Trigger warning: This chapter includes depictions of (consensual)rough sex and toxic relationship dynamics.
Nox looked at the message displayed across his lock screen. He'd been half way through clocking out at the EGC when he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. The rapid vibration belonged to the SOS line between Nox and Sceptr so despite his exhaustion he checked.
The message itself was riddled with typos and unfinished thoughts. Deciphering it took Nox considerable effort. One of his coworkers gently nudged him out of the way so they could scan their own watch to clock out. He apologized half heartedly and scanned his own watch. As he walked out the back door he continued staring at the message, finally realizing it was Mac asking him to come down to a local bar. She'd been drinking, which explained the typos, and needed help with Cas who, no surprise, was also drinking.
Most Espers, especially those still on mandatory active duty, avoided anything that might impair their senses. An intoxicated Esper spelled trouble for everyone around them. Nox was intimately familiar with Cas' brand of trouble. He'd been called in to deal with the aftermath of Cas' drinking parties more than once.
Deep down, Nox knew he needed to put an end to this doubly off the books use of his abilities. But each time he started Mac would bite her lip and nod like she was trying to be strong and Nox would remember Nell getting her first guiding infusion and fold like a house of cards.
Even as Nox muttered that this was 'the last time' to himself, he knew he was bluffing. Nox decided to drop by his apartment to change. Cas had a habit of burning clothing he felt was "in his way" and Nox didn't feel like buying another uniform set.
Many clothes came with a "for guides" option that more accurately translated to "easy removal." Snaps along the shoulder and side. Electric laces that came undone with the press of a button. Esper fabric that could phase through skin once activated.
Nox was fairly certain that the clothing was more popular with party animals than guides. Then again they did take up a good fourth of his own wardrobe. Guide uniforms already came with mesh panels and snaps, along with having minimal coverage in the first place. The sweaters the public saw on guides were only worn in public or when the office climate control was particularly chilly. The uniforms would have been enough for Nox if it weren't for his side gig.
The full length mirror Nox had mounted on his closet door had A large crack running through the center. Most likely from one of Nox's many moves. He couldn't bring himself to replace it. Airi told him it was bad luck the first time she saw it. Only to immediately take it back when she noticed the very un-Nox like stickers lining the frame.
The stickers were from Nell. Punk bands, animated characters she liked, drawings from her favorite artists. Nell was the kind of person to customize everything in her life. She'd gotten in trouble more than once for stitching patches on her reflective safety vest.
Back then Nox had been called into the administrators office on the expectation that he would be able to reprimand her properly. He remembered looking between her and her teacher blankly as the teacher pointed to a patch depicting a pumpkin teddy bear tacked over one of the reflective strips.
Nox carefully took the vest from the teacher and looked at Nell, trying his best to keep his expression neutral. The smirk Nell was sporting told him he wasn't succeeding in hiding his amusement. He bit the inside of his cheek and took a steadying breath. He held the vest out to her and tapped on the patch.
"Take it off, Elenore"
Nell narrowed her eyes suspiciously but complied with Nox's command. She reached out and shadows whipped out from under the patch, cutting the loose stitching easily. The teacher flinched and scolded Nell for using her powers but Nox cut him off.
"Just put it here," Nox held the patch up against the breast, away from the reflective strips. Her teacher started sputtering but Nox fixed him with cool innocence, "We have no bans on self expression, as long as it doesn't get in the way of safety that is."
Nox bent down and put a hand on Nell's shoulder. Nell was beaming up at him, rebellious flame dancing in her eyes.
"Next time make sure you aren't impacting the intended use of safety equipment."
When they got home both of them received scolding from their parents. Followed by a quiet compliment about Nox backing his sister and teaching her a valuable lesson. Nox wondered if they would have been so lenient if they knew how integral those vests were to keeping young Esper's alive.
Their cluelessness was a double edged sword. Nox considered what his parents would think of his little arrangement with Cas and Mac. He couldn't imagine it would be good. They'd certainly be opposed to what he was about to do. Hell, Nox was opposed to what he was doing.
Bitterness made itself at home in the back of Nox's mouth as he walked to the address Mac sent him.
Colorful lights and deafening music surrounded the patio filled with rowdy drunk people. Nox shoved his hands into the pockets of his black cargo pants and bit his lip to keep from groaning out loud. His shoulders went stiff and his walk petered down to a languid creep. The desperation to avoid the inevitable nearly brought him to a full stop.
Unfortunately for Nox, the bouncer was an Esper he had experience with. When they spotted him they eagerly bounded up to them and went in for a hug. Nox stiffened even more as he received the Esper's unwanted advances.
"Guide Nox! What are you doing here? That outfit's from the guide specialty line right? Are you here on duty? Why aren't you just wearing your uniform?"
The torrent of questions continued even as the Esper pulled away.
"It's good to see you too, Sam," Nox smiled politely and held out a hand. Sam pouted at Nox's cold response but they shook his hand regardless. When Nox dropped their hand they looked disappointed. Nox had to resist laughing bitterly at Sam's selfish desire. He pushed past Sam and began peering around the busy party.
It didn't take long to spot Cas. All Nox had to do was look for the flicker of blue light indicative of an electricity Esper showing off. Nox swore softly under his breath and began to weave through the crowd towards Cas.
Party tricks were a warning for Cas being black out drunk. Meaning he'd be even harder to manage. Right before Nox broke through the ring of onlookers surrounding Cas, icy fingers gripped his wrist and pulled him off track.
Nox walked behind the platinum blond head placidly. He was thankful Mac didn't turn towards him until they were tucked away. If she had she might have seen the dead exhaustion in his eyes.
"I can't thank you enough, Nox. You're always here right when I need you!" Mac's speech was less slurred than Nox expected from the garbled text messages. Either she'd sobered up or it had been a rare show of her mothers cunning. The ladder was becoming more and more likely.
"No need to thank me for doing my job."
Mac paused and studied Nox, lips parted slightly and eyes narrow. Examining Nox's uncharacteristic bitterness. She didn't pause too long, allowing Nox his subtle rebellion, if only for the moment.
"I'll tell him you're here, can you meet us outside in ten minutes?"
Nox flashed her a close-lipped smile and nodded curtly. She clasped her hands together and squealed out several more 'thank yous' before diving back into the crowd for her husband.
In her absence Nox wandered towards the exit. As he passed the bar a large hand caught him by the bicep. He turned to the stranger, patience already worn too thin for further Esper nonsense.
Yet, the man holding him was no Esper. He was well built and young, maybe five years younger than Nox. He had dark locks tied up behind his head and shaved sides. His eyes were a dark green that danced like moss in a clearwater spring. The look in those eyes was ravenous. Clearly intoxicated and likely emboldened because of it.
He was Nox's type and it seemed the feeling was mutual. He pulled Nox out of the way of a passing server and up against his chest.
"Come here alone?"
Nox wanted nothing more than to take up this man's indirect invitation. He couldn't remember the last time he had a night to himself. The last time he'd been able to have a casual hook up. The burn of alcohol and the warmth of a stranger sounded wonderful.
But Nox was not alone. Nox was here on duty. The only way he'd taste alcohol was on Cas's lips. Warmth and connection were sure to be tossed aside in favor of hunger and aggression.
"I'm a guide," Nox tried to soften the blow.Leave space in case he were to run into this man again.
"That doesn't bother me," The man grinned and wound an arm around Nox's waist.
Nox pressed his eyes closed and inhaled slowly. The man smelled of cinnamon and whisky. Nox opened his eyes and smiled apologetically, "Unfortunately the Esper I'm attending to might."
It had the intended effect. The other man dropped his arm and moved away from Nox in a flash, fear burning in his eyes. He began to apologize but Nox held up a hand to cut him off. Anymore would chip away at a crack Nox had been trying to ignore. He turned away from the handsome stranger and shoved his hands in his pockets.
The Esper bouncer struck up a conversation with Nox as he waited outside of the thrum of partygoers. He responded cordially, always keeping his eyes on the crowd. When he finally saw Mac leading Cas out towards him he bid the bouncer a soft farewell and walked up to join them.
Mac saw him and flashed him the sign to fall back. He hissed through his teeth and pulled out his phone. He fell into step about four feet behind them, looking down as if invested in something on the blank screen.
It wasn't until Mac's icy digits gripped his wrist again that he realized they were stopping at a hotel. Cas clearly couldn't wait long enough to get home. Nox focused on his breathing and took the card shoved into his palm by Mac.
He walked past the front desk into the bathroom, counted to one hundred, then returned. Mac and Cas were gone, already heading towards a room Nox would be texted the number of. He approached the front desk and smiled at the worker. She was a tired looking young woman with purple raccoon stripes in her hair.
"I like your hair!" Nox placed the card Mac had given him down on the counter, "Room for one please, cheapest one you've got."
The woman smiled at him bashfully and took the card, "I like your hair! I've always wanted to go white, how hard was it?"
Nox smiled at her sadly as he took the keycard, "I promise it wasn't worth it."
She looked confused for a second before her eyes found the snaps along his shoulder and the bite marks in his forearms. She clapped a hand over her mouth.
"I'm sorry! Thank you for your service!"
Nox had to bite back a laugh.
When Nox arrived at the room specified in Mac's text he wrapped the door softly before stretching his neck to either side. There was no telling how…eager Cas might be. Mac's skittish and placating demeanor along with the guilt tripping texts and Cas' little party tricks indicated a rough night. A rough night after an already rough day.
The door cracked open. Instead of Mac's flushed face Nox came face to face with Cas' chest, already bare. He grabbed Nox and pulled him into the room. Once in the room Nox realized that more than just Cas' chest was exposed.
In the corner of the room Cas' wife sat curled comfortably on a chair completely enraptured by something on her phone. The bitterness that had been coating Nox's tongue began to seep into his blood. He felt a buzzing under his skin. It grew louder as she spared only a glance and smile before ducking into the bathroom and turning on the jacuzzi tub.
Cas, in the meanwhile, was quickly stripping away Nox's clothes. The smell of burning fiber told Nox he'd been right to change out of his work uniform. Cas' fingers burned as they dug into Nox's flesh. Nox slapped his hands away and seized him by the back of his neck. He whimpered helplessly as Nox forced him down onto the bed.
Crawling onto the bed and using his weight to pin Cas down, Nox seized the hand with Cas' watch and pulled up his stats. Either Cas had been avoiding guiding sessions or he'd overdone it with his little party tricks.
Nox's eyes flitted around the room until they landed on a pair of white cuffs resting on the bed. He leaned forward to grab them which Cas took as an invitation. He put one hand on the back of Nox's neck and pulled him down into a sloppy kiss. Nox jerked his head forward, knocking into Cas' nose and stunning him. Cas whined and brought his hands up to his nose. Nox took this as an opportunity to snap the suppression cuffs on him.
With one hand Nox held Cas' bound wrists and with the other he extracted a metal strip from the center of the cuffs. He shoved it down against the bed. The puncture the anchor made in the sheets and mattress would have to be covered by the Sceptr fortune.
It took some strength and a well timed roll of Nox's hips to force Cas' bound hands up to lock into place with the magnetic anchor. Once in place Nox watched Cas struggle for a beat, making sure Cas couldn't free himself.
Nox dismounted Cas and returned to his discarded pants. He pulled a few packets of lubricant from his pockets and walked back over to Cas. Normally Nox would put a towel down, but given the anchor, the sheets were already gone.
Settling between Cas' legs, Nox used one arm to hoist one of Cas' legs up on his shoulder. With the other he brought one of the lube packets to his mouth and tore it open. He poured the lube over his fingers before pressing them against Cas' entrance. Cas startled away at the cold sensation but arched his back as soon as Nox pressed a finger in.
The closest Nox ever got to considering Cas beautiful was when he was writing on Nox's fingers. For a few minutes Nox was able to understand what Mac saw in him. Of course then he'd open his mouth and Nox was reminded why their brief relationship never could have worked.
"Can you call Mac back? I've really wanted to try dual guiding."
Nox withdrew his hand and reached down to stroke his cock, coating it liberally with lubricant. He held the base as he pushed into Cas gently, "It's not going to do anything if one of the guides has a horrible match rate with you."
Cas ignored Nox's comment. His eyes rolled back and his legs wrapped around Nox's hips, "Saw an interview with the S-class that went to school with Mac."
Nox stilled his movements. His heart beat picked up and color drained from his face. Cas' eyes opened and he peered at Nox in confusion. Luckily drunkenness made him even more oblivious. His interest didn't extend beyond annoyance at Nox neglecting him. He tensed his legs and pulled Nox closer, forcing himself down on Nox's cock.
"They say he struggles with guides so it's better with more than one. If that prude says it works it should work for me too right?"
Nox's jaw clenched and he ground his teeth together in annoyance. There was nothing he wanted less than to be reminded of Esper Kane while fucking the worst Esper he had to deal with. In an act of petty unprofessionalism, Nox pulled his hips back only to snap back forward harshly. Cas' back arched off the bed and he let out a choked off moan.
As Cas' head was thrown back in pleasure Nox rolled his eyes. He decided to tune out Cas' inane chatter and focus on getting the guiding over as quickly as possible. Cas' vessel was the standard hourglass. Nox could feel himself sitting next to it, knees clutched to his chest and one hand in the stream of falling sand.
When Cas' voice became too annoying to bear, Nox bent down and pressed his lips over Cas'. Cas had never been a good kisser. Not when they were kids, not now, and certainly not when he was drunk. He was overly aggressive with his tongue and reckless with his teeth. The teeth thing might have been intentional. A pathetic attempt to circumvent Nox's only restriction in their contract.
No sanguinious guiding. Nox never hesitated to use it in the field. He would often offer it when guiding S-classes, just to bridge the gap. But he'd firmly declared it off limits to Cas. Not for any noble or self respecting reason. Nox just needed something. Something he could withhold from the Esper who always took so recklessly.
Nox's strict boundary never stopped Cas from trying his luck. The few times he'd managed to nick Nox's lip or tongue Nox ended the session early. He'd become more subtle with his attempts but they hadn't stopped.
As Nox thrust into Cas he pressed a hand over Cas' throat. He used it to push away right as Cas tried to nip at his tongue. He glared down at Cas and snapped his hips harshly against Cas. The impact of their pelvises bordered on painful. The pinched look on Cas' face told Nox he felt the same.
Good.
Served him and Mac right for calling Nox out for this after ignoring him for two months. Rage and indignation built in Nox. By the time the guiding session was done he was near seething. He started to pull away but Cas' legs locked him in place. Nox looked down at him with a silent warning.
"I didn't even cum!" Cas whined.
Nox could feel his eye twitch as he scowled down at what was supposed to be one of the most respected businessmen in the country. Nox knit his fingers together and slammed his joined fists down against Cas' stomach. Cas' legs went weak and he wheezed in pain.
"Go to your wife for that. My job is done." Nox untangled himself from Cas and began retrieving his clothes. There were finger print shaped burn marks along all the fastenings. Nox didn't think he'd be able to salvage them. Even if he'd expected it he still found himself disappointed.
A warm hand pressed against Nox's back. He turned to Mac, a towel tied around her chest and skin red and glowing from the warmth of the jacuzzi. Before he could thank her for taking over she spoke.
"I'm really tired, do you think you could-" Mac had the decency to wither under Nox's cold gaze. His jaw went tight and he turned his head down. Half to focus on what he was doing and half to avoid saying something he'd regret.
"I'm sorry, that was too far wasn't it?"
Nox looked up at Mac, eyes empty, "All of this is too far. We've gone far past too far. I can't keep doing this."
Mac's eyes flashed with fear. The reaction she always had when Nox mentioned breaking the contract. This time Nox saw something different in her gaze. He'd always assumed she was worried for herself. But the way her eyes flitted between Nox and Cas made it seem like she was worried for Nox.