I'm not asking to move in or anything. I don't want you to freak out."Thank god he chuckled. I could feel it rumble in his chest."Sparrow, you can sta... with me anytime you want. You could move in if you want, too. Whatever you need. Ok?"I was suffused with warmth. "Really?" I mean I knew he meant it, but reflexively I wanted to make sure."Yeah. I'd hate to sleep without you. I don't ever want you to leave my side, if I'm honest. Once we get cleaned up, pack up as much stuff as you think you. " I know. I said I'm sorry." He sighed deeply. "Alex. No pain until meet this girl. You wanna screw her, fine. But no scars, no bruises, no scratches. Clear?"I have a number of things I want to say but all of them are likely to get me suspended. "Clear, Sir." I answer.The next day was a long one at school. Brandon had been down right butch since the 'Brandy Incident', actually looking and acting like a guy at school, but our schedules had been crossed and I hadn't been able to see him alone.. He knew that there must be men on his side as well, and they would be near. Soundlessly, he searched. He found two robbers in a small depression. His knife slid into the neck of one as his sword chopped the other. Neither man had time to make a sound. He left them to the buzzards.Knowing that the guards below could not scale the heights, the men had arrayed themselves along the canyon rim trying to cover the most area. That left each man alone. Ariston snuck up behind hills man after hills man,. Good enough. I went out for a walk and wandered down to the waterside.Ducks, geese and gulls. Rowing boats, sailing dinghies, and lake-cruise launches. A sea-food restaurant near the pier for a meal of trout and a salad before returning to the hotel.A restless night in an unfamiliar bed helped only a little by music from my smartphone.Breakfast. I treated myself to the ‘full Monty’ English cooked breakfast. Good coffee. So good, in fact, I couldn’t resist a second cup. Reading until it was time.