97...98...99...100...101...102...103...104...105...
Black Hat had come to the realization that he wanted to suck at Flug's neck again.
This wasn't so much a sudden realization as it was putting a name to his feelings. He'd been trying to slow down for Flug, because that was what he wanted (and probably needed). But that directly conflicted with what Black Hat wanted, which was to get closer to him. It had been a while, they'd each been doing their own thing for the most part. It was difficult to subtly flirt without the cover of maintaining their cover. It made it hard to propose scenarios where they could be intimate again. Getting Flug back into Black Hat's home was a no-go, at least for the moment.
129...130...131...132...133...134...135...
So, Flug's place it was. Black Hat pondered what he could actually do with him. He might be able to steal a kiss, though would much prefer to receive one as well. He liked when Flug participated. He may have only had one prior relationship but he clearly had some kind of experience. Flug could probably be a very active partner if he'd allow Black Hat to teach him a few things. But how? Flug didn't seem particularly eager to be intimate again, and Black Hat doubted he'd completely made up for shooting him. Flug still hadn't told him what it was specifically that had scared him off so badly in the first place. Without that, Black Hat couldn't be sure that things were back to how they were between them. He wanted things back to how they were.
155...156...157...158...159...160...161...162...
Black Hat was getting tired of so much nothing. He was growing restless. He wanted to do something. Flug would certainly be able to help with that, if Black Hat could manage not to push him too far. He wasn't strictly looking for sex here, a little blood could probably hold him off till Saturday. Just give him something, man! Black Hat didn't feel he was asking for much here, comparatively. He also felt he was being very generous in that he was actually asking. He would respect it if Flug said no. He would much rather a "no" than this unceasing game of "maybe".
179...180...181...182...183...184...
It certainly didn't help that he had little idea of where Flug's exact boundaries were. Would he even be alright with kissing again if Black Hat suggested it? Fuck, this really shouldn't be so complicated. And again, he really shouldn't try anything until he's sure he's made things more or less right. What a pain.
196...197...198...199...200.
Ok, that was enough sit-ups.
Black Hat stood up, taking care to stretch his legs and arms out to their fullest capacity. Thanks to the high ceiling, he had a good amount of room for that. He did a few lunges, making sure he was really loose. Ahhh, that felt so good. It was such a nice and familiar burn. He drank an entire water bottle in about three gulps. He felt so relaxed, he could think with so much more clarity like this.
His thoughts continued in the shower.
Obviously he couldn't just come out with, "Hey, wanna make out?" That was so crass! So juvenile! So tasteless! Flug clearly needed to be finessed! He needed to be wooed and won over. And ever so carefully trained to be Black Hat's perfect little Pet. He knew it would take time, he knew he needed a gentler touch, it was just putting that into practice where the problems started.
Black Hat looked his face over in the mirror. Ugh, his eyebrows were growing out. Not a good look for him. Time for some plucking. At least the rest of his face was acceptable, he didn't need more than his basic daily stuff.
Back to the matter at hand. He would be seeing Flug again today, and would need a plan. He needed to get Flug to speak up about what it was specifically Black Hat had done to throw such a wrench in their relationship. Once he had that, he could appropriately resolve the issue and perhaps...see if he couldn't make it up to him? Something small, something easy, something that showed how much he wanted to put this little incident behind them and move on. On to more...personal business. It wasn't like Flug had someone on the side to be canoodling with. If he agreed to it, Black Hat could start to figure out what he was and was not okay with. Assuming Flug would actually tell him when he wasn't okay with something.
Seriously, what was up with him!? Why was it so hard for him to just say "oh no, I don't like that," before he got overwhelmed!? Everytime, everytime Black Hat had to push him into a clear yes or no. Otherwise it was always, maybe? Perhaps? Perchance? I don't know? What the hell did he mean, he didn't know!?
Ow. Pulled a little too hard. Ah shit, he might've gotten more than he really meant to with that one. The little hairs writhed in the tweezers under Black Hat's hateful glare. He eyed his brow critically, it was just slightly off. Just slightly. Flug probably wouldn't even notice. But Black Hat would. He noticed. Yeah, no, he had to fix it. Might as well just even it out. Going to have to thin out the left one as well so it matched. Back to thinking about Flug, and his aggravating indecision over such an easy subject. It was so straightforward, what did he want? Black Hat wasn't asking him to calculate the weight of the sun or some shit! It was very simple stuff!
Oh lord, Flug would honestly have an easier time figuring out how much the sun weighs than whether or not he wants a kiss, wouldn't he? Is this just what Black Hat gets for trying to seduce an adorable evil genius? Was the universe trying to tell him something? Why does he do this to himself? Doesn't he have enough to do right now?
He may have gone thinner than he wanted. Shit.
"So," Flug rubbed the back of his head. "I, uh, I sketched out a few ideas last night. I think I can make a relatively simple prototype over the course of a few days. It shouldn't need much more than some very basic programming. I mean, of course, the final version will be much more advanced but, you know. Just something to start with. I was also thinking I'd like it to be voice activated, rather than remote controlled. That way I don't have to waste time pushing buttons and can just tell it what to do verbally. Yeah..." He trailed off, still darting his eyes around the room while Black Hat tried to look at both his blueprints and at him. Having only one functioning eye, it gave him a slight headache.
"How big are you thinking?"
"Maybe about knee-high? B-But it's arms will be extendable, so it's size shouldn't be any sort of problem. I'd like it to be kind of compact."
"The top hat might not be the best way to go in that case." A shame, truly. "Maybe something like a bowler hat instead? Those are pretty stylish."
"Ok, let me just..." Flug picked up a pencil and redrew the head. "How's that?"
"I like it. It looks more like a butler this way."
"Ok, good. So, this one? You like this design?"
"Yes." Black Hat leaned over towards him. "You really are a very talented artist, you know."
"Oh n-no, ha ha ha," Flug laughed awkwardly "I j-just took a drawing class my second semester so I could draw better blueprints. I'm not, like, an actual artist or anything."
"You don't think this is art?" Black Hat held the blueprint up. "I couldn't make anything like this. A maestoso manifesto in visual form. I especially like the auto-self destruct sequence if it starts to go against it's programming. Not many people would think of that."
"Yeah, well, how many evil geniuses were brought to justice or died because the henchmen they built betrayed them? The problem not many people consider with A.I. technology is that you don't want one with too much intelligence. If you wouldn't trust a human with it, you shouldn't trust the human intellect you programmed with it either."
"Aren't they supposed to be smarter than humans?"
"And how would they be? It's a machine, it only knows what it's programmed and what it learns. And what it learns is a combination of cause and effect and repetition. Just like a human, it learns that actions have reactions and repeating events make a pattern. It just does it faster. And has a much bigger hard drive to store information, I suppose. I don't think a computer is capable of forgetting information either, so I guess there's that. And the big thing with A.I. has always been whether or not that intelligence counts as a consciousness. Does a machine with all available intelligence in the world have true free will in how it uses it? Can you program a personality?"
Black Hat wasn't sure he completely followed, but whatever Flug was talking about was really interesting. Kind of like something you'd get from an old sci-fi thriller. Black Hat was honestly more into westerns, occasionally the odd kung-fu movie, but things like this could hold his interest. Flug sounded so enticed with the subject. Not to mention how he was speaking about it. So flowingly. So enamored with his own little world, dreaming up his creations. He hadn't even noticed how much closer Black Hat had gotten. How he was scooting over, drawn by his words.
"And if you can just recreate the synapses of the mind in a computer, does that make it it's own being? How can you differentiate between a mind and a machine? The human brain is just a living computer itself, it simply stores information and records data. It recognizes patterns and learns how to act in order to survive. Do machines fear mortality?"
"I guess it depends on whether or not they feel."
"Yeah, how do you judge what's a programmed response to stimuli and what's an actual feeling in a robot? And if it feels, it must have its own feelings, it's own thoughts and desires..." Flug snapped out of whatever captivating trance he'd been in, and jumped a bit when he realized how close Black Hat was. "Ah! I-I'm sorry, I guess I got a little carried away there. I didn't mean to go off on a tangent like that. Sorry. Um, what I meant to say was, this is like a failsafe. No matter how much it'll eventually be upgraded, this guarantees it never goes against it's programming. If it acts independently so much as once, it will automatically blow up. Not too big, just enough to destroy its primary circuits. It shouldn't be able to prevent it either, I'm hoping to make it so instantaneous that there's no chance it could stop it's own destruction."
"I like the way you think." Black Hat smiled somewhat warmly. Flug didn't even have to try, it came to him so naturally. "So devilish."
"Wha-What?" Flug actually got a little flustered from that! Did someone like being called devilish? How cute. "Ah c'mon, it's just a safety measure. I just want to put it in now to make sure I don't forget later. That's all."
"Flug, that was the longest I have heard you speak in weeks. It seems you're pretty passionate about all these big questions with A.I. Have you ever made one? Even a simple one?"
"Heh, there's really no such thing as 'simple' A.I. But no, I've never created one before. I guess it's just so-"
"Fascinating." Black Hat interjected.
"Yeah. Yes, exactly. It's so fascinating, I can't help but think about it."
"And the first time you so much as contemplate making it, you think to include a failsafe to prevent it from ever disobeying you in even the slightest possible way. Under literal penalty of death, if it could qualify as sentient."
"...Huh. I guess I did."
"Just imagine if you implemented that on human underlings." Black Hat broke down into evil chuckles. Because ohohohohohohoho there it was! That was what Black Hat had been dying to see again! Pure, unfabricated, genuine villany! The second he so much as thought it might develop free will, he ensured it would be taken care of. If it could be considered life that he had made, he would kill it at the slightest hint that it could act of its own accord. There was Black Hat's evil genius!
And honestly, he was not too far off from what Black Hat had done by having him sign his soul away. If Flug ever tried going against the contract, it would be very hazardous to his health. It wouldn't kill him, but he may wish it would.
"I was just...trying to be cautious, for once..." Flug seemed a little uneasy that he'd put something so cruel into his inventions, even unwittingly.
"That's good. Well, it's evil, so technically it's the exact opposite of good. But you're learning, that's good."
"Just...don't want to make any more sloppy mistakes." Flug offered a pretty weak smile.
Oh Flug, did it really get to you that much? "I know I've been a bit harsh about that, but you really did handle it well."
"That's not what you said before."
"Oh no? I never told you how amazing you were when you finally stood up for yourself? Or how great it was to watch you play that asshole for a fool, right in front of everyone?"
"Not that I remember."
"Well then, let me say so now. The way you acted that day was fantastic. You made it look so effortless, like you knew exactly what to do to bring that son of a bitch to his knees. What am I saying, 'like you knew'? You did, my little stalker." Flug looked away, but Black Hat was sure he was smiling faintly. No doubt he enjoyed being praised by his Master for a change. "You knew exactly how to handle that monte de merda. You shot him without even looking at him."
That was the part that really got him. That little moment of sheer confidence when Flug turned away from Aurelio just to give Black Hat that little "Mira esto". His hand perfectly in position, perfectly timed to pull the trigger right before Aurelio would've made contact. Was Flug even aware of how close he'd gotten? Aurelio had been only centimeters away from touching him, until Flug pulled the trigger and knocked him back. Completely flipping the script on how altercations with a human puppeteer should go. Oh why was it so hard for Flug to act like that again!? What did Black Hat have to do to bring out that side of him more often?
"I stand by what I said before," Black Hat continued. "It would've been better if you hadn't done it, but I won't lie and say I didn't enjoy watching you shoot someone so easily. You did do good, it's just...there's a time and a place and that was very much the wrong place. For what it was, though, not an entirely bad time. Until they cuffed me. Unfortunately, I'm not into handcuffs."
"Hey, um, Black Hat?" Flug spoke up, looking a bit more serious. And a lot less bashful. Was that a good thing, or a bad thing?
"Yes?"
"When you sh-shot me..." Flug began twiddling his fingers in his lap. "I, well...I know why you did. B-But, I mean..." His hands moved more sporadically, like there was a lot of nervous energy trying to get out of him. "I-I-I...I know why you did now, but...when you did it, I didn't. I just knew that...you did...and I know w-we were talking about it, but, I c-cou-c-couldn't really think of wh-why you would do that. Th-then you started d-d-dragging me off, and I couldn't do an-anything, or s-s-say anything, and..." Flug was actually starting to tremble now. Black Hat found this very upsetting. He sounded so choked up. Oh man was he going to cry? "Even after y-you turned it off, I c-could barely think straight, and then you started yelling at m-m-me, and th-then y-you, you-" Flug reached up and covered his mouth. Oh yeah, oh he was starting to cry. Oh jeez he could barely even look at him. He's crying. Fuck. Oh fuck. Oh. Tears. Hug? "I-I'm sorry, I-"
"I'm the one who should be sorry." Black Hat held him tight. Flug please stop crying I hate it when you do this I never know what I'm supposed to do when you cry. "Is that why you asked me to warn you next time?"
"Uh, y-y-yes," Flug stuttered. "It did-didn't hurt, it just r-really scared me that you wo-would do that."
"I see. I'm sorry. I wasn't listening to you." Well shit. He had tried to tell him. In hindsight, it seemed rather obvious. Almost embarrassingly so. Of course shooting him without any warning was going to scare him, and maybe Black Hat had been trying to scare him, but just enough that he fully understood why he couldn't make slip ups like this. This was serious stuff they were doing here! He wouldn't be able to lie his way out of every situation! Nor could Black Hat always cover for him! He needed to learn just how serious this was! It was literal life and death and if they weren't careful it would be their lives at stake!
But still. How could Black Hat have underestimated how badly this would affect him? And what on earth could he say now to fix it?!
The sniffling died down, and Flug shyly returned the embrace. Black Hat took that to mean it was working. Which was good, because he really didn't know what the fuck else to do. He wasn't good at being "reassuring". He was a villain, he was good at inspiring fear and doubt. The exact opposite of this!
"Flug?" Black Hat loosened his grip, and Flug thankfully didn't try to escape immediately. "I didn't mean to scare you this badly. I didn't consider how this would make you feel, and I'm sorry. I shouldn't be so careless."
"Th-thank you, but uh, c-could you kind of...let me go, please?"
Oh? So...not working? Is this not okay? It's a fucking hug, Flug! It's meant to be comforting! Black Hat released him and Flug rubbed his arms, kind of like people do when they get cold. Had the contact made him that uncomfortable? What the fuCk man!?
Hmmmm. What to do, what to do? That was kind of Black Hat's go-to response, and it completely failed. Damn it, he didn't like failing. At anything. All his back-up responses were just different forms of physical contact. Which Flug didn't seem to want right now. So...what the fuck was Black Hat supposed to do? What the fuck could he say that would improve this situation, even slightly?
So, it was that bad, was it? Good! It will be horrible for our victim as well! Please tell me in great detail all about how I terrified you!
Ok no, that was not helpful, he should not say that. Why on earth would he say that? Why the hell would it make Flug feel better to think of inflicting that kind of suffering!? Wait, maybe it would. Flug had tested the ElecTrap on himself. Black Hat hadn't ever been able to ask why (without revealing that tiny little detail of checking in on him every now and again), but the only thing that made any sort of sense to him was that Flug had simply been testing it. Getting a first hand experience to see how it worked. Why he had not just asked Black Hat to quickly find a test subject, he didn't know (it would've been too risky, but it would've been nice to be asked). But if that was the kind of person he was, then perhaps Black Hat could spin this in his favor. If nothing else, he should be able to stop his subordinate from crying his eyes out any further.
But how to do that? He needed an angle, and fast!
"Do you think it was that bad for Aurelio?" He blurted out.
"Huh?"
"When you shot Aurelio. Do you think it was anything for him like how it was for you?"
"Uh, well, maybe. I mean, it was pretty unexpected, huh?"
"He had even less of a warning than you. Come to think of it, it may have even been worse for him."
"You think so?"
"Possibly. I'm not sure he even noticed you had the Stun Gun with you. He didn't have any way of preparing himself." Oh please think about this instead. Please focus on the positives. Like, you inflicted at least this amount of terror, if not more onto that asshole. "And it was his first time experiencing it, since he was the one person you didn't manage to shoot during your demonstration. So it's entirely possible that for a few seconds, he had no clue what you had done to him. That's got to be terrifying, right?"
"Yeah, i-it all happened so fast, he might not have even known what hit him until he was already on the ground. And it was concrete, not wood. Where he landed. That had to have hurt," Ok ok ok, this was working! This was something that got through to him! Now at least Black Hat had somewhere to go with this. "And, and it was all out in the open. Right in front of his little posse. People saw me beat him."
"He certainly can't pretend it never happened."
"No, no he can't. He'll never be able to forget about it. I won't let him forget." Flug's breathing was evening out, and he seemed to be putting himself together finely. Oh lord Flug was looking absolutely maniacal right now. Oh yes. Now this was more like it! "No one will forget what happened. Do you think, if he sees either of us again, he'll relive it? Kind of?"
"Oh of course. You took him out so easily, I bet he relives it every single day. I wouldn't be surprised if it gave him nightmares." Black Hat grinned. He was so relieved, this was a Flug he could talk to. "I'm sure every time he sees your face, he'll remember how you looked staring down at him. That's probably not a familiar position for him, is it?"
Flug laughed. "I wouldn't think so, no. I'd say he's usually the person looking down on others."
"Then you're probably the only person whose ever looked down on him, aren't you?"
"I guess I might be." Oh, that was good. Flug was surely feeling much better about things now! Yes, Black Hat had shot him. But he'd apologized, and sounded far more earnest now that he had before, certainly. He'd raised Flug's spirits and was now in much better standing with him. All they needed to do now was kiss and make up and all would be well!
"I really am sorry I put you through that." Black Hat said. "Is there any way you can forgive me? Can I make it up to you?"
"Oh, no, you don't have to-"
"Come on Flug, there must be something I could do. I want to make things right between us. Isn't there anything I could do to at least try and make up for shooting you? Anything at all?"
"Well..." Black Hat could see the gears turning in his head. It seemed there was something he wanted from him. Come on, little Pet. Just tell Master what he can do to win back your trust. "I guess there is...one thing. I've been thinking about it since the other day."
Ooooooh is that so? "What is it? Anything to undo what I've done."
"I...I want to come with you to kidnap our guy."
Wait no, not that.
"Flug-"
"You said 'anything'."
I also said I was sorry. "I did say that, but, come on now. This is a rushed job as is. I've only been trailing our guy for a few weeks, hardly even a full month." And Black Hat has been doing that on top of looking for suitable locations, preparing their murder dungeon, insulating the trunk of his brand new car (oh, how could he forget the time it took just to get a new car), and checking in on his dearest Pet who seemed hellbent on making things difficult for him. Don't even get him started on how much time was spent driving to all these places. Can't forget to factor in the commute. "I know-"
"But I don't!" Flug protested. He sunk in on himself, looking so small. "I don't know how to d-do this. Back in the Fuerza Aérea, I-I tried to do my best. I'd been stalking a guy for years before, so I k-kind of knew how to do that. An-And I was good at finding out of the way spots around the base. Julio and I had looked for them together, s-s-so we could...you know...fool a-around, and stuff..." Flug looked so embarrassed about that. Come on, Black Hat's been there. There was so much he hid from the world, finding secluded locations was just survival. Refuge for both he and whoever he'd happened to be with. He kept worse secrets, no need to be ashamed. "It wasn't as pr-professional as this, I guess, but I tried. I did it all on my own, too. I followed him as much as I was able, I took notice of who his friends were, I memorized their schedules. I s-scouted locations, too. It wasn't my first choice to crash a plane into Gabriel and the others, you know. I had meant to be more cautious about it."
"Flug, as much as I love hearing about this, it isn't exactly helping your case."
"Look, I understand that you have a lot more experience, and you can do it fine on your own," Flug looked so downtrodden, Black Hat would almost think he was doing it on purpose. "But that's exactly why I want to be there. I'm not going to learn to do this right if I'm just sitting around, waiting for you. I want to be able to do this for you. I promise, I'll do whatever you say! I won't even get out of the car! I-I'll just watch you do it, that's all I want. I just want to be there with you..." Flug was fiddling with his fingers again, looking so sad and dejected. He looked up at him through his thick lenses. His eyes were so big and glassy. Probably because of how recently he'd been crying. "Please sir, if I have to sit and wait on my own, I'm going to drive myself insane. I just know I'm not going to be able to stop myself from freaking out. Please don't leave me alone like that."
Oh my. How could Black Hat say no to that face? Flug couldn't be any more sympathetic if he tried holy fuck. He was looking up at him, pleading with him, with those big brown eyes, Oh please don't leave me alone sir, please let me come with you, I promise I'll do anything you say if you just let me come with you!
And he was right, how would he improve if Black Hat left him on the sidelines? He wouldn't learn anything by sitting and waiting. Black Hat knew that, but he'd wanted to wait for their third or fourth time to bring him along for the abduction part. Or the stalking part. It was very delicate stuff, he wanted Flug to be calm and collected. What better way to achieve that than by having him settle into a nice routine of killing people? He could do that with little issue!
He couldn't say no. Not now. Certainly not when Flug was looking oh so delicate and fragile. Black Hat asked him, and said he'd do anything to make it up to him, he couldn't back out now. Not when Flug is very clearly communicating how he feels, which has been a constant uphill struggle. If he didn't allow this, who knew when he'd get Flug in this state again?
Black Hat, much to his chagrin, found himself trapped.
He swallowed down his annoyance. "You'll do everything I say?"
Flug nodded mutely, still making Black Hat question whether or not he was intentionally milking his cuteness for all it was worth.
"You'll stay in the car? Out of sight and out of the way?"
"You won't even notice I'm there."
Black Hat highly doubted that. But, realistically, what was the worst that could happen? He could easily guarantee that Flug just sat there quietly and observed. It just irked him that Flug would ask to be there before Black Hat wanted him to be. He sighed a bit, internally making some long drawn out groan, and nodded his head. "Alright, you can come. I'll pick you up before eleven and we'll just go straight from here."
Flug sighed and smiled, so thankful, so relieved that Black Hat said yes. God that was adorable. Is this on purpose? Would Flug really do that? Would he take his own trauma and turn it into a bargaining chip? Surely not! Black Hat must be reading too much into things. Flug wouldn't do that. At least, not to Black Hat. He wouldn't try something like that on him.
"Thank you. Master."
OH MY GOD YES HE WOULD.
Flug had done this before, hadn't he? That morning, before Flug shot Aurelio. He had been in a much better mood since Black Hat had last spoken to him, and had even prepared a handy list of what he'd need to bring his terrifying weapon to fruition.
And he'd called Black Hat his Master again.
He'd thought it was odd, especially since only days before Flug had asked for some time to collect himself, but Black Hat figured he must be feeling better. The damage had been done and Flug was thirsting for revenge. Similar to what Flug said earlier, he hadn't planned on attacking his tormentor. He'd meant to be more careful with things. He was pushed over the edge by the car. But before that, when he intended to be smart about it, he'd called Black Hat his Master, in almost that same relaxed and contented tone. As if...he was trying to...
In his haste to make nice with the sensitive evil genius, Black Hat had almost forgotten how evil he was. Ironically, that evil had been what distracted him in the first place. Black Hat had been so caught up in the euphoria of seeing Flug's truer self again, he'd played right into his hands. He'd even gone and said "anything" in his mad rush to be done with this.
You could blame it on Black Hat's own hastiness, but that did not change how Flug had been very subtly using his appeal to get what he wanted from him. Black Hat wouldn't say it was his sex appeal exactly. Flug hadn't been shooting him Fuck Me eyes or anything. But there were very clear signs of It would make me so happy if you did this for me. So happy that we can just pretend this never happened. You want me to be happy with you, don't you? So that I'll...
Rocinante Flugslys, you dirty bastard. That was beautiful. Black Hat hadn't even seen it coming. He would be impressed if he wasn't so pissed. Had that been planned? Or had Flug really improvised all of that, seeing an opportunity to back his Master into a corner? Flug couldn't have been acting scared the entire time. Not even when alone in his apartment with no way of knowing he was being watched. Black Hat hadn't seen any kind of signs that Flug had caught on. Could Flug have really done that on the spot? Oh dear lord how dare he? How dare he actually be good at this and how dare he try to pull this shit on Black Hat!
Are you trying to play me, my dear Pet? You think you can just turn on the waterworks and I'll cave? You think you can just call me 'Master' and I'll give in to whatever you want? You think I can be so easily manipulated? You really think you're the first person who's ever tried to take me for a fool?
"Wh-What is it?" Flug started to get a nervous look in his eyes. Black Hat's anger must be showing.
"Just thinking," He tried to keep his tone more or less emotionless. "Your neck is awfully bare."
Flug reached up to feel his neck, looking more and more confused with every second. Black Hat continued, "I suppose it has been some time since we were so close. I think the last time was, what, that night I made you dinner?" Flug nodded, catching on. "Then there was everything with Aurelio, and since then it's been just...business, hasn't it?"
"Yeah, I gue-guess so." Flug coughed and averted his eyes, but Black Hat was fairly confident he was thinking about the last time Black Hat had left his neck bruised and scabbed. He had to wonder if it was a pleasant memory for Flug, or if he regretted it looking back.
"The next semester is coming up soon. Do you suppose we should...get back into the habit, so to speak?"
"Wh-What? Oh, uh, y-you mean like, to keep up app-p-pearances and stuff?"
"Yes. If it's not too much for you."
"Oh, um, I don't know. Wi-Will they even last that long? Maybe w-we should hold off on stuff like that."
"Ok," But it was not ok. "May I just kiss you?"
Wow. You could hear a pin drop in that silence.
"¿Que?"
"I won't mark you up if you're not comfortable with it. And I'm not going to kiss you if you don't want me to." Black Hat said. "I'm going to ask you, because I need to learn your boundaries. It's hard for me to learn if you won't say 'yes' or 'no'. I don't want you feeling like you have to let me have my way with you." Cue Flug's mad blushing, like he's a teenager with a new crush. Black Hat reached for his hand, putting extra effort into being gentle. He hoped that Flug would just jerk his hand away if he didn't want Black Hat doing this either. "Don't you know by now that you're allowed to say no? Why is it so hard for you?"
"I-I don't know," Black Hat was getting kind of tired of hearing Flug say that. "I just-"
"Well I'll tell you what I know. I want to kiss you. I'd like it if you kissed me back. I want to give you more hickies. I like doing that with you, and I like how you sound when I do it." Damn, how much more could Flug blush? How much blood is in this man? Is he ok? "If you don't want me doing any of that, it's fine. I won't. But I need you to actually tell me."
Black Hat brought Flug's hand up to his face, coaxing him to cup his cheek. "If you want us to be completely professional in private, I understand. I just thought, since it seemed you liked it too, maybe we could...?" He trailed off, but he was confident Flug knew what he meant. He lightly kissed Flug's palm. "Do you want me to stop?"
"I'm not s-s-sure."
"Flug, this is neither brain science, nor rocket surgery. It's really simple."
Flug laughed, very shakily. "May-Maybe for you i-it is."
"Yes, it is. I like you. I like kissing you. I'd like to do it again. If you're open to more than that, I might like that too. If not..." Black Hat left more pecks along Flug's palm and wrist. "Then I'd like to hear it from you. What do you want?"
"I st-still don't know," Flug panted out. "I m-mean, I think I-I, that is, um..."
"Okay, maybe there's an easier question." Black Hat kissed his wrist again. My my, he could practically feel the blood pumping through him. "How does this feel? Does it feel bad?"
"Uh, no?"
ARE YOU ASKING ME OR TELLING ME? "Are you comfortable with it?"
"Umm, I guess, I..."
"Would it be alright if I were to do this again?" He kissed Flug's knuckles, a classic gentlemanly move. Flug really did have very nice hands. With long, nimble fingers. The skin was slightly dry, with scads of small, superficial cuts and nicks in the skin. That was to be expected, given how much he worked with his hands. Black Hat wouldn't mind leaving a few of his own.
"Like, like when it's just us or i-in f-f-fr-front of other pe-people?"
"Either. How would it make you feel if I did this...at the cafe, for example?"
"Uhhh, nervous, I guess? Demetra would t-tease me about it, I bet."
"Mmmm, she would. And what about when we're alone? Are you afraid I'm going to tease you?"
"N-No, that's n-not the problem."
"What is the problem, Flug?" Black Hat very slowly and deliberately intertwined his fingers with Flug's own.
"Just...why?" Flug asked, pulling his hand away. "W-Why are you doing this? Why are you doing it when we're alone? Do yo-you actually want to, to...?"
"I want to kiss you." Didn't Black Hat already say that? Does Flug just need reassurance of that fact? Why? Does he think he's a bad kisser or something? "Do you want to kiss me?"
"I...think? I might? B-But..." Again with the questions? I've pulled teeth easier than this! "Do you r-really need m-me for...this? I thought we were ju-just pretending, but t-th-this keeps happening, and I feel w-weird, about it."
"Well, I feel like it would be weird to do it with someone else. It would almost feel like I was cheating on you, seeing as I'm supposed to be your boyfriend and all. If someone happened to see me, that could cause trouble for both of us. It was such big news when word got out, imagine if there was actual drama. Something to actually talk about."
Flug mumbled something that sounded along the lines of "Oh Jesús y María por favor no."
"Yes. I want to avoid excess attention as much as you do, so in public, we will be an idyllic happy couple. In private, well...I think I've made my feelings clear."
"So...w-what is this, exactly? Is it part of the contract or-"
"No, no, certainly not!" Black Hat rushed to get that idea out of his head. "The contract covers your employment to me. Under it; you've agreed to work for me and me alone, you will keep all matters of it secret to anyone I deem untrustworthy, and you will fulfill my orders to the fullest possible extent that you can. That is what you have to do. Anything else, I will give you a choice. I've said this before as well, haven't I? As your boss, I expect and demand your loyalty. As your partner...I want you to say no. If it's too much, say no. If you're not sure you want to try, say no. I'll admit it, I don't listen as well as I should sometimes. I think you know that. I'd like to work on that. But, if I've scared you off for good, go ahead and say no. I never put that you had to be my Pet in the contract."
Black Hat gave a small smile, Flug returned it with some nervous laughter. He seemed unsure still but he was calming down.
"Do you like it when I call you my Pet?"
"Maybe...a little..."
"There's nothing wrong with that, you know. It's ok to like it."
"I-I'm sorry, it's, uh, it's b-been awhile, I guess, since I've been w-with anyone."
Mmm, that was true. Maybe that was why he struggled so much with drawing lines. His last partner had been, well, his only. And it has been some time since then. Black Hat didn't know the full extent of their relations, just that they hadn't gone so far as to have full on sex. It was reasonable to assume it had been kind of experimental between them. Maybe he really didn't know what it was he wanted.
"I have an idea. We're going to do an experiment, ok?"
"An experiment?"
"That's right. Here's how we'll do it, I'm going to ask you if it's ok if I do something. I'll ask you something like, 'Is it ok if I kiss you?'" Black Hat leaned in, but not close enough to smother him. "Then, you'll tell me if it's ok or not. Try it right now. Is it ok if I kiss you, Flug?"
"Ummm..." Flug seemed to be building up his courage or something. "N-No."
"Ok. Then we're not going to kiss." He backed off. "Is it ok if I hold your hand?"
"Uh, y-yeah. Yes. That's ok."
"Ok," Black Hat again held his hand very slowly. He looked to Flug's eyes. "So we'll just do this, and we'll find out what's ok and what's not ok together. Ok?"
"Ok." Flug nodded. It seemed he was still willing to at least try and see how they could be together.
"Is it ok if I touch you?"
"T-Touch me? Where?"
"How about here?" Black Hat slipped his hand out of Flug's and to his bicep, softly trailing down to his forearm. "Was that ok?"
"Sure, yeah."
"Can I touch you here as well?" Black Hat drifted his other hand down to Flug's thigh, only applying the slightest hint of a squeeze.
"A-Alright."
"What about this?" Black Hat inched his way up towards Flug's pelvic region. "Is this alright, or am I going too far?"
"Um, I th-think I'd rather you not touch me there right now." Finally, he speaks up. Even going so far as to push his hand back down.
"Can I touch here?" Black Hat placed a few fingers on Flug's chest.
"Yes, that's f-fine." Black Hat trailed those fingers down, stopping around his abdomen. "Yeah ok th-th-that's far enough." His hand crawled gently up to the edge of his sternum and curved around his neck. Not in a choking motion, closer to a slow caress. "This is, ok." Flug said softly. It seemed he liked that.
"Is it ok if I get closer?"
"Closer how?"
"Closer like..." Black Hat scooted over, right next to him, shifting one arm behind Flug while keeping the other near his neck. "...this. How does this feel?"
"Feels like something that's going to become something more."
"Do you want something more?"
"Maybe," He admitted, sighing and resting his head to the side. He pet the hand at his neck. "I'm not entirely sure how to do this either."
"We'll go slowly. Don't let me rush you, we have all the time in the world."
Flug looked to Black Hat, it wasn't entirely clear what he was thinking. "Did you mean what you said? About wanting to try and listen better?"
"Yes," Black Hat trailed a finger up Flug's neck to his jawline, stroking along his chin. "If you'll give me the chance."
Flug closed his eyes as Black Hat thumbed his lips. Keeping it gentle, keeping in light, if he didn't like it he was free to stop it. Flug was calmer now, it seemed he liked things a little softer. That was fine. They could build to rougher things. Black Hat knew Flug paid so much attention to every little mark Black Hat left on him. He wanted to give him a whole new array of teeth marks and bruises to inspect every day. Even if they were small ones. They'd be things Flug would go over and reminisce with, again and again.
"Would it be ok if I kissed you now?" He asked.
"Yes. Is it ok if I-" His arms were already coming up to bring Black Hat closer. Finally, something. Black Hat kept a gentle hold on Flug's face, coaxing him to relax as they kissed. Their lips make a soft, wet, smacking sound as they parted.
"So, how was that?"
"That was pretty good, heh."
"Could we do it some more?"
"Yeah, but, um, would it be alright if I made a suggestion?"
"Sure, what is it?"
"Uh, could you, maybe, c-come with me?" Flug stood up and took Black Hat by the hand. They rounded the couch and went off down the hall.
Oooooh was he? He was.
Flug stuttered a bit as they entered his bedroom. "I, uh, I don't want to have s-s-se-s-sex, right now." He let go of Black Hat's hand and played with his glasses. "I-I thought I should say so be-before I did something that made you think different."
"That's fine. I don't really want to either."
"Yo-You don't?"
"What, you think because I'm pan I just constantly want sex?"
"N-N-No! Of course not! I just, just, thought I should make it clear."
"That's good. You wanna just do some over-the-clothes type stuff?"
"Yeah, yeah that'd be nice."
"Alright. Do you mind if I take my coat off? It's a little warm in here." Black Hat motioned to the newspapers plastered up on the windows.
"Sure, that's fine." He noticed Flug looked away as he removed the coat. Such a shy man, did seeing Black Hat without the coat affect him that much? Well, he was showing off a bit more of his figure, he supposed. Nothing was really revealed, but it was one less obstacle between them.
He slowly approached Flug after laying his coat on the desk chair, cupping his cheeks as he kissed him again. Flug ran his hands lightly over Black Hat's chest, moving over his tie and shirt collar. They moved to the bed, Flug on his back, Black Hat crawling on top of him. He left some space between them, he didn't want Flug to get overwhelmed. Black Hat started to incorporate his tongue, little by little. They'd done this before as well, but it was still worth checking. Allowing it once wasn't allowing it always, after all. Flug, a bit hesitantly, wrapped his arms around Black Hat's neck. He reciprocated, if not timidly.
"It's an experiment, Flug." He whispered in his ear. "Just trying things out. Seeing what feels good. Don't be afraid to stop if you're not into it."
"I-It's ok." Flug panted out. "I'm ok. This is ok. Just, uh, trying to get the hang of things, ha ha."
"Can I mark you up again?"
"Ok b-but, just a little. Just a little bit."
"Si insistes," Black Hat moved his mouth down and sucked heartily at Flug's neck. He did little more than lightly prick the skin, but that couldn't really be helped. His teeth were just too sharp, and it was right there. Such a thin barrier, really, between him and every drop of blood in Flug's body. He didn't want it all, of course. Not all at once. He just wanted it all to be...available. He didn't need too much, just a taste. Just a little bit every now and again. Just something until Saturday. Just something to hold him off till then. Just let me have a little taste-
"Ah! Aaaah, ooh, oh, oh sir..." Black Hat couldn't stop himself, his teeth sunk shallowly where neck met shoulder. Just enough to make him bleed, not enough to really hurt him. But oh fuck. Flug tasted enticing enough. If he kept making those noises, those little moans and sighs... "Is it, is it ok if I call you Master?"
"Yeah," he breathed out deeply. He wanted more already. "Yeah that's good."
"Oh..." Flug groaned as Black Hat closed his jaws around him again. He held him so much tighter. "Oh Master..." Oh Pet if only you knew. The things I have in store for you...
"Hey, hey," Black Hat stopped his suckling for a second. He was damn near panting he was enjoying this so much. "Would it be alright if I maybe...expanded, a bit?"
"What, what do you mean?"
"Could I suck...here?" He ran a hand down Flug's chest, all the way to the hem of his shirt. He slipped a few fingers under the cheap polyester t-shirt, only enough to tease at contact. "You don't have to take your shirt off, but could I pull it up? Just to see if it feels as good here as it does on your neck?"
"Oh, ok. Ok. We can try that. Mmmmm." Flug bit his lip as Black Hat lifted his shirt up, wasting no time and resuming his affections. His skin was so light here, as if it had remained untouched by everything else in the world until Black Hat came along. Flug liked this, he liked it a lot by the sound of it, maybe it was sort of familiar ground for him. Maybe he and Julio Bermudez had done similar things.
Well, Black Hat bet Julio Bermudez never treated him like this.
He savored and lapped at every slight indent in the skin. He sucked like he could get the blood right through his pores. He softly caressed his bare sides, asking again, "Can I? Can I?" and damn near purred when Flug arched his back up and chanted "Sí sí sí sí sí," like it was the only word he knew anymore. He kneaded the flesh, feeling a hint of ribs poking out. He was so lean, and slim, though not to the point of near-emancipation like Jo had been. Then again, she hadn't had the easiest upbringing. He supposed they had that in common. He hadn't been able to leave her like this, in part because he was almost afraid to get too rough. Of course, she could handle it. You don't make a name for yourself by being soft, but besides that, he didn't have this much space to work with. Another thing they had in common.
He asked again for permission as he slid his hands (and mouth) down Flug's body, stopping at his pants. Right on the edge of the established line. Kissing and sucking and occasionally spitting out a hair when he really tested the limits. MMMMph, he could feel his hip bones through gloves and pants. Oh just wait til I properly get my hands on you. Black Hat promised he would make Flug feel like he truly was a treasured, pampered Pet. He'd leave every last inch of him decorated like a calling card. Everyone would know at a glance that Flug was his. His and his alone.
Now that his taste for blood was satisfied, and he did little more than kiss and bruise the delicate concave surface of the stomach, it occurred to Black Hat that Flug wasn't really participating here. Oh he was making his pleasure quite well-known, but he hadn't really done anything other than respond to what Black Hat did. To be fair, Black Hat took most of the initiative, leaving Flug with little option but to follow his lead. Still though, he wanted Flug to feel like he could partake in this too. If they were going to be in a "relationship", then they should both be engaging in these activities.
Black Hat lifted his head up. "You know, I just realized, I haven't really let you do anything."
"Hu- What?"
"I've gotten to mark you up and touch you, but all you've really done is lie there."
"Oh, um, I mean, I'm-"
"Hell, I don't think I even asked. Do you want to mark me up, Flug?"
"Do I...what?"
"You can give me some hickies if you want. I don't bruise easy, but you're welcome to try."
"Uh-"
"It's not really fair, is it? If I suck at your neck and leave you all bruised, but you don't get to do anything to me. Everyone knows I'm the one who leaves you like that," Black Hat couldn't help but grin. "But what do I have to show for you?"
"Do you...want me to..?"
"Well, I wouldn't say no. Just a suggestion, if you're interested."
"Uhh, sure. Yeah. Ok. I've, I've done this before."
"Were you any good at it?"
"Julio liked it." Flug smiled. His face fell just as quickly. "Oh is that, is that weird to talk about? When we're, uh, d-doing...this?"
"It's not weird." It's not entirely welcomed either, even if it might be useful information for Black Hat. "But, if we're going to do this, we should probably switch."
"Switch?"
"Yes, it's a little awkward when I'm on top of you. I think if we...just..." Black Hat maneuvered as best he could around Flug, whom did his best to follow along. He moved to where Flug had been laying, sat up against the headboard, rearranged Flug's pillow so he could recline more comfortably, and finally got Flug nice and settled on his lap.
Well, as settled as he could be when his face was blooming like the biggest, reddest rose. His hands were gripping Black Hat's shoulders tensely, maybe it was Black Hat holding him by the small of his back. Was that a bit too close for comfort?
"There. How's that? A much better angle right?"
"Yea-Yeah," He gulped. "Yeah m-much better."
"Do you want me to move my hands up or-"
"No, no, th-this is fine. It's fine. It's ok. Everything's ok. I can do this."
Flug seemed a bit stuck, maybe he was too flustered to begin on his own. Black Hat wanted Flug to do this himself, but perhaps a bit of guidance wouldn't be amiss. "I find kissing to be a good place to start, personally. Then you can just work your way to wherever you like."
"Ok, um, he-here goes." Flug leaned in haphazardly, nervous and unsure, closed his eyes, and let himself feel his way through it. It was a bit faltering, every few seconds he'd pull away gasping for air, but the more he persisted the more he seemed to find his rhythm and ease into it. His breaths became less labored, he relaxed his body, it felt nice to have him like this again. Willing and cooperating, calm and engaging. His hands slid over to the base of Black Hat's neck. It was nice to lie back and let Flug experimentally take the wheel. Besides, letting him set the pace was good for both of them. Flug got to test his own limits, there was no risk of Black Hat taking it too far, everybody wins.
Flug left a peck on the side of his mouth. Then he left one a bit lower, and another, and another, making his way down to leave a tentative smooch on his neck. Ah, Black Hat should probably mention something.
"Oh, Flug?"
"Yes?" He picked his head up.
"I'd rather you not bite me. I know that might be a little odd, but I've just never enjoyed being bitten as much as I do biting."
"Oh, um, ok. Got it."
"Feel free to kiss and suck as much as you want, just don't break the skin please."
"Ok." He ducked his head back down and resumed his tender attention to Black Hat's neck. Definitely a change of pace, Black Hat wouldn't say his partners were often gentle with him. Nor did he ask for gentleness. But, if this was what Flug needed to do to get comfortable with him, so be it. Had to start somewhere. Flug gingerly took Black Hat's tie in his hands and loosened it. "Um, Black Hat?"
"Yes?"
"I, uh," He cleared his throat, took a deep breath, and spoke. "Would it be ok if I, like, und-d-d-did a few b-buttons from your sh-sh-shirt, maybe?"
"Yes." He said instantly.
Flug chuckled. "Well, you aren't hard to convince."
"Hey, you let me pull your shirt up. Fair's fair, right?"
"Yeah...right..." Flug gingerly began undoing the buttons, one by one. Black Hat tried not to stare too intently, that certainly wouldn't help Flug's confidence, but he really couldn't help but watch him. He liked to watch his partners and would certainly be reliving the highlights of the afternoon at his leisure. Like this moment, where Flug slowly opens his shirt wider and blushes about three shades redder the second his hands touch Black Hat's chest. He ran his fingers so softly across the skin, Black Hat leaned into it almost unconsciously. He couldn't remember the last time someone had been so gentle with him. The only one who had probably been close in any way had been Jo, who he seemed to have on his mind for some reason, but that hadn't been out of any tenderness on her part. Curiosity, maybe.
She was quite the curiosity herself. Gaunt and scarred from a lifetime spent in hardship and pain. A kindred spirit, truly.
And he'd had her in a similar position, at least once before, hadn't he? Hadn't he felt her boney fingers on his chest like this, lightly tracing the scar right over his heart. The one that by all means he should not have. The one that had a matching exit wound on his back, slightly smaller but in the exact same place. The one that undoubtedly, out of all of them, should have been fatal. Jo knew scars like that.
"Are you...like me?"
Black Hat was shaken out of these thoughts by the sight of blood.
"Flug. Flug! Are you ok?"
"What? Yeah. I'm fine. Why?"
"Your nose is bleeding."
"My nose is- wHAT!?" Flug reached up to feel, and recoiled violently at the sight of blood on his fingertips. His face was still flushed, but now he looked scared out of his mind. He bolted off of Black Hat and dashed into the bathroom.
Black Hat followed, vaguely catching Flug muttering things like ¿Oh Dios por qué? ¿Por qué yo? and Como un puto anime. Black Hat wasn't sure he fully understood, but he was really concerned about Flug's bloody nose. What was that about? Why did he just randomly get a nosebleed? Was it all the blood pooling in his face? Was that even possible?
Flug hastily balled up toilet paper to try and plug his nose. He was still muttering things, but Black Hat couldn't make any of it out. He seemed to have some idea about what happened. Hell he almost looked embarrassed about it, though that could just be from his mad blush. Which was fading away, so hopefully the bleeding would stop. Did Flug get nosebleeds? Was it like his stuttering? Did this just happen sometimes in Flug's past and something caused it to happen again? Nothing had happened before though, and they'd both been fully shirtless then, so Black Hat was all kinds of confused about what just happened.
"You have to tilt your head back," He said from the bathroom doorway. "Otherwise it'll take longer for it to stop."
"R-Right, I knew that, yeah." Flug sounded weird with his nose stuffed up. "So I, ah, I think I want to stop now."
"No, yeah, of course. I'll just grab my coat."
"Thank you." He called out.
Well, that's one way to put a stop to things. Black Hat buttoned his shirt back up and fixed his tie. He slung his coat over his shoulder and waited for Flug in the hall. All in all, pretty good progress. A good exercise in communication and consent. Black Hat got what he wanted, he felt satisfied. Now there was just the matter of their slight change of plans come Saturday.
Flug stumbled out of the bathroom, it seemed he was starting to feel the effects of the blood pooling in his face (and leaking out his nose?). He still had toilet paper stuffed up his nostrils. "Time for you to get back to stalking?"
"Yeah, just about. So, I'll see you Saturday. I'll pick you up around 10:45 or so, and we'll stake out our guys place together."
"Can't wait, jefecito." Flug gave a halfhearted thumbs-up.
Black Hat couldn't stop from beaming. He thought that one might be one of his favorites, right after "Master" and "sir". "You know, it almost feels like a date. That's what we should call these outings, if we ever have to discuss them in public. We should call them our date nights."
"Ok, yeah. That's a good, inconspicuous way of talking about things."
"I'm looking forward to our date night, Flug," Black Hat said sensuously. "I can't wait to see you demonstrate just what a brilliant weapon of malvagità you've made for me."
"I, ah, I won't let you down, sir."
Flug, you tease! Stop with the terms of endearment before I get serious. "I know you won't disappoint me, my Pet," Black Hat reached out and cupped Flug's cheek, making his approach very slow and tactual. "I have absolute faith in you. There's nothing I look forward to more than watching you kill a man." He was close enough to kiss him now, he could smell the blood coming from him. "May I or...should we keep it professional?"
"I think w-we should focus on the experiment. THE STUN GUN, just, just to clarify. Not like, our experiment just now. I think we should get back to, you know, business."
"When you're right, you're right. This is going to be a big night for us-" You especially. "-we need to ensure we're both properly prepared. Since I won't be able to get you any more materials for the Hat-Botler in the meantime, you should rest up. Maybe get yourself another model plane, do whatever it is you do to relax. Trust me, the best thing you can do to prepare for this is to calm down and plan ahead. Think of it like the demonstration for your club, what is the best way to show off your creation? We'll have to advertise these products, what would make someone buy this over any typical taser out there? This will be good practice, we could give live demonstrations in the future!" OH boy oh boy oh boy this was gonna be great!
"Uh, y-yeah, sure. I'll...relax."
Black Hat smirked. Just to be sure... "Consider it an order from your Master." HA! Now you HAVE to!
You will preserve your genius for me, Flug. You will keep that brain of yours nice and sharp. Because out of everything you have to offer me Rocinante, your mind is the thing I like the most. You're mine whether you understand it or not. Whatever it is you watch on your computer all night, watch it if that's what will allow you to calm yourself.
"Ok, g-got it. I will relax so hard!"
"Glad to hear it!" He shouldn't need to check on him. Flug would obey him. He didn't have a choice. "I'll see you Saturday, my Pet."
Translations:
maestoso = magnificent (Italian)
monte de merda = pile of shit (Portuguese)
Mira esto = Watch this (Spanish)
Fuerza Aérea = Air Force (Spanish)
¿Que? = What? (Spanish)
Oh Jesús y María por favor no = Oh Jesus and Mary please no (Spanish)
Si insistes = If you insist (Spanish)
Sí sí sí sí sí = yes yes yes yes yes (Spanish)
¿Oh Dios por qué? ¿Por qué yo? Como un puto anime. = Oh God why? Why me? Like a fucking anime. (Spanish)
malvagità = evil/villainy (Italian)
Notes:
Happy Halloween everybody. Next chapter, we get back to What Madness is Going on Inside Flug's Head Now.