blood runs red ✓

XIV

'i can't help but love you'

- ruelle

august

With August on his knees for him, doing something he'd only ever done once to him, Sean spoke. "You're pretty good at this compared to last time."

August continued doing what he was doing, ignoring the comment. He was always a fast learner, and had Sean known that and coached him the way Ares did, he would've gotten blowjobs much more than he currently did.

The first time August ever sucked off Sean, he was a complete virgin, and had no experience. Sean didn't have the patience for that, so he chose to be the giver of the pleasure, rather than the receiver.

Things changed.

"Did you practice for me, baby?"

August looked up at his boyfriend, and then looked back down, as if that was a clear response. It wasn't, but he didn't know how else to reply.

Sean aggressively grabbed his hair, similar to how Ares did, but it wasn't as arousing. Sean made it hurt, but Ares made it hurt. "Or have you been sucking off Ares like a dirty, little slut."

August was pulled off, panting heavily and looking up at his boyfriend. "No."

"Oh really?" Sean cocked a brow. "Prove it."

"I thought this was proving my loyalty."

"Finish me off, and it will."

Sean was doing most of the work, really. He was the one yanking August's hair and moving him to pleasure himself the way he desired. He felt a few of the beautiful curls on August's head fall off in his hands, due to the tight grip he had on his boyfriend's hair. If it actually hurt, the shorter man didn't show it.

"Well done, baby, you're doing so well."

August adored praise, but it didn't feel right at the moment. He felt guilty, because he cheated. His mother would be disappointed.

"Fuck, baby, keep going." Sean groaned, tugging the younger man's hair somehow even tighter. "Just like that, fuck."

Without warning, Sean finished in August's mouth, and he ran to go spit it out.

"Ungrateful."

August gargled water in his mouth and then spat it out, feeling cleaner. "I'm not, it's just- you can get STDs from that, you know?"

Sean rolled his eyes. "If you loved me, you would take that risk."

"I do, I do love you, but-"

"You'd do it for Ares, wouldn't you?"

August grew impatient. He didn't know how many times he'd have to convince his boyfriend he wasn't sleeping with Ares, and he didn't want to convince him any further. He was cheating, yes, but so was Sean. Sean was definitely cheating.

This was all Ares' fault. August kept thinking, why, why, why did he have to rile up Sean like that? He could've said anything, but no, he decided to bring August into it.

"For fuck's sake, I'm not sleeping with Ares."

The moment the words left his mouth, he immediately wanted to put them back in. August clasped a hand over his mouth, as if that would make it any better.

It did not.

"You dare raise your voice at me and use such foul language. That little stunt you pulled earlier was one thing, but enough is enough. I'm done being nice to you."

August scoffed. Sean had been nicer, but not nice. And the 'stunt' he pulled wasn't even his fault. It was Ares.

Sean was in front of him when August decided to retaliate. Before he could, Sean backhanded him harshly. The shorter man's head snapped to the side, nearly giving him whiplash.

"I'm sorry." He said as a reflex. A normal person wouldn't apologise after getting slapped.

"Not good enough."

Sean kicked his boyfriend's shin, causing him to reach down to hold it. Before he could fully do so, he punched him in the gut and watched him double over in pain.

"I'm sorry, please, stop." August pleaded.

"What for?"

"For swearing."

"And not for helping my rival?"

"I'm sorry for that too."

Sean smiled at his boyfriend, extending a hand to pull him up. When he took his hand, Sean slammed August into the sink next to him. "Don't be hanging around with other boys. If I find out you're still talking to him, I'll slit your throat."

"You wouldn't." August groaned, spitting blood into the sink.

"Or would you prefer I get Andrew out of jail to slit your mommy's throat?" Sean put on a babyish voice, mocking his boyfriend.

"I'm sorry, okay, please don't."

Laughing at the soft spot August had for his mom, Sean pushed the man back to the floor and walked away. "Pathetic."

August rubbed his jaw with one hand, clutching his abdomen with the other. He was so tired of everyone in his life treating him like shit.

Next time he saw Ares, August decided he'd stand up for himself, and make sure Ares knew never to do what he did again. Though he wasn't confident or threatening, he was afraid of Sean, and that fear was enough for him to grow a pair and make his voice heard.

"Hi, beautiful." Ares grinned, glad that his new toy had come back to him only two days later, without even being called.

"Don't beautiful me. I'm not here to sleep with you."

"I'll be the one deciding that."

"I'm being serious, Ares. I don't like that you told Sean what we were doing, okay?" August sighed. "I don't need him finding out about- about whatever this is."

"He couldn't tell from the marks?"

August looked down at what Ares was staring at and noticed the large hickey that formed two nights ago. Instinctively, he tugged at his shirt to cover it. He was used to doing that with bruises.

"No."

"So you two don't fuck often?"

August choked on air yet again. "Excuse me?"

"Oh, please, baby, give it a rest. It's so obvious you guys are together. No matter how much denial Sean is in. He's attracted to you."

Yeah, attracted to hitting me.

"We're not-"

"Then we're not either."

"Keep doing what you did the other day and that'll be true."

Ares whistled teasingly. "Look who grew a backbone. I'll have you know, I'd rather you weren't like that when we fuck. I prefer you being completely submissive."

"Sorry?"

"No need to apologise, darling."

Frustrated that he wasn't properly listening to him, August turned around and tried to open the door to leave, but Ares swiftly got up and stopped him. His arm wrapped around August's thin frame, holding the man in place tightly.

"You're not going anywhere, love."