When Lily's Cry: Puppet Strings

Chapter V. Poor Thing

Alfred hummed, "Sounds good Katyusha. I'll go ahead and get the rest of my stuff ready. Think I should leave a few buttons open to please the customers? They seem to get bored with the dancers after a while."

Katyusha pressed a finger to her chin, thinking over the outcomes of Alfred boosting his amount of revealed skin to satisfy customers.

"Sure. But if anyone try's to take you home, button up, and come get me."

Alfred nodded, "Sure thing boss.~"

Katyusha rolled her eyes, and ruffled Alfred's hair before leaving the large, open room. The only thing other than the bar were some tables and chairs in front of a small stage, with a single pole going from floor to ceiling. The walls looked sort of pink, and with the color of the light being red, it was bound to look that way.

After about 15 minutes, the bar was declared open, and men and women began slowly streaming into the rose colored room. Most of them ordered drinks or snacks, and then sat at the empty tables, awaiting their orders. Some sat at the bar, those of which, Alfred conversed with politely. He noticed two men sitting at the bar that looked like they had already had a drink or two before coming to the club. He watched them out of the corner of his eye, but kept the conversation between him and a 20 something year old women going.

He got his job because he was observant after all, and could tell when a customers was in need of a glass of water, and not another glass of wine. Katyusha was grateful for his keen senses, because it allowed her to worry about the dancers and their well being instead.

The bachelor party Alfred was warned about came in around 10:30, laughing and talking as they sat at the two tables Katyusha and Alfred had pushed together. Alfred was also a waiter of sorts, so he walked over to the table to get their drinks.

"What can I get you fellas tonight? Anything special for the lucky man?"

Alfred glanced around the table, and began taking orders from the men in a clockwise fashion. He smiled kindly, and asked them if they wanted any snacks to go with their drinks. While taking the orders, he felt a hand on his behind, but he was used to it so he paid it no mind. After gathering all the orders, he headed back to the bar.

He took out the drinks on two trays balanced on his forearms. After passing them all out, he went back to get their food. He looked to the stage, and saw one of their male performers walking out, he took note that it was their most popular stripper, and would likely bring in a good amount of customers.

After getting the large party what they ordered he began to head over to his original post, but was stopped by a hand grabbing him by the inside of his thigh. Alfred smiled down at the gentleman who touched him, and gently pulled his hand away from his lower regions. He noticed there were a few light weights at the table, and reminded himself not to get them refills.

About an hour had passed since the group arrived, and Alfred was currently chatting with a young man, 23, as his ID had stated, and currently living in some apartment in the large city. It was odd, in Alfred's own opinion, but when customers came in, they usually told him their life stories like they were talking about the weather. He had come to understand though, that they were usually people who just needed someone to talk to.

No, they were people who needed someone to listen. And Alfred was happy to be that person, as long as it lessened the wait on their shoulders.

The bar slowly became less busy, as people took taxis home, since they couldn't drive themselves.  The bachelor party, however, was still buzzing with conversation. Alfred headed towards the table, standing on the side farthest from the man who had touched him.

"Can I get you boys anything else, or do you just wanna watch the show?"

One man spoke up, but Alfred couldn't tell who it was.

"You could get home with me! I'd show you a whole lot of fun.~"

Alfred laughed softly, assuming the man was joking, but when a hand ran along his spine and then squeezed his ass, he knew what the man meant. He grabbed the man currently touching him by the wrist, and spoke up politely.

"I'm sorry sir, but you must think I'm someone else, now may I request that you not touch me in such a manner?"

The man laughed and nodded, but that didn't stop the man on Alfred's other side from wrapping his hand around Alfred's inner thigh, and stroking up towards Alfred's-

Alfred flinched and backed away, causing the man to lose his grip on the cerulean eyed teen.

Alfred quickly headed back to the bar, a look of disgust making its way onto his normally calm face.

"Katyusha."

The short haired women looked up at Alfred in confusion, before seeing that Alfred had buttoned up his shirt. Her facial features contorted into anger.

"Who?", she asked softly, though annoyance was present in her normally cheery voice.

Alfred looked down at his dress shoes and spoke up quietly.

"Bachelor party, three guys. Third one went too far."

Katyusha's motherly instincts kicked in, as she asked in an abnormally serious tone, "Where did they touch you?"

Alfred's face heated with embarrassment as he spoke again.

"M-My ass, and the inside of my thigh. The third guy tried to touch my-"

Alfred was cut off by Katyusha bringing him into a tight hug. Though it was a bit uncomfortable considering the size of her chest, Alfred was still grateful.

He wrapped his arms around her, and had noticed that tears were now threatening to spill from his sky blue eyes. He tried holding them back, but with Katyusha's reassuring rubs on his back, and her hand gently running through his hair, the tears inevitably fell, drenching the silver haired women's shoulder.

She didn't mind though, she knew the trauma Alfred was put through as a child, since she knew him since he was about 14 years old. She knew the things his father did to him, and knew experiences like this would bring back horrible memories.

She shushed him as he tried to talk, and told him simply:

"It's okay, I'm here, you'll be okay."

Sobs shook his body, as he tried to cover his face with his hands, but Katyusha stopped him, and intertwined their fingers.

"You don't need to hide, it's only me. You can cry, just let it out."

Alfred did as he was told, he cried, and held her close to himself, like she was the only thing keeping him alive.

And that's how the two stayed, until Alfred calmed down, and Katyusha went out to scold the group of men, and ultimately kicked them out.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Alfred sat in her office, lying down on her light blue couch, hundreds of thoughts running through his head. Once Katyusha entered the room again, he sat up and walked towards her, pulling her close for the third time that night.

She smiled into the fabric of Alfred's dress shirt, and fiddled with strands of Alfred's soft blond hair. He did the same, running a hand through her titanium locks, while the other held onto the fabric of her shirt tightly, to prevent it from shaking. The rest of his body did though, as tears stained his face, and his eyes began to burn from how much he had been rubbing them.

Katyusha noticed, and made sure he didn't wipe the tears away anymore, and simply let them fall.

The two migrated to the couch, and Katyusha held Alfred's hand as he sobbed into the crook of her neck. He eventually fell asleep, and even with messy hair and a face stained with trails of tears, he still looked beautiful.

Katyusha frowned and stared at him, memorizing all the little details. She spoke softly, mainly to herself.

"Poor thing. You didn't deserve this."