Episode Nineteen: The Mind Clearing Affair

Guy Solo found himself back in Cain’s office. Part of him wanted to just hide away at Steffie’s for a few days, but he knew he would stop worrying about Nikolai once he faced the issue head-on. Now that he knew Steffie was safe, he constantly wondered about Nikolai and whether or not he was still alive. Every time he felt Nikolai’s breath on his neck, he would think Nikolai had died and haunted him.

Cain broke Guy’s thoughts when he said, “You’re back early.”

Guy replied, “My job ended early.”

Cain offered Guy a thin smile. “I’m not ready.”

Guy felt a wave of relief over him. Maybe Nikolai was still alive. He said, “I thought you were already ready for me.”

“We’ve hit a few hiccups,” Cain said.

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Not yet. Can you be back here at the end of the day? I have another appointment soon to try to get things settled.”

“Can you at least tell me what it is you want me to do?” Guy asked. “I might need to buy some supplies. Am I blowing something up or-”

“I will provide the munitions,” Cain said. “I think it would be best if you know nothing in case you are brought into questioning early.”

“I wouldn’t talk,” Guy said.

“I know you wouldn’t,” Cain replied, knitting his fingers together in front of him. “Because I saved your life, I gave you a job when no one else would, I gave you a place to keep your weapons, and I got you out of the country when you needed to hide. If you betrayed me, you would have nowhere else to go, Mr. Solo.”

Guy frowned. “I said I wouldn’t talk.”

“It’s merely a reminder of why you shouldn’t talk. A.B.E.L. agents can be persuasive.”

“I’ve dealt with them before,” Guy said. He leaned forward on his chair. “Cain, you don’t keep me out of the loop on this. Are you going to kill Kuryakin? Or should I worry about being interrogated by him again?”

“If they already suspect something, they will pull you in for questioning and Kuryakin will be there,” Cain said. “You must understand that it’s for the safety of me and my establishment that you stay ignorant.”

Guy stood up, frustration knotting inside of him. It had been a while since Cain threatened him. Was he trying to take down all of A.B.E.L., starting with Nikolai? “Fine,” Guy said. “I will be back tonight.”

“Perfect,” Cain said. “Keep your finger on the trigger.”

As he walked out of Cain’s office, Guy muttered under his breath, “I haven’t even agreed to anything yet.”

He tried to decide how to spend the day. He wondered if Nikolai would be dead by the time he saw Cain in the evening, but he couldn’t exactly just go to A.B.E.L. headquarters and ask how Nikolai was doing. And Cain didn’t give him enough time to travel anywhere. It was even too early in the afternoon to try to pick someone up at a bar.

So he hopped onto a bus to another part of the city. He watched the people change from chipper, well-groomed university students with MP3 players in their pockets to the poorer population that took the bus downtown, carrying brown-bag groceries and weary looks on their faces. Guy simply sat alone, watching the scenery drift by him.

He pulled the chord as he saw a large building with a garage on the ground floor approach in the distance. After he stepped off the bus, he headed towards the garage, peeking in the bay door. One of the mechanics waved to him as he walked in. The mechanic approached, and Guy found his face familiar, though he couldn’t attach a name to it. “Mr. Ryland’s in his office, sir,” the mechanic said, shaking Guy’s hand. “Are you here to see him?”

Guy looked at the grease on his hand when the man released it. “Yes,” Guy replied.

He glanced around the shop and saw Fleur watching him, her head peeping out from behind the hood of a car. Her eyes narrowed. The mechanic said, “Please follow me to the elevator, and I’ll let you up. Mr. Ryland will see you coming.”

Guy looked away from Fleur and said, “Thank you.”

Guy followed the mechanic to a locked elevator. The mechanic put a key into it, and Guy heard the elevator begin to move. A few of the mechanics looked up, but looked away once they saw Guy standing next to it. The mechanic said, “Fifth floor. Just knock on the door before you go in.” He lowered his voice and added, “Mr. Ryland has taken to napping in his office after his wife wears him out.” He winked at Guy.

Guy grinned back and said, “Thanks.” He returned the wink.

As the mechanic walked away, Guy tried to check out his ass only to find a greasy rag hanging out of his back pocket. He never understood the stereotype of men and their cars. He much preferred airplanes.

He took the elevator up and knocked on the door. He heard Quint clear his throat before saying, “Come in.”

Guy walked into the office, and he saw Quint looking through various papers on his desk. Guy took a quick glance around the familiar room. Bookshelves lived three of the walls, and Quint put a few televisions on the bookshelves as well. A large painting of a window (revealing a stormy day) covered the wall behind Quint.

Quint looked up from his papers and smiled as he saw Guy. “Guy Solo,” he said, standing up. “I didn’t see you on any of the monitors; I just thought it was one of my mechanics coming up. What can I do for you?”

Guy shrugged, and he waved for Quint to sit down. Guy followed suit, sitting in a large leather chair across from Quint’s desk. He found himself sinking into the chair as he said, “I’m just killing time. Cain’s offering me a job, but apparently it requires a lot of organization. When I spoke to him a few days ago, he seemed completely prepared, but now everything seems out of sorts. So I have to go back later.”

Quint simply said, “You should be used to things changing in your business. He’s probably just trying to figure out a good time and place for you to kill someone.”

“Yes, but usually that’s part of my job,” Guy said.

“Cain likes to be organized. He did book you on a cruise because he thought it was a perfect opportunity, am I correct?”

“Yes,” Guy said, feeling his shoulders relax. “Right.”

Quint frowned. “Guy, are you all right?”

“What?” Guy asked, raising his eyes to look at Quint. “Yes, I’m fine.”

“You seem distracted,” Quint said.

“I’m fine,” Guy repeated.

Quint raised a thin grey eyebrow. Guy smiled softly and scratched absently at the scruff on his face. “It’s been a while, Guy,” Quint said, returning the smile.

Guy nodded. Quint’s crow’s feet grew on either side of his face, the wrinkles in his forehead deepening. His hair was a sharp steel now, instead of the salt and pepper that Guy’s now was. His eyes were a dewy hazel, and despite the bags beneath them, they still seemed sharp, picking up on all the little movements Guy made. Guy wondered the changes Quint saw in him.

“It has,” Guy said.

“Did you just come to read?” Quint asked. “You’re more than welcome to move to a sofa and just sprawl out. You don’t need to make pleasantries. I know I’ve said that before, but I thought I’d just remind-”

“Do you have time to talk for a while?” Guy asked.

“Certainly,” Quint said. He stacked the papers neatly on his desk, exposing several screens built into it. “I’m afraid I don’t have my conversation cards prepared.”

Guy grinned, but his face softened as he said, “I was thinking about you the other day. I had a client come in and try to commission me to kill you.”

Quint visibly stiffened. “Should I be concerned about this visit, Mr. Solo?”

Guy reached down and pulled his gun out of his ankle holster. Quint froze, but Guy set the gun down on his desk and slid it over to him. Quint relaxed, and he left the gun on the desk. “No,” Guy said. “I didn’t take the job.”

“Well, anyone else is going to have a hell of a time trying to get in here,” Quint said. “Why didn’t you take the job? I wasn’t planning on your loyalty.”

“I’m terrified of your wife,” Guy said, laughing.

Quint laughed too. “All right, that’s a fair reason. I suppose if you did come in and kill me, you wouldn’t leave the building alive.”

“She would strangle me to death with her one arm,” Guy said. “I know she could do it, even if I fought back. Do you think she thought I was going to try to kill you today? She gave me the stink eye when I came in here.”

Quint shrugged. “She probably just knows I hired you to kill one of her boyfriends when we were first married,” he said. “I told her from the beginning she wouldn’t get away with cheating on me, so she can’t be upset that anything happened to her boyfriends. Don’t worry, she won’t hurt you. I’ll make sure of it.”

“How are things going with her?” Guy asked. “I mean, has everything settled?”

“Yes,” Quint replied, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “I know I’ve thanked you before, but thank you again for your advice, way back then. I can’t imagine what would have happened had I hired someone instead of you. I suppose I’d have to hide a lot more bodies, and I suppose Fleur would be a lot more insufferable.”

“So you’re performing better?” Guy asked.

Quint raised his brows. “Yes,” Quint said, “and I’m not, as you said, ‘forgetting about her as soon as my job’s done.’”

Guy leaned forward. “Come on,” Guy said, “you can be frank with me. It’s me, your big slutty assassin friend.” (Quint rolled his eyes, but smiled gently.) “What did you use? Did you try medication or a cock ring or what?”

“I have an assortment of cock rings,” Quint said. “And I have a prescription, but I’ve only used it once. Fleur slipped it into my mouth when she wanted to try it out. I kept protesting, so she stopped letting me decide.”

“How was it?”

“You may consider us friends, Mr. Solo, but I would still rather not discuss my sex life in that much detail.”

“Okay,” Guy said, raising his hands defensively. “You don’t need to be very detailed. It’s just someone I was with insinuated I might need medication,” (this caused Quint to raise his brows inquisitively), “so I wanted to know how it went.”

“What happened?”

“I just had some trouble starting,” Guy said. “I caught up fine.”

Quint chuckled, “And I have trouble finishing. We would make a good tag team.”

“Are you offering?”

“No,” Quint said, frowning.

Guy winked. “I’m just teasing you,” he said. “I know what you do to men who tumble with Fleur, remember?”

“Of course.”

“So about the medication?”

“It went fine,” Quint replied. “Fleur really liked it, but I’d still prefer to stick to the toys while I can. I’m careful when she kisses me now, too.”

Guy laughed. “So you have her full attention?”

“I have her full attention,” Quint replied, smiling softly. “I never would have realized that the issue was just that I wasn’t pleasing her enough sexually. It’s reassuring though to know she liked me the most through the whole ordeal. She says love, but I think she just says it to make an old man happy.”

“What old man?” Guy asked.

“This old man,” Quint smirked, pointing to himself.

Guy scoffed. “You’re hardly old, Quint. Jesus, you’re just a decade and some older than me. And I’m not old.”

“Think what you’d like,” Quint said. “I just know I’m having a harder time keeping up with her every year. She just waltzes into my office and expects me to be ready. And when I’m not, she sneaks medication into my mouth with a kiss so I have no choice.”

“Well, you still have a choice.”

“Less of a choice,” Quint replied. He rubbed his face. “It’s a stupid thing to complain about anyway. I love being with her, regardless of what we’re doing and whether or not I can keep up. I know you don’t understand monogamy, but I love having that one person I can count on.”

Guy smiled. “Whatever works, right?”

Quint nodded. “But surely you’re not here just to listen to my sex life.”

“I haven’t even heard the good details,” Guy said, leaning forward. “Are you willing to talk about your sex life in detail?”

“No.”

“Come on, you don’t have to be a prude,” Guy said.

“I do not want to think about you masturbating to thoughts of Fleur and I whenever I make love to her. Even if the thought is so horrifying that it would help me from,” Quint cleared his throat, “finishing too early.”

“What makes you think I would be thinking of Fleur at all?” Guy asked, winking.

Quint frowned and shivered. “You have officially crossed a line in this conversation, as you tend to do. Feel free to stay, of course, but I must get back to work.”

“I think I’ll just read,” Guy said, standing up and to glance at the bookshelves. “Do you recommend anything?”

Quint shrugged and began looking through his papers. “You know better than I do what you’ve already read. But now that I think of it, I have a man on my staff who is queer. He would probably help you pass the time.”

“Not every gay man is a slut, Quint,” Guy said, tilting his head sideways to read the titles on the spines of the books. “Just like not every straight woman is a slut.” Guy held his tongue instead of adding, “like your wife.”

Quint scoffed. “It’s worth a shot anyway.”

“No thanks.”

“Since when does Guy Solo turn down sex?” Quint asked.

Guy heard Quint’s papers rustle. Guy replied, “Cain threatened me. For some reason he thinks I’ll talk if tortured by A.B.E.L.”

“I forgot Kuryakin’s back,” Quint replied. “I’m glad A.B.E.L. doesn’t care much about chopped cars. Or, at least, they haven’t bothered me about them in a while. There’s been nothing since that one raid.”

Guy said, “I wouldn’t talk.”

“I believe you,” Quint said. “I’m still touched you didn’t take the assignment to kill me. I wouldn’t blame you if you did, you know.”

“I know,” Guy said.

“There wouldn’t be any hard feelings,” Quint said. “Though I like to think I have quite a few years left in me.” After a pause, Quint added, “And I can’t promise what Fleur’s feelings would be in the matter.”

“Don’t worry,” Guy said. “I’m not going to take a job to kill you. Nor will I talk if A.B.E.L. tries to torture me with Nik-Kuryakin.”

Quint’s eyes rose above his papers. “Are you on a first name basis with the man?”

“No,” Guy said. “He tortured me once. It was unpleasant to say the least.”

“Are you in the habit of calling him by his first name?”

“Only in the heat of passion,” Guy said, sarcastically.

Guy pulled a book labelled The Hotel New Hampshire off of the shelf. He turned to see Quint giving him a hard expression. “I would never tell Cain,” Quint said.

Guy blinked.

“When does Guy Solo turn down sex?” Quint asked. “When he’s having it regularly with someone else.”

“I am not having sex with Nikolai Kuryakin.”

“Homosexuality on his part would make sense,” Quint replied, leaning back in his chair and resting his hands on his stomach. (Guy noted that it had expanded some since he last saw him.) Quint continued, “Any attractive woman Cain threw on his team wouldn’t get a second glance from Kuryakin. I suppose he never thought of using men – and even then, I suppose it’s not in Kuryakin’s character to foolishly sleep around.” His eyes darted to Guy as he said, “Until he did with you, I suppose?”

“Quint, you’re taking this too far. I just slipped up his name, that’s all.”

“You’re worried Cain’s going to hire you to kill him. That’s why you’re here to see me. You can’t even kill me, and you’re worried about killing your lover.”

“What?” Guy asked. “Wait, you think Cain’s going to hire me to kill him?”

Quint blinked. “What did you think he was going to hire you to do?”

“I don’t know,” Guy said. “I thought he was getting Ni-Kuryakin out of the way so that I could do some damage to A.B.E.L.”

Guy and Quint stared at each other for a moment. Guy draped out on a sofa against one of the walls. Quint said, “You’ve kept my embarrassing problem a secret from everyone. I will keep this secret for you.”

The assassin glanced at Quint. He liked Quint. He would fuck Quint if he let him. But he’d seen Quint kill a man with a pipe, and he’d been hired to kill men who touched Quint’s wife. And he knew that every room had a small hidden camera, always recording the goings-on in his building and usually in the employees’ apartments that he generously paid for. The man was brutal, and the man was paranoid. It could be a dangerous combination, especially when the man was under the thumb of Cain.

Guy stared hard at Quint as he said, “I am not fucking Nikolai Kuryakin. I am not his lover. He tortured me once, and it would be a pleasure to kill him.”

“I remember hearing a rumour that you had another man on one of your assignments for Cain,” Quint said, his voice soft. “I remember hearing you were pulled into A.B.E.L. about it as well. Wouldn’t it be interesting if you were interrogated about that man by the man himself?”

“No,” Guy said, cracking the spine of the book. “It would be stupid, and it would be stupid for the one being interrogated to stay with him.”

He noticed Quint smile. He said, “I don’t remember you ever referring to yourself as a smart man, Mr. Solo.”

“Please, just let me read this book.”

“There’s incest in that one.”

“Then I hope there’s a good sex scene,” Guy said, bitterly.

Quint shrugged, and he went back to his work. Guy started on reading, and he felt himself begin to relax. Slowly he became absorbed in the story, and he frowned when the door to Quint’s office opened. Fleur stepped in. Her hair was tied loosely back into a bun, and she wore short overalls with a sports bra. He glanced at Quint and then looked away, careful not to leer even though Fleur wasn’t exactly his type.

He watched her sneakers and high socks move across the carpet as she approached Quint. From the corner of his eye, he caught Fleur grab the back of Quint’s head, pulling him in for a kiss. Guy looked away, hearing Quint rustle through drawers to find things. Fleur acted as if Guy wasn’t there at all, and Guy wondered if they’d screw in Quint’s office with him present.

But Quint stood up, and Fleur led him into a back room with her one hand. Guy tried to focus on his book again, but he found his ears reaching for signs of sex. He buried his eyes in his book, and he reread the same sentence several times as he began to hear faint, heavy breaths coming from the other room.

He wondered if Quint was torturing him for not telling him about Nikolai.

Guy thought his eyes would burn holes through the book if he continued staring. He heard Fleur moaning, begging for him to continue. Guy pictured her hand pulling Quint’s hair. He felt a surge of excitement crawl through him, and he considered covering his ears.

He told himself to think of something else as he heard a clear grunt from Quint.

But his thoughts drifted to Nikolai. Would Nikolai still be alive when he saw Cain tonight? Would he be the one to kill him? He thought of Nikolai’s mouth against his, Nikolai’s arms coiling around him, pulling him down. He imagined his body sinking into Nikolai’s. He felt panic start to pulse through him.

He had to stop thinking about Nikolai. Not just because the idea of liking Nikolai more than he should scared him, but because if he didn’t it could get him killed. Cain would be less than impressed to hear Guy withheld information about Nikolai. If Cain tried to hire him to kill Nikolai, he’d just say no-can-do and blame cowardice. That would be believable. He had turned down scary jobs before. Survival was still his number one.

He heard Quint grunt again, and then he heard gentle murmurs. He thought of Nikolai softly speaking Russian against his lips. A hum came from the other room, and he heard Quint’s muffled, gentle voice and Fleur’s moans. Guy found himself growing increasingly uncomfortable. He stood up from the couch and felt a familiar pain shoot through his ass. Despite himself, Guy smiled as he thought of Nikolai behind him.

With his pants uncomfortably tight, he grabbed his gun, left Quint’s office, and waited in the hallway. Guy returned to reading, and he found himself growing less heated and more comfortable. As he stared at the page, he considered the best ways to remove Nikolai from his thoughts. He couldn’t be alone – he would probably just end up jerking off to thoughts of the secret agent. He clearly couldn’t read – he couldn’t focus on the story.

He sighed as he looked at the book.

Fleur stepped out of Quint’s office, a serene dreamy look planted on her face. She said, “Quint wondered where you went.”

“He mentioned you have a,” Guy realized halfway through the sentence how politically incorrect his statement was about to sound. He cleared his throat and tried again, “Quint tried to set me up with one of the mechanics, but I said no. I’ve changed my mind. Can you introduce me to him, or should I ask Quint?”

“Quint’s out,” Fleur said. “I mean, he’s asleep. I’m the only woman mechanic.”

“He said one of the mechanics was gay,” Guy said.

Fleur blinked. “Guy Solo, are you gay?”

“I like everyone,” Guy said, “but I’m looking for a guy right now.” Truth be told, Guy wanted someone as close to Nikolai as possible to try to clear away some of the memories. Being with a woman would only emphasize the differences.

Fleur nodded, wiping her mouth with her hand. “You learn something every day.”

“I thought I was obvious.”

Fleur shrugged. “I don’t know much about you, and to be perfectly frank I don’t care to. Quint likes you, but I don’t. And our gay mechanic has a partner. They’re even on an adoption list, or however you say it. I think he’d be insulted to hear Quint tried to set him up, but Quint isn’t exactly tactful about some of this new stuff. I was amazed that he-” Fleur looked at Guy and cut the conversation short. “But if you’re looking for someone I might be able to hook you up. Walk with me.”

Guy decided Fleur almost mentioned Quint’s willingness to try sex toys, and he smiled to himself. He didn’t like Fleur. He thought Quint should have left her on the curb when she crashed through his windshield. He knew Quint thought she was going to be passive and thankful that he paid for her hospital bills, but she wasn’t. She loved cars, and she wanted a job. But, aside from sleeping around in the beginning, she seemed decent enough to him, at least from what Guy had witnessed. She made Quint happy, and that was something, Guy supposed.

Guy remembered saying whatever works to Quint, and he wondered if that’s what he and Nikolai had. Just something that worked.

But it didn’t. Nikolai wanted a relationship and Guy didn’t.

“You all right?” Fleur asked.

“What?”

“You just stood there for a minute,” Fleur said. “Can you walk with me?”

“Do you think Quint would mind if I borrow this book?”

“I doubt he’ll notice it’s missing,” Fleur said. “I’ll take the blame if he says something. Are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” Guy said, and he was getting tired of hearing the question. He began to walk and Fleur followed. “It’s just been one of those days, you know?”

Fleur laughed. “I know.” She flashed him a smile. “So you need to get laid to feel better, right?”

“Uh huh,” Guy said.

“What are you looking for?” Fleur asked. “Be frank.”

Guy laughed. Here he had to pull teeth to get her husband to talk about these things, and she was ready to just talk casually about it. She raised a brow, and he just said, “I’d like a blowjob, at least. I haven’t had one in a while.”

Fleur sighed and rolled her eyes. “Do you just want a glory hole or something?” Fleur asked, clearly unimpressed. “Come on, you must have some sort of fun fetish we can work with. I know a lot of fun places.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Fleur said. “Though I obviously haven’t been in a long time. I tried talking Quint into going to one with me, but he wouldn’t hear of it.”

“What kind of fun places?” Guy asked.

“Nice try,” Fleur said. “You tell me your fetish and I’ll let you know whether or not I can suggest something. I don’t want you to know all my kinks, Guy Solo.”

Fleur unlocked a door, waving Guy into a stairwell. Guy considered what would best help him forget Nikolai. He supposed he just wanted to feel numb walking into Cain’s office. He wanted to feel that happy numb that Fleur probably felt, and he didn’t want to feel like he needed to fuck Nikolai or feel Nikolai inside of him.

“Tied up,” Guy said, as he started walking down the stairs. “I want to be tied up, and I wanted to be fucked numb. More than one guy, if possible.”

“Consensual or rape role play?” Fleur asked, not batting an eye.

Guy shrugged. “Whatever. I just don’t want to be the one telling them what to do. I just want to sit back and get fucked and not think.”

Fleur pursed her lips in thought and said, “I can recommend a few clubs like that, but they’re pretty private and they don’t know you and I’m not vouching for you. They’re not exactly last-minute places either, so you might not get in and get off. But I know a couple who might be up for it, but it’s a girl and a guy, is that okay?”

Guy shrugged. “I guess that’s fine. What do they look like?” Guy asked

Fleur shrugged as she pulled out her cell phone. “The girls’ pretty thin, long brown hair – I don’t think she manages the hair downstairs. The guy’s pretty muscular, taller than you, I’d say.”

“And you said might?”

“Should I call them up and see?”

“Sure, they sound fine,” Guy said. “Call them up.”

Fleur winked at him, and Guy feared for a moment that he was being set up to get killed. But Fleur’s side of the conversation seemed legitimate enough. He didn’t hear any words that seemed like code words. As they reached the ground floor, she nodded and said to Guy, “All right, they’re in.” She gave Guy an address to a hotel. She explained how Guy was to say a specific name at the front desk and then check into the room. The other two would meet him, and Guy supposed it would play out to suit a rape. She continued, “I’m going to discuss some of the specifics with them while you’re gone.”

“Sure,” Guy replied, raising a brow. “Should I be worried?”

Fleur shook her head. She motioned for Guy to leave, so he slipped out of the building and walked to the hotel. Once he reached the hotel, Guy hesitated outside of it. Graffiti covered the side and front of the building, and the windows appeared brown with a fine layer of dirt. Guy frowned. It looked like the sort of hotel you pay for by the hour, the kind with stiff sheets.

He stated the name at the front desk, and the man indifferently gave Guy the key. Guy headed up to the hotel room, half-expecting to see someone as he opened the door.

He didn’t.

He cursed under his breath as his thoughts drifted to Nikolai. If he were with Nikolai they’d be staying in a nicer place. Guy almost left the hotel room then and there. He wondered when he became so desperate. He closed the hotel room door behind him and stepped into the bathroom. He started the shower and undressed as he thought of how he just needed a good fuck from someone else to put things into perspective. Nikolai wasn’t his one and only. Nikolai just successfully burrowed into his brain by giving Guy only one option to think of.

Guy smirked to himself as he stepped into the shower. He turned the water warm, and he frowned as he realized the hotel didn’t have any soap or shampoo. Guy couldn’t remember the last time he bought shampoo, and he certainly wasn’t going to start now. So he simply let the water wash over him, and he absently held Nikolai’s bullet necklace between two fingers.

He thought of Nikolai’s breath on his shoulder, his lips on his nipple, his hands down his body. He thought of sliding out of Nikolai’s grasp in the middle of the night. He thought of Nikolai smashing his face into the A.B.E.L. interrogation table. He thought of Nikolai slamming him against the hotel wall.

He thought of Nikolai’s insistence for monogamy. He thought of Nikolai stalking his daughter.

He thought of Cain wanting to kill Nikolai.

“Fuck him,” Guy muttered under his breath.

He turned off the shower and grabbed the towel. He examined it, found it clean in appearance, and then he used it before wrapping it around his waist. He stepped into the main hotel room, and it was as if he walked into a black abyss. He tensed and waited for his eyes to adjust, seeing the light around the drawn curtains.

Guy felt a strong arm wrap around his chest and another around his neck. Guy kicked out the kneecap and turned around to swing a punch, feeling his fist hit jaw.

“Fuck!” a voice said. “Jesus Christ.”

The light flicked on. A tall man with black hair stood, leaning his weight on one leg, and clutching his jaw with one hand. He was nude. Guy turned around to see a woman by the light switch. Her long, dark brown hair curled across her nude form. “What the fuck happened?” she asked. “Didn’t Fleur give you a heads up?”

Guy apologized quickly, “Sorry, I don’t know what I was thinking. It was just a reflex. You’re the two Fleur told me about?”

The woman nodded, and the man gave Guy a crooked smile. Guy found himself liking them instantly. “I’m Guy,” he said, offering his hand to the man first.

“Magnus,” he said, shaking Guy’s hand. “This is my partner, Carson.”

The woman approached, and Guy realized how much he missed women as he glanced at her curly pubic hair. He stretched out a hand for her, and she shook it. “Do you mean partners in the business sense, or partners in the together sense?”

“Together,” Carson said, offering Guy a smile. Her eyes raised to Magnus as she said, “How long has it been?”

Magnus shrugged. “Four years?” he asked. He paused in thought, and then he added with a smile, “Five years in January.”

“And you guys like doing stuff like this together?” Guy asked, glancing at the light dusting of body hair on Magnus’ body.

“No, we’re forced to,” Carson said, straight-faced.

“We do,” Magnus said. “It’s fun to meet people too. Fleur said you wanted a rape roleplay. We thought we’d burst in and tie you up.”

“Sorry, again,” Guy said. “Fleur wasn’t specific. Yeah, that’d be fine. I mean, I’d focus more on the fucking than the roleplay. Do you want me to come out of the shower again, or…?”

He found Magnus’ arm back around his chest, keeping Guy’s arms to against his sides. Guy felt the muscles tense around him, but he could tell Magnus wasn’t as strong as Nikolai. Nonetheless, Guy only tried half-heartedly to escape, pressing against Magnus’ limbs without putting too much force against them.

Guy saw Carson rustle through a black bag. He said, “Just tying up and a good fuck, right? I have to work after this, so nothing too rough.”

Magnus lifted Guy, who squirmed in the air, and carried him to the bed. He forced Guy onto his stomach, pinning Guy’s arms against his back. As Guy considered a weak kick, Magnus gripped Guy’s legs, bending them back against his thighs. Guy felt excitement ripple through him, and he smiled against the sheets. He tried to remember if Nikolai was ever this aggressive with him.

“Sure,” Carson said. “We’ll just do the basics.”

Guy felt her nails against him as she tied his ankles to his thighs, and she bound Guy’s arms behind his back. Magnus flipped Guy over, and Guy watched as Carson cupped his testicles with her hand, squeezing them gently. He licked his lips as she ran a polished nail up his shaft, and he arched his body upwards with her movement. She smirked, letting her fingernail trace around the head of his cock.

Carson glanced at Magnus. He tossed her a jar of lube, and she set it on the bed beside Guy. She squeezed his testicles as she released his shaft, dipping her fingers in the lube. Guy squirmed, feeling the ropes dig into his skin. Her thick lips enveloped the head of his cock, her slick hand jerking him off at the base of it.

Guy bit his bottom lip and bucked his hips upwards, feeling her tongue coil down his shaft. She jerked him off rougher as she sucked, and Guy felt his hips straining against the ropes. Giving his balls one final firm squeeze, she released them from her grip. Open-mouthed, Guy watched her other hands movement until Magnus’ hand firmly grabbed the back of his head. Magnus edged his cock towards Guy’s mouth.

Guy smirked, and he decided to not completely abandon the rape role. He kept his mouth closed and shook his head. Carson sucked him off harder, and he glanced to see her take more of his erection into her mouth. As she slipped a finger into his ass, he bit his bottom lip. He felt Magnus dig his nails into his head, tilting Guy’s head closer to his erection.

Magnus pressed the head of his cock against Guy’s lips, and Guy let out a sharp gasp as Carson moved her finger faster inside of him, quickly slipping another finger in. Magnus forced his cock into Guy’s mouth, and Guy flicked his tongue against the head of Magnus’ erection. Carson’s tongue continued to tease Guy’s shaft, and the ropes felt like they grew tighter around him.

Firmly gripping Guy’s head, Magnus bucked into Guy’s mouth, sliding in and Guy let his teeth tease Magnus’ shaft, his tongue pressing against the underside of it. Guy almost whimpered when Carson pulled her mouth off of Guy’s cock. She licked the head of it once more, Guy’s body arching upwards in the hopes of more, but then she pulled away. She slowed down her jerks as Magnus pumped himself faster in and out of Guy’s mouth.

Carson pulled her fingers out of Guy’s ass, and Guy squirmed in his bondage, aching as he waited for her next move. He felt Magnus throb inside of his mouth, and he squirmed as Magnus’ large hand overtook his erection when Carson released it. Magnus moved his hand excruciatingly slow while he pulled Guy’s head against his erection, and the head of Magnus’ cock neared the back of Guy’s throat.

After hearing a faint hum, Guy groaned against Magnus’ erection as he felt a slick vibrator press into his ass. He felt Carson’s nails dig into his bound hips as she bucked into him, gritting her teeth to keep from moaning herself. Magnus pulled out of Guy’s mouth, and Carson gripped Guy’s shaft as she started bucking deeper and deeper into him.

Guy raised his head to see the black harness on Carson’s hips, and she winked at him as she edged deeper into him. Magnus climbed onto the bed to kneel in front of Guy. As Guy groaned when Carson’s vibrator slid deeper into him, Magnus pressed his cock back into Guy’s mouth. Guy groaned against Magnus’ erection, and he pulled against his ropes, desperate to grip something or someone.

Carson jerked him off harder as she increased her pace into him, and Guy let his teeth brush up against Magnus’ shaft as his tongue crawled along it. The ropes dug into his flesh, his legs straining to squirm while forced apart. He heard Carson start to pant, and Guy groaned as he felt Magnus lick the head of his erection.

He squeezed his eyes shut as Carson’s nails dug into his thighs, pulling him against her rough bucks. He groaned again as he felt Magnus start to suck him off. Guy strained against the ropes and assumed Magnus’ hands touched his partner instead of Guy. The hum grew louder and he felt the vibrations spread through him. Guy groaned against Magnus’ erection, feeling himself bucking back against Carson and throb in Magnus’ mouth.

Gripping Guy’s shaft at the base, Magnus began jerking Guy off as he sucked him, and Guy found himself uselessly groaning, “Oh fuck,” as Carson hit deep inside of him. The ropes burned into him as he felt himself start to spill into Magnus’ mouth, Magnus only sucked and pulled at him rougher in response.

Guy wrenched his head away from Magnus’ erection to grit his teeth. His toes curled as Carson dug her nails into him, gasping as she hit deep into him. “Not yet,” Guy gasped to himself. He felt Nikolai’s bullet sticking to his chest as the ropes scratched him. He groaned, “Oh fuck.”

Magnus grabbed Guy’s head, aiming his cock back into his mouth. Guy sucked, breaking his rhythm with groans as Carson began moaning louder. Magnus jerked him off less, but sucked harder, taking more of Guy’s erection into his mouth. Guy felt the vibe strengthen as the hum grew louder, and he let out a gasp as he came into Magnus’ mouth.

Magnus spit onto him, and Guy weakly continued to suck, hearing Magnus gasp softly. Carson pumped into Guy a few more times, breaking his skin as she let out a moan. Magnus pulled out of Guy’s mouth and jerked himself off, watching his partner as he did so. Carson turned off her strap-on, and she undid her harness to pull the double dildo out of her. Guy watched as she kissed her partner, and Guy found himself considering the idea of having a ‘one-and-only.’

Climbing onto the bed, Carson straddled Guy around the waist. Guy simply tried to catch his breath, the ropes feeling as if they loosened around his weak limbs. Carson rubbed Guy’s chest as she kissed Magnus’ pelvis, and Magnus jerked himself off roughly, gritting his teeth as he did so. Magnus grunted as he came onto Guy’s chest, and he visibly relaxed afterwards. Magnus kissed Carson’s neck softly.

Guy frowned, realizing just how much he missed Nikolai. He watched Magnus’ hand crawl down Carson’s torso as they kissed again, her fingers knitting through Magnus’ thick black hair. Guy cleared his throat, and he smiled weakly as the couple looked at him. For a split moment he feared they would rob him, but Magnus let out a deep laugh. “Sorry,” he said.

Carson slid off of Guy and began untying his ropes. Magnus tried to help Carson, and Guy squirmed in slight discomfort. “There’s a knife in my bag,” Guy said. “You can just cut me out.”

Both of them hesitated and stopped untying Guy. Magnus glanced at Carson and she said, “What are you doing with a knife?”

Guy scoffed. “Self-defence or something,” he said. “I travel in a lot of unpleasant places, so I like to have that extra protection.” Guy decided against mentioning his gun that he also packed away in his bag.

“We’ll just use our nails, thank you,” Magnus said, finally overcoming a knot.

Guy felt the ropes loosening and began to relax against the bed. Sure, being tied up was nice, but he appreciated the ability to stretch his limbs again. They finished untying Guy and tossed aside the rope. Guy stretched on the bed, forgetting that he originally feared the stiff sheets.

Carson stretched out on her stomach beside Guy, holding the bullet on his necklace between her fingertips. “Does this carry any special significance?” she asked. She smirked as she added, “Did someone special give it to you?”

Magnus sat on the other side of Guy, his leg pressed up against Guy’s. Guy thought screwing a couple would mean little-to-no small talk afterwards, and he feared for a moment that he was mistaken. “It was a gift,” Guy said, keeping his response short.

He watched Carson pass the bullet to Magnus, who absently looked at it, his black eyes slightly glazed. Carson said, “What is it? It looks like a hunk of metal.”

“It’s a bullet,” Guy said. “Most people associate the image of a bullet with the cartridges, not the actual bullet. That’s why it looks like a little cone.”

Magnus nodded, and he handed it back to Carson. “Who would give you a bullet necklace as a gift?” Magnus asked.

“Is there a story to it?” Carson asked. “I mean, we caught you coming out of the shower. Do you never take it off?”

Guy hadn’t considered taking the necklace off. Even though he only had it for the day, he already felt used to the weight around his neck, the feeling of his shirts pressing it against his chest. Guy cursed Nikolai for being able to integrate into his life this way. Guy said, “I just have a friend that’s a gun nut. He made the necklace, and I thought it looked cool, so I kept it on.”

Carson raised a thin brow and smirked. “Is this a romantic interest?”

Guy glanced at his empty wrist and said, “What time is it? I have a meeting later.”

“You have a meeting this late at night?” Magnus asked, getting off the bed and stretching. “What kind of a job is it?”

“I work the night shift,” Guy said, simply. He followed suit.

Guy began collecting his belongings scattered through the hotel room, and he glanced at a clock to realize he wouldn’t have time to shower. It wouldn’t be the first time he went to a meeting with Cain when he had semen on him. He started to get dressed, and he saw Carson and Magnus doing the same while they packed up their things.

Guy regretted not taking advantage of Carson’s breasts as she tucked them away into a bra. He looked away when he noticed Magnus watching him. Magnus said, “We can give you a ride to where you need to go. Did we make you late?”

“I made myself late,” Guy said. “I should have known I wouldn’t have had time. I’d love a ride, but my appointments up town. Is it going to be out of the way?”

Carson scoffed. “It’s fine. We’re used to long car rides.”

They finished packing up and left the hotel room. Carson and Magnus offered to pay, and Guy thanked them profusely. “I’ll get it next time,” Guy said. “I promise.”

As they stepped outside, Guy stopped for a moment to watch the snow gracefully floating down in the air. He pulled his jacket tighter around him, but a smile stretched across his face. “What makes you think we’ll want to be with you again?” Carson asked, tossing their bag in the trunk.

“I’m hot,” Guy said. “How could you turn me down?”

Magnus laughed and hopped into the passenger side of the car. Guy sat in the back and Carson took the driver’s seat. She started up the car, and Magnus leaned back to hand Guy a business card as Guy buckled in. “You can call us up again,” Magnus said. “But we’re not easy. We did a favour for Fleur this time, so you’ll have to woo us next time.”

Great, Guy thought, more people that wanted a relationship with him. Carson clicked her tongue against her teeth and said, “Don’t listen to him, Guy. Magnus just likes to try to get a free meal out of people. Sometimes you just want a good fuck, we get that.”

Guy put their business card into his wallet. He said, “Hey, speaking of good fuck, how do you like that dildo thing you got?”

“The Realdoe? I love it. I actually don’t really need a harness with it, I can just put it in and go. But I tend to use the harness just so that I don’t need an extra hand in case it slips out. It’s even got a spot for a bullet vibe, which you got to try out.”

“It was fucking fantastic,” Guy said, leaning forward to get in between their seats. He watched the road crawl under them as they moved forward. “It’s not often women like to do that with me. I tend to attract another type, I guess.”

“Well, attraction had nothing to do with it this time around,” Carson said. “Do you have a specific way you want to go, or do you trust me?”

“I trust you,” Guy said, “and it’s okay if we’re a bit late. Don’t rush.”

Carson nodded. Magnus tilted his head to say to Guy, “That dildo freaks me out. It tries too hard to look real, it’s just creepy.”

“I didn’t have to see it,” Guy said. He waggled his brows and added, “I just got to appreciate all it could do.”

Magnus said, “I’ll stick to the purple one she has.”

Guy laughed and leaned back in his seat. “You’re a lucky man, Magnus. I’d love a woman who liked switching things up and fooling around with other people.”

“We’re always together,” Carson said. “So we don’t really consider it fooling around.”

“Nonetheless,” Guy said, “monogamy’s never been my game.”

Magnus sighed. Carson said, “So there’s no one special in your life.”

Guy shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He highly doubted anyone would go through the effort to find these two just to spy on him. He said, “This is just between us, but sort of.”

“Between us?” Magnus asked, grinning a crooked grin. “Is it some sort of big secret?”

“Yes,” Guy said.

“Guy or Girl?” Carson asked.

“Does it matter?” Guy asked.

“No.”

Guy said, “They basically want me to be with just them, and I like to be with other people too. They make me think that, yeah, maybe I could stay with just them, but they’re really pushy about it which-”

“Scares you away,” Magnus said.

“Turns me off,” Guy said. “I don’t see why you have to be so pushy about it.”

“So you fool around behind their back like an asshole?” Carson asked. “Or are they aware that you fool around?”

“In my defence,” Guy said, “I’m pretty sure it’s over now. I’m just going to check, that’s partially what this meeting is about.”

“But you didn’t wait to find out?” Magnus asked.

“I just wanted to clear my head and see what was out there,” Guy said.

“So you’re a pig, basically,” Carson said.

Guy frowned. “No,” he said. “I don’t think you understand.”

“Was this lay good enough to make you want to ditch your special someone?” Magnus asked, somewhat bitterly. “I wish I had known this was all a test to you.”

Guy shook his head, his voice sharp. “You two showed me what I wanted with him. I don’t think he’d be up for the whole ‘hey we’re partners but we also screw other people together’ thing, but if he were up for it, I’d stay with him forever. Maybe that’s why I’ve never found someone I liked before, because they were never willing to try stuff like that out.”

“Or you never waited around long enough to find out,” Magnus said.

“Is monogamy really such an issue with you?” Carson asked, glancing back at him in the rear view mirror. “What do you like about him now?”

“We fool around in a lot of different ways, which is fun.”

Carson and Magnus waited to hear more, but Guy looked out the window absently, feeling anxiety starting to knot inside of him as he began to recognize the buildings. He didn’t see Magnus and Carson exchange looks. Magnus said, “Anything aside from sex?”

“He’s hot,” Guy said. “And he’s kind of a grump, so it’s fun to tease him.” Guy paused, and he laughed as he added, “It’s weird, he can be really gentle too, especially when you don’t expect it. It’s like he has this soft side that he keeps hidden most of the time, not that I blame him.”

“What about interests?” Carson asked. “Do you have anything in common?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Guy said.

“How long have you been seeing him?” Magnus asked, turning around to see Guy’s response.

“Since July. So, what, four months?”

“What do you guys do together?” Magnus asked.

“Screw mainly,” Guy said. “Sometimes we eat. I usually read while he sleeps. Listen, you can drop me off here. I better walk from here.”

“What?” Carson asked. “I can drop you off right at the doors.”

“Here’s best,” Guy said. “Trust me.”

Guy unbuckled his seat belt as Carson pulled over. Guy leaned forward between their seats and said, “Thanks for the fun.”

On a whim, he kissed one of Carson’s cheeks and then one of Magnus’. Carson said, “Call us to let us know how it goes with this guy. Even if you can’t screw, I’d like to hear about it.”

“Sure,” Guy said as he slid out of the car, with no intention of seeing them again. They got too clingy too soon, Guy decided.

Guy walked to Cain’s building with a sense of calm, and he breathed in the dry air, watching the snowflakes curl through the lights. Everything suddenly clicked together inside of his head. He knew what he wanted, and he knew what he would have to do to get it. He took a deep breath as he stepped into Cain’s building.

He walked up to Cain’s office and entered without interruption. Cain offered Guy a thin smile, his green eyes alight. Guy sat down across from him, trying not to wince. “Are you ready for me?” Guy asked.

“Yes,” Cain replied.

He placed a briefcase on his desk and opened it. He waited before turning the briefcase around to Guy. A healthy number of packaged bills sat in the briefcase. Guy flipped through the bills, counting it in his head.

“So,” Cain said. “Are you interested?”

“Tell me more,” Guy said. “What exactly does this job entail?”

Cain laughed. Guy kept his face hard as he stared at the man. “Why, Mr. Solo,” Cain said. “I want you to kill Mr. Kuryakin.”

“All right,” Guy said.

“I thought you would be harder to convince. Originally I intended for you to do something more base, but the assassin I hired to kill Kuryakin backed out.”

Guy’s ears perked up. “You hired someone else first?”

“If you do this job, A.B.E.L. will pull you in. If they catch you, you may get caught in their system permanently. I didn’t think you would consider it worth the risk.”

Guy reached in and took a wad of bills, putting it into his jacket pocket. He turned the briefcase back around to Cain, who closed it. “It’s worth the risk. I’ll disappear after it happens. Cain, I’m going to disappear for good.”

Cain raised a brow. “Does this mean you’re retiring?”

“It means we’re done,” Guy said. “I don’t like to be threatened. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, but I’m going to close this chapter of my life and disappear.”

Cain’s lips thinned. “I could find you.”

Guy grinned. “Well, you can certainly try.”

“I suppose I’ll see you after to pick up this?” Cain asked, patting the briefcase.

“Yes,” Guy said. He stood up. “Do you have anything else for me?”

Cain handed Guy a photo of Nikolai. He said, “Though I suppose you don’t need it.”

Guy looked at the photo, half-expecting to see Danny Marlow’s picture. It wasn’t. Guy looked at the grainy photo of Nikolai’s face obscured by a ball cap. Based on the crowd of people and their luggage, he assumed it was an airport. He wondered if the photo was from a time Nikolai was going to see him.

Guy put the photo into his pocket. Cain said, “I’ve restocked your storage unit. If there’s something you need that I didn’t give you, please let me know.”

“I will,” Guy replied.

Cain laughed softly. “I don’t think I’ve seen you this serious in a long time, Guy.” Guy raised his head to look at Cain, but he didn’t respond. Cain knitted his fingers together and leaned forward as he asked, “What exactly are you going to do, Mr. Solo?”

Guy gave Cain a smile. “I’m going to kill Nikolai Kuryakin.”

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