Evil Is a Man

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

If you like what you're reading, let me know: SellarDhor@gmail.com. And let me know where you want the story to go and who you want Jake to end up with. And if you have any ideas for the future, let me know, I might include them.

APRIL 6th

"God, even with days as sucky as mine are, how come this one piece of it is always the suckiest of my days?" asked Nadeen.

It was evening, and the two of us were in the dye vats again, while gross Mr. Nazarov pleasured himself from the cover of his desk, blocking his lap from our view.

It had been an even longer and more grueling day of labor in the factory that day because we had started when the others did and had no interruptions. Somehow I was especially resentful that I hadn't been able to have sex with Alik and maybe never would again because if his job, and as a result I was super horny. Yet, here I was, serving as jerk off material against my will for the sickest grandpa of all time.

Just when he seemed to be getting himself close, I saw the blurred form of a supernaturally speedy runner appear from around the corner and race right towards Nazarov's desk. Alarmed, he tried to put himself away.

"Not so fast!" said Helina, grabbing his hands before he had the chance to cover himself up. "If you're going to expose yourself, Mr. Nazarov, the least we can do is make a pin-up model of you."

She pulled her phone out of her pocket and started to take pictures while he stood there, completely red.

"Oooo, so sexy. Yeah, work the camera, boy, work it!" She kept shooting. "Show off the hottest, wrinkled old stick I've ever laid eyes on!"

"You had your fun, you stupid little bitch," he said.

"No, I'm just starting, really." She held up her camera. "Unless you want to be the May Centerfold in the next issue of PlayGrandma, which will surely lead to your arrest, since this is definitely public work space and all, you'll agree to my terms."

"Spill it!" He tried to put away his penis.

"Oh, no you don't! You will not zip up until I allow you to, is that clear?"

"Yes."

"Good. Lucky for you, my terms aren't ridiculous. I just want you to start being a reasonable and safe employer."

"What does that mean?"

"I want these workers payments to be doubled. And only eight hour shifts a day."

"Fine."

"And they should have paid vacation days. Three weeks a year."

"Fine."

"And they should be treated with respect and given bathroom breaks. And you'll start implementing a safety program. Because if anyone hurts themselves on the job again, you're paying for all their medical and will still pay for them to stay at home."

"That's insane!"

"Too bad! And if anyone dies on the job, their families will be taken care of because everyone will be given life insurance. And you will be the one to clean the dye tanks out from now on, in Jake's skimpy outfit."

"I will not!"

"If you refuse any of this, you will lose everything. And Nadeen over there? She's been working here so long, she should have four weeks of paid vacation coming to her. She will be off starting tomorrow."

"Is that it?"

"And Jake over there? For sexually harassing him? You're going to pay him a month's wages as a bonus. And that's it. Do you agree to all of these terms?"

"I guess I have to."

"Then you can put away your penis now."

When we left that place, everyone was cheering Helina's name. Using the bonus I had just been paid, I bought Helina and Nadeen dinner out. I wanted Alik to come, but he was too busy training still and had already eaten.

I got to the gym the same time as before, right when Alik Khorkov was locking up for the night, leaving me alone with Alik.

I found him in the left side of the gym, hitting a speed bag in his boxing shorts and gloves.

"You're still boxing, I see."

"But I took your worries to heart and switched to a much lighter bag today." He stopped. "Will that still earn me a kiss?"

"For sure."

"I have to warn you, I'm all sweaty."

"I can see that. And I frankly don't care."

I embraced him and took my wonderful kiss.

"Take a feel of this." He grabbed my hand and placed it on the outline of his hard dick through his shorts. "Feel that?"

"Yes. It's rather impossible not to."

"That's what just a kiss does to me after not getting off all day. Wanted to prove that you make me hard, more than even a shot of Alprostadil could. But I'm sorry you came here to see me for nothing, because I'm already late for one of my first clients. I have to shower and get dressed."

"Want me to help you shower?"

"Yes, so much. But I really just need to hurry, I'm sorry. I'll come home late tonight."

"How many clients do you have tonight?"

"Three again." I knew there would be no way he'd be getting off with me later that night if he had already done it three times.

"How much are you getting paid?"

"For all three? Twenty-five thousand rubles."

"That's mighty steep!"

"It's what people are willing to pay."

I pulled my wallet out. "Here's thirty. I'm buying you for the night, Alik."

"What? Where did you get all this money all of the sudden?"

I explained to him what had happened with Helina and Mr. Nazarov. "She and I are going back to work tomorrow. She wants to make sure he follows through. But Nadeen is starting a much needed vacation."

"That's wonderful!"

"That factory should be a good place to work from now on, even if it still doesn't pay all that much."

"I don't want to discount what Helina did, but there's still dozens of other factories in the city, and just as many other working class employers who still treat their workers all the same. Helina can't go and blackmail each and every one of those. If the problem is ever going to be solved, it needs to be a complete societal shift."

"I agree."

"And you'll also agree that you shouldn't be wasting your money on me. Save it for something important."

"The money is going to support you and Nadeen. I can't think of a better cause I want to spend it on. Accept it for Nadeen's sake, please."

He took off his gloves and took the money from me. "That is amazingly thoughtful, thank you."

"But it's not just a donation. I expect you to cancel your other clients tonight and consider me your client."

"I'm already dialing their numbers."

He called all three of them and cancelled before putting his phone away and putting his gloves back on.

"Alright, I'm yours for the night, Jake. Do you want to go back to my place before we get started?"

"Why not just have our fun here, where we have our privacy? We can make as much noise as we please here."

"Sounds good. Consider the session beginning now, Jake."

"Yes, let's do it."

Alik started to box me, hitting my body with his gloves. "Get those clothes off already!" he yelled.

"Alright." I started to strip.

"Hurry up!"

"I like to fold my clothes!" I got them all neat, and then stood before him naked.

He started to box me again, and then he forced me down to my knees, pushed my head into his shorts. "Get on your knees where you belong and start sucking this fucking huge-ass cock of mine! Right now!"

I pulled down his shorts and looked at his hot, erect penis. I pulled the foreskin back and started to suck on the head.

"That's not good enough, all the way down on that fleshpole!" He forced my head down towards him.

I got off of him and stood back up. "Alik, what is this?"

"What?"

"You're acting funny!"

"I'm just giving you what you paid for. All my clients want to be treated like this."

"They do?"

"Of course. They like it rough. Like their hair pulled as I screw them doggy style."

"All of them like to be dominated like that?"

"Yes! When I first started this side business, believe or not, I was still a virgin and had no idea what was expected of me. I figured I would just be gentle to my clients and try to focus on pleasing with my touch. It made sense to me that's what they would want. But no one would hire me twice, and one was kind enough to tell me that no one wanted it like that, and how I should change my behavior to make all women and non-tops go weak in the knees. Ever since, my business has exploded, never had another complaint. I figured, since you're not a top, right?"

"No, I'm not a top."

"Then roughing you up and forcing you to serve me must be what turns you on."

"That's not me, Alik. I'm not the least bit masochistic."

He got really embarrassed, something I had never seen on him before. He pulled his shorts up and turned away from me. He started hitting himself in the head. "Stupid, Alik, stupid! You've blown what could have been an amazing night!"

"Stop hitting yourself, please!" I pulled his glove down. "Alik, you may have turned me off with that cruel behavior. But the bottom line is, you were only doing it because that's what you thought was the only way to please me sexually. And I think it's sweet of you to want to do that for you." I hugged him. "The night isn't ruined. We can just forget that ever happened." I kissed him.

"But I don't have any other MO," he said. "Brutish, domineering Alik is the only one I've ever used. I don't know how to be anyone else."

"Can't you just be who you were last night when we were kissing in the shower? You weren't playing a role then, you were just yourself."

"No. I was just letting my desires lead me where they wanted then. Tonight is supposed to be about you, not about me. You tell me what I need to do to please you. You're the one who's paying for this."

"Alright, deal. Here's what I want from you tonight. Instead of you bossing me around, I want to be the one giving orders. I want you to obey every request of me without complaint."

"Agreed."

"And the first thing I want you to do is come and take a shower. I know most of clients like you all sweaty, but I like you cleaned up."

"That's good to know." He started to walk towards the locker room.

"Wait, I want to wash you."

I followed him into the locker room, had him take off clothes, and I brought us both into the warm shower spray. This night, there was nothing to hurry me along. I got the soap and started to lather each and every inch of him, loving each and every moment. No, these were not the taut, ripped muscles of a vampire, but I focused on the positive. Because he was so tall and so enormously muscled, he was larger than any vampire could be. Therefore, it was fun knowing that I was worshiping the body of the largest man I had ever been with.

When I got to his dick, it was still hard all that time later. I washed around his foreskin carefully.

Once he was clean, I started to kiss him. We pressed our dicks together between us, and he thrust under my orders, lubed by the warm water, which felt unbelievable.

"I wanted to hold off longer, but you're driving me so crazy, I can't hold off," I said.

"Do you want me to get off with you?"

"Of course."

"Just tell me how and I'll do it."

I had him lay on the wet tile floor face down. I laid down on his stomach and took his dick into my mouth. At the same time, I guided my dick to his mouth, and he got the picture, engaging in the sixty- nine position.

Chowing down on his tough monster of an uncut dick drove me into a mad lust, and feeling his wet warmth all over sent shivers through me. There was only one thing that could make my pleasure greater. I guided his finger to my hole. With the warm water still on us, it went in easily.

We were locked together like that for a good ten minutes. Every time I got close to the edge, I had him pull back off me, driving my pleasure into a frenzy.

And then orgasm hit me, shooting my load inside him, seeing stars of pleasure. He bucked his hips, speeding himself up, and then started to shoot his load in my mouth too.

Of course, there wasn't as much seed as a vampire would have, but I focused on the positive. There was a whole lot of it for a man, and it tasted so, so good. I milked him clean as he did the same to me.

I jumped on his and kissed him in the spray of the water. "That was well worth your ridiculous asking price."

"That was the first time I actually enjoyed any of my work."

We laughed together, and then held each other until the water turned cold. We washed off.

"You still have me for the rest of the night. Anything else you want to do before we go home?"

I thought about it. "This may sound weird, but if you're up for a workout, I'd love to do one with you."

"I'd love that. And you need a workout, but it's only going to be effective if you've eaten plenty recently."

I thought of the huge dinner I had just had. "That's for sure."

We worked out with just our shoes on, for safety, which was a lot of fun. He led me through a bunch of weightlifting, and did them himself as well. It felt great to work my muscles again.

"So besides the money, did you volunteer to help us kill Kirrill because he murdered your father?" I asked in between exercises.

"Partly. That Decency Code crap was terrible. But also because I blamed him for the awful way the Proletariat are treated. His taxes were astronomical, and that was what made workers' salaries so pathetic."

"You must be thrilled Maxim is in charge now."

"I thought I would be, and things have improved in that he got rid of the Codes and those awful police. But he hasn't done anything to help out the financial problems of the Proletariat."

"He's been very busy. Maybe he just hasn't gotten around to it."

"I just don't think he cares. Since he started, taxes have actually gone up due to his expensive celebrations. That circus cost the city so much money."

"But Maxim made it free for all classes."

"True, and it was the first time the lower class had ever seen such a spectacle. But in order to afford to make it free, he used Carstvo money to pay for it, which means taxes increased."

"For everyone?"

"Yes, the taxes are the same for everyone. But when the rich make astronomically more than the poor, why are they paying the same percentage? Some of the taxes are going to good causes, like our kids' education and welfare. But so much is spent on fluff."

"Maxim was just in a celebratory mood then. I'm sure things will turn around and spending will go down."

"Yeah? Well take a look at this." He grabbed a newspaper and showed me an article.

"'Tsar Maxim announces most major architecture project ever in city: a tower in the style of the Eifel Tower but twice as large and much more beautiful. It will provide everyone with free access to views of the entire city. It's being called Groves Tower.' Oh my goodness, I had nothing to do with this, I swear. I think maybe he means well, but his help is just causing misery."

"He's not going to stop overspending, Jake. That's the only way he knows how to live, how to make people love him, is by impressing them with this stuff."

I thought of how when I had left him, he had told me if I stayed, he would give me all of his money and then some, and I couldn't disagree with Alik's words.

"With Maxim as Tsar, this Carstvo is only going to get more beautiful and grand, brimming with entertainment available to everyone. The factory workers will be entertained out of their minds, and yet will that really make up for the kinds of awful lives they are forced to lead?"

"No, it won't."

"This city takes a lot of money to keep as beautiful as it is. But it would be completely doable if there was a less severe separation of wealth. There's so much money in the rich's bank accounts to pay for this Groves Tower, why do the poor have to suffer to pay for it?"

APRIL 7th

I woke up to an alarm, feeling incredibly tired still. "Alik, is it time to get up?"

"Hmm? No, just my phone." He reached for it and answered it, still holding me naked in bed. "Oh, this is someone important," he said to me. He talked to the person while getting out of bed and clumsily putting his underwear and pants on. "Keep sleeping."

He left the room, and I dozed off again. He came back into the room perhaps twenty minutes later putting his phone away.

"What time is it? I need to go to work with Helina."

"Helina already left without you."

"Oh crap! I have to catch up."

"No, I told her you were taking the day off today."

"But I'm supposed to be contributing financially."

"You paid a huge amount yesterday, Jake. We can afford to not work today. So much so that I'm cancelling all my appointments today except for some lessons in the evening."

"What was that important call this morning?" And then the obvious hit me. "Oh, our passports and travel plans! We're leaving tomorrow?"

"Yeah, that's it. Your passports. You leave tonight, and today is the last time I'll have with you. I'm terribly depressed about it. I'll never see you again."

"You don't know that. I could come back here."

"No, you won't. There's nothing for you here. I think we just need to face the facts that I had so much fun with you while it lasted, but it was never meant to last. Anyway, I just want you to sleep in right now because I'm going with my sister for breakfast and to be with her for her morning dialysis."

"I can actually not be a lazy slob and get up to go and be supportive."

"No, I want to be alone with my sister this time. You keep sleeping."

I'm embarrassed to say it was midday by the time I woke up. Not having any windows sure did make me sleep soundly.

By the time I put on my PJs and went to the kitchen, I found Alik was back, just putting something hot and attractive on two plates. He was naked.

"Morning."

"I take it by your extremely casual clothing selection that your sister did not return home with you."

"I was feeling like after all the money you donated yesterday that we could afford to splurge a bit today. She's always wanted to go to the zoo, but we could never afford a ticket. So, I got her one today. She's there right now, which means we have the place to ourselves until I have to leave later."

"Very nice. Shall I ditch these clothes too?"

"Of course!"

I quickly went and took off my PJs and came back.

"I've made us lunch. You need plenty of food to make your weight go up."

"Thanks for that. Alik, what are those red marks on your arms and shoulders?"

"Oh, just a few minor burns. I can't really fit in this tiny kitchen. That's why I haven't cooked for years, I just eat everything cold."

"You shouldn't have gone to the trouble just for me! Or you could have woken me up and I could cook."

"I wanted to do it for you. It's my thing, remember?"

I sat down across from him and I started to eat. "Wow Alik, this is very much your thing! This is really, really great!"

"Thanks. I splurged on some fancy ingredients I haven't been able to use for years in order to make sure it was done right. I wanted our last meal together to be a good one."

"Forget good, I'm ranking this as excellent. Excellent times 10."

We chatted through the meal, and when he had taken it away, he came and placed a small box with simple wrapping in front of me. "This is for you. A little gift."

"If this turns out to be anything that isn't homemade, I'm taking it back! Your sister should be getting this money, not me!"

"I spent not one ruble on it."

"You'd better not have."

I opened it up. And I knew what it was immediately: Parker's gorgeous pocket watch.

"The watch! You didn't sell it?"

"I felt awful about selling it because it seemed to have sentimental value to you. But I didn't want to give it up because I knew how much selling it would help my sister. Today I've decided you should have it back."

I was so touched I started to cry. "Thank you. You don't know how much this means to me." I got up and kissed him. "We have the place to ourselves all afternoon?"

"That's right."

"You don't have anything you're saving yourself for later? No sex clients?"

"Nothing tonight."

"How would you like to spend our last few hours in bed?"

"I'd love that! We can do a repeat of last night."

"No, last night was about me following my fantasies."

"I know."

"I want today to be about you following your fantasies. And I absolutely insist upon it, in fact."

"That would be really special, thanks for doing this."

We locked ourselves in the bedroom and got into bed. "Since this is about you, what kind of sex do you find attractive?"

"I don't know," he said. "Since selling my body was such a turn off to me, I didn't get pleasure from any of it. Not even kissing."

"I want you to put Alik Grishan, boxer/gigolo, out of your brain. I want you to go back before you ever starting selling yourself."

"That's before I ever had sex."

"That's okay. Be this twenty-year-old Alik that had never had sex. That's who I'm sleeping with now. I'm letting him lead me into anywhere his physical desires would lead him. You have to tell me what he would find pleasurable."

"Let me just explore and see."

"Well, we know you like kissing and holding me. We've made that wonderful discovery, so let's start there."

"Yes, I'd love to."

He started to kiss me passionately; his hands exploring my naked body, making me feel wonderful in the process.

"You know, I'm getting the desire to lick your body. Is that okay?"

"Yes, of course, I'm just happy you are able to feel desire. Go ahead."

He licked down my neck, giving my arms long licks. He lapped at my chest and my nipples and did the same for my abs.

"You may not believe me, but I swear I feel an overwhelming desire to do this."

With that, he started to give my hard unit oral, which felt incredible. He was at it for a couple minutes, and I tried to keep the sounds of pleasure to a minimum because I didn't want to accidentally lead him anywhere he didn't desire to go himself.

I broke off of me. "Now I want you to do me, I think."

"I'd love to."

We switched positions, and I started to suck his giant, uncut dick.

"Oh fuck, that is somehow a million times hotter than any of the other times someone has paid me to let them do that. You were right, Jake, this is totally working. I feel more and more like that happy twenty-year-old."

He patted me appreciatively, and I kept on sucking. I sucked on him for a few minutes until he made me stop.

"That's going to make me come. And I don't want to come that way, I realize. And I can't take my eyes off your awesome ass over there."

He had me lie on the bed face down and put my butt into the air. He started to lick my hole.

"Fuck, I can't believe how good this tastes!"

He took his time licking me, creating a huge amount of pleasure for me in the process.

"Wow, all I can think about is making love to that hot number of an ass. This is so thrilling. I've never before wanted to fuck anything. But I absolutely knew I wasn't a bottom because the idea of getting touched on my butt sickened me. So, I just thought I was just someone who wouldn't ever fuck for pleasure. But here and now, this is the first time I've ever felt a huge, overwhelming compulsion to top you. Is that okay?"

I stifled a groan of displeasure. I hated to be topped. I wanted to tell him no.

At the same time, the way he had let me do anything I wanted with him sexually the day before made me want to be able to return the favor. That and the wonderful lunch he made me, and the touching return of the watch.

Plus, I thought of everything the man was doing for his sister. He had gone his entire life without personal sexual pleasure until this moment, and this was the last time we would be together? Who would know how long it would take for him to find someone else to do this with him? Knowing how resistant he had been to start a romantic relationship with me, it could be never.

Then again, I didn't want to make the same mistake with Alik that I had with Günter, lying and pretending to be some insatiable bottom when I really hated the pain.

"It's not something I really do, Alik. But I'll do it just this once. Because this is a special occasion."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

"That's very sweet of you, thanks." He kissed my back.

"We'll need to use tons of lube. Please tell me you have lube."

"I'm a prostitute by trade, Jake, I don't think short lube supply could possibly be a problem." He went and retrieved a bottle. "Do you want me to use this on myself, or inside you?"

"Both."

"Okay. One will be far more entertaining for me than the other, though."

He lubed my hole first with his fingers, starting with one and then finally getting four inside me without much pain. He then lubed up his dick.

"You ready?"

"Yes. But please go very, very slow at first. Try to keep in mind how large you are."

He slowly pushed just the head inside me.

"Okay, stop there!"

"Yes."

There was so much pain I found myself wishing he had fangs to bite me with. The pain of course brought the anxious trauma of all the horrible things that had been done to me.

After about thirty seconds, he asked, "Are you okay? Should I go more in now?"

I almost told him no, to wait until the pain was gone. But what if the pain never went away? This wasn't supposed to be about my pleasure, it was supposed to be about his.

"Yes, you can go all the way in now."

He pushed himself in so deep his balls hit my own. The pain intensified for me. He held himself all the way in, spooning me from behind.

"Wow, this is fucking unbelievable. Looks like I am a top after all, because this feels, well, I'm out of my mind with pleasure."

"Good."

He kissed me in the back of my head. "And being close to you like this is amazingly romantic as well."

"It is romantic, I agree." I leaned back and kissed him. I wasn't lying about that, I felt the whole idea of him this altruistic man so deep inside me wonderfully romantic. But that did nothing for the pain.

"Are you ready for me to start fucking you?"

"Sure."

He started thrusting me, soft and first and building up speed and intensity, and I focused on trying to deal with the pain and anxiety. I realized going cold turkey off the Liquid Fire was probably making this hurt even more than it would have before.

"Oh god, this feels so good, YOU feel so good, I can't take it."

"I'm glad you feel that way."

He kept on thrusting for a good ten minutes before he said, "Jake, another desire crossed my mind."

"Oh really? What is that?"

"I want you to cum on me."

"What do you mean?"

"I'll turn you around so that you are sitting on my lap, facing towards me. I want you to cum on my chest as I fuck you."

"Alik, what if I can't get off?"

"You have to."

"Alright, I'll try my best."

We did as he suggested, with me sitting on his lap, facing towards him, my knees straddling his chest. As soon as I was in position, he grabbed my dick and started to stroke it all the way hard.

"Yes, that's helping, keep doing that."

He started to thrust from underneath, and the pain became worse again, almost making me lose myself in it.

Instead, I ignored my butt completely and focused on the pleasure in my dick as he stroked me.

"Ah, I'm going to come, Alik, is that okay?"

"Yes, do it! I want to feel it on me!"

I shot my load as he jerked me all over his chest, neck, and face.

"Yea, Jake, that's so hot I'm going to follow you. Ah, ah, here I go!"

He started shouting, and I felt his orgasm rock his huge body underneath me. I was happy I hadn't still been underneath him for fear he would hurt me, he was so consumed by it.

I felt his warm load shoot inside me. "Oh god, thank you, thank you for giving me this incredible pleasure!"

Afterwards, I fell onto him, kissing his mouth. "It was my pleasure."

"And thanks for being there for me in so many other ways too. You taught me that it was possible to trust and open up to someone even if they didn't share your last name. I'm not good enough with words to tell you how much you mean to me. But it's greeting card crap, let me assure you."

"Thanks Alik, it was a pleasure to spend as little time as we had together like this."

Alik just wanted to stay like that, holding each other, for an hour, both of us drifting off to sleep.

I laughed. "You look entirely pathetic in there."

"Please help!"

After we woke up, he wanted to take me somewhere, so both of us needed to shower and get dressed. He had a very small shower, but I was able to wash myself fine. But as soon as he took his turn, he started to call for me.

"The only way I can even fit in this shower is if I keep my arms up, but that means I can't use my hands."

I looked at him. He had his arms upraised, and his body just was able to squeeze in, seemingly taking up every spare inch of the shower. There wasn't even a way to shut the door. "With you in it, that thing looks less like a shower and more like a torture device. How do you even manage to clean yourself appropriately?"

"I don't. I never use it. I shower each day at Alik's Gym. I have the key. I go there in between my sex clients and shower properly there. Keeps my sister from becoming suspicious, anyway. But I don't want to waste our time going all the way to Alik's just for a shower."

"Good thing I'm here."

I washed his body down myself, taking special care to get his chest free of my cum and his foreskin clean of his cum and the lube. Afterwards, we got dressed and he took me out.

We ended up sitting at a park bench on a hill with gorgeous views of the city. There were kids playing at the playground nearby.

He reached over and held my hand. "This is where my sister and I would play back when we still had dreams, back before the city had crushed us."

"Tell me about the good times," I asked.

He shared stories with me until well after the sun went down.

"I have to go now," he said finally. "Can you get home from here?"

"Sure."

"Then this is it."

"You don't know how much I'll miss you," I said, kissing him.

"Good luck in everything you do. Remember how much you meant to me."

"What about the IDs?"

"Oh! They'll be delivered tonight to my place."

Nadeen was back when I got home, putting food out on the table. "Is that dinner? It looks really good."

"It's what Alik insisted I get for all of us after I got home from the zoo. He gave me the money to get some nice stuff tonight, that's why it looks so good. He's in some sort of mood today. He spent my entire dialysis procedure today holding my hand, and got me one of those zoo tickets, which was amazing. And he took me to the most expensive breakfast I've ever had. He knew I loved breakfast food, and while I stuffed my face, he told me how much he loved me."

"I think he was just sad because Helina and I will be leaving tonight after our IDs are delivered here."

"Yeah, probably. Anyway, let's dig in. Who knows when him and Helina will get home from work, we'll save them some."

The two of us started to eat dinner.

"You know, one piece of this that I just thought about I just don't get," I said.

"Which is?"

"If Alik hates all sports, how come he got into fencing?"

"Oh, that was my fault again. You see, Alik wanted me to try to become a part of the Bourgeoisie, because as a member of that class, I'd get automatic healthcare, enough to pay for my dialysis treatments. But I needed to pass those two tests just like you did. And I had never fenced before, neither of us had."

"Why would Alik learn how to fence if it was you who needed to know?"

"We could not afford fencing lessons, and anyway, it wasn't legal for us to pay for those. Proletariats were supposed to have those taught to them without paying for lessons, I guess from their sponsor. Since I didn't have a sponsor, that wasn't going to work. Alik didn't want me doing anything illegal, so he was the one who bought lessons from some woman. How he paid her, he never told me. Anyway, she taught him and he became an expert in order to teach me and make me the same. He did not want to see me lose, and I didn't. But I never found a sponsor, so I couldn't ever make it happen anyway."

"Then how come Alik tried to pass the fencing exam but lost?"

"He thought that if he could pass the tests too, he could woo some Aristocrat who happened to be a boxing fan to sponsor both of us."

I knew Alik was totally incapable of wooing, so he must have thought he would be able to trade sexual favors to some lonely individual in order to make that happen. "I see."

As we finished our dinner, Nadeen asked, "Should we call Alik and wish him good luck in his boxing match tonight?"

"I think you mean his boxing lessons. That's what he's doing tonight."

"No, he said he had a match tonight."

"No, he couldn't have. He's still injured!"

"I know, I gave him a hard time about that too. But he promised he wouldn't hit too hard so he wouldn't re-injure his fingers. Said they were doing much better."

"I don't mean his fingers! I'm talking about his head injury!"

"What do you mean? He never got any head injury boxing."

"It wasn't boxing. It was when Zhora attacked him. I was there when the private doctor said he wouldn't be able to box for months because if he got another severe hit to the head, it would be fatal!"

"What?! He didn't tell me any of this!"

"I'm going to call him." I went into Alik's room and found an envelope with my name on it that said, "Open Tonight."

"Nadeen, check your room for any weird notes."

A second later, she yelled, "Oh my god, there's a note for me under my pillow!"

"I'm dialing him now!"

I slammed in his number while Nadeen came and looked at me, panic on her face.

"Yes?"

"Alik, it's me. Is it true that you are planning to box tonight? In a match?"

"I didn't want you to find out so soon, but yeah, it's right."

"Are you an idiot? Don't you remember about your injury?"

"Yes, I remember. Look, I've got it all worked out."

"What worked out?"

"I knew I had my chance in front of me since the private doctor who diagnosed me was not a part of the hospital and kept his own records. I paid the doctor handsomely to give me those records, which I've destroyed, and we've signed a contract saying that if he ever tells anything to anyone about me, he will owe his life's fortune to Nadeen."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to let my opponent kill me tonight, Jake."

"No, you can't sacrifice yourself pointlessly!"

"It's not pointless. This second boxing league may not allow any safety equipment, but the life insurance is unbelievable. If I'm killed in this match, Nadeen will get a fortune. Enough to pay for a new kidney, and make it so she'll never have to work again. She'd finally be happy. That's all I've ever wanted."

"Nadeen is right here, and she's a mess! She doesn't want you to kill yourself so that she can get that money!"

"I absolutely do not want that!" Nadeen yelled through the tears. "Alik, you stop this right now!"

"That's why you wanted to spend time with Nadeen and I today and spend money on us. You knew it was your last day."

"The ID thing was just an excuse. Those aren't getting delivered until tomorrow. Now you understand why I said we would never see each other again."

"Alik, you have to back out. This is not the way. Nadeen and I are begging you."

"Please Alik! Please don't do this!"

"I know Nadeen will be sad for a while, but she'll move on. And I'm completely at peace with this. I'll die with a smile on my face just knowing she'll be okay. I'm sorry I had to pull you into all this, Jake. But what you gave to me today was enough to make me die a happy man, because in essence, you took the virginity of a twenty-nine year old man."

"Alik, stop talking like this!"

"I have to go, I'm just getting to the arena."

"Alik, no! Tell me where you are at least so we can discuss this in person!"

"No. I don't want you coming down here. I don't want you to see this."

"Alik!"

"Tell Nadeen I love her, and sorry. Jake, I never dreamt I would have in my arms someone as special as you. I wish I could make that feeling last forever, but I can't. All the best."

"Alik! Alik!!" I threw my phone on the bed. "He hung up."

"You have to call him back!"

I grabbed the phone and dialed. "He has his phone turned off."

"Oh my god, oh my god! This cannot be happening!" She was just crying and crying, and I fought back my own tears.

"We have to go find him. We have to reason with him."

"But I don't know where he fights. He would never tell me."

"Is there anyway to find out?"

"Not that I can think of."

"Even if we went there, he's so determined, I don't think he would listen. And I don't think I could stop him physically without endangering his injury."

"We can't just sit here and wait for him to die!"

"No, I have an idea. Put your coat on and come with me."

We took a train across town to Woodville Manor, and I demanded that the serving staff, who was well familiar with me, let me see Mrs. Woodville urgently.

They sat us in a parlor and not much longer, wearing a gown that put really put the class differences between these two women in sharp perspective.

"Good to see you again, Jake."

"Thanks, Mrs. Woodville."

"Please, just Gala."

"Gala, we'd like to talk to you in private."

She sent all her servants out of the room.

I introduced Nadeen to Gala and gave her health situation and the issue we were facing with Alik. Nadeen spoke for herself during much of it as well.

"The reason I've come here today is to solicit your help, I'm afraid to say. Would you be willing to sponsor Nadeen here to be a Bourgeoisie? If so, she will be provided health benefits that will pay for her lifelong treatments."

"No, I won't sponsor her, I'm afraid."

"That's okay, it was a longshot," said Nadeen. "Thanks for your time."

"Yeah, thanks anyway," I said. As we started to walk towards the parlor exit, I grabbed Nadeen by the arm and said, "I'm going to call Maxim. Tell him that I'll get back with him for good if he agrees to sponsor you. There's no way he'll say no to that."

"You can't do that!"

"I'd rather be back with him than to lose Alik."

"Wait!" said Gala, and we both turned to face her. "You never let me finish. What I said was, I can't sponsor her. That's completely true, and this is why. Because I'm going to legally adopt Nadeen."

"What?" asked Nadeen. "Are you serious?"

"Of course I'm serious. Jake, if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't even be married into this family. While you two were chatting, I got Vasos Spiros on the phone." She put it on speaker. "Vasos, if I were to make a verbal contract over the phone, could you record this as legal record?"

"Yes, I'm recording it now."

"If Nadeen Grishan agrees to it, I'm going to adopt her, affective immediately."

"She'll be required to give up her last name and become a Woodville. And as a human Woodville, she'd be given honorary Aristocratic rights, just like you have."

"That's right," said Gala. "She'd have access the Woodville funds for her personal necessities. She'd be able to quit her job and only work if she saw fit. The funds would pay for any education she should pursue in her lifetime."

"Of course, she'd be required to give up her current place of residence and live in the Manor or any other place that has been approved by the Aristocracy," said Vasos. "Nadeen, do you agree to these terms?"

She was crying tears of joy. "I feel like I'm not worthy."

"Yes, she agrees!" I said. "She agrees!"

"Fine, I guess I do. Thank you so much!"

"Gala, do you agree?" asked Vasos.

"No. Because I also want to throw in something for her brother. A stipend for him to live off of for the rest of his life without working. And an education trust that will pay for any higher learning he should choose to follow."

"I've made note of this," said Vasos.

"Then yes, I Gala Woodville, agree. Thanks Vasos." She hung up with him. "I'm sorry, but it will still probably be a few months before we can find you a kidney transplant."

"Transplant? Really?"

"I hope you won't miss that dialysis too much."

After much hugging and thanking, I dragged Nadeen out of the Woodville Manor. We took another train to Alik's Gym, threw the doors open, and approached slimy Alik Khorkov behind the counter.

"Alik, where is Alik Grishan fighting tonight!" I demanded.

"I'm not going to tell you. I swore I wouldn't say anything."

Enraged, I grabbed him by the shoulders. "If you don't tell me, I'm going to call the police right now and detail every single one of your illegal side careers."

"You wouldn't!"

"Try me!" I said, pulling out my phone. "You'll spend the rest of your sorry life behind bars, is that what you want?"

"Fine! He's fighting in the dirty boxing league. The match is being held at 698 Suverov Street."

"Do you know it?" I asked Nadeen.

"I do."

"But it's too late now anyway. His match has already started by now."

We ended up running to the address. When we got to the arena, we tried to just walk in, but security made us buy tickets from the ticket booth, not caring that we were friends and family. Luckily, everyone was already inside and there was no line outside.

When we made our way into the arena, I felt grossed out right away. It was a medium sized venue, and the boxing ring was in the middle of the room. The place was filled with spectators that were yelling for the blood they had paid for. The cabaret's crowd seemed tame compared to this one. In fact, that crowd had been good natured, just looking for some entertainment. These people seemed like all the crazy, sadistic members of the city all gathered to watch legal carnage, shouting so loudly it was impossible to hear.

Alik was fighting someone in the ring who was nearly as large as he was, clearly on steroids as well. Both of them were dripping in sweat, but Alik was the only one covered in cuts and wound as well, suggesting the match had so far been one sided. Alik's chest and back was littered with scrapes, and his nose seemed to be broken, bleeding all over his mouth and chin.

"Oh my god, look at him!" said Nadeen.

The place had stone-carved stadium seats on all four sides, with the boxing ring at the lowest point in the arena. Nadeen and I were in the back against the wall, at the highest point. We started to push our way down to the front of the crowds. We tried to push over the wall that divided the crowds from the area around the ring that held the announcers, referees, and other staff, but we were forced back by security officers.

"We're family!" said Nadeeen.

"We don't care!"

"Alik! Alik!" I started to yell, but he was facing away from us and couldn't hear me. "We need to get to the other side."

I started pushing through the crowds, leaving our spot and making our way to the side Alik was looking towards. When we finally reached it, both of us were shouting his name and wave our hands, but he still just kept on fighting. He couldn't see, maybe because his eyes were puffy with cuts.

Nadeen jumped on my shoulders and stated to wave her arms wildly, calling his name. Finally, he squinted in our direction.

"What are you doing here?! I didn't want you to see any of this!"

"Alik, you have to stop!" I yelled.

"No, I won't."

"Alik, I've been adopted by Gala Woodville! I'm an Aristocrat now, and I'm going to have all the money I need for a transplant! You don't need to get me anything anymore!"

"You're not just making this up to get me to stop fighting?" he asked.

"No, I swear she's telling the truth," I said.

He smiled huge, tears appearing on his eyes. "Fuck, that's the best news I've ever heard!"

"I know!" she said. "Stop the fight now, please!"

"Okay, yes." He walked over towards the referee. "I want to forf--"

He never finished his sentence because his opponent used his distraction to come up behind him and pound him in the back of the head.

"No!" said Nadeen.

"You can't hit him there, he'll die!"

We knew he heard us, but instead of listening to us, the boxer pummeled Alik over and over again in the head.

My heart sank as I watched Alik's huge body fall to the ground. The crowd started to cheer, and the officials started to count. "One, two, three..."

Nadeen and I shouted for them to look after him, for them to let us through, but no one listened. And the crowds only got more and more excited the longer he stayed on the ground.

"Ten! We have a win by knockout, everyone! Alik Grishan has finally been defeated!"

Everyone cheered him falling.

Nadeen moved from my shoulders to the diving wall, used that as a vault to jump over the security guy, and landed near the ring. As the security guy started to chase her, I used the opportunity to jump over the wall myself and push him away. Both of us clamored into the ring and inspected him.

"Thank god, he's still breathing!" I said.

"But he's not responding," she said, hitting him. "He needs to see a doctor!"

I yelled at one of the staff members. "Bring your medical team out right now!"

"We don't have any. You'll need to take him to the hospital on your own."

"He's going to die!" said Nadeen.

"That will only make our sport more profitable."

"But if he dies, you'll have to pay me survivor's money!"

"That's not us, it's our insurance company. We couldn't care less if he dies."

None of our further arguments had any effect, and the victor was already leaving the arena, being congratulated by fans.

"Somebody please help us!" yelled Nadeen to the spectators, but they ignored her and left us all alone with him.

"Stupid city hasn't invented ambulances yet," I said. "But that's okay, we'll carry him ourselves to the hospital."

I pulled down a nearby cloth banner and rope, and used it along with some poles to fashion a makeshift gurney, which we rolled him onto.

Problem was, Alik was so massively heavy. By the time we carried him out of the building, both of us were breathing hard, having to use all of our strength to pull him.

"How far is the hospital?" she asked.

"Like fifteen blocks."

"We'll never make it at this pace!"

But then something amazing happened. The working class people on the street around us, not the people who had come out of the arena, who were long gone, but the regular men and women of the streets saw our need and one by one, lined up to help carry him. Soon, we were moving at a reasonable pace towards the hospital.

We were just four blocks away when Nadeen started to freak out. "Oh, no, no, no. We're losing him! We're too late! He's dying!"

"Not if I have anything to say about it," said Helina, appearing from behind us. "Sorry it took me so long to find you guys after both of you texted."

"But we just texted you because we needed help carrying him to the hospital," I said to her. "He's dying of an internal brain injury. There's nothing on the outside that your blood can heal."

"Lucky for him, he made friends with the captive of a special with instinctual understanding of brains. I may still be able to help. Please, everyone, just set the gurney down on the street and try to make him comfortable."

"You'll need to hurry or we're going to lose him!" said Nadeen.

Helina pulled out a knife and went to his head.

"I should have guessed," I said. "We knew you were a special but we never knew your ability. Of course, you've inherited your ability from your father."

"No, I didn't," she said. "But being his vessel for so long, there were times where I was in his body and some of those nails were loose enough for me to feel just a glimmer of his powers. Not enough to ever understand how his nails were working, but enough to know how to heal a brain injury. Does anyone have disinfectant?"

"I do," I said, handing her my hand sanitizer. "That will have to do."

Helina rubbed her hands and his head with the stuff. "Jake, you might not want to look at this. Nadeen, that goes for you too."

"I want to look at it," she said.

I looked away. "Can you just describe what she is doing?"

"Sure," said Nadeen. "She's cutting open his scalp with her knife, spreading the skin apart to that the top of his skull is exposed. Now she's found the crack in his skull. Huh, wow, she's actually making the crack bigger, exposing his actual brain beneath it. Now she's cutting her hand with knife. She's pouring blood on the brain itself, healing the damaged parts. And now she's using her blood to cement both sides of crack, pushing them back together, and the blood that way healed the crack completely. And now she's healing skin on the scalp with her blood."

I fell forward onto the street.

"What's wrong with you?" asked Nadeen.

"I feel faint."

"You're fainting just from hearing her talk about the procedure?" asked Helina incredulously.

"It was some of the most graphic descriptions I've ever heard!"

I regained my composure as Helina took her blood to the rest of his injuries, healing his broken nose and all the cuts and scrapes he had.

"He's awake!" shrieked Nadeen as Alik opened his eyes with a start and sat up.

"—forfeit the fight. I want out right now, ref."

"Alik, are you okay?"

"Huh? What happened?"

"You got knocked out but Helina just saved your life," said Nadeen.

"And what you said about you getting adopted? That wasn't just a dream, was it?"

"No! Jake had some favors coining to him and paid them off for me! They told me I'd get a kidney replacement in a few months!"

"I'm so happy!" Alik hugged Nadeen.

"And they are paying for both of us to go back to school!"

"Wow! Where's Jake?"

"I'm right here!"

He hugged me. "Thanks for making all of this happen. You were already my hero for giving me what you did earlier, and now you've saved Nadeen's life. You've saved my life."

"Well, your sister and Helina are to thank too. And Gala."

There was much rejoicing on the street as Alik thanked everyone, in tears. Nadeen was crying even more, and I was a wreck too. Only Helina was able to keep herself composed.

Helina and Nadeen were leaving the apartment, boxes in their arms.

Nadeen looked around as she left. "Goodbye crummy, cramped apartment. I will not shed a tear to lose you. Jake, are you coming?"

"I'm right behind you," I said, with my arms also full of boxes and my pack on my back. "Alik, aren't you coming too?"

"No, I'll stay here, I think."

"For the night?"

"For good."

"You're not going to move in with your sister? Gala has a room prepared for you."

"No. I just couldn't muster living like that. My sister is smart and adaptable, just like you. She'll thrive in any new surroundings. But me, I'm not the least bit changeable. I'll never even begin to fit into a place like that, with those sorts of people that I`ve always despised. I'll stay here among the people I can really respect. Maybe get a new place with more space and some windows, but that's all I need."

"I want to spend the night with you here," I said.

"No, you have to go. My sister needs help moving, and someone besides her older brother needs to warn her about living with Strom under the roof."

"I'll warn her tonight, I promise."

"Tomorrow morning be up bright and early. I'll have your IDs in your hand as early as I can, and you and Helina can use the whole day traveling."

"You're not going to kiss me goodnight?"

"You've got boxes in your hands."

"You may not have heard this, but boxes actually can be set down."

"You'll lose them. Hurry up and catch up."

I was fighting back my eyes turning misty as I caught up to Nadeen and Helina.

"Alik told me you'll be leaving tomorrow," she said. "Alik's going to come by the Manor tomorrow with everything you need to travel. That means we'll need to celebrate tonight, to thank both of you for everything you've done for us."