"Oh yeah, tons of times." Jack rubs his own neck a bit, to help get the blood flowing normally again. His answer is quick and easy, no trace of hesitation or shame.
"The shithead who was president of Hyperion before me was the first. Real piece of work, left me and everybody on my space station to die a bunch of times. Refused to call me anything other than my full name, didn't matter how many times I corrected him, he knew it pissed me off." Tassiter had been good at pushing Jack's buttons.
"Strangled him with my watch chain when I finally had enough. He was running the company into the ground anyway. Nobody even said anything! They were just all 'okay, sure, Jack's president now, cool!'"
That startles a laugh out of Steven. "It was that easy, huh?" he says, and there's a bit of rueful fondness in his voice. "God, how long was that after you shot that Merriff guy?"
He knows, abstractly, that this not what any normal person would consider to be pillow talk. But Jack doesn't care and he wants to know.
"The old bastard had no idea what hit him. I saved the company, I saved our colonies...and he wants to fire me! What the hell did he think was gonna happen?"
Really, it was practically Tassiter's own fault.
"Ah...I can still hear him. 'What are you still doing here, John? You're done in Hyperion...why are you behind my desk, John? Where are my bodyguards, how did you get in here....'." Jack snorts, settling back comfortably on the pillows and grinning.
"His secretary was on an open comm the whole time, barely said 'boo'. And I dunno...a couple days maybe? There was a lot going on, it was like ten years ago..." He doesn't remember the exact timeline at this point.
Steven laughs out loud. "John. God, no wonder you strangled him. 'Hey, wait, John, what's this doing around my ne-- urkh!'"
He shakes his head, before shifting his body so he can sit back next to Jack, his body angled towards him.
"You really just are like me," he says in wonder. "Or-- I'm like you. God, it was because part of you knew you'd like it that much, wasn't it? That's why you never did anything until the Merriff. Even though it was perfectly fine and legal where you come from. Even if you didn't consciously know... you knew." He's smiling like a little kid at Christmas. "So did I. And god, I hated that part of me."
"I hadn't gone by 'John' in like five years at that point. But every friggin time..." Just to piss him off. Because that had been Tassiter.
"It's pretty hard not to know that about yourself on some level. I mean...you'd gotta have the introspective abilities of a pet rock! I think I was just trying to prove a point? Like I was so great, I didn't have to murder my way to the top...but it was so much easier!"
And he'd had other reasons for holding his darker nature at bay, but that's not something he talks about with anyone. Some things are his and only his.
"It's the law of jungle, babe, that's all it is. And you and me? We're a couple of big old jungle cats!"
Steven smiles fondly at him. "I was this weird little kid with this whole morbid fascination with death and all its trappings and the only person I knew who shared it... well he got sick. And then he was gone. And I was self-aware enough to know that stuff wasn't considered normal, so I pretended I was, but God, there were some lonely years in there. Then Charley, who had a way of getting into everything, found the books that Tio Carlos left me and started looking at the pictures and asking me questions and it wasn't quite as bad after that. Because she was just as fascinated as I was."
He shakes his head. "I mean, she wasn't just like me, she didn't want the things that I want. She's a good girl. She wouldn't hurt anybody. But I'd play these games of pretend with her, where she'd make me some magic science weapon that I'd use to hurt all the imaginary bad guys who wanted to kidnap her and God, she loved how I'd do all that to protect her. And that was the closest I'd come to anyone understanding, until you."
He nestles in, closer. "Liam, my ex-, one of the things he said when we broke up was how fucked up it was that I would confide more in my kid sister than the man I was living with—but if I'd told him half of anything I'd told you, not just tonight, but if I'd let slip with him any of the things I've let slip with you since you first asked me to be rough with you... God, he'd have run screaming for the hills."
Oh, this one really likes to share. Jack zones out a little - he's too much a narcissist not to - but he hones in on what he considers the important bits.
"Shoulda been born in the future. Hell, the only sports we've even got are blood sports. Everybody's got their arenas, from your huge multi-level spectaculars like the Hyperion Circle of Death down to Joe Shmo broadcasting his Fight To The Death Club. It's what the people want! They just wanna see a bunch of assholes tearing each other apart in more creative and brutal ways till just one's left!"
Because people are animals, and everybody loves violence even if they won't admit to it.
"And it's not like we're barbarians, chucking people into this shit against their will. No, people sign up for it! Train for it! The champions have huge fan clubs and followings and groupies and everything. Plus there's huge cash prizes."
Jack. You're literally the first person he's felt that he could share everything with and not be judged. Forgive him if he takes advantage of that.
"God, he was," Steven says. "He really, really was in the end. And before it fell apart, I liked him more than any other guy I'd been with. Because he wasn't all terrible? I mean, we were together for two years and three months and I actually almost brought him home to meet my parents, which I would never do normally..."
Would he bring Jack home to his parents if that were at all feasible? Fuck. He doesn't know. It's not like Jack is obviously the the way they both are. On first meeting, he comes off as basically just another Silicon Valley Asshole, like more or less half of everyone Steven's father has ever worked for. And they'd probably be happy he had someone at all to want to bring home.
Except. Except Jack was fifty-four. Jack was closer to Steven's parents' age than he was Steven's own. So no. Maybe not.
Charley, though. He'd want Charley to meet Jack. Would hope to god she'd like him. She probably would, though. She wasn't like him or Jack but she wouldn't be bothered by it.
God, she'd probably tease Steven about dating a man almost twenty years older than him--not to mention how quickly he'd fallen for him--but she'd also probably just be happy he was dating again. That the entire mess with Liam hadn't broken his heart for good.
Steven sighs and shakes his head again. "He was.... God. He was funny, in like a really mean way? But I liked it, because that meant I could make little cutting comments of my own and he'd laugh at them. And he was musical and intellectual... he was incredibly well-read, but at the same time, he didn't turn his nose up at genre fiction, either? And we had a lot of the same interests--I first met him as part of a one-shot my friend who was a dungeon master was running and then a couple nights later I run into him at a gay bar and instead of hooking up right away, he gets me to go out for a late night coffee with him and we talked all night about, God, Dungeon magazine of all things. And he did a decent job of keeping up with me in bed--although not nearly as well as you, Jack--and he passed my Are You An Asshole Social Issue Litmus Test--which again, you did too with flying colors. But he wasn't like us. And I knew, God, I knew he'd be so disgusted if he knew what I was really like inside. So. I hid it. Like I always did. Until you."
He lays his head on Jack's shoulder. "God, I really should have been born in your future. I can't even imagine what it would be like to just-- Openly want the things I want. Enjoy the things I enjoy without worrying someone's going to notice why."
Edited (sometimes in the middle of the night my brain wants to add more thoughts into a tag) 2020-02-28 08:09 (UTC)
Okay, this is all Jack can take. He likes Steven! A whole hell of a lot! But there's been a lot of unloading tonight and Jack has reached his capacity for it. And he's not the kind of guy to fake an interest, that's just shitty. But it's fine, it's cool, he's got a subject change all lined up!
"But forget about him." He pushes himself up and shifts so he's stretched out over Steven. "He's long gone, and I'm right here. And am also ten times better, and also long overdue fucking you."
That's where they'd been originally going, after all. It's sexy time, not sharing time anymore. And he has been wanting to be the pitcher rather than catcher in this partnership for a while now. It's only the fact that Steven does him so damn good that he hasn't brought it up yet.
Steven's eyes light up. "Ten thousand times better," he promises. "God, it's been years. The better half of a decade. I don't, usually, unless I trust them enough—but honestly, Jack, there's no one I trust as much as you."
He laughs. "Honestly, I've probably been ready to get fucked since the race—but I was having so much fun brutalizing you that I wanted to keep that up for a little longer. I've rarely been with a guy who can take everything I can give."
His eyes dart down to the still fading teeth marks on Jack's shoulder, from the night before.
"Cuz I'm not like anybody else, I'm Handsome Jack! I go bigger and harder than most people ever imagine..."
Oh, that is music to Jack's ears. How much Steven trusts him, how much he adores him, how utterly captivated he is by Jack. It's as heady and arousing as anything else they've done tonight.
"And you know me, I don't mind being bottom, but I do like a nice variety! Gotta keep it exciting, change it up. We're way too early to start falling into some kinda routine."
But it helps that Steven is perfectly eager to give Jack exactly what he wants.
Oh, Jack. You make him feel like there's something right with him, when all of his life he's been sure there's something very wrong. Of course he's utterly captivated by you.
(Really, in that context, it's less surprising that he fell into bed with you and immediately rolled into a relationship, like a common baby sister.)
"Absolutely none of this is routine," Steven comments, with dry amusement, even as he slides a hand downward to caress Jack's cock. "Mm. Definitely bigger and harder."
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fingersandteeth) wrote2022-02-21 05:11 pm
no subject
"The shithead who was president of Hyperion before me was the first. Real piece of work, left me and everybody on my space station to die a bunch of times. Refused to call me anything other than my full name, didn't matter how many times I corrected him, he knew it pissed me off." Tassiter had been good at pushing Jack's buttons.
"Strangled him with my watch chain when I finally had enough. He was running the company into the ground anyway. Nobody even said anything!
They were just all 'okay, sure, Jack's president now, cool!'"
no subject
He knows, abstractly, that this not what any normal person would consider to be pillow talk. But Jack doesn't care and he wants to know.
no subject
Really, it was practically Tassiter's own fault.
"Ah...I can still hear him. 'What are you still doing here, John? You're done in Hyperion...why are you behind my desk, John? Where are my bodyguards, how did you get in here....'." Jack snorts, settling back comfortably on the pillows and grinning.
"His secretary was on an open comm the whole time, barely said 'boo'. And I dunno...a couple days maybe? There was a lot going on, it was like ten years ago..." He doesn't remember the exact timeline at this point.
no subject
He shakes his head, before shifting his body so he can sit back next to Jack, his body angled towards him.
"You really just are like me," he says in wonder. "Or-- I'm like you. God, it was because part of you knew you'd like it that much, wasn't it? That's why you never did anything until the Merriff. Even though it was perfectly fine and legal where you come from. Even if you didn't consciously know... you knew." He's smiling like a little kid at Christmas. "So did I. And god, I hated that part of me."
It doesn't sound like he hates it now.
no subject
"It's pretty hard not to know that about yourself on some level. I mean...you'd gotta have the introspective abilities of a pet rock! I think I was just trying to prove a point? Like I was so great, I didn't have to murder my way to the top...but it was so much easier!"
And he'd had other reasons for holding his darker nature at bay, but that's not something he talks about with anyone. Some things are his and only his.
"It's the law of jungle, babe, that's all it is. And you and me? We're a couple of big old jungle cats!"
no subject
He shakes his head. "I mean, she wasn't just like me, she didn't want the things that I want. She's a good girl. She wouldn't hurt anybody. But I'd play these games of pretend with her, where she'd make me some magic science weapon that I'd use to hurt all the imaginary bad guys who wanted to kidnap her and God, she loved how I'd do all that to protect her. And that was the closest I'd come to anyone understanding, until you."
He nestles in, closer. "Liam, my ex-, one of the things he said when we broke up was how fucked up it was that I would confide more in my kid sister than the man I was living with—but if I'd told him half of anything I'd told you, not just tonight, but if I'd let slip with him any of the things I've let slip with you since you first asked me to be rough with you... God, he'd have run screaming for the hills."
no subject
"Shoulda been born in the future. Hell, the only sports we've even got are blood sports. Everybody's got their arenas, from your huge multi-level spectaculars like the Hyperion Circle of Death down to Joe Shmo broadcasting his Fight To The Death Club. It's what the people want! They just wanna see a bunch of assholes tearing each other apart in more creative and brutal ways till just one's left!"
Because people are animals, and everybody loves violence even if they won't admit to it.
"And it's not like we're barbarians, chucking people into this shit against their will. No, people sign up for it! Train for it! The champions have huge fan clubs and followings and groupies and everything. Plus there's huge cash prizes."
Jack casually slings his arm around Steven.
"Also your ex sounds like a real lickbag."
no subject
"God, he was," Steven says. "He really, really was in the end. And before it fell apart, I liked him more than any other guy I'd been with. Because he wasn't all terrible? I mean, we were together for two years and three months and I actually almost brought him home to meet my parents, which I would never do normally..."
Would he bring Jack home to his parents if that were at all feasible? Fuck. He doesn't know. It's not like Jack is obviously the the way they both are. On first meeting, he comes off as basically just another Silicon Valley Asshole, like more or less half of everyone Steven's father has ever worked for. And they'd probably be happy he had someone at all to want to bring home.
Except. Except Jack was fifty-four. Jack was closer to Steven's parents' age than he was Steven's own. So no. Maybe not.
Charley, though. He'd want Charley to meet Jack. Would hope to god she'd like him. She probably would, though. She wasn't like him or Jack but she wouldn't be bothered by it.
God, she'd probably tease Steven about dating a man almost twenty years older than him--not to mention how quickly he'd fallen for him--but she'd also probably just be happy he was dating again. That the entire mess with Liam hadn't broken his heart for good.
Steven sighs and shakes his head again. "He was.... God. He was funny, in like a really mean way? But I liked it, because that meant I could make little cutting comments of my own and he'd laugh at them. And he was musical and intellectual... he was incredibly well-read, but at the same time, he didn't turn his nose up at genre fiction, either? And we had a lot of the same interests--I first met him as part of a one-shot my friend who was a dungeon master was running and then a couple nights later I run into him at a gay bar and instead of hooking up right away, he gets me to go out for a late night coffee with him and we talked all night about, God, Dungeon magazine of all things. And he did a decent job of keeping up with me in bed--although not nearly as well as you, Jack--and he passed my Are You An Asshole Social Issue Litmus Test--which again, you did too with flying colors. But he wasn't like us. And I knew, God, I knew he'd be so disgusted if he knew what I was really like inside. So. I hid it. Like I always did. Until you."
He lays his head on Jack's shoulder. "God, I really should have been born in your future. I can't even imagine what it would be like to just-- Openly want the things I want. Enjoy the things I enjoy without worrying someone's going to notice why."
no subject
Okay, this is all Jack can take. He likes Steven! A whole hell of a lot! But there's been a lot of unloading tonight and Jack has reached his capacity for it. And he's not the kind of guy to fake an interest, that's just shitty. But it's fine, it's cool, he's got a subject change all lined up!
"But forget about him." He pushes himself up and shifts so he's stretched out over Steven. "He's long gone, and I'm right here. And am also ten times better, and also long overdue fucking you."
That's where they'd been originally going, after all. It's sexy time, not sharing time anymore. And he has been wanting to be the pitcher rather than catcher in this partnership for a while now. It's only the fact that Steven does him so damn good that he hasn't brought it up yet.
no subject
He laughs. "Honestly, I've probably been ready to get fucked since the race—but I was having so much fun brutalizing you that I wanted to keep that up for a little longer. I've rarely been with a guy who can take everything I can give."
His eyes dart down to the still fading teeth marks on Jack's shoulder, from the night before.
no subject
Oh, that is music to Jack's ears. How much Steven trusts him, how much he adores him, how utterly captivated he is by Jack. It's as heady and arousing as anything else they've done tonight.
"And you know me, I don't mind being bottom, but I do like a nice variety! Gotta keep it exciting, change it up. We're way too early to start falling into some kinda routine."
But it helps that Steven is perfectly eager to give Jack exactly what he wants.
no subject
(Really, in that context, it's less surprising that he fell into bed with you and immediately rolled into a relationship, like a common baby sister.)
"Absolutely none of this is routine," Steven comments, with dry amusement, even as he slides a hand downward to caress Jack's cock. "Mm. Definitely bigger and harder."
no subject
Jack chuckles, shifting his hips into the touch. He's all grins and one glinting eye now, lowering his head to nip at Steven's neck.
"And don't worry...I'll get you real good and worked up for me first."
no subject
"After what you let me do to you, I'm already gagging for it," he murmurs in Jack's ear, before going back to gnaw on his shoulder.