Chapter 11

A Strange New Feeling

He opened the door to their room with his key and entered first in case of danger. There was none. He nodded at Artemis. "Our room is as it should be." After Artemis entered, he locked the door. Their room was spacious, with two full size beds. Two people of their size could sleep comfortably in one of these beds, and the beds were decked out in down mattresses, pillows, and quilted blankets.

There were rugs surrounding the beds, and a small bathing room with toilet adjacent.

Entreri made use of the facilities, and for some reason he couldn't explain, he felt even stranger after doing so. He emerged, touching his cheek for the third time that day. A trace of stubble had presented itself, but what he really noticed was the sensation of half-numbness. "In the morning, we should find out what is in the blue bourbon." He ridded himself of his cape, his boots, and his weapon belt. The bed looked decadently inviting. He plopped on it, resting on his back. A sigh emerged.

"Ah...yes." Jarlaxle had to agree with that. He wasn't willing to sleep with Artemis impaired in some mysterious way. He did check the fireplace that had been thoughtfully lit in the room for them by the staff, throw on another split log, and take off his excess clothing. Nothing indicated he had to be on watch for external threats. It was more like he might need to administer medicine. He had no way of knowing what symptoms Artemis would manifest next.

Jarlaxle sat down on the side of his own fluffy bed, not the least bit enticed to lie down. He watched Artemis for a moment. The man's tanned skin was beautiful against the white bed. "How do you feel? What are your sensations?"

"Half-numb," Entreri admitted. "And vaguely floaty. Tired." And aroused, but he wasn't going to say that. "Apparently inclined to try sweet foods."

Jarlaxle chuckled. "Well...your drink could have been laced with a substance that increases its effects. Have you ever been drunk before?"

"No." Entreri's voice was sharp. "Perhaps a bit tipsy a few times. Never drunk. Too dangerous." He reached back and tugged the tie out of his hair. These weren't clothes to sleep in. Well, he could sleep in them. He'd slept in such clothes before. But there was no reason to force the issue in this case.

"I was drunk once," Jarlaxle said. "It is...different. The world seems different. Granted, I was not drunk on purpose. An older male was playing a dangerous prank. I did not die, though I could have, had I lost my senses enough to keep drinking. Instead, I survived long enough to be shoved into an arena with a half-orc and fight for my life. Luckily being drunk makes me unpredictable."

He thought about that statement. "More unpredictable."

Entreri laughed. He had to; it was just too perfect. "That must be a sight to see, then." He found himself deep in contemplation about the particulars of leather versus cotton weighed against comfort versus discomfort. He sighed, this time in irritation, and forced himself back to his feet. The room swayed gently. He paused until it stopped moving. "Lovely." He walked over to his bags, which had been brought up to the room for him, and picked through them. Locating a simple cotton robe, he proceeded to unbutton his shirt. Soon his hair was brushing against his bare shoulders.

Jarlaxle was stunned. His jaw dropped, and he felt his heart beating faster. He'd never stopped to watch Entreri dress or undress. Come to think of it Artemis always made sure he was busy with something else. He flicked his gaze away, but found himself looking at Entreri again in no time. The least I can do is... He took off his hat and slipped off his vest, then unbuckled his belt and let it fall to the floor. A sigh of relief escaped him. It had been a long time since he had stripped down from the waist up.

He rolled his shoulders and lay down on his back, still watching Artemis.

Entreri slipped off his pants as well and even his socks. The cool wooden floor felt good against his feet. He slipped on the navy robe and tied the belt around his waist, then returned to the bed. Flopping down made the room tilt faintly. "It's like being on a ship," he said, "except nothing's really moving." He ended up on his side, facing Jarlaxle, who he noted was now half-naked. "Is the night so warm?"

Jarlaxle shrugged. "Alcohol supposedly makes one colder. This room is fairly warm. The temperature in here is about the same as my headquarters in Bregan D'aerthe. If I were alone I would sleep in the nude. My weapons belt would be in the bed with me, but I would still be nude." He grinned. "Lying in bed without a scrap of clothing on is the most comfortable."

"If one has the finest sheets," Entreri quipped. "But of course you do." He felt awkward in that moment, for he noticed Jarlaxle's physique - slender and yet defined. He had no business assessing a partner in such a way. Certainly he'd never assessed a male in such a way.

Jarlaxle shifted and crossed his arms behind his head. "Of course I do." He squirmed. "These sheets are pretty nice, though." A wave of mischief overcame him. He unlaced his breeches and pulled them off. "Ah..." Jarlaxle didn't have to feign the sigh of pleasure. He'd forgotten how restrictive his breeches felt. "Much more comfortable." He was now lying in bed in his underwear in front of Artemis Entreri, his seemingly easily offended partner. Wise choice? No.

But no one ever said he was wise.

Entreri was actually unbothered by nudity, so he didn't react. Or, rather, he did react, but in an increasingly awkward way. The fireplace cast a warm glow upon ebony skin. Entreri had always thought it was strange that elves were hairless, and Jarlaxle most of all. Only a single white eyebrow was evident. He forced himself to look away and found himself running fingertips over the sheets. He could feel that they were soft, although his sense of touch was still impaired. The whole world seemed slightly muffled, really. My thoughts are dangerous and do betray me.

Jarlaxle smiled, bemused. He rested his head against his arm, shifting onto his side to face Artemis. "You seem..." He searched for the right word. "Distracted." That was the safest. "Compared to earlier, you have fallen silent. Not that you are normally talkative, but this is not the same kind of silence. You seem almost embarrassed."

Ah, gods. "Me?" Entreri quipped lightly. "Hardly." He saw an image of his hand passing over Jarlaxle's skin instead. Now I know I'm drunk.

He wondered but didn't have to ask if khal abbil ever sought sexual pleasure together. Of course they did.

Jarlaxle laughed. "I didn't mean to embarrass you more." He grinned widely, suddenly amused by the situation. "But that is a jest. In seriousness: do you wait until I've left the room to change clothes on purpose, or is that merely pragmatic timing? You have no reason to be self-conscious of your body. Admittedly, I come from a culture of vain, sexually permissive hedons, but not everything about that is bad. It seems in your world there are many rules surrounding sex. Who has it, and why, and what one's approach must be in order to ask someone else if they are interested in having it with oneself."

I'm flirting. But my efforts are weaker than usual, aren't they? Jarlaxle became conscious that he was testing the limits of Artemis' forebearance.

The offer hit Entreri with the force of a falling brick wall. He stared at Jarlaxle, undeniably aroused by the implied suggestion. I can't be. I shouldn't be. There's no way that I could - "Pragmatic timing. Bodies are bodies." It was all he could say. He was not and never had been an instigator. He didn't even know how to flirt. Sex came to him whenever it came; his only role in the process was to assess the one offering.

Jarlaxle slowly sat up. Artemis actually answered my question. He openly admired Artemis' beauty for a moment. The white bed and the warm light from the fireplace enchanced it. "As you say, then, your timing concerning your body is pragmatic. I prefer to live my life in such a way. The only difficulty I have in being pragmatic is the time it takes to assure myself of another person's safety; theirs and my own. I believe we are safe with each other, so I don't think there is any more time that needs to be taken with the initial assessment." He realized that in a roundabout way, Artemis was putting him on the spot.

He wants me to say it. He must. "I find you very attractive, and I respect and admire you. Thus, as I have explained...you are sexually pleasing to me." Jarlaxle paused. "We are alone, and have privacy. Those are human requirements for sexual activity, are they not? Is there anything else you would wish?"

Entreri could feel how wide his eyes were. He felt himself teetering on what could only be the edge of sanity. In the morning, I'll regret this. But his body burned with arousal. But could I not simply steal a kiss? It wouldn't be stealing, clearly. We will still be us in the morning. "No," he whispered. Privacy was enough.

Jarlaxle nodded. "Do you wish to make the first move? Is your comfort in touching, or being touched?" His heart was beating uncomfortably fast suddenly. Doing this with Artemis was not like engaging a stranger. There were interpersonal consequences. Artemis was complicated. He knew that this was not a good idea; he didn't have enough information to know how to avoid catastrophe. In lieu of superior knowledge, he had to hand over most of the control to Artemis. The man seemed fragile in this moment, wide-eyed and uncertain.

But he wanted Artemis very much. In the back of his mind Jarlaxle knew he had always wanted Artemis Entreri.

Little pinpricks of arousal mixed with nervousness; Entreri didn't really know how to answer the question. He sensed Jarlaxle was ultimately opening a conversation about control, but Entreri had never felt the need to be controlling in bed. He'd always picked his partners carefully enough to avoid feeling threatened, and when he felt safe enough, the issue of sexual control was moot with him. As for his preferences...

He felt heat in his cheeks again. In lieu of an answer, he simply waved Jarlaxle over to his bed.

Jarlaxle got up and sat down on Artemis' bed, close. Just sitting on Artemis' bed made him hard. He internally laughed at himself. Since when have I ever had such a strong reaction? His skin burned and tingled. He felt pleasantly exposed.

Entreri sat up. He felt his heart thudding in his chest, and he was halfway hard. Although he knew he wanted this, he was still nervous. He hadn't been nervous since the very first time he'd had sex. Despite not being an instigator, he was perfectly capable of kissing someone first; however, in this case, he felt oddly paralyzed. He wasn't sure if it were because Jarlaxle was his friend, because he was male, or simply because he was, well, Jarlaxle. "Go ahead," he murmured, not having any subtler way of indicating that Jarlaxle had permission to kiss him - or, at least, not in his current frame of mind.

Jarlaxle's eyes widened. He chanced sliding his eye patch to the side so he could see Artemis with both eyes. He didn't want to miss this. When he extended his hands to cup Artemis' face, he saw they were shaking. Good gods, take a deep breath. He did, in and then out, carefully. Swallowing, he finally touched Artemis' face with both hands and leaned in, his eyes falling most of the way closed. He touched their lips together gently. Artemis was warm. Finding no resistance, Jarlaxle mouthed slowly, drawing Artemis into a kiss.

Liquid fire seemed to seep through Entreri's body, settling in his groin. He had felt Jaralxle's hands tremble, which was somehow reassuring, and then the drow's soft lips were pressed against his own. He inhaled sharply, a quick gasp as the tide of arousal crashed into the way he'd unconsciously held his breath. Then his eyes closed fully, and he returned the mouthing. One hand found its way to Jarlaxle's bare upper warm, which he grasped lightly.

Jarlaxle moaned at Artemis' warm, callused hand gently squeezing his arm. He melted, lying down slowly on his side and bringing Artemis with him, sharing the goose down pillow as they continued to explore each other's lips. He stroked Artemis' cheek and felt light stubble rasp against his fingers like sand. He moaned again and shut his eyes, squeezing them tight against a shudder of arousal that shot through his stomach. His skin was hot.

Entreri let Jarlaxle guide him down. When Jarlaxle moaned, it released some of Entreri's uncertainty, and he moaned quietly as well. The feeling of Jarlaxle's hand against his cheek encouraged him to explore, and he ran his hand up Jarlaxle's arm, over his bare shoulder, and around to cup the back of his neck. By now he was fully hard, although his body had seemed intially sluggish. It's just a kiss. That grounded him somehow. He couldn't even form a mental picture of having sex with Jarlaxle. With any male.

Jarlaxle gasped and panted. Artemis' hand moving, then cupping the back of his neck, felt indescribably good. He hadn't known a hand could feel like that on his skin. "You're...beautiful," he said between kisses. Artemis' hand exploring him emboldened him. He slipped his arm around the assassin, tightening their bodies together. He stroked Artemis' back through the fabric of the robe. Somehow, with him almost nude and Artemis clothed, the experience was more meaningful.

Entreri had no idea what to make of the compliment, and he didn't even try to answer. Instead, he found himself distracted by the feeling of their erections pressing together, which made him harder. He slowly stroked his hand down Jarlaxle's bare back, following his spine and feeling his soft skin. Little moans escaped him as they kissed.

The sudden comprehension of Artemis' arousal pounded in Jarlaxle's head. Artemis' moans made the tips of Jarlaxle's ears burn, the hardness pressing against his own made the tip of his erection tingle, and the hot hand stroking his back caused a flood of wetness. His underwear was soaked through. "Hand feels good," Jarlaxle managed to get out. He whimpered and panted against Artemis' lips.

Without warning, Jarlaxle felt his self-control crumble, and he gave into his urge to slip his tongue into Artemis' mouth.

A sharp moan escaped Entreri. He met Jarlaxle's tongue with his own, caressing and savoring. Accepting the encouragement to touch, Entreri ran his hand over Jarlaxle's bottom, the contact with skin broken momentarily, and then down his thigh. Giving himself over to instinct, Entreri tugged Jarlaxle's thigh up and over his own, slipping his leg between Jarlaxle's in the process. The movement made their erections rub together through their clothing, and Entreri could feel himself getting wet.

Jarlaxle moaned loudly. Being willingly entwined with Artemis Entreri this way was like a meditation daydream. He'd had sexual daydreams before while meditating. This felt as good as his imagination. Their tongues caressed so perfectly that Jarlaxle found himself shaking. He wished he could untie his underwear and pull it off, but he didn't want to spoil the moment.

Entreri moaned in response to Jarlaxle's clear pleasure, feeling encased in a perfect moment. He slid his hand back up Jarlaxle's thigh, dipping his fingers under his underwear and cupping Jarlaxle's bottom, which he squeezed gently. For a moment, he could actually imagine doing so during sex, and that sent both a pulse of fear and a shot of arousal through him. He let the image drift away and began sucking on Jarlaxle's tongue.

That perfect hand cupping his bottom and then squeezing made Jarlaxle's heart skip a beat, and pleasure surge through him. He was unaccustomed to being this loud during sexual exploration, but he couldn't help it. A deep moan emerged from his chest. The next second, Artemis was sucking on his tongue. He shifted against Artemis involuntarily and wrapped both arms around the assassin, clinging. For a moment he wondered why. How he had the courage. But Artemis was bringing so much pleasure, and so tenderly.

Jarlaxle's feelings crashed through him, mixed up. He valued Artemis a great deal, respected the man even more than he had yesterday. Artemis had behaved uncertain and unknowing, but now was bringing pleasure to him with such skill that it seemed as though Artemis somehow knew his body already.

Holding Artemis wasn't enough. He stroked Artemis' cheeks with both hands, trailed fingertips down Artemis' neck.

Entreri shivered, goosebumps racing down his neck and arms at the gentle touches. Jarlaxle's moan drew an answering one from him, and he released Jarlaxle's tongue, only to slip his tongue into Jarlaxle's mouth in return. Jarlaxle's easy reception of his touches made him comfortable, emboldened. He rubbed and squeezed Jarlaxle's bottom in slow, methodical motions, flexing his fingers rhythmically. Then he realized he was pressing his hips into Jarlaxle's, and he shifted on purpose, feeling their erections rub together again. His underwear were getting wet.

"Mmm..." Jarlaxle sucked on Entreri's tongue, slowly savoring. He opened his eyes and looked at Artemis with blurry vision. Artemis increased the pleasure again, rubbing and squeezing his bottom and shifting their hips together. His back arched with a crack of arousal and his head snapped back. He lost his hold on Artemis' tongue and sobbed, a current of arousal confusing his coordination. "Artemis...yes. You..." He panted and stroked Artemis' cheek. "Skillful..." His mind was too clouded to verbalize his thoughts coherently.

Jarlaxle's obvious pleasure, his unexpected compliments, caused burning arousal to surge through Entreri. He'd never thought he was bad in bed, but he'd never had anyone say he was skillful, either. He didn't need further encouragement. He shifted and leaned in, kissing up Jarlaxle's throat. He began at his collar bone and worked upward, mouthing the graceful curve of the elf's neck.

The sharp arousal made Jarlaxle's hand go limp and fall away from Artemis' face, curling helplessly. He cried out, shaking and throbbing. Any words he tried to form came out as whimpers and moans. "Sensitive," he finally gasped out. The pleasure was so intense he accidentally reverted to Drow. "Bwael..." Good...

Artemis' lips working over his neck broke through another layer of Jarlaxle's self-control. His hips rocked gently against Artemis'.

Entreri's erection tingled with his need. Feeling Jarlaxle rock against him stole his breath momentarily, but the trembling and moaning spurred him on. His mind immediately translated Jarlaxle's word, although he didn't need it to understand its truth. He worked his way back down Jarlaxle's throat, nibbling and sucking. Although his hand had grown still, he squeezed gently again, encouraging Jarlaxle's hips.

Somehow, he had been swept away in the moment. He did not analyze how he'd felt safe enough to let that happen; he just let go.

Jarlaxle sobbed out, louder than he had been in his life, and rocked against Entreri, rubbing their erections together and adjusting until it was as pleasurable as possible. They were both wet. A surge of need cracked up his spine, and he clung to Artemis again, throat bared to Artemis' mouth. He was aroused beyond words. It wasn't that he wouldn't keep speaking. He couldn't remember how.

Entreri could feel his pulse pounding in his veins. He wished Jarlaxle were naked in that moment so he could rub his bottom more easily, but he wasn't about to interrupt their momentum. He found a spot about halfway down Jarlaxle's neck and sucked on it, licked it, mouthed it, moaning against the warm, wet skin. Jarlaxle's sobs seemed to reverberate in his body. He could've never imagined he could give Jarlaxle so much pleasure. He wasn't sure he'd ever given anyone this much pleasure, and they weren't even having intercourse. He squeezed Jarlaxle's bottom tighter, telegraphing his arousal and need.

"Oh," Jarlaxle burst out. He wasn't sure how he did it. For the first time in centuries, his eyes burned with unshed tears, but he didn't think it was a bad thing. He'd brought one of his human lovers to tears during a tryst, and she'd claimed it was pleasure. Moaning uncontrollably at Artemis' need, he sped up the rocking of his hips. If that didn't help, he'd reach between them and use his hand to give Artemis pleasure.

There wasn't anything he wouldn't do for Artemis in this moment.

Entreri moaned against Jarlaxle skin once more, his breathing coming in shallow, quick pants. He realized he needed Jarlaxle in his arms, but one arm was pinned by their position. In an instant, he decided everything would work better if they rolled over, and so he rolled Jarlaxle onto his back, pulling his hand out of his underwear as he did. He braced himself between Jarlaxle's thighs, giving him room to rock his hips, and wrapped his arms around him, cupping the back of his neck with one hand instead. He resumed sucking and nibbling on his neck, little moans escaping him as he did.

Jarlaxle found himself abruptly under Artemis, covered with Artemis' warm body. He was amazed at his reaction. Instead of reflexively feeling threatened, he was overwhelmed with a feeling of heat, as if Artemis' body heat soaked into his muscles and bones. He was being embraced, the back of his neck supported, and Artemis' mouth was at his throat, giving him pleasure. Jarlaxle reached out blindly and clung to Artemis' waist, his hands gripping Artemis' robe. His hips moved against Artemis', the angle just right.

He was underneath someone, and he was safe. That someone was Artemis Entreri, and they were both about to have a mindblowing orgasm. Jarlaxle could feel it building up in his body. He moaned uncontrollably, his eyes squeezing shut.

Entreri was leaking helplessly by this point. He could've never guessed that Jarlaxle's sounds of pleasure - pleasure brought by him - would make him so aroused. Even through their underwear, the contact was enough. In fact, he thought perhaps being clothed still was part of what made him feel safe enough to try this. Either way, he remained still, letting Jarlaxle choose the speed. He focused his efforts on Jarlaxle's neck, instead, lapping and sucking the sweet spot he'd discovered. He held Jarlaxle closely, even downright protectively. He wasn't sure where the instinct came from, and he didn't care. Jarlaxle's hands on his waist felt intimate. Even more intimate was the realization that he trusted Jarlaxle in this moment...with his body.

Jarlaxle moaned and pressed into Entreri, arching his back sharply off the bed. He realized Artemis had put him in control of how fast they rocked against each other and panted with every movement of his hips, aiming to bring Artemis as much pleasure as possible. His face was throbbing with heat.

Artemis' arms tightening around him, fitting their bodies together closely, burst some kind of unrealized barrier inside of Jarlaxle. From nowhere, unbidden, he needed to say the assassin's name. He couldn't hold it back. "Artemis...Artemis..." He wished he knew what he wanted to say, but all that would come out was that name. He sobbed through it. "Ar-tem-is..."

Jarlaxle felt the tears rolling down the sides of his face, tickling his ears. The pillow soaked them up. "Artemis..." Why does this feel so good? What is happening to me? To us? Is this happening to Artemis too?

He clung harder. His hips sped up without his permission. "The pleasure...is unlike..." His throat constricted, and Artemis hit just the right spot on his neck to rip a wailing moan out of him.

"Oh, gods." Entreri felt his body contract very suddenly. He'd felt the pressure building, but when he came, it was so sudden as to be unexpected. Jarlaxle's calling his name, his breathless and unfinished sentence, his wail, his erection rubbing against Entreri's own... It was all too much. He cried out against Jarlaxle's neck, feeling the flood unleashed in his underwear. He didn't often have sex or even masturbate, so he came for what seemed like an endless moment. He clutched Jarlaxle to him as he did, and then breathlessly kissed his neck when he finished.

The surprise of Artemis coming was like being kicked by a horse. More than anything else, being desperately held brought Jarlaxle over the edge. His body jerked, his back bowing, and then pure pleasure flowed through him, so pure that he felt like he was floating above himself. He only realized he was still inside himself when Artemis kissed his neck again. His body was as limp as if he had been drugged.

At the same time as he was physically exhausted, Jarlaxle felt giddy. A wide smile spread across his face. "Artemis Entreri..." His vision was oddly crisp, the way his senses always were after a climax, but everything had a special glow to it he'd never experienced before. Jarlaxle took in every detail of Artemis' face. The thick, dark eyelashes, the darker eyes, shining now, the way Artemis' hair framed his delicate face, fell over his forehead.

Warm...so warm. Jarlaxle's fingers somehow worked, closing around a handful of Artemis' robe. They promptly stopped responding. Jarlaxle chuckled at himself. "I can't seem to move...is this a good thing? Will you indulge me?"

Entreri made a small sound in the back of his throat and settled his entire weight upon Jarlaxle, feeling rather boneless. "Yes, if you'll indulge me." He really had no desire to move. He supposed he would after resting, given the mess they'd made, but for now, he felt more like he would go to sleep. He tucked his face against Jarlaxle's damp neck. Seeing Jarlaxle smile had a strange effect on him in this moment, but he filed it away. Jarlaxle was hot in his arms, but it was pleasant somehow. He felt limp and hazy, but it seemed to be a good thing.

Jarlaxle made a sound of pleasure in the back of his throat at Artemis settling on him. As soon as the assassin did that, he knew that was exactly what he wanted. "Indeed." He let his eyes drift shut. "Most agreeable."

Entreri sighed in straightforward contentment, although it was tinged with exhaustion. He preferred that Jarlaxle remain in his arms for now, although he wasn't sure why. In fact, he realized he'd prefer it if Jarlaxle remained in his bed, period. He'd never felt the need to stay close by someone after sex, so he had no idea why. The idea of being separate anytime soon was clearly disagreeable, however.

Jarlaxle nodded and let out a similar sigh. He was confused about his emotions. Typically, his emotions stayed at an even keel throughout sexual activities. Why had he been moved so? Artemis' body was so comfortable on top of him that he wanted to go to sleep like this. Surely foolishness. Artemis would reclaim this bed and sent him off to the other. It was useless to want to stay.

In the morning, I will probably have to face death threats before breakfast. Jarlaxle knew logically that everything had happened due to Artemis' consent, but the assassin was unlikely to feel the same after the effects of blue bourbon wore off. Artemis hated being impaired and Jarlaxle had to assume that meant the assassin disapproved of any decisions made while intoxicated.

He reached up and ran his hand down Artemis' back before he realized it was remarkable that he could move. But right now, we are sharing something special, aren't we? I think we are...

Jarlaxle attempted to resign himself to separating after they both recovered from their orgasms. Instead of calm pragmatism, the thought was met with discomfort. He felt unwilling, almost sick. Being held while Artemis kissed his neck flashed through his mind.

A powerful feeling of possessiveness lashed out in him. He'd felt something like it only twice before in his life, but he knew what it meant: He was not willing or able to give the subject of that feeling up without snapping himself in two.

He immediately launched into his persuasive mode. "This bed is large enough for two. We would both be comfortable, and stay warmer throughout the night."

"Um-hm," Entreri murmured. He yawned against Jarlaxle's neck. A long pause followed. "We should clean ourselves up first. I don't think we ruined the sheets, though. We'll know when we get up."

It seemed the perfect plan to him, so he was pleased that Jarlaxle apparently agreed.

Jarlaxle breathed in to speak and ended up yawning as well. "I would hardly go to sleep like this. A bath is necessary after the kind of activity we enjoyed." He felt warm again at the relief of Artemis' agreement.

They helped each other up once they could both move and headed to the bathroom, catching each other when they stumbled. There was a delay in preparing the bath because Jarlaxle insisted on a hot one, and hot water took time. But the ensuing bath was much more enjoyable, and they lingered for a while. Artemis almost fell asleep in the tub. Once that happened, Jarlaxle knew it was time to dry off and get back into bed.

The bed was unsoiled by their activities. Artemis dressed in fresh clothing, and Jarlaxle dressed in clean underwear and a loose red tunic. He was thinking about potential embarrassment in the morning.

Entreri flopped onto the mattress, lying on his side. He had always been more of a side sleeper. He held up an arm, indicating that Jarlaxle should join him. He didn't care how - face to face or spooned would both be fine. He'd let Jarlaxle make that choice.

Jarlaxle's eyes widened, and he smiled. There was no way he could resist snuggling in against Artemis. After a moment of trying both ways, he ended up face to face. The way he liked to sleep, his head ended up nestled against Artemis' chest. A soft, warm feeling spread through him, especially in his chest and stomach. He didn't think he'd ever felt this way before.

In record time he fell asleep.

Entreri wrapped his arm around Jarlaxle, accepting the unusual intimacy of the position, and settled in. He passed out only moments later, wondering how he would feel about all this in the morning.

For now, though, he felt oddly at peace.