Lovely Bastards (BxB) (MxM)

Chapter 26 - Punishment

Sitting in the car next to Hunter, Charles tried calling Kit once more, worrying at his bottom lip as it went to voicemail again and again. 

His boss watched him, silently, keeping his hand on his knee the entire way as he drove.

His warmth was steadying, familiar, but unsettling too. Charles would be more worried about it - about what Hunter was planning, watching him darkly, eyes roaming over him when he wasn't watching the road - if he wasn't already so worried about never seeing Kit again.

"You - you'll help me find him?" he asked as Hunter led him from the car, nudging him into the elevator.

"Don't worry about your nephew."

"But - "

Hunter pushed him in through the door and crowded him up against it, kissing him right there. 

"Mmph, ah - " he struggled weakly, pushing at his shoulders. 

Something inside him - that part that always took over whenever Hunter laid hands on him, the part his senior had been training, cultivating, for years - told him to relax and let him do whatever he wanted, to let everything go and just obey...

The other man pulled him away from the door. It had been a while since Charles was here, but he recalled the layout well enough.

"No - " Charles pushed against his chest, trying avoid being herded towards the bedroom.

"Bed not good enough for you? "

Hunter hooked his foot around the back of his ankle as he stepped forward, sending him sprawling down.

"Well, here's a perfectly nice floor."

"Ah!!" Charles crashed down, landing against a stretch of empty wall, knocking over an umbrella stand and sending it's contents rolling across the floor. 

Hunter moved after him, agile like an actual hunter - or a former athlete, which he was - and caged him in between his arms, standing over him, cornering him into a deep, possessive kiss. 

"Ngh..."

"You nephew hates you now...none of your co-workers can stand to be around you," he murmured into his ear.

That isn't true...is it? 

"I'm the only one that can help you. I'm the only one that cares about you, Charles."

Hunter's voice was soft and persuasive, his words spoken like truth, like common knowledge - like something everyone but Charles already knew - and he held him more gently now, firm and reassuring. 

Kissing him again, touching him lightly and then pinching or twisting, making his voice go high -

"A-ah!" 

Until his body got hot, skin flushing despite himself, despite not feeling entirely secure - entirely sure - about why he'd come here, what he wanted - despite still trying to get up, away - 

"You know I never want to hurt you," Hunter said.

"You've caused this, Charles. If you were just good...I would never have to."

I... Is that true? Is it my fault? Everything that's gone wrong...My fault that Kit ran, my fault Hunter is angry...

This was the way it had always been in college, after his mother died - Hunter whispering into his ear what other people thought, what Charles ought to think about them... What he should do, who he should talk to and avoid...

His words always ate their way in, sticking, spinning around inside his skull.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, going limp and burying his face against Hunter's chest, because he was right there, and solid, and he knew what to do.