It starts when Ethan opens his eyes to find a blue circle over his head on the headboard. He stares at it, grimacing. I'm With Spud. There's another on his doorknob, one on the coffee machine in the kitchen. A couple on the shower curtain, another on the light blue chair poolside. When Ethan dunks into the pool and opens his eyes, it's to find another sticker pressed against the bottom of the pool. He stares at it before surfacing with a sigh, shaking the water from his hair. A little trail showing where Spud has been so far today.

Dixie won't like it, Ethan's sure, but it's a little amusing. Spud is clearly excited to have stickers, and Ethan can only imagine what he's doing to the office with them. After a few hours spent at home, the curiosity eats at him and he orders his driver to take him to downtown Nashville. He exhales as soon as they arrive, knowing immediately what he's going to walk in on. There's a sticker on the glass door pane. There's another on the elevator, and one leading into the main offices. From there, it's random- a mug here, a picture frame there, even on one of the reception's phones. People are picking on random stickers pressed to their staplers, to their mousepads, anything and everything.

"Sticker-mania is running wild," he mumbles, turning down a hall where another sticker is now residing on a thermostat. He can only imagine how his aunt will feel about this when she finds out, a thread of worry easing through him when he turns another corner and... runs right into someone. He knows without looking that it's Spud, only Spud fitting against him so perfectly, so he reaches out and steadies him. "Hey, watch where you're going," he says teasingly.

Spud sputters and looks up before calming. "Oh, sir. Wha- why are you here? Is something wrong with Madam Dixie? I-"

Ethan shakes his head quickly. Despite everything she'd put poor Spud through, he still cares about her. "No, my aunt's fine. I just... wanted to see what you were up to around here." He looks from sticker to sticker and chuckles as Spud grimaces, still pressed against his chest. "It's an innovative color scheme, but I think people would prefer to be able to use their staplers without stickers gumming them up, you know?" He smiles, running his fingers through Spud's hair and feeling as he shivers against him.

"I suppose you're right," he sighs morosely, leaning into Ethan some more. "I suppose... I just thought perhaps if your aunt saw the stickers, she would remember that... I'm not all that bad, that maybe... she would find a use for me again. I can at least promote myself, sir."

"You can definitely do that, yes," Ethan says softly, hugging Spud. "But maybe not this way, hm? I don't want you getting into trouble with her. Or the others."

Spud's shoulders slump. "You're right, of course. I shouldn't ruin other people's things just because..." He pulls away from Ethan. "I should go clean up..."

But Ethan's hand rests on his arm, pulling him back. "Nah," he says quietly. "Just let them do it. They looked bored anyway, it'll probably be the most excitement they have all day." He hates the bummed look on Spud's face, aware of what his aunt's actions are doing to him, especially after everything he went through in prison. "Look, if you want to put stickers on stuff, do it to my stuff, alright?" He strokes Spud's face, waiting until the expected smile starts to twitch at his lips. "I won't mind at all."

"Really, sir?"

"Yeah." Leaning in, Ethan winks at him. "Because no matter what, I'm always with Spud too."

The hot blush that covers Spud's face in response makes all of this worth it, in spades.