The Hero and Betrayer

Bane smiled awkwardly.

"I-is that a good thing...?" He asked, sincerely confused. He hoped it was a good thing, though.

"...If you promise to tell no one," he replied, his face bright red. "I...I think I like you. Disgusting, isn't it?"

"But that's great!" He replied exuberantly. "I like you too, silly!"

He grinned widely. "'cause we're best friends, right?"

He scowled.

"I don't want a best friend."

"...You don't?" He asked, confused.

"Nope. I want someone true and honest, and the only people who act like that are strangers."

"That's silly." He remarked, laughing slightly. "You'll never be happy like that."

He scoffed.

"It can't be helped. Everyone else in the world sucks, and I hate them all."

"But...why?" He asked, frowning. "If you hate everyone, why are you a pacifist?"

"Because I'm stupid," he replied, sighing. Talking to Bane was strangely Cathartic; he was too stupid to share secrets with anyone else. "I keep hoping that somewhere, among the strangers, there are people who are genuine and beautiful...violence is indiscriminate. Violence and war, they kill everyone equally, the true and the false."

"Everyone is genuine." He replied, leaning back slightly. His tone was somewhat changed from the last time he spoke. "Deep down, they are. You have to look to find it, though."

"Well, no one shows that side to me," he snapped. "So I hate them. You're the first person I've ever met who doesn't want something from me."

He smiled proudly.

"Really?" He asked, batting his eyelashes.

The thought made him happy.

"You really do like me~"

"I hate you for it," he replied, though it wasn't really true. Nonetheless, he scooted closer; Bane was warm, after all, and he suddenly felt very cold.

"...Don't think anything of this."

Bane wrapped his arm around Tef, pulling him even closer, nearly onto his lap.

"You're so funny sometimes, you know that? You should let me wash your back."

Tef blushed, struggling slightly.

"I-I can wash it myself," he snapped automatically.

Bane just grinned.

"Bet I can do it better~"

He just scowled uncomfortably, not saying anything. The thought was pleasing, but that was what bugged him in the first place.

"Come on, if I suck, you can just tell me to stop." He insisted.

"...Fine," he allowed. "But you will suck."

He grinned widely.

"At least I get to try~" He said merrily.

He sighed.

"Whatever--go ahead." whatever he did, he wouldn't show any satisfaction, he decided.

Bane leaned over and grabbed the soap, using it to lather up his hands before he ran them over Tef's back. Man, he really knew he shouldn't have been doing it, after all it was dangerous to indulge a fantasy like this, but he couldn't help it. He was just really curious. He wanted to put his hands all over Tef, but at the least, this gave him an excuse for a little bit of touching.

Tef bit his lip--Bane's hands felt nice. Despite himself, he let out a small, contented sigh. This was bad, he knew. Very bad indeed. But he still didn't quite want to stop it.

Bane grinned, despite himself. Somehow, the reaction was better than he had expected.

"Sorry, if my hands are rough; swordsman, you know." He said, trying to make conversation.