blood runs red ✓

XI

'always want what you can't have, is it so bad if you don't get what you wanted?'

- jade west, cat valentine 

august

"I want to fuck you, August."

August was panicking. Ares, a man who's name belonged to a Greek God, who just happened to look like one too, had just said something incredibly unexpected. And at the same time, it was everything he wanted.

After Ares said what he said, August excused himself. He asked for some time, a bit of space, to sort himself out. He walked home thinking about the man, weighing up the pros and cons, and just generally thinking about the two together.

He'd be lying if he said he'd not daydreamed or simply thought about the Greek-Italian boxer. How could he not? August lived with a man who was abusive most of the time, and his rival appeared out of nowhere showing interest in him. How could August not find himself attracted to the older man?

It's cheating.

August was sure Sean had cheated on him before. So why couldn't he do the same? Besides, he wasn't really willingly in the relationship. He was more... trapped. 

He wants to fuck me.

August liked attention. Whether it was good or bad, he liked it. He'd been through enough to crave even the littlest attention like a drug. Ares was his new drug. Would he allow himself to get addicted?

He didn't know.

"Where the fuck were you?"

August stopped dead in his tracks. He came home through the front door, because Sean was supposed to be out. He wasn't supposed to be home so soon. 

"Out." He replied quickly, trying to go over to his outhouse without Sean touching him or asking any more questions.

"Where?" Sean grabbed his boyfriend's arm, stopping him in his tracks. 

"I went to visit mom. She wasn't awake, so I just sat and took care of the house for a bit whilst Aria took her break."

"What happened to Luisa?"

August gulped. "Luisa was on break too. She had her day off."

"When did we hire an Aria?" 

"I did." 

Sean looked at the younger man, scanning his body for a physical tell to prove he was lying. After years of emotional abuse, the boxer had figured out all of his boyfriend's unspoken giveaways to how he felt. 

August knew his boyfriend knew of his physical tells. Tapping his foot happened to be one, but it was also an anxious habit. He stopped tapping his foot once Sean noticed, and put on a blank face, hoping he'd be able to just go to his room and think about what Ares said.

"Go."

And so he did, off to his small room in the outhouse. He first showered, and then laid down on his bed, thinking about his day.

Would it be so bad for him to sleep with Ares? After all, he didn't seem to have any bad, harmful intentions. But did August really want to be another man's plaything?

Will you treat me right, Ares Cirillo?

After receiving a call from Ares' manager, Florence, he went back to the boxer's office. He waited in the seating area outside the office room and tapped his foot anxiously, just as he did a few days prior. He thought about Ares' offer for a solid four days before coming to a decision.