It didn't come as a surprise that Marius had fallen asleep by the time Frey, Annarósa and Esther got back to his place. He'd placed a swaddled Ingrid on the inner side of the bed to block her from falling out, and the chubby thing had been content enough to snooze away as well.

"He really should be locking his door." Annarósa squinted as she navigated the dark room, only aided by weak moonlight from outside. "Not just because of Ingrid, but anyone could come in here at any time."

"And steal what? His one chair?" Frey gestured to the unmarried piece of furniture, and Annarósa gave it a long look.

"Where are the others?"

"There are no others. It's just one chair."

It did not enlighten Annarósa much.

"So is he some kind of floor person, then? He sits on the floor?"

"No, he only owns one chair. That he sits on." Frey shook his head. "Obviously."

"You're such a hypocrite." Marius turned his head, causing all three of the new arrivals to flinch. "You kept going on and on about the chair at first, too."

"Oh, so you're awake." Frey sat down on the bed while Marius yawned.

"I wasn't, but you're not the quietest of people."

"And we apologise for waking you." Annarósa reached over Marius to carefully scoop up Ingrid. "But it would have been rude to enter without making ourselves known, too."

"No worries at all." Marius dismissed the apology with his hand. "Did you have a good time?"

It was... Uneventful," Esther admitted from behind Annarósa, and even Frey had to agree. Asshole conversations and light Hargreaves family drama aside, it had bored him. People had barely talked ill behind his back and so he couldn't insult them in his head. Well, he certainly could, but it wouldn't be as satisfying.

"Better than a bad time." Marius got up from the bed to grab the bag Annarósa had left for Ingrid. "And hopefully some rest from being on constant baby alert."

"Again, we appreciate you looking after her so much." Annarósa snuggled Ingrid. "It feels better to leave her with someone we know."

"You... Know me that well already?" Marius smiled through a surprised look, and Annarósa returned the expression.

"Well of course. You're my brother's... Partner?" She narrowed her eyes in thought. "... Person? Suitor?"

"Something like that." Marius chuckled. "And it's nice to feel accepted."

"But you should still learn to lock your door," Annarósa had to add some criticism. "And buy more chairs since you're not a floor person."

Marius failed to look serious as he nodded.

"I'll do my best."

With that, the Clausdóttir family said their goodbyes before heading back to the mansion and Frey was left alone with Marius.

"I'm exhausted." Frey did his best not to flop backwards onto the bed. "I used to withstand gatherings so much better before. Not great, but better."

Marius gave him a careful, sympathetic pat both for support and to test the current rules of intimacy.

"There's a lot going on. You may have been busy before too, but the stakes are high."

It made Frey release another groan, but he adjusted his position to sit next to Marius.

"So, how bad was it?" Marius lit a candle on the bedside table. "Did someone die?"

He winced immediately after.

"No one died, right? Because that would make me very insensitive now."

"I don't think someone needs to die for things to be bad." Frey leaned his back against the wall. "But nothing new, and I'd rather not talk about it."

"How are the twins, at least?"

"Luna's doing well. I tried getting her to keep an eye on her brother for safety, but she doesn't know what responsibility means so it was probably in vain."

"And Noah?"

Frey sighed through his nose.

"They're gonna come after him, but I'm heading back to speak to Damien, and hopefully Lucia, later. For business reasons but I'll bring up Noah as well." He suppressed a shudder of discomfort, deciding to switch topics. "How did things go here?"

"Oh it's been great." Marius beamed, wrapping his quilt around them. "Had to keep her away from the hearth a couple of times, but she's been a dear. Fell asleep pretty early, actually."

"I'm guessing you did as well?" Frey raised an amused eyebrow, well aware of Marius' early bedtimes.

"Not at first, to my own surprise." Marius leaned over to grab a familiar piece of paper next to his pillow. "So I thought I'd practise some reading."

Frey paled.

"Is that..."

"The letter you wrote, yes." Marius grinned with all the smugness in the world, holding it out of reach as Frey tried to grab it. "I don't have a lot of other things here to read."

"But you... Didn't read all of it, did you?" It was more of a plea than a question. "You haven't gotten that far in your learning."

Marius' smugness refused to fade.

"Far enough to confirm that you didn't read all of it out loud before."

Frey's paleness was flushed away in an instant, and he opened and closed his mouth while searching for words.

"I was... You know that was an emotional time for me."

"Why are you so flustered?" Marius chuckled. "This is hardly news anymore."

That much was true, but the fact that Frey had left it out when he'd read it out loud made it all the more embarrassing.

"It's alright." Marius leaned their heads together. "You know I love you too."

"Even though I'm an insufferable brat?"

"Especially because you're an insufferable brat." Marius' eyes crinkled, nuzzling against Frey's hair. "And I'm not so uninsufferable either."

Frey had to nod at that.

"I think my insufferableness required some clashing insufferableness in the end, or who knows where I'd be now." He licked his dry lips. "I'm glad you were willing to look past my autocratic behaviour."

Marius chuckled.

"I actually don't mind some dominating behaviour, but I also wouldn't claim you've shown me something like that."

Frey furrowed his brow.

"Excuse me?"

"I mean, I know you've probably tried, but you've been more... Adorable about it. Like an angry kitten trying to look threatening."

Frey stared.

"An angry kitten?"

"Yeah, like you could've begun hissing every time you got upset.

"I'm not an angry kitten," Frey hissed. "But at least now I understand why my harsh words just slid right off."

"And isn't that a good thing, kitten?"

"Alright, that's it." Frey shoved Marius down onto the mattress. "If it's dominant behaviour you want."

"Really?" Marius raised an amused eyebrow, making Frey even more certain that yes, really. He'd had enough of letting the smug, disrespectful attitude go unpunished, and it was time to put the shameless man in his place.

So he untied his cravat, climbing into Marius' lap, to place it behind his neck and pulled him closer.

"First of all, there will be no moving for you," he whispered, sliding the fabric down to seize Marius' wrists. "Don't need a repeat of last time I tried to have control over you and you kept distracting me. This time, I'll be the one allowed to move."

"You're not gonna hit me, are you?" Marius tried to laugh it off while his hands were bound behind his back, but his eyes suggested a genuine worry, or possibly excitement. "Not in a bad way, at least?"

"No, I'm not going to touch you at all." Frey got up from the bed, slowly undoing the top button of his waistcoat. "And it goes without saying that you won't be touching yourself either."

"Ohh no," Marius uttered as Frey let another button go. "For how long?"

"Until I say so." Frey smiled, moving his hands further down to continue the removal. "And I'm in no hurry."

"You monster."

"Well, I can't sleep like this, can I?" Frey quirked a suggestive eyebrow before dropping the waistcoat to the floor.

"I suppose you could lose some layers," Marius agreed under a breath as he watched his lover toy with the edge of his breeches. "Just... Feels like a shame to keep my hands where they are."

"Because you would have wanted to assist me?" Frey unbuttoned his breeches, still keeping eye contact despite a slight reluctance to. His cheeks had begun to flush from the attention, but he wouldn't let his confidence falter.

"More than anything."

"Yet you do know my rule of dressing and undressing." Frey couldn't help it. "Servants are not allowed to help me."

Marius smiled back at that.

"Except I'm not a servant anymore."

"Oh, aren't you?" Frey removed his shirt to let the cold air rouse goosebumps on his bare skin. It brought back reluctant memories of times he'd provided others with the same view, but it was different now. This time, he reciprocated the desire. He could discern genuine adoration in Marius' eyes, could feel how the arousal extended past appearances every time Frey invited him to look. The yearning was intoxicating.

"I suppose I could be." Marius' words were breathless as Frey let his breeches slide down to the floor, his usual smug exterior wavering. "If it's you."

"Yet this room is beginning to look like an unattended to mess." Frey stepped out of his garments, lightly kicking them aside. "Clothes all over the floor."

"Which also means you must be cold," Marius' attempt at a flirtatious smile quickly drowned underneath an increasing blend of hope and desperation as Frey put his leg up on the bed to roll one of his stockings down. "Sure you don't want to come warm up with me?"

"And as always, your shamelessness knows no bounds," Frey mumbled under his breath while freeing himself from the last of his clothes, candlelight illuminating just enough to amplify the predicted response from Marius' already tense body. "Perhaps I should have gagged you."

Marius widened his eyes in what looked like anticipation, apparently not too against the idea, which led Frey to assume he'd actually love that, and he couldn't allow satisfaction at the moment.

"So instead, let's say I'll blow out the candle if you don't shut up." Frey sat down on the bed. "I think you'd enjoy the view less with nothing but dim moonlight as aid.

"Can I at least—"

"No." Frey placed a finger against his lips before leaning over the edge of the bed to check underneath it. "Now, where's your bag?"

Marius only looked at him at first, raising his eyebrows to ask for permission to speak, and Frey bestowed a short nod.

"Why do you ask?"

"The lubricant." Frey raised an eyebrow back. "I know you packed it."

"... You went through my bag?"

"No, I was looking for it before we left and it was gone."

"Oh." The hint of a smile appeared on Marius' lips at that, but Frey shook his head at him.

"I wouldn't look so content if I were you."

"I mean, you must have had some plan to use it." Marius still looked smug, but quickly shut his mouth as Frey leaned closer to the candle as a threat.

"You should remember what I said earlier, though," Frey continued, finally locating the bag behind the bedside table. "I'm not going to touch you, and you can't touch anything at all..."

Marius wrinkled his eyebrows, so Frey gave him another smile of pity before picking the jar out of the bag.

"... But I can still use this."

A frustrated groan escaped Marius' pinched lips, but he decidedly held them together to keep the emotion from appearing on his face.

"See, I know a thing or two about getting my way through unconventional methods," Frey continued as he sat down on the bed again, facing Marius and lifting his knees up just enough to cover his nether region. "And I think it's time for you to finally witness it."

He separated his knees, opening the jar to dip his fingers into it.

Marius almost looked like he was in pain. Perhaps he was. The strain on his muscles, not to mention breeches, made him squirm and he drew calming breaths through his nose while unable to tear his eyes away from the view in front of him.

"So, where would you like me to start?" Frey moved his slick hand down, twitching as it passed over his first point of pleasure but moved on to the next one to give Marius options. Not that the man was allowed to voice his opinion, but that made it all the more entertaining.

Marius, uncharacteristically obedient, bit into his lower lip to keep his composure, so Frey sighed.

"Very well, if you can't decide..." He teased around his opening, adding some more lubricant with a triumphant smile. "... I guess I'll have to do it for you."

He released a moan as one of his fingers went inside, louder than usual to elicit a stronger reaction from his poor lover. He slid out again, increasing the volume of his breaths as well, letting them pick up in pace to match his finger's repeated movements.

"You know, that looks quite uncomfortable." He nodded to the tightness in Marius' breeches before tilting his head back to curl his finger upwards with a soft groan. "It's so much better like this."

Marius narrowed his eyes, body twitching against his will, and Frey smiled in mock pity.

"Poor thing," he whispered, continuing his hand's movement and allowing another finger inside while revelling in Marius' desperation. "I would help you out, but I'm a little occupied with some well deserved me-time."

Marius drew a breath, finally opening his mouth to utter something inaudible, and Frey tilted his head.

"What?"

"This is the cruellest you've ever been to me," Marius mumbled, and Frey slowly shook his head while pointing to the candle.

"I can be crueller."

Marius begrudgingly closed his mouth again.

How long was he going to keep it up, though? Unlike with others, Frey wanted Marius' touch eventually but he was supposed to be mean, so he kept going, sprinkling some louder gasps and moans in here and there while pleasuring himself at different paces and levels of intensity.

Of course, Frey was not immune to losing some control to the waves of pleasure, and the way Marius' eyes worshipped his body turned out to be challenging his composure for him to slow down after some time, pretending to be adjusting his position.

"You're doing so well," he had to praise Marius at least. "So used to being cocky and still able to shut up and know your place for once."

Perhaps he'd let him suffer enough. Judging by the candle's shortened lifespan, he'd been going at it for some time already, and despite his denial earlier he did feel a bit cold.

That did not mean he had to lose his upper hand. So he got up to lean over Marius, straddling him while whispering in his ear.

"Alright, I'll be nice." He trailed small kisses down his neck. "You're not allowed to move yet, but I'll take some pity on you."

He slowly pulled Marius' shirt up to keep grazing his skin with his lips, moving downwards past his chest and coming to a pause as the kiss he planted on the man's ribs produced an unexpected convulsion in his body.

Frey's eyes narrowed, kissing the same spot again and noting that Marius tensed up again, confirming his suspicions.

It was too good to be true. It wasn't the most erotic way to tease someone, but he couldn't help it. Another chance to get back at Marius had presented itself, and he would not pass it up.

So he drew a deep breath, placed his lips against Marius' skin again, and blew as hard as he could.

The reaction was instantaneous, and Marius broke his silence with a panicked yell, trying to shove Frey away before he could tickle his sides even more.

"Alright, alright I'll stop." Frey held his hands up. "I just couldn't help it."

Marius still glared at him, and Frey exhaled through his nose.

"Let's try it, then." He stroked a hand below the sensitive spot, and Marius winced. "So... Not there either."

He moved his hand lower and though Marius still remained tense, it seemed bearable so Frey returned to using his lips, letting them follow the trail of hair below Marius' navel down.

Then he stopped.

"I don't know..." He dragged his words, sitting up to face a deeply dismayed Marius. "... Maybe we should stop here? It's getting late."

It was possible he'd have to let Marius go. At some point it was going to be more frustrating than exciting and Frey didn't want to risk not receiving something back.

"Ugh." He rolled his eyes, bending closer to untie Marius' hands. "Fine, I suppose you're allowed to touch me—"

"Oh thank Sihlea." Marius didn't let Frey finish his sentence, instead pulling him into a deep, voracious kiss.

"Don't thank Sihlea," Frey gasped while leaning his head back to catch his breath. "Thank me."

"Thank you." Marius' voice trembled, and he buried his face into Frey's neck. "Thank you, Frey."

It didn't take much effort to free Marius of his clothes. Frey would not have been surprised if the eager, fumbling manner Marius chose to rid himself of them in between kisses and caressing hands had sent a button or two flying, and had Frey not assisted him at the end, perhaps it would have.

"Can I help you now?" Marius pleaded, reaching down to the spot Frey had pleasured already. "Please?"

"Oh we're past asking for permission now." Frey gripped his hair to pull him closer. "I'm ordering you to."

Marius let out a weak laugh.

"Well then, as you command, my Lord."

His own fingers just couldn't compare to Marius', Frey had to concede as new waves of pleasure crashed through him, making him arch his back. Not that he wasn't skilled in his own right, but the hunger for Marius' touch had added another layer of euphoria as his fingers thrust inside him.

"So, what are my orders now?" Marius moved up to grind against Frey, with the latter wrapping his legs around his waist. "How much of me do you want, my Lord?"

"Well, I did say I wanted to take pity on you." Frey tried to smirk through his foggy mind. "So I shouldn't hold you back."

Marius wordlessly cast his self-restraint aside, teasing Frey back and forth while his lips caressed his body. It wasn't until he finally pushed his tip inside that he slowed down, feeling his way to pay attention to signals, and Frey responded by angling his hips up.

He couldn't hold his moans back as Marius slowly slid in and out of him, sinking deeper with each motion, and he was not about to try either. He couldn't care less if someone heard them from outside, it was none of their business.

"Y—you're so good inside me," he panted between breaths, struggling to kiss Marius back as his thoughts blurred again. "You're doing so— so good right now... For a servant, that is."

"Because I'm your servant." Marius clutched around Frey's shoulders. "You're the only one who matters right now."

"Is that s—so?" Frey had to question as he noticed Marius' heaving chest and quickening pace. "Bec... ause you seem t— to be enjoying yourself a little too much."

"Yeah..." Marius failed to stifle a gasp of his own. "... I think I'm getting—"

"Well we can't have that." Frey wrapped his legs tighter to pull Marius to a halt. "You'd better stop moving if that's the case."

Marius drew a breath through his nose, biting into his lower lip before leaning down.

"So mean," he whimpered into Frey's neck. "Please let me—"

"You'll do no such thing." Frey shook his head, refusing to let Marius grind against him. "Not until I'm equally close."

"At least I could dismiss mean words," Marius murmured. "This is true servant cruelty."

"I'll make it easier for you." Frey placed a hand against Marius' torso to sit him up, instead going back to straddling him again. "I'll decide the pace and impact."

"If you go back to teasing me—"

"Then I guess it sucks to be you." Frey positioned himself properly. "Now shut up."

It was a different kind of empowerment, getting to roll his hips how he wanted after sinking down over Marius, and Frey's vision almost blacked out from the sensation pulsating through him.

"How's this?" He tried to read Marius' expression as he began moving. "You need to tell me if you're getting close."

"You're a terrible person." Marius gritted his teeth, and Frey huffed.

"You should have known that by now."

"A... apologies..." Marius groaned, grinding his hips to Frey's rhythm. "Still learning... it seems."

"Good," was all Frey could utter as the familiar, uncontrollable tension began taking over and he reached down to rub himself, body tightening up and forcing another gasp out of Marius.

"F—fuck..." Marius' hands fumbled against Frey's thighs to wrap around them, pulling him down harder and despite the overpowering sensation surging through Frey's body, he still managed to click his tongue.

"What do you think you're doing?" He bent forward to tug Marius' curls back. "I said I'll decide when you can go deeper."

"Please," Marius pleaded again, and despite Frey's reluctance to resign his position of power, he was getting close to his limit as well.

"... Fine," he relented, releasing his grip to press Marius closer instead. "Only because I allow it."

"Of course, whatever you say."

The building tension in Frey's abdomen as Marius picked up the pace was overwhelming, and he bit down into his lip to not completely lose control. His legs still wished to give out from the increasing pressure though, and once his body finally surrendered into a pulsating release, his muscles squeezed around Marius enough for his body to meet the same fate.

They both let their bodies collapse against each other in a heap of intertwined limbs, with no hurry to roll off each other until their sweat stained bodies cooled off in the merciless air, sending them shivering to take cover under the quilt.

"So, how was that?" Frey curled up next to Marius for warmth. "Am I still an angry kitten?"

Marius let out a 'hm' in thought.

"A feisty one."

Frey glared.

"But still a kitten?"

"It's not a bad thing." Marius had no interest in relenting. "I love kittens."

It wasn't the worst thing to be called, but it did not make Frey any less disgruntled and had he possessed the energy to be snarky about it he would have, but his body weighed him down like an anchor and Marius looked no better off.

"I guess we should sleep," he mumbled against Marius' shoulder with a sigh. "Gotta get up early in the morning."

"You're probably right." Marius turned to kiss his forehead. "Good night, kitten."

"Cut that out."

As silence and exhaustion returned to the room, Frey's mind wandered back to the party, more specifically the upcoming meeting in the morning. It was so frustrating. Of all things to think about at a moment like this.

He was so tired, but the worries surrounding West Kerilia never ended. Besides, even if he saved his town, would his work get easier from there on? Wouldn't people be more likely to disagree with him if he thwarted their plans, leading to further difficulties obstructing the life he wanted?

"You know..." He turned his head to face the equally tired Marius, heart disobeying his order not to ache. "... The way things are going, I don't know what will be left for me."

Marius blinked slowly, too tired to keep up.

"What do you mean?"

"I just... wish I could feel good about leaving everything behind, but it's not just about the assholes around me." Frey grimaced, averting his eyes again. "It's about my job. Toxic surroundings aside, I love my job and it's gonna hurt to lose it."

Marius pursed his lips, eyebrows wrinkling as he drew a breath.

"If you really don't want to—"

"No, that's not what I'm saying," Frey assured him. "I've already chosen you, I just... Still want to mourn what I've lost, I guess."

"Oh, well... That's understandable."

"If anything, I was leading up to asking if we should just get out of here completely." Frey still couldn't face him as another blush bloomed across his face. "If there's nothing left for either of us, why don't we just move to the country house permanently?"

"Like... Without hiding it? We'd be in an official relationship?" Marius tilted his head. "What was it Annarósa said? Partners? Suitors?"

Frey laughed through his nose.

"Yeah, I don't know what title two romantically involved people would have when they're not engaged or married."

Marius smirked.

"Oh? Is this your way of proposing to me?"

"No." Frey realised the coldness just as he said it. "I mean... Not that it's an impossibility, but it's not what I'm doing now."

"I get it." Marius laughed again. "Just giving you a hard time."

"Bastard." Frey shoved him, boosting Marius' amusement.

"But you know, it's still a big step, isn't it?" Marius insisted. "Not to make you panic but this would be giving it up for real. Not just putting me first."

"I know that."

"So shouldn't this request, non proposal as it may be, still require a formal question?"

"Psh." Frey curled his lip in disapproval. "I'm the one giving things up."

"Well I haven't said yes." Marius waggled his eyebrows and Frey glared.

"Are you saying no, then?"

"Who knows? You haven't asked."

Frey tipped his head back with a sigh, but he supposed he could humour the man.

"So... By establishing our relationship as romantic, we'd both be judged by society accordingly." He mustered up the effort to turn his head and face Marius. "But I'm ready to do it if you are."

He interlocked his and Marius' hands.

"So, Marius..." He drew a quiet breath. "... Want to fall from grace with me?"

Marius blinked again, then his lips curved in amusement and he pulled Frey closer.

"I believe by your society's standards I don't have much grace to fall from. I'm already at the bottom."

"I— Yeah I guess." Frey's face reddened. "I was just— You know... You wanted me to ask formally and—"

"But..." Marius placed a finger against Frey's lips. "... That means I can be there to catch you."

Frey finally returned the smile, albeit a weaker kind.

"Well, it will be a relief to have someone ready to catch me, because I seem to fall over a lot."

"Oh, it's non-stop." Marius nodded rapidly. "I think there's something wrong with your balance. You've fallen something like forty times since we met."

Frey scrunched his nose in disapproval.

"That sounds high. Maybe thirty-three, at most."