We meet again... {TAG Kocoum}

He huffed angrily. His nostrils flaring up a little as he glared at the cheeky young man. "There are chairs. Or is that too difficult of a concept for you?"

"You'd make me clean that up after, I don't see why give myself more work." he replied frowning a little: he could see that the other man was angry, but he saw no reason why he had to create himself more reasons to work. Beside, he was right: he was absolutely filthy after all that time between work and dungeons...

Kocoum furrowed his eyebrows together and looked at the boy. Getting up and pulling Pips back up and starting to drag him by his arm to the bath house. "Take a bath then. Unless you'd rather lick yourself clean like an animal." He mocked the boy a bit.

Pips tried as he could to make the man lose the grip on his arm, that was just unwanted and unnecessary physical contact, but of course the dornish guard was as always too strong for him and he had no other choice than follow him. Now... the prospect of a bath wasn't so bad, though: he couldn't help but smirk in delight as he found himself in front of the warm bath and moved already to get in the water, with is clothes still on.

Oh this boy was a wild one. "You might find that if you take your clothes off you'd become more clean." He remarked, kicking a piece of soap towards Pips. "And spread that on your body so the dirt comes off easier." He said and moved out of the bath house and locking the door. Now he would have to find some clothes for Pips since he decided to wet them.

He jumped into the water with his clothes still on, splashing all around without even caring about that. Oh that was a nice sensation... he had never had a proper bath in his entire life, and bathing in the river wasn't comparable to this: the water was so warm and nice...
As the guard suggested him to take off the clothes he looked at him with a questioning expression: didn't clothes need to be washed too? Though, as he left the room, Pips decided to try it out. He removed his shirt and, after a first moment of indecision, he removed his pants too: now that was surprisingly even nicer! Following the guard's suggestion, he passed the soap on his body, washing away all the dirt, and then decided to pass it on the clothes too, maybe he could manage to get them clean as well...

Kocoum returned with a set of new clothes. A linen shirt and pants. Meant more to this weather rather than the north. But Pips wasn't going anywhere was he.
Going back into the bath house and placing the clothes on a bench. "Whenever you are ready..." He said and left the room once more. Waiting outside the door.

As Pips heard the door being opened he quickly put on again his wet shirt, covering himself with it as he could, trying to cover at least even part of his skinny thighs and his private parts. His cheeks blushed ever so brightly they ended up matching the color of his hair. Dammit, he thought the guard was just gonna wait outside...
At his words he muttered something that sounded vaguely like a "you could at least knock..." and kept his gaze down, obviously embarrassed. As the guard left he decided to waste no more time, risking to have him back in the room any moment: he got out of the bath tube, and dried himself a bit with a towel, being as quick as he could.
He didn't stop to think about the new clothes, he simply put on quickly the shirt and then tried to be as quick as he could with the pants. Sure enough, the chains he still had on his ankles didn't make the job easy. They weren't too much of a bother, they were more bearable that the ones on his wrist, but getting off his pants had been a pain and now putting the new ones on was being even harder.

The boy was muttering again when he walked in. But Kocoum couldn't be bothered to ask him to speak clearly. It sure was annoying, but it was getting tiring to point that out everytime. And it wasn't like Kocoum cared much if he was naked or not. He had seen enough flesh in his life time not to feel embarrassed over it.
Waiting outside for Pips to be done with the bath and come out.

As he finally managed to get dressed he was finally able to relax again: now even if the guard wanted to come in he would have no problem with that. He had to admit though, after such a bath he felt far better. He was still mildly wet, his hair in particular, but that didn't bother him one bit. He was used to it. And those clothes... they were so incredibly comfortable!
As he finally got out and joined Kocoum again he looked at him with a sheepish smile "Thank you... for the clothes..." it was the second time he thanked him, and this time in a more heartfelt way.

Kocoum just flashed a slight smile. Good to see the redhead hadn't been completely deprived of manners. "You are welcome...." He said standing up straight from having leaned his back to the wall.
"Go and do your chores, and I'll go do mine. Perhaps we will see eachother at lunch time or whatever..." He trailed off as he lead the boy back to ground level. Right now Kocoum just wanted to go and have a drink to take the edge off his foul mood today.

Pips followed Kocoum's lead downstairs before he left him and had to join the other servants for more cleaning. He wasn't eager to go back to work, and he was quite frankly missing much his life as a free thief, but since he didn't have much choice there was no point in complaining.

Hours later Pips could finally say he had done with his chores. It was lunch time and if there was one positive aspect in being in the Martell's house, it was the food: at least he was ensured two meals a day! He was already getting ready to eat when a servant placed a tray of food in his arms and ordered him to take it to 'lord Kocoum': it took him a while to understand that that was the name of the dornish guard who caught him. "You'll eat when you'll be back" she said.
Urgh! More work... Hurrying as he could, Pips walked toward Kocoum's room and, after knocking on the door with a foot, since both his hands wee busy, he got it.
"uhm... I brought you your lunch... where do I leave it?"

Kocoum stirred when he heard a knock on the door. Groaning a bit from his bed. His body feeling heavy and sluggish after intaking so much alcohol. Not even knowing when he had dozed off.
Reaching his hand to find the jug of wine he had beside his bed. As he lifted it he felt it empty. Tossing it towards the wall and starting to roll himself out of bed. Heavily treading his way to the door. Opening the door with some difficulty. Looking at Pips with glazed over eyes. "You got wine?" He asked.

As Kocoum opened the door Pips got inside, but not before he took a good look at the guard: Gods, was he a mess! "Didn't you get enough of wine?" he replied before he could bite his tongue: the condition of the man, as well as his smell, were more than clear in that moment.
"Well, where do I put it?" He asked then, referring to the tray, not really wanting to stay more than he needed to

Kocoum looked at the food and scowled in disgust. "I'm not hungry.... You eat it if you wanna..." He said closing the door and going back to his bed. Falling on his stomach and hugging the pillow under his head and burying his face into it's soft embrace.

At Kocoum's words, Pips felt his mouth watering: sure, he ate well enough in the palace, but the food for him wasn't comparable to the food for Kocoum! He immediately took a spicy pepper and brought it to his mouth: it was really spicy, but he enjoyed spicy food. He was ready to leave but before he did so he glanced over at Kocoum. He did remove the chains on his wrists earlier... and banded his woundes... and offered him a bath and new clothes... as much as he wanted to leave, he kinda owned him...
"ehm... you ok?" he asked, unsure if asking so he was overstepping some boundaries

He could hear Pips in the room. Eating the food that he had brought.
When he heard Pips starting to leave he sighed heavily. Thinking that the boy had left the room already. When he heard Pips speak he looked up from his pillow. Almost glaring at the boy at first. Then just deciding to give up the scary act. Sighing heavily again before answering him. "... No...."
Kind of finding the redheads sudden interest in his business odd all of a sudden. "... Why do you care?"

"I don't" he replied immediately, by instinct. Caring for people was a weakness, on the streets you couldn't afford to be weak, and Pips had learnt his lesson. Still, now and then he couldn't help his tender heart... and when he had nothing to lose, well, he could afford showing kindness.
"You've been nice to me, thought I could return the favor..." he replied shrugging, stepping back and putting the tray on the closest table.

Kocoum kept his face turned towards Pips. Just watching him with one eye as the other was pressed against the pillow. Wondering what to tell him.
"Have you ever loved someone?" He asked his voice a little tender than his usual disposition. "So much that every fiber of your being looks forward to see them.... to touch them again. They are the first thought you get in the morning and the last as you fall to sleep...." He paused for a moment. "You look forward to a meeting but then life intervenes and you can't go...." He sighed heavily again. "That is what has got me down...."

At his first question Pips simply shook his head, shrugging. No, he had never loved anyone, and he wasn't sorry about that: simply staring at what 'love' was doing to the dornish guard made him sick!
"I don't get it... if you wanna see this person just go, what keeps you?" the concept of life getting in the way was quite hard for him to understand, he had lived his whole life freely and the only thing tha constricted him were physical chains.

"Because I have duties here. For the Prince and for my family. I can not just up and leave whenever I feel like it."

The concept was still hard to catch for Pips: never had a proper family, never had duties so important that could keep him from doing what he wanted... he actually found the situation quite idiotic, but well, he couldn't say that. He approached the bed, scratching his head "well, it's not like laying in bed will help you much, you know..." he didn't mean it in a judging way, it was his way to be friendly

He groaned out at Pips's nagging. Reaching his hand out and grabbing Pips by the wrist and pulling him on the bed to lay next to him. "Try it yourself before you judge...."

Pips yelped in surprise and pain as Kocoum grabbed his wounded wrist and easily pulled him on the bed, close to him, too close to him for his personal taste. He immediately tried to wriggle away from him, the expression on his face showing anger and fear: he didn't even care if he had just hurt him, what eally disturbed him was this closeness...

Kocoum just let go of the males wrist. "Just relax and don't be so dramatic all the time.... " He muttered in turn. He wasn't going to fight with Pips. If he didn't want to lay down then why should Kocoum force him.