I saved up all my pennies and I gave them to this special guy

[fabricatings]

He's not feeling himself. Not right. Something's scratching, clawing, and it's not because of the pain he imagines. It's not because of his life. It's because he needs something--anything. No oxy? Vicodin. No vicodin? Tramadol. Hydromorphone. Pethidine. All that mattered was that they were opioids and they were strong.

He tricks himself into thinking he can last at least a day with one pill. Briggs is convinced someone stole his tranquilizers, and even rounds on Mike. That's what sets it off--junkies aren't exactly ones for a stable environment. Briggs and Mike are both paranoid, powerful individuals who know how the other operates. It starts off as a fist-fight, Briggs claiming Mike took his drugs for drug money. Mike isn't exactly calm when he uproots the small table and begins yelling right back. The fact that he was thinking about it never comes up, but he goes for a walk.

He's still feeling it, the scratching inside his head. Like an insect, wanting to crawl out of his ear. And on top of that, he swears his gut feels like it's being stabbed. Like that knife is being sliced into him, over and over again. His lip is bleeding but he doesn't care--that pain is nothing compared to the flare in his abs, or the way even his teeth seem to be on fire instead of their usual numb state.

It's late by the time he tracks down his dealer after the other doesn't answer his texts. Slams him against the wall, demanding what he wants. Of course his dealer is out. Turns out, by the time Mike has actually beaten the shit out of the guy, the dealer is right. He's out.

"I know a guy, though," He says. "Hangs out at so-and-so a bar."

Mike's going to have to work for his meal, it seems, and he gives one last kick in the ribs to his dealer, tells him pleasantly he'll see him tomorrow and he'd better have some oxy squared away just for him.

To the bar he goes. He looks like shit--hasn't shaved, long hair--but he also doesn't care. All he cares about is the scratching, the pain--he needs that to go away. He just needs to track down who the fuck his dealer was talking about.

Comments

[heroeswork]

Once Mike was settled, Billy pulled the blankets up over him. He even lightly caressed the man's cheek, leaning close. Falling just short of kissing him. Everything about his behavior was loving and caring. Even as he moved back to the foot of the bed and nudged up the blankets from that end.

After a moment, he found Mike's foot, tugging it free of the covers. He gently massaged it for a bit, his movements careful and slow. Nothing to disturb, Mike's euphoria. That is, until cool metal closed around the captive's ankle. A cuff just like before, that Billy set to screwing shut the moment he closed it. The chain on this one was slimmer and nicer. Polished and shiny, unlike the industrial chain from before. This one was also longer, giving Mike more range.

[47redbirds]

"Nnnn," Is about all he can manage, and blankets are pulled up and Mike actually forgets that it's Colin doing it, that it's Colin being so kind and nice to him. All he wants to believe the past hour or so had been nothing, just a nightmare from bad drugs and worse experiences with Colin.

He's fine. He'll wake up from nodding off. That's all.

The massaging was nice. Blissful, until he felt cold metal around his ankle. He barely lifts his head, unable to between the exhaustion and the oxy, and mumbles, nearly slurring his words.

"No," He manages. Weak. "No more..."

[heroeswork]

Billy shushed Mike, patting his leg, before returning to the screw. He got it in as deep as he could with his fingers alone. But eventually he needed the small allen wrench to help get it flush. He worked quick and was done in under a minute. "No more," Billy promised, as he settled the blankets back over Mike's legs.

Tucking the wrench away, he crawled up on the bed. He settled down beside Mike, head propped up on one hand, watching him for a moment. His hand reached out, brushing his fingers over the man's cheek. "You just get some rest. I'll be back in a few hours. You'll need something to eat when you wake up, and maybe another pill, hm?" He leaned down and kissed Mike on the forehead. "But for now, just sleep."

[47redbirds]

He doesn't want Billy to come back. He wants to go home. He wants the shackle off. Wants to move his body, will himself to get up and leave. The other was touching him, touching his cheek, and while it wasn't like ecstasy it was definitely close with how sensitive he still was.

"No more," He said again, wanting Billy to promise a second time.

He was too tired to move. To do anything like fight back, even if he wants to. The comforting, warm numb of the oxy, enveloping him. Cocooning him, wrapping him from everything that's bad. It doesn't hurt anymore.

Finally.

Mike's not sure what happens, though. It's either actual sleep or nodding off but regardless, he welcomes it.

[heroeswork]

"No more," Billy repeated softly, leaving off the intended "for now." Mike needed to recover if he was going to break the man all over again. Leaving him to rest, Billy slipped out, flipping off the light as he went. It wasn't pitch-dark, the lights elsewhere in the warehouse providing just barely enough illumination to make out rough shapes.

***

As promised, Billy was gone for several hours. First, he needed to clean up the mess they'd made. That he took his time on, because each aspect was like reliving the associated moments all over again. Picking up the gag, plug and cuffs. Wiping up the floor. Taking the items upstairs to clean them. He lingered over the gag the longest, recalling just how beautiful and desperate Mike looked while wearing it. A drooling mess, still trying to argue. Something he already wanted to see again.

He left the warehouse for a while, getting them food and a few supplies. So when more than four hours had passed, he finally made his way back down into the basement. Two pizza boxes in one hand, and a plastic bag with soda and beer in the other. He stopped at the corner with the light switch and hit it with his elbow. He didn't move closer, taking in the scene. He'd measured the chain to ensure that anyone attached to it couldn't reach him where he stood. "Hope you're hungry," he announced, more cheerful than he'd ever been in front of Mike.

[47redbirds]

He feels like shit.

He's been nodding off, though the majority of that after the first few hours wasn't the exhaustion but instead the drugs. He's splayed out on the bed, head buried underneath a pillow, laying on his stomach despite the hands in front of him--he doesn't control when or how he nods off, the oxy does.

He actually smells the food first instead of what he hears. His head jerks up, instinctively, the moment it registered just what the hell was happening. He's bleary, disoriented, and his shoulders are stiff but he's slept in a bed that was far more comfortable than his own and he's still riding that blissful high. It's dimmed somewhat, but it's still there. Enough that Mike can think clearly.

Or would, if he'd eaten in the past 24 hours. His hair is mussed, but his eyes are surprisingly clear for the usual red-rimmed addict's gaze. Almost immediately, his gaze shifts from the food to the shackle, hands darting for it instinctively even as Billy watches him.

It wasn't a dream.

[heroeswork]

Billy was both surprised and pleased when there wasn't an ambush waiting for him. Mike was still passed out on the bed. It meant that it was possible to completely wear out that impressive physique after all. He'd had his doubts with how much fight Mike had in him after being knocked out.

He seemed oblivious to Mike checking his shackle as he approached the bed. "I wasn't sure of your preferences so we've got the best of both worlds. One with all the meat, minus anchovies, never much cared for those. And one with all the veggies." He opened each box in turn, revealing the contents and dropping a large wad of napkins between them. "We've got drinks, too." He held up the bag before setting it down on the bed. "I'm sure you're starved. Dig in." Then he grinned. "And when you're through, there's dessert." He patted his breast pocket with a conspiratorial wink.

[47redbirds]

There's something about Colin's accent. Thick, musical. Quite lulling, when he's still on drugs. He's come down from the initial high, of course, but it's a pleasant buzz and he doesn't feel any pain save for the stiffness in his wrists and shoulders form how he slept. Not even his ass, thanks to Oxy being a painkiller, or his jaw.

He is starved and he doesn't ask permission, doesn't even think as he dives for the one with all of the meat, grabbing a few napkins and diving in almost immediately once Billy finishes speaking.

He's not an animal about it but he eats quickly, semi holding himself back just as a matter of pride. What little pride he has left, he realizes, as, chewing, his gaze strays to the breast pocket.

Pills.

Where the fuck did Colin even get money for all of these pills, tossing them like candy? Plus, Mike is suddenly aware that both times he's mentioned Oxy, he's winked. He's thinking back to high school science class. Pavlov's dog. The wink, the pill.

Or maybe he's over thinking things. Maybe he's paranoid and mood swinging because of the high. Trying to deal with and rationalize what the fuck is going on. He finally swallows a large mouthful before finally deciding to speak. The shackle on his leg is too strong. He's going to have to try to choose his words carefully, and he needs to gauge Billy's mood.

"How long was I out for?" Not 'were you.' He's not sure if that's too personal yet.

[heroeswork]

Billy carefully sat down, perching on the edge of the bed, the pizza boxes still between them. He didn't seem to think too much about the question or what Mike could be implying. "Four, maybe five hours. Not that long. Oh, here...let me just..." Without really waiting for Mike to agree, he reached forward and grabbed the clip between the cuffs. His movements were smooth, doing what he could to indicate there'd be no ill intent in his actions, as he simply unfastened the clip between the cuffs.

"There you go, that should be easier, now." He seemed completely and utterly at ease. That's because, in a way, he was. Things were going far better than he could have hoped. Mike wasn't lashing out anymore, but he wasn't a broken mess. The oxy could keep him calm, it seemed. And Billy was ever so content to let Mike think this was some messed up attempt at playing house. The bedroom. The food. It was the perfect set up for a psychopath.

As for the pills...well. He didn't exactly pay for them. Part of his operation to position himself as the go-to guy was to ensure the dealers he was connected to had a limited supply so they'd run out and send people to him. It was really just a re-routing of the goods.

[47redbirds]

He needs a chance to either get an allen wrench or a weapon at Billy and either way, he couldn't right now. Mike doesn't like the idea of playing house--makes his skin crawl--but all he needs is for now is to wait for the appropriate opportunity. His gaze moves to the other's breast pocket a second time, and then back up at him.

Mike doesn't flinch when Billy's hand goes to unclip the cuffs. Instead, he steels himself, half expecting the other to haul off and hit him. He's already raring to fight back, apparently, even if he's not actually doing anything. Wait until Billy strikes, or gives him the right moment.

This was stressful. Stressful and nerve wracking but his arms were free to move about and he murmurs something that sounds almost like a thanks before biting into even more pizza. At some point he'd downed another bottle of water, though Mike hardly realizes it. Probably done while half asleep.

"...Are you gonna eat, too?" He mumbles. Still testing.

[heroeswork]

Billy pocketed the clip and seemed to relax even further when Mike didn't attack. So far, the play was working. It continued to work. And Mike continued to behave. He's tense, but not fighting. Has he learned to pick his battles? He doesn't seem resigned to his fate, not entirely. Billy hadn't ruled out a fight entirely, but for now it didn't seem like it would happen.

"Did you think both of these were for just you?" Billy asked with a smirk. "Cleaning up after you works up an appetite." Without anything more, he snagged a piece of the veggie pizza and took a hearty bite. For all the world, he looked completely at ease, completely off his guard. But he was ready. Inviting the attack that he knew was inevitable. Testing to see how tamed Mike was at the moment.

[47redbirds]

Doesn't mean Mike has to bend over backwards to accommodate the other. On the contrary--Mike shot the other a half-glare, just a small bit of attitude that he couldn't resist.

Absolutely. Fucking. Crazy.

He waits, though. Mike waits and waits and he's finished his second piece of pizza, gobbling them up fairly quickly, when he looks over at the other. A quick glance.

And, suddenly, he strikes--as quick as his motor reflexes will allow, one of his hands around the other's throat, the other picking up the slack of the chain. His plan is to wrap it around the other's neck and pull.

He has to get rid of this. Now. He has to get free.

[heroeswork]

Billy went down with the strike. Hard. He dropped the pizza he'd been eating, hitting the hard concrete floor. So very predictable. What wasn't predictable was that hand on his throat. Billy's hands grabbed Mike by the wrist, trying to pry his arm free. It was only because of that he was able to react in time to the chain wrapping around his throat, getting his wrist in between his neck and the chain.

Even with that, he started to laugh. A hoarse, gasping laugh. "If you...kill me...you'll never...get out of here..." His words trailed off with a laugh. Since he had no intent of moving Mike for a while, he'd made sure to leave the tiny wrench for the shackle up with the rest of the toys.

[47redbirds]

It was satisfying. So very satisfying, seeing Billy on the floor, feeling him cave so quickly, so surprised. Mike didn't bother to hide his smile, knowing full well he could just kill him, grab the pills and run. No one would care about someone like this. Some fucking torture dungeon.

Then Colin laughed. He laughed and Mike's satisfied look turned a little more dangerous, a little more wary. Was Colin telling the truth? Was the key upstairs? There was no toolbox. Just pizza and drinks.

Colin was lying. had to be lying. He needed to count on Colin lying if he could get through this. If he hesitated, even once, Billy was going to find a way to fuck him over. Mike just wished he'd had military training like Billy did.

"You raped me," Mike growled, moving himself so he was straddling the other. He was getting emotional given the situation. Killing Colin. Remembering what had happened.

[heroeswork]

That shift in Mike's face just made Billy's smile grow. He could play nice, feign fear and keep their little happy house play going. But why, when he could have an excuse to make Mike cry all over again? Deny him pills until he was shaking and sweating. Until he begged for release and relief.

"Twice," Billy reminded, with twisted glee. His hand balled into a fist, trying to loosen the chain Mike had around his throat. As Mike climbed on top of him, his free hand found the man's knee, pushing up his leg. Proving he was far from beaten. "Don't tell me you're after a little...revenge. Eye for an eye, is that your style? Or should I say..." He rolled his hips under Mike's weight, "Cock for a cock?"

[47redbirds]

Twice. Twice, and Mike's scowl turned into something else entirely, his own face red from the sheer exertion. Trying to cut Colin's air supply, trying to stop him from doing anything. He couldn't grab anything else--not while Colin was trying to get out.

"You'd like that too much, you sick fuck," Mike hissed, grip slackening a brief second as the other rolled his hips, grinding his bare cock against the other's pants. Enough for Billy to press that, if he was waiting. Mike, however, was far too determined to kill him. Certainly not an eye for an eye in that aspect. there was nothing Mike could do to Billy but end his life and to call on Billy's bluff.

[heroeswork]

With the training at Billy's disposal, he could have flipped this around at any time, really. He'd shown remarkable skill already, but now? Now it was just fun. Watching Mike thinking he had a chance. Watching as he tried to fight.

But he did take advantage of that slackened grip. His free hand shot back to Mike's wrist. Instead. of just grabbing it like a desperate fool, as he'd done before, his fingers curled around it. Digging into the tendon with incredible force. Making it impossible to hold the chain. Only then did he start to slowly pull his arm away from his neck, loosening the links.

"What do you think you're going to do, Mikey? Killing me won't erase what's been done. It won't free you. What's a junkie like you going to do with no escape?" He grinned, knowing that both the nickname and the accusation where things Mike very much didn't want to hear.

[47redbirds]

His wrist, grabbed, makes his grunts of effort morph into grunts of pain, hands moving backwards of seemingly their own accord. It's Billy's fingers jabbed into the inside of his wrist, his hand slowly going numb.

This wasn't fair, this wasn't fair this wasn't fair. Mike just needed a little more time, be a little stronger---

And then two things happened. One, Colin called him Mikey. Paige's name for him. Two, Colin called him a junkie. He did not wind up here, bruised and battered and trying to kill someone, because he was an addict. It was because of Kelly, that's all.

Doesn't stop the rage from getting a hold of him. He's too blinded, to angry to do anything other than attack. The 'irritability' symptom of oxy, or so it seemed. Or maybe he was just sick of Colin's shit.

"You shut the fuck up," Mike hisses, manages to still hold onto the chain for at least a few more seconds before the hand relents and Mike, still acting on instinct, uses his free hand to punch the other in the face.

[heroeswork]

Those two buttons were just too hard to resist. They were like giant, glaring and red. Labeled clearly and bordered in yellow and black caution markers. Logically, they should be left alone because they were dangerous. But who could fight temptation like that? Especially when the result was always so very explosive.

At last, he was able to yank the chain safely away from his throat. But just as he was free of it, knuckles collided with his face. His head whipped to the side and for a moment he was visibly stunned. Mike had a fair bit of fight left in him. Slowly, a grin stretched over his face again and he laughed. A loud, scoffing laugh.

"Oooh, you're still so feisty," his tone making it sound incredibly suggestive. "Is that how you like it, Mikey? Being on top? Being the one in control?"

[47redbirds]

Mikey. The only people that could call him that were his parents, once upon a time. Or Charlie or Paige. Not Colin. Not the man who's raped him twice.

"Away from you!" Is what he roars in response. It's a yell, explosive as his gaze and unable to stop as his fist connects with the others' jaw once more.

It's not about escape now. It's about killing Colin to end this nightmare as quickly as possible. He's seeing red, all too angry and all too worked up by Billy's mocking laughter and insistence this was sexual was goading him. His fist came down a second time and this time, there was no break in between as mike warren decided to yell.

He's trying to beat billy to death in a fit of blind rage.

[heroeswork]

Billy continued to laugh. Cruel and mocking. It only paused when the blows struck. The fist to his jaw made his head whip to the side, his laugh cutting off instantly. As he lifted his head again and started laughing, blood tricked out of his mouth from having bitten his tongue. He didn't seem to mind. The second one brought a spout of blood from his nose, but it didn't seem to deter his laugh.

As the third blow came down, Billy's hand shot up and in an instant his expression changed. The laugh stopped and a fierceness settled into his face. He kicked and twisted. It wasn't the frantic flailing of a victim, but skill of a well trained man. He reversed them, slamming Mike's back against the floor, his arm coming down on the man's chest to pin him there, his victim's legs still around his waist.

"Away?" He mocked, blood dripping from his nose and chin. "There is no away. I was going to play nice. Feed you. Pamper you. Give you all you needed. But that's only for good little pets." A broad grin split his face, exposing blood stained teeth. "Hope you enjoyed your last pill. Because it was your last."

[47redbirds]

Mike drops off of the bed and to the floor with a hollow thump, and it comes as a complete surprise. One minute he'd been so sure he could beat Billy to death, to unleash all of his rage and pain from everything Billy had done.

Now, though? Now the roles were reversed and Mike is on the floor, pinned by his chest, some of Billy's blood dripping and hitting the side of Mike's neck as he automatically, instinctively moves his head away from the other.

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

It's like ice water has been poured all over him, and while it didn't distill his temper a horrifying realization had just hit him: Billy allowed Mike to hit him. That was why it happened, he'd been tricked. He'd been tricked and he actually stopped his arms from moving up to try to take another swing when the other spoke.

There's more, isn't there? In his breast pocket. If he could find a way to grab it... Or--or something. Or anything, he could--he could win this right? He could win this, he...

...He was beginning to lose hope.

"No," He refuses. "I'm tired of your shit, Colin."

[heroeswork]

"My shit?" Billy said with a low chuckle. He leaned closer, digging his elbow into the man's chest. "I'm just cleaning up the streets, Mikey. Attacking drug drealers? Really? That's bad for business, laddy. For everyone."

He was mere inches from Mike's face, letting the blood drip freely from what he suspected was a broken nose. "I was just going to make my point clear, have my fun, then let you go. But now? Now...you've given me reason to keep you here. To watch you as you slowly fall apart, and shatter you once you've hit your breaking point."

[47redbirds]

Mike is breathing heavily, from rage and frustration, and mostly because he doesn't know whether or not to follow what the other is saying. Was he lying, and giving false hope? Trying to guilt Mike, only to yank it from under his feet? Or was this real? Was Colin telling the truth? For all Mike knew,Colin expected Mike to push back.

"You're looking for an excuse. Anything, as long as it--satisfies you, aren't you? You wanted me to try to kill you. To think I had the upper hand."

[heroeswork]

Billy drove his arm harder against Mike's chest, more to remind Mike that he was still in control. That he was the one calling the shots.

"I wanted to make sure you'd behave," he snarled. "I gave you the opportunity to show you'd learned your lesson. If I wanted you to do that, why would I have brought THIS for you?!"

From his breast pocket, he pulled a small glass pipe and shoved it in Mike's face. A few drops of blood splattered it and his own hand before he pulled it away. "I was giving you a chance!"