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Rejected again.
Rejection is but an old friend of Laslow's, a shadow that followed his every step, a curse that has drastically hurt him throughout his young life: from his homeland to this distant kingdom. A common occurrence.
Women, no matter where, no matter how, were always the same. They never saw the potential in him, but they did fawn themselves over men who did nothing but scowl all day, had a scar through their eye, fiery-red hair with equal red eyes and – It's not that he hates Saizo. It's not that personal, of course not...
To think so many people acknowledge his beauty, his attractiveness and poise – and yet, when he tries, he asks, he gives is as if a mortal blow has been struck through his dignity. Perhaps Lady Elise was correct – maybe he needed to work on his...personality and people skills. Truthfully, he never has been good at socializing.
It was late, the sun slowly hiding itself from peering eyes as Laslow stands outside the cafe he once again was let down by. He truly had no respect for himself, no pride, as he continued – hoping but knowing deep in his heart that he had no chance with any of the ladies he invited. At least the tea was a delicacy, but he did tire from drinking it everyday. He should try other techniques - all he ever did was invite girls out to drink tea. Why was he so pitiful...
He truly believed his day couldn't become worse until he locks eyes with the most disgusting man he has ever met. Alright, that's an exaggeration; But he truly, did not like the man.
"Laslow." There's a shiver down his spine, a bad one – there always was when the man said his name, how he pronounced it so off that Laslow feels blessed this wasn't his real name, as Niles walks up to him – having no respect for him and placing his hand on his shoulder. "As expected, you're out here instead of in there."
Gods, that smirk. How he wished a spell was placed on him that made him unable to look at the man's face.
He grimaces, grabbing the outlaw's sleeve with his fingers in disgust as he forces him to move his hand. "Don't touch me so easily, please."
The chuckle from Niles is expected, a noticeable exasperation in Laslow's face as he looks away, hoping the man would leave him. Obviously to anyone who knows the man, he doesn't; Instead he pushes some of his wavy hair back, the same sinister smile on his face.
"Pardon me, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. Oh wait, I did." Laslow rolls his eyes while the man nods at his own 'joke'. "Anyways," his voice turns serious. "That's not what I wanted to speak to you about. You're having trouble with women, aren't you?"
Laslow decides that hiding his shamefulness wasn't even worth it; everyone knew of his bad omen. It's as if he had Harold's luck when he spoke to women. "Yes, yes. It's obvious; It's me after all. The loveless man nobody likes."
"I like you well enough." The man tells him, but instead of feeling shy from the compliment he feels a shiver down his spine and disgust– this was Niles after all.
"Are you sure you didn't come here to mock me? Because I am pretty sure you only came for this." There's another chuckle from the outlaw.
"Do you truly think so low of me? What if I want to help you, give you advice? Will you still not believe me?"
'No.' Who would. The man who tainted everything with his touch, his tongue so sharp and intrusive there was no situation he couldn't turn sexual.
"I don't need your help. In fact," He turns to the cafe, watching as people continued to walk in. Niles was just a confident asshole who thought he was better than everyone, especially towards Laslow. He scoffs. "I'll only let you speak to me if you do this and prove to me you're so 'knowledgeable' about this."
Niles taps his boot on the floor idly, head held high with a smirk as he waits for Laslow to continue.
"How about we have a competition?" He finally tells him, crossing his arms in sudden confidence. "The one who receives the most compliments wins."
Niles raises an eyebrow but there's a noticeable interest in his eyes as he dusts his cape with his hands. "Oh, I don't think I can. I'm burned out. It's been so long since I've seduced people."
"You're not seducing them, you're winning their hearts, making them fall in love with you. It's not the same." He gives him a cocky smile. Really now, if he didn't know that he couldn't be better than him. Niles didn't seem the type of man women would fall for. It was in the bag for Laslow.
"Then, shall we begin?" The outlaw drawls, which lowers some of Laslow's confidence. No, he couldn't let himself lose. This was his chance, ladies will see the contrast between Niles' dirty nature and Laslow's pure self that they will want to speak to Laslow. Niles, the fool, didn't know he was helping him win!
"After you, my man." He mutters back, opening the door to let him in.
After an hour Laslow is standing outside the cafe, leaning against the wall, hands sprayed across his face.
"You never said it had to be women only." The outlaw tells him, the tone extremely mocking as he examines his nails, completely composed by what happened.
"Only two woman...complimented me. And they were...already married." He gives Niles a glance, his eyes wide. "And you gained fifteen compliments, from women and men alike."
"So it does count?" He asks, not truly caring as he twirls a strand of hair with his index finger.
"It doesn't matter! More woman spoke to you, you've won. You are welcomed to rub it in my face for the rest of my miserable life."
He notices a scowl appear in Niles face – as if he disliked that Laslow had refereed to his life as miserable, but it's short lived as it reverts to a sinister smirk. "You're a fool, Laslow. It is because you only let yourself make contact with women that you fail."
Laslow stays silent, clearly uncomfortable. Niles decides to continue.
"Did you know some of the men who spoke to me asked about you? They said you had a pretty face, that they would love to...mess you up." Noticeable victory appears in Niles face as he notices a faint blush dust Laslow's cheeks.
"S–Shut up! You're lying; You're the one messing with me!"
Niles shrugs, arms raised in resignation. "If only you paid attention to them; They would never reject a cute face such as yours. With your body..." Laslow's eyes go wide, as if to stop the man from speaking, but he of course continues.
"You could have any man in your grasps."
Laslow detaches himself from the wall and points at him. "A–As if I want that!" The harsh tone he means to direct at him fails as he stutters, holding onto his elbows in humiliation.
"Ah, maybe someday. It would be a shame for you to let this hidden talent go to waste. All the things I could accomplish with your build..."
"Alright, I've had enough of you harassing me. Now I understand how women feel." He says, effectively cutting off Niles.
"Do you now? Well, that's good. My job here is done. But do note," He gives him one last glance as he starts to leave. "Yours isn't."
Laslow's mouth falls open. "W–what is that supposed to mean?!" He exclaims but Niles was already off, waving at him with a mischievous smile.
One of the clientele seems to have heard their commotion, opening the door to see what was happening. His eyes lock with Laslow's, his face immediately heating up as he remembered Niles' words. Before the man can stop him Laslow walks away, hiding the embarrassment on his face with his hand.
He's never felt so disgusted, so dirty in his life. The next day he couldn't even meet Prince Xander's eyes, averting them everytime the man directed orders towards him. Xander seems to notice how tense he is and tells him to take a break, Laslow's eyes going wide in shock. Normally he would accept breaks from Xander without thinking but if he wasn't working there was an even bigger chance of meeting Niles or any other guy. For once, ironically, he feels more comfortable being around Peri. He accepts in dismay, exiting his room as he makes his way into the corridors of the castle. If he was lucky, which he doubted, Selena might be free and she might let him stay in her room for the rest of the day. Of course, this being her of all people, he doubts it. Still, it didn't hurt to try.
Instead of finding Selena, as he rounds a corner he encounters Charlotte, the woman leaning against the wall as a large soldier towered over her. Sudden sourness enters his mouth at the scene and he tries to avert his gaze, only to find Niles' words from yesterday resounding inside his head. The image of Charlotte giggling as the man compliments her and touches her hair changes to him being the one in her position with a man over him, stroking his shoulders and admiring his face.
Charlotte turns her head abruptly when she hears the sound of Laslow screeching, telling the man she had something to do. He accepts, giving her a kiss on the cheek and telling her to meet him later. She laughs at his words before she turns and walks towards the mercenary, her expression changing to disgust as she wipes her cheek. Meet with him? What a joke. He was filthy poor. She had no use for a guy like him.
She finds Laslow kneeling on the floor, holding onto his foot as if he accidentally tripped and hurt himself. Which he apparently did. His head turns over to her and she cocks an eyebrow, a smirk on her glossy lips as he winces in pain and embarrassment.
"Oh, hello Charlotte. Fancy meeting you here." Charlotte notices how he tries to hide his nervousness with common courtesies but his voice cracks.
"Hmm, quite." She replies, leaning over him. A noise of amusement leaves her lips as Laslow flushes at the closeness of her breasts against his face, effectively making him stand.
She cocks her hip to the side, admiring how true the words a certain little bird told her yesterday were.
"You might not believe me, handsome, but Niles told me of your little predicament, and I wish to help."
"Help? You? What could you–" His expression shatters, eyes narrowing. Charlotte, the woman who dedicated herself to seduce men, wanted to help him. And Niles had probably told her about yesterday.
Why was everyone so convinced that he liked men? It made absolutely no sense, him! A womanizer!
"I don't like men." He says as sincerely as he can muster.
She giggles, and Laslow is surprised it's not her persona talking but her true self. "It's not a matter of whether you like them or not; It's a whether you have better luck with them than with women."
He grimaces, clearly wanting the topic to end. "Niles already told me I'm some men's...type." He shudders, but his heart constricts. "I much prefer to continue failing with women that find men following my every step."
She scoffs. "That's such a dumb excuse; You have a much higher chance of marrying rich if you seduce men." Of course she would know, did this mean she also tried to seduce women? He wouldn't doubt she was better than him. She clamps her hands together. "Please, just try. I swear I'll be a good teacher. This might also help you better your flirting skills with women." She gives him a wink.
Well, he could at least try. How could he say no to her beautiful face? And he did trust that it might help him improve his already useless flirting abilities. "Alright, I yield. But just because it's you asking me."
She rolls her eyes. "Of course, of course. Anyways, I've always wanted to teach a newbie the arts of seducing men. It helps me correct and better my own techniques."
"Oh, goodie." He replies dismissively, Charlotte noticing his harsh tone.
"Well, first things first," She steps closer and tugs at his tunic, her lips pressed together in thought. "Stop wearing such confining clothing."
He gives her a glance, furrowing his eyebrows. "You do know this is our uniform? And even if it wasn't I," His voice falters, somehow the thought of wearing less clothing reminding him of his mother. "I couldn't. That's one thing I can't do."
"Why not?" She turns her head, trying to see if she can tug his sleeves over. "And you seriously come up with the stupidest excuses. You think all female guards wear this? I choose this clothing. You can choose what you wear as well."
Laslow's eyes narrow as she continues to examine his wrists. "Well unlike you I'm a retainer to Prince Xander, I can't just walk over to his side and promise to protect him while wearing a thong and no shirt." He bites his tongue over his own words, hoping he didn't give her any ideas. She snickers and Laslow frowns.
"Alright, alright. You're right there. It doesn't matter anyways," She retracts her hands back, instead placing a finger below her chin. "Clothing isn't everything, looks and confidence are much more important. I mean, you seem to attract men even while wearing this horrible tunic, which means your beauty enough lures them."
Laslow feels his cheeks heat. People wouldn't refer to him as a "beauty" normally, he was a man, dammit. Was Charlotte seeing and treating him as a woman now? It wasn't inherently bad, it just felt strange.
"I was trying to see if you could at least show your wrists," She continues, showing her own exposed skin. "Showing your wrists is a show of submission. As well as your neck." She tugs his collar down, placing it neatly against his shoulders. He felt a shiver near the nape of his neck as cold wind passes below his hair. "It lets men know you're welcoming them to get closer."
"But you don't show either of those things, at least not completely..." He motions to her gloves and the armor around her neck. She shrugs. "That's why I'm saying that these are just extra details, why would I need to emphasize those when I already show these?" She grabs her breasts, Laslow blushing at her abruptness.
"Alright, no need to be so brusque towards me." There's a sneer as he says those words. "About before, you wouldn't normally refer to a man's handsome features as their 'beauty'."
"I don't." She replies as she examines his chest. "But you're clearly beautiful, aren't you? Which brings us to another point: what to call men. In a seductive voice point out how handsome they are, what big arms they have, stuff like that." She shakes her hand as if Laslow would understand so easily. He did, but he couldn't imagine himself calling another man a hunk, something he always wanted women to call him. He thinks deeply on that for a few minutes and remembers that one conversation he had with Selena, his opinion instantly changing. The embarrassment he would feel would be too horrible.
Being so close she notices his ear and grabs it, Laslow wincing at her strong grip. Really, she acted so meek and weakly but she was probably stronger than him. "Earrings? That's really interesting. You should also place emphasis on them whenever you can; It's really alluring to see someone with piercings."
When she lets go he nods in agreement, even though no one had ever noticed his piercings. Seriously, none of the women he ever drank tea with mentioned his earrings. He didn't wear such large ones as before but still...
"Anyways let's move on. Flirting. Body Language. These are the most important things. Men love women, and in this case, other men who are shy and passive. Laughing at their jokes with cute giggles, complimenting their muscles and their fighting skills, absolutely a cinch with them and will guarantee them to fall for you." She intertwines her hands together. "And this will ultimately lead you to find a man so rich you'll never suffer working a twenty–four hour job again. Think of it this way; I'm helping you reach the good life, Laslow."
Ah yes, he forgot Charlotte only seduced men for their money. He truly didn't care about riches, he was fine with being Xander's retainer, and even then, that's why he's in Nohr in the first place. It's not like he could change his job even if he wanted to. "Right..." He rubs at his nose, touching his exposed neck with his other hand.
"It's not much different from flirting with women, except instead of complimenting them you look cute and wait for them to compliment you." She snickers. "In fact, we should try it."
He cocks an eyebrow, sudden panic in his eyes. "You don't mean what I think you're saying, I hope?" There's a sinister glint of amusement and delight at Laslow's tense posture, grabbing one of his hands.
"Oh, I am. Practicing on me would be a waste, you'll only continue doing what you always do with women. You need to test it out on a man." She feels the stiffness in his hand, sweat trailing down in sudden nervousness.
"N–No, no, I can't!" He pleads, cheeks heating in panic. "I'm not prepared! I'll just embarrass myself!" Not counting he also didn't want to because he was scared of it working. What would he do after? Let down the guy? This is the reason he'd been trying to avoid the stares of men yesterday and today, too afraid that they will speak to him and fall for him. He truly took Niles' words too seriously. It only continued bringing more anxiety to his being, Charlotte merely rolling her eyes.
"It's your first time, of course it won't be perfect. But you're already looking good with how nervous your being. Just act like you're doing now and it'll go smoothly."
Curses, his own natural shyness was only urging her on. He should try to be more confident but the beating of his heart wouldn't let him, a lump forming inside his throat as Charlotte pulls him while accommodating his hair.
"Well, this is perfect." He turns his head to where Charlotte is looking and his breath hitches, clamping a hand over his mouth. His heart started beating louder when he saw the familiar lean figure, straight posture and blood–red hair.
"You can't expect me to try this on Saizo of all people?!" He asks in exasperation. Saizo, the man he always thought of as his role model, who he wanted to be, at least he wished he had his attractiveness that women seemed to love so much. It couldn't be him, he just couldn't.
"Why not? It seems perfect with how nervous you're being towards him. If it were Odin you'd just end up insulting or laughing with each other, but you don't know much about Saizo, right?" He shakes his head in embarrassment. "That's why it's perfect. And he's all alone. Do this and I'll stop bothering you for the rest of the day."
He couldn't take her word for that, but his mind could only think about how Saizo would react. He'll probably frown with disgust, start fighting him and then kill him. Or he'll just skip all of those and kill him instantly. He enjoyed being alive very much, thank you. He didn't want to die yet, especially when it was about something so stupid such as this.
When she lets go of his arm he turns his head towards her in panic. She's already walking away as Saizo turns around, still unaware of their presence. "I'll be over here, Laslow. Good luck!" She gives him a thumbs up and hides herself behind a pillar, leaving Laslow alone with the man of his worries standing some feet across him.
What is he supposed to do? What can he do? He wants to leave but he's sure Niles and Charlotte would continue bothering him if he did. Maybe he could play it off as a joke after it's over and Saizo will forgive him for disrupting him. Just a prank, a bet from Charlotte, nothing more. Yes, that's it. He'll survive the encounter if he does just that.
His heart stops when he feels eyes, specifically, an eye that isn't Charlotte's on him. Turning his head he finds Saizo staring at him, arms crossed as always. Still, his scowl seemed to get worse when he saw Laslow. He gulps, tugging his tunic down and checking his collar. He remembers what Charlotte told him and tugs his sleeves up, shutting his eyes and inhaling once last breath as he tries to relax his body.
He should stop being so nervous. This might actually be pretty funny, there's no reason for him to feel so weird about this. He doesn't like men. Feeling nervous towards women, which he liked, was normal. But towards men, there was no absolutely no reason! It was preposterous to think this was bothering him so much.
"Oh, I didn't see you, Saizo. What a pleasant surprise." A breathy laughs escapes him, pushing his stiff shoulders down. Blast, he knew he was already messing this up. Saizo watches him, obvious skepticism in his eyes as he walks towards him, steps so light Laslow doesn't even realize when he is near, head down in shame.
"What are you doing?" Accusing as per usual, he never changed. Laslow turns his head up and his voice falters when their eyes meet, forgetting what he was about to say. Saizo raises an eyebrow, pushing his mask against his face. "Well?"
"I–I–" He stops, unsure of what to reply. 'Think, Laslow. What would Charlotte, or even Niles, do? '
"Why are you so jittery? Are you hiding something from me?" He obviously notices how his arms tremble against his stare, his lips pressed tightly in nervousness.
"I'm not." He finally tells him, pushing an arm behind his back, the other holding onto it. "I was merely taking a walk."
"Shouldn't you be with Prince Xander?" Saizo scoffs and Laslow feels like shooting back that he wasn't with Prince Ryoma either but he remembers what Charlotte told him, that men didn't like a person who talked back. He bites his lips, pushing his head to the side. He notices how Saizo's eye trails to his neck and he feels a shiver run down his spine. 'Don't tell me...'
"Why are you wearing your collar that way?" So many questions, and Laslow being unable to answer in his usual tone for fear of arousing menace in the ninja. He shrugs, looking away and pretending to be uninterested. "No reason, just felt it was rather hot today. Needed some breeze down my neck."
Saizo's demeanor is suspicious but he hums in understanding, his eye still locked on him. "I wouldn't know. It's just strange to see you wearing it in such a way." Of course he wouldn't, Laslow wonders how the man can wear his scarf no matter the temperature. Still, he's relieved Saizo doesn't question his blatant lie. He never wore his collar down. He takes the moments of silence to place his hand behind his neck, showing the ninja his exposed wrist. There was a pit of embarrassment at knowing he was actually doing what Charlotte told him, but he was too far in to stop. He couldn't lie to himself that he was curious about how Saizo would react.
"What about you? To find you around where the Nohrian army mostly hangs, truly a strange sight." He tries to make his voice sound as calm as possible, slowly pronouncing the words as if he were instead singing. He pushes a strand of hair behind his ear, placing attention to his left piercing, wondering what effect it would have. Saizo merely glares at him, apparently angry from his words.
"This doesn't belong to the Nohrians." He bites back and Laslow feels as if he made a mistake, detracting his hand from his ear. "The whole castle belongs to Lady Corrin, not to Prince Xander or any of the other family members."
"Right, I apologize." He notices how Saizo furrows his eyebrows, having expected Laslow to latch back and a struggle to start. Instead he passes the hand he retracted through his hair, pushing back some strands and trailing lower, landing on his neck, wrist bare and leaning towards Saizo. His eyes close slowly, gazing at Saizo with half–lidded eyes.
He's not even sure of what he's doing anymore.
But it seems to work somehow.
Before he knows it Saizo's eye narrowed and he was grabbing onto his shirt, pushing him against the wall. His eyes open wide, unsure of the sudden disconnect with reality he had. The effect of a ninja, he supposed. He truly didn't see this coming, Saizo's grip so harsh he pulled him without any work. He continues his act by staring at him over his eyelashes, Saizo holding his tunic tighter.
"What are you doing?" A low growl, and it admittedly makes him shudder. This wasn't what he expected at all, but he...liked it. There was something primal about how Saizo was towering over him.
"I'm not doing anything..." He merely replies, licking his lips while he continues to stare at him. The ninja's frown gets tighter, his other hand pushing against the side of his head. There's a noticeable heat in his cheeks that he's sure Saizo can see.
"You're acting like a woman." Laslow's mouth opens at that, about to counter and stop his act. He wouldn't let Saizo, of all people, put down his masculinity in such a way.
But honestly, he doesn't care.
"Is it making you nervous?" He leans his head against the wall, foreheads so close to each other they could almost touch. He opens his legs a bit while biting his lower lip, quirking a small smirk.
"Of course not. You just disgust me." He replies but Laslow notices how his hand shakes against his shirt. Well, this was an unlikely response.
"Really?" Laslow cocks an eyebrow mockingly, looking down at their respective groins. Even while being a masterful ninja, trained in the arts of surprise, he couldn't stop him when Laslow grabs his wrist and leans his head against his ear.
"I'm not the one hiding my arousal." He whispers, his own cheeks burning at his words. It's as if his shyness left him. Maybe Niles was right about this being a hidden talent.
He feels at ease when Saizo lets go, head still tucked against his shoulder. Instead of acting submissive he was taking control and it actually felt amazing against someone like Saizo who always behaved as if Laslow was inferior to him. He's about to push him back before Saizo moves, nose pressing against his cheek. He stiffens over the sudden touch, the hand around Saizo's wrist letting go.
"Wait, you're truly aroused?" He tries to contain his laughter but his voice escapes him, amusement present in his tone. He had merely said that to tease the man further, he didn't truly think...
"Shut up." He tells him, pushing a leg between his thighs. Instinctively, Laslow's hand goes to his mouth to stifle his gasp. He really hoped Charlotte wasn't still watching them, but it somehow only helped in stimulating his sudden arousal. "If you were acting that way it was for a reason, no?"
Did he hint at acceptance in those words? Laslow bites his lower lip when he feels his thigh inch closer to his crotch. The feeling of being only inches away from him, bodies pressed closed, Saizo's hot breath against his cheek only made him harder, but that was probably his chastity speaking.
"As much as I would love to continue this," Without remorse he slowly trails his hand down Saizo's exposed chest, the ninja only pressing his nose closer to his cheek, moving upwards until it reaches his ear. Laslow leans his head to the side, shutting his eyes close as Saizo's sculpted nose caresses his earlobe. His voice falters as he takes in the feeling of being touched so intimately knowing Charlotte was probably watching. "We're in public." He breathes out, chest heaving against his touch.
He truly was sick for believing, hoping, that Saizo would continue. Instead, like a normal person with self–control, he moves back, eyes uncharacteristically soft as he watches Laslow's figure pressed against the wall, ears and neck tinted a rosy pink.
"Apologies." Laslow quirks an eyebrow at his sudden change of personality. "I let myself go. Normally a man wouldn't react in such a way towards...another man. It's indecent."
If he knew of all the thoughts running through Laslow's mind in that moment, about how right his touch felt, how it left him wanting more, he wonders if his statement would change. It didn't seem wrong at all, but he knew Saizo was a very traditional man. He wouldn't mind corrupting him with the ways of Nohr...
Damn, he feels like Niles. But he didn't care, if he was similar to Niles then so be damned. He wanted Saizo to continue.
"I'm just amazed that it worked, my...flirting?" He's not sure what to call it, Charlotte said it was body language but he didn't truly do anything. There was obviously already a seed inside Saizo that made him react that way and Laslow's sudden cockiness just made it grow, which meant...Saizo probably already felt something towards him. If that didn't excite him, he wasn't sure what would. To think he was so nervous about a man touching him in such ways, if it were any other man maybe, but Saizo...it left him needy and aching for more.
He watches as Saizo's own face grows red, contrasting beautifully against his hair. Laslow was sure now, more than ever before, that all he ever felt for Saizo wasn't just mere jealousy. "I have some desires I wouldn't want anyone to know of. I suppose you wouldn't dare speak of this to anyone." It's not a question but a statement, an accusation, an order. If he knew Charlotte was around Laslow was sure he would be dead within the second, so he obviously keeps it from him. "Of course, I wouldn't. This is between you and me." Hidden desires, how forbidden. He hoped it wasn't merely the fact that he preferred men, that wasn't such a big deal. At least, Laslow realizes that now. He wonders if Saizo had a fetish for ears with how much he caressed his. The thoughts make his cheeks heat, gazing away from him in sudden embarrassment.
"Then," He notices how Saizo averts his gaze from his neck, leaving much to be desired. "I'll leave you alone. Once again, I apologize for attacking you."
"Apologize?" Laslow scoffs, pushing himself from the wall. "I said I would love to continue this." The blush turns deeper as he repeats those words. Saizo couldn't be so dense, or was he trying to escape from him? Was he scared?
There's a stiffness in Saizo that he notices and he means to continue before the man turns on his heels and leaves him. He's angry, of course he is. Touching him and leaving him in this state, agonizingly hard. He wasn't just going to seduce any other man to take care of this, he wanted Saizo to do it.
He sighs. Maybe someday. Their tension just seemed to get thinner with this sudden development, but Laslow hoped it would change soon.
He ignores his hard–on as he walks over to where Charlotte supposedly was and as he expected, she wasn't there. It's not like wanted her to stay, and he's glad she didn't, but that meant she didn't see the fruit of his labor.
He wouldn't admit Niles was right, though. He had too much pride for that.
He finds Charlotte hours later in the dining hall, noticing Laslow's presence as she stands up from her table and grabs his arm. She pulls him over to a secluded corner, hand on her hip.
"Laslow, I'm glad it seemed to have worked but..." She grimaces, coking her hip to the side. "Don't waste your talent on such a despicable man. He's probably the poorest heathen I've laid eyes on. He's not worth it. And he seems too dedicated to his master." She nods to herself, reassuring that she was right about him.
Laslow's blush reappears, his worries resurging. "You mean, you did stay and watch what occurred?"
He exhales a breath of relief when she shakes her head. "Of course not. After Saizo pushed you against the wall I got the hell out of there. I couldn't stay watching such an intimate act, I'm not Niles' daugher. Or Niles for that matter." She says after a moment.
"Well, that's great. Good. Amazing." He replies confidently, placing his hand on her shoulder. She gives him an arrogant smile. "So you see you have a natural talent for this? I wouldn't mind having a partner who accompanies me on my conquests." Her eyebrows raise.
His cheeks heat, remembering how he imagined a man would pin him down and it did happen, much to the dismay of his body. "I couldn't, this is your thing. I–" He licks his lips, trying to forget about Saizo. "It was a one time thing. I'm not trying it again. I still prefer women." He gives one of his winks and she rolls her eyes, already annoyed by Laslow's usual personality emerging.
She shrugs, moving away from Laslow's grip. "Suit yourself. If you prefer being a loser that's your problem." She snickers at his glare and pushes him towards the line.
It ends with that, Charlotte sitting in her table as she continues to listen idly to the gossiping of other soldiers. She places a hand below her chin, scanning the room for a certain someone.
Charlotte watches as Laslow sits with Peri in a corner, the cavalier asking him where he was during the day. Her eyes trail off to the ninja sitting besides Kagero, hand balled up in a fist, chopsticks in between and as she expected, gaze directed towards Laslow. He should at least try to make it less obvious, burning his gaze into Laslow as if he expected him to notice.
Her view is interrupted by a cloaked figure, Charlotte immediately knowing who it was. The outlaw gives her a smirk and she smiles back, exchanging knowing glances only they knew of.
Ah, men. So weak to their desires. If only Charlotte found a man or woman who would gaze at her with such intensity. Even if she did, she would only accept them if they were rich of course. She didn't do love, something she had expected she shared with the red-haired ninja. Oh well; Don't judge a book by its cover, as they say.