Anthony

Daniel Schreber often visited the bath house. They didn't like the moisture, you see, and hence rarely sought him out or followed him there. But the other reason, the one he barely even admitted to himself, was that sometimes - very very seldom, never more frequent then every few months, but sometimes - someone there would look beyond the scars, see something more than a withdrawn cripple. And he could lose himself, just for a few hours, to the pleasures of the flesh, and forget about Them and the experiments and everything else.

He couldn't let himself get attached, of course. But for the most part, these kind of men didn't come looking for that, and it was fine with him. Bad idea to fall in love with the lab rats.

When he first met the man with the dark curly hair, his name was Anthony. At first, Schreber had thought that he wouldn't, couldn't be the type, but he'd hung around as the bath house closed down, then caught his arm in the change room. "Hey... you know of any place around here to get a bite to eat? I don't visit this part of town often."

He watched him, tried to read him. He had beautiful eyes, green with little flecks of brown around the pupil. It had been a while since he'd last injected this man, and he couldn't quite remember who he was. "There is a diner - down the street and around the - corner." He hesitated, not sure if he liked the idea of actually sitting and talking to someone. It generally wasn't how things were done here. But it wasn't often that he ran into someone that he hadn't recently injected, and it was rather appealing to think about talking to someone without immediately knowing their entire life story. "Would you like me to - show you?"

They'd had a light supper and drinks, more for show than anything else, Daniel thought. But he didn't complain. The man was kind, non-judgmental, and more than a little handsome, and he found that it was somewhat refreshing, just listening to him talk, having a normal conversation like he was just like everyone else. No scars, no shady past, no thinking about his captors or the experiments.

There was a motel nearby, he knew, run down but clean, and this is where they ended up, though he couldn't remember who had first suggested it. That was more familiar territory to him, giving in to desire, returning breathless kisses that tasted rather of larger. And somehow he didn't mind when this man undressed him, because someone like this wouldn't care about the scars. They tumbled into bed, into crisp hotel sheets that felt delicious against sweat streaked bare skin. He was more gentle than Daniel had come to expect, teasing him, pleasing him with his hands and mouth before finally taking him, lifting them both to the oblivion of ecstasy that Daniel had craved so badly.

Afterward, he didn't leave, which was also strange, and not unpleasantly so. Daniel curled into him silently, letting himself relax, enjoy the warmth of his body against him.

The man's fingers stroked slowly over his chest, fingertips tracing his scars. "You're sweet, Daniel," he murmured softly, as they were drifting off to sleep. "My boyfriend left me three days ago... I really needed this."

He found one of his hands with his own, squeezing gently. "Myself as well," he replied, voice just as soft. "Thank you."

They parted ways when they woke, with an agreement to meet up again soon, which Daniel made against his better judgment. The trouble with people he hadn't injected in some time was that their number tended to be near the head of the line. Sure enough, it was only a few days later when he found himself in a room with this man at midnight, feeling his heart sink as he realized who it was that he had to imprint. But how could he seriously, realistically have hoped that it could be anything more than a few hours escape?

"I'm sorry," he said softly, and heart aching, he leaned in to kiss the sleeping lips warmly before neatly piercing his skin with the syringe and pulling the trigger.

~~TBC~~~