Renly put on a brave face the next day, regardless of how awful he was feeling. He'd spent the rest of the night out on the balcony, drifting in and out of a fitful sleep. When he'd deemed it light enough, he'd got up, called for a bath and got dressed for the day. Loras had clearly gotten tired of waiting and left. He didn't blame him, he'd hardly been kind to him the night previously.

He was feeling tired from the lack of sleep and ill from spending all night in the cold, leaning against a wall. But he smiled at everyone he saw and silently hoped it was convincing. Amber was waiting for him by the time he got to the ship. The breeze was whipping her blonde hair behind her, it made her look both beautiful and serious at the same time.

'Good morning.' She said once he'd approached her. She raised one eyebrow at him as she looked him up and down. 'Sleepless night?' She asked with a smirk.

'Yes, but not in the way you're implying.' Renly told her flatly. Amber reset her expression and observed him for a moment.

'Why were you awake, then?'

'Let's not do this, Amber.' He pleaded with her. He didn't have the energy to discuss this now. She offered him a sympathetic smile. He noticed Lioness at her side, sitting in her basket. Lioness had now upgraded from her carry cage, she now had a wicker basket with a wire top. The basket was filled with cushions and blankets and Lioness seemed very pleased with herself about that.

'Is Lioness going to be alright on the ship?' Renly asked her.

'She'll be fine.' Amber assured him. 'She's not frightened of anything.'

'If you say so.' Renly said. 'Have you seen Loras?'

She narrowed her eyes at him in that way Lannisters do when they're onto something. In that moment Renly thought she looked just like Cersei, it was quite disconcerting.

'Why? Haven't you seen him?' Amber inquired.

'No, I haven't.'

'Why?'

'Amber, have you seen him or not?'

She gave him one last look over before she turned away. 'Yes, he's helping Tym with some luggage. They should be finished soon, I imagine. We ought to be leaving any minute.' She leant against the railings of the ship and said nothing more.

Renly watched Loras emerge from the hold, Tym trailing after him. He locked eyes with Renly for a brief moment, before he turned away. Renly knew it then, he'd upset him. He should have known, but he'd been hoping Loras could just forget about what he'd said to him. Instead, he watched Loras make a joke, seemingly at Tym's expense, as they stood on the other side of the deck.

'You should try and get some sleep.' Amber said suddenly, almost making him jump as he was so busy intently staring after his squire. 'You don't have to stay on deck.' Amber reminded him. Renly knew she was right. It was only a short journey, maybe three or four hours, but he'd been given private quarters below deck. He always would, he was the lord of Storm's End, of course he would.

'Maybe you're right.' He sighed. There was no point in watching Loras and Tym, he couldn't even hear what they were saying.

'Renly,' Amber started, after he'd started to walk away. He slowly turned back to her. 'do you want me to talk to him?'

'I'm not a child, Amber. I don't need you to sort out my problems for me.' He told her bitterly.

'So, do you want me to?'

'Yes, please.'

Amber smirked to herself as she watched her friend depart. She thought Renly would stop needing her after he'd become so close with Loras, but she'd since learnt that if anything, he needed her more now. She exchanged a look with Lioness, who seemed to shrug at her, before she settled down in her basket. Amber left her to it and wandered over to the other side of the ship, leaning against the railings beside Tym. He had his back to her, listening to Loras talk about some knight or other.

'Morning, Amber.' Loras said, mid-conversation without even pausing for breath. Tym abruptly turned around, almost leaping into the air in surprise when Amber flashed a smirk at him.

'My lady… I…'

'Tym.' She said, cutting off his awkward stuttering. He swallowed hard and just took a hasty step away from her. Loras shook his head at him.

'And what can I do for you, Amber?' Loras asked her, though his tone indicated that he knew full well what she wanted.

'Any particular reason you're upset with Renly today?' She asked casually. 'Or did you just feel like ignoring him?'

Tym gaped at him, seemingly unable to believe Loras would ever be so insolent as to just decide to ignore his lord like that. Loras bit back a smirk, knowing Tym had no idea as to the dynamic of their relationship.

'Why don't you ask him?' Loras replied. 'I was led to believe it was him who was upset with me.'

Amber sighed and brushed her hair out of her face. 'Loras, this is ridiculous. Just go and speak to him, please? I don't think you've done anything wrong.'

Loras watched her for a moment. The stubborn part of him wanted to wait it out, see how long it would take for Renly to come and apologise to him. But his heart was telling him to do what Amber told him to. He didn't want to stay angry at Renly, he wanted things back to the way had been. He was enjoying this new experience with him, he didn't want them to argue about it.

'Alright.' He agreed finally. Amber flashed a quick smile at him before she turned around again, going back across the desk to her cat. Loras sighed as he watched her. Tym stared at him with wide eyes, like he couldn't quite decide which question to ask first.

'Loras, could I ask-'

'Not now, Tym.' He told him, walking past him and going down below deck. He knew Tym would be wondering about this now, but he knew Tym wasn't exactly a threat. He could go on skirting around Tym's questions until Tym was knighted – which looked to be a very long way off. Tym would never work it out himself.

Below deck, Loras found Geminie, one of the servants Renly had decided to take with him to Tarth. She flashed a smile at Loras as she passed him.

'Gem,' Loras asked quickly, before she could leave. 'do you know where Renly is?'

Gem smirked at him. She had a lot more confidence around Loras, he'd noticed, probably because he was only a squire, she didn't really need to put on graces around him.

'And why would you need to know that, Loras?' She questioned innocently.

'I just… I need to speak with him.'

'Oh, do you?' Gem continued. 'Would that perchance be the same sort of conversation I interrupted last night?'

Loras felt himself blush at that and it took all his strength just to stare her down without looking away.

'Possibly.'

Gem grinned at him and nodded back down the corridor. 'He's in the room farthest down there.' Loras thanked her and started in that direction. 'Have fun, Loras!' She called after him. He didn't turn back, only prayed no one heard her.

He paused outside the end door. He couldn't place exactly why he was nervous, but he was. What if Renly had changed his mind? What if he didn't want to be with Loras like that now? What if that was the reason he was avoiding him?

Loras took a deep breath and told himself he was being ridiculous. Renly would never have let it get this far if he didn't want to. And, Loras reminded himself, he was the one that started it all off in the first place. He knocked on the door.

'Yes?'

'It's Loras… can I come in?'

'It's unlocked.' Renly answered, which Loras took to mean that he was allowed inside. He let himself in and let the door swing shut behind him. The room was just a small cabin, fitted with basic things; a bed, a basin… a mirror. But Loras knew full well that that would be classed as a necessity to Renly.

'Can we talk?' Loras asked him, struggling to even find the right words. Renly was sat on the edge of his bed. He nodded but said nothing.

'Um… so, I wanted to say that if I've done something to offend you or… anything else, that I'm really sorry.'

'It's nothing you've done.' Renly told him quietly. Loras felt like a weight had been lifted on hearing that, he'd been so panicked that Renly was mad at him for something he'd done. But he still sounded upset, so there must have been something else.

'So, what is it then? You've been acting really… differently.'

'It's nothing, really.'

Loras took a few steps forwards so he was directly in front of Renly. He took his hands in his own and just looked at him.

'It doesn't seem like nothing.'

Renly's eyes softened slightly as he looked back at Loras. 'It sounds ridiculous now.' He told him quietly.

'I'm sure it doesn't.'

'Alright.' Renly sighed, leaning back against the wall behind his bed, pulling Loras with him so he fitted next to him. He always managed to look so beautiful, but at the same time so masculine. He had no idea how Loras could possibly manage both, but he did.

'So…' Renly started slowly. 'you know about the Siege, don't you? That happened at Storm's End when Robert was fighting in the rebellion?' Loras nodded mutely, though he looked somewhat awkward now. 'I used to have these nightmares about it, remembering things… and they were horrible nightmares. I'd supposed I just grew out of them because I stopped having them a few months after Amber arrived. But then last night…'

'You had another nightmare.' Loras finished the sentence for him. Renly could only nod in response. 'I understand.' Loras told him. 'It must have been terrible to see it all again and then, well, you wake up and I'm there. A Tyrell. Probably the last person you'd want to see.'

Renly couldn't speak for a moment. Loras was right, essentially, that was why he was feeling so guilty about it. He knew Loras had nothing to with what had happened to him, he was barely even born then.

'Loras, I always want to see you.' Renly told him honestly, twirling one of Loras' curls through his fingers. 'I was just alarmed at having that same nightmare again. It's not your fault, at all. I was thinking all kinds of ridiculous things, that the gods were punishing me… I needed a while to collect my thoughts. That's all.'

'The gods are not punishing you.' Loras told him surely, nothing but belief behind his voice.

'It feels that way sometimes.' Renly admitted. Loras shook his head at him. He moved himself over to sit on Renly's lap, his hands weaving around his neck.

'Why would the gods be punishing you?' Loras asked him calmly.

'Because… well, because of what we do.'

'Why would they punish you for that?'

'Well, aren't we all supposed to be made in the images of them? The Mother and the Father are the examples we're supposed to follow, aren't they?'

Loras rolled his eyes at him. 'Maybe that's what you've been taught. Do you know what they teach us in Highgarden?' Renly shook his head slowly. How could they be taught something different? Rules were rules, weren't they?

'They teach us that the gods love unisons. They love weddings and they love… well, they love love. We've never been taught in a way that makes any reference to gender.'

'You've not?'

'No. Never.' Loras assured him. 'That's the thing about Tyrells, you're always saying we make it our business to know everyone else's? Well, if we do, then nothing's a shock anymore. This kind of behaviour is far more accepted back home. Why do you think my grandmother was willing to let you have that tower to yourself? She's heard far more abnormal things than this.'

'Really?'

'Really.' Loras told him with a smile. 'So you've no need to be worried about that.' He placed a very soft kiss against Renly's lips to illustrate his point.

'So… if the gods really have no problem with it, I can do this?' Renly asked him, wearing a cheeky smile. He pressed a gentle bite under Loras' jaw.

'Yes.' Loras agreed, his voice hushed because he couldn't quite force out words.

'And this?' He trailed a line of nips and kisses down Loras' neck, and bit down a little harder when he reached the groove where his neck met his shoulder.

'Hmm, yes.' Loras answered, or at least he tried to.

'But what about this?' Renly continued, raising his head to pull Loras into a kiss. Loras felt Renly's tongue run along his bottom lip, and he couldn't help but let out a moan as Renly moved his tongue against his own. Loras hadn't even realised it, but his hands were grasping at Renly's hair like he could never let go. He felt Renly's hands on his hips, almost roughly pulling him closer. But Loras didn't mind if it was a little rough as he felt his hips collide with Renly's. He suspected this might have actually been painful under any other circumstance. He felt Renly end the kiss, gently resting their foreheads together.

'Gods, yes, you can definitely do that.' Loras told him breathlessly. Renly just smirked at him in response.

'This?' Renly continued. Loras felt his hands drop from his hips to grip his ass.

'Gods… yes.'

'Are you agreeing with me or is that all you can say now?' Renly teased, tightening his grip slightly as he watched Loras bite down on his bottom lip. Renly ducked his head down place a slightly harder bite to the underside of Loras' jaw.

'Yes…' Loras murmured, which only brought a smirk to Renly's face. He could feel Loras' fingers digging into the back of his neck, but he didn't mind. Renly was quite enjoying sending Loras to pieces like this. He bit Loras' neck again, sucking the piece of skin he'd found. He felt one of Loras' hands in his hair, almost painfully gripping at it. He pulled away from Loras' neck, the action making one of the most arousing noises Renly thought possible, though he'd never be able to actually process why. Loras rolled his hips, seemingly without a conscious thought, pressing their clothed erections together. Renly bit back a groan when he felt it.

Loras pulled him into a breathless kiss, as neither of them could really catch their breath, anyway. He pressed himself against Renly again, this time on purpose, making Renly moan against his mouth. Renly broke away from the kiss, unable to concentrate on that anymore, as he dropped his head against the wall behind him. Loras took the opportunity of his exposed neck to press an open mouthed kiss over that bump on the front of his neck. He watched it go up then back down as Renly's swallowed. He caught it in his mouth again, sucking at it this time, running his tongue over it. He heard Renly groan at that, the vibrations running down his neck. Renly grabbed his ass again, kneading slightly and making Loras moan against his neck.

'Loras,' Renly moaned his name. 'Loras, where did you learn to do that?'

'Do you care where I learnt it?'

'Not right now, no.'

Loras just laughed at him, raising his head again to press a quick kiss against Renly's lips.

'And I didn't learn it,' Loras told him quietly. 'I just wanted to.'

'That's even better.' Renly answered with a grin, initiating another deep kiss. Loras could feel Renly's erection against his own, it didn't even take much to move them together now. But Loras wanted to do what Renly had done to him the night before. He rocked against him again, an even louder moan escaping Renly's throat. Loras had no doubt that if someone was in that corridor outside, they'd be able to hear, but in that moment he couldn't have cared less. Loras shifted his hands off the back of Renly's neck, dragging them down his chest, then further to start to undo his laces. Loras broke the kiss, realising it was slightly more difficult undoing someone else breeches than his own. He slipped his hand inside once the laces were undone, wrapping his hand around Renly's cock. He was nervous about doing this, he'd obviously never done it to someone else before, but he just tried to replicate what Renly had done to him. He told himself to just do whatever felt right. He started slowly, building up pressure with every stroke. He heard Renly supress a moan, biting his lip to try and muffle the sound. Loras increased his speed a bit, applying a little more pressure as he did. This time Renly couldn't keep biting his lip, and a groan escaped him.

'Loras…' he started, but his voice trailed off into a moan. 'you don't… ah, you don't need to…' But his voice told Loras he may not need to, but Renly definitely wanted him to.

'I wanted to touch you.' Loras told him. Renly couldn't help it after hearing that statement, he couldn't stop his hips jerking up slightly, into Loras' hand.

'Well, if you really wanted to…' Renly answered him as best he could. He forced his brain to engage, as he moved his hands around Loras' hips to undo his breeches, as well. He pulled Loras forwards, wrapping his hand around both their erections, as Loras seemed to forget how to even use his hand anymore. Loras let out a groan as he let his head fall against Renly's shoulder. The sensation of Renly's cock rubbing against his own was too much, he couldn't even find the strength to stay upright. He couldn't still his hips, though, they seemed to run on their own devices.

'Gods, yes!' Loras hissed against Renly's neck, as he felt Renly tighten his grip, increasing the pressure brilliantly.

'I think they heard you the first time.' Renly told him quietly, his voice strained. Loras smirked at that, but didn't have enough energy to actually laugh. Renly's hand moved a little faster, but with no less pressure, forcing another moan out of Loras. He could feel that coil in the pit of his stomach, as he let his hips match pace with Renly's hand. He heard Renly groan, before he felt him spill, the heat spreading over his own cock, which aroused Loras more than he'd care to admit. He thrust into Renly's hand a few more times before he followed him over the edge, unable to keep back Renly's name from escaping his lips.

Neither of them moved or spoke for a few minutes, and the only sound in the room was them gasping for breath. Eventually, Loras shifted off him, grabbing a washcloth from the bedside table. He slowly cleaned them both up, as it felt like his limbs were only capable of moving so fast. He laced up his breeches again, taking considerably longer than Renly did to lace his back up. He couldn't help it, it felt like every movement he made had to be slowed down.

He sat at the foot of Renly's bed, leaning against the wooden wall, as he watched Renly stretch out and lie down, looking as flawless as usual.

'Tym says Lord Selwyn has a daughter.' Loras said, breaking the silence. He thought it had been allowed to continue for too long. 'Do you think he's going to try to marry her off to you?'

'Probably.' Renly told him honestly. He sighed and stretched out a little more. 'He's not likely to have any success.'

'Tym says she's…' Loras let his sentence fall, hoping Renly would know what he was trying to say. The words Tym had actually used sounded too cruel, and Loras couldn't believe that Lord Selwyn's daughter could really be that unsightly. But Renly just looked at him blankly. 'She's… she's not physically attractive.' Loras said carefully.

'Isn't she?' Renly asked casually. Loras just shrugged. 'Well, we'll see, I suppose. I don't really think it's going to make a difference to me, is it? She could be Alysanne born again and I wouldn't care.'

'That's only what Tym told me, I don't know how he knows.'

'It doesn't matter either way.' Renly said. 'Oh, and tell Tym to stop gossiping like that. It's unkind.'

'I'm sure he didn't mean to be cruel…'

'I know, but it might not sound that way if someone hears him.'

'I think Amber should tell him. He's frightened of her.'

Renly smirked at that. 'He ought to be. Amber can be formidable when she wants to be.' Loras could only agree with that. He didn't even blame Tym for being afraid of her, he'd been scared of her when they first met, too.

'I'm tired of talking.' Renly sighed. 'Come lie down with me?'

Loras could never have declined him. He couldn't keep a smile back on being asked that as he shifted himself over on the bed to lie down next to Renly. It was only a small bed, but Loras didn't mind being that close to him. If anything, he was thankful for it. He fitted himself against Renly's chest and he felt Renly draw his arm around him. He didn't say anything else after that, he knew Renly would be tired after staying outside most of the night previously, so he stayed quiet and let Renly sleep. He was happy just to lie there with him.