The look didn't escape Alcides' notice, though. He moved to run his fingers through the boy's hair like one would an animal, cupping his cheek a moment before lightly patting his head. The boy just smiled, glad for the sudden and random affection. He followed by Alcides' side as he moved to Lucrèce, taking several steps to every step Alcides' took.
"No, it's not," the man said, looking Lucrèce over. "I think the customers will be quite pleased with you, in general. Too bad about your hair, though."
Lucrèce frowned. At the interaction between Alcides and the boy. At the scrutinizing look he gave him. At the comment too, about the reminder of the customers and his hair. “There’s nothing wrong with my hair.” Except for the fact that he needed to brush it, maybe tie it back with a leather strip. He doubted Alcides would agree to that, asking would be futile. So far it seemed there would be no chance of escape, at least not with Alcides around. There was always the possibility of taking advantage of one of the mentioned customers. Catch them off guard, maybe climb through a window. Then all he had to do was find someone outside who recognized him.
Alcides seemed to ignore what Lucrèce had said, still looking him over. It didn't stop there, though. Alcides grabbed Lucrèce by the back of his hair, forcing the man forward. Alcides pressed his lips against the other man's, harsh. He smelled and tasted of tobacco and hog meat, forcing the too intimate kiss onto Lucrèce before pulling away.
"You're right," he said, fingers coming up to check that none of Lucrèce's makeup had come off. It hadn't, of course. "This will do perfectly fine."
Lucrèce might have audibly yelped as he was pulled forward, but any sound was muffled against Alcides’ mouth. He inhaled sharply through his nose, but otherwise didn’t breathe, eyes wide. He grimaced at the sour taste, the smell, the nausea rising up from his gut. The expression stayed even once Alcides pulled away, face wrinkled with disgust. He craned away from the man’s fingers just enough to prove he wanted nothing less than his grubby touch. “Fuck off.”
"That's for the customers, darling," Alcides said calmly. He moved his hand out of Lucrèce's hair to pat his cheek semi roughly twice before letting it fall to his side.
"Keep the spirit up, though, I promised them a fresh, unbroken toy for them to play with." Alcides moved to sit back down, legs folding. The little boy followed, standing beside his chair again. Alcides bent to speak something softly to them, the boy nodding. He moved to give his tray to Rafael in the corner, picking up one of the foods on it and coming over to Lucrèce.
"Master said you could have something to eat before the customers come!" He said, surprisingly cheery as he offered the meat.
Lucrèce kept his face contorted in a grimace even as Alcides left him alone. He should have known better than to think that as watched the boy approach at the master’s command. He didn’t smile back, or even let his expression soften at the sight of the boy’s cheery disposition. His gaze fell down to the meat, then back up to the small face. “You can tell your master—“ he spat out the word like he really didn’t want it to pass his lips—“I don’t want it.”
Lucrèce straightened his shoulders in a feeble attempt to make himself look, feel, like he had more dignity than Alcides was willing to give him.
The boy faltered, smiling dropping as a panic slowly started to build. he held his hands as he could, still holding the meat up.
"Please, he told me to give this to you," the boy said, voice much softer now. "I can't go back without giving it to you." The boy didn't dare look back. Alcides watched, curious. What would Lucrèce do? Would he keep what pride or dignity he was trying to scrape together, or make sure this boy wasn't harmed for not listening to Alcides' instructions, even if he had no way to?
Lucrèce blinked at the sudden shift in atmosphere. He glanced past the boy’s head towards Alcides, then back to the piece of meat with a flat look on his face. After a handful of seconds considering his options, he decided taking a bit of meat to spare a small boy the wrath of a man who seemed to take pleasure in making those around him as uncomfortable as possible maybe was worth it, compared to blind stubbornness. He took the meat from the boy’s hand, but didn’t eat it, just held between two fingers.
The boy lit up again when Lucrèce took the meat, going over to get his tray from Rafael and move back to Alcides' side. The man moved to lightly pat the boy's head, looking at Lucrèce still. He wasn't above shoving the meat down his throat- there'd be plenty of that this night, after all. He turned to the boy, though, picking up one of the sweeter foods from the tray and offering it to him. The boy lit up even more, leaning forward to take the bite from Alcides' fingers, holding his tray close to his chest.
"Thank you, master!"
Lucrèce felt sick again watching Alcides and the boy, which made him even more reluctant to eat anything. Especially the meat he’d been given. He shifted his weight from foot to foot again, and in his idleness, let his eyes wander around the room. Pride made him aware of every time his gaze lowered, though, immediately looking back up just so Alcides—or any of the or slaves for that matter—wouldn’t assume he was submitting in anyway. If anything, his inaction was just survival, he told himself.
Alcides leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers against the arm lightly. The boy seemed to be in a much better mood with the praise, grinning.
"If you aren't going to eat that, we might as well get you to work, hm?" The man moved to stand again, the boy at his heels as Alcides made his way over to Lucrèce. He took the meat from Lucrèce's hand, looking over it a moment. He grabbed the man by the hair again, forcing his head back and pushing the bit of food into his mouth with the motion. He had given Lucrèce a chance, after all.
Lucrèce started to shuffle back when Alcides stood up again, but then his head was being forced back and the other man had put the food in his mouth before he even had a real chance to dodge the assault. His breath hitched with surprise, having him cough around the bit of meat. It took him several moments to calm down enough to chew for himself, and swallow it down. One bead of water balanced on each of his eyelids, try as he might to keep a steady composure.
"Much better," Alcides said. He moved to take his hand from Lucrèce's hair once again, but this time he didn't pull away. He put his arm around Lucrèce, holding the man close.
"Now, let's go get you to the customers, hm? I'm sure several of them would just love to pay to be the first to use you." He let his hand slide to Lucrèce's butt, keeping it there as he moved to lead the man out of the room.
Lucrèce kept as far away from Alcides as he was able, shrinking into himself if just for keeping the sensation of the man’s arm around him at bay. He had half a mind to shove him. Stamp his foot. Elbow him in the ribs. No doubt it would end badly for Lucrèce, but it was nice to fancy the idea. His discomfort only grew at the comment, combined with Alcides moving his hand lower. “Lucky them,” he muttered behind a shudder.
Alcides smirked some, only pulling Lucrèce closer in response. He led the slave out of the room, chuckling deeply.
"Of course, I have half a mind to take that for myself. I suppose I'll just wait, though, I'll get good coin from the highest bidder if I sell it." Alcides ran his finger over Lucrèce's jaw, his tobacco and hog breath washing over Lucrèce again.
Lucrèce jerked his head away the touch to his jaw, not to mention the smell too. “You’re sick,” he groaned, swallowing down yet another wave of nausea. He would have said more if he didn’t just want to hold his breath. Naturally, he pulled harder when Alcides held him closer, pushing the boundary despite knowing full well the other man would always have the advantage. Physically, at least. “I’ll never understand how you can make money from this.” Who would even pay, he wondered, but maybe that was just his naivety.
Alcides knew he had the advantage, too. He pushed Lucrèce against the wall, pinning him in place and forcing the man to look at him.
"There are many who love the company of a woman, but many more who love the novelty of something like you," Alcides cooed, forcing Lucrèce's chin up. If he wanted to be prideful, he could look Alcides in the eye.
"Perhaps I should keep you for myself today, show you just what your place is."
Lucrèce nearly lost his breath as his back hit the wall. He struggled to meet Alcides gaze, having to grit his teeth with a snarl even just to look at the man’s face. He breathed heavy through his nose, straining to breathe like he’d been trying to run in the strange shoes Rafael had given him. He fruitlessly struggled against the hold Alcides had on. Obviously perturbed by his words, he breathed heavier. “If you did you wouldn’t get your debt paid,” he snapped to cover up the fear making his jaw quake.
"Oh, I would," Alcides said. His voice was deep, and he was cooing at Lucrèce. "It would just take many, many more customers." He smirked some, pressing closer. He ran his finger over Lucrèce's colored lips, teasing at them.
"But, that doesn't matter to me, of course." He smirked still, his hand on Lucrèce's jaw giving away just how scared the man was.
"You are quite… enjoyable, from what little taste I had before."
“You’re a halfwit, you know that? There are other ways to make more money than…whatever’s going around here. Ransom, for one.” Just send me back home. His family would pay. Most likely. While one of the things he prided himself on was his ability for self control, to remain cool in pressured situations, Lucrèce just couldn’t help himself when the opportunity was right there and so tempting. He bit at the finger teasing his lips, hoping to make Alcides suffer even just a fraction of what he gave him and everyone else under his thumb.
"A ransom is a one-time payment. You? You're an investment. I'll get more out of you than any ransom dear old daddy would be willing to pay for you-" Alcides was cut off as Lucrèce bit him, hissing softly. His second hand came up, punching Lucrèce in the stomach, then again and again and again. He didn't hold back, Lucrèce momentarily becoming nothing more than a punching bag.
Lucrèce yelped at the first punch, and the second came, and another. All that came out of his mouth then were muffled coughs and dry heaves, eventually succumbing to vomit. He groaned painfully, wincing at each strike thereafter, finally descending into surrender. Just a fit of whimpers, corresponded with the punches, and tears beaded at the edges of his eyelids.
(This is so fucked up I love it.)
Eventually, Alcides stopped. He held Lucrèce up, looking down at the mess he had made.
"Let's go get you cleaned back up, hm?" He said, as if nothing had happened. As if he hadn't just beat Lucrèce.
"You're not getting out of work, after all." He took the other man by his hair, pulling him back down the hall they had come from. "Perhaps now you'll know not to bite the hand that feeds you." He still held the collared man to his side, one arm around him.
