Summary: Jump City had been peaceful for the past two years. Slade was out of commission after a grueling fight, super-villains were far and few, and the crime rate was low. So the Titans had pursed their hobbies. Beast Boy volunteered at a wildlife museum for children and enjoyed the work. The 19-year-old had nothing to fear…until Slade reappeared. (One-sided Slade x Beast Boy)

Trapped Chapter 6

After the wedding, Grant established a routine for him and the girls. During regular school hours, the girls were tutored by a private home-schooler. Where the criminal mastermind had found an elementary school teacher, he wouldn't know, but all he needed to know was that the girls hated the woman. Apparently, the tutor Ms. Winterberry, was like a robot with a stick up her butt. He had never met the woman, but didn't need to. The girls complained his ear off about how awful it all was.

From eight in the morning to three o' clock in the afternoon, Beast Boy wasn't allowed to "bother" the group. Not even during their lunch break! Though he had tried to convince Grant to let them at least have a recess, the older man remained stubborn. If the children were going to become his apprentices, then they needed to be intelligent and patient. The more they studied, the faster they'd learn.

But what about friends?

The children don't need friends, Grant had once said. Friends are nothing more than distractions.

So Beast Boy had to take matters into his own hands.

"Graaaaant," he sang, sliding open the man's office door. He'd hate himself for this, but he had to try. "Can we taaalk?"

Grant didn't lift his gaze from a stack of papers and gruffed. "Not now, Garfield."

Beast Boy's heart quickened speed as he leaned against the door and clicked the lock shut. Though the girls were playing in their rooms, he couldn't risk them stumbling in. He swallowed.

"Oh, c'mon," he lowered his voice, aiming for seductive, and swayed his hips as he approached. "Don't you wanna hear my pretty little voice?"

Ugh, he wanted to puke but he hadn't even gotten to the worse part yet. Grant cocked a brow and looked at him with narrowed eyes.

"What do you want, pet?"

Beast Boy hummed and resisted a frown. When the man wasn't horny, it was when he needed him to be! Stinker. Maybe he could still convince Grant of his idea anyway.

He curved behind the seated man and placed his bare palms atop the shoulders and leaned close, massaging the muscle. "Oooh, my, you're so tense." He murmured into an ear. "Maybe I can help you relax... if you hear me out."

Grant snorted but lifted both eyebrows when Beast Boy rolled the seat back and swung himself atop the man's lap. He surged forwards but paused just before their lips touched, keeping his hands moving on the shoulders.

"You know you want me, so go on and have me..." He pulled back so the man could watch him lick his lips with lowered eyelids. "I just have one favor to ask."

An arm slid behind his waist, supporting him as he leaned into the hold. Blue eyes met his own.

"I'm listening."

Beast Boy smiled, trying to keep it coy, and glided his fingers up the chest. "I've been thinking about the girls," he fiddled with Grant's tie. "And their schooling–"

"This again?" Grant scowled and plucked the fabric from his hands. "Leave, pet."

Beast Boy returned the expression. "Oh c'mon! At least hear me out!"

Gant shoved him off his lap. "I have work to do."

The younger man stumbled to his feet as Grant set to ushering him out the door. He growled. He was going to win this one. No matter what he had to do.

Beast Boy turned and grabbed the tie and yanked, dragging the man into a kiss. He pulled away fast only to whip around and sidle close, grinding against the man. Hooking an arm behind the man's torso to help him rise, he used his free hand to palm Grant's crotch.

"C'mon, dear." He tried again, voice low and his cheeks burned as he played another card. "You know you wanna fuck me fast and hard...or are you scared?"

Grant snorted and his heart raced when the man threw him to the floor. Was the man giving in to temptation? Would he hear him out? Beast Boy got onto his hands and knees, looking up.

His eyes widened. The man actually looked ticked. "Grant...?"

"There is important paperwork I have to finish, Garfield." Grant threaded fingers through green hair. "I'm in no mood for your little tantrums."

Beast Boy scowled but didn't pull away. "It's not a tantrum! If you'd just listen to me–"

"Two minutes." Grant released him.

The younger man stared for a moment before shooting upright. "Angie and Becca need to go to an actual school where they can make friends and–don't look at me like that, they need friends! Think about it. If you want them to be your 'apprentices...'"

Which they won't be, he mentally added.

"Then they need to know how to interact with kids their own age! So they can fit in! And...and so they don't go crazy from being alone all the time! They hate their tutor and I'm not allowed to be around them during school hours. Grant, they need to be around other people!" He inhaled. "Please. I don't care where they go, just so long as they're allowed to go outside and meet people...please?"

Grant stared him down and he met the gaze with a desperate one of his own. It was only when he deflated with a lowered head did the man speak.

"...no, Garfield. Ms. Winterberry is an excellent teacher and the children will continue their schooling with her."

Beast Boy inhaled and slowly retreated. "…okay. Sorry for bothering you."

He turned and grasped the knob. Surprisingly, Grant let him leave in peace. Closing the door, he walked down the hallway and paused outside a cracked open door. His room. Or what he considered to be his room, anyway. He entered and wandered to the guitar case.

The young man hummed a soft tune as he pulled out the maple wood instrument. The glossy finish smudged under his touch but he didn't mind. Cleaning the surface could come after his moping time. He pushed the plush chair away from the desk and sat down, guitar in his lap.

The strings thrummed beneath his fingers and he hummed a little louder, matching pitch to the note as he absently checked the electric tuner. Just as Clairy had taught him to do, he adjusted the knobs on the neck of the guitar for a clearer quality of sound and continued to warm his voice.

Once satisfied, he strummed a few soft and simple notes. Quietly, he murmured lyrics to a song he wrote months ago, back when first got the guitar.

"You've chained me so tightly bound, that I never can leave the ground." He inhaled, focus on the strings. "All I wanna do is fly up high, but you never let me see the sky."

The young man returned to humming. He rarely sang when Grant was home, usually afraid that the man would demand he sing for him, as he had done in the past. But he was too unhappy to care at this point. The jerk was busy doing paperwork in his office and the girls were distracted so it was just him and his disappointment.

He really couldn't understand his captor. The man would switch from controlling to soft and then right back to controlling again. Sometimes he'd listen to him or even show care like when he was lonely on Halloween last month and the dude had brought candy. (dark chocolate. His favorite. How did he know?) Even though it was after Grant's work had ended for the day, the man had come to the mansion relaxed and even let him watch the news channel.

But then Grant would switch. It'd be like he didn't matter at all. Like now. Or the other times when he tried to convince the man to let the girls go to an actual school. He had tried begging, bargaining, moving the furniture again, and even going so far as to participate during sex without being ordered. Today was the assertive flirtation scheme but only failed. Just like all his other plans.

So what exactly was he to Grant?

A pet? A toy? A lover?

…a husband?

None of them were appealing. He wanted to know but directly asking wouldn't give him any answers. So he just had to make do and endure. Keep the girls happy for as long as possible. Be the best parent he could be to them and hope they would turn out alright. Keep Grant satisfied and hopefully happy too just so he'd be gentle and calm instead of silent and mean.

All the while, he hoped he wouldn't lose himself. He hadn't so far, but the loneliness was killing him and it was becoming easier to show genuine affection towards Grant, just in the hopes he would receive positive attention in return.

He exhaled, mood falling further and so he continued to strum and tried to block out his thoughts. Occasionally, he'd repeat lyrics or make new ones as he went along, and would've continued had he not returned to his favorite lyrics and a high pitched voice joined in.

Beast Boy froze, jerking his head up and ears raised in rigid alertness. "Girls?"

Becca, sitting cross-legged on the floor, clapped twice with a pout. "Don't stop!"

"It was getting really good!" Angie added.

He blushed. "You saw all that, lil dudes?"

The door was ajar. How had they walked in without him even noticing? Must be losing his touch, then. But at least the girls looked happy.

"Play something!" Becca chirped. "So good!"

A light chuckle tumbled out of his mouth and he smiled. Movement shifted in the corner of his eye and he glanced to see the door had widened. Did Angie movie it? Odd, she was out of arms reach though…

"What songs do you know?" Angie pitched in and his focus returned to the girls.

"Well…" he told them a few songs he had learned, and mentioned the ones he was still learning.

The girls cheered and encouraged him to play. He couldn't hold back a smile as he obliged and they bounced in place, delighted and joining in.

When his fingers started to hurt and the girls had lost their blinding energy, he ended a song and announced he had to make dinner. A click caused his ears to twitch and he realized the door had closed. Had he imagined the door opening wider? Or ever being open at all?

Shrugging inwardly, his attention jumped back to the girls as Becca bounded to his side to inspect the guitar. He let her fiddle with it before showing her how to put it away in its case. She watched, all wide eyes and curiosity, and his mood lifted more.

"Dinner time, lil dudes. Who wants tofu?" He grinned.

Angie scrunched her face and bit the bait. "Ew! Tofu tastes funny!"

He laughed. "I bet you taste funny too! In fact…" he opened his mouth to show his teeth. "I'm gonna eat you right now! Better run!"

The girls squealed and ran away as he gave chase. They darted past the office and he absently realized the door was ajar but he had girls to tickle! No time to worry about what the jerk was up to. They giggled and laughed as he caught up to them, sweeping them into his arms and blowing raspberries onto their stomachs.

It was only later, when Grant held him in his arms after their nightly sex did he realize that Grant had in fact watched him sing…and hadn't demanded a performance for himself.

~oOo~

Notes:

Haven't updated in forever, heh. To be fair, I've been busy with college, homework, and working on Final Papers.

Also, I wound up watching Miraculous Ladybug on Netflix. It's a cute show and it's tempting me to write a Teen Titans/Miraculous Ladybug Crossover. Have no idea what would happen or what the rating would be, but it's a fun idea either way.