A/N: From this point forward, I will be controlling Ares' actions and dialogue in this series and the Targeted Interference series, with Squid's permission, so she can focus on her novels. Hopefully, I do him justice!
Obedience
Charles walked next to Talak, their pace slow, casual as they made their way toward the park. Eezo kept a measured stride, leaving slack in her leash. Between the kid and Lindsey, Eezo was turning into a very well behaved dog.
"You're going to work after the park?" Talak asked with a soft trill, mandibles fluttering as he looked up at Charles. The kid had grown a good five inches over the last few months, but he still had a ways to go before meeting Charles on eye-level.
Charles took a shallow drag from his cigarillo, his first of the day, and hummed as he nodded. "Yeah, but I'll be home in time to make dinner if you're going to be around tonight?'
"Can Mouse come eat with us?" Talak asked.
The kid sounded so hopeful, it twisted something in Charles' chest. He didn't get much of that sort of thing when he was a kid, even before his father turned all of his hatred onto Charles. He knew the life he and Ares were giving the kid was far from 'normal' or even 'healthy', but he sincerely hoped it was a happier life than what Talak had living in the ducts.
After a moment of silence spent contemplating the potential fallout of letting Talak's friend hang out, Charles asked, "Did you talk to Ares?"
"Yes." Talak bobbed his head. "He said I should check with you first to make sure you're up for having people over, especially kids, because he isn't going to be responsible for making sure they don't tear the place apart. I told him it was just Mouse, and he's met Mouse. Mouse won't tear anything apart, but Ares still said to ask you first because he has something he has to do for a little while this evening."
Humming, Charles took another drag. Ares had mentioned he was thinking about telling Jasmine that he was ready to 'get back to work', soon. Maybe he planned to go tell her in person. Hell, maybe he already had and was going over there to help prep or whatever. It wasn't as if the man was exactly communicative on those things.
"When did Ares meet Mouse?" Charles asked, wondering if the kid had come over while Charles was in the hospital or laid up in bed and too high on painkillers to notice.
Talak stayed quiet long enough to pique Charles' curiosity. His mandibles fluttered, and he watched his feet as they walked. After a moment, Talak said, "Ares and Jasmine kept a bunch of guys from hurting Mouse. That's how Mouse met Ares, and I met him later when Mouse and me saw Ares and Jasmine having lunch at Le Bleu."
"Hmmm." Charles filed away that tidbit of information and took a final drag of his cigarillo before stopping to stomp out the butt. "Alright. He stays out of our bedroom and Ares' space, though. He can hangout in the living room and your bedroom. And, if Ares isn't there, Mouse has to leave when I'm ready for bed. Cool?"
Letting out a happy sounding trill, Talak bobbed his head. "Cool."
"Morning." Charles stopped at the kiosk in the break room to clock in.
"Good morning," Mahlia said, getting up from the table to come stand by him. "How are you feeling today?"
Giving her a side glance, he smirked. "It's so cute when you worry about me."
She snorted and rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "Oh, shut up."
"I'm doing good." He turned and leaned against the wall in front of the asari, giving her a soft, reassuring smile. "Just the same as yesterday, really. I'm sticking with my PT, and the doctor said I'm making good progress. The danger's passed. I'm alright, Mahl. I promise."
The little creases in her brow smoothed out, and she swallowed and nodded. "Okay."
It really was sweet that she cared so much. It still kinda threw Charles through a mental loop to realize he had genuine friends in his life. People who weren't just interested in what they could get out of him. People who worried about his well-being. He reached over and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze, and she stepped forward to give him a quick hug.
The break room door slid open, and Hannah walked in. She glanced up, gaze shifting between Mahlia and Charles as a smile slid into place. "Good morning."
"Good morning, Hannah." Mahlia pulled out of Charles' embrace and turned her attention to the kiosk. "I better clock in and head up front so Safela can go home."
Charles gave her a nod and stepped out of her way before flashing a smile at Hannah. "Morning." Heading toward the backroom, he glanced over his shoulder when he reached the door and said, "I'll be in the back most of the day today if either of you need anything."
"Okay," they both said.
He opened the door to the back, immediately picking up the familiar sound of Cammus' voice echoing off of the walls. A moment later, Meerka said something in response. Charles' couldn't make out the details of their conversation, but he figured it was probably about where one product or another should be stored. Turning on his datapad, he pulled up the message from Citadel Souvenirs' higher-ups asking supervisors to verify the serial numbers on a long list of products. Lania had given him the last product name and serial number she'd looked up over the first shift, so he knew where to begin.
Charles opened the front door, happy to be home. He didn't want to admit it, but he still got tired a lot easier than he ever did before the shooting. The doctors said it was to be expected, and it wasn't anything to worry about. He'd regain his strength over time. It could happen a hell of a lot quicker, for his taste, though.
Eezo met him at the door, but instead of jumping all over him as she once would've, she sat patiently, wagging her tail with her tongue hanging out of her mouth. He grinned and squatted down in front of her, sinking his fingers into her thick coat of fur. She let out a soft whine, tail wagging faster, and leaned forward just enough to lick his jaw. He chuckled and closed his eyes as he rubbed his face against the side of her head.
Blood flashed on the backs of his eyelids, his beast jerking against the chains. Taking a slow, deep breath, he pulled Eezo's scent deep into his damaged lungs. It didn't soothe the beast, but it did soothe Charles, helping him to cope with the beast's restlessness. He really did love the hell out of his dog.
"Hey, girl," he whispered before kissing her nose and pushing himself up to his feet.
"You're home early," Ares said from somewhere deeper in the apartment.
"The kid mentioned you have something you're doing tonight," Charles called back, giving Eezo's head one last pat before making his way into the kitchen. "Wasn't sure where you're going, or how long you'll be gone, so I figured I'd try to catch you before you head out. Spend some time together, first. The kid here?"
He didn't mention his wanting to spend time alone with Ares was only half the reason he'd left work early. There wasn't any point in worrying his turian any more than necessary. And the last thing he needed was for Ares to decide Charles would be better off spending more time back in bed instead of on his feet at work. He opened the refrigerator, pulled out an orange Paragade, and twisted the lid off.
Warm hands settled on his waist before he managed to take a drink, and Ares' scent filled his nostrils. Pulling Charles in against his chest, Ares tucked Charles' head beneath his chin. He fluttered his mandibles against Charles' scalp, the tickle bringing a smile to Charles' face.
Ares hummed, the sound rough in his damaged throat. "You smell like the dog."
Snorting, Charles took a drink from his Paragade before recapping the bottle. "Well, why don't I go take a shower, and then, if you've got time, you can bury your cock in my ass and make me smell like you again."
Ares nipped Charles' jaw opposite of where Eezo licked him a minute before. "How's your pain?" he asked, voice rumbling and wavering in his chest with a mix of lust and concern.
"I'm good." Charles tipped his head, offering more of his neck to Ares. "No pain, just a bit tired."
Nipping a little harder, hard enough to make Charles' cock twitch, Ares growled against Charles' ear. "Go take your shower."
Charles grinned and hummed, waiting for Ares to pull away before setting his Paragade on the counter. He turned, gaze running up and down Ares' length before settling on his eyes. Tugging Ares' cowl, he pushed up on his toes to meet him part way and pressed his lips against the turian's mouth plates. Ares shoved his tongue into Charles' mouth with another growl.
After a few passes, Charles pulled away and whispered against his mouth plates. "I won't be long." He let Ares go and started toward their bedroom.
"Make it fast," Ares said with a rumble, swatting Charles' ass as he passed by.
Charles smirked and made his way into their room, stripping off his shirt as he went. He stopped to kick off his shoes and toss them in the closet before stepping into the master bath. Throwing his shirt into the hamper, he closed the door behind him and finished undressing. He pushed the button in the shower—programmed to his personal preferences of temperature, pressure, and stream pulsation—and stepped inside.
The hot water pounded against his back and neck, instantly easing some of the stiffness he carried in his muscles, and he groaned. He closed his eyes and let the agonized screams of his former—he really didn't like the term 'victims' no matter what the news reports called them—prey fill his mind along with images of blood trailing over their parted flesh. His fingers twitched, and he almost felt the slight weight of his razor in his hand. He wanted so badly to sink his blade into someone.
Somewhere along the line, his beast became a constant presence, no longer something that only came forward from time to time. He did his best to keep it sated with memories and mementos, but it was really Ares who kept the beast from forcing its way off the leash. It'd be interesting, if nothing else, to see how Charles held up with Ares going back to work.
He opened his eyes and reached for his shampoo. He'd told Ares he wouldn't be long, so he better get on with his shower. Hurriedly, he washed and conditioned his hair before washing the rest of him. Between thinking of the men he'd killed and knowing Ares waited to fuck him, Charles' cock was nice and hard by the time he turned off the water and stepped out of the shower.
He opened the door, letting the steam drift out of the bathroom and ease the pressure in his lungs while he dried off. Turning to the mirror, he took a second to study his new scars, running his fingers over the spots of knotted flesh where the bullets ripped through him as well as the smoother, cleaner lines formed by the surgeon's scalpel. The memories didn't overwhelm him when he touched the scars the way they did at first, but it definitely still brought the shooting to the forefront of his mind.
He liked seeing the scars there, though. A tangible, visible reminder of the pain he'd endured. Something he could point to as evidence, proof of his burden. Something harder for other people to invalidate. It wasn't like he didn't have other scars, of course. Most, however, were invisible to others because they were internal or barely noticeable thanks to excellent medical care. The rest were clearly self-inflicted. It wasn't exactly that he wanted scars, it was … what was it he'd told Ares about his burn scars? They looked like how Charles felt inside. And somehow, that helped.
An exasperated sounding huff coming from the bedroom brought Charles back to the present. He snorted softly and rubbed the towel over his head before draping it over the towel rack to dry. Taking a slow, deep breath, he left the bathroom. His gaze immediately found Ares, naked and stretched out on the bed with his omni-tool opened.
Looking up at him, Ares rumbled and flicked his mandibles a couple of times as he closed his omni-tool. "Took you long enough."
Charles scoffed but chuckled and made his way to the bed. Pressing one knee into the mattress next to Ares, he braced his palms on either side of the turian's head and swung his other leg over Ares's thighs to straddle his lap. Rumbling with his approval, Ares grabbed Charles' waist and pulled him in closer, fingers flexing and relaxing as the tips of his talons pricked Charles' skin. Even just that little contact drove Charles mad, his cock growing twice as hard, and his beast became still as it watched Ares through Charles' eyes.
Bringing a hand up, Ares shoved his fingers through Charles' damp hair, talons scraping over his scalp. He tugged Charles' head back and scraped his teeth over Charles' throat and shoulder, adding just enough pressure to make it burn. Charles groaned and slid a hand beneath Ares' crest, kneading the exposed hide interspersed with small mounds of plating. Ares paused to pull in Charles' scent, tongue flicking against his skin, and he let out a low, barely audible rumble. It was the same sound of affirmation he made when his suspicions about something had been confirmed.
Charles could only guess at what Ares detected in his scent, but the turian was definitely learning to read him like an open book. With a swift, unexpected strike, Ares sank his teeth into Charles' bondmark. The sudden, shock of pain tore a gasp from Charles and froze him in place as it filled him with instant ecstasy, nearly tipping him over the edge right then and there. The beast seemed to salivate and pace at the end of its chains. Charles moaned and squirmed, pushing his cock against Ares, and he felt Ares' plates part beneath his ass.
Ares snarled, his grip tightening on Charles as he sank his teeth in deeper, scraping across bone. Charles held still, focusing on the familiar pain and building anticipation. After a moment, Ares relaxed his jaw and removed his teeth from Charles' flesh. Hot and wet, blood spilled from the wounds, rolling down over Charles' shoulder and chest. The metallic tang filled the air, and the beast howled, tugging against its chains. As if—despite Charles' obedience—Ares somehow knew the beast still wasn't following his commands, he slid his arm further around Charles' waist and pinned him against his keel.
Lapping up the blood with long, torturously slow swipes of his tongue, Ares pulled Charles' head forward. When he glanced up, his pupils were nearly completely dilated, Ares' own beast peeking out from behind the curtain. The sight spurred both Charles and the beast on, encouraging Charles to roll his hips even while held so tightly. His whole body hungered for the blood smeared across Ares' mouth plates, and he thought he might go mad if Ares didn't let him have a taste.
Tipping his head up to Charles, Ares loosened his grip enough for him to lean in for a kiss. The salty, tangy taste of blood hit his tongue, and Charles whimpered and shuddered as the beast lunged forward to devour the offering. He shoved his tongue into Ares' mouth, lips moving over mouth plates, smearing the blood.
His mind swam, and he felt intoxicated, a little more control slipping through his fingers. The beast grunted and moved its hand from beneath Ares' crest to grip the spikes themselves. Ares growled in response, deepening the kiss and sliding his hand down to squeeze Charles' ass. Getting a good grip, he used his leverage to rock Charles' hips, sliding his freed cock along Charles' asshole. It left his ass slick with natural lubricant, and then Ares lifted Charles enough to line himself up.
The beast refused to wait and pushed itself down against Ares' cock, driving it in fast and deep. It set Charles' ass on fire as it tore delicate skin and tugged against old scars, making him flinch and hiss. He mentally scrambled to take back control, but the beast squirmed and snapped its teeth at Charles, making it impossible to get a good grasp.
Ares' tongue retracted but his mouth plates remained against Charles' lips as he growled, loud and long, the sound a reprimand and a warning. Though it snarled in return, the beast settled down instead of rising to the challenge. Ares let go of Charles' head and grabbed his hip. He held Charles in place, preventing the beast from doing any further damage while Charles' body struggled to adjust and relax.
While he waited, Ares licked Charles' wounds, spreading the metallic scent and cleaning up the new trails of blood. Inside of Charles, the beast rumbled and licked its chops, but it waited as if it'd finally learned its lesson. Ares would give it what it wanted, but only so long as it realized he was in charge of the transaction.
Once Charles' muscles relaxed and the burning subsided, Ares lifted Charles enough for his cock to slide most of the way out. Instead of lowering Charles, Ares tipped his head back, another blood offering waiting on his tongue. The beast purred and leaned in to lap the red smears from Ares' mouth, cleaning the plates completely before accepting the kiss. As his tongue slid over Ares', his turian thrust into him, fast and hard. It hurt at first, but in the best kind of way—as Ares had to know it would. Whimpering, Charles deepened the kiss and brought his free hand down to squeeze Ares' waist.
Rumbling as Charles' fingers dug into his hide, Ares pulled back and then bucked his hips again. And again. And again. Setting a fast, punishing pace that pushed Charles closer and closer to the edge. Charles sucked in a deep breath through his nose, the beast refusing to release Ares' mouth until every last drop of blood had been consumed. Thick and heady, their scents mixed with the metallic scent, robbing Charles of the last vestiges of his illusion of control. He surrendered—to the beast and to Ares.
Breaking the kiss, Ares pulled his head back and stared the beast in the eyes, an approving hum vibrating in his chest. Keeping the beast pinned against his keel, Ares worked to fuck it into complete submission. Tipping his head to the side, Ares brought a hand back to the beast's head and guided its mouth to the side of his throat. With a pleased whine but no hesitation, the beast sank its teeth as deeply into Ares' hide as possible, jaw literally creaking with the pressure. Grinding until the hide popped as it gave beneath its weak incisors, the beast bit in even deeper until the rich taste of dextro blood coated its tongue.
It sucked and licked at the wound until it quit bleeding, its teeth just not long or sharp enough to do much more than scratch the surface of a turian's hide. Ares nudged the side of its head with his jaw, and the beast obeyed, returning its mouth to Ares to share the trace amount of blood lingering on its lips and tongue.
The pressure against his prostate and the heavy, full feeling of his balls brought Charles back to the forefront again, sharing the space with the beast once more. He dropped his hand from Ares' crest and wrapped his arm around the turian's shoulder instead. Resting his fingers on the edge of Ares' cowl, he braced his injured shoulder against the jostling. Ares kept plowing into him, and he already felt so close to cumming, so when he worked his other hand between the two of them and started stroking his cock, it set the ball rolling.
Ares grunted and flexed his fingers against Charles' waist, breaking the kiss before nudging Charles' head to the side. He ran his tongue over the bleeding marks in Charles' shoulder before settling his teeth back over the scars. Charles whimpered and shuddered at the touch, bringing him right up to the edge. As if waiting for that specific moment, Ares sank his teeth into the bondmark again, and both Charles and the beast lost it, hot cum gushing out of him in spurt after spurt to coat Ares' abdomen.
Rumbling again, the sound hungry and pleased, Ares clamped his jaw down a little more and held Charles tighter before increasing his pace. He fucked Charles fast and hard, forcing every last little bit of cum out of Charles and pushing him into that hyper-sensitive phase. Charles grit his teeth and groaned, the sensation oddly satisfying in its borderline unpleasantness, and focused on the sound of Ares' panting breath.
Fuck, he loved feeling Ares climb higher and higher before jumping off over that edge. Loved knowing it was him who made Ares feel that way. Ares let out one last, near-deafening growl before yanking Charles down while thrusting up, slamming into Charles one last time. His cock jumped and twitched deep in Charles' ass as he emptied himself, grinding against Charles with the urge to get his cum as deep inside of him as possible.
Charles stood in the bathroom doorway, arm stretched up, elbow braced against the frame as he watched Ares in the mirror. Deciding against a shower, Ares wiped himself down with a wet washcloth at the sink instead. It pleased Charles, knowing his turian would be going out to take care of business while still smelling like him.
Meeting Charles' gaze in the mirror, Ares flicked his mandible. "What's that look for?"
Charles shrugged his bad shoulder and smiled. He pushed off of the doorframe and moved to stand behind Ares. He wrapped his arms around Ares' waist and rested his chin on his shoulder, holding his gaze in the mirror. "Mine," he said before squeezing Ares.
Something in Ares' gaze softened just a little. He reached up and ruffled Charles' hair with his free hand before tossing the dirty rag into the sink. Turning, he draped his arms over Charles' shoulders and bumped his forehead against his briefly. "Jasmine wants me to meet someone," he said as he studied Charles' face. "I don't think I'll be gone more than a few hours at most."
Charles relaxed a little, grateful for the scraps of information Ares offered without his having to ask. He nodded. "Alright. Want me to have something ready for you to eat when you get back, or will you be eating dinner with her tonight?"
Ares hummed, head tilting slightly to the side. "I don't know what she has planned, but she does seem to like feeding the people she works with." He chuffed and rumbled, the plates around his nose twitching. "She might want to go to that mostly levo place she loves so damn much."
"Le Bleu?" Charles offered, raising a brow.
Ares just gave him a non-commital grunt. "Either way, don't worry about it. I don't know if I'll eat while I'm out or how long I'll be gone, so if I'm hungry when I get back, I'll just grab something out of the cabinet."
Charles nodded and pressed up on his toes to give him a quick kiss. "Okay. Well, if you decide you want me to cook you something later, just let me know."
"You look tired," Ares said.
Charles blinked, the change in topic surprising and a bit jarring, but nothing he wasn't used to with Ares. "A little, yeah. I'm alright, though."
Grunting again, Ares said, "If you need to, kick Mouse out and go to bed early. If Talak isn't ready to call it a night, he can go hang out with him in the ducts or whatever."
Smiling, Charles pressed his palm to Ares' face and brushed his thumb over the turian's mandible. "I will, I promise."
"Make sure it's actually Mouse before you open the door," Charles called out to Talak as the kid rushed toward the door at the sound of the buzzer.
"I know!" Talak called back, sounding a bit irked.
It made Charles chuckle, both because of the hint of annoyance in the kid's voice and because the fact Talak allowed the annoyance to be heard meant he was growing comfortable with Charles again. They hadn't had a whole lot of time to bond before Charles was injured, and then after, Talak mostly spent their interactions fretting. It was good to see him sort of relax and just act like a kid his age was supposed to act.
Tilting his head, Charles strained to listen over the sound of sizzling meat. He heard the door open, and Talak greeted Mouse by name. Relaxing, Charles turned his attention back to the steaks cooking on the stove. "Talak," he said, speaking no louder than if the kid were right there in the kitchen with him, "bring your friend here for a minute. I need to know how done he wants his steak."
A moment later, Talak rounded the corner into the kitchen, a human boy following along just behind him. The kid was in that awkward stage where puberty played havoc on a boy's features. Tufts of dark hair were beginning to grow along his jaw and beneath his nose, and a smattering of pimples covered his forehead and chin. His hands, arms, and legs all looked a little too big for the rest of his body, and he had a pronounced Adam's apple.
"Mouse, this is Charles, Ares' bondmate." Talak waved his hand toward Charles. "He knows Jasmine, too."
Charles gave the kid a smile and tipped his head back in greeting. "Hello, Mouse. I'm making steak, how do you like yours? Bloody, a little bloody, or pretty well cooked?"
Mouse shifted his weight between his feet, gaze darting briefly to Talak before settling back on Charles. "Well done, but it's okay if it's kinda pink in the middle, too."
Grinning and nodding, Charles said, "Well done it is. Alright, you two go … I don't know, watch a vid or whatever in the hell you do, and I'll call you when the food's done."
Mouse smirked, and Charles thought he might get along just fine with the kid.