LiberXI

Poison stared out the window, although it was too dark to see much of the desert passing them by outside anyway. They pulled the fur coat tighter around themself, suppressing a shiver. The hot water had run out before they’d finished their shower and left them feeling chilled to the bone. Their hair was still damp, sticking to the back of their neck coldly.

They didn’t want to complain, though. Korse had rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, his slender fingers wrapped around the steering wheel. He seemed to be brimming with energy, the rush obviously hadn’t worn off for him yet. He was speeding down the highway. He never exceeded the speed limit within city borders.

“You enjoyed yourself tonight,” Korse observed. His tone was as neutral and professional as it would have been during an interrogation, but it hadn’t been a question.

“I did,” Poison confirmed, shifting their weight to get away from the window. They could feel the cold night air seeping in from the desert.

They remembered the feeling of Ghoul’s tongue inside of them, his wiry, surprisingly muscular body covered in tattoos. They had enjoyed themself more than they had meant to.

“What did you enjoy the most?” Korse asked.

The question sounded innocent enough, but they knew what he was angling for. They also knew that once they got back to their apartment in the city, Korse would ask for a recollection of what had happened like he hadn’t been right there watching their every move. His breath would hitch at the descriptions like they were brand new to him and before they went to sleep, he would lock himself in the bathroom for another couple of minutes.

They felt something sharp and hot flare up inside of them. Sometimes, they hated Korse.

They tried to adjust the coat, so it was covering more of their neck.

“His cock,” they said. Their voice sounded weary and cracked, not convincing at all. They were tired and cold, their feet hurt, their muscles felt sore. They wanted to lie down in their soft bed in the city and fall asleep. “And the way he made me take it. He entered me slowly, but didn’t let me pull away, so I could really feel it spreading me open. It was almost too much.”

They wondered if they should mention that they’d liked the way he kissed them, too, or the fact that he’d eaten them out which no one had done for them in ages. Or that he had called them beautiful like he really meant it. But all of that was different from the things they usually shared and they weren’t sure how Korse would feel about them, so they kept shut and looked out onto the road again instead. They couldn’t wait to be back under the dome with its steady climate. Nights in the desert grew so cold.

“Would you like to see him again?”

The question surprised them enough to turn their head back to look at Korse. He was staring at the road ahead without the slightest hint of insecurity, both hands still on the steering wheel. He kept the car very steady, even when he was speeding.

For a moment, they felt small and vulnerable, remembering how secure he had seemed when they’d first met, how composed and in control. They wished they could just crawl into his lap, that he would pet their hair and tell them they’d done a good job. Just once they wished he’d tell them they’d done a good job.

“Why him?” they wanted to know.

They had discussed the option of seeing someone more regularly before and they felt a sense of relief at the thought of being able to stop the hunt on the weekend, the dancing and flirting and feeling their heart beating too quickly because they were scared their target might slip away and they would have to return to Korse empty-handed.

But they hadn’t expected Korse to take a liking to Ghoul of all people. He always enjoyed someone with an attitude, but Ghoul was just too unpredictable. He’d definitely crossed the line a couple of times tonight. They had figured Korse would be annoyed by it rather than charmed.

“He put on a good show,” Korse said. “And he seems like a considerate lover. I want you to be happy with the arrangement, and I think you would enjoy his company.”

Poison hummed. They would have preferred to never see Ghoul again. They thought of his inquiring gaze, of how he kept asking provoking questions until he finally got an answer that satisfied him; just like he seemingly couldn’t just enjoy getting off, he had to use his mouth and hands until he got a reaction that was real. It felt like he was searching for cracks in their surface and the anger in his dark eyes made it seem like he was trying to break them down. But Poison had seen him right through, because underneath that anger, there was curiosity in his gaze. He was searching for cracks to be let in.

Ghoul seemed like he was almost impossible to keep at arm’s length.

They also knew that the decision had already been made for them, though.

They turned back towards the window. In the distance, they could finally see the bright lights of the city. They had almost made it. They wouldn’t be cold much longer.