Spliced: Hollis/Nuit Interlude the 2nd (Revised)

[flighty_dreams]

TITLE:  Spliced - Hollis/Nuit Interlude the 2nd (Revised)
AUTHOR: flighty_dreams 
WARNINGS: Slavefic, M/m.
WORD COUNT: 2,033
SUMMARY: Hollis lets it slip that he's thought about freeing Nuit. What happened after that?
NOTES: Spin-off from Part 3, Chapter 2. See recap after the cut for more info. Spliced Index found here.

 

 

RECAP: The first Hollis/Nuit short is here. This is a sequel to that story and also spins off from Part 3, Chapter 2. That's the chapter right after Min's disappearance when Matt tells Hollis that Min is gone. Matt also questions Nuit about Min and gets into an argument with Hollis. During the argument Hollis is pressured into admitting that he might free Nuit someday. This story is the aftermath of that little revelation.

 

 

*                                  *                                  *

 

Hollis glared at the report in his hand with disgust.

 

He'd been staring at the same page on his PC's screen for the past half hour, but couldn't remember anything about the witness's testimony. Instead his mind kept replaying the scene at Muldane's and what he'd said in front of Nuit, wondering what he was going to do about it. He and Matt had had similar arguments before, but the idea of freeing Nuit someday had been just that - an idea in his head. He'd never said it out loud before, much less proposed it to Nuit. And that certainly was not how he'd ever meant to bring it up. Damn Muldane for pushing him.

 

He glanced down at the clone, who was lying in bed next to him, his head on Hollis' stomach. Nuit had one arm curled across his waist, and his legs were tucked under the sheet covering them both from the waist down. Hollis knew Nuit had chosen the position carefully, making sure he wasn't interfering with Hollis' reading, but still cuddled close to his master. Considering how many documents Hollis had to read on a regular basis, this was a familiar scene. And it was a tableau Hollis didn't mind at all, enjoying it whenever Nuit showed his affection for him, which thankfully was often.

 

After leaving Muldane's a while earlier, the ride home had been quiet. Once the initial tension caused by his bombshell passed, they'd been fine while Matt was around, the issue obviously tabled for private discussion later. But once they were alone in the car, the uneasiness between them returned, both of them obviously thinking about it again.

 

Not ready to talk about it yet, Hollis had remained silent, and Nuit of course followed his lead. But once they had pulled up to the house, Hollis turned to the clone. Feeling that he at least should tell him something, Hollis said, “Give me some time to think. We'll talk in a while, Nuit. Okay?”

 

Predictably, Nuit had acquiesced and Hollis had let out a sigh of relief, appreciating the reprieve. He would talk about it, but he wanted time to choose his words carefully.

 

Glancing at the clock, Hollis noted that they'd been home almost an hour now. He obviously wasn't going to get any work done until they settled this, and he'd had enough time now to think, so he dropped his pocket-comm onto the mattress beside him. He reached for Nuit, one hand brushing through his silver hair while the other stroked his back. Nuit leaned into the hand petting his hair, which made Hollis smile, a warm feeling coursing through him.

 

Hooking his arm around Nuit, he gently pulled the slave closer, until his head was lying on Hollis' shoulder. “I'm ready to talk. Are you? Or do you need some more time?” he asked the clone.

 

“Master,” Nuit answered, and Hollis could hear a familiar tinge of amusement in his voice - so faint it had taken months with Nuit to recognize it - as he continued, “I won't know what to say until I hear what you have to say. So I'm ready if you are.”

 

A short, abrupt laugh slipped out of Hollis. “I see your point.” He had to explain what he'd meant exactly, or how much he'd even meant it, before getting Nuit's opinion. Always careful, Nuit wouldn't want to express his opinion before hearing the full story.

 

Looking back on their relationship, Hollis knew that their discussion some months back, the night he'd proven to Nuit that he’d never physically punish him, had helped them a lot. Nuit wasn't scared to talk to him anymore, or to ask him things. Of course he was still polite and respectful - Hollis didn't think those formal manners would ever disappear permanently, but Nuit had lowered his guard more and more over time.

 

Almost a year ago, as they became more comfortable with each other, he'd told Nuit that he could use his name in private if he wanted to, that he only had to call him 'master' in public.

 

A light sparkling in those dark eyes, Nuit had replied shyly, “But I want to. With you it's different. I never meant it when I said it to anyone else the way I do for you.” Hugging Hollis, hiding his face against his shoulder, Nuit had whispered, “I am yours, master.”

 

Touched, and a primitive part of him deeply pleased, Hollis hadn't mentioned it again.

 

Sighing now, Hollis focused his thoughts. Rubbing Nuit's arm absently, he said, “I don't want you to feel trapped. If you want more than. . . this, then tell me. And I don't just mean today. If something changes and you feel differently sometime in the future, the offer will still be open.”

 

“I don't understand what you're offering, master,” Nuit told him, when the lengthy pause made it obvious Hollis was waiting for his response.

 

“Freedom, Nuit, like I mentioned at Muldane's. If you want it,” Hollis replied, surprised he had to spell it out even as he was reluctant to do so. “I’m sorry it just came out like that while I was arguing with Muldane. I’d thought about it some, but I wanted to talk to you in private about it.”

 

“You’ve really been thinking about it for a while, master?” Nuit asked curiously.

 

“Yes,” the Monlean told him honestly. He felt himself tensing as he asked, “So do you want me to free you? Today or someday?”

 

Nuit sat up, and Hollis looked up to meet his troubled eyes. The clone gazed down at him for a moment and then turned his head to the side, staring blankly out the darkened window. His gut clenching as he wondered what Nuit's answer would be, Hollis forced himself to be patient and gave him time to think.

 

Finally, Nuit met his eyes again, and his voice was soft but firm. “I don't know what I would do with freedom. Where would I go? I want to stay here with you, Hollis.”

 

The rare use of his name added weight to the statement, and convinced Hollis that Nuit was speaking the truth.

 

But his words had made Hollis realize something else, and his hand reached out to cover the clone's. "Nuit, I'm sorry I didn't make this clearer. I'm not asking you to choose one or the other. You can be free and still stay with me, if that's what you want. You can have both. We'd just... adjust some things."

 

Brows creasing, the clone gazed at him uncertainly. After mulling it over, Nuit said at last, “I like things the way they are, master.” He paused hesitantly before adding, “Maybe someday I’ll feel differently, or you will. But for now, I want to be yours.”

 

Sitting up to face him, the Monlean exhaled with relief. Placing a hand on Nuit's shoulder he murmured, “My boy.” Smiling gently at Nuit he continued, “I just want you to know you have the choice. And I like giving you the choice.” Sighing, he told him, “It feels better to know you want to be here, that you aren't here just because I brought you home.”

 

Mouth curving up a bit, Nuit replied, “Well you did bring me home, master.”

 

Hollis chuckled briefly. “True, I did.” Sobering he asked, “But you understand what I mean though, right?”

 

Nuit nodded. “You like me choosing to stay with you.” Smiling one of his rare full smiles, Nuit added, “You're not like anyone else I've ever met, master. I'm a slave. Who else would insist I have a choice?”

 

Even as he felt a pang for all the slaves out there leading miserable lives, Hollis couldn’t help grinning back at his sweet boy. “Glad I stand out.” Lifting his other hand to twine his fingers in Nuit's hair, he pulled the clone in for a kiss.

 

*                                  *                                  *

 

Nuit returned the kiss eagerly, still moved by his master's offer. He opened his mouth to him, letting Hollis' tongue collide with his own. His pulse sped with excitement, Hollis' lips and hands knowingly touching him in just the right ways. Needing to give back, he returned the favor, drawing a harsh groan out of his master.

 

He wanted to stay close to Hollis forever, to bask in his goodness and generosity. How had he been so fortunate? He thought of Min, chafing under Muldane's restrictions, and he thought of his former masters, who had alternately neglected and abused him. And then he thought of Hollis, who gave pleasure back in equal measure, never abused him, and actually cared about his feelings. Yes, he was so happy he had Hollis.

 

His master pulled away then, even though his body language told Nuit he'd done it only reluctantly. His eyes dark with lust, he flashed Nuit a wry grin. “As much as we're both enjoying this, I want to make sure this is settled first.”

 

Trying to steady his breathing, Nuit huffed out, “Okay.”

 

Hollis brushed Nuit’s bangs away from his face affectionately. “Even if you want to stay, and you don't want freedom, if there are other things you want, just tell me. I don't want you to feel like your life is empty, Nuit.”

 

“Empty? But I have you, master,” Nuit protested. How could Hollis think his life was empty?

 

“Hm, that’s the wrong word. I mean besides me, Nuit. There must be something you want that’s just for you,” Hollis insisted, his gaze intense. “Anything?”

 

“Anything?” Nuit asked, feeling incredulous. Even coming from Hollis, there had to be a catch somewhere, right?

 

A playful scowl from his master. “Well, not anything. But like I’ve told you before, if you're unhappy about something, or want something, talk to me about it and we'll see. I don't want to be like Muldane, who never had any idea what was going on with Min.”

 

Nuit smiled at him, shaking his head. “You aren't like him at all, master.”

 

“Good to hear,” Hollis replied, pleasure clear in his tone.

 

No, his master definitely wasn’t like Muldane. He loved that Hollis instinctively knew he needed repeated reassurances that it was okay to ask for things, or say if something made him unhappy. It was the direct opposite of what his training had taught him, so it was still hard to believe sometimes.

 

And yet after a year of being with Hollis and learning the kind of man he was, the man’s offer tonight had shocked him. Even before meeting Hollis, he wouldn’t have known what to do if offered freedom. Slavery was what he’d been created and trained for; although there might be a part of him that yearned for something more, he didn’t know how to be anything else but a slave. And with Hollis, he’d finally found something more, and he was content to leave things as they were. What if Hollis freed him and it changed things between them? He liked what they had too much to risk losing it. So he’d left the door open for someday, but told him no for today.

 

A temporary silence fell, before his master spoke again. “So is there something you'd like? Something that would make you happy?”

 

Frowning, Nuit thought it over. He was about to say he was fine, until his gaze drifted over to the PC still lying on the bed. He wanted to stay with Hollis, yes, but there were things he was curious about. Normally he would never have dared to ask, but it seemed acceptable now considering the huge, scary thing Hollis had already offered him tonight.

 

Lifting his eyes to meet his master's, he asked tentatively, “Can you teach me to read, Hollis?”

 

His master stared at him for a long moment, looking surprised. Then strong, warm arms were enveloping him, and Hollis murmured softly into his ear, “Of course I will. I feel like a fool. I'm sorry I didn't think of it a long time ago.”

 

Closing his eyes, Nuit nipped Hollis’ neck and then said contentedly, “I'm not, master. I'm glad you gave me the chance to ask.”

Comments

[twicet.livejournal.com]

This was a lovely interlude with a nice insight into their relationship.

[flighty-dreams.livejournal.com]

Thanks, glad you liked it. I thought it would be nice to show a little more of these two. Thanks for commenting. :)

[lab-jazz.livejournal.com]

Lovely little add-in to the dynamics of their relationship

[flighty-dreams.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Glad you found it insightful (as far as showing more of their relationship). And thanks for commenting. :)

[tuawahine.livejournal.com]

Yay for more Hollis/Nuit!

I'm glad Nuit trusted Hollis enough to ask for something, and being able to read will open a whole new world for him.

[flighty-dreams.livejournal.com]

Yay indeed. They're too cute, and they're fun to write about. :D

I figured I'd spare you the trouble of beta-ing this snippet; you've got enough on your plate atm. XD

Yeah, I'm glad about that too. It was an important step for Nuit. Me thinks this won't be the last Hollis/Nuit interlude I write...

Anyways, thanks for commenting. :)

[spike7451.livejournal.com]

Just a beautiful interlude between these two. One day perhaps, taking in the different dynamics of their relationship, Min and Matt can have this closeness and trust.

[flighty-dreams.livejournal.com]

Glad you found it sweet. :)

Min and Matt having closeness and trust one day? Pshaw! XD No, seriously we can hope they do one day. I'm working on it... the beatings will continue until morale improves. >:D

Although as you mentioned, the dynamics between them will be different from Hollis and Nuit's. Less sweetness, more uhh... *grins mysteriously* I won't say. I shall leave it up to your imagination in the meantime. >:D

Thanks for reading and for commenting, as usual. ;)

[pierrot-dreams.livejournal.com]

I love the chemistry between these two. Still, I wish that Nuit could accept Hollis's offer of freedom...

[flighty-dreams.livejournal.com]

Aww, I know. These two love each other (not that they've admitted it aloud) but I don't think Nuit fully understands what Hollis is offering him. And at this point he's just not ready for it. Will he understand it one day and accept it? *grins mysteriously* Who knows? But there's no fun in confirming it one way or the other. ;)

Thanks for commenting. :D

[dramagirl007.livejournal.com]

Wow I loved this Interlude. I hope Nuit learns how to read. Keep up the good work and please update ASAP, let the month be over with already so Min can come back. :)

[flighty-dreams.livejournal.com]

Hehe, the month will be over soon... don't worry!!

And yes, I'm happy that Nuit will learn to read now. I didn't have the ending planned out when I started writing this, so I was pleasantly surprised when that came out. ;)

Thanks for reading and for commenting. And be patient, more updates coming soon! XD

[1more-sickpuppy.livejournal.com]

There it is! The second interlude, sweet as ever. There is just one thing that really bothers me, and I'm surprised (read: disappointed) that it wasn't something Hollis made clear. Him being a lawyer and all, wanting to work out the clauses. He should have told Nuit that he wasn't choosing freedom OR Hollis. As in, if he wanted to be freed, he could still stay with Hollis, right? If their relationship will get even deeper, it's an important gesture.
Maybe Hollis didn't want to press the matter because he really wants Nuit to stay, but what better way to make sure Nuit is there by choice than to free him, make him capable of living free, and then see if he still stays? I don't think anyone has any doubts about what both Hollis and Nuit want, but again - important gesture.

I loved that what Nuit asked for was learning to read. That is a great thing to be doing for himself, and opens a window to the world, to knowledge, and thereby to beeing a more 'real person' instead of just existing.

Finally, I forget the life expectancy for clones, and Hollis' age, but it's a bleak future to think in maybe some years, Nuit will just suddenly die. Sad.

[flighty-dreams.livejournal.com]

Sorry, I've been really busy + NaNo. Been meaning to reply to this tho!

You know, even before I saw your comment, this occurred to me as well. Like I was at work and realized oops, I should've had Hollis spell that out more clearly. Because as you said (especially as a lawyer lol), he should have told Nuit it wasn't a question of choosing freedom OR Hollis. He could have both. All I'll say is when I wrote this I was thinking ahead to something else and somehow overlooked mentioning that in this interlude.

You're right, it's clear what they both want, but the gesture is very important. This weekend, when I have some time, I'm going to *fix* this fic LOL. There really needs to be some mention of that; it really bothers me now. Drat, this is what happens when I post stuff without going over it! XD

Anyways, I'll fix it this weekend as I said. And then I'll reply to this comment again to let you know. XD I suppose I could have waited to write back to you here until after I fixed it but too late now...

Anyways, thanks for the thoughtful comments as always, and yes Nuit's life expectancy (20-25 yrs) is sad to think about... poor boys. :( And unfortunately, it won't be sudden... more like deteriorating once he hits a certain point... >.

[flighty-dreams.livejournal.com]

Just wanted to leave a quick comment here for you and say, I FINALLY FIXED THIS. Lol. Added some bits here and there, and definitely clarified the offer. ;) It's not that much longer than before, but besides clarification, I also expanded Nuit's thoughts on the subject, which needed to be done also lol. Anyways, enjoy.

[1more-sickpuppy.livejournal.com]

Mm, yes, that seems more like Hollis, to clarify the small print, especially when dealing with Nuit whom he cares for in both senses of the word. I still love that Nuit asked to be taught to read. A very good choice.

[flighty-dreams.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that feels better now with the clarification. And I'm glad Nuit asked for that too. This definitely is not the end of this particular storyline. ;)

[helga1967.livejournal.com]

This chapter is beautiful. It's a heart countent moment.

[flighty-dreams.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it! =)

[half-imagined.livejournal.com]

WUT. An interlude?!?

Augh! This makes me curious, too!

I wonder if Nuit's mind will change when they get Min back (because I'm pretty sure, at some point, Matt will find Min/Alex or Alex/Min will find Matt). I wonder if Hollis' mind will change... and if Matt's mind will change. Will he still be incredibly stubborn?

Strange, I forgot just how much I love seeing Hollis and Nuit together. They're so cute and their times are so quiet and I love them so much.

[flighty-dreams.livejournal.com]

Lol, yep another interlude.

Yeah, interesting things to ponder. If the situation changes, will Nuit's decision change as well? Matt not be incredibly stubborn? Heh, wishful thinking! ;-)

Yes, I forget how much I love them together too. Then I reread a part (or write them again) and it all comes back. They are really cute together. :D

Thanks for the comments. :) And enjoy your month long break from work, I'm jealous!

[fran-fic.livejournal.com]

Somehow I missed this before... So, sorry for commenting ages later, but it's new to me :-)

But... how sweet was this? :-) Muldane and Hollis are really each other's total opposites, aren't they? And they each got slaves they deserve :-) Can you imagine Hollis with Alex/Min, and Muldane with Nuit?

[flighty-dreams.livejournal.com]

No problem! Belated comments are just as appreciated. :D

Aww, I'm glad you liked it. Yeah, it is sooo different writing them as opposed to the other Spliced pair. Lol, I'm picturing this switch up now. Hollis and Alex/Min would be friends, but Alex would be too much for Hollis to handle on a daily basis lol. (Well that might be true for just about anyone where Alex is concerned.) And Matt would be bored to tears by Nuit, who poor boy, would be terrified of pissing Matt off.

Yep, they definitely got paired with the slaves they deserved/needed. XD Glad you enjoyed it... I definitely want to write another Hollis/Nuit interlude sometime. It's nice to get into their heads.

[fran-fic.livejournal.com]

OK, I would feel very sorry for Hollis and Nuit respectively in that switch-up :-))

They're super sweet :-) I hope you do get to write more of them.

[sa-tsl.livejournal.com]

both of them are sooo cute together ! :) Nuit is so lucky to have Hollis and vice versa .

Wish Min and Matt were like that , but then it wouldn't have been interesting lol :)

thanks for the interlude !
- Renn