Rat Trap [1/6]
Title: Rat Trap [1/6]
Author/Artist: Sayasama
Character(s) or Pairing(s): Russia/US, and an "It's complicated" UK->US. Minor pairings include: LietPol, Netherlands/Canada, and GerIta. France and Prussia also make some appearances later.
Rating: PG-13 (maybe M) for sexual themes, some swearing, and later allusions to violence.
Warnings: Prostitution and the psychology thereof, psychological abuse, Dub-con and/or non-con depending on how you define the terms, swearing, and OOC.
Summary: "'Tis the strumpet's plague/To beguile many and be beguiled by one"-Iago; Othello, Act 4, Scene 1
A/n: The summary is not so much a summary as it is my inspiration for this. Seriously, that line hit me like a ton of bricks and then for a month, this story would not leave me alone. So here it is. Here and here are my main two sources for this, aside from the obvious wikipedia. It's pretty fascinating, I think.
----
Consciousness greeted Alfred with bright afternoon sunlight, a familiar ache between his legs, and his pissy British landlord. The combination was not all that pleasant or welcoming, so Alfred just groaned and pulled the bed covers over his head. There was a huff, and he could see in his mind just how Arthur would frown and roll his eyes, before leaning over to grab the sheets and viciously pull them off. Exposed to the late autumn cold, Alfred saw no choice but to join the rest of the waking world at last.
“You’re going to be late for that silly little job of yours, it’s nearly 2 already,” Arthur said, displeasure evident in his voice. Whether it was pointed at Alfred himself or the fact that he had an outside job was anyone’s guess. The message, however, was more than enough to fling Alfred out of bed, completely uncaring of the fact that he was naked as the day he was born.
It wasn’t as if Arthur minded anyway.
“Damnit, stupid alarm clock didn’t go off again… Hey Artie, could you check to make sure that thing doesn’t need new batteries?” Alfred asked as he rummaged through his drawers for clean work clothes. Black slacks and a white button-down were the dress code for waiters at the Süß Café and he had enough of both to last him a week, but he could never find them without searching.
“Mm, sure,” Arthur murmured very clearly distracted. Really, he seemed to be more excited by Alfred putting clothes on than he was seeing him go without. He probably just got off on the idea of ripping them off again, Alfred was sure. He’d lost so many shirts that way, one would think Arthur didn’t realize he needed clothes to wear.
Now fully dressed, Alfred made his way toward his bathroom for some last-minute preparations for the day and was joined by Arthur, who wasted no time in putting forward his usual point.
“You know, this extra job isn’t necessary for you. You make enough for me, all on your own.” Alfred refused to look in Arthur’s direction, but he could still see his reflection in the mirror; the older man was leaning on the wall behind him, something between a smirk and a leer on his face. Alfred did his best not to look at the mirror as he washed his face.
“Ah, maybe, but I just like having a second income to, to help things along,” Alfred replied, feigning nonchalance. This was a familiar conversation, one that always unnerved him. He wasn’t quite sure how long he could get away with outright rejecting Arthur’s proposition before he was either kicked out or forced to accept it.
“If you’re looking to pay your dues quicker, it might be more prudent to accept my offer.” Alfred could hear the smug grin in his voice-Arthur was so sure he would win out eventually.
“I can’t Arthur, I just-“
“I’m offering you something much better than your current arrangement, and I can assure you your debt would be nullified. What’s stopping you? Do you really enjoy being used by so many people?”
‘What’s stopping me is that I at least have some smidgen of freedom now and I wouldn’t then!’ Alfred shouted in his mind, but bit down on the words before they could leave his mouth.
“Uh, oh, look at the time!” He said instead, “Can we save this conversation for a better time? My boss will be pissed if I come in late again!” Alfred rushed to say as he edged his way out of the bathroom. Arthur’s lips pressed into a displeased line, but he permitted Alfred to escape the confines of the bathroom all the same.
“Fine, but we will talk about this-“
“Yep, sure will, see ya Artie!” Alfred said, and rushed out of his room before anymore could be said on the matter. Jogging down the stairs, he didn’t slow his pace until he hit the sidewalk outside of his boarding house.
Well, as far as any normal citizen was concerned it was a boarding house, anyway. In reality the building doubled as a bordello. The first floor and the front door were what the average and mostly unaware normal tenants used. The second floor was Arthur’s, though the kitchen, dining room and parlor were technically open to everyone living there. The third floor and the back entrance were reserved for those in “business” with Arthur. It was not as well kept as the first; the wallpaper was peeling in some places, there were exposed wires in some of the rooms, and the locks on Alfred and Francis’ doors were broken.
It was not a place Alfred would live in if he could avoid it, but he had been desperate at the time and had not known in the beginning just why Arthur was being quite so generous with him and his brother.
His brother-
Matthew, his twin and the only person who had stayed with him his whole life. He was now away at a fairly prestigious college, blissfully unaware of just what his brother was doing to pay for it. Alfred would make sure it stayed that way, too. Mattie had worked too hard for what he’d achieved and Alfred wouldn’t stand for him dropping out over his... questionable occupation.
000
“I-Ah, Sorry I’m la-late!” Alfred panted out as he came to a stop in the break room of the Süß Café. There by the door to front of the house were Toris and Feliks, his co-workers.
“Thank goodness you’re here, it looks crazy out there!” Toris let out a relieved sigh at the sight of Alfred scrambling for his uniform apron.
“Haha, I’ve come to save the day with my awesome table-waiting skills!” Alfred joked, tying the apron around his waist. Feliks just rolled his eyes at Alfred and dragged him out of the break room and into the actual café.
The Süß Café was a nice little shop where all the pastries were made from scratch by the owner himself and his hyper little Italian friend. He was somewhat less strict with who could make the coffee, though every employee was trained in what Ludwig considered the appropriate way to make his café’s drinks. He ran his café like it was the army and rumor had it that’s where he’d met Feliciano, though what he was doing in the army was anyone’s guess.
Alfred was in charge of working the tables on the left side of the café, near the front windows. He liked that he had an excuse to stare out the windows a lot, and Ludwig liked how having him near the windows attracted women who wanted to be waited on by a good-looking man into the establishment. Ludwig got costumers and Alfred got lots of tips; it was a win-win situation.
“Al, if you’re all set could you give me a hand rolling the silverware?” Toris called over to him from the side station. Alfred nodded over to him before making his way over to the side station.
“Like, really Tor, you know he’s totally supposed to pose in the window when he’s not busy!” Feliks said with a lazy grin on his face. Alfred chuckled at the face Toris made in response and started grabbing silverware to wrap up.
“Feliks! We are not using Alfred as a marketing tool!” Toris scolded.
“Ah, he’s just jealous ‘cause he doesn’t get as many tips,” Alfred said, still chuckling. Feliks made a threatening gesture with a fork in response.
“I like, get plenty of tips you-Oh. Ohoho,” Feliks cut himself off with a strange laugh and a mischievous grin.
“What? What is it? Feliks, that face does not promise good things,” Alfred said, looking worried.
“Oh nothing, it’s just that your huski Ruski’s back and he looks like he wants you with extra sugar, extra cream.”
Alfred went red up to the tips of his ears at this, despite how he tried not to. “He drinks his coffee black,” Alfred murmured, before taking a menu and going to serve his newest costumer.
“Good afternoon Ivan!” Alfred greeted; he made a point of remembering the names of anyone who came more than twice. They felt more welcome that way, which in turn meant they sat in his section more and tipped better. Ivan of course, had come many more times than that.
“Привет Alfred, I will be having my usual coffee and… the black forest cake?” Ivan said with a smile that did funny things to Alfred’s head.
“Don’t even need the menu anymore, do ya big guy? That’s a great choice though; Ludwig’s black forest cake is my favorite!” Alfred smiled back, wondering if Ivan’s head would get quite as fuzzy as his did.
“Your favorite? Ah, then I will get you a piece as well.”
For the second time in under five minutes, Alfred’s entire face went red. Behind him, he could hear both Toris and Feliks gasp.
“Is that allowed?” Toris questioned quietly, “I think Mr. Ludwig has rules about that…”
“Like, hush Tor, Alfred’s getting free stuff. Maybe he’ll share? We’re like, super tight so he totally would, right?”
Alfred could hear every word they were saying, and he was sure Ivan could too. Embarrassed, he covered his face with one hand. “I am terribly sorry for my co-worker’s nosiness…”
“It is… not problem. Will you be getting into trouble though?”
A part of Alfred said he really didn’t care if Ludwig would get pissed or not, but the other part really wanted him to leave his job today with his hearing intact.
“I… don’t really know, honestly. This is kinda the first time this has happened,” Alfred said feeling embarrassed. Darn, he should’ve remembered the rules when he had a chance!
“I see. Then we will put two pieces on hold, and I will come back when you are off of work?” Ivan asked, looking hopeful. Alfred, if possible, got even redder. Ivan, his very attractive regular customer who had been flirting with him for months now, was actually asking him out. Or at least, Alfred was pretty sure that’s what was happening. People always told him he was bad at reading these sorts of situations, so he wasn’t too sure of this assessment. Either way he was getting free cake and a chance to see the Russian again. Today was turning out to be his day.
Alfred was about to say yes, most definitely yes, when his mind reminded him of his very untoward circumstances. He had no right to say yes to this, it would be cruel to lead the other man on like this when Alfred knew that if anything got even remotely serious, he would have to leave. He should just reject the offer now and apologize for giving Ivan the wrong idea, even though it wasn’t the wrong idea at all because he was interested, definitely interested in Ivan and he wanted to get to know him better, and there was free cake involved and-
“I get off at closing time, wanna meet in the park?”
The way to Alfred’s heart always had been his stomach.
000
Extremely happy and determined to keep all the unsavory facts about his life out of his head, Alfred put on his jacket and grabbed the two pieces of cake from the refrigerator in the break room. Toris and Feliks had agreed to close up without him, so he was going to make his way to the park a few blocks away. More specifically, he was going to run two blocks to get there as quickly as he could.
To say Alfred was excited would be an understatement. He actually had a date, a real, normal, honest-to-goodness date. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d been on one of those! Certainly not since he’d started working for Arth-- No, he was not going to think about that. None of that even existed right now, as far as he was concerned. Not Arthur, nor the bordello, nor the people he was undoubtedly going to please that night-
‘Stop thinking about it brain! Right now I’m just being a normal 20-year-old guy, going on a normal date. Stop crashing my party!’
Alfred managed to push all his unwanted thoughts out of his mind just as he made it to the park. There, sitting on the bench right next to the entrance was Ivan, waiting patiently with an expectant grin on his face.
“He-heya big guy!” Alfred greeted with a smile before sitting down next to the other. “So ah, I heard you were wantin’ some cake.”
“Among other things, yes,” Ivan responded, looking just as happy as Alfred was. Quickly, Alfred handed Ivan his piece of cake, and waited for the Russian to eat first before he started in on his own. He didn’t want Ivan thinking he was only here for the free food (though that had played a large part in the decision-making process). They ate in silence for a few minutes before Alfred decided to start up a conversation.
“I guess we should start with the basics, huh?”
Ivan nodded, his somewhat shy body language juxtapose to his fairly intimidating size. “да, that sounds good.”
“Well then, I’m Alfred F. Jones, a 20-or-so-year-old workin’ as a waiter to put my little bro through college. I make a mean burger and play excessive amounts of video games,” Alfred said, grinning.
Ivan raised an eyebrow at Alfred’s introduction but smiled as he started his own. “I am Ivan Braginski. I am 25-years-old working in a neurology lab at the nearby university-“
“-Whoa, whoa, wait-you’re a neuroscientist? The hell you doin’ asking out waiters and not like, your hot lab partner or something?” Oh goodness, Ivan was probably some sort of science genius who was working on a cure for freaking Alzheimer’s or something and who was way, way out of Alfred’s league. He was messing with a good man here, Ivan didn’t deserve this, and Alfred certainly didn’t deserve him-
Ivan’s brows knitted together and his lips screwed up into a confused scowl. “But I am not asking ‘waiters’ out, I am asking you.”
Alfred blushed at the statement, but would not be deterred just yet. “I just mean that you could probably do a lot better than someone who serves people coffee for a living.”
Ivan’s expression did not change, despite Alfred’s attempts to alleviate his confusion. “Perhaps. But if it is the coffee server who makes me happy, then I should choose him over the, as you say, ‘hot lab partner,’ who is not very attractive to me anyway, right?”
Flustered by the statement, Alfred tried to change the topic. “I uh, guess I can’t argue with that. So do you, um, have siblings?”
“да, my elder and younger sister. They are both back in Russia. My older sister is very big-hearted, and my younger is very…dedicated.”
“Dedicated?”
“Dedicated.” The way Ivan said it made Alfred think it was something better left alone.
“What of your little brother?” Ivan asked, taking the subject away from him.
“Ah, Mattie? He’s my younger twin! He was the smart one who actually studied at the orphanage, so naturally he got into college. But there are always pessimistic older kids at those places who like to pick on the ones who try to make something of themselves, so I had to protect him from them.”
“I see.” There was a moment of awkward silence that Alfred was, frankly, used to. For some reason, the word “orphanage” tended to make people feel unsure of how to act toward him. Instead of letting it bother him though, Alfred just charged forward and changed the subject again.
“So what sort of work do you do in the lab?”
“Experiments. Mostly concerning rats,” Ivan said, seeming thankful for the change of subject. “They are not exactly pleasant.”
“Ah, I can handle it. I think.”
And so they talked about rats and the strange things Ivan did to them to learn about the nervous system. Not the most common of date-topics, Alfred knew, but utterly fascinating nonetheless. They jumped from rats to Russia quickly enough when Alfred started getting a bit green around the gills. (“I told you it was not pleasant.” “So yeah, Russia, big place huh?”) It turned out that Ivan had come to America to study and stayed to work and that a good portion of his money went back home to his dear sisters. Alfred in turn told silly stories about Matthew and his escapades when they were younger, living at their grandpa’s place in Virginia.
It was nothing much, nothing special by any means, just two people getting to know each other in the park. To Alfred though, it was more than he could ask for. He liked this, he wanted this, this normalcy and the feeling of closeness that came with being near someone on an emotional level, rather than a physical one. Like this, it was so easy to forget everything, to just be in the moment.
Every moment has its end though, and Alfred’s met its own via a very inconveniently timed phone call. Embarrassed, Alfred scrambled to pull out his phone, ready to turn it off and just continue on. However, when he saw the time and that the person calling was Arthur, all thoughts of just letting the night wear on fled as a cold pit formed in his stomach.
“Ah, damnit,” he cursed under his breath. “I-I’m sorry about this Ivan but it’s my landlord. He’s probably calling because of how late it is. He locks the doors at eleven, so… I sorta need to motor home,” Alfred lied, hoping that Ivan would believe him. The truth was that eleven wasn’t when the doors closed, but rather when they opened to Arthur’s clients.
“I understand. It would not do for him to be locking you out of your house so late,” Ivan said, easing off of the bench. He hid his disappointment well, but not so completely as to go undetected by the younger blond.
“I’m really sorry,” Alfred repeated. “This has been really nice though! Honestly, it’s the best time I’ve had in a while. Thank you so much.”
“Would you like to do this again?” Ivan asked, looking so darn hopeful it made Alfred’s heart want to burst. Here he was, running home to Arthur, the man who more or less owned him, just so that he could get fucked into the mattress by some lonely businessman or other, and Ivan thought he was worth a second date. It just wouldn’t be right to accept. It was wrong and unfair, and this time Alfred was going to say as much. He wouldn’t be taken in by those hopeful lavender eyes, or the cute way Ivan’s sweet demeanor clashed with his size or that damn smile-
“I’d love to! We definitely should,” Alfred said, even as guilt over his selfishness fought to keep his happiness in a box.
000
When rats mate, a male ensures that no other rats will mate with its female by clogging her entrance with his spend.
Tonight was a businessman who liked to see Alfred on his knees and begging. Begging for sex he didn’t want, for a finish that didn’t really make him feel-Not that anyone could tell by looking at him; he begged all the same.
However when male rats are separated from female rats long enough they sodomize each other. This leads to one male rat being clogged and unable to dispose of waste. If the rat is not cleaned out-
In, out, he might have been bleeding because this one likes to see Alfred pained, likes making him enjoy it, even when he doesn’t. He won’t know for sure until later because he isn’t in the here and now, he’s in an old house in Virginia with Matthew, he’s thinking of the park and Ivan and-
-Then it will die slowly over a matter of weeks.
The man comes inside of him and Alfred’s stomach drops to his toes.
000
From:
Matthew Williams-Jones
To:
Alfred Williams-Jones
Hey Al, it’s been a while since I’ve heard from you. I guess you must be really busy now, huh? I do have a job too you know, so try to see if you can get some hours off at one of your jobs, okay?
I made it onto the hockey team again this year, and might even be made captain! Do you think we’ll be able to afford to bring you out here for one of my games? I know it’s selfish, but I really want you to see one of them in person, rather than on a crappy DVD.
Anyway, I hope you’re doing well and that I’ll be able to make a trip down to see you sometime soon. I know I say this a lot, but I’m really thankful for what you’re doing for me.
Hoping to hear from you soon bro,
Matt
000
“C’mon, I’ve been like, waiting all day for this, seriously. Spill the beans blondie, how did your date go last night?”
Alfred had not even made it to the break room’s table before Feliks started questioning him about his date with Ivan the night before.
“Awesome,” he said with a grin as he took his seat at the small table.
“Details Alfie, details,” the shorter man demanded. Toris just sighed and put a cup of coffee down in front of Alfred.
“You know he’s not gonna let up until you tell him,” he said with a small shake of his head. Knowing this to be true, Alfred nonetheless allowed the Pole to beg for details for a minute more before actually giving any.
“You really wanna know? ‘Cause I’m telling you, you’ll probably think it’s boring.”
“Whatever, I just wanna like, know already!”
“Fine, fine,” Alfred gave in, making himself more comfortable in his seat. “Well, I met him in the park, as you know. And we ate cake. And then we decided we liked that spot, and stayed there and talked until I had to go home. The end.” Alfred broke out into a grin when Feliks made a small, aggravated noise.
“Like, worst date description ever! I’m looking for details, Alfie, you know? Like what’d you talk about? Did he kiss you when he left? Did he turn out to be like, super lame or something?”
“Not at all!” Alfred said a bit louder than necessary, “He was freaking awesome! He’s a neuroscientist and-“
“Whoa, whoa, wait, a neuroscientist? Like, no offense Al, I know you’re like grade-A beefcake and all but like, what the hell is some smarty pants scientist doing asking out a waiter?”
“I know, that’s what I said! But then he was all ‘but if the coffee guy makes me happy then I should go with him, right?’ Only he said it better. What do you even say to something like that?”
“Seriously? That is like, super cute but kinda cheesy.”
“Is it cheesy? I don’t think it’s cheesy. Toris, do you think it’s cheesy?”
Toris, looking something like a deer caught in the headlights, took a moment to think before finally answering, “I think it’s a sweet thing to say, cheesy or not.”
“Like, way to dodge the question Tor. Anyway, let’s get to the important stuff here. He like, totally kissed you, right?” Feliks asked, looking eager for an answer. A dusting of pink graced Alfred’s face at this.
“What? No! That-that just seems like a bit much for such a casual first date!” Alfred stuttered out, recognizing the hypocrisy in his statement yet still feeling it to be true, for him at least. If he was going to date normally, then he was going to go at his own sluggishly slow pace.
Upon hearing the news, Feliks abruptly slammed his head on the table and Toris let out a wide grin that was fairly unusual for him.
“See? I told you Alfred would be more reserved on a first date,” Toris said happily.
“Like, whatever. Damnit Al, now I’ve like, totally gotta foot the bill for dinner tonight. Way to go.”
“You-you guys bet on that? Toris, I expected better from you!” Alfred said, feeling indignant.
“What, so you didn’t expect better from me? So not cool Alfie.”
“Well you’re just the kinda guy who bets on whether or not people kiss their dates,” Alfred said and, catching sight of the clock decided to head back out to the front of the house before Ludwig came in and yelled at them for slacking. Feliks and Toris followed, though the shorter blond was still bemoaning the dinner bill he’d be paying later.
000
Alfred couldn’t stop looking at the clock Ludwig had hanging over the door to the back of the house. It was nearing the time that Ivan usually came in and Alfred was nervous to see him. If he didn’t come in, did that mean he’d changed his mind about them? Maybe he’d thought about it over night and decided that Alfred wasn’t what he was hoping for after all? He could just be caught up with work though; it was entirely possible that he was working overtime. Working in a lab probably didn’t guarantee the steadiest of hours. Alfred argued back and forth with himself until he had a headache and it was only five minutes after the damage was done that Ivan finally walked through the door and took his usual seat in the corner by the window.
Alfred took a minute to deliver his last order, before claiming he was taking his break early and completely ignoring his boss’ yelling in response. It took a lot of self-control for him to not skip over to Ivan’s table (as it stood, he was not skipping, but walking over in a very joyful but completely manly way).
“So… How ya doing?” Alfred asked when he reached the table, feeling suddenly shy.
“I am well. You are taking an early break, да? Sit then,” Ivan said, scooting over to make room for the other. Alfred did as told, wishing that he’d thought to at least bring Ivan his coffee before deciding to take a break with him.
“That’s good to hear, yeah. Um, so, still up for another date?” Alfred asked, insecurity eating away at him; Ivan was here, sure, but it could just be to tell him that any future plans they might’ve had were off. Because really, why would someone who seemed so great want to waste his time on a waiter and a whore-never mind that Ivan didn’t know about his other occupation, he could probably sense it as clearly as if it was written on Alfred’s forehead.
“Of course. Is there a convenient time for you?”
Alfred gave a small sigh of relief, “Saturday at noon sound good to you?”
“да. Shall we meet in the park?”
“The park sounds good. We can just improvise from there? Or are you more of a stick-to-a-plan kinda guy?” Alfred asked, moving closer to Ivan. He could feel Feliks and Toris watching him from their sections of the café, it was making him self-conscious. Ivan felt like a shield, if Alfred just got close enough nothing would bother him anymore.
“I am thinking improvising would be best.”
“Yeah, it’ll be fun. So with that all planned out, uh… do you want your regular coffee and something to go with it?” Alfred stood as he asked.
“The butterkutchen, пожалуйста. Packed to go; I am conducting a more drawn-out experiment today and need to return to the labs quickly.”
“Ah, okay,” Alfred said, a bit disheartened. It wasn’t like he could just sit with Ivan and watch him eat (Ludwig wouldn’t allow for a break quite that long), but just seeing Ivan around the café made his day better. Sighing, he resigned himself to getting Ivan his order and seeing him off.
“See ya tomorrow big guy?” Alfred asked as the order was exchanged for cash. Cake and coffee securely in hand, Ivan stood up and nodded.
“Tomorrow, yes,” he agreed, and bent down to lightly kiss the tip of Alfred’s nose before walking out of the café. For a minute, Alfred just stood there with his face turning red and smiling like an idiot. It took Feliks hip checking him into the table for him to remember his job and get back to work.
000
From:
Alfred Williams-Jones
To:
Matthew Williams-Jones
Ugh, I am sooooo sorry for not answering a lot >.< Though you’ll be happy to know that it’s not work keeping me busy so much lately! Believe it or not Mattie, your big bro’s been dating. Yes, you read that right, no, it’s not a typo. But yeah, I’ve been going with this Russian guy for a while now, he’s really nice! Really tall and sort of awkward, but he’s awesome! He’s a neuroscientist and he’s got all these really weird stories and I could go on forever, but you’d just think I was being mushy or something so I won’t :P
Anyway, I’ll try to save to make it down to your big game this year, okay? Maybe even take a few days off to just hang out with you up there, if I can. Does that sound good to you?
Love ya bro,
Al
Next Chapter->
Author/Artist: Sayasama
Character(s) or Pairing(s): Russia/US, and an "It's complicated" UK->US. Minor pairings include: LietPol, Netherlands/Canada, and GerIta. France and Prussia also make some appearances later.
Rating: PG-13 (maybe M) for sexual themes, some swearing, and later allusions to violence.
Warnings: Prostitution and the psychology thereof, psychological abuse, Dub-con and/or non-con depending on how you define the terms, swearing, and OOC.
Summary: "'Tis the strumpet's plague/To beguile many and be beguiled by one"-Iago; Othello, Act 4, Scene 1
A/n: The summary is not so much a summary as it is my inspiration for this. Seriously, that line hit me like a ton of bricks and then for a month, this story would not leave me alone. So here it is. Here and here are my main two sources for this, aside from the obvious wikipedia. It's pretty fascinating, I think.
----
Consciousness greeted Alfred with bright afternoon sunlight, a familiar ache between his legs, and his pissy British landlord. The combination was not all that pleasant or welcoming, so Alfred just groaned and pulled the bed covers over his head. There was a huff, and he could see in his mind just how Arthur would frown and roll his eyes, before leaning over to grab the sheets and viciously pull them off. Exposed to the late autumn cold, Alfred saw no choice but to join the rest of the waking world at last.
“You’re going to be late for that silly little job of yours, it’s nearly 2 already,” Arthur said, displeasure evident in his voice. Whether it was pointed at Alfred himself or the fact that he had an outside job was anyone’s guess. The message, however, was more than enough to fling Alfred out of bed, completely uncaring of the fact that he was naked as the day he was born.
It wasn’t as if Arthur minded anyway.
“Damnit, stupid alarm clock didn’t go off again… Hey Artie, could you check to make sure that thing doesn’t need new batteries?” Alfred asked as he rummaged through his drawers for clean work clothes. Black slacks and a white button-down were the dress code for waiters at the Süß Café and he had enough of both to last him a week, but he could never find them without searching.
“Mm, sure,” Arthur murmured very clearly distracted. Really, he seemed to be more excited by Alfred putting clothes on than he was seeing him go without. He probably just got off on the idea of ripping them off again, Alfred was sure. He’d lost so many shirts that way, one would think Arthur didn’t realize he needed clothes to wear.
Now fully dressed, Alfred made his way toward his bathroom for some last-minute preparations for the day and was joined by Arthur, who wasted no time in putting forward his usual point.
“You know, this extra job isn’t necessary for you. You make enough for me, all on your own.” Alfred refused to look in Arthur’s direction, but he could still see his reflection in the mirror; the older man was leaning on the wall behind him, something between a smirk and a leer on his face. Alfred did his best not to look at the mirror as he washed his face.
“Ah, maybe, but I just like having a second income to, to help things along,” Alfred replied, feigning nonchalance. This was a familiar conversation, one that always unnerved him. He wasn’t quite sure how long he could get away with outright rejecting Arthur’s proposition before he was either kicked out or forced to accept it.
“If you’re looking to pay your dues quicker, it might be more prudent to accept my offer.” Alfred could hear the smug grin in his voice-Arthur was so sure he would win out eventually.
“I can’t Arthur, I just-“
“I’m offering you something much better than your current arrangement, and I can assure you your debt would be nullified. What’s stopping you? Do you really enjoy being used by so many people?”
‘What’s stopping me is that I at least have some smidgen of freedom now and I wouldn’t then!’ Alfred shouted in his mind, but bit down on the words before they could leave his mouth.
“Uh, oh, look at the time!” He said instead, “Can we save this conversation for a better time? My boss will be pissed if I come in late again!” Alfred rushed to say as he edged his way out of the bathroom. Arthur’s lips pressed into a displeased line, but he permitted Alfred to escape the confines of the bathroom all the same.
“Fine, but we will talk about this-“
“Yep, sure will, see ya Artie!” Alfred said, and rushed out of his room before anymore could be said on the matter. Jogging down the stairs, he didn’t slow his pace until he hit the sidewalk outside of his boarding house.
Well, as far as any normal citizen was concerned it was a boarding house, anyway. In reality the building doubled as a bordello. The first floor and the front door were what the average and mostly unaware normal tenants used. The second floor was Arthur’s, though the kitchen, dining room and parlor were technically open to everyone living there. The third floor and the back entrance were reserved for those in “business” with Arthur. It was not as well kept as the first; the wallpaper was peeling in some places, there were exposed wires in some of the rooms, and the locks on Alfred and Francis’ doors were broken.
It was not a place Alfred would live in if he could avoid it, but he had been desperate at the time and had not known in the beginning just why Arthur was being quite so generous with him and his brother.
His brother-
Matthew, his twin and the only person who had stayed with him his whole life. He was now away at a fairly prestigious college, blissfully unaware of just what his brother was doing to pay for it. Alfred would make sure it stayed that way, too. Mattie had worked too hard for what he’d achieved and Alfred wouldn’t stand for him dropping out over his... questionable occupation.
000
“I-Ah, Sorry I’m la-late!” Alfred panted out as he came to a stop in the break room of the Süß Café. There by the door to front of the house were Toris and Feliks, his co-workers.
“Thank goodness you’re here, it looks crazy out there!” Toris let out a relieved sigh at the sight of Alfred scrambling for his uniform apron.
“Haha, I’ve come to save the day with my awesome table-waiting skills!” Alfred joked, tying the apron around his waist. Feliks just rolled his eyes at Alfred and dragged him out of the break room and into the actual café.
The Süß Café was a nice little shop where all the pastries were made from scratch by the owner himself and his hyper little Italian friend. He was somewhat less strict with who could make the coffee, though every employee was trained in what Ludwig considered the appropriate way to make his café’s drinks. He ran his café like it was the army and rumor had it that’s where he’d met Feliciano, though what he was doing in the army was anyone’s guess.
Alfred was in charge of working the tables on the left side of the café, near the front windows. He liked that he had an excuse to stare out the windows a lot, and Ludwig liked how having him near the windows attracted women who wanted to be waited on by a good-looking man into the establishment. Ludwig got costumers and Alfred got lots of tips; it was a win-win situation.
“Al, if you’re all set could you give me a hand rolling the silverware?” Toris called over to him from the side station. Alfred nodded over to him before making his way over to the side station.
“Like, really Tor, you know he’s totally supposed to pose in the window when he’s not busy!” Feliks said with a lazy grin on his face. Alfred chuckled at the face Toris made in response and started grabbing silverware to wrap up.
“Feliks! We are not using Alfred as a marketing tool!” Toris scolded.
“Ah, he’s just jealous ‘cause he doesn’t get as many tips,” Alfred said, still chuckling. Feliks made a threatening gesture with a fork in response.
“I like, get plenty of tips you-Oh. Ohoho,” Feliks cut himself off with a strange laugh and a mischievous grin.
“What? What is it? Feliks, that face does not promise good things,” Alfred said, looking worried.
“Oh nothing, it’s just that your huski Ruski’s back and he looks like he wants you with extra sugar, extra cream.”
Alfred went red up to the tips of his ears at this, despite how he tried not to. “He drinks his coffee black,” Alfred murmured, before taking a menu and going to serve his newest costumer.
“Good afternoon Ivan!” Alfred greeted; he made a point of remembering the names of anyone who came more than twice. They felt more welcome that way, which in turn meant they sat in his section more and tipped better. Ivan of course, had come many more times than that.
“Привет Alfred, I will be having my usual coffee and… the black forest cake?” Ivan said with a smile that did funny things to Alfred’s head.
“Don’t even need the menu anymore, do ya big guy? That’s a great choice though; Ludwig’s black forest cake is my favorite!” Alfred smiled back, wondering if Ivan’s head would get quite as fuzzy as his did.
“Your favorite? Ah, then I will get you a piece as well.”
For the second time in under five minutes, Alfred’s entire face went red. Behind him, he could hear both Toris and Feliks gasp.
“Is that allowed?” Toris questioned quietly, “I think Mr. Ludwig has rules about that…”
“Like, hush Tor, Alfred’s getting free stuff. Maybe he’ll share? We’re like, super tight so he totally would, right?”
Alfred could hear every word they were saying, and he was sure Ivan could too. Embarrassed, he covered his face with one hand. “I am terribly sorry for my co-worker’s nosiness…”
“It is… not problem. Will you be getting into trouble though?”
A part of Alfred said he really didn’t care if Ludwig would get pissed or not, but the other part really wanted him to leave his job today with his hearing intact.
“I… don’t really know, honestly. This is kinda the first time this has happened,” Alfred said feeling embarrassed. Darn, he should’ve remembered the rules when he had a chance!
“I see. Then we will put two pieces on hold, and I will come back when you are off of work?” Ivan asked, looking hopeful. Alfred, if possible, got even redder. Ivan, his very attractive regular customer who had been flirting with him for months now, was actually asking him out. Or at least, Alfred was pretty sure that’s what was happening. People always told him he was bad at reading these sorts of situations, so he wasn’t too sure of this assessment. Either way he was getting free cake and a chance to see the Russian again. Today was turning out to be his day.
Alfred was about to say yes, most definitely yes, when his mind reminded him of his very untoward circumstances. He had no right to say yes to this, it would be cruel to lead the other man on like this when Alfred knew that if anything got even remotely serious, he would have to leave. He should just reject the offer now and apologize for giving Ivan the wrong idea, even though it wasn’t the wrong idea at all because he was interested, definitely interested in Ivan and he wanted to get to know him better, and there was free cake involved and-
“I get off at closing time, wanna meet in the park?”
The way to Alfred’s heart always had been his stomach.
000
Extremely happy and determined to keep all the unsavory facts about his life out of his head, Alfred put on his jacket and grabbed the two pieces of cake from the refrigerator in the break room. Toris and Feliks had agreed to close up without him, so he was going to make his way to the park a few blocks away. More specifically, he was going to run two blocks to get there as quickly as he could.
To say Alfred was excited would be an understatement. He actually had a date, a real, normal, honest-to-goodness date. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d been on one of those! Certainly not since he’d started working for Arth-- No, he was not going to think about that. None of that even existed right now, as far as he was concerned. Not Arthur, nor the bordello, nor the people he was undoubtedly going to please that night-
‘Stop thinking about it brain! Right now I’m just being a normal 20-year-old guy, going on a normal date. Stop crashing my party!’
Alfred managed to push all his unwanted thoughts out of his mind just as he made it to the park. There, sitting on the bench right next to the entrance was Ivan, waiting patiently with an expectant grin on his face.
“He-heya big guy!” Alfred greeted with a smile before sitting down next to the other. “So ah, I heard you were wantin’ some cake.”
“Among other things, yes,” Ivan responded, looking just as happy as Alfred was. Quickly, Alfred handed Ivan his piece of cake, and waited for the Russian to eat first before he started in on his own. He didn’t want Ivan thinking he was only here for the free food (though that had played a large part in the decision-making process). They ate in silence for a few minutes before Alfred decided to start up a conversation.
“I guess we should start with the basics, huh?”
Ivan nodded, his somewhat shy body language juxtapose to his fairly intimidating size. “да, that sounds good.”
“Well then, I’m Alfred F. Jones, a 20-or-so-year-old workin’ as a waiter to put my little bro through college. I make a mean burger and play excessive amounts of video games,” Alfred said, grinning.
Ivan raised an eyebrow at Alfred’s introduction but smiled as he started his own. “I am Ivan Braginski. I am 25-years-old working in a neurology lab at the nearby university-“
“-Whoa, whoa, wait-you’re a neuroscientist? The hell you doin’ asking out waiters and not like, your hot lab partner or something?” Oh goodness, Ivan was probably some sort of science genius who was working on a cure for freaking Alzheimer’s or something and who was way, way out of Alfred’s league. He was messing with a good man here, Ivan didn’t deserve this, and Alfred certainly didn’t deserve him-
Ivan’s brows knitted together and his lips screwed up into a confused scowl. “But I am not asking ‘waiters’ out, I am asking you.”
Alfred blushed at the statement, but would not be deterred just yet. “I just mean that you could probably do a lot better than someone who serves people coffee for a living.”
Ivan’s expression did not change, despite Alfred’s attempts to alleviate his confusion. “Perhaps. But if it is the coffee server who makes me happy, then I should choose him over the, as you say, ‘hot lab partner,’ who is not very attractive to me anyway, right?”
Flustered by the statement, Alfred tried to change the topic. “I uh, guess I can’t argue with that. So do you, um, have siblings?”
“да, my elder and younger sister. They are both back in Russia. My older sister is very big-hearted, and my younger is very…dedicated.”
“Dedicated?”
“Dedicated.” The way Ivan said it made Alfred think it was something better left alone.
“What of your little brother?” Ivan asked, taking the subject away from him.
“Ah, Mattie? He’s my younger twin! He was the smart one who actually studied at the orphanage, so naturally he got into college. But there are always pessimistic older kids at those places who like to pick on the ones who try to make something of themselves, so I had to protect him from them.”
“I see.” There was a moment of awkward silence that Alfred was, frankly, used to. For some reason, the word “orphanage” tended to make people feel unsure of how to act toward him. Instead of letting it bother him though, Alfred just charged forward and changed the subject again.
“So what sort of work do you do in the lab?”
“Experiments. Mostly concerning rats,” Ivan said, seeming thankful for the change of subject. “They are not exactly pleasant.”
“Ah, I can handle it. I think.”
And so they talked about rats and the strange things Ivan did to them to learn about the nervous system. Not the most common of date-topics, Alfred knew, but utterly fascinating nonetheless. They jumped from rats to Russia quickly enough when Alfred started getting a bit green around the gills. (“I told you it was not pleasant.” “So yeah, Russia, big place huh?”) It turned out that Ivan had come to America to study and stayed to work and that a good portion of his money went back home to his dear sisters. Alfred in turn told silly stories about Matthew and his escapades when they were younger, living at their grandpa’s place in Virginia.
It was nothing much, nothing special by any means, just two people getting to know each other in the park. To Alfred though, it was more than he could ask for. He liked this, he wanted this, this normalcy and the feeling of closeness that came with being near someone on an emotional level, rather than a physical one. Like this, it was so easy to forget everything, to just be in the moment.
Every moment has its end though, and Alfred’s met its own via a very inconveniently timed phone call. Embarrassed, Alfred scrambled to pull out his phone, ready to turn it off and just continue on. However, when he saw the time and that the person calling was Arthur, all thoughts of just letting the night wear on fled as a cold pit formed in his stomach.
“Ah, damnit,” he cursed under his breath. “I-I’m sorry about this Ivan but it’s my landlord. He’s probably calling because of how late it is. He locks the doors at eleven, so… I sorta need to motor home,” Alfred lied, hoping that Ivan would believe him. The truth was that eleven wasn’t when the doors closed, but rather when they opened to Arthur’s clients.
“I understand. It would not do for him to be locking you out of your house so late,” Ivan said, easing off of the bench. He hid his disappointment well, but not so completely as to go undetected by the younger blond.
“I’m really sorry,” Alfred repeated. “This has been really nice though! Honestly, it’s the best time I’ve had in a while. Thank you so much.”
“Would you like to do this again?” Ivan asked, looking so darn hopeful it made Alfred’s heart want to burst. Here he was, running home to Arthur, the man who more or less owned him, just so that he could get fucked into the mattress by some lonely businessman or other, and Ivan thought he was worth a second date. It just wouldn’t be right to accept. It was wrong and unfair, and this time Alfred was going to say as much. He wouldn’t be taken in by those hopeful lavender eyes, or the cute way Ivan’s sweet demeanor clashed with his size or that damn smile-
“I’d love to! We definitely should,” Alfred said, even as guilt over his selfishness fought to keep his happiness in a box.
000
When rats mate, a male ensures that no other rats will mate with its female by clogging her entrance with his spend.
Tonight was a businessman who liked to see Alfred on his knees and begging. Begging for sex he didn’t want, for a finish that didn’t really make him feel-Not that anyone could tell by looking at him; he begged all the same.
However when male rats are separated from female rats long enough they sodomize each other. This leads to one male rat being clogged and unable to dispose of waste. If the rat is not cleaned out-
In, out, he might have been bleeding because this one likes to see Alfred pained, likes making him enjoy it, even when he doesn’t. He won’t know for sure until later because he isn’t in the here and now, he’s in an old house in Virginia with Matthew, he’s thinking of the park and Ivan and-
-Then it will die slowly over a matter of weeks.
The man comes inside of him and Alfred’s stomach drops to his toes.
000
From:
Matthew Williams-Jones
To:
Alfred Williams-Jones
Hey Al, it’s been a while since I’ve heard from you. I guess you must be really busy now, huh? I do have a job too you know, so try to see if you can get some hours off at one of your jobs, okay?
I made it onto the hockey team again this year, and might even be made captain! Do you think we’ll be able to afford to bring you out here for one of my games? I know it’s selfish, but I really want you to see one of them in person, rather than on a crappy DVD.
Anyway, I hope you’re doing well and that I’ll be able to make a trip down to see you sometime soon. I know I say this a lot, but I’m really thankful for what you’re doing for me.
Hoping to hear from you soon bro,
Matt
000
“C’mon, I’ve been like, waiting all day for this, seriously. Spill the beans blondie, how did your date go last night?”
Alfred had not even made it to the break room’s table before Feliks started questioning him about his date with Ivan the night before.
“Awesome,” he said with a grin as he took his seat at the small table.
“Details Alfie, details,” the shorter man demanded. Toris just sighed and put a cup of coffee down in front of Alfred.
“You know he’s not gonna let up until you tell him,” he said with a small shake of his head. Knowing this to be true, Alfred nonetheless allowed the Pole to beg for details for a minute more before actually giving any.
“You really wanna know? ‘Cause I’m telling you, you’ll probably think it’s boring.”
“Whatever, I just wanna like, know already!”
“Fine, fine,” Alfred gave in, making himself more comfortable in his seat. “Well, I met him in the park, as you know. And we ate cake. And then we decided we liked that spot, and stayed there and talked until I had to go home. The end.” Alfred broke out into a grin when Feliks made a small, aggravated noise.
“Like, worst date description ever! I’m looking for details, Alfie, you know? Like what’d you talk about? Did he kiss you when he left? Did he turn out to be like, super lame or something?”
“Not at all!” Alfred said a bit louder than necessary, “He was freaking awesome! He’s a neuroscientist and-“
“Whoa, whoa, wait, a neuroscientist? Like, no offense Al, I know you’re like grade-A beefcake and all but like, what the hell is some smarty pants scientist doing asking out a waiter?”
“I know, that’s what I said! But then he was all ‘but if the coffee guy makes me happy then I should go with him, right?’ Only he said it better. What do you even say to something like that?”
“Seriously? That is like, super cute but kinda cheesy.”
“Is it cheesy? I don’t think it’s cheesy. Toris, do you think it’s cheesy?”
Toris, looking something like a deer caught in the headlights, took a moment to think before finally answering, “I think it’s a sweet thing to say, cheesy or not.”
“Like, way to dodge the question Tor. Anyway, let’s get to the important stuff here. He like, totally kissed you, right?” Feliks asked, looking eager for an answer. A dusting of pink graced Alfred’s face at this.
“What? No! That-that just seems like a bit much for such a casual first date!” Alfred stuttered out, recognizing the hypocrisy in his statement yet still feeling it to be true, for him at least. If he was going to date normally, then he was going to go at his own sluggishly slow pace.
Upon hearing the news, Feliks abruptly slammed his head on the table and Toris let out a wide grin that was fairly unusual for him.
“See? I told you Alfred would be more reserved on a first date,” Toris said happily.
“Like, whatever. Damnit Al, now I’ve like, totally gotta foot the bill for dinner tonight. Way to go.”
“You-you guys bet on that? Toris, I expected better from you!” Alfred said, feeling indignant.
“What, so you didn’t expect better from me? So not cool Alfie.”
“Well you’re just the kinda guy who bets on whether or not people kiss their dates,” Alfred said and, catching sight of the clock decided to head back out to the front of the house before Ludwig came in and yelled at them for slacking. Feliks and Toris followed, though the shorter blond was still bemoaning the dinner bill he’d be paying later.
000
Alfred couldn’t stop looking at the clock Ludwig had hanging over the door to the back of the house. It was nearing the time that Ivan usually came in and Alfred was nervous to see him. If he didn’t come in, did that mean he’d changed his mind about them? Maybe he’d thought about it over night and decided that Alfred wasn’t what he was hoping for after all? He could just be caught up with work though; it was entirely possible that he was working overtime. Working in a lab probably didn’t guarantee the steadiest of hours. Alfred argued back and forth with himself until he had a headache and it was only five minutes after the damage was done that Ivan finally walked through the door and took his usual seat in the corner by the window.
Alfred took a minute to deliver his last order, before claiming he was taking his break early and completely ignoring his boss’ yelling in response. It took a lot of self-control for him to not skip over to Ivan’s table (as it stood, he was not skipping, but walking over in a very joyful but completely manly way).
“So… How ya doing?” Alfred asked when he reached the table, feeling suddenly shy.
“I am well. You are taking an early break, да? Sit then,” Ivan said, scooting over to make room for the other. Alfred did as told, wishing that he’d thought to at least bring Ivan his coffee before deciding to take a break with him.
“That’s good to hear, yeah. Um, so, still up for another date?” Alfred asked, insecurity eating away at him; Ivan was here, sure, but it could just be to tell him that any future plans they might’ve had were off. Because really, why would someone who seemed so great want to waste his time on a waiter and a whore-never mind that Ivan didn’t know about his other occupation, he could probably sense it as clearly as if it was written on Alfred’s forehead.
“Of course. Is there a convenient time for you?”
Alfred gave a small sigh of relief, “Saturday at noon sound good to you?”
“да. Shall we meet in the park?”
“The park sounds good. We can just improvise from there? Or are you more of a stick-to-a-plan kinda guy?” Alfred asked, moving closer to Ivan. He could feel Feliks and Toris watching him from their sections of the café, it was making him self-conscious. Ivan felt like a shield, if Alfred just got close enough nothing would bother him anymore.
“I am thinking improvising would be best.”
“Yeah, it’ll be fun. So with that all planned out, uh… do you want your regular coffee and something to go with it?” Alfred stood as he asked.
“The butterkutchen, пожалуйста. Packed to go; I am conducting a more drawn-out experiment today and need to return to the labs quickly.”
“Ah, okay,” Alfred said, a bit disheartened. It wasn’t like he could just sit with Ivan and watch him eat (Ludwig wouldn’t allow for a break quite that long), but just seeing Ivan around the café made his day better. Sighing, he resigned himself to getting Ivan his order and seeing him off.
“See ya tomorrow big guy?” Alfred asked as the order was exchanged for cash. Cake and coffee securely in hand, Ivan stood up and nodded.
“Tomorrow, yes,” he agreed, and bent down to lightly kiss the tip of Alfred’s nose before walking out of the café. For a minute, Alfred just stood there with his face turning red and smiling like an idiot. It took Feliks hip checking him into the table for him to remember his job and get back to work.
000
From:
Alfred Williams-Jones
To:
Matthew Williams-Jones
Ugh, I am sooooo sorry for not answering a lot >.< Though you’ll be happy to know that it’s not work keeping me busy so much lately! Believe it or not Mattie, your big bro’s been dating. Yes, you read that right, no, it’s not a typo. But yeah, I’ve been going with this Russian guy for a while now, he’s really nice! Really tall and sort of awkward, but he’s awesome! He’s a neuroscientist and he’s got all these really weird stories and I could go on forever, but you’d just think I was being mushy or something so I won’t :P
Anyway, I’ll try to save to make it down to your big game this year, okay? Maybe even take a few days off to just hang out with you up there, if I can. Does that sound good to you?
Love ya bro,
Al
Next Chapter->