came home.
"I just started warming them back up." Rico was sitting near the fire, personal filo pies setting on a plate near the heat. He had guessed when Matthew would be home, and that happened a bit faster than Rico initially suspected. Interesting. Usually (if Rico had noticed correctly), Matthew was never in a rush to leave the manor or the happy couple.
He tried steering his thoughts away from that, forcing a smile as he rotated the pies. They smelled great. It made his stomach consider grumbling, but no sound actually came out. Rico had worked up quite the appetite earlier and was feeling it keenly now. "Congratulations. You now have another Greek recipe at your disposal." Rico spoke it as happily as he could. Right now he just wanted the damn food to be warm. And to eat it. That would be really nice.
-
It didn\'t take long before the two of them were sitting and enjoying the fruits of their labour, with a few of the vegetables that Matthew had managed to locate still for sale at the markets. Everyone was looking forward to the change of season, so that new growth could start, that was for sure.
It took Matthew about ten mouthsful and the blanket of a comfortable silence around them before he finally dared broach the subject he was curious about. Of course, he didn\'t manage to do it directly, for he wasn\'t that at ease with asking. "So... do you think you will be okay to do lunch and dinner with me tomorrow night? A-at the manor, that is," Matthew explained, with an uncomfortable shrug as he looked over at Rico, from through his lashes.
-
The pies really were good. Hmmm. Rico had not brought that recipe with him in written form, so he had to wing it. Apparently his memory measured up this day. He would have to write down what all they did later, so as to not lose it again.
The silence felt like a comfortable one. It wasn\'t awkward, just, there, working. Rico did not feel the absolute need to speak while eating, and it seemed like Matthew didn\'t either. Until he spoke. Then Rico considered that the silence had only been comfortable for him, and that Matthew might have been bothered by it.
Rico could see the line of questions coming up. And he didn\'t exactly dread it.
"I don\'t know." Rico shrugged, taking another bite of his pie, concentrating on the flavor. The spices had infused it all the way through, which was good. There were no inconsistencies. Good. "I guess I should try to ask Kysis on neutral grounds... since the ban hasn\'t been lifted yet, going over there to ask might make it worse."
What else did he want to say? More would feel like rambling. Rico cut it off at that. If Matthew wanted to ask more, Rico would answer more. They were living together, after all. Being complete strangers would not do at all.
-
Matthew chewed and watched Rico thoughtfully, mentally debating whether he should push for details or not. On the one hand, he knew it was none of his business. On the other, he\'d really enjoyed his time with Rico today, for the first time, and knew that it had to do with the fact that they\'d negotiated common ground together. He got a thrill of happiness every time he thought of it; why shouldn\'t he do something to help it continue?
"How come... you... what did you... why were you banned?" the older man eventually stammered out, his words exiting his mouth in rather more of a rush than he would have liked - somehow, it mattered to him that he looked foolish in front of Rico - but he was unable to change that. It seemed that it was the only way he was ever going to say it, it was blurt it out or remain silent.
-
Rico took another bite, noticing when he bit into a toasted pine nut, that great flavor filling his mouth. Mmmmm. He also listened to Matthew at the same time, swiveled slightly on his chair to face him a bit more. Rico was alright with looking at him now, since he was clothed now. It was not as awkward. Though, somewhere in the back of his head, Rico still had an image of Matthew from earlier, stashed away for safe keeping.
"Well..."
How to put this? Rico thought about it. There were two ways to go about it. Either he could be vague, dance around the ideas of a lot of past history, or he could just out and say it. It was a hard decision. Rico watched Matthew, wondering what the man would think. Would it ruin their day?
Matthew did not seem like that sort of person. In fact, Matthew did not seem like any sort of person when it came to that. The man seemed more asexual than Kysis, and that was a feat.
"Kysis and I have... a history. While we were sparring yesterday morning, he and I ended up in a compromising position, and I got kicked out." Rico spoke plainly, as bluntly as he thought he could. That opened a whole \'nother can of worms, but Rico did not mind. He was an open person for the most part. Hiding constantly did not sit well with him.
-
Although the words were said in plain (if slightly accented) English, Matthew couldn\'t fathom what was said. The words were almost exactly what Lam had said, about Rico and Kysis having a history, but he wasn\'t worldly enough to extrapolate on that knowledge and the words \'compromising position\' and come up with an accurate picture of what was going on.
"I... don\'t understand what you mean?" he eventually said, with an apologetic shrug, hoping for carification.
-
Rico put down his eating utensils, letting out a long sigh. Matthew really was innocent as a white dove, as the straight forward statement had gone over his head. That was frustrating. How did he put it lightly without completely alienating Matthew? After the good day they had had together, Rico did not want to ruin it by making Matthew feel stupid.
It only took a few moments of thought, Rico swiveling so he completely faced Matthew, leaning close to him as though his point was extremely important. He only left a few inches between their faces as he spoke.
"We were more than just friends before Kysis met the Captain."
How else could he really put it? He spoke it quietly, as if there were ears everywhere. It bothered him. Rico wanted to just be himself with someone and with Alia dead, he did not really get that any more. Matthew just happened to be there right at the time Rico was ready to come out of his shell. Chance.
"We kissed and then he sent me away."
-
Matthew\'s eyes widened as he compreheded the \'more than just friends\' statement, then narrowed to a frown at the last. He didn\'t move his face away from Rico\'s, for he felt that there was urgency in their proximity that warranted staying close.
"He kissed you and sent you away before he met the captain?" he queried in a conspiratorial whisper, knowing that this wasn\'t right, for it didn\'t make any sense, but unable to believe that someone who was engaged would kiss another person. His pious expectations of people - especially honourable people like Kysis - were leading him to the wrong conclusion again, and he needed that spelled out.
-
Rico saw the widening of the eyes. Was that just the base realization of a like of men, or was it a realization of why stripping in the kitchen had been awkward? Probably the former, Rico doubting Matthew was thinking that far back at the moment. There were more important things on hand, things which had to be talked on now. Matthew’s curiosity would not be sated just yet.
And hopefully the Captain did not hear about this, because if she did, Rico was positive he would not live through the night. She was vicious. But would she string up Rico first and forgive Kysis? Or would she rip Kysis a new one as well? It was a constant debate. As much as Rico did not want to see Kysis hurt, that route was the only way to getting Kysis back, it seemed, which had been a major thought on Rico’s mind lately.
“Yesterday morning we kissed. Then he just kicked me out.” The frustration in his voice was thick. It could be taken as confusion, but there really was none. Rico knew he had tripped Kysis into the kiss, remembered how short it was before it ended. It didn’t work like Rico had wanted it to. But, he could play on that confusion, Rico realized. He did not want to be villain-ized here.
“I just… don’t know what is going on anymore. It’s so damn frustrating.” The last part was the truth, though he knew full well that Kysis was trying to move on and that it had been over for a good long while now. That was the problem.
-
Now Matthew sat back, his food forgotten and a sense of dread and betrayal filling his body. "He kissed you?" he asked hollowly, stunned to find out that Kysis would do such a thing to Lam. His blue eyes skittered sideways, gaze moving away from Rico and onto the table, not really seeing anything he was looking at anyway. "He kissed you yesterday?" he repeated numbly, his voice barely above a whisper.
It wasn\'t his place to worry nor to interfere, but Lam was his mistress and her best interests were always tantamount to him. He knew of the hardship she\'d suffered at Lord Dagger\'s whim, because he had such a wandering eye and he\'d believed that those days were long gone when she became serious about Lord Liari. He\'d not seemed the scoundrel type, he\'d seemed honourable, damnit, yet here Matthew fond out he\'d kissed Rico, who was a former lover, then ejected him from the manor. Because he felt belatedly guilty? Dare he hope for that?
"I... I just... I can\'t believe it," the blonde stammered, his gaze slowly making its way back to Rico\'s face. "He... she... they\'re getting married in under two moons! She\'s pregnant to him! And he\'s kissing you!" he cried, horror creeping into his words with every new one that fell from his lips. He was looking at Rico with wide eyes now, not because he was stunned that Kysis was kissing another man - there were plenty of men that liked their bread and butter in Oberon, after all - but because he was kissing anyone besides the woman he was supposed to kiss.
Matthew\'s sense of righteous protectiveness was heading into overdrive, though, somewhere deep in the back of his brain, the fact that Rico was now banned from the manor after that kiss popped up to get some attention.
-
OOoooo that was not good. Rico took a deep breath, considering carefully his next move as if he was surveying a chess board. It would be a hard one. Rico could see his folly. He should have said before the engagement. Perhaps still while Kysis was seeing Lam, but he could have lied a little, completely avoided Matthew freaking out.
With a groan, Rico pushed his filo pie away, arms resting crossed on the table, Rico sinking so his head was cradled in it. He had to think quick. He had to make it seem like Kysis was not such a bad guy (which he wasn\'t), and make sure not to make himself a villain in the process. Matthew obviously cared a lot more about Lam than Rico had given the male servant credit for. He had to make amends, and quick.
"And Kysis loves her with all his heart. I feel so terrible. I can\'t go back. I just cause trouble. I need.... I need to find someone else..." Rico sounded absolutely miserable, which he was. But he did not really want someone else. He wanted Kysis. Rico had been with other men before and it just wasn\'t the same. There had been passion with Kysis where it had just been sex with other men. And he was completely and totally miserable because of it. The love of his life was getting married! Was going to have a kid!
Rico could feel himself shaking. It felt for a moment like he was confessing himself to Alia again. That used to make him feel better. She used to sooth his pain and encourage him. Rico needed someone to spill his mind to, and Matthew just happened to be there.
-
Matthew\'s expression was baffled by the slight about-face in the conversation. Not only was Rico suddenly implying that Kysis was completely innocent in the case of the kiss, but he was giving away his feelings for the Lord... he thought. Being so unworldly had its disadvantages at times like these, when nuances in people\'s behaviour gave away clues that he, in his ignorance to society in general and Rico specifically, couldn\'t interpret properly.
"Somone you\'ll... love... like you love Lord Liari?" the older man hazarded, unsure of his understandings - and he wanted to be sure about that before he pursued the question about just how much Lord Liari had participated in the kiss. It was hard to know where to start, because there was so much he needed to get straight. He\'d known Kysis and Rico had had an existing relationship of some sort, and Lam had said it in such a way that there might have been another level of meaning in it, but he\'d been too blind to understand the full scope of it.
Of course, it didn\'t bother him that Rico loved Kysis; what bothered him was that he seemed to be making a mockery of the life Kysis was choosing to live now.
-
Rico nodded into his arm at the question. Originally Rico had been aiming to get Matthew\'s sympathies and support for wedging the two apart. Now that he had opened up a little, a flood of all those pent up emotions had taken over. Rico was not good at slinking around and hiding his true feelings from people. He was a sharing person by nature, wanted everyone to be happy. He just did not want to sacrifice his happiness for something he thought might not even be happiness for the other person.
But could he say that and be sure?
No.
And Rico would not lie about Kysis. It just would not leave his lips even if it came to his mind.
"The only reason I am still here in Oberon is because Lam won\'t let Kysis send me back to Greece." Rico groaned this into his arm, telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth in that statement. Being good at lying was no excuse for lying. Plus, what had Matthew ever done to him? Nothing. So, neutrality. Rico needed to be up front if he wanted any help clambering out of this black pit he had found himself trapped in.
-
"So he definitely does love Lam and wants to marry her? But doesn\'t want to be with you or near you any longer?" Matthew asked supiciously, feeling like being up front was the only way to resolve this confusion of his. It wasn\'t that he meant for his words to hurt Rico, he was completely ignorant to such consequences, he just needed to have everything plainly spelled out for him.
-
"Yes." Rico mumbled angrily into his arm. There was nothing more to it than that, though the irritation seething through his voice, making it dark and thick, was entirely aimed at Kysis. Not Matthew. Matthew asking the questions was probably a good thing. Him being blunt about it was even better. People who beat around the bush bothered Rico to no end. Right now, it would have made Rico do something he would regret and storm out of the room, like an angry child.
Rico felt much like an angry, jealous child right now.
"Too bad Lam won\'t be nice enough to point me in a good direction since she took the one I was aiming for." That was also grumbled, though Rico rested his chin on his arms now, speaking out to the air rather than his arm. There was no wetness on his eyes, though there was an exasperation on his voice that was undeniable.
How many years had he played this frustrating came with Kysis? Kysis would give a little, then be elusive, give a little more, be unattainable, give a lot more, then hide behind an impenetrable fortress of steeled emotions. Boo, Rico said. Boo. Cat and mouse was irritating. It was enjoyable at first, but it had gone on for too long, and now the mouse really was out of reach.
"Are there even men here that like the same as me?" Rico sat up, leaning back in his chair and staring at the wall. It was more of a rhetorical question, as there were gay men across the world and across history, but part of him did want to know.
-
Matthew was disconcerted by the change of topic, having been ready to pursue the line of questioning about the kiss that Rico spoke of, but then he went and asked about men who liked men and completely flustered the Oberon native. He\'d more or less outdone himself with his very intrusive questioning up to this point, so he didn\'t quite have enough gusto left to steer the conversation back to where he needed it to be. That, unfortunately, left him answering something he had no idea about.
"Uh... I suppose. I mean yes," he stammered, blinking rapidly as he shifted on the spot, obviously uncomfortable with what he was saying (but mainly because it wasn\'t what he wanted to talk about, rather than being offended by the thought of such things). "I don\'t kn-know anyone personally, but it\'s a free city and... uh... well, people are free to do as they please, in that respect," he finished iwth a shrug, glancing at Rico from beneath his lashes in a rather bewildered way.
How could he steer things back to where he wanted them now?
-
A smile started tugging up on Rico\'s lips as the sound of Matthew\'s awkwardness. It had to be an awkward subject for a man who was probably straight, now forced to live with a man who was most definitely gay (Rico knew, he had tried being with women, it just didn\'t work). That could lead to distrust and all sorts of ugly emotions Rico did not want around, but it was funny.
In fact, Rico managed a laugh.
"I\'m sure I\'ll find someone around here. As you said, free city and all." Rico looked over at Matthew, biting at his lower lip as he did so. How did Matthew feel now, knowing he stripped in front of a gay man? Of had it still not dawned on him? Rico was guessing the latter, deciding not to bring it up.
"Do you have anyone special?" It came out of the blue, but Rico was curious. Not in an interested in him sort of way, but in a wondering, since Rico had yet to see someone around or hear about someone, it made Rico wonder. Was Matthew asexual? Some people just never really got into relationships, which could be a possibility. Rico was probably the exact opposite. He enjoyed relationships and everything to go with them, drama included. That was just him though.
-
Opening one\'s mouth in an attempt to answer a question that one has no clue how to answer was not conducive for good conversation, Matthew quickly discovered. Not only had he not managed to get Rico to talk about what hewanted to talk about, but now there was this other extremely awkward thing to deal with. All that initially came out of his mouth was the sound of a few dry clicks, from the back of his throat. He cleared it so that he could do a better job.
"Uh... no. I\'ve never been interested in anyone," he answered honestly, his cheeks aflame with embarrassment. He couldn\'t understand why he was feeling that, and part of him was quite amazed by it, the rest was appalled. It seemed that he wanted to impress Rico on some deep level, and he knew this wasn\'t the way to go about it (though why he wasn\'t reassured by the fact that his cooking prowess would rectify that was beyond him too). "Just never... I keep pretty busy," he finished lamely, shrugging a little.
-
Rico couldn\'t help but let out a little laugh again. Was Matthew blushing? As much as Rico wanted a matchmaker for himself, it seemed like Matthew might need it more. And what was with those lame (but endearing) excuses? It seemed like Matthew had no one to talk to either. How perfect. They could both vent to each other and get absolutely nothing done while stuttering and sulking. What else would be new?
Keeping the sarcastic thoughts in his head, Rico thought of a way to get this conversation on a light, helpful note rather than him ranting about love lost. Kysis was lost. Rico still wanted him (badly), but it was lost, through and through. So, why not distract himself from it? Matthew was presenting the perfect opportunity. Rico loved trying to help people out with love (even if he could not do it for himself, ironically). He sensed something else going on, and wanted to know.
"You like someone, don\'t you?" Rico asked, still watching Matthew closely. The blushing, the stuttering, the excuses. Yes, Matthew had to like someone. Maybe said person had yet to notice him. "Why haven\'t you done anything yet?"
And Rico was damn good at changing the subject. Most people only realized after the conversation had ended that Rico had completely avoided certain questions. That was what Rico was (subconsciously) doing now. Divert the attention back to Matthew. It made Rico a touch more comfortable and less miserable to boot, so it was good enough for him.
-
Matthew\'s eyes widened in horror and the blush slowly changed to a pale of distress and bewilderment. "N-no!" he cried, sitting rigidly in his chair now, eyeing Rico off as if he\'d just sprouted another head, right there on the spot.
"I don\'t... I\'ve never," he stammered, realising now why he\'d felt embarrassed before. Rico was so much more worldly than him in so many ways, and this was certainly one of the most awkward. Love and sex and relationships... they didn\'t interest him - he was happy as he was, cooking and looking after Lam, what need did he have of distractions such as those? Still, he was aware that it would mean he wouldn\'t be viewed as \'normal\' if he admitted that and he was loathe to prostrate himself before a man he had some respect for just like that. What other choice did he have, though? The alternative (Rico thinking he was harbouring a secret crush) was even worse!
Realising he was getting nowhere fast, Matthew got a grip on the table\'s edge with on ehand, relieved to feel the solid texture of it against his skin. He took a deep breath and looked his companion in the eye. "No. I\'m not interested in anyone. I\'ve never been interested in anyone," he said with all the sincerity he could muster.
-
"Never?" Rico couldn\'t really believe that, that doubt seeping plain and clear into his voice. No one was that aloof. No one was completely immune to the calling the mind (or body) made towards other people. Even with Matthew saying it all serious after stammering for a while, Rico had a hard time believing it. Rico wasn\'t the best with judging people\'s emotions, but Matthew seemed to lay them out without realizing he was.
Perhaps Matthew just didn\'t realize he liked someone, but actually did. That was always the case for confused, ignorant virgin boys. They had no idea what liking felt like, so they didn\'t realize when they were. Or perhaps Matthew was so vehement because he was trying to hide it? Rico could muse on the subject for days but knew he had only this moment to react. He did not want to keep Matthew on edge, but it really seemed like...
"Never? Haven\'t you ever wanted someone\'s approval so bad it hurts? Haven\'t you ever tried catching someone\'s eye even if it makes you feel silly? Haven\'t you ever gotten the butterflies just thinking about someone?" Rico expanded on what he considered to be acute signs of liking someone. He was going with the \'Matthew doesn\'t realize it\' line of thought, phrasing it so the naive servant-man would understand.
Rico had definitely felt that way before. Still did. Well, not the butterflies, but Rico still wanted desperately to catch Kysis\' eye and to get his approval, which never came. That would just make him sulky again, Rico pushing it from his thoughts. Rico had a feeling that Matthew did at least feel minorly attracted to someone, so that was a start. And Rico was enjoying this. If Matthew showed complete hatred for the subject, Rico would drop it, but otherwise, it seemed like fair game.
-
Matthew tasted a few responses before he finally settled on one he liked, giving genuine consideration to Rico\'s descriptions before finding it.
"No," he said, apologetically. Judging by the look in the Greek\'s eye, he felt compelled to continue and justify this statement hastily afterwards. "I mean, I always want Lam to be happy with what I do, and my parents, so I seek their approval but it\'s not... well... romantic, I suppose," he explained. "I\'ve never had butterflies or tried to attract anyone\'s attention - except at the market."
He fell quiet then, taking a bite of food simply because it was going cold and offered him somewhere to look besides the dark eyes boring into his. He\'d never felt so inadequate as he did at that moment, nor wished he was more interesting (or even able to pull the conversation back to the one that was hovering at the back of his mind) or had a tale he could tell. All the frantic mental searching must have worked at some level however, for something did occur to him then.
"Oh! Actually, I remember enjoying very much the time I went to the Liari manor and Alia spoke very sweetly to me. It made me feel warm and important inside. And, the same thing happened with another servant one time, when he asked me to come to his master\'s house and teach him to make a recipe that he\'d heard I did well. We worked together for hours and he was very affectionate and I felt fantastic after that. Does... do they count?"
-
No. Wow. Rico was about to silently stand up and walk out in disbelief, but then Matthew started talking again. The young Retainer was glued to his seat, wondering just what it was Matthew thought he could add to the no answer. Apparently there was something, which was a surprise to Rico, so he didn\'t walk out yet.
But then it did seem Matthew had a heart in him somewhere. Rico was starting to wonder about that.
"I would say the cooking part counts. The warm feeling with Alia... sounds more like pride and appreciation." Rico nodded slowly, not sure exactly how to put it. Maybe Matthew had a tinge of like for Alia, but Rico would rather it not be so, as Alia was dead before that could go anywhere (and already quite enamored to Alexandri before that catastrophic turn of events).
However, now that they had a start, Rico wanted to push it along. "Who were you cooking with?" It was a simple question. Perhaps Rico could get the two of them in a room together again? Maybe Rico could find a way to get in a room alone with said cook? Hmmm, that was always an option. Though Matthew had said he knew no one personally who was homosexual, yet it sounded like the cook was male. So confusing.
Rather than trying to sort it out on his own, Rico decided just to leave it at the question and let Matthew untangle it.
-
"His name is James," Matthew responded, innocently believing that Rico didn\'t have any ulterior motives for bringing this up, other than to unpack it a little - or he was simply being friendly and changing the topic again (as he was wont to do!). Perhaps he was interested in making Matthew feel more comfortable after bringing up subjects that he hadn\'t been able to say much about - talking about cooking with someone was certainly something they could both relate to.
"He makes a mean spiced chicken, we traded recipes for a few weeks, showing each other different things. He works for a couple that live not far from here," the blonde rabbitted enthusiastically, seeing no harm in confiding such facts. "We cooked together on and off until he seemed to become disinterested, I\'m not sure why. I could search him out again, if you\'d like?"
-
"I was just asking for your benefit."
Well, that was a sad turn for that to go. Like, lead on, and crushed. Wasn\'t that a pattern Rico knew all too well... but he pulled his mind away from that, stating his need to out loud. "I really need to get my mind off Kysis."
He looked at his food, only partially eaten and cold. Filo pie was good cold, but did he have an appetite? Not right now. Rico did not want to enjoy the food he had made for Kysis and gotten no credit or thanks for. That would just throw him right back into that deep, dark hole again. Depression was a hard funk to get out of.
"I wish...."
Rico wasn\'t sure what he wished. There were some obvious things. Like having Kysis back, even if only for a night. Then they could properly say good bye and everything could be finally severed, once and for all. But Kysis was too up tight to give him that wish, so Rico dismissed it.
"I need something, someone, I don\'t know." Which was exactly how his brain was working at the moment. Rico did not know. As much as Rico wanted to push the subject with Matthew, it had hit a dead end. Now it was just back to his terrible thoughts and misery again.
-
The fact that Rico was asking about James for his benefit left Matthew floundering again. Plus, the blush came back, due to the fact that he understood exactly what the Greek was hinting at. Embarrassed again. He had no idea what sort of reaction he\'d give should he be put in a romantic situation with anyone, no matter their gender, so it was all rather disconcerting to contemplate it being arranged by Rico. Especially when Matthew was\'t the one who wanted to find someone.
On the upside, the topic of conversation came full circle and led Matthew back to where he\'d wanted to be talking the whole time. "Because, if left to your own devices, you start attempting inappropriate things with Kysis and he doesn\'t reciprocate that feeling?" Matthew hazarded. He hoped that that would be confirmed.
-
"Yes." Rico grumbled. It was true, Rico had tripped Kysis into that kiss. Though, that other time, right before the couple left for Greece, Kysis had been the one to pin him up against the wall. Sadly no kiss came from that breathless situation. The more Rico thought about all those chances and botched attempts, the more he missed that moment he and Kysis had been together.
"Left to my own devices without any way to let out all this constructively."
All this was meaning his want to love someone, his bodily frustration from a few months of not having any meaningful (or satisfying) sex and his confusion and exasperation at watching his lover with someone else, up close and personal. It was too much for his poor brain to bear.
Rico slid his filo pie back close to him, poking in his utensil and taking a small bite, chewing it slowly, bitterly. After that Rico did not take another bite, sliding the pie back away. The pie reminded him of Kysis. That was not helping him at all.
-
"Con... structively?" Matthew queried, unsure what Rico meant by this word (but pretty sure he shouldn\'t ask for such details). Still, something within him was inspired and excited by the potential for this conversation. It felt like the first real adult one he\'d ever had and he was loathe to let it slip away before he\'d got all his answers.
-
Was Matthew really that much of a dolt? Rico thought for a moments, swiveling in his chair to face Matthew. From that look on his face, he was more interested in conversation than the actual topic. Did he really not know what he meant by constructively? Would he have to describe it explicitly, to a point that Rico would need to dismiss himself to sulk that he was not doing those things at the moment.
IT HAD BEEN TOO LONG!!! Rico was in withdrawals, for the most part, and this was not helping either. He closed his eyes to concentrate for a moment, confronted only with images of earlier, Matthew flaunting himself about mostly naked in the kitchen. Quickly Rico opened his eyes again, trying to get that out of his mind. TOO LONG.....
Rico leaned in close to Matthew again, those few finger-widths away from his face. There Rico stopped, speaking in a whisper, low and a bit husky, "Constructively as in pursuing other modes of satisfaction than Kysis. Finding other things to keep my mind off him, doing other people. Constructively."
He still hovered there, wondering what Matthew would say to that. There could be no more playing innocent, ignorant on the subject.
-
Matthew blinked, not daring to move now that he very suddenly had another man in his face, speaking in a way that sent a shiver through him - the first he\'d ever experienced, in fact. Instinctively, Matthew swallowed and then licked his lips, his gaze shifting from Rico\'s left eye to his right and back again, sombrely gazing at the Greek.
"Oh," he replied awkwardly. "I... uh... understand. Wouldn\'t... um... can\'t you er... is that difficult for you?" he eventually stammered, feeling his own voice was very small (and it was disconcerting for his breath to be bouncing back at him, onto his newly-moistened lips). He didn\'t imagine someone as handsome and worldly as Rico having any trouble finding someone to distract him from his unrequited love, but he was doing his best to be polite.
-
Rico had always been a keen observer, and now was no different. He watched Matthew closely, noticing the sudden jittery reactions, that nervousness. The way he suddenly licked his lips was interesting, but Rico would not read into it. Not now at least. If Matthew gave him a reason to read into it, he would.
Until then Rico could just test the waters, see what Matthew was thinking. So far Matthew had shown no real interest for male or female. Which did Matthew actually like?
He kept that close to Matthew, not moving further back. In fact, he moved just slightly closer. "Very difficult. I have yet to have any luck."
Or had he just struck something lucky? Rico was still refusing to read into a damn thing yet. That would just lead to the usual disappointment and sulking. Rico was sick of moping about.
-
Matthew was finding it very hard to think. Rico moving even closer to him didn\'t help in the slightest, and it baffled him as to why he was so... well, muddled. There was something titillating about the subject they were discussing, simply because Matthew knew Rico was taunting him (had to be!) to see how he\'d react to discussing his sex life, something the blonde had never had. Never even thought about, in fact, until now.
"But you\'re so... good looking and...
handsome
No! Damnit, I already said that
Well, but those eyes, he has those eyes
That are so close to mine
Just move back
He\'ll know he\'s made you uncomfortable then
He\'s testing you, don\'t move back
uh... friendly. Surely there are men who would enjoy... uh... that with you," he offered, trying to be consoling but ending up just sounding bumbling and blushing madly again. Great, just great.
-
"Awwww." Rico thought it was sweet Matthew would think he was attractive enough to get some whenever he felt like it, but that was not how it worked. The best offer than had passed by him in Oberon so far was a sixteen year old boy, which Rico just would not want to do at all. Nor could he live with himself for doing it.
Just no.
Not after Kysis.
However, Matthew was rather attractive himself, and muscled. Muscles were a must in Rico\'s mind. He liked the feel of them.
Friendly though? Rico tilted his head slightly to the side, inquisitively. He wanted to ask about that.
"But friendly? What do you mean by friendly?" Rico loved how flustered he was making Matthew. It made him feel worth-while inside, like he still had it in him. Wasn\'t completely unattractive, unwanted. Well, Rico had no idea what Matthew was thinking, but could guess at a little bit of it.
-
"Um?" Matthew squeaked, unable to respond that he\'d only said \'friendly\' because something had spat it out to replace \'handsome\', which would have been repeating himself. Rico was friendly... when he wanted to be. Sure, Matthew and he had lived in the same house before tonight without speaking so much as a civil word to one another, but as soon as Rico had seen him this morning, he\'d...
Going for a bath... Rico had seen him nearly naked and muddy, and then started being rather nice. A coincidence? Now Matthew was getting paranoid and had to wonder. Would Rico find him atrractive? The thought set his cheeks aflame again. Goodness, he hoped not, it was hard to know what to do with that information.
"I mean you actually have a nice heart and you\'re generally helpful. You know... friendly. Nice?" he finished, hoping that would be enough of an explanation and that Rico would drop it (and move back! This proximity was agonising but he didn\'t want to be seen to give up due to discomfort and pull away). He had a feeling that Rico would only tease him more if he showed too many signs of weakness.
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By this time Rico was convinced: Matthew was absolutely adorable when flustered. Rico had to try to get him that way more often. It would make life at the townhouse much more interesting, that was for sure. However, this closeness, Rico had to decide what to do with it. One thing was for sure, Matthew had not moved back yet. Another thing, Matthew was blushing more (if that was even possible).
It was time for decisions, and a fast one.
One: Rico could move away, go back to finishing his dinner and call it a night. That would be interesting because Matthew would have time to stew on their little encounter. He would be forced to think about it. That could be good, but it could also be very bad. Matthew did not seem the confrontational type, so Rico doubted the innocent servant would have the guts to bring it up at another time, even if it had be gnawing at him for days.
Two: Rico could make a move. If it went badly, they could just go back to their strained way of life, barely even saying hi to each other until Rico either moved away or out or something like that. If it went well... Rico had no idea. He did find Matthew attractive (who couldn\'t?), but still...
Leaning in, Rico went with option two, giving a quick brush of his lips against Matthew\'s before pressing in a bit more firmly. His hand started to reach up, fingers hovering just below Matthew\'s jaw. It would probably just take seconds for Rico to know what Matthew thought. The bad thing: each second felt like an eternity.
At least Matthew had nice lips.
-
Matthew decided it had to be a joke. He\'d said Rico was friendly, nice, kind-hearted... next thing he knew, he was being kissed. Basically, the servant man took it as a thank you, but a cheeky one, since that was Rico\'s style, as far as he could tell. He was fine with it, even though it was slightly odd (but, again, that was just like Rico, right?).
What he wasn\'t fine with was his own reaction. He\'d never been kissed on the lips like this before (he\'d had very few kisses at all on the lips, in fact, most were delivered to his cheeks and they were infrequent at best) and he was surprised at the reaction inside himself. His heart did a flip in his chest and then started racing away from itself at a dizzying speed. His mouth flooded with saliva and he blinked as if something was about to fly into his eyes. Adrenalin coursed through him, making him feel more excited than he knew what to do with and there was a shot of awareness that flew down through his belly and to... other places.
It was a crazy reaction, one that didn\'t have any right surfacing at that exact moment. His face flushed with a heat that felt so intense he could\'ve been leaning down to check the stove\'s fire and he shivered slightly. rico likely felt he tremble in his lips. To cover it up, he pressed his face forward slightly, to return the kiss and end it (in his opinion), for it was just a tease, a joke, a show of gratitude for him saying that Rico was a frienly guy - this was exactly how he proved he was and that should be Matthew\'s focus.
Never mind that his insane body had ideas all of its own that he couldn\'t bring himself to explore. Best to wait for the kiss to be over so he could go back to eating his dinner (his utensils were clenched hard within his grasp for some strange reason).
-
Well, that was hardly what he expected. Rico had expected Matthew to sit there like a startled bunny rabbit caught in the road before a carriage with four stallions. There was a tremble, which made Rico smile, and Matthew actually returned it. Knowing what he now knew, Rico decided it was time to pull back, making a slow removal from his kiss.
That was better than he had expected. Giving a friendly smile, Rico righted his position in his seat, sliding his food back towards him and beginning eating again, as though nothing had happened. If Matthew had something to say, he could. Rico watched him through the corner of his eyes, noticing the red still hadn\'t gone from Matthew\'s cheeks.
Filo pie was pretty good cold, Rico putting half his concentration on finishing his own portion. It was going to be a very interesting life in the townhouse from now on. Rico was sure of it.