A/N: This one is uh, more mature? It's appropriate for the T rating. I think. There's no real man on man action so it should be fine.

"Some questions are better left unasked."

Sides

Emil tugged at the scarf around his neck with the greatest discomfort while he approached the redhead standing by the door of their room. They were spending another night at an inn together to get some rest before their journey began. And while he was supposed to have many other things on his mind, something specific was keeping Emil occupied.

He was sure Richter could give him answers, because he was a smart guy. Possibly the smartest guy Emil had ever met. But by the goddess of Martel, it was so hard to ask him a simple question!

The wind blew past the window, creating a creepy, howling sound. It sounded like ghosts had surrounded the building. That didn't make Emil any less nervous, but he knew at that point nothing would. Once he got the question out everything was going to get better.

Here goes nothing.

"Richter, do you have a moment?"

"Depends on what you need from me. If it's got something to do with my quest, you already know more than you should."

"No, it's actually about something else entirely."

Richter was about to reach for the doorknob, but lowered his arm. He was listening closely to Emil without looking at him.

"What is it?"

"When I first ran into Alice, Marta called her a sadist. I didn't know what that meant. Tenebrae said it's someone who enjoys hurting others, but whenever I use that word people are giving me these disapproving looks and I'm not sure why. Is there a hidden meaning to the word 'sadist'?"

With his arms crossed, Richter turned around. "You're asking me?"

Emil shrugged and smiled sheepishly. He didn't understand why it was such a big deal, but Richter's response hinted that there was more to the word than he knew of. It had to be something pretty bad.

Since Richter didn't answer, he probed a bit more. "Is it a forbidden word?"

The redhead sighed, running a hand through his long red hair. "I wouldn't say forbidden. Inappropriate is a better description for it."

"Inappropriate?" Emil's face flushed when he repeated what Richter said. Man, I thought I would feel much better once I asked the question, but now I'm even more embarrassed than before! What does he mean by inappropriate? Does he mean as in... sexual?

"Those who are labelled sadists take pleasure in the pain of others. It arouses them."

Emil's lips quivered before he pursed them together. He couldn't decide if he wanted to keep his mouth shut or ask Richter for a more telling explanation. It was odd how intrigued he was with the meaning of an indecent word.

"Are you a sadist, Richter?"

Richter cocked his brow. "What?"

When Emil realised he had blurted out the first thing on his mind, he clasped his hand over his mouth and turned away.

That isn't what I wanted to say! What has gotten into me? Am I a pervert?

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to ask that."

If looks could kill, Emil would've died from the way Richter glared at him. His blood ran cold when the redhead approached and he scampered backwards, but he soon found out that he couldn't go any further. Richter had him trapped like a mouse.

It didn't stop there. He kept coming closer. And closer. So close that there was next to no space between them. Emil's heart was pounding away like he was about to be killed. Richter's face was close, his stance firm and his arms against the wall. He had literally cornered Emil.

"Does it excite you?" His voice was raw. "Me acting like a sadist, would that excite you?"

The words got stuck in Emil's throat. Suddenly Richter was being so dangerous. So dominant. He was always like that, but not in the same way. Not like this. It brought forth something Emil couldn't describe, like it unleashed something inside him.

He shivered when Richter whispered to him.

"Would you like it if I hurt you?"

Yes... no... I don't know! What the hell is wrong with me? I guess I really am a pervert. And why is Richter acting this way, just to tease me? Is this all just a game?

"Stop, please." he begged weakly. "This is too much."

"For now, perhaps." Richter lowered his arms and stepped back. "But you shouldn't confuse one feeling with another. There may be a side of you that you didn't know existed and that's ok. It will come to light once you get out of your shell."

Emil's heart finally started to calm down. It still puzzled him how a question about the meaning of a word could lead to this awkward experience and he made a mental note to himself to think twice before asking Richter anything. Because he wasn't to only one with a darker side to him.

But looking on the bright side, at least he learned the real meaning behind the word "sadist". And he was sure he would not forget it.