Page 17 of Steel & Thunder
“Are in jail.” He moves to the table and takes the same seat he did last night, pushed away from the table, leaving his lap open. “Come. Eat.”
“I’m not sitting on your lap again.” I eye him warily.
“No, I suppose your ass is a little too tender for that right now.” I hadn’t actually thought about that until he just mentioned it.
“I more meant because I’m a grown man.” Why can’t I have my own seat?
“You are free to kneel on the floor instead.” He spreads his legs and gestures to the spot between them.
“Seriously?” I grit my teeth. “Fuck off then. I’m not hungry.”
He cocks an eyebrow and taps his fingers on the tabletop, reminding me a lot of my last drill sergeant. “I am fairly certain the entire city heard your stomach growl earlier, so I know that is a lie. I was happy to let us sleep in some today, but we do still have things to take care of before it gets too late. So you can either take a seat where I have told you, or you can spend another day with your arms bound. One that will start with you being force-fed a cold breakfast.”
I squeeze my hands into fists and think about fighting him. Then my stomach growls again. With a sigh, I step into his space, lowering myself to my knees in front of him. I figure this will be less humiliating and save my sore ass from some pain. When Ironstorm adjusts his seat and I look up, I see I’m only half right.
The first thing I notice is my proximity to his dick. Is he always this naked at home, or is it because I’m here? His legs are spread wide, soft green cock against one of his thighs. It would be really easy for him to grab my head and... Maybe I should have gone with the lap. Oh fuck, how long have I been staring at his dick? My eyes shoot to the floor.
“Maybe I can feed you some of that later,” the orc laughs and takes a bite while my face burns. Lifting my head to retort, I am greeted with my own spoonful of what might be oatmeal. With a sigh, I allow myself to be fed. I’m surprised when the flavor that hits my tongue is savory and not sweet. Not bad. More finely ground than oatmeal and a little creamy. He can cook. I wonder if he’ll ever let me...
Stop thinking like you’ll be here long enough to get comfortable, David.
The rest of breakfast is eaten in relative silence and finishes rather quickly since there’s not much to it. He helps me to my feet and guides me by the shoulder to the bathroom to clean up. I’m still not over the fact that orcs actually brush their teeth, but I guess when you have tusks, dental care is pretty important. Before we exit, Ironstorm grabs a small jar and pushes me to the bedroom.
“Get on the bed and lay on your stomach.” My hackles rise instantly.
“What? Why?” I turn to face him. He’s not about to beat my ass again for not sitting on his lap or something, is he?
“Calm down.” He holds both his hands up in front of them, one of them holding the jar. “I just want to put some of this salve on you. It will help with the soreness.”
I eye the small container warily but allow myself to be turned around and bent over the bed. I prop myself up on my elbows, looking behind me as Ironstorm opens the lid and uses two fingers to scoop out a glob of white. I hiss at the coolness as it touches my inflamed skin then try not to whimper as he spreads it around with both hands. It seems like he’s trying to be gentle at least.
“Lay there for a moment while it dries.” He rubs his hands together as he steps around the bed.
“What are we doing today?” I ask as he starts rifling through one of his chests.
“First thing is getting you some clothes. I do not have much that will fit you.” He pulls out a long-sleeved shirt and holds it aloft before mumbling to himself. “I think this belonged to my brother. Or maybe my sister?”
Good, he can replace what he tore off me yesterday. “Then what?”
“There is some paperwork we need to fill out in regard to our current situation and the ritual yesterday. Then we need to make one last stop at a shop run by a friend of mine.” He holds up a pair of shorts big enough that my waist could fill one of the legs.
“You guys have a word for paperwork?” I’m pretty impressed with his Common.
“Hr’klor.” He tosses the clothes in front of me on the bed. “Which directly translated means ‘sad wood.’”
I bark a laugh. “Sad wood?” I can’t tell if he’s joking, but I really hope he’s not.
“Poetic, yes?” He deadpans and bends over, finally unlocking my cuffs and starting to dress himself. “I know these will not fit well, but it is only for the next hour.”
I push myself up with a sigh, grabbing the shorts first and pulling them on. I’m swimming in them, and if it weren’t for the rope belt around the waist, there’s no way they would hold up on their own. The fabric is a little rough on my ass, though I’m not sure how I’d feel about wearing underwear right now to be honest. The shirt fits a little better, but the arms are too long, and I have to pull them up at my wrists to stop them from covering my hands.
“Probably need new shoes as well.” He examines the worn-down sole of one of my boots before handing it to me with some oversized socks. Not gonna complain about new shoes, either.
“Do I get to use my hands today?” I ask, probably a little too smartly, while I tie my laces.
“Are you going to behave today?” he asks as he buttons his shirt.
“Yes.” There’s that eyebrow again. “Sir.”
