The rope top has Sasha grab his elbows behind his back, then ties his arms together. Then he wraps rope around Sasha's torso, tying his arms in place and making a sort of harness; it's very pretty, seems designed for aesthetics as much as for support. The top loops the rope around a silver ring in the ceiling. 

They're gathering an appreciative audience. 

Oh. 

Oh, this is so much better than what they'd figured out with zip ties back on the Isle. 

He's loose and pliant and so, so relaxed. 

And then the rope top pulls and suddenly Sasha's horizontal and none of him is touching the ground.

He gasps and lets himself go limp, lets his head fall — doesn't hold back the soft little noises that feel like they're falling out of him — 

The rope top sets him gently spinning. 

His smile is wide and loose; his eyes are closed. 

The rope top watches him, keeps an eye on his breathing, touches his hair.

He makes more sounds when his hair is touched; his breathing is soft and even and not any faster than you'd expect from someone as turned on as Sasha is right now. 

Eventually Sasha is lowered to the ground and the rope top slowly unties him. 

"Thank you," and he still sounds kind of floaty. 

He's a little bit wobbly on his feet, but that's alright. 

The rope top gets him something to drink and a snack and a blanket to sit under. "You did really well for your first time."

"Thank you," again, less floaty this time. He takes the drink and the snack and wraps the blanket over his shoulders. 

The rope top sticks around long enough to make sure he's okay and then goes to tie up someone else.

That's fine. He should probably be getting back to Kaleva pretty soon anyway. 

When he gets back home Kaleva has fallen asleep on the desk. The notebook is pressing into the side of his face.

He wakes Kaleva halfway up and gets him to the bed and then collapses next to him. 

"Mm. Sorry," he says into Sasha's shoulder. "I should have warned you that I get like that sometimes."

"It's alright," he says, and snuggles up to him. "I went back to the bathhouse and got tied up and suspended from the ceiling, it was nice." 

"Okay."

(He doesn't know what he expected-- it's not like they could love each other--)

"— are you okay?" 

"I'm fine. Uh. I might go back to doing math."

"You're not fine. Tell me what's going on." 

He curls in on himself. "You can find someone else at the bathhouse and then you won't want to talk to me anymore." Just like with Chen.

"...wait, what, if I found someone else at the bathhouse why would that make me not want to talk to you."

"Because they'd be better?"