"Do I really have to wear something so… revealing?"
Watching Titus squirm where he stands, plucking uncomfortably at the traditional tunic draping his form—or barely draping it, as per typical Heliohapt standards—makes the whole trip through the desert to get here worth it. Sphintus grins, a firm nod his response. "You absolutely have to. When in Laem—"
"But we're not in Laem," Titus protests, looking distressed at the very thought.
"It's an expression, Titus. Look, I could dress you up like one of my harem boys."
The expression that crosses over Titus's face is a mix of aghast and strangely aroused. Sphintus knows it well, judging by the flush of his cheeks and the deep furrow in his brow. "Wait. You have other—"
"And that was a joke. Come on, let me show you off."
That part is at least easy to do, even though Sphintus has to keep an eye on wandering hands and eyes from just about every member of his family. Titus is pretty, and Sphintus knows it. A chance to properly keep the other boy would be nice—but not now, not when the world is falling apart around them and they've only just barely escaped with their lives.
"I think," Titus says by the end of the night, looking happier than Sphintus can ever remember him when he's a little flushed from wine, his hair mussed by wind and heat, and his skin so prettily, starkly pale in the moonlight, just begging for a touch, "I could get used to living here. Even if you're a bunch of heathens."
It's a good compliment, coming from a stuck up little priss. "Yeah? Even though everyone looks like they want to eat you all the time?"
"… Sort of makes it better."
The sooner he adds Titus to his harem officially, the better.