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Two weeks without Lou. Two weeks of eating lead, walking uncovered through timefall, countless drops off cliffs and the weightlessness that came with plummeting to the ground. Sam had hoped that maybe he could pull off a miracle and find Lou somewhere in the Seam, bring her back like Amelie had for him. As the days stretched into weeks and all Sam could find during his scant three minutes in the Seam were the sea creatures that inhabited it, grim despair took the place of hopeful optimism. Because Lou wasn't there; she was, once again, confined to a pod. Her ha lost somewhere out there in the universe.
When Sam met Heartman, he'd been sympathetic to Heartman's plight and willingness to do whatever it took to find his family.
Now Sam knew firsthand that compulsion, that drive to find what was lost.
Once the bullets ran out, Sam turned to other ways of getting himself to the Seam. After shooting himself or cutting his throat, sitting under timefall was the quickest method, but that was fully dependent on the weather. So Sam stacked different methods, in case one didn't pan out. He stopped eating, took to wandering the desert without anything to protect himself from the rare timefall shower, and kept an eye out for any lost ammunition. He was going to find Lou, no matter what it cost him.
And if he couldn't find her, then the Seam would be his home until the Last Stranding.
It was while Sam planned his next method, hunger pangs gnawing insistently at his stomach, that he overheard the sound of footsteps stomping down the stairs into his bunker. More than likely it was Fragile, checking on Sam once again and, once again, more than likely to leave disappointed in what had become of the Great Deliverer.
"Well, now, so here's what the Legend of Legends has been reduced to."
Sam's head snapped up as a voice all too familiar pierced the heavy silence in the bunker.
Higgs.
But the person standing at the bottom of the stairs was not who Sam expected to see. This person was all in red when the Higgs Sam remembered had been clad in black and gold. Their steps were also heavy in a way Higgs had never been as they walked toward Sam. The hair, too, was different. Longer. And where once there'd been a chiral gold mask in the shape of a skull, this person wore a red mask with a face that was familiar.
The face looked around, taking in the bunker like they had just stopped by for a visit and were being giving a tour of the place. Draped around them was a red cloak. Between the red emergency lighting and the figure in red, Sam was starting to think he was actually in Hell.
"Been a long time, Sam. Like what you've done with the place," Higgs said, toeing at an empty beer can. When he turned back to Sam, the mask had fixed itself into a toothy grin.
On instinct, Sam whipped out the pistol and shot his last bullet into Higgs, who jumped, leaving nothing but chiral dust in his wake, before reappearing directly in front of Sam. The mask was now in what could only be described as a "concerned frown".
"Well, that ain't very hospitable of you, Sam. 'Specially since we ain't seen each other in so long. What? Don't feel like catchin' up?"
"Hell no." Sam chucked the gun to the side and rose. He needed a beer.
"I can see that your life ain't taken the turn you hoped it would." A beer can clattered as Higgs's feet collided with it. "But that ain't no excuse."
Sam opened the fridge and sighed. Only one beer left. "How the fuck are you still alive?"
"Let's just say, this world ain't done with me yet."
Sam popped open the beer, chugged back half of it, and then turned to Higgs, who was inspecting a small pile of debris by poking it with his foot. He seemed at ease in Sam's place, which pissed Sam off.
"So why the fuck are you here? You can't kill me, and I've already lost everything. What is it?"
Higgs clapped his hands once and pointed at Sam. "Mr. Straight-to-the-Point. See, I heard about what happened to little Lou, and it sure did break my heart, Sam. My sincere condolences."
Sam rolled his eyes. "You don't give a shit."
Higgs shrugged. "Maybe not. But it did get me to thinking of ways to ease the burden on your soul perhaps. You see, I've recently come into some files buried deep, deep within Bridges' servers."
As much as he didn't want it to, that did pique Sam's interest. Bridges was such a mystery to Sam, even though he'd been connected to it in so many ways over the years—experiment, son of the founder, and eventually the man who helped bring its vision, the Chiral Network, to fruition. He knew that he'd never have the full picture of Bridges, all of its many branching byways, but every small piece unlocked some new understanding of the company Bridget created.
Sam finished his beer and chucked it to the floor. "Oh yeah? What's that got to do with me?"
"I stumbled upon an experiment that might interest you." The mask had returned to grinning toothily at Sam.
"Can you take that fucking thing off?"
"Well, sure. This should probably be done...face to face, so to speak."
Higgs removed the mask, revealing a face so different but so familiar. The beard was gone, replaced by a smooth face with gold and black makeup. But the same day-blue eyes stared directly into Sam's.
"Nice look," Sam said sarcastically.
"Could say the same to you." Higgs's eyes drifted up to the top of Sam's head (now a mix of grey and his natural blond) and then slowly raked down over Sam's bare chest, stopping at his stomach. Or more likely, the scar on his stomach.
It made Sam's skin crawl.
"So what did you find?"
"There was an experiment 'bout a decade ago. Bridges was looking into ways to increase the population. One bright mind had the brilliant idea: 'What if men could also get pregnant?' Now I know what you're thinking. But I have it all here." Higgs held up a small tablet, its glass clear and blank.
"Haven't heard anything about it. So it's probably bullshit." Sam was itching for Higgs to leave so that he could return to his mission of finding Lou. The longer he spent enduring Higgs's company, the longer it took for him to find her.
"Probably. 'Cept they seemed to have some promising results before the program was shut down."
"Why was it shut down?"
"Oh, you know how it is. They lost funding, seeing as how all the test subjects died. Although that last one shouldn't be a problem for you, seeing as how you're hellbent on finding Lou even if it means killing yourself over and over again. Think of this as just another method to get your ass to the Seam."
Sam mulled it over for a second. "Even if it did work, I doubt we'd be able to source the equipment to make it work."
"Now see, there's where you're wrong, Samuel." Higgs pointed to himself with his thumb. "I'm the equipment."
"Excuse me?"
Higgs tapped the tablet against the side of his hand a few time before stepping closer to Sam. His boots crunched over broken glass, and Sam thought he'd stop a few feet away. But the man still didn't have any sense of personal space because he crowded Sam, who stepped backward the closer and closer Higgs came until his back hit the solid wall behind him. Sam thought he'd stop now that he had Sam against the wall, but Higgs leaned his head forward until—his face disappeared. Where there'd been eyes, a nose, a mouth, now there was a blank grey nothing. Higgs pressed his forehead against Sam's and then rubbed his forehead back and forth.
"How else would I return from the Beach, Sam? Ain't nobody going to release me on good behavior."
Higgs leaned back, and his face flickered back into view. He smirked, or maybe it was the makeup making it look that way.
Sam narrowed his eyes at Higgs. "I'm still not interested. It wouldn't be Lou."
"No, it wouldn't. But it might satisfy that ache in your soul. That need to be a daddy. Although, in this instance, you'd get to be both mommy and daddy." At the dubious look on Sam's face, Higgs sighed. "I ain't promisin' to bring back your baby girl. I'm offering you an opportunity for a second chance...or, I guess, a third chance."
Heat rose to Sam's face at the brief mention of Lucy. "And what's in it for you, huh? What do you get out of this? Because I sure as shit know you ain't doing this to make me feel better."
Like a shark smelling blood in the water, Higgs's smile widened until he was smiling with all of his teeth. "Why Sam? How could you possibly think that I would offer this for anything but out of the kindness of my heart?" Sam snorted, and Higgs dropped the act. "Maybe I want something nobody else has."
"Oh yeah? What's that?"
Higgs raised a hand, reached for Sam's face, and then seemed to think better of it, letting it fall to his side. "A connection to you that nobody else has. A connection that only involves the two of us and no one else." Something like longing leapt over Higgs's projected face before it dropped back below the surface. "But I need to be getting back. I'm...limited in how long I can stay out here. Think about what I said. I'll leave this for you to peruse at your leisure." He set the tablet on the counter, then circled around it, stooping to pick up the mask he'd discarded on the floor. "This is a one-time offer, Sam. So I hope you make the right choice. I'll be back in a couple of days for your answer."
Then Higgs, with his heavy footsteps, ambled across the room to the stairs and disappeared up them while Sam remained rooted against the wall. Now that he was alone, all the grief collapsed back on him. Sam slid down the wall until he met the floor, thumping his head against the wall.
He needed to tell Fragile that Higgs was back. She would want to know as soon as possible and then come up with a plan to deal with him. Higgs being back spelled disaster, no matter which way Sam looked at it.
But as Sam rose to dig out the abandoned ring terminal hidden away in a nearby cupboard, his eyes landed on the tablet and he stopped. What if Higgs could make this work and give Sam another chance? Sure, the child wouldn't be Lou, but it'd be something. It'd be hope in the midst of so much despair and loneliness. And even though it was foolish to think things would be different, Sam still believed that maybe this time he would be allowed to have what he wanted.
So instead of digging through the cupboard to unearth his ring terminal, Sam reached out and plucked the tablet off the counter before settling onto the floor. He placed the tablet in his lap opened the files Higgs had found. Reading through them, a lot of the science went over his head, and the fact that the men and their fetuses died during the trials did not inspire confidence that it would work. But those men were not Sam; they didn't have DOOMS and weren't repatriates. And if Sam died, then he died and could continue looking for Lou. Plus, the men did manage to hold the pregnancies until the end of their second trimesters before they withered away from whatever made it impossible for them to carry to term. Maybe there was a way to circumvent that now that they had the Chiral Network at their disposal.
Sam made up his mind. Now all he had to do was wait for Higgs to return.
They scheduled it for the following week. Sam pretty quickly regretted agreeing to it when Higgs showed up the next day, barging into Sam's bunker like he owned it. Not only did it mean he had to spend more time with Higgs, nailing down how everything would go on the day of, it meant that he had to suffer through detailed discussions of how Higgs would inseminate him. Higgs, so clearly pleased that Sam had accepted his offer, walked Sam through what needed to be done. At step one, Sam stopped Higgs.
"You are not fucking me."
"Sorry, Sammy boy. Me being the equipment and all, this is what we have to do. You read the reports: they had to simulate sex in order for the fetuses to take."
Sam had read the reports, but he'd hoped it wouldn't apply to this situation. The thought of Higgs seeing him naked, putting his hands on him, being inside him made Sam queasy, especially since he'd never had sex with a man before. Even with Lucy, sex was sporadic and based entirely around when Sam was in the mood. With how infrequent that was, Lou had been a surprise—a welcome one, but a surprise nonetheless.
Now Sam was placing himself into the hands of a man who'd tried to kill him and all of humanity.
"Fine," Sam said. "But be quick about it. Don't worry about"—Sam grimaced—"getting me off."
Higgs grinned. "You sure about that, daddy? I've heard it can increase the odds when the one getting pregnant enjoys the experience."
The last thing Sam was concerned about was enjoying the experience. Frankly, he'd already written off the thought of it being pleasurable. Nothing about Higgs would lead Sam to believe that he was interested in that either. So Sam was confused why Higgs was pushing the point.
"What do you care?"
Higgs shrugged. "I don't. Just trying to ensure this shit takes."
Narrowing his eyes, Sam grumbled, "Fine. Whatever. You can go back to wherever you come from. It's midnight; I need some fucking sleep."
But instead of leaving, Higgs took two long steps forward until he was nearly chest to chest with Sam. He hooked a finger under Sam's chin, tilted Sam's head back with a strength that unnerved Sam, and stared into Sam's eyes. When Sam tried to jerk his head away, Higgs adjusted his hand until he had a full grip on Sam's jaw, locking his arm. He continued to stare deep into Sam's eyes. Petulantly, Sam considered closing his eyes, but there was something hypnotic in the way Higgs's gold- and black-outlined eyes looked at him. The longer Sam returned Higgs's gaze, the more he noticed that Higgs was searching for something inside of Sam. Plumbing the depths for what? Sam hadn't a clue. It made Sam's stomach squirm.
Finally, Higgs released Sam, but something about the way he frowned and squinted his eyes said that he wasn't satisfied with what he found there.
"See you soon, Sammy. Don't forget about our date tomorrow."
On the day they agreed upon, Sam left his bunker early in the morning, well before the sun had risen over the hills that embraced Sam's broken home. The night chill had yet to dissipate, and Sam's breath came in puffs as he headed off to the east, following a trail he'd taken so many times with Lou strapped to his chest. Last time he'd gone out that way had been because neither of them slept well. Lou was teething and was constantly screaming because of it. The outdoors always seemed to reset them, so Sam bundled her up and took her on an adventure.
Now he saw the lingering memories everywhere he looked. The spot where Lou had stacked some rocks. The overhang they'd sheltered under when timefall came in without warning—a shock to a system that so rarely received rain. Sam's feet squelched in mud and puddles the entire way home. Then, there was the now-abandoned prairie dog burrow that they'd picnicked near. The prairie dogs, curious about these interlopers, had poked their heads in and out of their holes. Lou's delighted laughter and clapping echoed through Sam's head, and he turned away, moving toward a steep incline that would lead him to a view that never failed to clear his head and take his breath away.
At the top of the hill, Sam fell back onto his ass, winded and dizzy. He should have eaten something before coming out, but his stomach couldn't seem to settle. Once the lightheadedness faded, Sam opened his eyes and took in the view of the valley below him. The first time he'd seen that valley, Lou now strong enough that he no longer fretted about her dying in her sleep, Sam had thought it a perfect place to call a home. Desolate and lonely at first glance, but teeming with a system of connectedness only visible to those who stayed and truly looked. Even in a place that seemed inhospitable, there were traces of survival.
Sam stayed there and let the day pass. He watched a pack of coyotes prowl nearby, tracking some prey he couldn't see. A kettle of buzzards circled the sky a ways off. At one point, Sam spied a mountain lion descending a hill. It was far enough away that Sam wasn't too concerned, but he still kept tabs on it. The wind picked up, and Sam's eyes followed a tumbleweed as it rattled through the pass.
By the time the sun was setting, Sam was more at ease. So he rose, ready to face whatever Higgs had in store for him, and trekked back to home.
On arriving, Sam noticed that Higgs wasn't there yet. As he'd closed in on his bunker, Sam's nerves reactivated, a cramp hitting his stomach and his heart hammering in his chest.
Inside, Sam shrugged off his gear at the bottom of the stairs, hanging his coat on a hook. He headed to the shower, intending to kill some time and give himself something to do that wasn't sit around and wait. The warm water cascading down his head and shoulders and chest washed away the dirt, sweat, and grime he'd accumulated during his long day outside.
When Sam stepped out of the shower, he considered at least putting his pants back on but decided against it. In the end, what did it matter? What he and Higgs were planning to do wouldn't require clothes anyway. Putting them back on would mean that either Sam or Higgs would have to take them off, making the whole thing take longer.
Sam opened the door to the bathroom and was momentarily self-conscious as he was confronted with Higgs and five other people, all dressed in the same red and gold look Higgs was sporting. Sam's hands instinctively moved to cover himself.
"Who are these guys?" Sam asked, nodding his head at the robed figures behind Higgs.
"Just some friends of mine."
"Why are they here?"
"They're here to step in if anything goes wrong with me and my body."
Sam shook his head. "They can wait outside."
Higgs turned toward the closest one. "They could, but if anything does go wrong, it might be a matter of seconds." He spun back to Sam. "You think you'll be able to figure it out when I'm deep inside you. Although, I suppose, we could always try again."
The robed figures remained silent.
Sam looked between Higgs and the people behind him, weighing whether or not he was willing to have some strangers watch. Going through all of this a second time was unthinkable. Before Sam could make a judgment, Higgs yanked off the cloak and tossed it aside. The tank on his stomach was now more visible, lighting the darkened area around Higgs. From within, Sam could make out a shape that looked like Lou.
Dignity forgotten, Sam rushed forward and fell to his knees in front of Higgs, hands splaying along the tank, eyes rapt on the tiny form within. She bobbed up and down, the strange ropes inside the tank gently cocooning her. Tears welled in Sam's eyes as he watched her float, hoping that this would work. "Lou?"
A mechanical hand ran through Sam's hair, gentler than he'd expected from Higgs. The hand slid down the side of Sam's face, cupped his chin, and tipped his head up.
"Ain't Lou, Sam. Remember?"
Sam glanced down at the tank and now the differences stood out. It wasn't Lou.
"And while I love nothin' more than seeing you on your knees, weeping, we have business to attend to." And then the tank closed. The warm glow from the pod vanished, leaving them only with the red emergency lighting to illuminate Sam's bunker.
Higgs sank to his knees in front of Sam and leaned in like he was going to kiss Sam. He stopped, however, a few inches from Sam's face, and Sam realized that, while he'd been distracted by Higgs leaning toward him, he'd missed Higgs's hands coming up to grope at his chest. Fingers tipped with haptic sensors brushed back and forth over his nipples.
"How big do you think your chest will get? Hm? You saw the photos—those men definitely went up a cup size. So what will your tits look like if you make it to term?" Higgs breathed the words like the thought of Sam's chest expanding turned him on more than Sam naked in front of him.
"Don't care. Move it."
"But you ain't even hard yet. What? The thought of these massive pecs getting bigger doesn't turn you on? Because it's doing something to me." Higgs leaned down and nuzzled what would have been his mouth against one of Sam's nipples.
It wasn't doing anything for Sam except making him uncomfortable. He held his body ridged and tense, letting Higgs do what he wanted. His shoulders bunched up when Higgs ran a hand over his still soft cock. A noise of disappointment, and Higgs moved away.
"Guess we should get this over and done with," Higgs grumbled, rising from the floor.
Higgs stepped toward the bed but came up short when Sam said, "No."
"No?" Higgs turned back to look at Sam, still on his knees on the floor. He snorted. "What? You lookin' to get fucked on the floor like a dog."
That wasn't exactly what Sam was going for. The bed was too intimate for what this was supposed to be—a transaction, plain and simple. But at Higgs's words, Sam felt a stirring in his gut. His face flushed, horror dawning on him when he realized what was happening.
"Is that what you want, Sam? You wanna be bred like a bitch?"
To his shame, Sam's cock finally hardened. He hoped the dim lighting would hide the reaction and he'd get away with it once things started picking up. But Higgs zeroed in on it, a sly grin spreading across his face.
"Well, well, well, seems our savior of all mankind is in favor of that idea."
Sam drew his legs in, blocking Higgs's view of his growing erection. His eyes glanced over at the others who had slowly fanned out around the room, taking up places equidistant from each other. During that movement, they'd picked up a strange humming, like a fan whirring in a machine. He jumped when a pair of hands effortlessly pried his legs apart. Sam could feel his heart in his throat as Higgs loomed over him, eyeing him.
"If you want the floor, I can work with the floor," Higgs murmured before pressing the palm of his hand to Sam's cock, grinding into it. Sam hissed, the pressure edging over the line into painful.
Through gritted teeth, Sam said, "Ease up."
"Sorry 'bout that. Still getting used to the mech and all." But Higgs didn't sound particularly sorry. At the very least, he did relieve the pressure, running his fingers lightly up and down Sam's cock and swiping his thumb over the head. Sam fought the urge to buck his hips into it, curling his hands into fists and pressing his blunt nails into the palm of his hand. Higgs released him and rose, sliding around Sam. His hands pushed against Sam's back until Sam got the memo and moved onto his hands and knees. Higgs whistled low. "This is a good look for you, Sam. Should've stripped you at Edge Knot City and made you crawl to Amelie. At least, I'd have a good view before getting left to waste away on the Beach. Would have been something good to think about for a few thousand years at least."
Sam scowled. The thought was doing something to him that he didn't want to explore. In front of Sam was one of Higgs's people, face hidden underneath their hood. Sam couldn't tell if their eyes were on him or on their leader.
Behind him, Sam heard the sound of a buckle clicking. He looked over his shoulder. In one hand, Higgs held the codpiece, tossing it aside with an absent flick of his wrist. It landed with a thump somewhere in the bunker. Higgs's other hand was more interested in kneading Sam's ass, dipping low every so often to fondle Sam's balls. It had been so long since anyone had touched him this way. Quicker than he'd anticipated, Sam was fully hard, cock straining between his legs. Higgs's hand reached for it and squeezed. A small groan escaped Sam's throat.
"Seems like everything's in order. Now I might as well warn you that my dick ain't what you might be expecting."
"What's that—" But Sam choked on his words as something velvety and somewhat slimy slid over his ass. It seemed to have a mind of its own as it wrapped around one ass cheek then the other before settling into the cleft of his ass. Sam was prepared to call it quits—he hadn't been ready for something like this. If he'd known this was what he'd be walking into, he might have reconsidered. But then suction cups started gently sucking along his balls, perineum, and hole. As much as Sam didn't want to admit it, the sucking felt so good.
Before Sam could stop it, a moan slipped out of him, and he instinctively arched his back to give Higgs more room, allowing the tentacle more space to operate. When he realized what he was doing, Sam returned to a neutral position and hoped Higgs hadn't noticed.
But Higgs apparently saw everything.
"I know that feels good, Sammy. Lean into it. You look so pretty with your back arched." His voice came through a little staticky and raspy. "Don't hold back on our account."
At the reminder of the others in the room, Sam shrank back, curling in on himself even more. This was a terrible idea. Who knew if Higgs would or even could hold up his side in all of this? Sam could still back out. There was still time.
Before he could voice his wish to stop, the tentacle released the suction cups and poked its tip into Sam's hole, the light layer of slime working as a lube to ease itself in an inch before it stopped.
"Fuck," Sam and Higgs said at the same time.
"Goddamn, Sam, your cunt is so fuckin' tight." There was a laugh running through the words. Sam gritted his teeth and exhaled shakily.
"Don't say shit like that." Once he'd adjusted to the sensation of the tentacle, Sam said, "Keep going." He wanted this over and done with. While he didn't hate the feeling completely, it wasn't one he was familiar with and it was already overstimulating.
As Higgs continued to ease the tentacle in and out, slowly stretching Sam as the tentacle's body widened, Sam kept his eyes on the floor and refused to acknowledge the others in the room. It was difficult with their strange humming, but Sam focused on the ground and the hope that it would block them out as well as the fact that Higgs was the one stretching him open. His mind wandered to another place entirely. He thought of the gurgling streams he would walk past back when he'd live in the north. How the sound of them could soothe the harsh voice inside his head that told him he deserved everything that happened to him—his lonely childhood, the loss of Lucy and their child, the empty days.
Slowly, Sam drifted elsewhere, losing awareness of what was happening to him.
Then Higgs thrust harshly, his dick pushing in too fast. Pain shot through Sam's body. His hand curled into a fist, and he banged it against the floor.
"Slow down," Sam ground out, arms shaking.
"Not if you're going to be somewhere else during this." Higgs placed a hand on the small of Sam's back, rubbing soothing circles on it. "I notice you wandering off again, this whole thing is going in at once. Do you understand me?" When Sam didn't respond, Higgs pressed in a bit more. Sam hadn't had time to adjust to the stretch and that reignited the shocks of pain shooting up his spine. "I said, do you understand me?"
Sam, panting, nodded his head.
"I need you to use your words, Sammy boy." And Sam could practically hear the shit-eating grin plastered on Higgs's face. "Or I can go, if that's what you want. Leave you childless and alone once again."
Panicked at the thought of losing this chance, Sam said, "I understand."
"There you go. Now, give me a couple more minutes to stretch you and then we'll flip you over."
"No, we're staying like this." The last thing Sam wanted was Higgs seeing his face during one of the lowest moments of his life. Sam didn't want Higgs of all people to know what he looked like if (or, God forbid, when) he came.
"We'll see about that." On those ominous words, Higgs got back to stretching Sam, easing the tentacle in and out of him. Sam could feel it writhing around inside of him. Occasionally, the tip would swirl around Sam's rim, and after a few rounds of that, the tip began to prod at Sam's prostate, tentative at first. And when Sam, who'd never experienced that pleasure, moaned loudly and pressed back into Higgs, the tentacle launched what could only be described as an assault on that spot, rubbing against it so much that Sam's neglected cock was so heavy, dripping a small puddle of precum onto the floor.
As the pressure mounted, Sam knew he'd come at any second. Suddenly, the tentacle was gone, slipping out of him completely and leaving him feeling empty.
A pair of hands grabbed his waist and the room tilted. Sam landed on his back and grunted. When his back hit the floor, it fell on a piece of glass, which dug straight into the muscle. Wetness spread from the spot. Sam glared up into Higgs's smug face. Every so often, his face would flicker out and then come back on, a brief moment of blankness replaced with a face Sam hated more than anything.
"I told you I wasn't flipping over," Sam said, scooting back to get out from under Higgs. Sam winced as the glass dug in deeper.
Higgs's hands flew out and pinned Sam to the floor, halting any more attempts at moving backward. He glanced down at Sam's cock, the precum now pooling on his stomach. "Can't believe you haven't come yet. Maybe we should fix that."
Before Sam could argue, the tentacle slid forward, intent on Sam's dick. That was a bridge too far for Sam, who struggled against Higgs's hands. But the mech body was too strong for Sam who watched helplessly as the tentacle wrapped around his cock, a sucker landing right on the slit. The tentacle undulated up and down, simulating a hand job while the suckers on the heads suctioned on and off like a blowjob. It was all too much, and as Sam felt his release mounting once again, he turned his head to the side so that Higgs wouldn't have the satisfaction of seeing him come. The hands briefly let go before a forearm came down over his chest, pinning him to the floor like one of the rare dead bugs he'd delivered to the Evo-devo Biologist. It pressed down so hard that Sam could only take in small breaths of air. Then, with his free hand, Higgs grabbed Sam's chin and wrenched him back to face Higgs. One more slide of the tentacle and Sam tumbled over the edge, coming with a long, drawn-out moan. Cum spurted from around the edges of the suction cup on his tip, which moved like it was trying to lap it all up.
Above Sam, Higgs groaned, low and throaty. "Fuck, it's crazy how good you taste." His eyes closed for a moment then reopened, the corners of his mouth curling up. "Only polite to get the lady to come first," he said before releasing Sam.
"Fuck off." Sam slapped at Higgs's arms. "I'm done with this shit."
"Oh, but Sam, we're so close to the grand finale. Don't you still want that second chance?" Higgs grinned, knowing he had Sam cornered. "I swore on my grave that I could get you pregnant, and I will. There's just one more step." Higgs's hands glided down the tops of Sam's thighs before hiking them up and holding them there. The tentacle released Sam's cock and slid down his shaft and over his balls before plunging back into Sam's hole, still stretched and ready.
Once Higgs was settled, pelvis resting snug against Sam's ass, Higgs pulled out and thrust back, setting a quick pace that told on him: He was closing in on his own orgasm. The feel of cold metal hitting Sam's ass every thrust wasn't the most pleasant sensation, but the tentacle hitting that spot every so often was driving Sam crazy. He bit into his tongue to keep from making any sound more impactful than a grunt.
Higgs pressed his hands into Sam's calves, pushing his legs further and further back until Sam was almost folded in half. The position helped the tentacle go deeper, and Higgs moaned, low and guttural, on every thrust. Through the gap between Sam's legs, Sam was able to watch as Higgs's eyes squeezed shut. A furrow appeared on his brow, and then he reopened his eyes and looked at Sam. Taken aback by the expression on Higgs's face, Sam tilted his head, expecting the look on Higgs's face to disappear like a mirage. But when it remained in place, Sam couldn't stop himself from lifting his arm and placing his hand against Higgs's cheek, disrupting the face projection. Higgs's eyes fluttered closed, and his hips lost the rhythm he'd set.
And then the expression was gone in a flash—literally. The second Higgs came, two things happened at once: Higgs's face flickered off and then on repeatedly before going out for good and the humming cut off completely. Sam jerked his hand back as he was left in the silent dark.
From between his legs, Sam heard a strange sucking sound, but before he could investigate, Higgs's face roared back to life, flickering through a series of faces, all different variations of Higgs, before settling on the one with the golden makeup.
"Whew, Sam, a man could get used to this," Higgs said, leering down at Sam.
"Don't. And let go of me."
"Whatever my baby mama wants."
Sam was grateful for the red emergency lights which effectively hid the flush spreading over his face. He sighed as Higgs released his legs—they were beginning to ache from being held in that position. "You think it worked?"
"See for yourself." The pod on Higgs's stomach reopened, the warm glow chasing away the feelings of guilt and misgiving. It was empty except for the floating cables, which every now and then tapped at the glass.
"Then I guess you can go." Sam attempted to scoot away, but when he moved, Higgs moved with him. "What—" Sam tried again, but Higgs stayed locked inside Sam.
"Don't pull too hard, unless you want me to invert your guts." Higgs cackled at the dawning look of horror on Sam's face. "Suctioned to your insides, Sam."
"When are you going to let go?"
"When I'm good and ready." Higgs placed a hand on Sam's chest, nudging him onto his back so Higgs could lean over him. "I've got something to say. 'Sides, ain't right to knock a lady up and just bail."
"Knock it off."
Higgs seemed to take that to heart because all the mirth dropped from his face. He leaned down until his face was inches from Sam's.
"I need you to know, Sam, that I love seeing you here with me, at rock bottom. Brought down to a level of desperation so strong that you'd be willing to whore yourself out on the hope that you'll be able to claw back some iota of happiness from this life you're trapped in, knowing that you still have so many years to walk before you're finally allowed to feel the comforting embrace of death. It's a sight I've longed to see during my time trapped on the Beach. I hope you never forget that I know what you taste like now; that I know what you feel like now; and that I know the face you make when you come undone. I hope that keeps you up at night."
Sam's rage trembled through his whole body. As he tried to maintain his composure, he couldn't stop the constant angry huffs he blew from his nose. He glowered at Higgs, whose eyes searched Sam's.
"Oh! It seems I've woken up the bull in you, Sammy. Was wonderin' where he went." Higgs ran one finger down the side of Sam's face, and Sam jerked away as it headed toward his mouth.
"Anyhoo, I do need to be gettin', in case my absence is noticed..." Higgs trailed off, but Sam wasn't going to give him the pleasure of asking who would notice he was gone. He wouldn't get a straight answer anyway.
There was a loud sucking sound as Higgs pulled out. Something wet that Sam wasn't positive was cum leaked out of him. Higgs groped around for the codpiece as the tentacle retracted back into the mech body. When it was in enough, Higgs reattached the codpiece. Sam stayed where he was on the floor. He didn't want Higgs to see the glass in his back, the blood smeared around it, the precum from earlier smeared across his ass.
"I'll catch you later, Sam." Higgs stood and straddled Sam's midsection. "Take care of that package I entrusted to you." Winking, Higgs stepped over Sam, and the others followed him. They all tromped up the stairs, and Sam listened as their footsteps faded away. They didn't even close the door.
When Sam was sure they were gone, he hefted himself to standing, wincing at the ache already forming in his ass. Something dripped down his leg, and he hoped it wasn't blood. He staggered into the bathroom, pain radiating from every point on his body. By the bathroom door was an emergency lamp. Sam clicked it on and set it on a shelf.
He twisted his back to the mirror, grimacing at how big the shard of glass was and how deep it was lodged in the muscle by his shoulder blade. Shaky fingers reached for it, gripped it, and yanked it out as quick as they could. Sam gasped, dropping the glass into the sink. It clinked against the metal. Sam opened the medicine cabinet and groped for the first aid kit he'd made as soon as he settled in the place.
With Lou.
Sam shook his head, hoping the motion and the pain would fan away the thoughts like a thick cloud of smoke.
Digging out a large bandage from the first aid kit, Sam ran the sink, dampened a washcloth, and turned his back to the mirror once again. Blood sluggishly seeped from the cut, and Sam swept the washcloth over the cut, wincing when he pressed too hard. Once it was as clean as he could get it, he slapped the bandage on top of it, hoping it'd be enough. Next, he picked up the lamp and directed its light to his legs.
Lines of tar ran down the insides of his thighs. No blood, thankfully.
Sam set the lamp back down on the shelf and got into the shower, scrubbing his skin raw as he tried to remove the tar and dried cum from his legs and stomach. He hoped the water would also wash away the guilt and shame. Guilt because he couldn't shake the worry that he was replacing Lou. Shame because he didn't regret what happened; he would have made the same choice even knowing how humiliating the whole ordeal would end up being. For a brief flash, there'd been a connection between them. A moment where Higgs let his guard down.
And Sam saw it. Maybe Higgs now knew what Sam looked like when he came, but Sam knew what Higgs looked like when he was in love.
It was possible that Sam was mistaken—with what he knew about Higgs, Sam wasn't sure he could even feel love anymore. While Sam wanted to follow that thread to the end, for now, he had to put it to the side. He was exhausted and was relying on the sink to keep himself upright. Now that everything was over, his hunger pangs returned, but he only had the energy to shut the door and go to bed.
Not even bothering to dress, Sam walked naked back into the main room, avoiding the empty beer cans and shattered glass. He slapped a hand against the panel to shut the main door, listening for the sound of it locking. On his way to the bed, he scooped up Lou's pod.
Sam clambered onto the bed, sweeping to the floor all the detritus that had been knocked onto it two weeks ago from whomever attacked his home. He flopped onto his back with a sigh, staring up at the ceiling. His hands crept toward his stomach and settled onto the cross-shaped scar. Sam knew it was stupid to hope it would work—shit, Higgs was probably lying to him. But Sam couldn't fight back the hope swelling to life in his chest.
He rolled onto his side and propped up Lou's pod, watching as she floated calmly within it. "How do you feel about being a big sister, Lou?" Sam clutched the pod to his stomach and hummed the song Cliff sang to him so many, many years ago.