A Good Servant Ch. 16

The big man fiddled with his fork.

"I'm going to change workplaces," John eventually said.

"Alright," Dion sat next to him. "Why is this bothering you?"

John buried his head in his palms briefly. "I'll be working the mines. I am at that age, I know, but I hoped they will just let me be a little more."

"Is that really hard work?" Dion questioned. "I'll work hard, too. I'll do everything around, so you can rest," he offered.

John caressed his lover's fiery strands and smiled. But Dion felt the man's smile never reaching his eyes.

"What are you talking about, baby? You're already doing everything," he kissed Dion's forehead briefly.

"Why are you so upset?"

John stopped for a second, like he was trying to find his words. "I'll see you less, that's all."

No, that's not all, Dion could swear. But he had to be patient to let John talk about it, in due time. He forced a smile, too, as he kissed John on the lips.

The man grabbed him suddenly, and there were plates and food flying everywhere. Dion grabbed at John's shoulders, as his lover started kissing him desperately. Their coupling was fast, rough, but Dion was not scared. He felt his big man needed him that way, in that very moment. As John lay there, his dampened forehead resting in the crook of Dion's neck, he caressed the man's short hair.

"Everything will be fine," he spoke softly, although he knew somehow his words sounded hollow.

~A Good Servant~

Lucas stood there, in the middle of the room, looking around. His own house felt strange, hostile. He chuckled bitterly. It had to be. It was a prison. Every step he had tried to take outside the home, he had been under close supervision for days now.

He sat at the small table in his living room. He leaned and stared at the seams in the old wood. A little thing he had brought to Drena from Aeria. It was far from being perfect, and many times, Lucas had looked at it, to find comfort in its imperfections. Now, his mind focused on a single seam and started following it. His thoughts were carefully gathered and focused, poured into the same river, following the seam.

There was no luxurious feeling, no victory. But there were ways to use prisons, and walls could be built to keep the world outside, not only to keep one inside.

*****

Author's Note:

Thank you, guys, so much for continuing to read. It took me a while to get this done, so I hope you will like it. This time, it's a short author's note, and I'll try to send some personal notes to people who have commented on the previous chapter. Right now, it has to be hay hitting time for me. Let me know your thoughts on everything. It means a lot to me to hear from all of you.