Ansel was following his young lover, though his emotions were raging war within him, leaving the professor feeling irritated, confused, and exhausted. Their footsteps made hardly any noise at all as they walked down the hallway with one another toward the suite, Lucio slightly ahead, his body stiff. Narrowed eyes followed the rigid line of Lucio's back, silently admiring the young man's exquisite posture while simultaneously making a small mental note that Lucio seemed rather uncharacteristic of himself as they approached the door. Perhaps his uneasiness was simply residual feelings of tension left over from their strained conversation about Claude Delou, or maybe he was experiencing anxiety related to this surprise he had set up. Ansel vaguely remembered Lucio displaying signs of concern during the former's birthday party. The golden rose had been a sentimental gift, one Lucio couldn't be sure Ansel would enjoy. A genuine, though shaky, apology was gifted to Ansel, who received the words with nothing more than a slight nod and a gruff noise reminiscent of a growl, though Ansel hadn't intended it to sound so threatening. Merely final. He didn't want to talk about Delou anymore, nor about the date Lucio couldn't get out of--even if he<i>could</i>, Ansel doubted the boy would try.<br/><br/>Nothing inside of the suite seemed to have changed while the men were away. Frozen in time, the luxurious hotel room appeared just as extravagant and expensive as it had the first night the two had spent together. Bottles of champagne and bourbon sat contentedly on the coffee table, the same brands, the same position. Ansel felt as if he and his youthful beloved had merely stepped out of the room for a few minutes for a cigarette. Weeks, months together vanished in that moment as he stared at the alcohol, the hard crease of his lips softening.<br/><br/>Lingering downstairs didn't appear to be part of Lucio's agenda; Ansel shadowed the small man as he continued upward, anger quickly dissipating with each ascended step. Inside of the bedroom, lights were low, mood already set for the<i>romantic</i>evening Lucio had cooked up. Taking in each individual toy, a tight smile fought its way onto the professor's face. The jealous green monster festering inside of him wanted to hold onto his fury, drown in it, pull Lucio deep into dank, black waters so he could feel it, too. Lucio still should have warned him, it said. That ancient pervert is going to take advantage of him, it hissed. And yes, perhaps both of those things were true. But the memory of a sweet promise given to him only minutes before, and the generous sight before him left the monster's voice stifled, as if Lucio's love and effort had woven itself into a rather appropriate gag and shoved its way into the beast's horrific maw. The professor licked his lips, letting the harsh, ragged voice fade into the dark recesses of his mind.<i>Lucio is here. With me. No one else. He is mine.<br/>
</i><br/>Ansel's attention snapped to Lucio the moment the petite Englishman began to undress, slow though it was. Lucio did always like to tease, to tempt, to lure. It was what he did best. The silver mask Lucio had provided him hours before was removed, revealing mischievous hazel eyes to complement the subtle grin that had sprouted onto Ansel's bearded jaw. "Oh, you are<i>my</i>little whore, then?" he chuckled, taking pleasure in Lucio's languid movements. "I was worried for a moment, darling. To imagine you in another man's arms... it breaks me. To think of another touching you, kissing you, fucking that tight, perfect little ass of yours is too much for my old heart to bear."<br/><br/>Colored with a light, playful tone, it would have been understandable for Lucio to take Ansel's words as facetious. Perhaps the young man knew better, though, because he seemed intent on gaining Ansel's focus, of tearing the older man's thoughts away from his envy and paranoia. The professor sighed, not unpleasantly, and reached out, wrapping his fingers around Lucio's slight wrist and gingerly tugging the boy to him.<br/><br/>Their lips met, and for that brief moment, Ansel cared nothing at all about Delou. With his lover's distinctive taste on his tongue, the world faded away into a sea of white emptiness. He couldn't have been happier. Deft fingers began removing Lucio's clothes, carefully undoing each button on his shirt, fingers dancing along the flat expanse of Lucio's abdomen to reach the trousers that sat low on narrow hips. "If we're going to play, we must rid you of all this," Ansel explained, unfastening all the bits of fabric keeping Lucio hidden from his greedy eyes.<br/><br/>All barriers between Lucio's skin and Ansel's hands were removed, delicately, methodically. Ansel never wanted to accidentally ruin a piece of Lucio's clothing. Once Lucio was naked, the older man gently instructed him to stand still while he retrieved the cotton rope wound up on the bedside table. The rope was unbleached cotton, new. Ansel could tell by the smell and feel that it had never been used before. Lucio had gone out of his way to purchase the bondage rope, not something difficult considering the boy's financial means, but certainly out of the ordinary. Thoughtful. If the display of the alcohol and the variety toys hadn't been enough, the fresh rope certainly reminded Ansel of Lucio's affections for him. The professor smiled as he turned and returned to his lover, rope wrapped around his hand.<br/><br/>"Sweetness, you've never participated in rope bondage before, have you?" he asked curiously, finding the middle of the rope and folding it over slowly. "I find it incredibly tantalizing, beautiful, even." Slipping behind Lucio, Ansel began wrapping the folded rope around Lucio's chest and arms, once, then twice, stopping at Lucio's bare chest. The rope was firmly around the small man, tight but not cutting into his milky skin. He knotted the rope together. Once. Then twice, locking the knot into place in order to keep the tension where he wanted.<br/><br/>"Are you positive you're all right with this?" Ansel purred, pulling the excess rope down so he could begin to wrap again, this time around Lucio's middle. "Forgive me for playing the soft dom, but I want to make you're doing this because you want to, Lucio. I love you. You know I'll never hurt you. Not unless you ask for it, of course."