"I'll be just done the hall, then," The man said softly. He moved away from Lucrèce's side once he was sure the other could stand on his own, one hand rubbing slightly at his own arm. He was a jumpy, flighty man, always glancing around. He took a few steps back before turning, walking away to wait.
Lucrèce waited for the other man to be gone before he started undressing. He did so slowly, and when he was done, took several small, ginger steps into the water.
He washed himself as slowly as he had pulled off his shirt, willing his mind to go blank so he didn’t have to think of anything painful. After several minutes he was finished, then drying himself off, and redressing into his old clothing.
No one came at any point while Lucrèce was dressing, thankfully. The other man ran his fingers through his hair as he waited, just down the hall with his back to the bathroom. It reached down his back, resting against his shoulders. He didn't turn back as Lucrèce took his time, resting one shoulder against the wall.
"Are do done?" He called back, hesitant to be so loud.
“Yes, I’m done,” Lucrèce answered as he limped up to join him at the entrance of the bathroom. He leaned against the other side of the wall, across from the other man. His breath laboring like it had taken almost all his energy just to wash up and walk across the room. He wasn’t sure how he was supposed to do the house work, or any type of work for that matter, Alcides expected him to.
The man looked over, pushing off the wall to move to Lucrèce's side.
"Need some help?" He offered, voice quiet. He held his hand out to the man, looking around again. They needed to get going, to get to work, before someone reported to Alcides and they got in trouble. The man had no intention of going back to that cage again, and figured Lucrèce didn't want to so soon either.
Lucrèce looked at the man’s hand for a handful of moments before he accepted it. He held onto it tightly, and then even tighter as he shifted his weight from the wall more towards the man. “What should I call you?” He’d wondered about it before, the names of all the other slaves, but it hadn’t seemed necessary to know until now.
"I… I'm Daren," the man said softly. He moved to put his other hand on Lucrèce's arm again, helping him stay upright without forcing him to completely rely on the Daren. He looked down the hall, waiting for a moment before starting to walk. They had to go, before they got in trouble.
"We're going to be working in the house today, master doesn't want us going outside…" for obvious reason, of course.
“I’m Lucrèce,” he returned after they started walking again. With some luck, he was able to walk mostly on his own, simply using Daren’s hand for balance. He nodded, a flicker of hope rising in his chest. They wouldn’t be going outside today, but they could in the future? Maybe there would be a chance to escape.
“The man that bought me yesterday. How often does he come here?”
Daren nodded as Lucrèce introduced himself. Going outside wasn't near as escapeable as Lucrèce seemed to think it was, but he would learn that in time.
"He comes… often," Daren admitted. "He's one of the regulars. Many come and go, but he's one that we can rely on to show up often enough. He is… quite the lover, though you would already know that. I was surprised you caught his eye."
Lucrèce resisted the urge to shudder at the answer he got, so he settled to just purse his lips uncomfortably. “I see. So…I assume you’ve been with him.” Another grimace. No wonder Leander had said he couldn’t tell anyone. His father would certainly try his best to put an end to the stream of inheritance money going towards Leander’s purse, and his other brother… he wasn’t sure what Laurent would do if he knew. “I was surprised too.”
"Most have." Daren smiled, just slightly, though. He could have his own favorite customers, after all. Falling in love was forbidden, though, whether with customers or with each other. "There are many that will surprise you with just how they are."
“Oh.” Lucrèce didn’t notice Daren’s smile. He had mostly retreated back into his own head again, looking away to mull over yet even more new things about his brother. The way he was, things he was involved in he hadn’t ever let show at home. “I don’t know about that… I think they’re all awful.”
(Omgg a forbidden romance between Leander and Daren? I’d love to see it)
(Yesss)
Daren was quick to wipe the smile from his face, of course. No one could know. They could have favorites, but they were to be the highest bidders. He looked over, letting out a small breath.
"They aren't, once you get to know them. Some are… rougher, yes, but… there are plenty who are good enough to us."
Lucrèce scoffed, his nose wrinkling with disgust. It was bad enough to his family had already been involved with such a thing long before he even was forced to be a part of it. “How can we get to know them when all they want is something to get off?” He couldn’t believe, even as much as he wanted to, that some of the men he saw in the smoke saturated room just wanted someone to talk to.
"Well… some really do just want to talk. There are others who treat it more like a date night, and even most of them will give some form of aftercare. Very few just come to satisfy themselves…" Daren shrugged faintly.
"You'll see, in time."
“I suppose I will.” That didn’t make it any better, Lucrèce thought to himself. But truthfully it did help, even just a little bit. Especially if he couldn’t find a way to escape until much later. He simply nodded to Daren’s words, and fell silent for the remainder of their walk.
Daren led Lucrèce through the halls and down to the kitchen, falling silent himself. There wasn't really anything to say, after all, that was safe to say. He dipped his head as they started to pass others, keeping his eyes down. Most were other slaves, but others had no collars- the overseers.
"Do you think you can eat? If not, we'll be washing dishes and cleaning the house today."
Lucrèce thought about it for a moment or two, then shook his head. He was hungry, but the chance he might vomit again still hung over his head. “So that leaves the dishes. And house cleaning.” Dishes and housework wouldn’t be so bad, he thought, considering the events of the past couple days. As long as he was staying in a singular spot, at least.
He looked at the overseers curiously, his gaze dancing from them to the other collared slaves, and back again.
Daren nodded some, pulling gently at Lucrèce's hand to lead him to the place where they could get to work. When he noticed Lucrèce looking at the overseers, though, he was quick to shake his head and move to try to get the other to lower his head.
"They don't like to be looked at, please," he said quickly. Everyone else was avoiding meeting the overseers' gazes as well.
Lucrèce noticed, but hadn’t realized the reason yet, just as soon as Daren told him. He swallowed and fell in suit, not very privy to being noticed by an overseer—or anyone, for that matter. “Oh…” He started work slowly, fumbling over the task at hand with inexperienced fingers. Delicate skin not yet worn by labor, and manicured nails. He stared down at his fingers with a frown tugging at his lips.
Daren worked by Lucrèce's side. He was much better at it, after years and years of working in this house. He looked to the other, offering instruction and help where he could.
"What… were you, before this?" he asked softly. Everyone had a past, after all.
Lucrèce accepted the help, making slight adjustments where he needed when instructed. He paused in his work at the question. He hesitated, wondering briefly if it was wise to disclose his past. Who he was. “I’m a noble,” he finally answered, and continued working. “Well, the son of one, actually. My father is a Duke. Since I’m the youngest I got the short end of the stick inheritance-wise… Not that it matters much now, hm?”
"Oh… that explains a lot, then," Daren admitted. He continued to work, looking to Lucrèce as he did. He was curious, how Lucrèce ended up here if he was of such good birth, but he considered it rude to ask at the moment.
"No, I suppose it doesn't. It will make things a bit harder to learn, but hopefully I'll be able to help."
Lucrèce looked over at Daren curiously when he said his past explained a lot, but he decided against asking for clarification, and returned to his task. “I do appreciate the help,” he said. He didn’t want to have to learn these things. He didn’t want his hands to be layered with callouses, and he didn’t want to wear a dress—while he didn’t mind it at first—every night. The dress and everything else that went with it, especially. “I’ll admit that it’s a little easier with you here.”
"Mmh. I'll do my best to help for as long as possible." Daren looked over at Lucrèce for a moment, letting out a small breath. He glanced around once, voice lowering.
"Master doesn't like friendships forming, though. He says it makes us too powerful, too cocky, so… if he or the overseers think we're getting too close, I won't be able to."