Surrendering Control

Charles stood back out of the way, watching as the two turians maneuvered his old mattress onto its side. He didn't like strangers being in his bedroom. Something felt incredibly off about it, so he watched them closely, paranoia making his hackles rise—which drew more than a few, odd, curious looks from the movers. Eezo whined and scratched at the bathroom door, but he needed her to stay inside and out of their way. Ares decided to hang out on the balcony while they worked, probably to avoid drawing attention to himself, which Charles understood but it left him feeling even more off-kilter.

As they hoisted the bed up, wedging it between the two of them, he stepped out of the way to let them pass. He followed the two men back out of the room and down the hall, watching as they made their way to the door. It took them a few seconds to get the angle right to maneuver the bed out of the apartment and into the building's hall, but once they'd managed it only took a few seconds before they came back inside. Returning to the bedroom, they set to work removing the box springs and frame with him right on their heels the entire time.

Once all of the old stuff sat outside, the workers brought in the new bed wrapped in a protective sheeting. Charles let them pass before following them back to the room again, watching as they took off the sheeting and set up the bed. It took a lot longer than he'd expected for everything to get moved around and set up, but looking at the interspecies bed once set in place brought a smile to his face. There was something especially satisfying about knowing he'd used his asshole, homophobic, racist father's credits to buy a bed so his turian lover—the man who killed the sonofabitch—could sleep and fuck Charles in comfort.

When they finished, one of the turians turned to Charles and handed him a datapad. "Sign here, please."

He took the datapad and signed his name across the screen before handing it back. "Thanks, " he said, opening his omni-tool and tipping the two turians before escorting them back out of the apartment.

Locking the door behind them, he glanced at the balcony as he grabbed an armful of the new pillows off the couch and carried them to the back. It took him a couple of trips, but he got everything to the room and made the bed, grinning the entire time. He took a few seconds to prop the pillows up against the headboard, making it look as inviting as possible before stepping back and nodding to himself. The bowed bed came complete with a rounded, slatted headboard, perfect for cuffing someone to the bed … or letting himself be cuffed by Ares. The thought stalled his brain for a moment; it wasn't something he'd ever considered before, not even with Ares. Yet … the more he thought about it, the more it felt … right.

He made his way out to the balcony, lighting a cigarillo as he went, and leaned against the railing before glancing at Ares. "So … wanna break in the new bed?"

Ares chuckled before blowing out smoke and flicking his ashes. "Of course, but I also don't want to waste this cigarette, so you're going to have to wait."

Charles hummed, sticking his cigarillo in his mouth before moving behind Ares. "Sure, take your time," he said around the cigarillo.

Slipping his hands under Ares' shirt, he grabbed the turian's waist and squeezed. He slid his hands around to splay his fingers out against Ares' stomach and chest, rubbing the hide and plates as he leaned against the man's back. He closed his eyes, focusing on how warm Ares felt and on the rough, knotted texture of scars beneath his fingertips. Imagining the feel of Ares' tongue and teeth against his skin, he let his imagination stir his desire.

He wanted Ares to know how much he wanted him, wanted his scent to fill the turian's nostrils until he decided the cigarette wasn't worth the wait. Curling his fingers and digging them into the hide, he dragged his hands back to Ares' waist, kneading the muscles there a few times. A moment later, he removed one hand to pull the cigarillo from his mouth. Blowing out smoke, he lightly nipped Ares' shoulder, leaving a bit of a wet mark on his shirt.

Ares rumbled as he turned his head enough to catch Charles' eye. "I can only feel half of what you're doing," he said with a flick of his mandible before sticking his cigarette in his mouth and turning, forcing Charles to release him. Thrumming around his cigarette, he cupped Charles' head, sliding his fingers through his hair.

Knowing it was an exaggeration, Charles grinned and leaned into the touch. "Mhmm, but I can feel you." He returned his free hand to Ares' waist, leaning in to press his chest against the turian while pushing up on his toes, turning his mouth up for a kiss. "And you can smell me."

Ares chuckled and took his cigarette out of his mouth, holding it away from them as he pressed his mouth to Charles', sliding his tongue inside. Still grinning, Charles returned the kiss, twirling his tongue around Ares' a few times before nipping at it. Breaking away, he took another drag of his cigarillo, smirking up at the man. He dug his fingers into Ares' waist, kneading and pulling him closer against Charles.

Growling softly, Ares took a drag. He held the smoke a moment before turning his head to blow it out over his shoulder. Turning back to Charles, he leaned down, ducking his head to lick along the side of Charles' neck. He nipped Charles' ear before licking the slight sting, and Charles let out a soft moan. Tightening his grip, he turned his head to give Ares better access and took another drag, blowing the smoke past the turian.

Dragging his teeth along Charles' pulse, Ares slipped his free hand down Charles' back to grip his hip and pull him closer. He stopped long enough to take another drag, letting the smoke drift out between his teeth as he trailed bites along Charles' neck, using more force and following each scrape with a rough swipe of his tongue. Shuddering, Charles moaned and pressed himself closer, shifting his hips back and forth to rub suggestively over the turian's plates, hard cock pushing against Ares' thigh. Losing interest in his cigarillo, he flicked it over the balcony, not even caring if it burned someone when it landed. He wrapped his freed hand around Ares' crest, squeezing tight and giving it a slight, steady pull.

Ares shifted his head to growl deeply against Charles' ear before pulling back enough to stick his cigarette in his mouth, freeing both hands to slip beneath Charles' shirt. He dragged his talons along Charles' skin, leaving bloodless welts in his wake. Hissing, Charles arched his back into the burn, pressing his hips and cock harder against Ares. He turned his head enough to nip just below the turian's jaw, sinking his teeth in a little harder the second time.

Snarling, Ares pulled back, taking a last, deep drag from his cigarette before flicking the butt off the balcony. Stepping away, Charles lifted his shirt over his head, dropping it to the balcony floor as he started walking backward, a smug smile on his face. Ares followed, unsnapping the closures of his own shirt, loosening it enough to pull it off over his head. He tossed it somewhere in the corner of the living room as he growled and closed the gap between their bodies.

Charles reached up, draping his wrists over Ares' cowl. Leaning in, he nipped Ares' keel, letting his hands slide down the man's chest as he trailed his tongue along plate and hide, lowering himself to taste Ares' stomach and hips. Using his teeth, he tugged at the closure on Ares' pants, pulling it loose while he dug his fingers into Ares' waist.

Ares' growl deepened, and he gripped Charles' hips when he rose again, urging him down the hall and into the bedroom toward their new bed. Charles chuckled, allowing himself to be guided, trusting in Ares to keep him from walking into anything along the way. Biting and licking Ares' chest, he pulled the turian's pants opened, shoving them down his hips and rubbing a palm over already parted plates. Once freed from the tight confines of his pants, Ares' cock easily slid out, hard and wet against Charles' hand. Ares didn't give him the chance to wrap his fingers around the beautiful thing before pushing him down onto the bed with a gentle but firm shove.

Pushing up onto his elbows, Charles licked his lips, looking up at Ares. "Get your handcuffs," he said, throat tightening around the words.

Ares' gaze flicked over the bed, and he huffed lightly, smirking when he looked back down at Charles. "You finally got a comfortable bed."

Expression shifting into a soft smile, thoughts of handcuffs momentarily brushed aside, Charles scraped his teeth over his bottom lip and asked, "Did I get the right pillows?"

Ares shrugged. "Won't know until I lay on them." He snorted and growled softly as he leaned down over Charles, planting a palm on either side of him, eyes dark. "But that's not what I have planned right now."

Letting out a low, throaty hum, Charles swallowed and repeated his earlier statement, determination seeping into his voice, "Get your handcuffs, Ares."

Ares flicked his mandible, humming as if in thought. "The real ones or the releasable ones?"

Taking a slow, deep breath, Charles said, "The real ones."

The thought made him anxious as fuck, but he felt certain, resolute. He wanted to do this with Ares—for Ares. He wanted to show the man just how much he trusted him. Ares hummed again, gaze flicking to Charles, mild skepticism clear on his face. Before Charles could open his mouth to reassure him, though, he stood up straight and nodded once.

"They're with my things in the other room. I'll be right back," he added as he headed out the door.

Charles took another deep breath, doing his best to mentally prepare himself for what was to come. He stood back up, feeling weak in his knees, and slipped his shoes and socks off before stepping out of his pants. Crawling back onto the bed, he moved some of the pillows aside so Ares could get to the slats on the headboard and then laid down, taking more slow, deep breaths while he waited. Whispers of memories already started trickling through his head, forcing him to swallow against the rising knot of panic in his throat and shove them away.

He trusted Ares. Ares wouldn't hurt him, not like that. Never like that. Ares cared about him—maybe even loved him, at least he liked to think so.

The decision to hunt down and kill the men who hurt him, the men who killed Sarah, came so quickly, so easily to Ares. And he'd invited Charles along, gave him the opportunity to get his revenge with his own hands and then embraced his beast when it came roaring to life. The night Charles got hit in the head with a beer bottle, the look in Ares' eyes, the frantic sounds he made as he looked Charles over … no, Ares would never hurt him. Reaching up, he ran his fingers over the scars Ares' teeth left in his shoulder.

I'm his, and he's mine.

Having taken his pants off while out of the room, Ares returned with cuffs in hand. The change in Charles' mood didn't seem to bother Ares, at least not enough to keep him from maintaining an erection. Growling, he looked Charles over as he approached and dropped the cuffs next to him on the mattress. He climbed onto the bed, leaning over Charles and rumbling in question.

"How do you want this to go?" Ares asked, gaze roaming over Charles again before returning to his eyes.

Charles licked his lips, all too aware of his heart rate increasing. "I need to be able to see you, at least for now." He really hoped it'd be enough for him to keep it together. He wanted it to be a good experience for the both of them, wanted to be strong for Ares.

"Do you want to be cuffed to the bed, or just cuffed?" Ares' mandibles fluttered softly.

Thinking about it for a few seconds, Charles nodded his head to himself. "Cuffed to the bed." It was how he'd cuffed Ares, and how he'd cuffed every other person he'd ever used handcuffs with … even if he'd never let anyone else put them on him before.

Humming, Ares nodded and held out a hand. Laying his palm in Ares', Charles sucked in a shuddering breath and held it, heart pounding. With wide eyes, he watched as Ares put the cuff around his wrist and tightened it, making it snug without cutting into the skin. Ares stopped and looked to him as if waiting for the go ahead. Forcing himself to breathe, Charles gave Ares his other hand without a word, ignoring the tremble to his fingers.

"Make sure you breathe. Don't pass out," Ares said with a rumble as he lifted Charles' arms to the headboard, slipping the cuff behind the bar before latching it around his opposite wrist.

Heart beating against his ribs hard enough he heard his own pulse roaring in his ears, Charles knew the smell coming off of him must be near overwhelming, but Ares didn't say anything. Swallowing again, he lowered his gaze. "I need a few seconds," he whispered, ashamed and feeling like a weak coward as he closed his eyes. "Just … just talk to me."

"About anything?" Ares thrummed and sat back close enough for Charles to feel him by his side.

Throat spasming, Charles licked his lips and nodded. Ares hummed and ran the back of his knuckles along Charles' ribs, making him flinch and stop breathing again. After a second, though, he settled into the touch.

"I was born in the spring of Palaven." Ares huffed lightly. "I think it's actually winter for Earth if I remember right. I don't remember the date, but I remember seeing the flowers every year around it." He turned his hand, laying his palm on Charles' chest, the gentle touch helping to slow Charles' heart. "I went into basic during the spring, so that's how I really know. We all go in on our fifteenth, usually within a few months according to the schedule of the nearby military outpost. Mine was the same that every turian from Cipritine went to … so you can imagine the sheer amount of people."

Charles let out a soft hum, turning his head and opening his eyes to look up at Ares. He still didn't feel completely calm, but laying still and just listening to Ares' voice definitely helped. He gave the turian a smile and said, "Kiss me?"

Purring, Ares leaned over and pressed his mouth to Charles' but stopped there as if waiting for him to take the lead. Sliding his tongue out, he licked Ares' mouth plates, enticing him to put a little more feeling behind the kiss. He might be anxious—hell, maybe more than anxious—but the point of the whole thing was to show Ares that he trusted him, more than he'd ever trusted anyone else. He willingly surrendered control to Ares where he never would—could never—with anyone else, believing if it became too much for him to handle, Ares would stop.

Ares rumbled in amusement as he opened his mouth and curled his tongue around Charles'. Growling as their tongues danced, he ran the tips of his talons over Charles' collarbone, down the center of his chest and stomach before settling just at the edge of his groin. He'd started to lose his erection in the midst of his panic, but the taste of Ares' tongue in his mouth and the feel of Ares' hide against his skin worked wonders to restore it completely … and then some. Moaning, he shoved his tongue against Ares' and shifted his hips, trying to get the turian to touch him more.

Ending the kiss to duck his head against Charles' throat, Ares finally wrapped his hand around Charles' cock, stroking as he ran his tongue along Charles' pulse. Charles gasped, lifting his hips again and turning his head, giving Ares more room. He pulled against the cuffs trying to touch Ares—actually managing to forget for a second they were there—but the restraints didn't give, and his pulse spiked. He sucked in a deep breath, focusing on the feel of Ares' tongue against his skin, letting out an approving hum to encourage the turian to keep going.

I'm safe. I'm safe. I'm safe. I'm safe.

Ares purred against him, reaching up to grab his hand, giving it a squeeze. Charles curled his fingers around Ares', holding on tight, using the touch as an anchor until the turian decided he needed his hand again. He turned his head a little, nuzzling his face against the top of Ares' crest. Shifting, Ares ran his tongue up Charles' throat and along his jaw before curling it just below his ear. His hand around Charles' cock let go, moving to stroke along his thigh, and Charles groaned, tilting his head again, urging Ares to continue.

Releasing his hand, Ares sat up and eased his legs open, settling between Charles' thighs before leaning over to give his hand back. Wrapping his fingers over Ares' again, Charles focused on keeping his breathing steady. Thrumming, Ares licked Charles' lips, bringing a smile to his face. Lifting his head to press his lips against Ares' mouth, his tongue darted out to trace the curve of the turian's upper plates.

Growling, Ares opened up and shoved his tongue into Charles' mouth before shifting his weight to his forearm, fingers still holding onto Charles' but freeing up his other hand. He reached down between them, wrapping his hand around both his and Charles' cocks, pressing them together and giving them a firm stroke. Sucking in a ragged breath, tongue moving against Ares' with a quicker pace, Charles groaned into his mouth.

A moment later, breathless, he pulled his tongue back and tipped his head enough to nip Ares' upper mouth plates. Ares growled again, the sound low and thick with arousal. Moving his hand around them both, his natural lubricant coated Charles' cock, making his movements smoother as he sped up. The act was so fucking hot, and Charles loved the feel of Ares' cock pressed against his, but he still couldn't quite shake the panic coming with the loss of control, the handcuffs a constant reminder.

Ares huffed against his lips and squeezed his hand. "Do you want to take this up a notch?" he asked, smirking as he shifted to nip Charles' ear, growling against him.

He licked his lips and nodded, his face brushing against Ares. "Yeah."

Nodding, Ares sat back on his knees and lifted Charles' hips, purring softly as he slowly guided himself into Charles. Raising his ass to help angle Ares in, a soft hiss of a groan seeped out of Charles. His muscles tightened around the intrusion, taking a little longer to relax than usual, and his heart started to beat a harder again. Ares thrummed and leaned down, letting him hear the turian's aroused yet soothing subvocals right next to his ear. Pressing in completely, Ares stopped when he finally came flush, his mandible brushing against Charles.

"Oh God," Charles muttered—probably only just barely loud enough to translate—feeling momentarily overwhelmed.

Despite how different Ares felt from the humans who raped him, the feel of his cock buried inside of Charles along with the cuffs around his wrists brought the memories of the event forward. They pushed against his will, trying to sink their claws into him and drag him down. He let out a soft growl, chasing the ghosts of his past away and lifting into Ares, turning his head to scrape his teeth over the turian's neck. Tasting Ares' hide and pulling the man's scent deep inside his lungs, he focused on Ares with everything he had and started to relax.

"Slow or hard?" Ares asked a moment later, ducking his head to nip Charles' collarbone, grinding against him.

"Start slow," he muttered, rubbing his face against Ares' crest.

Ares nodded again as he gripped Charles' hips, lifting him up more as he thrust upward. He sighed as he moved, nipping Charles' collarbone harder. Moaning, Charles sucked in a breath as he rolled his hips to drive the turian deeper. He tugged against the cuffs, the urge to wrap his arms around Ares distracting him for just a moment. When the restraints caught, though, he didn't panic but let out a soft, frustrated growl.

Ares huffed a weak laugh, shifting his weight as he sped up a little. He lowered his head beside Charles' and snarled softly. "Use your mouth where you can't use your hands."

Letting out a low groan, Charles rolled his hips again. "I want to feel you against my chest," he said, his voice coming out hoarse, almost a whimper.

Ares stopped long enough to situate their bodies so he pressed against Charles. It seemed a bit awkward for the turian, but he didn't complain. Instead, he rumbled as he bucked his hips, just once, as if in question. Charles let out a soft sigh, the contact both calming and sating some deeply rooted urge inside of him, and he lifted his hips into Ares, a moan slipping from his throat as the man started to move again.

The hungry growl emanating from Ares reverberated through Charles, filling his ear and keeping his mind focused on the present. Ares picked up the pace, hand on Charles' hip kneading as he moved. Not forgetting they were there, but unable to resist the urge to try to touch Ares, Charles pulled on the cuffs again. He let out a loud groan, locking his ankles around Ares' legs and using the leverage to pull him in with each thrust, instead.

Ares huffed against Charles' ear, lapping at his throat as he slid his hand down between them to wrap his fingers around Charles' cock. Stroking in time to his hard thrusts, his pants of breath cooled the saliva on Charles' skin. He moved with Ares, doing his best to keep up with the rhythm and pace Ares set, rolling his hips and fucking Ares' hand. The occasional wave of panic and fear slammed over Charles when his awareness moved back to the restraints, but he managed to keep it mostly at bay by focusing on the fact he was with Ares and safe.

Ares licked Charles' lips, shoving his tongue in a moment after with a low snarl. His kiss came hungry and rough, stroking and curling around Charles' tongue with his own. Charles did his best to give back as much as he got, trying to make it clear to Ares that despite his random spikes of fear and panic, he was still with Ares. Still enjoying himself, still willing. He nipped Ares' tongue, lifting his hips against the turian's, breaths coming a little quicker, shallower, as his need for release built. Eyes fluttering closed, images of Sarah being beaten and raped while men held him back, tight grips keeping his arms immobilized, sparked to life on the back of his eyelids. His eyes snapped open again, gaze fixing firmly on Ares until Ares became everything.

Pulling out of the kiss with a growl, Ares dropped his head to Charles' shoulder, dragging the tips of his teeth against the scar there with a thick rumble of question.

Moving his head to the side to give Ares better access, Charles sucked in a shuddering breath. "Yes, always yes, " he muttered against Ares' ear. "I'm yours. Bite me. Mark me. Please."

Ares stopped panting, falling silent a moment before he snarled and sank his teeth into Charles' shoulder. He slammed his hips against Charles' ass, fucking him hard and deep, speeding his movements around Charles' cock. Charles pulled against the cuffs, desperate to wrap his arms around Ares, to dig his fingers into his waist, pull his crest, anything just to feel more of the turian. Heart rate speeding up when the cuffs bit into his wrists, he fought against the panic, grunting and lifting into Ares. The sharp sting of Ares' teeth in his skin pushed him closer and closer to the edge, the faint scent of his blood filling the air. Tossing his head back against the pillows, Charles let out a low, raw growl, bucking his hips against Ares, shuddering, and pulling against the restraints. A few more pumps and the dam inside of Charles broke with a loud, whorish sounding moan, sending hot cum out in spurts to wash over his stomach and Ares' hand.

Ares groaned as Charles spasmed around his cock. Ramming into him with a few more, hard bucks of his hips, Ares snarled and sank his teeth in deeper, pumping Charles' ass full of cum. The sounds the turian made and the feel of him losing himself kept Charles riding the high, filling him with a euphoric rush rivaling that of actually getting off. Grinding against Charles for a moment longer, milking his orgasm, Ares pulled his teeth from Charles' flesh before slowing to a stop. His chest heaved with each breath as he shifted to reach up and unlock the cuffs, letting them fall to the floor.

Charles wasted no time wrapping his arms around Ares, taking staggered, deep breaths as he pulled the turian closer to him, panting against his ear. "I love you, Ares. And, I trust you," he whispered.

Purring, Ares flicked his tongue against Charles' cheek as he gripped his hips, easing him off of his cock. Charles fought weakly against Ares' retreat, fingers and legs tightening against the turian, trying to hold him close. Instead of leaving Charles, Ares rolled the both of them to the side and pulled Charles in against him, arms wrapping around and supporting him. He clung to Ares, rubbing his face against the turian's chest and neck, trembling even worse in the aftermath despite all traces of panic evaporating along with the disappearance of the cuffs.

Ares rumbled, soft and low, something Charles felt more than heard, as he ran his talons through his hair. "You should probably try to sleep."

Charles let out a soft grunt bordering on a whimper, still clinging to Ares. "Stay with me?" It was still rather early compared to when he normally slept, but he felt utterly drained. A part of him wanted to blame waking up early and exhausting himself at the arena, but he knew better. What he just did, what he gave to Ares, took its toll on his psyche, sapping him of energy. But it felt like a good thing.

"Yeah …." Ares hummed and paused. "Or we could spend the entire night fucking." He huffed, leaned back to make Charles look at him, and flicked a mandible. "I'll be leaving tomorrow."

Face falling, Charles swallowed. The next day was his birthday, not to say his birthdays ever carried much meaning for him, but maybe they would've started to if Ares stuck around. He wasn't surprised, though; he knew Ares must be itching to be on the move after his extended stay. He forced a smile on his face, not wanting to ruin the moment, and nodded. "Let's fuck all night."


Charles awoke to an empty bed, and he knew without even having to get up that Ares was gone. Not just gone from the apartment, but gone from the Citadel. It didn't surprise him for Ares to leave without waking him up to say goodbye, but it still stung a little. At least he gave Ares a damn good send off.

He'd intended to roll over and try to go back to sleep, but the door buzzer sounded, and he realized it must've been what woke him up in the first place. Climbing out of bed, he slipped on his sweats and headed for the door. Rubbing a hand over his face before raking it through his hair, he turned on the security feed to find a delivery man outside. He didn't order anything else, so it made his hackles rise a little to see the human standing outside his door. His razor and pistol were both in the bedroom ….

Scraping his teeth over his lip, he hit the intercom button. "Give me a minute, I'm not dressed."

"Sure, no problem," the man said, glancing at the speaker.

Charles made his way back to the bedroom, grabbing a shirt and pulling it on over his head. He checked over the Stiletto III before holstering it at his back and slipping his razor into his pocket. Eezo met him in the hall, following him back to the door again. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door, gaze sweeping over the man. The nametag on his shirt said 'Ron', and he held a plain box in his hands.

"Charles Fairclough?" Ron lifted an eyebrow, flashing a smile at Charles.

Nodding, Charles said, "Yeah, that's me."

"I've got a delivery for you," the man said, holding the box out to Charles, "and I'll need your signature."

Taking the box, Charles turned it over in his hands, narrowing his eyes a bit when he saw no return address of any kind. He figured it was probably something Ares had sent to him and just didn't tell him anything. He tucked the box under his arm and held his hand out for the datapad, scribbling his signature before handing it back. "Thanks."

"No problem. Have a good day." The man turned, walking back down the hall again.

Stepping back inside, Charles closed the door and looked closer at the box, finding his name and address scrawled across the surface in neat, flowing handwriting. Definitely not Ares' handwriting. Humming, he carried it to the kitchen and sat it down on the counter, grabbing a knife to cut through the tape. Flipping open the flaps, he picked up the card sitting right on top.

"I noticed you seemed interested in my set, thought you might like one of your own. Happy Birthday!" the note said in the same script.

Furrowing his brow, he set the card aside and looked inside the box, folding back the light blue packing paper. A bundle of black, cloth covered elastic sat inside, and he picked it up, recognizing it once he had it in his hands as a wraparound sheath like the one Jasmine wore. Grinning like an idiot, he glanced back inside to find another box, black and sleek, without any writing or pictures on the outside. Setting the sheath on the counter, he picked up the black box and opened it, finding half a dozen, matte black throwing knives inside.

"Fucking awesome," he said, sliding one of the knives from the box, turning it over in his hand and pulling off the blade cover. He brushed his thumb along the edge of the blade before carefully pressing it against the tip. "Holy shit, these are sharp."