Warnings and disclaimers in first section. Don’t forget to look or you might get a surprise or three!
It took forever to get docked once we made it to Strauss, over an hour spent in traffic coming and going from the L4 colony. Like everything in L4, Strauss is pristine and shiny, the fake sun almost blinding to me. From the way Trowa stared, I didn’t know if he had ever been to L4 before, but his reaction was going to grab attention in a hurry.
Sliding an arm around his waist I felt him jerk before he draped an arm over my shoulder, a normal posture most slave/owners took so they wouldn’t be separated. “The way you look around, someone would assume you haven’t been here before,” I smiled up at him sweetly, but am fairly certain my eyes were shooting daggers at him.
He seemed to recall the way I told him the docking bays are monitored to keep out people that aren’t wanted. Taking a deep breath, he rolled his shoulders in a motion that revealed exaggerated boredom. “It’s been a while. I suppose I thought everything would look the same.” Man, was I glad I told him of the renovations that had just been completed. It was only to let him know about the high level of security, but it was helpful. “Have you got everything?”
He was asking if I had everything I needed, clearly wondering what else we needed to take. “We’ve got everything.”
My nerves were making my stomach jump around like I’d eaten a bag of jumping beans. Walking down the opulent white sidewalks, I directed his motions with a tensing of my hand so it looked like he was leading me instead of the other way around. I was actually pretty impressed, to be honest. Other than the first few minutes, he was relaxed, appearing to be one of the bored rich that populate the port.
When his feet faltered for a second, I had to laugh, but remembered to keep it quiet. Obviously, he saw the two men screwing a woman on one of the park benches we were passing, in full view of everyone that walked by. The woman was clearly enjoying the interlude, one cock in her mouth while another pushed into her from behind. Seeing that others stopped to watch the show, I pulled Trowa to a halt, “Wanna give it a go?”
“No one seems to care what those three are doing. Most seem to be enjoying watching them.” Trowa didn’t sound disgusted, but he didn’t sound interested, either, maybe a little baffled. Seeing we were relatively alone, he lowered his voice even more. “What if kids came by?”
“Any kids that live here are sent to schools in other areas of the colony and won’t be home until the weekend. Holidays and weekends are the only times when public displays aren’t allowed. Sex still happens outside, but it’s more discreet.”
Trowa started to walk again, only to stop when one man finished up and walked away, tucking his dick back into his pants, his place taken by another man who only took a second to spit on his cock and sliding it into the woman’s ass with no preparation. She was obviously used to it, only pausing from giving the other man a blowjob for a few seconds to cry out then went right back to sucking him when the man behind her rammed into her hard, leaning forward to grab her breasts and kneading them.
Starting to worry that Trowa was going to sweat, I steered him away from the display, “I wonder how long she’s been on her knees like that.”
“That’s all you have to say?”
It really is amazing how Trowa could keep his voice and expression so calm when his arm was tense enough to be shaking. “She’s an unclaimed slave, Trowa. She’ll be there until no one else wants a turn.”
“It’s wrong.”
“Did she look like she was being violated or forced in any way? She was enjoying herself and probably stays where she’ll attract a lot of attention. You didn’t see the bag hanging at the end of the bench, did you?”
“What bag?”
“The bag men were putting money into before taking a ride. She’ll get tips from observers, too.” She most likely took a seat on the bench buck-naked with her legs spread in invitation, but I didn’t think Trowa needed to hear that.
We still had thirty minutes to get to our destination, so I took the long way, hoping Trowa might like a different area a little better. We passed a small courtyard in the middle of a shopping center and I stopped for a minute. “Duo, what are you looking at?”
With a nod of my head I indicated the group of men in the courtyard, almost hidden by the bushes. “Come on, you should see this.”
“I don’t want to see more, Duo.”
Moving us closer, I tried to explain the difference in what was happening here and what occurred in the park. “These are claimed slaves with their owners. It’s different.”
“How is it different?”
“Just look, these are couples that happen to be outside, but they stay with the same person. Can’t you see the difference?”
I was entranced by the show now, three couples mating with languid and slow motions. This lacked the brutality of what happened in the park, all the men visibly enjoying their partners. “This is the section of the port where most of the gay men stay; the women are on the opposite side of the shopping center.”
After watching for a few more minutes, I nudged Trowa away, my throat tight. Lucky for me he didn’t talk until the courtyard was far behind us. “They cared for each other, didn’t they?”
“That’s why slavery is allowed in Strauss. The slaves come from different colonies, usually with nothing. The relationship between slave and owner becomes close. Think of it this way, a slave is more like a lover than a prostitute. An unclaimed slave is someone that likes sex and money and wants as much of both as possible in a short time. They live elsewhere and visit when they feel the urge, after a series of tests to make sure they’re healthy.”
“What is it about what we just witnessed bothers you?”
“Nothing; I was hoping to help you understand.”
His other arm suddenly appeared at the backs of my knees and startled the hell out of me, but I was easily picked up and carried to a bench in front of the stores before I was able to voice my disapproval. He set me down and crouched in front of me, “What bothered you?”
“Nothing.”
“There was something in your eyes when you watched them, Duo.”
I showed him the irritation I felt by standing, “We’re going to be late. How would you know what I was feeling anyway?”
“Because I was watching you.”
Keeping my head down, I put my arm around him again, sighing when he resumed the position we were in before. Others slave/owner pairs walk around in the same way, so that helped a little with the level of how uncomfortable I felt. We left the slave area and moved into the more traditional part of Strauss, so I dropped my arm, lifting a brow when he kept his arm around my shoulders. “You can let go now.”
“Not until you tell me what you were thinking about. It’s wasn’t just sex you were seeing, was it?”
I should have jettisoned his ass into space when I had the chance. If he kept asking me these questions, I was going to do it, damnit. “What else is there?”
“Caring, commitment, tenderness…love.”
“Whatever. Let me go.”
“You wanted me to see that there’s more to this place than just sex. You weren’t turned on by what you saw, Duo. It made you sad.”
Maybe it did, but I’ll be damned before I would have admitted it. “I tried the whole caring and commitment thing, remember? It doesn’t work out for people like me.”
“Sex is more than a bargaining chip or a tool. It’s supposed to mean something.”
“Drop it. I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” I wasn’t lying, and it wasn’t because I was scared he could convince me he was right. I already knew he was right and that’s what sucked. “We need to save Quatre and that has nothing to do with sex, so let it go.” This was a surefire way to get Trowa to clam up, remind him of the blonde we were helping.
“Quatre’s not the only one that needs to be saved, Duo.”
His voice was soft and intimate as he leaned closer to me. When he lowered his arm, I instantly put at least a foot of space between us. He was staring at me again, so I ignored him, keeping my eyes on the house we came to visit. I knew he was talking about me, for some damn reason. It shouldn’t have taken too long for him to realize I’m far past the point where someone can save me.
“This is it.” Opening the small gate in the iron fence, I stepped through, feeling a thousand miles from the sexual freedom we witnessed less than a mile away. The feeling was reaffirmed when a tiny woman with curly brown hair opened the door and rushed at me, “Duo, honey, it’s been too long.”
“It’s not easy to get here, Layla. You need to move somewhere that’s a little more accessible.”
She grinned at me, her southern drawl thicker than any I’ve ever heard, for good reason. Layla was raised on Earth, as the only daughter of an American southern farmer. Her first husband decided he wanted to move to the colonies, in hopes of finding better jobs. It hadn’t taken him long to realize he wasn’t cut out for life in space. Layla, on the other hand, had loved it and had divorced him in order to stay on L4. Less than a year later, she met Alvin Asher, her current husband and my lawyer. Yes, even smugglers need lawyers from time to time. “Hell, honey, everybody needs a lawyer. The rich need them more than most. Come on in. Al is waiting for you while I finish up dinner.”
I didn’t miss the glare she gave Trowa as she led us into the house and pointed us in the direction of Al’s office and neither did he. “What did I do?”
“Not a thing.” I led Trowa through the big house. “She doesn’t like you because of what I’m about to do.” Pushing open the door of Al’s office, I greeted the man with a hug. He’s as big as a linebacker with the heart of a marshmallow when it comes to friends. If you go up against him in court, he’ll roll right over you, so I’ve heard. “Got the paperwork ready, Al?”
He gave Trowa a look that’s thorough, more curious than angry. Looking down at me, he made a face, “Are you sure about this, Duo? This is something we can’t change back for at least two years. You can’t just change your mind once the papers are filed with the government.”
I didn’t want to do this. I hated the thought of doing this. I already knew the laws, I had studied them time and time again during the trip while Trowa was sleeping for a way to get around them, but it was impossible. “I’m sure. Trowa, you have ten credits?”
He handed me money without question but it was easy to see how confused he was. Al, bless his lawyerly soul, had the papers in front of me in less than five seconds after the exchange of money. I read them over and approved with my signature, handing them to Trowa and telling him to do the same, covering up what he was actually signing. There was a slight hesitation, but he signed his name beside mine and handed the paper back. “I need copies, Al. You’ll send one out to the registrar’s office?”
“Of course, just as we discussed before. I’ll get your copies.”
Minutes later, I handed one of the signed copies to Trowa, letting him see what we had just done. It only took a second for him to look at me with shock in his eyes. “Congratulations, Trowa. You are now co-owner of the Hellion.”