(Follows \'Morning Routines\')Two weeks on from the rather surprising event of being kissed by Rico, Matthew\'s world had changed quite a bit. Not only had his mistress finished her career with the guards, but she\'d taken to locking herself away in her bedroom in misery and had gone off the food that he took her. This wasn\'t good for the baby she was likely carrying (and the vomitting every morning had certainly convinced everyone that it was real) and had the Lord Liari in knots, but she was too upset about the way her career had ended and by being prevented from seeing Prince Mayhew or attending his wedding to care.
On a personal level, the servant had been kept on tenterhooks in his own home. He didn\'t blame Rico at all - his only crime had been playfully thanking Matthew for calling him friendly... by
being friendly - he knew it was all him, but he couldn\'t figure out what to do with himself.
Every time Rico accidentally brushed his arm while they were cooking together, or pressed against him while squeezing down the very narrow downstairs hallway, Matthew\'s heart skipped and raced and he blushed fit to be a beacon for ships miles out at sea. Rico would apologise for this invasion of personal space and he would forgive it immediately, but it always left him flustered and feeling awkward. Thankfully, Rico seemed relatively unaware of his blithering reactions.
It wasn\'t just at home, either. Suddenly, he was extraordinarily aware of
everyone that passed him in the street or brushed against him in the hot press of the crowded marketplace. Men and women both had this strange effect on him, where he was hyper-sensitively aware of every touch or look he was given, every smile or laugh that came his way. He was looking at people in a whole new light, suddenly aware of the very confusing and exciting emotions that were aroused within him whenever he received some attention.
Of course, it was also not
just his emotions that were becoming aroused to an excessive degree. He found himself staring desirously at the alluring curve of a woman\'s cleavage, at the broad span of a man\'s shoulders, gazing thoughtfully at legs and bellies and hands - all of which gave him the most pleasant tingles. He went to bed and couldn\'t help exploring his body, which was not an unusual thing in itself, but
every night was completely unheard of for him.
Since Rico was the one he saw most often - and in intimate settings such as around bathing times (it was only natural they pass each other half clothed when they shared the water) or when they cooked together - he got most of Matthew\'s attention. It wasn\'t deliberate, but Rico was a very beautiful man to gaze at, he\'d decided, and his movements were always graceful and frustratingly alluring. He stared too much, he knew it, but thankfully Rico was gracious enough to simply give him a wink whenever he caught Matthew gawping, which stopped the blonde immediately.
It all seemed to be getting out of hand, and not even having the distraction of having to pander to Lam couldn\'t have come at a worse time. The house was spotless from him taking his frustrations out in cleaning (not that it slowed him down when he went to bed), so there was nothing for him to do each night but socialise with Rico, who was becoming more appealing and glamourous in Matthew\'s eyes by the second.
Tonight, the Greek man had suggested they take their biscuits and hot chocolates (both delicacies that Matthew had learned to make that afternoon and couldn\'t
wait to try and coax Lam out of hiding with) into the front parlour, where there was a thick rug and some chaises set up before a crackling fire so that they could relax before bed. They were sitting on either side of the chess board, on the rug before the fireplace, sipping their drinks, nibbling their sweet treats and attempting to figure out how to play the very noble game of chess - or at least, Matthew was.
He wasn\'t entirely sure of all the rules, but he was doing his best to learn as he played, trying to keep his mind focussed on the game. It kept wandering, though. He\'d bathed before dinner and was now only wearing a pair of long pants, his hair out and fanned around his fair face. This outfit was fine so close to the cheerful fire, but he knew he\'d regret it when the time came to move upstairs to bed. He was also taken with the way the firelight played across Rico\'s features and couldn\'t help his gaze lowering to take in the rest of his body too, every now and then.
The silence began to seem oppressive, because Rico seemed to take a huge amount of time debating each move, which left Matthew alone with his thoughts. The Greek didn\'t seem to mind that his companion\'s gaze drifted off the board and frequently over to him, eyeing him off curiously, but since his thoughts were becoming more and more inappropriate, he felt compelled to speak. "So," he began without preamble, not entirely sure what he was going to say until it was out of his mouth, "have you found anyone decent to distract you away from Kysis yet?" He blinked as he finished talking, finding himself impertinent and surprised that he\'d ask such a leading question. It was really none of his business.
