Archive of Our Own

Vadim knew the nature of Dagbaevs better than anyone. He’d worked with damn well enough of them over the years, after all. Baatar and Yuma were cut from the same cloth: cold, hard, ruthless – like steel. Fat lot of good it had done Baatar, though, considering he was six feet under now. It was Yuma who took those family traits to the next level: she was sharpened, tempered, even stronger than the stock she came from.

But if Yuma was like steel, Altan was more like ice: just as cold and hard, but far more brittle.

Vadim remembered what Altan was like before the attack, though they’d only met a few times. Soft, carefree, even gentle. They called him a daisy behind his back and Vadim could see why. Anyone who looked at him for more than two minutes could tell he didn’t have what it took to be part of the clan. It was a good thing he didn’t plan on participating in such games, Vadim had thought – the kid would’ve been eaten alive.

And yet, here they were a few years later, Altan wearing that icy countenance he’d cultivated and acting for all the world as if he belonged there with the rest of them. Vadim had taken the opportunity to work with Altan without much hesitation. Yuma had recommended Altan choose someone experienced and known to the clan, someone with a trusted reputation. Vadim, however, found himself interested for the same reason that people can’t help but stare at car crashes.

Besides, his new boss was just so much fun to prod at.

Altan disagreed, but he didn’t have the fangs of his family. He’d spit and threaten and say all sorts of cutting remarks, yet never followed through with any of them. Vadim knew better than to try any of it with Yuma, just as he had with Baatar, but Altan? He was a snake among dragons and certainly the most entertaining of the bunch. Yes, Vadim was happy to stick around for now, so long as the money and entertainment kept flowing.

It was a standard job, nothing beyond what Vadim was used to. He’d been hired for a myriad of tasks over his career, everything from enforcement for cutthroat crime bosses to protection for spoiled brats of shady rich assholes to providing an air of legitimacy and threat to people who wanted to be part of the underbelly of the world but just weren’t cut out for it. This job felt like a combination of all them at once.

There was a brief stint in Hong Kong under Yuma’s watchful eye as Altan begged to go back to St. Petersburg, wanting to re-establish the hold there. Eventually they went, Altan setting his sights on Plakhov immediately. He wanted to play it slow, really take his time with it – Vadim didn’t care, just pointed his gun where he was told.

All the while, though, Vadim watched. He watched as Altan did business, played the game like the rest of them, like he’d done it all his life. He watched how Altan held himself apart from everyone, presenting himself as untouchable. To most, it looked natural, but to a trained eye, it was all so intentional.

Vadim could tell it wasn’t genuine. He could tell Altan did it on purpose, carefully considered his words and the motions of his body before he did anything. It was an act, a presentation. Presented with such a fascinating opportunity, Vadim couldn’t help but wonder what was lying underneath all the refined airs Altan put up. He wanted to find out.

And so Vadim decided that he would.

Altan never killed anyone himself. Never struck anyone, never used a knife, never a gun, even though Vadim had seen him practicing with his swords. He never touched anyone himself as far as Vadim had seen. That wasn’t unusual – Vadim had worked with plenty of bosses who didn’t want to get their own hands dirty.

But it wasn’t even exclusive to violence - Vadim hadn’t witnessed even a handshake. Perhaps Altan thought he was too good for it, that he was above everyone else. Or perhaps that’s just what he wanted people to think – another act to give credit to his power. It was impossible to tell just through normal observation.

Maybe it wasn’t the most unusual behaviour, but with little else to entertain him, Vadim found himself wanting to get to the bottom of the cause. He always liked to know what made people tick, especially his bosses, and thus digging into Altan’s strange aversion to touch became Vadim’s personal mission between assignments. It would entertain him for the time being, at least.

Of course, asking outright wouldn’t do. Altan would, at best, snap at him, though an eyeroll with no verbal response was more likely. An experiment, then. That would give him more information without Altan realizing what he was doing.

The first try was easy: Altan was in the middle of a hallway, stopped, staring at his phone. Whatever he was looking at, Vadim didn’t particularly care, but it was the perfect moment to ‘happen’ to need the same hallway. He made sure to be quieter than usual, helped by the plush carpet of the Dagbaev residence in St. Petersburg, so that Altan wouldn’t spook before he got close. Altan did look up once he was a few feet away, aware he was no longer alone, but that was close enough.

“Excuse me, your Golden Majesty,” Vadim said, with his usual half-mocking deference, as he slid past Altan. “Heading this way.”

As he stepped by, Vadim made sure to turn his body enough that it would look like he was trying not to make contact, but not enough to actually manage it. Instead of gliding by, as he could’ve done, Vadim’s chest dragged against Altan’s shoulder, and he let it linger for just a touch longer than he needed to.

He watched as Altan’s shoulders tensed and rose, and then he immediately stepped away as far as he could in the space of the hallway. There was a sharpness to the movement, just a bit too fast to be casual. Vadim kept his grin hidden and made note of that.

“Mind your own space,” he grumbled, shifting his shoulders so slightly it would’ve gone unnoticed to a less practiced eye.

Vadim just shrugged and kept going, Altan returning to his phone once his personal space was his own again. There definitely was something there, Vadim thought, but was it simply annoyance, or something more interesting? More testing would be needed.

The next time, he repeated roughly the same, conveniently having to slip by Altan such that their bodies made contact – and again, the same reaction. Altan would tense up, subtly enough that one would miss it if they weren’t watching carefully, and then tell Vadim off. A predictable pattern, then.

On the third attempt, Vadim managed to catch him from behind, able to drag his entire chest along Altan’s back, and he was rewarded with what looked like a shiver. The telling off was also particularly sharp, a sign of an emotional response. Well, then. Vadim needed to dig further.

The next stage, he decided, wouldn’t be an “accident”. Whatever consequences Altan might inflict for a lowly mercenary daring to touch his royal flesh would be worth it. Altan didn’t have the bite of the rest of his bloodline, anyway; he wasn’t the type to off his underlings for the slightest transgression.

He needed the right opportunity, of course, but fortunately it didn’t take long for one to come along. Vadim found Altan in his greenhouse lounge, tending to his beloved plants. It was an interesting picture: Altan, dressed in his fine clothing, someone known to have power, holding a watering can and gently stroking the green leaves as he moved from one to the other. He paid people to do most of the work, of course, but Altan simply couldn’t help but do some of the tending himself.

Vadim was due to report on Plakhov’s latest activities and he did so while Altan kept inspecting his plants, only watering those he deemed needed it. The kid had a green thumb, Vadim had to admit that. Idly, he wondered what Altan would do if he tore one of the leaves or picked a flower. Best save that test for another day.

“So nothing new – that’s what you’re telling me?” Altan asked, his expression coldly neutral.

“Basically,” Vadim answered, shrugging. “You wanted an update and the update is that nothing’s changed.”

Altan made a dismissive noise, tipping the can to water another plant. “Fine, then. I guess I have no further use for you today.”

During the conversation, they’d ended up in one of the corners of the greenhouse, a more confined space. That was perfect for what Vadim wanted to try next. Would Altan snap at him? Would he squirm? Would he go silent and strange? It was time to find out.

“As you wish, your Golden Majesty,” Vadim said and went to leave.

Rather than turning around, though, he decided to go through Altan, but the space was too tight for that unless one of them moved. As he stepped forward, Vadim rested a hand on Altan’s lower back, pushing him gently to the side. A casual gesture, one that he hadn’t done to Altan before, but wouldn’t be seen as particularly strange or out of character. No suspicions raised.

When his hand made contact, Altan’s body tensed almost like he’d been shocked with electricity, staying tense for far longer than a simple startle reflex. As Vadim pushed, he felt another shiver, impossible to hide from a direct touch. As he stepped by, letting his hand naturally slide along Atlan’s back and fall away, he could’ve sworn he felt Altan ever so slightly move into the contact.

It was only for a moment, like a flash of lightning, but there it was, undeniable. And it was followed up by a just as fast slap across the face.

“Keep your hands off me,” Altan snapped, his voice hitting that almost shrill note it always did when he was trying to make his point known while not quite managing to keep his emotions in check.

Vadim rubbed a hand against his stinging cheek, mostly for show – he’d had much worse. “I was just trying to get by. No need for violence, you know.”

“Don’t make me reprimand you for insubordination again,” Altan warned, real heat in his voice – and in his cheeks, Vadim noticed. “You’re lucky I allow you as much as I do.”

“As you wish.” Vadim offered a bow both of them knew to be insincere, but Altan didn’t say anything about it and let him go on his way.

It was certainly an interesting reaction, Vadim thought. Altan’s toothless threats regarding “insubordination” weren’t new, but the scale of his reaction to a simple touch was definitely worth noting, though the cause still remained a mystery. The blush, too, was definitely something to note – what did it mean? More experimentation was surely needed. He’d leave Altan alone for a little bit, though, just enough time for him to forget and let his guard down again. As of now, things were only just starting to get interesting.

The next piece of the puzzle came not from any intentional actions on Vadim’s part, but from the first time Altan found himself on the other side of hired guns. Or, rather, the first time he was the target and not just collateral damage. Vadim didn’t hesitate, shoving Altan down in the back seat of the car and leaning over him, shooting out of the shattered window while keeping his head down and hoping the armoured door would hold the way the glass didn’t.

Another group of mercenaries on Altan’s payroll were in the car behind them, also shooting, and it didn’t take long for the firefight to end with them victorious. Who the mercs shooting at them were, Vadim didn’t know, but that wasn’t really his job to figure out. He left that to the others. Instead, he turned his attention to his boss, who was pressed into the car seat below him, probably feeling half-crushed under Vadim’s weight.

Altan’s eyes were wide, his breathing noticeably heavy, a light flush on his cheeks – he looked somewhere between shocked and dazed. Vadim almost wanted to laugh; baby’s first firefight and he hadn’t even participated. Shifting a little, Vadim’s knee found itself between Altan’s thighs, unintentionally pressing against a particular swell. Ah, so that’s how it was. Whether it was due to excitement or fear or some other involuntary reaction, Vadim wasn’t sure, but either way, he filed that information away for later.

“Still alive, your Golden Majesty?” Vadim asked, even though he knew the answer.

That seemed to bring Altan back to reality, as he scowled and snapped, “Yes, I’m fine. Now get off me.”

“Oh, nothing about ‘insubordination’ this time?” Vadim grinned, raising an eyebrow. “I thought touching was a no go.”

Altan made a noise of exasperation. “Just get up already.”

Vadim shrugged, doing as he was told but making sure his knee pushed a little bit forward in the process, putting pressure just so, and noting the way Altan’s eyes widened slightly when he did. He then watched as Altan sat up as well and scrambled back into a dignified sitting position – he looked more embarrassed than shocked or scared now. That was interesting indeed. Altan immediately pulled the cold mask of ice over himself, once again putting on his air of being superior and unbothered.

“Who were they?” Altan demanded, looking out the window at the carnage without even wincing – also interesting.

With that, it was a simple matter of searching and cleaning up the bodies, taking what clues they could from them, and then continuing on to their planned destination. Whoever was behind it would be found and taken care of, likely by Vadim himself, based on how things had been going. But that was boring – figuring out Altan, now that was a far more interesting endeavour, and the day’s events all went into the mental file Vadim had been building on him for further study.

Sure, it wasn’t unusual to get a boner at an inappropriate time, but was it simply an involuntary reaction? Or was it something to do with the proximity? Altan didn’t take any lovers, as far as Vadim was aware – a rarity for someone in his position, with the money and influence to bed almost whoever he wanted. He could be so pent up that a little of someone else’s body heat was enough to set him off. Perhaps even, Vadim wondered, it was something to do with it being him. Could it be that the boy had a little crush on his bodyguard?

He glanced at Altan in the rearview mirror as they waited for the others to finish up clearing away evidence of the fight. The idea was almost laughable, but if it was due to unmet desires, either in general or for him specifically, that could explain some of the touch aversion. Maybe that explained the snippiness, too.

But, at the same time, was Altan really so simple? Could it be only that he needed to get laid more often? That felt too pedestrian an answer to the puzzle he was. Vadim was a good judge of character, had to be in his profession if one didn’t want to die before the age of thirty, and while Altan was clearly fucked up, he didn’t seem like just another pathetic guy who couldn’t get his dick wet. Maybe it was intuition, some instinct like one of his old merc buddies seemed to have, but Vadim somehow knew there was something more to it, and that was only further motivation to keep digging.

The more he learned about Altan, the more intrigued Vadim became. Every revelation just made him watch more carefully, wanting to dig deeper and discover what was really going on in there. Vadim had always liked to figure people out, but Altan felt like a special kind of puzzle, the kind that Vadim would never be able to let go of until he’d cracked it open and discovered all its secrets.

After the car incident, Altan had made sure none of them rested until they figured out who had hired the hit. They had, of course; some small fry who’d been trying to make a name for himself in this world and now found himself six feet under instead. Vadim, on the other hand, had been pre-occupied with the other thing he’d discovered there. That is, for the first time, he found himself thinking of Altan in a sexual context.

The boy was beautiful, that much was clear to anyone with eyes. Had he run into Altan on some break between jobs, at a club or bar, he absolutely would’ve made a move. A specimen like that was a rare find and though Vadim had no problem with sleeping with the boss, it simply hadn’t been something he’d considered a possibility before. Altan was far too stuck up to stoop to such a level – or was he?

The way Altan reacted to Vadim touching him wasn’t a promising sign, but the car told a different story. Perhaps one of simply involuntary physical reactions, of course, but it was impossible to say. There was also the fact that Altan had blushed and very nearly pushed into his touch the one time.

Either way, there was only one way to find out.

Vadim’s default way of interacting with him was already teasing, so it wasn’t difficult to shift it to something a bit more flirty. Leaning in a bit closer, giving a few more meaningful looks, a little bit of innuendo here and there. Altan reacted largely with exasperation, but that’s how he reacted normally anyway, so not much changed there. Clearly, he had to be more obvious.

A perfect opportunity presented itself when Vadim entered the greenhouse to find Altan on his fancy couch, sipping a glass of wine. There was a look on his face that was different, a sign of his mask slipping. It was… melancholic was the word that came to mind. The wine bottle on the table indicated Altan was on at least his second glass.

“Are we celebrating?” Vadim asked, an easy grin on his face.

“Not celebrating,” Altan said, unusually subdued. “Would you like a drink?”

Vadim blinked, surprised by the offer, but quickly hid it – whatever was going on, it seemed best not to acknowledge it. “If you’re offering.”

Altan waved him closer, procuring a second wine glass and offering it to him. Vadim poured himself a cup, taking a drink – it was good. Altan always drank expensive wine, but this one seemed special somehow.

For once, Altan was sitting up instead of sprawling on the couch, so Vadim sat next to him, leaving just enough space between them so they weren’t touching. This passive version of Altan wasn’t one he’d seen before. Even when he was younger, before the incident, he’d been cheerful, enjoying going to clubs and a more carefree lifestyle, at least as far as Vadim remembered. After, he was bitter and temperamental. He’d never been like this at any point in his life.

“Do you want the update on Kammeny?” Vadim asked, taking another sip of the wine.

Altan, instead of sipping, took a long, deep swallow – he wasn’t drinking for the flavour. “Not today. It can wait.”

The silence stretched, so Vadim tried something else, shifting in his seat just enough that his thigh made contact with Altan’s. Altan’s leg twitched against his, tensing and then relaxing, but he didn’t do anything. No pulling away, no snapping, nothing. Interesting. Was it the alcohol or this strange depressive mood?

“Do you want to tell me why we’re drinking?” Vadim asked after a time, softening his voice a little.

“No,” Altan said, but it wasn’t harsh. “You tell me something.”

“What do you want me to tell you?”

“I don’t know. Something funny. Something stupid.” Altan paused, finishing his glass in a large gulp and then leaning forward to pour another – their legs were still touching. “Some story you’d tell at a bar.”

Vadim raised an eyebrow, unable to hide his surprise. None of this was at all in line with how Altan usually behaved. Whatever was happening, Vadim didn’t know, but he may as well take advantage of it.

“All right,” Vadim said, and then began a tale about his mercenary days, of hot jungles and risky situations and questionable decisions.

It was heavily embellished, of course, which is exactly how he’d tell it if he were at a bar, trying to impress some innocent, wide-eyed beauty and get them into his bed for the night. Altan was far from innocent, though, despite his youth. He listened along, occasionally snorting in disbelief or smiling in genuine amusement. Vadim wondered how much of that was the wine.

When he finished, Altan told him to continue, so Vadim took another long drink – hey, if he was getting in on the good stuff, might as well enjoy it – and did just that. He also stretched out, letting one arm fall along the back of the couch, though not yet touching Altan, just to see what would happen. When nothing did, he left it there, continuing the second tale as if he wasn’t doing anything out of the ordinary.

By the time Vadim finished his third story, his hand had found its way to Altan’s shoulder, just resting there. And Altan was allowing it, even leaning against him a little, as if the wine had made him loose enough to not care. Along his entire side, he could feel the warmth of Altan’s body seeping through their clothes and he knew Altan could feel the same, yet he was entirely relaxed, holding none of the tension that Vadim had seen before. The melancholy had faded some, replaced with an equally uncharacteristic easy mirth.

Well, maybe it was also the wine talking, but Vadim suddenly wanted to see how far he could push it.

“You should be dead,” Altan said, shaking his head and still smiling as he took another sip of wine. He wasn’t slurring, but seemed to be at his equivalent of the happy, giggly state of tipsy. “Yet it seems fate decided you’d live through all those insane situations just so I’d have to put up with you.”

“Better a short life than a boring one,” Vadim said, sliding his hand across Altan’s shoulder, slowly, with far too much familiarity for any other time. “You’d be bored without me and you know it.”

Altan scoffed, turning to look at him, but did nothing about the fingers wandering towards his neck. “That’s a creative way to put it.”

“I’m right,” Vadim said, leaning closer to Altan, close enough to smell the wine on his breath. “Even right now, your night is much more exciting because I’m here.”

Altan opened his mouth, surely to say something indignant, but Vadim instead decided to push further, leaning in to close the distance and press their lips together. Altan’s lips were soft, tasting of the wine they were both drinking, and his mouth was loose from it too. It felt good, even better than Vadim had expected.

He only had a brief moment to savour it before Altan jerked away, the kiss replaced by a hard slap across the cheek. Notably harder than the last time, too, the stinging cutting through the buzz of alcohol. Vadim realized instantly that he’d pushed too far.

“Get out,” Altan said, quiet yet commanding, all of the earlier playfulness drained from him.

“Look, I-”

“I told you,” Altan stood up, his faced twisting in anger, “to get the fuck out of here.”

Vadim didn’t try to talk again, simply stood and walked out, as he was told. He knew the difference between Altan’s meaningless threats and real, true, anger. Especially with alcohol involved, the reason for which he’d never figured out, this wasn’t the time to test it and see just how far his luck would take him. He wasn’t Volkov, after all.

As he left the greenhouse and stepped into the cool night air, Vadim had a sudden realization and pulled out his phone, typing the date into the search bar. Immediately, news coverage of the anniversary of the attack appeared and Vadim wanted to kick himself for not realizing sooner. He didn’t typically concern himself with concepts like morality, but that? Well, there was no doubt, that was more than just pushing too far – he’d fucked up big time.

He’d just have to hope Altan would get drunk enough that he wouldn’t remember it.

Altan did remember, or at least Vadim guessed he did based on how he avoided him for the next few days. The avoidance was a good sign in some ways, though, as it meant Vadim wasn’t going to find himself on the other side of a gun to be ‘disposed of’. That would’ve happened already, if that were the case.

It was surprising, then, when Altan summoned him one evening, right before Vadim had been about to head home. It was late, for one, and secondly, he didn’t have anything to report on, really. And, of course, the third reason was because of their last encounter. Despite spending the last several weeks trying very hard to figure Altan out, Vadim had no idea what was going to happen.

Would Altan assign him some unpleasant task, depriving him of sleep in the process? Would he confront him? Refuse to acknowledge it happened? Anything felt possible, but it wasn’t like he could refuse. So he shrugged and went to the greenhouse, as commanded.

What he found inside was even more surprising than the last time. Altan, for once, was dressed down, in a robe that Vadim had only seen once or twice when some emergency had forced Altan to meet in person without having time to get ready. His hair was still in its braids, though, so this clearly wasn’t something like that. Vadim knew what he looked like without them from those same emergencies.

“Are we drinking again?” Vadim asked, keeping a grin on his face and his tone light, as if nothing untoward had happened.

“So you can try to take advantage of the intoxicated again?” Altan shot back.

“You weren’t that drunk and you know it,” Vadim answered, staying relaxed and conversational. “You wouldn’t have slapped me if you were.”

“But did you know that when you did it?” Altan asked, raising an eyebrow.

This felt like a strange sticking point, considering Vadim’s job was to kill and maim and torture whoever Altan told him to. But he supposed those were different things, even if morals in general weren’t really a concern in their business. And it was different when it was Altan himself the potential threat had been directed at.

“I don’t fuck the unwilling, if that’s what you’re asking,” Vadim said, finally moving to a more serious tone. “Or the unconscious. Dipping my pen in the company ink is one thing, but only if the inkpot is up for it. Believe it or not, I do have some sense of decency.”

Altan made a face, presumably at being called an inkpot, but that seemed to put him at ease, his expression thawing ever so slightly. “And here I thought you were nothing but a beast. It’s reassuring to know otherwise.”

“Is this really what you called me here for?” Vadim asked, sensing that there must have been something else. “To make sure I wasn’t trying to take advantage of the poor, innocent, helpless second in command of the feared Dagbaev clan?”

Altan scoffed, stepping forward from where he’d been standing in front of the couch and towards Vadim. “I simply wanted to confirm what level of an opportunist you are.”

Before Vadim could respond, Altan stepped forward, taking his jaw firmly in one hand to steer his face such that their lips met. Vadim was stunned for a moment, body going still as he realized what was happening, before he grinned into the kiss, pushing right back, and letting his hands rest on Altan’s lower back. Altan shivered at the touch, nipping playfully at Vadim’s lip, and Vadim responded by coaxing Altan’s lips open with his tongue. Altan moaned lightly into his mouth, fisting his hands in Vadim’s jacket and pulling him towards the couch.

Vadim followed, letting Altan pull him as their mouths moved with increasing urgency. This definitely hadn’t been on Vadim’s list of possibilities when he’d come here but, damn, he wasn’t going to refuse. Who knew his idiotic move last time would lead to this?

They broke the kiss as Altan lay himself down on the couch, heat in his eyes and a flush on his cheeks, his hands deftly untying the knot on the robe. Seeing his stuffy, huffy boss like this, Vadim wanted to devour him. Much as this had all started as something very different, he couldn’t refuse the opportunity to see that gorgeous body in action. Besides, what better way to learn about someone than to bed them?

He wasted no time joining Altan on the couch, climbing on top of him and finally getting his hands inside the robe, finding nothing but skin under his fingers. Vadim swallowed a groan, grinning again as he ran his hands over Altan’s chest and watched him shudder at the touch. Still so sensitive.

“Nothing underneath, huh?” he asked, grin widening when Altan’s expression took on a twinge of annoyance while the flush on his cheeks darkened.

“I don’t like to waste time,” Altan said simply. “I would’ve thought that’s a perspective you would share.”

“Whatever you say, sweetheart,” Vadim said, barely stifling a laugh when Altan looked at him like he’d just spat in his wine.

“I’m not your ‘sweetheart’,” he spat indignantly, though his face got redder still when he said the pet name.

Rather than reply, Vadim leaned in to kiss him again, which Altan allowed. His hands wandered over Altan’s soft skin until he found a nipple, which he pinched just to swallow Altan’s groan. It was amazing how reactive Altan was, how even just hands sliding over his stomach and chest were enough to make him shiver, how the lightest of touches seemed to affect him almost as much as the more obviously erotic ones. A picture was starting to form in Vadim’s mind, but he pushed it away for now. He had something far more important to do at the moment.

Altan’s hands had found their way to Vadim’s neck, one fisted in the short hair at the back of his head and the other sliding down the back of his shirt, pulling Vadim closer as Altan opened his mouth for Vadim to lick into. He was so eager, so hungry for it, and that only made Vadim want it more. It would be fun to tease him someday, see how worked up he could make Altan, but that would have to wait until another time. This was too delicious to delay.

Vadim didn’t break the kiss as his hands wandered lower, enjoying the sound Altan made when he found his hard cock under the robe. Discovering how aroused Altan already was made Vadim’s own cock throb from where it was trapped in his pants, demanding attention. He gave Altan a light caress, just a tease, and then let his fingers wander further down, eyebrows shooting up when he felt slick skin. Distracted, Vadim let the kiss drop as he reached further, finding Altan had indeed been busy before he’d called Vadim here.

“You’re all ready for me, aren’t you?” Vadim asked, and Altan’s face got redder still, but he was apparently too turned on to snap anything disparaging. “Oh you gorgeous, needy thing. You did it right here, didn’t you?”

That certainly would’ve earned him a snippy response if Vadim hadn’t slipped a finger into Altan, the slick hole easily welcoming the intrusion and Altan gasping in response. Vadim slid a second finger in beside it, just to feel, and his cock throbbed again, wanting to be enveloped in that slick heat. Altan had prepared himself perfectly.

“Just-” Altan said, cutting off on a moan when Vadim moved his fingers just so, hoping for exactly that reaction. “Just get on with it already.”

“As you wish, your Golden Majesty,” Vadim said, mock saluting with his free hand as he pulled his fingers out, ignoring the roll of Altan’s eyes.

Realizing he hadn’t undressed at all yet, Vadim stood from the couch, unceremoniously stripping down and watching as Altan slid his own robe off, revealing pure, soft skin over lean muscle that was stronger than it looked. Altan’s body was miraculously unmarred save for tattoos of elegant golden flowers crawling up his legs like vines, the purpose of which Vadim could easily guess. They were truly beautiful though, the artistry clear – a perfect match to the body they were etched upon. Altan’s body was a marvel, beautiful but deadly and even better than the mental picture he’d built.

Vadim pulled his gaze back to Altan’s face just in time to see Altan scanning his body in turn, eyes dark and hungry. His lips curved up and Altan noticed, quickly looking away and digging for something within the pillows on the couch. Well, wasn’t that a nice compliment.

“Here,” Altan said, tossing a bottle of lube and a condom at Vadim as he settled back on the couch, legs spread, the robe laid out under him to protect the couch. “I admit, I expected your most recent test results to be much worse, but they were too long ago to trust. You’re wearing that until you prove to me you don’t need it.”

“Well, hurrah to the clan’s doctors’ lack of confidentiality,” Vadim quipped, approaching the couch and then sheathing and slicking himself as instructed.

The brief interlude for preparation had done nothing to cool the heat of the moment, not with Altan’s body so invitingly on display for him. And from the looks of that body, Altan was still just as interested as well, his cock hard as he spread his legs to make room for Vadim to situate himself between them. Altan watched his every move, those red eyes of his so dark they looked like pools of blood.

Once positioned, Vadim slowly fed his cock into Altan, watching Altan’s body swallow him, the warmth and pressure making Vadim glad he wasn’t a younger man. He knew there was no way he would’ve been able to put on much of a performance if he had been, not with how good it felt, how just this had him hissing through his teeth. As it was, he was almost grateful Altan had required the condom; even with it, Vadim knew he wouldn’t be able to really fuck him into next week like he wished.

Next time, Goldie, Vadim thought to himself, somehow already sure that this wouldn’t be his only chance.

By the time he bottomed out, Altan was breathing deeply, brow furrowed, so Vadim gave him a few minutes to adjust. Vadim knew he was larger than average, by quite a bit, so he was used to this. He wondered how many people Altan had fucked before, what sizes he’d taken, either from parters or toys. He’d taken the initial penetration well, though he did look a touch overwhelmed.

“Relax,” he said after a few minutes, running a hand softly over Altan’s stomach.

At the touch, Altan tensed, his muscles squeezing so hard it nearly stole Vadim’s breath, but then he relaxed, his body finally adjusting. It seemed his reaction to touch remained the same even now. Fuck, though, if that was a taste of what was to come, Vadim wondered if it wasn’t going to be him ruining Altan for all his other partners, but rather the other way around.

“Ready?” Vadim asked, his usual grin in place as a distraction from how badly he wanted to move, his hands on Altan’s hips.

“Fuck me already,” Altan demanded, crying out when Vadim did just that, pulling back and fucking back in immediately.

Vadim set a steady yet urgent pace, both his own desire and pleasure urging him on, as well as the absolutely divine sounds Altan let out as Vadim figured out just the right angle. He kept biting his lip, the moans and cries muffled, like he didn’t want to let them out but couldn’t help it. It wasn’t surprising, given Altan’s temperament, but it was satisfying to watch his oh so uptight boss lose himself, unable to hold back the sounds of pleasure because of how good Vadim was fucking him.

However, Vadim wanted to see him lose that last bit of composure too, to truly see what lay beneath the exterior Altan wished to project onto the world. He kept one hand on Altan’s hip to use as leverage, but let the other wander over Altan’s skin, skating over his stomach, then his chest, followed by pinching his nipple again. The effect was immediate – Altan’s mouth dropping open, his back arching and head falling back, and a long, loud moan escaping his throat. Inside, he tightened too, clamping down on Vadim’s cock and making him swear in return.

“You like that, huh?” Vadim asked, never stopping his thrusts, his free hand moving down now to ghost over Altan’s cock, intentionally teasing and enjoying the way Altan’s hips jerked in response.

He’d thought Altan might be too far gone to respond, but instead of talking back or just moaning incoherently, he raised his head again, staring at Vadim intently, before grabbing his head and pulling him into another kiss. It was sloppy, both of them panting too hard and feeling too much pleasure to manage to connect properly, but it didn’t matter. Altan put his other hand on Vadim’s back, pulling him closer until he could hook a leg around him too, urging their bodies fully together.

Vadim groaned as the angle shifted, finding himself able to get even deeper inside, and his hips snapped forward of their own accord. They were mouth to mouth, chest to chest, and Vadim wasn’t sure which of them was more consumed. His rhythm picked up, the pleasure driving him ever harder, and he was aware of Altan’s cock, trapped between them, as it started to leak.

The moment became a blur of sensation and it wasn’t long before Vadim could feel Altan getting close, his body starting to tense up, the rhythmic clenching of his muscles giving it away. He had enough awareness to get a hand between them, taking Altan’s cock in hand and stroking it in time with his thrusts. Altan let out a wounded moan, the messy kiss breaking as he threw his head back, and Vadim felt the prick of nails digging into his back.

Altan nearly screamed as he came, though Vadim was sure he’d deny that, and Vadim worked him through it, keeping his thrusts and hand in rhythm, panting into Altan’s neck. In the moment, Altan clung to him like his life depended on it, his whole body tense, his arms and one leg pulling Vadim as close as was physically possible. But then it was over, as quick as it began, and Altan’s hips twitched away at the overstimulation.

Much as it would’ve been fun to try that, Vadim figured that wasn’t a first time activity and let go of Altan’s cock before pulling his own out of Altan’s body and removing the condom. He was close, Altan’s orgasm very nearly pulling him over the edge as well, and it only took a few strokes before he came with a loud groan, painting Altan’s thighs and softened cock with his come.

It was a lovely sight, even moreso when Altan, despite his clear boneless exhaustion, made a face at the mess. Next time, though – and Vadim was certain there’d be a next time after that performance – when Altan let him go bare, he’d make sure to come inside. It was always better to be a gentleman the first time. Well, sort of a gentleman, considering the mess he’d left anyway.

They were both silent in the aftermath, nothing but heavy breathing slowly returning to normal breaking the quiet of the greenhouse until, after a few minutes, Altan stretched to grab his vape from, apparently, under the couch. Sweet-smelling smoke filled the air as Altan took a puff.

“Well,” Vadim said, finally breaking the silence. “I hope I was able to live up to your expectations, your Golden Majesty.”

“Yes, you’ve served your purpose,” Altan said leisurely, none of the usual bite in his tone. “Though I could’ve done without the mess. You can go now.”

Vadim took the cue and started to get dressed, though he took his time. It was interesting to see Altan like this, so relaxed, well and truly fucked out. Even when he was calm, there was always that edge to him, that icy exterior he kept up at all times. Here, it was barely present, and it’d been gone all together when Altan had been screaming on his cock only a few moments ago. That was a memory Vadim would keep close.

He’d also made some observations that definitely would help him build the picture he’d spent the last few months trying to uncover, but he wouldn’t until his head had fully cleared. It was never a good idea to make judgements about people while your dick still had something to say about them. For now, he’d just enjoy the aftermath of absolutely incredible sex he hadn’t expected.

As Vadim zipped up his pants, he grinned again and said, “You know, you’re much more relaxed now. Guess all you needed was a good fuck to calm you down for once.”

Apparently the bottle of lube was still within Altan’s reach, as he threw it at Vadim, hitting him in the chest. It was half-hearted, though, and Altan didn’t even try to pretend it wasn’t as he took another hit off the vape. Vadim picked up the bottle and tossed it back to the couch.

“Well, good night, then,” Vadim said, and gave a little wave as he took his leave.

He got no response and hadn’t expected to. But the night had still brought plenty of surprises – mind-blowing sex with his boss was definitely not an outcome he ever would’ve bet on. Given the results, though, it was certainly a better outcome than any he had thought to expect. Much as Altan kept surprising him, Vadim would figure him out soon. The pieces he’d gathered tonight, added to the rest, were just about painting a full picture.

As Vadim expected, one perhaps ill-advised tryst turned into a second, then a third, and so on. At first, it was just about pleasure and to satisfy his urge to figure Altan out. And besides, the beauty of such a specimen was worth savouring in every way possible. It was an interesting experience – Vadim was used to fast and dirty fucks in inadvisable places, but with Altan, it felt different. Despite neither of them being sentimental men, there was more room to linger.

This new aspect to their interactions did bring the final piece of the puzzle, both from the heated moments and the new allowances those brought. Now, he could touch Altan, at least to a point, without having to be subtle about it. He could come up behind him and press him into a wall as a tease, or put a hand on his thigh during one of their debriefings, or even just lean up against him for the hell of it. It was part teasing, part investigative, and part just that he wanted to.

It all was starting to add up. He saw how the boy shivered in a way that was subtly yet distinctly different from arousal at the slightest bit of contact. He saw how Altan would cling to him in the moments of orgasm, how his body would seek out all that it could when his mind was high on pleasure and unaware. He also saw how Altan would press into the most innocent touches even while he vocally complained, seemingly completely unaware that he was doing it.

Vadim could remember a few particular moments, too. Like once, when Altan had been worked up about Plakhov again, gesturing angrily as he ranted, and Vadim had approached him. He’d taken Altan’s hands in his own, interlacing their fingers, and felt the way Altan had frozen just at that, the way his breath had quickened and his face reddened. Which only increased when he pinned those hands against the wall, inviting a different sort of hunger. But that moment, in between the touch and the escalation, when Altan reacted with awe and wonder towards any touch that was gentle. That. That was truly special.

Just as it was when, after another roll in the sheets, Altan hadn’t kicked him out, had let him stay and share his bed. And Vadim had stayed, largely just to see what would happen – or, at least, that’s what he told himself. There was no way he was going soft.

He’d slept, deciding himself safe in Altan’s bed, and when he’d awoken, he’d found Altan pressed right up against him, downright cuddling in his sleep. At one point, Vadim would’ve laughed at seeing his big bad boss like this, but with everything that had happened, he found it more wondrous than anything else. It was warm in the room, the bedding was expensive – Altan didn’t need the extra body heat. And yet, his body had sought out another’s without his conscious input.

The moment hadn’t lasted long before Altan started to stir, so Vadim pretended to still be asleep, to see what he would do. There was a second between waking and Altan realizing what was happening, and then he pulled away immediately, hurriedly getting out of bed to presumably start the day. Then it was only a few minutes before he was shouting for Vadim to get up, as if the whole thing had never happened.

If it hadn’t been clear before, it was now. It wasn’t that Altan hated touch, or even just so simple as wanting to seem powerful and avoiding it for the sake of appearances. No, it was so much more. Altan hungered for it, ached for it. He was starved for it in a way Vadim had never quite seen before.

He avoided it because it felt too good, too much. During the day, he’d consciously hold himself apart from others, as if he feared one simple touch would be too delicious to refuse, that one single caress would shatter the brittle hardness he’d so carefully cultivated. And yet, he now let Vadim give it to him, despite how carefully he avoided anyone coming close to him. He saw Altan at his most unguarded, without shame, and, in those moments, it was clear what Altan craved and how much he truly needed it.

It didn’t take a genius to know that Altan would never ask for it, no matter how badly he wanted it, but it was fun to watch the way he froze up and it felt powerful to know that Altan was so strongly affected by his touch. A privilege only Vadim got to enjoy, it seemed. And so Vadim kept doing it, telling himself those were the only reasons, that there was nothing deeper there.

All the while, the work continued, Altan’s grand plan to re-establish the clan in St. Petersburg slowly but surely progressing. Meetings upon meetings, both with those who could be bought or convinced and those that couldn’t, but needed to be made nice with for appearances sake until the opportunity came. All these shady little people running around, all so sure they would end up as the top dog of them all. It was fun to watch, sometimes.

It had been a long day already and Vadim could tell Altan’s patience was starting to fray, though he was sure no one else would notice. Altan may not get his own hands dirty much, not as of yet, but no one could ever accuse him of being lazy. He played the game as well as the best of them, that well of determination and concealed rage deep within pushing him ever forward.

Vadim often came along too, mostly for intimidation, but also as protection, just in case something happened. Much as it was interesting to watch all the rats in suits of the city scurry around, ready to cannibalize each other at the slightest chance, it sometimes meant for long, exhausting days that started to get to even him. Today was one of those days – hours of driving around and stopping to make deals, break deals, threaten, coerce, or all of the above. Even he was ready to be done with it.

But there was one last one, some low-level criminal who was ready to turn on his boss in exchange for the clan’s promise of money and protection. He refused to talk to anyone other than Altan himself, though, and so Altan decided to grace the thug with his presence. Vadim didn’t consider that the wisest of moves, but then again, that’s why he was here.

“So, you have information?” Altan asked, still wearing his icy countenance, though Vadim could see the tension around his eyes.

“I do!” The guy was eager, almost desperate – was it an act or genuine? “But I need assurances, you understand.”

Vadim had to give Altan credit for being patient with this guy – he was clearly nervous, fiddling with his jacket the whole time, and refusing to give up anything until he was absolutely sure they wouldn’t leave him high and dry. Which they wouldn’t; the Dagbaevs were ruthless, but they rewarded good behaviour. It was the best way to encourage it from others in the future.

Finally, after far too long of reassurances, he started talking, “Well, see, thing is, my boss has… some ideas. Some say it’s reaching too far, that it’s crazy, while others are all in. I think you can guess which camp I’m in.”

He paused to laugh, and Altan gave a ‘go on’ gesture.

“My boss thinks it’s time we start taking out other groups. And we’ve done it, you know, always the little ones, though. Take out the leadership, the rest either scatter or fall in line – you know the deal. Now, well, they think they can take on bigger prey. Perhaps a newcomer to town, you know. Someone who isn’t as established. Little fish in a big fish body.”

The guy clearly didn’t want to say it plainly, but Altan cut in, “I understand what you mean. Why don’t you tell me a little more about your boss? I’d like to know what plans might be in motion.”

A nervous chuckle and the guy shoved his hands in his pockets – Vadim kept his eyes on them. “See, I’m not sure how much of it is in motion. Everyone who agrees, they say ‘oh these Dagbaevs are weak here, we can take them out now before they gain ground.’”

Altan’s eyes narrowed at the implied insult. “I appreciate your honesty, but I will still need more details, you understand.”

The guy opened his mouth as if to respond, but instead he rushed forward, a knife in one hand that he must’ve pulled from his pocket. Vadim’s hand was on his gun right as the guy reached Altan. Altan, clearly surprised but not useless, twisted out of the way enough to get a hold of the offending wrist, the knife immobilized, and then kicked the back of his knee, bringing the thug to his knees and taking his knife in the process. During the scuffle, Vadim took aim right at his head.

“Dead?” he asked, finger squeezing the trigger.

“Injured,” Altan replied, seeming no worse for wear from the brief fight.

Before he had a chance to try to stand up again, Vadim shot the thug once in the shoulder, then again in the thigh, making sure he wouldn’t be going anywhere anytime soon. Maybe two was overkill, but it’s not like anyone would care. He moaned in pain, now sprawled on his back, as Altan looked down at him and Vadim approached. Altan flicked the knife shut and then open again, holding it nonchalantly with the sharp point hanging right above the guy’s face.

“Now I know why you didn’t want to tell me who you work for,” Altan said, his face a mask of cold neutrality. “But you will soon, after that stunt. We’ll see how attached to your fingers you are.”

He then called for the guards at the door and Vadim gave them a clear look of disapproval for not checking this guy thoroughly enough. No one should’ve gotten a knife that close to Altan. Though, at least Vadim would get to have some fun in the near future.

“Make sure he doesn’t die before he’s questioned,” Altan ordered as the two guards dragged the moaning man away. “Beyond that, I don’t care.”

The guards nodded and hastily took him away. As soon as the door behind them closed, Altan wilted a little, his shoulders drooping as he let out a long sigh. That little incident surely hadn’t helped after what was already an exhausting day of dealing with cutthroats.

“Are you going to go deal with him?” Altan asked as Vadim came closer to him.

“I think the scum can wait till morning,” Vadim said, shrugging. “It seems the bigger danger is that I might have to carry you to bed at this rate.”

Altan rolled his eyes, a much softer reaction than he would’ve given in the not so distant past. “I think I’d rather collapse on the stairs.”

“Oh, how you wound me, your Golden Majesty,” Vadim said and then moved to bump his shoulder against Altan’s. “Come on, I wouldn’t be doing a good job of guarding your body if I let that happen.”

Surprisingly, Altan went without a fight. Vadim almost wondered if maybe he was injured after all, but no, the knife had never come anywhere close to his skin. It was a good thing Altan could hold his own – Vadim had worked for much lesser folks who wouldn’t have survived that, even with the best protection in the world. It was one thing to take a risk like meeting someone suspicious in person, it was another entirely to have no ability to deal with it if, as situations like that so often did, it went south.

They made the journey to Altan’s room in silence, not even discussing the very near incident that had just occurred. Though, Vadim supposed, Altan knew he’d been taking a risk when he’d agreed to that meeting in the first place, and no harm had been done in the end. There was still a good chance they’d get the information they wanted in the end, too. So it was a win from that perspective, just not the one they’d planned.

When they arrived at Altan’s bedroom, Altan sighed again, then turned to Vadim. “Okay, you’ve done your duty, you can leave now.”

Vadim couldn’t explain why, but he didn’t want to leave just yet. “Here, sit down.”

He took Altan by the shoulders, noting how Altan’s body sagged further at the touch, too tired to even try to pretend, and steered him towards the chair at the desk. Altan went easy, allowing Vadim to make him sit, didn’t even say anything about Vadim keeping his hands on his shoulders. It was strange to see him like this, so acquiescent. It was almost like the night with the wine.

“If you’re angling for sex, you’re not getting it,” Altan said, though it was without bite. “I’ve had enough excitement for one day.”

“And once again, you wound me,” Vadim said, feigning offence. “Accusing your humble servant of having ulterior motives!”

Altan just rolled his eyes again. “If not for ‘ulterior motives’, then why are you still here?”

“I can help you,” Vadim said simply, though he still wasn’t sure himself why he wanted to. “I know how long it takes you to let your hair down on your own.”

Altan turned to look at Vadim, making a face. “I can handle my own hair.”

“Allow me,” Vadim said, rubbing his hands over Altan’s shoulders for emphasis, watching as Altan relaxed a bit further. “It’ll be faster and I know how much you like efficiency.”

Altan pursed his lips, but finally turned forward again, waving his hand in allowance. “Fine, if you insist.”

Vadim grinned, even though Altan couldn’t see it, and started on the first braid, gently removing the golden ornament at the end and setting it on the desk before starting to unwind the strands. As he did, Altan shivered a bit, leaning his head back. It seemed he liked this, too.

“And here I thought you were only interested in sex,” Altan said as Vadim started on the second braid. “Is this your way of asking for a raise, then?”

Vadim laughed – he couldn’t even be offended, that was something he wouldn’t be above. “Maybe that’s my ploy all along. I always thought I’d be good at sex work.”

Altan exhaled a huff of amusement – the closest thing to a real laugh Vadim had ever gotten from him. “Maybe it’s time for a career change, then.”

This felt like more than sex, in truth, much as Vadim considered himself not the kind of man that did ‘feelings’ and all that. But what had started as idle curiosity, later turning into a mutual exchange of pleasure, had now somehow become him carefully taking down Altan’s braids at the end of a long day. The thought wasn’t a comfortable one, if Vadim was being honest with himself. He’d never been one to go soft over some pretty thing he’d spent perhaps a little too much time with.

He tried to distract himself by using his fingers to comb through the section of Altan’s hair he’d freed, watching the way Altan’s breathing stuttered a little. His eyes were closed, too, either out of exhaustion or enjoyment of the sensations. It was still gratifying to give Altan the attention and touch he clearly needed but wouldn’t admit to. Vadim wondered why he liked it so much, if it really was just because it was fun to see his reactions and nothing more complicated than that.

“You’ll be the first to know if I do,” Vadim said in his usual light tone, not liking how his thoughts were wandering.

Still, he kept working on the braids, one by one, the silence starting to feel heavy. Then again, even if Vadim was compromised, Altan clearly was too, wasn’t he? Even this moment was an allowance Vadim knew Altan gave to no one – most hadn’t even seen him with his hair down, Altan refusing to appear in any state of undress unless he absolutely had to and, even then, only to a select few. Vadim had been part of that select few, at least a couple of times, but now he suspected he occupied another niche altogether, one all his own.

There were only a few braids left and Vadim thought that maybe he would go see the would-be assassin they’d captured tonight after all. He could stand to let off some steam and get out of his own head for a while. Vadim wasn’t the type to run, even from his own mind, but right now, the urge was there. He wouldn’t run from Altan either, he wasn’t a coward, but a temporary escape sounded tempting.

“Next time you decide to meet someone suspicious in person, we should make a bet,” he idly mused, combing through another section of newly freed hair with his fingers. “Five grand on whether they try to kill you or not.”

Altan scoffed, opening his eyes and turning enough to give Vadim a skeptical look. “You don’t have five grand.”

“I don’t need to have it when I have good intuition.”

Altan shook his head slightly, a small smile on his face, but then shifted to a more serious expression. “I knew it was a risk, you know. That’s why I’m not dead or getting stitched up right now.”

“And yet you still forge ahead, risks be damned, huh?” Vadim said, realizing too late it sounded… almost fond.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were worried about me,” Altan said, teasing, one eyebrow arched.

Vadim took off the second last ornament, setting it aside, taking the moment to make sure his tone wouldn’t betray him. “I’m just worried about what happens to me if something were to happen to you. I don’t think Yuma would take pity on the one who let her baby brother get killed.”

Altan almost laughed. “You have a point. Though I think she’d be happy either way, as long as it gave her the advantage.”

That was true, but Vadim didn’t say anything, the conversation too quickly turning grim. He was on the last braid now, and he made quick work of it, combing through Altan’s loose hair one last time before letting his hands drop. Strangely, he found himself wanting to touch Altan again, even though he just had been.

“There, finished,” Vadim said, back to cheerful. “I told you it’d be easier if you let me do it.”

Altan ran his own fingers through his hair, as if checking that Vadim hadn’t secretly snipped half of it off, then got up from the chair. “I suppose I have to thank you, then. I’ll leave our ‘friend’ from earlier for you in the morning – feel free to have your fun, so long as you get the information.”

Vadim grinned. “Will do. Maybe I’ll even go down there tonight, anyway. Always nice to have a nightcap.”

“Whatever you want,” Altan said, waving him off as he moved towards the attached bathroom. “I am officially kicking you out now, by the way.”

“Understood,” Vadim said, offering a mock bow before taking his leave.

Just as he reached the door, Vadim had to add one more thing: “Goodnight, Goldie.”

Altan didn’t immediately respond to the new nickname, so Vadim left, closing the door behind him, and then heading towards the holding cell. Yeah, he definitely need to work out some things. It was getting harder and harder to convince himself of why he was sleeping with Altan, why he enjoyed touching him so much, why he enjoyed… Altan, in general, so much.

He was disappointed when their ‘friend’ squealed like a pig almost immediately, barely giving him any time to actually get into it. He got the information, then beat on him a little bit more just to be sure there was nothing else (and maybe partly as an extra punishment for trying to kill Altan, maybe just a little), and that was that. Simple, clean, the way the clan liked it. It wasn’t what Vadim had really wanted, though. He finished their captive off with a bullet to the forehead and left the mess to be cleaned up by the regular guards.

The fact of the matter was that Vadim was fucked. Whatever this was, whatever feeling he’d apparently grown, there was no escaping it. When Altan called him for work, he’d go. When Altan called him for sex, he’d go, too. And in between, he’d find excuses to tease and joke with him, to touch him, to provide Altan with the need he was too proud to ask to be filled.

Damnit, he really had grown a soft spot. The sex was amazing, of course, but it wasn’t even the sex itself that haunted him. It was that moment afterwards, right after Altan had a rapturous orgasm and his mind was still fogged with bliss, unable to lie or deceive, that he would cling, drinking up what he could before his icy walls came back up. That moment, there, just like when Vadim sometimes woke to Altan pressed against him, like the boy feared he might never get the chance again, his unconscious mind seeking out what his conscious one wouldn’t. Or even just now, when Altan had allowed Vadim to help remove his façade in the form of his hair, had actually nearly laughed at one of his jokes, had been vulnerable and unafraid. It was moments like those when Vadim felt he saw the true Altan, the one hidden under the pain and anger and coldness he’d been forced to build up.

Those were the moments that haunted him, that he couldn’t get out of his mind. It wasn’t even just that he liked spending time with Altan, sure, he’d had clients that he’d enjoyed the company of before. It was that he felt some sense of affection for him and a protectiveness that went beyond the job. He wanted to make him laugh, to see him with his hair down, to wake up and pretend to still be asleep so Altan could cuddle him without shame. It had been so easy to pretend it was just more fun, another curiosity sated, but it seemed impossible to keep up the pretense anymore.

Yeah, Vadim was completely and utterly fucked. He knew that. And yet, he also knew for certain that he didn’t want to stop any of it.

Winter came in like a lion, as it always did in St. Petersburg. Despite years in deserts and jungles and plenty of hot climates, it didn’t bother Vadim much, not like a lot of other guys he’d known who came home after months of bitching about the sun or the humidity only to find they could no longer handle a little frost. He wouldn’t call it his favourite either, of course, but he tolerated it fine. A few warm clothes and maybe a nice hot drink was all he needed.

It was on a particularly frigid day that he arrived at Altan’s, sipping a cup of coffee he’d bought on the way, only for his phone to chime with a text notification.

Snake Eyes: You have the day off. No meetings or tasks today.

Vadim’s eyebrows nearly shot right off his head – that was a surprise. He couldn’t remember the last time Altan had given him a day off out of the blue like that, if it had ever happened at all. There was an immediate feeling that something was wrong, but if that were true, why was he the one being given a free day? Altan’s problems generally became his problems, as was the job.

Curiosity with an unfamiliar tinge of worry took over and Vadim figured he was already here, might as well at least see what was happening. Who knew, maybe Altan had just overdone it on the wine and was incredibly hung over. He wasn’t the type for that, but there was always a first for everything.

He checked the greenhouse first, as Altan spent most of his time there, but found it empty, so he went to Altan’s room next. Vadim knocked to announce himself, but didn’t wait for an answer before opening the door. If he got kicked out, so be it.

He found Altan in his relaxed state – his hair down, glasses on, in comfortable clothes that did not at all fit his usual image. Altan was seated on his bed, looking like he had absolutely no intentions of leaving it potentially at all. Maybe the hangover theory wasn’t so far off after all.

“What are you doing here?” Altan demanded the second Vadim walked in, sounding particularly irritable. “Did you not see my message?”

“Good morning to you too, Goldie,” Vadim said, ignoring Altan’s tone. “I was already here, so figured I’d see what was going on. Did you drink too much last night or what?”

Altan scoffed. “It’s nothing. As I said, you have the day off. Go bother someone else or whatever it is you do when you’re not here.”

It wasn’t exactly unusual for Altan to be snippy, but he was still more acerbic than usual – clearly something was going on. Nothing seemed to be obviously wrong, though, as Altan was intact, just not put together. Vadim paused for a moment, ready to leave as he didn’t really have any sort of rebuttal. He scanned the room and – ah, there it was: a medicine bottle on the bedside table that was clearly prescription.

Vadim knew a lot of people with old injuries, knew how the cold sometimes affected them. “Do they hurt?”

Altan looked away. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Cold has a habit of making old wounds ache,” Vadim said lightly. “Come on, what usually helps – heat, ice, massage? Might as well make use of your favourite lackey since I’m already here.”

“The pills will kick in soon – I’ll be fine once they do,” Altan insisted, his teeth gritted.

Vadim sat down on the bed, wincing a little when Altan hissed at the motion of the mattress. “I’ll leave once they knock you out. Until then, if you co-operate, you just might be rid of me sooner.”

“Ugh, fine!” Altan snapped, leaning back against the pillows. “Heat is better. Sometimes I rub them, it seems to help.”

“As you wish,” Vadim said, offering an easy smile. “Give me a second.”

He stripped off his coat, tossing it off the bed, and then carefully moved closer, so he had full access to Altan’s extended legs. Altan was wearing shorts, his elegant, tattooed legs fully exposed, so Vadim got right to work. He took one of Altan’s feet into his lap, the calf in his hands, and dug in a little with his fingers, making a circular motion, watching for Altan’s reaction.

Altan made a choked off noise, his breathing slightly elevated, but said, “Continue.”

So Vadim did, keeping the pressure steady so as not to push too hard. He knew each motion probably made the pain worse in the moment, but that it would provide relief later. Altan’s muscles were tense from pain, but slowly relaxed under the rhythmic massage. His breathing, too, got more even as Vadim worked, the hitches becoming less frequent.

“You’re so touchy-feely for a hitman,” Altan said, still a bit short of breath as the first calf started to relax.

“And you’re a mob boss that loves flowers,” Vadim pointed out, switching to Altan’s other calf once Altan gave him a nod of approval.

Altan pursed his lips, but gasped again when Vadim applied pressure to the muscle in his other calf, just like the first, so Vadim continued, “Besides, I think you like it.”

“I’d say ‘tolerate’ is a more accurate term,” Altan said, voice strained at the pain.

Vadim knew it was more than that, he’d known for a while now. Perhaps it was true that Altan tolerated receiving touch from Vadim himself, a thought that stung just a little, but the touching itself, Vadim knew the truth. He wanted Altan to admit it, to give voice to what they both knew was going on here, but the how remained elusive. It was too late to deny that Vadim had gone soft, but it would’ve been nice to have at least a sliver of reciprocity.

The second calf had started to relax, Altan looking less pained, so Vadim asked, “Is it working?”

“Yes,” Altan said and he sounded a bit better, too. “Though it hurts higher, too, in the thighs.”

Vadim shifted closer, situating Altan’s legs and moving his hands up, pushing into the muscle of one thigh, then grinned. “You know, if you want me to touch your thighs, you only have to ask.”

Altan made a noise of exasperation. “If you’re going to insist on this, you could at least keep your mouth shut.”

“Oh, but you like my mouth,” Vadim said, winking, though he never stopped the movements of his hands. “I could put it to good use later, if you’re up for it.”

“We’ll see,” Altan said dryly, then hissed at a particular twist of Vadim’s thumb. “Fuck!”

“Shh, you’re okay,” Vadim soothed, caressing Altan’s thigh. “It’s helping, yeah?”

“Yes.” Altan looked away as he said it, as if he didn’t want to admit it.

Vadim just smiled and started massaging again, working at the muscle until it started to relax too, before moving on to his other thigh. Altan was starting to sag into the pillows behind him, a sign that the medication was likely starting to kick in. He didn’t ask for the massaging to stop though, so Vadim continued.

He gradually reduced the pressure, watching as Altan’s breathing stabilized, his body relaxing as the signs of pain disappeared. Soon enough, he was merely caressing Altan’s thighs, fingers skating along soft skin, tracing over the tattoos. Vadim could also see a hint of arousal between Altan’s legs, the bulge in his shorts becoming more prominent, but he ignored it for the moment. He wasn’t going to try to start anything unless Altan wanted it, not with the pain in mind.

“Feeling better, Goldie?” Vadim asked, now running his fingers along Altan’s inner thigh.

Altan nodded, eyes closed. “The pills finally kicked in.”

“And no appreciation for the expert massage?” Vadim asked, grinning.

“You mean the one you all but forced upon me?” Altan opened one eye and smirked slightly, another sign that he was feeling better. “Perhaps it helped a little.”

Altan still didn’t ask him to stop, though, so Vadim just kept touching him, both of Altan’s legs in his lap. He let his hands wander high, slipping under Altan’s shirt and smoothing over his abdomen. Sighing into the touch, Altan opened his eyes again to look at Vadim.

“Though you seem to be confused on where my legs are,” he said, no particular accusation in his voice. “Do I need to get a diagram?”

“Since your legs are feeling better, I thought I’d make sure nowhere else needed attention.” Vadim shrugged, moving one hand down to brush dangerously close to Altan’s clearly growing erection.

“Maybe I do need to take you up on your offer of shutting you up,” Altan said, then gasped when Vadim brushed a nipple under his shirt with his other hand.

“Mmm, and what was that lecture you gave me once about not taking advantage of the intoxicated?” Vadim said, running a finger under the waistband of Altan’s shorts.

“The pills make me a little tired, not impaired,” Altan scoffed. “And you know exactly what you’re doing right now.”

“Okay, okay, if you insist,” Vadim said, grinning. “Let’s get you a little more comfortable first though.”

Altan made a face but allowed Vadim to adjust his body so he was laying down, careful not to jar his legs and bring back any of the pain. Since they had nothing else to do today, Vadim thought he’d take his time with it. He loved to tease and this seemed like a perfect opportunity.

He didn’t undress Altan, instead taking one of his hands in his and pressing a kiss to the backs of his fingers, moving up to his wrist and then his arm. Altan gave him a quizzical look and Vadim cupped his hardening cock through his shorts, giving it a teasing rub before moving his hand upward, back under Altan’s shirt. If Altan was starved for touch, well, Vadim was going to give him a feast.

Once he reached the edge of Altan’s sleeve, he repeating the same on the other hand and arm, kissing his way up, all the while using his free hand to explore the rest of Altan’s body, all the way from thighs to chest. Altan arched into the touches, his breathing picking up again for a different reason, and he had a light flush on his face. Vadim just smiled the whole time, enjoying both the feel of Altan’s body as well as his reactions.

Deciding Altan’s arms had been thoroughly kissed, Vadim shifted lower on the bed, pushing Altan’s shirt up with his hands and bending over Altan’s cock. He exhaled deeply, smirking when Altan’s hips twitched, the heat of his breath penetrating through the shorts. Instead of indulging in what Altan wanted, Vadim planted a wet, lingering kiss right above the waistband of the shorts, starting a path up towards his chest. He nipped playfully at the skin, then laved over each spot with his tongue, painting a trail up Altan’s body.

“You damned tease,” Altan hissed, squirming a little under the attention, one hand finding its way to rest on the back of Vadim’s head, fingers tightening in his hair.

Vadim chuckled, biting a little harder near Altan’s ribs. “Mmm can you blame me? You look so delicious.”

Altan scoffed, so Vadim interrupted before he had a chance to be snarky, “And before you say anything, you always do.”

He looked up to see the flush on Altan’s cheeks had gotten darker still and, pleased with himself, continued his journey up to Altan’s sternum. His hands, meanwhile, slid up Altan’s waist, which earned him a choked off sound of pleasure and he wasn’t even sure whether it was sexual or not. He already knew Altan was sensitive everywhere – it was time to really play with that.

Nibbling at Altan’s collarbone, Vadim sucked a light mark into it, enjoying Altan’s moan as he did so, before moving on to Altan’s neck to kiss and bite like the rest of him. Below, Altan was starting to get more and more worked up, panting and moaning with every touch, no matter how gentle. Vadim grinned to himself in the crook of Altan’s neck – this was exactly what he’d wanted.

Finally, as he sensed Altan was about to snap at him, Vadim moved down again, trailing one hand down Altan’s stomach. “Gorgeous, you know that? Don’t you worry, I’ll give you what you need.”

He meant that more than just in terms of an impending orgasm, though he doubted Altan realized it. In the meantime, he decided to give Altan a little bit more, and reached one hand into his shorts, pulling out his hardened cock from its confines. Altan made a wounded noise at the touch, his whole body spasming as Vadim gave it a stroke.

“Fuck you,” Altan spat, but moaned when Vadim stroked him again, base to tip and back again. “Get on with it already.”

Vadim clicked his tongue, one hand keeping a slow, maddening pace on Altan’s cock while the other stroked along his thigh, tracing the tattoos again. “Patience, patience. In due time, Goldie.”

He kept it up, one hand on Altan’s cock never providing quite enough stimulation, the other continuing to wander Altan’s body. In the process, Altan’s moans got louder, more desperate, and he was squirming a little under every touch – his whole body must’ve felt like it was on fire. Vadim smiled lazily and then leaned in, holding his cock with one hand as he circled the head with his tongue.

“Please!” Altan cried out, then went silent, eyes wide as he realized what he’d just said.

Vadim grinned like a shark. “Oh and what was that? I didn’t quite hear you.”

“I swear, if you don’t get on with it, I will fire you,” Altan threatened, though it was hard to take him seriously in such an overwhelmed state.

“Mmm but how am I supposed to know what you want if you don’t ask for it?” Vadim asked, then paused to mouth at the underside of Altan’s cock, planting kisses there just like he had on the rest of Altan’s body.

A string of curses followed, including a few Vadim wasn’t familiar with that he guessed were Buryat. He chuckled against Altan’s cock, laving up the shaft to swirl his tongue over the head again, which made Altan moan once more. Vadim thought he’d never get tired of that sound. His own cock was hard too, but he ignored it. This wasn’t about him, not right now.

He kept going until Altan was shaking, his hands fisting in the blanket under him (and, notably, not on Vadim, when it would be very easy to shove him where he wanted him or even out of bed entirely), until he clearly couldn’t take it anymore.

“Fine,” Altan finally said, his voice wrecked and more desperate than Vadim had ever heard it. “Please make me come already, you fucking asshole.”

Vadim shrugged. “Close enough.”

He didn’t waste any time, swallowing Altan’s cock down into his throat, nose pressed to Altan’s pelvis, and then bobbing his head. Altan groaned, long and low, and Vadim set his hands on Altan’s thighs, keeping him from bucking up too hard and possibly hurting himself. It was obvious Altan wouldn’t last long after so much teasing.

There was no reason to draw it out any longer, though, not when Altan had asked not-so-nicely, so Vadim kept it up, using every trick he knew, and it wasn’t long until Altan came, his voice cracking as he cried out. One hand grabbed Vadim by the back of the head, holding him down, but Vadim let it happen, able to hold his breath long enough to swallow down everything Altan gave him. Only when Altan fully collapsed, panting, did Vadim pull away, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand.

He crawled up the bed to get a look at Altan’s face and almost froze at what he found. Altan’s eyes were glossy, either from before or during his orgasm, and Vadim wondered if maybe he’d gone too far if Altan was nearly in tears. Fuck, he hadn’t hurt his legs, had he? Altan should’ve said something if he had.

Before he could figure out what to say, Altan sniffed, then sat up quickly, wrapping his arms around Vadim’s neck in a sudden hug. Vadim was nearly too shocked to respond in kind, but he managed to get his arms up around Altan’s back, pulling him close and squeezing his body comfortingly. He listened closely for sobs but, fortunately, didn’t hear any.

“Hey, Goldie, it’s okay,” he said, rubbing over Altan’s back in slow sweeps, the shiver he got in return easy to feel with them pressed together like this. “If it was too much, tell me, yeah?”

Altan didn’t say anything immediately, just nosed into Vadim’s neck, his glasses poking uncomfortably into his shoulder but Vadim didn’t say anything about it. The only other times Altan had ever clung to him like this were during sex, right when he came, and Vadim honestly didn’t think Altan knew it was something he did. Clearly, whatever was going on in his mind overrode the pride that kept him from asking for comfort.

After a few minutes, Altan seemed to relax a little, still in the hug, but more limp than desperate. As soon as that happened, though, he started to pull away, as if just realizing what he’d done. Vadim continued to hold him – not hard enough that he couldn’t get away, but enough to tempt him not to try unless he truly wanted it.

“Okay?” he asked as Altan settled, seeming to accept the hug for now.

He felt Altan nod. “I’m fine. It was just. Overwhelming. My apologies, you can let go now.”

“Only if you want me to,” Vadim said, not letting go. “Like I said, I’ll give you whatever you need. All you have to do is ask.”

Altan was silent for a few minutes and Vadim could practically feel his internal struggle, the fight between pride and need, between the human urge to be comforted and the conditioned urge to eschew vulnerability. Vadim had good instincts, almost always won his bets, but right now, he wasn’t sure which option he’d put his money on. Despite himself, though, there was still an outcome he hoped for.

“You really aren’t here just for sex,” Altan said, a sense of awe in his voice, like he was truly realizing it for the first time.

“No, I’m not,” Vadim said, though they both knew what he was really admitting to. “And you like this. I don’t just mean the sex, either.”

“I do,” Altan answered, his voice so quiet Vadim would’ve missed it if they weren’t right up against each other.

Maybe it wasn’t the most explicit, but an admission was an admission – they both fully understand what this conversation really meant, and it was enough just as it was. Despite their histories, it seemed there was still some sentimentality left in both of them after all.

“So, Goldie,” Vadim said, his tone back to its usual levity, “tell me what you want.”

There was a moment of silence before Altan sank further into the hug and responded, “Don’t let go yet.”

“You’re late,” was the first thing Altan said when Vadim arrived after running an errand. “Again.”

Some things never changed, no matter how much had happened between them, such as Altan’s ever so pleasant moods.

Vadim took Altan by the waist and went for a kiss, but Altan jerked his head so it landed on his cheek instead. “So frigid. Are you going to punish me for it?”

Some things did, though, like how Altan leaned into the arm around his waist, not a hint of shame or trying to deny that he wanted it.

Just that morning, too, Vadim had woken in Altan’s bed once again, an occurrence that was becoming more and more frequent. As usual, Altan was pressed up against him, but this time, Vadim saw that his eyes were open. He raised one eyebrow and Altan gave him a huffy look before snuggling even closer, motioning for Vadim to wrap an arm around him. It was impossible to deny such a request from his Golden Majesty, so Vadim obeyed, enjoying the feeling of Altan’s warm, pliant body in the dim light of the morning.

“You’d enjoy it too much,” Altan said, haughty.

“You’ll just have to get creative, then. I trust your diabolical mind can come up with something.” Vadim grinned, pulling Altan a bit closer to him.

Altan rolled his eyes, but still didn’t move away. Another day of work awaited them, another day of threatening, coercing, and playing the little game everyone with any power in this city did. As always, Vadim would enjoy watching when he could. Now that his little plan to figure out Altan had come to a conclusion, albeit a thoroughly unexpected one, Vadim would have to point his curiosity elsewhere. Fortunately, in their line of work, there were always plenty of scurrying lab rats to observe and study.

“Shall we?” Vadim asked, extending his free arm forward in invitation.

Altan nodded, then grabbed Vadim’s wrist to remove it from around his waist. Instead of letting it fall, however, he took Vadim’s hand in his own, holding it. Vadim turned to look at him, a silent question on his face.

“Didn’t you have a whole speech about ‘asking for what you want’?” Altan asked simply.

Vadim laughed, though not cruelly and not at Altan taking this step. “I did. Though, isn’t this more taking than asking?”

“And do you have a problem with that?” Altan asked, one eyebrow raised.

“Not at all, Goldie,” Vadim said, squeezing Altan’s hand once. “Not at all.”