#danielk/armand

[bandedbulbussnarfblat]

Damn Your Love, Damn Your Lies chp 3

Here it is on ao3 or read it below

After his nap, Daniel decides to do some more wandering.  It isn’t like there’s much else to do.  Sure, he could be working on research, but he’s only got one session under his belt.  He has plenty of time to work on it.  Right now, he wants to see what else he can uncover.  

He doesn’t know where to start, so he just meanders.  Eventually, he finds his way to an indoor pool.  It’s a large rectangle with the insides painted so the water looks a vibrant blue.  Daniel appreciates the splash of color in this drab concrete monstrosity.  

What he appreciates more is the sight of Rashid climbing out of the pool.  Water clings to him, dripping wet.   He grabs a towel from the ground and begins drying his hands, seemingly not noticing Daniel at all.  He pulls on his gloves next.  Weird.

Daniel can’t look away.  Those shoulders are wider than he imagined.  And those abs.  There’s so much glistening skin.  Daniel’s mouth feels dry.  Rashid is wearing black swim pants that are tight as a second skin.  He can see everything, every line, every curve, even the outline of his-

Nope.  No.  He’s just jealous he doesn’t have this kind of body anymore.  Or ever.  

Rashid rubs the towel through his hair and his eyes catch Daniel.  “Mr. Molloy, is there anything I can do for you?”

It sounds perfectly professional and Daniel is not taking it out of context.  At all.  

“What’s with the gloves?”  It’s all he can think of to say in the presence of all that perfect skin.  

Rashid smiles just slightly.  Daniel hopes he didn’t catch him staring.  He’d take it the wrong way.  “Sensory issues.  I get…overstimulated.”

Fuck.  Daniel wonders if it’s everywhere or just the hands.  If he’s that sensitive everywhere.  It probably makes him a live wire in bed.  

Daniel shakes his head and clears his mind.  The acceptable amount of time to reply has passed, so Daniel quickly says, “I got turned around.  Which way is it back to the elevator?”

He definitely doesn’t ask so he gets a little longer to look at him.  Or he will, if he has manners.  Daniel is a sick old man; of course Rashid is going to offer to walk him there.  

“Let me show you.”  Rashid sweeps ahead to lead him.  Daniel tries not to look at his ass.  He lasts about five seconds.  God.  

Daniel takes a deep breath and averts his eyes.  Even if he did like men–which he doesn’t–this kid is probably fresh from college.  His daughters are most likely older than him.  It would be beyond fucked up to engage in anything with him.  Not that Daniel wants that or anything.  

It only takes a few seconds to find the elevator.  

“Is there anything else you’d like from me, Mr. Molloy?”  It’s barely polite, and definitely not flirtatious in the slightest.  Yet Daniel’s mind heads down a dangerous path.  He needs to get away from this guy.  

“No, ah, I’m good.”

Rashid glances back and sees his wet footprints leading to the elevator.  “Oh, I’m dripping wet.”

Daniel is going to fucking die. 

“I got work to catch up.  See ya around, Rashid.”  Daniel steps into the elevator and shuts it before Rashid can say anything.   He takes a deep breath, then another.  He carefully thinks of nothing at all.  

He hides in his room and devotes himself to working for the next few hours.  He doesn’t think of Rashid at all.  After a while, he needs a break.  His eyes are starting to hurt from looking at the computer.  Daniel wanders and finds himself in the dining room, looking at one of the paintings.  

“It’s Venetian.  A contemporary of Tintoretto.”

Daniel leans in to read the name on the painting.  “Marius de Romanus.  Never heard of him.”

“Little of his work survives.  Mr. de Pointe du Lac covets the rare.”

Daniel’s about to make some remark about it not being all Louis coveted, but he hears that distant groaning sound.  He’s heard it a few times before.  “Did you hear that?  I keep hearing that sound.”

“Well, the building sways a bit.  But that is according to its design given the height.  We call it the Groan.”  Rashid doesn’t sound particularly concerned.  He barely looks at Daniel, looking more at his ipad.  “It won’t disturb your meal, which is ready now.”

“Did you always work for him?”  Daniel asks, hands in his pockets.

“Please, have a seat,” Rashid says and begins walking away.

“Sign an NDA?” Daniel calls out after him.  “I mean, is it only work or are you and he-”

“I serve a god.  It is my honor to serve.”  Rashid is as intense as he has ever seen him. 

Daniel honestly has no fucking idea what to say to that.

“Mr. de Pointe du Lac will join you at course seven,” Rashid says and walks away.  

“Seven?” Daniel repeats.  “How many courses are there?”

Rashid ignores him and keeps walking.  

“Fattening me up for the inevitable end?” 

No response.  Daniel figures asking the kid if he was sleeping with his boss might have been a tad too far.  

Well, nothing to do but wait for Louis.  

/

He rarely smokes anymore, but Daniel feels like he deserves one after slogging through Louis’ bullshit. It has him feeling nostalgic for years gone by.   So naturally, the damn lighter sticks.

“Piece of shit,” he mumbles.  

“Allow me,” a voice behind him says.  Rashid.  

He comes up and plucks the lighter from Daniel’s hand and cups his hand around Daniel’s cigarette.  He flicks the wheel and the lighter flares to life.  Rashid looks up at him from under his lashes and pulls back.  

“One would think a Pulitzer Prize winner would be intelligent enough not to smoke in his poor health.”

“I’m already dying.  Might as well live a little,” Daniel says with a shrug.  He takes a long draw from the cigarette and blows the smoke up into the air.

“Is that why you came here, to ‘live a little’?”

“Why are you here?”  Daniel shoots back.  “Besides it being an honor to serve and all that.”  Then, because he can’t help but push his luck, “How do you serve him anyway?  Is it as kinky as it sounds?”

“I believe you’re projecting again,” Rashid says crisply.

“I don’t want to fuck Louis.” 

“No, you want to fuck me.”  He says it like it’s a matter of fact.

Daniel’s mouth hangs open.  The nerve of this kid.  “I don’t-”

“I could feel you staring at me at the pool,” Rashid says.  “You’re attracted to me.”

“I’m not-”

“I’m attracted to you as well.”  He says it like it’s nothing.

“Bullshit.”  There’s no way this kid wants an old man like him.  

“Shall I prove it?”

The next thing Daniel knows, Rashid is plucking the cigarette out of his hand and putting it out on the railing.  Daniel goes to object, then Rashid lunges forward.  

And kisses him.