A Tiny, Furious Outburst

I am a simple, hardworking corporate drone.

After a long, agonizing, and entirely unrequited crush on my boss, I had a mild, petty meltdown.

So, I stole his beloved pet snake.

Surprisingly, the little thing was incredibly affectionate. It wasn't shy at all.

I kept it for a few days.

Then, strange glowing text suddenly floated right in front of my eyes, like live-stream chat comments:

[Where did this random background character come from? That little snake hes holding is actually the Snake King, capable of taking human form.]

[Once the Snake King gets through his mating cycle, hes probably going to eat this nobody alive, leaving nothing but bones.]

A cold sweat broke out across my back.

I immediately tied the little snake into a neat, firm knot.

That very night, I drove three hours into the countryside and dumped it in the middle of nowhere.

The next morning.

My boss, who was always impeccably dressed and intensely serious, walked into the office looking like a total wreck. His hair was a bird's nest, and dark circles bruised the skin under his eyes.

When someone asked him what happened, he gritted his teeth and growled:

"I fell asleep, and when I woke up, I realized someone had dumped me in the woods."

01

When Gary said those words, the entire conference room fell into a dead, suffocating silence.

No one dared to breathe.

"Ha, haha, Mr. Ford, you sure have a wild sense of humor," someone finally piped up, desperately trying to break the ice.

"Luke, did you sleep well last night?"

Gary turned his gaze toward me, his voice cutting through the room like a sudden chill.

My heart leaped into my throat, and my mouth hung open. "Huh?"

Gary let out a cold snort and looked away, completely ignoring me from that moment on.

I blinked, utterly baffled.

Beside me, a coworker nudged my arm with his elbow. "Did you piss off Mr. Ford?"

I gave him my most innocent look. "No way."

Could he have found out that I was the one who swiped his snake?

But according to those floating comments, that gorgeous little serpent was dangerous. Gary should honestly be thanking me for saving his life.

"And here I thought you finally grew some balls and snuck into Mr. Ford's bed," my coworker whispered, a sleazy grin spreading across his face.

I stomped on his foot with all my might. "Shut up. If I ever decide Im tired of living, maybe Ill consider it."

Suddenly, a freezing glare locked onto the two of us.

I looked up, meeting a pair of breathtakingly beautiful, icy eyes.

Gary spoke, his voice dropping to a low, commanding register:

"Everyone else is dismissed. Luke, stay behind."

02

Dozens of suggestive, knowing looks shot toward me, making me feel like I was sitting on a bed of nails. I squirmed as the room slowly emptied.

Once the last person left, I stood up on trembling legs. Hoping a smile might soften whatever blow was coming, I forced my lips into a polite curve:

"Mr. Ford, is there something you need?"

Gary walked slowly to the massive floor-to-ceiling window, turning his back to me as he stared out at the sprawling city skyline.

My chest thundered with anxiety. I didn't dare utter a single sound.

After what felt like an eternity, Gary spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. "Do you hate me?"

"Um, what?"

I choked on my own spit, coughing slightly.

What kind of bizarre, loaded question was that?

Gary's shoulders trembled slightly, but he composed himself almost instantly.

I took a cautious step forward. "Mr. Ford, are you alright?"

He still didn't turn around, keeping his aloof, aristocratic back to me. When he spoke, there was a faint, fragile crack in his stubborn tone:

"It is nothing. You may leave."

I scratched my head, completely lost.

"Oh, alright. Let me know if you need anything else, sir."

"Mhm."

I turned and walked toward the heavy mahogany door.

Just as I turned, I caught his reflection in the glass of the window. For a split second, it looked like a single, quiet tear was sliding down Gary's cheek.

But he wiped it away so quickly, his face returning to its usual stoic mask, that I doubted my own eyes.

What on earth?

Jesus.

I must be getting old. Pulling all-nighters was starting to make me hallucinate.

I walked out of the office. Before I could take more than a few steps down the hallway, a sharp, high-pitched whistling sound echoed from inside, sounding exactly like an old-fashioned kettle coming to a boil.

I rubbed my nose and mumbled to myself.

What year was it anyway?

Who still used an ancient, whistling kettle in a luxury high-rise office? Did my billionaire boss have some incredibly bizarre retro fetish?

03

It was another grueling day of being a corporate slave.

Work was already exhausting enough, but Gary kept watching me with the most unsettling, eerie looks.

I had to admit, a pet really did take after its owner. When Gary stared at me, he had that exact same damp, chilly, and hypnotic intensity that the beautiful little snake had.

Suddenly, a heavy wave of guilt washed over me.

The moment the clock struck five, I bolted out of the office, eager to drive back and retrieve the poor thing.

But before I could reach the elevator, a firm, warm hand pressed down on my shoulder.

"Where are you going?"

A low, heated breath brushed against my ear, sending a shiver down my spine.

I forced a dry laugh and stepped back, subtly breaking his grip. "Mr. Ford, this is personal business."

With that, I took advantage of his brief moment of hesitation and hurried away.

I had no idea what was wrong with him lately. He was acting completely out of character.

...

After a few hours of navigating traffic, I finally made it back to the wooded outskirts where I had abandoned the snake the previous night.

Because I had been worried about it getting hurt, I had actually put it in a small wire cage and hidden it safely under some bushes.

But now, the wire door was wide open, and the cage was completely empty.

I spent hours searching, digging through the dirt with my bare hands. By the time I stopped, I was covered in dust, and my shirt was soaked through with sweat.

It wasn't until the sky turned pitch black that I finally gave up.

Smelling like a swamp, I checked into a cheap, sketchy motel nearby just to take a quick shower before heading home.

By the time I finally unlocked my apartment door, it was almost midnight.

The moment the door swung open, I froze.

Two glowing, glassy spheres stared back at me from the darkness.

My heart nearly stopped. I fumbled for the light switch and flipped it on.

There, coiled proudly right in the middle of my living room, was the very snake I had thrown away.

It was a gorgeous Beauty Snake, its scales a striking pattern of brownish-gray with delicate black bands running down its spine. It sat there, coiled tightly like a tiny king, holding its head high and staring at me with undeniable authority.

I rubbed my eyes, convinced I was dreaming.

"Nox!"

Nox didn't move. He just stared at me with those massive, round eyes, looking incredibly pathetic.

I took a tentative step forward.

Only then did Nox begin to slither toward me. He still looked visibly annoyed, his little body tense, but he slowly began to climb up my leg, wrapping himself around me.

Since I had just showered, I smelled faintly of cheap drugstore body wash, and damp droplets of water still clung to my hair, occasionally dripping down onto his scales.

The moment a droplet hit him, his entire body went rigid. He even stopped flicking his tongue.

I didn't know if I was imagining things, but he looked like he was about to burst into tears.

I scooped him up, completely disregarding my fears, and showered his little scaly head with kisses.

"I'm so sorry, Nox! You went through so much because of me. I don't know what possessed me to dump you. Can you ever forgive me?"

04

Nox looked utterly dizzy from my sudden onslaught of affection.

His vertical pupils locked onto mine, and his cool body coiled tightly around my arm, clinging to me as if his life depended on it.

In an instant, all the tension left my body.

I finally understood the sheer, intoxicating relief a toxic partner feels when they successfully win back their ex.

I seriously wanted to slap myself for being so heartless.

After a quick rinse, I took Nox into the bedroom to sleep, just like I used to.

I always ran hot at night, so having his cool, smooth body draped over me felt like heaven.

The moment my head hit the pillow, I drifted into a deep sleep.

During the night, I had a vivid, strange dream.

I dreamed a man had broken into my room.

He stood right beside my bed, watching me. The moonlight filtering through the blinds was too faint for me to make out his face.

"Luke, I don't care if you have someone else out there," he whispered, his voice trembling. "I don't even care that you threw me away. Just, as long as you still let me come home, it is fine."

With that, he leaned down, burying his face in the crook of my neck, his entire frame shaking.

Warm, wet tears soaked into my t-shirt, leaving a damp, heavy sensation against my skin.

I felt a bit annoyed by the clinginess.

In my half-asleep state, I tried to push him away.

The figure stiffened instantly. He didn't make a sound, nor did he pull away. He just stayed there, his tears flowing even faster, weeping with the tragic intensity of a melodrama hero.

...

The next morning, when I opened my eyes, the dream was still vivid.

I rubbed my aching neck, my mind filled with the absurdity of the nightmare.

While brushing my teeth, I caught sight of myself in the mirror and froze. There were several dark, purplish-red marks scattered across my collarbone.

I pulled my collar down. The marks traced a path down my chest, disappearing beneath the waistband of my underwear.

I stared at them, completely numb.

Suddenly, the floating chat comments began to scroll frantically across my vision again:

[Those marks were left by the Snake King! How can you still keep that thing in your house?]

[This snake literally crawled all the way back from the outskirts of the city. Doesn't that terrify you?]

My body went rigid, and my hands began to tremble.

From the hallway, I heard a faint, soft rustling sound.

Nox poked his little head through the crack of the bathroom door, looking up at me with the most adorable, innocent expression.

I stared back at him.

The next second, I let out a squeal, scooped Nox into my arms, and began kissing him all over again.

Stupid comments. How dare they call my precious, sweet Nox a terrifying monster?

I couldn't even begin to fathom the sheer struggle and pain my poor baby must have gone through just to find his way back to me.

After cuddling him for what felt like hours, I finally set him down reluctantly.

"Baby, I have to go to work to buy your food. Wait for me at home, okay?"

Nox coiled into a neat circle, tilting his head as if he understood perfectly.

The chat comments flashed violently:

[Oh my god, this idiot has been completely hypnotized by the Snake King. Hes totally lost his mind.]

[We warned you. When the Snake King gets bored of him and swallows him whole, hes going to regret everything.]

I completely ignored them.

Humming a cheerful tune, I walked out the door and headed to work.

05

As I sat at my desk, my mind was entirely consumed by thoughts of Nox.

To be honest, I used to be terrified of snakes. I always thought of them as cold-blooded, creepy monsters.

The mere thought of their slick, cold bodies sliding against my skin used to give me goosebumps.

But then, after several failed attempts to flirt with Gary, I had to accept the brutal reality.

He was a straight-laced, utterly unreachable heterosexual man.

That realization had triggered a brief, petty wave of madness in me.

During a visit to his penthouse to retrieve a document he had left behind, I happened to spot Nox.

He was resting elegantly in a custom-built terrarium, flicking his dark tongue as he stared at me.

In that moment, a sudden rush of sheer audacity took over. I reached in, grabbed the snake, and stuffed him straight into my jacket pocket.

The little guy had looked at me in shock, trying to squirm free, but he couldn't break my grip. Ultimately, he just poked his tiny nose out of my pocket, looking at me with utter helplessness.

Well, if I couldn't have Gary, then I would take his, snake!

But after keeping Nox for a few days, I quickly realized that snakes were actually incredibly sweet. He had an unbelievably gentle temperament.

Even when I annoyed him, the worst he would do was sulk in the corner. Within an hour, hed be slithering back, wrapping himself comfortably around my wrist.

Thinking about it made my lips curl into a smile, and I started humming softly.

My coworker turned to me, curious. "Luke, you're in a great mood today."

Before I could answer, he scratched his head and muttered to himself, "Weird. Mr. Ford seems to be in a fantastic mood too. I could've sworn he looked ready to murder someone last night."

I shrugged. "Who knows."

Suddenly, my coworker went dead silent and sat up straight, instantly looking incredibly busy.

Puzzled, I felt a familiar, rich scent wash over me, a deep, luxurious note of sandalwood and cedar.

Gary's smooth, velvety voice echoed from behind me:

"Luke, come with me to my office."

06

My entire body froze.

I slowly turned around to face Gary.

He was immaculately put together today, wearing his usual polite, slightly detached smile.

I followed him up to the top floor, my mind racing. This was highly unusual. Why did he need to see me?

And why didn't he just have his assistant call me? Why did the CEO personally come down to fetch a low-level designer?

Are billionaires really this free?

Gary sat behind his massive mahogany desk, clasping his hands together in a formal gesture. "There is an industry dinner tonight. You are coming with me."

A massive question mark popped up in my head.

Putting aside the fact that this was a secretary's job, even if they needed a designer, it shouldn't fall on a low-level draft technician like me.

Seeing my silence, Gary's brow furrowed slightly. "Why? Do you have other plans tonight?"

"Well, actually," I dragged out my words, clearly reluctant.

Gary blinked. "Good. If it is nothing urgent, cancel it."

I looked at him with a miserable expression. "Mr. Ford, I don't have any experience with these high-profile dinners. What if I mess up?"

Gary completely ignored my protest, continuing smoothly, "Excellent. I will have someone send over a suit for you shortly. Its a formal event, so you need to look the part."

...

I lost track of how long I sat in front of the vanity mirror.

My ass was practically numb by the time the stylist, who was working with extremely dramatic hand gestures, finally stepped back with a satisfied nod.

"There. Now you actually look like you belong by Mr. Fords side."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm just accompanying him as an assistant, not his date. What do you mean by belonging?"

The stylist gave me a thoroughly confused look. "An assistant?"

"Yeah. Hes probably just bringing me along to drink on his behalf. I get how these things work."

"You don't know shit about,"

Before the stylist could finish his sentence, the door swung open. Gary stepped into the room, his sharp eyes instantly locking onto me.

"Is he ready?"

The stylist offered a quick, nervous smile. "All done, Mr. Ford. Are you pleased?"

Gary stared at me, his gaze intense, raw, and incredibly hot. I watched his Adam's apple bob up and down.

After a long, breathless pause, he spoke softly:

"I am, highly pleased."

07

By evening, I was standing beside Gary, stepping into a grand ballroom filled with clinking crystal glasses and murmuring elites.

Every other guest seemed to be paired up.

If I were straight, I could easily lie to myself and pretend I was just there to be his shield against free drinks. But the problem was, I was very gay, and I actually harbored highly inappropriate feelings for my boss.

Standing next to him under the warm, glittering chandeliers made me feel incredibly self-conscious.

Gary gently patted my shoulder. "Don't worry. Just stay close to me. Don't wander off, and let me handle the rest."

"You got it, boss."

As it turned out, I had vastly overestimated my duties. Given Gary's terrifyingly high status in the business world, absolutely no one dared to pressure him into drinking.

My sole purpose seemed to be standing next to him like a piece of handsome arm candy, listening to people flatter him endlessly.

I felt more like a bodyguard than an assistant.

I let out a quiet yawn, thoroughly bored.

Suddenly, Gary leaned in. "Luke, could you fetch me a glass of juice?"

I snapped out of my daze, looking into his pale, striking eyes.

"Right away, sir."

I wandered over to the drinks table and picked up a vibrant, beautifully colored cocktail that smelled sweet and fruity.

When I brought it back, Gary didn't take the glass. Instead, he leaned forward and took a sip directly from my hand.

His cold fingertips brushed against my wrist, sending a jolt of electricity straight up my arm. I flinched, nearly dropping the glass.

Gary suddenly choked, coughing as his brow knit in immediate disgust.

"That is alcohol."

My eyes went wide. "What?"

Within three seconds, a deep crimson flush crept up his neck to his ears. His gaze grew glassy and unfocused, and he slumped forward, resting his heavy forehead against my shoulder.

"I, I don't feel well."

Oh, great.

I had heard rumors that Gary never touched a drop of alcohol, but I had no idea his tolerance was practically non-existent.

Using every ounce of strength I possessed, I managed to drag his dead weight out to the parking lot and heave him into the back of his car. I patted his cheek gently.

"Mr. Ford, where do you live?"

Gary blinked lazily, murmuring a string of street names and numbers.

The address sounded incredibly familiar.

Wait, that was my apartment address.

"Mr. Ford, that's my place. Where is your actual home? Or can you give me your phone so I can call someone to pick you up?"

Gary looked deeply offended, correcting me with absolute, drunken gravity:

"That is my home."

"..."

08

There was absolutely no reasoning with a drunk.

Left with no other option, I had to bring him back to my tiny apartment.

I dragged him into the guest room and tossed him onto the bed, then immediately rushed out to find Nox.

But no matter where I looked, under the sofa, behind the curtains, inside the cabinets, there was no sign of him.

Panic seized me, and cold sweat broke out across my forehead. What if someone had broken in and stolen him?

Suddenly, a heavy, dull thud echoed from the guest bedroom.

I rushed back toward the sound.

Gary was no longer on the bed.

Instead, slithering awkwardly across the hardwood floor, was Nox.

...

Nox wobbled unsteadily as he made his way toward me. His massive eyes looked completely dazed. He climbed up my side, winding his way up to my shoulders, and began rubbing his little head affectionately against my neck.

I stood frozen, completely paralyzed.

A cold sweat drenched my shirt.

Yes, Nox was still adorable. But could someone please explain to me where my six-foot-two boss had gone?

As if to answer my silent question, the weight around my neck began to shift.

Within seconds, the cool, scaly coils transformed, expanding until they became the solid, warm form of Gary once again.

He mumbled incoherent complaints about feeling hot, his hands sliding down to wrap tightly around my waist, his fingers tugging at the belt of my trousers.

I grabbed my pants with one hand and held him back by his chest with the other, my mind completely fracturing under the sheer absurdity of the situation.

This couldn't be real.

"Luke, it hurts, I feel so hot."

Gary looked up at me with tear-filled, misty eyes, looking entirely defenseless.

"I think, I think I'm in heat."

Right then and there, I officially confirmed that my boss was not human.

Because no normal human being would ever say something like that.

I tried to push him away. "Mr. Ford, I can't help you with this. Why don't I go find you a nice female snake?"

Gary's hand slid lower, his voice entirely too certain. "You can help me. Only you."

I blocked his wandering hands with one arm while wrapping my other arm around his waist to keep him from collapsing.

But wait, if he was a snake, did that mean he had, two of,

I couldn't control my eyes. My gaze flicked downward.

Before my rational mind could stop me, I swallowed hard, trying to convince myself that I was just curious. Just a little peek. It was a once-in-a-lifetime scientific inquiry.

But the moment my fingers brushed against him, Gary shuddered violently. The last shred of his sanity seemed to snap, his eyes flashing a dangerous crimson as he pinned me flat against the mattress.