Page 24 of First Snow
He can feel Faeling’s wicked grin in response. “But it’s you I’m going to fuck over my desk tonight. I’ll tie you up and finger your tight little hole until you’re seeing stars. And when you beg prettily enough, I’ll give you my cock.”
Arttu almost trips over his own feet as the words register, and he feels himself blushing furiously.
“You—” Arttu has to clear his throat. “You’re so full of yourself,” he hisses. He really doesn’t want to alert anyone to their little conversation.
“You like it,” Faeling purrs.
And Arttu can’t argue with that. First of all, his undercover persona is supposed to find everything Faeling says or does irresistible. But, secondly, Arttu doesn’t even have to pretend. Being the center of Faeling’s intense focus, no matter how overbearing he’s acting, feels addictive. Arttu knows that this is a dangerous game. Undercover work can get you way too attached to very bad people. That’s when you back out of an assignment, or at the very least slow down the pace and talk it out with an experienced colleague. None of these are options for Arttu.
Faeling smiles knowingly at him as Toby leads them through the gateway and into the first room of the game.
“Careful, there’s—” Arttu spots the guy hidden in the corner a second too late. The actor jumps in front of the kids, waving some kind of mace and roaring loudly enough to make Arttu’s ears ring in the narrow corridor. Damn, they weren’t exaggerating when they advertised that this experience wouldn’t be for the faint of heart. Emily laughs, but some of her friends shriek—Arttu isn’t sure if in delight or in actual fear. He can’t help but step in front of the man, although the guy is at least a head taller than him and the mask he’s wearing looks too realistic for comfort. But it pisses Arttu off that the actor seems to be getting a kick out of targeting the ones most affected in their little group.
“Tone it down a bit, will you?” Arttu growls. He feels the tension in his whole body, his fight-flight reflexes triggered as he stares the guy down. Who considers being screamed at by strangers and solving increasingly difficult riddles under time pressure fun? Finally, the actor retreats as Arttu reluctantly shepherds everyone down the corridor. He assumes it’s the guy’s job to steer them in this direction. Arttu tries to keep an eye on the kids, hating to see some of them scared.
Emily bumps their shoulders, snickering. At least she and Martha are having fun. Emily rises to the tips of her toes to whisper into Arttu’s ear. “Damn, Jareth really has a crush on you. He hasn’t looked away from you the whole time.”
Arttu looks up and, indeed, Faeling is looking directly at him, an unreadable expression on his face. Arttu’s stomach flutters with crazy butterflies.
“He’s just a weirdo,” Arttu grumbles, hopefully quietly enough that Faeling doesn’t catch his words. Wouldn’t do to offend the guy. And what does Faeling see in him anyway that he’s willing to spend time with a bunch of kids engaging in this horrible excuse of a fun activity?
“Look there’s some kind of elevator,” Martha shouts. She’s already inspecting the rickety thing that doesn’t look confidence-inspiring at all. No wonder they had to sign a waiver first. Still, Emily’s face lights up and she squeezes between her friends to inspect the riddle that opens the elevator cabin. Arttu sighs.
"649."
Arttu jumps. Faeling has managed to creep up on him despite his senses being on high alert.
“What?” Arttu snaps.
“The solution to the riddle is 649.”
“Yeah, sure.” Faeling barely took a look at it, no way has he figured it out from over there. But well, if he insists on acting like an arrogant asshole, Arttu can help him out. “Hey, Emily, try 649.”
The kids send him confused glances, but do as they’re told. The lock opens with an ominous rattle.
Emily cheers. “How did you do that?”
“Wasn’t me,” Arttu says tonelessly. Oh damn. Tuulia told him that Faeling was a smart cookie, with his medical degree and scholarships and all, but Arttu has been too focussed on the fact that a doctor knows how to kill. He didn’t consider what it means in terms of intelligence, and that a smart man is exponentially more dangerous.
“Okay, two people can use the elevator at a time. Who’s going first?” one of Emily’s friends, a boy with pink hair, asks.
“Let the old folks get killed first,” Faeling says. He intertwines their fingers and pulls Arttu towards the cabin.
“No snogging on the creepy elevator,” the boy says, grinning.
“Don’t listen to Jake. Snogging is absolutely encouraged,” Emily shouts after them as the doors close and the cabin starts its rattling descent.
Arttu exhales shakily as soon as the kids are out of sight.
Faeling smiles at him. “Calm down. You’re like a stressed border collie.”
Arttu feels heat creeping over his cheeks. “Fuck you too.”
“Oh, don’t look at me like that. I’ll help you protect the little puppies, I promise. Now breathe.”
Arttu sends Faeling a dirty look, before he remembers he’s supposed to be docile. He drops his gaze. Despite everything, he can’t deny the pleased flutter blooming in his chest at Faeling’s words.
The cabin lurches to a halt, and the lights go out without warning. Arttu almost loses his balance. It’s pitch dark all of a sudden, and although Arttu knows it’s nothing more than a silly game, fear creeps up on him.