TW: BDSM, Humiliation, Spanking, Anal, PWP, Dom/sub, Gas, Restraints, Pain Kink, i went all out okay, Panties

Title: ~Do You Know Where The Wild Things Go?~

Song: Breezeblocks  by Alt-J

muscle to muscle and
toe to toe
the fear has gripped me
but here I go

~

oh, it's not love it's never love
between you and
me
because love is meant for bedtime stories
and forever
and I do
we are not forever
it's never I do
just I won't
I can't
I
must
there are no songs or midnight picnics
only the safety of two bodies
that know each other only in the dark
but we know them through and through
and we play them
well

~

"Have you been good, Xephy?"

Xephos swallows and keeps his eyes cast downwards, looking at the silent stones of the room as if an answer is spelled out amongst the cracks that time had worn out in them, the bioluminescence of his skin and eyes a soft glow in the otherwise sparsely lit room. He can hear his own heartbeat in his ears, loud but not quite enough to drown out the sound of soft footsteps that edge closer until he can see bare feet from the corner of his eyes. The toes wriggle in amusement.

He really needs to reconsider his life's choices.

For a moment, Xephos lets his mind wander. He doesn't quite understand why he keeps coming back here, against the better judgement that people tend to accuse him of. Surely there are plenty of other options available when the endless whirring of machines gets on his nerves, when he longs for a place that isn't encased in dirt or covered in metal plating. He can work on something else, go for a walk – he can visit Ridge, maybe. He hasn't seen him in ages.

But no matter what his mind offers as other possible solutions, the stars always seem to align in such a way that he ends up here, with the most unlikely companion possible. Somehow, he wasn't complaining - although he has to admit that it always, always takes his brain a little while to catch up with his body.

He makes a valiant effort to unclench his hands, fingers tapping nervously against his thigh as he ponders how to answer that.

"C'mon, Xephy. It's not such a difficult question, is it?"

The voice is closer than he expected it to be and Xephos is startled for a brief moment, eyes flashing up to meet the curious expression of the man in front of him. Parvis watches him with a lopsided grin, head cocked to the side curiously and with the same unwavering confidence that seems to be the only familiar thing in a room that will never stop feeling foreign to Xephos.

He exhales slowly.

"I suppose so," he replies carefully, more than a little proud that his voice doesn't waver.

"You suppose? Oh, Xephy..."

"Would you stop calling me that?" Xephos says through clenched teeth, a little harsher than it had sounded in his head. "You know my name, Parvis. Use it."

Parvis tuts disapprovingly, the sound enough to make Xephos cringe as he is reprimanded, and he almost bites his tongue in an attempt to shut himself up. He shifts his weight from one leg to the other and waits for Parvis to do something, say something that can give him a clue as to what the other man was planning. Something to distract him from the endless possibilities that his mind all too eagerly provides.

His nails bite crescent moons into his palms as Parvis regards him almost impassively, teeth bared in a grin and oh god, how Xephos wants to knock that smile off his face; it makes him cringe just a little bit, the way Parvis always seems so smug, focused like he never is when he's running around his base or talking to Will.

Frozen to the spot, he follows Parvis with wary eyes as the dark-haired man moves to stand behind him.

"I don't think you came here to talk back to me, Xephy," Parvis says, leaning forward as he speaks so that they're almost pressed together – but not quite, not yet. He's smaller in stature than Xephos but infinitely bigger in this moment, his breath hot in the spaceman's ear as he chuckles quietly.

"Now tell me. Properly. Have you been good? Did you do what I told you to do?"

A hand sneaks its way down and Xephos inhales sharply, pinpricks of light scattered across his skin flaring up like flickering stars as he tries to fight his embarrassment. He almost hadn't gone through with it; the idea of Dew or, gods forbid, Lalna catching him too much to face in the light of day. He'd stood in his room, staring down at the package Parvis had given him the last time they'd seen each other with a scowl that he usually reserved for equipment breaking in the worst way imaginable.

It's not that the idea itself hadn't been nice, in a way. Even if it was incredibly awkward.

The risk of people knowing, though...

Despite his hesitation Xephos eventually managed to get away with it – but he'd been a lot less meticulous about his work today, bolting off to Parvis' base as soon as he could throw the wrenches back in the chest and pointedly ignoring the suspicious look Lalna had given him. He'd have to come up with an excuse when he returned, some explanation for disappearing like that, but-

"Well?" Parvis asks sweetly and Xephos stiffens, immediately on edge by how lenient Parvis sounds. The candles in the far corner of the room flicker and he focuses on those while collecting his thoughts, the hairs in his neck standing on edge as Parvis breathes against his skin in the silence.

"I... Yes," he replies quietly, holding his breath when Parvis sneaks a curious hand under Xephos' jacket, tugging the fabric of his shirt out of the way and running a warm finger along the waistband of his trousers. Xephos can't see it but he knows the way Parvis' smile widens when he feels the stupid, flimsy fabric there, knows how pleased the dark-haired man is going to be with himself.

"Good boy, Xephy."

Parvis laughs the jittery spaceman's nerves away and presses an almost chaste kiss to his neck in praise, lips soft and warm even against Xephos' heated skin.

"I'm very proud of you."

In a flurry of movement Parvis is in front of him again, hooking his thumbs in the loops of his belt to pull Xephos closer as he watches him with something close to approval. He grins at the startled noise Xephos makes, at the way his freckles flash brightly in betrayal. Xephos hates this moment in between, when his head still screams at him to get away from here while his body is already slowly crumbling under Parvis' gentle touches.

"Did you like it?" Parvis asks innocently, one hand tugging at the front of Xephos' shirt now, pulling it away so he can explore the lines of Xephos' side and stomach properly. He rests his palm against the flushed skin he finds there, humming when he feels muscles tense in anticipation. Xephos frowns, straightens his back a little more to compensate for the way he shivers under Parvis' touch. But when he opens his mouth to reply, Parvis interrupts him again.

"Did you like it, knowing you were looking all pretty just for little old Parvis? You must have been a mess, being reminded of me every time you had to crouch in front of one of your silly machines. I bet you couldn't even concentrate on anything, right? And goggle boy must have noticed, asked you why you were being so distracted all day. Did you lie to him, Xephy?"

With every new question Xephos feels his skin heat up more, worrying his lip between his teeth as he attempts to formulate a proper answer.

"I-"

"Shush, it's fine. Parvy understands."

With a crooked grin Parvis takes a step backwards and crosses his arms in front of his chest, eyeing Xephos thoughtfully.

"I wanna admire my work now. Get out of those clothes."

Xephos hesitates for a moment but decides against protesting, staring at the floor as he quickly shrugs off his jacket and drops it in a mess of fabric next to him. Parvis hums encouragingly as he sheds his shirt as well, running his hands through his hair to give him a moment's pause before his hands come to rest on his belt. He looks up, the question ready on the tip of his tongue, but Parvis just nods and gestures for him to continue.

"Trousers too, Xephy. I want to see how pretty you look."

Oh, and a part of him still hates this, being watched like an animal that's about to be eaten when all he can do is listen and oblige as much as possible. His heart flutters in a restless staccato against his rib cage as he sheds his trousers as well, the cold air a relief on his heated skin. But hefeels Parvis' eyes on him and he hates that, unsure of what to do with himself as he straightens himself again and waits.

Parvis whistles and Xephos would be offended at how ridiculously cliché that is, but he knows better than to question Parvis when he was being flattering in his own way. Nervously, Xephos shifts his weight to his other leg, his hands balled into fists to hide the fact that the appraisal makes him restless. He probably looks ridiculous, Xephos thinks to himself; all harsh angles and wiry muscles that don't match the frilly fabric that barely leaves anything to the imagination. It clings to him like his normal boxers never do and he almost feels like it's a cruel joke, just another way to humiliate him; but Parvis seems to actually approve.

"Oooh, look at you. You really do look pretty, spaceboy."

The compliment makes Xephos flush and he realizes he lights up like a night light, constellations of freckles all too willing to show his eagerness when his words fail him. It's like shedding layer after layer, quite literally, until he is bare under the dark weight of Parvis' stare and his gentle prodding and nudging, until all Xephos can do is just let go.

And that's why he comes here, he supposes; it's not a manner of being close to the blood mage who is normally just someone that he talks about to Strife regarding the work they do – and they aren't exactly friendly with one another, even on the good days. On the bad days, Parvis is someone that can drive him near insanity without meaning to. But despite all that there's a sense of peace here, though he loathes to admit it; one that he cannot find anywhere else because Parvis is the only one that ignores all the things Xephos is supposed to be.

Parvis steps closer and brushes his knuckles softly over Xephos lower stomach, giggling happily when he feels the muscles twitch underneath his soft touch. He looks up at Xephos, eyes dark with amusement and unspoken plans.

"Safe word, Xephos?"

It takes a while for his brain to catch up but when it does he allows himself a smile, immediately reassured.

"Lumos."

"And do you need to use it?"

When Xephos shakes his head in denial, Parvis allows his expression to harden and he wraps bony fingers around Xephos' wrist, tugging the tall man down in a familiar command.

"Good. On your knees, then."

Xephos obliges hastily, thoughts fuzzy with excitement as the panic subsides to a more manageable level. The stones are cold under his knees but he doesn't mind much; it grounds him as much as the fingers that now curl in his hair, tugging just harshly enough that his scalp tingles pleasantly. He's rarely ever smaller than anyone; Ridge is usually the only one that surpasses him in length and forces him to look up when he wants to meet the demigod's eyes (and Ridge floats half of the time anyway, so that's cheating as far as Xephos is concerned). But now Parvis is looming over him, watching his toy with a unreadable expression that makes him feel very small indeed.

"You did good today, Xephy. But you know you always keep blabbing on and on..." Parvis rubs the stubble on his chin thoughtfully for a moment, letting the silence stretch out until Xephos feels like telling him to just hurry up and get it over and done with. Parvis is the kind of man that liked to drag things out though, contrary to popular belief; even Xephos still doesn't understand why the man that's as impatient and giddy as a puppy sometimes knows exactly how to find the most inopportune moment possible to stall.

"I think I want you quiet tonight." With a sly grin Parvis manages to conjure up a silk tie from behind his back and for a short moment Xephos worries about who he nicked it from, because there's no way in hell Parvis owns a tie of his own. Will is going to murderthem both if it's one of his good ones. But then Parvis crouches in front of him, brushing a thumb over Xephos' lower lip encouragingly, and he forgets all about his old friend.

"Go on, open up."

Xephos watches the glow of his eyes cast shadows on Parvis' face as the blood mage carefully ties both ends together behind his head, rewarding him by running his hands through Xephos' hair when he's done. It's almost too constricting and Xephos' heart rattles at the unfamiliar sensation of dry fabric against his tongue, until he takes a few deep breaths through his nose and wills the panic away. He's fine, although not exactly comfortable.

Parvis leans back on his haunches, observing his handiwork with a relaxed smile.

"That's better, don't you think? No more talking from you, mister."

Xephos just glares back, cheeks burning in embarrassment when he realizes how he looks right now; mouth open, kneeling and squirming uncomfortably as Parvis runs an appreciative hand over his chest.

"Look at you. So obedient," Parvis smirks. "I've been looking forward to this all day, you know. Couldn't help but picture you just like this, on your knees for me like the good little pet you are. I knew you would be gagging for it."

He laughs at his own joke and Xephos scowls, the threat behind it rendered useless because of where he is. He doesn't understand why he seeks this out; it should anger him more than anything, subjected to the kind of humiliation only Parvis is capable of. But something about his brain works not quite the way he expected it to; despite his mortification, his stomach does a backflip in excitement. Xephos curls his toes secretly, tiny movements that betray just how much he knows Parvis is right.

His knees are already aching, the ground too cold and unforgiving, and Xephos squirms a little to relieve them until Parvis presses a firm hand on his shoulder to stop him. He settles down, breathing in through his nose to chase his restlessness away.

He can do this. As long as he's here, he can at least show Parvis that won't break that easily. He straightens his back as he watches Parvis, blazing bright blue an attempt at defiance – but the mage just chuckles, shaking his head knowingly.

"Oh, Xephy. You should realize by now that you can play coy all you want. I'm going to break you anyway; the only say you get in this is how long it'll take me this time."

With a predatory grin, Parvis stalks around Xephos and disappears out of sight. It's ever so hard to resist the urge to look around, the idea of having someone as dangerous at Parvis behind him enough to make Xephos' skin crawl with unease. Everyone thinks of Parvis only in combination with deep pools of red, sharp knives in hands that seem too inexperienced and clumsy to wield them properly. And they would be right, too.

But that's all this was about; the fact that Parvis knows how to play Xephos, how to play with him until he can no longer keep silent, all defences torn down and willingly thrown on the floor at Parvis' feet even if he knows that it's teetering dangerously close to the edge – flirting with oblivion the only way Xephos knows how. He figures it's what he needs. And Parvis was willing to give him that.

Parvis kneels behind Xephos, so close that they almost touch, and Xephos hears the grin in his voice when he speaks.

"You and I both know what you need, don't we? Has anyone else figured out yet how much of a slut you are?"

Parvis' breath is hot against his neck and Xephos shivers involuntarily, his freckles lighting up in humiliation even though there's no one else with them that can witness just how far he'll willing to bent. And really, he should know better than to bend his head in shame for Parvis. His eyes drift closed when the other man presses eager lips to his neck, mouthing the sensitive skin there, teeth grazing almost playfully. With a groan only slightly muffled by the silk fabric, Xephos nods. His breath staggers when Parvis sucks a dark bruise into the skin that Xephos knows he will have to hide tomorrow and Parvis chuckles at his reaction, ever so predictable and so easy to draw out when he's so close to breaking.

"Good boy. Give me your hands."

Hesitantly, Xephos reaches behind and grabs his left wrist with his other hand, shoulders bent back uncomfortably – but not before semi-accidentally grazing bare skin with his fingertips, rewarded with a small sigh from the other man. Somehow, Parvis has lost his shirt in the past few minutes and it worries Xephos; if he hasn't even heard that – he needs to pay attention. Try not to get lost.

Soft laughter interrupts his thought process and he flinches when he feels Parvis grab his wrists, wrapping something soft around them before Xephos has the common sense to try and shake the vice-like grip. He can't question it, half-muffled noises the only thing he manages past the confines of the tie, and then Parvis lets him go again and rewards him with a sloppy kiss to the back of Xephos' neck.

"There we go," he mutters, voice ominous and sweet, too sweet. "No touchy unless I tell you to, remember?"

With a frustrated groan Xephos tugs against the restraints that Parvis seems to have conjured out of nowhere, testing their strength half-heartedly even when he already knows that they won't budge. For how sloppy Parvis' work usually is, he always takes extra care to when tying knots, knowing how to twist them together so the restraints won't budge unless Parvis wants them to. Fuck.

The feeling of being trapped where he is, unable to reach for his sword if he'd still had it within arm's reach, to even push himself away if he wants to, makes his heart jump in his chest, the feeling of fight or flight persistent - until the panic dies down slowly, settling into something a little closer to acceptance. It's fine, he's been here before; has been tied to the wall with iron shackles that dig into his wrists with a lot less give than the soft rope that Parvis has settled for now. With a sigh, Xephos ceases his attempts to struggle free and bows his head, eyes shut so he doesn't have to watch the way the silken fabric of his panties is stretched too tightly already.

Parvis chuckles. "Better. Stop worrying that pretty little head of yours, Xephy. I always take care of you, don't I?"

If there's anything that frustrates Xephos about this more than anything, it's the questions; he knows all he can do is nod in acquiescence, knows that Parvis has figured out that the only way to keep him down on his knees is to force him there.

Out of nowhere Parvis strikes, teeth sharp and hot as they dig into his skin without warning, and Xephos arches his back before even realizing it. He pushes into the touch, hissing through his teeth at the sharp pain in his shoulder that almost overrules the ghostly trail of fingertips – but not quite. It travels along his back, down his spine and wrapping around his sides, idly playing with the frill of his stupidly unflattering underwear before moving along again. It's infuriatingly soft and slow, dragging the moment out until Xephos whimpers quietly. He feels Parvis smirk against his neck, nails digging into his sides and raking up, leaving a trail of angry red in their wake that burns long after the source of them is gone.

Xephos lets his head fall back, unsure of whether he should lean into the touch and chase the sweet-hot pain or arch his back away from it. It's almost too much already, his cock throbbing between his legs but ignored as Parvis' deft fingers explores every other inch of him. His freckles light up in an answer to Parvis' questioning fingers; even if he lies through his teeth about this, if he shakes his head and shuts his mouth when morning comes, his body still sides with the smug man behind him.

He can never keep anything hidden, here.

Parvis' arms wrap around Xephos' chest, pulling the taller man back so they're flush against each other. It traps the warmth of their bodies between them as Parvis' fingers dance across Xephos' chest, lingering for a moment to tease his nipples before they wander on. Parvis nips his ear and Xephos whimpers quietly, unable to muffle every sound even though he so desperately wants to. But Parvis' hands roams onwards, back up to pinch his nipples sharply once more time before they dip below the waistband of Xephos' panties. So close, so fucking close and then they dance back up again, chasing the starlight that they left behind only moments ago.

"You know why I think you come here, Xephy?"

Another damn question. Xephos shakes his head, trying to shift his weight to release some of the tension. He knows, he knows so well but Parvis will tell him anyway-

"I think you come here because you want me to make you scream."

Xephos moans again, loud and desperate and please but the word itself never passes his lips, pride and silk keeping it locked inside of him. Parvis laughs at that and his hand snakes down again, pressing against the aching hardness between Xephos' legs with not nearly enough pressure to bring anything but more eagerness. Still, even the fleeting touch is enough to make the last of his resolve crumble as he is finally finally rewarded, even just for a moment.

Xephos watches silently as Parvis reaches around him, pressing them even closer together while he scrambles to grab a hold of the shirt that Xephos had thrown on the floor. The mage pulls it closer, bunches it up so it forms a sort of make-shift pillow – albeit a really shitty one – and leaves it on the floor in front of Xephos. It makes him frown, his head not quite caught up with the situation, but he is distracted once more when Parvis pulls away without a word.

The absence of a body against his own almost hurts and Xephos can't stop the needy sound that escapes him, soft and pathetic and enough to make the other man chuckle.

"Shush," Parvis chastises him, one hand wrapped around Xephos' wrists and brushing a thumb over the whilst the other presses between his shoulder blades in a silent request. Oh.

It's hard not to fall over when he no longer has his hands to catch him and Xephos panics for a moment, but the ropes around his wrists give Parvis something to hold on to; he's lowered gently, his head coming to rest on the improvised pillow with surprising ease. Xephos' muscles ache with the effort but eventually he manages to settle in, looking to the side while the fabric provides a comforting layer between his cheek and the cool, hard stones. The position forces his ass up and he almost chokes when he thinks about how he must look now, vulnerable and his spine bent just the way Parvis likes it.

Seconds pass. Too slowly. One heartbeat, another, and Xephos feels his heart start to race in the absence of anything else to focus on. Parvis is eerily quiet behind him, no longer relying on taunting words to drag Xephos down – and it makes him restless.

When he feels like he can't take it anymore, Xephos opens his eyes – when did he shut his eyes? – and tries to look behind him, but before he can focus his gaze in the dusky light, something cracks right through the silence and Xephos almost chokes on his tongue in surprise. A nanosecond later the pain hits and Xephos hisses, realizing too late that Parvis hadn't worn his belt around his waist like he usually did.

It's not even that bad, actually; not nearly as bad as the time Parvis decided to see if someone's joke about blue-tinted blood had any truth to it. But it burns like nothing else and Xephos whimpers through the tie when Parvis hits him again, the crack of leather never enough to prepare him for the pain that follows immediately after.

Sometimes, Parvis didn't feel like talking; just had his way with Xephos because he trusted Xephos' thoughts to wear him down on all his own.

Not now, though.

"You should see yourself right now, Xephy. Pretty little pet, with his ass up in the air just for me. So obedient."

Parvis' voice is dark with amusement and lust, curling its way past the last shattered remains of Xephos' resolve as the leather digs into his skin time and time again. Slowly, he blinks away the tears in his eyes.

He feels small, here.

After what seems like forever, his ass on fire and every muscle in his body wound tight like a spring in anticipation of the next strike, the silence stretches out uninterrupted and Xephos hears the metallic clang of a belt buckle hitting the floor. He exhales slowly, blinks away the tears that he hadn't realized were welling up, and lets the burning ache wrap around him as something strangely comforting.

"You've been so good, pet. So good..." Parvis crouches behind Xephos and rubs his overstretched shoulders in soothing circles, the pressure just firm enough to chase away some of the tension of having them bent at an awkward angle. With a quiet whine, Xephos arches into the touch; it's such a contrast after the sharpness of just moments earlier that he can't help but relax into it, and the distraction is enough to make him painfully aware of how easy he is, his cock leaking and achingly hard. Talking about having your wires crossed.

There's more rustling of fabric and then Xephos feels hands brushing over burning skin, tugging flimsy blue fabric out of the way before spreading his ass cheeks apart, and he wishes just for a moment that the ground would open up and swallow him whole because it's too much, too humiliating to have everything stripped away from him like this.

But the ground stays as solid as ever and Parvis rubs his cock against him, slick and hot and Xephos knows that Parvis laughs at how Xephos eagerly tilts his hips, beckoning wordlessly because the ability to form words has left him – even if he hadn't been rendered mute by fancy silk and sheer force, he wouldn't know what to say except more.

"Look at you," Parvis whispers as he folds himself over Xephos eagerly, covering every inch of skin with his own body and trapping Xephos' arms between them. "So eager. I told you I'd take care of you, of my filthy little slut. Do you want it, Xephy?"

Long, pale fingers find their way in Xephos hair and he shivers in reply when his head is pulled back, scalp burning and every muscle in his body tensed in anticipation. Parvis tugs again, sharp and unexpected and Xephos chokes out a muffled agreement.

Parvis pushes forward, penetrating Xephos in one smooth, slick movement and Xephos vaguely wonders when he even had the time to lube himself up but then all rational thought bursts apart in a dizzying frenzy of sensations that make Xephos push back against the other man with jerky movements, as much as he can manage with his spine arched back almost uncomfortably far and fingers tightened in his hair to keep him exactly where he is.

Not that it matters. All Xephos can do is tremble against Parvis as the other man pushes into him again, again, again with increasing force, breath hot against Xephos back as he mutters something unintelligible – and its maddening. He's been on the edge for so long now and his cock is so hard it's painful and he wants to beg, dignity be damned because there's no fucking way he can take this without passing out-

Then Parvis wraps a merciful hand around Xephos' length and he bucks into it with embarrassing eagerness, a few firm strokes more than enough to make him fall apart with a loud moan. The world explodes white-hot behind his eyelids and he feels Parvis' movements become erratic, hovering on the edge for a few moments before he tenses up and follows Xephos over the edge.

They stay like that for a moment, pressed together and slick with sweat, but eventually Parvis untangles his fingers from Xephos hair with a shaky laugh. Xephos wants to smile as well, he really does, but everything is fuzzy and there's no way in hell he could even force his eyes open – so he lets Parvis lower him gently, barely even registering the soft brush of lips against his neck as Parvis unties the rope around Xephos' wrists. Parvis rubs the chafed skin there for a second before he pulls the knot behind Xephos' head loose as well, dropping the silk tie on the floor for them to clean up later.

Xephos inhales shakily, knowing full well that he needs to get up, make his way to a surface softer than the floor he presses his cheek against - just, not yet. But Parvis is relentless, pulls him up and wraps an arm around the taller man as they stagger towards the bedroom.

They crawl into Parv's small bed together and drag the ratty blanket over them both. There's not nearly enough fabric to cover them, not really, but it's just enough to protect them against the cool air now that the sweat on their skin has cooled. Xephos smiles, muscles sore but not unpleasantly so and already and sleep already dragging him down into darkness as they settle in. His feet dangled over the edge as they always do, because no way in hell would Parvis ever consider making a bed big enough to fit the two of them, but that's fine. Parvis lays on his back next to Xephos, staring at the ceiling with one arm folded behind his head but unable to stop running his fingers almost possessively though Xephos' tousled hair. It's always a little bit awkward, the aftermath; they don't cuddle because they decided early on that they would keep that for different people, different places, different times. But when Parvis looks to the side and presses a soft kiss to the spaceman's forehead it's okay again, just like that.

"Good, Xephy?"

Xephos rolls his eyes at the nickname but nods anyway, no longer able to muster up the energy to care. He'd been asked pretty much the same question earlier, but the implications that came with it before have settled into a pleasant calm. There's truth hidden in those words, something they can't say any other way; but neither of them is the type to analyse this, so it's fine. It's enough, anyway.

"Good, Parvis."

It's not love. It's not going to be love, but that's fine too. It's pushing and pulling, a way to ground them both in a way that Xephos never expected. Not that he's about to go home and tell Honeydew all about the night he's had – because he will go home later, just before dawn, and he'll crawl into bed with just the memory to keep him company – but for now, he's willing to enjoy the strange sort of companionship that you only find in the strangest of places.

Yeah, it's probably weird. Definitely. But he'll take what he can get.