(I apologize for the long delay! Writing has been a struggle lately, but I am trying really hard to keep updating. Anyways, I hope everybody enjoys the story and shares their thoughts!)
Victor woke up with a quiet groan, rolling over onto his stomach. He blinked a few times before realizing he was alone, eyes flickering around his new apartment. It was chilly and he tugged his soft blankets around him before checking his phone. There was a single text from Cade.
'I made it home safe, foxy. Tomorrow/later tonight I work late again, and I will be sleeping a lot. I will see you Monday. Be safe, call if you need me 😘.' A small smile played on Victor's lips as his finger brushed over the kissy face emoji included in the text. It was nice having somebody who shared where he was at without only expecting it from Victor.
He recalled his previous conversation with Cade from the night before as he made his way to the kitchen.
"You should start looking for a job this weekend while I am busy. I will leave my laptop at your house for you to use, just do not break it. If you need anything, you can use Uber, but make sure to inform me and please be safe when doing it."
"Yes, sir. I will." Victor promised, though he had no intentions of leaving his house if he could help it. He was thankful, however, that Cade was trying to encourage him to take his independence back, something he had lost while with Shawn. The smile Cade gave him seemed to warm him.
"Good, little foxy. I hope you find a few options and if you get an interview, I am happy to take you at any time."
Victor chewed his lip as he sat on his bed, a cover wrapped around his shoulders while the Iron Man cover was laid over his lap. A small smile played on his lips as he ran his fingers over the material before opening the laptop and pulling Google up. He searched different locations around them that were hiring, studying the different jobs. There were a few receptionist jobs which did not interest him too much, though he wrote them down just in case. However, he was most excited about the job at a pet store. He had always enjoyed animals, and this would be a perfect opportunity to get to see them every day.
He jumped at the sound of his phone ringing, glancing down to find Cade's name lit up the screen.
"Sir?" He bit his lip as he answered the phone and was met with a low chuckle.
"Foxy." Cade's voice was teasing, though Victor noticed it was thick with sleep and husky.
"Good morning."
"It is three in the evening." Victor pointed out, a small smile playing on his lips as he toyed with the cover wrapped around his shoulders.
"Hmm, it is my morning since I have work tonight." A low chuckle sounded through the phone, and he heard a low grunt, most likely Cade standing to get dressed.
"I am looking at jobs like you told me to." Victor said quietly, earning an approving hum. He could hear clothes rustling and assumed the male was getting dressed.
"Any of interest?" Cade sounded as if his interest had been peaked by his words and Victor nodded with a small smile. He liked that Cade seemed to care about his interest and the jobs he was considering.
"There is a pet store job. I would get to handle the animals and feed them and take care of them." He explained as he studied the job description provided.
"Pay?"
"It says $12.50 an hour." He explained earning a quiet chuckle from Cade.
"I wish I could hire you to work at the bar with me-"
"I don't want to owe Aiden that." Victor interrupted quickly before he quickly silenced himself, chewing his lip.
"I am sorry for interrupting you, sir."
"No, it is okay. That is fine, I am saying I wish I could because you would be paid more. However, I also do not want you there because it would mean you surrounded by men at the club. I can be a slightly jealous man at times." Cade chuckled at his own words and Victor released a quiet laugh.
"So long as you aren't jealous enough to be mad at me." He snorted as he tugged his covers tighter around himself. He did not mind the slightest hint of jealousy in a partner, sometimes it could be attractive when done right. It would be nice if Cade enjoyed being protective if him. However, it could also go bad quickly. Shawn had been a jealous man and it was Victor who suffered the consequences.
"I would never be mad at you because a man has the balls to look at what is mine. I would simply make it known who you belong to." He could practically hear the smirk in Cade's voice as he spoke. It had Victor's cheeks turning pink as he listened to him.
"Why did you call?" He asked curiously.
"I'm going to be leaving for work. I wanted to make sure you are doing okay. Would it be okay if I come by after work?" The soft question felt comforting to Victor; he enjoyed knowing the male was respecting his boundaries. Shawn would have simply told him he was coming by...well, he had not even been allowed his own place while with Shawn. Cade, on the other hand, was not only getting him his own apartment but also respecting that apartment as his own home.
"Yeah, if you have time to come by then I can give you the key to the apartment." He suggested, earning an agreement from the male.
"I will be over in about five minutes." With that, the two ended the phone call and Victor stood. He tugged on a pair of comfortable night shorts, so he wasn't bare, tugging the groot and rocket cover around himself. As promised, there was a knock in the door after five minutes and he immediately approached.
"Who is it?" He asked hesitantly, his hand on the knob. It felt stupid, but he felt the need to ask so he did not risk any danger to himself. There was a quiet chuckle and he immediately opened it, his cheeks flushed in color.
"Sorry-"
"Shush. I am glad you are taking precautions to ensure your safety." A kiss was placed to his head and a smile immediately played on his lips as he nodded.
"Here is the key." He held it out to Cade who took it, his eyes roaming over Victor with a hint of amusement.
"That is not a safe way to open your door." He scolded, grasping the edges of the blanket to tug it further around Victor who pouted.
"I knew it was you." He protested, moving to wrap his arms around Cade. He felt him stiffen for only a moment before he relaxed and ran his hand down Victor's back.
"If it wasn't me, you would be in danger. You are very appealing." He chuckled and pressed his lips to his cheek before pulling away. A smirk played on his lips when Victor pouted, crossing his arms over his chest, and looking away.
"I don't need to be at work for an hour. Can I stay for a little bit?"
His question caused Victor to light up, nodding excitedly as he stepped back and opened the door more.
"We could lay down and maybe watch a TV show or something?" He suggested, chewing his lip. A nod was the response given as Cade stepped in, removing his shoes at the door.
"You look comfy." Cade chuckled as he lightly ruffled Victor's hair before giving a tug on the cover he wore. Victor simply grinned and nodded as he made his way to the bed, pulling Cade's laptop out of the way so he could sit as well.
"I like my new covers." He admitted as he moved to press against Cade's side once the male sat on the bed with him. Cade hummed low in his throat, his arm winding around Victor as he grasped the laptop and pulled up Disney+.
"We could watch Guardians of the Galaxy? I would need to leave midway through it though." The suggestion sounded remorseful, but Victor only nodded eagerly and pressed a light kiss to Cade's chest. He relaxed while nestled up against him, a content sigh leaving his lips as the movie was played. He liked that Cade paid attention to his interest and seemed to want to satisfy him using that.
"I think I will apply for the pet store." Victor spoke softly as the movie began. Cade gave a low hum to acknowledge his words so he continued to speak.
"I enjoy playing with animals and I think I could handle it."
"Are you comfortable with customer service? You will need to speak to people frequently and greet them. Assist them when they need help." He explained patiently and Victor nodded in understanding.
"I am okay speaking to people. I enjoy helping others, actually. It was just...I don't know? A little hard to feel comfortable doing it with Shawn? I mean he got jealous over the smallest of things; if I so much as looked at somebody the wrong way he would get jealous. I would pay the price of that jealousy-"
"I would not get jealous like that, little fox. I understand you will need to talk to others, and I am perfectly fine with that. So long as nobody is flirting with you or trying to get a little too comfortable." His words brought a smile to Victor's lips as he grew quiet. Instead of speaking, he allowed himself to be content in Cade's arms as the male gently stroked his hair. Cade stayed for half an hour before he lightly gave a pat to Victor's hip.
"I need to leave. It is okay with you for me to come by tonight?" Cade still felt the need to double check with him as Victor paused the movie and they stood from the bed. He was granted an immediate nod, a shy smile on Victor's lips.
"I would like that very much, sir." He stood on his toes to press a kiss to his cheek.
"Do you want me to wait for you?" A hand lightly brushed through his hair which eased him and had him smiling.
"No, foxy. Get your rest my beautiful little thing." With that he was given a light pat on his cheek before Cade pressed his lips to his. Once he was gone, Victor jumped back into his bed and returned to watching Guardians of the Galaxy. It felt...relaxing. He felt he finally had a moment to himself to relax and not need to worry about being perfect.
Instead, he could lay on his bed with his covers surrounding him and the comforting marvel movies. A small smile played on his lips as he relaxed until eventually dozing into sleep.
At one am he woke to the sound of crashing thunder that had him jerking awake with a startled cry. His eyes widened and he quickly pulled the covers tightly around his form as there was a flash of lightning. A strangled noise escaped his throat at the sound, panic rising inside of him.
For as long as he could remember, he had been terrified of thunderstorms. The loud sounds mixed with the flashes of light terrified him, and it was even worse when Shawn used to use it against him. He could remember how the male would lock him alone in a room and tell him to deal with his fears; one time he had even locked him out of the house or forced him to sleep on the couch.
His breath came out in trembling breaths while his fingers trembled. He desperately tried to keep himself under control, away from panicking. Breathe. Just breathe. Slow and easy. One breath at a ti-
CRASH
A cry left his lips at the loud sound, and he jerked his covers over his head before he grasped his phone and pulled up Cade's number. It was with trembling hands that he brought it to his ear, waiting desperately for him to answer.
"Hello?"
Cade's voice echoed from the other side of the phone and had him whimpering, his breath falling from his lips in relief.
"S-Sir, pl-please. Please, sir," he whimpered pathetically as he tucked into as small of a ball as he could on the bed.
"Hey, little fox. What is wrong? Why do you sound upset?" It was slightly difficult to hear Cade over the sound of the bar in the back. Yet his voice alone was a relief to him and had his shaking calming the slightest bit.
"Th-Thunder. I don't-I don't like thunderstorms." He sniffled, rubbing at his eyes. Cade's soft release of air was audible, clearly seeming relieved that his reasoning was not due to something worse.
"Are you okay?"
"I... I am sorry for calling you while you are at work. I'm sorry. I just...I was scared and I didn't.... didn't.... didn't know what to do-"
"Do not apologize, Victor. Tell me, would you like it if I came home early? Ray is here, he knows how to handle the bar." Cade's voice was gentle, and he sniffled, nodding slowly.
"P-Please. If you can, I don't...don't... wanna be alone." The words were a quiet whimper which turned into a yelp when another loud crash of thunder echoed.
"Shh, it is okay. I am getting my things now." The words were spoken softly, and Victor could hear him talk with another before he could hear doors opening and closing.
"I will be there in a few minutes, okay? Just hang on, foxy."
He was thankful for the gentle murmur and how Cade spoke to Jim. It was soothing and helped him to relax the slightest bit, despite his trembling form.
It was a few minutes before he heard his front door open and the sound of quick footsteps approaching. He immediately sat up, holding his arms out for Cade.
The look of the male curled in all his covers with tear-stained cheeks was painful. Cade swallowed as he leaned down, scooping Victor into his arms.
"Shhh, I am right here. It is going to be okay."
A hand gently ran through his hair and soft kisses were littered against his face. The movements had Victor calming until a flash of lightning lit the room, causing him to desperately latch onto Cade with a cry.
"Cade-"
"I know, beautiful. It is okay. Just a lil' bit of lightning." He felt Cade sit on the bed, shifting him so he could hold him like a baby. A hand gently caressed his cheek as Victor pressed his face onto Cade's chest. The covers were pulled tighter around his body, enveloping him in warmth and the scent of Cade's cologne. However, he could also smell the vague scent of-
"Alcohol?" Victor mumbled quietly, earning a glance of surprise and then a small nod.
"A shot or two with customers can sometimes lead to them wanting to purchase more." Cade explained. Victor only nodded, his racing heart calming as Cade held him. His arms were warm and that mixed with the softness of the covers had him relaxing.
"Do you feel a little better now?"
"Y-Yeah." Victor breathed, nodding quickly. His words seemed to please Cade who placed a gentle kiss to his lips.
"I am glad you feel better now. The storm will fade, beautiful, and I will be right here when it does. Sleep for me." The words were a gentle breath as he was pulled to lay in the bed. Cade held him in his arms the entire night, whispering soothing words every time a sound of thunder made him jerk or cry out.
While his sleep was not the most peaceful, he managed to get some rest with Cade at his side. When he woke, it was to find Cade bringing in a bag of food.
"I ordered us some food." He gave a small, sheepish grin to Victor as he moved to sit in the bed with him. He pulled out two plates with eggs, sausage, a biscuit, and hashbrowns.
"Wow, thank you." Victor breathed, immediately beginning to dig in. Though he paused, his cheeks flushing as he looked to Cade.
"I am sorry, sir. Did you want to eat first?"
Cade appeared amused by his question, reaching out to brush a piece of biscuit from his lip.
"I have my own plate. Eat up, you must be hungry." He cooed before pressing a kiss to his forehead. His words seemed to be enough to soothe Victor as he began to eat once more, this time having slowed down.
"What are we doing today?" He asked curiously once he had a full belly and Cade began to eat as well. Cade offered him a smirk, amusement flashing in his eyes.
"You wanted to go to the club, correct?" He questioned. Victor's eyes went wide at his words before he quickly nodded.
"Yes!" He exclaimed, his voice hopeful. He looked forward to getting to prove to Cade how good he could be for him. It was something he intended to do, unable to resist the idea of being on his knees before him.
"We can go tonight. Let me rest a little more and then we can go to my place so I can get dressed." Cade chuckled at his excitement, moving to stand and throw the trash away. He was surprised when Victor quickly jumped to his feet, grabbing the trash to throw away with a small smile.
"I've got this. Lay down and get comfy." With those words, he pressed a light kiss to Cade's temple before hurrying to throw the trash away. When he returned, he was surprised to find Cade was already laying face down with his face buried into the pillows. It appeared his shirt had been removed, easily showing off his lean back muscles. The sight had him licking his lips as he approached the bed.
"Comfortable?"
He received a nod in response.
"Very." The words were muffled by the pillow and Victor hesitated before he moved to climb onto the bed.
"May I?" The words were spoken hesitantly as he reached up to brush his fingers across his back. He was careful with the question as well as his touch; he did not want to anger Cade by disturbing his soon-to-be nap. That mistake had only been made with Shawn once. His punishment had been severe since his old dominant had been tired and not in the mood to be disturbed.
"Hmmhmm." The low hum was reassuring, and he slowly climbed onto Cade's back. He settled onto his butt, perching there with his knees supporting him. This was definitely a view he could get used to. He enjoyed the thought, his fingers beginning to gently knead to the muscles on his back. They were tense and low groans were pulled from beneath him. The noises were something he enjoyed, and they brought a small smile to his lips. It meant he was doing good; Cade was enjoying the touch he placed onto his back. He continued to massage the muscles, even once Cade had fallen into sleep.
This was what he enjoyed, and it felt comforting. It was relaxing to be able to please Cade in such a small way. There was nothing more expected of him; the touches were not turned sexual in any way. Shawn would have been turned the massage to a different part of him, even if Victor only wanted to service him in a non-sexual way. It was soothing to be able to enjoy touching Cade, his hands being able to explore the muscles of his back, arms, and neck. The soft snores assured him he had done his job well just as much as any praise Cade might have uttered could have.
"I am glad you liked the massage." He whispered, pressing his lips against Cade's shoulder blade. He then stood as carefully as he could and made his way to the shower. There, he took his time in getting thoroughly cleaned. He hoped to look nice for Cade for the night, especially if they would be going out with his friends.
♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡
When he stepped out the tub, he was surprised to find Cade had woken from his sleep. He flushed as he realized he had been in there for over an hour, offering a sheepish smile.
"Good morning."
Cade only appeared amused by the greeting, approaching him swiftly. Hands were placed lightly on his hips, and he was surprised when a pair of lips captured his own. He gasped, though immediately kissed back. His fingers on the towel he wore tightened as he pressed closer to Cade.
"I enjoyed your little massage. Thank you, little fox."
"We can go to the club now?" The words were hopeful as he stepped back, his head tilting to the side. A nod was his response as Cade turned his back to him while sitting on the bed.
"Get dressed in what you want to wear for the night, whatever is comfortable to you." Victor decided he liked those words; Cade was not commanding he wore something slutty. He was telling him to be comfortable.
"After, we will go to my place. I will change and we can leave." With that, Victor began to search his outfits. He had a variety of different outfits he wore as a slave to Shawn. Yet he did not want to wear ant with Cade. He wanted something new that Shawn had not yet seen. His tongue clicked as he studied the few outfits he could choose from before he grabbed one and disappeared to the bathroom to get dressed.
The outfit was more comfortable than the tight leathers Shawn had used to force him into. The leather on the outfit he chose was much easier to move in and did not painfully constrict around his cock. He settled on a sheer black shirt that allowed his skin and piercings to be seen beneath it. He had bought this outfit, yet Shawn had never chosen it because it seemed boring to him. The reminder made him bite his lip as he tugged on his leather boots before making his way out of the room to approach Cade.
"What do you think?" He asked hesitantly, smoothing his fingers down the outfit before his eyes flickered up to Cade once more. Cade seemed pleased by the sight, reaching out to brush his fingers down his chest. He stopped at the waistband of his pants with a smirk, slipping one finger in. A yelp pulled from Victor's lips when he pulled the leather back, allowing it to snap against his flesh. The wicked grin on his lips had Victor questioning a few things, such as why he seemed to have a cruel side to him.
"I like it, you look beautiful." Cade leaned forward to capture his lips.
"That hurt." Victor whined, reaching down to rub at the spot. Cade's head tilted before he smirked, sliding to his knees as his fingers grasped Victor's hips. He tugged down the leather, pressing a light kiss to the red skin before he began to suck on the spot.
"Ngh~" Victor moaned lowly, his cock stirring in his pants.
"It was meant to hurt. Now how about we get to my place so I can change? After, we can go to the club." Cade stood, smirking at the pout he was given.
"You have a cruel side." He puffed.
"Does that bother you?" There was a softness to Cade's voice that reassured Victor that despite that side, he would never truly hurt him. A small smile played on Victor's lips as Cade guided him out of the house and to his car.
"It doesn't bother me. Just promise it will not ever... turn bad for me?"
"It will never, and I mean never, turn bad for you. That is why you have a safe word, something I will completely respect. I can be a sadist at times, but I will always respect you." Cade's words were reassuring, and a soft sigh left him. He settled comfortably into the seat once they were in the car. With that, they drove to Cade's house to get ready for the night ahead of them.