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He paid for a ticket to Montreal with his credit card and then for a ticket to Toronto with cash.
Daniel hurried onto the plane and took his seat, quickly clicking his seatbelt into place as he forced himself back into his chair, his chest heavy and his heart pounding. He ran his hand over his face, feeling the clammy, pale skin, and stared out the window as the rest of the passengers settled, none of them paying any mind to the curiously erratic man. Daniel closed his eyes and tried to steady himself with slow breaths.
“What’s wrong, Daniel?”
Daniel jumped in his seat. He turned his head quickly and stared at the man in the seat next to him with disbelief. His heart began to pound harder as his body started to shake. Daniel looked around, hoping to catch someone’s attention, but no one noticed him. It was like he wasn’t even there.
Daniel began undoing his seatbelt and tried to push himself up from his seat, but was forced back into place by a strong hand against his chest.
“Settle down, Daniel,” Armand said, his voice a gentle coo as his lips pulled into a smirk. “We’ll be taking off soon,” He ran his hand down Daniel’s chest as he slipped it away, sitting comfortably in his seat and sighing dramatically. “The two tickets were very clever, dear, but not clever enough,”
“How – I –,”
“I can read your mind,” Armand reminded. He turned his head back to Daniel and smiled. “I know what you’re going to do before you do, darling,”
Daniel paled, slumping down in his seat, and buried his hands into his hair. His body began to shake as a mixture of exhaustion and adrenaline coursed through his body. He wanted to scream, to run, but at the same time, all he wanted to do was sit there and cry. His hands trembled as he dropped them into his lap.
“Why – Why won’t you let me go?”
“Because you’re still so interesting, Daniel,” Armand said. He let his hand fall into Daniel’s lap and took hold of his hand, running his thumb over the back of his knuckles.
Daniel shook his head and whimpered.
“Please, please, just for today,” He said. “Leave me alone. Let me sleep. Please, Armand, please,”
Armand chuckled, his voice lower and warmer, as he raised Daniel’s hand to his lips and kissed it softly.
“Poor thing,” Armand said quietly. “You are exhausted, weak, and close to breaking. You may not survive the next week if we keep going at this rate. But,” Armand paused. “I will make you a deal,”
Daniel furrowed his brow, waiting.
“We’re going to sit here together, and you are going to lay your head on my shoulder and sleep,” Armand said. His voice was commanding, but not cold, and Daniel felt comforted by it. The idea that Armand had the answers, that he would take care of the situation, made something in the back of Daniel’s mind calm. Finally, it thought it was all going to be okay.
“When we land,” Armand continued. “I am going to take you to a hotel. A nice one. It's not one of those ridiculous hovels you’ve been residing in. You will take a long bath, you will eat a warm meal, and then you will sleep again. I will stay with you, care for you, and adore you,”
A shiver ran down Daniel’s spine.
“And in the morning, you will wake alone,” Armand said. “And if you choose, you may leave and I will give you the night to get a head start, but if you choose to stay, then I will show you something beautiful, Daniel, something only I can give you,” Armand traced the line of Daniel’s jaw. “How does that sound, my boy?”
It sounded like heaven.