"Get off my floor and clean yourself up. Your master will be here in moments."
The voice, clipped and brief, cut through the half drugged haze in his head. Felix had learned before what it meant to be late for Malkar and did not want to endure it again. Swallowing the noise of pain he wanted to make hauling himself to his feet, knowing it would only bring more punishment, he slunk into the bathroom to wash, hoping he could manage quickly enough.
He ached over most of his body, and would be more sore when whatever he'd been given wore off completely. But all in all, it hadn't been so bad. Not as bad as some other times. Combing his hair straight, he washed his mouth with a mouthful of water, spitting several times in an effort to get rid of the taste in his mouth.
"Yes…no, no need to apologize, I know how he is." Malkar's voice cut through the door like a knife and Felix nearly froze halfway through donning his clothes before tugging the rest of them on quickly, recognizing the underlying note of irritation in Malkar's voice. He burst into the hallway a moment later.
"I'm sorry," breathlessly, "I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long…" His voice died in his throat, feeling both of their eyes on him. He nearly quailed.
"Darling, do try to say something polite and preferably intelligent."
Felix kept his eyes lowered, feeling shame rise and burn in his cheeks, slowly. "Thank you," he mumbled.
"And look up when you say it." The order was more of a whipcrack this time, and Felix lifted his eyes hesitantly to look at the man who had…used him the past night.
"Thank you." One quick hand darted out before he could look away and caught Felix's chin, turning his head back and forth as though examining a horse at a fair. He felt his eyes go wide, the whites all around.
"Such an unusual one, Malkar. I'd almost say beautiful."
"Isn't he? Unusual, that is, the eyes make it difficult to say beautiful honestly…did he behave?" Felix felt the blush rising in his cheeks again, shame gnawing at him, and tried to pull away from the restraining hand. He held firm.
"He was…very pleasing." That smile was unmistakably meant for Felix, with all its teeth showing. "I appreciated your loan. I hope you didn't miss him too terribly."
Felix didn't have to look to see Malkar's smile, just as toothy, colder, eyes glittering with amusement. His legs nearly trembled a moment. "I can hardly have the same slut warm me every night, can I? I'd use up one a month…" And they both laughed, the same chuckle that promised too many things to imagine.
"I suppose not."
"Though…" Malkar's hand touched his wrist, fingers stroking the vulnerable underside, and his smile might have looked affectionate. It made Felix shiver, almost trying to quail back from his master. "…if you ever wanted, we could share him, some night. It would certainly make for an exciting change."
"And it would be feasible?"
"Quite. More than feasible. Felix is quite…capable."
"Malkar," Felix tried to interject, but his throat seized and he couldn't force the words past the block. His master didn't even glance at him.
"We shall discuss it."
"And I shall anticipate it." A laugh, and he dragged Felix's head down for a last kiss that drew a reluctant whimper from him.
Malkar led him out laughing.
--
Felix bit his tongue most of the way back to the estate, trying not to look at Malkar, feeling a lump of lead in his stomach. Eventually, a dark chuckle rippled from where Malkar sat, reading, expression lazy and bored. "Darling, something on your mind? You're refreshingly and delightfully silent."
He meant the comment to sting and it did, a flush spreading on Felix's cheeks. "I'm sorry."
"Perhaps if you made more of an effort your speech would be less painful to listen to. Though I don't think I can do anything about simple witlessness."
Felix fidgeted uneasily, almost twitching. "Did you really mean that, what you said…"
Malkar looked up, eyebrows raised. "Hmm?"
"About…" He glanced down, pulling his shoulders up. "…sharing me. Sometime."
"I think you should be quite capable. My good friend has no qualms about letting you use that whore's mouth of yours on him, after all." Felix flinched and went quiet, for a few moments.
"I would really…"
"Or is it him you object to? Really, darling, you've never voiced any complaints about his treatment before, and he's positively gentle." Compared to me, he didn't add, but Felix saw the glitter in his eyes and cringed.
"Yes – no, I know, it's not that at all, it's just…I would…I would rather not."
His master's eyebrows climbed even more, precipitously. "Are you questioning me, darling?" Nothing was ever just a question with Malkar. Felix flinched.
"Not – questioning," he tried to hedge, eyes sliding away and down to his master's feet. "Only… a thought, nothing more."
"We would all be grateful, darling, if you kept these things that pass for thoughts to yourself." Sharply. Felix swallowed.
"Please, Malkar…"
"Silence." The command was a whip crack that cut through anything he had been prepared to say, and Felix flinched back from the fell glitter in Malkar's eyes, bored anger or displeasure. "You will do as I say, yes darling? And I say that we will please our generous host. Never fear, I shall take care of the arrangements. All you need to do is manage to be a well-behaved whore." His smile was sharp-edged steel. "Do you understand me?"
He managed to make his head move enough to nod, knowing it was the only correct answer, and then looked down at the floor of the carriage, drawing his shoulders up to his ears.
"Good," Malkar said, voice rich with satisfaction. "And when we get home, darling, we shall have to have a discussion on how negotiable my decisions are."
"Yes Malkar," Felix breathed, stomach twisting into knots: uneasiness, fear, and shame.
--
They didn't speak of the matter again, and Felix was glad of it, half-hoping that perhaps if he didn't remind Malkar he would forget. He should have known better; by bringing it up at all, even once, he had ensured that Malkar would arrange the event. If only to prove the completeness of his control over Felix.
A grim thought, and a true one.
He tried to stay calm about the whole business. It wouldn't be his first time with two men at once, though it wasn't a common thing. But it had never been something he'd enjoyed. Now, with room to dread it…
Late one evening, both of them sitting and reading, Felix shooting nervous glances at Malkar over his book, his master stood and came over, standing over him with hands casually in his pockets, almost smiling. "Darling," he purred, and Felix felt a shiver of dread, "I want you to rest well tonight. I've arranged a little – entertainment, tomorrow." His smile was a little too predatory. "We've been invited for a day. And you're to – play the main course. As it were."
Felix felt his body go rigid and felt as though the breath had been drained out of him. "Main…what?" He said, weakly. Malkar tipped his chin up with one lazy finger, still smiling.
"I expect you to service us both, darling. And well. I shouldn't like there to be any…unpleasantness. We are here on his hospitality. Hmm?"
Felix shivered and tried to turn his head away. Malkar didn't let him. "Darling. Do you understand me?"
"I understand," he said, in almost a whisper. It was only because he had to. Where else would he go, if Malkar abandoned him? Back to the Shining Tiger?
And it wasn't as though he could disobey his master. He stood, locking his knees, and turned to go, feeling Malkar's eyes follow him. His dreams that night were restless, uncomfortable, and he woke halfway through the night, cry muffled by his own hand so he would not be punished for his nightmares.
--
The morning came too early, and the day passed too quickly, in a blur of preparation. Malkar found him reading.
"Come, darling," his Master purred, smoothly. "Up. We leave now."
Felix blinked, trying to clear his head. "Now? At least let me finish…" His breath caught as Malkar's hand shot out and pulled his head back, savagely.
"We leave now," he said, still in that gentle, soft voice. "You are my student, Felix. Obey. You're so good at it." In a whirl, he vanished, and confused, Felix dressed and followed after.
The carriage ride this time was silent and nervous. Malkar read without much interest and without looking at Felix, who played nervously with his hair and looked out the window. It was only when they were nearly there that Malkar set down his book and gave his instructions.
"Try to keep your talk to mundane things. I don't want you to say anything stupid or embarrassing as we eat. Make eye contact when you speak. And for god's sake take your hands away from your hair, you look like a fool."
He flinched again and pulled his hands down, folding them in his lap. When they stopped, Malkar got out first, and held the door. Felix stepped down after him, confused, and they walked to greet their host together.
Malkar got a cordial handshake. Felix got a cordial handshake and a kiss that left him blinking a little for its gentleness, confused. This wasn't what he'd been expecting. Not at all.
Dinner was served, and went without comment or objection. Felix guarded his thoughts carefully and stayed mostly quiet, but managed not to keep his eyes on his plate the whole time, much as he wanted to when he could feel their host's eyes wandering over him. Examining the merchandise.
He didn't quite shiver, and felt a prickle of dread when the dishes were cleared away. The silence stretched out. Finally, it was Malkar who stood. "Felix, darling," he said, calmly, eyes not flicking to his student. "I believe you owe our host some entertainment."
They laughed the same laugh, and when Felix froze Malkar's hand curled around his arm, fingers just digging into the crook of his elbow enough to trigger the obligation d'sang. His knees went weak and a noise like a whimper escaped his throat.
"Upstairs, I believe," Malkar said cordially, "Unless you truly wish this lovely room…defiled…" It wasn't his master's hand running through his hair, curling a handful around his palm and pulling sharply.
"I've prepared a room, just for us…"
"Come, Felix," Malkar purred, and even if he had thought about refusing he wouldn't have been able to. The obligation wrapped around him like a strangling snake, squeezing the air out of his lungs. Felix didn't try to speak.
Down the hallway, Malkar and his friend spoke to each other in low voices Felix couldn't hear. Their tone, and their laughter, made chills settle at the base of his spine. He could feel his knees shaking.
Malkar opened the door, a heavy, wooden one – to muffle screams, the logical part of his mind registered, while the rest of him shuddered in the hateful mix of terror and stirring desire. He followed.
The room was bare, or mostly. A few things here and there that he recognized and felt a sick feeling to see again, but it wasn't-
Jerome's arms pulled Felix back against him, one hand groping at his sex roughly, pushing his hips against Felix so he could feel him stir and start to rise. Malkar stripped off his jacket and strolled to him from the front, one finger lifting to touch the corner of his eye. The half blind one. Felix flinched violently.
"So frightened, darling. Why would I ever hurt you?"
Felix quailed, not quite whimpering. Jerome laughed, in a low voice, amused. Malkar just smiled more broadly and stepped forward, hand snapping out to slap him. Felix jerked, surprised.
"Tell me why I would hurt you, darling," he purred. Felix tried to find his voice, but not before another slap struck across the other cheek. Head turned, flushing in shame, he forced the words out.
"Because I want it," he made himself say, "I want you to – I want you to hurt me, humiliate me-"
"There, darling," Malkar purred, and kissed him, but only briefly. "Now step back. And strip. Slowly."
He stepped back, jerkily, fighting not to wrap his arms around himself, and removed his shirt, first, trying to ignore the way Jerome's breath sped up. "Keep your pants for now, darling," Malkar said, and leaned back against the wall. "Jerome, have your way."
Felix fought not to step back, not to shy away, and just managed not to as Jerome walked in a slow circle around him. The movement, when it came, was abrupt and sudden, a lunge.
His fingers twisted Felix's nipple and his back arched. Harder. He cried out.
"Please-"
"Please what?"
Felix knew what he wanted, and gave it to him, disgust in his throat. "Fuck me, please," and then he pulled back and they were both circling. Vultures. Watching him. Felix closed his eyes and Malkar's hand closed around his throat.
"Look at me," he purred, mouth smiling in his horrible way, and Jerome stepped forward and ran his fingers down the scars on his back, pinched one.
"How did you get these?"
"Don't touch –"
This time it was a hand in his hair, dragging his head back so far his knees nearly buckled. "You're mine to touch."
"Ours," corrected Malkar's voice, as his eyes closed.
"Ours."
Felix felt his face burn, biting his lower lip to not let himself make a sound. Jerome's hands wandered down his body, freely, beginning to unbutton them, undo them. "Malkar, you never did tell me…"
"Mmm, wait," said Malkar, and Felix looked at him, and saw his eyes. His sex stirred, rose.
"Malkar," he murmured, but his master silenced him with a kiss, hand still pressing hard into his throat, nearly choking him.
"Where shall we begin?" Jerome asked, hands moving, fingers pressing into the innermost part of his upper thigh. "So many things we can do…"
Malkar pulled away. His black eyes were glittering. "I always say," he purred, "To start with the basics." His smile expanded, dangerously. "Room enough for the both of us, after all…"
The shudder this time was definite, violent. Afraid. Felix heard the whimper out of his own throat and hated the sound. The snake around his chest squeezed once.
"Down, Felix," Malkar purred, and he lowered himself to the ground as his master and Jerome switched places, kneeling naked, exposed, vulnerable. His master's hands on his hips were familiar, holding him still, then moving his hands to tease, playfully. He twitched.
"Malkar, please," nearly begging, definitely begging, and Malkar laughed.
"Felix, darling, Jerome would like your head."
He just managed to turn his head forward before it was pulled, and rolled his eyes upward, heart thudding wildly against his ribs. Can't be that bad, he tried to convince himself, Just don't fight it. Relax. But he couldn't make himself do it.
Malkar's fingers, covered in oil, pressed against him and then into him. Felix could hear the smile in his voice as he pushed them deeper, heedless of the friction and the pain that spidered up Felix's belly, down to his sex, hardening it again.
He knew it was coming. It still took him by surprise. Malkar's first thrust hurt, and his body bent like a bow, a startled scream bursting from his lungs for surprise and pain. He choked on it as Jerome seized his hair and forced his mouth forward onto his cock, pressing all the way forward so Felix nearly gagged on his head in his throat. His throat worked violently as Jerome held him there and moaned.
For long moments they simply held him like that, impaled at both ends. He felt his eyes roll and heard the sob caught in his throat. Malkar laughed again, huskily, and leaned forward, hand twining in Felix's hair. "Allow me," he purred, and Felix felt his stomach clench in the moment before Malkar's hand began moving, backward and forward and backward, driving Jerome's cock down his throat every stroke.
"No," he tried to say, eyes filling, "No," but the word only made it out as a strangled moan. He knew Malkar understood, though, because he laughed softly in Felix's ear as he drew back, hips still pressed against him.
"I like his mouth so much better when it isn't talking," Malkar said, coolly, cruelly, hands bracing on Felix's back as he began to move, then taking his wrists, dragging them behind his back. Fucking him slow and easy as always, the tethering hands preventing any movement, any relief.
"Perhaps you should keep it busy more often," Jerome grunted, still moving, heedlessly. Felix felt his face heat and closed his eyes. Malkar must have felt it too, because his voice was silky, rich, the voice Felix knew meant he was in trouble.
"It certainly looks good on you," he purred, and then said, "Did I ever tell you how I found this little gem," punctuating the last word with the impact of his hips on Felix's, who felt more than heard the whine in his throat.
"I can only imagine. My guess is you didn't make all these," fingers running along the rough scars criss-crossing his back. Malkar laughed.
"Not me, no." Another long stroke of his body and Felix shuddered, feeling himself tighten, need only growing. "The Lower City, actually. Pharoahlight, to be precise."
"How very sordid. I might have guessed..." Hands in his hair, again, moving him faster, not bothering to wait for him to follow.
"You can imagine I noticed him fairly quickly...I was shocked by the asking price." He purred a laugh. "But the owner of that fine establishment declared he was worth it, and well, after that declaration I had to see for myself..."
Felix could feel his stomach churn up and down violently and tried to make a desperate noise, pleading with Malkar to stop.
"As you can guess, he was worth every cent...and with a rare talent, too. A quick mind." Malkar's hands pulled his hips up, hand slipping between his legs to trail down his abdomen, the other still keeping his wrists behind his back. "I couldn't let such a prize go." His laugh was cold, amused. "I always get what I want, don't I, Felix?"
He whimpered, shivered as much as he could.
"So I took my little pet home, and trained him well...taught him everything I know, like the generous man I am...and in return he gives me this." Malkar hand curled around his sex, clenched. His back bent again, lightning jerking through his body, strangled cry bursting from his throat. "A fair trade, yes?"
Felix could feel Jerome jerking faster, about to come. "Certainly – good -"
"Oh, yes," Malkar said, and Felix could hear that deadly smile in his voice, "Yes...he's a clever beast, but his real aptitude will always be for being fucked." His master's last thrust pounded into him, brutally, hammering home his pain and his words as with Malkar's encouraging hand he came, body bucking against restraining hands over his body.
Felix felt the howl build in his throat, as Malkar laughed and hands yanked in his hair, mouth filling with ejaculate, and he knew that this was only the beginning. Half of him quailed in fear. Another part moaned in arousal. And the last part-
Squirmed in abject, bitter shame. True aptitude is always for being fucked...
Malkar's laugh shuddered through his body. "Mmm...darling," he purred, and Felix could feel the prickle of tears in his eyes, and hated it.
--
The ride back was painful. Felix drew his knees up to his chest and sat gingerly, arms wrapped around himself, trying not to shiver, sick, sore, bruised. Malkar lounged comfortably across from him, smiling distantly. Looking down, he gathered his courage.
"Malkar?"
"Mmm?"
"Did you mean...what you said?"
"What I said what, darling?" He looked up, eyes half lidded, mouth quirked in that hateful little smile. "Please, don't beat around the bush. Your attempts at subtlety bore me to tears."
Felix flinched, looked down, and said, "About...that the only thing I'm good at is..."
"Being fucked? Yes, I meant it." Malkar smiled cruelly at him as Felix looked up, feeling a twinge of hurt.
"That's truly -" Malkar cut him off.
"Don't make a melodrama of it, darling. It's not worth it for a molly-toy like you." Felix felt his eyes go wide, felt almost as though a knife had twisted in his gut.
"That's truly all I am to you?" Felix heard himself say in a small voice. Malkar laughed and stood, taking his face in one hand.
"Yes. You are mine, Felix. And don't forget it. That you owe me everything you are." His hand pushed back hair from Felix's forehead, a mockery of gentleness. "For that...I think I deserve your service, don't you? It is your skill." Felix felt his breath catch, heard the small whimper escape though he didn't want it to. "I will take you when I will it."
Felix shook, just slightly. "Please-"
"Silence," Malkar said, smoothly, "And stop your whining or I will gag you." His mouth quirked. "After all, it's not your intelligence I bought you for."
Felix didn't let himself cry until he was sure he was alone, curled up in the small room he called his own. He was sure Malkar knew it anyway; sure too that Malkar had intended just that.
You are worthless, Malkar had mocked him, several times, I only keep you because you're damn good in bed... usually as he pressed Felix to the wall and took him violently from behind.
Malkar's worthless whore. All he would ever be.
Felix knew Malkar had wanted to make him suffer, swat him down from gaining too much confidence. It didn't make any difference. After all, when had he ever been able to say no to Malkar?
When had he ever been able to say no to anyone?
It was a small mercy, at least, that he was able to keep his tears silent.