Solo For Two

Karel thought it was remarkably easy to toy with the heart of someone in love. No matter how rough he was, a kiss and a caress on the cheek would make Sasha look at him with trusting eyes.‘Was I like this in the past too?’Holding both of Sasha’s ankles and forcing him into an awkward position with his knees touching his shoulders, Karel bent down and kissed Sasha on the forehead. Sasha panted quickly under the weight of Karel pressing down on his spread legs. As Karel slowly thrust in and out of the stretched hole, beads of sweat formed on Sasha’s forehead.“You seem to be struggling more than usual today… should we stop?”“No, Karel… we’ve only done it once… ah!”“Only you can endure this much.”Blushing at Karel’s praise, Sasha felt his strength waning compared to when he used to “serve” before, but if Karel was satisfied, he was willing to offer his body as much as he could.However, during the long session, Sasha eventually fainted from exhaustion.Karel satisfied his desires by biting Sasha’s neck hard and nibbling his small nipples until they were swollen as large as his fingernails.The next morning, Sasha groped for the spot beside him as soon as he woke up. Feeling the expected warmth, Sasha smiled even with his swollen eyelids.“Karel.”Karel responded with a smile in his eyes.“Sasha.”“Yes?”“Will you stay over again today?”“Of course.”Unable to hide his delight at the unexpected offer, Sasha eagerly opened his body to Karel’s advances again. Although Karel was mostly gentle, he pushed Sasha to the limit, and Sasha, who had long since lost his sense of shame, willingly performed acts he used to dislike, such as swallowing Karel’s member or spitting out his semen from his rear.Another day passed, and Sasha woke up next to Karel once again. Amidst this overwhelming happiness, he felt a slight unease.Karel still didn’t tell Sasha to go home.Throughout their time together, Karel hadn’t given Sasha any new clothes, and all meals were brought into the room by Karel. Never before had Sasha thought to leave on his own. Suddenly, he got up and carefully turned the bedroom doorknob.‘Locked.’Feeling an inexplicable pounding in his chest, Sasha quietly waited for Karel to return.Soon, Karel entered, impeccably dressed in a suit. Sasha distinctly heard the jingle of keys before the door opened. He saw Karel put the keys into his pocket as soon as he entered.Karel approached the bed and kissed Sasha on the forehead.“I have a meeting, so I need to go out. I’ll be back before sunset.”“Really? Then Karel…”Sasha felt a strange hesitation but asked nonetheless.“Can I go home for a bit too?”He felt uneasy about not telling Levin when he would be back. Sometimes when Sasha left without notice for a day or two, Levin would take Charles to his own place and care for the baby with his family. Still, he couldn’t leave without reason.Thinking of Charles, Sasha’s heart grew heavy.“Just for a bit. I’ll be back before sunset too.”Karel gently stroked Sasha’s face as he spoke.“Don’t worry about the ballet company. I’ve told Mikhail, and your leave will be extended.”“Really? But…”“What do you need? If you left something at home, I can have Georg fetch it.”Sasha shook his head. He didn’t want to insist on something Karel didn’t want.“Then, see you later…”Sasha thought one more day would be fine. He could ask again slowly after Karel returned. Getting up from the bed, Sasha saw Karel off. Karel gave him a sweet goodbye kiss and closed the door.The sound of the key turning came from outside.Sasha slowly raised his hand and tried the doorknob. It was still locked.He sat by the window, watching Karel leave. Sitting uncomfortably outside the bed for the first time in a while made his rear ache and his thighs tense up.Karel, getting into the car driven by Georg, left without looking back or up at the window. Sasha remained by the window for a long time after Karel had gone.＊ ＊ ＊“Where to?”Georg asked, glancing at the clock. They were leaving an hour early for a 3 o’clock appointment. Karel gave an unexpected answer as he sat in his seat.“To Lappe Street.”“Understood.”Lappe Street was known for its jewelers and high-end jewelry workshops. Although slightly puzzled, Georg started the car without question.Karel had been holed up in the house for the past few days, postponing even the most important appointments. Given his current state of constant surveillance, it was a perilous move. The only reason he got away with it was the trust he had built with the top government officials and his unblemished record of keeping appointments.From Georg’s perspective, there was only one reason Karel would do something so reckless: his patron, Sasha Sedrin, whom he had locked up in the mansion.‘Karel must be trying to give off a newlywed vibe. Sometimes that’s nice too,‘ Georg thought to himself, a smile creeping onto his lips. His superior’s act of buying jewelry for his kept lover felt no different from that of any other man.About twenty minutes later, the car entered the city and soon reached Lappe Street. From the beginning of the shopping district, people’s eyes were drawn to Karel’s luxurious car. Karel instructed Georg to stop in front of the most famous store in the area. The place they stopped at was renowned for crafting coronation crowns for European royalty.They were promptly led to the second-floor reception room.“We are honored by Scar’s visit. What can we help you with today?”Receiving the courteous greeting from the workshop master, who was just over sixty years old, Karel responded.“A wedding ring. I don’t have time to browse, so just show me the three best options.”Upon hearing Karel’s request, the master’s son quickly ran downstairs. The master smiled warmly and said,“It’s an honor to hear about Scar’s wedding plans this way.”Karel simply nodded in response.“Please keep it quiet until it appears in the newspapers.”Soon, the master’s son returned, opening a series of luxurious boxes lined with velvet. Each box contained a pair of wedding rings that sparkled brilliantly with just a hint of light. Karel chose the one on the far left without much deliberation.“Do you know the glove size of the recipient?”When the master inquired, Karel replied that he would bring “her” personally in a week.“If she accepts my proposal, that is.”Hearing this, the master diligently recorded Karel’s measurements.“You can pay the balance on that day.”“Thank you.”After signing the order form, Karel promptly stood up.Following behind him quietly, Georg found it somewhat surprising. The wedding ring design was so ornate and adorned with large diamonds that it seemed fit for a lady’s ring finger. Georg had expected something simpler for Sasha, given that he was a man.“There will be rumors about wearing matching rings with a kept lover. Wedding rings, no less… I can’t understand the Captain’s thinking.”Descending to the first floor, Karel appeared to be leaving the store but then paused in front of a small blue gemstone.“What is this?”“Ah, those are earrings. Though often mistaken for sapphires due to their blue hue, they are actually blue diamonds.”“……”“The color is much deeper and clearer than typical blue stones. They suit dark-haired ladies very well.”Upon hearing this, Karel immediately purchased the earrings. Fifteen minutes after they had entered, they left the store, receiving effusive goodbyes from the staff.“If you head to the Versailles Palace now, you’ll arrive just in time.”“Hmm.”At Karel’s response, Georg got back into the car.“Did Sasha Sedrin have his ears pierced? I don’t think so… The Captain’s going to draw some blood when he gets home. I wonder what his wife will think when she sees that? Will she feel proud of the marks of a husband who worked hard for their money? My goodness.”Pondering the misfortune that awaited someone else, Georg drove in silence.＊ ＊ ＊Karel returned before sunset as promised. Sasha, who had fallen asleep in a comfortable chair near the window, woke up at the sound of the door opening.“Karel.”Karel, carrying the scent of the outdoors and the faint trace of the morning’s cologne, seemed quite tired despite the short outing.As soon as he arrived, Karel gently kissed Sasha’s lips, then rubbed his earlobe. After softly holding the delicate flesh between his thumb and forefinger, he suddenly applied a strong grip.“Ow… it hurts.”“Hmm, maybe I should have a drink before doing this?”Sasha, not understanding Karel’s seemingly random remark, asked back.“A drink?”“No… better to do it later.”Muttering to himself, Karel looked deeply into Sasha’s eyes, imagining piercing his ear while his body was claimed as his own.Feeling a slight chill, Sasha sat up.“Karel… I’m.”“Hmm?”“I’m hungry.”Karel, whose lips were pale and whose complexion appeared drained, asked. Sasha cautiously suggested going out for dinner. For Sasha, it was a strategic move. He thought Karel might get angry if he asked to go home, so he first asked for a chance to go outside.“Alright. Let’s go out for dinner.”Contrary to Sasha’s expectations, Karel agreed readily and helped him dress. Declaring he was too tired to drive himself, Karel called for a carriage, and they headed back to the city. Throughout the journey, Karel kept his eyes closed. When Sasha called his name, he only responded with a smile. Feeling guilty for imposing on a tired person, Sasha soon fell silent.Upon arriving at the restaurant, Karel, after taking a short nap in the carriage, insisted he felt better and attentively cared for Sasha. He even served Sasha to the point that he didn’t have to use his fork or knife himself. Sitting so close and attending to Sasha’s every need, Karel quickly made Sasha happy.And on the way back home, Karel handed Sasha a load of desserts in both hands.“I’m sorry. You must be tired because of me, and I pestered you to go out.”“No, it’s fine. You know it makes me happy to take care of you.”“Karel…”Feeling overwhelmed with emotion, Sasha kissed the back of his hand, avoiding the coachman’s gaze.Then, lowering his head, he rubbed his cheek against Karel’s trouser front. He brushed his lips against the fabric, gently biting what lay beneath. When he looked up, Karel was gazing down at him with eyes full of desire. Sasha felt Karel’s hand stroking his hair, unzipped him, and took him into his mouth. As Sasha licked, Karel’s hand tightened in his hair, and he groaned softly with restraint. Sasha happily allowed him to push deeper into his throat.Karel adjusted his clothes just as they reached the path leading to the mansion. He wiped the lingering soreness from Sasha’s mouth with a handkerchief. Even in that gesture, Sasha felt Karel’s tenderness.“Karel, are you busy tomorrow too?”“I’m not busy, but I have things to do, so I have to leave in the morning.”“When will you be back?”“I’m not sure… it’ll be very late. But I think I can have dinner at home.”Holding Sasha close and kissing his cheek, Karel opened the door to the house. Remembering the times he had been turned away by Georg, Sasha felt a huge sense of progress. Overcome with emotion, he impulsively voiced his desire.“Then I’ll go home tomorrow.”“……”“I’ll sleep here, but…”As he spoke, Sasha realized Karel wasn’t pleased.“Do you need something from home?”Behind Sasha, he heard the click of the door closing.The mansion, still unlit, was dark. Only Karel’s moist eyes were visible in the darkness.“No, it’s not that, but… it’s been three days since I’ve been home.”“Sasha, how about moving in here completely?”“What?”Sasha’s eyes widened in surprise at Karel’s suggestion.“Live together?”“Yes.”Caught in a daze of joy, Sasha nodded reflexively. Karel’s face softened with relief.If Sasha were to live with Karel, he’d need to settle things with Levin too. He’d need to adjust Levin’s pay and discuss caring for Charles. It was only when he thought of Charles that Sasha asked Karel,“When should I move in? Give me just a day to go home and sort things out.”“I’ll get you whatever you need. You can have someone fetch anything important from your place.”“No, I need to go myself, at least once…”“Why?”Karel asked, kissing his neck. Sasha shivered and laughed involuntarily at the ticklish sensation.“Why do you think…?”“I’ll make sure you’re comfortable. From now on, think of this place as your home.”Hearing the words he longed for, Sasha was momentarily speechless, gazing at Karel. He couldn’t let go of the arms embracing him, the warmth, and the eyes that looked at him. Levin’s words, ‘If you cherish something, keep it close,’ came to mind.But what about Charles?Of course, Karel was his priority, but he couldn’t now send Charles to an orphanage. He believed Karel would understand his choices and judgments. As Sasha opened his mouth to tell the truth, Karel spoke first.“Sasha, you don’t think my offer is just for a few months, do you?”“What?”“I’m talking about a lifetime. I want you to stay with me forever.”“Me too, I feel the same way!”Karel smiled faintly at Sasha’s answer.“We shouldn’t hide anything from each other.”Sasha swallowed dryly at Karel’s words.“No lies, no deceit… we need to be completely honest.”“Right.”Karel smiled contentedly and handed Sasha a drink with a bit of alcohol mixed in. Sasha thanked him and took a sip.“Sasha, if you’re hiding something from me, tell me now.”Sasha looked at Karel’s profile, not understanding his intent. He felt a faint sense of déjà vu.‘If you have something you haven’t told me, say it now. If you tell me yourself, I’ll trust you and won’t ask again.’Sasha understood his words and intent. Karel was emphasizing “trust” now. Sasha agreed, knowing it was necessary for a lifetime together. However, Sasha felt unworthy as a lifelong companion, burdened by his own flaws and weaknesses. Faced with Karel’s questioning, he felt overwhelmed.Where should he start? Sasha hesitated before speaking.“I… I don’t have other patrons. Mikhail keeps making offers, but…”Karel’s attention sharpened at Sasha’s words.“Sir Hartley… I’ve met him maybe four, no, five times. He’s someone Mikhail introduced me to so I could build connections in the sponsor club.”Karel’s expressionless, cold face made Sasha anxious.“Now, I feel like God gave me the opportunity to meet you.”Like fate.Sasha wanted to say it but lost the courage in front of Karel’s expression.“Next.”“You know, I’ve had a serious alcohol addiction for the past few years. The doctor says I’m still heavily dependent… but I’ve really cut down a lot recently. I’m sorry. You were always worried and told me to drink less.”“Next.”“…Opium too, occasionally, very occasionally….”Sasha was already struggling. It was always difficult to confess his mistakes, especially in front of someone he loved and wanted to show his best side to.Karel, who had been listening to Sasha’s miserable past few years, sighed deeply and closed his eyes. His expression seemed already weary, and Sasha hastily corrected himself.“Levin threw away all the opium! I won’t buy any more drugs with my money.”“…Is that all?”“Karel, it’s so hard to talk about this. Can we stop?”Sasha panted as he asked Karel. Karel slipped his hand into Sasha’s hair and stroked it. The sweat-soaked scalp and hair clung to his fingers. Sasha was trembling as if he felt a chill.“No, it seems you’re still not ready to tell me everything.”For some reason, Sasha lowered his head, feeling that Karel might be hurt.To Karel, it was clear that Sasha was desperately trying to think of something. Sasha let out a trembling sob, then took a deep breath. It seemed he couldn’t bring himself to say what he didn’t want to. Karel, soothing Sasha, who was showing signs of hyperventilation, spoke firmly again.“Sasha, if you’re not honest, we can’t live together.”Recalling how Karel had readily agreed to his proposal without much thought despite having a wife and child hidden at home, he gently caressed Sasha’s tear-streaked cheek. Sasha’s long, wet eyelashes drooped heavily with moisture. Seeing how pitiable he looked, Karel would have felt sorry for him if he didn’t know the truth.Sasha struggled to speak, his lips barely moving.“My left leg….”“…….”“The pain in my left leg is severe.”After saying that, Sasha lowered his head again. He seemed to regret what he had just said and appeared to be excessively fearful of something. When Sasha kept sniffling and avoiding his eyes, Karel patiently asked again.“Leg pain?”“The doctor said I didn’t notice it early because I was on drugs whenever I felt pain….”Worrying about the future, Sasha’s eyes filled with tears.A few days ago, Sasha, concerned about the persistent leg pain that Mikhail had pointed out, visited a doctor. The result he learned was heavy on his heart.The doctor scolded Sasha harshly, saying that the delayed awareness of the pain was due to his drug use. The stress fracture was quite advanced, and if left untreated, surgery would be unavoidable. However, if he had surgery, he might never perform on stage again. If he were in his twenties, he might have had a chance to recover after surgery and rehabilitation, but….Sasha, who had tried to accept the end calmly, couldn’t hold back his tears as he confessed his weakest point in front of someone he wanted to rely on.Unable to dance, past his prime, and now useless, Sasha felt his worth had diminished. In front of Karel, who happened to need him at this moment, Sasha felt both great relief and even greater anxiety. He couldn’t believe there was someone who still said they needed him.“Karel, please don’t tell Mikhail. I don’t want to retire yet.”“…….”“I’ll be retiring within two years anyway… just until then.”When he finally looked up at Karel, he saw that Karel was looking down at him with a slightly weary expression.“Why go to such lengths?”Karel asked. Sasha looked up at him with a fearful heart, not expecting this reaction.“You took stimulants to get on stage and then opium because of the pain? Why are you so desperate to ruin your body?”Karel’s reproach left Sasha speechless, and he swallowed his sobs.“Are you planning to live with a disability for the rest of your life for just a few more years?”Karel was now kneeling and holding Sasha’s ankle with one hand. He felt around Sasha’s ankle bone, then pressed his fingers below the shinbone. Rolling up Sasha’s pants, Karel carefully and compassionately massaged the leg. Seeing this, Sasha’s sobbing gradually subsided.‘Is he not angry?’Sasha looked down at Karel’s focused expression, holding his breath.“What about the aftereffects if you undergo surgery?”“I haven’t heard the details yet.”“Tomorrow, come with me to see the doctor again.”“Karel, you said you’d be busy tomorrow….”Before Sasha could finish, Karel let out a short sigh. Even this small reaction made Sasha feel breathless.“You can make time.”Karel removed his hand from Sasha’s left leg and stood up again. Sasha sniffled a little, watching him. He felt somewhat reassured that Karel seemed concerned about his injured leg.In a gruff voice, Karel asked, “Sasha, did you need money?”“Money?”Sasha hesitated at Karel’s question. He was slow to respond to others’ emotions and especially feared Karel’s anger. However, Karel, interpreting Sasha’s confusion differently, recalled the financial situation Sasha was in, as uncovered by Georg’s investigation.Child support payments to a woman named Levin, considerable spending on various luxuries, and the inevitable lack of income during rehabilitation if surgery was needed—Karel easily understood why Sasha had sought a sponsor.But if money was what Sasha needed, that was actually good news. It was something Karel could easily provide at the moment.“Is that why you were so desperate to perform on stage?”“……”“What do you want? Tell me what you want the most.”When Karel caressed Sasha’s cheek with the back of his hand, Sasha finally relaxed a little.‘What I want the most….’Sasha stammered as he answered, “I want to be by your side.”Karel kissed Sasha on the lips, as if rewarding him for saying what he wanted to hear. Then he said something ambiguous.“That will happen. If you want it.”But Karel’s words led Sasha to mistakenly believe that he had finally passed Karel’s test, and he felt relieved.It seemed that the long interrogation was over.Sasha slipped his hand inside Karel’s shirt, feeling his waist. Karel didn’t resist and pulled Sasha into an embrace, while Sasha let out a moan and began undressing himself. This quickened Karel’s breathing a little. Pleased by his reaction, Sasha spoke eagerly.“There’s one more thing I didn’t mention earlier.”“What is it?”Sasha lowered his eyes in embarrassment.“I was actually jealous of Georg.”“Really?”Karel chuckled as if hearing something amusing.“He’s always by your side. He can follow you anywhere.”As Sasha muttered without confidence, Karel buried his face in Sasha’s neck and chuckled. Karel’s laughter made Sasha’s heart beat with pleasant excitement as well.“What am I going to do with you?”“Pardon?”“I must not be normal. If hearing this in such a situation makes me happy.”Perhaps it was because Sasha had confessed his jealousy over the rumors about Karel’s dark-haired secretary that Karel tenderly caressed Sasha until his body was fully relaxed. Feeling completely at ease under Karel’s touch, Sasha spoke again.“Can I tell you one more thing?”“Go ahead.”“I’ve been waiting. After the war, I imagined you coming to find me… in uniform, holding a bouquet, coming to my dressing room.”“I see….”“Just once, if you could….”“I’ve returned the uniform, though.”Karel responded generously with a brief kiss to Sasha’s playful request, which he hadn’t heard in a long time.“Next time, I’ll make sure to bring a bouquet.”Believing that he had regained Karel’s love, Sasha began confessing everything he had held back, nonstop. Karel laughed softly at his words and looked at him with deep, unreadable eyes, occasionally kissing him.As Karel undressed Sasha, Sasha, feeling both nervous and excited, lifted his hips to assist. Honestly, sex with Karel had never ended lightly, which made Sasha a little scared. If possible, he wanted to delay the penetration. Sasha preferred just holding each other like this, but he didn’t want to refuse if Karel desired it. Hoping to prolong the caressing, Sasha clung to Karel’s embrace.Perhaps thinking Sasha was rushing things by pulling him closer, Karel chuckled softly and kissed him.“You’re laughing a lot today.”“Am I?”Sasha, lost in the kiss, felt Karel’s knee pressing to spread his thighs, and naturally opened his legs. Karel wrapped Sasha’s legs tightly around his waist, then momentarily lifted his upper body and reached over Sasha’s head.He handed Sasha a small box.“What’s this?”“A gift. Open it?”Sasha, still entwined around Karel’s waist, accepted the box. Karel watched intently as Sasha’s long fingers eagerly opened the box.When Sasha found the jewel inside, his eyes sparkled with admiration.“Wow….”“It’s yours.”Karel nibbled on Sasha’s earlobe, mesmerized by the glimmering blue diamond. Sasha, sensing something, looked up at Karel with a slightly scared face.“I want to pierce it myself.”Saying that, Karel kissed Sasha’s ear with a smacking sound.“Will it hurt?”“It will be over quickly.”Unable to refuse, Sasha lay pinned beneath Karel, bracing himself for the imminent pain. As Karel gently caressed his ear, Sasha’s Adam’s apple bobbed nervously.