“Have you seen my blue shirt with the white stripes? It’s missing, along with…” Terry trailed off as he realized d’Schane wasn’t listening. The image on d’Schane’s screen flickered as d’Schane hid whatever he’d been working on. He didn’t look away from the terminal, didn’t even glance in Terry’s direction.

Terry swallowed a brief wave of panic. He forced himself to move, slowly walking into the den and kneeling next to d’Schane’s chair. His hands clenched in his pants to keep from trembling as he remembered similar situations, almost a year ago, between him and Daphne. A thought flickered through his head and he tried to suppress it, unsure if d’Schane had his lead in and was listening. The thought refused to be buried. He wondered if it was something about him that made all of the really important people in his life eventually hate him or if it was just bad luck.

d’Schane finally turned towards him, staring down at him with a vaguely annoyed look. It reminded Terry too much of the end of his relationship with Daphne, when she’d exiled him from her bed and kept him locked away in the tiny closet. He dropped his head to rest against d’Schane’s leg, briefly nuzzling his face against the fabric of d’Schane’s pants. His entire body relaxed when one of d’Schane’s hands twisted in his hair and he breathed a sigh of relief. Even without the lead turned on, it wouldn’t have been hard for d’Schane to pick up on the fact that Terry was distressed.

“What’s up?” d’Schane asked after a long pause.

He debated his words, trying to decide between the most recent problem that had brought him to d’Schane and the deeper issue. The former seemed like the safer option. He didn’t want d’Schane to think he was being too needy. “My shirt is missing.”

d’Schane turned back to his console. A technical document was open for review, one of the ones that Terry had written earlier in the week but d’Schane had yet to approve and pass on to the client. “You have others. The shirt you’re wearing now is fine.”

Terry bit his lip, still hesitant to even bring the issue up with d’Schane. He was being silly. “But I can’t find it. It’s not anywhere in the house and I just wore it last week. That’s not the only thing missing.”

“I’m sure it’ll turn up. You just misplaced it somewhere. Why do you need it?”

“Valerie invited me to the mall with Brad and Kelly.” The request for permission was implicit in his tone and his posture.

He almost wished d’Schane would say no. They hadn’t had sex in a few days and it was starting to worry Terry, even though he knew, logically that it was just a rough spot in their schedules. d’Schane had been working extra hours on a project lately, something that he refused to even talk about and which kept him out at odd hours of the day. They’d get close to doing something and then d’Schane would get a phone call that pulled him away for hours or he’d need to leave to meet a client.

Terry was getting desperate. He’d come close to asking d’Schane’s permission to jack off, but he wasn’t quite ready to stoop to that. He wanted more. Pain was what he craved. Pain and leather and whip marks that would remind him for days that he was still loved and wanted. There was something else he wanted too, but he didn’t even let himself hope for that. He wanted d’Schane to fuck him, to feel d’Schane inside of him, to be taken and used for d’Schane’s pleasure, but he knew that wasn’t going to happen.

“Okay. I’ll drive you.”

He sighed softly and considered biting d’Schane’s thigh, just to see if he could get a rise, enough to get d’Schane to hit him. It was too much like begging to be worth it.

Terry started to stand but d’Schane’s fingers clenched in his hair, holding him in place. He nearly cried with relief.

“I want you to go into the living room, take off your pants and underwear, and bend over the couch. Wait for me there.”

A slight thrill ran through Terry’s body. He nodded quickly, waiting until d’Schane released him before standing and moving to comply. The curtains in the large living room windows were thin, letting in most of the late morning sunlight and providing an uninhibited view of their front lawn. There was a two inch gap in the curtains on the window facing the couch, enough for someone to see in if they stood at the right angle. A blush stained Terry’s face as he peeled off his pants and underwear and positioned himself on the couch, bare ass high in the air. He already had a reputation with the neighbors, what was a bit more damage?

Footsteps thudded on the stairs as d’Schane went upstairs and returned. He heard d’Schane’s feet scuffing against the carpet. d’Schane paused a few steps behind Terry for a moment and then stepped closer. His hands ran over Terry’s raised ass, alternating between caressing and pinching the flesh. Terry’s hands curled against the back of the couch and he shivered with anticipation. He wanted d’Schane to hit him.

“I’ve been neglecting you, haven’t I?”

Terry gasped, suddenly certain that d’Schane had been listening in the entire time.

“Oh, I am,” d’Schane confirmed, his voice smug, “and you’ve been having quite the naughty thoughts.”

d’Schane’s hand pulled back and smacked him hard across the ass, the impact sounding too loud in the quiet house. Terry bit his lip to keep from asking for more. He didn’t need to say it, not when d’Schane could hear his every thought.

“You’re going to be a good boy and think only of me while you’re out, right?”

d’Schane’s hand switched to his other cheek, striking hard enough to leave a mark. Terry gasped and nodded. As a reward d’Schane continued spanking him, switching from one side to another in an erratic rhythm that kept Terry guessing. It hurt more than it should, his body seemed to have lost some of its tolerance for pain while d’Schane had been ignoring him. Or, maybe it was just that the long absence made him feel the pain more intensely, soaking in sensations that he’d been denied for too long. Tears formed in his eyes as his ass started to burn in pain. d’Schane was being methodical, always striking in the same general area, not holding any of his strength back. He could still feel d’Schane’s hand on him even when he wasn’t touching Terry, the contact burnt into his skin. He sobbed as a lance of pain from d’Schane’s hand shot up his spine, and he rocked against the couch, trembling.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the old woman from three houses down pause in walking her dog, stare at them, and then hurry quickly away. Terry’s face flushed in shame. He wanted to bury his face in the couch and never emerge. A few stray tears rolled down his cheek.

d’Schane’s hands touched him, gently this time. They rubbed over his abuse flesh, soothing momentarily and then pressing down over the bruises that were starting to form, causing Terry to cry out in pain. He didn’t move when d’Schane stepped away, though part of him was afraid that if d’Schane left now, he wouldn’t come back. Something thudded softly against the wooden coffee table behind him. He heard a soft pop as something was opened.

“Spread your legs.”

Shakily, Terry did as d’Schane ordered. His hands trembled against the back of the couch, gripping the fabric for balance as he forced himself to move despite the pain. His legs didn’t want to move. He could barely keep himself upright. Terry shifted his legs as far apart as he could manage.

d’Schane grabbed him by the hair and forced his head down. “How long has it been since you’ve been fucked?”

d’Schane hadn’t taken him in months. He didn’t like to, and part of Terry blamed himself for that.

Something curved and wet pressed against his entrance. Terry gasped and involuntarily tensed as he felt it start to push inside. The hand in his hair loosened slightly and brushed through his hair, coaxing him to relax. Slowly, Terry unclenched his muscles to let the invading object in. It wasn’t overly large, not too hard, made from a slightly yielding material. It stretched him, but only because he wasn’t used to being entered very often. The object was long and somewhat thin, probably a dildo of some kind. d’Schane slowly pushed it in until Terry felt a thicker base press up against his skin.

d’Schane smacked his legs. “Stand.”

He started to move, sliding his knees towards the edge of the couch. The object shifted with him, and he moaned as it pressed against his prostate. Terry kept his head down and back arched as he brought his feet flat onto the floor, trying to minimize the movement of his hips with limited success. d’Schane knelt behind him, finally moving into Terry’s view. There was a smug smile on his face.

“Close your eyes.”

He did as he was told. d’Schane directed Terry by touch to lift one foot, then the other, threading something soft between his legs. The fabric moved up his legs as d’Schane stood. One of d’Schane’s hands grabbed Terry’s semi-erect cock and pulled it back, tucking it between Terry’s legs. It was held there while d’Schane’s other hand finished pulling the fabric up to sit snuggly around his hips, holding both his erection and the object inside of him in place.

d’Schane stepped back. “You can open your eyes now and put on your pants.”

Terry immediately looked down and then turned scarlet in embarrassment as he realized exactly what d’Schane had made him wear – a pair of silky pink lingerie panties. “I can’t go out like this.”

The sudden smack across Terry’s ass made him jump and yelp. He collapsed partially across the couch as the dildo was jostled inside of him from his sudden movements.

“You will.” d’Schane’s voice was firm. “You’re going to stay like that until I take them off of you.” His hand twisted in Terry’s hair again, pulling his head back until he was staring up at d’Schane. The other man smiled ruthlessly back at him. “You’re not allowed to come until I tell you to. You can’t touch yourself, you can’t take it out, you can’t do anything to bring yourself release. Understood?”

His face flamed but he nodded submissively, too afraid that d’Schane would leave if he argued.

“Get dressed so I can take you to the mall.”

Terry straightened and then almost fell over from pleasure as the dildo rubbed inside of him. There was no way he was going to be able to walk through the mall like this. He moved as carefully as he could to grab his jeans but it didn’t help. He bent to put his feet through the pants legs and then collapsed against the couch, gasping. It took him two more tries to get his jeans up to his hips. They sat low, exposing a bit of the pink silk. He tugged them up, and then d’Schane pulled them back down. Terry blushed and pulled the hem of his shirt down to cover them. d’Schane smirked but didn’t stop him.

He had a feeling one of the neighbors was watching them from behind the safety of their curtains as Terry and d’Schane left the house. Terry walked awkwardly and sat in the front passenger seat, gasping loudly and nearly jumping back up as soon as his ass hit the seat. The bruises and the object inside of him mixed to send jolts of pleasure and pain ridding up Terry’s spine. d’Schane kept glancing over at him all through the drive to the mall, a smug look on his face. Terry had a feeling d’Schane had taken the slower lane just to torment Terry.

He loved it, though the only way he was ever going to admit that was through the mind-link.

The car pulled up to one of the side entrances. d’Schane pulled him in for a kiss, his hand ruffling the back of Terry’s hair. “Call me when you’re done.”

Terry hissed as he got out of the car, moving awkwardly towards the door. He waved and hurried as best he could to meet his friends. The sooner he saw them and spent a bit of time with them, the sooner he could go home and hopefully get this thing out of him.

*****

Terry jumped for what felt like the fiftieth time in the last hour. He’d mentally upgraded the object inside of him from a normal dildo to a vibrator, but he had no idea what was controlling it. The thing hadn’t started buzzing until well after he’d watched d’Schane’s car drive away and he’d been keeping an eye out for his lover since then. It seemed to be turning itself on intermittently, seemingly at the most random and inconvenient of times. He clenched his hands under the table and shook his head at the waiter trying to take his order. Valerie gave him a questioning look.

“Haven’t been feeling well,” he explained.

A few minutes passed. He bit his lip to keep from gasping as it vibrated for nearly half a minute inside of him. Valerie’s hand pressed against his forehead, and he jumped.

“You do feel a bit feverish.”

“Cold,” he said, his voice strained. “Been coming down… past week.”

“You don’t look well. Want us to give you a ride home?” Brad asked.

He could feel d’Schane’s handprints on his ass. The booths in the restaurant were made from imitation leather. They still carried a bit of the smell, making him think of d’Schane. “I… I think I’m gonna call d’Schane. I’m really sorry.”

Kelly waved off his concern. “Rest up, get better, have some chicken soup. We can always hang out some other time when you’re not sick.”

“Totally,” Valerie agreed. “You should have said something sooner. You didn’t have to come out.”

Terry blushed and refrained from pointing out that he’d wanted to stay home, where d’Schane could molest him privately rather than arranging this rather embarrassing display. Another jolt of pain-pleasure ran through him as the vibrator jerked, buzzing harder than it had before and causing him to squirm against the seat. Kelly moved aside to let him out of the booth. He said quick good-byes and headed towards the exit. His phone was out in a second and he pressed the button to dial d’Schane.

“Done so soon?” d’Schane asked, his voice an almost-purr.

“Please.” Terry wasn’t above begging right now. The vibrator was driving him mad and he needed d’Schane to let him take it out. “Come get me.”

d’Schane chuckled. “Wait for me in the parking lot, second sub-level. Take the stairs. There’s a bench by the door.”

Terry groaned at the thought but couldn’t disobey. d’Schane cut off the call, still laughing.

It took Terry a moment to orient himself and then he was heading towards the stairwell. A few people gave him odd looks as he passed. He wondered if it was just from his flushed face and the odd way he was moving, or if they’d happened to catch a flash of pink under his jeans. The thought made his stomach churn with embarrassment.

He gulped slightly as he reached the top of the stairwell and stared down at the two long flights of stairs. Terry started out slowly but each step made the vibrator inside of him wiggle slightly. It seemed to be stuck permanently on vibrate, shifting between fast and slow every few seconds, as if whoever controlled it had just discovered that there were two settings and was trying to decide between them. Terry gasped and clutched at the railing. He forced himself to keep moving, nearly sobbing in relief as he finally pushed open the door to the second sublevel. True to d’Schane’s word, there was a bench right by the door. Terry dropped onto it and curled in on himself. He pressed a hand over his mouth to muffle his involuntary moans.

“Hey, there.”

Terry started as an unfamiliar voice echoed through the parking lot. A large, burly man walked towards him. Terry wondered how insulted the man would be if he ignored him. He didn’t think he could talk right now, not without making some very embarrassing sounds that would definitely give the guy the wrong ide.

“You look lonely,” the man said with an obvious leer.

Terry blushed and couldn’t hold back a moan as the vibrations kicked on high. “I-I’m not.”

The man raised an eyebrow and loomed closer. Terry was decently muscled but he was nothing compared to this guy. The man was almost double Terry’s size. Under normal circumstances, Terry would have been at a sheer disadvantage against the guy. Right now, he was practically defenseless. A five year-old could kick his ass in his current state.

A hand reached for Terry’s shirt collar. He grabbed at it but there wasn’t enough force behind his grip to stop the man. The man undid the top two buttons of his shirt, revealing the leather collar around Terry’s neck. A finger hooked through the D-ring and tugged lightly. “Did your master leave you here?” The man laughed. “He should know better than to lose his pets.”

“I’m n-not lo-st!” Terry shoved the man away with both hands. The stranger barely budged.

One large hand closed around both of Terry’s wrists and stretched his arms up above his head, pulling him onto his feet. Terry moaned loudly as the vibrator rumbled inside of him, hard enough that Terry could hear it through his clothes. Apparently there was a third, higher setting that the controller had just discovered. A large hand groped Terry’s ass, fingers searching until they pressed between his cheeks, rubbing against the hard edge of the vibrator. Terry gasped and tried to arch away from the touch but he didn’t have enough leverage to move far.

“Well, that’s interesting. Your master leave you out here to play?”

Terry shook his head wildly. “N-no! It-t’s not li-ke that. L-let me go-o.” He needed to come. He needed to come very badly but he didn’t want it to be at the hands of a stranger. Where was d’Schane?

The man’s free hand slid around to the front clasp of Terry’s jeans. He sucked in a large gulp of air and squirmed. The man pushed Terry back until his knees hit the back of the bench and kept pushing until Terry started to fall off balance. His hands were pinned against the wall. One of the man’s knees pushed between Terry’s legs, bending until it pressed against his crotch and then continuing to push up until Terry was lifted onto his tip-toes.

Terry panicked. “Help!” His scream echoed through the empty parking lot. There was no one in sight.

A hand pressed over his mouth, covering his nose and cutting off his air. Fear washed over him, momentarily paralyzing him. His hands were released so that the man could undo Terry’s jeans. He couldn’t breathe. It took him a second, but he convinced his limbs to move. He tried to push the man away, to hit him, but that only seemed to make the man angry. The man squeezed his hand tighter against Terry’s face, keeping him without air for a few more seconds. Terry was on the verge of crying when the hand finally moved away. He shook violently and gasped for air. Both hands grabbed him and turned him, shoving him face down across the bench. His pants were yanked roughly down to hang around his knees. A hand on his shoulders kept him trapped against the bench.

“S-stop,” he begged. “P-please stop.”

“You are a kinky fuck, aren’t you?” A large hand slipped under the edge of the panties and pressed down on the large bruise d’Schane had left.

Terror filled him. This wasn’t like with any of the other tops he’d been with, where there was the implied level of consent and familiarity. He didn’t like the way the stranger was touching him but his body reacted anyway, too over-sensitized by the vibrator inside of him and his earlier spanking for Terry to hold himself back. He drew breath to scream.

“Let him go,” d’Schane ordered, his voice dark.

Terry nearly fainted from relief. He went limp on the bench as the man released him and turned. “Make me.”

From his low vantage point, Terry caught a glimpse of something in d’Schane’s hand. “Okay.” d’Schane stepped forward and pressed his palm to the guy’s chest. The man screamed, convulsed, and fell over. Then d’Schane turned his gaze on Terry and Terry flinched. d’Schane was pissed.

d’Schane stalked forward, stepping around the still convulsing guy. He slipped the stunner back into his pocket and grabbed Terry by the hair, dragging him off the bench. Terry cried out in pain. His jeans caught around his legs and he stumbled, falling once and scrapping his knees on the cement before d’Schane pulled him back up again. d’Schane dragged him down the line of cars and then tossed him to the side, Terry’s back colliding with d’Schane’s Pontiac. He hadn’t even heard d’Schane pull in.

“What the hell were you doing?”

Terry felt the first of his tears roll down his cheeks. “I-I’m s-sorry.” His voice choked, making him stutter. He was shaking, fear still coiled in his belly, his fight or flight response on overdrive. The one blessing in the entire situation was that the vibrator had shut off again. “H-he f-f-forced me a-and I t-tried to get him t-to s-s-stop.”

He couldn’t stand to look at d’Schane anymore. They were already on rocky ground, or at least he thought he was. Maybe d’Schane was losing interest in being his dominant. Maybe he wanted someone who was easier to control, less needy. He didn’t know if this was enough to push d’Schane over the edge, to make him throw Terry out again.

“On your knees.”

Terry shifted up onto his knees, head bowed, hands behind his back. The concrete pressed harshly against the fresh scrapes on his knees. He smelled blood.

d’Schane opened his pants. “Suck.”

Terry’s face burned. They were out in the open, where anyone could see. His pants were still down, his shirt not long enough to hide the fact that he was wearing pink panties. He closed his eyes and obediently opened his mouth. Fingers closed in his hair, guiding him forward until he could swallow d’Schane all the way down. He closed his lips and tried to suck as best he could with next to no balance. d’Schane held his head in place and pumped his hips. The pace started out slow, almost leisurely and quickly increased in pace until d’Schane was fucking Terry’s mouth a bit too hard and too fast for Terry to breathe. He remembered the way the man had held his hand over Terry’s face and he started to panic again.

d’Schane pulled out suddenly. Terry gasped for air and then quickly closed his eyes as d’Schane came, semen mixing with the tears on Terry’s face.

Glass shattered near the hood of the car. They both turned to stare at the startled woman who’d just dropped her shopping bags. Her look of shock quickly shifted to disgust and she sneered at them both as she grabbed her bags. d’Schane smiled smugly at her while Terry quickly looked away, burning with humiliation. She forgot one of her bags as she quickly stalked away.

“Get in the car.”

Terry slowly stood and reached a hand up to wipe away a string of come that was threatening to drip onto his eye. d’Schane grabbed his wrist and held it tight. “No.”

Terry dropped his gaze meekly to the ground. A few seconds passed before d’Schane released him. He crawled into the back and adjusted his pants, pulling them up and refastening them. d’Schane moved to the trunk and popped it open.

“Hands.”

Terry obediently held out his arms and watched as d’Schane fastened a thick leather cuff around each wrist, then pulled Terry’s arms behind his back and locked the cuffs together. d’Schane stepped to the side of the trunk and returned with a leather leash, which he clipped to the front of Terry’s collar, leaving the leather hanging down loose against Terry’s chest. One more trip to the trunk and then d’Schane slammed it shut. When he returned, he fastened a thick, leathery mask across the top half Terry’s face, cutting off his sight. A seatbelt was fastened across his chest, trapping him in place.

The door slammed shut. It was warm inside the car. Terry breathed deeply and tried not to panic. d’Schane wouldn’t leave him here. He wouldn’t leave Terry alone, not again. Doubt tore at his resolve, slowly stripping it away the longer he was left alone. He wasn’t sure how many minutes passed until the front door opened and shut. Terry nearly cried with relief. He heard d’Schane fumble with something in the front and then Terry bolted up from the seat, smacking his head against the roof of the car as the vibrator started up again at its highest setting.

Terry felt the car lurch. He writhed against the car seat, desperate for release that was a long way in coming.

*****

Terry had no idea where they were when the car finally stopped. The drive hadn’t been long enough for them to have gone home. Terry had counted the songs on the radio as best he could with the constant distraction of the vibrator inside of him. It was hard to think, hard to concentrate on anything other than how much he wanted to get off, but he guessed that they’d travelled maybe fifteen or twenty minutes. It felt like an eternity with the vibrator buzzing inside of him.

His loud gasps and moans echoed through the car. d’Schane turned the radio off but didn’t get out. Plastic tapped against plastic.

“You realize you’re going to be punished, right?”

“Please,” Terry begged, though he wasn’t sure if he was begging to be punished or to be allowed to come.

The vibrator increased in speed and he screamed, arching against his restraints. Terry could hear the tiny motor revving inside of him. He needed to come. Tears welled fresh in his eyes. He felt like he was going to die if he didn’t come soon. The seats creaked.

d’Schane’s hand grabbed Terry between the legs and squeezed. His fingers stretched underneath to push the vibrator deeper inside. It was too much. He was going to come apart.

“Come for me,” d’Schane ordered.

Terry screamed and made a wet mess inside his jeans. He could feel the wet silk clinging to his skin as d’Schane’s hand moved away. Terry gasped loudly for breath and rested his head on the back of the seat while his body unwound, slowly relaxing against his restraints to settle back against the cushions. d’Schane’s door opened and closed. A cool breeze filled the car as d’Schane opened the back door. He could feel d’Schane brush against him as Terry’s seatbelt was unfastened. The comforting presence was gone quickly and he was being pulled roughly out of the car by his leash.

The car door slammed shut and the security alarm beeped as it was activated. They walked a short distance across a hard surface that thudded beneath Terry’s shoes.

“Two steps,” d’Schane warned as he paused, the leash going slack between them.

Terry tested them with his feet before climbing. A door opened. They were at some kind of building, possibly someone’s home. Terry was led inside. A hand on his chest made him stop just inside and his shoes were removed. He was led a short distance straight back and around a corner. It was quiet. Their footsteps were muffled by carpet.

“Kneel.”

Terry dropped to his knees. He landed on carpet, and the leash went slack. There was the faint sound of feet moving against carpet. Terry’s hair was swept to the side and something pressed against his input socket. He jolted as a lead clicked into place. The leash went tight again, pulling him up onto his feet. He was led around two more corners and then d’Schane warned him before he was led down a flight of stairs. As they walked, Terry started to hear voices, faint, like they were behind a closed door but getting louder as they descended.

“Kneel.”

He dropped onto carpet again. A female voice giggled. Two men murmured to each other, too soft for Terry to hear. Terry’s shirt was removed and then his head forced down onto the carpet before his pants were similarly stripped away. He was turned onto his back, his hands trapped beneath his body. Shoes pressed against his skin and pushed his legs wide apart. He flushed as the strangers in the room were given a broad view of his cum-soaked panties. Some of them laughed. Terry felt like he was going to die of humiliation.

“Lift your ass. Give everyone a good view,” d’Schane’s voice ordered.

Terry whimpered but did as he was told. He heard the repeated artificial snap of a digital camera. Tears prickled at his eyes, and he was on the verge of crying again. After the encounter in the mall earlier, he was terrified of what the strangers might do to him and of what d’Schane might make him do in front of them. He just wanted d’Schane, no one else. He wanted to go home, where he was safe and protected and loved.

“He looks like such a slut,” the female voice whispered. Several voices answered with laughter. A couple of the men described in detail how much they wanted to fuck him. Terry wanted to curl in on himself but he didn’t dare move. A fresh batch of tears started to roll down his face.

“You know why you’re being punished?” d’Schane asked.

He knew better than to try and defend himself. “I-I’m sorry.” His voice wavered. He was on the verge of breaking and d’Schane hadn’t even hit him yet. “I let someone else touch me.”

“Up.” Someone, he assumed it was d’Schane, pulled on his leash until he was on his knees again. “Crawl.” He hissed in pain as the carpet rubbed against the scrapes on his knees. Terry lost his balance once and nearly choked as the leash kept him upright, unable to catch himself with his hands still pinned behind his back. He trembled and tried very hard not to lose his balance again.

Terry was led in a circle around the room, presumably being put on display for his audience. They taunted him but no one touched him, his one small relief out of the whole situation. The panties were pulled down and off of him when they finally stopped. Hands lifted him and pushed him forward until he knelt on something that felt hard, maybe a foot off of the ground. His feet hung over the edge of what felt like a pair of narrow boards that formed an L at his knee and pressed against his thighs. Restraints wrapped around his ankles, binding his legs to the device with his knees far apart. Another set of restraints went around his legs, halfway between knee and hip. Padding of some type pressed against the top of his hips as he was bent forward, his chest pressed against a padded level surface that stopped a few inches below his neck. The leash was pulled tight and fastened somewhere below him. His hands were released from behind his back and then bound against poles attached to the strange piece of furniture. He wrapped his hands around them, his body tense with fear.

Terry felt tears of relief roll down his cheeks as the vibrator was finally pulled out. It left a void in its absence that begged to be filled. Terry squirmed. The voices in the room had gone mostly silent, waiting, like Terry, to see what his captor – d’Schane, he hoped – would do.

A palm rubbed over his back. There was something set in the center of the hand, small and round like a thick convex disc, that made Terry’s skin tingle. It ran back and forth over Terry’s shoulders, the strange tingling sensation increasing until his muscles jumped and spasmed underneath the current it generated. Suddenly, without warning, the object in his captor’s hand zapped him with electricity. Terry gasped and jerked against his restraints. They held him tightly in place.

The hand moved lower, running the tingling current down the length of his spine. It paused over his tailbone and Terry howled in pain as another jolt of electricity hit him. The hand moved on, trailing back up over his skin, down one arm, then the other, and along his sides. Every few seconds, another jolt would hit him, filling him with pain unlike anything he’d ever felt. Whips and crops left marks on his skin, but this went under it, wracking sharp agony along his muscles and nerves. The audience laughed each time he was zapped, their voices growing more excited the louder he screamed. They egged his captor on, demanding more of Terry’s pain.

His legs were next. Jolts hit him behind each knee, along his calves, at the soles of his feet. That hurt the worst, the pain causing his knees to jerk forward and slam into the hard surface he was bound too. He trembled and sobbed quietly, his breath coming harsh and ragged. The mask over his face was quickly becoming soaked with his tears. Then the hand moved along his thighs and Terry struggled wildly to escape from the pain, now burning a harsh line up over his ass. He started screaming and didn’t stop. The jolts were coming quicker now, barely a breath between one and the next so that it was almost a continuous stream of electricity.

The hand traced over the handprints d’Schane had left on his ass and then pressed the device against his entrance. Terry trembled, his eyes squeezed shut, whimpering in terror, but the expected shock never came. He held his body tense. d’Schane always did this, waiting until Terry relaxed before hitting him again. Minutes passed and nothing happened. The crowd was getting restless.

A hand brushed gently through Terry’s hair and he relaxed involuntarily. The jolt that hit him made Terry howl and arch against his bonds, but it didn’t stop. The hand pressed inside, pushing the device in with it. Terry nearly blacked out from pain. He sobbed in relief when it finally went away and dropped, boneless, across the device restraining him.

Flesh brushed against his ass, the only warning Terry got before something hot and thick was suddenly shoved inside of him. The crowd cheered as he cried out again. Someone was inside of him and he couldn’t see to tell who it was. He was scared, afraid that d’Schane had left him, abandoning him here with the unseen pack of spectators who thrilled at his pain. The man inside of him was far from gentle. He gripped Terry’s hips tightly, the stunner in his hand still pressed against Terry’s flesh and fucked him roughly.

It had been a long time since someone had fucked him, but even in the anonymity it still felt amazing. In his head, he imagined that it was d’Schane fucking him, d’Schane inside of him, d’Schane grunting with pleasure as he slammed his hips into Terry’s. In a strange way, the anonymity was better. It let him have his illusion, though logically, he knew d’Schane likely wasn’t the one doing this to him. His body reacted in spite of that and he felt himself growing hard again, his erection bouncing against the underside of the platform his chest was pressed against.

The hand holding the stunner let go of his hips. When the next jolt came it drove Terry back, making him push back against the man inside of him. The device was pressed between his cock and his balls, shooting rapid bursts of electricity against the sensitive flesh there. His screams echoed through the room but they couldn’t drown out the excited cheering of the audience. Then the hand moved forward to grip his erection and Terry tensed with fear, but the steady current was kept thankfully low, making his cock twitch in the man’s hand.

“Please,” Terry begged. His voice was rough from screaming. “Please. d’Schane. Please.”

Another minute passed while the man pumped into him. The hand on his erection never stopped, slowly driving Terry towards madness. Hips smacked hard into his and then the man came, pumping into Terry until the man’s seed started to spill out of him and trail down his legs.

The man behind him leaned forward, his breath tickling Terry’s ear. “You can come.” It was d’Schane. d’Schane was inside of him. That thought alone was enough to make Terry come with a shout. He collapsed bonelessly into his restraints.

d’Schane’s hands rubbed along his thighs, slowly working the tension out of Terry’s body. The device was gone. d’Schane pulled out to release Terry’s restraints and Terry whimpered at the loss of contact. His legs were freed but he didn’t move, not sure his legs could support him. The leash was loosened, and then his hands freed though the cuffs stayed on. d’Schane briefly massaged Terry’s shoulders, working out some of the knots that hand formed there. Hands trailed along his back and then d’Schane was pushing back inside of Terry. He stayed inside of Terry as he carefully pulled them backwards onto the floor.

“Look at that slut,” the female voice commented smugly, “so eager to have a cock inside of him.”

The mask was removed. It took Terry a few moments until his eyes adjusted to the bright light of the room. They were in a basement. Dark red carpeting covered the floor. Terry could finally see the device he’d been strapped to, a strange mix of a table and open chair. There was more furniture in the room, most of it wooden, all of it with multiple restraints. A rack was built into one wall, displaying an array of whips, flogs, paddles, and riding crops, along with several instruments that Terry was unfamiliar with. There was a line of mirrors along one wall, and bank of consoles set in a corner. Pictures of Terry spread out in the pink underwear filled the monitors.

Terry craned his neck around, suddenly confused. They were alone in the room. “The voices…”

d’Schane’s fingers caressed Terry’s socket and pulled out the lead. He held it up in front of Terry’s eyes. “All in your head.”

The last vestiges of fear washed out of Terry, leaving him feeling tired and somewhat hollow. “T-that’s illegal.”

d’Schane kissed Terry on the neck, just below his socket. “You won’t tell.” His hands rubbed along Terry’s sides. “Maybe next time I’ll have a few people over for real. Maybe next time it’ll be someone else fucking you.”

He whimpered and turned as best he could to curl up against d’Schane’s chest. d’Schane helped him, lifting Terry up and then turning him until he sat facing d’Schane. Terry tucked his head against d’Schane’s neck. Hands stroked over his spine.

“W-where are we?” Terry asked after a few minutes had passed in silence.

“Georgetown.”

Terry was confused. “What?”

d’Schane’s laughter rumbled against Terry’s chest. “You wanted a house in Georgetown, didn’t you? I figured I might as well do it right and set up this little dungeon for you.” His hands stroked possessively over Terry’s ass. “We’re gonna have a lot of fun down here. Wanna see the rest of it?”

He nodded, though he wasn’t sure how well he could walk. d’Schane pulled out and helped him to his feet. Terry’s whole body shook as it was forced upright and he leaned against d’Schane for several minutes until he could support himself.

“Okay?” d’Schane asked.

Terry nodded and slowly pulled away. d’Schane kept the leash in hand but let it hang loose between them as Terry followed him up the stairs. Soft whimpers escaped Terry every few seconds as his abused muscles protested the exercise. They emerged into a tiled kitchen with large glass doors that led out onto a patio, a small walled-off yard visible behind it. He followed d’Schane around into the living room and blushed as he realized that all of the windows in the front of the house were uncurtained. The street was vacant for the moment, but he could see a car approaching nearby.

Terry had a feeling that he was about to develop a bad reputation with a new set of neighbors. Maybe this time he could talk d’Schane into blinds as well as curtains.

Tsuzuki was still half-asleep when he answered the door at just past three in the morning. He hadn’t bothered to turn on the lights yet, hoping that whoever it was could be shooed away and he could get another five hours of sleep before opening the shop. It took him a minute to recognize the wet, shivering figure huddled under the awning. The rain was coming down hard. He had heard it through the thick cement walls of his apartment, and the wind was blowing the rain onto the veranda, bits of the spray hitting his face as he opened the door.

“Come in.”

Kain seemed thinner than Tsuzuki remembered. His clothing was in disarray and he was hunched in on himself. It’d been a few months since Tsuzuki had last seen Kain, seminary and the recent opening of Tsuzuki’s café had kept them both busy. Kain seemed to shrink further in on himself when Tsuzuki flipped on the light. He’d toed off his shoes by the door but that didn’t seem to help very much. Kain’s socks were soaked and he was dripping on the carpet, a small puddle forming around his feet.

Tsuzuki sighed. There was no helping it. “Come on, let’s get you dried off.”

He started towards the bathroom. After a long moment, Kain followed, shuffling his feet. Tsuzuki couldn’t help but feel curious, Kain’s entire posture was dissonant from what Tsuzuki was used to. He pulled a large towel from the cupboard and held it out to Kain, but Kain didn’t seem inclined to take it. He raised an eyebrow and draped the towel over Kain’s head, brusquely drying Kain’s hair. That was one thing familiar about the current subdued version currently in front of him – no matter what, Kain was always a handful.

“Can you at least get your clothes off or do you need help with those too?”

Kain stiffened for a moment and then reached up. His hands shook as he tried to undo the first of the buttons on his shirt. Tsuzuki sighed again and pushed Kain’s hands away. The shirt was likely ruined. There was mud splattered on parts and it was ripped, the worst of the damage was around the neck but there were several smaller tears on the hem and sleeves. It clung to Kain’s skin and as he peeled it away he revealed a patchwork of bruises covering Kain’s chest.

Tsuzuki’s hands stopped. He felt as cold as if he was the one soaked to the bone but he could feel the warmth of outrage welling up to override his shock. “Kain, who did this to you?”

Finally, Kain looked up at him. It wasn’t an expression that Tsuzuki had seen on Kain’s face before. He looked… hollow. “It’s my fault.”

Kain wasn’t the type to get into fights, not the kind where actual violence might be involved. He wasn’t the type to get into destructive relationships and he was smart enough not to go wandering in areas where the kind of thugs who would do something like this hung out. They’d never been the closest of friends in school – Kain was a few years younger than him, just coming into high school as Tsuzuki had been leaving – but they’d been, were friends nonetheless, and occasionally had ventured into something more. He wasn’t surprised by the fact that he was angry – not at Kain, but at the bastard who’d hurt him – but at how deep his anger ran.

“I doubt that,” he said as calmly as he could. “Who did this?”

“It doesn’t matter.” Kain wouldn’t look at him, which was uncharacteristic of the man. He was flirtatious, bold, confident, and sexy. The battered look didn’t suit him, and at that moment Tsuzuki decided that he never wanted to see Kain looking so lost again and would likely do everything in his power to keep it from happening again. “Can I stay here? Just for the night?”

He nodded, and then realized that Kain wasn’t looking at him. “Yeah. Of course. You can stay as long as you like.” He wouldn’t mind having Kain around again.

“Thanks.” Kain pulled the towel off his head. “If you want to go back to bed, I can…” Kain waved vaguely with the towel.

“Right.” He didn’t have a reason to stay, but he wanted to. He didn’t. “Let me get you something to sleep in.”

He flipped on the bedroom light and rummaged in his drawers until he found something with a drawstring. Kain was a lot smaller than him, so there was little hope of finding anything that would actually fit. The bathroom door was locked when he returned. He knocked, but there was no answer.

“Clothes are outside the door.” He left the pants and an oversized t-shirt folded on the floor.

Tsuzuki set out a pillow and blanket on the couch, left a small light on in the living room, and then went back to bed. He reset his alarm for ten. The shop could open a bit late, just this once.

At one point he and Kain had been more than just classmates. After Tsuzuki had graduated, when he first got this apartment while going to college, he and Kain had grown closer. They’d never quite been lovers, but they had had sex a few times. Kain had never been the type to settle down and Tsuzuki hadn’t felt the need to ask him to. That part of their relationship had dwindled off years ago, but the initial spark still remained, waiting for Kain to do or say something to ignite it again.

Sleep was slow in coming.

He heard the shower start. After almost a full hour it shut off again and then the bathroom door opened a few minutes later. Light flooded the hall then disappeared. He closed his eyes again but his mind was still unsettled, not yet ready for sleep. The side of the bed dipped slightly and he felt the covers being moved as Kain slid in behind him. His skin was cold against Tsuzuki’s back. Kain curled up behind him, pressed against his back, shivering. Tsuzuki rolled over and pulled Kain against him, tucking the smaller man’s head beneath his own and wrapping his arms around him. Kain slowly relaxed into his embrace.

He wasn’t quite sure how long it took Kain to fall asleep but Tsuzuki stayed there, holding Kain tightly until his breathing evened out. Only then did he let himself fall asleep.

*****

Kain smelled eggs. He lifted his head slowly from his pillow and glared at the alarm clock next to the bed. The digital display read eight. Kain groaned and buried his face back in the pillow. No kind and loving God would expect him to be awake at such an unholy hour on a day when he didn’t have church to attend or class. Kain froze as memories from last night hit him. He groaned louder and debated smothering himself with the pillow.

God didn’t expect anything of him. Not anymore.

He had two options: either lay here and feel morose or get off his ass and move on. He chose the latter, though the other option had been tempting.

Kain slowly slid out of bed, his feet sinking into the plush carpet. Tsuzuki’s clothes were a few sizes too large for him. The drawstring on the pants had slipped during the night, making them hang low around his hips. He didn’t bother pulling them up, the t-shirt he was wearing covered them, stretching halfway down to his knees. It was probably the least attractive outfit he’d worn in ages, but he couldn’t quite bring himself to care. He’d just lost his dream job. After that, fashion didn’t seem so important.

Tsuzuki sat at the kitchen table, a half-empty plate in front of him. There was a heaped-full plate set on the opposite end of the table next to a cup of coffee. Tsuzuki ignored him in favor of the morning paper. Kain slowly sat, wincing as the chair pressed against the bruises on his back and legs. He ate slowly, his appetite returning only after he’d swallowed the first few bites. One of his favorite parts about hanging out with Tsuzuki was how good of a cook the man was. Well, that and the sex had been great.

The newspaper rustled. “What happened?”

Kain glanced over at Tsuzuki and then turned back to his eggs. “Thank you for breakfast,” he said between bites. “It’s delicious.”

The newspaper was folded down so that Tsuzuki could look at him. His eyes narrowed. “Kain…”

He shoveled his eggs around with a fork. “Do you know who Cain is in Christian mythology?”

The look Tsuzuki gave him said that Tsuzuki knew exactly what he was trying to do and that it wouldn’t work. Kain inwardly sighed. It had been worth a try.

“Cain killed his brother, becoming the first murderer in the Bible.” He sipped his coffee and stared into its dark depths. “Some consider him to be the progenitor of evil.”

“And what does that have to do with you?”

He toyed with his cup. “I was excommunicated.”

The silence that stretched between them was heavy with unspoken questions.

He looked Tsuzuki in the eye. “Did I ever tell you about the priest I was in love with? Hajime?” Tsuzuki shook his head. “He’s the one that…” Kain gestured towards his chest. The dark look that crossed Tsuzuki’s face was strangely comforting and he smiled slightly. “I thought that I could trick him into liking me. I was wrong of course, but I had hoped that if I could get him into bed he might start to like me. It seems he was in love with someone else, and when…” Kain tightened his hands around the coffee cup. He was leaving things out, important things, but he couldn’t quite bring himself to talk about them, not yet, like exactly how he had tricked Hajime into thinking he was someone else. He still couldn’t believe that it’d actually worked. He wished it hadn’t. “…when I seduced him, it wasn’t me that he thought he was sleeping with, not at first. He got angry…”

Kain shuddered. Hajime had been beyond furious. He’d said a lot of things, hurt Kain, probably more than he meant to, and kicked Kain out of the parish on the spot. They were going to have his things shipped to him. The only address he’d thought to give them was Tsuzuki’s, he didn’t have anyone else that he could turn to. Hajime had made it clear that Kain wasn’t allowed to come back. Likely he’d had Kain’s name circulated to the other churches and Hajime knew a lot of the upper echelons of the church. Kain would have to go out of the country if he wanted to continue in the priesthood, and even that was a long shot.

His career was over before it’d even had a chance to go far.

“So I suppose I’m stuck with you for a while?” Tsuzuki lifted his paper again, blocking his face.

Kain smiled. “It seems that way.”

*****

“Stop moping.”

Kain shot Tsuzuki a dirty look from overtop of the box he was unpacking. “I’m not moping.”

“Of course not.” Tsuzuki was on the other side of the living room, filing Kain’s books on the shelves below Tsuzuki’s limited collection.

“I’m not.” Kain was handling the more delicate items. Framed photos of his family hid partially behind and between the photographs and knickknacks on Tsuzuki’s mantle.

He appreciated that Tsuzuki was letting him take up so much space. He’d expected to be living out of boxes until he found his own place but Tsuzuki was going out of his way to be accommodating. There was only one bedroom in Tsuzuki’s apartment but it didn’t feel cramped. The rooms were spacious, if few in number.

“Get a job,” Tsuzuki said. “Get out of the apartment.”

Kain hid a smile. The way Tsuzuki buried his concern under brusqueness was far too endearing. “Unfortunately I’ve been barred from the priesthood.”

“You went to college.”

He mock-glared. “For theology.”

“Didn’t you tend bar at one point? Down at that gay club, the one a few blocks from Heven?”

Kain paused. It was an option, and a rather good one at that. He sat back on his heels and considered it. Part of him was still reluctant to leave the apartment and face the world again, but Tsuzuki would only tolerate him hermitting inside the apartment for so long. It’d be good to get back into the swing of the club scene. He’d left on good standing and some of his old coworkers should still be there, plus he was friendly with the owner. It wouldn’t be hard to get his job back, at least until he figured out something more long term, and it’d give him a decent cash flow to work towards his own place. He glanced sidelong at Tsuzuki and smiled. Tsuzuki had yet to kick Kain out of his bed, which made Kain slightly reluctant to leave any time soon. He’d forgotten how nice it was having a warm body to sleep against.

“I suppose I could ask,” Kain conceded.

“I might have to start charging you rent, then.” Tsuzuki was partially joking. He slid the last of Kain’s books on to the shelf, unfolded the box, and leaned it by the door.

Kain stood and followed, suddenly feeling mischievous. He stretched slightly and wrapped his arms around Tsuzuki’s neck. His skin tingled briefly, like it had with Hajime but fainter, receding after only a second. He supposed he was just getting used to it. Kain stared up at Tsuzuki and hesitated. With Hajime, he’d pretended to be someone else on purpose, but he wasn’t sure he wanted that with Tsuzuki. He opened his mouth to apologize and started to pull away.

Tsuzuki arched an eyebrow and stared at him. There was no condescension on his face, only curiosity. Kain changed his mind. He leaned in for a kiss, moving slowly in case Tsuzuki wanted to pull away but he didn’t resist. After a second, Tsuzuki started kissing back, his hands settling against Kain’s lower back, holding him in place. It’d been a while since he’d held Tsuzuki like this but they hadn’t lost their spark, even if it was no longer Kain that Tsuzuki was seeing.

For a brief moment he debated asking Tsuzuki who he saw when they kissed. His chest tightened painfully at the thought and he decided against it. He wasn’t in love with Tsuzuki, but after the heartache that had come from losing Hajime, he didn’t think he could handle losing the tenuous connection he had with Tsuzuki as well. The mystery was better. He’d find out sooner or later, when Tsuzuki eventually slipped and said the mystery man’s name. Hajime had called him Shido right away, so it was only a matter of time. Until then, he could at least take comfort in the fact that Tsuzuki wasn’t pushing him away.

They were both smiling when they finally broke for air, Kain’s grin considerably wider than the small smirk on Tsuzuki’s face.

“I’m sure I can find some way to pay you back for letting me stay here,” Kain teased as his fingers played with the button on Tsuzuki’s pants.

He pulled Tsuzuki towards the bedroom and pretended that Tsuzuki didn’t see anyone else.

*****

Despite all of the years he’d put between himself and this place, the club had barely changed. Kain smiled as he watched the crowd over the bar patrons’ shoulders. On average, the patrons were older than when Kain had been a regular, but he suspected that was more due to the patrons than a shift in the club atmosphere. The club still felt the same, full of seductive smiles and friendly touches, as much a place for meeting friends as picking up a new boy, but the patrons had grown older and brought in others of roughly the same age to fill it. This was their club, in as much as it was the owner’s, and that mindset resonated through the crowd. Most of the people here knew each other. It was obvious in the friendly smiles that greeted most of the men who walked in the door, though even strangers seemed to get their fair share of welcome.

Kain felt like he’d never left, but rather had stepped away for a few moments and was now coming back home, back to where he belonged. He’d been surprised to find that he recognized many of the faces out in the crowd, and then further surprised to find that they remembered him. Kain fell back into routine automatically. Mixing drinks was like second nature to him, and flirting came even easier but he restrained himself. He found himself reluctant to actively pursue someone when he knew that they were just playing their fantasies of secret love off on him.

Next to him, Setsu sighed.

Kain leaned back against the counter. The crowd was winding down in the early morning hours. They were about half an hour from last call and then Kain could head home after a bit of cleanup. He’d have maybe an hour or two of sharing the bed with Tsuzuki before Tsuzuki got up.

He felt a strange draw towards Setsu, and information floated in the back of his mind, like a fuzzy memory he couldn’t clearly recall. Kain sighed and looked over at Setsu, following his gaze to one of the older patrons, a large, burly man who was currently flirting with a boy half his age. He looked back at Setsu. They would be a horrible fit. He found his attention draw to the side, over to one of their regular patrons, a younger kid by the name of Riya. In his mind there was a palatable weight of potential between Setsu and Riya. They fit together in Kain’s mind, like two puzzle pieces locked into place. Kain felt a grin spread across his face as a plan quickly formed in his mind. Setsu would be happy with Riya, it was just a matter of getting Setsu to see it.

“Aki, can you cover the bar for a bit?” Kain asked their fellow bartender, who nodded easily.

“Come with me.” He grabbed Setsu by the front of the shirt and dragged him into the back.

“Whoa, Kain!” Setsu shot a glance back at the burly man. Riya looked slightly pained as Kain dragged Setsu off, but he figured it was for the boy’s own good.

He hauled Setsu into the storage room and closed the door. Sturdy metal shelves lined the walls, full of cases of alcohol. “We need to talk.”

Setsu looked at him curiously. “Why?”

Kain started to unbutton the top of his shirt, baring his neck. “Did I ever tell you why I was kicked out of the priesthood?”

“Something about taboo.” Setsu shrugged. “No one minds, really. I mean, you know I’m not religious, so…” Setsu’s words died off as Kain stepped close.

“It’s a bit more than that.” He smiled briefly up at Setsu and then closed his eyes to concentrate. Setsu’s startled gasp told him he’d done it right. He opened his eyes again, grinning widely at the startled look on Setsu’s face.

“R-riya?”

“You don’t get it.” He started on the buttons on Setsu’s shirt, briefly kissing Setsu’s collarbone as soon as it was exposed. “It’s more than that.” He slid his hands across Setsu’s bare stomach, smiling as the other man squirmed. Setsu shifted, trying to back away but Kain followed. “You see, I have this… ability now.” Setsu’s back hit the shelves. There was a muffled jingle as some of the bottles shifted. “It lets me know what’s in people’s hearts, and while yours currently fancies someone else, that’s not who you need.”

“Kain?” Setsu squeaked as Kain dropped to his knees and opened Setsu’s pants. Despite his nervousness, Setsu’s body was definitely interested. Kain wrapped his hand around Setsu’s thickening member and pulled it out.

“Hmm?” He licked along the tip. “You don’t like Riya?”

“I… yes, but… how…”

He winced and covered it by quickly swallowing Setsu’s erection. The subject of exactly how he’d come to have his particular powers was always going to be a sore spot. Maybe in time, it wouldn’t hurt so badly to think about, but right now all he could feel was hurt at Hajime’s rejection. He’d sold his soul to be loved, and then had that love rejected. It had been a mistake, he knew now, and one that he doubted that he’d ever be free of. He’d prayed to be the one Hajime loved, and he had been, for a short while. So it would be with any man who approached him – Kain would become the man they loved, never himself.

Kain pulled away as soon as Setsu was really starting to get into the blowjob. Setsu groaned and gripped Kain’s hair. To Setsu, Kain’s hair was blond instead of black and slightly shorter. He’d been moaning Riya’s name as Kain had sucked him, fantasizing that it was Riya’s mouth and not his. There was still a slight hesitancy in Setsu’s stance. He needed more convincing.

“Don’t you think this might be better?” Kain ran his hands up Setsu’s chest as he stood. Riya was slightly shorter than him and he could feel his body reacting as if it was, though his physical height hadn’t changed. He leaned in, feeling a bit of pride in the lust in Setsu’s eyes when he looked at Kain, even if it wasn’t directed at him. “Riya wants you. He’d do anything for you. Love you, like you want to be loved, and it would be so easy to love him back.”

Setsu shuddered. He was on the verge of giving in.

“Don’t you want me?” Kain breathed in Setsu’s ear, knowing that it was Riya’s voice that Setsu heard, not Kain’s.

Kain smiled as he was turned suddenly. His back hit the shelves and he hid his wince, winding his arms around Setsu’s neck as Setsu leaned down for a passionate kiss. There was no room for doubt now. Setsu kissed him like he wanted to devour Kain. His hands worked frantically on the fastenings of Kain’s pants. Quickly, Kain reached into his back pocket and palmed a packet of lube seconds before Setsu shoved both of their pants down. He handed the packet back to Setsu and turned to brace himself against the shelves.

“I want you,” Setsu said as he slipped slick fingers inside of Kain. Kain pushed back, moaning his encouragement and shifting his legs slightly wider, opening himself up more.

“I want you too,” he promised, as Riya.

Kain gasped as Setsu entered him. He hadn’t quite realized how much he’d wanted this. So far he’d only been able to coerce Tsuzuki into to have sex with him twice in the past two weeks, and that had only been when he was lucky enough for their schedules to align enough that they both happened to be near enough to awake at the same time. It wasn’t enough. He’d always had a strong sex drive but ever since the incident with Hajime, it’d doubled, possibly tripled. The lack of sex had left him a bit on edge and this kind of release sated it like nothing else could.

He liked this, he realized. He liked pretending to be someone else if it meant that he left behind a happy couple. There was no doubt that Setsu was going to hook up with Riya after this. Judging by the practiced, smooth way that Setsu thrust inside of him, it wasn’t his first time being a top, though that hadn’t been the kind of relationship he’d thought he’d been looking for. But Kain knew that they’d be fine together, happy and lasting, assuming no major hiccups were thrown their way.

“God!” Kain gasped as one of Setsu’s thrusts sent him careening into the shelves. He was getting close to his own release.

Setsu’s hand closed around him and that was all Kain needed. His hands clenched against one of the shelves and he came, spilling his seed into Setsu’s hand. Setsu wasn’t far behind. He thrust once, twice, a third time and then shuddered, hitting hard into Kain as he came. His hands settled on Kain’s hips and Kain dropped his head to rest against the shelf.

“Wow,” Setsu gasped.

Kain grinned. They were both breathing heavy and Kain wondered if he could get Setsu to handle his half of the cleanup. All he wanted to do was go home, take a shower, and curl up with Tsuzuki. But, that wouldn’t be fair to Setsu, not when cute little Riya was still waiting out in the bar.

Setsu pulled out slowly and cleaned Kain off with a handful of tissues from his pocket. “Umm, thanks?”

Kain was still grinning when he turned and fixed his pants. “You’re welcome. Now get out of here and go talk to Riya. I’ll handle cleanup for you.”

Setsu beamed at him. “Really?”

He nodded. Setsu quickly straightened himself, erasing any trace that he’d just had sex. Kain watched him go with a smile. Maybe having this power wasn’t such a bad thing.

An idea came to Kain. There was an underground bar for rent next to Tsuzuki’s café. He had a feeling that he wasn’t going to want for business.

*****

Tsuzuki paused and stared at the display in the store window. An array of eclectic jewelry was laid out in the store window in a spread of different colored gems, elaborate settings, and assorted metals. One particular set stood out, laid out on a red velvet cloth towards the back of the display. It was slightly feminine, the pair of long dangling earrings obviously meant for a woman, but there was only one person Tsuzuki could picture wearing it.

The black and silver cross dangled upside down from a set of thin silver chains set with small white pearls. It reminded him of the rosaries he’d seen among Kain’s jewelry, though he doubted a true priest would wear something like that. Kain would look great in it, likely finding more significance in it than Tsuzuki ever would.

He shouldn’t buy it, but he wanted to, and before he knew it the necklace and earring set were wrapped away in a plastic shopping bag.

*****

Fukamachi toyed with the necklace that hung around Kain’s neck, the only thing resembling clothing that either of them wore, aside for the matching earring Kain wore. “This is new.”

Kain stretched against the sheets and propped his head on a hand. “A friend gave it to me. I rather like it.” He considered it a good luck charm, of sorts.

“It’s nice.” Fukamachi rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. Kain debated asking if he wanted to go again. Being a top wasn’t normally Kain’s thing, but he didn’t mind switching if that was what the client wanted.

“Ohnuki still oblivious?” Fukamachi’s sigh was answer enough. There wasn’t much Kain could do besides work on Fukamachi’s courage. He felt his skin tingle as he rolled over on top of Fukamachi. “You should just tell me what you want.”

Fukamachi smiled and leaned up to kiss Kain lightly on the lips. “I should.” They both knew he wasn’t going to. This wasn’t Fukamachi’s first visit to the bar and it likely wouldn’t be his last. He gently pushed Kain away and stood. “I need to get going. I have to get to work.”

Kain flopped back onto the bed and glanced at the clock. He could get a short nap in before Tsuzuki opened up for the breakfast crowd.

“Kain?” He looked over at where Fukamachi had paused in the doorway. “Are all your clients referrals?”

He nodded. “Most. I’m starting to get more popular. Some hear about the website by word of mouth.”

A worried look crossed Fukamachi’s face and he fished a business card out of his wallet. “I know I shouldn’t offer this, but there are a lot of bad people out there. I can run background checks for you.” Kain stared in surprise. Fukamachi averted his gaze and shifted on his feet. “I… It’s just, you’ve helped me so much, and I… I don’t want to see you get hurt.” He set the business card down on the small decorative table by the door. “Let me know if you need anything.”

Kain sat up, suddenly feeling incredibly touched. “Thank you. I will.”

Fukamachi left without another word. Kain kept smiling. It felt nice helping people, but he hadn’t really expected anyone besides Tsuzuki to want to help him back. He kept grinning for the rest of the day.

*****

Tsuzuki was watching the news from the couch when Kain got home. He tossed his tie and vest onto the back of the couch and flopped down next to Tsuzuki. His head fell on Tsuzuki’s shoulder.

“You’re home early.”

“The client ran off.” Kain shifted until he was stretched across the couch, his head pillowed on Tsuzuki’s lap. “Apparently he couldn’t bring himself to ‘sully’ his love.”

Tsuzuki ignored him. The weatherman came on screen to give the week’s forecast. Kain stared up at Tsuzuki and considered. It’d been a while since he’d had an evening off, longer since he’d had a few free hours while Tsuzuki was conscious. He shifted, sliding back until he was sitting on Tsuzuki’s lap.

“Can I help you?” Tsuzuki stared at him with a raised eyebrow.

He wrapped his arms around Tsuzuki’s neck. “I certainly hope so.” His hand slid into Tsuzuki’s hair and pulled Tsuzuki down to him.

The kiss deepened almost instantly. For all of Tsuzuki’s outward restraint, once Kain made the first move, he gave back as good as he got. Tsuzuki’s hands held him by the waist as he shifted up onto his knees and straddled Tsuzuki’s waist. Tsuzuki’s fingers gently massaged Kain’s lower back, pulling Kain closer to him with each deep touch. Kain moaned softly into the kiss and felt himself hardening.

“Eager?” Tsuzuki asked as Kain pulled away for breath. He could feel Tsuzuki’s own erection starting to rise and he rolled his hips to press against it. Lust flashed in Tsuzuki’s eyes.

Kain grinned and peeled off Tsuzuki’s t-shirt. “Always.” The fabric disappeared over the back of the couch. Kain bent his head to kiss the revealed skin and ran his hands over Tsuzuki’s muscles. “It shouldn’t be that surprising.” Tsuzuki’s hands batted Kain’s away as he started to undo the buttons on his own shirt.

“It never was.” Kain’s shirt fell to the floor behind him. Both of Tsuzuki’s hands slid down to cup Kain’s ass, massaging the flesh there as he had Kain’s lower back. Kain gasped loudly and bit Tsuzuki’s chest lightly, nipping his way up to leave a dark bruise on Tsuzuki’s collarbone. Then Tsuzuki turned them, pushing Kain down onto his back. He went easily, sighing happily as Tsuzuki’s weight settled over him.

“What can I say? I’m predictable.”

Tsuzuki laughed and opened Kain’s pants. He slid a hand inside and gripped Kain’s erection, making him buck up against Tsuzuki’s solid mass with a wanton moan. Kain wiggled and reached down to push his pants off of his hips while Tsuzuki stroked him, keeping him too distracted to get his pants more than a few inches down. It was enough for Tsuzuki to worm a hand beneath him and press a thick finger against Kain’s entrance. Kain gasped and pushed down until the tip of Tsuzuki’s finger breeched him.

He needed Tsuzuki inside of him now. Kain twisted until he could grab the tube of lube he kept stashed in his pocket and passed it to Tsuzuki as he kicked his pants the rest of the way off. He wasted no time in opening Tsuzuki’s pants, using a foot to push them down around Tsuzuki’s ankles and then wrapping his legs around Tsuzuki’s waist.

“I like your predictability,” Tsuzuki said as he squeezed clear gel onto his hand.

Three slick fingers slid inside of him and Kain’s response was cut off by a moan of pleasure. Tsuzuki knew just how to touch him to make Kain writhe and beg. He gasped, shifting against the cushions as Tsuzuki’s fingers played inside of him. It felt amazing, like sex always did with Tsuzuki, but it wasn’t the kind of touch that Kain was looking for. He started to ask, only to have his words cut off every time he tried. Kain arched up as Tsuzuki’s fingers curled inside of him and rubbed against his prostate.

“Stop teasing,” Kain gasped.

Tsuzuki grinned at him and finally pulled his fingers out. Kain pushed on Tsuzuki’s shoulder and rolled them until he was on top, sitting astride Tsuzuki’s legs. He folded his hand over Tsuzuki’s and moved their hands together over Tsuzuki’s erection until he deemed Tsuzuki was coated well enough. Tsuzuki brought his knees up, gently urging Kain forward. There was a smug look on Tsuzuki ‘s face as he watched Kain position himself over Tsuzuki’s member, grasping it lightly with one hand as he slid down onto it, pushing down until his thighs rested against the flesh of Tsuzuki’s hips.

Kain wondered who it was that brought out the lusty, intent look on Tsuzuki’s face as he entered Kain. Did the man Tsuzuki saw Kain as have dark or light hair? Was he Japanese or foreign? He at least knew Tsuzuki’s type well enough to guess that the man was at least close to Kain in certain aspects – slim, probably a bit arrogant or cocky, and with definite sex appeal. He wanted to ask, suddenly desperate for a name, even the slightest of hints, but the words stuck on his lips and were drowned out by a loud moan as Tsuzuki bucked his hips up into Kain.

They moved together with practiced ease. Tsuzuki held him steady by the hips, his hands not tight enough to hurt but firm enough that Kain didn’t worry about falling over. There was enough room on either side of Tsuzuki’s hips for Kain to kneel on the couch and move himself, up and down, sliding Tsuzuki inside of him. He didn’t bother to be quiet, too used to the soundproof walls of the bar and not caring in the least what the neighbors overheard. They’d heard worse before, on the days when Kain was feeling more adventurous and the need to be loud and vulgar overwhelmed him. Tsuzuki just laughed and played along, much like he did most days with Kain.

The inverted cross necklace bounced against his chest, swinging with each downward thrust. Tsuzuki watched it with a broad smile. He wondered if Tsuzuki had gotten his secret love a necklace as well. A brief surge of jealousy surged through Kain, but he at least had something over Tsuzuki’s mystery man – Tsuzuki was here, fucking Kain, and then afterwards it would be Kain curled up with Tsuzuki in their shared bed instead of some other guy.

Fingers squeezed his hips briefly, the only warning he got before Tsuzuki suddenly slammed up and came. One of his hands slid around to wrap around Kain’s erection, tugging on it roughly, drawing increasingly profane sounds from Kain’s lips until he followed suit, spilling his seed across Tsuzuki’s chest. He shouted wordlessly as he came, the sound ringing in his ears for seconds afterwards.

Tsuzuki pulled him down until he rested against Tsuzuki’s chest, the cross spread out across Tsuzuki’s skin next to him. Kain stared at it and avoided Tsuzuki’s gaze. He spoke without thinking. “Who do you see when we have sex?”

Tsuzuki shifted, resettling Kain’s weight more evenly across his body. He made no move to pull out, and Kain wasn’t in a hurry to separate them. “What do you mean?”

He spread his hand over Tsuzuki’s chest, palm on his heart, fingers touching the cross. “Setsu saw Riya. Fukamachi sees his coworker Ohnuki. The client today saw a guy named Himeno. Everyone has someone they secretly lust after, so who is it for you?”

“I see you.”

Kain slowly lifted himself a few inches off of Tsuzuki’s chest so that he could stare down at the man. “No one sees me, not for all of it. So, who’s the lucky man that you’re secretly lusting after?” It pained himself to say the words but he needed to know. There was a vague fantasy building in the back of his head, and he needed to crush it before he was crushed by it.

Tsuzuki stared at him flatly. “I see you.” He enunciated each word.

Shock washed through Kain, freezing him in place. Tsuzuki pulled him back down. One of his hands twisted in Kain’s hair, stroking lightly until Kain relaxed. A blush spread across his face. It’d been years since he’d blushed this badly but he couldn’t seem to stop. He was grinning uncontrollably.

“Oh. Thank you.” Kain curled his fingers around the cross, his hand resting on top of Tsuzuki’s heart.

Tsuzuki saw him, Tsuzuki wanted him even with his strange powers and his sex therapy and his weird quirks.

He couldn’t stop grinning.

Roughly two miles outside of the village of South Glenn stands a tall stone tower. There is no road through the forest to the tower, and some wonder how all of that stone came to stand in the center of their forest. There is no door in the tower, only a small arched window set just below the gable, leaving many questioning how someone would enter or leave the tower without a ladder. When the villagers speak of the strange tower, which they do as little as possible, they do so in hushed whispers lest the witch who inhabits it overhears.

“There was singing,” Dame Gellar hissed to her neighbor late one afternoon over tea. “In the forest. My son heard it when he was hunting.” The women shared a knowing look and made the sign against evil across their chests.

Dame Leary stared through the kitchen window towards the woods that surrounded their village. “Been some years. Poor thing.”

“Do you think another prince will come round?” Dame Gellar’s voice rose a hair above a whisper, causing her neighbor to shoot her a look.

“Lord, I hope not.” She spoke softer than before, as if to balance out Dame Gellar’s change in volume. “You remember that last one?”

They shook their heads in near-unison. “God rest his soul.” They crossed their chests.

A brief moment of silence passed between them and then Dame Gellar leaned across the table, bumping the wood with her rounded stomach and making the teacups rattle. She crooked her finger and Dame Leary shifted closer, her eyebrow quirked with curiosity. Dame Gellar glanced around the room, seeming to search the shadows for hidden listeners. When she spoke, Dame Leary had to strain to hear.

“I hear they had a son. He was taken too, snatched the same as the girl was.”

“You don’t think…”

A hawk cried in the forest, startling them both. Dame Gellar stood quickly and crossed the room to pull the shutters closed. She shut the latch firmly.

That was the last they spoke of the strange tower and the girl who had once been imprisoned there.

*****

Lucian did not like the tower. It was cold and far too quiet. The latter was easy to fix, at least for a small time, but singing to himself was not the same as being surrounded by the bustle of a village. His memory of the village was starting to fade, blurred by each day that passed, and with it went the memory of his grandparents. He had little memory of his mother but he missed her all the same. All he could remember of her was her long blonde hair – a shade that he had inherited though he would never be able to match hers in length – and the lullabies she had sung for him when he’d been a small child.

“Rapunzel!” Lucian shuddered and quickly rose, straightening his skirt as he did so. He wished – not for the first time – that the witch would bring him something besides his mother’s old dresses to wear.

Stone ground against stone as a section of the wall slid away to form a small doorway. “Ah, there you are, my dear.” The witch grinned at him from the top of the stairwell. There were more gaps in her toothy grin than the last time she’d visited and she walked a bit slower.

“I’ve neglected you for far too long. You will forgive me, of course?” Lucian tried not to shudder as she embraced him. He weakly returned her hold.

“Yes, godmother, of course.” He had no idea how many days had passed between visits, but it had been quite a while. He’d learned to be conservative with the food she left him, never sure if it would be weeks or months between her visits, and his current stores had dwindled almost to nothing.

Her expression shifted in a flash. Gnarled fingers twisted in his hair and pulled roughly. “Too long. It’s too long.” Her eyes glinted feverishly.

Lucian cried out as she pulled him over to the vanity. He sat quickly, before she could push him into the chair. She opened the top drawer and pulled out a long pair of shears. Lucian sat very still.

“Can’t have that.” The witch’s fingers moved, hacking away at his hair with fast, sure snips. “Certainly can’t have that.” Snip, snip, snip. “Too long, too long.” Snip, snip. “Why do you always grow it so long, my dear? Trying to lure another prince in?”

“No, godmother,” he assured quickly.

He stared at his reflection in the mirror. When his hair was long, he looked like his mother. Her picture sat on the vanity, half-hidden behind a vase of flowers. He could never tell which days the picture would make his godmother sad or angry, but both were outbursts he’d rather avoid. There seemed to be more sad days than angry. On those days it seemed like she might be close to remembering that he wasn’t his mother, but her faulty memory quickly carried such near realizations away. The scissors cut his hair, changing the reflection in the mirror into a wild-looking boy. The witch didn’t bother cutting his hair even, instead chopping it into rough chunks near chin length. He’d fix it later, when she was gone and she wouldn’t even realize the difference.

“There.” Her long, thin fingers ran through his choppy hair, raking it further askew. “Now we can’t have any more accidents.” The fingers clenched briefly in his hair then relaxed. She stepped away. “Clean that up.” She waved towards the hair shavings.

Lucian grabbed the broom and dustpan from where it stood next to the vanity. The witch watched him closely as he gathered up every last hair and dumped it out of the window. A strong breeze picked up the hair and carried it away into the forest.

“Good girl.” He’d given up on trying to correct her. “Now come help me with these heavy things.”

“Yes, godmother.”

Once again, she smiled at him, her expression bordering on manic. He wasn’t sure which he preferred – her company or the silence.

*****

Lord Alec Vilonay spluttered as the wind carried a patch of straw into his face. He coughed and brushed the straw out of his face. A few strands came away in his hand, they were too thin to be straw. He rolled a few pieces between his fingers and peered into the woods. Hair? Out here? The next village, a small town called South Glenn, was still a good distance away.

Alec halted his horse on the empty road and considered. There had been a legend surrounding the previous prince’s death about a woman trapped in a tower. He’d been little more than a boy when the prince had died but he remembered parts of the story – how he’d been found by the villagers in the woods, his face scratched up and blinded, then died shortly after from his injuries. A few years later a rumor had surfaced that the prince had left a child behind, born from the girl in the tower, but neither the woman nor her child had ever come forward.

Curiosity made Alec turn his horse and head into the woods. He checked that his sword was loose in its scabbard and that his bow was fully strung. There was a good chance that he would find nothing but Alec had never been one to turn away from a possible adventure.

*****

It took him three days to find the tower. There was a thick patch of briars surrounding the base, their thorns nearly as long as his finger. He circled it once but could see no entrance beyond the window set at the top of the tower. Twilight was approaching, casting the forest in growing shadows. A faint light came through the window. Smoke curled out of the thin chimney.

“Hello?” He shouted.

There was a faint sound and then a head appeared in the window, staring down at him with blatant surprise. Instead of a lonely maiden, a young boy stared back at him. His blond hair fell about his face like a halo. The boy bit his lip and shouted back. “Go away.”

Alec gaped. “Pardon?”

The boy’s eyes scanned the woods around them. “You need to go away.”

Alec stepped closer. A wide grin spread across his face. “Because of the witch? Are you Rapunzel?”

“Yes. And, no. She was my mother. If you know of her then you should know why you need to go away.”

“I’m not going away.” This was the rumored child! He couldn’t believe it. The legend was real and here he was, staring up at the prince’s son trapped by a witch in a tower. He had to rescue the boy and take him back to the palace. The king and queen would be ecstatic. First, however, he needed to find a way into the tower. “What’s your name?”

The boy leaned further forward to watch Alec as he tied the reins for his horse to a tree and carefully pushed his way through the briar patch. A few of the thorns pricked him, but he found that if he moved slowly enough, the brushed off his clothing. “If I tell you my name, will you go away?”

“No.” He smiled up at the boy.

The boy rolled his eyes and frowned. “If I don’t tell you my name, will you go away?”

“Oh, definitely not.” He felt a thrill of pleasure as the boy glared at him. “How does the witch get in? You certainly don’t seem able to lower your hair.”

“She never used the hair, only the prince did. There’s a door.”

Alec pulled off a glove and felt his way along the wall. There had to be a catch hidden somewhere that would open it. He circled the tower three times but found nothing. If there was a latch, it was too well hidden for him to find in such low light. “I can’t find it.”

“Then go away.”

“Not a chance.” He couldn’t remember when he’d had this much of a challenge. An idea came to him and he pushed his way back towards his horse. Alec pulled a thin length of rope from his saddlebags and tied it to an arrow. “Please go inside.”

The boy’s eyes widened as Alec pick up his bow. He ducked back inside and Alec aimed. The arrow buried itself deep in the underside of the roof, just above the window. He pushed his way back through the briar and tugged. The rope seemed like it’d hold his weight. The boy’s head appeared again.

“Go away! You can’t do this.”

Alec stared up the wall. “You won’t dissuade me.”

The boy’s hand wrapped around the shaft of the arrow. “I could pull it out. You’d fall.”

Alec turned to stare down at the briar patch below him. The thorns were quite thick but if he fell just right he could avoid too much damage. He took another step up the wall. “Then do it. I’m coming up.”

The boy glared at him but he released the arrow and disappeared back into the tower. Alec grinned with victory. Relief washed through him as he finally reached the window. He held tight to the rim of the window as he threw a leg over and started to pull himself inside. He stopped on the ledge and stared. It seems he’d have to change his impression of the boy. He – or was it she? – was dressed in a soft blue gown with ruffles around the base.

“My apologies. I took you for a boy at first.”

“I am.” He flushed and stared at the wall to the side, avoiding Alec’s gaze. “There aren’t any other clothes up here.”

Alec tried very hard not to smirk. He let his eyes rove over the boy’s slender frame. The dress fit him in all but the chest. If he’d been a girl, he would have looked ravishing. As a boy, he was still quite fetching, but there was an extra air of eroticism seeing him dressed so strangely. Alec shifted and tried to stamp down on his interest.

“You never did tell me your name,” Alec reminded.

The boy looked at him, blushed, and turned back towards the wall. “Lucian.”

Alec let himself grin at the boy, and hoped his slowly growing desire wasn’t showing too badly. He stepped forward and took the boy’s hand. “A pleasure to meet you, Prince Lucian.” He pressed his lips to the back of Lucian’s hand. His words hand the desired effect of flustering Lucian.

Lucian spluttered and snatched his hand back, holding it protectively against his chest. “P-Prince?” The blush remained on his face, giving Alec the idea that Lucian wasn’t entirely opposed to the kiss Alec had placed on him.

“You are the son of the prince who met Rapunzel in this tower, correct?”

“Y-yes, but…”

“Then you’re a prince.” He bowed again and gestured towards the window. “Your kingdom awaits. Will you be okay climbing down? I can lower you if needed.”

Lucian shifted on his feet and took a step back. “I can’t. She’ll come after me.”

Alec straightened and let his hand settle on the pommel of his sword, putting on a show of confidence greater than he felt. “Then I shall dispatch her for you.”

“No!” Lucian’s sudden shout rocked Alec back a step. He gaped.

“But…”

Lucian fidgeted and toyed with a strand of his hair near his ear. “She’s just an old woman.” He wavered visibly for a moment and then seemed to gather his resolve. “I know that she’s not the most honorable of people but you can’t kill her.”

“She’s a witch. She killed your father and imprisoned your mother. I can-”

The slap came unexpectedly. He heard it before he felt it. Shock spread through him as he finally registered the sting on his cheek.

Lucian stood inches away, his hands on his hips. “She’s a lonely old woman. She thinks I’m her adopted daughter, Rapunzel. I know she’s done bad things, but-”

“She’s holding you here against your will,” Alec argued, cutting Lucian off. He fingered the sleeve of Lucian’s dress. “Can you honestly say that you want to stay here?”

The boy faltered for a moment. He pulled his sleeve away. “I can’t just leave. She’ll come after both of us.”

Alec shifted closer. He tried to touch Lucian again but he pulled away. “I can protect you.”

“Are you sure? She’s a witch. I don’t know how much power she still has, but I don’t want anyone to get hurt because of me.”

“I’ll take you to the castle,” Alec insisted. “There are guards. We can make sure she doesn’t get near you. You’ll be safe. I promise.”

“And what will you do when she does come?” Lucian asked softly. “Will you have the guards kill her? She won’t leave without me, and if you don’t kill her, she’ll kill you.”

Alec had no answer, at least not one that he felt wouldn’t earn him another slap.

Lucian’s hand settled on his chest, keeping an arm length of distance between them. He looked uncertain and Alec had a feeling that if he pressed, just a little bit further, then Lucian might give in. He didn’t get the chance to.

“I’ll make you a deal.” Alec quirked an eyebrow. “The witch has been getting forgetful. She’s growing older, and I don’t know how much longer she’ll keep coming back. If a year passes and she doesn’t return, then I’ll go with you.”

Alec glanced pointedly around the small, sparse room. There were a handful of sacks and two crates stacked near the dresser, but little else visible in the way of provisions. “A year is a long time and you can hardly provide for yourself up here.”

“I’ll be fine.” Lucian’s expression didn’t match the confidence of his voice. “She leaves me enough provisions.”

“Half a year,” Alec countered. “If six months pass without her return, then you’ll return with me.”

Lucian hesitated a moment. “Alright.”

“Then we have a deal.” Alec smirked and shifted closer. He placed his hand on Lucian’s hip and rubbed the boy’s skin through the fabric of his dress. “Would you be so kind as to grant me hospitality for the night? I promise to leave in the morning.”

The shy smile on Lucian’s face was answer enough. Alec bridged the small gap between them to kiss Lucian lightly on the lips. They didn’t part for the rest of the night.

*****

The villagers of South Glenn got few strangers passing through their village, thus it made quite a stir when a young lordling came to stay at their inn. The lord stayed for three days. On the second day he rode out into the forest, not returning until early on the third day, when he gathered his belongings without a word to the villagers and went on his way. Six months passed before the villagers saw him again, then another six months, and another. Each time he came, he stayed for exactly three days, always disappearing on the eve of the second.

“He’s possessed,” Dame Leary whispered, in the same tone usually reserved for talk of the tower.

“He’s in love,” Dame Gellar countered. She’d seen much the same look on her own sons’ faces before they’d announced their intentions to marry. “And not so pleased about coming away with naught,” she added. She’d chanced upon the young lordling a few times on the third day of his stay, and he’d never seemed happy to leave.

A commotion on the road drew their attention away from their tea. They both hurried over to the window. The lord was due to return this morning, and Dame Gellar had been hoping to see him pass. They caught sight of the lord easy enough and with it, the reason for the villager’s commotion. The lord had returned from the forest, and this time he wasn’t alone