FATE\Deus Decipit

Chapter 12: The Morning After

9:50 am, The Temple of Hephaestus at the Acropolis

Aaron groggily opened his eyes, sunlight pulling him from his dreamless sleep. He sat up slowly and painfully; resting his head in his hands. Here, he noticed an ugly scar on his chest, red and discolored. He touched it tentatively, and was rewarded with a stinging burn that spread through his nerves from the point of contact. The pain caused him to double over, but his folding chest only worsened the pain and he had to straighten his back tensely with a muffled grunt.

'What happened?'

Putting his pain aside, he analyzed his surroundings. He recognized the inside of the temple, the chalk summoning circle still in the room's center and his black munitions crate still in the far corner from himself alongside his satchel. He also noted the clothes laying across the floor. One set was the uniform he stole, folded neatly by the bed, and the other set was.. his. They were laid unfolded so that they would dry, but were still clearly wet despite the time... what time was it?

Red flushed Aaron's face as he recognized his underwear among the drying clothes. Peeling back the blanket, sure enough, he was completely naked. This was how he slept normally, but, having no idea what happened while he was out, he was still left confused and embarrassed.

-Blanket?

Aaron was on a white cot spread on the floor, a green wool blanket wrapped over him. It was strange and almost paradoxical: despite being such basic items, they were both ornate with gold trim, and unbelievably comfortable, far more comfortable than any cot on a stone floor had any right to be. It made Aaron think of a king going camping.

Aaron sighed. This was surely Rider's doing.

Aaron tried moving quickly so that he could get dressed as soon as possible, but his body rejected the sudden movement, causing him to fall back onto the cot as his knee popped far louder than it should.

"Gah!"

Aaron clutched his knee tightly and gritted his teeth. Getting up again, he internally cursed every aspect of his miserable life as his overly-thin body stiffly shuffled over to the damp boxers. The cold wetness caused him to shiver as the itchy fabric clung to his skin, but he already felt more comfortable.

His weekend escapades meant that there had been more than a few times he had been caught in his boxers, and he was long passed the embarrassment of it. His stomach turned imagining Rider undressing his unconscious body.

'Where was Rider?'

"Rider!"

"Good morrow, mine Master,"

Aaron turned around to see Rider sitting against the wall by the munitions. Aaron found himself grimacing as he wondered if Rider had been watching him the whole time.

"-Though, may I recommend thee keep thy voice quiet? There art tourists about. Few, but a number regardless."

Aaron eyed Rider, "Where were you a second ago?"

Rider chuckled quietly "Worry not, dear Master, I wast keeping the perimeter until which moment I had heard thy pain."

Aaron's stomach hit the floor. "So... a few seconds then?"

"Aye. I bethought if't I would reveal myself whilst you were undressed, mine Master may not be comfortable, so I waited for thy summons." He chuckled again,"T'would seem my judgement wast correct."

Aaron groaned in his awkwardness, his face somewhat pale, but he ultimately just waved his hand with a pained, "Whatever." and moved to get dressed.

Thankfully, the boxers weren't so damp that the wetness soaked through the pants of the guard's uniform, though Aaron still felt uneasy. Not because Rider had seen him naked, he was past that for the most part, but because Rider watched him intently while he dressed. This would've been awkward under any circumstances, but Aaron's stiff, aching, and popping body made him feel especially pathetic.