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In a way, she is just like Queen Alicia, he thinks, when Serrazad introduces herself. Lloyd immediately treats her differently; in that thuggish way of his.
It makes Javier wonder.
His wondering turns to words the next morning. "Will you treat Miss Serrazad the same way today?" he asks.
Lloyd, barely awake judging by his excessive yawning, even as he ties his shoes, only glares at him. "Why do you sound so judgemental? You of all people have no right to judge, Mister 'I left the love of my life to continue being a nuisance to my master'!" He even waves an accusing finger at him, the effect of which gets undercut by a yawn.
Javier blinks. "Whatever do you mean, Master Lloyd?" Weren't they talking about Serrazad a second ago?
"Lady Siluria? Does the name ring a bell?" Lloyd makes faces while speaking. His tone is strangely mean and defensive, the knight thinks. Javier only stands there, waiting for the tirade to finish. "You barely left her a month ago, surely you didn't forget her so soon!"
"I didn't," Javier agrees, tilting his head. In all honesty, even at this moment, he is sure a letter from her is arriving for him at the Frontera estate. They have agreed to keep in touch, after all. "But why would you call her the love of my life?"
Lloyd rolls his eyes, turning away from him to pull on his coat and stare into the mirror. "Puh-lease. Like your little lovebird act didn't make it obvious for anyone with eyes."
Javier has the urge to stride across the room and slap him. (When does he not, honestly?) "I do not consider my feelings for Lady Siluria romantic," he says, weighing the words carefully, watching for every minute tick of his master, "and I sincerely doubt her feelings for me are anything other than platonic as well."
Lloyd huffs angrily, his whole expression stuck in a devilishly displeased scowl – then he waves it all away, sliding into neutrality. "Fine, whatever you say Javier."
"There really is no romance between us," Javier insists. For some reason, he feels the need to clarify it for his idiot of a noble. "Merely… Lady Siluria has been something for me that I never had before."
The honesty in his own words is frightening even for him.
Lloyd spins to face him with a shit-eating grin that fails to reach his eyes. "Oh? Clearly no romantic feelings there!" He mocks.
Shut up, Javier thinks angrily, fist curling. And yet… "She is my first friend," he admits, and the realization brings a soft smile to his lips. "And I think I might be hers."
"...friends?"
He hears Lloyd mutter, before his master stalks over. Javier stares him down intently, expression hardening, because what could he possibly want-
"What the hell do you think we are then?!"
Javier is speechless.
He had seen that expression of righteous anger on Lloyd Frontera's face before – rarely, but he had seen it. Had known that the man he is serving under is ultimately a good one, was reminded of that all the same, whenever he saw it.
He never expected it to be directed at himself though.
"You… consider us friends?"
Lloyd Frontera scoffs, all traces of that expression disappearing. Javier's heart beats faster. "No, I don't have any friends. I certainly wouldn't pay any of them," he adds, turning away. He slings his bag over his shoulder, and makes his way towards the door, making it clear that the discussion is over… But Javier can hear his heart beat a bit faster and as a swordmaster, feel the heat of embarrassment light up the noble's cheeks.
Javier huffs, a smile blooming on his face, unseen by his master. "Well, I suppose we mustn't be friends then," he agrees airily. Lloyd hums. "'Friends' wouldn't be sleeping together, after all."
Lloyd sputters indignantly, spinning on his heels. "That is only for my personal protection!" He yells, and Javier doesn't bother hiding his own shit-eating grin.
"If saying that helps you sleep at night, Master Lloyd," he says. "Since we are not friends, one might assume that we are something mor-"
"Is that wishful thinking on your part, Javier?" Lloyd cuts in, before he can finish. His voice turns mocking again. "Is your precious first friendship with Lady Siluria only one because you have your eyes set on lil' old me?" He flutters his eyelashes, pulling a face; Javier shakes his head, looking at the ceiling as if some higher power could grant him patience-
"How about you, then, Master Lloyd?" He calls back melodically. "Miss Serrazad is clearly a catch and she is out to get you, yet all you want is to spend the night with me-"
"I dunno if you have seen that woman," Lloyd interrupts, "but she is the type to crush you under her heel. I have no interest in that." He holds up his hands, as if that could close the matter.
You said something like that about Queen Alicia too, Javier thinks. Out loud, he says, "So you are not interested in powerful women crushing you under their heels?"
"How the hell did we get to this topic?" Lloyd wonders. Javier gives him a look. "No, I'm not. Any other queries, oh, Sir Javier?" Stupid affectation aside, Javier does have more questions.
"Would you prefer if I crushed you under my heel?"
He surprises even himself with his curiosity regarding his master's answer.
Lloyd only stares at him for a moment, stunned. Then his face contorts, and he lets out a deep laugh. "Oh dear god, that was adorable!" He dries his tears, beaming. Javier scowls at him. What was adorable about this? "I am many things, Javier, but not a sub. You couldn't crush me under your heel even if you wanted to."
Javier clenches his jaw. "I highly doubt that." Between the two of them, he has the more strength, physical or magical-
He swallows. He could actually do that.
Huh.
Here's another thought to keep me up at night, he thinks.
"But, your interest in this topic does raise a question," Lloyd continues, disregarding his words. Javier does not like the glint in his master's eyes. "Do you want to be crushed under someone's heel?"
His cheeks color, despite his quick regulation of his own temperature. "No, this is merely me trying to figure out your kinks, Master Lloyd," he grits out, even managing to smile. "Since you have so graciously decided to dig into my nonexistent ones, as not-friends do."
Lloyd does the worst thing he possibly could; he leaves the door, stalking closer, with that smile on his face. "Oh, but we are not talking about me, Javier. We are talking about you." Why did he have to emphasize my name like that, Javier thinks, regulating his temperature. His grip on his sword grows harder. "And you would like to be crushed under someone's heel," Lloyd goes on, tilting Javier's head so they look each other in the eye. "My heel to be specific."
Javier makes sure to scoff. "You sure that isn't your wet dream, my lord?" he quips.
Lloyd's grin never wavers. He leans closer.
Javier's breath catches.
Warm air blows into his ear, "Why should it only stay a dream?"
He would like to say he doesn't shudder.
He would be lying.
"Well, anyhow!" Lloyd says suddenly, tone switching from deep and seductive to… cheerful and awake? "We have a lot of work to do and a lot of money to make today, so let's get to it!" He skips over to the door, humming. His face flushes even more so than before, and the knight can hear him quietly recount all he will do with his precious money-
Javier stays there a moment longer, hoping to catch his breath.
I was wrong, he thinks, heartbeat thundering. Lloyd's kink isn't deathly women.
It is money.