Spliced - Part 1, Chapter 2

[flighty_dreams]

TITLE:  Spliced - Part 1, Chapter 2
AUTHOR: flighty_dreams
WARNINGS: NC-17, most definitely. slavefic. scifi setting.
WORD COUNT: 3235
SUMMARY:  Part One. A businessman finds exactly what he wants at a slave market. Or does he?
NOTES: Not quite finished editing chapter 3, so I think this'll be it for now.

 

Chapter Two 

 

Matt wasn’t sure what to make of his new bedslave as he led him through the market. First the Andorian’s eyes had examined him boldly and without fear, as if Matt had been the one for sale. Then when he’d walked away he’d glanced back and caught the slave looking at him again. He’d gotten the distinct impression that the clone knew it was just a bargaining ploy and that he’d be back. Later he’d been chatting with a friend and gotten the feeling he was being watched. He’d turned casually to look around, and sure enough it was that Andorian staring at him. Strangest of all, the slave had showed him the short man talking to the handler.

Well, once he’d seen the guy up close he’d understood why. The man had screamed sleaziness and cruelty; he wouldn’t have wanted to be at that man’s mercy either. But it was damn strange for a slave to dare take action like that. The last thing that had bothered him was how the slave had suddenly become disinterested in the proceedings at the end. Not only did he look unsurprised that Matt had bought him, he hadn’t even looked like he cared after all.

But that was something to figure out later. He had to get his new slave settled before the meeting, which was only an hour away now. He halted just outside the market grounds and turned to the Andorian two paces behind him. He noted that the pet kept his gaze averted respectfully now, probably because they had officially become master and slave. “Do you have a name?” he asked the Andorian.

The slave looked a little surprised by the question, but he answered quickly enough. “Minril, master.” Matt let the soft, husky voice sink in as well as the name. It seemed strange that he’d only just now heard the pet’s voice. He had said a lot already without using it.

“Minril,” he let the name roll off his tongue. “I like it,” Matt continued. “Min for short?”

“Yes, master,” Min replied, still not looking at him. Matt reached up to grab Min’s chin and moved his face upward to get a good look at him. The slave held his gaze unsteadily, those amazing icy blue eyes shifting uneasily.

“Hmm,” Matt murmured. His hand slid down to check Min’s collar. He’d never liked these heavy iron things. He pushed it up a bit and saw the reddened, raw skin underneath. He frowned and pulled his hand away. “I’ll take care of that, pet. What about the cuffs?” His hand reached down to examine his slave’s wrists.

“The cuffs are okay, master,” Min answered, again in that husky voice. When that voice said the word ‘master’, it shot straight to Matt’s groin. The effect made Matt curse inwardly; he didn’t have time for that right now, and he needed to get his pet a new collar quickly. Everything about the slave was exquisite though:  those lips, that soft hair and those incredible eyes. And the rest of his body was as amazing as his face; it was lean, lightly muscled and graceful.

“All right,” Matt said, turning and pulling on the leash, then walking hurriedly. “I have a meeting soon, so we have to be fast.” There were several stores in the neighborhood near the market that carried slave equipment, and he glanced at a few before settling on one. Min followed him docilely inside as he went straight to the clerk. “I need a new collar for this one,” he told the little man while gesturing at Min.

“Right this way, sir,” the clerk responded, leading them over to a corner that smelled strongly of leather. In it various slave collars of leather and different combinations of metal were hanging. He pulled a strip of tape measure out of his pocket and wrapped it around Min’s neck. Noting the size he turned back to the rack and offered Matt various options. After inspecting several, Matt chose a collar of soft, waterproof kava leather for Min. Since he was already there, he went ahead and bought matching wrist and ankle cuffs of the same material. The ankle cuffs were put on immediately, locking shut with a soft click. Matt had the clerk hold the lead as he carefully removed the heavy iron collar. He had to raise that soft hair up away from Min’s neck to access the lock. He let it slide through his fingers as he lifted the collar away.

Matt hissed under his breath when he saw the full damage the collar had done. “I don’t understand why they’d use such a rough collar on him,” he told the clerk.

“I don’t get it either. I’ve seen it used on rebellious slaves before, but this one’s Andorian. Weeds are more defiant than Andorians,” the clerk answered, puzzlement lacing his voice. Neither thought to ask the slave himself, who kept his expression blank.

Matt asked if there was a med kit and the clerk went to get it from the back. Matt held the leash in one hand while stroking Min’s hair with the other. “It’ll be all right, Min. I’ll take care of that.” Min didn’t resist, he merely stood there, his face neutral. Matt was tempted to go back to the market and complain, but he didn’t have the time to do so. The clerk returned a minute later and Matt applied pain relieving cream to the affected skin after cleaning it. Then he put a bandage over it before locking the new, softer collar around Min’s throat.

Done with Min’s neck, Matt unlocked one wrist cuff and then locked the new cuff about the Andorian’s briefly freed wrist. He repeated this with the other arm before reattaching the leash to the new cuffs. The lock for the leash also went through the hooks on the wrist cuffs, restraining the pet’s arms together. Matt paid the clerk and then led Min to a store they had passed previously. He checked the time and then hurriedly began examining some of the racks of slave ‘rags.’ The previous store’s selection of slave clothing had not been as good. Within a few minutes he’d found a decent blue synth-cott shirt and pants with drawstrings so their size was adjustable. He bought those as well as some more sturdy shoes and bade his pet to put them on. Matt unlocked the leash long enough for Min to put on the shirt before reattaching it. Striding rapidly back to the street he hailed a hovercab. Soon they were riding back to Matt’s hotel, Matt seated and Min curled up on the floor at his feet.

Once they arrived Matt took Min directly to his room. He brought Min into the bathroom and locked the other end of his leash to the towel rack. “I’ll leave you in here in case you need to use the facilities, pet. I’m not sure how long the meeting will be, but I’ll be back after.”

Min knelt down on the floor compliantly, murmuring, “Yes, master.” Matt ruffled his pet’s hair affectionately before leaving the room.

 

*          *          *

 

Well, once again there were worse alternatives, Min thought to himself. At least his new master had been considerate enough to take care of his neck immediately and supply him with some clothes. There was still some fear of the unknown, of not knowing what this man would be like, and what he would expect of him. But he didn’t seem like a bad master so far, and the man was certainly attractive, with a voice that made him shiver. He noted that Muldane had left the bathroom door open. It made him feel a little less confined, which was really a silly notion. The leash was not long; it was unlikely he could even reach the doorway.

He curled up on the floor, enjoying being able to lie down. Except for the brief cab ride, he’d been standing the entire day. A slave always learned to get what rest he could, when he could, so Min ignored the rumble of his stomach and quickly dozed off. The sound of the door woke him as his master returned. Another lesson acquired early—instantly waking when one’s master approached.

But he was still blinking sleepily when his master appeared in the doorway. He hoped Muldane wasn’t the kind of strict master that got mad at slaves for sleeping when they hadn’t been given express permission to do so, but he didn’t allow the tension that thought aroused show. Fortunately, Muldane just asked, “Did you have a good nap, pet? Looks like you needed it.”

Min nodded and replied, “Yes, master, and thank you,” he gestured to the clothing he was wearing.

“Oh, you’re welcome, Min,” Matt responded easily. He strode into the room and reached up to check on Min’s neck. “Is it still hurting?” Min shook his head and Matt said, “Good.” Then he put his hands on his hips and asked, “Now are you hungry?”

“Yes, master. I haven’t eaten today,” Min told him wryly.

“All day? Ashes. Hold on a minute.” He left the bathroom and came back with a covered plastic container. “I figured you’d be hungry so I brought this back for you.” He opened it to reveal a thick broth and placed the container gently on the floor in front of Min. “Careful, pet. It’s hot.”

Min looked up at Muldane briefly and smiled. “Thank you.” Then he carefully lifted the soup. Although his hands were still cuffed together, it didn’t impede him from cupping the bowl-shaped container. At first he thought the broth was slave fare—synth food—but his first sip assured him it wasn’t; it tasted too good. It was free man’s food. So he savored it instead of rushing it, but still made sure to drink all of it. It wouldn’t do to insult his new master so quickly.

Once he finished, Muldane took the container from him and threw it in the trashvac. Then he walked back over to stand in front of Min and pulled his keys out of his pocket. “Hands, pet,” he said. Min obediently raised his hands and Matt unlocked the leash and freed his wrists. He let the leash drop to the floor as Min lowered his arms, stretching them. “Come,” he told the Andorian, and turned and walked out to the bedroom. Min followed him more slowly, wondering what would happen next.

The hotel room was of good quality, if not particularly big. It had one large bed in the center, and a sofa to one side facing a vid screen. A nightstand with a nice round lamp stood on the other side of the bed. The large window opposite with a view of the darkened city showed that it was already night time.

Min was surprised when Muldane went over to the sofa instead of the bed, and then gestured for him to follow. Min sat down on the floor in front of the sofa, leaning against it. He heard Muldane sigh, and then a moment later hands reached for his shoulders, pulling him against Matt’s legs. “Closer, Min, I won’t bite. We aren’t going to do much tonight. It’s been a long day and we have an early flight to catch in the morning.” He stroked Min’s hair reassuringly, then picked up the remote and turned on the vid screen. “I just want to catch some of the news.”

They watched the vid for a while, and Min relaxed gradually while Matt continued to slide his fingers through the Andorian’s hair.

 

*          *          *

 

Once the program ended, Muldane turned the screen off and lowered his other hand some to grasp the slave’s chin. He pulled Min’s face towards him and looked him in the eyes, saying, “I’m going to take a shower now. You aren’t going to do anything dumb like run off, are you? If you feel like you’ll be tempted, I can tie you again.” He doubted an Andorian would dare run off, but this one wasn’t your typical Andorian. He wanted to make sure.

The slave’s eyes widened, but he shook his head. “No, sir. I’ll stay.”

“Good.” Normally Matt wouldn’t have minded tying him, but the only thing solid enough to tie him to was the towel rack, and he didn’t trust himself. If the slave was so close while he showered, he’d probably end up dragging Min in with him. It was a shame there wasn’t more time. Even still smelling like the grimy market, the slave was enticing. But he didn’t want to rush their first time together, he wanted it to be memorable. And he’d have all the time he wanted later to explore the Andorian’s body thoroughly. Nothing like a little anticipation to spice things up.

Standing up, he turned the vid screen back on and handed the Andorian the remote. “Here, entertain yourself in the meantime. And stay put,” he commanded. Then he disappeared into the bathroom.

 

*          *          *

 

Once he heard the shower running, Min got up from the floor. His butt had started falling asleep from sitting like that, and he rubbed at it. He walked to the window and looked out at the busy streets, watching the lights of the hovercars blur past below him. After several long moments he turned around and leaned against the window. Frowning, he stared at the door. He suspected that Muldane had been willing enough to tie him, but for an unknown reason had refrained. The man didn’t seem like the careless type, and leaving a brand new slave unrestrained was somewhat careless, even when the clone in question was Andorian. Any new slave could get spooked by an unfamiliar master and run off if given the chance.

Suddenly an idea came to him, and a visual search of the room confirmed it:  there was nothing strong enough to tie a slave to in here.

So Muldane couldn’t chain him up in the bedroom, and for some reason he hadn’t wanted his new slave in the bathroom. Min’s gaze returned to the door one more time before he sighed and turned away from it. This master was not so bad; he might as well stay with him. Plus there was really nowhere for him to run to anyway. He was Andorian; he needed to serve, and why not serve the man who had just bought him? Especially with that commanding tone Muldane had, that made him melt and instantly obey. And that body…

When he heard the shower die out he went back to the sofa and knelt down before it again. He picked up the remote and flipped through different channels idly. A minute later his master appeared out of the bathroom clad only in loose sweatpants. Min’s eyes flickered over to him to get a brief glance at his upper body before returning to the vid screen. Hmm, yes he’d liked what he’d seen.

“Nothing good on?” Muldane asked him, and when Min shook his head, he continued, “It’s always that way. The more channels, the less there is worth seeing.” The Kartan put some things away in his suitcase, and then turned to face Min. “Come, pet. It’s your turn to shower.”

Min was relieved. He really wanted that shower, because the dirt and sweat of the slave market still lingered on him. So he followed his master to the bathroom. Once they were inside, Muldane put a hand on his shoulder to halt him. “I need to take off that bandage before you shower. It’ll just fall off in there.”

“Oh yeah,” Min replied, turning his head to look at the bandage in the mirror. The cream was wearing off, and a dull ache was rising in its place, but pain was an old companion. This time it was faint and easily ignored, making him forget about the injury. His master stepped outside for a moment, returning with the key. He slipped the collar off and placed it on the counter next to the sink. Then he carefully removed the bandage and checked Min’s neck. It already feels strange, Min thought to himself, the air stirring against his bare skin.

Muldane interrupted his thoughts. “It’s already looking better.” Min smiled wryly, acknowledging one of the Andorian curses and blessings—faster healing. “Okay, go ahead,” Muldane told him, and left the bathroom.

He took his time showering, lingering longer than necessary. He wanted to enjoy it while he could, for he didn’t know what the arrangements would be at his master’s actual home. Some slave owners let them use the bathrooms, but others had special ‘slave washrooms’ that never had warm water. This hotel was not one that catered to slave owners, so Muldane had to either let him use the bathroom or have him remain dirty.

It felt so good to wash away a week of grime from the slave pits at the market. He’d stayed unusually long there because when he was first brought to the market, he’d fought his handler. He hadn’t been able to control himself. By the time they’d restrained him, heavy iron collar and all, he’d sustained some injuries. So they’d waited until he had healed before putting him up for sale. They’d also spent that time watching him to make sure he would behave, and he did, the fight beaten out of him. Now he brought a hand up to stroke his bare neck, enjoying not having a collar there.

He turned the water off abruptly, shaking himself back to reality. Wondering how much he should wear for sleeping, he decided to put both the synth-cott shirt and pants back on. If his master wanted it otherwise, he could take it off again. He eyed the collar on the counter, and then looked up at his throat. Some of the skin was still aggravated, though less than before. He shrugged to himself and figured the master could decide that as well. Wrapping his wet hair in a towel, he searched for a comb or brush. Not finding one, he stepped outside.

Muldane was lying on the bed, a book template in his hand. He lowered it as Min came out and looked over at him. “Master, do you have a comb or brush?” Min asked quietly.

“Oh, I have a comb,” he said, getting up and moving to his suitcase. “Will that do?” He found his small comb and held it out to Min.

“Good enough, thank you,” Min smiled at him, accepting it. He loosened the towel, then turned away and hung it back in the bathroom. Standing in front of the mirror, he parted his hair and began gently combing out the knots. It took a while, but looked much better afterward. Then he picked up the hair dryer, and within a few minutes his hair was completely dry.

Entering the bedroom again, he noticed that Muldane was under the covers now. Seeing Min, his master said, “Come, pet.” He indicated the bed. “We need to get some sleep. We’ve got 6 hours before our flight.” Min climbed in, and Muldane put an arm around his waist and pulled him close. “Mmm,” he murmured, easily catching Min’s clean scent. “Much better.”

They fell asleep like that, curled up together.

Chapter Three