fucking touch that pig," Jones hissed.
"What the..." Benjamin hesitated, his smile faltering as he looked from Jones to Matt. "But it's Matt."
Jones laughed, the sound bitter and borderline insane. "No, this is some sleazebag who fucks aliens. They gave him a chip in his brain to keep him in line."
Benjamin seemed thoroughly confused now. He looked entreatingly at Matt.
"Matt?"
"I only fuck one, and his name is Pietr. And nobody's 'keeping me in line.'" It might not have been the smartest thing to say, but then Matt wasn't known for his even temper.
"You're on their side now?" The sound of betrayal in Benjamin's voice made Matt wince.
"It's not about sides, that's the whole point! Maybe if we could talk to them, things wouldn't be as tense as they are now." Matt started pacing, too agitated to stay still.
Benjamin kept watching Matt. "'Tense'? You don't think it would release the 'tension' if they stopped kidnapping and torturing people?" His voice was scarily devoid of emotion.
"I'm not defending that!" Matt was yelling now. This was a hopeless battle.
"You're not exactly condemning it, either." Benjamin glanced around the apartment. "I guess we can throw these out." He picked up the flyers and nodded at the image of Matt. "This guy here is gone for good anyway."
Matt froze. Then he managed to tear his eyes away from Benjamin, looking imploringly at Jones. His best friend through almost eight years didn't bat an eyelid.
"I think it's best if you leave now, Matt."
Matt stared at Jones, completely numb. Then he nodded abruptly and left the room. He stopped in the hallway and looked back at his friends. Neither of them said anything. Matt turned and left.
***
He didn't remember anything from his drive home afterward. Pietr was banging on the car window when he came back to reality, and Matt started when he heard the sound. He was in the parking garage under his apartment building, but how he had gotten here, he had no idea. He rolled down the window.
"What happened? Why are you shielding from me?" Pietr sounded agitated, and his mate tried to break through Matt's shield.
Matt shook his head, trying to get rid of the feeling.
"They don't want me around. They say I'm a freak." He sat staring straight ahead.
"Open the fucking door!" Without waiting for him to respond, Pietr reached through the open window and opened the car door himself, and then Matt was in his mate's arms. The feeling of Pietr's warm body against his made his unintentional shielding fall apart, and he felt Pietr's concern surrounding him.
"I'm fine," Matt said automatically.
The fuck you are. Come on.
Peter tugged him out of the car, closing the door and leading him to the elevator. There was a woman waiting for it; she hastily turned around and walked away when she saw them. Matt cringed.
Don't worry. Come on, they're just humans. Pietr had one arm around Matt and walked him into the elevator when it arrived.
I'm human. Matt laughed, the sound completely devoid of any joy. Or at least I used to be. Now I don't know what the fuck I am.
Mine. You're mine. Pietr led him out of the elevator and down the hall to their apartment, and then Matt finally heard the door to the apartment closing behind them.
They called you a disfigured monster.
They don't matter. Pietr's answer was emphatic.
Matt went into the living room and sat down on the couch. Pietr followed him closely, the worry a constant in his mate's mind.
They do to me. That was the awful truth. Jones and Benjamin were his best friends. If not even his best friends could tolerate him now, what was he going to do? Live the rest of his life like a pariah?
Come on. I'm sure it'll be better at work tomorrow. We'll figure it out, okay?
The terrible thing was that Matt could feel the sadness in Pietr's mind. Pietr wasn't sure that it would be better; Pietr had seen way too much disgust and hate to believe that.
Jesus, Pietr. The images in Pietr's head were frightening: flashes
"What the..." Benjamin hesitated, his smile faltering as he looked from Jones to Matt. "But it's Matt."
Jones laughed, the sound bitter and borderline insane. "No, this is some sleazebag who fucks aliens. They gave him a chip in his brain to keep him in line."
Benjamin seemed thoroughly confused now. He looked entreatingly at Matt.
"Matt?"
"I only fuck one, and his name is Pietr. And nobody's 'keeping me in line.'" It might not have been the smartest thing to say, but then Matt wasn't known for his even temper.
"You're on their side now?" The sound of betrayal in Benjamin's voice made Matt wince.
"It's not about sides, that's the whole point! Maybe if we could talk to them, things wouldn't be as tense as they are now." Matt started pacing, too agitated to stay still.
Benjamin kept watching Matt. "'Tense'? You don't think it would release the 'tension' if they stopped kidnapping and torturing people?" His voice was scarily devoid of emotion.
"I'm not defending that!" Matt was yelling now. This was a hopeless battle.
"You're not exactly condemning it, either." Benjamin glanced around the apartment. "I guess we can throw these out." He picked up the flyers and nodded at the image of Matt. "This guy here is gone for good anyway."
Matt froze. Then he managed to tear his eyes away from Benjamin, looking imploringly at Jones. His best friend through almost eight years didn't bat an eyelid.
"I think it's best if you leave now, Matt."
Matt stared at Jones, completely numb. Then he nodded abruptly and left the room. He stopped in the hallway and looked back at his friends. Neither of them said anything. Matt turned and left.
***
He didn't remember anything from his drive home afterward. Pietr was banging on the car window when he came back to reality, and Matt started when he heard the sound. He was in the parking garage under his apartment building, but how he had gotten here, he had no idea. He rolled down the window.
"What happened? Why are you shielding from me?" Pietr sounded agitated, and his mate tried to break through Matt's shield.
Matt shook his head, trying to get rid of the feeling.
"They don't want me around. They say I'm a freak." He sat staring straight ahead.
"Open the fucking door!" Without waiting for him to respond, Pietr reached through the open window and opened the car door himself, and then Matt was in his mate's arms. The feeling of Pietr's warm body against his made his unintentional shielding fall apart, and he felt Pietr's concern surrounding him.
"I'm fine," Matt said automatically.
The fuck you are. Come on.
Peter tugged him out of the car, closing the door and leading him to the elevator. There was a woman waiting for it; she hastily turned around and walked away when she saw them. Matt cringed.
Don't worry. Come on, they're just humans. Pietr had one arm around Matt and walked him into the elevator when it arrived.
I'm human. Matt laughed, the sound completely devoid of any joy. Or at least I used to be. Now I don't know what the fuck I am.
Mine. You're mine. Pietr led him out of the elevator and down the hall to their apartment, and then Matt finally heard the door to the apartment closing behind them.
They called you a disfigured monster.
They don't matter. Pietr's answer was emphatic.
Matt went into the living room and sat down on the couch. Pietr followed him closely, the worry a constant in his mate's mind.
They do to me. That was the awful truth. Jones and Benjamin were his best friends. If not even his best friends could tolerate him now, what was he going to do? Live the rest of his life like a pariah?
Come on. I'm sure it'll be better at work tomorrow. We'll figure it out, okay?
The terrible thing was that Matt could feel the sadness in Pietr's mind. Pietr wasn't sure that it would be better; Pietr had seen way too much disgust and hate to believe that.
Jesus, Pietr. The images in Pietr's head were frightening: flashes
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