Maera looked Finne up and down when they returned, wrinkling her nose at the sweat on Finne's body. She must have seen something on Finne's face, because her dismay vanished, replaced by a slightly pleased look when she addressed him. Aleci made to walk to the courtyard but she waved a hand for him to stay where he was. How forward of her, Aleci thought and decided he would wait to see what she did.

„May I suggest something?" she said, and the look on her face was a sly one, „Would you be amenable to your husband joined you in the bath? "

Finne's mouth was opened, he spluttered the next words, „What? "

„It occurred to me that a change in... setting would make the difference? "

Finne swallowed, glancing at Aleci, „I don't know how it would..." he trailed off, then muttered very softly„Are you sure?"

The older woman sighed deeply, patting Finne on the back, „If I thought it would a bad idea I wouldn't have suggested."

„I hope your confidence comes from the experience of success," said Finne, but he walked away from them, and to Aleci's confusion, away from the courtyard.

Now Maera looked at him and that look on her face he recognized. It was the look on his own mother wore when she hatched some sort of plan that involved much suffering on his part.

"I suggested that a bath would be appropriate," said Maera. "And I suggested that you join him." She looked amused at whatever expression she saw on Aleci's face, "I had thought about it while you two were away. Perhaps a change in scenery is what's needed."

"I don't see how," said Aleci, but his thoughts did jump to seeing Finne's body in the light of the bathhouse instead of their darkened bedroom.

"May I ask, Master Aleci, and forgive my forwardness, what precisely happened during your nights together?" said Maera.

He flushed, giving her a brief, stammering explanation, and she nodded, face unreadable.

"May I suggest something?" said Maera, and when he nodded for her to continue, she said, "Have you tried pleasuring him here?" she gestured downwards, "I have heard that this is not a common thing."

He was very certain that his face had gone several shades of red. Why did his father send for her? How on earth did Praefect Cimul even— no, he refused to think about it. "I… well... No."

"Perhaps you can have him riding you?" offered Maera, unabashedly, "It is enjoyable for both parties, I am told," she smirked.

Now he was sure why Praefect Cimul offered to send Maera over.

"I… will think about it," he said.

"Try something different," she insisted, suddenly serious. "You want him to reciprocate your affections, give him a different memory to associate the act to."

"Thank you for your words, Maera," he said, deciding to be diplomatic about the whole matter.

Were all the Imrukian women this forward?

"I will make sure the meal is kept warm." said Maera, "Now go before your wife loses his nerve."

Aleci half-smiled at her words, but doubted that it was true. Most likely, Finne would just grit his teeth through it, like he always did. Wait, that wasn't true because Finne seemed to truly enjoy throwing spears. Aleci frowned, stopping in his tracks and shrugged, coming to the only logical conclusion that his father had been truly bored on the way back to Alyssa.

The bathhouse was steaming when he entered, the fire lite with sweet smelling sandalwood. Finne looked up from the recessed tub at the center of the room. His cheeks was flushed from the heat, his face relaxed as he ran a soap bar up and down one arm. Aleci swallowed. In the light of the bathhouse, it was clear that Finne did not have the soft bodies of the hetairikos, he was all wiry, defined muscle. Aleci licked his suddenly dry lips.

"May I join you?" he said, walking towards the tub.

There was no frown from Finne, so he took as a good sign. Finne had taken off his clothes and folded them neatly to the side, and Aleci's clothes soon joined his. Finne scooted to the side as Aleci stepped in, the water sloshing over to the floor of the bathhouse. There were bottles of oil placed near the tub, and Aleci reached for one.

"Wait," he said, when Finne flinched away, struggling to explain his intentions, "I want to do something different. Please?"

The last word made Finne pause, but he kept that now recognizable, stiffness in his posture when Aleci moved towards him. "I'm going to rub this over your shoulders. A massage," said Aleci, slowing the words as he moved to sit behind Finne. It was probably a waste of oil, massaging someone inside a bath, but the pleased sigh Finne made when he rubbed Finne's oiled shoulders sent a pleasant jolt to the lower part of his body.

"Do you like it?" said Aleci, "Massaging?"

As a response, Finne reached back to direct his hands to a different part of his shoulders. Aleci smiled, now here was something he learned well from his failed training. The scent was almost the same as when he'd done it with— Aleci swallowed, and refused to wander along that path. Even now he could see the burning tent in his mind, and he gritted his teeth, deciding to focus on the present, and that was finding the knots in Finne's shoulders with his palms. There wasn't many of them, but he decided to continue anyway. It kept his mind away from the dream that was all too real. He continued for several moments until Finne pulled away, turning to look at him. He was breathing heavily, the pupils of his eyes, Aleci saw, was dilated. He glanced downward at Aleci's crotch and, if possible flushed harder.

"Do you want to?" said Aleci.

He saw Finne visibly swallow, one hand reaching the rim of the tub, clutching it in a white knuckled grip.

"Can I try something?" said Aleci, Maera's advice fresh on his mind, though he made certain banish the woman's image from his thoughts, "Come."

He could visibility see the tenseness in Finne's body when he reached towards him, he gave Aleci a puzzled look when Aleci lifted him out of the water to sit on the edge of the tub. All the other times Aleci had fucked him, Finne's cock was soft and limp, but now it was hard, clear fluid leaking from its head. Aleci bent his head and gave it a hesitant lick. And was summarily pushed back into water, Finne staring at him with a vaguely scandalized expression.

"Yes?" said Aleci, spluttering out water from his mouth, "Or no?"

Finne licked his lips, staring downwards, as if surprised by his body's reaction. "Yes?" he said, more confusion than question.

"Don't push me again." said Aleci, before moving his head between Finne's hesitantly, spread legs.

If he was being honest, he had not considered doing this simply because he didn't think of doing it. It wasn't something he asked of Emos, and the man had been perfunctory when he had done the act for Aleci, or when Aleci had reciprocated. But from the soft gaps and whimpers that came from Finne's mouth when he licked and sucked at his cock, well, that made him oddly pleased. He paused, pulling away to reach for the bottle of oil again and cover his fingers in it. Finne tensed visibly, staring at Aleci's fingers with trepidation.

"Let me try something. Relax," he repeated, gently parting Finne's legs with his other hand.

It was predictably, not understood. He thinks Finne made a half aborted attempt to close his legs, but kept them open out of obligation. The tenseness in his legs faded away, when he mouthed at Finne's cock.

"Aleci," Finne said, breathlessly, reaching down to grip his hair, "Oh."

That definitely interested his cock. Aleci paused momentarily in his ministrations, parting the soft folds under Finne's testicles, the ones that marked him as a carrier with his fingers. He could feel the hand in his hair tense again, but it relaxed when Aleci began sucking at Finne's cock in earnest, thrusting his fingers in and out of Finne.

"Aleci!" Finne gave a full body shudder.

There was wetness on his fingers now, not from the oil or the water, Aleci pulled his head, with some regret, away. He pulled himself out from the tub to sit next to Finne, who looked at him with, what he hoped was desire. At the very least it wasn't resignation. That was promising, he stared around, deciding on one corner with some cushions.

"Come?" he said, gesturing towards the corner.

He sat down first on the cushions, waiting for Finne, who gave him another hesitant look. He thinks Finne must understand what he wanted to do, but his wife hovered uncertain, in front of him. After a few moments, Finne folded his legs to sit, almost, but not quite, on Aleci's lap, giving Aleci's cock a hesitant look.

"Would you like to—" said Aleci, and a sudden mirth coming to him, "Ride me?"

Finne blinked at him, all wide-eyed before his face split into a grin. The corners of his eyes crinkled. "Yes."

"Whenever you're ready," Aleci said, even as he dearly wanted Finne to mount him, the sooner the better.

Finne bit his lips, reaching down to grip Aleci's cock. He looked amused at Aleci's gasp when he did so, but the amusement faded to concentration. Aleci moaned again when he felt his cock inside Finne, and closed his eyes, struggling to keep himself from gripping Finne's hips directing his wife to ride him. From Finne's soft moans as he fucked himself on Aleci's cock, that direction, perhaps, was not needed.

"Aleci," Finne half-whispered, and it truly had been a while since someone said Aleci's name that he couldn't control himself any longer.

He pulled Finne down towards him, capturing his lips in a kiss that was enthusiastically reciprocated.

"Finne," he said hoarsely, thrusting upwards, his orgasm taking him by surprise.

Finne made to get up from the position, his cock still hard and leaking.

"Wait," said Aleci, pulling him back. "Go on." he smiled, "Ride me."

He was certain Finne stayed, again, out of obligation, but he gave a soft, "Oh." of surprise when Aleci reached down to grip Finne's cock and stroke it.

Finne had closed his eyes, pressing both hands firmly on Aleci's chest, an unspoken request for Aleci to stay down. There was a look of surprise on his face when he came over Aleci's hands, as if he didn't expect to, and Aleci felt a surge of irritation that he would be so... surprised. But that could be remedied.

"Would you like to ride me again?" he offered, jokingly.

Finne stared at him, then laughed, shaking his head, before nodding. "Yes."

The food was stone cold when they made their way back to the courtyard, dressed in fresh clothes that someone had left outside the bathhouse for them. Maera looked pleased.

„I was right, wasn't I?"

„No." said Finne shortly.

„You're a clever liar."

She sounded smug, but it was well within her rights to be so. "Thank you, Maera," said Aleci.

"No need to thank me, Master Aleci," said Maera, and with such cheer he was taken aback. "One less miserable marriage is always a blessing."

There was a pot of tea and accompanying cups placed on their bedside table when Aleci and Finne entered. Finne made an appreciative noise, going to pour himself a cup, but he stopped himself, raising an eyebrow at Aleci and motioning towards a cup.

"No, thank you," said Aleci.

It was most likely Maera that placed it there, and the older woman probably meant for Finne to drink it. Whatever it was, it brought a contented smile to his lips. Aleci could smell lavender, and some sort of flower. So it was one of those women's brews. He picked up the book next to the teapot, careful not to jostle it. It wasn't one of his scrolls, he thought, frowning, it was a poetry book. One he owned, but he was certain this one was locked in his chest. Or perhaps his mind was failing him entirely and he did pick up this one. It was good, from what he remembered, the poet was one of the few he tolerated.

"Would you like me to read?" he asked.

Finne waved a hand for him to continue, and he opened a page at random, and immediately regretted the first words.

I say, dulcissime, give me a thousand, and then a hundred kisses

He had to mime the words, but he couldn't think of how to translate dulcissime. For the numbers he simply paused and held out his hands, ten fingers, multiple times, hoping that it conveyed the message even as it pained him to melt down the meaning.

"A thousand kisses?" said Finne, staring at the page, then at him, "Thousand?"

"Thousand," said Aleci, and at Finne's curious look, reached for the tablet, making ten marks on it. "Ten," he paused, wondering if the Imurkians used the same notation for multiplication, "Ten and ten is a hundred. One hundred and ten is a thousand." He stressed the later word, and Finne nodded seemingly satisfied.

There was an odd look on Finne's face, Aleci half wondered if it was mischief, before he asked him, "Kiss?"

"I already explained to you!" he exclaimed, then seeing Finne bite back a laugh, it dawned upon him, "You know the word, why are you asking me?"

"Give me a thousand kisses," recited Finne, looking at him and leaning forward.

Again Finne was flawless in his mimicry. But he shoved the thought aside, because he rather liked this side of Finne, and that smile at the corner of Finne's mouth was very fetching indeed. "Oh? You do want it?"

Finne responded by leaning towards him. He smelled like lavender and there was a lingering taste of honey on his lips. Aleci pulled him closer, pressing their bodies together. They fell back on the bed, Finne pinned underneath him. He was still kissing Finne, and he thought that it was appreciated, until Finne turned his head aside. His body had gone stiff and still against Aleci's, and Aleci winced, scrambling off him. There was a far away look in Finne's eyes, he was blinking rapidly, his breaths coming in hitches.

"Sorry. Sorry," said Aleci, holding up his hands.

There was no response, Finne pulled himself up to a sitting position, his knees to his chest. He closed his eyes, muttering something under his breath and after a few moments his eyes met Aleci's and then away. Like a cornered beast, Aleci thought, and struggled to find the right words to say. His gaze fell upon the book again, and at a lost of what to do or say, he gestured towards it.

"Should I read?"

"Yes," said Finne, his voice muffled in his arms.

"From where I left off?" said Aleci, deciding he'll give Finne the privacy to come closer whenever he wanted to.

then another thousand, and a millionth,

until we both lose the count

as no one surely will know then

how many we have shared.

When the poem ended there was no further questions from Finne, not even a curious one. The silence that fell between them was like a death shroud. Aleci swallowed harshly and forced himself to sound cheerful.

"Would you show me your alphabet, Finne?" he said, and at the direct question Finne glanced at him, "You know, the alphabet?"

He reached for the wax tablet, writing down each letter of his own alphabet on it. "What is the Imrukian alphabet?" he said, motioning for Finne to write his alphabet on the other side.

Finne stared at it, then picked up the stylus and began copying Aleci's letters.

"No," Aleci insisted, "I mean your alphabet." At the blank look he was given, he moved closer to Finne, the second tablet in hand, taking care to keep two hands' distance between them. "This is my alphabet," he gestured towards himself, "What is the Imrukian alphabet?"

Finne stared at the tablet, scratched away what he had written on the wax and began writing something on them. Aleci glanced at the tablet he had in his hand, the drawing of the little girl and her cats from last night still on its surface. It was quite hard to guess her age from the tablet's picture, she looked to be five or six, with a gap tooth smile and long curly hair. If she was Finne's sister he probably had the same auburn hair, possibly green eyes as well.

"Aleci?" said Finne, questioning, and he looked away from the picture to where FInne was holding out the tablet, now inscribed with oddly swirling script.

He hoped Finne had written the alphabet in the precise order. They had four less letters, though, looking at it, it seemed the Imrukians preferred to have their letters conjoined. At least it was not picture letters, like Ilos's people, then he truly be lost.

"How do you write your name, Finne?" said Aleci, writing down his beside his own alphabet.

Finne stared at the letters for a few moments, before writing down his own. Aleci stared at what he hoped was Finne's name for long minutes. The Imrukian script had an elegant symmetry to it, like flowing water. He took up his own and copied it, as best as he could. From the encouraging half-smile Finne gave him, it was a very poor attempt.

"Aleci?" he said, taking it as an encouraging sign anyway, "How do you write Aleci?"

The tablet was taken from Aleci and handed back a few moments later. It was a copy of Aleci's own attempt at 'Finne' on the other side.

"No," said Aleci, amused, "How do you—" he pointed to Finne, "write Aleci with your letters?" He motioned towards the Imrukian letters.

Finne scratched out the previous letters, writing a new word before handing it back to Aleci.

"Aleci," said Finne.

Aleci stared at the script, picking up his own stylus to attempt a copy. His attempt, when he handed to Finne earned him a headshake of disbelief.

"Is it that bad?' said Aleci, adding, "Not good?"

"Not good," agreed Finne nodding solemnly, then he smiled and whatever sternness he wanted to convey faded away.

Nonetheless, it was a nice look on him and while the raw, animalistic terror was gone, he didn't want to push further, "Do you want to sleep?" said Aleci.

"Yes," said Finne.

He placed the tablet on the side, blowing out the candles and made to sleep on his own side of the bed. He exhaled softly, surprised, when Finne moved to lie closer to him. Not to close, but within a hand's reach.

"Good night," Aleci said again.

There was no response from Finne. He was asleep, or more likely, pretending to be. Maybe Finne was preparing for another midnight talk with Maera, and a part of him wanted to stay awake for it. Then he decided against eavesdropping. What more could he learn from it that he couldn't attempt himself?