Soul Mate Service - Chapter 27: Chapter 27

THIRD PERSON POV
The darkness of the night was a blanket, warm and comforting as it cast dancing shadows across the knowing faces of a familiar, curly-headed man and the smaller, brown-haired one he held close. Clammy palms pressed tightly together and fingers intertwined, resting comfortably in the few inches of space left between their faces, and the pair breathed in each other's air as they giggled over all kinds of nonsense.
But even so, the joyful, carefree sound was barely enough to tamper the bubbling craters of anxiety that were minutes – seconds – from overflowing and scalding them to the bone.
Their last day of freedom had passed in a blur of stolen kisses, skittish teases, and languid glances laden with miles-deep valleys of dread. But no matter how deep concealed trepidation dug into quivering souls with claws like ice, neither male could conjure the nerve to discuss the obvious, lest they break the easygoing sense of confidence that they clung to with the very tips of raw, life-bitten fingers.
"It's your fuckin' fault. If you weren't so damn adorable, this wouldn't even be an issue." Thad murmured through an air of faux vexation, rolling his eyes only briefly enough so that he wouldn't go into withdrawals from not having Aria's face in full view at all times.
Lately, even just a few seconds without visual proof of his Soul Mate's safety felt like too much for his increasingly mushy heart to handle. It would begin to race, some kind of feral, overprotective type of irritability flooding his system and steadily increasing in strength until – finally – he could finally lay eyes on his Bug again.
"You're so dramatic!" Aria's soft laughter filled not only their room but also the hollow chiasms in Thaddeus's long-neglected soul. "I'm about one hundred percent sure that you tripped over your own feet and fell down that flight of stairs of your own volition. You can't just blame every single one of your mistakes on me being cute!"
"Oh, yeah?" Thad retorted, flashing a sharp canine in a crooked smirk. The glint of mischief that simultaneously flashed through his hazel eyes was not lost to Aria in the least. "And just who's gonna stop me? You gonna tie me up and tape my naughty mouth shut with those 'lil chicken wings you call arms?" He teased, raising a questioning brow.
"Hey!" Aria retorted, a pout tugging at his bottom lip. He opened his mouth to argue that even if his arms were skinny, they certainly weren't chicken wings, but Thaddeus beat him to the punch yet again, wriggling manicured brows suggestively.
"See, I knew you liked the idea of getting me all tied up and held captive at your mercy. Who would've thought that all along, the innocent, sweet Aria was really just an undercover, kinky 'lil fuck?!" He pushed the joke further, absolutely loving the way it made Aria's high cheekbones fill with so much blood that they looked like a bright red beacon in the darkness. He knew he'd have to slow down soon, to give his adorable little Aria who couldn't seem to formulate a good joke to save his life a momentary reprieve from his teasing, but right now he was just having too much fun to stop.
"But I'm not even the one who thought of that idea!" Aria defended himself earnestly, although his fingers still never loosened in their grasp on Thaddeus's larger ones. "If anything, you're the kinky one!"
"For your information, I'm actually a perfect cherub angel baby, thank you very much." Thaddeus beamed, showing off sparkling pearly whites. "But you on the other hand? Whew, you're a piece of work, always trying to show me what you wanna do to me through our bond. I mean, really Aria? You gotta stop thinking about my cock twenty-four seven or else you might just spontaneously combust one of these days, and then I'd be left with no choice but to revert back to being a dick to everybody again."
Aria squeaked at his Soul Mate's incredibly vulgar words, trying to make them stop.
No matter how comfortable he'd gotten with fooling around with the larger man a few times over the past few days, Thaddeus's seemingly complete inability to formulate any sort of verbal filter never ceased to stun the smaller man, especially after thinking, speaking, and living through a practically impenetrable one his entire life. It was still a little hard to believe that it was even possible for someone to say such immodest things without so much as a care in the world, but Aria was reminded every time that the larger man opened his mouth that his Soul Mate just happened to be that person.
In Aria's old world, that last thought alone would have terrified him. But now, after living alongside an unruly Thaddeus for so many months, the idea of just letting go a bit sometimes rather than constantly toeing across the hollow eggshells of their stifling Society had morphed itself into a bizarre mixture of scary, taboo, and – dare he say – exhilarating.
"You're putting words into my mouth!" Aria snapped back, and Thaddeus couldn't resist lifting his head from the pillow and closing the six-inch gap that separated their faces to capture that soft, jutted-out bottom lip between excited teeth. He gave the plump flesh a sharp nip, followed by a soothing swipe of his tongue to ease the pinch.
"Fine, fine. You might not like my words in your mouth, but I've come up with a much, much better alternative that I think you will really, really like me shoving in there instead." He replied, voice low and husky and filled with so much suggestive gravel that Aria almost fell for it.
"Y-you're being mean, Thad!" Aria was pouting something serious now, and if Thaddeus said it wasn't the most adorable fucking thing he'd ever seen, he'd be lying like a motherfucker.
"Fiiine, I'll stop. Wouldn't want to get myself in trouble with the peach prince." Thaddeus chuckled deep in his chest, not missing a beat as he leaned right back into place and pressed a gentle kiss on the tip of Aria's warm, pinkened nose. "I swear I was only teasing you, bug." He paused, ducking his head to press a post-persecutory kiss to their intertwined knuckles.
... And Aria almost believed him too, that is before the giant oaf lifted his eyes back up with a suggestive smirk and tacked on an absolutely obscene, "... Unless?"
"Thaddeus Axton!"
"Alright, alright, I'm really done this time, I swear!" The big baby gave a spoiled groan of misery, following up with a mumble of, "It was worth a try."
Aria only released a shuddering sigh, squeezing Thad's hands. Despite their playful bout of teasing, there still remained a slick sheen of sweat pressed between their palms, accompanied by a barely-there tremble to each digit.
"I'm sorry, I really don't mean to be a debby downer. And honestly, I really might have been into... trying that, if it wasn't for..." Aria trailed off, brown eyes flickering downward and head lowering as if his entire body was attempting to disappear in on itself at the thought of what was to happen tonight.
Thaddeus's responding body language said it all. The curly-headed male's eyes darkened, his larger form stiffening under the duvet at the unspoken truth that Aria had just left hanging in the balance.
The opportunity to break the ice and discuss their deepest, shared fear was right there, so close he could almost taste it at the back of his throat. But somehow, the idea of actually speaking it into existence, of acknowledging the power that The Elders held over their thoughts, their feelings, their lives, felt so much more terrifying than just not discussing it at all.
Thaddeus released one of Aria's hands then, flipping onto his back as he slid the wide extremity down his face with frustration. However, in the midst of his brooding, he didn't miss the sensation of Aria instantly scooching over to sidle up next to him, pressing that warm, slim body into his side and settling his flushed cheek down onto the firm surface of Thad's bare pec.
Unsurprisingly, the larger man couldn't resist wrapping his other arm around Aria in a tight, protective hold that read as nothing other than 'he's mine.'
For a long while neither man spoke, but instead allowed their complicated mass of emotions to flow through their bond like water, to intertwine and interlock until they could barely tell one from the other. They allowed themselves to ebb and flow, to heal and shatter until they lay there in another plane entirely, existing in a state of oneness of being where no one – not even The Elders – held the power to assert their disquieting influence.
In this place, there was only Thaddeus and Aria.
In this place, there was only home.
After a few more moments of basking in paradise, Aria decided to risk a peek at the glowing timestamp that lit up the corner of the darkened digi-window. What he saw left his stomach churning.
"It is almost time." He murmured, voice barely a whisper.
"I know." Thaddeus replied, just as quietly.
"Should we get ready?" Aria asked, even as he pressed himself further into Thad's side, as if trying to imprint the shape of his body there.
"Maybe." Thaddeus started. Then, he sighed, speaking the truth this time. "Probably."
It still took a few, long minutes for either man to build up even a quarter of the willpower necessary to finally make their way out of the warm embrace of one another's arms, let alone the bed itself. But once they did, limbs protesting with each vaguely aching movement, they moved in a perfect balance, one tending to the other without a single word exchanged between them.
Touch was an emotion as they helped one another out of their pajamas, ones they had decided to relax in that night despite knowing that they would only have a few hours to enjoy them. Then, they dressed one another just as carefully, fingers brushing skin and savoring the warmth they found there.
Eventually, when they found themselves fully dressed and approaching the foyer of their Housing Pod to wait patiently for the inevitable, the suffocation began to set in. It was a distinctly unsettling sensation, as if the weight of the entire Society had begun to rest its tired legs atop their shoulders and crush their lungs beneath its mighty sole. But even then they held tight to one another still, standing hand-in-hand as they fought against the pressure, desperate to overcome. Desperate to live.
Thaddeus turned toward Aria once they reached their destination, standing only a few feet away from the door that led out of their housing pod and into a world full of uncertainty.
"Aria," He whispered, hunching over enough to press their foreheads together. His hands slipped free of their previous intertwined state, instead reaching up to grasp either side of his Soul Mate's face between calloused palms. "No matter what happens tonight, we have to stay strong. I know you can do that for me, can't you?"
"I– I..." Aria shook against Thad's forehead, gulping down the tears of terror that had already begun to work their way up his burning esophagus. "Even if I don't really feel like I can do anything right now, I'll still try my best to be strong." He reached up, layering one of his own hands atop Thad's that still rested against his cheek. "For you."
"That's my Bug." Thad smiled then, a real, honest-to-goodness smile that lit up his face and made a newly discovered dimple pop right out of the left side of his cheek. Aria marveled at the novel finding, eyes going wide as he reached up to touch the indentation.
"Thank you." Aria respired, breathless, "Thank you for taking care of me. I know what you're risking in doing this, and I... I can't express how much–"
Thad's smile only widened, trying to compensate for the way his very core shuddered under the harrowing truth of Aria's words. Aria's gratitude was miles beyond sweet, but it was borderline impossible to focus on how knee-wobblingly adorable his Soul Mate was when Thad was more than a little bit preoccupied with being reminded of the way he was about to lie to the one group of people who held the power to wipe him from the face of the earth with the snap of a finger.
"How many times do I have to tell you not to underestimate me, Bug?" A tease worked its way back into his tone, but whatever stupid joke he was about to make was cut very short by a sharp exhale of breath as Aria suddenly flew into his chest, knocking out all air as he wrapped his thin arms as far around his Soul Mate's waist as he possibly could.
"I know, I just..." Aria muffled through the barrier of Thad's plain, white shirt, and Thaddeus soaked in the sensation of being cherished. "I can't lose you Thad." Aria whispered shakily, fingers curling deep into the fabric at the back of Thad's shirt. "Not after I just got you."
Thaddeus quieted at that, every ounce of playful, cocky hubris lost in a single second as Aria's words scrambled his mind and the scent of his distress tainted his nostrils.
The larger man had no answer for the angst that plagued his beloved so, no words of comfort or playful retort to soothe the gnawing ache that trembled its way through their bond, inundating him with Aria's throbbing, selfless panic. But he did have himself, so he chose instead to wrap Aria up in arms tight enough to bruise, pressing a kiss to the crown of his Soul Mate's soft, wavy hair as he tried his best to make the smaller man disappear into his body.
"Aria, I need you to listen to me, and listen well." only after ensuring he'd memorized each ridge, bump, and smooth plane of Aria's petite build did he pull back, once again settling the smaller man's face between waiting palms. "I tried. I really, really tried with all of my might to hate you, to file your existence off into the back of my mind in hopes that despising you would be easier than admitting that maybe, just maybe, the selfish, narrow-sighted world that I'd built around myself wasn't as perfect as I believed it to be." He leaned into Aria like a planet to the sun, letting his words flow from a place unknown, a place Aria had carved out of him.
"But then, with each and every day that you stood there in front of me, bursting with all of the flavors of that stunning empathy that lives endlessly within your heart, you somehow wriggled your way into the barren walls of mine, too. You made a home there, burrowing deep like the roots of the sweetest little peach tree. And then you just kept growing and growing, all bright and beautiful and selfless and giving, flowering right here in my chest until I couldn't take the denial anymore. But now... I can't, I won't, run from what I feel for you anymore." He closed his eyes, lips set in a tight line as his voice lowered to a dangerous pitch. His next words were both a threat and a promise. "You mean so, so much to me, Bug. So much that not a single soul on this planet can even come close to comprehending the lengths to which I would go to protect you, to protect us. So just know that whatever happens tonight – no matter what The Elders say or do – I won't bear the thought of losing you, either."
Aria could only stare at Thaddeus with parted lips and soft, watery eyes as a wave of adoration washed over him, rocketing through their bond and settling a sense of newfound strength into their overwrought states of being.
And then, fingers slotting in around his Soul Mate's ears, the tips of them tangling into the fine hairs at the back of his neck, Thaddeus hovered closer. Aria followed the larger man's lead, leaning up on his tip-toes as both men sought out the innate comfort of the other's warm embrace. Breaths hitched, noses slotted together, and lips barely brushed as they leaned closer still, until there was only a hair's breadth standing between both men and their rapidly skyrocketing desire.
But before they could fully seal themselves together, lips pressing, searching, and consuming as much as they could reach, the solemn reality of this night reigned down upon them like daggers instead of rain.
"ATTENTION, INHABITANTS OF HOUSING POD NEGATIVE SIX-HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FOUR. YOU HAVE BEEN AUDITED BY THE ELDER COUNCIL. YOU WILL STAY CALM AND COOPERATE, OR FACE PUNISHMENT AS LAWS REGULATE."
Once the door to their Housing Pod slid open, revealing fully-uniformed Enforcers marching unceremoniously into their foyer, everything moved in slow motion. Thaddeus managed to whisper a quick, "You are more than strong enough, Bug." before Aria was yanked out of his arms, each pulled in opposite directions by the two pairs of Enforcers.
Although they tried their best not to show it, both Thad and Aria's breaths quickened, mouths going dry with fear as they were haphazardly hustled out of the Pod and into the hall. A grim sense of Deja-Vu made each step toward the inevitable that much harder, but even as their arms were pulled much too far behind their back to be anything close to comfortable and the familiar sensation of electro-ties sizzled across Thad's wrists, not once did their eyes wander as they held tight to the thin shred of comfort that was knowing that the other was near.
At first glance, the trek back down to floor negative thirty seemed to be much less outwardly eventful than the last, an empty, numb sort of facade plastered itself across each of their faces as they strumbled blindly along with each shove. But somewhere at the very back of their skull, the bond that Thaddeus and Aria shared buzzed with life as they bombarded one another with as much hope and reassurance as they could possibly muster.
And of course – to top it all off with a fucking cherry – Thaddeus just had to be doubly plagued, forced to concentrate both on smothering Aria with adoration and battling the brutal urge to thoroughly obliterate the two Enforcers who were currently holding onto Aria's wrists with so much force that the soft, incredibly delicate skin beneath their black gloves was turning a lighter, pale shade due to lack of circulation.
When they were finally manhandled out of the Air Lift and shuffled back into that same, marble room with that same, gaudy chandelier that shined much too brightly in their eyes, Aria and Thaddeus could practically feel the walls closing in on them, narrowing to a single point in space where the table of Elders which still stood, unperturbed and pristine, in the very center of the giant room.
Thaddeus grunted when he was roughly shoved to his knees in front of that stupid fucking table for the second time in the past month, shooting the offending Enforcer with a nasty bit of side-eye in the process. Luckily, the other two Enforcers were much milder with their approach to Aria when they also gently settled the smaller man down to his knees beside him. Blinking through the fury, Thaddeus made a mental note that maybe, just maybe, he'd let the fuckers live a few more minutes than he'd originally planned.
"Number 6081, number 8320. We, The Elders, welcome you back to our humble abode." The sound of Elder Laancaster's voice pierced right through Thaddeus's skull, immediately reminding him of the myriad of reasons why that old, wrinkly ass bitch needed to get her neck wrung up ASAP, preferably by his own fingers.
Thaddeus's flushed with frustration, followed closely by a bitter fury that pulsed from that stubborn revenge streak he'd never quite managed to shake, as he reminded himself that right now he had a different job to focus on, one that involved getting on the better side of the same Elders who seemed to have had it out for him since the beginning of fucking time.
So, instead of launching himself across the room and strangling that big-mouthed Elder with the long end of his electro-ties, he instead chose to square off his shoulders, lift his chin, and do what he came here to do... which was lie straight out of his goddamn teeth.
"Aria and I have fulfilled our duty to The Society and consummated our mateship as requested." Thad bellowed, his words strong and unwavering. "So now that we've kept up our end of the deal, we would like to request immediate release back to our Housing Pod."
For a good moment there, Thaddeus wasn't sure what to think as every single one of The Elders remained deathly quiet for what felt like thirty whole minutes after his surprisingly elegant lie. But then, Elder Laancaster flashed that much-too-wide smile that seemed to completely take over her face while also never reaching her eyes, and for a second, Aria honestly wondered if she was going to just unhinge her jaw and swallow them whole.
Thaddeus winced at the sharp onset of fear that zipped through their bond at that, subconsciously scooting an inch closer to Aria when his instincts screamed to comfort.
"Well, well, well." She chirped, tilting her head only a few degrees as if trying to get a better look at the two, young Society members before her. "Number 6081, before we discuss this matter any further, let us make it exceedingly clear that the instructions we provided in which you were to mate with number 8320 was not a deal. On the contrary, it was nothing short of an order." She corrected, tone sinking with the last word. However, just as quickly as her voice lowered, it raised right back up with a cheerful, lighthearted kind of ease that made something distinctly nauseating settle in Thaddeus's gut. "However, setting aside your foolish choice of words, I do believe that I speak for every Elder on the council when I say that we are all very pleased to hear of your... cooperation."
"Right..." Thad drolled, unable to bring himself to apologize to these big-headed bastards for whatever 'foolish choice of words' they decided he'd used. He might have been softening up a little bit lately, but he would never be that nice. Nah, all of his apologies were exclusively reserved for his royal highness Aria Peaches Buggerton the First, and anybody else that wasn't said male could pretty much fall off the face of the fucking earth. "So now that we got that little hiccup all nice and worked out, what say Aria and I skedaddle back to our Housing Pod for the night so we can get back to consummating a little bit more for you, and all of us leave here a little bit better for it." He finished his response with a nod and the faintest tugging on his lips that he hoped passed as a smile.
"Well... In this case, I suppose you may be right." Elder Laancaster gave a deep sigh at that, leaning back in her chair as her light-colored yet still incredibly beady eyes flickered back and forth between them. "Enforcers, you may return number 6081 and number 8320 to their designated Housing Pod at once."
Thaddeus's eyes widened a fraction at that, even slightly surprising himself at how... easy all of this was.
Honestly, he'd kinda been expecting some secret, grand plan, like a giant, hidden net that would fall over their eyes and tangle them up at the very last minute, making all of this lying to The Elders shit so much more complicated and slippery of a maneuver than it had any business being. But apparently, in the process of falling about eighteen-hundred miles deep for Aria, Thaddeus had also managed to hype The Elders up into some kind of all-powerful, cartoony villains while simultaneously forgetting just how fucking good he was at well... everything.
Because I mean duh, there was absolutely nothing that could ever stand between Thaddeus Axton and getting any and everything that he wanted.
Smug as ever and imbued with a rediscovered sense of confidence as the Enforcers pulled them back up to their feet, Thaddeus flashed each and every one of those stupid fucking Elders his signature, shit-eating grin.
"I really do appreciate your time, Elders. Hopefully, we don't ever meet up like this again, amirite?"
Elder Laancaster's maniacal smile reduced to a level that was almost human. "I do hope as such. We would hate to have to lose a Society member as... costly as you."
Thad didn't exactly understand what she meant by that last line, but in all honestly he couldn't muster the energy to give a single fuck. As long as it meant that he would be chilling, scot-free with a relieved and relaxed Aria in his arms by the end of the night, that bitter old bitty could insinuate whatever the hell she wanted.
"You're right, as always." Thad finished the conversation off with a safe option, giving The Elders a curt nod before both he and Aria were twirled around and hustled back in the direction from whence they came.
Somewhere in the process, he'd snuck a wink in Aria's direction, and the smaller man had to bite his bottom lip and duck his head to keep from breaking out in a knowing smile. The sight was so damn cute that it made Thad want to bite him, too.
Each additional step that Aria and Thaddeus took away from The Elders injected a little more fresh air into deprived lungs, made the world look a little brighter to unseeing eyes, and the scent of one another so, so much sweeter. In fact, once they came within fifteen paces of the Air Lift doors, their bond buzzed so bright that it was practically nuclear, so brilliant and sunshiny that even though they could not physically touch, both men still somehow managed to feel so much closer than ever before.
That's why, when Elder Laancaster's tinny voice injected itself into their ears once more, it not only made everyone stop in their tracks, but also pissed Thaddeus off so bad that even he couldn't keep the irritation from leaking into his expression. Hmm... that plan to say fuck all this bullshit and choke the old bitch out was really looking better and better by the second.
"Oh, but just a moment! Before you leave us, we must all listen to something most riveting. Silly me, I nearly forgot." She drolled, standing up from her seat in the center of the table as Aria and Thad were – once again – turned back around toward that long, white table of doom. "Edergan, would you do the honors?"
"Of course, Head Elder Laancaster." Edergan nodded before tapping his travel tablet. And then, as if on cue, the net Thaddeus had so hoped to escape, fell directly on top of them, right along with the weight of the fucking entire universe.
"You think those ugly old fuckers scare me? Once again, I'm offended, Bug." The recording paused, followed closely by the rustling of fabric that bellowed from unseen speakers."Besides, this time there isn't anyone to snitch on us, so if you really think about it, they have no way of knowing if we did the deed or not. Just let me do all the talking, and they won't suspect a thing, alright?"
After wading his way through the shock, Thaddeus managed to lift his head, face full of venom as he stared poison daggers at a bitchass Elder Laancaster. The elderly woman's mouth only twisted, morphing right back into that sickeningly unnatural smile she seemed to wear so well, eyelids peeling back just enough to complete her terrifyingly unhinged expression.
"Quite shocking, isn't it?" She harked, gaze now held solely on Thaddeus, who practically growled back in her direction, canines now fully descended as he watched the red seep into his vision. Nothing sounded better right now than hurting her, mauling her, killing her. "But alas, I suppose treason is still treason." Lancaster sighed, lowering back down into her heels to lift a hand which she used to gesture spiritlessly in the direction of another Elder. " Amos, do be a dear and fill number 6081 in on what he has won."
Amos jumped in his seat, as if not expecting to be called on. But – quick to recover – the old bat cleared his throat, vacating the dingy passage of all the dust that had settled there in his prehistoric time on earth before beginning his recitation of those two, damning sentences that neither Thaddeus nor Aria imagined they would ever find themselves on the other end of.
"Society member number 6081, also known as Thaddeus Axton, has been found guilty of conspiring to commit treasonous deception. Therefore, in accordance with Society Rules and Regulations, he shall – now and forever – be sentenced to a third strike upon his permanent record, therein invoking–" Amos harked out a phlegmy cough, followed up by a casual muttering of, 'oh, please excuse me,' before he settled his gaze back down to his travel tablet. "... the automatic penalty of early termination by way of public execution."