Redemption [malexmale]

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

Ambrosius slept right through to the next day.

Whatever it was that Minerva had given him had worked, somehow. The moment he woke up, he was back to his usual stiff stubborn attitude and able to walk all on his own. He even made his own snack before he took it with him into my office to catch up on all the work he had missed previously.

I wasn't sure if he remembered anything that happened while he was out of it, because he didn't say anything. Either he didn't remember or he just really did not want to discuss it because he was embarrassed. I felt sorry for him, though. Two times he'd experienced drugs here, and both times, not even drugs could lift his spirit. Even when he had danced, there was a sorrow behind his movements.

It made me ache for him.

And it didn't help that every time I saw him, I remembered the way he moved when he danced. Like he was made of liquid music. So in tune with sound. And the way he pressed up against me, the heat of his body melting my defenses, the rich scent of him, sweat and sweetness mingled together into an intoxicating scent that I couldn't push out of mind.

Yeah, I was lost. I had only intended to make Ambrosius mine through body, not through soul. Now I longed to cradle what he hid beneath the mask his father had built for him.

If only he'd let me.

"Ambrosius, how do you feel?" I asked as I watched him suck salt off his fingertips with one hand, the other scribbling away at report that was already three pages in length. How could he possibly have that much to write? Was it all bad? Good? What could be good about our current situation?

"Fine." Was his curt reply. He didn't even look up. Kept his eyes on the page and moved faster. I was almost afraid he'd break the pen, or worse, my desk. I frowned a little, though, concerned that he was so engrossed in his work. He didn't speak about his mini-vacation, getting high, or anything. He just pretended it didn't happen.

"I was thinking maybe we could go into town this afternoon. Dev and Dania have scouted everything around it, but not the town itself, since a few days ago." I explained. Ambrosius still didn't look up. If anything, it looked like he was going out of his way to not look at me.

"Fine." He responded again. I said nothing. Just stood there and waited until he was done with his report before he stood up. I admired the way the clingy material of his baggy pants fell around his muscular legs, the way his cropped shirt rode up a bit further so I could drink in the sight of his taut muscles. I cleared my throat and averted my eyes before I caved into temptation.

"Grab your robes. I'll be out by the stables." I told him. He didn't give any indication that he heard me, just walked past me and out of the room. I sighed, frustrated. I walked out of the room, wondering why he was acting so stiff again, then jumped when I realized Dania was leaning against the doorframe outside my office.

"He's totally embarrassed." She stated, pushing off the doorframe. I gave her a curious stare.

"How do you know?" I asked. She scoffed as if it were obvious and gestured in the direction Ambrosius had disappeared to.

"You're a guy and you don't know the signs? You can tell when a man is embarrassed because he totally clams up. Girls? We have to let everyone know we're embarrassed. Flushed cheeks, sweaty, wailing about it for days. Guys? You guys lock it all up and pretend it didn't happen." She explained, and that made me frown. If Dania was right, and she usually was, it meant Ambrosius remembered what had happened. It hurt that he was embarrassed about it, though. It hadn't been his fault he was loopy. It was entirely Minerva's, and mine for letting the she-devil do such a thing.