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He picked up running recently, or maybe rather, got back to it again after a long break. If years of not doing that counted as a break. His lack of endurance and weak muscles made it feel as if he had never jogged before, the activity foreign to his body.
You gotta keep at it, he told himself every time he went for a run. It was just as hard all those years ago but you got used to it, he kept reminding himself as he dragged his legs over the pavement. It got easier then and it will get easier now, he repeated like a mantra with every stab to his lungs, each breath a piercing needle.
For the first week, he regretted ever quitting the routine. For the second week, he loathed picking it up again. During the third and fourth week, Karol grew numb to the pain. Maybe it was his masochism speaking up, or maybe his body finally remembered how to act, but either way by the fifth week of jogging almost daily, he started to enjoy it.
It was almost laughable, how this comeback of his started. He complained to Arkadiusz about his body aching randomly and feeling restless, as he sometimes did when they were hanging out. People bond weirdly well over complaining about things. If you complained, the other person would either nod along or put in their two cents. His friend's answer surprised him, though.
"You know, I had a funny idea last week," he leaned over the table towards him. "On how to enrich our little hookups."
Karol raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything, his friend carrying on with the thought. "But if it's gonna work, we both need to be in good shape."
Before he got a chance to ask questions, Arek got to it first. "How do you feel about picking up running again?"
And here he was, almost two months after that event, contently jogging around his neighborhood. He felt a bit lame that that excuse (motivation?) worked on him, but at least it had multiple benefits. He felt healthier both physically and mentally, slept better and got more satisfied with his own body – even though there weren't many (if any) visible differences.
He's almost forgotten about the initial goal, up until Arkadiusz messaged him he was gonna drop by next Saturday. They haven't really seen each other since that last time. Karol figured his friend wanted to let some steam off the way he always did. It was the middle of November, and his students probably got onto his nerves by now. Maybe his coworkers, too, though Karol wasn't one to pry about that info. He felt happy, eager to meet up, even if only for an hour or two (though it never came to less than four).
Because the weather was becoming progressively worse, he sometimes changed his routine. Morning jogs were preferable but he wouldn't die from switching to the afternoon ones – actually being able to see where he was running, even if only for twenty-or-so minutes, was a great perk. Evenings were a no for him for this exact reason, although Karol sometimes broke the rule for the sake of keeping up the routine; Long and slightly-irregular hours made it difficult to have a steady window reserved only for exercising.
Saturday turned out to be one of those switcheroo days, so he texted Arkadiusz in advance to come no sooner than 5pm. It would give him enough time to go for a quick jog, shower and maybe even make some food.
After running some minor errands around the house, Karol changed clothes and picked the route for the day. He had a couple he rotated between, just to keep things more interesting. The sky was gray, heavy from the burden of rain. He didn't fancy getting soaked, so he opted for one that crossed patches of greenery, yellow and orange tree crowns hopefully sheltering him from ice cold droplets were they to happen.
For the first twenty minutes, everything was going fine. The air felt chill on his skin and it stung a bit as he breathed, but the streets were mostly empty and dry, which made it easier to move around.
At the twenty five minute mark, Karol stopped by the crossroad and trotted in place, the red light a temporary obstacle. He was on his way back through the path in-between the trees when he hit the thirty minute mark. It was also when he noticed he was not alone in the park.
He quickly glimpsed in the direction of the figure and, seeing it was another person jogging, turned his vision back to his own route. He didn't have a monopoly on going for a run at this time of day, nor did he own the place. Meeting other runners at some point was inevitable.
Except there was something unsettling about the way the stranger moved. Karol kept catching glimpses of them in the corners of his vision, over and over again, even though he didn't consciously pay attention to them. Something stirred in the man's gut. He tried to dismiss it, rational explanations popping in his head in an attempt to calm his nervous system down. There are multiple intersecting paths in this park, he reasoned. Maybe the jogger wants to add mileage and goes in a zigzag, he thought.
All the thoughts sounded reasonable. They sounded plausible. They did little to calm him down.
It's stupid , Karol thought. What do I care about that guy? It's ridiculous.
Yet, his body refused to act rational. Even more so when, upon leaving the park, the dark figure seemed to remain on his tail still. That was odd. That was more difficult to explain.
The daylight was already poor when he started his jog, but right now the day entered that dreary phase reminiscent of the horror movies; The visibility was gradually becoming lower, the city lights weren't turning on yet and the whole world seemed covered in a murky shades of gray.
Karol hoped – maybe even quietly prayed – the lights would kick in soon. As he rounded the corner, he dared to turn his head and take a look at the other runner. All he could see was a tall figure dressed in black, their pace even. He focused back on the road in front of him. At the next turn, he decided to peek again and sure enough, that person was still there.
Okay, that was alarming.
Karol sped up a bit in hopes it would make him feel safer. It didn't work. His body didn't enjoy the change of its usual pace. It began to drizzle, too. It didn't bother him much, though.
The stalker speeding up did.
They appeared to match their tempo to Karol's, their pace slow enough to avoid outrunning him but quick enough to stay hot on his heels.
Extremely distressing thoughts began playing inside his brain. He particularly didn't like those which implied he was about to be murdered. They compelled his heart to beat even faster and his legs to hurry up.
There were only a couple of blocks left. If he didn't panic, if he just remained calm, he could reach the entrance and take the lift to his apartment. He could do it.
Karol looked briefly back, to ensure the stalker's position, but to his surprise they were nowhere to be seen. He blinked in surprise. Huh. Maybe he was overreacting in the end. Maybe it was just a morbidly unfunny coincidence the runner lived nearby. Maybe–
The black figure reemerged from behind the corner. Karol's heart sank in his chest. Then it almost jumped out through his throat as a terrifying realization dawned on him.
The stalker was closing the distance.
A wave of panic and a rush of adrenaline carried through his system. He no longer gave a fuck about being rational. He wanted to get home, away from that creep. He sped up and didn't dare to look back again. Blood was pumping loudly in his ears, the world's sounds dampened. Only one sound appeared to be magnified, somehow. It was the runner's footsteps. Loud, rhythmic thumping on the pavement echoed in Karol's head, his fear growing stronger by the minute.
The final stretch took him half the usual time. He swung the front door so aggressively it hit the back wall. He couldn't care less about that. The only thing on his mind was to close it as fast as possible. You couldn't open it without a key or an entry code. If he closed the doors, the stalker won't be able to cross the threshold. He would be safe.
Just as he heard the familiar click indicating the door's closure, the black figure appeared on the other side. They stopped and looked in Karol’s direction. The hood and poor lighting obscured their face, but there was no doubt in his mind the person was staring right at him. A shiver went down his spine, a sheer terror taking hold of his insides. Then, as if nothing had happened, they turned and started running again. Karol didn't dare to take a peek outside to make sure they left. He headed straight for the lift, the short ride up used to collect himself and calm his poor heart down.
He dragged his limbs out of the lift and onto the hall, taking his sweet time before unlocking his flat's door. He made a mental note to change routes more often and probably invest in a headlamp of sorts, among other things.
He closed the door behind him and flicked on the lights, the sight of his boring-beige corridor now comforting. He took off his running shoes and waddled to the kitchen. As he drank the glass of water, he felt a cold breeze on his feet. That was strange. Did he forget to close a window somewhere?
The kitchen window got crossed off the list of suspects first. Then he proceeded to check the next room in line – nope, the bedroom looked and felt just like he had left it. He took a step out and towards the living room but stopped right before the corner. Something felt... off. It was not about the cold, of that much he was certain. Inexplicably, his body tensed and his guts tightened, as if some primal parts of his brain tried to prepare him to either fight or flight. Karol didn't do as much as take a glimpse into the room, yet his entire body appeared to scream about danger.
He took a steadying breath, rounded the corner and froze in place. He was right – the evening chill seeped in through a wide open window. He did not leave it open. Hell, he never opened windows all the way, save for unbearably hot summer nights. Something, or worse, someone had to open it. Karol gulped and, with as much composure as one could muster in circumstances like these, scanned the rest of the room.
The daylight was no more at this point, but what sparse light from city lamps and the neighboring windows managed to get inside, it didn't help his situation. It was dark, every mass of darkness menacing and suspicious. The smart thing to do would be to turn on the lights. He could do that in a second, the switch within his arm's reach. He feared doing that, as if illuminating the closed space would make the threat that more real, that more prone to act. Standing frozen in place was counterproductive, though. He couldn't prolong this forever.
Karol slowly moved his hand towards the switch. Before his fingers were able to use it, a shuffling noise made the hair on his body stand on end. His eyes shot to the direction it came from, but from this angle he couldn't see well, and he didn't dare to move his head.
He stood frozen in that awkward position for what felt like hours, his heartbeat unbearably loud.
C'mon, he said to himself, turn the goddamn lights on.
Now.
As his fingers finally finally decided to listen to what the brain kept telling them to do, a voice echoed right beside him.
"Will you turn that light on or not?"
Before any parts of his brain were able to process the words Karol screamed in fear, his entire body jolting as he did.
Only then did something in his head clicked. He recognized that voice. The roughness of it, the low tone.
"Arek?"
The man brushed past him and flicked the switch, the sudden change in brightness assaulting Karol's eyes. It took him a second to adjust but sure enough, his friend was standing in front of him and giving him a quizzical, albeit a tad amused, look.
And he was wearing an all-black running outfit.
Karol's fear very quickly turned into rage .
"You son of a-"
"You need to change locks in your windows bud," Arkadiusz sounded casual and way way too relaxed for Karol's liking. "They're too easy to break."
"What the fuck was that!?"
His friend looked at him, one of his eyebrows raised. "What do you mean?"
Karol scoffed. "You were stalking me!" He pointed at the apartment's front door and then to the still open window behind the man. "You broke into my house!"
He pointed an accusatory finger into Arek's face. "I've thought I'm gonna be murdered , you fucking moron! "
The man tilted his head to the side, like a mildly-interested cat that didn't understand why its owner was doing whatever they were doing. "I don't think the random murderer would be as dedicated."
Karol lacked vocabulary to express how deeply and profoundly pissed he was. His fists clenched so hard he could feel his nails digging painfully into his palms, his teeth grinding to an uncomfortable degree.
"Why," he finally said. " Why did you do that?"
Arkadiusz didn't appear too eager to answer that. He passed by glued-to-the-floor Karol and lazily strolled into the kitchen.
"Or you know what," he turned on his heel. "Scratch that. I don't even wanna know. Get out ."
"Aww, but I just came." He took off his black hoodie and opened one of the cabinets. He took out a glass and poured himself some water.
"I don't care." In a few quick steps he reached his friend and grabbed the glass before he could drink from it. He slammed it on the counter, glass clinking dangerously and water spilling. "You don't get to act as if you didn't do anything wrong, dickhead ."
The man sighed, as if suddenly tired with the conversation. "Okay, sorry for giving you a heart attack and breaking into your flat."
"Nu-uh, not buying it." He stabbed his chest with his finger. "You're gonna do better than that."
Arkadiusz groaned. He grabbed both of Karol's hands and held them between his own. Karol wasn't sure if the gesture was meant to feel comforting or to incapacitate him. "My liege, you're thinking too much about the whole thing."
"Wha–"
"The point of this exercise was to shut your silly brain for a while and let the instinct roam free." The man's tone was reminiscent of that of a parent or a teacher explaining a simple concept to a small child.
"And it worked," Arkadiusz continued, his grasp on his hands still firm. "Although for a short while, which is a shame."
Karol didn't like where this conversation was going. He yanked his hands but to no avail.
The man continued. "I've told you I had an idea on how to diversify our little rendezvous, no?"
"What does that have to do with anything?" He tried to free himself again but his hands still remained trapped.
Arkadiusz leaned in, his hot breath violating Karol's personal space. "A little extra adrenaline and a little less thinking does wonders to one's sex life, tell you what."
He let him go but otherwise remained still, watching him like a hawk. Something stirred in Karol's insides. It felt like anger, it felt like betrayal. It felt like something he couldn't quite put a finger on. He wasn't sure he liked that mixture.
After a couple of seconds, Karol passed by his friend and headed back to the living room to close the goddamn window.
"You still mad?" Arek yelled back from where Karol left him.
He took a deep breath and weighed his options. He opted for the meaner one. "Who? Me? Why would I be?"
He turned around to face the man. "You only gave me a heart attack and shortened my life by a couple of years, and now act as everything's fine!"
In a few quick strides he stood back in front of Arkadiusz, whose expression remained neutral (maybe even a bit bored) the whole time. "Hell, you wanted to visit specifically to fuck and probably expect me to go along!"
"True."
"Why would I be mad about that?" He looked the man straight into his eyes. "I'm not mad! I am beyond furious !"
His hand moved on its own towards the man's chest, probably to prod him again. It didn't get to do that, though, as Arkadiusz swiftly grabbed it and pulled, Karol losing his balance as a result. Once again he found himself worryingly close to the man's face.
"Hold on to that," the man's voice was low, even more so than usual, and his eyes almost dangerously close.
"What?" Karol broke his hand free, probably because his friend didn't bother keeping it hostage anymore. They were still standing close to one another, and the proximity suddenly felt suffocating.
As he slowly started to back out, Arek spoke again. "You think too much." With each step Karol took, his friend mirrored it back, closing the distance Karol tried to put between them.
A prickling sensation appeared at the back of his neck, the urge to run away returning. He didn't listen, instead opting to continue backing off in hopes his friends stopped following in his steps.
But the man did not stop. "Give your poor brain a break," at this point they left the kitchen and entered the living room again. "Less thinking, more feeling."
"You're pissed, you're furious ," Arkadiusz cooed, something almost sinister playing behind his seemingly soothing tone. " Act like it , let that anger out."
Karol felt a solid surface behind his back, any escape routes successfully blocked off by his friend; He'd been, quite literally, cornered. It didn't stop him from trying to blend in with the wall, from putting a steady pressure onto the concrete in the silly hopes the obstacle would give in and let him escape... whatever this situation was. But the wall wouldn't budge. He remained trapped.
He couldn't explain why he felt that need to escape, that burning urge to run and hide. His friend was a real dickhead with lots of physical strength but he wasn't dangerous. He wouldn't hurt Karol in any ways that went beyond their s/m plays. So why did he feel as if he was about to get attacked?
" Stop ." Arkadiusz inched closer. " Thinking. " His face got dangerously close to his own. " And. " He grabbed Karol's face and squeezed at it. " Act. "
A survival instinct kicked in against Karol's better judgment and he bit Arkadiusz's hand. He bit it hard .
The man winced, but his surprise quickly morphed into satisfaction. He yanked Karol's face to the side to expose his neck.
As he was about to bite down on it, Karol's hand gripped him by the hair and pulled back. The other one pressed on Arek's chest in an attempt to push him back.
Arkadiusz clutched the man's arm with his free hand and spun him around. The sudden movement made Karol let both the hand and the hair go. Now he was being trapped by his friend, his back pressed to the man’s chest.
Karol reared back, Arek's back smacking against the wall with a thud . The man caught his jaw and twisted his head to the side. He bit down on Karol's neck so fiercely his eyes watered from pain in an instant.
As his semi-free hand clawed at the arm holding his face hostage, he tried using his whole body again to smack Arek's head against the wall. He succeeded only partially, as the impact didn't deter the man.
Karol changed the tactic. He writhed aggressively to the sides, both of them collapsing onto the floor as the result.
He swung to the side and was now laying atop of the other man, front up. His legs began to kick him violently, in hopes of hitting a sensitive spot.
If his kicks did anything, Arkadiusz didn't let him know that; He expertly rolled them around, Karol now squeezed between the cold floor and his friend’s body. He pinned his hands with his own, his knees digging into the back of Karol's.
Arkadiusz propped himself and took his sweet time relishing the sight. Karol was trapped. He won this fight.
He always won.
With a grin on his face, he lowered himself back and continued biting and sucking on the man's neck and ears. It didn't take long for Karol to give up fighting and slip back into their usual dynamic, where all the twitching and squirming were caused by pain and pleasure alike.
After he made sure Karol didn't intend to fight back, he flipped him onto his back and pinned his hands above the man's head. He used the free hand to roll up the sweaty running shirt. He didn't get to play with the freshly exposed skin right away, though. Arkadiusz prolonged Karol's agony by kissing and licking and sucking and biting onto every available surface of his neck and face first. Only after he deemed them marked enough, did he let go of his hands and proceeded further.
Karol burrowed both his hands in Arek's hair, pulling and clenching his fists with every bite the man made. His sharp teeth dug into his soft flesh with ease, bruises forming rapidly, blood prickling in a couple of spots as well. It was agonizingly delightful.
The adrenaline from before didn't completely leave his system, his limbs jerking on their own, his body trying to flee the situation but also keep the other man as close as physically possible. When Arkadiusz pulled out from his chest with a grin, Karol used the opportunity and tugged at the man's shirt with more urgency than was probably necessary. Take it off.
Arek obliged and not a second after Karol's shirt was completely gone, too. Before he could push him back to the floor, Karol clinged onto his arms and grazed the man's neck with his teeth. Then he bit down hard, to his friend's apparent surprise.
Karol was not usually the one to bite back but he still felt pissed and God help him, he would let the man know. Even profoundly so.
If Arkadiusz really disliked what was happening right now, he would throw him off. Karol didn't doubt that. Given he still was atop of him and still doing what he wanted, his friend had to be curious on how things were going to play out. Karol wouldn't waste that chance.
As he grabbed a fistfull of his friend's hair, he said: "You better use those stupid muscles of yours and get us to the bedroom."
Arkadiusz snorted, his neck bent back in an uncomfortable way. "Or what?"
Karol, without breaking eye contact, grabbed the man's crotch and squeezed it hard enough for the man to inhale sharply and groan in pain. "I wasn't asking."
At first, the man gave him a look that sent shivers down his spine and not in a pleasant way. But then he laughed so heartily Karol wasn't sure he had ever seen the man this gleeful before.
"Your word is my command, my liege," he promptly caught him in his arms and lifted off the ground, the action seemingly costing him no effort at all.
Thinking about how physically strong his friend was didn't help him. If anything, it made him spitefully and begrudgingly aroused. How dared he flex like that and put certain thoughts in Karol's head. Unbelievable.
He bit down on Arek's lower lip to let some frustration out. To stop the impending train of thought. He didn't need that right now.
"What now?" His breath felt hot against Karol's lips.
"Now," he put his hands on both sides of Arek's face. "You put me down and get yourself comfortable."
The man let him go, although he gave him a puzzled look as he did. Karol didn't pay him any mind. He will get to know soon enough.
He opened the bedside drawer and retrieved the lube. As he was taking off his jogging pants and boxers, an idea struck him, and so he turned to the dresser on his left and searched for that one, specific item. Before taking it out, he asked his friend to close his eyes.
"What for?" He narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Nevertheless, he remained sprawled on Karol's bed, taking most of the space available.
"It's a surprise," he turned his head to the side, mimicking the behavior Arkadiusz often displayed. "Don't tell me you're afraid I'm going to hurt you?"
The man barked a laugh and relaxed, his hands tucked underneath his head and eyes closed.
Perfect.
Karol approached him as quietly and expeditiously as he could, knowing full well Arkadiusz was not going to like the surprise. At the very least not as much as he would, were their positions switched. The bed dipped under his weight and the man made an approving sound when he felt Karol sliding his hand up and down his chest. Arek's eyes remained closed as he sat atop of him, his hands still wandering all over the exposed skin. He nudged his friend to move his hands, too, and that's when he decided to act.
His handiwork was sloppy and crude, but he felt pretty confident it would work as intended.
"What the–" the man's eyes shot open. Karol was hovering above him, a content (albeit mischievous) smile on his face.
Arkadiusz moved his hands, only to discover they were now tied with a leather belt.
"What do you think?" He asked innocently, cupping the man's face. "I'm nowhere near your level of expertise but I think it'll do."
The man under him huffed and tugged cautiously. Waged his options. Karol interjected his thoughts before be could proceed with them any further. "You could break it easily, I imagine, but bear in mind it's your belt. Your favorite too, I think."
He seemed confused. "How did you–"
"You left it here the last time we had sex."
"Ah, that explains why I couldn't find it anywhere." He tugged again. "I like this belt."
"I know." Karol straightened his back. "That's why I believe you'll behave yourself."
"And you're going to do what, exactly?"
He reached behind his back to fetch the lube. " I will have some fun ."
His hand patted his friend's cheek. "I know you can break free anytime. But I took your advice to heart about feeling more ."
Karol lowered himself one last time. "And what I feel is exasperation ." Their lips met, the kiss long and deep. It left them both breathless, a string of saliva still connecting their lips as he got back to the upright position.
He opened the cap and gingerly squeezed lube onto his fingers. Karol briefly circled his own entrance and then inserted one of his fingers. As it bent, he bit down on his lower lip. He nearly drew blood from the lip as he switched to two, nevertheless eagerly warming up for the third. Arkadiusz observed him the entire time he fingered himself, but Karol didn't pay much attention to him. He was too preoccupied making sure to be as loud as possible, all the while rubbing against his friend's dick.
Arkadiusz liked to tease but wasn't a big fan of being on the receiving end; He wriggled underneath Karol's body, clearly displeased with the whole situation. He didn't break the belt, though, so Karol carried on with his plan. When he felt comfortable with three fingers bending at the joints inside him, he pulled them all out, gasping as he did. Karol looked down at his friend's bulge, and gave it a little squeeze. The man groaned in response.
"Unhappy?" His tone was light, even unusually so. " Tough shit. "
He pressed on him again, and watched his friend struggle to retain composure. Karol knew he was playing with fire at this point, one nudge too many and Arek will likely lose it. He would rather not think about the possible retaliation that would ensue after that.
He got up from the bed and helped his incapacitated friend out of his sweatpants and underwear. Seeing Arkadiusz lay flat on his bed, with his hands tied above his head... It felt odd. Ill-fitting, in a way. But also so incredibly vindicating .
He sat down next to him and poured some more lube onto his hand. As he started to slowly stroke the man's cock, he let his eyes wander over the rest of his body. His friend didn't mind him staring like that, of that much he was certain.
And Arkadiusz was a pretty sight to behold. Not in a way a bouquet of flowers was pretty, but in how some people thought the storm to be. It was dangerous and unforgiving. It was fierce. Brutal. Terrifying. Mesmerizing. And just like the storm could sway the ships away from the shore or rip away trees and buildings alike from the ground, he, too, had been swept from his feet.
Karol sighed at the thought, his free hand involuntary going up to the man's chest. He still felt angry with his friend, but he couldn't help it; He was hopelessly in love first and foremost.
He gave himself a mental slap to the face. Now was not the time to get all mushy. He tried to come back to today's events, to how his dickbag of a friend played him and almost gave him a heart attack. To how he broke into his flat and prodded at him until he pretty much lashed out at him. To how he was now laying in front of him, getting closer to the edge.
Karol smiled and hopped back onto the man's stomach, positioning himself. In no time at all did he start to slowly lower himself onto Arek's cock, both of them grunting during the process (although probably for different reasons). Once Karol sat down, he looked at his friend and without breaking eye contact, he rose back up. Then back down. Then up. And down. Up. Down. It didn't take him long to establish a steady rhythm, the pace not as fast as he would like it, but that was the best he could do in his current... physical disposition.
Arkadiusz didn't enjoy the passive role. All he could do was to stay still and let Karol do the job, both of which he found difficult even under normal circumstances. He was a rather active person, much more preferring doing things to just observing. He loved to grab, squeeze, pull, claw, bite and whatever else you could imagine during sex, so not being able to do any of the sort was making him restless. It didn't take a genius to see the man was struggling, every now and then testing the limits of the belt.
Judging by the heavy, sharp breathing, his friend was getting close. Karol didn't intend to tease his friend further, trying to pull an orgasm denial on the man would be an overkill (and, most likely, a death wish). He kept up the steady pace for a little longer, until Arek came. Karol didn't feel him cum as much as he felt the man's stomach tense underneath his fingers, and heard his breath suddenly hitch.
While his friend's muscles relaxed, he gave himself a few quick but precise strokes, and cum in his hand soon afterwards. As he licked it clean, he remained seated on Arek's dick, watching the man's reactions. He seemed less antsy but not exactly calmer. Karol could tell he was anything but.
Whoo boy.
Karol slipped off and reached for the belt. It was still in one piece but, by the looks of it, one more stronger tug would render it useless. He caught a glimpse of his friend's hand, or maybe rather the bite mark he left on it. It looked nasty and not exactly easily explainable. A ping of guilt rushed through his system, but he quickly dismissed it – Arkadiusz knew what he was doing and pretty much asked for it. He was not going to feel sorry for him for this.
When Arek's hands were completely free, he made sure everything was in order – squeezed and extended the fingers, moved the wrists around. After that part was done, he jumped Karol and proceeded to strangle him.
The attack was so abrupt he did not have a chance to yelp, to scream, to make any sound whatsoever; One second he was looking at his friend and the next he was clawing at his arms in a desperate attempt to stop the assault. The pressure on his throat was not enough to render him unconscious, but too much to feel at ease.
"Gotta say," Arkadiusz didn't sound mad, which surprised the man, but there was something unnerving in his tone. "I applaud your efforts."
He squeezed his hands a bit harder. "However, I hope you do know that was a stupid thing to do."
It grew increasingly difficult to focus on anything but the strong hands clutching at his throat, but he tried nevertheless. He looked at Arek's face, at his impassive expression that could mean anything and nothing at the same time.
It pained him to speak. "Worth it."
Arkadiusz blinked, as if that surprised him. Then he scoffed and let go of his neck. Karol gasped for air and started coughing violently.
"You're lucky I like you, my liege."
His voice was shaky and strained as he spoke. "Wow, thanks I guess." He coughed some more.
Karol wasn't certain what his friend meant with that. The possibilities ranged from destroying the belt right away and doing things his way, to ditching him without another word for pulling a stunt like this. There were probably options he missed out on, too. One could never be too sure about things with a person like Arkadiusz.
He shrugged that notion off, a gentle hand on his chin bringing him back to his bedroom and the man beside him. "I hope you know what's coming your way."
Arek's tone was soft, sweet almost, and it made his guts tie themselves into a knot. For multiple reasons.
Karol gulped. "Can I phone a friend with that one?"
The man snorted, his fingertips drawing elaborate patterns on Karol's bruised chest. "No can do, you used up all of your lifelines."
"Can you still give me a little hint, maybe?" The more he prolonged this silly talk, the more time his body had to recuperate.
Plus, it was fun, to pretend like he was not going to get absolutely obliterated in the next couple of hours.
"Alright." Arek smiled broadly, the sight anything but friendly. "Both you and I are overdue for a shower, and let's just say I had a couple of ideas on how to utilize the setting."
Whoo boy.