It was sickening to look at, in all honesty. Those women seemed to hover over him like mosquitoes and not leave him alone. You sat at the bar and watched as they swooned over him, and the jealousy made your stomach turn. You wanted to throw up.

Shay became sidetracked when a serving girl approached him and said there was a man asking for him. He left you at the bar, saying he would "be back in a moment, Love" and gave you a peck on the cheek before leaving. You didn't recognize the man, and he had left a while ago, saying something about business.

That was well around an hour ago. And Shay was still with those... those whores. You bitterly downed a whole tankard of ale and exhaled sharply, feeling your head pounding and eyes watering up. One sat on his lap and laughed at whatever he said. Another had her hands resting on his shoulders and massaged them thoroughly. There was a third sitting on top of the table facing him, legs crossed and the fabric of her dress raised just high enough to tease him with the skin of her thigh.

You jerked your head away from the scene and slammed the metal cup onto the countertop.

Why wouldn't he be caught up in all the attention he was receiving? Their looks made you look like a pile of shit in comparison, frankly. You ran a hand through your hair as the bartender approached, worried.

"Feeling alright?" he asked.

You didn't respond; just laid your head down on the counter. The room was spinning, and you were only on your fourth drink. Maybe you had enough.

"Maybe you should head home," he spoke up again, wiping down a glass he held in his hands with a cloth. "I wouldn't mind walking ya."

Your hand came up to wave him off dismissively. "I'm...fiiine," you slurred, slowly standing up from your seat. "Just feeling a little ill is all." It seemed that standing up had cleared your mind a bit. The room had stopped spinning, but they were still there with him. "Night!" you called over your shoulder to the bartender, a little louder than you should have on purpose. Maybe Shay would hear you and leave with you.

But you didn't want to wait around to find out. Your stomach cringed at the thought of staying any longer. You slowly walked towards the door and moved even slower crossing the threshold, almost as if giving Shay one last chance to catch up with you.

He didn't, though.

And that broke your heart.

You walked briskly down the alleyway next to the tavern and started making your way back to the Morrigan, taking the longest way possible. You didn't want to have to see Gist or the other members of the crew until you absolutely had to. Maybe you could sneak aboard when a majority of them were asleep.

Pausing and slumping against the side of a house, you didn't make it fifteen paces down the alley before you began falling apart, crying silently and your eyes flooded with tears. Normally you weren't the jealous type, but the way he started running his hand up one of their thighs…

NO!

You shook your head and sat down, leaning against the wall. You didn't hear the sound of footsteps approaching until you heard someone clear their throat. Your head felt heavy like lead and your eyes were blurry, but you looked up and saw a familiar silhouette standing in front of you and a pair of warm brown eyes looking down at you.

"Shay," his name left your lips in a whisper. You stopped your crying for a moment and rubbed the tears out of your eyes to get a better look at him. It couldn't be him, could it?

He squatted down to your eye level, lips drawn into a thin line as he studied you for a moment. "I'm sorry," Shay spoke in a quiet voice. It was surprisingly gentle compared to what you were expecting. "I know how insecure you are...the time slipped away from me I guess," he offered with a nervous smile and a shrug from his shoulders.

You couldn't find it in you to be angry at him. "Who were those women?" the question left your lungs with a shaky voice. "They were practically attached to your hip! They didn't- they wouldn't leave!"

Shay sighed lightly and bowed his head, looking almost nervous about what he would say next. He looked back up at you. "I've known them for a while now. Long before I met you, Love. I use them to get information as to what's going on in the city when I'm away."

You stared at him and nodded your head wordlessly, feeling shy suddenly as you tried to process what he had told you. "So that…"

"Strictly business." he finished your thought, stressing the last word as if to end the discussion. The smile on his face reassured you that he meant what he said. You slowly unfolded your body and let your legs stretch out and your arms to lower themselves. You lowered your head.

"Sorry," you mumble, feeling unbearably shy all of a sudden. You heard Shay laugh through his nose and chuckle lightly, and then felt his hands on your body as he picked you up.

"Get some sleep, Love. We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow," he spoke soothingly as he carried you down the alleyway. It felt almost as if you were floating, and soon after you drifted off to sleep.