Discover Top Posts Tagged with #heart pangs

Heart Pangs - ‘Exhale’ (Part 70/70)

Read this story on Wattpad - Read this story on Ao3

Table of Contents - First part - Previous part

Summary: Everyone seeks to save or be saved.

Contents (WARNING for minor spoilers): welp; this is it guys; hope this fills every aching cavity in up your shriveled hearts; vore - post-vore, mentions of fatal, regurgitation, non-fatal

Wordcount: 5,178

* * * * * * * * * *

Lux locks his office door behind him with a sigh of relief. Finally a moment alone, away from the prying eyes of every Facility worker.

Wearily, he crosses the room and falls into his desk chair, tightening his abdominals, making sure his prey isn’t jostled too much. He leans back and closes his eyes. One of his hands goes idly to the curve of his belly.

For one glorious moment, all Lux can concentrate on is how wonderfully full he feels. This is it. This is what he craves. This singular fleeting second where he is no longer plagued by hunger. There’s only one small detail that makes the sensation less than perfect, and it seems his prey is already starting to notice.

He feels her shifting restlessly within him, clearly exhausted from her earlier struggles, yet now her panic turns to confusion. Lux doesn’t blame her. Even with a belly full of prey, the discomfort from his earlier neutralizers still lingers. By now, Melissa Koontz has surely noticed their effect and is wondering why she’s not feeling the harsh sting of Lux’s stomach acids.

Lux opens his eyes and sits up straight. Unfortunately, she’s going to have to remain confused for a bit longer. He needs to keep up appearances and that means giving the impression that he’s taking time to digest before heading home for the night.

Reluctantly, his eyes fall on his desk and he spots the reports Cecil mentioned earlier. If he’s going to be in here for a bit, he may as well get some work done. He picks up the reports and begins sifting through them.

Fortunately, there doesn’t seem to be much of note. The new workers are all progressing well and demonstrating the professional traits that Lux had hoped they would. By the time he’s done reading through all the reports, Lux has almost forgotten about the weight in his belly. She has since gone still, the only indication of life being the slow and steady rising and falling of her torso.

Finally, Lux decides it’s been enough time.

He rolls his chair over and pulls open the top drawer on the side of his desk. Feeling relieved he deposits the reports inside and closes it again. That’s one thing off his mental checklist. Next, he digs into his pocket and produces a small key. With some difficulty, he bends down and unlocks the very bottom drawer.

Among other things, a bottle of neutralizers rolls about as he opens the drawer. Lux looks down at it with a frown. Surprisingly, being the Supervisor of the Facility does not give him ample time to disappear and down a handful of neutralizers at will. The only moment he’d found that day to take some had been a good two hours before the disposal. He estimates that, by now, he has about another hour before they begin to wear off.

He stares at the bottle a good moment longer before shaking his head. An hour should be enough. No need to waste perfectly good neutralizers tonight.

Instead, he pushes the bottle out of the way and pulls out a perfectly crisp manilla folder. He turns it over in his hand, gauging its weight and thickness. He smiles to himself. Lenora had really outdone herself this time. Yes, he had contributed a fair amount to this folder, but it had been her who had compiled everything for him. For that, he would be eternally grateful.

He grabs the briefcase that leans against the side of his desk, pops it open, and carefully slips the folder inside. It’s time to go now.

As soon as he rises from his seat, briefcase in hand, Lux’s prey comes to life once more. He does his best to balance holding her still and not crushing her entirely, then heads out of his office.

His journey to the exit consists of fellow workers each giving him a nod of respect as he passes, sometimes a muttered, “sir.” Almost all of them ease back, giving him as wide as berth as possible. All of them except for one.

She’s sitting at her new post at the entrance, quietly reading a book, when he approaches. Her eyes rise lazily from the page and come to focus on him.

“Evening, Lux,” she murmurs. Her gaze flits to his full belly, down to his briefcase, then finally back up to his face.

“Good evening, Lenora,” he says in return.

“Turning in for the night?”

There’s only a brief hesitation. He knows exactly what she’s asking.

“Soon,” he tells her. “I just have a quick errand to run.”

They lock eyes. “I understand,” she says, then, so casually one would barely notice, she flicks a switch at her guard station. She gives him a single nod.

“Thank you,” he murmurs before passing through the detector, and despite his prey fully and undoubtably being alive, nothing happens.

Barely a second passes before Lenora’s finger flicks the switch again.

“Looks like you’re clear to go,” she tells him.

“Of course,” he replies.

Again they lock gazes, and this time Lux tries to communicate to her how grateful he is for all her help. Nothing he’s doing right now would be possible without her.

The way her eyes alight in response, he thinks she understands.

“I hope your errand goes smoothly,” she tells him.

Lux huffs. “So do I. I’ll see you tomorrow, Lenora.”

She leans back in her seat, observing him carefully. “Take care, Lux. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Lux hesitates. He feels as though he should say something more, but the words escape him. So instead he simply nods and turns to leave.

As he walks to his car, he can’t help but marvel at how much easier leaving in this state has become. There’s a reason he had moved Lenora to guard duty, and there’s a reason she had been on duty tonight specifically. Perhaps she doesn’t know all the details of what Lux has been doing, but he’s sure she’s smart enough to figure most of it out. At the very least, she had never hesitated to help him when he’d needed it.

Lux pulls open his car door and slides inside, adjusting the seat to give his prey more space. He carefully sets his briefcase on the empty passenger seat. The shiny leather under the dim lights of the parking lot catches his attention, and he frowns.

Leaving with live prey isn’t the only reason Lux had moved Lenora to guard duty. If the contents of that briefcase are able to accomplish what he hopes they will, then he plans for all of this to be over some day. He’s already begun preparing. Giving Lenora more and more time away from extractions and disposals is his way of preparing her, though she might not realize it.

Lux shakes his head and slams the car door shut. He doesn’t have time for distractions. He needs to get to his destination before these neutralizers wear off.

He pulls out of the parking lot and spends the next twenty minutes willing himself not to go into autopilot and take a wrong turn. He’s not going home tonight. At least, not yet. Thankfully, the erratic and sometimes desperate shifting in his gut is enough to keep his mind from drifting too far. Once he takes the turn off his normal route, he lets himself relax a bit.

The house he finally arrives at is much closer to the Facility than Lux’s own but far more remote. It’s nestled within a rustling forest. Lux steps out into the warm summer air and is surrounded on all sides by the high, musical tones of peepers. The house he approaches is much more modern than its location would suggest. It’s sleek and surrounded by a small, man-made pond that features a little waterfall. As Lux crosses the bridge, he glances into the darkened waters and catches a flash of orange. Somehow the fish inside are still thriving.

As Lux unlocks the door and pushes his way inside, he can’t help but think this house and location are truly beautiful. Too bad no one lives here anymore.

The interior of Bakula’s house is just as beautiful and modern as the outside. Sleek with small touches of nature here and there. And it’s clean, perhaps too clean. It barely feels lived in, though Lux knows Bakula inhabited this place for many years. This place had never been something Lux had wanted from the Praeduella, but after some discussions, he realized it would be the perfect location to conduct more private affairs.

Lux sighs, deposits his briefcase on the kitchen counter, and retires to the living room, sinking into one of the perfectly kept black, leather couches. He lets his abdominals relax, giving his prey more room to breathe.

It’s clear from the empty driveway that he’s the only one here for now. He checks the time. They’re late. He forces himself to stay calm. He doesn’t have much time to spare. He can already feel a small tingling in his core that indicates the neutralizers are wearing off and his stomach is coming back to life.

There’s nothing to do but stare at the wall as time ticks by. He can feel his stomach awakening more and more, growing excited by its fresh occupant. Every second that passes is a second that Lux wishes he had taken more neutralizers when he’d had the chance.

Finally, he can no longer take it. He stands suddenly, sending his prey into a surprised scramble. He’s not supposed to do this until the others arrive, but they’re taking too long and it’s putting his prey in danger. Without a second thought, Lux heads for the bathroom. He has no idea how he’s going to handle this situation, but he’ll just have to figure it out as he goes along.

Lux enters the bathroom. It’s large and open and spotless. He closes the door behind him, crosses the room, then falls to his knees next to the bathtub, bracing himself on the edge. No matter how many times he’s done this, he’ll never get used to it.

With a careful contraction of his abdomen, Lux begins the process of pushing his prey back up. He squeezes his eyes shut as his ribs are stretched from the bottom up and then a struggling mass is blocking his throat. The worst comes when his jaw is forced wide and the taste of his own stomach is on his tongue. Thankfully, it only takes a few uncomfortable heaves before the prey is tumbling free into the tub.

Lux leans back, gasping for air. From within the tub, the prey does the same, coughing and spluttering. When Lux manages to catch his breath, he looks down.

Melissa Koontz looks just as he had seen her an hour or so ago, only now, drenched as she is, she looks even more pathetic. She wipes her face off and glances up at Lux for the first time.

Her entire body stiffens.

Lux doesn’t dare to move a muscle. He is keenly aware of the way he looms over her, still clad in his Facility uniform.

“I don’t understand,” Melissa manages, her voice rasping. “I thought it was all going to be over.”

“It is,” Lux breathes, afraid to speak too harshly. “I’ve brought you somewhere safe. You’re free now.”

Melissa doesn’t answer for a long moment. Instead, she very cautiously pushes herself up to sit. She looks awfully small sitting at the base of the pred-sized tub. Her eyes flit about the room, taking it all in, though they never leave Lux for long.

“I don’t believe you,” she finally proclaims. “This is another trick.”

“It’s not a trick,” Lux insists.

“Then let me go.”

Lux’s expression drops. “I… can’t.”

Melissa’s eyes flash with sudden anger and hatred. Then, without warning, she launches herself out of the tub.

She nearly makes it, but Lux is quicker. He snatches her mid-air and shoves her back in. Melissa puts up a valiant effort fighting back. Lux has to dodge several kicks and punches and still ends up with a bite to the arm. But for however fierce her struggle is, it’s just as short. Her face is pale and her eyes shadowed as she goes limp and slumps back to the bottom of the tub.

Lux releases his breath and draws back enough to give her space.

“Please,” she says quietly as a tear slips down her cheek. “Please, either let me go or finish me.”

“Help is coming,” Lux promises. “I have two friends. They’re prey like you. They’ll get you out of here.”

Melissa’s lips press into a thin angry line and Lux can tell he doesn’t believe her.

“You’ll see,” he adds under his breath.

He eases back until he can sit on the floor, back pressed against the wall, right between the tub and the exit. If she tries to make a run for it again, it won’t be difficult to stop her. But for now, she remains still.

All Lux can hear is her quiet shivering, and as much as he wishes he could help, he knows it’s best to leave her be. For now, all he can do is sit and wait and hope that the one prey in the world who trusts him will arrive soon.

He tilts his head back to stare up at the ceiling.

Her distrust hurts, but it’s the price he pays for all he’s done. He only hopes that the good he’s doing now will someday come back to him. That one day, all the pain and suffering he causes will be worth it just to save a soul or two.

Maybe one day, somebody will finally save him.

* * * * * * * * * *

Six months. It’s been six months since everything had changed for Benji.

Now he sits impatiently in Camille’s car, checking the time every few seconds.

“Relax,” Camille finally says after Benji glances at the clock for the tenth time in a minute.

“We’re already late,” Benji notes under his breath.

“Not by a lot.”

“What if something goes wrong, and I’m not there to help?”

“What’s going to go wrong?” Camille questions. “We’re not that late. I’m sure he can hold off just a little longer.”

Benji grits his teeth and falls silent. He’s sure Camille is right. They’ve done this nearly a dozen times already, and it had gone smoothly each time. Since they’d become leaders of their respective sides, things like this had become exponentially easier. What is there to worry about when you only answer to yourself?

But then, Benji had discovered, the answer to that is: everyone.

When you’re the leader, everyone’s eye is on you. When you’re the leader, it only takes one wrong move for all the support holding you up to crumble entirely. And when you’ve lost all support and fallen as far as you can go, there’s nothing left to protect you from being crushed underfoot.

Every meeting like this is a risk. They cannot afford to grow careless.

When they finally arrive, Benji lets out a strained breath through his teeth. Felix’s car is already in the driveway, a reminder of their tardiness.

Benji doesn’t hesitate, he’s opening the door and jumping out as soon as the car comes to a stop. He hurriedly grabs a duffle bag from the backseat of Camille’s car and then he’s off in a rush.

Bakula’s house looms higher and higher above him the closer he gets. He knows the house has been empty for months now. He knows the threat that once lived there has been eradicated, but that doesn’t stop the dread that builds every time he’s anywhere near the place.

There’s something about the house… In a way, Benji is reminded of Felix’s childhood one. It’s large and fancy and has a certain threatening aura to it. But something about the threat of Bakula’s abandoned home is infinitely more daunting than the Feuerbach household. Maybe it’s the unfamiliarity. Maybe it’s the way the house is nothing but a shell anymore. Or maybe it’s simply the memory of the man who once lived there. Either way, a shiver runs down Benji’s spine each time he shoves his way through the front door.

He freezes once he gets inside. Felix is nowhere to be seen.

“Felix?” he calls into the empty house, heart racing.

“In here!” Felix’s voice calls back. “Quickly, please.”

Benji is on the move immediately. He knows exactly where Felix is, although he doesn’t know why he’s there already.

Benji stumbles into the oversized bathroom and is baffled by the scene he finds.

“You’re supposed to wait for me,” is the first thing out of Benji’s mouth. He’s supposed to be the one there to greet the prey as soon as Felix releases them. He’s supposed to be there to reassure them that everything is alright now, that they’re safe. Walking in to find Felix cornering an already traumatized prey in the bathroom is the last thing anybody needs.

“I know,” Felix answers, already standing up and edging past Benji to the door. “But you were late and the neutralizers were starting to wear off. I didn’t want her in there for that.”

Benji lets out a sigh of frustration. Of course this is all because they’re late.

“Well, just let me take care of it,” he snaps. “Camille was right behind me. She should be waiting in the living room.”

“Got it,” Felix says tearing open the bathroom door and stepping into the hall. Then he hesitates. “And sorry,” he adds.

Benji gives a dismissive wave as he lets the duffle bag slide from his shoulder. There will be time for apologies later. Thankfully, Felix seems to catch the hint and quickly closes the door. At last, Benji’s able to focus fully on the woman shivering in the bathtub.

Melissa Koontz. He knows who she is. Girlfriend of an arsonist who managed to kill several preds. She, of course, had only been caught in the crossfire, which is why Epomis is now stepping in.

“Melissa?” Benji says gently as he approaches.

The prey woman stares up at him, wide-eyed. She’s still soaked to the bone and consequently shivering.

“What… what is this?” she asks as she takes in the sight of Benji. “I don’t understand.”

“It’s okay,” Benji tells her gently. “My name is Benji Marotta and I work with Epomis.”

Melissa balks at his words but doesn’t interrupt.

“We know you were wrongly imprisoned at the Facility,” Benji presses on, “and we’re here to help you escape. Right now you’re at an Epomis safehouse while we get you set up for what happens next.”

“This a pred house,” Melissa speaks for the first time.

Benji stumbles over his well-rehearsed spiel. “It’s been abandoned. Epomis uses it now for exchanges like this.”

“But the pred who was just in here—”

“He’s with us,” Benji finishes. “He’s just really good at hiding it.”

The doubt is clear on Melissa’s face, but now there’s a small glimmer of hope in her eyes. That’s good, Benji thinks. Anything to get her to calm down and be more comfortable.

“Look,” Benji says in a rush, eager to see that hope grow. “I brought these for you.” He grabs up the duffle bag and tears it open. Inside, he shows her the new clothes he’s brought her, the soap, the clean towels, the hairbrush, the toothbrush, and the large collection of snacks and drinks. “I thought you might like these.”

Melissa sits up and her face alights at the small trove.

“I know you’ve been through a lot lately,” he tells her. “But we’re going to help you get through it. You may have escaped the Facility, but they’ll still be a danger to you. Thankfully, my sister is waiting out there for you. She’ll explain everything. You’ll… have to go into hiding, start a new life, but you’ll be safe. We hope that one day, though, you can go back to normal.”

For one moment, all Melissa can do is gape in disbelief. Finally, she manages, “None of this seems real.”

“I know,” Benji answers, truly knowing all too well. “But, for now, just trust me.” He carefully places the duffle bag next to the bathtub and eases back. “I’m going to give you some privacy to clean up now. My sister and I will be waiting for you in the living room when you’re ready, okay?”

Melissa nods, still looking uncertain.

Benji is ready to leave it at that when suddenly she gives a murmured, “Thank you.”

He can’t stop the small smile that crosses his face. “Of course,” he answers. “Now take care. I’ll see you soon.”

Benji closes the door behind him with a hesitant sigh. He’s not sure how much of her trust he’s actually gained, but at least it’s a start. Usually the prey they rescue don’t have such a rocky start in the safehouse, but he hopes that once she meets Camille and has things explained better, Melissa will start feeling comfortable again.

Benji steps away from the door and heads towards the living room. He’s still not entirely certain Melissa won’t try to run, but the bathroom door is visible from there. At the very least, if she bolts, Felix would be able to catch her before she gets that far (not that she needs the further trauma of a pred tackling her to the ground).

Camille and Felix are waiting in the living room when Benji arrives. The two of them sit on couches across from each other, speaking in low voices. From the tail end that Benji catches, it sounds like Camille is in the middle of updating Felix on Epomis’ first ever interspecies meeting. The small smile of approval on Felix’s face quickly drops to one of concern when he catches sight of Benji.

“What happened?” he asks in a rush. “Did you mange to calm her? To explain everything? I’m sorry I didn’t wait for you. I should have taken more neutralizers before I left…”

Benji raises a hand and Felix trails off. “Everything is fine,” he says. “She’s getting cleaned up now. Hopefully she’ll be out soon.”

Felix’s shoulders relax. “Okay,” he says slowly. “That’s good. And you know she can’t—”

“I know,” Benji finishes. “She can’t tell anyone what happened to her.”

Felix nods and clears his throat. “In that case, I think now would be a good time to share with you what I’ve found.”

Camille straightens in her seat. Benji takes the spot next to her.

Felix picks up the briefcase that had been leaning against his couch. He sets it on the coffee table and pops it open.

“I’m sorry I haven’t exactly been delivering on this front so far,” he starts as he rifles through the case’s contents. “But I don’t think the powers-that-be quite trust me yet. However, they can’t hold back on all company secrets from me forever. That and Lenora isn’t really on their radar, so she’s been doing some helpful digging of her own.”

Felix pulls out a clean, manilla folder and holds it up for both Marottas to see. “Here it is.” He plops it down on the coffee table with a satisfyingly dense THUD. “This folder contains every dirty, little secret the Facility has been holding on to that Lenora and I have been able to uncover. So far, at least. I’m sure there are others.”

Camille hesitates, then almost reverently, she picks up the folder and begins skimming through the pages.

“Is there anything in here that could get the entire Facility shut down?” Camille asks, eyes never leaving the file.

Felix shrugs. “Probably a handful of details. If not, we’re still looking. I’m sure we‘ll find something that will do the trick.”

Camille slows her skimming until she comes to a stop entirely, a single page still held delicately between her fingers. “If we manage to find something in here,” she starts quietly, “it will take some time to get it publicized to the point where other people care. Even then, it will be difficult to do without drawing suspicion to those involved, including you.” She snaps the folder closed entirely and looks up to meet Felix’s gaze. “But in the end, finally getting rid of the Facility will be more than worth it. Thank you. I understand what you’re risking, and it does not go without my gratitude.”

Felix nods. “Thank you, I—” He stops suddenly as his attention is suddenly drawn elsewhere.

Benji follows his gaze to find that the bathroom door is finally opening. Melissa Koontz peers cautiously out.

Felix stands suddenly. “I’ll be in the kitchen,” he announces as he hurriedly gathers his briefcase. Neither Benji nor Camille have time to respond before he’s disappeared from the room.

Camille and Benji exchange glances.

“I’ll get her,” Benji says before sliding off the couch and heading back towards the bathroom. Melissa takes a cautious step back as he approaches. Benji raises his hands.

“Hey,” he says gently. “You’re looking better.”

“Thank you,” she responds.

Benji jerks his chin towards the living room. “Come on,” he urges. “I want you to come meet my sister.”

Melissa’s eyes narrow, and for one fleeting second, Benji worries she might retreat back into the bathroom. Finally though, she steps out. Moving as calmly as possible, Benji leads the way back to the living room.

“This is my sister, Camille,” Benji says as they enter. “Camille, this is Melissa.”

Camille gives a winning smile. “It’s great to finally meet you, Melissa.”

A minute later, they’re all seated on the couch with Camille explaining everything, “We already have some papers ready to get you started on setting up your new life. After tonight, we’ll move you to another safe location while we also work on getting you a new place to live.”

Melissa’s face is pale as she listens. “So I’m just going to have to abandon my old life? Let everyone think I died in the Facility?”

Camille frowns. “If it’s discovered you’ve escaped, you’ll be taken back and our contact there would likely be compromised. We’re working on a solution that might allow you to someday return to your old life, but for now, yes, you’ll need to become someone new entirely.”

It’s a tedious conversation, one that Benji doesn’t find himself all too involved in. After several minutes of silence, he decides to quietly slip away.

He heads into the kitchen where he finds Felix sitting silently at the table, eyes unfocused, his mind clearly elsewhere.

“Hey,” Benji says, pulling out the chair next to him.

Felix blinks and watches him sit. “Hi,” he answers.

“How are you?”

A shadow crosses Felix’s face. “I’m… figuring things out.”

From the corner of his eye, Benji notes the way Felix’s hand flits to his stomach and digs in.

“What have you been figuring out?” Benji prods.

Felix’s jaw clenches and unclenches. “I’ve been… breaking my addiction.”

Benji blinks in surprise. This is news to him. “And how is that going?”

“It’s been going alright,” Felix admits. “I’m trying to survive off disposals alone, but sometimes I can’t quite make it. And even if I did, I don’t know what I’m going to do if we actually manage to close down the Facility. That would be everything… gone. I’d be on my own.”

Silence falls between them. After a moment, Benji reaches up to place a hand on Felix’s arm. He notes the way Felix tenses at his touch yet doesn’t pull away.

“Felix,” Benji says. “You’d never be alone. You’d have me.”

Felix’s eyes widen, and Benji can’t tell if it’s in disbelief or something more. So he continues.

“And you’d have Camille. And probably Lenora. And there are places you can go, groups you can join, other preds who are going through the same struggle.” Then at Felix’s snort of disbelief, he amends, “Well, maybe not on the same scale, but I guarantee they’ll understand you better than anyone else can.”

“Yeah,” Felix agrees under his breath. “Maybe.” And then he falls silent again, eyes downcast to the table.

Benji lets his hand fall away. “What are you thinking?”

Felix lets out a groan of frustration. “I don’t know if I… deserve all that. Even now, I’m sometimes not sure if I really want to let go of what I have at the Facility. That place makes me into a terrible person, but I… I’m not sure who I am without it.”

Benji leans forward and waits until Felix drags his gaze back up.

“Listen to me, Felix,” he says, voice low and serious. There’s a small bubble of righteous fury in his gut, and it only grows as he speaks. “I don’t know what you may or may not deserve, but I do know who you are. I know that you care, and I know that you want to do better. I know that, despite everything standing in your way, you’re doing what you can to be better. I don’t know about anyone else, but that’s what matters to me.

“And I know that change is scary, believe me, I know. I hardly recognize the person I was a year ago, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. I know what I’m doing now is good and important. I’m helping a lot of people. And, for you, you’re doing all that you can with what you’ve been given. Keep doing that. Keep doing that until things get better. Keep doing that until you get better. Whatever changes you go through along the way, you’ll handle them. And for all the changes you don’t think you can handle, you won’t be going through them alone.

“You’re on the right path, Felix, even if it doesn’t quite feel like it right now. Trust me. I’m walking it right by your side.”

Felix opens his mouth to respond, but for one long moment, nothing comes out. The only thing he manages is a slight quivering of his lips. Finally, he draws a shaky breath and exhales a single word, “Benji…”

Benji takes that as his cue. He slides from his chair at the same time Felix does. In one unspoken movement, so smooth it almost feels rehearsed, they both entangle one another in an embrace.

It’s quiet and gentle and strong and secure. Despite his size, Benji holds up Felix. And despite his strength, Felix’s grasp is delicate.

And for that singular moment, it’s just the two of them wrapped together. The past is behind them and the future uncertain, but still they have each other. They have an understanding that perhaps neither of them will ever fully grasp. And they have a trust that will never fully be explained. It’s a bond so enduring, it has yet to be broken.

At last, they are one.

#heart pangs

Trending Tags

Recently Viewed Tags

#heart pangs