Jealous

Jarlaxle arranged to have dinner alone with Artemis. They picked a small room, deep in the Basadoni guild, on Jarlaxle’s excuse that he had something extremely important to tell the assassin. It wasn’t really an excuse, so much as it was a misrepresentation. Artemis thought it was about business.

“I apologize for my words the other day,” Jarlaxle said.

Artemis looked up from his meal. “You? Apologize?” He narrowed his eyes. “Why? What do you want in return?”

Jarlaxle laughed. “So suspicious, my friend.”

“Realistic.”

Those eyes boring into him, Jarlaxle cleared his throat. “Well, it’s not like I want anything in return, more or less. I simply came to a decision that changes my mind about whether or not it’s worth it to me to apologize to you.”

“And what may that be?”

Jarlaxle cleared his throat again and tried to look engagingly unsure of himself. He was nervous, but he normally didn’t show it, especially not to his allies. This was an exception he was willing to make for the added benefit of how it would affect his friend to see him this way. “You know I feel attracted to you…”

Artemis hesitated, then nodded.

“…For reasons I can’t define.” Jarlaxle paused and looked down at his meal contemplatively. Then he looked back up at Artemis. “I don’t know about how much you know I’m attracted to you.”

Entreri stiffened.

“I like you as a person,” Jarlaxle said. “That has never prevented me from ending my relationships before. You…have a beauty about you. I want it...” He looked into Entreri’s eyes hesitantly, searching for signs of violence. “…To be mine.”

Entreri slammed down his mug. “You speak nonsense.”

“I don’t speak nonsense,” Jarlaxle protested. “I speak the truth. The truth is that I’m in love with your body.”

“That’s lust.”

“Lust, then!”

“Go away.”

“Why?”

Artemis slammed his hands down on the table and stood up. “You have no right to touch me in that way. Go.”

“I –“ Jarlaxle was startled by how bad this was turning out. He stood up as well. “I only want to help you! If I want to help you in more than one way, why is it a bad thing?”

“Help me?” Artemis’ voice grated with barely controlled anger.

“I could help you relax!” Jarlaxle said. “I could help you have fun. Why would that be such a bad thing?”

“I don’t want you.”

Jarlaxle gaped, unexpectedly stung. He’d even prepared himself for this response. Why did it hurt so much to hear? “You don’t know you don’t want it, yet. You haven’t even tried it.”

“You’re not going to take no for an answer, are you?” Artemis’ face was disgusted. “You’re just going to keep pursuing me until you get what you want.”

“I won’t hurt you,” Jarlaxle said. “I would never hurt you. I promised to protect you, remember? To give you power. Enjoyment is power…”

“Don’t tell me that enjoyment is power,” Artemis yelled. “Enjoyment is weakness! Enjoyment makes me drop my guard! Don’t you dare to tell me that enjoyment would improve my life. It would do nothing!”

“I can show you,” Jarlaxle said, no longer feigning timidity. He was cringing. “You don’t believe me? You can see. I’ll show you.”

“What choice do I have?” Artemis asked.

“I’ll show you,” Jarlaxle said. “Then you’ll have a choice.” He was gravely serious. “You can decide to stay with me, or you can go. I won’t hold you back.”

“But first you’re going to rape me.”

Jarlaxle’s expression was pained. “Don’t call it that. I want to help you. Not hurt you.”

“It doesn’t matter what you want,” Artemis said. “I’m not going to go along with your twisted schemes for me. I am not your slave. I am your partner. And this will end here.”

“No, it won’t,” Jarlaxle said softly. “I am going to show you, and then you are going to agree with me. It will be the best night of your life. I am only sorry that you can’t believe me before it happens.”

Artemis drew his weapons.

Jarlaxle stared at him for a moment, and then drew a wand.

Artemis’ eyes widened.

Jarlaxle knew he recognized that wand. It was the wand of goo.

Artemis slowly lowered his weapons, head bowed, and put them on the table.

“You won’t regret this,” Jarlaxle said. “I promise. You will like what I have in store for you.”

Artemis wouldn’t look at him. “You sick bastard.â€