[G] [P] 734.11.19 | A Toast to New Discoveries

Ekshan's internal clock was well tuned after a lifetime of rising with the dawn. It was strong enough to override exhaustion or in this case too much to drink the night before, his clock didn't care about such things, it was time to get up no matter what. He was greeted to a new day by a throbbing ache in his head like no other, it felt as if his noggin had been a substitute drum for some harper, who had also happened to have taken up residence inside his skull. He didn't want to move for fear of causing more pain, but his father wasn't an understanding sort and laying in bed was laying in bed, even if there was a good reason for it.

He stretched gingerly then froze. This was not his bed! He knew his bed, he'd had the same one since as long as he could remember. That familiar lump beneath his left shoulder blade and the other beneath his right hip, they were missing. The sheets that brushed against his skin as he moved were softer and more luxurious than any fabric he'd ever felt before. He didn't even have sheets on his bed, just a couple worn blankets to keep out the chill. His pain filled head protested at being expected to work while in such a state, but Ekshan needed to remember what had happened last night and where the fuck he was.

He searched back through his mind, latching onto the first solid memory he came across like a drowning man to a rope. The hold, he'd gone to the main hold in the late afternoon. Tales of dragonriders having returned, that they weren't dead, but alive and had been hiding out down on the Southern Continent had been slowly circulating through all the small cotholds. Ekshan was not easily convinced, and he passed most of it off as too much wine and idle talk. But then he'd seen a pair passing over head on they way who knows where and was struck speechless in amazement and disbelief. His curiosity was inflamed, if dragonrider had returned that would change things, maybe even for the better. He'd never paid the stories about them much attention, but he did know that even the lowest born could be deemed worthy by a dragon and rise to heights that even a Lord Holder might envy. So he'd struck out for hold, hoping to learn more and find out more about what their plans were. His first thought was to find Yulieas, he worked in the gardens and Ekshan thought he may have been closer to whatever gossip was floating around.

Ekshan pressed a hand against his forehead as he walked back through his memories, piecing together his hazy thoughts into a clearer picture of his night. He hadn't found the red haired boy and had decided to check out the local watering hole, he hadn't any marks to buy a drink, but hoped he could do a little eaves dropping. He hadn't gone unnoticed and a well dressed holder made a friendly offer to buy him something to drink. His first instinct was to refuse, but need overrode common sense and he nodded acceptance instead. One drink had lead to another and as his inhibitions fell away like dying leaves from a tree in autumn as he managed to learn that dragons had indeed returned to Pen, not that they had ever left, though Telgar's lord had not given them a very welcoming reception. It was around there his recollections became a bizarre run of colors as if someone had reached in a hand and swirled them up into an indiscernible kaleidoscope of images and sensations.

Eskan huffed a soft, frustrated sigh, and shifted beneath the sheet that was drape haphazardly across his body. Damn it they soft! He stifled a startled gasp as he became all to aware of the fact that he was completely naked. He didn't sleep naked, the small cothold was usually too cold and he needed the warmth an extra layer provided. His heart pounded away in his chest, making his head throb even more. Ekshan tentatively slid a hand over the bed, fingers searching only to be jerked back when they encountered the warm flesh of someone else.

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!" He whispered the litany, unable to stop himself from vocalizing his distress. He'd bedded some unknown woman probably some unsatisfied holders wife or worse some holder's daughters. He couldn't remember a thing about her, but right now there were more important things to consider. Like getting the fuck out of there before he was discovered. With a sideways glance that revealed almost nothing in the nearly dark room Ekshan began to slip slowly toward the edge of the bed. He just had to get out, find his clothes and run very fast and hope the woman's memory was as poor as his own.

He was a surprisingly light sleeper – it made it easier to know when a jealous lover was about to make an appearance. The day would be ruined if it started out with a fist to his face and Gabrin was rather fond of the way it currently looked without a rearranging. So the moment a distressed voice was heard and the bed moved just the slightest as his lover of the night tried to escape, Gabrin woke but didn’t move or open his eyes. Unlike the pretty young lad he had picked up the previous night in the pub, he remembered everything and it would ruin the surprise if he acted too early.

His wife had decided to spend a few days back at the main Hold to visit her family, spending some time with siblings she pouted weren’t seen nearly often enough. Gabrin had let her go without complaint, having had his fill of her hormones being so out of whack from the second pregnancy. She was dreadfully dull and put quite the damper on his flirtatious ways as well. A night or two without her roaming the halls of their home were well-received though Gabrin played the dutiful husband properly and sent her off with well wishes and promises to join her in their quarters there soon enough.

His first night of freedom had found him at his favoured watering hole for a few drinks and possibly to make a new friend. Khoemi was fun to pick on but the quota had been reached for the month and the goal more than achieved not too long ago. The uptight man was currently free to brood on his own for a while without Gabrin’s attentions wandering to him too much. Since they married sisters, just the right amount of contact with Khoemi was given to keep their time together fresh in mind and Gabrin enjoyed that mind game far too much. Another dinner with the four of them would have to happen again soon!

His evening out had started to look bleak until the fresh face came in. The boy should have carried a sign to announce how naïve and vulnerable he was and Gabrin struck instantly. He only hesitated long enough to wonder if it would even be considered a challenge or game with how easy the boy looked but it was brushed aside due to boredom. Drink after drink had loosened the tongue and morals and Gabrin soon had a drunk man hooked on him and the idea of returning to his nearly-empty home. His staff wouldn’t dare say a word to his wife, especially since two of them sometimes warmed his bed as well, and Gabrin whisked his young lover into his bedroom and enjoyed the remainder of the night with what he had decided was a virgin – which only made the prize even sweeter.

Just as a foot reached the floor, Gabrin reached out to brush his fingers lightly down the man’s back. What was his name again? Esam? Eksand? It currently didn’t matter. “Leaving so soon, babe? And without a word as well. Where are your manners?”

Things were going well considering how tangled up his life was at that moment. He slow creeping toward the edge of the bed was nearing completion, a foot reaching toward the floor as he eased into an upright position. He hadn't realized leaving the bed would solve just one of his many problems. He couldn't very well exit the house and return home naked, but he'd deal with finding his clothes once he was free of the sheets. His head ache made even simply trying figure out how best to get out of bed a monumental task.

At last his foot found the floor as he was about to slip the other one free when warm fingers slid lightly across his back, producing shiver through Ekshan's body, whether in delight or fear was anyone's guess. The words that followed the touch were even more surprising, and Ekshan went rigid in response to the masculine voice, trying to make sense of just what that meant. His once fuzzy memories were jarred into embarrassing clarity, and he felt himself going red in response, not just a pink flush, but the red hot of shame. It was a shame born more of upbringing than actual regret. A life time of being taught that a certain behavior was wrong could not be shrugged away after just one night, at least not by Ekshan. The sudden revelation of something he didn't even realize existed within hims pushed him into action. It was more than his limited worldview could sustain.

Ekshan bolted, or he tried to but the sheets tangled rather than slipped away and he fell to the floor with a muffled thud and a grunt. "Fuck!" He snapped, struggling to free himself then jumping back to his feet. He spun about to face Gabrin, half fearing the man might try to jump him from behind, panting lightly as he stared wide eyed and wary at the other man. It took a moment before he recalled that he was still utterly naked, the cooler air of the room now that he'd left the warmth of the bed helping to clue him in.

Ekshan looked wildly about, snatching up a shirt and using it as a shield for his formerly private bits of anatomy. He gave Gabrin a dirty look as if it was all his fault and well it partly was. "Manners? You... You..." He sputtered while trying to form some coherent thought and frustrated by his inability to focus more on his thoughts than the man sprawled in front of him.

This boy was certainly amusing. Gabrin smirked as he watched frustration increase with each passing second. No doubt he would truly be easy enough to keep manipulated until boredom set in but the man had proved himself more than fun enough to put up with such tedium. “I… I…? I am devilishly handsome? Very true. I made you moan in at least three octaves last night? Also very true. I would be a rude host to let you leave without filling you –oh and breaking your fast as well? Extremely true.” Gabrin rolled onto his side and propped himself up by an elbow as he regarded the boy, waiting for the expected reaction of flailing.

Suddenly, he threw on a pout and flopped onto his back with a sigh. “I understand though. You want to leave me all alone while my wife is visiting family for several days more. I thought we had made quite the connection… Ekkie.” He still struggled to come up with the right name but Gabrin was confident he had half the name right if nothing else and turned it into a nickname like he did with Khoemi when he wanted to irritate the man. It made it sound more intimate and as if they actually had a bond. 

“But if you’d like to stay in a warm and comfortable bed a while longer, I’m sure we can come up with the perfect reason as to why you enjoyed a morning on your back. We can even come up with a story to tell your family, unless you’d prefer one of my servants goes to fetch your father and we can explain over breakfast in bed.” The one thing he had learned about his dear lover was that the boy was repressed in so many ways and feared his secrets being learned. It was a shame he had entrusted so much with Gabrin; a man who would enjoy using everything to his advantage.

Gabrin's words made the already red hue of his face deepen as he snapped his mouth shut. He wanted to deny the man's words, but his own memories were too clear on the subject to allow him such a luxury. His suggestion went to far and Eskan's embarrassment hardened enough to form a glare. "I'm not like you." He protested, still hanging onto the morals he'd been brought up with. He wasn't the same intoxicated man that had gone willingly along last night. His words lacked the venom he'd tried to force into them and the resulting tone was more question than statement.

He had a wife. Ekshan hadn't realized, but he'd never kept up with which holder married which. It had never affected him, well not until now anyway. It was too much information at once, even if he hadn't still been suffering from the affects of too much to drink and the nights he'd spent with Gabrin. He frowned at the nickname, sucking in an annoyed breath. "It's Ekshan." He muttered, not really expecting his words to make much of a difference. An annoying nickname was the least of his trouble at the moment.

Ekshan shifted uncomfortably as Gabrin began explaining how the rest of their morning could be spent. He ignored the little part of him that poked at him to give in, reminding him that despite his unwillingness to accept or believe it, he had enjoyed the previous night's activities. He would leave, the other man couldn't make him stay. He'd just go home and forget this every happened. Mention of his father though shattered that idea like crystal.

His father. Eskan stumbled backwards until the back of his legs came up against something, a chair, and he sat heavily. His head dropped down into his hands, elbows resting against his knees as the fight went out of him. Gabrin had him trapped and the other man knew it. The fleeting idea of exposing the other man first crossed his mind, but he quickly discarded it. No one would believe the word of a cotholder's son over the word of a married holder. And if his father found there was no telling what he'd do to him, and he didn't want to find out. Being the other man's new plaything was the price of his silence. "No, I don't want that." He lifted his head, resting his chin against his palms. "I'm not the first am I?" Gabrin was far to relaxed, to polished for Ekshan to have been the first he'd lured into his bed. He hated the man for taking control of him so easily, but part of him admired and envied his skill.

“Of course you aren’t the first. You won’t be the last either. Being married is so dreadfully boring,” Gabrin stretched an arm above him before settling it under his head, giving him a far more casual and relaxed pose. He wasn’t in the least bit worried about what Ekshan would do and no doubt the boy knew he couldn’t get away with anything anyway. He was some nobody that came seeking information about dragons from his father’s small slice of land. Anything he said negatively about a son of the High Reaches that married a daughter of Telgar would be ignored or earn him punishment for lying about a lordling. It made for the perfect playmate.

With his free hand, Gabrin patted the empty space beside him for the defeated man to take up his position once more beside him. “Now, come back to bed, Ekshan. We can go over all the ways in which you’re not like me and perhaps even find a few more things we do have in common along the way – like keeping secrets.” Really, it wouldn’t do to give up his game since it would ruin his fun with Ekshan, Khoemi, and anyone else that grabbed his eye. He could, however, easily lie if they were found out or Ekshan decided to run his mouth but the man seemed clever enough to piece that together on his own and Gabrin resisted the subtle dropping of hints like he had done before with bringing daddy dearest to town.

A long look was given to Ekshan as Gabrin considered his words to continue winning Ekshan over into full complicity. “I may also be convinced to help you with your father and come up with a proper excuse for you to explain both now and any times in the future.” In fact, he already had some ideas in mind but Gabrin held off on giving them away so freely. Ekshan had to earn such things.

He arched an eyebrow at the man's complaint about the boredom of marriage. He felt no sympathy for him, if he thought marriage was bad he should give living in a cothold a try. Besides didn't seem to have any trouble finding ways to alleviate his boredom. He pushed a hand up through his mop of hair, wincing as his fingers were caught by snarl and tugged sharply at his scalp. 

His gaze narrowed as Gabrin patted the space beside him, still resisting the offer despite knowing he was going to end up back there one way or another. He wasn't really in the position to refuse and part of him was curious over the other man's apparent interest in him. He'd already admitted that Ekshan was not the first and could have easily sent him off since once he'd had his way. Gabrin held the reins, but Ekshan was still wondering about how much freedom the man planned on giving him, would he keep him tightly reined or allow his new pet a bit of wiggle room. Ekshan's features were guarded at the mention of secrets, trying to fathom just what Gabrin was hinting at since he didn't seem the type to mention such a thing without a reason.

Ekshan weighed Gabrin's words, silently considering what he seemed to be offering or preparing to offer. He wasn't in a position to refuse and that Gabrin knew that as well. With some attempt at dignity he rose, still hanging onto the shirt he'd snatch up from the floor, Gabrin wasn't getting anymore from him until Ekshan knew how all this was going to play out. He completed his walk, sitting himself down on the bed somewhat closer to the edge than to Gabrin. Maybe he wasn't the first, but he wasn't going to be the easiest. "What sort of help did you have in mind." Lacing a bit of skepticism through his tone.

Gabrin gave a lazy smile as he watched Ekshan crumble slowly and finally sit on the bed. The man may have been somewhat naïve but he was clever all the same. It was obvious Ekshan sensed a trap, which it was, and he was approaching as cautiously as he could but it wouldn’t do him any good in the end and they both knew it. Their stations in life alone were enough to give the winning hand to Gabrin without even trying.

“The kind of help that will give you a room within this home, access to the main Hold and anywhere else I establish you at. Oh and your personal interests will be kept as safe as my own.” Gabrin grinned at Ekshan and snuck his hand out to dance fingers up the man’s arm for no other reason than to simply annoy him to fill in the gaps of his explanation. “For you see, I could be in need of a personal attendant of sorts. Someone to assist me in the mundane daily needs of this lifestyle while keeping my secrets.”

He stretched out again and once more patted the space a bit closer to him. Ekshan was stubborn but even in their short time conversing the night before, he had revealed quite a bit about himself and the desire to climb out of the mud and into soft linens would in the end be his downfall and make him Gabrin’s tool to use as he pleased. “Of course you’re currently wondering what the hidden catches are. Nothing more than sex when we’re both inclined to play, I assure you. Given your enthusiasm last night, I suspect you’re more than okay with that arrangement, especially since no one else needs to know that you prefer men instead of or as much as women.”

Ekshan was interested, very interested. Gabrin was offering him exactly what he'd coveted for most of his life. A way out of his families cramp little cothold and a life of working the soil day in and day out just to survive. He wasn't content with spending the rest of his days stuck at the bottom of the pile and the opportunity to advance was too good to pass up. Some may have balked at the price they'd have to pay for it, but Gabrin had chosen well. He tensed as Gabrin's finger's moved up his arm, such attentions were going to take some getting use to, but he wasn't stupid enough to let morality get in the way of furthering his position in life. Besides this was likely to be temporary, if his plans for becoming a candidate went as planned. And if they didn't he'd still be better off here than back home.

He turned his head, staring down at the space Gabrin patted before sliding a little closer. He colored at mention of his "enthusiasm" running his tongue over his lips before he spoke. "I'll be given a room and access to the Hold just for sex?" He asked, disbelief coloring his words, it seemed like a small price to pay. "What happens if you grow tired of me?"

He wasn't so naive as to think Gabrin's interest went beyond the physical, at least not yet, and having his new found status stripped away in a few months was not a desirable outcome. Ended up worse off than he was now was hardly worth the risk. He knew better than to think his father would let him return to the cothold.

Gabrin grinned as Ekshan continued to hold suspicions about the deal. He knew the man was clever and every doubt that he bravely put forward earned him a bit more respect and ensured continued interest from the often bored lordling. “Well, mostly sex. I suppose I should amend the bargain to say we fuck when we’re horny and you keep my secrets as if they were your own.” To accent his words, Gabrin slid his hand down Ekshan’s body to his groin to further entice and distract his clever friend. “My wife doesn’t need to know about our hobbies together just as she doesn’t need to know about the ones you’ll be helping me cover when the mood strikes me.”

His hand continued teasing Ekshan as Gabrin thought about what he would do to his adorable bedmate. “If I should grow tired of you,” he made sure to use the same terminology as Ekshan though he knew perfectly well the day would come when he became bored of the cotholder, “and assuming you don’t do anything to disgrace my name, I’ll find you a proper station elsewhere that we both agree with. I can be very kind, Ekkie, and want only the best for those that I favour.”

Suddenly stopping his ministrations, Gabrin slipped out of bed to pad nude to his window. The curtain was drawn back just the slightest so he could judge the time of day and what the weather was bringing. Pleased with the clear sky but not with how early it was, the curtain was set back in place and Gabrin sauntered back into bed, this time crawling right into Ekshan’s personal space and straddling the man’s lap.

“Later today we will ride to your old home to collect your belongings and tell your father that I have hired you into my staff. Since I am an heir of High Reaches and married to a daughter of Telgar, I don’t see him putting up any resistance, do you?” To test Ekshan’s resistance, however, Gabrin smirked as he informed Ekshan for the first time of all his titles he wore and pressed his mouth against his new friend’s as his hand slid back down between them. If he was going to spend the day out in the country, then he was going to start it out right by getting laid and making sure his new investment was sound.

He was a cautious man, growing up as he had he'd quickly learned how to look out for himself and his own interests. Logic trumped emotions and in a situation where emotions may have gotten the upper hand he maintained some semblance of self control. Gabrin was smart enough to offer him what he wanted most and he wasn't foolish enough to refuse in order to maintain some holdbred moral code. Yes he'd keep the man's secrets as if they were his own. Revealing them would lose him far more than he would gain.

Logical thought became a struggle as Gabrin's hand drifted lower, and Ekshan suspecting it was done to distract didn't make it any less distracting. He nodded, teeth clenched as he only half heard what Gabrin was saying, it was difficult to think when most of his blood was racing elsewhere.  He turned his head toward Gabrin as if trying to gauge the truth of his words. Kindness was a foreign concept. His father had a firm belief that kindness bred weakness and if you could not stand up to the cruelties of the world you had no business being part of it.

He sagged back when Gabrin suddenly left the bed and moved toward the window. He took a few deep breaths, attempting to clear his head as he watched the other man, not sure what he was up to, but glad he'd vacated his personal space. Unfortunately that did not last, and gave a surprised grunt as Gabrin straddled his lap his expression a mix of annoyance and uncertainty.

Ekshan stared, mouth falling slightly open as Garbin recited his pedigree. He'd known he as a young lordling, but not an heir to a hold such as High Reaches. No he didn't think his father would resist at all and the look on his father's and brother's faces would be priceless. His fantasy was cut short by Gabrin's mouth against his own and after a minor hesitation he returned the gesture with an inexperienced zeal. He wasn't entirely sure what he was getting himself into, but such opportunities did not present themselves very often if ever, and he wasn't so innocent as to let such an opportunity pass him by. "I suppose you will wish to begin lessons on what is required of personal attendant right away?" He said a bit breathless after pulling back enough to speak, something that may have been teasing coloring his tone. He knew he was going to have to hold Gabrin's interests long enough to make sure his own were accomplished.