Captivated || Damen & Laurent

01

Laurent had an air of indifference about him as he laid across the chaise lounge, seemingly so casual that one wouldn't even guess that his muscles were coiled tight, ready to spring into action at any moment. Though, being part-cat, most would assume he spent most of his time lazing about anyway. That's most certainly what the men and women ogling him at that very moment were thinking.

Every night was the same. Laurent's uncle would call for him and Nicaise - a little fox chimera, still only a child - to come to the showroom for a few hours and have guests observe them like they were some freaks of nature. Chimeras weren't common, no, but they weren't so rare that they needed be shown off like bizarre creatures either. Laurent detested his uncle for the humiliation he put Laurent through each evening.

A couple of years ago, Laurent's father and older brother were killed in a suspicious 'accident', and since Laurent was a minor at the time, his uncle was granted custody. A few months later, Uncle adopted Nicaise from a chimera foster centre, earning good favour by explaining that his chimera nephew had just lost his father and brother, and would like someone like himself to bond with. All of it was complete bullshit, of course. Two chimeras at the same time was far too convenient for Uncle, so he took hold of the unique opportunity and earned himself some sort of reputation as a chimera connoisseur. His chimeras were known as the finest of the fine, the lack in numbers made up for with their youth and beauty.

The guests, at least, treated them well. They knew only Nicaise liked to be petted, the boy lapping up the attention, having never received it from his own parents. He knew how to make his words sting, but with the guests, he was all smiles and charm. They respected Laurent's boundaries; they could look but not touch, and they were not to expect any conversation. Sometimes he would humour them, but most took his stone cold demeanour to be from the cat side of him. Oftentimes, Laurent would wonder just how much of him was animal, and how much really was man.

Other than his uncle, the only other person Laurent truly detested was Aimeric. The boy had been kind at first, the son of Uncle's friend who was curious about the business he had going, all wide-eyed and innocent. But soon enough he became a brat, doing anything Uncle asked of him in the hopes it'd get him some special favour. Laurent suspected his uncle might be doing things with the poor boy, corrupting him, but the thought made him feel ill, so he would push it to the back of his mind.

Usually Aimeric would help set up the room for the guests' arrival, and stick around to help clean up after they were gone, but tonight he was spending time with his family. They allowed him to work for Laurent's uncle, but they requested he stay home with them at least once a week. Aimeric detested going home, always moody and general pain in the ass the day before, but at least it gave Laurent an opportunity.

All he had to do was kick up a fuss. If he started some drama or made a scene, his uncle would send him away and claim that his 'cat side' had gotten the better of him. Then Nicaise would turn up his charisma and charm on all the guests to distract them from what happened, and obviously Laurent's uncle would stick around to make sure none of them were having a bad experience. If any guests went away with bad gossip, then his entire reputation, and business, could be ruined.

Only then it would be the perfect time for Laurent to make his escape.

He glanced over to where Nicaise was sitting on a pile of soft and luxurious pillows made of silk while his admirers crowded around. Of course, calling them admirers was far too kind. The guests looked at Nicaise with barely controlled lust in their eyes, and being the child he was, that made them no better than paedophilic perverts, much like Laurent's uncle himself.

"Yes, you can touch it," Nicaise told one of his new patrons, who either ignored the pawing and groping from the others, or thought he needed permission. The man grinned widely and immediately reached out to stroke Nicaise's fox tail.