How you turned my world, you precious thing.

Larkin was close enough to see the stillness of Tic’s breathing. It was not how a sleeping man would breathe; he was awake, and Larkin knew it was he who had been waited for. The ruler leaned over the bed, his hands going out to rest on the small of the boy’s back - gently, no matter the aching in his muscles to show that he was in control. His gloved fingers found the hem of Tic’s shirt, and they snuck their way underneath.

Tic turned over quickly, and Larkin pulled his hands away, mouth curving into a smile. He stared down into the frightened face below him, and sat gently on the side of the bed. “I thought you were asleep,” he whispered, nonchalantly placing his hand on the other side of Tic, leaning further over him. He saw Tic’s eyes darting back and forth, everywhere but at him, searching desperately for some escape, someone in the empty room to help him. It was obvious that Larkin’s threat beat sure into his mind, accompanied by a slight confusion as to why these gentle words were being spoken to him.

Larkin lifted his hands, pulling away the gloves. Tic was looking at him then. The last time he’d taken off his gloves was for a touch. It replaced the confusion with a very clear fear as Larkin set aside his gloves, one hand going back to block Tic’s only route off the bed. He tried to sink into the covers, sink away into the warm mattress, and disappear from Larkin’s hungry eyes.

“But I see you waited up for me,” he said, smile growing. He brushed the hair from Tic’s forehead, gently running his long nails across the boy’s brow. His smile faded into a sympathetic pout as Tic shook his head at him. His face was twisted into an expression of distress, and his bloodshot eyes pleaded with Larkin. Where was his punishment? The guards that should have come to take him back to the dungeons? But that was what Tic wanted, and Larkin knew.

He let his palm rest against the boy’s cheek, and leaned down, softly kissing Tic’s mouth. Without thinking, all the fearful thoughts crashing into one another, he jerked his head away. Before his mind registered deep regret of his action, Larkin’s hand was under his chin, forcing Tic to face him again. Larkin’s lips were quickly against his again - and now he couldn’t move. He didn’t want Larkin in his mouth. The only thing he could do was to push the man away, and it was the only way, sure to do more harm than good - but Tic was not going to willingly let Larkin do this to him.

Larkin felt pressure against his chest, and although it did not move him in the slightest, he leaned back, and stared down at the hands on him. Then, his searing orange eyes lifted to Tic’s face, and he was smiling no longer. He grabbed Tic’s wrists, forcing them easily against the bed. He leaned in, whispering with a mouth full of venom, “If that’s the way you’re going to be.”

The third kiss was not pleasant. But the difference in them was only the anger Larkin let flow, and he took both Tic’s wrists into his hand, freeing the other. With it, he found the silver buttons to Tic’s over shirt, and easily began unbuttoning.