In most other situations, Crane’s attempted comfort might have actually felt pleasant. Instead, it just prickled at that rugburn-under-skin feeling that was urging to his stomach contents: up!

He gurgled and coughed.

He saw the candles, and felt the renewed desire to find out if he enjoyed him them. But before he could compose the words … Crane was calling him dirty? And telling him to undress? Hm, not especially romantic but-- oh, that smell was him.

Crane wanted him to take his pants off? That should have been more exciting than it sounded, but he began stripping pants-and-trousers first before Crane had even turned. Why did the buttons keep moving?

When Crane came back, Zechariah was, indeed, passed out. Passed out horizontally across the bed, and sprawled and completely naked. If it was any consolation, he did have underclothes chucked thoughtlessly across the room.

On the nightstand by one of the candles sat a bottle of expensive looking hand cream, tied with a ribbon.