Flug had been aware of the text notification, but as he was in the middle of a hypnosis session he elected to ignore it in favor of the domineering voice commanding him to drop down into trance. He'd forgotten about it completely in between then and catching his breath in his post-edging haze. If he didn't happen to see it at the top of his phone screen as he debated the next audio file he might've missed it entirely. Which would've been bad, given the message was from Black Hat and might very well be important.
Meet me at the cafe before class tomorrow morning.
Flug texted back Why? Only after hitting send did he realize it was well past one in the morning and that text had been sent twenty minutes ago and Black Hat was probably asleep by-
He responded: I have something for you.
This wouldn't have anything to do with it being Valentine's Day tomorrow would it?
Perhaps.
Well that sure sounded like a yes. Good thing Flug had his own surprise ready, otherwise he'd be freaking out right now. Ok see you then
I'll see you then my Valentine.
Ohhhhh even seeing it through text made Flug's face heat up. This confirmed that they'd officially be Valentine's tomorrow (technically today) and Flug needed to mentally prepare himself. Considering how they'd given up being subtle about their "relationship", Flug expected Black Hat to come up with some grand romantic show of affection. He was actually surprised this was the first he was hearing of anything regarding the holiday. Perhaps Black Hat had been planning a secret surprise? Oh he definitely came up with something big and extravagant and amazing and all Flug had was a box of dark chocolates and a puny bouquet Black Hat probably wouldn't even want anyway.
Flug sighed. This train of thought was not helpful. Neither were these feelings of inadequacy. C'mon, it was all for show anyway! Why did Flug care so much?
Flug laid back in bed with his eyes closed. He purposefully ignored thinking about how hard he was. PerHApS it was because it wasn't entirely for show. There was undeniably some sort of...spark between them. That was growing more and more pronounced every time Black Hat looked at him with that amorous glint in his eye, or when he took Flug's hand in his own, or when he'd hold him close so tightly, or when he cupped his cheek and pulled him into a kiss, or when he called him his Pet-
Rocinante Flugslys gasped. Yep, he was definitely feeling something. Something that amplified the sensation in his soft pink satin panties. With a repressed groan he turned over and buried his face into his pillow, where he groaned freely. Now was not a good time to be thinking of Black Hat and the ways he made Flug's heart pound. It would only lead to thinking about the other thing he wanted Black Hat to pound.
Flug fidgetted against his sheets. Was it really so bad that he wanted Black Hat to like what he got him for Valentine's Day? Whatever they were to each other, Black Hat was someone Flug liked being with and he wanted to give him something nice. Valentine's Day just happened to be the soonest occasion to do that. Besides, Flug expected Black Hat to knock his socks off with whatever he'd gotten him. Was only one of them allowed to treat the other? That didn't seem fair. Black Hat was always giving Flug thoughtful presents, like the triplane model he'd given him for Christmas or the tiramisu he brought to comfort him. Whatever he'd prepared tomorrow was sure to be masterfully picked out. Because, you know, Black Hat was his Master and all...
Flug groaned into his pillow again out of a combination of stress and hormones. This was getting him nowhere. Back to what he'd been doing before; jerking away his mind. He couldn't worry about anything when there was nothing going on up there. He flipped back onto his back and picked his next audio file of the night. Morning. Whatever.
He wanted to relax. He needed to relax.
One of the benefits of being sleepless that Flug had come to appreciate most of all was never again having to wake himself up in the mornings. Sure, it came with the downside of never again being half-awake under warm blankets and getting those last few minutes of sleep before his alarm went off, but he also never had to force himself out from under the covers ever again so he considered it a fairly even trade off. Flug used to only give himself the time to brush his teeth and hair and maybe eat a little something, unless he had a morning class in which case he'd get coffee and nothing else on the way. Today he showered and dressed with the sunrise and treated himself to a most indulgent breakfast consisting of eggs, sausages, and red salsa. He would've brewed himself up a fresh pot of coffee as well were it not for the fact that he would be going to Cafe Triste before class to meet up with Black Hat.
Which reminded him, he'd better get a move on if he didn't want to be late.
Flug grabbed the chocolates out of the fridge and the flowers from the table and speed-walked out of his apartment. The bus showed up after a few minutes and was fuller than Flug was used to. He could barely push his way through the crowd, let alone sit down. He hoped the chocolates didn't get smooshed. Or the flowers, again. Wouldn't that just be the worst? If these little things Flug had decided on were ruined right before he gave them to Black Hat? What would he do then?
He tried to push these thoughts out of his head, distracting himself by comparing all the different bouquets he could see. There were lots of other roses, in large bundles of dozens alongside lilies and daisies and things Flug couldn't even name. Flug was (again) starting to feel like his meager bouquet of roses were just a tiny bit pathetic and sad.
"Excuse me, young man?" Flug had to turn his head a few times to figure out who spoke and if they were actually speaking to him. An older woman sat by the back doors and was looking up at him with a bit of concern. "Are you alright?"
"Oh, um, yes. Yes I'm ok. I-It's just, it's my first Valentine's Day with my...um..."
"Ahh, I see. You're worried she'll be expecting something more like that?" She pointed towards a large mound of pink and white that hid whoever was holding it from sight completely.
"Uhh, yeah, kind of." Flug chuckled nervously. Yeah, she. "Th-These don't look too small do they? Or cheap?"
"No no, only a horribly shallow girl would care about the cost. I'll let you in on a little secret. It doesn't matter how much you spend or even what you buy, the most important thing is that you care. Did you buy these because it's Valentine's Day or because you care about her?"
"I bought them be-because I...I care."
"Then I'm sure she'll love them."
"Do you really think so?"
The woman nodded. "The most expensive gift in the world doesn't mean a thing if it comes from someone who doesn't care."
"Thank you." He wasn't sure if this advice would apply to his current situation but he appreciated the woman's kindness. He briefly thought about correcting her on the whole "she" thing. Nah, it would probably be best to just move on. It would be awkward to say something now.
Here was his stop. He waved goodbye to the woman and shuffled towards the door. She waved back and called out "Good luck with your girlfriend."
Flug was going to just nod and keep walking and ignore the pang in his stomach but something made him stop. His heart pounded like it was going to burst out of his chest. People were already pushing past him to get off, he only had a few seconds here or he'd miss his stop completely.
He made his choice. He stuttered out "A-A-Actually, these are for my b-b-bo-b-boyf-friend."
The woman's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh. Well then, good luck with your boyfriend."
Flug felt a bit choked up all of a sudden. "Th-Thank you." He stepped out right as the doors closed, briefly trapping half of him on the bus before the driver opened them again and he scrambled off in a very uncoordinated manner.
Flug hurried to Cafe Triste feeling unusually energetic. He almost felt like running. His heart was still thumping and he felt slightly queasy but it didn't feel bad oddly enough. It reminded him of the jitters he got before presenting an invention. He was still nervous about actually doing this but at the moment the only thing that was going to stop him was being struck down by God himself.
Oh Lord, please don't actually strike me down for this. Flug thought. I've done so much worse, haven't I?
Flug swung the cafe door open with so much force it nearly slammed into someone on their way out. Flug fumbled a meek apology and scanned the place for Black Hat, who he found in a booth staring straight at Flug like he'd been watching the door waiting for him.
Did that mean he saw what just happened? Oh God he did didn't he?
Flug tried not to lose his nerve as he made his way over to where Black Hat was sitting expectantly. He tried reassuring himself with the knowledge that Black Hat had seen him make a complete fool of himself loads of times and once more wasn't going to change anything. He counted from one to three to try and prepare himself. This was it! He was doing it! Just give him the flowers and chocolates like a normal person! He told himself. Act like you've done this before!
He stuck them in Black Hat's face awkwardly and said "For you, feliz dí-día de San Valentín."
AAAAAAAHHHHHHH that came out so clumsy and ill-prepared! Why was he like this?!
He cleared his throat and tried again. "Um, what I m-m-mean to say is, these are f-for you. For Valentine's Day. I hope you like them."
Black Hat took the flowers out of Flug's hand. "What lovely roses. Thank you dearest. Sit, sit." Ok, so far so good. Flug took his seat across from Black Hat. Aw he had ordered him a latte, how thoughtful. "Are those for me too?"
"Oh! Yes! Yes, these are for you. I know you aren't the bi-biggest fan of sweet things but dark chocolate isn't all that sweet so I thought you might-"
"¡¿Queeeeeeeeee?!" Demetra suddenly butted in. "How can he not like sweet things when he's hat over heels for you?"
Black Hat took Flugs' hand. "He's my one exception."
"Well don't I feel special." Flug mumbled. He felt very warm all of a sudden. His face must've blended right in with all the pink decorations around them.
"You should."
"Anyways, now that you're both here..." Demetra giggled so hard Flug half-expected her to start full on cackling like a madwoman. Her hands were clasped tight and she was practically jumping in place. She directed her wild eyes to Black Hat. "Can we do it now? Please please pretty please can we do it now!?"
"Do what now?"
"Mmmm, I wanted that asshole to see it so I could rub it in his stupid face," Black Hat sighed. "But I suppose now is a good time. At least so I don't have to be seen with this thing anymore."
"Be seen with-"
"ALRIGHT EVERYBODY LISTEN UP!" Demetra yelled and clapped loudly, drawing everyone's attention and summoning the other waitresses to swarm them. "We have a very special couple here today and we did not rehearse this for nothing! Ready girls!?"
"Ready!"
Rehearse?!
Flug didn't get much time to wonder about that as they all burst into song, kind of like waiters at restaurants do for birthdays sometimes. Except it wasn't Flug's birthday. Or Black Hat's as far as Flug knew. And this song was far too romantic for a birthday. The only thing that prevented Flug from freaking out about the sudden Cafe Quartet and their acapella love ballad was the thing Black Hat presented him with that had been hidden from sight until now.
Voy buscando un hombre
como tú, Lo quiero así
Quiero que te enamores
Como estoy yo de ti
A casa enviarte flores
Y en tu nombre escribir
Mil canciones de amores
Pa' que pienses en mí
Como yo pienso en ti
In the middle of this strange Valentine's fever dream Flug found himself eye to eye with a fluffy blue teddy bear. It was a soft, pastel blue with the most adorable smile on its chubby furry face. It was big enough to bury his entire face in its fluffy body easily, and right there in big red cursive on its tummy read "Sé mío." Flug reached out tentatively and found its fur to be even softer than it looked. So soft. And underneath the bear was a box of chocolates. Expensive chocolates.
"So?" Black Hat snapped Flug out of his stupor. "Do you like it?"
"I...I love it!" Flug held it tightly against his chest. "Thank you! And thank you, ladies. I didn't know you sang for your patrons."
The red-headed one said "We don't."
"But it was a special request for a friend." The one with green-tipped pigtails gave a lopsided smile.
"And what kind of wing-woman would I be if I didn't get my girls together to help our best tipping customer serenade his boyfriend?" Demetra posed proudly with her hands on her hips. "I mean, I wanted to sing Rammstein but, whatever."
Flug squeezed the soft blue fluff of his present. Oh God he didn't want to set it down for a moment. Consider him serenaded. The ladies dispersed, getting back to those jobs they had. Flug switched the bear to one arm so he could properly look through the chocolates Black Hat gave him. Ooooh it had one of those fancy little cards with all the chocolates labeled! And what variety! Milk chocolates, chocolate caramels, salted caramels, white chocolate cremes with raspberries and fudge and almonds and coconut and toffee crunch.
"Are the chocolates to your liking?"
"You really have to ask that?" Flug peered up with a smile. He was feeling so giddy he could barely sit still and he hadn't even taken a bite yet!
"Well, I don't know your exact preferences. I hoped with such variety there might be something you would enjoy."
"Oh believe me I'm going to enjoy all of them, thank you. And thank you again for this." Flug hugged his teddy bear tighter. It was...sweet how Black Hat would gift him things after he mentioned once or twice that he liked them. And he'd certainly outdone himself with this. "Do you like yours?"
"I can certainly say that no one has ever given me flowers before." Black Hat's lips curled up devilishly. "And now I think I've been missing out all these years."
Flug attempted to hide behind his stuffed bear, internally cheering He likes them! "And the chocolates?"
"I don't particularly like chocolate, but-" Black Hat popped one into his mouth. "Mmm, not bad. Thank you very much."
Flug sampled his Valentine's candy in earnest, nearly melting in his shoes as the chocolate melted in his mouth. He was damn near moaning out loud with each bite into smooth, sweet, creamy goodness. The tastes of coffee and chocolate mixing together made for such delectability, especially with the toffee flavored ones. Black Hat ate two or three more pieces of his own treats, which made Flug think he might like them a little more than he let on. This Valentine's Day was off to a great start!
"Unfortunately we'll have to cut this short, unless you want to be late."
"I do not." Flug admitted sadly. If only this morning could go on forever uninterrupted.
"May I walk with you?"
"Yes- I-I mean sure. Ok." Flug found their arms looped together so naturally as they walked, like it had just become instinctual. He didn't even notice if they got any stares or if people were whispering about them as they passed, he was too far up on cloud nine to pay attention to things like that. Was this what it was like to have a Valentine? Was this what he'd been missing out on all his life? Walking arm in arm with someone special, leaning his head on that person's shoulder, a gifted teddy bear held tightly as if it was the most precious thing in the world. Rocinante Flugslys had never felt like this before. Forgive him if he wanted to indulge in the fantasy of having a sweet boyfriend that gave him nice things for Valentine's Day.
They stopped outside the doorway of the classroom, where Black Hat left a soft peck on Flug's cheek. "Would you meet me back at the cafe after class?"
"Absolutely. For sure this time, ha ha."
"I'll see you then, my Valentine."
Flug buried his face into his fluffy blue bear in a poor attempt to hide the dorky smile on his face as he stepped into class and took his seat. Class began shortly and Flug reluctantly put the stuffed animal down in favor of his notebook. He jotted notes down quickly as the professor spoke, taking every opportunity to reach down under him and stroke the bear's head. He may have to go over the lecture slides online later because he was having trouble focusing on anything other than how soft and cuddly it was. And such a calming shade of blue, like the sky on a clear, cloudless day.
Class could not end soon enough. The second the professor wrapped up today's lesson Flug exited the room and headed back to the cafe eagerly. His steps were light as if he didn't need to walk at all. Like he'd grown wings and was just hovering above the concrete pathways. He didn't have a care in the world. This was without a shadow of a doubt the best Valentine's Day he'd ever had!
"Nice teddy bear!" Someone called out.
"Oh uh, thanks!"
"Did your boyfriend give it to you?!" They laughed.
"Yes he did!"
Well that sure shut them up. Flug carried on, acting unbothered by that rude attempt at an insult. He wasn't going to let anything get him down today, he was in too good a mood. Nothing would spoil his long-awaited enjoyment of this holiday! Aurelio Cruz could show up and make a nasty comment and Flug would look him in the eye and tell him to go fuck himself!
As Flug got within view of Cafe Triste he noticed Aurelio standing outside the doors, seeming to be in the middle of an argument with Black Hat that was about ten seconds away from turning into a fistfight. Admittedly, Flug may have been tempting fate with thoughts like If I see him I'll stand up to him, but now that fate had called his bluff he planned his next move. As if playing a very high stakes game of chess. And not thinking about how mediocre he was at chess.
As he got closer and was able to make out more of the conversation, it became increasingly clear that there was only one course of action he could take.
"Fuck you!"
"Fuck you, and your eyebrows!"
Black Hat's face contorted with rage. "Listen here you little shit-"
"Honey!" Flug called out before tackling Black Hat in a hug. Impressively he did not stumble at all from the sudden affection, like a stone statue of Jack the Ripper. Flug gave him a kiss, pretending not to notice Aurelio and his bandaged nose. "I missed you. I can't thank you enough for my wonderful presents. Are you ready for lunch?"
It took Black Hat a few seconds to go from angry to bewildered to calm enough to put his arm around Flug and quietly say "Yes, yes I am." before turning and walking into Cafe Triste. The mood seemed different than it had this morning but Flug dared to hope that things would turn around before long.
Black Hat whispered in Flug's ear. "Honey?"
"Yes?"
Black Hat grimaced as if to say Really? REALLY?
Ahhhhhhh, Flug understood now. He ducked his head down behind his teddy bear again. "I'm sorry. It was the first thing that popped into my head."
"Please don't call me that again."
"Will do. Or better yet, won't do, eheh heh. I won't call you that again."
"Thank you."
"You know, I expected better from you." Aurelio said from behind them. They both just quietly ignored him, making their way through the cafe. "I mean, you dress to the nines everyday and yet the best you can come up with is a teddy bear? And after Rocinante bought you flowers. That is adorable by the way, Rocinante."
Black Hat grit his teeth and muttered. "I am really getting sick of this pedaço de merda bunda filho da puta-" What followed was a whole lot of low angry hissing that Flug couldn't understand.
But he too was getting sick of this bullshit. He turned and faced Aurelio. "Thank you, but I can't imagine anything better than my favorite animal in my favorite color given to me by my favorite person. And it's just so incredibly soft." He squeezed it tightly for emphasis, keeping his eyes on Aurelio. "Anyways, I hardly think it's any of your business. Do you not have a Valentine of your own?"
Aurelio smirked. "I'm meeting my girl Paola here actually."
"Good for you. I hope she doesn't mind your tendency of staring at little old me the whole time." Flug turned away with Black Hat and sat down, pretending not to notice Aurelio as he sat down a few tables away. It didn't take long before one of the waitresses from before greeted them and they ordered more coffee without any hassle. Flug pulled out his chocolates and started treating himself again. He bit into a caramel fudge truffle and sighed. It was heavenly.
"You did exceptionally well just now."
"Thank you." Flug ate his chocolate while Black Hat continued smiling at him in silence. Just staring at him. Unblinkingly. Ok that was a little creepy. "What's up?"
"Nothing. I like when you're like this."
"Like...what?"
"Confident. It's a good look for you. I wish you would have such a spine more often." Ohh... Black Hat liked him when he was confident, did he? "Especially when you're defending your favorite person."
Flug pretended (unconvincingly) not to be affected by Black Hat's tone. "Well I-I couldn't just do nothing. It looked like you two were gonna start fighting for real back there."
"Mmm, I wanted to. I feel I should apologize for how I spoke to you last year about hitting him. I understand now. Which reminds me, how goes your latest project?"
Flug smiled. "It's finished and ready for testing."
"Excellent. I cannot wait for next Saturday. I've scarcely been able to think of anything else. If there's one thing that aggravating shit-stain is good for, it's inspiration."
"Agreed."
"Here you are my favorite lovebirds!" Demetra placed their coffees on the table excitedly. Flug saw she had a rose in her hair now. Or maybe she'd had it before and he just didn't notice. "Totally random question, do either of you have any more surprises for each other?"
"I have nothing more planned."
"I...might have something?"
"You do?" Black Hat seemed very surprised to hear that.
Before Flug could explain Demetra said "Well can it wait? My manager, who honestly really likes you two and your business at this place I swear, told me to tell you to dial back on the lovey-dovey stuff. It's not that she's got a problem- well, she sort of had a problem with the singing and all. Actually a lot of people did. We kind of put every other dudes' presents to shame with that. Like three other couples broke up after you left."
Flug nearly choked on his coffee. "What!?"
"No. Really?" An evil smile spread across Black Hat's face. "People broke up because of that?"
She nodded. "I swear, this one chick got so mad. She was screamin' about how he never does things like that for her! And he was all, 'I didn't know they sang!' And like, we don't and we had to tell her that. Then she just screamed at us. She was pissed."
"And she broke up with her boyfriend?"
"Yep. Even threw the flowers he gave her in the trash, right in front of everyone before she stormed out."
"Whoa, that's harsh."
Black Hat cackled. "That's hilarious! And there were more?"
"None that big of a blow up, but yeah. Candy was trashed, hearts were broken, one guy actually got so pissed I don't know if you noticed but he was staring daggers at you the whole time until you left. His face was all red, not like yours Fluggy like angry-red. His girlfriend tried to calm him down but then she just stood up like 'I can't do this anymore we're done' and Mikey had to stop the guy from chasing her out. It was crazy! Like, we didn't know what he was gonna do!"
"Holy crap, seriously?"
"Seriously."
Black Hat couldn't stop laughing. His head was thrown back in amusement. "Oh wow, that's amazing, ohhhhhhh my lord. Thank you Dem, I needed that."
"You are entirely too happy about this." Flug scolded.
"Oh, oh I'm sorry. I'm sorry my sweet." Black Hat reached out for Flug's hand again. "It's just, extremely funny to me that some people are so insecure that they would break up with their partner because someone else got a better present."
Flug wanted to keep scolding him, but his brain was stuck on being referred to as "my sweet" again. Would the cutesy pet-names never stop!?
He secretly hoped they didn't.
"It is a little funny." Demetra grinned fiendishly. "In a 'get up on my level' kind of way."
"Quite right." Black Hat drank his coffee looking very proud of himself.
"But yeah, whatever surprise you've got up your sleeve is gonna have to wait Flugsy. For the sake of everyone else trying to get laid tonight."
Flug rolled his eyes. Demetra had such a dirty mind. Were all women like this? "It's back at my apartment, so I wasn't even going to bring it up until later."
"Ooooooooh you're gonna go back to your place?" Demetra wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. "Someone's got another big date night planned."
"Don't you have other tables!?" Flug shooed her and her impure thoughts away.
"Yeah, yeah, I'll be back for my tip." As she sauntered away Flug noticed a vaguely familiar girl walk past. He couldn't remember where he knew her from, but something about her caught his attention. Beyond just recognizing her face and backpack with several little charms noisily jangling from it. He followed her with his eyes and she sat down next to Aurelio. Oh yeah, he said he was meeting someone here didn't he?
"So, are you inviting me back to your place my darling? Flug? Flug! Is something the matter?"
"No, no it's nothing."
Black Hat followed his gaze and frowned. "You have got to stop saying it's nothing when it's future-dead-meat over there."
"He's nothing to me."
"Not even a future test subject?"
"...Ok he's that. But nothing else."
"Alright, alright. I believe you." They both sat in relative silence again, save for the sound of sipped coffee and chewed chocolate until Black Hat spoke again. "Should we be concerned?"
"About what?"
"About that girl with him who hasn't stopped staring at us?"
Flug looked out of the corner of his eye and yeah, she was staring right at them. Both she and Aurelio were very bad at acting nonchalant. God they were so obviously watching them. Flug refused to lose his cool over such poor stealthiness. "I think I've seen her before, but I can't remember where."
"I believe he did say he was meeting someone. What did he say her name was? Patricia or something?"
Flug tried in vain to remember her name or where he might know her from. If only he had actually been paying attention when Aurelio spoke instead of acting tough. Given that she was meeting Aurelio here she most likely was Gifted, though there was nothing about her that hinted as to what she might be able to do. She hadn't been one of the Engineering Club volunteers, he was sure of that. But he definitely knew her from somewhere.
Oh man this was going to bother him for the rest of the day.
"She wasn't one of your club volunteers was she?"
"No."
"Was she one of the people you held up at gunpoint?"
"I don't know, I held a lot of people at gunpoint. She might've been one of them."
Black Hat sighed. "Fantastic. We have negative information."
"What now jefe?"
Black Hat took the chocolates Flug gave him out of his bag. He began eating as if they were not just talking about how they were being watched by an unknown woman with unknown powers for unknown reasons beyond Aurelio's involvement. "I believe you were inviting me back to your place?"
Flug blinked. They were just going to ignore her? "Well, um, I've drawn up a bunch of blueprints for upgrades to some of my old inventions. I was thinking we could go over them and maybe work out a proper schedule for upgrading and testing out our products. Maybe see about ordering materials ahead of time so that everything progresses efficiently and all that."
"Good thinking, yes, we've much to do and only a few weeks to prepare."
"Because of that, uh, that party in April?" Which I'm only now realizing you haven't told me the exact date of? Or where exactly we're going? Or how we're getting there?
"Yes, and I need to fill you in on a few things regarding that as well. Sooner rather than later." Black Hat stroked his chin. Then he smiled like he just got an idea. "Say, would you mind coming over to my place instead?"
"I guess not. But why?"
"I was just thinking, dark chocolate goes maravilhosamente with merlot. And merlot pairs with steak in turn. How would you feel about discussing this further over dinner? I'll be sure to save some chocolate for you." Black Hat popped a dark chocolate truffle in his mouth, still smiling.
"That sounds...nice." Flug mentally cursed. It sounded much better than just "nice". It sounded downright lovely! Why couldn't he just say that!? "Do we, do we have time for that? You know since you're, ahhh, busy most nights?"
"I think I can afford one night off for matters such as this. Besides, we still have another week. Are you working on anything else currently?"
"No, I don't have anything else right now."
"Then it's a date?"
"I guess so, yeah. Yeah it's a d-date." Flug chugged his coffee. He should probably stop doing that. It was making his heart race at a pace most unhealthy.
"Wonderful." Black Hat flagged down Demetra for the bill. "I'm afraid I must take my leave now. I'll see you tonight. May I pick you up at seven?"
"Sounds good. Can I, um, can I walk you out?"
"I'd like that." Black Hat smiled wider. It felt strange for Flug to be the one escorting Black Hat anywhere. Almost backward. Flug didn't know why, it just felt like something he should do. Black Hat was always doing gentlemanly things like this, surely Flug could return the courtesy every now and again. That was all it was. They shared a kiss as they went their separate ways and Flug lightly jogged to his next class in an effort to lose some of the jitters he'd gotten from his latest caffeine indulgence.
So they were having dinner at Black Hat's place. Again. Just to go over his blueprints and put together an efficient schedule of upgrading his inventions and testing them out. As well as going over more "villain" stuff. It was high time Black Hat filled him in on what to expect when he met Dr. Morte, and...whoever else would be there. Wherever there was. Did the hundreds-of-years-old witch-man live in a house? And did he actually wear a pink suit? That was odd, but admittedly with some of the get-ups Flug had seen on TV it was hardly the oddest. Certainly not as crazy as skin-tight green spandex.
Would...that guy be there?
Ok, no. No no no. This line of thinking was not helpful. It'd probably be best not to get too worked up thinking about all the unknowns. He should save his questions for tonight. Yeah. He'd get his answers from Black Hat tonight over dinner. You could almost think of it like a Valentine's dinner date. That's what they'd call it if anyone asked. No one would ever suspect that in actuality the two of them would be planning a whole slew of murders to test out the weapons they'd be selling to other murderers. They'd just think they were fucking or something.
Flug walked briskly into the classroom and took his seat. He decided to put his teddy bear in his backpack so he wasn't distracted by it during class. He really should focus on class right now, that was his immediate priority. Everything else would be dealt with when the time came. He tried to just relax. The rational part of his brain told him it would be best to take things one at a time and relax. Yeah. That was all. Everything was fine, everything would continue to be fine. He just needed to relax.
"I want you to focus on your body. You start to feel...tired. Exhausted. You just want to rest. You just want to relax. Relax more with every breath you take. More and more relaxation. Relaxing feels so good. Just let it happen."
Flug laid back calmly in his bed, on top of the sheets in nothing but his birthday suit. He'd begun having some minor freak out while choosing his attire for the evening and thought the quickest way to get himself back under control was with a bit of hypnosis. This audio file was only around twenty minutes and he had over an hour until Black Hat came and picked him up. Plenty of time to lie back, calm down, and finish getting ready. And he was so tired. It was nearly impossible to keep from thinking about what tonight might have in store. It exhausted him. He needed something to take his mind off all of that for a while. He just needed to lay down for a few minutes and he'd be good to go to dinner at Black Hat's. Again.
"There is nothing to be worried about." Yes, there was absolutely nothing to worry about. Sometimes it helped just to hear that. The voice coming through his headphones was much more effective at convincing him of it than his own inner voice was. This was like an auditory massage, soothing him with the promise that there truly was nothing to fear. "Let's start with your feet. Your toes to be more precise. Move them one last time..." Flug wiggled his toes as if on cue. "...before you feel them becoming numb. Numb and relaxed, warm and heavy. This feels so good. Like dipping your toes into a warm bath." It did feel good. He swore he almost did feel some warmth coming from his toes. Flug licked his lips in anticipation of what was to come next.
"Relax your feet now. Relax them as you step down into the bath. Let the warm water go over your feet. Just leave everything behind you." His breaths were slow and deep, rhythmic and even. He had a vague image in his mind of a machine, working steadily day in and day out. That was all the body was when you got down to it; a fleshy, bloody machine. Taking air in...and out. "And the more you relax your body, your mind follows. It's just you and me now. You and my words. Focus on my words. Don't resist, just listen."
Why would he ever resist when he felt like this? There was a certain sort of peace that came with giving up control like this, a peace he seldom felt out of trance. Just following along and feeling at ease. It became the simplest thing to let himself fade away and allow another's words to overtake him.
"Let the water go up to your ankles... You feel so wonderfully warm and comfortable. Just relax. Let it happen. You can feel the warm water going up your legs as you go further in, and relax even more. Over your knees for me...your thighs...feeling so good. You love this." It was rather nice to lie back and lose himself for twenty or thirty minutes at a time. He almost wished he'd discovered hypnosis sooner.
"With this relaxation...your body becomes so heavy. More and more impossible to move. And with the relaxation of your body, your mind follows. Your mind becomes weaker. Thinking becomes harder and harder, but you don't even need to think. You just need to listen... You just need to relax... Relax and enjoy it. You just need to follow my words and enter my hypnotic trance." Yes, that was all that was asked of him here. That was all he needed to do. He just needed to listen and follow. He could do that. It took no effort at all on his part. "Let it happen. Let me take care of you. Feeling so good, so relaxed, let the water go up to your hips... No need to move. No need to think. Your body and mind are so heavy."
Yes, that was exactly right. Flug was so relaxed his whole lower half was little more than dead weight. Too heavy to move. Forcing himself to try and fight it was pointless, not to mention counterproductive. He wanted to relax. He wanted to lose sight of all his stresses and worries and responsibilities and just relax. Moving was too much effort. It was too much strain. All he wanted was to lie back and lose himself to the steady voice and warm water.
"Feel the water at your stomach...let it go to your chest. You feel so good. So warm. So relaxed. No need to think... Just let it happen... Enjoy it." He was enjoying it. With each breath it spread further throughout his body, relaxing every muscle in his torso. "As this wonderful warm water starts to spread to your shoulders, you notice how tired you actually are. So relaxed and tired." He was tired, so very very tired. This was the only thing that could alleviate his constantly stressed out mind. "Let the water go over your biceps...your elbows...your forearms...and finally your hands. Let the relaxation go over every single finger tip." Ahhh, that was the stuff. Nearly his entire body was limp and listless like that of a doll. Every muscle relaxed and unable to move, leaving him no choice but to lie there and listen as the audio file continued.
"Now there is only one thing left. Your head. Your mind. Let the warmth enter your mind. Just let it happen. Don't resist it. You want this." Yes, Flug did want this. His body was fully under the spell of hypnosis and now his mind would be as well. He would finally be free of those pesky fears and insecurities that plagued him night and day. "Soon I will snap my fingers, and when I do, you will fall into a deep state of trance. Fully relaxed. Deeply entranced. Once you hear my fingers snap, your mind and body will be fully under my hypnotic influence. My words will become your thoughts. 3...2...1." There was a loud snap and Flug's mind went blank. "Sleep now. Very good. You are so relaxed right now. So deeply entranced, so tired. Now, let's take you even deeper."
Oh yes, he wanted to go deeper.
The next countdown went from ten to zero, taking Flug further down into trance and making him all the more susceptible to it in the future (supposedly). All the while he lay immobile in bed, oblivious to the world around him. As close to unconsciousness as he could get. Entranced.
"Now I'm going to wake you up. I will count from 1 to 5. With each number you will regain consciousness bit by bit, and when I reach 5 you will wake up. You will wake up energized and ready to continue with your day. Let's start, 1...your surroundings are coming back. 2...feeling your body again. 3...feel your strength returning. 4...coming back to your senses. 5...fully awake and so refreshed! I hope you've enjoyed our time together. Until next time, my slaves."
Flug opened his eyes. Mission accomplished, he was feeling much better now. He sat up and stretched, ignoring the slight ache between his legs. God, that hadn't even been one of the sexual ones. Was he getting turned on by relaxation now? He carefully got up and reached for his glasses, resuming getting ready for his "date". He didn't know why he bothered continuing with the quotation marks. He expected tonight to go about the same as the last time Black Hat had invited him over for dinner and to "talk". Start off all professional and mildly flirtatious and then bam! Kissing again. In his lap. Although they've done a lot more than kissing since then so they'd probably do more. It seemed like the logical progression of things.
Flug hunted through his drawers until he found the undergarments he wanted. It made him feel more prepared to dress for the occasion. He did owe Black Hat a show, after all. Although just the sight of him like this may qualify as its own spectacle. He wondered what Black Hat might say if (when) he saw him like this; the lacy black stockings, the red cotton panties, the garters and corset. The corset especially may come back to bite him but he was committed to going all in tonight. With this, there would be no backing out prematurely. Flug tightened the last of the laces going up and down his back, making sure everything was straight and parallel before tying himself up. He turned to and fro, checking out his reflection. Yeah, yeah this was good. He liked what he saw. He imagined Black Hat would too. He imagined Black Hat would run his hands up and down his body, leaving new marks across his skin as he undressed his darling Pet. Whispering in his ear, telling him what a good boy he was.
Flug saw his reflection bite its lip and turn away. He panted against his wardrobe. C'mon, he told himself, keep it together. What was he feeling so anxious about? Everything was going to be fine. Nothing bad was going to happen. It wasn't as if Black Hat was some kind of man-mantis that would eat him after sex. That was just plain crazy. Although, Black Hat did like to bite him and suck his blood. Which was just the teensiest bit odd and concerning. But Flug let him do it time and time again, because...because...
He turned back to his reflection and traced the faded marks Black Hat had left on him weeks ago. They were nearly gone, but he could still feel the indents and scabbings from where teeth pierced his flesh. He expected, maybe even hoped, that he'd be getting some new marks tonight. Possibly in places other than just his neck. It had been over a month now since Black Hat had lifted up his shirt and traversed his mouth down Flug's body. If he wanted to do so again, Flug wouldn't say he minded. One might even say he would enjoy that. And there wasn't anything wrong with that, right? Just like there was nothing wrong with who he was having these...feelings towards. Everyone already thought they were sleeping together anyway, so why not? What was stopping him?
Black Hat was...well, nice was stretching it, but he treated Flug well. He was respectful and chivalrous and gallant and always so patient with him. What more could he ask for in a...partner? There were a few unknown things, like Black Hat's age and actual name, but assuming things took a more personal turn Flug vowed to nut up and ask about all that. As things stood now he at least wanted to give it a proverbial whirl. If he changed his mind or ended up not feeling up to it, they'd stop. He trusted that Black Hat would stop.
Flug turned back to his closet and focused on picking his outerwear. He put on black slacks over his stockings and panties, couldn't go wrong with those. He wore the dark blue dress shirt last time so he didn't want to wear it again. Otherwise Black Hat would think he only had one nice shirt. As opposed to Black Hat seeming to own multiple nice shirts that all looked exactly the same. Though that one with the gold embroidery he'd worn that one time had looked so good on him. Flug had three other dress shirts to choose from; white, yellow, and baby blue. The white might look nice, then again blue was more his color. Then again he hardly ever wore the yellow one so it looked nicer, or at least newer.
Flug's eyes drifted over to the teddy bear Black Hat gave him earlier today, sitting on his desk beside the triplane he'd given him for Christmas.
Baby blue it was.
He tucked his shirt into his slacks and put on his tie. It was a plain black one, the only one he owned. He'd had it for years, something for special occasions like his cousins' quinceañeras or family weddings. His dad had shown him how to tie it, a simple knot really. Everyone said he looked like such a dapper young man. He combed his hair and looked his reflection over again. He looked nice. Not Black Hat levels of debonair but he was about as dressed up as he could get.
Finally, he dabbed a bit of cologne on his wrists and neck. It had been cheap, some little no-name bottle that was more affordable than good. Not as enticing as whatever scent Black Hat wore. Flug wondered if he'd be wearing it tonight. Had he been wearing it the first time he invited Flug over? He couldn't remember. Maybe it was something new? Something he put on...for Flug?
Not wanting to work himself up and ruin his hypnotized tranquility, he pushed these thoughts out of his head and waited. Calmly. Patiently. It wouldn't be much longer now until Black Hat came and picked him up. The only thing to do now was wait.
...Would this be their third date?
Translatons:
feliz dí-día de San Valentín = Happy Valentine's D-Day (Spanish)
Sé mío = Be mine (Spanish)
pedaço de merda bunda filho da puta = piece of shit ass son of a bitch (Portuguese)
maravilhosamente = marvelously (Portuguese)
quinceañera = a coming of age ceremony for girls in Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean.
The song lyrics in this chapter are from Manuel Turizo's "Una Lady Como Tú" and can be loosely translated to:
I'm looking for a man
like you, I want it like this
I want you to fall in love
Like I am with you
To send you flowers home
And write in your name
A thousand love songs
So that you think of me
How I think of you
Happy (late) Valentines everybody