Owner - Aou

Chapter 6

Aou's eyes followed Boom as he took his Cosmopolitan from the waiter before settling at the half-wall to people watch. When he had questioned Boom's interest in observing people, he simply said he found it interesting who wasn't too scared to come to Aou's club knowing who it was owned by. He liked guessing who knew and didn't care, who thought it was cool to tell people they'd braved coming, and who was just clueless, thinking it just like any other club. They even sometimes placed bets between them before sending one of their poor bodyguards to try and figure it out. Watching their guards try and pull information out of them, often resorting to flirting when nothing else worked, was endlessly humorous to Boom.

It had been weeks since Boom's kidnapping and this was the first time he'd allowed Boom out of their condo, even having the doctor come to them instead of Boom going to the doctor's clinic within the family compound. He told himself it was to allow Boom to rest, and it was, but it was also because his pulse would quicken, panic overtaking him, when he thought about the possibility of letting Boom out of his sight. He'd gone to work, of course, after the first week, but he'd left Boom with a smothering amount of protection, guards in practically every room and four at the door.

Boom had told him he was being ridiculous and it was a waste of manpower. That he was perfectly safe at the condo. But Aou wouldn't listen and his father allowed the shift in staff, so he told Boom to stop arguing and let him do it. Probably sensing how he was feeling, Boom finally gave in, allowing him to do whatever he wanted.

Seeing Boom, bloodied, beaten, because of him was an image that recurred everytime his eyes shut. Sleep became something he fought for, knowing he needed to rest, but finding himself unable to. He had initially expected Boom to wake with nightmares, but, it turned out it was him that would wake up, sweating, shaking, his dreams filled with increasingly more horrible outcomes of Boom's kidnapping. Boom missing fingers. Boom touched inappropriately against his will, or worse. Boom dead on the floor, blood pooling around him as his heart beat for the last time. He was plagued day and night by these images, but kept it to himself. Boom had gone through enough without having to worry about him too.

Turning to smile at him, Boom crooked his finger at him, beckoning Aou to join him. Normally, he'd scoff temporarily at being summoned before finally giving in. But he immediately jumped up, hurrying towards Boom. Staring at Boom, who'd been so excited to get dressed up, he watched his neck as he swallowed down his drink, watched his lips as they sucked gently on the rim of the glass, watched his fingers as they wrapped around the glass stem. The simple sight of Boom drinking was sending blood straight to his cock, hardening, imagining those hands and lips on him instead.

But he pushed those thoughts aside, remembering Boom's fragile physical state, running a finger across his forehead, pushing a stray lock of hair away from his eyes, and receiving a sweet smile back. Besides the bruises and cuts, Boom had ended up with a severe concussion and several broken ribs. During the first few days, simply breathing caused Boom pain. They'd kept the lights down, the condo as silent as possible, and despite Boom asking sweetly, Aou had barely touched him, afraid he'd add to the pain he was already in. Several of the cuts had required stitches, and whenever he saw them, his stomach would turn over, imagining the resulting scars that would forever litter Boom's body, including the one now hidden under a bandage on his forehead, previously covered by the hair he now regretted pushing out of the way.

"How is your head? Are the lights bothering you? The music?"

"I'm fine."

"How about your ribs? You probably shouldn't stand for too long or they might start hurting."

"Aou, I'm fine. I'll sit down if I need to, promise."

"Just remember you promised you'd let me know if we need to leave. If it's too much."