Scars

Pretty Girl

"You're really funny, you know that?"

Quentin looked down bashfully at the floor before looking up again to meet his eye. Carter was sloppy and moody, his smile the only thing fixed at a point. Whenever he saw it wobble Quentin just convinced himself he was the one with too much to drink.

Carter kept showering him with compliments, touching his hair before pulling him into a darkened corner of the party.

"Where's Julia?"

"You don't need her. Do you want her or me? You should let her have fun."

There were too many statements for Quentin to make sense of, his face knotted in confusion.

"Why don't you come with me, I'll show you a good time." Carter said as he took Quentin into a darkened spare room. There wasn't even a bed, and he could feel the chill from what turned out to be a broken window.

Quentin couldn't stop giggling for some reason, and Carter grabbed onto this hair, pulling it before taking it out of its bun, the strands obscuring his face.

"You look like a pretty girl with your hair like that."

"I don't.."

"You can be a pretty girl for me tonight." He said rubbing his thumb along Q's jaw. It was stubbly and raw, and Quentin suddenly felt ashamed of it.

"You didn't answer me."

"I don't, do I?"

"No stuttering like that. You tell me. You want to be my pretty little girl tonight don't you."

"I'm a boy." Quentin said, though at the same time swaying into Carters arms.

"No, you need me to take care of you. You don't even have to do anything, I'll take care of you."

"But I don't know how.."

Carter sat down while Quentin stood sheepishly above him. Q knew he could sense his unease, and could see how hard he was.

"I feel sick.."

Carter didn't say anything, just pulled him beside him on the couch, Quentin landed with a thud and winced. He put his leg around Quentins, holding him close as he undid his pants. Carter ruffled Quentins hair and cupped his chin. Slowly he guided Quentins hands to his cock, Q's eyes staring straight ahead.

"What are you doing?" He said quietly.

"Your okay baby, I'll teach you what to do. You just have to do what I say. It's like Follow the Leader."

"I just met you.."

"Settle down baby, let me make you feel good."

Quentin swallowed, and almost smiled. "Okay."

***

"Ow! Why'd you do that!"

"What the fuck were you trying to pull huh?"

"Holding your fucking hand!"

"Shut up." carter said, ice cold, a slight quiver in his voice. "I'm trying to keep you safe, you need me to protect you. I can't do that if you're pulling shit like that."

"But we're.."

"You are cared for, I take care of you."

"Carter I didn't mean-"

"We're going home."

***

"I got you a present today."

"You did." Quentin giggled, stumbling up from the couch in Carters apartment.

"Something I want you to wear for me."

"I wear it for you." Quentin said laughing again, coming up to plant a sloppy kiss on Carters chest. As usual he looked disgusted by it, but that was only at first, only nowadays.

"Are you on something?"

"Juno brought it for me, when he came looking for you. He brings me presents too."

"And you took it didn't you baby."

Mouth open Quentin nodded, his face numb and buzzing from the pills. As Carter set him down he felt his heart racing, but his breathing slow.

While he waited for Carter to put away his bags and come back with his present, Quentin reminded himself to blink and swallow. He felt like a lizard, a chameleon. He remembered there was one in the Fillory books, he kept hidden with him a gem Jane had to find to fix Umber's crown. He couldn't quite remember how she got him to come out from hiding, disguising himself in plain sight.

"I want you to wear this for me." Carter said straddling him, placing a ribboned headband on his head, pinning his too long hair in place. "It looks so pretty on you, you look so pretty."

"Pretty?" Quentin said quizzically.

"Pretty." Carter said, now reaching for a little pot he had placed beside them, glitter slid over Quentins eyelids with a callused finger. Quentin could barely remember what was happening by the time he finished, and he was being forced to his knees.

"Aren't you going to thank me baby? My little girl is going to say thank you?"

"I feel sleepy."

"Say it." he said more sternly.

"I'm sorry." Quentin said quickly, wincing, "I love it, thank you."

Carter started nodding his head. "Why are you acting like that baby, you're not scared of me."

"I'm not scared of you." Quentin said smiling, feeling himself go limp. Carter caught him. Quentin wasn't sure if he was scared of anything anymore.