valarltd | *headdesk*

Apparently, yesterday wasn't Wednesday at all.

So have another episode of Work-in-Progress Wednesday

This is from Nick & Corban. Emotional and physical violence.

Ligatos stalked into David's apartment without knocking or announcing himself. David was sitting at his desk, laboring over his handheld, comparing something with the printout he held. Ligatos fanned away cigarette smoke, although none were in evidence. If David had resumed that particular habit, things were worse than he'd thought. But at the moment he was too furious to care, and the brief thought of lighting all of the contraband and putting it out on David's body crossed his mind.

David looked up and then slid out of his chair to his knees. “What does Master require of his servant?”

“Speak freely, and briefly. What are your recommendations on Tom?" Ligatos knew the boy had been staying with David, at Tanis' insistence, on nights when he wasn't in Ligatos' bed.

David did not look higher than his knees as he said quickly, “Driving only, defensive body guard work, electronic repair. He's not a teacher or a killer.”

“Is it worth continuing his training?”

“That depends on what Master requires.”

Ligatos ground his teeth. His David would have called him darling and used pronouns. This automaton was making him angrier by the minute. “Recommendations on Nick?" It was a deliberate ploy. He'd known since the Tanis incident that David loathed Nick. He waited to see what David would say.

David blinked, but kept his voice in the same flat neutral tone he always used these days. “Again, it depends on what Master requires. At this point, he is a passable field operative, a trained assassin and a fine political mind. He can do anything with further training.”

Ligatos nodded. He stepped closer and stroked David's hair, trying to find the tenderness for his beloved body slave that he'd once had. “Tomorrow night, I want you in my bed.”

David inclined his head in assent. His eyes were gray ice. “As Master requires." He did not seem to notice Ligatos's touch.

“Bring your sadistic streak, lover.”

David repeated, “As Master requires.”

Ligatos backhanded him, hard enough to knock him out of position. “And if you can find it in that empty heart of yours, I'd like my lover back, you selfish little bitch.”

David returned to position and gave a scant nod as if to say that anything Ligatos said was right and anything he did was acceptable. He pressed a dry, passionless kiss against the knuckles of the hand that had struck him.
Ligatos yanked away and stalked back out of the apartment.