Pet. "You'll be all right."

"Maitimo don't please no -"

He sets him down on the bed and puts a hand on his neck - not choking him, just holding him there - and undoes buttons with the other. He kisses Cor. "Look at me."

"Or what, you'll rape me?"

Hand squeezes slightly. "If there is still any regard at all for me to lose I might decide I'd rather keep it."

Twitch. "You're making that into a really hard project - let me go -"

He doesn't do that. He doesn't do that an hour later, either, just puts an arm around him and curls up beside him as if asleep.

Cor tries to get out from under the arm.

No.

Curufinwë?

Yeah?

Would you be in a position to notice if Maitimo were stalling on evacuation? He just found an excuse to wring more entertainment out of time before he has agreed to let me go free.

Orders around evacuation have not changed since - four days ago, when they were adjusted because of new information about the Enemy's spying out east.

So you'd notice, if that changed.

Yes.

Keep an eye out maybe. I'll stop bothering you now.

Good skill.

Maitimo doesn't change the evacuation orders. He does make the most of the remaining week.

Cor is past expecting anyone to care about him.

"I want you to swear I can go, when he's dead."

"I'll let you go. I don't want to swear to it. I want to choose it."

"Being the one with the spell is the only leverage I have and it's already doing me very little good."

"If I showed an inclination to keep you forever you'd kill us. That's not why I'm going to let you go but it'd be sufficient."

"I hereby threaten suicide via exposure on the empty planet."

Maitimo stiffens. Shivers. "I said I'd let you kill yourself, I don't have to let you pick your method."