Just for you AhiruElric! Hope it gives you a smile!

I watched as the tall customer sat down in a dark corner of the bar, his long white hair flowing down his back as he waited to order. Taking a deep breath, I straightened my spine and walked over to him, blushing as I stumbled slightly on the uneven floor.

"C-can I take your order, sir?" I stuttered slightly, my hands shaking as I waited for him to respond.

"Hmm... You must be new. Where's the usual barmaid? She would know what I want without having to ask." Curling his lip in disdain, he turned away from me and leaned back in the chair, his legs stretched out before him as he relaxed.

"I'm s-sorry. I'm c-covering for her while she v-visits some of the family. I'm her c-cousin." I blushed as I looked down at the floor, my (h/c) hair hiding my eyes as I shuffled my feet nervously.

"Fine, just tell the barkeep Arshad wishes for his usual drink. He'll know what to give you. Hopefully your cousin comes back soon." The last sentence, although mumbled in his deep voice, was still easy to make out as I turned away and walked to the bar.

I did not look forward the the next few weeks, knowing that my cousin would be gone for at least that long. After all, she was visiting the family to meet her future husband and get to know him. Such things take time.

Shoulders slumping, I let out a sigh. Hopefully I would be able to figure out how to keep this Arshad person from getting too upset. I would hate to cost my cousin one of her customers. If her husband allowed her to keep working, that is. If he didn't, I would likely be taking her place on a more permanent basis, if I wasn't fired first.

--------

As the days turned into weeks, I had slowly become accustomed to the busy work days, learning what some of the regular customers preferred. I gained a bit of confidence, no longer tripping as I learned to avoid the uneven spots in the floor. Even my stuttering had slowly dwindled, now only happening when I had to deal with Arshad, as he always made me nervous.

Hearing a chair scrape across the floor nearby, I turned from cleaning the table to see the person I had just been thinking of. Arshad sat there, his slate grey eyes watching me like a cat would watch its prey. Trying my best not to shiver noticeably at his stare, I gave him a nod and went to grab a mug of his usual drink.

It seems the barkeep kept it in stock mostly for Arshad, as he was the one who would order it every day, often in large quantities.

"Here you go, sir. P-please enjoy your drink and let me know if you need a-anything further." Getting ready to turn away, I was suddenly stopped when I felt an arm wrap around my waist, pulling me down into the man's lap as I gasped in shock.

"How about you stay this time and keep me company. It took me a while to notice, but you're actually rather easy on the eyes, once one looks past the clothing you seem to try and hide yourself in." I flinched when I felt his hot breath on my neck, one hand reaching up to play with my hair.

"P-please let m-me go. I-I don't l-like you that w-way." I stuttered, my voice shaking as I tried to get away from him.

"Hey, let (y/n) go. She's got work to do and I don't pay her to sit around being lazy." The barkeep shouted.

I almost sighed in relief when I felt the arms loosen. Until I felt his hand trail along my side as he let go, his deep voice whispering in my ear before I could get away from him.

"I'll see you again soon, (y/n). After all, I tend to get rather... thirsty these days." A predatory grin spread across his lips, my heart racing in fear.

Finally getting out of his lap, I rushed to the back room and stood there, my hands pressed against my chest as I stared at the barkeep.

"Rama, what do I do? How do I go back out there? How do I face him again? He tried to-" I closed my mouth when I felt his hand on my shoulder, gently squeezing in reassurance.

"You will go back out there and do your job. If he wants a drink, you will get it for him and then walk away. If he tries to grab you again, I will come over and assist you. And if he causes trouble, I will throw him out, customer or not. The safety of my worker is more important to me than the happiness of the guy who would assault her." His words calmed me, easing the drumming of my heart as I gave him a smile.

"Thank you, Rama. Thank you for watching out for me."

--------

Although Arshad left me alone the rest of the night, only ordering his drinks, I still did not feel comfortable around him again. Not that night, nor the next. In fact, even weeks later I would still get a chill down my spine as soon as he walked into the bar, feeling his eyes on me from the moment he arrived to the moment he finally left.

It wasn't until he finally apologized to me, late one night before the bar closed, that I finally tried to forgive him. After all, didn't the priests always say that to forgive is a blessed thing? Perhaps I could give him one more chance...

--------

It was a few more weeks before my forgiveness was put to the test. Arshad had come in earlier than usual, his eyes only glancing my way for a moment before he sat down in his usual spot. I had brought out his usual drink, him simply nodding his thanks before taking the first sip. After that, it had been drink after drink, far more than he usually ordered before going off to where ever he went when he was done.

By the time the bar was getting ready to close, he was far too drunk to go home alone. I was doubtful he would even be able to walk by himself at this point! Giving Rama a worried glance, I saw him frown at Arshad in concern. Ever sense the man had apologized, things had slowly been returning to a more friendly state between the two. Or at least neutral.

"Arshad? Do you need help getting home tonight? Would you like Rama to help you?" Looking at the man with a gentle expression, I saw him slowly shake his head, his body swaying softly from the movement.

"(y/n)... Wa' meh hum? Pleesh?" He looked at me with large pitiful eyes, his whole body screaming 'I'm helpless, please pity me' as tears seemed almost ready to start streaming down his face.

I sighed gently and motioned him to wait there, going to the back room to explain the situation to Rama. He asked me over and over if I was sure I wanted to do this, but I gave him my assurance that everything would be fine.

After changing into my regular clothing in a private room, I came back out and saw Arshad waiting patiently, his eyes widening slightly at seeing me in something other than my work clothing.

"Ready to go, Arshad? You remember how to get home, right?" I smiled gently at him when he nodded, his cheeks slightly more flushed than they were before. Waving to Rama, I left the bar, one of Arshad arms resting on my shoulders as I helped him walk down the streets towards his home.

--------

In the aftermath of my disappearance that night, the people had called for Arshad to be imprisoned. Weeks had passed before he was taken from his home, the date of his execution quickly set. His crimes had been many, some people astonished that he had been left free for so long when they heard them being listed.

It was only by the grace of the young Prince Soma that he was given a new lease on life, the young man believing that the sinful Arshad deserved a second chance. Cutting Arshad's long, flowing hair short and giving him the new name of Agni, he brought him into his home. If only he had noticed the times the man would vanish, only reappearing later on in the day, seeming refreshed and happy to serve his young master.

--------

"I'm very lucky that my young Prince Soma is so willing to believe I am a changed man. It lets me spend time with you, even if I do have to hide you from everyone. But I don't mind that, it means that only I get to see your beautiful face, my lovely (y/n). Only I get to touch you, hold you, taste you... And nobody can do anything about it. After all, I'm not the sinful Arshad anymore. I'm Agni now, the faithful servant of Prince Soma. And we both know that nobody will go against the Prince." I didn't even flinch anymore when I felt his fingers run through my (h/c) hair, longer now that he had hidden me away from the world outside.

I gazed at the white-haired man beside me with sad eyes, knowing that for now I was the only one who knew the truth. Ignoring the part of me telling me not to give in, I reached up a hand and caressed his face, my hunger for human contact stronger than my desire to keep away from the grey-eyed who imprisoned me.

Perhaps some day, someone would find out the truth about Arshad. But even if they did, would it be someone who would bother to say anything? Or would they just smile and keep quiet?