LIRA AN: Oh, this chapter. Day two in Conrad's high school, and probably the first time we tried to spell out exactly what sort of project Luce is supposed to be helping the class with. This is also where he starts to try and give Conrad a little self-confidence. In addition to the sexual/"romantic" aspect, this has been really fun because Luce really /is/ trying to make Conrad's life better, in a way. And they so totally needed to essentially flirt in the middle of the classroom.

MISERIA AN: Oh god, this chapter was so much fun to wriiiite~ Little Conrad, you flirt so badly it's adorable .w. Also, "Admiral Conrad" might be the cutest nickname Luce has given him, so far =w=

DISCLAIMER: Hanna is Not a Boy's Name is still the property of the marvelous Tessa Stone; no infringement is meant and no profit is being made.

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DISABUSING NOTIONS

-by: Lira & Miseria-

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.007. - .Through the Looking-Glass.

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Luce had his own responsibilities with his classes, but the general consensus seemed to be that his volunteer work took precedence. For one week only his professors were willing to let things slide, like Luce deliberately being a huge dick for half the lecture just to see how far he could push it. Going to the high school was almost a welcome change from that brand of absurdity. The teacher he'd been assigned to had already cleared him on the group project he was doing with the kids, which meant Luce was playing ringleader by himself. For the rest of the week.

Oh poor, poor Conrad.

By the time class started he had already turned his desk perpendicular to the rest of the group and was sitting with his legs stretched out in the center of their arrangement, looking perfectly comfortable. Or at least as comfortable as anyone could get in one of those contraptions. It also meant he could literally get to Conrad no matter which of the desks Conrad chose to sit in. Not that he'd do anything during class. Well, anything much – overt. Luce Worth could be subtle. Really.

Conrad kept his eyes on the blank worksheet in front of him. His head was slightly buried between his shoulders, which were hunched up as he leaned over his desk. The other students around him weren't bothering to try and actually finish the assignment, and for once Conrad had yet to pick up the slack. Instead, he kept his face down, trying his hardest not to look at Luce.

It felt like everyone knew. Like any glance toward the older man would give away everything they'd done yesterday. After Conrad had spent a, more-or-less, sleepless night thinking about it the thought finally struck him that, oh god, it was /illegal/. Not that he'd ever tell anyone, but still...The thought made him shift a little in his desk as he furrowed his brow and tried to concentrate on something else.

Luce was supposed to be some sort of life coach for this, and he knew letting the majority of his group jerk off was a bad move. He could have just yelled at them; it might have been fun. But he didn't give two shits. Conrad shouldn't be so damn worried about blowing his cover when he was just sitting there. Luce had his arms crossed over his chest and was leering quite plainly. He put one of his feet up on the chair of Conrad's desk from across the gap. "'Ey kiddo," he said, voice low, pointed. "If yeh doan' git yer work done, Aye might 'ave ter talk t'yer teacher abou' makin' things up this week after class."

Conrad jumped when the feet came crashing onto his desk, and he leaned back, grimacing at them and the little specs of dirt all over his paper from the man's shoes. When Luce's words hit his ears, the teenager glanced nervously at him, his eyes going wide and his face going pink.

"Lu-uh-M-Mister Worth..." The teenager's eyes moved back down to the boring worksheet. It felt weird calling Luce that after...everything. The objection died down in Conrad's voice and he merely plucked his pencil up and wiped his paper off with the back of his hand.

Such a cute kid. Luce smiled back far, far too wide when Conrad finally looked at him, almost not giving two shits if he was enjoying this too much. "'S awright if yeh use m'name, kiddo," Luce murmured. "Aye told yeh wot it was, didn' Aye?" As a role model or life coach, he should be happy Conrad was now doing his work. Should maybe try it on the other brats. But now that he was here, he was determined to twist this out of recognition. "Aye was thinkin', kid. Yeh obviously 'ave a drive ter excel, yeh should prob'ly lead th' group in th' construction of th' project here. Wot d'yeh think abou' a lil' authority?" And Luce was still smirking, wondering if the other implications of that question would be obvious to Conrad.

Conrad sat up a little straighter, his hands coming up to ring together nervously. Luce seemed to be regarding him as a student, or at least pretending to.

"I-I don't know if I could..." He glanced sideways to the other kids in his "group". None of them even seemed to notice or care that they were supposed to be doing work. He turned briefly back to Luce, his face flushing a bit darker.

"Wh-What would I have to do...?" Conrad lowered his head slightly, his eyes still fixed on the older man with a confused, worried expression on his face.

Luce guessed Conrad missed his second meaning; judging from the previous day, if he'd gotten it, Luce would have known. "Yeh'd 'ave ter put more effort inter it than these jerkwads" – Luce was speaking especially harshly simply because no one else was paying attention and he found it hilarious – "prob'ly do half their work fer 'em jes' like yeh always do. Yeh would also 'ave ter keep them at least margin'ly on task, 'cause yer gunna be givin' 'em evaluations on their work wot will be affectin' their final grades."

Conrad turned to stare at the "jerkwads" beside him, smiling slightly when Luce called them that and they didn't even notice. His face fell at the man's next words though. He guessed it was obvious, even to someone who had only been in class with them for two days, that Conrad did the majority of the "group work". The idea that he would have to keep everyone in line seemed more trouble than it was worth, especially since Conrad didn't think they would listen to him anyway. Giving evaluations that would actually effect the grades they receive made him feel a little in control...though the teenager wasn't sure yet whether or not he'd like that.

He noticed that the other members in their group were starting to take notice of what they were saying, gazing at Conrad expectantly.

"I guess...I mean, I could try..." He turned back to Luce, offering him a faint smile. He couldn't tell him 'no', not when he'd asked him right out like that.

"Good answer, kiddo," Luce snapped back cheerfully enough. Conrad had done what Luce's professor and the teacher at the school could not – given him a vested interest in the project. He now wanted to see Conrad take on the leadership position, see if Conrad could exert a bit of a spine even if it sure as hell wouldn't be in Luce's direction. And through that, he'd get that shit done and get his grade. "Now mister leader, git yer subordinates in gear. Or should Aye give yeh a more snappy title? Mister Admiral, since yeh'll be mannin' this ship?"

Conrad's smile widened at Luce's words, and he turned toward the other three students.

"H-Hey, you guys..." He muttered, his smile falling when they merely ignored him. He'd expected it, so it didn't really phase him too much. He cleared his throat and tried again.

"Guys?" The two girls offered him glares, but merely turned back to their phones and continued to pretend he didn't exist. Conrad's face flushed again and he felt more than a little embarrassed that he had agreed to do this when he couldn't handle it. He looked over at the blond man then quickly turned back towards the kids, glaring as he took a deep breath in.

"Guys!" He had almost yelled it, the volume of his voice hitching up to a level he'd never used before. It worked though, and all three faces turned to settle on his as he cleared his throat again.

"W-We..uhm...We've got to finish today's assignment. For the project. So..get to work, please." His voice fell back down again, his shoulders arching as he resisted the urge to curl in around himself. He wasn't used to so much attention.

"Fuck you, Confag. What if we don't." The jock boy spat back, making Conrad visibly wince a little. Another hesitant glance over to Luce and Conrad's body steeled again, his shoulders lowering and his expression going angry.

"Then I'll tell the teacher about the phones you've been texting on since class started. I think he'll believe me over you." His eyes swept over each one of their faces and the two girls just stared back in disbelief for a brief second before picking up their pencils and starting work. Conrad's face relaxed a little, until the jock boy mouthed "You're dead" before starting on his sheet.

Despite the unsettling anxiety gripping his stomach, Conrad turned back toward his own paper, slinking down in his desk and looking at Luce with another blush across his cheeks.

Luce pushed Conrad into the role for a reason – his own entertainment, yeah, and maybe a little the fact that the work would get done and he wouldn't have to pitch his case to the university, but he really did think this would be good for Conrad. Get his peers to stop treating him like their fucking servant and learn how to manage a thing or two. As much as Luce liked fucking with Conrad, every time the kid looked over at him he looked straight back, and just then his expression was deceptively mild, almost reassuring. He was a little impressed that Conrad really had gotten the other students on task, even if it included them calling him names and being the usual sort of high school snots in the process.

Luce did notice that Conrad gave the kids a more immediate threat as motivation to work – that of having their cell phones confiscated and a present reprimand from their teacher. Conrad had not, on the other hand, alerted them to the fact that Luce had put Conrad in charge of their grades. Luce hadn't been specific about quite how seriously he meant that claim, but the teacher had informed him that he would be the final say on all the kids' grades. The teacher would score their final group presentation, but if Luce told them mister jock here hadn't put a whit of effort into it and it was all the other three student's endeavor, mister jock's grade would plummet straight into the toilet.

And Luce intended to put that power of his squarely into Conrad's hands. Whatever Conrad said about grades, went. And Luce wouldn't let him be nice about it. If Luce had to kidnap him to some dark corner and get Conrad to give his grade reports with two fingers inside of him and Luce's mouth on his dick, Luce would do it. And then he'd make Conrad stick by every last unguarded thing he'd said.

Since Luce was paying such fine attention, he even managed to lip-read the last threat from mister jock. And he couldn't help immediately thinking that he'd break the kid's fucking face if he tried anything serious with Conrad. Maybe he should moderate the rage, but just then, fuck it. No one was getting hurt. Yet. The little punk had better watch his ass.

"Good job, junior Admiral," Luce murmured to Conrad, when the kid looked up at him at the end of it all. He had to stop himself from saying "kiddo" and remember to say something favorable instead. It was important. He was doing something here, he might as well do it right. "'Course yeh gotta understand, Ah'm still th' senior Admiral here. Gotta train yeh up a lil' first afore yer ready fer full command."

"R-Right...Admiral Luce." Conrad genuinely laughed, relaxing a little and getting to work on his own paper.

It felt weird, having people actually listen to him when he talked. Sure, he'd had to threaten them first, but they were still doing the work, and for once Conrad had only his /own/ paper to deal with. Despite the jock kid's threat, he felt a little more at ease now. He just had to keep this up, at least until the project was done.

He flew through his paper quickly, earning more hate-filled glares from his classmates when he set his pencil down and leaned back in his chair. He fought down the surge of guilt, feeling a little ridiculous. It wasn't his problem if they couldn't do the work. He let his eyes go back to Luce instead.

"I'm done." He muttered, not really sure what to do next, since he didn't have everyone else's work to finish.

"Good job, kid- Admiral Conrad," Luce returned, catching himself in the middle and chuckling a little. Conrad seemed far more comfortable than the day before, at least, and for the moment Luce was pleased. "If yeh like, Aye could glance over tha' fer yeh." Luce gestured at Conrad's paper. He had no desire to do grading, but he was feeling in a charitable mood. And maybe, at the back of his mind, thoughts about keeping Conrad cheerful and happy so he'd consider coming home with Luce again were there. But he wasn't quite acting on those yet.

Conrad grinned, nodding as he scooped the paper up and eagerly held it out to Luce. He was sure that everything on it was correct, but since Luce had offered, why not?

Admittedly, Conrad liked the idea of the older man looking over his answers, neatly organized on the page. Maybe Luce would see how smart he was, and praise him about it. Despite how quiet and modest he acted, Conrad liked praise, especially when it came from Luce's mouth. It made an unusual sort of pride start surging through him. The teenager couldn't really explain it.

Luce took the paper, sliding it into place on his desk and dropping his attention to it's contents. He still only cared because it was for Conrad's silly favor, and that meant that half his attention was busy watching Conrad himself out of the corner of Luce's eyes. The answers were obsessively neat, but Luce couldn't complain, especially not when his own notes were actually in a highly cramped hand that while nigh-illegible to anyone save for Luce himself, were painfully ordered themselves. He could be a lazy fucker, but he got shit done right the first time, and efficiently. Kept him from having to do it again. When he'd finished he looked up, a quick thought to how much to fan the flames. Couldn't let Conrad get used to too fine treatment, anyway. "Yeh got yer work done right, Admiral. Yeh wanna plan ahead, or are yeh jes' gunna rest on yer laurels?" It was a tease, but Luce was also curious what Conrad would say.

Conrad's smile widened at the nickname. "Oh..I mean, I can keep going but-" Conrad cast a hesitant glance to his other classmates, "-everyone else is still working." He finished, his eyes going back to Luce.

"Normally I'd keep going...I mean, I could probably finish the whole project myself in an afternoon...I-If I really tried." He shrugged slightly. It wasn't really /bragging/ or anything like that, who brags about being able to do schoolwork? The teenager brought his hands together on top of the desk, lacing his fingers together and suddenly feeling a bit like a nerd.

More typical thoughts were starting to creep back in, Luce hearing "I mean, I can keep going, but-" and filling in the blanks in a way Conrad surely had not intended. Oh, he could only hope so. "Talk ter me instead, kiddo," Luce suggested, in regards to the matter of Conrad taking a break. He imagined half the things Conrad might like to say to him – if the kid only had the guts – would not be appreciated in the school environment, and he wondered what might tumble forth instead. "Aye know yer an accomplished artist an' all" – only a little sarcasm there – "an' Aye appreciate yer /stamina/ fer the /work,/ but surely tha' ain't all, issit kiddo?"

Conrad smiled at the "accomplished artist" remark, but it faded with Luce's next words, the teenager's eyes going wide and a nervous blush working across his cheeks.

He knew what Luce said, but he also knew how the older man /meant/ the words, picking up on how Luce's tone jumped at certain words.

"U-Uhm...Uhm..I..." Conrad's mind was suddenly back on Luce's couch, back to yesterday, and back to tossing and turning all night with a dull ache in his entire body. He wasn't sure exactly how to reply at first, so he settled for just staring at Luce with an embarrassed pout.

"I-I do other things...besides..w-/work/." He added his own upward pitch to the word, wanting to show Luce that he could play back, despite his nerves. Luce was acting so nice to him earlier, Conrad really didn't want to lose any ground that he'd managed to gain with the older man.

Luce liked that. He slid back in his chair and made himself comfortable again, his expression settling somewhere between relaxed and smug. "Other things, kiddo?" Luce prompted. He liked that Conrad was going to try and play hardball, really he did, but it would only be fun if the kid could use a little imagination – or force Luce to use his own. "Doan' tell me yer a right Renaissance Man, admiral. Yeh gotta leave a lil' time fer the /work,/ doan' want yeh ter be spreadin' yerself too thin, if yeh catch my meanin'."

Conrad fidgeted in his seat, trying to think of a good way to respond. He was new to this whole...whatever this was. Flirting didn't seem like the right word because, well, didn't you flirt before you did...other things? Then again, he could be wrong about that too.

"I make time to /work/ wh-when the mood strikes. I-I've just got to build myself up to the /work/ first..." Conrad's face was scarlet now, and he hoped that none of the other kids had picked up on what he and Luce were actually conversing over.

"Aaah," Luce hummed, like this made sense to him. He was enjoying immensely the ridiculous color Conrad was turning. Embarrassed? Oh that was only just beginning. "Doan'cha think tha' sounds a bit flighty? Yeh doan wish ter do any pre-planning?" It was a funny question, coming from Luce – like he was actually offering to make a date. Which he wasn't. He was simply asking. "Aye think Aye could show yeh a thing er two abou' buildin' yerself up, if yeh only had th' patience."

Conrad wasn't thinking dates, or anything like that. When Luce mentioned showing Conrad how to build himself up, the boy's thoughts immediately returned to yesterday and fingers working inside of him. His head dropped to the desk in front of him, biting into his lip and trying to think of what he could say without letting Luce actually /know/ what he was thinking.

"I-I think I'd have the patience for you to help me... b-build myself up. I'd like to see what you can... teach me." Conrad's hands were back atop the desk, lacing and unlacing into each other as the teenager tried his hardest not to make eye contact with Luce.

"Lookit me," Luce murmured, soft, almost a croon. "Yeh know Ah've told yeh summin' abou' knowin' how ter ask fer things, an' here's th' other half uv it. Eye contact. Yeh lookit me when yeh're talkin' ter me, an' doan' yeh ferget." Luce gave a pause, like he was actually thinking about the other half of it, and not like that was all he'd been thinking about since the words were spoken. That sounded an awful lot like an invitation for Luce to do whatever he damned well pleased. And it was an invitation he would take – happily. "Tha's lesson one. If yeh wan' lesson two, yeh had better ask 'pretty please.'"

Okay, fuck, Luce knew they were in public and even worse /in a fucking school,/ but if he was going to play teacher he only had a few fucking rules. Ask for what you wanted. Look Luce in the eye when you did it. And make sure to ask 'pretty please' because begging got you /everywhere./

Conrad's eyes snapped forward at the command, and were locked back onto Luce's. They widened when the older man requested he ask "pretty please". He had an affinity for the word, Conrad knew, and the idea that he might be able to get the blond worked up with a simple phrase, even just a little, was undeniably exciting to the teenager. Conrad glanced over at his classmates, making sure they were still absorbed in their work, before steeling his eyes back on Luce. He took a breath, willing himself /not/ to look away.

"P-Pretty please..." He whispered it, an unseen shiver working it's way through his body.

Luce calmly caught Conrad's gaze as soon as the contact was offered, and that part did not surprise him. However, he had somehow been expecting a bit more resistance before his other request was acquiesced to. He found himself licking his lips in anticipation of what the words actually meant. "Yeh know th' lesson's not gunna be disclosed here," he said, voice going rough but quiet. "An' if Aye know wot's good fer me, Ah'd charge yeh fer th' privilege."

The way Luce licked his lips and said the words sounded like an invitation to come over to his apartment again. Conrad felt a small surge of pride that he'd actually managed to earn more of the older man's time. Now, he just had to keep it.

"I-I could probably think of some way to pay you..." The teen offered a small smile, still nervous but he'd managed not to look away from Luce. Maybe he was getting a little better at this. All he needed now was the courage to back up what he was saying.

"Yeh already owe me one picture, better not git in over yer head," Luce teased. He did hope it was plenty clear that he was saying such mundane payments would /not/ fly, in his opinion. There was one currency he was accepting and he would dole out as much of his time as it took to claim that. "Be happy Aye doan' want yeh ter put it in writin'." Although then again, it wasn't such a horrible idea. 'Conrad Achenleck pledges to service Luce Worth in all manners desirable, in exchange for tutelage in such matters carnal or otherwise erotic.' Sign on the dotted line.

Conrad laughed slightly, his eyes falling back on the desk and his hand coming up to rub at his arm.

"Heh yeah... I still owe you that picture, huh?" His eyes came back up to settle back on Luce's face and he let a sheepish grin cross his lips. "I'm kinda too young to sign anything, don't you think?"

He had actually teased back. Sort of. Maybe? Conrad still wasn't used to how this went, but it felt nice to be a little more at ease with Luce.

If Luce was anyone else, that crack about Conrad's age might have stung. It might have bothered him to be reminded that he was dicking around with someone who couldn't sign a legal document, not and have it be binding, without his parent's consent. In Luce's case, he was kind of worried it would give him an erection. "It's kinna an honors system," Luce offered, realizing he was starting to leer just a bit. "Are yeh tellin' me Aye should trust yeh, kiddo?"

Conrad was still smiling, still meeting Luce's eyes without looking away. This was starting to feel a little...fun? Maybe. If anything else, it was giving him more attention from the older man, and that alone made it worth the effort to continue. The teen shrugged.

"I haven't given you a reason not to trust me yet, have I? I think I've proven to be... pretty trustworthy." Conrad's cheeks were back to blushing slightly, less from embarrassment and slightly more from the excitement starting to pool in his stomach.

Luce wasn't really thinking about it, but in actuality, he was having fun, too. "In that case," Luce drawled, happily enough. "On yer honor, Ah'll accept tha' sufficient payment will be rendered. An' in exchange... Whatever lessons yer lil' heart desires." The implication there was that Luce would even entertain Conrad's thoughts on the matter – let Conrad lead a bit if only so that Luce could see what the kid would try and do. Oh, that could end up quite fun.

Conrad's nerves came back at the prospect of picking the "lessons" he would be learning from Luce. But his smile and eyes remained in place, determined not to back down now; not after how hard he'd worked to get that smooth, somewhat-happy tone from the older man's lips.

Conrad cast a glance to the clock on the wall. Class would be over soon, and he would have to cash in on all of these promises and words, or risk losing the fraction of leeway he had gained. He wasn't quite sure, exactly, where this was all headed. He knew it would lead to more things like yesterday, and truthfully, he was alright with that. His body was still sore, hurting in places he didn't even know /could/ hurt, but it was worth it. So was having to go through it all again. He was starting to grow fascinated with the older man, and anything he could do to get closer to him was necessary in Conrad's mind.

"You have my word." He said simply, his eyes turning back to Luce.

"An' Ah'll hold yeh ter it," Luce agreed, completely refraining from making fun of Conrad for the serious phrasing. He didn't mind if Conrad decided to take this part a bit too seriously. In his head, that would all work out in his favor anyway. If Conrad was set on assuring Luce's payment and learning well, things would be even more fun for Luce who was leading the kid through it. It made him wish for the class to be over, wish for the privacy to assume the mantle of teacher in the most official fashion he could stage.

Luce realized he hadn't decided exactly what he would do with Conrad then, given that chance. He knew, logically, that he'd probably abused the kid's body something awful and he should give Conrad a bit of a break. But he could not, would not, lay off from this, and would therefore have to select some activities that would be more forgiving. Or maybe just figure out where he put the lube.

"Aye 'ave ter sign out at th' front desk," Luce commented casually, as if the shift in conversation made sense.