A Proposal To Wed

Part Ten

The next morning, Kurapika woke in an empty bed. Chrollo was gone, probably conducting business somewhere. Kurapika couldn't help but feel hurt, his arms wrapping around Chrollo's pillow.
He lay there for almost an hour, not thinking about anything in particular, when he decided that he should have a look around. He lived there, but he had only ever seen Chrollo's living area, and the creepy hall and 'throne room'. He stood and got dressed, then left the room quietly.
There wasn't really much to look at; dark halls with dark carpets and dark drapes. Overall, it was a very dark place. He peeked into a few doors that he passed, seeing a guest bedroom, a library that looked rather unused, and a room full of vases, sheet covered objects, and covered canvases. His curiosity got the best of him on the last room, and he lifted the sheet from one of the canvases. He blushed immediately and covered it.
He had been met with an extremely lewd painting of Shalnark, the omega's face flushed and his eyes lowered seductively.
He was morbidly curious about the contents of the other canvases, and as he lifted each sheet he was met with the same face in different contexts: Shalnark smiling on a bench beneath a tree, face turned towards the observer; blushing at something beyond the borders of the canvas, one of his sleeves revealing his shoulder; playing with some sort of device, face turned downwards towards a screen; in a bathtub, flicking bubbles towards the observer... All of the paintings, of which there were dozens, were of Shalnark.
Kurapika blinked in shock, wondering first why they were here, and second who had painted them. He stilled as a third question entered his mind: who did these paintings belong to?

Shalnark smiled at the alpha behind the easel, his head tilted. "How would you like me to pose this time?"
The Alpha grinned drunkenly and Shal giggled, knowing that the Alpha wouldn't remember this when he finally sobered up. "Maybe lean against a wall, looking at me as I paint you. Maybe... Maybe I should make a few marks on you to make you even sexier..."
Shalnark rolled his eyes, smiling and going over to the Alpha. "Of course. Whatever you say, boss."

Kurapika returned to the room feeling completely distressed. He grabbed the blankets from the bed and went to the closet, making a nest and curling up. He just wanted to hide from the world.

Chrollo hummed as his hand moved across the paper, each stroke leaving behind elegant lines. He looked up for a moment, then back down as he continued. He reached over absently for another shot of sake, relishing the burn as it went down his throat. He had to get his mind off of the previous night. Kurapika wouldn't want to see him after what had happened, so instead he busied himself with other things.

Shalnark leaned against the wall, fresh hickeys on his neck. He looked lustily towards the alpha. Although his legs hurt from holding the position for so long, he didn't break from his pose. He knew that the end result would be beautiful.
"Is it almost done?" He asked, only moving his lips slightly. The Alpha nodded, taking another sip of sake as he continued. Shalnark felt so beautiful beneath the Alpha's gaze. He felt loved with each careful stroke.

Kurapika felt hated. He cried and shook for what seemed like hours, then slept for a few hours more. He was awakened by a timid knock on the door of the closet.
"Who is it?" Kurapika asked faintly, then glared when he saw Shalnark peek through the door.
"The boss wanted to know if you're doing okay." Shal asked, then frowned. "Is something wrong? Should I go get him?"
"No!" Kurapika growled, a soft red glow filling the closet. Shalnark gasped and shut the door quickly, his footsteps retreating.
Kurapika felt no regret. His Alpha... Chrollo had Shalnark, and from the way the paintings were done so lovingly, he could see that Chrollo loved Shalnark deeply. He longed to be loved by Chrollo, and his heart hurt that he couldn't be. He whined as the door opened fully, the dark figure of Kuroro gazing down at him.