Chapter 18: Perceptions and Perils

Riki couldn’t move. He lay on his stomach, the satin sheets that twisted around his torso and legs stained with their sweat and body fluids as he allowed his eyes to slowly open. He was alone in the bed, sore, so incredibly sore and tired and ashamed that he had asked for this.

Iason hadn’t been brutal, but he had been relentless, because that was what Riki had asked for, had needed. Riki had no time to think or feel, just as he had requested, but now, in the aftermath he began to wonder what in the hell was wrong with him? How could he want this, ask for this, with Iason Mink?

After Riki’s final submission, Iason seemed intent to make up for all the time he had been unable to touch his pet and it had taken hours for the master to be satisfied. He didn’t dare to think how much worse it would have been if Iason was not still been somewhat hampered by his condition.

Slowly his previous worries began to seep back in, the fear, the indecision, the shame and the longing. What was he supposed to do? Iason said he could be free but was asking... asking him to stay and be his pet. Iason was giving him a choice, but Riki was confused about his feelings and had even let his guard down by giving into the needs of his body. Appalled by his own behavior, stunned that he could not bring himself to leave and mortified that he wanted to stay with a man who did nothing but hurt him, he was at a loss of what to do next.

“Mr. Riki?”

“Don’t call me Mister, Cal.”

Cal moved into Riki’s line of sight and crouched by the bed. “Shall I run you a bath?”

“No.”

“Would you like something to eat?”

“No.”

“A cigarette?”

“No.”

Cal’s eyes widened. “Not even a cigarette?”

The wonder in his voice caused Riki to almost smile. “I’ll go for a swim in awhile.” Just as soon as he could move again.

“I don’t believe that is wise, sir. The storm is over, but the water still looks very angry.”

“Looks angry, does it?”

“Yes, very.”

Slowly Riki sat up, swung his legs over the side and waited for his body to stop twitching from discomfort. “That makes two of us.” He waited a moment, his head spinning a bit, then he rose and walked, unsteadily to the set of dresser drawers. He was no longer embarrassed about Cal seeing him naked and hadn’t been for some time. “Do you want to come with me?”

“No, no I really think it is better to stay inside, unless you’d like me to go with you? In that case of course I will.”

“It’s fine. I won’t stay out long,” Riki promised as he slid into a pair of bathing trunks. “I just need to clear my head.”

“P ... perhaps ... um ... perhaps when Katze returns you can both go and...”

“Where’s Katze?”

“He ... Lord Mink sent him on a quick errand.”

“I see.” Riki put his hand on Cal’s shoulder as he grabbed a towel from the cupboard. “I’ll be fine, Cal.”

Riki rose and opened the door of his terrace. It was still misting, but the damp, cool air might help clear his mind; a mind that was heavy with what had happened in the living room, and the implications of his own confession.

His body was still throbbing from Iason’s touch and he hated that he wanted more of it.

Katze was right, perhaps they had both just needed to stop denying themselves. Maybe if he stopped that, if he gave into his needs, it would clear up his mind and he would be able to think straight? Maybe, if he and Iason got it out of their system, he could make a choice, but then, would Iason ever be truly out of his system?

It was true what Iason had said, his return had only partially been because of Iason’s threats. He’s wasted an entire year in Ceres because he couldn’t deal with what had happened to him; couldn’t stop thinking of Iason Mink. He’d lost the chance to reconnect with Guy and his gang, threw away the opportunity to rebuild his reputation or try to make something more with his life.

Instead, he wallowed in self-pity, shame and fear for over a year, and all that had accomplished was to lead him right back to Iason. If he was honest with himself, it was a relief when Iason forced him to return, because then he didn’t have to think so much, didn’t have to make such difficult decisions. That revelation hit him like a brick to the stomach and he physically staggered. Everything he ever fought against Iason for was because he had no control over his life, and yet here he was, admitting that, at least in that moment, he had been relieved to give up his control to Iason again.

With a low growl that was close to becoming a scream he stepped off the balcony and started to run down the path to the beach. He dropped his towel without stopping as his feet hit the water and moments later, he dove head first into an oncoming wave. Cal had been correct, the tide was incredibly strong, but it was also exactly what Riki needed as he pushed through the water with long, powerful strides. He needed something to fight against, something he could win against.

It was quite awhile before he came out, and when he did, his exhausted body collapsed on the sand. He lay there, unmoving, as he stared up at the stars. Why couldn’t they stay here? This was the nicest place he had ever been to. It was quiet and peaceful, there was no one pointing fingers and treating him like shit. No Blondies wandering in and out of space, no glaring lights and background traffic noises. This place was heaven for someone like him. He probably would get bored after awhile, but he hadn’t yet and that said something.

He wasn’t going to leave Iason; he knew that now. Whatever the Blondie had done to him over the years, his conditioning was complete and leaving was no longer an option. Did Iason know that when he had offered him his freedom? Probably, Iason knew everything; he hated that.

He couldn’t go back to Tanagura, but Iason had to return there, so where did that leave them? Apatia and Katze? He wasn’t averse to it, but as Katze had mentioned earlier, the underworld was a dark place and Riki was tired of constant darkness. He smirked as he recalled Iason’s comment about opening a shop in Midas and an idea occurred to him. That wasn’t a bad idea, really. A shop ... The idea continued to change and develop in his head and he slowly started to smile.

A shadowed face suddenly blocked out his view of the moon, and as he focused, he saw a hand coming down; then once again he was back in darkness.

“Iason!” Katze ran in suddenly. “Riki’s gone!”

Iason’s hand curled into a fist, before slowly straightening again. So, his pet had decided to run after all? “I see.”

“No, you don’t.” Katze moved forward and handed Iason the data pad he’d retrieved from the beach after Cal had come to him, worried when Riki had not returned. “Someone took him.”

Iason’s moment of grief turned to fear as he grabbed the pad and pressed his thumb to it. He listened to the message, his expression giving nothing away. When he spoke, there was white hot fury in his voice. “I underestimated his desire for control.”

“What do we do?” What could they do? Iason still wasn’t even officially listed as being alive yet and now they had to deal with this. Katze ran a hand through his hair. “Should I try and contact Jupiter?”

“No.” Iason’s refusal was very quiet. “I will deal with this on my own.”

“But how...” Katze asked. Iason still could not walk properly and there was only the three of them. “My network can probably find where they’ve taken him, but it will take time, and we don’t have...”

Iason handed the memo pad to Cal, who was visibly shaking. Such a show of emotion would get any other furniture fired, but he understood how much the boy cared for Riki and so instead, he took a moment to smooth his hand over the boy’s head. “Don’t fret, Cal. I will fix this. Go to my rooms and bring me down the data portal.”

Cal nodded and hurried out of the room.

“Katze, put your contacts to work and find them!”

“What are you...?”

“Obviously they’ve had eyes on us for some time and my current incapacity to walk has been taken as a sign of weakness, when it could not be further from the truth.” He pulled off his white glove, then pressed the thumbnail of his left hand; a moment later it began to blink blue.

“What is that?”

“A call for reinforcements.”

Katze’s eyes widened.

Riki woke to darkness, cold, and limited movement. He pulled at his arms and felt the dreadfully familiar sound of clinking chains. No! No, not this, not again! Where was he, what the hell had happened? He remembered swimming and laying on the beach and then ... nothing else.

Iason! Where was Iason, and Katze, and Cal? Where was he? Why was he bound again? Had Iason finally lost his patience with him and decided to start his training over again? No. No, he didn’t think Iason would do that.

“Hey! Hey you motherfuckers! Let me go, do you hear me? You let me the fuck go!”

A door opened somewhere in the room and a small shaft of light shifted across the floor. A moment later the room was laminated by a soft glow and Riki was relieved to find that this time he wasn’t completely naked; he could tell that at least he still had his swim trunks on. The glow dimmed significantly and then again to only shadows.

“Riki?”

Riki stiffened at the familiar voice and even though he still could not see, he knew immediately who it belonged to. “Guy?” Oh God! Oh God, this was bad. If Guy had him again this was so bad! Was his old paring partner going to castrate him again? “W ... Where...?”

Suddenly an arm slid around him and a heavy, familiar weight pressed him down. He could not embrace Guy, as he was still chained, but nor did he want to. In fact, being held by this man that had once been his friend sickened him.