The Things You Do

Chapter Three

The Things You Do

Lucian was certain the universe was messing with him at this point, because why the hell would he have to deal with Artemis twice in a row?

Two years in this club and they never once had an encounter. He was certain Artemis was a VIP, too. Otherwise, he would have never gotten access to this floor. 

Of all the rooms, he could have mistakenly gone into, it just had to be his, huh? How cliche!

Artemis, now sprawled on the couch, began to unbutton his shirt. Lucian looked away immediately and grabbed his glass.

He walked to the far end of the room and stood there, yet for some reason, he was unable to take his eyes off the couch where Artemis lay.

He couldn't see the boy but the mere fact that he knew he was there made him tense. 

“Hey stranger,” Artemis slurred, staggering off the couch. Lucian's grip on the glass tightened as he gulped, his eyes slightly wide as the shirtless boy came into his line of sight. 

Tattoos ran from his right pec down to his wrist, the other side marked only by a single line of script.

The boy's grey eyes locked with his, and a smirk curled on those cherry lips. 

“There you are…” Artemis grinned. The boy stepped closer but Lucian didn't give him the chance to corner him by the wall. That would be all kinds of dangerous.

As he brushed past Artemis, that sweet milky scent hit him again. Smoky vanilla with a touch of alcohol. Most likely from all the drinks he had tonight.

“Can I get a drink?” Artemis asked. 

“No, you cannot. I don't want you throwing up in my room,” Lucian shrugged, returning to the couch. He glanced at Artemis and caught a glimpse of the huge tiger tattoo that covered his entire back, just before Artemis turned. 

“That's not going to happen unless you gag me…” his tone dropped suggestively as he made his way to the couch again. He scooted closer to Lucian who stilled himself. “You smell so nice…”

Artemis pushed even closer. So close that Lucian could feel his sizzling breath on the side of his face. 

Artemis didn't stop. He moved closer until he was practically straddling Lucian from the sides. When he buried his face in Lucian's neck, the older man couldn't take it anymore and began to shove him away. 

“You smell so sweet… like cinnamon…” Artemis drawled, barely resisting as the man warded him off. 

Artemis' back hit the couch and he let out a soft groan. 

“Why did you send them away if you are going to be so resistant? You make it seem like I'm assaulting you…” 

“You are,” Lucian stated. 

Artemis scoffed. “You know you sound so much like him. You smell like him and you're freakishly tall like him. That makes me even less horny.” 

Lucian already knew the “him” Artemis was referring to. 

“Why?” 

“Because you both are so infuriating,” Artemis hissed. “It's more annoying that I can't get him out of my head. Not after what he did to me. The more I think of it, the angrier I get…”

Lucian's lips twitched in amusement but he didn't let it show. Not yet.

“I just want to make him pay,” Artemis grabbed the unopened bottle of vodka from the table. He uncapped it and gulped like he was drinking juice, not alcohol.

Lucian couldn't take his eyes away from Artemis' throat. Especially the way his Adam's apple bopped up and down. 

Artemis dropped the bottle and wiped his lips. “Fuck, that burn is everything…”

When he met Lucian's judgemental stare, he frowned, “I don't like that look in your eyes. He looked at me the same way while I was playing with my pet…” Artemis shut his eyes, feeling the rage flow through him. “I want to make him bleed so bad…”

“Is there a specific reason you hate this person you speak of?” Lucian asked, out of pure curiosity.

Artemis was the one who possessed all the qualities worth hating, yet he didn't even hate him, and the brat was here, talking about making him bleed?

“Do I need a reason to? Isn't the mere fact that he gets on my nerves enough?” Artemis huffed. 

‘That's fine… I'll give you a reason to,’ Lucian thought with a smirk. 

He walked to his wardrobe where he tugged away his handcuffs. He took a marker and blindfold along with him as well.

When he returned, Artemis stared curiously at him. 

“You wanted to play right?” Lucian said, and Artemis's grey eyes glinted with interest. Curiosity.

“Yeah?” 

A moment of silence passed between them and it felt like the air was denser than usual. 

“Get on the bed.” 

Artemis was confused but eager at the same time. He stood up and staggered towards the bed. He let himself fall on it and Lucian walked over. 

He paused for a second, rethinking his actions before he proceeded to cuff Artemis to the bed. 

As he reached for the belt, his eyes met with those grey ones again. Artemis threw him a smirk. 

“Are you shy?” He teased. “I would help but my hands are cuffed,” he smirked, dangling the cuffs. 

Lucian shook his head with cruel amusement. For someone who had no problem with humiliating and putting down others, he was far too trusting.

Lucian undid Artemis’ belt and tugged his pants down just enough to expose that tempting V-line. 

With that teasing v-line in sight, the sweatpants suddenly felt heavier than they did before. Or maybe his fingers just went weak. 

He considered stopping, abandoning the crude mission in his head but when Shawn's teary face came to mind, he pulled down the pants without hesitation.

“Now, that's more like it.” 

Lucian ignored the comment and grabbed the blindfold. This was going to be easier to do without those grey eyes staring back at him. 

But just before he placed the blindfold, he changed his mind. Artemis definitely made Shawn watch as he wrote those derogatory words on his skin so Artemis would have to watch as well. 

This would be his punishment.

He tied the cloth around Artemis' mouth instead. 

The boy immediately knew, from the coldness of those blue eyes, that something drastic was about to happen but his mind was too hazy… too slow to react. 

A flicker of doubt danced behind his stormy eyes as Lucian uncapped the marker.

“Now this game is simple…” he started, noting the slight anxiety on Artemis' face. The boy's fingertips were fiddling aimlessly with his knuckle ring. “You will be getting a taste of your own medicine.” 

Artemis' expression changed. This wasn't a sensual play anymore. 

“What word should we start with?” Lucian mused, tapping the marker on his chin in thought. “Oh, I know the perfect one.” 

He leaned closer and Artemis tensed the minute the marker touched his skin. He immediately snapped out of his daze and struggled to break free. 

“Stay still, you're going to ruin it,” Lucian sternly warned. Muffles filled the room… sounds of Artemis struggling, but Lucian was more interested in his scribbles. 

He pulled back with a satisfactory smile. “You got your first word. Want me to spell it out?” 

Artemis glared daggers at him and he chuckled. 

“It says W–H—O—R—E,” Lucian spelled. “Whore.”