11-22-2016, 04:02 AM
Fife must have been a little conflicted by his love of gardening, because it made him blush and shift awkwardly. He was usually much smoother than this! An effortless flirt. A purring sex-kitten when he needed to be. But standing over his tulips, explaining it to a stranger? He couldn't keep the red out of his cheeks.
"Yeah, I dunno," he said, trying to shrug it off. "I tried vegetables once. I got really good zucchini's, but my tomatoes died and squirrels ate my cucumbers, and it was a mess. Squirrels leave my tulips alone, so . . ." He shrugged awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck. "Anyway, the sunflowers were my idea. They reduce erosion. There's a river on the other side of the fence, it's kinda pulling away at the ground."
He downright jumped when Samuel mentioned his single status. "Oh, no, believe me, men have taken interest. I've been bought, what . . . five times? No, six. Didn't work out." Because he was a smart ass and had the scars to prove it. Surely Samuel wasn't asking for him. He seemed like a grumpy guy. What would he want with a sex slave? Surely, he didn't want children. Or maybe Fife was jumping to conclusions.
He turned a little green at the mention of Link leaving, though. "Look, I'm not a shitty friend. I want Link to be happy. He can go off and . . . be a slave or get married or . . . or whatever, and if I got to see him at least sometimes, even if it was rarely, it would be enough." Maybe if he recited that, he would start to believe it. The thought of being left alone here still made him at once furious and sick.
Link made a thoughtful noise, eyes now sweeping up and down Bryce's body, the first time he'd really sized him up since their meeting. "I'm here because the government says I have to be. Looking after Fife is just brotherly-duty."
He paid Ms. Godwin no mind at all when she took Bryce away. He didn't bother saying good bye to him, either. If Bryce wanted anything more from him, he surely knew where to find him. He kept his hands in his pocket, his stride strong and easily as two guards came to escort him back to the rec room where Fife was surely waiting.
"Yeah, I dunno," he said, trying to shrug it off. "I tried vegetables once. I got really good zucchini's, but my tomatoes died and squirrels ate my cucumbers, and it was a mess. Squirrels leave my tulips alone, so . . ." He shrugged awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck. "Anyway, the sunflowers were my idea. They reduce erosion. There's a river on the other side of the fence, it's kinda pulling away at the ground."
He downright jumped when Samuel mentioned his single status. "Oh, no, believe me, men have taken interest. I've been bought, what . . . five times? No, six. Didn't work out." Because he was a smart ass and had the scars to prove it. Surely Samuel wasn't asking for him. He seemed like a grumpy guy. What would he want with a sex slave? Surely, he didn't want children. Or maybe Fife was jumping to conclusions.
He turned a little green at the mention of Link leaving, though. "Look, I'm not a shitty friend. I want Link to be happy. He can go off and . . . be a slave or get married or . . . or whatever, and if I got to see him at least sometimes, even if it was rarely, it would be enough." Maybe if he recited that, he would start to believe it. The thought of being left alone here still made him at once furious and sick.
Link made a thoughtful noise, eyes now sweeping up and down Bryce's body, the first time he'd really sized him up since their meeting. "I'm here because the government says I have to be. Looking after Fife is just brotherly-duty."
He paid Ms. Godwin no mind at all when she took Bryce away. He didn't bother saying good bye to him, either. If Bryce wanted anything more from him, he surely knew where to find him. He kept his hands in his pocket, his stride strong and easily as two guards came to escort him back to the rec room where Fife was surely waiting.