After the night when Lukka had a breakdown, crying into his chest as he held the lithe teen, the blonde had become a lot less reserved towards him. Kreel could see it in the way the teen's expressions seemed more open and how he would spend more time within arms reach when they were alone together. At night the teen would turn to face him and rather than curling into a tight ball he let his limbs stretch out more comfortably. Hearing his breath even out as he fell into a more relaxed sleep had Kreel relaxing more as well. He wasn't sure what the catalyst for this change had been but he was thankful for it.

Especially in this instance.

A few days ago the teen had let out a frustrated huff at the comb he'd been given to care for his hair and on a whim Kreel had gently taken it from his hand and offered to comb it for him. To his surprise the teen had smiled and turned his back with a soft 'thank you.'

Now here he was again, comb in hand as the teen sat in front of him, legs crossed and humming so quietly Kreel almost couldn't pick out the melody. It was almost a ritual now, Lukka turning his back with a small smile as the man who was supposed to be his cruel master carefully ran the comb through his long hair.

Then, out of nowhere, something deep in his gut clenched and he felt a jolt of alarm down his spine.

Without thinking he dropped the comb behind him and grabbed the teen by the waist, hauling him into his lap and against his chest. There was a small squeak of surprise from the blonde but he didn't question it, only leaning back against the solid body behind him. Kreel wondered if he too had felt a jolt of something and recognized that danger was just around the corner.

Curling his hand in long tresses he pulled the teen's head back and pressed his lips to a slender neck, desperately trying not to notice how easily Lukka's body fit against his own.

A moment or two of silence passed and he was about to pull away, to apologize for the sudden rough treatment, when the door to their quarters opened. Lukka stiffened and he could feel the teen's quickened pulse through his lips.

Without looking up to see who it was he moved his hand under the fabric of the teen's top and nipped at the skin where shoulder and neck met. Lukka's breath hitched and he let out a small sound that would haunt Kreel's dreams for the next three weeks.

"Ahem." Letting out a low growl, practically in Lukka's ear, he turned to glower up at the servant in the doorway.

"What?" He said coldly, letting his hand tighten in Lukka's hair as he trailed the other one across the smooth skin of his abdomen.

"Ley'rk requires your presence." The man said with a huff, trying his best to look bored. But his eyes betrayed his interest. He went from glaring at Kreel to eying up the lithe teen, who was arched back and almost on display.

"Fine." In a move that was perfectly calculated he let go of Lukka's hair and with only one arm lifted the teen as if he weighted nothing. Rolling them slightly he lay the teen on the ground and loomed over him. "Stay right there." He growled, letting some of the pooling heat in his gut enter his voice.

Lukka's eyes were fever bright as his pale cheeks reddened endearingly. "Yes Master." The teen sounded nearly breathless and Kreel hoped it wasn't out of fear of him.

Getting up he turned to the door and stalked toward it, being sure to keep himself between Lukka and the servant. When he came close the man scrambled backward, though he tried to retain some of his dignity as he was stared down by the champion of the arena. "This better be good." He grumbled before turning to look back at Lukka.

The teen had remained on the floor where he'd left him, chest rising and falling evenly as his liquid blue eyes followed Kreel out. There was a slight nod from the teen before the door to their quarters closed, locking behind him.

Turning to the servant he stood a little taller. "Go on." He goaded.

The man gave him a glare but did as he was told, leading him to where the Majordomo would be waiting.

Laying on the floor of their quarters, where Gamemaster had left him, he tried to get his heartbeat under control as it thundered in his ears.

The sudden manhandling had been a surprise but he hadn't felt the tingling in the back of his neck that always seemed to come right before something bad happened. So he'd placed his trust in the man and let himself be pulled back into his embrace.

Thank the suns and stars he had.

The servant was one that Lukka had seen before. He handled the more delicate items in the store rooms, namely delicate fabrics, fine jewelry, and other such luxuries. The box of cosmetics and the comb he used had come from the stores that man was in charge of, as had most of Lukka's wardrobe. But that was not why Lukka knew of him. The man, Korvis, was well known amongst the slaves as someone who would take advantage of those who had less than attentive masters. He would coerce slaves into his bed by withholding items their masters wanted until the slave would comply.

But he had never approached Lukka. Especially not after what Gamemaster had done to the two mercenaries that had tried to hurt him.

Thinking about the other slave had Lukka's face heating again in embarrassment. The memory of firm lips pressed against his neck and a warm calloused hand caressing his skin making him feel far too warm, even on the cool floor of their quarters. The looming figure of the man above him should have filled him with dread, but instead all he could think about was how safe he'd felt when Gamemaster had stepped between him and Korvis.

As if he were using his scarred body as a shield.

Just thinking about the growled command he'd been given had the teen swallowing down a feeling he didn't want to put a name to. It burned in his core and made his legs feel weak… he supposed it was a good thing he had been ordered to stay where he was, he didn't think he could stand at the moment if he wanted to.

Laying there on the floor he wondered what the Majordomo could want from the Gamemaster. It wasn't often that the man was summoned by anyone besides their master, most of the staff being scared to death of him.

After long minutes of contemplation he decided to just close his eyes and take a little nap. There was nothing he could do until his master returned besides lay there, so he might as well get some rest.

As he fell into a light doze he swore he could feel something just beyond the border of consciousness. Something large and shadowed, cold and searching.

Something that was reaching out to him.

He pulled himself into a tiny ball inside his mind's eye, smaller and smaller as the hungry thing continued to search. Then, like a spark in the darkness, something caught its attention and the hungry cold thing disappeared from the edge of his senses.

He heard the hiss of the door and slowly came back to himself as the warm presence of his master entered. There was almost a hesitance to the man's steps as he stood near Lukka's feet, looking down at him silently. Opening his eyes he looked up at his master through long lashes and gave him a welcoming smile. "Welcome home, Master."

The man let out a heavy breath before he bent forward and held out a hand. Lukka took it and was lifted up from the ground easily. He forced himself not to pay attention to how the man's muscles strained, or how the hand was so much larger and warmer than his own.

"We have to talk." He said seriously as Lukka picked up his comb and set it on the low dining table.

"…yes Master." Sitting at the low table, shoulders back and hands demurely on his knees, he looked up into steely gray eyes.

Gamemaster sat across from him and Lukka knew that whatever had happened with the Majordomo was going to affect their relationship. He had no idea how he knew, he just felt it in his bones.

"There's going to be a party tomorrow night. Grakkus' wealthiest patrons are going to be there and we're expected to attend." Leaning down he lifted up a bundle of midnight blue fabric with what appeared to be silver jewelry bundled on top. "This was sent for you by the Majordomo." He pushed it across the table before putting his hand back on his thigh.

Lukka looked over the jewelry with a small frown. They were a higher grade than he was used to, the bright blue gemstones looking real rather than just being glass replicas. Standing he let the outfit unfold and his eyes widened in shock. Rather than the usual pants he was used to wearing this was nothing more than long strips of sheer fabric that were attached to a slender silver belt designed to hang low on the hips. He had the impression that walking was going to be a little difficult and running would be out of the question, unless he wanted to get tangled and trip. The top was a small vest the same blue as the loincloth and edged in silver. It was just large enough to cover his chest, but barely, and left his stomach entirely exposed.

"There's something else." The man said with a small grimace.

It had taken Lukka longer than usual to learn the man's tics, he was very good at concealing what he was feeling, but now that he knew what to look for he knew that Gamemaster was concerned.

"There's a couple of rumors going around that Grakkus isn't so sure about how much I like my new 'playmate.'" The man ran a hand over his short hair and let out a heavy sigh. "I'm going to have to mark you… we're going to have to be seen." Gray eyes bore into him and Lukka could almost swear he felt the man's conflicting emotions as if they were lodged into his own chest.

Setting the clothes down he walked around the table under the piercing gaze of the Gamemaster. Kneeling next to the larger man he reached out and placed a hand on his arm. "We do what we must." He said firmly, his own blue eyes conveying his determination and understanding.

The man moved, turning so they were facing one another properly. His eyes burned with an inner hunger as he slipped his hand up Lukka's arm, over his shoulder, and wrapped his fingers around the back of his neck. When the man pulled him forward Lukka went with the motion, trusting his instincts.

"You trust too easily." The man growled lowly.

Lukka closed his eyes as the space between them rapidly disappeared. He had expected the feeling of chapped lips against his own but instead there was pressure on his forehead and warm puffs of breath against his skin. When he opened his eyes he found himself staring into Gamemaster's dark gray eyes.

"We do what we must." He repeated Lukka's words as a crooked smirk crossed his face, almost as if he found some amusement in them. His expression dropped into something more serious. "Tell me 'no' and I'll stop."

Lukka's heart beat quickly in his chest. "Do it." He said almost breathlessly.

The man watched him for a moment longer before his fingers once again slipped up into Lukka's hair and closed into a loose fist. His head was pulled aside and he shivered as that warm breath caressed his neck. He was given a moment to prepare himself mentally before the man's lips were once again pressed against his skin. Only this time there was the sharp bite of teeth to accompany it.

Gamemaster's other arm snaked out and wrapped around his waist, fingers digging into his hip with an iron grip. It was just on the edge of painful and yet he still didn't feel the need to try and get away.

Lukka bit the inside of his cheek to keep from making any noise and after a few long minutes the man finally pulled away. "Try not to touch them, and don't use any bacta unless they start to feel feverish." His master released him, though his eyes never left the marks Lukka knew were now quite visible on his neck.

"Yes Master." He said, his voice coming out a little more roughly than he anticipated.

The man's pupils were dilated as he lifted his hand, as if wanting to reach out to touch. The next moment the hand had been snatched away and his master was on his feet, quickly striding toward the fresher. "Go fetch late meal." Came the almost callous command.

"Of course, Master. I'll return shortly." Getting to his feet he watched the man's broad back as he entered the fresher and the door closed behind him.

Lukka hesitated for a moment before curiosity overrode his usual caution and he silently stepped up to the fresher door, placing an ear against it. The sound of harsh breaths and a low groan of pleasure had him backing away from the door quickly, face red in embarrassment. He scurried over to the door of their quarters and took a moment to calm himself, to call upon his usual neutral mask.

With one last glance back at the fresher door, where his master had retreated, he reached up and pressed his fingers against the marks on his neck. The dull throb of pain sent a shiver down his spine and he let his hand drop to his side.

For now he would focus on just doing what he had been asked to do. Everything else… could come later.