Should I Be Concerned

“Should I be concerned?”   That Rodeuskiss asked the question aloud as Orasamier climbed in the window of his office was telling. While his Dha wasn’t exactly annoyed, he wasn’t exactly thrilled that Ora had taken a side-stop at the Thlach apartment building and spent the majority of the night hanging out with the girl. Ora tossed his suit jacket on the leather chair on the opposite side of Rodeuskiss’ dark wood desk before he slumped in the other. Only bothering to answer once he’d toed off his shoes.   “Concerned about what? She’s nice.” A deflective answer.   Rodeuskiss leaned back in his high back chair and loosely rest his arms on the rests. As casual as he ever got, dressed down in a simple black button down with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. All silver chain accents, jacket, and vest had been discarded at some point though not in this room. The only jewelry he bothered with was a single earring in his right ear – a small silver dagger that hung, blade down. An old gift from Ora that had, admittedly, been a petty one since he’d been certain Rodeuskiss wouldn’t wear it.   The man always did.   “She’s Thlach, Ora,” his Dha answered patiently, true red eyes unwavering as he watched Ora. The sort of red that Drahinuaw coveted for their family. Not like the pale light color of Ora’s own.   He waved away the observation and tilted his head back, looking up at the dark painted ceiling. “She’s harmless, Rodeus. She was going to run up to you in the middle of the party…”   “She wouldn’t have made it…”   “I know,” he said, cutting off his Dha. “I know. And even if she’d made a scene, no one at the party would’ve remembered it.” Rodeus wouldn’t have allowed it. Abusing his high Shra to erase whatever of the encounter he didn’t want people to remember. He did another dismissing wave. “She’s a non-issue, Rodeus. Just new to the city. She has no idea about… anything.”   The oppressive quiet that fell between them was accentuated by the probing pressure at the back of Ora’s mind. He knew that Rodeus was testing him, looking for something but Ora never had anything to hide. Not that he could’ve if he wanted, but the intrusion still irked him. He straightened in the chair and glared at his Dha. “What?”   Expression as cool and neutral as ever, only his smoother tone belied his care. “Why did you go to the party, Ora?” Rodeus’ natural mask against the world had been one of the things Ora had been attracted to before they’d been Connected. On good days, it still was. Rodeuskiss was attractive. Strong jaw line, sharp nose, and those red eyes. Complimented by the white-silver hair that spoke to a Drahinuaw lineage somewhere… He was, as his family had said, perfect. More Drahinuaw than some in their family, even.   “Was I not welcome?” Ora snapped. Both aware that wasn’t the case but the question had put him on the irritable defensive.   “I will never understand why you attend functions that leave you irritated at me,” Rodeus answered. Not for the first time and likely not the last. Before Ora could respond with something as equally rote, the Dha stood. “Come on. It’s late and I’m tired.”   Ora wanted to argue. For a long moment, the two of them stared at one another. Rodeus could force his hand and make Ora tag along quietly. That was always an option for someone of a high Shra and, in an odd way, Ora was always waiting for it to happen. Waiting to see when his Dha would finally take that step. With how often Rodeus abused his ability on other vnou…   But time stretched and it became glaringly obvious that Rodeus was playing the silent waiting game. A game he would always win with his eternal patience and neutral expression.   Ora huffed and pushed himself to stand. He grabbed his jacket, all his movements more exaggerated than they needed to be, before he walked past Rodeus and toward one of the tall metal doors along the walls.   This entire floor belonged to Rodeuskiss. The office was part of his penthouse, one of the doors leading off into the main living space while another branched off into his… their… bedroom. In a round-about way, Orasamier also lived there. Connected to Rodeuskiss, he was legally entitled to it. Never mind that he’d be able to access it through his family’s connections through the Shpacchad, if he absolutely wanted to.   Except he couldn’t use the elevator up. Couldn’t walk in the door like a normal Bya visiting their Dha. He always had to sneak in. Ever the secret.   Rodeus lightly gripped his shoulder, near the base of his neck. A firm touch that directed Orasamier in their large bedroom. All the décor was painted in the dark blacks and blues of his family. He wasn’t entirely sure if that was intentional or not since it was a common enough sight. Modern, sleek furniture and a familiar wide bed with silk sheets. He knew that bed was oh so comfortable.   < Undress and kneel. > The command was entirely dependent on Ora to obey. Rodeus could make him obey. He could make nearly anyone do anything but Ora’s Dha much preferred the moments when Ora chose to. The shorter vnou shot a glare over his shoulder. Met with the same neutral expression and red eyes as he had in the office.   He could argue. They could continue the fight from before. That possibility hung in the growing tension between them, but that just added to the heat and eventually drove Ora obey. The jacket was tossed aside. He popped the first couple of buttons on his shirt before he pulled it up and over, losing the weight of Rodeus’ hand on his shoulder in the move.   Neither of them really wanted to have the same fight they’d had before, not in that particular moment anyway. Not when what Ora really wanted was Rodeus’ attention.