"Phew, that should do it..." I mutter to myself as I pack away the last of my gear. It's been a few hours since the last battle, and I think my heart has finally stopped pounding like crazy. Even though I've now gone through quite a few battles, you never quite get used to the rush. The entire group is now resting and recovering at this massive fortress of a castle, and tomorrow we're going to prepare for a long trip to eventually combat the great evil threatening the world, but today we can all take one big breath of relief and take advantage of the amenities this massive castle has for us, be that the huge variety of food stocked or the comfy, luxurious beds. Night has fallen and a lot of us have already retired to their chambers, though I still feel like doing something.

However, before I can decide what that something is, there's a knock at my door. Opening it, I find Lucius standing there, a slightly nervous look on his face. "Ah, ${Name}, you're still awake too, good..." he says, his voice practically drifting off as he seems lost in thought as to how to continue. After a moment, he catches himself. "Um, right, I wanted to ask you something. I have something I need your help for. Something concerning Lord Raymond."

A short silence falls over us after he says that name. Lord Raymond, or Raven, as he's known to most of us, is a mercenary that fights alongside our group. Previously, he was a Lord in the territory of Cornwall, a realm which fell into ruin, leaving Raven a Lord without a place to lord over. Lucius, for his part, has known Raven far longer than we have, and is his closest friend and confidant. While Lucius is a kind and gentle soul that cares about everybody, he cares about Raven just that extra bit more. And if he's asking me for help, it must be important. Of course, I'll gladly help Lucius with whatever it is—when I was in my darkest hour, he took care of me and saved me from the abyss. I'll forever be in his debt. As such, I reply "Anything, Lucius. What's the problem?"

Once he hears that, a smile comes across his lips. "Thank you, ${Name}. I've been thinking, and this might be the last time we truly... have time... for quite some time. Possibly forever, depending on how our future encounters go. I wish to give Lord Raymond a comfortable night, because he deserves it. And I know that you care about him as well, so I would like to ask you to help me in this," he explains, and just from the way he talks, I can tell this means a lot to him. Well, of course it does, it relates to Raven.

So I simply nod. "Of course I'll help you. Lead the way," I tell him, and the two of us make our way along the castle halls, eventually stopping in front of another room.

"We're here. Now, ${Name}, just follow along with what I'm doing, OK?" he says, and I give him another nod before he opens the door and we both step inside. There, under the covers of the bed, seemingly half undressed and in a sitting position, staring off into nowhere, is Raven.

He notices us coming inside and turns to look at us. "Lucius? ${Name}? What are you two doing here? Shouldn't you be sleeping by now?" he asks, confusion in his expression.

"Couldn't I ask the same of you, Lord Raymond?" Lucius simply replies, moving closer to the bed. "The castle is such a cold place, and your room doesn't have a fireplace... why don't we share some warmth?"

This definitely catches Raven off guard, he did not expect Lucius turning this suggestive. "Have you been drinking or something?" he asks.

In response, Lucius casts off his robe in one smooth movement, revealing his entire naked body in one fell swoop. Gods, I don't think I'll ever get tired of seeing him like this... he's just drop-dead gorgeous. He gives me a short nod, looking across his shoulder, and I know what I have to do. Just like him, I undo my robe and let it fall to the floor, then remove my undergarments, stripping down completely as well. Following Lucius, I walk over to the right side of the bed while he takes the left, and we both slip under the covers with Raven, who at this point is stammering and stuttering.

Lucius reaches out to caress his cheek, a sudden serious look on his face. "Lord Raymond... we care about you, but you still keep those walls up around you. Soon, we'll be moving out, to fight a war we don't know if we can win. So... I want to show you the warmth we have for you. The love that you've been rejecting. Please, Lord Raymond... if just for one night, indulge us," he says.

All the while, Raven's expression just shifts multiple times, and it's so clear he's confused. He wants to protest, to throw us out... but he can't bring himself to do it. "Th-There's no reason f-for this, Lucius. Just... just leave," he mutters, a lack of conviction in his tone.

But we're not going to stop. One look at Lucius makes that very clear. We're laying in bed with Raven, totally naked, and we're going to give him what he deserves. In unison, we both place a soft little peck on his cheeks, and a reddish hue immediately rises into them. "We'll keep you warm tonight, Lord Raymond... because we love you," Lucius then says, and we're off.