Thrawn is accustomed to having eyes on him. He has endured scrutiny in every aspect of his life, observation of every decision, judgment for every word. The expectations of the Eighth Ruling Family were strict, despite the ranking acquired by his Syndic brother and the merit that brought to Thrawn himself.

This, in contrast, is simplicity itself. The crowd wants a show. They watch with eagerness, held breath, keen arousal. They are simplicity itself to satisfy. Because of this, Thrawn turns his focus on the man who has given him the gift of body and obedience. It is not his to share in submission or danger, now, unlike a Chiss battle. It is his to fulfill.

As he stretches Dean's body, meticulously, he touches, adds a tactile impression to his judgment of Dean's body. He makes physical contact with the expectation that his skin is open, a gateway to sensation, not a barrier between a submitted man and the world outside. Dean is exposed not just to his skin but beneath it, to his passion.

He draws the line of his nail up the inside of Dean's thigh, momentarily creasing the skin. Adds a second finger inside him, and painstakingly works in a third, even though he's not quite stretched enough for it. An almost incidental nudge of his hand has Dean's leg maneuvered open and out, giving the crowd a clear view.

"So many eyes on you," Thrawn murmurs, "and you take them so greedily."