During the week his shifts were 6am to 12pm, break for lunch, and then 1:30pm to 8pm. Working a 14 hour day can wear any man out, so of course the boy from London would be struggling. He seemed to like the work, though. It made him feel like he could actually do something other than hold doors open, play the violin, and drink tea properly.

When Erin showed up, Bastian was helping a crew hoist some cargo from a ship to the docks. Three men to a line, four lines and a lot of screaming from the taskmaster. They?ve been at it for nearly an hour, and were almost done?but the energy being exerted was so much that the cold air of 49 degrees couldn?t be felt. In fact?it felt warm. More than half of the men had shed their coats and shirts, Sebastian included. Sweat beaded on his forehead, face and shoulders, rolling down his back and arms. While the boy was certainly not as well built as most of the other dock workers, Bastian seemed to be able to hold his own.

Unfortunately, the task at hand demanded his full attention and he missed seeing Erin when she arrived. But soon enough, lunch time arrived and Bastian, exhausted, simply wanted to sleep.

?Hey, Crabs!? A crewman sauntered up to him, waggling a half eaten sandwich in his hand and talking with his mouth full. Men. Gods we?re pigs?

?Yeah??

?There?s a girl here lookin? for ya. Says she brought you lunch.?

Bastian?s day instantly became brighter. Erin had come to visit him? ?Where is she,? he questioned quickly, taking up his shirt and jacket. The man just shrugged and stuffed the rest of the sandwich in his mouth and went on his merry little way. Great. So he?d have to find her by himself. That didn?t take him very long.

He found her on that crate, immersed in her book and completely unawares. He thought twice about putting his shirt on, finding himself wanting her to see him without it on. Again. He?d get to see the look on her face; the one he saw the night at the carnival. Bastian smirked. Carefully and quietly, Bastian crept up onto the crate and crawled towards her. Almost there??ah ha! His arms wrapped around her, pinning her arms to her side; head dipping to kiss her shoulder and then her cheek.

He sat down behind her, still holding her, and put his legs on either side of her body. ?Hello??

He laughed and held her captive against his sweaty body all the more. ?Well yeah, that?s what happens when you?re worked like a horse.? She turned to face him and he smiled down at her, gazing into her eyes. Gods she was beautiful. He met her lips most willingly and joined in the passionate show of affection. Cold fingers were brought up and laid across her neck, almost cradling her head as the kiss went on. He could have kissed her all day.

?Mmm?I missed you too.? A smile broke over his face again as he watched her set the book down and reached over to pick it up. He inspected the cover, raising a brow. ?The Communist Manifesto? Interesting choice, love. Karl Marx was a great political writer. Bit of a materialist, but he wasn?t particularly concerned with ideas behind claims to power of monarchy or aristocracy, which I admired. He also-," Bastian paused, suddenly looking up at Erin with wide eyes. Ok, so he?d been rambling. Caught, yet again, delving information he tried so hard to keep hidden within himself. A grin and a nervous chuckle. He hoped she?d change the subject and was flooded with relief when she did so. ?Picnic is wonderful and very thoughtful. I always have time for you.? He stole another kiss when she leaned to get the food.

Bastian accepted his sandwich gratefully and got right to work on it. He was starving, but somehow observed enough reservation to not scarf it down. He leaned back, resting on his hand, munching and watching her inspect him. Bastian fought the urge to blush. He?d never been looked at like this before; this painfully slow observance was stoking a fire within his chest. The flame spread throughout his entire body; urges suddenly surfacing in his mind, begging his body to act. Desire was something he?d felt before, but not like this. Erin was so new and exciting. Her whisper only added to his torture. The hand holding his sandwich set it down and reached tentatively forward as she spoke, curling around the back of her upper thigh. It was a brief touch; something he knew that if continued would get him in a lot of trouble.

He shivered. It was probably a good thing that he had to put the shirt back on, otherwise he?d catch his death. If it hadn?t been cold though? That shirt wouldn?t have touched his flesh for the rest of lunch. Both his shirt and jacket were replaced, grinning all he while. A glance to the wine had him grinning even more. ?As long as I?m not too tipsy, love, then let?s drink away!?

He?d be lying too if he denied that he felt he should do certain things with her. Things he knew to be wrong. She deserved better than someone like him. He felt like a hypocrite for thinking such things. His fingers brushed over hers as he took his goblet, tipping it towards his lips for a healthy swallow. He?d usually never do such a thing to a fine drink as wine, but he was thirsty.

He tensed up again slightly when she prodded him about the author, gaze shifting down to the contents of his glass. He didn?t want to sound like he knew everything, but there were certain things he enjoyed so much. Boats, for one ? being a sailor was a secret dream; and literature. He loved to read and most of the time he soaked up knowledge like a sponge. It was her touch that brought those blue eyes up to her hazel, no, green eyes. Hard for him to tell sometimes?it was like they changed with the days.

Her words brought a smile to his face. She asked and he most certainly delivered. Bastian tutored and shared with Erin everything he knew about Marx, his work, and political stance. He explained that Marx started out as a philosopher, but turned away from that avenue towards economics and politics. Bastian told her how he enjoyed Marx?s contemporary philosophical debates, especially those focusing in the philosophy of history and the social sciences and in moral and political philosophy. How the analysis of history and economics came together in Marx?s prediction of the inevitable breakdown of capitalism for economic reasons, to be replaced by communism. Bastian seemed to speak rather animatedly, gesturing with his hands, using almost a theatrical tone to his voice as he went on. He took her through the major works of Marx, including his favorite, the 18th Brumaire of Louis Napoleon. Then, picking up The Communist Manifesto once more, Bastian went on to explain to Erin that while it was perhaps Marx?s most widely read work, it is not the best guide to his thought and if she wanted to read something that got inside of the man?s head, to read the Thesus on Feuerbach.

Before Sebastian knew it, he had been rambling on and on for nearly half an hour. He could have kept going, but his lunch period only lasted for so long. After finally taking another bite of his sandwich and drinking the rest of his wine, he reached over to take Erin?s hand. ?I could go on like this for hours, Erin-love. I?d much rather we talk about something a little more?relative? Like?say for instance?you.? He gave her a teasing grin. ?You?re far more interesting than anything I have to say.?

(OOC: This has proved to be the most difficult thing I?ve ever written; and I?ve written a lot. Never have I ever had to study so much for recreational writing. While the history lesson may have been boring to our readers?and possibly to Erin?s player and myself, I hope you didn?t mind. I saw it mainly as a challenge. Do forgive me.)


Bastian was busy pouring his third glass of wine as he listened to Erin. Hey, it was warming him up and it would definitely be needed in the next couple of hours after Erin left. He had been inching closer and closer to Erin all the while, mind you, and he now found himself nearly on top of her. He couldn?t explain it?but he had to be close. He needed to touch her. To smell her hair; taste her lips. It couldn?t be the wine ? he was nowhere near intoxicated. But perhaps it did make him a bit bolder?

?Well I don?t mind sharing things with you, Erin. I just don?t want you feeling like?? he trailed off and took a sip of his wine. ?Like, I don?t know. It?s not your fault that you never got a chance to pursue Uni.? Another sip, and then another. Blue eyes regarded her as he peered down, drinking in her form. A discreet glance around was taken. They were unable to be seen on two sides, and if they moved over to the other side of the large crate they were sitting on, they?d be almost unnoticeable.

He set his glass down, yes, empty and pushed the picnic basket out of the way. Then, scootching back, he snagged Erin around the middle and gently pulled her along with him. Now, it?s not like he had any ideas to ravish her then and there, but?he was going out of his mind right now. All he could think about was her breathy whisper? the way she had touched and looked at him with his shirt off. Carnal instincts overtook him and he was unable to do anything about it. Once she was comfortably placed in his lap, Bastian stroked the side of her face affectionately and kissed her. With them both emboldened by the alcohol, Bastian, knowing that Erin would be willing, carefully and slowly took the steps towards a serious snogging.

The little angel that?s supposed to sit on your shoulder and let you know when you?re doing something wrong never showed up. Must?ve called in sick or something. But boy?that devil was sure pressing him! Just-a hopping up and down on his other shoulder, waving his pitchfork and screaming into Bastian?s ear to keep going.

So he did.

It was quite on accident, but one of the goblets got kicked to the ground and neither of them even flinched when it shattered. His heart was racing, pulsating so loudly that it drowned out all other sound and thundered in his chest. Never had he been so unsure of what to do, but his body knew and compensated for his lack of cerebral cognitivity.

If was as if his hands had a mind of their own. Attempting things that he never would have done under normal circumstances. Bastian never crossed the line, mind you, but there were times he danced so closely along it?s edge that a single feather could have knocked him over it. He could hear the ships bell ringing, signaling there was ten minutes left of break. Oh?so much could happen in ten minutes. Bastian was vaguely aware of passer-by?s, almost ignoring the few who stopped to gawk ? probably sailor?s who?d been away at sea for months and never got to see more than a pair of seals mating.

This was hardly mating, but gods?.did they ever breathe? Bastian finally had enough sense to tear himself away and practically drag her into a deserted alley. It?s much more private than that crate had been. This time, however, she was the one pinned ? against a brick wall. She was propped up, skirt ruffled and hiked perhaps higher than it shoulder have been. He had one hand on her tights encased thigh and another on her bare lower back, having sneaked it up under the sweater.

The next bell. One minute. It was a wonder Bastian even heard it?

It made him groan, but there was enough of that going on already that she probably wouldn?t notice the different pitch. Ever so slowly and reluctantly, he pulled away from her lips. ?I have to go?back?? came his breathless remark. Oh, but she was so gorgeous and his hormones were still raging! Another swoop in to kiss her, the hand on her thigh coming up to stroke her cheek. He pulled away again, this time hearing a whistle going off. Everyone had better get their asses back to work. Or else. ?Later,? he whispered promisingly to her. It was all he could do to let go of the gorgeous woman in his arms, but he had to.

Perhaps she should have told him that he had lipstick all over his face? No, he never lived that down with the guys.