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Ted knows that he should have quit after all that he had experienced on New Year’s Eve. But without a job, he wouldn’t be able to sustain himself for long in Los Angeles, even with $1600 in cash in his pocket. He would rather stay with the Mon Signor than resign himself to the tedium and hopelessness of job hunting. At least here he was making money: a salary and tips on top.
And the tips were good. After the insanity of New Year’s, there were fewer people staying at the hotel, but he was still bringing in good money without having to go to quite the same lengths to earn it. In fact, he was only still doing one thing on a consistent basis that might be considered crazy, and Ted is almost certain that it’s responsible for the cash he’s still raking in.
Ted is a beta, but with his short stature, small frame, and easily excitable nature, most people assume he’s an omega. Using just a spritz of omega pheromones as a sort of cologne has made several guests fall over themselves trying to impress him, plying him with cash and expensive goods in the hopes of getting a date—or more. Instead, Ted only holds out his hand and receives his generous tip before bounding back to the front desk.
He’s there at the front desk now, smoking a cigarette and resting his head in his hands. He’s bored, but it’s better than having to watch kids from hell or being held at gunpoint by a crazy man. It’s the middle of February, and hardly anyone is in the hotel. It’s not exactly prime tourist season, and the silence is almost deadly. It’s suffocating him as he stews in the combined odors of the smoke, his cologne, and the general moldiness of the building.
A buzzing interrupts his torpor, and he jumps and looks to the switchboard. The light for the penthouse suite is blinking insistently at him, and Ted has to swallow the lump in his throat. He’s tried to push the memory of cutting off a man’s pinky out of his mind, but he finds himself unable to truly forget it. He finds himself instead dwelling on it at the strangest times, unable to forget about the pain he had inflicted. It had almost been fun, and he would love to make that kind of easy money again.
He connects the appropriate wires and picks up the receiver. Ted wasn’t there when whoever’s up there had checked in to the hotel, but he knows better than to expect the same voices as last time.
“Hey, does that bellhop from New Year’s still work here? Small guy, blonde hair, kind of jumpy.”
Ted almost drops the phone as Chester Rush starts asking about him. His mind shorts out temporarily, trying to figure out why the famous director would call specifically to look for him. He can’t think of anything, but Rush is a weird guy, and more than willing to give out money for easy (enjoyable) labor.
“Yes, Mr. Rush, this is he.” He plucks at the name tag on his chest, even though Rush can’t see him. “Ted.”
“Yeah, right, Ted!” Something rustles on the other end of the line, and Ted wonders nervously what Rush is doing to the penthouse. He’ll probably have to call maintenance again after Rush checks out. “You’re the guy who cut off Norman’s finger, right?”
Ted’s face twists as he takes a puff on his cigarette. “Well, yes, I did. You… you don’t want me to do that again, do you?” He would, if Rush asked, and if he provided the same amount. Maybe with a bit of a raise; he should see how much more he can get for the second time.
“What, no, of course not. That was a one time thing; we did the bet, and it’s over now. He’s fine, by the way, got his finger sewed right back on.” Ted feels like he can hear the sound of Rush pouring himself a drink. “Anyway, come up here, I have a new offer for you.”
Rush sounds almost impatient, and Ted knows that he can get up there quick enough to probably earn himself a bonus. He wonders what the man wants, but, as long as he’s getting paid, it doesn’t really matter. On a slow day like this, he could use a little excitement.
Ted gives himself a fresh spray of cologne as he stubs out his cigarette—a man like Rush must be an alpha, and adding that scintillating splash of scent will only help him out in his money-making endeavor. He bounds over to the elevator, straightening his jacket when the doors close behind him and he presses the button for the penthouse. Upon emerging on the top floor, he fixes his hat and knocks on the wall next to the open entrance to Rush’s quarters.
He expects to hear Rush’s voice, calling him in, but, instead, the man himself appears in the doorway, slightly flushed. He smiles and spreads his arms in welcome, and Ted almost wants to take a step back. For some reason, the over-excited appearance of Rush makes him nervous.
“Ted, it’s great to see you! I bet it’s not every day the bellboy brings himself as the special delivery, huh?” Rush chuckles and grabs Ted, bringing him into a hug that crushes him to his chest, burying his nose into the crook of Ted’s neck and inhaling deeply. Chester purrs as he drags Ted by the waist into the room, and it suddenly occurs to Ted how spicy the other man smells. He’s never been able to smell another person like this before, and he realizes with a sinking feeling that something bad must be happening.
“It’s good to see you, too, Mr. Rush,” Ted starts, smiling awkwardly and looking at Rush out of the corner of his eyes. “I can’t really leave the front desk for too long, so I’m afraid I’ll have to be getting back.” He tries to pry Rush’s arm off from around his waist, but Rush just spins him around to face him, holding him by the shoulders.
Rush is grinning at him, and Ted can feel his own shaky smile quickly turning into a grimace. “I’m sure you’re wondering why I’ve called you up here. Well, maybe you already know.” He flicks the hat off Ted’s head, and Ted’s hands fly up to try to catch it. It falls to the ground nevertheless. Rush’s pupils are dilated, and Ted has a sneaking suspicion that he does know what’s happening.
The other man’s hand slides up the side of his neck to hold his face, and Ted’s eyes are incredibly wide. He knows he has to get away, but Rush is already leaning in closer. “You just smelled so delectable on New Year’s; I knew I had to spend a rut here.”
Ted laughs maniacally, twisting away out of Rush’s grip and throwing himself across the room to get away from him. “Rut?” he yelps. “Here? With me?! You must be out of your mind; I—I’m not…”
“No, no, Ted, don’t freak out on me; I can see you aren’t claimed,” Rush replies, following him with long strides as Ted pins himself against the wall. “What’s the harm?”
“Not claimed?” Ted gasps as Rush closes more of the distance between them. “I’m not an omega!”
Rush stops, forehead scrunching in confusion. “Not an omega? But you smell—”
“It’s a spray!” Ted snaps, gesticulating with his hands. “It’s a spray, so insufferable alpha pricks like you will give bigger tips! I’m not—this is the wrong place to rut, mister! I’m not some omega floozy—”
Rush laughs. “You smell like an omega so that you can get paid more? How about I pay you to be my floozy? Three thousand sound good to you?”
Ted’s mouth falls open in shock, and he gapes like a fish for a moment as Rush’s words sink in. Three thousand dollars to let the man go through his rut with him? Three thousand!
“How long is the rut?” Ted asks cautiously, and a grin breaks out across Rush’s face again.
“Two days, give or take.” Rush looks smugly down at him as Ted weighs his options, tilting his head from side to side in consideration. “Probably less, since you’re not actually an omega. Let’s call it three rounds, all right?”
“Three thousand per round, then,” Ted returns, and he feels his stomach flip over. He’s been with an alpha before, but never when one’s been in rut.
Rush snorts. “And I guess you want to be in my next movie, too, huh? Alright, hotshot, three thousand a round.” He crowds Ted into the wall, caging him in with his legs, rubbing the hard line of his erection against Ted’s hip. Ted shivers. “If you wanna be my rentboy, you’re going to have to earn your keep.”
Ted nods. Rush’s face is so close to his that he can feel the other man’s hot breath against his cheek. “Yes, Mr. Rush,” he squeaks.
“Oh, I think we’re on a first name basis,” Rush responds, raising his eyebrows and smirking. “Call me Chester.”
Chester closes the distance between them, pressing his hot lips against Ted’s as he grinds his clothed cock against his thigh. Ted closes his eyes tightly shut as Chester pushes his tongue into his mouth; Chester’s hands are all over him as he pushes Ted back against the wall. Chester is almost unbearably hot, not in appearance, but in sheer physical body heat. Ted melts against him.
Ted briefly considers how he came to be here. He really shouldn’t have kept this job; the money isn’t worth tolerating weird shit like this. Chester isn’t even attractive, which would help him feel better about this whole arrangement. It’s not like he’s ever had his choice of men, but, if there wasn’t a lot of cash involved, this certainly wouldn’t be happening.
But there is a lot of cash involved, and Ted places his hands haltingly on Chester’s hips, trying to figure out what to do. Chester has one of his arms wrapped around Ted’s small waist, crinkling his snappy blue bellhop jacket, while the other hand tugs at the short strands of hair on the back of Ted’s head. Ted lets loose a small whimper as Chester nips at his reddened lips, really starting to grind against his thigh. Chester chuckles against his mouth, pulling slightly away from him. Ted allows his eyes to open, licking his lips as he watches Chester nervously.
“I assume you want to do this on the bed, right?” Chester asks, and Ted realizes how tired he is of his whiny, nasal voice. He wants to get this over with, but he’s also somehow excited about finding out what it’s like to get fucked by an alpha in rut. Chester may not have been his first choice, but he’s here now and he might as well enjoy this as much as he can.
“Yes, let’s get to the bed, and you can show me what a rut’s all about.” Ted grins at Chester while he tries unsuccessfully to pry his hands off him. Maybe if he sells this well enough, Chester will give him a little bonus spending money, but he doesn’t exactly appreciate the other man invading his personal space like this. “You do have, ah…” He keeps trying to pull Chester off of him while Chester tucks him under his arm and starts practically dragging him toward the bedroom. “...I don’t make slick, you know?” Ted smiles nervously.
“Oh, we can figure something out,” Chester responds distractedly, squeezing Ted tightly to his side. Ted is starting to sweat from how overheated the body next to him is. “I’m not going to hurt you. This isn’t my first time.”
“With a beta? During your rut?” Ted’s gut flips over. He’s definitely interested now, especially the more Chester fondles his ass and rubs up against him, but he’s not ready to get split open dry.
“Ted, relax, I’ve fucked half of Hollywood at this point.” Chester scoops Ted up and tosses him onto the bed. Ted starts shucking off his blue velvet pants and tossing his unshined shoes aside as Chester tears off his own shirt, revealing his flushed pale skin. They’re both almost naked in seconds, Ted’s long fingers getting tangled in his shirt’s buttons before Chester rips it open, scattering buttons across the room.
Ted gasps in shock and indignation, but Chester has already crawled up onto the bed and is leaning closely over him, peeling the shirt down his arms. “Relax, baby, I’ll buy you a new one.” He smiles loosely down at Ted, and Ted can see his large cock bobbing underneath him. It’s hard to imagine that that’s going to fit inside him without slick or real lube.
As he remembers what Chester had said, Ted’s lips quirk in distaste, and he sneers at Chester. “I’m not your baby,” he says acidly, pushing Chester away from him. “It’s not like we’re mating or anything; I’m not like that.”
Chester sits back and, much to Ted’s surprise, groans deeply. “Fuck, Ted, keep saying shit like that. Tell me how much you hate me, go on.”
There’s nothing Ted can do but blink at him, stunned. His half-hard cock twitches against his stomach, and he hadn’t expected that to awaken something in him. But he’s never done anything like this before; his sex life up until now has been remarkably vanilla, and he’d never thought about trying to humiliate a partner.
He starts trying to ask Chester what exactly he wants in an attempt to chase his money again, but Chester just grabs him by the ankle and drags Ted’s foot to press over his hard cock. Ted laughs in awkward surprise from his sprawled position along the bed, fingers clenching the sheets nervously. He starts moving his foot along Chester’s hard flesh on his own power. Chester moans, thrusting against Ted’s sole.
“Yeah, Ted, just like that,” Chester moans. “Press a little harder, yeah? And keep with the shit talk, alright? Come on, come on, Ted, man; I need it.” His eyes are slipping closed, and Ted looks quickly around the room, trying to latch onto something he can say.
“That Cristal was nothing special,” Ted tries, stroking with his toes along Chester’s cock and trying not to nick him with his nails. “You have shitty taste for such a rich guy. You’re just some chump tricked into following fad trends and bullshit.”
Chester bows forward over his extended leg, groaning as he moves his hips against Ted’s foot. Getting such a promising reaction prompts Ted to keep going. “No one’s going to give a shit about your movies ten years from now. Everyone’s going to forget about you and you’re going to become a laughingstock.”
Ted is beginning to recognize that he’s getting surprisingly into it as he really sneers at Chester, whose lower lip is trembling as Ted moves his foot over him. He’s pretty sure that he himself isn’t actually getting off on this, but he has to admit that seeing the unmistakable effect it’s having on Chester is kind of hot.
“You aren’t going to come from my foot, are you?” Ted laughs in surprise as he realizes that the other man actually will. Chester is quickly falling apart, cock leaking as he thrusts forcefully against Ted’s foot. He whimpers slightly, and Ted’s smile grows. Having power over Chester is really nice, and he finds himself hoping that he’ll get to hold onto it for the rest of their time together.
“Fuck, Ted, yeah,” Chester groans, and Ted can feel a bulge growing against his heel. His eyes widen as he realizes that it must be Chester’s knot locking into place at the base of his cock. How the hell is that ever going to fit into his body? The thought gets wiped from his mind as Chester is suddenly coming all over his foot, his semen running down between Ted’s toes. Ted feels like he should have expected it, but the shock still punches all the breath out of his body as Chester leans over to suck his toes into his mouth.
Again, Ted is not objectively turned on by this, but seeing Chester debasing himself is surprisingly enticing: this rich asshole is paying for the right to have Ted treat him like the trash he is. And the feeling of Chester’s wide, hot tongue swiping over his toes and cleaning his own cum from his foot isn’t exactly objectionable; it’s sort of nice, if not something he would consider particularly sexually gratifying.
“Oh, that’s nasty,” Ted pants, but it’s pretty clear that he doesn’t actually mean it as he flexes his toes against Chester’s tongue. His voice is breathy and his face is flushed. Chester looks up at him from between his lashes, and Ted almost wants to drag him up for a kiss, but quickly thinks better of it. It’s probably just that alpha pheromones are strong enough during rut to influence even a beta. Chester’s weird, too-large, and strangely soft face is definitely not starting to do it for him.
“I assume we can’t do anything else until your knot goes down?” Ted’s voice shows his uncertainty as Chester pulls away from his foot, a thin line of spit dangling from his lower lip. None of this should be making him want to have the other man inside him, and he hopes that this is just a Chester-Rush’s-money-slash-alpha-in-heat thing and not a newfound foot thing. Or, god forbid, a Chester-Rush-himself thing.
Chester grins up at him. “Come on, Ted, I’m not blind.” His pupils are still blown wide, and his focus is on Ted’s hard cock. Ted swallows, hands twisting in the sheets again. Is he actually going to—?
“I didn’t think alphas were into all this—” Ted’s voice breaks as Chester starts trailing warm, wet kisses up the inside of his foot, licking over his ankle before continuing up the long length of pale, slightly-freckled skin on his leg. “—all this service stuff!” he squeaks out, giggling as Chester nips at a sensitive spot on the inside of his thigh. “Aren’t you supposed to just take what you want or—good fucking God!”
Ted gasps and starts wiggling in earnest as Chester laves his tongue over Ted’s balls, reaching up to massage them gently. Ted whines, rolling his hips and tangling his fingers in Chester’s thin hair; he reflects distractedly that the man’s probably going to have a hell of a receded hairline when he’s older and giggles uncontrollably to himself.
“Are you actually going to suck my cock?” Ted asks breathlessly, and it could be a line in a shitty porno if not for the fact that he’s genuinely surprised to see an alpha acting like this. He’s never bought into all the bullshit stereotypes about the secondary sexes, but some things have seemed pretty consistent across his experiences.
“What, little Ted the beta only likes to get railed by thick alpha cock?” Chester smirks from between his legs, and Ted rolls his eyes. “Am I not living up to your high expectations of an alpha in rut?”
He laps at the head of Ted’s cock, and Ted shivers in pleasure, wet toes rubbing together as he clenches them reflexively. This is so weird, but Ted’s not about to complain. Chester knows exactly what he’s doing with his mouth.
“I mean, I’ve also eaten some alpha pussy—fuck! ” Ted cries out as Chester takes his cock further into his mouth, sucking firmly on the hard length. Ted’s eyes roll back and slip closed as his hips jerk in small movements against Chester’s face. If he were any less hard, he’d have the capability to be embarrassed about how hard he really is.
Chester laughs around his cock, and the vibrations make Ted scrunch his fingers even tighter into the other man’s hair as he kicks out helplessly with one of his legs. Screw this bellhop job, maybe Chester would hire him after his rut as a live-in floozy. That sounds like a great option right now.
“So, what, you’re basically an omega in a beta’s body?” Chester grins up at Ted as he curses loudly about the absence of Chester’s magic mouth. “Just want an alpha to work you over, Teddy? Is that what you like?” His fingers rub against Ted’s hole, and Ted lets his legs fall to the sides, opening up more space for Chester to do what he wants.
Ted wants to snap at him that it’s none of his business, but he just whines instead, wanting Chester to make himself useful again instead of sinking into this inane conversation. “Just… do something, would you?” he complains as his eyes follow Chester’s hand on its way over to the bedside table before landing on a small mountain of tissues and a bottle of lotion. Ted’s brows wrinkle in confusion as he looks back at the man between his thighs.
“So I called you halfway through my rut,” Chester says, grabbing up the lotion and lazily licking along Ted’s shaft again. “You’re just lucky I remembered how good you smelled on New Year’s. Fuck, if we didn’t have that bet going, I might have paid you for something else that night.” He leers up at Ted as he starts squeezing a generous amount from the bottle into his palm.
Ted laughs nervously, settling his legs into as comfortable a position as possible as Chester smears the lotion onto his fingers. “Well, we’re here now,” he says, looking down to see that Chester’s knot has mostly disappeared and that he’s still hard enough to go again. Fuck he wants that cock in him; he hasn’t been fucked properly in what feels like months.
Chester dips his head back down with a smile to take Ted’s cock back into his mouth, not going quite so far as to choke on him, but still enough for Ted to not want that wet heat to leave him again. One of his slick fingers prods at Ted’s hole, catching on the rim and swirling around it before starting to press inside. Ted realizes with a jolt how much he’s needed this, and can’t figure out why it’s taken him so long to get here.
Ted moans, and it’s awfully embarrassing, but it’s nothing compared to the way his cock jumps and hips shake. He’s about to come in Chester’s mouth from the other man starting to fingerfuck him and—oh god, that’s his prostate; Chester is pushing against his prostate—and Ted gasps and is helpless to resist or even give a warning as his grip tightens enough to almost tear Chester’s hair out as he succumbs to his release. It feels unbelievably good as Chester swallows around him, and, in his dazed post-orgasm haze, Ted doesn’t have the mental energy to wonder if that’s because of Chester’s actual skills or the sort of rut-induced contact madness Ted is slipping into.
Chester starts pressing a second finger into Ted’s limp, relaxed body as he pulls away from his spent cock, and Ted can feel his fingers falling from Chester’s head as if from far away. He can vaguely hear the light sighs and whimpers escaping his own mouth as Chester slowly works him open, staying carefully away from his sensitive prostate. Ted slowly begins coming back to himself and can hear Chester saying something to him.
“—sure you’re not an omega floozy, Teddy?” Chester is laughing softly at him as he scissors his fingers in the heat of Ted’s hole.
“My name is Ted,” he mutters back, whacking his hand lightly against the back of Chester’s skull. He’s coming back to his senses bit by bit, but he still doesn’t quite have the energy to truly show indignation. “Now, are you going to fuck me, Mr. Rush, or are you going to spend all day with your fingers in my ass?”
Chester laughs easily again, grinning up at him. It’s not malicious, and Ted himself isn’t actually mad at Chester. It seems they’ve reached some strange sort of understanding. “I already said I’m not going to hurt you. You’re just going to have to be patient.” He pushes another finger into Ted, who moans unabashedly, eyes starting to focus again. “I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but you could have demanded way more than three thousand a round, and I would have paid you whatever you asked for in a fucking heartbeat.”
Ted groans, more in frustration than pleasure, even as one of Chester’s fingers slides against his prostate. “Oh, fuck you… how much?” He can’t hide the hints of anger and eagerness that creep into his voice.
“No, no, Ted, fuck you,” Chester responds, almost pedantically, and Ted rolls his eyes. “And for your twiggy little body and spitfire personality? Can’t put a price on that.” He pulls his fingers free from Ted’s hole with a squelching sound, and Ted’s heart skips a beat as he realizes what’s coming next.
Ted grabs at Chester’s shoulder as Chester takes hold of his own cock, keeping it steady as he starts pressing against Ted’s stretched hole. He groans as his cock breaches Ted’s heat, and Ted moans breathily. He can’t muster the shame to be embarrassed as Chester keeps pushing further into him, leaning down over where he’s laid out on the bed.
Chester is heavy and still almost unbearably warm as he starts moving inside Ted. His hand presses Ted down into the bed and Ted has his arm wrapped around Chester’s side to dig his nails into his broad back. Their pants and the sound of skin meeting skin fill the room.
“Let me claim you, Ted,” Chester starts, breath fanning hot across Ted’s neck. “I know you’re a beta, but fuck, I have to…” He leans closer, pressing his mouth to the column of Ted’s throat, lips seeking out a scent gland that doesn’t exist. Ted pushes against his long chin with his free hand, worming his long fingers into Chester’s parted mouth. Chester moans and sucks on the digits gratefully. Fuck, this man’s oral fixation is something else! Ted snorts.
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” Ted groans as Chester’s thick cock rubs against his prostate. He’s not moving quickly, instead using long, deep thrusts that hit what feels like every spot inside Ted’s body. Ted’s never felt more fully surrounded by another person, and he can’t imagine what it would be like for Chester to claim him. Being tied to him probably isn’t the best idea, though. He’s heard enough horror stories about overly-possessive alphas, even though the misery of letting a claim fade wouldn’t affect a beta like him.
“Here,” Ted breathes, bringing his arm back from around Chester’s side to instead press his fingers against the raised scent gland on Chester’s neck. Chester moans around his fingers, and Ted’s cock twitches against his belly as the other man also gives a particularly forceful thrust in response. “What if I were to mark you instead? Bigshot Hollywood director getting marked by a beta during his own rut?”
Chester’s eyes slip closed as his thrusts speed up and become more powerful, clearly turned on by Ted’s mockery. There’s nothing Ted can do but hold on for dear life and brace as Chester really pounds into him, the air being pushed out of him by his powerful movements. He scratches lightly against the side of Chester’s neck, but quickly has to pull his fingers free from Chester’s mouth with a hiss as the other man reflexively bites down on them.
“What is it… with you and fingers?” Ted gasps as Chester’s snickers turn into a groan.
Ted’s pretty sure he isn’t going to come again; he’s starting to get hard from this, sure, but he’s already come within the last few minutes, and he doesn’t have a repeat performance in him so soon. On the other hand, alphas in rut clearly don’t have a refractory period as Chester’s rapidly swelling knot is succinctly informing him. It presses insistently at his rim as Chester switches to more shallow movements, trying to shove himself as deep into Ted’s body as he can.
“You don’t mind if… You can’t get pregnant, so…” Chester is too out of it to finish his thought as he pants onto Ted’s red face, sweat trickling down his temples.
Ted digs his nails into Chester’s scent gland as Chester presses himself flush to Ted, knot slipping past his loosened rim. “Two thousand to come in me,” he offers, and Chester can only groan in response, voice breaking. His hips twitch, and Ted can feel the warm flood of come as it shoots out of him. He’s allowed this in the past, but it feels particularly good this time. It must be something about Chester being in rut and the way his knot is preventing any of the fluid from leaking out.
He feels full as Chester collapses on top of him, knot preventing him from slipping out of Ted's sloppy hole. It’s weird to be tied together like this, but Ted doesn’t particularly mind. It has to be another by-product of the abundance of pheromones he’s putting out, but, then again, Ted is usually pretty tired and lenient after a round of sex as good as this. He feels lazy and satisfied, especially as he looks at the crescent-moon shaped indents he’s left over Chester’s neck. It’s not quite a claim, but the other man had seemed to enjoy it enough.
Chester curls an arm around Ted’s stomach and tugs at him until they’re both laying on their sides, facing each other. It’s an awkward and almost uncomfortable series of movements, but Ted ends up in an acceptable position.
“So, now we really can’t do anything until my knot goes down.” Chester gestures at Ted’s partial chub. “Unless you can get it up again.” He cracks a grin at Ted, who rolls his eyes. “How much do I owe you, again?”
“Eight thousand,” Ted replies, resting his head back on a pillow. He’s tired and relaxed. He could fall asleep like this.
“I thought it was three thousand a round.” Chester pulls him into a semblance of an embrace and Ted allows it as his eyes droop shut. “So that’s three thousand times three, and the two thousand for this—” His hand flexes around Ted’s waist. “—So that’s eleven thousand.”
Ted only hums contentedly. The numbers help lull him to sleep as he burrows further into Chester’s warm arms, thoughts of what he’ll do with his windfall seeping into his thoughts and giving way to pleasant dreams.