Dion was glued to the news and impossible to get away from the TV. He felt awful for having been on vacation. He said he couldn't stay ignorant about who was in charge and what was happening.

Violent demonstrations and clashes between demonstrators and the police were becoming a daily occurrence in the city centre.

Halfs were no longer allowed to carry more than two-thousand drachma. Dion couldn't go out without me anymore as his papers were once again deemed invalid. He needed to prove he was actually a nymph and they would no longer permit DNA tests for people with invalid papers. Basically, he needed have his parents confirm his status and his father was dead – and he knew nothing of his mother.

Watching the news was a small way of gaining a sense of control for him. If he knew enough, they couldn't sneak up on him with new laws. If he knew the enemy, he could easier fight them. Except we didn't know how to fight this. There was nothing we could do.

I pulled him off the couch and sat down with him in my lap. He was still focusing on the TV, so I put my finger on his chin and turned his head towards me.

"Give me attention," I murmured and kissed him.

He smiled, ran his fingers through my hair and kissed me back, slowly deepening it. I ran my hands up his thighs, making his shorts ride up his legs.

"I've been watching a lot of telly lately, huh," he murmured against my lips, kissed me again and then pulled back.

"Yeah, and not even the good kind. Not nearly enough explosions and hot guys with no shirts on."

Dion laughed out loud, tipping his head back. "That's why you like them so much?"

I shrugged a shoulder. "Parts of it."

"Arlo, never in a million years did I take you for that kind of guy. It's so cute. You're so cute. This entire time I thought it was because you liked the high-tension plots, but it's just for explosions and hot guys?"

I chuckled and shrugged again. I didn't know what he had expected. Should've been so obvious. I chose all the films with the hottest actors in them.

He leaned in and kissed me again. "You're adorable."

"Is it adorable I like looking at hot sweaty guys?"

"It's so dorky and basic, and I thought you were this intellectual. I mean, when I asked you what you liked to do for fun, you said you read fiction." He was smiling the most wholesome smile and even though he had just called me dorky and basic, I felt warm and loved.

"I can enjoy both, you clown," I chuckled and squeezed his thighs.

"I know but... Gods, I didn't think you'd be able to surprise me at this point, but then you drop this bomb. I love you." He pressed his lips to mine, smiling so I could feel his teeth. I pulled him down with me so we could cuddle on the sofa. I also changed the channel so we could catch an episode of Dion's favourite soap.

"You're the absolute best in the world, Arlo," he murmured, his back pressed to my chest.

"That's impossible with you in this world too." I kissed his throat and he grabbed my arm, hugging it close. I loved it when he did that. It was so cute.

I couldn't actively make Dion's situation better, but I could at least remind him he was loved. And distract him for a while. I could recreate what we had on the island even just for a short moment on this couch. The serenity we had both felt could be found when we needed it. Just so we could survive in this horribly ugly world that surrounded us.

"I love you," I whispered into his hair.

"I love you too," he murmured back and kissed my knuckles. "Thank you for getting me out of my head."

"You don't have to thank me for that, Dion. Ever."

He turned around and pressed his face to my chest, inhaling loudly. I ran my hand under his shirt and trailed my fingers up and down his spine. I could feel every spinal-cord pressing against his skin. How he stayed so slim when we ate so much crap was a mystery to me.

The way he leaned into me when I did this was everything though. I loved feeling like I was doing something he liked. And he loved getting touched on his back. He'd sometimes get the shivers and then bury his face against me, as if he was embarrassed over his reaction to it. At this point it didn't matter what he did. Everything he did was cute, hot or adorable.

I pulled him closer and kissed him, my hand straying down to his butt. He had a really great butt. It was nice and soft, but still firm. Such a great butt.

"Arlo," he murmured softly. "I'm sorry but... I'm spent."

"That's alright. I just wanted to touch your butt," I murmured and kissed him again.

"I can feel you wanted more than that," he chuckled before he turned more serious. "I'm sorry I say no so often."

"You really don't have to apologise for that," I said, feeling really uncomfortable with where this was going.

"No, I... I wouldn't say no if I had another job. And I do want you I'm just... Not in the mood."

"Dion." I took his face in my hands. "No matter what job you have, no matter why you don't want to, you can always say no without apologising. I'm not just with you for the sex. Even if we stopped all together, I'd still want to be with you. I enjoy it with you, but it's not the most important thing for me." I ran my fingers over his horn, and he sighed a little. "You were the first who wanted to move somewhere that accommodated my size. You were the first to not find me a burden despite the fact that I sometimes... Just can't. With the world. You were the first to make me feel actually loved for who I am and all that comes with that. It's so much more than just the physical parts."

He looked up at me and smiled. "You'd really go without forever for me?"

"If that was what you wanted, yeah."

"Good thing it's not, huh?" he chuckled and kissed my chin. "It's just... I feel bad for saying no, because I do genuinely want to. I love it with you."

"I know why you say no, Dion. Sometimes I'm not in the mood either. It happens to everyone, also people who aren't workers. Don't worry about it. As long as we can cuddle, I'll be fine."

He put his arm around my body and hugged me. "I'd never say no to a good cuddle session."

"And that's why I love you." I kissed his forehead and took a deep breath. "You don't feel pressured, right?"

"Gods, no. Never." He looked up at me very seriously. "I never feel pressured, I promise."

"Good. I don't wanna pressure you to do anything."

He smiled and snuggled closer. "You're not."