(no subject)
Title: Asking You to Give Me A Chance
Author: achika_chan
Pairing: Linkara/Insano
Rating: R
Author's Notes: So yeah. There was some interest in Linkara's side of the story for 'Dark Side of the City', i.e. The One Where Insano's A Hooker And Linkara Is Noble. So...Ta Da. Title also comes from the same song.
Summary: Linkara finds out something unexpected about Insano on his way to the Palace one night, and his worldview will never be the same.
It was a nice night, so Linkara had decided that walking to The Palace to see Harvey’s show was a good idea. He could use the exercise, and it would be a chance for him to be alone with his thoughts for a while - something that was hard to do in a house occupied by four people and a robot. Especially when those people included 90s Kid.
There was a shortcut that went through the rougher part of town, but Linkara wasn’t worried about taking it, and at heart he was a comic book geek who didn’t want to walk the long way if he didn’t have to.
He was taking that shortcut when he passed by someone leaning against the brick wall of one of the buildings. Linkara only saw him out of the corner of his eye and had actually passed him when Linkara realized that he looked familiar.
Linkara frowned and stopped and turned, backtracking a little. Linkara couldn’t quite place him. Dark hair, greenish blue eyes, a scrub top, tight jeans… Looked a little like Spoony, actually, which was funny but Linkara was never going to bring it up because Spoony would never let him live down the fact that he’d been on ‘Hooker Highway’ or ‘Prostitute Parkway’ or whatever Spoony would come up with.
And that was when it clicked. The reason Linkara couldn’t process the mystery person. He’d never actually seen this person’s face unobstructed before.
“Insano? What are you doing here?” Linkara asked.
“I could ask you the same thing. This isn’t exactly a very heroic place to be,” Insano said, smirking at Linkara like he hadn’t just been caught unaware, too.
Linkara felt his face heat up, and glared. “I’m taking a shortcut to The Palace, don’t turn this around on me!”
Linkara had a reason to be there. What was Insano’s excuse?
“I do have a life outside of you, hero. I’m actually working right now, if you catch my meaning,” Insano said, rolling his eyes and motioning for Linkara to leave.
That didn’t make sense. What Science could Insano possibly be…Oh. Insano wasn’t doing Science at all.
“You’re…You...Oh god,” Linkara said.
Linkara hadn’t known. Hadn’t even suspected. Linkara’s thoughts were a mess.
“Yes, actually. And the bills don’t pay themselves, so unless you’re going to make this time waste worth my while…” Insano let himself trail off, raising a questioning eyebrow at Linkara.
“Worth your - Jesus Christ, Insano!” Linkara said. How could Insano even say that?
There was a car coming down the street, a beat up four door in need of a trip to the carwash.
It slowed as it came near, but didn’t stop, and it tore off like the driver was spooked. Insano sighed and gave Linkara a dirty look.
“And now you’ve just lost me an actual customer. Good job, hero, looks like my son isn’t getting that toy he wanted,” Insano’s smile was sharp and didn’t have any actual happiness in it.
Insano’s son. Linkara had forgotten that Insano even had a son, Insano never talked about him when they fought and Spoony only ever mentioned him when he was being a pain or too sickeningly cute for Spoony to handle. How did you just forget something like that about your arch-enemy? And Insano was…doing this -Linkara still couldn’t make himself think it - for his son.
Fuck, Linkara thought. Because if anything deserved that word…
“I…I can’t deal with this right now,” Linkara muttered. Or at least he was pretty sure he did.
He was too busy getting the hell out of there to pay much attention. He could hear Insano laughing, somewhere behind him in the distance.
He got to The Palace in record time, he was pretty sure.
“Hullo there, Mister Linkara. You’re just in time, Harvey’s about to go on soon,” Dominic said.
“You alright? You look a little under the weather,”
“I need something to drink, Dominic,” Linkara said.
“Water or a soda?” Dominic asked. Linkara never ordered alcohol when he came to see Harvey’s show.
“Something stronger, please. And keep them coming,” Linkara said. “It’s…been a weird night,”
Dominic frowned, but handed Linkara a glass. “Why don’t you tell me about it, then? I’m a very good listener,”
“God, where to start?” Linkara sighed, taking a drink. The alcohol burned almost unpleasantly, but it was a distraction that Linkara sorely needed.
Linkara couldn’t stop thinking about it. He just kept picturing Insano coming home after a long night and having to tell this chirping pink ball with big eyes that he wasn’t going to get that neat new remote controlled car - or whatever it was that chirping pink balls liked to play with. And that…that wasn’t really fair. If Linkara hadn’t been there, then…Linkara didn’t want to think about it, but Insano would have his money.
Linkara found himself standing awkwardly in front of Insano that night.
“What do you want now?” Insano asked impatiently, and he folded his arms defensively. He looked tired.
“I -“ Linkara started. What was he even going to say? I’m sorry I scared away someone who wanted to pay to have sex with you, please take this money as compensation? “Here,”
Linkara settled on just shoving the money into Insano’s hands. Insano looked at it in confusion for a moment before he smirked and looked up at Linkara.
“Why hero, I didn’t think you had it in you,” Insano said.
Linkara was blushing hard, he could tell. Insano thought that - “It’s not for that!” Linkara said desperately. “Buy your son something nice, okay?”
Insano’s entire demeanor changed into something familiar, something Linkara actually knew how to deal with. He was angry at Linkara, which was so much better than this foreign
Insano that inhabited dank alleyways.
“I don’t need your charity or your pity,” Insano hissed, glaring.
He tried to force Linkara to take the money back. Linkara grabbed his wrist gently, and Insano stepped back to try and break Linkara’s grip and hit the wall. Linkara didn’t let go, just went forward with Insano.
“Please,” Linkara said softly, meeting Insano’s uncovered eyes. “just let me do this,”
He’d never seen Insano’s eyes before, not really. He was always hiding behind the goggles, and last night he’d been too shocked to really see them. He was seeing them now, though. Up close, they were actually really - Insano looked away, bringing Linkara back to the present.
“You do owe me for scaring off a customer last night,” Insano said.
He wasn’t angry anymore, but he was frowning slightly. Linkara wanted to…well, he wasn’t exactly sure what he wanted to do, actually.
Linkara sighed and forced a smile. “Take care of yourself, okay?”
Linkara was halfway down the street before he realized that he’d squeezed Insano’s wrist lightly before he’d gone.
Linkara was tied to a chair, arms fastened tight to the armrests. Insano looked up with a smirk as he pulled the final knot tight.
“You’re not going to win,” Linkara said.
Insano took his goggles off and put them into his coat pocket. He smiled and leaned in, not breaking eye contact.
“I already have,” Insano said, and he kissed Linkara triumphantly.
Linkara moaned, wishing desperately that his hands were unbound so that he could pull Insano closer or just touch him at all.
Insano settled onto Linkara’s lap, touching his face, chest, and arms in a light tease that sent fire down Linkara’s nerves.
“What’s the matter, hero?” Insano asked with a smirk. “You look a little flushed,”
He rolled his hips down against Linkara.
Linkara jerked against the ropes, trying to get free and closer at the same time. Insano wagged a finger at him.
“Tsk, tsk. You know the rules better than that, hero. No touching,”
Linkara gripped the armrests tightly. “Please,”
“Anything you want,” Insano said, kissing Linkara hard and grinding and Linkara couldn’t take it, he needed…he needed.
Linkara woke up tangled in his sheets and achingly hard. He sighed and rubbed his forehead. Well, shit.
Linkara didn’t even know why he went to see Insano again. It was so strange, seeing Insano stripped of his coat and goggles, he wasn’t anything like the Insano Linkara had thought he’d known. He hadn’t known anything, apparently.
Insano wasn’t in his usual place. Linkara frowned. It was probably nothing, he was probably just with a customer. But Linkara couldn’t stop the sinking feeling in his stomach. He’d seen plenty of episodes of Law and Order, okay, he knew what could happen to a prostitute, and every time Ask That Guy opened his mouth was a new adventure in torturing sex workers. And that was another thing: Linkara prayed to whichever god was listening that Ask That Guy never found out what Insano did for a living. Insano was too smart to go with him willingly, but Ask That Guy didn’t exactly need his playthings to be willing. This was a dangerous thing Insano was doing, and if he got hurt Linkara would never forgive himself.
It was just a quick glance in the alley, just to see if Insano was there and safe. If he wasn’t there then Linkara would just go home and try to forget that he’d even left the house.
There were two people in the alley, Insano and someone else. And Insano was touching this other person and…
Linkara made himself look away and unclenched his fists. He calmed himself down just in time to see the anonymous man leave.
Linkara was in the alley before he had time to think. Insano’s hair was mussed and his lips were a little redder than usual and he was staring up at him expectantly.
“I saw you. Just now, with him,” And the image would probably never leave his brain.
“Yes, and?” Insano asked, sounding bored, like it was no big deal. And to him it probably wasn’t, Linkara realized.
Insano glanced down, and Linkara was gripping Insano’s shoulders so hard that it must have been painful. Linkara let go like he’d been burned and stepped away. “I…Sorry, sorry. I don’t know…”
“There’s a less painful way to get my attention and keep it, hero,” Insano said, rubbing at his shoulder.
Linkara had no idea what to say to that. He shouldn’t have let this get to him. But he had to make sure that Insano was safe, because as much as he didn’t want to admit it, Insano was a big part of his life. A part he’d taken for granted. And really, there was only one way that he could think of to ensure that. Linkara swallowed heavily.
“How much for the rest of the night?”
Insano looked at him like he’d lost his mind. Maybe he had. “…How much do you have?”
Linkara grabbed his wallet out of his pocket and took out every bit of cash in there. And if that wasn’t enough he had an ATM card he could go use. “There. That’s everything I have,”
“Guess I’m yours for tonight, then,” Insano said, looking between the cash and Linkara like he was confused.
“No,” Linkara said, shaking his head. Insano wasn’t his, no matter what he might want. And he couldn’t take advantage of the way Insano was supporting his family. That would be way too low. “Go home. Be with your son or something but don’t…don’t do this,”
Insano glared at him. “I told you: I don’t take charity, you self-righteous -“
“It’s not charity,” Linkara interrupted. How could he make Insano understand? Why couldn’t everything just go back to normal? “It’s wanting my nemesis to be my nemesis and not a prostitute that I’m terrified is going to get murdered, okay?”
“Are you really trying to save me? How cliché,” Insano said, voice dripping with contempt.
“Please, Insano, no snark,” Linkara said, rubbing his temples. He wasn’t up to banter at the moment.
Insano sighed, slipping the money into his pocket. “Fine. But if you’re going to be cliché then I guess I have to be, too,”
The kiss took Linkara by surprise. Insano’s mouth was hot and skilled and he was pressed way too close for Linkara’s sanity to function. Linkara had to force himself to pull away. He couldn’t do this, it wasn’t right.
“That’s not fair. I didn’t -“ Insano’s hands went to his zipper, apparently determined to make Linkara regret having morals.
“Just shut up and enjoy what you paid for, hero,” Insano said, leaning forward and lips just barely brushing Linkara’s ear. “After all, I’m yours for the rest of the night,”
It was like his dream only real. Insano was there, touching him. And he could touch back. Linkara’s morals never stood a chance. He shoved Insano back against the wall and kissed him. His hands couldn’t keep still, touching anywhere he could. Linkara groaned as Insano bit at his neck, and he reached down and unzipped Insano’s pants. Insano gasped helplessly, and Linkara needed to hear that again. God, why hadn’t they done this before?
It was over too soon. Insano’s arms were wrapped around Linkara’s neck, and Linkara was drained, leaning against him. Linkara sighed, feeling content. He couldn’t stop touching Insano, now that he was allowed, and pressed his lips to Insano’s temple.
“Don’t tell me you want to cuddle, too? That’s not exactly in my repertoire, you know,” Insano’s voice was shakey, underneath the derision.
It was like being struck by lightning, or punched in the gut. Reality came crashing back down. What in the world had he just done? Linkara backed away slowly. He tried to say something, an apology or just anything at all but his voice had abandoned him. He fumbled to get his clothes right. He had to get out of there.
He didn’t look back at Insano as he fled.
Linkara did bother looking up when he heard the bedroom door open. 90s Kid would have just burst in, and he wouldn’t have heard Ninja Style Dancer at all. And since Pollo made noise when he hovered and Linkara could smell cigarette smoke, that left only one person.
“You okay, kid? You spooked the moron and the robot when you came in. Said you looked pretty shook,” Harvey said, sitting down on the edge of the bed that Linkara was sprawled on.
“’m fine,” Linkara muttered into his pillow.
Harvey gave a sigh. “Did ya kill someone?”
“What?! No! Jesus Christ, Harvey!” Linkara said, scrambling upright to look at Harvey.
“Then quit your moping and tell me what happened, because trust me, I have done worse,” Harvey said.
Linkara wasn’t going to touch that with a ten foot pole.
“I slept with Insano. I didn’t mean to, I swear, but I -“ Linkara covered his face with his hands. “I couldn’t help myself,” he said weakly.
“That all?” Harvey asked. “Hell, kid, that’s not so bad. Complicated, sure, but not the end of the world,”
“He’s a hooker, Harvey. At nights, when he’s not fighting me and trying to take over the world, he works the street down by the Palace to support his son. I just wanted to keep him safe, but I took advantage,” Linkara said.
“I’m not sure that counts as Taking Advantage,” Harvey said, patting Linkara’s shoulder.
“It does if I’m in love with him!” Linkara said miserably. “I don’t even know when it started. I never really thought about him, before I saw him on the street that night. But he’s stubborn, and loves his son enough to prostitute himself, and god he’s so damn smart. And his eyes are… Harvey, he deserves so much better than what he’s got, and so much better than me,”
He’d never wondered, before, about what Insano did when he wasn’t trying to take over the world. He’d been self-absorbed and hadn’t cared about what the ‘villain’ in the story of his life did. But now he’d seen behind the curtain. And that villain, the bad guy he’d beaten and defeated and humiliated countless times and never spared a second thought to, was also a man, trying to live his life and give his son anything he could ever want or need.
Linkara wasn’t sure he could go back to not caring.
“I want you to listen to me, kid, and listen good,” Harvey said, drawing Linkara’s attention.
“First: There isn’t any ‘so much better’ than you, so quit that. Second: You can’t save him if he don’t want it, but there’s nothing wrong with trying. Third: and this is important, so pay attention. Third: Sometimes you gotta fight for what you want,”
Harvey was right, which was why Linkara didn’t just hide and ignore everything when Insano started testing his Robotic Suicide Squirrels.
“Robotic Suicide Squirrels? Really?” Linkara asked. He didn’t understand why Insano would want to make robot squirrels that blew up on impact, but they certainly seemed to work. It was actually kind of impressive.
“Yes. Are you here to stop me or for something else? Because I’m not on the clock right now, so sorry to disappoint,” Insano said, smirking at Linkara.
Linkara froze, feeling like Insano had just punched him the gut. He took a deep breath. Insano was just trying to deflect him and keep Linkara from stopping him. And if Insano was going to bring it up, then he could do the same.
“You owe me,” Linkara said levelly.
“I really don’t,” Insano said, the smile on his face wide and wicked.
“I’m pretty sure I’ve still got some hours on my tab. So I’m calling them in. Stop with the robot squirrels,” Linkara wasn’t going to be dissuaded.
“It doesn’t work that way,” Insano said, grin fading into a small frown. It didn’t look right, not paired with the goggles that Insano was wearing. Linkara had gotten so used to seeing Insano’s entire face that the goggles were even more off-putting than usual.
“You don’t have to do this, Insano. You’re a genius, you should be curing cancer or creating a cheap clean energy source, not…resorting to villainy and prostitution,” Linkara pleaded. He hoped Insano would actually listen to him.
Insano wasn’t impressed. “And just what would that get me, hero? Good doesn’t exactly pay,”
The answers flooded Linkara’s brain. It’d get Insano respect, the chance to someday actually be able to tell his son what he did, and if he did it right he could make money and
“Me,” Linkara said desperately, stepping forward and kissing Insano as hard as he could. If he could just convince Insano that it would be worth it…
“You’re insane,” Insano said, pulling away. But he stayed close and he wasn’t trying to blow Linkara up with a robot squirrel. Linkara couldn’t help grinning at the dazed, breathless tone to Insano’s voice.
“Maybe. Is that a problem?”
“This doesn’t change anything,” Insano said stubbornly, frowning.
“I’ll convince you eventually,” Linkara said, kissing Insano again.
Insano didn’t protest when Linkara removed his goggles.
Author: achika_chan
Pairing: Linkara/Insano
Rating: R
Author's Notes: So yeah. There was some interest in Linkara's side of the story for 'Dark Side of the City', i.e. The One Where Insano's A Hooker And Linkara Is Noble. So...Ta Da. Title also comes from the same song.
Summary: Linkara finds out something unexpected about Insano on his way to the Palace one night, and his worldview will never be the same.
It was a nice night, so Linkara had decided that walking to The Palace to see Harvey’s show was a good idea. He could use the exercise, and it would be a chance for him to be alone with his thoughts for a while - something that was hard to do in a house occupied by four people and a robot. Especially when those people included 90s Kid.
There was a shortcut that went through the rougher part of town, but Linkara wasn’t worried about taking it, and at heart he was a comic book geek who didn’t want to walk the long way if he didn’t have to.
He was taking that shortcut when he passed by someone leaning against the brick wall of one of the buildings. Linkara only saw him out of the corner of his eye and had actually passed him when Linkara realized that he looked familiar.
Linkara frowned and stopped and turned, backtracking a little. Linkara couldn’t quite place him. Dark hair, greenish blue eyes, a scrub top, tight jeans… Looked a little like Spoony, actually, which was funny but Linkara was never going to bring it up because Spoony would never let him live down the fact that he’d been on ‘Hooker Highway’ or ‘Prostitute Parkway’ or whatever Spoony would come up with.
And that was when it clicked. The reason Linkara couldn’t process the mystery person. He’d never actually seen this person’s face unobstructed before.
“Insano? What are you doing here?” Linkara asked.
“I could ask you the same thing. This isn’t exactly a very heroic place to be,” Insano said, smirking at Linkara like he hadn’t just been caught unaware, too.
Linkara felt his face heat up, and glared. “I’m taking a shortcut to The Palace, don’t turn this around on me!”
Linkara had a reason to be there. What was Insano’s excuse?
“I do have a life outside of you, hero. I’m actually working right now, if you catch my meaning,” Insano said, rolling his eyes and motioning for Linkara to leave.
That didn’t make sense. What Science could Insano possibly be…Oh. Insano wasn’t doing Science at all.
“You’re…You...Oh god,” Linkara said.
Linkara hadn’t known. Hadn’t even suspected. Linkara’s thoughts were a mess.
“Yes, actually. And the bills don’t pay themselves, so unless you’re going to make this time waste worth my while…” Insano let himself trail off, raising a questioning eyebrow at Linkara.
“Worth your - Jesus Christ, Insano!” Linkara said. How could Insano even say that?
There was a car coming down the street, a beat up four door in need of a trip to the carwash.
It slowed as it came near, but didn’t stop, and it tore off like the driver was spooked. Insano sighed and gave Linkara a dirty look.
“And now you’ve just lost me an actual customer. Good job, hero, looks like my son isn’t getting that toy he wanted,” Insano’s smile was sharp and didn’t have any actual happiness in it.
Insano’s son. Linkara had forgotten that Insano even had a son, Insano never talked about him when they fought and Spoony only ever mentioned him when he was being a pain or too sickeningly cute for Spoony to handle. How did you just forget something like that about your arch-enemy? And Insano was…doing this -Linkara still couldn’t make himself think it - for his son.
Fuck, Linkara thought. Because if anything deserved that word…
“I…I can’t deal with this right now,” Linkara muttered. Or at least he was pretty sure he did.
He was too busy getting the hell out of there to pay much attention. He could hear Insano laughing, somewhere behind him in the distance.
He got to The Palace in record time, he was pretty sure.
“Hullo there, Mister Linkara. You’re just in time, Harvey’s about to go on soon,” Dominic said.
“You alright? You look a little under the weather,”
“I need something to drink, Dominic,” Linkara said.
“Water or a soda?” Dominic asked. Linkara never ordered alcohol when he came to see Harvey’s show.
“Something stronger, please. And keep them coming,” Linkara said. “It’s…been a weird night,”
Dominic frowned, but handed Linkara a glass. “Why don’t you tell me about it, then? I’m a very good listener,”
“God, where to start?” Linkara sighed, taking a drink. The alcohol burned almost unpleasantly, but it was a distraction that Linkara sorely needed.
Linkara couldn’t stop thinking about it. He just kept picturing Insano coming home after a long night and having to tell this chirping pink ball with big eyes that he wasn’t going to get that neat new remote controlled car - or whatever it was that chirping pink balls liked to play with. And that…that wasn’t really fair. If Linkara hadn’t been there, then…Linkara didn’t want to think about it, but Insano would have his money.
Linkara found himself standing awkwardly in front of Insano that night.
“What do you want now?” Insano asked impatiently, and he folded his arms defensively. He looked tired.
“I -“ Linkara started. What was he even going to say? I’m sorry I scared away someone who wanted to pay to have sex with you, please take this money as compensation? “Here,”
Linkara settled on just shoving the money into Insano’s hands. Insano looked at it in confusion for a moment before he smirked and looked up at Linkara.
“Why hero, I didn’t think you had it in you,” Insano said.
Linkara was blushing hard, he could tell. Insano thought that - “It’s not for that!” Linkara said desperately. “Buy your son something nice, okay?”
Insano’s entire demeanor changed into something familiar, something Linkara actually knew how to deal with. He was angry at Linkara, which was so much better than this foreign
Insano that inhabited dank alleyways.
“I don’t need your charity or your pity,” Insano hissed, glaring.
He tried to force Linkara to take the money back. Linkara grabbed his wrist gently, and Insano stepped back to try and break Linkara’s grip and hit the wall. Linkara didn’t let go, just went forward with Insano.
“Please,” Linkara said softly, meeting Insano’s uncovered eyes. “just let me do this,”
He’d never seen Insano’s eyes before, not really. He was always hiding behind the goggles, and last night he’d been too shocked to really see them. He was seeing them now, though. Up close, they were actually really - Insano looked away, bringing Linkara back to the present.
“You do owe me for scaring off a customer last night,” Insano said.
He wasn’t angry anymore, but he was frowning slightly. Linkara wanted to…well, he wasn’t exactly sure what he wanted to do, actually.
Linkara sighed and forced a smile. “Take care of yourself, okay?”
Linkara was halfway down the street before he realized that he’d squeezed Insano’s wrist lightly before he’d gone.
Linkara was tied to a chair, arms fastened tight to the armrests. Insano looked up with a smirk as he pulled the final knot tight.
“You’re not going to win,” Linkara said.
Insano took his goggles off and put them into his coat pocket. He smiled and leaned in, not breaking eye contact.
“I already have,” Insano said, and he kissed Linkara triumphantly.
Linkara moaned, wishing desperately that his hands were unbound so that he could pull Insano closer or just touch him at all.
Insano settled onto Linkara’s lap, touching his face, chest, and arms in a light tease that sent fire down Linkara’s nerves.
“What’s the matter, hero?” Insano asked with a smirk. “You look a little flushed,”
He rolled his hips down against Linkara.
Linkara jerked against the ropes, trying to get free and closer at the same time. Insano wagged a finger at him.
“Tsk, tsk. You know the rules better than that, hero. No touching,”
Linkara gripped the armrests tightly. “Please,”
“Anything you want,” Insano said, kissing Linkara hard and grinding and Linkara couldn’t take it, he needed…he needed.
Linkara woke up tangled in his sheets and achingly hard. He sighed and rubbed his forehead. Well, shit.
Linkara didn’t even know why he went to see Insano again. It was so strange, seeing Insano stripped of his coat and goggles, he wasn’t anything like the Insano Linkara had thought he’d known. He hadn’t known anything, apparently.
Insano wasn’t in his usual place. Linkara frowned. It was probably nothing, he was probably just with a customer. But Linkara couldn’t stop the sinking feeling in his stomach. He’d seen plenty of episodes of Law and Order, okay, he knew what could happen to a prostitute, and every time Ask That Guy opened his mouth was a new adventure in torturing sex workers. And that was another thing: Linkara prayed to whichever god was listening that Ask That Guy never found out what Insano did for a living. Insano was too smart to go with him willingly, but Ask That Guy didn’t exactly need his playthings to be willing. This was a dangerous thing Insano was doing, and if he got hurt Linkara would never forgive himself.
It was just a quick glance in the alley, just to see if Insano was there and safe. If he wasn’t there then Linkara would just go home and try to forget that he’d even left the house.
There were two people in the alley, Insano and someone else. And Insano was touching this other person and…
Linkara made himself look away and unclenched his fists. He calmed himself down just in time to see the anonymous man leave.
Linkara was in the alley before he had time to think. Insano’s hair was mussed and his lips were a little redder than usual and he was staring up at him expectantly.
“I saw you. Just now, with him,” And the image would probably never leave his brain.
“Yes, and?” Insano asked, sounding bored, like it was no big deal. And to him it probably wasn’t, Linkara realized.
Insano glanced down, and Linkara was gripping Insano’s shoulders so hard that it must have been painful. Linkara let go like he’d been burned and stepped away. “I…Sorry, sorry. I don’t know…”
“There’s a less painful way to get my attention and keep it, hero,” Insano said, rubbing at his shoulder.
Linkara had no idea what to say to that. He shouldn’t have let this get to him. But he had to make sure that Insano was safe, because as much as he didn’t want to admit it, Insano was a big part of his life. A part he’d taken for granted. And really, there was only one way that he could think of to ensure that. Linkara swallowed heavily.
“How much for the rest of the night?”
Insano looked at him like he’d lost his mind. Maybe he had. “…How much do you have?”
Linkara grabbed his wallet out of his pocket and took out every bit of cash in there. And if that wasn’t enough he had an ATM card he could go use. “There. That’s everything I have,”
“Guess I’m yours for tonight, then,” Insano said, looking between the cash and Linkara like he was confused.
“No,” Linkara said, shaking his head. Insano wasn’t his, no matter what he might want. And he couldn’t take advantage of the way Insano was supporting his family. That would be way too low. “Go home. Be with your son or something but don’t…don’t do this,”
Insano glared at him. “I told you: I don’t take charity, you self-righteous -“
“It’s not charity,” Linkara interrupted. How could he make Insano understand? Why couldn’t everything just go back to normal? “It’s wanting my nemesis to be my nemesis and not a prostitute that I’m terrified is going to get murdered, okay?”
“Are you really trying to save me? How cliché,” Insano said, voice dripping with contempt.
“Please, Insano, no snark,” Linkara said, rubbing his temples. He wasn’t up to banter at the moment.
Insano sighed, slipping the money into his pocket. “Fine. But if you’re going to be cliché then I guess I have to be, too,”
The kiss took Linkara by surprise. Insano’s mouth was hot and skilled and he was pressed way too close for Linkara’s sanity to function. Linkara had to force himself to pull away. He couldn’t do this, it wasn’t right.
“That’s not fair. I didn’t -“ Insano’s hands went to his zipper, apparently determined to make Linkara regret having morals.
“Just shut up and enjoy what you paid for, hero,” Insano said, leaning forward and lips just barely brushing Linkara’s ear. “After all, I’m yours for the rest of the night,”
It was like his dream only real. Insano was there, touching him. And he could touch back. Linkara’s morals never stood a chance. He shoved Insano back against the wall and kissed him. His hands couldn’t keep still, touching anywhere he could. Linkara groaned as Insano bit at his neck, and he reached down and unzipped Insano’s pants. Insano gasped helplessly, and Linkara needed to hear that again. God, why hadn’t they done this before?
It was over too soon. Insano’s arms were wrapped around Linkara’s neck, and Linkara was drained, leaning against him. Linkara sighed, feeling content. He couldn’t stop touching Insano, now that he was allowed, and pressed his lips to Insano’s temple.
“Don’t tell me you want to cuddle, too? That’s not exactly in my repertoire, you know,” Insano’s voice was shakey, underneath the derision.
It was like being struck by lightning, or punched in the gut. Reality came crashing back down. What in the world had he just done? Linkara backed away slowly. He tried to say something, an apology or just anything at all but his voice had abandoned him. He fumbled to get his clothes right. He had to get out of there.
He didn’t look back at Insano as he fled.
Linkara did bother looking up when he heard the bedroom door open. 90s Kid would have just burst in, and he wouldn’t have heard Ninja Style Dancer at all. And since Pollo made noise when he hovered and Linkara could smell cigarette smoke, that left only one person.
“You okay, kid? You spooked the moron and the robot when you came in. Said you looked pretty shook,” Harvey said, sitting down on the edge of the bed that Linkara was sprawled on.
“’m fine,” Linkara muttered into his pillow.
Harvey gave a sigh. “Did ya kill someone?”
“What?! No! Jesus Christ, Harvey!” Linkara said, scrambling upright to look at Harvey.
“Then quit your moping and tell me what happened, because trust me, I have done worse,” Harvey said.
Linkara wasn’t going to touch that with a ten foot pole.
“I slept with Insano. I didn’t mean to, I swear, but I -“ Linkara covered his face with his hands. “I couldn’t help myself,” he said weakly.
“That all?” Harvey asked. “Hell, kid, that’s not so bad. Complicated, sure, but not the end of the world,”
“He’s a hooker, Harvey. At nights, when he’s not fighting me and trying to take over the world, he works the street down by the Palace to support his son. I just wanted to keep him safe, but I took advantage,” Linkara said.
“I’m not sure that counts as Taking Advantage,” Harvey said, patting Linkara’s shoulder.
“It does if I’m in love with him!” Linkara said miserably. “I don’t even know when it started. I never really thought about him, before I saw him on the street that night. But he’s stubborn, and loves his son enough to prostitute himself, and god he’s so damn smart. And his eyes are… Harvey, he deserves so much better than what he’s got, and so much better than me,”
He’d never wondered, before, about what Insano did when he wasn’t trying to take over the world. He’d been self-absorbed and hadn’t cared about what the ‘villain’ in the story of his life did. But now he’d seen behind the curtain. And that villain, the bad guy he’d beaten and defeated and humiliated countless times and never spared a second thought to, was also a man, trying to live his life and give his son anything he could ever want or need.
Linkara wasn’t sure he could go back to not caring.
“I want you to listen to me, kid, and listen good,” Harvey said, drawing Linkara’s attention.
“First: There isn’t any ‘so much better’ than you, so quit that. Second: You can’t save him if he don’t want it, but there’s nothing wrong with trying. Third: and this is important, so pay attention. Third: Sometimes you gotta fight for what you want,”
Harvey was right, which was why Linkara didn’t just hide and ignore everything when Insano started testing his Robotic Suicide Squirrels.
“Robotic Suicide Squirrels? Really?” Linkara asked. He didn’t understand why Insano would want to make robot squirrels that blew up on impact, but they certainly seemed to work. It was actually kind of impressive.
“Yes. Are you here to stop me or for something else? Because I’m not on the clock right now, so sorry to disappoint,” Insano said, smirking at Linkara.
Linkara froze, feeling like Insano had just punched him the gut. He took a deep breath. Insano was just trying to deflect him and keep Linkara from stopping him. And if Insano was going to bring it up, then he could do the same.
“You owe me,” Linkara said levelly.
“I really don’t,” Insano said, the smile on his face wide and wicked.
“I’m pretty sure I’ve still got some hours on my tab. So I’m calling them in. Stop with the robot squirrels,” Linkara wasn’t going to be dissuaded.
“It doesn’t work that way,” Insano said, grin fading into a small frown. It didn’t look right, not paired with the goggles that Insano was wearing. Linkara had gotten so used to seeing Insano’s entire face that the goggles were even more off-putting than usual.
“You don’t have to do this, Insano. You’re a genius, you should be curing cancer or creating a cheap clean energy source, not…resorting to villainy and prostitution,” Linkara pleaded. He hoped Insano would actually listen to him.
Insano wasn’t impressed. “And just what would that get me, hero? Good doesn’t exactly pay,”
The answers flooded Linkara’s brain. It’d get Insano respect, the chance to someday actually be able to tell his son what he did, and if he did it right he could make money and
“Me,” Linkara said desperately, stepping forward and kissing Insano as hard as he could. If he could just convince Insano that it would be worth it…
“You’re insane,” Insano said, pulling away. But he stayed close and he wasn’t trying to blow Linkara up with a robot squirrel. Linkara couldn’t help grinning at the dazed, breathless tone to Insano’s voice.
“Maybe. Is that a problem?”
“This doesn’t change anything,” Insano said stubbornly, frowning.
“I’ll convince you eventually,” Linkara said, kissing Insano again.
Insano didn’t protest when Linkara removed his goggles.