#favourable clientele

[murdersinthemaking]

When Murdock arrives at his current apartment, Ace is ready with some lemonade and a smile. Adrian has been a distant lately, so he's upset at him, and he wants to hang out with his boyfriend. No matter how disapproving everyone looks.

"There you are," he chirps, getting up and trotting up to his bodyguard, ready to talk his ear off about the new house he's decorating and the parties he's been invited to. "How...?" And then he stops, because the man looks terrible, really, and that can't be allowed to stand. "Are you tired? When did you last sleep?"

Nearly thirty-six hours of chasing down his victim without a break and barely any payoff. Murdock couldn’t believe his luck, when he’d watched his victim suddenly have a heart attack and pass before a single knife was stuck in him. Bastard. A disappointing night of carving it up before he eventually got bored enough to just roll the man’s body into a ditch and leave him there. Scrapping his kill for the day, slowly driving over to Ace.

“Hey baby, sorry I’m late.” Murdocks words nearly slur and mix together, forcibly enunciated to keep up an idea of coherence and consciousness. “Long day, don’t worry about it.” Dropping his arm over Aces shoulder, he squeezes him closer. “I’ll just have a good sleep tonight.”

[murdersinthemaking]

"Is this alright?"

Ace has never touched anyone else like this. People have tried, for years, but between an overzealous team of bodyguards, and Ace's own hesitance, it's never gotten this far.

Much less in the backseat of a car, hidden away from everyone.

He's unsure, and he's nervous, but he sits down on Murdock's lap and rolls his hips and nothing else matters. It feels good, and he knows— He's done things before. He knows how to feel good. But with Murdock it's different. Because Ace wants to go farther with him.

His hands hold onto the man's shoulders, and he whimpers quietly, trying to gauge what his— what Murdock likes. "I don't know what to do," he admits quietly, whining softly as he shifts and it jostles him. "I want to make you feel good. Teach, ah, teach me how?"

After so long, he finally gets to have alone time with Ace. Leaving the hearse abandoned in the shed, he finally brings out his own car. Carmilla, painted a rich blood red and polished until it perfectly reflects the stars in the sky. Their own date has been perfectly fine, a little meal in a diner and a walk in a park. The Graves guards weren’t too far away from them, likely a gun constantly aimed at Murdock for a single slip up.

Driving back from the date, the guards seem to eventually stop following the car entirely. Sure that he wouldn’t try and kill or harm Ace on the way back home. One hand had stayed on him, grasping his thigh throughout the drive back home. Passing through the woods on a diversion back, they have to pull off before they crash the car.

“That’s good..you’re doing so well sweetheart.” Both hands grip Aces thighs, groping at them and pulling him against his lap. “You want my help sweetheart? Have you ever done this before?”

[murdersinthemaking]

“Is that…. somebody’s hand?” + [concussion] from mp!Ace :)

How the fuck was he so lucky? And how was he the unluckiest bastard on the planet? After the party, Murdock brought the barely living victim back to his workshop to finish him off. Staining the back of his hearse just to make sure he could everything he wanted with him. Hours later, an exhausted Murdock was left with dozens of pieces of the offender to get rid of. Halloween was perfect timing, as he bought up every severed limb decoration he could to mix with the real and slightly rotten ones.

Left with (thankfully) the plastic ones, he’s searching for a somewhat obvious place to leave it. Something to get the cops running and start dismissing the calls of limbs in garbage cans. Murdock had been walking down a few alleys to chuck the fake pieces in when a debtor caught up with him. Slamming him into the wall face first, sunglasses cracking and shattering to his feet. “Two more weeks Bates. Double.” Leaving him to nurse his wounds, Murdock does the most reasonable thing he can think of. Walking out of the alley and wandering aimlessly down the street.

Blinded by the most sun he’s had in months, he carries the plastic bag of decorations until he’s stopped by Ace. Fuck, shit fuck shit. Feeling blood ooze into his mouth, he doesn’t reply to his client. Shaking his head as blood red eyes look around for an escape.

[murdersinthemaking]

"Murdock!"

Just because Adrian and Victor control most aspects of his life, doesn't mean Ace doesn't get to do whatever he wants. Point in case, he's technically not supposed to have much contact with his bodyguards outside of events, and yet here he is, calling Murdock over so he can ask for his opinion.

It's not that he doesn't like his other guards, Jacob has been with him for ten years, after all, it's just that Murdock is new and different.

Ace smiles brightly at the man and twirls around, showing off his white, pink and gold outfit. "What do you think? It's for tomorrow's gala!"

Was he supposed to even be here? It felt like such a setup even though Ace had called him to come over. There wasn’t any event today, and Adrian always called him when he was needed. This was..something. Murdock dresses up a little more than he should, the golden serotonin pin on his jacket, the chain and ring overtop his sweater for once. It was his day off after all.

His ride there involved half a pack of cigarettes being smoked out and a bag of lemon drops to steady his nerves. Ace was too sweet for him, what he could never dare have.

“Oh, that looks lovely. I hope I’ll see you tomorrow?” If Adrian doesn’t break his spine for slightly ogling at him.

[murdersinthemaking]

Ace smiles at Murdock, hidden from his guards' view inside his room. Very scandalous, to bring a man in here, unsupervised. "I know you don't really celebrate Christmas," he starts, nervously fidgeting with the box in his hands, "but I really wanted to give you something. Will— Will you take it?"

Inside is a golden pendant with a rose, a small, shining ruby in the center, protected by the petals.

"You— I—"

A small sigh and an awkward chuckle. "Merry Christmas, Murdock."

Since being brought a little closer into the Graves complex (as he now had a lifelong debt to them), Murdock had to keep on his best behaviour. A little less touchy around Ace in public, hands kept to himself as he surveyed the holiday party. Fingers twitching as he passes him before a scathing glare from another guard or Adrian sets him back on the right path.

“Are you sure? I..” Holding the box in his hands, he carefully holds it to his chest. It was better just to see him, even with the bruises making the grin borderline unbearable. “Thank you..thank you darling.”

[murdersinthemaking]

Being tipsy is not exactly a new experience for Ace, but it is something he generally doesn't do. Especially at parties. However, someone had 100%, definitely spiked the punch, and all the guests were feeling it. It's just that Ace has a very low alcohol tolerance.

And a tipsy Ace is a touchy Ace.

People move around him but he doesn't really care, he's looking for someone specific. After a few minutes of searching, he finally spots his target, and without any hesitation, throws his arms around Murdock with a happy smile and flushed cheeks.

"Hi! You're here!"

Murdock always smells vaguely of iron, but at the moment Ace doesn't care. He's just glad his newest guard is alright and still around. He'd been worried that Adrian had looked mad, last time they had interacted.

"Are you okay? Does anything still hurt? Did they catch the person who attacked you?" He asks his questions one after the other, still not letting go of the other man. Completely uncaring of all the propriety rules he's breaking. "I'm glad you're here!"

Murdock was still expecting to be murdered after his hospital visit. More likely Adrian if he found out that a hand had ever touched Ace for more than a millisecond. Moving in the usual rotation around the building to find anyone worthy of a kill. Since his first was about slightly getting to close, anyone could count.

Watching the drunken guests walk around, he keeps one eye out for Ace. It’s for security purposes only of course. His client needs to be taken care of, like anyone should. Kept safe and far away from anything dangerous, including Murdock. All of his glances to find the younger twin still makes him unable to notice as he runs towards him.

A hug. He wants to cry. An overwhelming amount of physical touch right around him. Checking over his shoulder for a weaponized Adrian, Murdock slowly puts an arm back around him. Squeezing Ace tightly to enjoy this moment of contact. “I’m alright, don’t worry. Nothing broken, just a little hairline fracture.”

[murdersinthemaking]

Ace gives Murdock a little smooch on the cheek. He's giggling and blushing.

He only guess is his client is still thoroughly drunk. The glowing lights of the party room make his head spin alongside Aces kiss. When there isn’t a knife in his back a few seconds later, Murdock allows himself to enjoy the simple act. It’s not even close to right. A hug was easy to interpret as anything, including what he easily denies for himself. A kiss..

Butterflies and caterpillars roam his insides, pushing his sunglasses back onto his face as if they’d cover up the rest of his bright red cheeks. Adrian said he ‘wasn’t for him’, but he’s not watching for just this minute. Murdock leans back down to return the peck on the cheek, watching the guests around him.