It took several minutes to console Hound, but when Beast made his way through the walkway that still smelled of Baal’s presence, he couldn’t reach the same peace as his pet.
With the devastating vision still alive in his mind, Beast ran off the sky bridge, and Hound dashed ahead of him as if he knew where Beast needed to go. The stairs leading down to their gym were wonky and uneven, but Beast held on to the cold stone wall and kept moving even after he tripped, barely saving himself from a fall.
Chapter 11 - Beast
Hound barked as he ran alongside the weights machines and barbells. Beast fumbled with his keys as soon as he got to the door leading outside, but they dropped with a clatter and lost him precious seconds.
He burst into the fresh May air, but his legs became sluggish when he saw Laurent calmly drive toward the garage. He was there—safe and sound. A part of Beast knew this, knew that all Baal could do was threaten them with horrific visions, but seeing Laurent eviscerated had felt all too real.
He didn’t run anymore, but was glad to see Hound run off after a tiny rodent, because he didn’t need any distractions once he caught up with his husband. Even though he’d seen Laurent behind the steering wheel, he needed to hold him close and make sure he didn’t disappear in a cloud of sulphur dust. Laurent could be so strong at times despite his small frame, yet Beast still worried about him.
It was Laurent’s confidence that made him so vulnerable. Like that time when he thought he knew everything about electric wiring because he’d watched Knight work once, or when he fell asleep with several candles burning around the sofa. If Laurent were more willing to admit he didn’t know everything just because he read widely on all topics and knew Latin, Beast’s life would have been much easier.
He’d have locked Laurent in a shell much thicker than Marcel’s if he didn’t know that would have made Laurent the most unhappy man on the planet. Laurent’s strong opinions and independence were both endearing and infuriating, but the worst thing was that Beast wouldn’t actually want him more pliant. The way Laurent blushed and submitted in bed was all Beast needed in that department. After all, he wanted a partner, not a pet. He only wished it was easier to handle one.
Beast walked into the garage to find Laurent leaving Elliot’s car. When Laurent smiled at the sight of him, Beast couldn’t find words to express his relief, so he walked up to his husband and enfolded him in a tight hug. He didn’t want to discuss Baal. He wanted a minute of peace with the beautiful man who’d chosen him despite all of his flaws.
He ran his hands down Laurent’s back, longing for the consolation of his presence, when Laurent spoke.
“Beast, do you know about ‘selfies’?” he asked with a pristine grin.
The cogs in Beast’s mind jarred, like they always did when Laurent used modern slang words for the first time. “Yes?” he said, unsure if he wanted to know what this was about.
“These photographs you take of yourself. Autophotographs, if you will. On the phone. Isn’t that clever? Nao showed me how to make them. Could I get a smarter phone so I could make some too?”
Beast bit his lip to stop himself from laughing at Laurent’s understanding of the concept, but right after came the chilling realization that while Laurent did use the Internet under supervision of people more computer-savvy than him, he didn’t fully understand the implication of communicating with strangers online, or that a lot of content on smartphones went straight into the cloud.
“Um... I could get you a phone with a better camera, but you know the rules we discussed about privacy?”
“Yes, yes, of course. I would just put them on Instagram.” And from the way Laurent nodded, smiling, Beast guessed he had no idea what Instagram really was, and that it would allow anyone in the world to see his face.
“What do you think Instagram is?”
Laurent thought for a couple of seconds. “It’s an album, for your digital photographs, is it not?”
Beast leaned down to kiss Laurent on his lovely, smooth forehead. “No, honey. It’s like a place where people show their photos to others. I don’t think it’s safe if strangers got too interested in you, given how special you are.” He hated to see light die in Laurent’s eyes, but it was for the better.
“Oh. No, that’s true, I don’t want that. It’s a shame. I thought it would be just marvelous to send you some selfies when you’re away.”
Beast licked his lips, for a moment fantasizing about a world where he could receive naked pictures of Laurent or even have facetime sex. But if any of that content ever leaked by accident, Laurent would have been devastated. “You could still take portraits of yourself and send them to me personally. You know, as a message.”