Pay Back is Sweet

[Sebastian Arcturis]

After three ales, he was indeed a lot more relaxed. Bastian didn't give any physical indication of how many drinks in he was. Three was one short of the usual for him. It was five or four short of being off balance. A lot short of being plastered to the floor.

The captain absently watched Ronan pay for the drinks, enjoying the quiet. He hardly paid attention to how close Ronan stuck to him, used to it by now and also buzzed enough not to notice much. The walk helped clear his head a little and he forgot why exactly he had missed lunch but had a moment of clarity as to why he had only needed three drinks. He hadn't eaten.

Food would have been nice.

The man merely nodded at Ronan's superfluous explanation. He was mildly curious however, so he let the man lead on.

The water made soft gurgling noises and the sun was entirely too bright and warm for a day like today but it was nice enough.

Sebastian was perplexed by the hand grabbing his own, staring at Ronan's hand but he followed willingly. The expression on his face betrayed just a hint of confusion, mostly for himself. Maybe the alcohol was affecting him a little more than he thought.

[Ronan "Kitten" Lynch]

Ronan led him under the large tree where they were be shaded enough from the sun. Still holding on to Sebastians hand he pulled the man down with him gently to sit on the soft grass. There was a breeze that kicked up and slightly ruffled the leaves above them as he pulled two pieces of bread and some cheese from the sack that he'd brought with him.

"I don't know if you've had lunch or not but I usually like to have a snack when I'm here." It wasn't much in way of food but Ronan hadn't exactly expected to have company and he never ate much himself. There was apart of him that didn't expect the man to take his offer but it was there nonetheless. Should the captain feel hungry.

For a moment he quietly munched a bit at the food and watched the stream before turning his attention to Sebastian again. "So, do you want to talk about what's on your mind now?"

[Sebastian Arcturis]

He sat and did in fact accept food. His stomach betrayed how hungry he was as he brought some of the bread to his lips and could smell it. Very hungry. He'd probably eat all of it if Ronan wasn't careful. The bread anyway.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

The direct question caught him by surprise but he didn't accuse the man of being nosy again. He sighed slightly. "I already told you. Please leave it alone." His tone was a bit less stiff this tine around.

He kept his gaze directed on the water even when Ronan spoke and he answered. Honestly, between the drinks and the walk and the atmosphere and the company, he forgot exactly why he was frustrated. It didn't take a lot to ease his stress on the surface at least. "Thank you," he said again into the quiet.

[Ronan "Kitten" Lynch]

The first 'thank you' made Ronan simply nod his head in acknowledgement. In his mind there wasn't much in the way of thanks. It was just cheese and bread after all. Though he understood it was simply the polite thing to say. When asked to leave the issue alone he nodded again. "Alright, I'll leave it be." If Sebastian really wanted to talk about it to him he would. He wouldn't be pushy even if he was concerned for the man.

He'd eaten half of his own snack before he noticed just how hungry the captain seemed to be. With a sweet smile he offered the other half to to Sebastian. "I'm not particularly hungry. If you want it." The second 'thank you' made his raise his brow curiously. Though he didn't say anything about it.

After another moment of quiet Ronan repositioned to sit on his knees and turned to face Sebastian fully. "Do you want a massage?" Though it occurred to him that might be a strange request he had a feeling there might still be some physical tension that Sebastian was still holding. Though he seemed more relaxed than when they'd met on the street.

"I give them to the girls at work all the time and sometimes soldiers come to me just for a massage. So I assume I'm doing something right."

[Sebastian Arcturis]

Hungry though he was, he wasn't aboit to eat the other man's food. Not when he had already shared so much. The soldier politely shook his head.

Sebastian watched the other man move into an almost...placating position. At the very least it reflected how earnest his words were.

The offer of a massage didn't shock him so much as Ronan might have thought. Sebastian did the same for a few of his men. And some of them did for others. After a long day of work, be it training or patrol or a mission, it was a way to help each other relax. Bastian wasn't entirely comfortable with receiving so much as he was with giving but Baird he was comfortable. Ronan...he sort of wished the guy stopped referring to his work all the time. He wasn't in danger of forgetting Ronan's job.

"Sure," he said finally. The word came out firmly. But he didn't move, only looked at the other man like he might reconsider his acceptance.

[Ronan "Kitten" Lynch]

For Ronan the brothel had become more or less his whole life. He spent so much time in the house, around the other girls, seeing clients. It was rare he had friends outside of his line of work. Though he tended to keep it underwraps with strangers Sebastian already knew so he didn't see a point in hiding it.

When the man accepted his offer but didn't lie down Ronan tilted his head curiously and chuckled. "Well are you going to lay down or..." He trailed off with a playful tone and gave Sebastian a gentle smile. It was at least fairly obvious he was uncertain. Though he couldn't really place why.

"Do I make you uncomfortable, Sebastian?" He asked curiously. Not that he'd be hurt if he did. There had been plenty of men who were uncomfortable upon meeting him. Even if they paid for his time. Though he'd still like to know if he did so he could fix it.

[Sebastian Arcturis]

Sebastian shifted slightly at the question, perhaps not having understood that massage was synonymous with lying down, as Ronin considered it. He looked at the man another moment and then laid back and rolled onto his stomach, getting comfortable. He slept like this a lot so he supposed it was inherently relaxing and so were massages. The last time he had done this though...it was a memory he tried not to think too much about.

At the man's question he posed a quizzical look but his answer was a firm, "No." Not many people or things made him uncomfortable. Ronin was...different from his usual company and while he disagreed with the man, none if affected his own mood. He wondered why the guy had even asked. Perhaps because he felt that way?

"Do I make you uncomfortable?" He asked, tone serious if a bit unsure why he asked the question back. As he finished speaking he realized maybe it wasn't such a strange question. Sebastian didn't understand people sometimes, but they didn't discomfort him. He did know he was...odd to many. So maybe he made people uncomfortable.

He shifted slightly, finding it difficult to stay still.

[Ronan "Kitten" Lynch]

Ronan simply found when a person layed down it made things more comfortable. They relaxed quicker making working out any knots in their muscles easier for him. As Sebastian rolled onto his stomach the smaller man moved to sit next to him and began working his shoulders first. Seeing as that's where most people carried the majority of their stress.

Hearing that he didnt make the man uncomfortable made him feel a bit better. Though as the question was turned on him he shook his head with a soft smile. "No." He stated plainly as he moved to work the base of his neck. In fact Sebastian made Ronan the very opposite of uncomfortable. While he wasn't a man of many words what he did say always seemed genuine. That made him feel safe. At least safe enough.

"I only ask because...I seem to make a lot of people uncomfortable." For a variety of different reasons as it was. Though they all seemed to stem back to the same thing. "I don't really care usually but you've helped me out and I like you."

[Sebastian Arcturis]

His shoulders were, rather predictably, a knotted mess. He stretched and worked out a lot and did take care of himself, but he was also under a lot of stress, whether he admitted it or not. He thankfully didn't suffer for any regular muscle pain, but he had taken a beating earlier so everything was a little sore. Bastian found it difficult to relax for a time, likely because of the desire to avoid the memories associated with the action. Ronan did seem to know his way around a man's body. Also rather predictable.

Any other person might have expressed more verbally that they felt the same, might have turned to look up at the young prostitute in recognition of a shared moment or connection of the soul. But not Sebastian. He only grunted in a mix of understanding and acceptance.

It wasn't often people confessed to 'liking' him. The captain didn't find most people liked him. He also didn't find most people hated him either. He was used to simply existing in someone else's world, marginally noticed, and while there were exceptions - Rosemary, Baird, the healer - they were very definitely exceptions. His goal was not to be 'likeable.' Neither was it to be 'un-likeable.' His goal was to do his job. And not much else.

"Thank you," he found the found crossing his lips almost unconsciously. He did feel capable of actually relaxing after Ronan admitted as much. The solder felt there was something quite honest about the whore. He didn't considering that Ronan stating he liked him might mean anything more than what it was at face value.

[Ronan "Kitten" Lynch]

If there was anything he was proud of it was his ability to ease peoples pains. Physical or emotional. If he could work out at least some of the knots and send Sebastian back more relaxed then he would have at least helped a little. When the man didn't respond to his admission Ronan didn't mind at all. It was a little nice really. Had he returned the sentiment the younger man would feel like he was only doing it out of some strange social obligation.

There was no real other intentions. Ronan liked Sebastian just as he was. Not for his looks or his job or really anything so surface level. He continued moving along and down his shoulders to under his shoulder blades. Only pausing when the man thanked him. He blinked a bit in confusion then giggled. "For massage or for liking you?" He asked a bit teasingly.

It was at least obvious that the soldier was relaxing. The knots became easier to work out. Though there were some that seemed would take more work than what he was able to provide at the moment. "Your knots are as stubborn as you are."

[Sebastian Arcturis]

Arguably, Sebastian didn't know what emotion pain was. Things were what they were and while they were depressing, he wasn't just convinced that was normal, it was all he knew. But he did understand physical pain, and as such, he appreciated the massage. The soldier shrugged faintly at the question. Either. Both. It didn't matter.

A soft groan escaped him at the pressure under his shoulder blades. It felt good at first, but quickly became uncomfortable and nearly painful. While he'd been almost entirely healed from a nearly fatal injury years ago, he experienced some residual tightness and difficulty breathing in his chest. It didn't help that where Ronan was apply pressure on his left side was right where part of the injury had been. Bastian didn't mention any of this or that it hurt, only took a slightly wheezing breath and steeled himself against it.

The soldier knew he could be stubborn. This moment was a case in point. Plenty of people told him he was stubborn. But he preferred to see it as a good thing. Commitment, rather than stubbornness.

[Ronan "Kitten" Lynch]

Ronan wasn't deaf to the unusual breath Sebastian took. It made him pause for a moment as he was worried he might have hurt him. Though that was a concept that seemed a little funny. Still, an 'Are you okay?' danced on his lips but he didn't ask. He had a feeling if he did the soldier wouldn't really tell him. Instead he moved from that spot and instead worked closer to the middle of his back between his shoulders.

Seeing as it at least seemed he was enjoying the massage before that particular moment. "Would you mind taking off your shirt?" Though it occurred to him how that question could be recived.

"I wanna make sure I don't hit any injuries I can see." He knew soldiers were bound to have scars and wounds that would cause a lot of pain if pressed against. If he could help it he'd rather avoid causing any pain or bad flashbacks by hitting something he shouldn't.

[Sebastian Arcturis]

He felt the man's hesitation, but did not provide any further information or noises, slowly easing back into the comfortable feeling. The suggestion he remove his shirt confused him in a similar manner to being asked to lay down. Ronan's explanation made more than enough sense, however. It also suggested he was quite observant. It was a bit late to entirely avoid his concerns, but Bastian shrugged, shifting to his elbow so he could tug his jacket over his head and then lift the tunic beneath up to bunch around his upper shoulders and neck. It was a little cold out and he didn't expect the guy to massages his arms, so hopefully that would do.

The soldier had a lot of smaller scars that crisscrossed his back and sides, along with a couple new bruises. At the spot that had caused him pain moments before, there wasn't anything particularly noticeable. The faintest bit of scarring from some sort of stab wound. There was another similar a few inches below it, long healed over now. There was a particularly nasty vertical slash along his spine that started on his lower back, and then what might have been claw and teeth marks from a large animal on his right shoulder and hip.

Bastian didn't suggest anywhere was of particular concern, however.

[Ronan "Kitten" Lynch]

There was a part of Ronan that wanted to straddle his lower back or the back of his thighs. Just to get a better vantage to what he was doing. Though he felt that would probably make the man uncomfortable so he ignored the idea. As Sebastian lifted up his shirt his dark eyes wandered over the injuries. Of course he was curious where they came from but he doubted the man would want to talk about them.

Instead Ronan lifted his hands to his mouth to blow warm air on them so they'd feel better touching bare skin. He was more cautious to move around the raised scars. Though he couldn't help the way his fingers traced curiously along the one down his spine. Still, every so often he'd lift his hands back to his mouth to warm them again before returning to his work. With the bruises he pulled out a salve from his bag that he'd been using himself.

"This should help the bruising clear up faster and numb the area a bit so they won't be as sore." He explained as he gently applied the salve to the bruises.

[Sebastian Arcturis]

Any straddling would have most certainly been one of the few things to make Bastian uncomfortable. Though not for the reasons the prostitute likely would have thought.

The captain was the epitome of not volunteering information. He often responded better to direct questions of honest interest, typically because he didn't have a problem sharing information once someone proved they were curious. But no, unless Ronan asked, he wasn't much for conversation. He noted the way the other man curiously traced various scars and for a moment, he almost considered sharing.

The captain's muscles twitched slightly at the salve, much different than the man's soft warm hands. He grunted again. "Do not touch me with that," he ordered, the word choice harsh enough that he didn't need any tone behind it. He had bad experience accepting medicine from strangers. While the gesture was appreciated, it was not welcome.