Oh, how unlike his earlier teasing this ripping off of his clothes was. As if he wanted -no, needed- to free his body, expose it for him to view, to explore, to<em>use</em>.<br/>Ryan would have laughed if he wasn't busy with doing just that. The viewing of the body being undressed in such a hastefull manner. The exploring and the abusing would come later. For now.. just looking entertained him. His guard, his steel. The man meaning to defend his very life, that of the whores and other employees of the Teahouse. Stripping as if he couldn't get rid of the cloths and leathers fast enough.<br/><br/><em>That hungry, Louis?</em>he but thought, eyes glinting as black ice, tongue idly licking at his lips<em>You should not starve yourself like this..</em><br/><br/>The simple handing over of the belt almost caught him off-guard. Not even a question. Not a hint of wondering in his eyes. What if he would decide to lash the man? Leave his own marks to that landscape of pain..? Would he protest? Would he wish for it?<br/><br/>Did he, himself, wish to hurt?<br/><br/>He actually had to think about this, almost missing the glance back at him, but meeting it with a slight smile and a nod.<br/>No, he didn't wish to hurt.<br/>Ryan had always been protective of this man. He'd never tell what he had done to the man that had scarred him up so badly. How much time and money he had spend on the hunt. How long the man had survived.<br/>His smile grew wicked. 'Justice' was a big word. 'Revenge' wouldn't be appropriate, he hadn't really known the man all too well back then.<br/>Atticus was his now, though. Now it could be seen as both. Back then? God only knew..<br/><br/>"Lie down," he said, following him to his bed "Just relax, let me look at you."<br/><br/>Long, elegant fingers that had never seen physical labour slowly unbuttoned silver buttons, a black shadow leaving shoulders, revealing, surprisingly, a white linen shirt, covered in white embroidery of the same type of dragon that he had coil around one of his legs.<br/><br/>Dragon. Emperor. Maybe.. a symbol. Definitely Ryan's favourite unsubtle hint towards how he viewed he Teahouse and everything and<em>everyone</em>in it.