This was originally longer, but when I went to save Word crashed...so yeah, it's a drabble. It's a GD drabble...watch out for a little anti-sex worker language? It's only in the first line. Not a word I like much.
The first time Anders saw Jethann he was exactly how he would expect a whore to look. Red lips and a painted face. The perfume on his skin was strong, and his body bore marks of the person who'd handled him before Anders.
There was more to him than met the eye, though. He was all sharp edges, hipbones that jutted out too far and wrists that Anders could circle with him thumb and forefinger. He had more than one smile- the one for clients and the one that made his face light up. When Anders slipped his fingers through his hair it was thick and soft with or without the lotions and conditioners he used on it.
He was funny, too. Not that Anders didn't think he would be. He healed a lot of prostitutes and had grown to understand that humor was a way to cope. He was kind, too, even though he'd never admit it. He liked to feed the cats behind the Rose and was always there for one of the girls if they needed him. And he was undereducated and hated himself and had a past bad enough to rival Anders' own, even if he didn't talk about it much.
As Anders watched Jethann sleep, makeup smeared around his eyes, he realized he was in love.
"He's a big strong man," purred Adriano, smirking.
Jethann snorted. "Half the guys who come here are big strong men. Templars, guardsmen, the like. He's not that big of a deal." He leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms.
"Even though he spends two sovereigns on you once a week?" said Serendipity, her smirk carved into her face.
"Sometimes twice," chimed in Sabina.
Jethann could feel his face heating up. "Ever consider that I might be an extremely skilled prostitute? You ladies have never experienced the joy of one of my blowjobs."
"I have," said Serendipity. "They're not that amazing."
"No one's comes that often," added Adriano.
"The Seneschal does," said Jethann, resting his chin on his hand.
"And he tells me how much he loves me as he strokes my hair," said Serendipity with a pointed grin. "You're not really helping yourself."
Jethann was, for once, at a loss for words. Something in his face must have given him away, because Serendipity reached over to pat him on the hand and say, "It's not so bad, caring about someone. It's not as awful as you think."
"I've never done it before," he said quietly. "Not for a very long time."
"Maybe it's about time that changed."
"You're ridiculous. That's the corniest thing I've ever heard."
On the other hand, he was beginning to believe it was true.