Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The alarm on his phone went off. Char opened his eyes.

He quickly silenced it. He opened his email as his eyes adjusted to the light. Zeon was an international company, which meant he had six hours of news to catch up on.

The acquisition of the shipping company had fallen through. Unfortunate but acceptable. Their CFO was accused of sexual assault. He would need to be fired and replaced immediately. Today would be yet another today that he ate lunch in a meeting room. Their overall stock price was still up. The children's hospital was asking for donations again. Like always, he'd send them money. He was double booked for a 10 am meeting. His assistant should have caught that. He needed to attend them both, so he would somehow have to get each meeting done in half the time.

Some days, Char wondered why he even bothered to open his eyes. At least he had his morning workout to look forward to.

He sat up. Nanai stirred next to him but didn't wake. He leaned over and kissed her forehead. He didn't understand why she wanted this, but it was an easy request to grant, so he did it anyway.

She usually didn't wake up when he did this, but today she did. She leaned up and kissed him on the lips.

"I had a good dream last night," she said.

"That's good."

Char didn't have time to talk to her this morning.

She stretched. She had taken off her shirt at some point in the night, and the motion accentuated her breasts. Char absolutely did not have time to fuck her.

Besides, they had had sex recently, a week ago. She should still be satisfied from that.

"I dreamed about our wedding," she continued.

Nanai Miguel was Char's fiancée. A year ago a rumor started to circulate that the famous CEO had never been see with a woman because he was gay. Char promptly fixed this by going out with Nanai, and things had progressed as relationships naturally did. When she started hinting that she was ready for marriage, Char got down on one knee and gave her a ring that any other woman would have been jealous of.

As far as women went, Char considered Nanai the best of them. She was beautiful. She was driven. She was smart. She was good with money. She let him blame it on stress when he couldn't stay hard during sex. She believed in the philanthropic bullshit the PR department of his company, Zeon, put out. She held Char when he needed to be held.

Char was incapable of love. She believed he was.

"Two months," he reminded her.

She was taking care of all the wedding preparations. Char wasn't ashamed of this. It was one of the many things women were better than men at.

"I know."

They kissed again. Then he grabbed his clothes from the closet and went into the bathroom to get dressed.

Horst locked the door as he entered Char's office. He handed a folded square of paper in his hand. Char loathed Horst and didn't have the energy to deal with him after a day full of long meetings. Unfortunately, business required playing nice.

"Char! I've got something for you."

He faked happiness and surprise.

"Oh?"

Horst sat down in the chair on the other side of Char's desk. His happy expression irritated Char. He handed him the paper. He unfolded it. It was a printed off hotel reservation.

"Consider it my wedding present," Horst said with a wink.

Gross. Like most people he interacted with, Horst was a rich and powerful man, which meant he was also a pervert, believed there were no consequences for his actions, and that every other man was just like him.

He chuckled.

"The reservation is for tonight? I 'll have to check Nanai's calendar."

"This isn't the type of hotel you bring your wife to."

Char didn't understand. He flipped the paper over. The back was blank.

"Is it just for me?" Char asked.

"I've arranged company for you."

Horst arranged a prostitute for him. Char had to fight to keep his disgust from showing.

"You dog," he teased.

"Everyone needs one last night of fun before signing their life away." He winked. "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone."

Char stared at the paper while he was in the bathroom.

A prostitute. He didn't even like having sex with his fiancée, and yet, he was curious. Maybe a professional's touch was what he was missing.

When he got back to his office, he locked the door and then pulled out his phone. Nanai answered quickly.

"Yes, dear?"

"Horst is throwing me a surprise bachelor party tonight. Are you alright with that? I wouldn't be coming home tonight."

"That's kind of him. Sure."

"Thank you. Have a good night."

Char arrived at the hotel early. It was cheap, which he had expected. He checked the room for bugs and found nothing electronic, just a dead cockroach in the bathtub. Horst wasn't the type of man to attempt blackmail, but Char had to make sure. He had an hour until the time written on the reservation, so he pulled out his laptop and got some work done.

The appointed time came and went. This was incredibly unprofessional, and Char was about to leave when there was a knock on the door. She was fifteen minutes late. Char glanced in the mirror in the room briefly to make sure he still looked tidy, which of course he did, and then he opened the door.

Char had been expecting a woman, so at first he was confused by the gender of the person in front of him. They were wearing a blue suit. Their face was rounder than what he had expected of a man. If they were a woman, they would be average height, but if they were a man, they'd be short. He had a backpack on, not a purse. Despite all this, Char could not describe the person in front of him ass anything but masculine and handsome.

Their eyes lit up when they recognized Char. They walked right past Char into the hotel room and sat down on the large bed in the room. They sat their backpack down beside them, and the movement caused metal inside the bag to clank together.

They had an attitude of a man.

"I can't believe it. You're really Char Aznable."

The voice answered the question for Char.

"You're a man."

Amuro was first shocked, then amused. He leaned back and let his weight rest on his hands behind him.

"You were expecting a woman?"

"I am a man, so yes, I was."

He snickered, then caught himself.

"That's hilarious. I thought Lalah would have told Horst. Oh, Lalah's the one who set this up. She's a friend of mine and Horst is a frequent client of hers."

"I'm engaged to a woman." It was his go to response when someone questioned his sexuality.

The stranger rolled his eyes.

"Boy, if I had a dollar for every time I heard that one. Straight men don't stare at other men like that."

Char hadn't looked away from

"You should leave," Char said coldly.

"Sorry. That was rude of me." He sat up properly. "I'll leave if you want me to, or we can fuck, and I won't breathe a word to this of anyone."

The image this beautiful man naked on top of him sent his blood running south. Nanai did not provoke similar reactions.

"Are you a prostitute?"

"No. I don't have the social skills for it. I like to play, that's all. "

He was surprisingly honest. Char never was, and the contrast was alluring.

"Are you being paid?"

The humor finally disappeared from the stranger's face.

"Yes. I don't usually charge, but Horst offered me money. I won't turn down money. I'm not doing this just because I'm being paid, though."

"Then why?"

He grinned again, and it was the grin of a predator. Char knew violence. Did this man?

"This is a chance to make one of the most powerful men in the world beg. I'm not passing that up."

No one spoke to Char that way. His life was defined by power. Like a proper man should, he took care of Nanai. He never stopped taking phone calls for work. He was responsible for over a million employees. This gorgeous man was offering to take that power away for him for once. The idea appealed to him.

"That is, if you want to," the man continued. "I'm not an asshole. If you don't want this, I'll leave. Either way, I won't tell anyone about this, except for Lalah."

Char sat down on the bed next to the man. He smelled a bit sweaty and faintly of gasoline. He was definitely a man, Char decided. Somehow, being confident about the man's gender changed how Char perceived him. It made him more attractive.

"And if I ask you not to tell her?"

"I can't hide anything from Lalah, but it's alright. She won't tell anyone."

For a reason he didn't understand, Char believed him. He leaned in closer to the man, and he did the same.

Char kissed him.

In that moment, Char wasn't worried about what Nanai would think or what this meant for his sexuality. No woman had ever excited Char the way he did, and he was chasing the high.

Too soon, he moved away. Char allowed his disappointment to show.

"My name's Amuro."

"Nice to meet you, Amuro."

"What do you want out of this?"

It was an easy question.

"I want to feel good."'

For an orgasm to come naturally once in his life. His answer amused Amuro.

"I like to play dirty. Are you interested in that? Powerful men like you usually are."

The kinkiest thing Char had ever done was use a vibrator on Nanai.

"Depends," Char answered.

Amuro pulled his backpack onto his lap and unzipped it. He pulled the two sides open, then showed it to Char.

It was filled with bondage gear and whips. Char immediately blushed. It was as if he was a virgin all over again. Seeing this, Amuro closed the bag and took it back.

"We don't have to if you don't want to. I won't do anything to you that you won't like."

Char wondered if this was what was missing in his life.

"Do you enjoy vanilla sex?" Char asked.

"I do, but not nearly as much."

He was already kissing a man. He might as well go as far as he could.

"What do you have in mind?"

Amuro placed his hand on Char's cheek and brought his attention back to him. Char liked that. Nanai did not touch him like that.

"Handcuff you to a chair, blindfold you, tease you, and then fuck you."

The mention of handcuffing him caused Char's heart to beat faster, but not out of excitement. Since his parents died, Char had built his life around keeping and maintaining power. He wasn't used to giving it up, even if he wanted to.

Amuro was studying his expression.

"Like I said, we don't have to if you don't want to."

But he had never met someone like Amuro before. In the privacy of the hotel room, he could relax, just a bit.

"We can try it," Char decided.

"Good. Have you ate dinner yet?"

"No."

"Okay. Let's order some room service, and we can talk things over."

Amuro surprised him yet again.

"You don't want me to take you out somewhere nice?"

He had money. People usually wanted to make use of that.

Amuro scoffed.

"I hate fancy restaurants. Everyone is so fake, and the food is so pretentious. I do have something I want from you, though."

"And what's that?"

"Strip down to your boxers."

Char loosened his tie.

"That's a good boy," Amuro purred.

Char's cock twitched.

Amuro did not undress, and he took the food from the hotel staff.

They talked while they ate, and Amuro stared. First they discussed boundaries. Amuro had originally suggested using a traffic light system for Char to communicate how comfortable he was feeling, but they switched to just the safe word stop at Char's instance. He liked the color red. To him, it was a passionate color instead of a dangerous one.

Since Char had never done something like this before, Amuro insisted on no penetration. Char was tense at just the idea of Amuro tying him up. Penetrative sex would not be fun for either person. When Amuro was done teasing him, he would take care of himself, and then Char.

They talked more about what they wanted and didn't want out of this sexual encounter more than Char ever did with Nanai.

Eventually they discussed everything Amuro had planned to, and the conversation moved to their personal lives. Amuro was a mechanic for a dealership. He often worked late because he liked his job. Taking things apart, fixing them, and putting them back together gave him immense satisfaction. Except for sex and Lalah, he considered himself a loner. Lalah was his soulmate, but they weren't romantic or physical. Char quickly moved on from this topic.

Char's life was public knowledge.

"There has to be something about your life worth sharing," Amuro prodded.

"Not really."

There was so much he had hidden.

Char wiped his mouth.

"Think of something."

He liked Amuro, so he told he something that not even Nanai knew.

"I've killed someone," Char said.

Amuro wasn't phased. He took the last bite of his burger and licked his lips.

"Me too."

Char was fascinated by this man

"Do tell," Char urged.

"If I do, will you?"

"No.

"You're lucky I have thing for blondes. Anyway, I was in the military."

"You don't seem like a solider."

Amuro shrugged.

"I wanted to fly."

They finished eating. Char removed his boxers, and then he sat in the wooden chair in the hotel room that Amuro had pulled into the middle of the room. His heart was racing. He was excited. Amuro was grinning.

"You're not undressing?" Char asked.

"Maybe next time. Now, close your eyes."

Char did so. Amuro took his hand, and he placed something leather in it.

"Feel it."

Char ran his hands over it. Amuro said he would blind him, but he had kept the specifics vague. There were silk strands coming off of both sides of the rectangular pieces of leather.

"It's a blindfold," Char said.

"Mh-hm. Can you put it on for me?"

Luckily for Amuro, Char was good with his hands. He skillfully tied the silk ends into a knot around the the back of his head.

There was the jingle of metal, and then Amuro's warm hands were on his wrists. He moved his hands behind the chair and overlapped his wrists. Cuffs were placed around his hands. Char pushed against them. He was restrained. He swallowed. He reminded himself that Amuro had shown him how to break out of the cuffs, and if he did, he wouldn't get upset. Char could stop this at anytime.

Amuro grabbed his chin and lifted his head up. Char tensed. Because he couldn't see, he hadn't known what Amuro was going to do.

Amuro's thumb was calloused. His nail was jagged.

"Relax, Char. You can trust me."

There was no reason for him to trust Amuro.

It didn't stop him. For tonight, he would shut out the rest of the world. All he had to do was obey Amuro, and he didn't want to disappointment.

Char relaxed

"Good, good."

Amuro let go. Char heart footsteps and something unzipping. There was rustling, and then footsteps that grew closer. Something soft and incredibly light was placed against Char's face. Gently, Amuro ran it down his neck. Char swallowed. The sensation made him aware of his body in new ways.

Amuro moved the toy lower. He ran it across Char's collar bones, and then he circles the curve of his pecs. As he leaned closer, Char caught the smell of sweat and grease again. He sniffed the air greedily. Amuro ran the toy(maybe a feather?) over Char's right arm. The shorter man hummed appreciatively.

"You're more muscular than you look. You must spend a lot of time in the gym."

"I do."

"Are you one of those jocks that live off of rice and chicken?"

"It's a good source of protein."

Amuro laughed.

"Sure. Whatever." He pulled the toy back. This time he cupped Char's plentiful chest with his hands, and the back of whatever toy he was using poked into his chest inadvertently. The hard end of it was cold, like it was metal.

Char tensed again.

"Relax," Amuro urged. "I've got you."

Char took a deep breath, and he did.

"Is this for your girlfriend?"

Nanai did not belong here. The question was incredibly personal, and Char didn't answer immediately. Amuro clicked his tongue. He pressed the end of toy into Char's throat.

If Amuro pushed too far, all he had to do was say stop.

He didn't. He had agreed to some degradation. If Amuro drove that metal stick through his neck, the world would be a better place.

Amuro ran the toy over his stomach, then his groin, right above his dick. Char had never been so turned on before. Amuro's breath brushed against Char's ear.

"If you don't answer me, I'll stop. You're not in control here, Char, and no amount of money will change that. So, you if you want me to touch you, answer me."

"It's the endorphins. It... feels good. And it's what's expected of me, I guess."

The warm sensation of Amuro's breath vanished. Moments later, he sat down on Char's lap. He was lighter than he looked. He rested his head on Char's shoulder. There was no contact with his cock. He did, however, kiss Char's neck. The touch lit up his body.

"The blindfold- I want to see you."

"No," Amuro answered.

"What if I beg?"

Amuro laughed.

"No. God, you're leaking already, and I haven't even touched you. Are you always this easy?"

"Never."

He usually had a hard time staying hard. He did not understand what his body was doing. He'd figure that out later. He wanted this moment to go on forever.

"Have you been with a man?"

"No."

"Do you like men?"

"I don't like anyone."

He couldn't see how Amuro reacted to that. He needed Amuro to understand and approve of him.

"Does your fiancée know you're here?" Amuro sounded like he knew the answer.

"Not the specifics."

"You're pathetic."

"Amuro, touch me, please."

There was the sound of something unzipping. Amuro grunted.

He was touching himself. Char pressed his body against Amuro's, who laughed. He pushed him back against the chair with his left hand on his shoulder.

"And eager. Mmm, move again, and I'll have to restrain you more with the sheets, and it'll be even longer before I touch you."

Char whimpered shamelessly. Being further restrained certainly sounded appealing for whatever reason, but Amuro had already started touching himself. He'd be disappointed if Char made him interrupt that. He'd be a good boy for Amuro.

Amuro's breath quickened. His hand drifted lower. He circled Char's nipple, then squeezed it. Char gasped.

"Am-!"

"Ssshhhh. We're in a hotel. Remember?"

He arched his hip. Char fought against the urge to grind into him.

"Keep saying my name," Amuro ordered.

"Amuro. Amuro," Char said, quieter this time.

Amuro inhaled deeply, tensed, and relaxed as he exhaled. He rocked into his fist a few more times. Then, he let his weight fall against Char. As he did, the tissue that Char assumed he'd placed over his dick brushed against Char's thigh. His own cock was painfully hard, and he was desperate for any kind of stimulation.

After he caught his breath, finally, Amuro touched him. He wrapped his hand around his cock.

"You're so pretty like this. Next time I see you on the news, I'm going to remember you like this," Amuro whispered.

Char whined.

In no time at all, he was coming too. Amuro had a fresh tissue for him.

He wasn't sure why, but Char started crying. He had never felt so good before.

Amuro kissed his cheek. Gently, he undid the blindfold.

Amuro was beautiful, and he was looking at Char like he was worth something. He was still fully dressed. At some point while he was getting Char off, he had even zipped his pants back up.

Amuro pulled his head against his chest. The emotions running through Char were more intense than anything he had experienced before.

"You did good," Amuro said.

It disgusted Char how much he enjoyed hearing that even outside of sex. He had to stop crying. He was a grown adult, not some teenage girl losing her virginity.

Amuro started to run his hands through Char's hair.

"It's okay. Take all the time you need." Amuro soothed.

"Can I..." The words died before Char could get them out.

"Can you what?"

"Can I hold you?"

Amuro smiled softly.

"Yeah, you can."

Char wrapped his arms around the small man in his arms.

He didn't know how he could possibly sleep with Nanai again. She had never and would never make him feel even a quarter of pleasure Amuro had that night.

Nothing would ever be the same.

Chapter Text

After he regained his composure, Amuro left.

Char slept in the hotel room alone.

On his way home from work the next day, he got Nanai a box of chocolate and a bouquet of flowers. It was terribly cliche behavior after cheating, not that Nanai would deduce that Char had cheated from his actions. Char being interested in sex enough to cheat was an absurd situation, and Char would often surprise her with gifts. Filling out shipping information was easier than wooing her himself.

"What's the occasion this time?" Nanai asked.

Nanai was on the couch playing games on her phone. Char sat the flowers and chocolates down on the side table, and then he climbed on top of Nanai.

"The party reminded me you're gong to be my wife soon," Char whispered.

They were for him, not her. He had to compare her to Amuro.

Nanai locked her phone and put it aside. She wrapped her arms around Char's neck, and he kissed her's. She moaned. She angled her neck to give him better access. While she was ruthless professionally, she was gentle with him, and that was nothing like the aggressiveness Amuro had shown him. The touch was boring.

"I love you," Nanai said.

"I love you too."

Her eyes were lit up with excitement. Usually, she initiated sex.

Char slipped his hands under her blouse and then under her bra. He fondled the soft flesh there. It too was utterly boring.

The night had ended before he'd even had a chance to touch Amuro. What would he have felt like under Char's hands? What would he make Char do to earn that right? Now that he wasn't blinded by lust, Char was shocked at how easily he'd done whatever Amuro asked. He was the owner of Zeon. He was one of the most powerful men in the world.

And it was all exhausting.

Nanai lifted his chin and locked him in a kiss. Char slipped his tongue into her mouth in the way that drove her crazy. His hand switched to the other tit. He rubbed his pelvis against her thigh, against her, desperate for some stimulation to hopefully get him erect.

They continued like this for some time. He was still soft. Typically, when he wasn't able to get hard, he would eat her out, and Nanai would accept this as the end of their sexual encounter.

Amuro would have teased him for being pathetic if he couldn't get hard for him. Char hadn't even seen what Amuro looked like when he was aroused.

Remembering last night got him there. Nanai noticed, and she moaned, trying to entice him more.

He undressed her, and he pulled his pants off too. She rubbed the growing bulge in his boxers, and he choked on his breath as he imagined Amuro touching him there. Nanai's hands were softer than Amuro's were. He had calluses on the ball of his fingers that only came from working with your hands as a hobby or as a career. Nanai's hands lacked such roughness.

She undressed him the rest of the way, and then it was time for him to pleasure her. She was under him. Her face was flushed, and she was breathing heavily.

Char was well-endowed. Maybe Amuro would make Char fuck him because of that. He'd make him put his cock to use.

Char positioned himself between her legs. He got a nod of approval from Nanai that she was ready. He slipped inside her. So he didn't have to look at her, he kissed and nibbled at her neck as he thrust inside her.

She was wet in a way that Amuro definitely wouldn't be. They could fix this with lube, but how else would he differ from her? Would it be tighter? In his mind, he could see Amuro holding onto him as he was inside him. He would correct Char until he was fucking Amuro just how he wanted. Even when Char was the active partner, it would be about Amuro's pleasure, not his own-

Oh. He was coming already.

His breathing grew erratic, then deep and labored. He kept his face hidden against Nanai's neck.

"I'll have to thank Horst," Nanai teased.

A few days later, while Nanai was getting lunch with her friends, Char laid in his bed with his laptop beside him. It was time to do some exploration.

Growing up, Char had assumed being horny and lusting after someone was a joke. Occasionally he masturbated as a way to relieve stress or help him sleep. When he did so, he didn't look at anything. The mechanical motion of stroking his cock would eventually bring release.

Maybe he liked men, and that was the spark that was missing from his libido.

He pulled up a porn website. The onslaught of nude women with their genitals covered in juices caused him to cringe. He quickly typed men into the search bar and hit enter. Women were still in the spotlight in the thumbnails. He had Nanai. If he wanted to look at women, he would wait until she got home.

With a deep breath, he added the word gay to his search. This gave him more promising results. On the second row, a thumbnail of two toned individuals kissing drew his attention. He clicked on it. The video opened with them kissing in their underwear. Moments later, the man on the left started to fondle the man on the right.

Interesting, but not captivating. There was still something missing.

There was a name for the kinky sex they'd had. He added tied to a chair to the search term, and the results were much more attractive. Seeing a man tied to a chair was better than just seeing him nude.

Char clicked on the video. The related videos' thumbnails consisted of men in bondage gear, men gagged, men being whipped. It was overwhelming, yet he couldn't look away.

He was painfully hard. So it wasn't just men he was interested in. It was this dynamic as a whole. Sex without it out seemed dull and plain.

So he was a submissive man who got off to the idea of dominated. He could accept that. He was not a good person, and he had always struggled to be the son his father should have had. Degeneracy was the least of his sins. If it brought him the pleasure he had shared with Amuro that night, he'd embrace it.

He wondered if this made him gay. He then decided not think about labels that had major implications for his upcoming wedding and future happiness. He couldn't ask Nanai to partake in such activities, and even if his pride would allow him, she didn't have that handsome charm that Amuro did. It wouldn't matter.

Breaking things off with Nanai was out of the question. At his level of power, respect and appearance were everything. Zeon may help sponsor pride parades every year, but it was all a show for the public. The men he dealt with would devour him if he showed any sign of weakness. All that money was just an attempt to prove their own manhood. Not even Char was powerful enough to force his clients to do business with him.

Char did not have majority ownership of Zeon. He was well aware that if he misbehaved too much, the board of directors could and would fire him. His father had been killed because he showed weakness.

He clicked play on the video.

Every night, he dreamed of Amuro.

He barely made it a week before he was visiting Horst in his office. He locked the door behind him. He didn't sit down in the chair across from his desk, preferring to make Horst look up at him.

"I need the number of that... friend of yours."

Horst had paid Amuro for presumably a night similar to what Lalah gave him. Amuro hadn't used the word prostitute to describe Lalah. He'd talk about it like she gave Horst the fantasy of the perfect relationship instead of just sex on demand. If he used the wrong word, it could imply they had a different night than what Horst had paid for.

Horst grinned. It made Char's skin crawl.

"I'll get her number for you."

"Thank you."

The next day, Horst slipped a paper onto his desk. It was Amuro's phone number.

Char's hands were sweaty for the rest of the day. When he was supposed to be responding to emails or be listening to a speaker during a meeting, he was fantasizing about what to say.

Finally, at the end of the day, while Nanai was cooking dinner, he sent Amuro a text. His phone rang a moment later.

"Work," Char explained.

Nanai nodded. Char stepped out onto their balcony. They lived at the top of a large apartment complex. Years ago, the view of the city had been what drew them to the apartment. Now, seeing all the evidence of human life repulsed him.

"This is Char," he answered professionally.

"No shit. Lalah told me you'd call. What do you want?"

His stomach was in knots. Amuro's voice alone did things to his body that he didn't understand. He had missed the sound of his voice. What adult missed someone they barely knew this much?

"I'd rather text."

Amuro laughed on the other side.

"What, afraid your wife will hear us?"

"We're engaged."

"I'm bad at texting. I always forget to reply. So let's make it quick. What do you want?"'

His mouth was dry. Char hadn't been this nervous in years. He hadn't cared about anything enough to want a certain outcome.

"I want to see you again."

"For sex?"

For Amuro.

"Sure."

"Alright," Amuro answered too casually for the way it made Char's heart race. "You free on Friday?"

"I have to work late."

"Saturday?"

"Flying to the other side of the coast for a business meeting."

"You're impossible."

"I'm an important man."

Char watched Nanai stir the soup on the stove. He shifted the phone to his other ear.

"What time do you get off work?" Amuro asked.

"Eight."

He had a meeting with the overseas team that ran their manufacturing branch.

"That's fine. I'm a night owl. Come to my house when you get off."

He was going to see Amuro again. He couldn't help but smile.

Amuro listed off a few scenes they could play out. Amuro carried the conversation in such a way that Char could mostly respond with yes or no questions.

They planned out their encounter tomorrow, and then Amuro hung up. Char stared down at his phone.

Char stopped at the convince store before visiting Amuro. He had the urge to bring something with him. If he was a woman, Char would buy him expensive chocolate or perfume. However, he was not a woman, and Char spent half an hour walking up and down the aisles looking for something to bring with him. A watch was a fitting present for a man, but Char didn't know if he liked fashion. Food was also out of the question. Char suspected Amuro didn't cook for himself. If Amuro smoked, he would have gotten him a nice cigar.

He left without buying anything.

Char knocked on Amuro's door. He heard shuffling from the other side, and moments later, Amuro opened the door.

He was wearing a white tank top and stripped boxers. It was the most undressed that Char had seen him. He took in every inch of his exposed skin. Amuro was surprisingly lean and toned. He didn't have the body of someone who purposefully sculpted it like Char. Instead, his muscles looked practical. Clothes had hidden what definition he had.

He was beautiful. Char had missed him. He also felt incredibly overdressed. He was still wearing his suit and tie from work. The look was complete with a pair of sunglasses to offer him some anonymity. Amuro's eyes roamed his body.

"It's still weird to see you in person," Amuro said.

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Mmm, kind of. No man becomes as powerful as you without selling his soul."

That got Char to chuckle. He had certainly sold his soul, and with all that money and power, the one time he fought to change the world, he couldn't.

He was exhausted.

"You don't want to talk business with me," Char advised.

"Fair enough."

Amuro stepped aside so Char could walk into his apartment. When he crossed the entryway, Amuro grabbed his tie and used it to pull him into a kiss. Their lips collided together. Char's eyes widened. Amuro pressed his body against Char's. His heart started racing, and the rest of the world melted away.

"Eager, aren't you?" Char asked.

Amuro licked his lips. Char closed the door.

"I've been looking forward to this. I don't like small talk either."

Char needed every little bit of Amuro he could get. Hearing about his day would have been its own form of foreplay.

He didn't know Amuro at all.

Amuro lived in a studio apartment that reminded Char more of a dorm than a home. Next to his bed in the room was a cluttered desk. Amuro shoved some electronics and books out of the way and retrieved a leather collar from on top of it. Char couldn't look away from it.

They really were jumping right into sex. Char loosened his tie and unbuttoned his shirt.

"So we're not watching a movie first."

More Amuro. Anything to make this night last longer.

Amuro smirked.

"No. On the bed."

After he finished stripping, Char obeyed. His face was flush, and he was getting hard already, which was so strange and addicting. He sat on the bed. Amuro, still in his boxers and tank top, sat beside him.

He put the collar on. Char swallowed, and as he did so, he could feel the leather tighten and then relax around his skin. It was a simple leather collar with a loop on the front. The idea that Amuro would one day put a leash on it and maybe a name tag made his cock twitch. The collar meant they would be doing this frequently. To Amuro, he was beautiful enough to claim, and while Char knew he was handsome, it had only been a weapon to use until Amuro.

In that moment, Char forgot everything else. There was no Nanai. No Zeon. No Garma. No Kamille. He wasn't responsible for the livelihood and agony of over a million people. Just Amuro, and all he had to do was what Amuro told him to do.

Amuro ran his hand through his hair. Char leaned into the touch.

"You like it?" Amuro asked.

Him asking meant he cared about Char, at least a little bit.

"Yes."

"Kneel on the rug over there." Amuro gestured to a rug in the center of the room with a tilt of his head.

Heart racing, one of the most powerful men in the world did so. Amuro followed behind him, and once Char was on his knees, Amuro tilted his head up to look at him. Char couldn't stop himself from glancing down. There was a tent in his boxers.

"I want to do horrible things to you, Char."

Char swallowed.

"Like what?"

"You'd look pretty with your back covered in red marks. If I could, I'd chain you to my bed. How long do you think it would take anyone to notice your gone?"

"Oh, there would probably be a search party by morning."

Amuro snorted.

"Char Aznable. You keep the world spinning, don't you? And you let me put a collar on you."

"Amuro..."

"Maybe I'll do that one day. Better be careful around me."

It was a tease. Over the phone, Amuro had made it clear that if he talked about kidnapping or imprisoning Char, it was just a fantasy, and if any of it made Char uncomfortable, he'd cut back.

"I'd let you.," Char answered simply.

If Amuro chained him to his bed, he wouldn't have to answer phone calls in the middle of the night and be responsible for his employees working themselves into hospitalization they had no way to pay for. Giving someone that much power was as terrifying as it was exciting. Everything Amuro asked of him pushed the limits of what he was comfortable with. The gradually surrendering of power was addicting.

Amuro's eyes widened. He blushed slightly. That wasn't the answer he had been expecting.

"Let's start with something simpler."

He pulled his boxers down. Char couldn't help but stare. While he'd seen another men's cocks in changing rooms before, this was the first time he'd been so close to one.

He was beautiful. Char hadn't known that a cock could be beautiful.

He wasn't blind folded this time. He was going to be having sex with a man.

Nervous, he swallowed. Amuro studied his reaction.

"Suck," Amuro ordered.

Char looked up at Amuro. His eyes were dark with need and arousal. Char wondered if his confidence was act or if he was just as nervous as Char was.

Cautiously, Char took Amuro into his mouth. Amuro let out a grunt. It sounded delicious, and Char would do anything to earn more vocalizations.

Nanai's vagina had a slightly metallic taste with a little bit of sweetness to it. When he ran his tongue around Amuro's member, it had a lack of taste, except for the tip, where he was leaking precum and had a salty taste. He had quickly learned how to make Nanai orgasm after they started dating. She hadn't been shy about showing him what she liked. He was determined to learn Amuro's body the same way.

He couldn't use his own experience as a reference. Blowjobs from Nanai did nothing for Char.

He ran his tongue over the underside of Amuro's cock as he moved him in and out of his mouth. Then he tried sucking a bit, then humming. Amuro watched greedily the entire time, but he was more reserved with his reactions than Nanai was. He stayed hard though, so Char assumed he was doing something right.

Amuro put his hands on the back of Char's head, then moved his right one lower to wrap around the collar. A whimper escaped from Char.

Char froze, and Amuro moved his hips. He shoved his cock down Char's throat, and he choked a bit on it. Amuro let out a pleased moan.

The pain and degradation were euphoric. He didn't even have to a person, didn't even have to worry about his own ability to pleasure. He could just be a toy to be used, and Amuro was a good owner. He was experimenting with Char's gag reflex and tolerance as he tried different speeds and varied his force. Char's own cock ached. He wasn't allowed to touch himself until Amuro finished. Instead, he held onto Amuro's ass as he fucked his mouth.

Even after he found a pace he liked, Amuro was silent except for heavy breathing. Char was moaning and drooling around his cock.

Amuro didn't close his eyes either. He looked right into Char's eyes as he fucked him.

"Char," was all the warning he got before he came in Char's mouth.

Char swallowed as fast as he could, yet he wasn't fast enough to stop himself from tasting the other man's cum. It tasted disgusting, much worse than Nanai's fluids, and somehow it still was the most erotic thing he'd ever done with his mouth.

He licked his lips clean as Amuro pulled away. He kept his hands on Amuro's ass. Char clung to the other man as if keeping him close would cause the pleasure to linger as well. Amuro played with Char's hair as he savored his orgasm. He had a content, lazy look on his face.

Eventually, Amuro kicked off his boxers and sat down on his small bed. He patted his lap, and Char sat down in it. His body was on fire. Amuro wrapped his arms around him, and Char kissed his neck.

His hands gripped around his cock.

"Amuro!" Char gasped.

Amuro laughed into his ear. Moments later, he was coming into his hand.

Like before, Amuro held him until he came down from his high. He left the collar with him. He couldn't risk Nanai finding it.

The next day, he called Amuro when he arrived at his hotel.

"When can I see you again?" he asked.

After two meetings, Amuro had already became the highlight of Char's life.

Chapter Text

Char was in his office. The door was locked and he was speaking quietly. He squeezed in a phone call with Amuro whenever he could. Amuro was on his lunch break, and Char could hear the roar of machines in the background of the garage Amuro worked at. While Char didn't stop working throughout the day, he had put a lunch break on his calendar for Amuro. He scrolled through emails as they talked.

"Do you like your apartment? It's small. If you wanted to live somewhere else, I can buy you a place."

There was silence on the line for a few moments. Char wondered if he had overstepped.

"This isn't a money thing," Amuro said.

"I know. I'm not implying it is."

"I don't need your money."

"I'm always looking for more rental properties."

"You're unbelievable." Char chuckled. "If you're going to throw money away, I have a friend who's husband... died a few years ago. She was a stay at home mom, and she depended on him financially."

There was something Amuro wasn't telling him. Char wouldn't press.

"Alright. Have our set up one of those online fundraisers. I'll take care of her."

"Just like that?"

If it made Amuro happy.

"Yes, just like that."

"This won't change how I think about you. You're not getting anything out of this in return," Amuro said firmly.

"I don't expect to."

"Are we still on tonight?"

"We are. Also, I was thinking, since Nanai is spending the night with her mother, what if we went out to eat? My treat, no strings attached. It'll be fun."

Amuro's response was quick.

"Char, we don't have that kind of relationship."

Char hadn't realized that he'd been fantasizing of treating Amuro like a boyfriend. That fantasy was shattered by Amuro's words. He quickly pushed those feelings down and smoothly recovered.

"You have no food at your apartment. I'm only concerned for your health."

Amuro huffed.

"Frozen food still counts as food."

His arms burned. Hie core was shaking. His dick ached. If he did what he asked, Amuro promised he would finger him, so Char was trying, very, very hard to be a good piece of furniture. Amuro had initially suggested Char only serve as a footstool. Char had insisted that Amuro sit on him and rest his entire body weight on Char's back. He could take it. He'd skipped the gym that mourning so his muscles would be fresh.

He was on his hands and knees, and besides his collar, he wasn't wearing any clothes at all. Amuro was siting on his back and was only wearing a pair of leather pants. This was the first time he had seen Amuro's upper body. He was strong in a way that Char was not. His strength came from lifting tires and using wrenches forty hours a week. It was practical, not for appearances. He had more fat on him than Char did, which he admired. It made him look human and real in a way that Char didn't consider himself to be.

In an ideal world, Char would be counting his lashes at Amuro struck him. Unfortunately, doing anything that could leave marks on his body was too risky.

Amuro was watching a TV show where a group of scientists tested out rumors in the most explosive way possible. Char was transfixed by the way Amuro nodded in approval when they explained the physics behind their various experiments. It was a world that Char was not a part of.

If he could make it to the end of the episode, he would get his reward. He suspected Amuro would reward him even if he collapsed. For someone who loved to give orders and boss him around, Char was always struck with how compassionate and considerate he was.

He didn't know what love was like, but the sappy poems he'd read reminded him of how Amuro made him feel.

The show cut to commercial. The screen filled with red, and the circle with an arrow through it that Zeon used as a logo appeared on screen. It almost ruined Char's mood, but he reminded himself that he was nothing more than a piece of furniture right now and furniture didn't have to worry about things like profit margins and the human exploitation that was necessary to reach those profit margins. The humor disappeared from Amuro's face.

"Join our membership program now for exclusive deals! Free shipping, ad free access to your favorite shows, and more!"

Amuro ruffled his hair and said nothing.

Char was awoken by the sound of Nanai stirring. When she notice that Char woke up, she scooted close to him, and he stuck his arm out for her to rest her head on, which he did. Nanai ran her index finger up and down his arm. She was cuddly in the mornings, which Char humored.

He wanted nothing more than to wake up like this next to Amuro one day. He couldn't escape him. When he wasn't thinking about work, he was daydreaming about him.

Nanai kissed his chest.

"How'd you sleep?" he asked.

"Good. You?"

"Like a baby." She leaned up to stretch, outstretching her arms above her, then laid back down on his arm. "You know, you haven't had night terrors in awhile. I haven't heard you mention Kamille either."

Char had a habit of screaming in his sleep. If he could take a pill to become a machine without thoughts or feelings, he would.

Except maybe not anymore. If such a pill existed and he took it, Amuro's voice wouldn't excite him and fill him with warmth anymore.

"I'm excited to marry you," he lied effortlessly.

"Three more weeks."

Her smile lit up her face. She a woman about to have her dream wedding to the man she was in love with.

Before, he was neutral about marrying her. It was a part of life, like taking over his father's company after getting it back from the Zabis.

Now, he dreaded it.

Char was awoken by a text from Amuro. He had given Amuro the same alarm sound that he used for company emails. Amuro didn't text. It had to be important.

He snatched the phone off the nightstand and squinted as the light hit his eyes.

Are you awake?

Char was quick to write back a reply.

Yes.

For Amuro, he was.

Can you talk?

Char glanced over at Nanai. She was still fast asleep. It wasn't uncommon from him to be woken up for company matters. He slipped out of bed, put on his robe, and headed outside. The cool summer air was refreshing against his skin. Even at this time of night, the air was filled with sound of traffic.

I can.

A moment later, Amuro called. Char quickly picked up. He was met with silence. Char could envision Amuro in his boxers sitting on his bed with his phone tucked against his ear. Amuro was usually quick to respond. It had to be something serious.

"Are you alright?" Char said.

He heard quiet sniffling, then Amuro taking a deep breath.

"Amuro?"

"I usually... talk to Lalah." Amuro was fighting to hold back the tears. "She's working tonight. I can't..."

"Are you alright?" Char asked, quicker this time.

"I... I have terrible nightmares."

When they had first met, Amuro had told him that he had also killed people. It felt like Char's very heart was being squeezed.

"Do you want me to come over?"

"I just need to talk to someone for a bit. Get out of my head."

He checked the time on his phone. It was 3 AM.

"I can. I have a few hours before I need to head into work."

"I called you because I know you keep odd hours. I don't need... That was the only reason."

"Well, now that you've woken me up, I'm not going to be able to go back to sleep," he lied.

"....Yeah, come over."

"I'll be right there."

The jute rope was rough against his skin, and Char was both delighted by and uncomfortable with the way Amuro had rendered him completely helpless. He didn't trust Nanai with the password to his phone. He had let Amuro immobilize him.

Amuro was deep in concentration as he looped the brown rope around Char's bare thighs. He had Char sitting on his ankles with his hands tied to the sides of his buttocks. The rope forced him stick his chest out, and the rope wrapped around the upper and lower boundaries of his pectorals to further accentuate them. It was a pose meant for a woman. Amuro had been very pleased that Char's chest was ample enough fit the pose anyway.

This was the first time they done any bondage. While it was still erotic for Amuro, it was mostly meditative. He was getting out of his head and into his hands. Whenever the lack of mobility made him nervous, he would focus on how Amuro was turning him into art, and this, along with a glance at the emergency shears Amuro had nearby, filled Char with warmth. He let himself drift to the that blissful state Amuro always brought him to. He liked being a thing, not a person.

He also liked knowing that he had calmed Amuro down. Amuro had chosen to reach out to him. Desperately, he needed to know what Amuro dreamed about. Yet, he too was a man, and he knew better than to ask another man what filled him with fear.

So he shared a secret of his own.

"The man I killed, it was in the news. You might remember it."

Amuro grunted in response as he continued to work on his knots. He looped the rope around Char's waist again. Amuro liked how small Char's waist was despite his strength.

"His name was Garma Zabi."

That broke Amuro's concentration. He looked away from his waist to his eyes.

"Name sounds familiar."

"He was my friend."

"I didn't think even you were evil enough to kill a friend."

Amuro didn't consider him completely evil, and Char adored that.

"His father poisoned my-"

Amuro held his hand up.

"Don't tell me anything you don't want me to tell the cops."

"You'd call the cops on me?" Chat asked, amused.

"I won't lie to the police for you." Amuro's seriousness was enough to to make Char chuckle.

"It's alright. I'm not legally responsible for Garma's death, and if my father's poisoning was something that could be proven in court, I wouldn't have had to kill Garma."

"So you don't know for sure Garma's father killed your father."

Effortlessly, Amuro had spotted the question that still haunted Char. Amuro always could see right through him.

"No, I don't. Growing up, it seemed obvious. Our fathers were business partners together, and they founded Zeon together. His father, Degwin, became the CEO after my father suddenly collapsed, and died around when I was entering middle school. I've always assumed Degwin poisoned him to get more control of Zeon. Garma and I attended the same college together. He came over to drink one night, and after he was wasted, I purposefully pissed him off so he'd leave. He got in a car crash five minutes from my home."

This was the first time Char had confessed to this. His heart was beating quickly as he waiting for Amuro's response. He mostly looked confused.

"But you were close enough that you went drinking together."

"Yes."

"So you were friends."

His heart was breaking. Garma was the second biggest regret in his life.

"Something like that," Char answered.

Amuro let go of the rope in his hand and leaned back on his butt. He started to chew on his thumbs.

"I don't understand you," Amuro confessed, "and I'm usually a good judge of character."

Somehow, that made Char feel a little bit better. Amuro hadn't ridiculed him, which felt like its own form of salvation.

"How so?"

"You seem like a kind person, but you do horrible things. You know Zeon is destroying the planet, right?"

"I do."

"Then why do you do it?"

Why did he? Char would have shrugged, but with the way Amuro had restrained him, he couldn't. The reminder of how he was immobilized made his cock ache. He'd get his satisfaction when Amuro finished his work.

They hadn't had penetrative sex yet. He usually let Amuro plan how they had sex,. Now, Char wanted it so badly he was tempted to ask for it.

"Because I'm a coward, I suppose. The powerful will always get more powerful. I'd rather be among the powerful than the poor."

"You could change the world for the better."

"I tried once. It didn't amount to anything. I'm tired."

"You could try again."

There was hope in Amuro's eyes. It both disgusted Char and inspired him. If Amuro asked him too, he might be able to.

His heart was racing. He was alive in a way he hadn't been in years. He had wound himself around Amuro as thoroughly as Amuro had wound rope around him. He would have kissed Amuro if he could move.

Instead, he said something he instantly knew he should not have.

"Come to my wedding."

Amuro scoffed.

"Are all your lovers going to be there?"

Char raised an eyebrow. Amuro was the only person he had ever lusted after.

"Lovers?" Char asked.

"I can't be the only person you're sleeping around with."

"You are."

Amuro's eyes widened. All the softness that was in his expression shifted to disgust. He grabbed the shears on the table behind them and started to cut through the rope tied around Char.

"We're done. Get out," he ordered.

Dread overwhelmed Char. He stayed still as Amuro freed him.

"Amuro? I don't understand. I thought you were fine with-"

"I'm not a homewrecker."

"I'll call off the engagement," Char promised without thinking through his words. Right now, he would promise anything if it meant he could keep Amuro. He could worry about how to fulfill that promise later.

"I don't want you to do that! Get out!"

Amuro cut the last of the ropes. Char was stiff from having to hold such an unnatural pose for so long. Being quickly and forcibly pulled out from such a vulnerable position left Char feeling abandoned.

He couldn't see anyway to repair their relationship. Char knew how to charm and manipulate people. He did not know how to genuinely care for someone.

He should have expected this. He did not deserve the happiness Amuro gave him.

"Amuro, please, let me-"

"Get out." Amuro's tone left no room for negotiation.

Again, Char's own inadequacies were causing him to lose something precious.

"Alright," he said quietly "Let me get dressed."

Amuro threw his clothes at him. Char put them on, and then he left, leaving behind a part of himself in the process.

Chapter Text

Char woke up screaming. Moments later, Nanai was wrapping her arms around him.

"Shhhh, it's just a dream," she whispered.

As he fully woke up, the fear from his dream receded. He had dreamed of Kamille again. How he looked in those final days, when he was little more than skin, bones, and IV lines, had haunted him for years.

He had died alone. Even though Kamille wanted it that way, Char would always regret not being there. No teenager, even one as hardened as Kamille, could really not want to be comforted as his life ended.

It had been weeks since he dreamed of Kamille. It had been days since Amuro broke things off with him. His multiple calls to Amuro had gone unanswered.

He leaned into Nanai's touch. Her skin was too soft and too curvy. He longed for Amuro's hairy chest and unmasked body odor. Amuro had slipped inside his skin and penetrated every inch of Char's being. He had smoked for a bit in college. He gave it up when he started to cough. This feeling reminded him of going into cigarette withdrawal.

He had gotten a sip of love, and now he would live the rest of his life without it. If there was a god, he was cruel.

While he thought this, Nanai ran her hand up and down his back. It was comforting, even from her.

Eventually, Char spoke.

"Let's go back to sleep."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

He never did.

Char parked in front of the auto repair shop. He could see the garage that was connected to the shop from where he was parked, and moments later, as he predicted, he saw Amuro step away from the car he was working on to look at the one Char had arrived in.

He had bought a shitty Volkswagen Scirocco that was older than he was and in need of some tender loving care. Amuro had taken the bait.

Char stepped out of the car. He was wearing sunglasses and his hair down to give himself some anonymity. It was not enough to hide him from someone who knew him, like Amuro. When Amuro recognized him, he ran over to Char. He looked both pissed off and adorable, a combination that only Amuro could have. This was the first time that Char had seen Amuro in uniform, and it added to his rough around the edges charm.

"What the hell are you doing here?!"

Amuro's anger got Char's heart beating faster.

"There's a rattling sound from the engine. I need my car looked at. That's all."

"This isn't your car."

The car that Char had driven to Amuro's apartment was much more luxurious. Char had bought this car yesterday.

"It is now," he explained calmly.

"Unbelievable. Meet me in the bathroom in five minutes."

Amuro went inside the shop. Char waited for a moment, and then he also went inside. He explained his car's situation to the young man at the counter. He used the alias Quattro Bajeena for the order. He gave his keys to the man, and then he went into the bathroom. Amuro was waiting for him. As soon as Char closed the door, Amuro locked it.

"You followed me to my job. You're sick."

He was. Char reached out to put a hand on Amuro's shoulder. Before he could, Amuro shoved his arm away. The refusal tore at Char's soul.

"You didn't give me a chance to explain."

"There's nothing to explain."

"I don't love her."

"That's your problem, not mine."

"This is more to me than just sex. I need you, Amuro."

Something inside Amuro broke. For a moment, he furrowed his brow, and then he was pushing Char against the bathroom wall and kissing him. He pressed himself against Char desperately. His breathing became heavy.

The longing wasn't one-sided. Just like him, their time apart had been agonizing for Amuro.

Char also felt something hard in Amuro's right pocket. Its shape wasn't right for a wallet or a phone.

Amuro slipped a hand up Char's button down shirt. Char pressed his erection against Amuro's own. Amuro bit down on his lower lip, and Char moaned. The week they had spent apart felt more like an eternity. Neither man could get enough of the other.

"Fuck," Amuro whispered, half in frustration and half in arousal.

"Amuro," Char begged in the way he knew drove Amuro crazy.

Char grabbed Amuro's belt. Before he could try to undo it, Amuro swatted his hands away. Instead, Amuro unzipped his pants and pulled out his cock. Like he was a dog having a treat waved in for him, Char's mouth began to water. Never had Char thought of a cock is appetizing, yet it was the perfect way to describe Amuro's member.

"If you're going to beg, do it properly."

Amuro only had to ask. Char fell to his knees, and while looking up at Amuro, he took his cock into his mouth. Amuro bit the side of his fist to keep quiet as Char moaned around his cock.

Zeon, Nanai, none of it mattered. This was why he was born. This made him feel alive.

"Fuck, Char. Char..."

He was addicted to the way his name sounded from Amuro's lips.

When Amuro started thrusting into his mouth in a way that let Char know he was close, he let his member pop out of his mouth. Amuro blinked in confusion, then gritted his teeth. Char didn't tease him. He prided himself on his ability to follow orders.

"What-"

"Fuck me."

Char needed him. Amuro must have been craving the act just as much because his eyes widened and his face turned red. Char rested his head against Amuro's groin, right next to his cock.

"No."

"Why not?" Char pushed.

Amuro bit his thumb. Char wasn't used to seeing Amuro look uncertain, and he tried to commit the expression to memory. This could be the last time he touched him.

"You haven't done anal before. Your first time shouldn't be like this."

Char smirked.

"Ruin me," Char begged.

Amuro closed his eyes and breathed deeply. Char knew he'd won.

"Fuck you," Amuro swore as he pushed Char down to the dirty floor bathroom.

With a pained expression, he undid Char's belt, and Char helped him. They pulled his pants to his ankles. His bare ass was touching the cold tile floor of the men's bathroom. Amuro didn't stop there. Because he wanted to look at him, he opened Char's shirt. Amuro pulled his own pants and boxers down to his knees, then positioned himself in-between Char's raised legs.

They made eye contact. Amuro was conflicted. Char felt like he was high.

"Tell me if it hurts."

"I like the pain."

"You can tear something."

"Whatever."

He saw the flash of arousal in Amuro's eyes. It was beautiful.

Amuro pressed his member against Char's hole. Then, without breaking eye contact, he fully entered him. Char gasped, and Amuro grunted.

It felt good. Much better than when he had sex with Nanai, though he wasn't sure how much of that was his preference for bottoming and how much it was because it was Amuro that he was doing this with.

It did hurt a bit. They were only using Char's spit as lube, and he was so exalted at getting to be touched by Amuro again that he couldn't relax. Char would rather do this in the privacy of Amuro's apartment, but he'd rather have this than nothing at all.

Amuro buried his head in the crook of Char's neck. While kissing and nipping at him there, he began to move. Slow at first, then he tossed aside whatever reservations he had. Char wrapped his arms around Amuro with just enough pressure to let Amuro know he'd meet resistance if he tried to move away. He tried a few times to put enough space in-between their bodies that he could touch Char's cock. Char didn't let him, even when Amuro dig his fingernails into Char's hips. When that didn't work, he gave up.

He never wanted to let Amuro go.

Usually, Amuro was caring and sweet, even if it was conveyed with cruel methods. Char's pleasure was just as important as his own. He took his time to bring Char to point of desperation and insanity before finally giving him release. This time, he chased his own pleasure greedily. The hunger in his actions was intoxicating.

All too soon, Amuro was spilling his seed inside of him. Only then did Char let Amuro touch him, and shortly after that he came on his own stomach.

The moment ended instantly. This time, there was no cuddling. Amuro stood up and put his pants back on. Char laid undressed on the bathroom floor all alone with Amuro's sperm leaking out of his ass.

"I don't like who I am when I'm with you," Amuro said.

This told Char that there wasn't going to be any aftercare.

Despite doing less of the physical work, Char was still breathing heavy. His mind was racing as he tried to think of anything else he could do to get Amuro to touch him again or even acknowledge his existence again.

"You're pathetic," Amuro said.

"Are we flirting?"

"Yeah, I should have known you'd like that," Amuro said under in his breath.

Amuro reached into his pocket, and he pulled something small and black just a few inches out of his pocket. It took a moment, but eventually Char recognized it as the grip of a gun.

"If you come near me again, I'll kill you."

The seriousness in his expression told Char he meant it.

His first thought was that dying by Amuro's hands might be better than spending the rest of his life with Nanai. His second thought was that despite their sexual dynamic, Amuro was powerless. Char could buy his apartment complex or the repair shop he worked at. He could get Amuro incarcerated just for that threat. He could kidnap Amuro and run away to some foreign country with him where he could bribe the authorities to never turn him in.

Except he didn't want to take Amuro by force. What he wanted from Amuro could only be given, not taken, and he suspected that Amuro was strong enough to not make the same mistake twice. There would be no repeat of this sexual encounter. Amuro would kill him if he saw him again.

"Alright," Char agreed. "You won't see me again."

With that, Amuro left the bathroom.

The wedding took place overseas throughout three days. There were protesters at the airport claiming that Char and Nanai were treating their home like a a thing to be bought. They got married in a church for a religion that Char didn't believe in.

Char had initially wanted to wear a red tux, but Nanai had insisted on traditional black. Char relented. A wedding was about the bride, so Char agreed to every subsequent request, which at some point became annoying for Nanai.

Even Char could tell Nanai was beautiful in her dress.

All her bridesmaids wore dresses that cost more than Amuro made in a month. They were women that Nanai had been friends with since college. Char had picked his groomsmen from his employees based on how much power they had and how likely they were to see this as a favor to be returned.

All of it made Char feel old and like a failure. He was in his 30s. It had taken him so long to find someone to marry because none of this interested him. Nanai was already talking about having kids because she wanted to have them before she would be considered a geriatric pregnancy in two years.

He couldn't even get properly wasted to escape his misery. He didn't trust his drunk self. If he started crying or told Nanai how he really felt, it would be disastrous. Instead, his smiled and laughed and made small talk like he always did.

They said their vows. They kissed. They took pictures. They moved to a the garden's of a nearby hotel for the reception. They sat down to eat at a long table under a large tent, and after they were served their dinner, the mingling properly started. Nanai was laughing with her maid of honor when Horst came over to congratulate him.

It was who was holding onto his arm that pulled Char out of his thoughts and back to reality. Horst was with a dark skinned woman in a yellow dress who looked to be around Amuro's age. She fit Amuro's description of his soulmate perfectly.

Lalah Sune.

"Your days of freedom are over," Horst said lightheartedly.

"Who's your date?" Char asked with more eagerness than he intended to show.

"This is Lalah Sune, my girlfriend."

His escort.

Lalah held her hand out.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Char Aznable. I've wanted to meet you for a long time."

Char happily shook her hand. She was connected to Amuro, and he would cling to anything that reminded him of the man he was cut off from.

"Fan of Zeon?" He asked.

With a smile, she shook her head.

"No. You saved my life."

This got Nanai's attention. Even Horst was left speechless.

"I got sick when I was younger. Your charity saved my life."

There were many philanthropic projects that Char was a part of. For someone of his wealth, it cost him practically nothing to change the lives of others, and it helped his reputation too. Yet, internally he worried it did nothing to offset his sins. For every Lalah he saved, someone was fired and became homeless as a result.

His charity for sick and poor children was the one closest to his heart. He couldn't save Kamille, and it was his way of trying to makeup for that.

On his lowest days, he personally looked at the recipients of the charity. Sometimes having access to the best treatments saved the children. All too often it didn't. The tragic deaths often made Char consider why there was a point in living at all.

Nanai hated this habit of his. She called it self-harm. Char viewed it as a reminder of reality.

"Are you better now?" Char asked.

"I am. Can we get a picture together? All my friends will be jealousy to know I met the Char Aznable!"

Char looked over a Nanai. She nodded, so Char stood. Lalah grabbed onto his arm and pulled him out from under the tent area and towards a large tree nearby. Char was grateful for it. They weren't alone, but the other guests were far enough away that Char was comfortable talking to Lalah about Amuro.

When she got him far enough away, she let go of him and crossed her arms. Her expression shifted from pleasant to annoyed.

"You broke Amuro's heart."

While he had expected them to talk about Amuro, he hadn't expected her disappointment. Initially, he became defensive. Lalah had set them up. If she knew Amuro would have a problem with cheating, she shouldn't have arranged their meeting in the first place. However, complaining wouldn't get him any close to taking Amuro back, so he took a moment to compose himself before answering.

"I didn't mean to," he said.

"I can't believe you got married! You were supposed to break up with her. What about Amuro?"

If he could have this type of wedding with Amuro, he would have. He adjusted the collar of his tuxedo. He was no stranger to being criticized, and usually their disappointment and frustration didn't effect him at all. There was something different about Lalah, though. It was like she could see right through him despite this being their first meeting. She immediately felt like a friend to him. Char understood why Amuro lit up when he talked about her.

"I have an image to uphold," Char protested weakly.

"You aren't the only gay man alive. They figure it out."

"I could be bi," Char teased.

"I don't think so, and I'm a good judge of character."

He looked back at Nanai. Although he didn't romantically love her, he didn't want to hurt her.

"How can I get Amuro to give me another chance?" Char asked, turning his attention back to Lalah.

Lalah giggled. Char found it charming. She had an energy about her that he wished he had.

"That's easy. You have to be truthful, Char Aznable."

Yet another accusation that managed to cut through his apathetic demeanor.

"I've always been truthful with Amuro."

"Then what do you call this?"

"You don't understand."

Lalah sighed. She stretched her arms out in front of her, then let them fall back to her side.

"Amuro doesn't open up to a lot of people. I've been hoping he'd find someone for years, and when he finally finds chemistry with someone..." she sighed. "Figures he was just waiting for someone as stubborn and oblivious as he is."

"Why'd you set us up?" Char asked.

"You two have that same emptiness in your eyes."

Yet it was only Char that used that emptiness as an excuse to hurt people. He was hurting both Nanai and Amuro today.

Char didn't know what to do, so he embraced the role he was expected to play, like always.

"Do you want a picture? The sun will be setting soon."

Lalah sighed, disappointed. She pulled her phone out. She placed Char's hand on her hip, held the phone out in front of her, and smiled at the camera. Char's smile looked exceptionally fake next to her's.

Later that night, Nanai received a text from one of her bridesmaids.

She was staying at a luxurious resort with her husband. Their wedding night had been disappointing. While she never expected satisfactory penetrative sex from Char, she had hoped he would at least be able to get hard. Their love life had been a roller coaster for the past few weeks, and she couldn't understand what had changed.

The text contained a video accompanied with an I'm so sorry. She got up, went to the restroom, and clicked play. She immediately recognized her husband speaking with Horst's date.

"I can't believe you got married! You were supposed to break up with her. What about Amuro?"

Nanai's heart started racing. She sat down on the floor, afraid her legs would give out.

"I have an image to uphold."

"You aren't the only gay man alive. They figure it out."

Nanai closed her phone and tried to steady her breathing.

Chapter Text

Nanai moved the laptop off Char's lap and replaced it with herself.

"It's our honeymoon. Pay attention to me," Nanai teased.

With a sigh, he leaned against Nanai, his head resting on her plentiful chest. She was his wife now. They were still the same people, except now they had promised to be faithful to each other until death.

"There's an acquisition I need to look over..."

"It can wait."

Nanai lifted his head so he was looking into her green eyes.

"Do you love me, Char?"

"I married you, didn't I?"

He avoided the question. She pursed her lips.

"Do you find me beautiful?"

"A man who doesn't would be a fool."

"What do you like about me?"

Nanai was acting strange today. She usually only acted this needy when Char forgot to pay attention to her for several days. He kissed the bottom of her neck, which was exposed in her loose red night shirt. It was a few hours after breakfast, and she hadn't changed clothes yet. She enjoyed her rare lazy mornings.

"Your wit." He gave her the answer he knew she wanted.

"Not my breasts?"

He gave her a mischievous grin. With his mouth, he undid the first button of her top.

He didn't know why he was playing along. Lalah had told him that he needed to be honest before Amuro would even entertain talking to him again. Char had been groomed to take over his father's business since he was child. He couldn't tell where the suave businessman persona ended and where his true self began. If it wasn't for Amuro, he would have doubted he had a sense of self at all. Now, he knew that Amuro was at the very core of his being. It was the only real thing he had.

"I never said I don't like them. You're beautiful, Nanai."

Her face twisted with a disgust that Char didn't understand. She got up. She forced her expression to return to normal.

"Never mind. I think I'm starting my period."

Nanai was not as good of a liar as he was. A little blood had never bothered Char.

Women were a mystery.

"Do you want me to get you some medicine?"

He did try to be a good partner.

"Sure," Nanai said with a sigh.

She left for the bedroom. Char pulled out his phone. He opened up a delivery app, and he ordered lunch and medicine for his wife.

They were at dinner. It was the second to last day of their honeymoon. The walls of the restaurant were glass and overlooked the city. The tables were lit by candlelight. They had already finished their first course, slow cooked pork belly served on cabbage, and they were waiting for the waiter to bring them their second. It was the finest restaurant around, and Char was contemplating if being dead would be better than having to continue to act for the rest of his life.

Amuro would kill him if he approached him first. There was no nicer way to die. Unfortunately, his happiness was not worth the cost of his death haunting Amuro forever.

"Char."

Nanai tapped his glass, breaking him out his thoughts.

"Sorry, my thoughts were elsewhere."

Amuro would look out of place here. He'd prefer a causal restaurant with burgers and fries. A life with Amuro would mean saying goodbye to all this worthless luxury and glamour. He would welcome that.

Nanai sighed. She had been acting strange since they got married, which he attributed to her period.

"Let's be buried next to each other."

Char became serious.

"We've talked about this."

The topic of what they wanted to do when they died had come up shortly after engagement. Nanai had suggested that they be buried next to each other, like most couples. Char rejected this. Burial plots had been bought for him and and his sister when their parents died, right below where they were buried. When he died and was buried, it would be like he was returning to childhood, and Nanai had not been a part of that and could never be.

Sayla hadn't talked to him since Garma died. She knew him too well to assume it was an accident. Char didn't know how to push past that, so he had let her drift away without a fight.

"I'm your wife. We should be building a future that revolves around us. I'm an Aznable too now." Nanai's tone was desperate. His last name was poison. She'd be better off without it.

"You've never met my parents or my sister. You being buried with us wouldn't make sense."

Nanai sighed, frustrated. She looked out the window and didn't say anything for the rest of the dinner. Char checked the news on his phone.

He couldn't make Nanai happy. Trying was a mistake. If he was dead, at least he would stop hurting other people.

Instead of looking at the window during their flight back home, Nanai kept staring at her ring, which Char took as excitement for their future. Char was sitting next to her and was reviewing notes from meetings he had missed on his laptop. They were pushing out software that monitored keystrokes of their employees to boost productivity. The greediness of his company repulsed him, and it was all his fault. He deserved Amuro hating him.

"I want to to order new furniture when we got home," Nanai said.

"Alright."

"Nice furniture. Custom made by designers."

"Sure."

"And I want a new sports car."

"Is this some kind of test?"

For the first time since they got married, Nanai smiled.

"Sure."

Char took her hand into his own.

"You can spend whatever you like. You know that. You're better with money than I am."

Nanai looked into his eyes. She was searching for something in him, and Char doubted she would be able to find it.

"I want Zeon to get into the pharmaceutical business, and I want to lead the initiative."

He should have expected that. Making money off of being sick was cruel, but Char wasn't paid to be nice. He was paid to make Zeon's shareholders money. While Char had the blood, Nanai had the brains for business. She'd find a way to justify it, like that while they were harvesting and mining data, they were making life more convenient for their customers. She would even believe it herself. She complimented his flaws nicely.

He kissed her hand.

"Sure, if you think that's best."

"I want to stop my birth control too."

"Really?"

He forced the sappy look that Nanai was expecting while he figured out how to respond. One of the many benefits of owning a private jet was that it had the privacy needed for sensitive conversations. Besides the crew behind closed doors, they were alone.

Although he knew he would never love Nanai the way he loved Amuro, he knew he would love any child she bore him. He had longed for a family of his own Sayla distanced himself from her.

Except any child he sired would have him as a father, and he would ruin a child just like he ruined everything else he touched. There was no way for him to communicate this to Nanai without letting her see past his carefully constructed facade.

Zeon tried to appear to the largest market possible. This led to the company pushing traditional family values and striving to appear family friendly. Its figurehead could not be childless. It was bad enough he was waiting until his 30's to marry.

"Really," Nanai repeated.

"You don't know how happy this makes me."

He could throw up. His life was spinning out of control, and he wasn't strong enough to stop it.

He contemplated his death again. It was the easiest path forwards, and perhaps better for everyone involved.

Nanai moved closer so she could whisper into his ear.

"You should stop masturbating too."

He would have to ejaculate inside her to get her pregnant. The idea was revolting and sacrilegious.

If he had been born normal, he and Nanai would both be happier.

He smiled sheepishly.

"If you think it would help."

Like it would make him crave it, Nanai stopped being affectionate with him. No more cuddling before bed. She swapped her suggestive lingerie for his workout clothes, which were baggy on her but comfortable. She stopped texting him during the work day except to talk about work. He couldn't figure out what she wanted from him, so Char let her distance herself. In some ways, it was a relief.

He couldn't sleep. He couldn't eat. He was making mistakes at work. Char was falling apart. When he wasn't busy, like he was possessed, his thoughts would drift to a fantasy where he reconnected with Amuro and they ran away to some foreign country together.

Having a child on the way would only decrease his chances of rekindling his relationship with Amuro. Nanai's body was not concerned with this fact. Three weeks after their honeymoon, Nanai suggested they watch TV together on the couch. Char may not have understood the exact timing required for conception, but he knew there was only one reason Nanai would want to be cuddly with him.

Nanai found a lighthearted romantic comedy on cable for them to watch. Char couldn't focus enough to follow what was happening. Nanai laid on top of him on the couch. At some point, she slipped her hand down his pants. He had followed Nanai's instructions, and miraculously, his neglected member got hard.

The movie was forgotten. She tossed her clothes to the side and pulled his pants down. Then, she mounted him. He was still unsure what he wanted to do, but as was expected of him, he placed his hands on her hips and encouraged her to move. Even without foreplay, she had never been so wet, so something was clearly happening inside of her body. He stared at the ceiling as she rode him.

Typically, oral played a large role in their sex. He frequently would get her to come, sometimes more than once, before and after penetrative sex. This was not about pleasure. This was about reproduction.

She rode him for thirty minutes, and he still was nowhere close to coming. Riding him had become an endurance test for Nanai.

"We could try something new," Char offered when Nanai paused to catch her breath.

"Like what?" She kissed his collarbone.

"You've heard of BDSM, right?"

Nanai' sat up. She narrowed her eyes, repulsed.

"Do you want to hurt me?" she asked.

Immediately, Char filled with guilt. Nanai made the sacred acts he shared with Amuro sound dirty and perverted. Char was acutely aware how dangerous men like him were to women. There was no joy in playing into that fantasy for him.

Nanai hadn't even considered that he enjoyed being the submissive partner. For a man, being submissive was worse than enjoying hurting women.

He chuckled, and he stroked the side of her face.

"No, just an idea. Do you want to switch positions?"

"I'm fine."

This wasn't sexy. Char was a bull to be milked, not a partner. He hated it, but because it was expected from him, he pulled Nanai down and kissed her. She started moving again. He forced himself to moan in appreciation.

"Nanai..." he whispered.

Thinking of Amuro would bring him over the edge. He didn't. A child didn't deserved to be conceived from infidelity.

He had already cheated. Their marriage was defiled before they said their vows.

Still, he could see a pleasant life with Nanai. It would be boring and unfulfilling, but Nanai held him when he needed to be held. She was the type of woman his dad would have approved of. He was Char Aznable. True happiness had been unobtainable for him since his parents died. If he had to settle down with a woman, he couldn't do better than Nanai.

The movie went to commercial.

"Join our membership program now for exclusive deals! Free shipping, add free access to your favorite shows, and more!"

That advertisement had played when he had been serving Amuro. In that instant, Char realized that being dead was preferable to living without Amuro, and no child deserved to be born into the twisted relationship he shared with Nanai.

Like he was a trained dog, remembering Amuro made him orgasm. He tried to sit up and push Nanai off of him, but it was too late. He had spilled his seed inside of her. She was pushed off of him, and she landed on the couch cushion behind her. Cum dripped from her onto the leather fabric.

"What-" Nanai started.

"I cheated on you. I like men." Char braced for her response. He had to get the words out now, while he still could.

Nanai flinched. Then, she groaned like Char's words had caused her physical pain.

"God, if you were going to tell me, couldn't it be before you came inside me?! Char, fuck!"

"I'm sorry," he replied meekly.

Nanai covered her face with her hands.

"Are you divorcing me?"

She was surprised but not confused. Char's head spun. She knew.

"Yes."

So there would be even the smallest chance that Amuro would talk to him again.

"Did you ever love me?"

He had to be honest now, or he would never be able to be honest with Amuro.

"No."

Nanai groaned in frustration and pain. She stood up and grabbed her clothes. She spoke while she got redressed.

"I loved you! I've given you years of my life! Fuck, we didn't even make it two months!" She picked up a pillow and threw it on the ground. It should have been Char's head. If she moved to hurt him, Char would not stop her. "And now I'm suppose to start over?! I married Char fucking Aznable! That's what I'll be for the rest of my life!"

"How long have you known?" Char asked.

"Since the wedding," Nanai spat. "One of my friend's recorded your conversation with Horst's date."

She'd known their entire honeymoon. The pieces clicked together for Char.

"Why on Earth would you want to have a kid if you knew that?"

"Even if you don't love me, I thought you could love having a family with me." Her voice was quieter, calmer. "We built this life together. I didn't want to let it go."

Nanai's love for him astounded Char. To him, she was a convenience. To her, a loveless marriage was worth it if it meant she could still see him everyday and sleep next to him every night.

He was a piece of shit.

"How likely is it that you're pregnant?"

A child would tie them together forever, and the idea terrified him. Zeon and alimony were enough. Yet, he didn't dare bring up abortion. He wouldn't be like his coworkers and pressure her to get an abortion because it was inconvenient for him. If she conceived, he'd pay for Nanai and the baby for the rest of their lives-

No, he'd kill himself. A dead father was better than a father that abandoned you, and Char could not be a father.

Nanai crossed her arms.

"I'll take Plan B. I haven't had my surge yet, so it should be fine. If anything does happen, I'll get an abortion." It was the first good news he'd heard. "I won't be a single mother."

"Alright."

Nanai stared at him like she was expecting something from him. Char did nothing.

"I married a child. Whatever." She walked into the kitchen, and she grabbed her designer purse off of the countertop. "You'll be hearing from my lawyers."

He expected that. He had enough money that she could take however much of it she wanted, as long as he got to keep Zeon. It was all he had left of his father.

"You'll be taken care of."

Nanai slammed the door behind her. She would stay with her parents. Char was left all alone. He spent a few minutes reading over old text messages from Amuro. Then, with nothing else to do, he pulled out his laptop and started working.

A week later, Char was served divorce papers. Two weeks later, it was on the news. A few days after that, he received a text from Nanai letting him know that she was not pregnant. It was the only text she sent him.

Living had become unbearable. At work, people stared at him. The PR department had pulled him into multiple meetings to figure out how Zeon could could spin the news that their CEO got divorced so quickly after getting married. He couldn't look at anything on the internet or news without seeing his name pop up. Horst joked about about how difficult women were, and that comment actually made Char so nauseous he coughed a bit. He was the problem, not Nanai.

The only bright side was that the more people talked about divorce, the more likely it was that Amuro would see. It was the only thing that got him out of bed in the morning.

Every part of the divorce process was suffocating. His lawyers pushed him to protect himself as much as possible. Every choice he made disappointed either someone he worked with or hurt Nanai. He was destroying his father's name and everything he had achieved.

When he wasn't working, he was talking to his lawyers or working out until his muscles refused to move anymore.

Then, a month after Nanai served him, around dinnertime, his phone lit up, and Char's heart skipped a beat.

Amuro was calling him.

Chapter Text

Char answered the phone before the second ring.

"Amuro," he answered.

"I saw the news."

Amuro's voice was heavenly. Char had been half a person without it.

"I never should have married her."

"Yeah."

Seconds passed in silence. Neither of them were good at this.

"Can we meet again?" Char was only able to get the words out because it had to be the reason that Amuro called.

"Yeah, we can." Amuro sounded lighter and more confident. "Are you doing anything now?"

Char was supposed to be asleep in an hour and a half.

"I'll be right there."

"I don't want to talk about what happened. Let's just pick up where we left off."

"That would be perfect."

Amuro hung up. With a smile on his face, Char headed to the bedroom and changed into nicer clothes.

Amuro answered the door. He was almost always in his boxers and a t-shirt when he greeted Char, but this time, he had gone one step further and removed his shirt too. His face lit up when he saw Char.

Char had never been so happy.

"I missed you," Char said.

Amuro expression became serious.

"We're still not anything. This is just about sex."

Char would take whatever he could get.

"I know."

He stepped inside the apartment. Amuro closed the door, and then he was pulling Char to the small bed in the small apartment. It was as if Char was starving and Amuro was offering him food. Instead of his usual cocky or almost cruel expression, Amuro looked happy and content. As always, he was beautiful and handsome.

Somehow, they managed to strip Char before his back made contact with the flat sheet on the bed. The bedding was piled up at the bottom of the bed.

"You've gotten bigger." Amuro ran his fingers appreciatively down Char's arm.

Char had been spending extra time in the gym since Amuro stopped seeing him to hold onto what little sanity he had left.

"I was bored."

Amuro laughed.

Then Amuro was on top of him between his legs, and his bare chest was warm against Char as he roughly kissed him. His hands were exploring his torso and thighs. Amuro was drinking deeply of Char's body. When he began to grind his hard cock against Char's waist, some part of his mind registered that they hadn't planned out any kind of kinky play for this encounter, and he couldn't help but be disappointed by this. This was Amuro, not Nanai. He adored him. They could have vanilla sex.

"Are you alright?" Amuro asked.

Char forced his body to relax.

"I'm fine."

Amuro grabbed the lube from its usual spot on his nightstand, and after applying it, he slipped inside Char. Amuro exhaled deeply. His face was filled with bliss.

It felt nice for Char, but it was also boring. He worried it wasn't going to be enough, and that prevented him from being able to relax. Amuro, on the other hand, he completely surrendered himself to the pleasure of Char's body as he moved in and out of him. He had his face against Char's neck and was kissing the flesh there, so Char couldn't see his expression. Despite this, Char suspected that Amuro was experiencing that rare joy that he had on his face when he opened the door.

Char wouldn't ruin the moment. He knew how to fake his way through sex. Besides, the sex wasn't unpleasant. It just wasn't enough. Last time they had sex, Amuro's desperation and being fucked on the bathroom floor was enough to turn Char on. This encounter was devoid of any of that.

"Amuro," he whispered encouragingly.

"Fuck. Char. Fuck. God."

Char buried his hands in Amuro's hair. His hair was curly, and Char was obsessed with the way it naturally wrapped around his fingers. Amuro started to stroke his cock in time with his thrusts. Char's gasp was genuine.

Amuro's pace became frantic. He looked up at Char, and then he slowed his thrusts but not his hand on Char's cock. A few times he stopped for several seconds. He was kinder than Char deserved.

"It's alright. Go ahead and finish."

Telling Amuro what to do left him feeling odd. All of this was outside their usual dynamic, and that was what was causing Char's issue.

"Are you sure?" Amuro asked quickly.

"Yes."

Amuro slammed into Char a few more times, and then Char felt the man's cock throb inside him as he came. He paused tending to Char's aching member while he rode out his orgasm. Char pushed him away when he went back to touching him. Even with Amuro buried in his ass, it wasn't enough, and Char hated this.

"I'm not going to finish. It has nothing to do with you. It's my fault."

With a grunt, Amuro pulled out of him. He sat back on his butt, panting.

"Do you want to come?" Amuro asked.

Amuro handled sex differently than Nanai.

Amuro had alluded to having many, many more partners than Nanai had.

"Yes."

A familiar cocky smile appeared on Amuro's face.

"I have you."

That made Char tremble.

Amuro opened the door of the his nightstand. He pulled out the collar Char usually wore, and he slipped it on him. Just the piece of leather was enough to get Char to start to relax.

"Vanilla sex isn't enough for you?" Amuro teased.

Char's expression fell, and Amuro pulled him into a kiss.

"Hey, I don't mind. It's alright."

Any comment Char made on social meetings changed people's retirement funds. He shouldn't need a mechanic's approval. Yet, he did.

"It's disgusting."

Amuro shrugged.

"Not to me. I've spent a lot of timing learning how to do this stuff, and I'm proud of it."

Char chuckled. Amuro made it sound like an art.

Amuro left the bed to search through his closet. He pulled something off the closet bar, and he turned and held it out so Char could see it.

It was a whip. It was a few feet long and made of alternating blue and black stripes. He flicked it once, and the air was filled with a cracking sound.

Amuro sat down on the bed next to Char. Char didn't look away from the whip.

"I want to hurt you with this."

The promise of pain was erotic and caused his body to ache. They had played around with pain before, but never in ways that would leave a mark. There was no one to hide marks on his body from anymore.

"Will you break the skin?"

Amuro's grin grew.

"If you'll let me."

"Please."

Amuro would mark him. If he gave him a scar, Char would treasure it until his dying breath.

"This is dangerous. This is a weapon." He cracked the whip again. Char shuddered. "If I miss, I could seriously hurt you. I've done this before. I can show you on someone else if you want."

Jealousy raged through Char. He was so used to being his genuine self around Amuro that for a brief moment, he let it show. Then he regained his composure.

"You're seeing other men?" Char asked in a carefully neutral tone.

"Yeah," Amuro answered shamelessly.

"And you had a problem with me being engaged."

"There's a difference between fucking around and being in a relationship. Everyone knows I'm not committing to anything. I told you I like to play."

"How many people are you seeing now?"

"I don't want to talk about my personal life."

Because this was also just fucking around. Char had turned into a global laughingstock for fucking around.

"Don't talk about other people when we're together."

That made Amuro happy, and Char wished he could take a picture of how adorable Amuro looked when his face lit up. Amuro knew that Char was in love with him, and he liked that. Char was truly pathetic, because all he cared about was that his affection was the reason for Amuro's happiness.

"I can do that."

"I trust you. Go ahead."

The first night he had met Amuro, he'd been nervous about being handcuffed and blindfolded. Now, he couldn't think of anything he wouldn't let Amuro to do him. He would give Amuro everything he had if asked. The man had him in the palm of his hand.

Amuro nodded.

"Roll over. I need you to tell me if you want me to stop or be lighter, alright? I'm serious."

"I can take it."

"Char," Amuro scolded.

"I will."

"What's the safe word?"

"Stop."

It always amused Char how carefully they talked about violent acts. It also bored him. It reminded him too much of negotiating contracts with lawyers. Like Amuro told him to, he rolled over onto his stomach. He eagerly awaited what came next.

Amuro softly ran the end of the whip down Char's back. Every second Amuro kept him waiting was agony.

Then, he struck him with it. The touch was much lighter than he had anticipated. It was a warm-up.

"The next one will be harder."

Amuro struck him again. It was barely any more painful, and for Char, that was proof of Amuro's fondness for him. He cared for Char's happiness and safety.

Char knew he loved him. Amuro had made it clear that he didn't consider their relationship romantic. Love was too much of a mystery for Char for him to be able search for any hidden romance in Amuro's words and gestures. The care Amuro showed him during sex was intoxicating regardless.

Amuro struck him again. It stung a bit.

A fourth time. It hurt. It was pleasant in a way that surprised Char. Feeling anything other than the numbness he had experienced for years was welcomed. Anything to feel alive. He rocked against the sheets, desperate for any friction against his now painfully hard cock.

"You can touch yourself," Amuro said.

Now that he had permission, Char slipped one hand under his body and began stroking his cock.

The whip met his his skin again, and Char picked up the speed and pressure in his strokes as the pain ran throughout his body. He was acutely aware of his body and the sound of Amuro breathing behind him. Another lash, and his one made Char moan in a mix of pain and pleasure.

Amuro wanted to hurt him, Amuro wanted him. Char was able to withstand every hit, and he could tell from Amuro's breathing that it excited him. Even if he had ruined Nanai's life, he could make Amuro happy. Surely no other man that Amuro fucked could please him like Char could.

Char cried out again as Amuro hit him. It was getting hard to think. His head was filled with Amuro and pain and pleasure. His cock was dripping with precum.

"You're so good," Amuro cooed. "So obedient and submissive. Your back looks beautiful torn up."

Char cried out Amuro's name. How could he ever be satisfied with normal sex when he knew this high? Amuro could strip away all his sins and refine him into something that had value.

Another lash.

"You're bleeding," Amuro said quietly and reverently.

Char stopped touching himself then. If he didn't, he'd finish, and Amuro wasn't finished. Amuro laughed when he noticed.

He gasped as Amuro struck him again. And again. And again.

"That's is what you're made for. Not for Zeon, but for my pleasure."

Too much. It was all too much. Char had to come, or he'd explode. He touched himself again, and in mere seconds, he was squirting white liquid into his hand.

Amuro sat down on the bed next to him. Char finally looked up at him. His face was flush,and his pupils were large with arousal. He was panting. He ran his hand through Char's hair, and Char let out a content moan.

"Feel better?" Amuro asked.

Char grunted in response. Amuro ran his hand down Char's back. The flesh there was tender, and it caused Char to flinch.

"You're beautiful," Amuro repeated.

He laid down and pulled Char against his chest. The gentleness overwhelmed him.

Minutes passed. Amuro didn't ask Char to leave. It was only when Char started to doze off that Amuro broke the silence.

"You should wash your back before you go to sleep."

Char was greedy. He would ask Amuro to give him everything he could.

"Wash it for me?"

With a smile, Amuro kissed his forehead, and then sat up.

"Sure."

Char started to sit up, but Amuro pushed on his chest, so he stayed laying on his side. Amuro went into the bathroom and returned with a wet white washcloth and a dry one. Char rolled onto his stomach. Amuro sat next to him and washed his back. The washcloth was red when he was done. He tossed the washcloth into the laundry basket in the corner of the room, and then he returned to his position next to Char.

Eventually, Amuro fell asleep. He was letting Char spend the night with him.

Char stayed up late watching Amuro sleep.

He awoke before sunrise when work called him. He carefully untangled himself from Amuro and answered his phone in the small bathroom.

After getting off the phone, he looked at his back in the mirror. Red marks and a few scabbed over wounds decorated the flesh. Never had Char felt more beautiful.

He wanted to ask Amuro to do more to him. He wanted Amuro to scar him. It needed to be somewhere more visible than his back, like his forehead. It would be a permanent reminder for him and the rest of the world that he belonged to Amuro.

It was a deranged request. His PR department would freak out if showed up with a scar, and whatever excuse he gave would defeat the purpose of the scar. Beyond that, Amuro took safety seriously. It would have to be a nasty cut to scar, and he wouldn't do something that could genuinely harm Char.

He considered a piercing, then decided against it. He'd look queer, and Char Aznable was supposed to be a respectable man that other man could aspire to be.

He sent Amuro a text message explaining his disappearance and after getting dressed, slipped out of the apartment.

Spending the night at Amuro's became routine. He only went home to his apartment when their schedules didn't line up. It was usually Char's fault.

Amuro claimed he was playing around with other men, but Char didn't see it in his schedule. This didn't stop him from looking over Amuro's shoulder at his phone when he could or asking where he was when they weren't together.

They were spending too much time together to fill with just sex. Often, when Amuro's considerable libido was satiated, he'd simply start playing video games or pull out his laptop. Char was allowed to hang around, so he did. He learned Amuro's hobbies and what foods he liked and his morning routine.

The divorce was finalized in three months. Except for Zeon, Nanai got half of everything Char owned, and Char wouldn't miss any of it. She got to keep the apartment. Char paid for someone to find him somewhere else to live and have it furnished while Char choked on Amuro's cock.

Char had never been so happy.

It was a rare weekend that Char didn't have to work. He was an early riser and Amuro wasn't, so when he woke up before the other, he carefully left the bed. He slipped on the red apron that Amuro picked out yesterday. He had wanted to pay for it. Char refused. The top only covered around half of his considerable chest. Besides the collar that he never took off inside the apartment, he was completely nude. Then, he pulled the tube of premade biscuit dough out of the fridge and preheated the oven. He lit a candle, and the apartment filled with the smell of cinnamon.

This had been Amuro's idea, and Char was eager to obey. He wanted breakfast waiting for him when he woke up. It was painfully mundane, and it made Char realize that while he had lived with someone who loved him for years, Amuro had not. This was as much about playing house as it was a demonstration of power.

Like a wife cooking for her husband.

Like a dog bringing food to his master.

Char wasn't a cook. At his income, cooking was a waste of time for him. He had offered to pick something up, and Amuro had insisted that Char make the food himself. He hadn't cooked eggs in years. He would try nonetheless. He bought extra of everything.

There was no door shielding Amuro from the noise Char was making, and he stirred when the oven went off. He opened an eye, then tucked Char's pillow against his chest and closed them again. Every so often, his eyes would flutter open again to check on Char.

He got out of bed when the bacon started to burn. He slipped on his boxers, picked up Char's leash from its place on the nightstand, and walked over to Char, who was standing in front of the stove, and he wrapped his arms around him.

"Good morning," Amuro said.

"Good morning," Char echoed back. "Breakfast will be a few more minutes. I need to restart the bacon."

He was confident he could cook better bacon than he had on his first try. The middle of the bacon was slightly charred and the ends were firm instead of a bit chewy.

Amuro kissed his neck and squeezed his barely covered chest. Char glanced at the leather leash in Amuro's hand. To him, it sweeter than any bouquet of flowers ever could be.

"Amuro," Char gasped.

"It's good enough. I'm hungry now."

Char's heart fluttered. Either Amuro genuinely didn't care, which was endearing in its own weird way, or Amuro was giving him an out. Char loathed failing to do someone Amuro had ordered.

"Alright."

Char turned off the heat. He removed the aluminum foil covering the eggs and the biscuits and got the carton of orange juice from the fridge. Finally, he pulled two cups and two plates out of the cabinets. Amuro had only agreed to get nice plates when Char offered to wash them when they were done.

After everything was set out, Amuro clipped the leash onto Char's collar. Never had Char felt so loved.

"Sit in your spot," Amuro ordered.

Char nodded. He moved away from Amuro, and Amuro let the leash fall from his hands. Char knelt by the chair at the kitchen table. Amuro scooped food onto his plate, poured himself some juice, and then sat down in the chair Char was sitting next to. He looped the end of the leash around his left hand. Char laid his head in Amuro's lap. It was perfect. He'd eat when Amuro was done with him.

Amuro ate silently. Char waited and savored being able to touch Amuro.

When he finished, Amuro yanked the leash closer to him. Char knew what he wanted. He climbed into Amuro's lap. He made sure to sit on top of his half-hard cock.

"Breakfast was good. You're an obedient dog, aren't you?"

Good boy and dog were Amuro's favorite things to call Char, and Char cherished each time he heard it. There was nothing more beautiful and blissful than being Amuro's pet and pleasing him.

"For you," Char answered.

Amuro ran his hand up and down his back.

"Just for me. You belong to me."

Something about the way he said it told Char that he wasn't just flirting. Amuro was looking right at him.

"I do."

"Forever. For the rest of your life."

This time, Char meant his vow.

It was as much of a love confession that Amuro could manage, and Char knew he would deny it if he pointed it out.

If Amuro was seeing other people, he didn't do it often. Amuro was never unavailable because he was spending time at a club. He occasionally spent time with Lalah, and even in those cases, Char tagged along when they met somewhere private. He also spent time with a childhood friend that he grew up with that Char had not met. This friend was a woman, so there was no way Amuro was playing around with her.

He never spoke of family. Char suspected he was either estranged from them or they had all died.

Char was the only person who would make breakfast for Amuro.

"Until we die," Char promised.

Amuro yanked on his leash again. He pulled Char's face close to his own, and then they were kissing.

Char's back had healed, which meant it was time to give him new wounds. This was Char's favorite kink activity. He should have been excited. Instead, he was nervous.

He had been home at Amuro's for an hour now, and he had yet to put on his collar. Amuro was cleaning a toy robot he had made that he called Haro at the kitchen table, something that amused Char because it was the only thing he cleaned, while he waited for Char to settle in after work.

Thankfully, Amuro saved Char from having to bring it up himself.

"What's up? You seem worried."

"I need a date for a party for investors."

"I'm not going," Amuro said quickly.

"I wouldn't expect you to."

He couldn't bring Amuro. It was the people who buried themselves in work instead of accepting their sexuality that surrounded Char, not people who embraced otherness. They chased money because it was all the had. Any nonconformity was a weakness to be exploited.

"I was going to ask Lalah if she knew anyone who could accompany me." When Amuro didn't respond, Char continued. "Is that alright?"

"Why would I care?"

"Alright."

Amuro must have noticed his disappointed expression, because he kissed Char.

The party went well. Lalah introduced him to someone who was happy to be his date for the evening for the right price. She was worth every penny Char payed for. She smoothly joined and left conversations. She was beautiful, the kind of woman who made Char appear more powerful and charismatic just from having her by his side. She would kiss him when she spotted a camera or a raised phone, and by the end of the night, pictures of them were up on social media.

Things went so well Char considered hiring her again. A fake girlfriend would help hide Amuro.

Nanai was at the party. They did not talk.

The next day, when Char unlocked his phone after his workout, there was a text message from Amuro that had him feeling sick.

Fuck you.

Char called Amuro. The phone immediately went to voice mail. Did he block his number? He'd leave a voice mail just in case he hadn't.

"Amuro? I don't understand. Did I do something wrong?" Char started pacing. "You told me I could bring a date. Was it the pictures of us kissing? You didn't tell me you didn't want me to kiss her."

He hung up. He called him again. No answer.