On Hire
by Lena (language corrections by Shayne and Phaedra7veils)
Chapter 4
Two weeks passed without progress in the investigation.
All of Katze's efforts to identify the man with the tattoo came to nothing. He tried every means he could think of. He held ample data on people working in the black market and started his search by browsing through it. When that didn't help, he turned to other black market bosses – those few ones he trusted. He couldn't just ask anyone around if he didn't want the rumor to spread and the guy to get scared away. Keeping his search at the top level guaranteed him the highest possible efficiency with the fewest possible leaks. The bosses provided him with even more data, still to no avail. Apparently, the guy wasn't anyone known to the people known to him, possibly even to anyone in the black market.
Next, he broke into the registry of Midas citizens, but there were hundreds of guys that answered Hunk's description. And hell if he could find any more specific information there – like tattoos they were or weren't wearing. Finally he checked the offers of a few Midas tattoo studios, trying to figure out what the drawing on the guy's hand could be. Half of the designs were longish and a large portion of them consisted of some regular pattern. But he already knew it was pointless. Even if he managed to find the right pattern, then what? Was he supposed to run around the studios, asking if a certain green-haired guy had used their services by any chance? He didn't even know how old this damn tattoo was.
It was like looking for a needle in a haystack. If it wasn't for the traces he'd found in Hunk's terminal, he would have doubted they were on the right track at all.
Raoul wasn't any more lucky. The inquiry he'd run among his people proved fruitless as well. Of course he couldn't screen everyone in the Center, it had way too many employees, but all of his closest subordinates and people who might know about the project were thoroughly checked. That added up to a few dozen men.
None of those men had any suspicious background or connections, none of them had any stains on their record – any stains that could be relevant to this matter anyway.
Moreover, it seemed strange that someone from the inside would use an outside hacker to access inside data. It was illogical. So maybe it wasn't a mole after all, maybe it was just someone who let the secret slip out by accident.
It seemed most possible, considering the circumstances. And it was the worst, because if that was the case, Raoul really didn't see anything he could do.
He sat down, sinking into the brightly colored foam. He threw his head back, leaning it against the bathtub's headrest and stretched his body comfortably. Katze poured the last scented oil into the water. Mmm... almond. Raoul smiled. He took some time just to lie like that and relax. He felt the mongrel's presence next to him, waiting.
"Rub my shoulders, Katze," he spoke after a few minutes, not opening his eyes.
Light steps approached him from behind.
"You have to lean forward," the dealer said softly but there was a subtle note of command in his voice. Raoul liked it. He pulled his body up and bent slightly, resting his elbows on his knees. He felt his hair being collected and pinned in a bun high on his head.
"It was in the way," Katze explained.
Strong hands rested on his shoulders and began to knead the muscles. Raoul kept his eyes closed, immersed in pleasant thoughts. The presence of the former furniture at this moment in his bathroom, behind his back, and serving him so expertly was extremely exciting.
Tonight Raoul had a whim. He wanted Katze to play furniture for him, to attend to him while he was taking a bath. And so Katze was here. He'd prepared this exquisite hot tub and was now giving him this lovely rubdown. Raoul turned the scene at every angle in his mind, trying to imagine it, to draw it down to the smallest detail. Katze was wearing his informal clothes – jeans and a light, sleeveless top. So, the Blondie continued his musings, he could see Katze's muscled arms, the tag on his right wrist, red strands falling over those fine features, and himself as he was at the moment – even more beautiful.
Katze's fingers worked along his shoulders for a while, then ran up his neck and slightly into his hair. They felt absolutely wonderful. Raoul bowed his head to give them better access and show that he liked it. He allowed himself one quiet moan. He decided he would have to engage Katze in this kind of work more often, maybe even make it their routine. He should have thought about it before. He'd lost nearly two weeks of pure bliss.
The fingers left his neck and moved down his back. They run along his spine, lightly, as if playfully. Was it just Raoul's imagination or was there something more to this touch than just a massage? He was sure Reo had never done it like that, never dared to go that far up and down, to almost caress his back and neck. He never had those sensations when it was the boy taking care of him. On the other hand, Katze was just bolder by nature, more experienced and well, Raoul had never slept with Reo in one bed.
Suddenly, with certain unhappiness, the Blondie realized that he was having an erection. Really, mere thinking of Katze attending to him gave him a hard-on? Fortunately there was a lot of foam in the water, so the dealer couldn't see it. Raoul focused, trying to chase the unwelcome arousal away and after a while he succeeded.
During those last two weeks of having Katze around he had developed more erections than he'd had in his whole life... all right, maybe not quite, but still. It especially happened at nights, when the dealer was lying next to him. Trying to hide an erect penis from someone you wanted to plaster yourself all over was particularly inconvenient. It took a great deal of his Blondie well-studied self-control to keep his body in check.
"Enough, thanks," he murmured. "Wash my hair now."
He heard only a quiet, slightly exasperated sigh behind him, but then Katze proceeded to do as he was ordered. Raoul took delight in his every action – in water pouring over his head, in fingers massaging his scalp, warming the cold touch of shampoo...
"Lean back," the dealer commanded when Raoul's hair was washed, and rinsed, and coated with conditioner. The Blondie did as he was told, half laying again. Katze kept the veil of his hair up and rested it on the edge of the bathtub behind him. A moment later Raoul felt a brush in his hair, combing it slowly, carefully.
"Mmm... splendid," he murmured, but there was no answer.
It took another few delicious minutes. Finally Katze put the brush away. But Raoul didn't feel like finishing the bath, not just yet.
"Sit with me for a while," he said.
The redhead surprised him by sinking to his knees beside the bathtub in typical furniture pose. Raoul stared at him.
"You don't have to kneel on the floor. Take the chair."
"It's alright," Katze said, keeping his eyes low. "I suppose you prefer it that way."
It almost gave Raoul another erection, but he fought it with the last bits of his will.
They sat like that for a while in silence. Raoul felt too relaxed to care for small talk, furniture wasn't supposed to speak when not required. It was ten, maybe fifteen minutes later when he decided he'd had enough and commanded Katze to assist him out of the bath.
The dealer obediently opened the drain and turned up the heater so that Raoul's body didn't suffer from the temperature change. The Blondie kept his eyes closed. He heard the eunuch reach for the shower head and felt the warm stream of water pouring over his skin, rinsing off the remnants of foam and soap. Perfect, Katze knew how to tend to his needs without being instructed. Not every furniture had those skills. The dealer's so evident past as one again filled Raoul with joy.
He sat completely naked, exposing his body to the caress of the shower and the warm breath of ventilation. He didn't feel embarrassed. Him, nude, in front of the completely dressed furniture. It was a normal situation, who was to serve the elite during a bath if not furniture? Furniture were nothing to be embarrassed of – they were just pieces of equipment. And with Katze it was even better. Raoul didn't just feel no shame. There was this particular pleasure of being able to show off his own body, to brag with it. He knew his physique was perfect. He knew Katze would admire it.
And Katze did admire it – just like during their first night together, when he saw Raoul undressed for the first time. The imperious man lying in front of him was nothing short of breathtaking. Katze had already come to terms with having Raoul around more often than Iason. He no longer felt this straining disappointment while looking into green eyes instead of blue ones, seeing deep gold of hair, instead of platinum blond. Now that he knew Raoul's face better, he could make an even better comparison. The line of Raoul's jaw was more angular, the nose shorter and eyebrows thicker and rather straight, without Iason's arch. He could see all this now, looking at Raoul's nearly angelic features fully exposed, without the veil of hair covering a part of them and had to fight a sudden urge to touch that face. It had to be nice – to touch something so beautiful, to feel those refined lines under his fingers. Sometimes he wondered if Raoul wasn't more beautiful than Iason. Of course, these were just strictly aesthetic sensations, not that his feelings ever changed.
And the rest of the body... Katze had to admit that completely naked Raoul looked even better than when wearing only his pants. Now he could fully appreciate how perfect the proportions of the Blondie's figure were. The line of the waist widened a bit as it ran down to the hips; and then, lower, there were those long, lean, almost hairless legs. There was only one part of Raoul's anatomy that Katze somehow didn't like. He really didn't feel like looking at what the Blondie had between his legs. He managed to keep his eyes off it before, used the excuse of bustling around the bathroom and was turned away for most of the time when Raoul undressed, before his body dipped into the water. Now there was just no way not to see it, and the sight made Katze shudder. He'd heard that all elites were well equipped. Well, Raoul was no exception.
A few minutes later the water was turned off and the shower head put in its place. Raoul opened his eyes lazily. Katze was already waiting with a huge towel in his hands. The Blondie rose and stepped out of the tub. He let the skillful hands dry his body and put a warm, long housecoat on his shoulders.
"You were a good furniture, weren't you?" he offered.
"Iason never complained."
"Iason always praised you," Raoul smiled. With a confident gait he moved towards the door. Katze followed him silently.
"Make me a drink," he commanded in the bedroom. He took a book waiting for him on the desk and headed for the bed. "I leave the ingredients to your invention," he added, stretching comfortably on the mattress.
A moment later the drink sat on the nightstand and Katze stood over him, looking down with anticipation. Raoul raised his eyes to him.
"May I go back to my work now?" the redhead asked.
"Of course. Just be back at midnight, will you?"
"Sure thing," Katze snorted and left.
Raoul cast a short glance at the clock. An hour and a half. He closed his eyes and the image of Katze – and what he must be doing now – came into his mind of its own accord. He saw the dealer sit down in front of the screen, heard the snap of the lighter. He saw Katze resume his favorite activity with his favorite cigarette in hand. He allowed himself to muse over those little pleasures of life for a moment, then proceeded to indulge in his own little pleasures with delight.
Raoul was extremely pleased with the evening. Wrapped in the warm bathrobe, with a good book in hand, delicious drink beside him and a certain red-haired mongrel just a wall or two away, he considered himself a very lucky man.
And when a few minutes past midnight Katze was back, wearing his pajamas as always, Raoul didn't think of containing himself any longer. The thought had been pestering him for quite a while now and he finally made the decision.
"Undress. We're sleeping naked tonight."
Katze tensed, looking at him with wide eyes. "Wha...?"
"You heard me."
The dealer took a step back. His lips trembled. "I'd rather not."
"I'm sorry, it's not open for discussion." Raoul was suddenly angered by Katze's reaction. "Listen, I don't intend to do anything to you. I just don't see a reason to wear those," he pointed at the mongrel with his chin, "since we already saw each other. I don't have my pajamas on and I don't feel like it, either."
What was wrong about it, after all? He just wanted to use the occasion to try something that was bothering his curious mind. He sometimes slept naked when he was alone. Why shouldn't he sleep naked with Katze?
He put the book away, got up quickly and shook the bathrobe off his shoulders, letting it slide into a crumpled heap on the carpet. He sunk back under the covers, feeling their smoothness against his bare skin, and sent Katze a challenging glance. Now, that should show the mongrel that his decision was final.
Katze was staring at him, frozen in place.
"Undress and get into bed," Raoul repeated.
The redhead sighed. Reluctantly, he opened the zipper of his blouse and left it on the floor as well. The pants followed it quickly and Katze slipped under the sheets with almost panicked haste. Raoul studied him, leaning on his elbow.
"Are you so ashamed of your body that you hide it even in front of someone who's already seen it?"
"It's definitely nothing to be proud of," Katze murmured unhappily, his gaze escaping Raoul.
"Nonsense, I don't believe you really mean what you're saying."
However he knew such an attitude was quite common among furniture. As a biologist he'd read a few studies on furniture's psychology and was familiar with the problem. Their situation wasn't easy. They had to get used to their mutilation, to living without sex, being treated as asexual pieces of equipment in a world where sex was one of the most important aspects of life. Denying own body was a simple way to cope with that.
Still, Katze's words struck him. They were so ridiculous.
He moved closer to the dealer and put his arms around him. The sensation almost sent him flying. Oh yes, it was different, quite completely different. Katze shuddered and tensed when their bodies came into contact, and Raoul shuddered as well.
"Oh, Jupiter," he moaned. At the moment he felt too dizzy to mind his vocalizations.
He had a hard-on again, of course he had, but he didn't care anymore. He just couldn't draw back. There was nothing he wanted more right now than to pull Katze even closer, to wrap around him even tighter. The mongrel must have felt his erection – it was pressed shamelessly against his back, but he didn't say anything. He just lay stiff in the ring of Raoul's arms, and the Blondie doubted he would dare comment on it.
"Sorry for that," he however found himself saying. "It's... nothing. It will pass."
"Yes," Katze muttered weakly, without much sense.
Raoul resigned himself to the wonderful sensation of the naked body against him. He loosened his grip and holding Katze with one arm put his hand on the dealer's side. The muscle under the skin quivered slightly.
"Shhh, easy, I told you I won't do anything. I just want to feel... for a moment."
He ran his hand down, tracing the line of the slim body, relishing the sensation of skin under his palm. It slid into the hollow formed by the waist, and then moved up the slightly angular hip. His fingers brushed the delicate skin in the crook of Katze's pelvis and ran even lower, along the muscled thigh.
"It feels good, doesn't it?" Raoul breathed more to himself than to Katze, tracing the same lines again as his hand moved up.
Something akin to a stifled sob escaped Katze's throat, but that was all. Raoul took his hand from the mongrel's side and closed his grip again. His sex was still proudly erect but he ignored it. There was really nothing he could do about it this time.
The comm unit buzzed a few minutes before noon. Raoul answered it automatically, interrupting his work, and only after he pressed the button, did he check who was calling.
Shisei Kano. The screen flashed to life, showing a beautiful face of the Platina.
"Raoul, hello," the silver-haired elite greeted him briskly.
Raoul smiled and it was only partly a business smile. He nodded his head, returning the greeting. "To what do I owe the pleasure, Shisei?"
Kano smirked. "Why, I wanted to see your face of course."
"Of course," Raoul bowed courtly. "And the real reason?"
The other man got more serious, but a hint of a smile stayed on his lips.
"The offer I sent in response to your tender. I wanted to know what you think of it."
Kano's offer, oh yes, Raoul remembered. "We haven't yet decided about the offers, but I'll tell you what. Yours really drew my attention. I like it. I'm quite ready to accept it at this point. Although I would still like to discuss a few details with you."
Shisei's face lit up. "Great. That's exactly what I had in mind. How about a meeting then? On Tuesday?"
It was Friday, the meeting would be in five days. Raoul mentally reviewed his plans for that date and found that he had none.
"Tuesday would be fine."
"I'll make a reservation at Vultain's. Say, 17:00? I'm buying. I'd like to bring a friend with me, so how about a table for four? So that you could bring someone as well? We'll meet, talk, spend some nice time together, do business."
Raoul smiled. "It's alright with me."
Having settled that, they said goodbye to each other and disconnected. Raoul leaned back in his armchair and allowed himself to muse over it for a while. He was actually looking forward to the meeting. He liked Shisei Kano. The Platina was a valuable associate, and a nice person to talk to in general. And now, since the hacker problem seemed to have come to the dead end, there was no point in putting the rest of his business aside any longer. It was time to return things to their normal course. And the problem... maybe it was a false alarm after all. No one had tried to contact him regarding the matter, and all in all nothing terrible happened since the break in – for almost three weeks. And something should have happened, shouldn't it? Maybe the matter would die a natural death. In any case, it was time to go on.
The next few nights were heaven and hell.
Since the first time they had slept naked, they never went back to wearing their pajamas in bed. Raoul was true to his words and didn't try to force anything on Katze. Everything was exactly as it had been before with the little costume exception. Once the step had already been taken, Raoul saw no point in moving back. Nor did he want to.
Technically, it was the best arrangement. He was gaining from the situation as much as he could without breaking the rules. He was sleeping with another man in one bed, naked and cuddled up to him. He was just a tiny step from the line, but he didn't cross it. He could still consider himself law-abiding, he had not disgraced himself. It was convenient. Well, it should be.
Katze had no option but to bite the bullet. After a weak protest that first night, he'd never tried to complain. He accepted his fate silently and as night after night passed peacefully, he slowly relaxed again.
What Katze didn't know, was that the peace was only apparent. In his mind, Raoul wasn't peaceful at all. His thoughts were raging, taking nearly the same path every night.
Every single time he lay behind the dealer and their hips were so close, he had the same nagging idea in his mind. It was enough to make one move, to shift those few inches to be able sink into the sweet depths of Katze's body. To find out what it felt like, to discover the secret that tormented him. And now, without even the thin fabric of sleep-wear to separate them, this thought grew even stronger. He had everything at arm's length. He could try it at no cost. Nothing would stop him.
Nothing except for his own sense of morality and it was working at full force every night, trying to preserve Raoul's decency. Sex was disgraceful, he repeated to himself, recalling the phrases he'd been taught as a kid. Low, primitive, animal-like, carnal. It was the activity for lowlifes. He, a Blondie, should be above it.
But there was also another part of him, telling him that breaking the rules just once wouldn't be such a great tragedy after all. It wouldn't make him any more indecent than he already was. Decency wasn't only about one's actions, it was even more about the mind. And his mind was already corrupted. Finding an answer would calm him down. Crossing that line, engaging in that obscenity – just once – could in fact help his morality. It would bring relief, clear his mind of these obtrusive thoughts. And Katze would be just a tool in his hands, he would just use the mongrel for his needs and nothing more. It wouldn't really matter.
And besides, Iason reveled in this obscenity every night. And what? Nothing had happened. It didn't affect his cool mind at work, it didn't destroy his quick-witted, charming way with people. He didn't grow horns all of a sudden and didn't seem disgraced at all. If his social position suffered, it was only because the outside world couldn't accept the rumors of his misconduct, not because Iason himself changed. And Raoul would only do it once. After that he would stop, and he definitely wouldn't let anyone know about it.
Of course, he knew that there was another solution to his torment. He could just give all this up, make Katze wear his night clothes again, or even better – send him back to his room, to his home, and never let him close again. It would be safe, it would be reasonable and the thoughts would be gone after a while. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. So?
After coming to this conclusion he was almost ready a few times. He even prepared his hips to thrust, to make that little move that would cost him nothing. But no, he eventually always remained still. He was holding on to his tormented morality as tight as he could.
Katze really didn't understand why it was him Raoul had decided to take to the meeting.
"I mean, you should go with someone who knows the case, someone from the Center," he said when the Blondie had told him they were going out and on what occasion.
"I don't need anyone for business. I need company. It seems Kano first of all wants a nice evening together, and you'll be a much more interesting companion than any of my assistants."
The compliment made Katze smirk.
"I'm not an elite. I will stand out."
"Oh, stop whining, Katze." It was again the light-hearted Raoul Katze sometimes saw. "I want to show you off a little in a public place. I want everyone to see what a charming man I have at my side. Why shouldn't I?"
Show you off? Like you want to show off your new lover? Katze was again baffled by Raoul's attitude, but said nothing. It would eventually happen anyway. People would find out, one way or another, that there was a certain red-haired non-elite hanging around Raoul. Maybe some of them would even recognize him as the non-elite who'd been hanging around Iason before. Probably no one would suspect anything improper at first. They would, however, if Raoul decided to show him off more often.
And not that Katze minded eating at Vultain's, oh no! It was one of the most expensive, most exclusive restaurants in Tanagura. Although he could afford a dinner in such place, say, once a fortnight, with his poor furniture ID he wouldn't even get in the door. Not without his master. Though this particular fact was nothing unusual. Most Tanagura and Midas shops wouldn't serve someone without a citizen's identification card. And even at those few ones in Eos that did open their doors for furniture, eyebrows would be raised at a twenty-six year old man passing himself off as one.
It was funny, Katze sometimes thought. Most Eos furniture, after serving their time, received citizenship – with notification of their previous occupation of course, but still. It was the reward everybody waited for. To get out of the slum, to be able to start a normal life in Midas. Iason had been very cunning in the way he'd settled Katze's fate after discovering his offense. He'd made him his right hand in the black market, but never granted him permission to become a citizen. As much as it was a way to express his appreciation for Katze's talents, it was also another part of the punishment. Katze had more money and power than most Midas citizens, but he was bound to the underground markets. And to Iason.
Vultain's looked even better than he'd expected, immersed in an atmosphere of nice intimacy. The booths looked cozy, the tables were separated from each other by large plants and partitions. There were even more tables in the galleries hanging all around above the ground level.
"Sir Kano and his companion have already arrived," the furniture announced, having welcomed Raoul with flattery and bows. "Please, follow me."
He led them through the tables. Katze walked a step behind Raoul, carrying a briefcase with the Blondie's papers, casting furtive glances around and feeling immensely stupid. He wasn't sure how to behave. The restaurant's clientele was almost exclusively elite. He noticed only two people who looked like ordinary – though extremely well-off – citizens. Some of the guests had brought their pets along. Dressed in ridiculous, scant outfits, with their heads lowered humbly, the beautiful youngsters sat on pillows at their masters' feet. Katze also tried to keep his head low, although he had no idea if it was expected from him.
They passed through the great hall and entered a small passage with a few doors on either side. So, they were even going to dine in one of those private rooms. It was considered a sign of high status even among the elite. What an achievement for a humble mongrel like him.
Their guide showed them to the closest door on the right, bowed and removed his person silently. They went inside. The room was small, stylish, lit by soft, faint light. There were two sofas on the opposite sides of the oblong table, one of them – facing the entrance – occupied by two men. They rose as Raoul and Katze entred. One of the men was a Platina, the other one... Katze was at a loss to decide whether he was an elite or not.
"Raoul, it's so nice to see you," the Platina bowed his head, smiling. "A little more than two months since we last saw each other and I've already started missing you."
The Blondie smirked lightly. "It's nice to see you too, Shisei."
"This is Lucius Raimi," Kano turned his head towards his companion. "My business partner and dear friend."
"Lucius Raimi?" Raoul nodded, greeting the man. "I haven't heard the name before. You are not from Tanagura, are you?"
"Indeed, Mr. Am. I come from Daars."
"In my profession you have to travel a lot," Kano gave Raoul a disarming smile. "But hey," the smile widened as he moved his gaze to Katze, "introduce us to your companion."
"This is my assistant—" suddenly Raoul hesitated, but it was only a blink. "Katze."
The dealer smirked inwardly at hearing the Blondie's little stumble. Yeah, Katze, and that's it. As a mongrel and non-citizen he didn't even have a last name. Raoul must have forgotten about that little detail when he'd so craftily made up Katze's cover. But if the other two were in any way surprised by the vagueness of the introduction, they left it tactfully unspoken.
They exchanged the expected set of bows with Katze and finally sat down.
"Great," Kano said contentedly. "Since we're past the formalities, let's get something to eat."
They did. Kano and Raoul engaged in their business discussion. From time to time Lucius joined the conversation, as he was apparently involved in what the other two were plotting. Katze's part was limited to peeping into the briefcase on rare occasions when Raoul asked for one of the documents and handing him the right one or reading the demanded fragment. But on the whole he hardly understood a thing and didn't really try to.
Pushing the deliciously prepared food around on his plate and listening to the babble, he felt completely out of place. But since there wasn't much for him to do anyway, he took the time to have a good look at their dinner hosts.
They were both very beautiful, but that was hardly surprising. They were more or less Raoul's age, no more than thirty.
Kano had the most brilliant smile and was sharing it generously. His hair was pearly white and even more wavy than Raoul's. He wore it in an atypical fashion – gathered in an ornate silver clip that curved at the back of his head and held the locks in order behind his ears. The other man... now Katze understood why at first he couldn't tell if Lucius was an elite.
Daars was one of Amoi's few space colonies – the biggest one. But when you ignored the fact that to get there it was necessary to take a one-day trip by shuttle, it was in fact no different than any other city on the planet. All of Amoi's city-states, including the colonies, formed a Federation with Tanagura as its capital. They shared the same government, currency, language, and also system of social classes – each city had its elite who wielded power and ordinary inhabitants who were subjected to that power. But – as was natural – isolation caused every city to develop its own distinct customs. The division between the elite and the rest of humankind wasn't so strong in other cities as it was in Tanagura. The habit of keeping human pets, born in Tanagura, was by other cities openly condemned at first. Only later were their elites tempted to adopt it, but it never became as popular as it was here.
Fashion was also different. Lucius' hair was light blue and short – the latter made it possible to mistake him for a middle-class citizen at first. Also his clothes seemed more ordinary, compared to the suits worn by Tanagura's upper class. But he was an elite, Katze didn't need as much as a second look to say that. He was tall, with a finely proportioned body and the kind of perfection in his features one could only see on elites' faces.
How ugly Katze himself must have looked sitting here with them, with his pale, too angular face and the scar on his cheek. He was aware that he wasn't the only one whose gaze made curious inquiries. He felt Lucius' snooping glances, licking his body now and again, when the man wasn't engaged in the conversation. He racked his brains for what the Sapphire was thinking. Had he guessed that Katze wasn't simply a non-elite – which was obvious, but something even lower?
He soon received his answer in the most undesirable form, when Raimi's eyes suddenly stopped on his wrist and the blue brows furrowed. The tag – it must have been visible from under his sleeve, Katze realized. He cursed inwardly and pretended not to notice anything. But as soon as the man's gaze left him, he shifted his position, taking the hand out of sight, trying to look absorbed in the conversation. He heard Lucius' quiet smirk.
"And the paragraph about me giving my recommendation to your new undertakings? What is that about?" Raoul asked.
"Well, it's a part of the project. I have a few plans I want to bring to life. I want to expand the Enterprises' influences to new fields. If my company grows more prosperous, you will also benefit from it. And your name could definitely help me. After all, you are called the second man of Tanagura. And in the field of biological science – the first one."
Raoul smiled at the flattery. "Every science has its first man, and none of those men is less important than I am. What puts me above them is in fact my friendship with Iason and nothing else. And your company is prosperous, Shisei."
That was true. Katze remembered what Raoul had told him about Shisei Kano. The man was the owner of a huge company that provided scientific and medical centers with first-class equipment. His influence reached far beyond Tanagura, he had clients and partners in many cities on Amoi. Kano was considered a very skilled and very clever businessman. Very hard-working too. Perhaps he wasn't as powerful as Iason or Raoul, but he had nothing to complain about either. Platinas were, after all, just a step below Blondies.
"Still, your name works wonders, Raoul," Kano said and the corner of his mouth quirked up amiably. "And not only here in Tanagura, but also everywhere on the planet."
"Your praise is excessive," Raoul waved his hand dismissively, but it was clear that the compliment stroked the Blondie's ego. "But of course, I think it's a good idea. I will naturally need a prior insight in the ventures you will want me to recommend, and the discretion to withhold support if I don't like any of them, but otherwise I shall gladly vouch for you."
Kano gave Raoul his most endearing smile. "That will be wonderful. Thank you. The discretion goes without saying. And I will of course pay you for crediting me."
"Oh, that won't be necessary. I trust your good name. That's enough for me."
They continued like that for a few more minutes, until they finally decided everything was settled. Both were clearly satisfied with the agreement and shook hands, smiling. They arranged another meeting, this time in Raoul's office, to sign the contract. Then the conversation was turned to more general subjects. Lucius and Katze were finally given more attention. Still, the dealer intended to stay quiet. It would be very disrespectful if he spoke freely in such company.
"When you travel around the cities," Kano was saying, "you get a different view of things. Like those rules established by Jupiter. Nowhere else are they as strictly respected as here in Tanagura. And when you look at them from a different perspective, you really begin to find them weird, to say the least."
"Yes? Like what for instance?" Raoul's voice was only slightly challenging, most of all it was curious.
"The easiest example. Pets. Not that I have anything against keeping pets, I love them. But try to consider it with a clear mind. Don't you find it a little perverse? To keep humans as pets? I'll tell you what I think of it. It's displacement, nothing else. We are not allowed to have sex, that's why we so enjoy watching other humans doing it."
"From what you say, it would appear that in other cities elite do have sex," Raoul observed quite acutely.
Kano leaned over the table and gave them a speaking look. "It's still a kind of taboo," he said, his voice lowered conspiratorially, "but between the four of us, yes. It isn't very uncommon that in some cities, Daars for example, elites do indeed have pairing partners." He moved his gaze to his companion and his expression softened affectionately. Katze couldn't help the feeling that he did it deliberately. "Isn't that so, Lucius?"
Lucius smiled for the first time this evening, straight at Kano. "That's exactly how it is, Shisei."
Raoul looked as if he'd taken a hard blow to the head. He leaned back in his seat and stared at the other two wide-eyed.
"You can't be serious."
"I'm afraid they are, Raoul." Katze didn't know why he said that. Wasn't he supposed to keep quiet? But something in the shocked expression on the Blondie's face made it irresistible to join in.
Kano and Lucius finally let go of each other's eyes and shifted their gazes to him. Raoul shot him a glance as well.
"And how do you know it?" he asked a little indignantly.
"I know a few people in Daars. In other cities as well." Katze allowed himself a look in Raoul's direction, but kept his head low to show that he was mindful of his inferiority. "I've heard the rumors."
"I see your friend is a man of the world," Kano said approvingly. "Have you traveled a lot, Katze?"
"No, not really, sir," the dealer gave him a polite smile. He was surprised that the Platina took an interest in what he'd said, instead of just ignoring him. "Actually, I hardly ever leave the city. I stay in contact with those people mainly through the net."
"Katze is not only my assistant," Raoul added. Katze glanced at him, hearing a strange note of pride in his voice. "He is also an independent businessman. Quite influential I would say. Though, he works mainly via his computer. He is extremely knowledgeable about terminals and programming."
"Then I guess he would find common ground with Lucius," Kano chuckled. "My friend here is the best computer expert I've known."
Lucius smiled. The beautiful ocean-blue eyes that went so perfectly with his hair fixed on Katze. "But tell us, Katze, you aren't an elite, are you? I saw a bracelet on your hand. Isn't that – forgive me if I offend you in any way – the tag worn by furniture?"
The tension that suddenly fell over the table was overwhelming. All the gazes focused on Katze again. Kano's perplexed, Lucius' smug, and Raoul's... lost, jumping from him to the Sapphire and back. The dealer swore inwardly. Damn that Blondie! It was his fault. It had been his whim to put the tag on Katze, it was he who wanted to drag a mongrel to such a place.
He lowered his head. What else could he do but to admit the truth?
"You don't offend me, sir, that's exactly what it is."
He shuddered at the sound of his voice. It was so hopeless, so... furniture-like.
Kano's brow rose. "You made your assistant out of furniture, Raoul? And—isn't he a bit too old for one?"
Raoul shook his head almost fervently. "It's not so simple, Shisei. Katze is a really clever, really talented man. When you see someone like that, it doesn't matter what his origins are. It would be a loss not to use those talents."
For a long moment the Platina studied Raoul seriously. Then, unexpectedly, he laughed.
"Oh, Raoul, I don't intend to question your motives or, Jupiter forefend, criticize you. We are all modern people here. We aren't prejudiced against someone just because of his origins. And if you find your red-haired friend talented, then I certainly trust your judgment. Especially," Kano winked knowingly at the Blondie, "that he is very good-looking."
Raoul fidgeted uneasily in his seat and Katze felt a hot blush creep up his cheeks. Kano chuckled again, and suddenly the dealer got the feeling that the man before him was none other than Iason.
The conversation was then directed to the safer topics. This time Katze was determined to keep his mouth shut. Talking did him no good, apparently. But Kano didn't seem to agree with this decision. He addressed himself to Katze, asked him questions. It was clear that he tried to involve the dealer in the conversation. And although his gaze was somewhat condescending and his voice slightly mocking, Katze was far from holding a grudge. How else would an elite talk to a mongrel, after all? It was an honor that he talked to him at all.
Affectionate gazes and little smiles flew back and forth between Shisei and Lucius. Their hands touched seemingly by accident now and again. It was quite obvious that those two were intimate. And they didn't really try to hide it. Quite the opposite, they were pretty demonstrative. Watching them, Katze suddenly remembered Raoul's words from earlier that evening. I want to show you off a little.
Raoul seemed to have noticed that as well. At first he looked anxious, watching the two men with a frown. But as the time passed, he calmed down. And since neither of their companions had a problem with having a mongrel at the table, he relaxed even more and actually seemed pleased with the situation. Katze caught his glance a few times and the Blondie smiled at him. Strangely enough, those smiles were anything but condescending.
Two hours later they rose from the table amidst small talk and laughter.
"I plan to throw a party to celebrate our new deal," Kano said. "In about three weeks, I'd say, when everything is sewn up. I'm going to invite the city's upper echelon. They'll be welcome to bring their pets, so maybe we'll even arrange a little performance. And you, I suppose, would like to have your lovely assistant with you."
The hint was even too clear. Katze shivered with unease, but Raoul only smiled.
"I'd love to bring him, thank you."
In the car Raoul closed his eyes and exhaled, leaning his head against the backrest. Katze was behind the wheel. There had to be something about the redhead driving a car, since both he and Iason liked to use his services as a chauffeur even though their limos were equipped with automatic drivers.
He didn't want to sit in the back, so he settled himself next to the dealer. Listening to the quiet hum of the engine, he let his mind replay the scenes of the meeting. Damn, he was confused. He might be not very apt at reading body language and completely inexperienced in the field of human courtship, but he was not blind or stupid. And what he'd seen and heard this evening skewed his view of things completely. He was surprised that he'd still enjoyed himself in spite of that. Or maybe... because of that?
"Tell me, Katze," he spoke on impulse. "I wasn't mistaken with what I saw. They are a couple, aren't they?"
"I guess so," the mongrel answered. "Quite showy with it too."
"So I thought."
So, Shisei Kano had a lover. So, a whole lot of elite in other cities had lovers. Strangely, the latter didn't shake him as much as the former. What happened in other cities didn't matter. They were far away, separated from Tanagura by miles of desert. They were minor. He took their different codes of conduct for granted, so even breaking that restriction by some of the elites wasn't that surprising. And anyway, what did he care? He didn't know those people.
But he knew Kano. Kano was from Tanagura. And suddenly the thought of him having a pairing partner brought an unexpected reflection. Who else? Before, he'd been convinced that Iason was the only deviant in the city. Now he suddenly doubted that his friend... and Kano... were so exceptional. There had to be some others. If there was a rule to be broken, someone would do so. It hardly seemed possible that only one person would be tempted. Maybe Raoul was in fact ludicrous sticking to his decency so much. And if that was so – he cast a sidelong glance at Katze – well, he wouldn't be ludicrous anymore.
Katze had just started to doze off, when he suddenly felt a stir behind him. The Blondie moved closer, loosening the grip of his arms, and then... Katze tensed. There was something disturbing about this motion, it was as if Raoul was getting ready to... No, it couldn't be that.
But that's exactly what it was.
The hand steadied his hips and the thick erection forced its way between his buttocks, pressing to that very particular spot... On no!
He yanked abruptly, freeing himself from the Blondie's grip and jumped out of bed on pure reflex, before Raoul had time to stop him.
"No!" he exhaled. "You can't!"
Raoul looked actually a bit confused, probably surprised that Katze had managed to escape him. He blinked, but than his features hardened.
"I can't what?"
You can't do that to me! – Katze shouted in his mind. You weren't supposed to be interested in that. You promised! But of course he knew the Blondie had never made any promises. And even if he had, nothing obliged him to keep his word to a mongrel. Why, Raoul apparently hadn't even seen the need to inform him what he was going to do, he just started doing it. As if Katze was some inanimate thing with no feelings and thoughts. The dealer closed his eyes, remembering all those times he'd tried to convince the Blondie not to do something. He sighed, resigned.
"You can't do it like that," he breathed. "With your size you will all but tear me. At least..." he swallowed, "let me prepare myself."
"Prepare?" Raoul raised his brows. "What do you mean prepare?"
"Prepare, you know, lubrication, those things."
"Ah," the Blondie nodded. "Right."
It was funny, Raoul suddenly realized that the thought of preparations had never occurred to him before. All his thinking about sex – during those last nights, and even now, when he'd made his final decision – was completely devoid of such practicality. Of course, he was aware that such things required preparations. He knew that pets were thoroughly taken care of before the shows. But those prosaic actions were always kept out of spectators' eyes, backstage. He never had to think about them while watching the performance. And now the mundane reality seemed a bit disturbing.
"How long will it take you?" he asked.
"Not long. A few minutes."
"Then go. And be back here quickly."
Katze watched him for a few seconds, hesitating, as if he wanted to say something. But then he said nothing. He just hung his head and went to the bathroom.
He wanted to scream, he wanted to run, he was even stupid enough to walk to the window and look out. Right... just to see what he'd already seen dozens of times. Hundredth floor, and very hard ground some two thousand feet below. And even though there was a thin ledge outside along the wall, he knew there was in fact no way out of here. No, he could only get out through the door, straight into Raoul's hands. So Katze just sat down at the edge of the bathtub and, feeling as though a powerful hand were clenched around his throat, reached for a bottle of some scented oil.
With his own hands, of his own volition, he started to prepare his body to be raped.
Raoul ordered him to lie down just as he'd been lying before. And when he did, the Blondie's arms immediately came around him.
"Tell me what to do."
For a moment Katze couldn't believe what he was hearing. He snorted angrily.
"You are the biologist here, you watched pets screwing plenty of times and you tell me you don't know what to do?"
Raoul's grip tightened abruptly. The hands pressed painfully into Katze's stomach.
"Don't mock me, Katze," the Blondie hissed. "What I know is that it's easy to hurt someone during sex. I'm not sure how to do it without hurting you. So guide me for your own good."
Katze clenched his teeth. Raoul didn't want to hurt him. Fuckin' hypocrite. Didn't he know he was hurting him already?
"Go slowly," he said. It was so hard to force those words through his throat when he in fact wanted nothing more than to scream 'just let go of me!' But his voice was even. And he continued. "Only as much as you can go with one thrust. Wait until I tell you I'm ready for more."
Dammit, this was ridiculous! He was the abused party here. And he was supposed to instruct his abuser? Damn it! Damn it!
"Very well." Raoul easily adjusted him in his arms and repositioned himself. Katze winced, feeling the blunt tip at his entrance again. The Blondie didn't linger, he pushed, forcing himself inside, and Katze hissed. Hell, it hurt. It hurt more than he had expected. It had been ages since he'd been with anyone. No one had touched him since he'd become a furniture... for more than eleven years.
"Are you okay?" he heard Raoul's voice from behind.
"Yeah." No! He wasn't okay. How was he supposed to be okay when something so enormous was pushing inside him... and it wasn't Iason. But he didn't feel like arguing with Raoul. He didn't feel up to it.
"Very well, I'm waiting for you."
They lay still for several seconds, then the pain started to subside. Katze braced himself, fighting a wave of nausea.
"Alright. Try it again."
Another thrust. Another wave of pain. Another few seconds in silence. Strangely, Raoul was really doing as Katze instructed and didn't seem impatient.
They proceeded slowly like this. It still hurt, Katze didn't think it would stop hurting so easily after all those years, but after the first few minutes the pain was much less. He could bear it. Finally Raoul pushed one last time and slipped into Katze to the hilt. He sighed deeply.
"Oooh. That feels incredible."
For you, maybe.
"May we proceed? I don't think I can wait any longer."
"Yeah, go ahead. Let's get it over with."
Raoul ignored the rudeness. He started thrusting rhythmically. Just as he had seen it at the pet shows, just as he remembered from his own little experience. Having another person around made him a bit self-conscious, he really didn't want to make Katze hurt. But at the same time it was so exciting. Someone could actually feel what he was doing. He was doing it to someone. He could hold this someone, feel this someone. And the mere physical sensation really was different. There was no exaggeration in Iason's words. It was a completely new kind of feeling, it was... exquisite.
He buried his face in the crook of Katze's neck. The mongrel seemed so stiff in his arms, but at the moment he didn't care. He inhaled Katze's scent, savored the red hair tickling his cheek. He shifted his hand over Katze's chest... Jupiter, he was really doing it. He was having sex! The thought sent him over the edge. He thrust one last time and tensed, caught by orgasmic bliss. Next to him, Katze gave a short, quiet sniff.
Raoul closed his eyes, relaxing slowly. He stayed inside Katze, he didn't want to draw back just yet. The dealer breathed deeply in his embrace and he relished the feeling of that little movement beside him. He waited for the familiar wave of remorse, but strangely, it wasn't coming.
"Did it hurt much?" he asked into Katze's heated skin.
"Some. Not very much."
"Are you mad at me?"
This time the silence was longer.
"You said you wouldn't do it."
"I know."
He finally pulled out, instantly becoming aware of the sticky dampness of his skin down there. Only now did this thought repulse him. Well, he'd taken it into account before he started the whole thing. He had to deal with it now.
Katze squirmed in his grip.
"If you don't want me to stain your precious silken sheets, better let me go. I have to clean myself." This time the anger was clear in the dealer's voice.
The bitter, prosaic words struck Raoul all of a sudden. This too was never let to the public eye during pet shows. And no, he didn't want his precious silken sheets stained. He let his hand unclench, and the mongrel freed himself immediately, almost jumping out of bed. So disgusted with me, huh? Raoul felt his teeth clench with an involuntary pang of pain.
"Just be back here in a minute," he commanded.
The redhead's grim glance met his. "And where the hell else could I go?"
When Katze left the bathroom, Raoul had already calmed his breath. He lay on his back, staring at the canopy with unmoving, slightly dazed eyes.
Feeling like in some strange stupor, Katze laid down beside him. For a while he was silent, then decided that if he didn't say something, he'd kick himself for it later.
"So, the great Blondie stooped to the level of a low-class human."
He only cringed, catching an abrupt movement beside him, he didn't think he would escape it anyway. The Blondie's hand grabbed his chin, forcing his head to turn, pulling it up. Raoul bent over him with an implacable expression on his face.
"I don't see a reason to justify myself to you," he said in his usual, cool voice.
Katze's jaw clenched. "Sure, I'm just a mongrel. A toy. Right?"
For a split second it seemed to him that something in the Blondie's face twitched.
"You know full well that's not how I treat you. If I saw you as someone so low, I wouldn't have bothered with you in the first place. Still, I am the master here. Don't you forget it, Katze."
Katze angrily yanked out of the grip and strangely Raoul didn't try to get hold of him again.
"Turn on your side," came the quiet, but firm order.
He did as he was told without another word. The Blondie moved closer as if nothing had ever happened. He wrapped his arms around Katze like every night before.
"You belong to me now," he whispered more softly. "I took you tonight and I will take you again whenever I feel like it."
Katze shut his eyes tightly. Why the hell did he feel like a traitor? Iason, Iason, Iason. Why isn't it you? Why... Yeah sure, go on whining, you idiot. That you betrayed someone who sold you without so much as a second thought.
Katze swallowed, hating Raoul's embrace more than ever. Iason, Iason, Iason...