The next evening Hollem was awake bright and early, at least considering what time he needed to be up. He'd thought that Amia hadn't returned while he'd rested, but the folded blanket that had been in the far corner was spread out and there was a worn pillow sitting on top of the fabric. It felt odd to think that he hadn't climbed into bed, but at the same time, Hollem was glad that he'd given him some space. 

Sitting up, he yawned once, then swung his legs around the side of the bed. Standing brought a small ache to his backside, but it was easily manageable. He quickly got dressed and ready for the evening, then headed downstairs to find madam Maria. 

He had to ask one of the serving staff where she was when he couldn't find her after twenty minutes of searching. Evidently, she had been expecting him and was waiting in one of the private meeting rooms. When he slipped inside, his eyes widened at who he saw sitting around the table with her. I don't know if this is a bad thing or a good thing. 

The young man he'd almost bedded and his lover were there. 

"Hello, Hollem. This is the new magistrate, Kirin, and his partner, Abel." Madam Maria said, making Hollem's face pale as he stood there uncomfortably, too worried to come closer. 

"Oh now, come here. That was a long bit ago and you were just doing your job, even if it was a misunderstanding." Madam Maria said as she gestured him toward the empty chair beside her and Kirin. 

Hollem was still hesitant, but he awkwardly walked over and dropped into the seat, sitting up completely rigid. He did his best to keep his eyes off of the magistrate, and especially his lover, but he knew that it was rude to completely ignore them, too. 

Why are they here and why am I here? 

He was about to ask what they were there to discuss when he heard the door creek open behind him, drawing everyone's attention to Amia as he slipped inside, then nudged the door shut. 

"Find a seat, Amia." Madam Maria said. 

There were no other seats. Instead of commenting after a brief glance around the table, Amia pursed his lips, then licked them as he walked over and promptly settled straddling Hollem's left leg. 

I am not a chair. 

Madam Maria seemed perfectly fine with his choice of seating, because she leaned forward and looked at all of them. 

"I called you all here to discuss the issue that occurred the other day." She said, making Amia glance backward at the same time Hollem looked at him with a raised eyebrow and a frown. 

"You two can keep the physical part of the issue to yourselves, but Amia, your uncle was knowingly slipping you drugs, was he not?" She asked, narrowing her eyes on Amia when he returned his attention to her. 

He was just opening his mouth to speak when she leaned forward a little more. "Don't lie to me. I hear everything that goes on in this place... though most of the time, that's a curse and not a blessing." 

Amia fidgeted, but then replied with a solemn nod. "Yes. I knew that he was trying to slip me drugs." 

Madam Maria nodded, then continued. "And you knew this since the first time he came to visit you?" 

He nodded again, but then spoke. "That waitress was in on it, though. Each time I was brought a bad drink, it was always from her. I'd seen my uncle talking to other servers, but none of the drinks they'd brought were drugged." 

Madam Maria laughed out loud at that. "Of course they weren't. All of my waitstaff know that I'd have their heads if I caught them drugging anyone. It is odd, though. Lauriette needed this job badly, but now she's risking it on drugging you repeatedly." 

It was odd. Hollem remembered how desperate she had been, but at the same time, she took to him far too quickly and strongly, too. "She needed the job. But maybe she needed the money more?" He asked, his tone thoughtful. 

Amia leaned forward, grasping Hollem's knee between his hands for leverage. "That could make sense. My uncle has plenty of money to slip anyone willing to do what he wants." 

Hollem reached forward, wrapping his left arm around Amia's middle to slowly pull him backward so that his full weight wasn't on his knee. "He has a point. I remember him saying that his uncle had offered to pretty much buy his favor, but he had refused." 

That got everyone's attention, but to Hollem's surprise, Abel, the magistrate's lover, was the one to speak first. "Why did you decline? Are you not comfortable around your uncle? If he followed you all the way here and you were not intent on sending him away, then I can only think that he'd had your affections before?" 

Hollem felt Amia squirm beneath his arm, which he'd left lightly wrapped around his middle to keep him steady. 

"Yes, we shared... physical attentions, but I am most definitely not attracted to him." Amia replied, earning a raised eyebrow from madam Maria. 

"I highly doubt that you have been attracted to most of your clients while working as a prostitute, yet you have one you know and have spent time with offering you financial safety in return for some attention. It seems strange to decline such an offer." She said. 

Hollem was curious, too, as to why Amia had declined the offer. Most whores dreamed of the day that someone would take them away from their life and treat them well. Perhaps it was Amia's dream, too, but not with his uncle? 

Amia was quiet for a few moments as he thought over her words. When he spoke, he did so with a shrug of his shoulders. "I don't think that he's willing to provide the safety I want in such a situation." 

His response drew a frown to Hollem's lips, catching madam Maria's attention unintentionally. She raised an eyebrow at him but he disregarded it. 

"Alright. I'm glad that you declined his offer, if that's your reasoning. I must say that I agree with you, too. If he is willing to try and drug you, whether by using someone else or with his own hand, I do not want you around him." 

Amia tilted his head, likely about to speak, when madam Maria lifted a hand to silence him. 

"You are one of my own, now. If you are uncomfortable around someone, I want you nowhere near them any longer. That is it." She stated with finality before turning her attention to the magistrate and his love. 

"Now then, I do believe that Lauriette and Amia's uncle aren't the only ones in on this issue. You gave me a new maid a while ago, and while she's been working somewhat well, she still doesn't make me feel like I should trust her." 

Kirin nodded as he leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest. As if on cue, Abel grasped onto his left arm with a hand, clearly not even thinking about the gesture, since he was completely focused on the conversation. For some reason, Hollem's own hand slid slightly beneath Amia's shirt to press against his belly and nudge him the slightest bit further into his lap. 

"She is a nasty one. You've been doing a wonderful job keeping an eye on her though, madam. We appreciate your help with this punishment." Kirin said, earning a wave of madam Maria's hand in response. 

"It is quite alright. I needed another basic worker and you pulled through. She doesn't look half bad when she's not scowling, too." 

Abel chuckled. "I'm glad she's finally being useful instead of stalking after lord Rule." 

Lord Rule? Was that what she was accused of to be sent here? Stalking? 

"Oh yes, I remember you telling me of those things she did. Poor boy got pretty badly hurt." Madam Maria said, earning a nod from both Kirin and Abel. 

"The two lords have been looking after him a bit too well, and refuse to let him wander much, but I can't blame them. I might have tied Abel down more than a few times when he'd gotten hurt..." Kirin mumbled, ending his sentence quietly, likely considering that he was the magistrate and shouldn't be talking about subduing anyone in such a manner. 

"Anyways, I'd like for you to keep a close eye on her, as well as Amia's uncle and Lauriette. I think Matilda is sitting behind this somehow, but I don't want to give away that we're looking at her, too. I also want to find a motive, because as it stands, we have nothing but her scheming past to link her to this." Kirin said. 

Hollem couldn't really see how Matilda had messed up while with them, but her history definitely didn't sit well with him from what little he'd heard of it. He wanted her nowhere near Amia, that was for sure. 

"Don't hurt him, Hollem." 

Blinking, Hollem relaxed his tense arm around Amia's waist and looked away from madam Maria's awkward stare. 

"Lauriette has a thing for Hollem, though." Amia said, clearly ignoring Hollem's too-tight arm around his waist. 

Madam Maria raised an eyebrow, but didn't seem too happy. "She does, but at the same time, I'm confused as to why. Again, she joined us because she desperately needed the money. She is barely allowed to take clients because she is so new, yet she's risking her job by causing problems with both of you." 

Sighing, Kirin nodded, then stood from the table. Abel followed him up, the look in his eyes reminding Hollem of a puppy that was waiting quietly for its master's attention. "We'll come back in a few days to see how things are going but until then, please be sure to stay away from your uncle, Amia. And if either of you get drugged again, contact me immediately." 

Amia slipped from his lap, allowing Hollem to stand and offer a hand for Kirin to shake. "Alright." He said with a small smile. 

"Madam Maria?" Kirin said as he turned his attention to her after releasing Hollem's hand. 

It didn't seem like he needed to tell her anything, because as she stood, she began speaking. "You want me to send Matilda out on more errands to see if her influence dwindles and the issues come to a halt or change?" 

Kirin smirked and nodded as he settled a hand on Abel's hair gently. "Yes. If anything changes, please let me know." 

Madam Maria grinned and nodded. "We will. Would you two like a personal room while you're here?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at their random touches. 

Kirin looked ready to accept her offer immediately, but Abel just chuckled and shook his head. "One of our elderly friends is visiting and she does not give us much time to be alone together, but we will manage. She returns to her home in a few days." 

"A few days? She has outstayed her welcome by more than three weeks already." Kirin said, exasperated. 

Abel just leaned up and pressed a kiss to his scowling lips. "She is going to the market this afternoon, so if we make haste, we will have plenty of time. You know how she likes to dawdle over every little thing there." 

The look on Kirin's face when Abel whispered that to him told everyone in the room what was on his mind as he grabbed Abel's hand tightly and practically ran out the door. 

"Well, they were a bundle of horny nerves." Madam Maria said as she walked around the table, watching him and Amia with a knowing smile. 

Hollem looked away, then awkwardly stepped toward the door. "Amia." Madam Maria called as the younger man began following Hollem out. 

He paused and turned, making Hollem hesitate with his hand on the door handle. 

"How would you like a client for the evening?" 

No! 

Amia ran over to madam Maria and grabbed her hands, nearly hopping with excited. "Really!" He shouted. The smile on his face was disconcerting, though Hollem wasn't sure why it would be. He's finally getting his shot to prove himself to madam, since he'd clearly proven himself to Hollem, whether he would have admitted it out loud or not. 

"Yes, really. We have a new client today that's requested a cute boy, and since Hollem isn't exactly cute and doesn't bottom..." 

Amia frowned, looking back at him for a moment, then returned his attention to madam Maria. "What do you mean? He's really cute." 

I'm... not sure if that was a compliment or insult. 

"Well, maybe if he got rid of the beard. Then he'd be adorable." Amia added, making Hollem roll his eyes and absentmindedly scratch the dark scruff on his chin. 

Nothing's wrong with my beard and I don't want to look cute. He thought as he turned and practically stomped out of the room. For some reason, his mood just continued to sour as he worked through his evening appointments. It took twice the amount of effort to force himself into the person his clients wanted to have in bed. 

By the time he was finally finished with his last appointment, Amia had already been sent up to bed. He'd kept tabs on him whenever he'd seen him, but when he had disappeared for roughly an hour... Shaking his head, Hollem locked up the building and checked on all of the employees before heading up to bed. It was close to nine in the morning when he pushed the door to his room open. 

Amia? 

The guy was sitting on his bed, his shirt off as he leaned forward in thought, arms balance on his knees. 

"Amia?" Hollem questioned as he gently shut the door, then walked over to stand in front of him. 

Amia's head snapped up, then he jumped to his feet, only to stumble a little. Hollem grabbed his shoulders to steady him, but didn't release them once Amia was standing fine. 

"What are you doing up so late?" He asked curiously. He should have been asleep a while ago. 

Instead of replying, Amia slid his hand into one of Hollem's, removing it from his shoulder in the process before tugging him toward the washroom. "I had them make you a bath, but the water has long since gone cold." He said quietly. 

They stopped beside the bathtub, but Hollem didn't let Amia turn around to leave. His arms wrapped around his chest and tugged him back against his own. When his nose dipped down to the crook of Amia's neck, the scent of someone else filled his senses. 

"...you didn't bathe." He stated simply, already frustrated with that fact, though he knew he shouldn't have been. It wasn't very common to bathe so often, but he tended to do so a lot because of his profession. 

"I wanted you to do it first." Amia said quietly. 

Hollem sighed as he slid his hands down along Amia's belly. They slipped into his loose trousers without hesitation, making the guy shudder against him. Instead of grasping the increasingly hard item in Amia's pants, Hollem just calmly slid the clothing from his hips until it pooled around his ankles. 

They remained that way until Amia relaxed back against Hollem's chest and sighed, nuzzling his cheek against his rough beard. 

"I'm sorry." 

Hollem lifted his hands from Amia's hips to settled one against his belly and the other beneath his chin, tilting it up so that their mouths could meet in a hesitant brush of lips. 

Everything had become increasingly muddled in his mind since Amia had showed up like a stray dog at his doorstep. A frustratingly cocky, annoying, touchy, stray dog. 

Why am I so mad that someone else had him? 

He couldn't argue with himself anymore that he was pissed, because his mood had gotten worse and worse over the evening and early morning after hearing that Amia had a client. And now, smelling another man on him...

"I hope you have energy left over." He said as he quickly removed his clothing and stepped into the bath, then lifted Amia inside with him. They barely fit with Amia sitting nearly completely on top of him, but he'd be damned if he wasn't going to scrub the guy's body until it was red... but before that. He was going to touch him every single place that other man had, and that may or may not involve splashing a good amount of water out of the tub over the next hour or so.