A/N: Where the author is secretly the biggest sap in the world. I feel like I'm drowning in fluff, it's not a bad death really but it will be a tough change when I wake up in fluff-less hell.

But to make up for weird randomness, this is actually the longest chapter I've ever written, even if only by a few words. (And it would even be longer hadn't I closed the document accidently in the middle without saving it :/)

„Baby you really know how to destroy a romantic moment." Mathias said with a grin and poked my cheek, he got up nevertheless though. "Shut up." I muttered and looked away. Suddenly I had become very self-conscious, I still wore that ridiculous pair of stockings and I had just given my lover a hearty ride. It was kind of ironic actually that I had never done this in the brothel where things like that were expected. Still I didn't regret it for one second, even though I found I a bit hard at the moment to look Mathias in the eye.

Mathias chuckled only and threw his arms around me, pecking me on my cheek where only moments before his finger had tried to poke a hole in me. I almost envied him for his ability to stay confident no matter how embarrassing the situation. I knew that there was nothing to be ashamed of, Mathias had showed me clearly that he more than enjoyed it but I couldn't help but feel insecure about my openness. For all I knew he could have outright laughed at the sight of me wearing woman's clothes.

"Hey look at me." Mathias gently took my chin in his hand and forced me to meet his eyes. "You were amazing and I couldn't be more lucky than to have you as my lover. So don't hide from me." Mathias eyes were warm and full of love and when he kissed me on the forehead I could feel a flutter in my belly. "And even if we stuck together I would carry you wherever you want to." He added with a mischievous smirk and I smacked him on the head. "You better do." I grumbled but I held his gaze this time and even smiled back a bit.

"But really you should do this more often." Mathias grinned and slid his hand over my still stocking covered thigh. "I'm afraid if you don't take that off very soon I will have no other choice but to fuck you again." I could feel Mathias' breath tickling my ear as his words sent a hot shudder down my spine. I almost would have taken him up on his offer but I knew that tomorrow would be a long day for both of us. Besides I preferred it to be able to walk the next day.

I slid down the black fabric with a sigh, I doubted that Hannah or whoever Francis got them from would want them back now that they were soaked with my sweat, so I could as well keep them. I got up to pick up the scandalous pair of panties and stuffed them in my bag. I couldn't risk Emil finding them. Or anyone else for that matter.

"We can have sex tomorrow again, but now I am tired and I know that you are too, don't even try to deny it. Come on tomorrow will be a long day so better get to bed soon." I pulled Mathias up and dragged him into the bathroom where I had to lean against the counter for a moment. My legs felt weak, almost as if someone had drained all the strength out of them. Riding a cock sure was hard work.

Mathias yawned as he stepped over to the bowl of water on the counter, now that the rush of orgasm was gone we both could feel the exhaustion. It was too much work to take a bath every time so we had settled for the bowl of water to get clean. "Sit down, I'll take care of you." Mathias said with a smile as he tugged a strand of hair back behind my ear. I let him help me to sit down on the rim of the bathtub and watched him as he dumped the washcloth in the water. It was a good thing too, I doubted that I would have had much success with cleaning myself with the groggy state I was currently in.

"I would have never thought that you would do something like that." Mathias said and playfully poked my cheek, only to slap the wet cloth on my unprepared back. I winced as the cold cloth touched my skin but I grit my teeth and endured it as Mathias cleaned my body from every trace of cum and sweat. "I wanted to do something for you after you took care of me the last few days. And since you wouldn't let me do anything I decided to take matters in my own hand." It felt weird to talk about it like that, it had been easier with Francis who had this air around him that made the kinkiest sex feel like the most natural thing in the world. But then again I had seduced Mathias in a field in the middle of nowhere, there was really nothing to be ashamed of anymore.

"Oh Lukas, I did that because I wanted to. You don't have to do anything in return for me. Please don't ever think like that." To enhance his words Mathias placed a gentle kiss on the spot where just recently he had tried to poke a hole in my cheek. My lips formed into a smile, a genuine and truly content one as I rested my hand on the side of Mathias' face. "I know Mathias. I did it out of the same reason you did it, because I wanted to. I wanted to make you feel good, I wanted to show you my love." This time I held Mathias gaze as he wrung out the washcloth and proceeded to clean himself.

It was funny, not so long ago I maybe would have felt that way, felt that I needed to repay everything Mathias did even though the only currency I could have offered would have been my body. But at this moment all I wanted was to show Mathias how much he meant to me, I wanted to make him happy and not because I felt obliged to but because I wanted to, nothing more, nothing less.

Because I loved him.

It was truly amazing how love could change people. I would have never thought that I would be able to open up myself to someone like I did with Mathias. And I would have even less believed how wonderful it felt. I never wanted to miss that feeling again.

Mathias threw the washcloth back in the bowl, spraying us both with cold water in the process but before I could complain I was wrapped into a tight embrace. "I'm glad you think like that." Despite the cold water he had just cleaned himself with, Mathias' skin was warm against mine and I gladly returned the hug. "I always felt like you were holding back, like you were afraid that I leave when you don't please me enough. That's why I tried so hard to care for you the last few days, I wanted to show you that I'll gladly give you everything and you don't have to give anything back."

Mathias couldn't see it but as I buried my head in his shoulders I felt a certain moisture in my eyes. Somehow his words made me incredibly happy, and most importantly I believed him without a doubt, without a question. At last.

"Mathias." I patted him on the back as I tried to hide the smirk from my voice. "You are aware that spoiling me with attention was not the most effective method?" Mathias tried to pull back to look at me but I kept my hold on him firm, the grin on my lips widening even further. I used to always bully Mathias out of various reasons, mostly insecurity, sometimes true annoyance but this time I felt for the first time that we were meeting on equal grounds that I could tease him without the crumb of possible painful truth in the core. I felt like we could fool around without a care in the world.

Mathias tried to tickle my sides to get me to let go but I never belonged to the people who were ticklish. Unlike Emil, but shh I never said that. "You know usually when people are especially nice they want something in return. So basically you were achieving quite the contrary effect." To be fair though I doubted that it would have helped at that point if he just told me. But I just wanted to tease my wonderful and sweet lover a bit. I took a liking to having the upper hand.

I could feel something wet and warm press against my neck and then a tongue slid over my skin and flicked against the shell of my ear. "Maybe I wanted something." Mathias had finally caught on to my game and was now readying his first move. "Maybe I wanted to taste your sweet cum on my tongue when I sucked you dry." His tongue now slipped behind my ear and licked over the sensitive skin there, sending a warm tingling through my body.

"Or maybe I wanted to listen to your moans when I made you climax with only my fingers up your ass." My hands on Mathias shoulders tightened as he continued, his seductive voice and teasing tongue had turned the tables and now it was I who was helpless in Mathias' arms. "And maybe I just wanted to touch your lewd body all over and leave my mark on you." A light nip of teeth on my earlobe was the final straw, I tried to bite my lip to hold it back but it was too late, a soft wanton moan escaped my lips.

With a triumphant smirk Mathias finally let go of me and pulled back, but not before he pressed his lips against my partly opened mouth as I tried to catch my breath. "I win." Mathias gleamed with self-satisfaction that was strangely contagious. "That was not a contest." I said dryly as I stepped past Mathias to the door. "Still I win." "Okay you win." I said with a laugh as I pulled him with me into the bedroom.

I really could get used to that.

The candles were still burning and so I went to blow them out after I had coaxed Mathias under the covers. It was a bit hard to find my way back to the bed in the dark but Mathias helped me by extensively talking. My skin was still damp from the previous cleaning and the night air wasn't especially warm so I rather welcomed the warmth of Mathias' body and embrace. It seemed that no matter how cold it was Mathias always was warm. Not that I would have complained though.

"That is actually the best thing" Mathias said into the silence, I could feel his breath ghosting over my hair as his hand lazily stroked my back. "What are you talking about?" My voice came out muffled since I was talking against Mathias' chest but he understood me nonetheless. "Falling asleep with you in my arms and waking up in the morning with you still there. The knowledge that you are there the whole night and I can feel your warmth it is just so wonderful and perfect. I never want to miss that again."

I could have said something mean, like I would have not so long ago out of embarrassment, something that would have destroyed the mood but I no longer felt the need to do that. I no longer wanted to hide behind my snarky shell. So instead I smiled, hidden against the warm beating of Mathias' heart as I replied: "You're right." I paused for a moment to think. I had always shared my sleeping space in some way or another. First it had been Emil who had shared a bed with me and I found comfort in the small soft ball of fuzzy warmth next to me.

But he was my brother and at times he would cling to me in his nightmares or we would fight over stupid brother things and even when we only shared the room and not the bed it could be hard to find sleep with the constant presence of another person there. And of course there had been my mother too, whose ragged and shallow breathing had haunted so many sleepless nights. I had gotten used to the silent noise of more than one people sleeping in one room over the time but I had never felt at peace with it as I did right then.

The soft sound of Mathias' heartbeat against my ear, the breathing that almost inaudible ghosted over my skin and the knowledge that he would stay there the whole night, his arms protectively wound around me and his big body engulfing me in his warmth filled me with a deep content. And no matter how tired I had been when I fell to bed the day before, when I woke up I always felt rested and ready to take on whatever the day would throw at me. And most importantly, no nightmares would haunt my dreams while I was resting in Mathias' arms.

"Yes, that is truly the best thing." I concluded my mind's little detour. Mathias had continued to stroke my back through all of it, patiently waiting for whatever result I would come to with my thinking. He chuckled and pressed a kiss on the top of my head. "It took you so long to conclude that?" I poked Mathias' side playfully. "Quality needs time you know." Mathias gently leaned down with his face to gently place a kiss on my lips. "Take all the time you need baby, You know that I will wait for you even if it takes an eternity?"

I rubbed my nose against Mathias' in an affectionate gesture, smiling over the sentiment. "You don't have to wait, I'm here, am I not?" I shifted down again to rest my head on Mathias' shoulder and closed my eyes to indicate that it was about time to sleep. But not before I hadn't finished what I was saying. "And I'm not going anywhere, got that?" Mathias nuzzled his chin in my hair and closed his eyes too, we both were exhausted and it was due time for us to fall asleep. "I know, I was just saying."

I only 'mhh'ed in reply as I felt the first tendrils of sleep tug at my mind. Falling asleep in Mathias' arms was just too easy and tempting. I managed to squeeze out an 'I love you' before I completely drifted off, I couldn't even remember if I got a reply.

Like I had been all the days before I was woken by a knock on the door. The winter sun was quite unreliable when it came to waking us up so James had agreed to come up and knock on our doors to make sure we got out of bed in time for breakfast before we would head to our various duties.

I was not exactly a morning person, one of the few perks of being a prostitute was the privilege to sleep in even though I would have gladly exchanged that against a less demanding and humiliating job. The sun had barely just risen over the horizon when the knock sounded and I would have gladly gone back to sleep but Mathias, who for some inexplicable reason was always bright and lively in the morning, pulled back the covers.

I groaned and rolled over in the attempt to regain a bit of the heat that was taken from me but unfortunately the edge of the bed and ultimately the floor thwarted my plans. "Ouch."

"Lukas are you okay?" Mathias hurried over to my side of the bed and knelt down beside me. I lied half on my side, legs tangled in one of the sheets that I had pulled with me in my fall and I tried quite unsuccessfully to unwrap myself. "Yes I'm fine." I grumbled as I finally, with Mathias' help, got rid of the fabric that restricted my movements.

Despite my unharmed state Mathias slid his arms under me and lifted me up and sat me on the bed again. "Good morning sweetheart." And thus commenced our every morning ritual, aside from the unplanned detour to the floor of course. Mathias and I shared a long and deep kiss, and somehow that kiss always managed to dispel my morning grumpiness and fueled me with energy for the day, despite the presence of morning breath I might add. But apparently love immunized one against this.

Then I went into the bathroom to rinse out my mouth and quickly washed my face which I always needed to force myself to do since the water hadn't become any warmer miraculously over the night. But at least after that every trace of sleepiness was gone. While I was occupying the bathroom Mathias was putting on his clothes and after we were finished we switched.

I would have to wash laundry again today, or rather help Hannah with doing all the laundry, since she resolutely had decided not to let me do it again on my own. Not after I had soaked myself with water the last time, she didn't want me to get sick again after all. Mathias would go chop some firewood and maybe take Berwald with him to show him around, albeit he was forbidden to let the other anywhere near an axe or anything else that needed physical work.

But afterwards James had promised to ride out with us and maybe pay a visit to the nearby village, since the snow had finally cleared up enough to be safe. There were not enough horses for everyone unfortunately but Berwald and Tino wanted to stay at the inn and take care of Peter anyway. The healer had said that it was okay for Berwald to slowly get used to working his arm again but we didn't want to take any chances. And Peter was more than thrilled to spend the day with his new friends.

I pulled on my clothes and waited for Mathias to finish. I didn't know why but for some reason he always needed a long time until he got finished so I usually took the time to clean a bit. Not that our room was dirty but there were always clothes lying around no matter how often I put them back into our bags.

When Mathias was finally finished we went down to get a hearty breakfast, prepared by Hannah 'with much love' as she liked to say. Emil was already there but he looked still half asleep while James poured him a cup of hot tea only to disappear once he had filled all of our cups. We greeted everyone and sat down, the table was laden with bread and cheese and even a few more or less fruits from the deep and cold cellar underneath the inn.

Hannah was still in the kitchen to prepare the eggs and the bacon, most likely with Francis there to help her. Arthur showed up moments later without Francis which confirmed my suspicion. We sat at our usual spots and waited until James had poured everyone tea and Hannah and Francis had emerged from the kitchen. Berwald and Tino were still asleep since they weren't really needed for duty so it would be a while until they showed up.

"I will go with Sophie to wash the laundry in a while, Lukas. Just throw everything in you need to have washed, we will take care of that." Hannah smiled at me and I blinked a bit in confusion."Shouldn't I help?" I asked as I took a sip from my tea, the hot liquid almost burning my tongue. "Don't worry. I'm sure after the night you had you are in dire need of a little break." At first I wasn't sure if I had heard her right but then she winked at me and I almost dropped my spoon.

I stared at her for a shocked moment before I looked over to Francis who was leaning back in his chair and grinned like the pervert little meddler he was, and wiggled his eyebrows. Oh right, he had seen me yesterday. Wearing nothing but a certain pair of stockings that belonged to a certain other person who was currently standing expectantly next to the table and was also winking at me.

There was only one thing I could do.

I nodded towards Hannah and said with a smile: "Thank you I appreciate the thought." Hannah's smile turned into a grin and she returned to the kitchen to fetch a bit more food, but not before she called back to us: "Oh and the wood can also wait a bit Mathias." The person in question was too absorbed in a conversation with Arthur to notice what was going on around him. Thank goodness. I would have to tell him later though.

I then turned to Francis and my smile morphed into the cockiest grin I could manage, fortunately I had lots of examples, courtesy to Mathias, to go by, before I drew my tongue along the spoon in my hand only to suck on the head for a few moments. I made sure of course that no one else was noticing what I was doing.

For a quick glorious moment the expression on Francis' face slipped and revealed not only surprise but also a look of lust and desire as he watched my little show. But after he shot a pointed leer in my direction he regained his composure, bowing his head ever so slightly to admit his defeat.

Damn it, I was getting far too god with this whole seduction thing, I should do it professional.

Or not.

...