"You've clearly kept in shape, Philip. It's commendable. I couldn't do it-- I haven't done it. I could have done a few pushups and whatnot but I don't like exercise, it's so awfully boring," responded the other man as he rather easily finished undressing. He was never this confident when it came to undressing, having been made to do so in the hospital whenever he was accompanied into the baths. He was confident to the point of being arrogant when it came to every other aspect, but his body, he knew, wasn't perfect.

That said, he had little motivation to bulk up. He knew he probably should, but he couldn't be bothered.

But seeing Philip and the good state he was in did make him change his mind.

"Maybe you can help me out with all of that," he casually suggested as he perched on the edge of the tub to wait for the shower to hit the right temperature. "You're clearly good at working out. You look great. I look... not so great."
 
"I think you're beautiful," he murmured under his throat, more for himself than to Aubyn. Once feeling the temperature reach the perfect temperature, he slipped off his boxers before slipping in, shuddering from the brief moment of cold. Running a hand through his hair, he glanced over to the other man with a raised brow.

"I can assure you that I do, indeed, look absolutely amazing," he cooed with a smirk. "I also assure you that my soap is better than garbage. In fact, I buy my soap from Italy made with essential oils, I like to keep my body nice and smooth."
 
It didn't take much for Aubyn to believe he looked great. He believed he did anyway, but his body was perhaps something he was a little self-conscious about-- but having this handsome man, a lifelong friend of his, gush over how he looked was all the other needed for his ego to be boosted right back up to its usual level or arrogant self-belief.

"I look amazing, do I?" He laughed back in reply, steadying himself in the shower by holding the rails, before feeling confident enough to let go. If he did drunkenly stumble and fall, he comforted himself with the knowledge he'd probably just end up on top of Philip anyway - and the other would probably enjoy that too much to acknowledge any pain.

"That's very sweet of you to say. I suppose I'm in relatively good shape-- but I'm aware I could be better. Give me a month and I'll have women swoon at my feet, hm? Or men. I'd rather a man fall at my feet," he admitted casually, before offering another rare wink that only arose from his drunkenness. "Preferably you. I'd love you to start fanning yourself, get all red and bashful over me."
 
"I guess I shouldn't have said anything, huh?" He teased, albeit quietly as he focused on the buff puff that was now drenched in the aforementioned expensive soap. He had taken plenty of baths besides Aubyn back when they were children when they were forced into, but that was then. Seven years had passed, and his obsession with getting Aubyn back was all he could focus on. Sure, he had plenty of sexual encounters with people, since he often did it for fun when in college, but this was different - this was something he had thought about all that time. Now faced with the opportunity, he seemed to choke.

"Let's be honest, that's a lie. You're only flattering me," he replied easily before getting the courage to turn to the other. He could blame the light pink cheeks on the warmth of the hot shower if need be, but the other was clearly too drunk to realize that.
 
"Since when did I strike you as someone who lied and flattered? I don't lie, Philip. It's not something I really do," he reminded as casually as he could, not really seeming to have the same bashful responses as his best friend. On one hand, he was drunk, but he also wasn't the sort of emotional person who went all flustered over things. he always seemed to maintain composure and a calmness to him, no matter what the subject or situation.

Even if that was standing naked in a shower with his best friend, who he now knew had this raging crush on him.
 
"You may not be a liar typically, but you're incredibly drunk," he murmured in response as he moved closer to the other. If either of them regretting the night in the morning, he could easily blame it on both of them being drunk. Even with the other's small height advantage, he always seemed to have a far stronger looming presence to his competitors and companions alike.

"You want me to be honest, right? I commend you," he admitted as he dared to set his hands on Aubyn's hips. "If it were up to me, I would keep you in my house so you couldn't interact with another human being. I don't intend on letting you get connected to anyone but me," he whispered, though his tone lacked anything but anger. Going as far as to dig his nails into the other's hips, he inhaled hard before offering a smile.
 
Blinking suddenly at the hard grip at his hips, especially when the nails dug into his skin, it was difficult how to gauge how he felt. On one hand, he was confused and, initially, pretty uncomfortable with the new situation. Drunk or not, he wasn't numb to sensations, so of course the grip at his body caused him to stand up straighter and frown a tad.

On the other hand, he did, deep down, rather like it all. When the strangeness left, he did tilt his head at the possessive quality to his friend's words. It was almost obsessive, really, but rather than grow unnerved, he more or less encouraged it.

It was nice being appreciated and he couldn't blame Philip wanting him all to himself.

"What would you do if someone else fell for me, Philip? Would you shoot them in the head for daring to look at me, hm~?"
 
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"If it weren't for the fact that I need to keep Suzanne around for my job, I would have cut her throat months ago," he admitted honestly with a shrug. "To know you even have the smallest interest in her makes my blood boil. She's a dumb cunt on her own, Aubyn. To be honest, I'm surprised you'd even be interested in someone so dim."

With that, he dared to affectionately bury his face into the other's hair, taking in the smell eagerly. There always seemed to be a sweetness to the other, no matter what - it was most likely just in his mind, granted. "I've shot people between the eye because they've annoyed me, Aubyn, why would you assume I wouldn't do the same to her if I could?"
 
"I'm not doubting that you wouldn't kill anyone. I like the idea of you, you know, battering some idiotic, lovesick girl because she inevitably eyed me up. I am attractive, aren't I? There'll be quite a lot of people staring at me, I imagine. That's not me being arrogant; it's me being factual. I assume you're always eyed up, too?" He asked calmly, waiting a few more seconds just to absorb how it felt to be this close to him and, when he fully took in the idea and how much he liked it, he offered a slice more affection on his end by wrapping his arms around his waist.

"Not that I want you killing someone. Is it hot? Sure-- but I won't let anything ruin this. I don't want to be sent back to that hospital, Philip."
 
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"Do you think I'm stupid enough to have you sent back there? I worked hard to get you out of there, I'm not letting you go back," he explained flatly as he studied the other's face, his eyes critical. "I may only be the mayor for right now, but I fully intend to run for senate. Once I'm there, I can make plans to burn down that shithole, how does that sound?"
 
"I'd rather you kill my parents, but sure, that sounds fine too. I'm amazed by the fact nobody's aware of how badly things are run there. It's ridiculous. I was kept there, you were too, and we're not even insane. I was falsely held against my will in a place that tried to cure something in me that didn't even exist, it's batshit crazy-- literally," he grumbled, forcing himself not to get too angry about it. Any time the hospital was brought up, he couldn't help but to feel a little angry. He was now under the impression (with the help from Philip) that he really wasn't insane; that he was a perfeclty functioning adult that had done nothing that deserved this sort of punishment. With that mindset, he of course looked unfavourably upon the place that tried to cure him when he ow believed that was nothing to be cured.

It also meant, now that he didn't think he was sick, he wasn't prepared to take medication; pills that had helped were now simply going to be tossed aside because he didn't think he needed them. When Philip constantly told him he wasn't ill, that he was fine, it was hard to argue against that.
 
“I can do that too, you know...” he murmured before pressing his face to Aubyn’s neck, his hands still firm on his waist. He didn’t want to go all in and scare his best friend away, after all, so if soft kisses along the man’s neck were too much, like hell was the other ready for what he had in mind. Most times he had no care for whoever piqued his interest but Aubyn was... different.

“I want to make you happy,” he purred, his eyes closed. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
 
"My parents being dead would make me happy-- but I need them to put me back in their wills first. I want the houses and the money and... and the businesses, you know? I don't think it's unreasonable to want that. If I have all that, I can put money into your campaign, make sure you become Senator. It'll benefit us both," he began slowly, allowing his drunken slurs to soften a little - slurring drunkenly was hardly an attractive sound; even he, in that tipsy state, knew that.

"I don't want to be your assistant forever. When my parents are dead, then I can rebuild my life back and... help you out, repay you properly for helping me."
 
“You’d do that for me?” He whispered once pulling away, only enough to take in Aubyn’s face. When there seemed to be no sign of disgust, he took it as an invitation to grab the other man’s chin and pull him into a heated kiss, one he craved to have for seven years. It was worth the wait, he decided, as he ran his hands through the other’s messy hair.
 
Sharing a shower, naked, was initially what Aubyn assumed his limit would be. It wasn't that he didn't have feelings for Philip (he realised, on the contrary, that he did) but it just... wasn't in him to go straight into some sexual sort of relationship. Unlike his friend, he'd never so much as had a kiss before, let alone anything more serious. That said, he did enjoy the heated kiss, so much so that he gladly held himself into it for longer than he would have anticipated.

"...You know, if you're going to kill my parents, I should at least do something for you. I would have offered to kill your mother but you already took care of that," he murmured slowly once pulling from the kiss, smiling shyly in a rare moment of bashfulness.
 
“You don’t have to do anything for me, Abby,” he cooed with a purr as he took in the other’s flustered and bashful expression. He, in response, grinned proudly. In the years he knew the man, he always had to put up with Auubyn’s rather stern and unrelenting confidence. To see him break down that wall was amusing, to say the least.

“I just want you to promise you won’t leave me,” he admitted as he tapped his fingers against the man’s hips, a brow raised. “I don’t think that’s such a crazy idea, yeah?”
 
"I won't leave you unless I get sent to an asylum or prison, which doesn't seem likely given my best friend has this whole city in his pocket. Essentially, I have a whole tonne of freedom to do what I want, don't I? To some extent, at least. I imagine I also have to stay on your good side or you could have me thrown behind bars," he murmured slowly, a surprising purr in his voice. Honestly, he found the fact that the man opposite him was so powerful now rather... attractive. Sure, he was jealous that he had to rebuild his reputation back up while Philip had everything-- but he wasn't bitter. He was proud of him, incredibly so. "I won't be leaving you, don't fret-- honestly, Philip, relax, would you? You're so, like, concerned. I'm not going anywhere."
 
"I think it's understandable, not wanting you to get swept up by someone or something," he replied honestly as he raised a brow, the words casual despite their connotation. "We're the only people that matter in this shitty town, Aubyn. I don't want you to get ruined by some bimbo. You deserve better... like me," he cooed affectionately as he took the other man's chin in his. He did step back, though, before moving to start washing his hair.

"I have a few ways you can help me, sure," he eventually murmured casually as he washed himself, his eyes slowly trailing up and down the other before letting out a laugh. "I told you, you need to be my assistant until you get enough to be your own person."
 
"Do you understand how demeaning it is for me to be a measly assistant? Granted, I don't mind working for you but the job isn't what I'm... supposed to do. I want my life back, I want to... be somebody again. I don't think that's possible, mind you. I'm always going to be the guy that killed his classmates, aren't I? The crazy lunatic who was shoved away in an asylum," he laughed, albeit bitterly without any real amusement behind it. What he wanted was to be somebody, to have respect, and he didn't see that happening the way he wanted when his past was going to haunt him.

That said, if he truly rebuilt his reputation again, he doubted many people were going to mention his past to him. Being friends with the mayor of the place also helped - if anyone upset him, he was pretty sure Philip would make sure it didn't happen again.

"So, what are we? Friends? More than that? I don't get it, Philip. I know you said you... care for me, and I do with you, but I'm not sure where we stand still."
 
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“That’s your choice,” he replied simply as he offered the bottle of shampoo over. “There’s nothing I want more than to be with you, Aubyn. I’ve been wanting that since we were children,” he admitted casually, though waited for the other’s response.

“For all I know, your eyes could easily stray to that cunt of a secretary of mine, and I can’t have that. I’m not a picky man, you know that,” he murmured, evidence of that being his rather simply designed Home.
 
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