Settling In
Charles stared at the boxes sitting on the bed, half-filled with clothes. One box was slated to take to the new place, the other was shit he didn't need anymore. Talak brought over another stack from the dresser and sat it on the bed, so Charles sighed and started sorting through them. He needed to go through his shit anyway, get rid of some old things he'd been putting off for quite a while. If he didn't do it before the move, he'd just let it all sit in the new place for five more years.
Making a noise somewhere between a whine and a groan, he muttered, "God, I hate packing."
"That's the fifth time you've said that." Talak chuckled, bringing over yet another stack—fuck, it was endless.
Glancing at the kid, Charles flashed him a smile. "Yeah, well, you'll probably hear it another hundred times. Then we'll get to the new place and you'll hear me complain about how much I hate unpacking even more."
"I don't think it's so bad." Shrugging and fluttering his mandibles, Talak closed up the filled box of rejects and picked it up. "It's just putting things into boxes."
"Pfft." Charles waved a dismissive hand. "Go on, go put that with the others, smartass."
Talak snickered and grinned before heading to the living room. Charles watched him go, a smile on his face. The kid seemed to be making progress, and it kind of made Charles think that just maybe he wasn't an utter and complete fuck up. Maybe he could actually do the kid some good. He turned his attention back to sorting through clothes, making a pile for the next discard box. A minute later, Talak returned with another empty box and started loading it up.
Finishing a box, Charles marked it 'clothes new place' and closed the box before carrying it to the living room. He set it down in the corner and turned to watch Ares, hard at work patching the bullet hole in the wall from when he shot the vidscreen. Snorting softly to himself, Charles walked over, approaching from Ares' good side just on the off chance the turian was too distracted to hear him coming.
"No shooting things in the new place," he said, affecting a stern tone. "House rules."
"Considering the fact that the majority of the house is made of glass, it'd be stupid to," Ares retorted—as if it wasn't stupid to shoot things in their home either way. He smoothed out the mesh over the patched metal beneath the drywall.
Charles snorted, reaching over to give Ares' waist a little squeeze before leaning against the wall next to where he worked. "Do you want to wait until everything is packed or start making trips as we get things ready?"
"As soon as I'm done, I'll get to transporting your shit." Ares paused in his repair job just long enough to glance at Charles. "You can stick around and finish."
"It's your shit now, too, don't forget." Charles grinned. "Our apartment. Our things. Plus, you've got all those nice clothes and shit I got you."
Ares snorted. "You bought them, you pack them."
Laughing, Charles crossed his arms over his chest. "Guess that means you get to deal with the vidscreen all by yourself."
"I took it off the wall, didn't I? I brought it in here when I got it …." Ares gave him a dry look, the one that called Charles an idiot without having to say it out loud. "You act like carrying it is going to be a problem."
Why Ares couldn't just cede the point that they were in it all together, Charles didn't know. He'd claimed Charles as his. He let Cammus consider them as a bonded couple. He'd even started calling the apartment home, and they'd just picked out a new place together. So, it was beyond Charles as to why the stubborn turian refused to take ownership over their shit, but it sort of made him feel like a burden.
Pushing the thought aside, Charles grinned and moved over to stand next to Ares again, wrapping an arm around his waist. "Not at all, my big, strong, turian man." He shook Ares as he spoke. "Just like packing your clothes and the rest of our shit isn't going to be a problem for me, either."
Rumbling, Ares leaned back to take a look at the freshly applied plaster. "Judging by your complaining to the kid, I highly doubt it."
Charles huffed. "I'd complain a whole hell of a lot more if I had to move the vidscreen."
"I already said I'd do it …." Ares chuffed and flicked a mandible. "Without complaining."
Smirking and shaking his head, Charles rubbed his hand up and down Ares' side. "Just one of the infinite ways you're a better man than I am."
Ares snorted and glanced down at Charles. "When was that in doubt?"
"Yeah, well," Charles said, rolling his eyes and smacking Ares' ass, "you chose me."
Ares hummed and laid his hand on Charles' head, messing up his hair. The little bit of affection brought a sappy smile to Charles' face, and he pressed up on his toes. Tugging Ares down for a kiss, he nipped at his mouth plates. Ares growled, pushing his tongue past Charles' lips, but he pulled it away again all too soon.
Bumping his forehead against Charles', he said, "Go pack."
It was kind of odd being in the new place, much bigger and quieter than the apartment Charles spent years growing used to. Things were more or less situated, but they still had far more unpacking to do than he really wanted to think about. Talak spent quite some time in his new bedroom, just sort of staring at the four walls and bed. Maybe he thought they'd disappear if he looked away for too long. Charles and Ares had left him to it after a minute or so.
Checking all of the locks, making sure the place was secure, Charles killed the lights in the living room and made his way down the hall. He stopped to look in on Talak, finding the kid curled up into a ball on his new bed. Talak must've been out cold as soon as his head hit the pillows because the blankets still lay folded on the foot of the bed. After pulling the covers over Talak, Charles backed out of the room, turning off the lights and leaving the door open a little.
Making his way into the spare bedroom, he stopped in the doorway, letting his gaze roam over Ares, still working on the secret storage space hidey-hole thing. The sexy-as-hell turian wore nothing but a pair of stretchy, form-fitting pants cutting off above his spurs. They rode low on his hips, giving Charles a lovely view of exposed plates, hide, and scars. Muscles bunched and rolled as Ares moved, making Charles want to run his hands over every inch of the man.
He leaned against the door frame, loosely crossing his arms and let out a soft, appreciative, rumbling purr. "How's it coming?"
Ares hummed but didn't look away from the panel in the right, back corner of the room. "Slow, but it's going." Tapping his foot under the lip in the wall, he rumbled as a motor activated and the panel swung aside. "Too slow for my liking, so I'll work on it some more before moving on to the next part."
"Hmm." Charles pushed off the doorway and walked over to stand next to Ares. "Planning on working on it all night?"
"Probably." Ares still didn't bother to look at him.
Letting out a half-suppressed, deflated sigh, Charles asked, "Want some help?"
Ares shrugged, walking to the temporary workbench he'd set up against the wall and grabbed his pack of cigarettes. Lighting one before taking a long drag, he finally looked at Charles. "I'll probably just be working on the servos and tech. No, there's not much actual building going to happen." He huffed and flicked a mandible, tone sarcastic yet playful. "I do know not to be loud when people are sleeping."
Charles snorted, pulling out his own smokes and lighting one. He leaned against the wall and took a long drag, letting his gaze roam over Ares again. "That's not what I asked, and it's not why I offered to help."
Rumbling, Ares looked Charles over before closing the distance between them. "You look tired." Sticking his cigarette between his mouth plates, he wrapped his fingers around Charles' face, just below his lips and tipped his head back. "You have that darkness under your eyes humans get."
"Mmm." Charles shrugged. "I am tired." Exhausted, really. Between work, packing, moving, unpacking, and fighting to keep the beast in check, he felt tense and nearly drained. "But, I'll live. I'd rather be with you right now than sleep."
Jasmine showed up as they were packing and helped move shit, and as nice as it was to see her, Charles knew it probably meant Ares would be leaving again soon. He didn't know how much time he had with Ares, but he wanted to take advantage of every minute. Not just because he loved Ares but because being with Ares really did help stave off the beast, and he wasn't ready to go to Omega just yet. He only hoped Ares wouldn't be gone long, though, because he didn't know how much time he had before the beast forced him into action again.
"Want me to help you get to sleep?" Ares asked, adding a purring, suggestive thrum to his voice as he let go of Charles' chin and stroked a knuckle down his throat.
"Always." Charles smiled and took a long drag from his cigarillo, blowing the smoke up at the ceiling before meeting Ares' gaze again. "I'd like it better if you slept next to me after, but I'm pretty sure that's not happening tonight." He let out a soft, wry chuckle. "Maybe even for a couple of nights while you adjust to the new place and stretch out."
"True." Pulling his cigarette away long enough to inhale a drag, Ares stuck it back in his mouth and crouched down. Hands under Charles' ass, he lifted him up, and Charles wrapped his legs around Ares' waist. "But I can stay until you're out if it'll make you happy, you know."
Draping his arm over Ares' cowl, idly scratching beneath the turian's crest, Charles stayed mindful of the burning cigarillo wedged between his fingers. "Yeah," he said, pressing his other palm to Ares' face and brushing his thumb along a mandible, "It would make me happy." With anyone else, the raw honesty in his voice would've disturbed him, but he was safe with Ares.
Ares hummed and nodded, shifting Charles' weight to free a hand and pulled his cigarette out of his mouth. He started toward the master bedroom. "I can work on adjusting the schematics, then, while you pass out."
"Workaholic." He chuckled and nodded before kissing Ares, tracing the curve of the turian's upper mouth plates with his tongue. It wasn't precisely what Charles hoped for, but it was a compromise he'd gladly take.
Shrugging, Ares flicked his tongue against Charles' before pushing past his lips. Charles returned the favor, humming into the kiss as he trailed his free hand over Ares' bare chest. He traced a particularly knotted piece of scar tissue with his fingertips before dipping lower and digging into the turian's hide. Once in the bedroom, Ares put his cigarette out in the ashtray sitting on the dresser before gripping Charles' ass with both hands, sharp talons threatening to break through the fabric of his sweatpants.
"Put this out for me?" Charles asked as he broke away from the kiss and took a last drag from his cigarillo.
Plucking it from his fingers, Ares took a drag and held the smoke in his lungs as he put the cigarillo out. He ducked his head to the side of Charles' neck and let the hot smoke swirl around Charles, dragging his tongue along Charles' skin and bringing up goosebumps. Purring, Charles tipped his head to the side, exposing his throat to Ares and slipped his hand beneath the man's crest, kneading into the more sensitive hide.
Ares growled softly, closing a fist around a handful of Charles' hair and nipped his throat. Cock twitching, Charles shuddered and wrapped his fingers tightly around the spikes of Ares' crest. He turned his head, nuzzling his face against Ares'. Pushing the ashtray aside, Ares hummed and sat Charles down on the dresser. Free hand sliding beneath Charles' shirt, he splayed his fingers out over Charles' waist, dragging the tips of his talons over tender skin before grabbing his waist.
Charles relaxed his legs and hooked his ankles around the back of Ares' thighs as he worked his free hand down between them. He squeezed Ares' waist but kept his hand moving, kneading Ares' hip and dragging his nails over the hide of the turian's stomach. Dipping lower, he nudged the waistband aside and nestled his hand down inside Ares' pants. He dug his fingertips in and dragged them along the inside of Ares' thigh before moving up over the seam of his parting plates.
Snarling deep in his throat, Ares grabbed both of Charles' wrists and pulled them together between their chests, pinning them there with a demanding grip. Maneuvering them both into one hand, he tugged at Charles' hair with the other, scraping his teeth over Charles' throat one last time. Leaning back, he let go of Charles' hair and dragged his talons down Charles' neck before resting his palm at the base of his throat. "Tell me if you want me to let you go."
Heart picking up pace a little, Charles licked his lips and nodded his understanding. He scraped his teeth over his lip and watched Ares, waiting to see where the turian wanted to take things. Ares smirked and shifted Charles' hands behind his back, resecuring his grip on Charles' wrists. With firm, measured pressure, Ares closed his hand around Charles' throat. Despite still being able to breathe just fine, Charles' heart slammed against his chest, and he swallowed, Adam's apple sliding over Ares' palm. Ares leaned in and bit his ear as Charles took a slow, deep breath through his nose, reminding himself that he loved and trusted Ares.
Giving Charles an approving purr, Ares let go and slid his hand down to the hem of Charles' shirt. "I'm going to release your hands, but don't try anything. Understood?"
Charles swallowed again, throat dry, voice cracking when he said, "Yeah."
Letting go, Ares lifted the shirt off over Charles' head and tossed it aside. He leaned in, dragging his warm, rough tongue along the lines of Charles' chest, leaving a cooling, wet trail in his wake. Charles let out a soft moan, savoring the sensations but not wanting to forget himself and ignore Ares' order. He grabbed the edge of the dresser, wrapping his fingers firmly around the trim to remind himself to keep his hands off the insanely sexy turian—at least until given permission to touch. Christ, he wanted to touch. Wanted to taste and bite and fuck. He wanted to take in all of Ares, consume and be consumed.
Mine.
The talons of Ares' thumbs left welts on Charles' stomach as he dragged his hands down Charles' sides. Growling, he dipped his fingers into Charles' sweats, teeth scraping over his shoulder before sinking into the scars binding them together, not quite drawing blood. Whimpering, muscles tightening, Charles white-knuckled the dresser, fighting with everything he had to keep his word despite the overwhelming desire to wrap his arms around Ares. To explore every inch of the turian with tongue and teeth and hands. Fuck, that one bite made his cock so hard it almost hurt.
Licking what felt like fresh bruises blooming, Ares tugged Charles' pants down and let them drop to the floor. Charles shifted a little, situating himself a little more comfortably on the hard wood, but otherwise stayed still. He watched Ares with anticipation, taking in every little sharp line defining the turian's features, cock impossibly hard with his need. Ares covered Charles' mouth with his own, tongue twining around Charles' as he shoved his pants down and stepped out of them. He growled into Charles' mouth but then suddenly pulled away and stepped back, giving Charles a good, long look at everything the turian had to offer.
Turning, Ares didn't look back as he made his way to the bed. "Come," he said, climbing up.
Charles slid down off of the dresser and sucked in a deep breath, anticipating Ares fucking him stupid. Ares laid back against the pillows, hard cock glistening with his lubricant, just waiting to slide inside of Charles. Crossing the floor, Charles came to a stop next to the bed and waited for Ares to tell him what to do. Instead, Ares reached out and closed his fingers around Charles' wrist, pulling him up onto the bed.
"Ride me," Ares said, growling and licking his mouth plates as his hungry gaze roamed over Charles.
A little surprised Ares wanted to hand over the reins after his display of dominance, Charles' eyebrows twitched. He smiled, though, not at all interested in complaining either way. "Gladly."
Running a hand along Ares' side, he threw his leg over the turian and pushed up onto the balls of his feet. He wrapped his fingers around Ares' cock, indulging in two, long strokes before lining the tip up with his asshole. Willing himself to relax, he gently, carefully pressed down. A moan tore through his throat, as much of a response to the sting of pain as he stretched to accommodate Ares as it was too the flood of emotional release he always felt with Ares inside of him.
A possessive sounding growl filled the air between them as Ares grabbed Charles' hands and pressed them to his chest, holding them hard enough to make them ache. "Show me how much you like being mine. Prove it to me."
Scraping his teeth over his lip, Charles stayed on the balls of his feet as he pushed himself the rest of the way down onto Ares' cock. He didn't try to pull his hands away, despite the ache and sting of Ares' keel cutting into a couple of fingers. He rocked his hips, pressing Ares against his prostate, and let out a throaty groan. Pushing himself back up, he lingered there a moment, just the tip of Ares' cock still inside of him.
"I'm yours." He slammed himself back down, breath catching in his throat. "I'll always be yours." He slid up again, building up to a comfortable rhythm to start, preparing to take his time and show Ares just how much he loved being his. "And I love every fucking second of it." Squeezing his ass around Ares' cock, he halted the up and down movement to rock his hips a few times, rubbing his cock against Ares's abdomen in the process.
Ares' purr sounded approving, and he let go of Charles' hands, claiming a rough, bruising grip on his hips instead. He let Charles move at his own pace, choosing his own rhythm, but he did occasionally buck his hips without warning and smirk at the reactions it drew from Charles. Picking up the pace, Charles fucked Ares' cock for all he was worth, keeping his gaze locked on the man's blue and milky-white eyes. Cursing under his breath with each thrust, Charles groaned and whimpered, fingers digging into Ares' chest. Every so often, he shifted his movements into more of a grind, really feeling every inch of Ares' throbbing cock.
Not really sure how much leeway Ares intended to give him to 'prove' how much he enjoyed being his, he tested the waters with a kiss. Growling, Ares curled his tongue around Charles' before pushing himself up to a sitting position, forcing Charles into one as well. Grabbing a handful of Charles' hair, he pulled him away and angled his head to the side. Leaning forward, Ares sank his teeth deep into the bite mark scars on Charles' shoulder, breaking through the skin with ease. The sharp, metallic tang of blood reached Charles' nostrils, and Ares lifted him enough to ram into him, fast and hard.
"Fuck," Charles said, the word high and breathless as he groaned and shuddered, clenching around Ares. He fought like hell, grinding his teeth as he reined in his urge to cum right then and there. "It'll be hard to prove anything to you if you make me cum in the first few minutes."
Ares just snarled, talons pricking Charles' skin as he held him tighter. Rolling them suddenly, Ares' slammed into him again, pinning him against the mattress. Forgetting that he was supposed to be proving anything to anyone, Charles' mind spiraled out of control. The primal parts of him took over, all he knew was he needed all of Ares, nothing less would suffice. He wrapped his arms and legs around his man, digging his fingers into Ares' hips as he pulled him in closer.
"Fuck me," he said, the words somewhere between a panting plea and a half-crazed demand. He pushed his hips up, grinding against Ares, still tugging and kneading at the turian's hips and waist.
Ares let go of Charles' hair and shoved his hand between them, wrapping his fingers around Charles' cock. He jacked Charles off in time with his hard, deep thrusts, pushing Charles right up to the precipice. Choosing a spot a little further down on Charles' shoulder, Ares sank his teeth in again, sending Charles tumbling over the edge. He gasped and cried out, back arching as he pushed his cock into Ares' hand, the first wave of cum gushing out over them both.
He clawed at Ares, something desperate and needy inside of him wanting more as Ares pumped him dry. "Yours."
Snarling, Ares let go of Charles shoulder only to cover his mouth with a hand. "Quiet," he said, panting, voice thick with the aroused growl in his subvocals. "Don't wake the kid."
Something about his tone told Charles he didn't really give a damn if he woke Talak or not, Ares just wanted to reassert his will on Charles. Whimpering, Charles nodded his head against Ares' hand. In a sign of submission, he let go of Ares and stretched his arms out above him, grabbing onto the slats of the headboard as he tipped his head to the side, offering his throat.
Ares pushed up to his knees and grabbed both of Charles' hips. Locking gazes, he pounded into Charles a few more times before letting out a low, snarling groan. Charles watched with rapt attention, taking in the beauty that was the sight of Ares coming undone inside of him. Slowing his movements, thrust shallower, Ares milked out his orgasm and relaxed his grip on Charles.
Swallowing the urge to grab Ares, pull the turian back to him and demand more, Charles bit his lip and shuddered. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy himself, and he damn sure got off, but he still felt tightly wound. The beast was starting to get a little restless in the back of Charles' mind despite his exhaustion. Rumbling deep in his chest, Ares stared down at Charles, chest heaving a little with his panting breaths, but he didn't break the heavy silence.
After a moment, Charles released his grip on the headboard and gave Ares a smile. "I love you."
Ares stayed where he was, silent save for a low thrum as he nodded. A few seconds later, he leaned down over Charles, pressing his hands into the mattress next to him. "You should sleep."
Tipping his chin up, a silent request for a kiss, Charles said, "Lay down with me."
Ares hummed and leaned in closer, gently nuzzling his mouth against Charles' lips, and Charles let out a contented sigh. Slowly pulling out, Ares moved to stretch out on the bed next to him, situating himself on the pillows. Charles nestled in against Ares, resting his face against the turian's keel and pulling the sheet up over their waists. He knew he should probably go clean up, but he felt too tired to give a fuck, and being next to Ares felt far too good to walk away from. Instead, he draped his arm over Ares' and kissed his chest.
Blood and screams filled his dreams, his heart pounding out of his chest as he watched himself slice into hundreds of different people. Some faces he recognized, some he didn't think he'd ever seen before in his entire life. It didn't matter, though, the more he cut the more he needed to cut. He was swimming in an ocean of blood, but it just wasn't enough.
Eyes snapping open, Charles found himself drenched in sweat, cock hard as a rock. He squeezed his eyes closed, listening to the beast growl and pull at the chains keeping him restrained in the cell of Charles' mind. Throwing the sheet off of him, he climbed out of bed and stumbled into the master bathroom, turning on the shower. He thought about going to find Ares, seducing the man into another round of fucking, but he really just wanted to go back to sleep.
He wrapped his hand around his cock as the hot water pounded against his back. It didn't take long, a few quick strokes and he dumped his load on the shower floor. Throwing an arm up against the wall, he rested his forehead against his hand, catching his breath. Blood still danced on the backs of his eyelids, the beast still stirred deep in his mind. After a moment, he scrubbed himself clean and washed his cum down the drain.
Turning off the water, he stepped out of the shower. A box of bathroom supplies sat on the back of the toilet. Charles popped it opened and grabbed a towel, drying himself off. Back in the bedroom, he found a clean pair of sweats and then snagged a pillow and blanket from the bed. He needed to be with Ares.
Moving as quietly as possible, though he knew it wouldn't do him a whole lot of good, he crept into the spare room. Ares had his back to the door, hunched down low as he worked on a device at the bottom of the panel. He didn't say anything, or even turn to look at Charles, but his soft hum told Charles that Ares knew he was there.
He picked a spot on the floor next to the wall on the opposite side of the room. Tossing his pillow down, Charles dropped to his hands and knees. He crawled up to the pillow and spread the blanket out over himself before laying down. Ares glanced over his shoulder, mandibles fluttering softly, but he didn't speak. After a moment, he gave Charles a subtle nod and turned back to his work.
Charles laid there, silently watching Ares work, listening to the sounds of motors whirring and metal clicking until sleep pulled him back under.