Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“I don’t know, Darce… I might pass on movie night this weekend.” Charlie fumbled with his cell, switching it to his left hand while he dug through his backpack for the keys to his flat. The past hour had been draining - mentally and emotionally.

He heard a kettle whirring over the phone before it quieted slowly. “But Chaaarlie,” Darcy whined, “I haven’t seen you all week. I need some Spring-time in my life.” 

Charlie smiled despite the weight on his chest and the pounding in his head. Darcy paused and their voice softened. “How was your session?” 

“Y’know, good days and bad days. Today was more of the latter.” Therapy had generally been a huge help for the curly-haired man; Geoff was wonderfully patient and had several years of experience working with people that had similar tendencies as Charlie. They both saw it as a huge improvement to be eating three carefully planned meals a day, but it still took a lot of effort to quell his anxieties revolving around food and public attention. 

Darcy sighed from the other end of the line. Not in a negative way, but in a way that lets Charlie know that they understand. His friend had their own therapist, albeit for different reasons. “I’m sorry to hear that, love. Want to talk about it?”

He stepped into his small studio apartment, sitting on his bed that doubles as his couch. Charlie considered brushing it off and retreating under the covers. But he remembered Geoff’s advice from the past few years of therapy: accept help, lean on your support system. There was also a nagging feeling in his skull that he doubts would go away without addressing the topic.

“Apparently my therapist thinks all of my issues stem from my relationship with control. I think I get what he means?” Charlie’s voice is a reedy mixture of exasperation and exhaustion. “Lack of control of my sexuality, how I was outed, what Ben did to me, what other people think and say about me, how my parents dealt with my diagnosis… All of that influenced my need for control in other aspects of my life.” When I eat, what I eat, if I eat.

Darcy hummed in acknowledgement and seemed to choose their next words carefully - not something they were typically known for. “Well, shouldn’t that reclaiming of control be empowering? Take back what has been taken from you in the past?”

“It can be,” Charlie admitted, thinking back to how his therapist had explained it earlier that day, “But my brain is using control as a punishment. It’s like- my brain focuses so much on having control that I, Charlie, am no longer in control.”

In classic Darcy fashion, they try to alleviate the mood with some humor. “No offense, but your brain is a twat, Charles.”

It works in making the lean man crack a much needed smile. “You’re very right about that, my darling enby.”

“Wait.” Darcy gasps to themself. Charlie can visualize the wicked smile taking over their face. “If your bad relationship with control is the issue, why not try to fix the relationship like every other couple?”

“What are you-”

“With sex!” Charlie hopes Darcy didn’t yell that while in a public place. “Lots of hot, steamy, hate sex!”

Wrapping his yellow and white checkered duvet around his shoulders, the brunette couldn’t stop his eye roll if he had wanted to. “And how, pray tell, does one have sex with one’s brain?”

“No no, you’d be having glorious gay intercourse with actual men. Tara has this friend-”

“Darcy enough!” Charlie groaned while cutting them off. “Will you and your partner stop meddling with my non-existent sex life?”

Darcy’s tone sobered slightly. “I’m serious, Spring, just hear me out. Tara’s friend owns a club that I think might be worth checking out. It’s not like, a dance club or footie club or anything like that, more like… a theater?”

“Theater?” Brows furrowed, Charlie pinches his lower lip between his thumb and finger. “What happened to sex solving all my issues?”

“It’s kind of like a sexy theater! They do these little skits with different kinks and roleplay situations-”

Dropping his head into his palm, elbow propped up on one of his crossed legs, Charlie groans in exasperation. “Darcy, I am not going to a BDSM club.”

He could hear the pout in their voice. “But they focus a lot on taking control by-”

“Good bye Darcy!” Charlie hears them cackle once before he hangs up on his friend.

Charlie tries to forget about his conversation with Darcy, he honestly does. But when he’s curled up on his bed later that night with reruns of Bake Off on in the background, his mind insists on wandering.

It’s not that he’s turned off by the kink scene; in fact, he’s always found some of the harnesses, collars, and leather to be kind of tempting. He tends to be a bit more vanilla in bed the few times he’s hooked up with others. BDSM sounded like something for more adventurous lovers. There must be some reason people found it so desirable though, right? The thought of fully giving yourself to someone like that… Charlie could see the appeal. 

Eventually his own curiosity got the best of him. His curls stuck out wildly as he sat up suddenly and pulled his laptop on to his sweatpant-clad lap. 

Opening up an incognito tab, he typed in a simple: bdsm.

He scrolled down the list of links, eyes flitting across the page. Words like physical restraint, roleplay, erotic practices, and inflicting pain jumped out at him. There were some quizzes, sites with definitions, and information on safety and rules as well.

Before he could dwell on the feeling that twisted in his chest, he added to his search bar: bdsm control.

Different links popped up, some still focusing on the various versions of relationships between dominants and submissives, some discussing types of control (physical, phycological, sexual), some just links to porn sites. Others were from health sites, containing articles from sex therapists and sexual wellness coaches. One phrase stood out and burned itself into his mind, making him close the tab and fold his laptop shut quickly: Be in control by letting go of control. 

Charlie took a few deep breaths, fingers fidgeting with some loose threads on his jumper. He wanted to not feel so high-strung all the time. Not so anxious about what he could eat and who was watching him. Not so reliant on the strict schedules his mind created for himself. 

He grabbed his phone and swallowed against the thick feeling in his throat.

Charlie: what’s the name of tara’s friend?

Darcy: !!!

Wearing a rainbow-striped, knit jumper to a club where the performers were almost nude may not have been Charlie’s best decision. Everyone else was dressed in dark clothes that clung to their bodies. Some were dressed more casual in dark jeans and t-shirts, but others were scantily clad in harnesses and lingerie. Even the lights were dimmed and the atmosphere cloaked in sultry darkness. Charlie couldn’t see exactly what was happening on the several small stages around the large room, but he did see a lot of skin. Both men and women eyed him as he walked by, the bright colors of his top standing out like a sore thumb in the sea of dark. 

The sounds were what Carlie noticed second. There was a cacophony of soft moans, muttered dialogue, and the jarring thwap of something slapping against bare skin. Most of the patrons milling about were silent, watching each scene with rapt attention, but some were having quiet conversations with each other. Charlie heard muffled sounds coming from rooms down the hallway as well. Each room had a worker keeping vigil at the entrance, like bouncers at a dance club.

Charlie considered walking straight back outside the club, forgetting ever stepping into La Tanière. But he had an appointment with Tara’s friend and it seemed rude to leave without at least letting him know. Pulling the sleeves of his sweater over his hands, Charlie dropped his gaze to the indigo-carpeted floor and weaved through bodies of various states of dress toward the staircase and to the office on the second floor he had been instructed to go to. 

His hair was a springy mess of curls flopping over his forehead and down his neck, slightly longer than he typically let it get. Even patting it down with some water on his hands that morning hadn’t done much to tame the chaos. Yet, Charlie thought it fitting given the tumultuous thoughts running through his head.

What was he even doing here? This was clearly a mistake. There was no way Charlie was cut out for this. Sure, he had occasionally had kinky fantasies, but he had never felt confident enough to ask for it from his hook ups. 

He walked up the staircase and opened the large wooden door to the office, fully prepared to apologize for wasting the owner’s time. However, Charlie was shocked to see a pleasant smile greeting him. 

“Hiya, love! How can I help you today?” The woman addressing him looked like she belonged far away from La Tanière. Her light-colored outfit was trendy, but casual and nothing like what Charlie had witnessed downstairs. 

After a too-long pause, the slim man finally found his words. “Um, I’m here to meet Mr. Nelson? I have an appointment…” Charlie trailed off, not sure how to conduct himself. The waiting room he found himself in was not unlike that of a dentist office, albeit a very posh and stylish one; the walls are a deep navy blue, with a dark-stained wooden trim and mustard-yellow furnishings.

“Ah, you must be Charlie Spring! Lovely to meet you, hon. You’re Tara and Darcy’s friend?” The woman smiled warmly with sparkling eyes and softly styled hair.

Charlie nodded with a small smile of his own, relieved to not have to explain his presence. 

“My name’s Imogen. I’m Nick’s personal assistant, although between you and me, he’s far too polite to ever ask me to do much for him.” The woman - Imogen - rolls her eyes but that shining grin never leaves her face. “Why don’t you take a seat over on the sofa and I’ll let him know you’ve arrived.”

Imogen gestures to a ochre velvet sofa and Charlie is happy to have an excuse to sit and hide the nervous wobble in his knees. He pulls absentmindedly at the stray threads of his distressed black jeans as the woman picks up the phone on her desk. “Hey babes, your 6 o’clock is here.”

Before Charlie has time to dwell on his life choices, Imogen is hanging up and her attention is back on him with a kind smile. “Guess he’s ready for you now. Feel free to head in whenever you’d like.”

Charlie is about to ask where to go, but another glance around the room reveals only one door available, other than the one he entered though. It’s also made of solid wood, stained so dark it’s almost black. With a creak, the door opens as Charlie turns the antique brass handle.

Charlie was prepared for a serious, brooding business owner - maybe dressed in dark, powerful clothing that represented the taboo nature of his business. Charlie was not prepared for what Nick Nelson actually looked like.

Dark auburn hair and honeyed eyes gave him a much softer appearance, along with the smattering of freckles across the smooth paleness of his face. The absolute sunshine of a smile he wore was also a (pleasant) surprise.

“Hi there, Charlie. Please come in, take a seat.”

Nick was about Charlie’s age, maybe a year or two older. Charlie couldn’t help but flick his eyes to the broad shoulders and sporty physique that were straining under the lavender button up he wore. 

After shuffling to the dark brown leather chair in front of the man’s desk and gingerly sitting down, Charlie took the chance to shove his hands under his thighs to hide the slight nervous tremor that thrummed in his fingers. “H-hi. Thank you for meeting with me, Mr. Nelson.”

“Oh, please call me Nick. Mr. Nelson makes me sound like a primary school teacher.” Nick’s half-smile was charming and infectious. Charlie couldn’t help returning a shy smile back.

“Sorry… Nick.” The smile on the ginger’s face dropped, but returned so swiftly that Charlie wasn’t sure if he actually saw him falter or not. 

Both of the owner’s hands came up to rest on his desk, fingers interlacing in front of them both. “No need to apologize,” he said kindly, “What can I help you with today? Tara mentioned you might be interested in learning more about the scene.”

Charlie’s brows furrowed slightly. “The scene?”

“The BDSM scene, kink scene, whatever you would like to call it.” Nick’s gaze was unwavering and he held a gentle smile while addressing the brunette.

With a nod, Charlie averted his eyes with a blush. God, how was he ever supposed to talk to this ginger adonis of a man about sex ? Not just sex, but kinky sex!

“I, um-” Charlie took a steading breath, trying to remind himself that this was just a casual meeting with a friend of a friend, “I think I might be interested in trying BDSM, but I was hoping to learn a bit more about it before going in blindly.”

Nick’s plump lips spread in a full smile. “That’s wonderful to hear! Not many people take the time to properly research the scene before they try to join, and it usually scares them away before they truly understand what this is all about.” He gestures vaguely around the room when he says ‘this’. “I’m very happy that you’ve come to La Tanière to learn first; that is a very brave thing to do.”

A sudden warmth blossoms in Charlie’s chest, a bit overwhelmed by Nick’s earnest praise. “Thank you,” he pauses a second before tacking on, “Nick” at the end. Merely because it’s polite to address the other man by name, and absolutely not because Charlie likes the feeling of the name on his lips. 

Charlie noticed the man’s hands squeeze together tightly, his biceps flexing momentarily. Nick’s face, however, remains pleasant as he asks, “Would you like for me to tell you a bit about my business first? Along with some of the basics of BDSM? I’d be happy to answer any questions you have as well, but I find it helpful to start with a baseline of knowledge.”

Charlie sucks his lower lip into his mouth and nods, shoulders relaxing as their meeting progresses. 

“Well, there is a lot more to the BDSM community than whips and chains,” Nick winks and Charlie thinks he might die. “A large part of it revolves on the partnership between a dominant and a submissive. It requires an amount of trust that is not easy to give - or to receive. It can be overwhelming and scary to give yourself completely to someone else or to be responsible for your partner’s mental and physical well-being, but it can also be cathartic. Euphoric. Pleasurable.” 

Nick pauses after that last word. And yeah, Charlie was definitely going to die.

“It’s important that you know that it is not always a sexual relationship, although the vast majority of partnerships are. It is also not necessarily a romantic relationship; many doms and subs play together with the sole intent of satisfying the other person’s needs, desires, fantasies without being an actual couple. In fact at La Tanière, most of the performers are not involved romantically.”

Nick pauses, assessing Charlie’s reaction so far. The sweater-clad man was staring wide-eyed at Nick, but his angular face depicted genuine interest and an eager expression to hear more. 

“My performers conduct what are called ‘scenes’. These are short play sessions involving some sort of BDSM themes or kinks that the performers consent to for the enjoyment of our patrons. We do not do scenes with patrons, as a partnership between a dom and a sub is something that requires careful planning in advance to ensure everyone is safe and consenting.

“You may have seen a few scenes in the main room on your way in; those are typically more mild in terms of kink and/or intensity. The more intense scenes are located in separate rooms down the hallway you walked by. They are treated with special care and with extra supervision to ensure the viewers that enter are aware of what they are walking into.

“As you can imagine, subbing or domming during a scene is a time where you are at your most vulnerable. You may have noticed that no one had their phones out; it is strictly prohibited to take photos, videos, or even to just have your phone out around these scenes. We are very careful to make sure the privacy of our performers is prioritized. There is also a strict no-touching policy, and we do not tolerate patrons interrupting scenes.”

Charlie listened to each word out of Nick’s mouth with great focus. It was much more involved than what he had thought before, but he found himself even more curious about this new world - Nick’s world.

“Any questions so far?”

With a nod, Charlie’s dark curls bounced. “When you say kinks, which ones are you referring to?”

“Oh I couldn’t possibly name them all, but we’re pretty much open to most things here at La Tanière, as long as all parties are consenting and it doesn’t cause unwanted or extreme harm. We also tend to decline any suggestions for the more ethically ambiguous kinks that can be triggering for patrons that were not prepared for it. A few examples that are pretty typical for a scene to include are humiliation, worship, sensory play, edgeplay, impact play - and of course there is often use of props such as toys, restraints, floggers, blindfolds, things of that nature…” Nick let the words hang in the air.

Charlie’s blush was back, images of what Nick had described flashed through his mind - most was stuff he’d seen in porn or had conjured from his own imagination. But this time, it was him that was doing that stuff, having that stuff done to him. 

“How… how would one find a partner?” 

Nick’s lips tipped in a warm smile with a gentle look on his face. “Well for someone just starting out in the scene, I’d recommend finding someone experienced and with good recommendations from current or previous partners. It can be very dangerous to rush into something with someone who does not have your best interests in mind… It is also very important to make sure your interests align. If you have kinks that are absolutely a no-go for you, that needs to be communicated clearly. Many partnerships have a document to keep track of which kinks are acceptable and which will never be consented to. Along those lines, it is very important to have a safe word that can be used to stop a scene if things go south.”

Swallowing thickly, Charlie wraps his sweater-covered hands around his body. “You’ve said a few times that it can be dangerous or that things can go badly… What does that mean? What can happen?”

Nick’s mouth pursed into a firm line. “I want you to truly know the risks before you pursue actively participating in the scene, but I promise I’m not trying to scare you off. While you may consent at the beginning of a scene or encounter, that can change as your mental state changes. Depending on the situation, you may not have the physical or emotional ability to end the scene - that is where your partner is responsible for stopping things and making sure you are okay.

“I mentioned how intense play can be sometimes… well it can lead to a pretty strong physical and emotional response if the scene is intense enough. It mostly affects subs, which is why it’s called subspace, but doms can experience it as well. Without proper knowledge of how to navigate this powerful headspace, it can lead to a drop. When endorphins rapidly leave your body, you feel incredibly lonely, vulnerable, lost…. It is not a pleasant experience and can cause lasting emotional harm.”

Charlie nodded his head slowly. If he was to seek out a partner in the scene, he wanted someone who knew what he was doing. Someone who he could trust to take care of him. Someone with the experience to navigate the space with a beginner like him.

“Have you ever dommed? Or subbed?” Maybe it was too personal of a question, but Nick had a way about him that made Charlie want to learn everything he could about the man.

“I have,” Nick states, “I’ve been in the community since I was 18. When I turned 20, I was in a relationship with a dom for a year before entering a partnership with a sub. Since then, I’ve dommed for a few different people.”

“Would you dom for me?”

The words were out before Charlie could even process what they meant. He wanted to stuff them back in his mouth and swallow his embarrassment alongside them. But when he went to open his mouth to backpedal his ridiculous request, his throat felt like it was full of cotton and he couldn’t get a single sound out.

Nick’s response was equally telling. His face flushed bright red, the blush traveling down his neck and disappearing under his shirt. Charlie wanted to find out just how far south that blush went. 

“I- I don’t know, Charlie.” Nick regained a bit of his composure and rolled his neck. “Before I answer, can I ask you a question? Why do you want to sub?”

Sucking up his pride and embarrassment, Charlie told him. He told him about his OCD and eating disorder. About his lack of control in his own life, especially around his sexuality and previous sexual experiences. About the never ending pressure from his mom, who in all honesty, probably had undiagnosed OCD herself. About his current struggles with control, especially when it came to how he viewed food. About Geoff and their discussion about control during their last session together. And lastly, he told Nick about wanting to be in control by letting go of control.

“I want my mind to be quiet, I want to trust in someone so much that I can give myself to them wholly, knowing that they will take care of me even when I can’t. I want to give up control and not have it be a bad thing.” Charlie’s eyes had welled up slightly on their own accord. He was shocked to have spewed his entire life story to someone who was basically a stranger. 

But the way Nick had listened to him, so gently and patiently. At some point, Nick had stood up and rounded the desk, kneeling down next to him and putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. Charlie had leaned into the touch a little too easily. 

A few moments of silence passed, their eyes holding each other’s gaze. Finally, Nick spoke. “I would be honored to do that for you, Charlie Spring. But please know that just because you were the one to ask me does not obligate you to continue a partnership with me if it turns out to not be what you are looking for. We can give it a try and if you change your mind and want to back out - or find another partner - at any point, I completely understand.”

Against his better judgment, Charlie threw himself in Nick’s arms, relishing the firm hug he received in return.

Even though Nick had some-what agreed to Charlie’s request, he insisted on showing the younger man around La Tanière first before they discussed it further.

“If you’re willing, I think it would be good for you to see a few scenes in action. Hopefully that can help you discover what sort of partnership you’re interested in, and what sorts of stuff you’d like to explore….” Nick carefully led him out of his office once Charlie had agreed that he would like to see some of Nick’s performers at work. Imogen was no longer sitting at her desk, making it easier to lean into Nick’s side without the added pressure of prying eyes.

Only having met the taller man an hour ago, Charlie was pleasantly surprised at how comfortable he felt around Nick. It helps knowing that he was Tara’s friend, but he was just so sweet with Charlie - always offering a comforting touch or a kind smile. It was clear that Nick was very passionate about his business and about educating others of the niche community he was a part of. It made Charlie want to explore that side of himself, for more reasons than just addressing his issues with control. He couldn’t remember the last time he had this much sexual agency.

The pair descended the stairs and entered what Nick had called la salle de jeux - the playroom. There were several small stages set up around the room, far enough apart that each scene didn’t disturb the next. There was a larger main stage at the front of the room, but that was currently empty. Dark violet velvet curtains hung down between the stages, providing even more privacy for each scene, although patrons were walking around freely, many with drinks in hand. Charlie noticed a bar near the front of the room, close to the entrance of the club. 

As they approached the closest stage, Charlie flushed at the sight in front of him. A man laid across a black padded table, wrists and ankles affixed to the sides of the table by leather cuffs. He was on his stomach, his body naked. A woman stood above him, some sort of flogging prop in one hand and fully dressed in a dark blazer and pencil skirt. 

“Nick…” Charlie pulled on the larger man’s arm, who turned toward him with concern etched on his face. “I didn’t even- back in the office, I didn’t even ask if you were comfortable being- doing that with another man.”

The concern on Nick’s face melted away as his warm eyes flitted across the smaller man’s face, lingering on his berry-pink lips briefly. “I am absolutely comfortable being with other men. My partnerships in the past have been with both men and women.” 

“Look at how pathetic you are, mommy’s little bitch. All these people came here to stare at you, laugh at you. You don’t deserve what I’m about to give you.” The woman’s voice was cold and mocking, but the man moaned softly and pushed his ass in the air - as much as he could given the restraints.

Charlie couldn’t help but shudder at her words. Nick noticed his discomfort and continued leading him to a different stage. “Humiliation isn’t for everyone. I personally don’t find much enjoyment in that either.”

Nick’s words quelled Charlie’s panic. Being called harsh names and told he’s pathetic sounded like torture. And not the good kind. If he wanted to be bullied, he’d go back to his teen years.  

The next scene was with two males, both lean and with dark complexions. One was dressed in a smart suit, the other in what looked to be a school uniform. The one in the uniform was kneeling at the suited man’s feet, his mouth open as he started up at him. 

“Good boy, on your knees so pretty for your professor. You keep this up and I’ll give you a good grade.” The standing man pulled the sub’s hair back firmly and clipped a thin leather leash onto a collar on the sub’s neck that Charlie hadn’t noticed before. “How does that sound, princess? ”

“Good, sir. Thank you, sir.” The dom pulled the sub closer to his front using the leash, so that his mouth was pressed against his clothed cock. 

Some part in Charlie’s mind told him he should be embarrassed by watching such an erotic moment, surrounded by other people. But a larger part conjured images of himself kneeling on the floor, letting another man - Nick - manhandle him and tell him he’s a good boy.

Nick had been staring at Charlie’s face and must’ve seen the change of his expression. “Is that something you think you would like to try, Charlie?” His voice was quiet and soft, but it still sent shivers down the shorter man’s spine. 

“I think so,” he rasped out, eyes not leaving the scene in front of him.

They walked around the playroom, stopping at each scene. A few quiet questions were asked by Charlie, with soft replies from Nick:

“Are scenes always in public like this?”

“No, most play happens behind closed doors in the privacy of their own homes. But a club like this exists to allow them to perform scenes in a more public setting if they wish - either for their own gratification or for the audience’s gratification… usually both.”

“Would I… be doing public scenes?”

“That is up to you and what you are looking for. Some people find that playing in front of strangers is part of their kink. But I’d recommend starting in private and working up to public scenes if it’s something you find yourself interested in.”

“Have you ever done any public scenes?”

“A couple. But I’m usually more comfortable behind my desk than on stage!”

They stopped at one of the last stages, a man in a mask pulling a string that made several clothes pins snap off of a woman’s body. She cried out in a mixture of pain, surprise, and pleasure, her hips rocking down like she felt it in her core. A few moments passed and the woman’s head slumped down, body exhausted. The man took off his mask and began to untie the woman’s restraints, speaking to her softly and gently massaging the red marks that the clothes pins had left in their wake.

“What’s going on?” Charlie couldn’t help but ask as patrons dispersed, leaving to go to another stage. “Is she okay?”

Nick rested a hand on the curly-haired man’s shoulder, rubbing it comfortingly. “Yeah, the scene has just ended. Erick is just giving Nina some well-deserved aftercare.”

Charlie tilted his head up to meet Nick’s gaze. “What’s aftercare?”

“It’s a way to help wind the body down after a play session. It’s also very important for both participants mentally. For subs, they may need some reassurance that they’ve satisfied their partner. For doms, it can be a way for them to fulfill that role as protector and caretaker - ensuring that their partner is physically and mentally recovered from the intensity of the scene.”

As the night came to an end and the majority of scenes wrapped up in la salle de jeux, Charlie found his body humming with anticipation and excitement. He found everything far more appealing that he had initially thought he would when asking to meet with Nick Nelson. 

Nick escorted him to the main entrance, his hand still resting on Charlie’s waist, as it had been throughout their evening. “So, what do you think? Still interested in the scene?”

“Very.” Charlie couldn’t help but step closer to the warmth radiating off of Nick’s body. “When can we start?”

His hand gripping Charlie’s waist a bit tighter, Nick’s eyes flashed. “We can get together this week and discuss our limits and what we’re both hoping to get out of this partnership.”

Charlie was pouting, about to ask if they could just try out a play session first and see where it takes them, but Nick’s voice interrupted him. “I want you to do some… homework. Go home, write down a list of kinks you are interested in exploring, as well as things you are absolutely sure you’re not into. I will do the same and then we can see if our interests align. Does that sound good to you?”

Even though Nick ended in a question, the rest of his words had been so commanding and resolute; it made Charlie’s brain go a bit fuzzy. “Yes, Nick. Thank you, Nick.”

While his words were innocent enough, it reminded them both of how the sub had addressed the dom in the school-themed scene earlier that night. Nick’s hand found the back of Charlie’s neck and he gently tugged on a few brunette curls there.

“Good boy.”

Back in his flat, Charlie couldn’t help but melt onto his bed/sofa, the evening’s events and Nick’s words still whipping through his mind like a wild wind. He was far less nervous about the entire situation after their conversation. In fact, he was more eager to get started than anything else. 

Remembering Nick’s request for him, Charlie dug around until he found a small moleskine notebook that had been meant for journaling his dreams - a therapy technique he had abandoned long ago. He found a pen and grabbed his laptop from its charger. 

Not even bothering with an incognito tab this time, Charlie began googling different terms he had heard during his time at La Tanière, jotting them down into three different columns: definitely into, curious about, and hell no. He also googled what La Tanière meant: the den, the lair. It was sultry and provocative and had Charlie squirming in his seat when he remembered how it had rolled effortlessly off of Nick’s tongue.

He continued down his kinky rabbit hole until it was nearing midnight and he considered calling it a night. However, his phone pinged with a message. Unlocking his phone, Charlie almost dropped it when he read what it said: Hi Charlie! This is Nick, I hope you don’t mind that Tara gave me your number? I just wanted to say thank you for meeting with me tonight and please let me know if you have any questions at all!

Quickly saving the number in his contacts, Charlie replied after only a few moments of typing and deleting potential versions of his response.

Charlie: thank YOU, nick! i really appreciate you taking the time to chat with me about everything. it was honestly a very eye-opening experience… i think i have my list ready for next time we meet

Nick: Already?! Eager one, aren’t you ;) 

Charlie’s face flushed and he only had a few moments of internal panic before another message came through.

Nick: Are you free tomorrow? We could meet again and go over our lists together. Maybe have a mini play session to test things out?

Charlie: now who’s the eager one? ;) that sounds great! 

A few minutes passed without a response and Charlie assumed their conversation was over. He got up to use the restroom and brush his teeth, getting ready to turn in for the night. When he got back into his bed, lights off save for the yellow glow of his MUSIC neon sign, he saw another message waiting for him on his phone.

Nick: I’m looking forward to it. And thank you for opening up to me today about your past and current struggles. I truly do hope this experience is a positive one for you. If there is anything you ever need from me, please do not hesitate to ask. x

Charlie fell asleep with a smile on his face for the first time in a while. 

Chapter Text

Tao had a sour expression permanently affixed to his face as Charlie sat down across from him and Elle at the coffee shop. The coffee there was shit, but it was right next door to the bookstore Charlie and Isaac worked at. 

“What’s got you so grumpy this morning?” Charlie stirred his tea, making sure it was properly mixed with a splash of milk. 

Elle spoke for Tao, “He’s on another one of his protective rampages. Sorry, Charlie; Darcy spilled the beans about your visit to a BDSM club.”

“What do you think you are doing there, Charles?” Tao pressed both hands hard into the table. “That is not the kind of establishment that is appropriate for you.”

With a flush face and furrowed brows, Charlie quipped back, “It’s none of your business, Tao. But if you must know, it was all quite professional.”

“Professional?! How is fucking in some dingy backroom professional? Exactly how sticky were the floors?”

Elle rolled her eyes and put a hand on her boyfriend’s shoulder, instantly lessening the tension between them. “Tao, stop. Tara and Darce both vouched for the place. Apparently Tara went to primary school with the owner and they’ve stayed good friends over the years.”

“Seriously, you need to take a chill pill. There was no sex to be had there. Nick is so professional and kind, he was a huge help. I was just curious about the scene and wanted to learn about it from someone who’s actually involved rather than just letting Google lead me wrong.”

Tao’s eyes narrowed again and he pointed a slim finger at Charlie from across the table, his cup of coffee untouched. “You don’t need any information. I forbid you from seeing this Nick fellow, he’s surely nothing but a bad influence.”

“Tao. You’ve literally never sounded more like my mum.” Charlie’s deadpan tone hung in the air momentarily while his best friend’s scowl left his face.

“... Sorry Charlie, you have every right to make your own horrible decisions.” Charlie couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the other man’s words. “I just worry. And I don’t like to think about you having dangerous sex.”

“I’d prefer if you didn’t think about me having sex at all.” Charlie sipped his tea, wincing slightly from how hot it still was. “And BDSM isn’t necessarily dangerous. In fact, there’s literally so much emphasis on making it safe and consensual for everyone involved.”

Elle tucked a stray box braid behind her ear and leaned in across the table toward Charlie. “Ignore him, he’s woefully vanilla.” Tao put a hand to his chest with a gasp in mock offense. Elle pressed on, “How was it? Does it seem like something you might be interested in?”

After a pause between them, Elle added, “Only if you’re comfortable talking about it, of course.”

Charlie smiled at her and squeezed her hand that was laying on the café table. “It was actually really interesting. Nick answered all my questions and was super sweet and showed me around his club.”

“That’s the second time you’ve mentioned Nick… anything we should know?” Elle had the same wicked smile Darcy got when meddling with Charlie’s love life.

The slim man considered ignoring Elle and her nosy questions, but the flush on his face gave it away anyway. Elle squealed, clapping her hands together, and Tao just scowled into his coffee mug once more.

“He was just super nice! And helpful… and fit.” Charlie couldn’t bring himself to look either of his friends in the eye. “I may have asked him to help me try… a few things.”

“Yes, Charlie! Get in!” The woman’s loud voice made Charlie blush a deeper red and glance around to make sure no one was staring at them. “That’s so great, when are you guys meeting up to try these things you speak of?”

“I want it on the record that I object to this conversation.”

Ignoring Tao, Charlie answered Elle’s question, “We’re meeting tonight to talk about what we’re interested in.”

Elle simply smiles warmly at him and sips at her tea. Tao directs the conversation to the film he was keen on watching at the moment, and Charlie had never been more grateful for his ramblings and unhealthy obsession with obscure independent films. 

He was definitely excited to see Nick again. Making the list for Nick last night just made him more eager to begin. He was surprised (and quite impressed) by himself; the amount of kinks he was okay with and curious about was far more than he ever thought himself to be capable of. Granted, he still had a decent amount of things that he absolutely never wanted to try, but he hoped that was normal. He also hoped Nick wouldn’t be disappointed by anything left off of his list.

Imogen wasn’t in the reception area when Charlie entered, which he was slightly appreciative for. She seems like a wonderful person and he would love to chat with her, but his nerves couldn’t quite handle small-talk at the moment. 

He let himself into Nick’s office, something the ginger-haired man had told him to do when he arrived. Charlie was met with that wonderful smile that had been plaguing his mind since last night. Nick was sporting a deep inky-blue button up, the first few buttons undone, and casual trousers tight around his muscular thighs. It took a lot of focus for Charlie not to stare at those thighs.

“Hey there! Great to see you again so soon.” Nick’s voice was calm, clearly not as nervous as Charlie was.

“You too, Nick.” Charlie smiled, happy to stare at Nick’s face instead. “How was your day?”

Great, now Charlie was the one encouraging small talk! Although the response he received from Nick was well worth the slight delay to the evening.

“It was really great actually, work goes by quickly when you know that you have a cute boy coming to your office later.” Nick had the gall to wink at him with that fucking smirk.

Instead of feeling embarrassed or flustered, like how he usually responded to compliments, all Charlie felt was giddy and maybe a bit shy. He fucking giggled, ducking his head and gnawing on his lower lip trying to tamp down the grin that was trying to break free.

Nick’s eyes crinkled around the corners while he smiled back at him. He opened up a desk drawer and pulled out a notebook, not all that different from the one Charlie was currently clutching to his chest. The taller man rounded his desk and gestured for Charlie to take a seat on the rust-colored corduroy sofa that was in his office. He sat next to the brunette, their legs almost close enough to touch. 

“I think it’ll help to go over our lists together first before we talk about limits and rules. Does that sound okay with you?” Charlie nodded, so Nick added, “Should we go over my notes first, or yours?”

Even though Charlie was eager to see what sorts of things Nick was into, he was also a bit scared. What if he was only into the kinks that Charlie found unsettling? What if Charlie’s list was too vanilla for him?

“Can we start with mine?” His voice was small, but steady. Nick’s presence and unrelenting patience was very much appreciated by Charlie.

“Absolutely!”

Charlie opened the small notebook, choosing to flip to the page with his definitely into list. He didn’t say any of them out loud, just handed it over to Nick to look over. With an intense look on his face, the auburn-haired man read each line carefully.

There were things he saw last night that definitely made the list: bondage, praise, dirty talk, spanking/flogging, roleplay. Gagging, cross dressing, breath play, and orgasm control were some of the things he was curious about but not sure he’d really be into. He was careful to be explicit about his hard limits: piss play, blood play, certain roleplay such as incest or non-consensual situations, and anything that made him feel humiliated/degraded.

“Thank you for doing this, Charlie,” Nick spoke up, meeting Charlie’s hesitant gaze, “Seriously, I know how scary it is to share this sort of stuff with someone - even to explore your preferences with yourself can be overwhelming.” Charlie nodded and fiddled with a ring on his thumb. “Would you like to look over mine now?”

Charlie nodded again, heart in his throat and unable to find the air to speak. Nick’s list was… long. And much more in-depth than the curly-haired lad’s. 

“Shit, Nick… I’m going to need you to walk me through some of these.” Charlie thumbed to the next page before returning to the first page. Nick pressed his lips together, trying to hide his smile. “What’s ‘feminization’?”

“Well you have part of that in your ‘soft-limits’ - cross dressing can be one manifestation of it, but it can also be saying things to feminize that person.”

Charlie was still confused. “Like, calling me a girl?”

“Well, it would be more like,” Nick leaned in so he could whisper in Charlie’s ear, “Look how pretty you are, princess.” He leaned away. “Or even referring to your ass as your pussy, or chest as your tits.”

While Nick had said all this fairly casually, Charlie could see the flush on his face. Charlie wasn’t much better off, feeling suddenly too warm under his flannel. 

“Oh,” Charlie swallowed hard, “Yeah, we can add that to my list.” Nick’s smile was broad. “What does ‘spitting’ mean? Like actual spitting?”

Nick’s smile fell a bit and he looked away slightly, making Charlie regret his judgmental tone. “It’s- yeah… We don’t have to do everything on my list, obviously.”

“I’d be willing to try, but I don’t- I can’t guarantee I’ll be into it.” Charlie took his notebook from Nick’s hands and wrote it under his curious about list.

Nick looked a bit nervous when he met the shorter man’s eyes. “Charlie, please don’t feel like you need to try things you’re not interested in just for my sake.”

“I’m not, I swear. I just didn’t really know that was a thing.” Nick didn’t look convinced. “I promise that I’ll add it to my hell no list if I end up hating it.” Charlie stuck out his pinky finger and Nick stared at it with that lovely warm smile of his. 

“Deal.” He curled his own pinky around Charlie’s and they spent far too long staring at each other, pinkies locked and sporting matching dopey grins. 

Turning back to Nick’s notebook, his eyes scanned over his ‘hard limits’. All of Charlie’s own hard limits were mirrored there, along with a handful of other ones he didn’t know what they had meant. It was a huge relief to him to know that Nick wasn’t interested in those.

They chatted for a bit longer about some of the terms on Nick’s lists. For the most part, everything on his list of interests sounded at least somewhat appealing to Charlie, landing a spot on Charlie’s curious about or definitely into lists. There were only a few that Charlie asked to move to their hard limits. 

Their conversation diverged into more casual topics, telling each other stories about their friends, how close they were to their families, what book they were currently obsessed with. It was when Nick’s notebook fell to the floor that they realized they had been ignoring the reason for their meeting for the past half hour. 

“So, we should probably talk a bit about how we’d like to operate as a dom/sub pair, huh?” Nick’s voice turned slightly more professional, making Charlie frown a bit. He didn’t want this to be some obligation or business interaction. He hoped Nick was able to get as much enjoyment out of their arrangement as Charlie would. 

Nick continued without waiting for Charlie’s response, “I think we should have a color system; it is a pretty common way for people to communicate clearly to their partner or partners during play. Does that sound like something you’d be okay with?”

Charlie nodded, having read a bit about color consenting the night prior. “That sounds good to me; green for go, yellow for slow down, and red for stop?”

“Exactly,” Nick flashed him a smile that Charlie was convinced was his favorite thing on earth. “Did you have a safe word in mind that you would like to use? It should be something short, simple, and easy to remember.”

With a flush, Charlie shook his head. “I couldn’t think of anything that didn’t sound silly.”

“It’s okay if it sounds silly! Sometimes that helps to get the other person’s attention.” Nick paused, giving Charlie a chance to offer up a word. When he didn’t, Nick spoke up again, “How about we just use ‘red’? It’s already part of our color system, so it should be pretty easy to remember.”

Charlie let out a breath and smiled at the auburn-haired man. “That sounds great.”

“Perfect. Whenever we’re doing anything together, I may pause and ask for your color. I just want to make sure we are both on the same page, especially when trying something new. But Charlie,” Nick paused and made sure that the shorter man was facing him fully from his seat on the sofa, “If at any point you need to slow down or stop, please, please tell me your color, even if I haven’t asked for it. And if you are ever unable to speak, tap me three times anywhere you can reach me, or tap whatever is around if I’m too far away. Does that sound okay?”

Charlie nodded, mildly overwhelmed at the intense, serious look on Nick’s face. When Charlie didn’t say anything, Nick tucked a finger under the man’s chin and lifted it slightly. “Verbal consent when you can, yeah?”

“Yes, Nick.” Even Charlie was a bit taken back by the breathy nature of his voice.

“That reminds me, did you have any preference for what you want to call me during play?” Nick’s fingers had migrated to the side of Charlie’s jaw, thumb mindlessly grazing against his cheek. 

With a hard swallow, Charlie said, “I- I don’t know… What do you prefer? I want it to be something you enjoy too.”

“I like when you say my name,” Nick’s gaze lowered to Charlie’s parted lips, “Unless you prefer something more… authoritative.” His hand dropped, but their faces remained close. “We could always try a few out and see what feels right?”

Maybe Nick hadn’t meant trying out different titles right now , but Charlie didn’t pause before trying a few that he had read online: “Sir…”

Nick’s lips tilted up slightly, amused.

“... Master…”

Nick’s nose scrunched up a bit, but his smile grew a bit more. 

“... Daddy…”

An eyeroll let Charlie know that wasn’t quite right either.

“... Nick…”

The teasing quality to Charlie’s tone was unintentional, but Nick’s response was to pull the smaller man onto his lap so that they were facing each other. Charlie let out a surprised yelp, giggling out an airy, “Nicky!”

His gasp was swallowed by Nick’s plump mouth, lips velvety smooth and firm against Charlie’s own. Nick broke away almost as suddenly as he had started. “Is this okay? Do you want to play a bit?”

Charlie was already nodding before Nick had finished his question. Remembering Nick’s request for verbal consent, he quickly added, “Yes, yes I want that.”

Nick’s mouth was on his again, absolutely devouring the taste on Charlie’s lips. One hand creeped up the front of Charlie’s chest over his shirt, stopping to rest around the base of his throat; his other hand was buried deep in Charlie’s soft curls, tugging at the locks while pressing his face forward at the same time. 

The moan that seeped out of Charlie’s mouth was automatic. It was almost overwhelming - the pressure against his throat, the tug against his scalp, the feel of Nick’s muscular thighs between his own. 

Without warning, Nick was standing and Charlie was gently pushed back into his sitting position on the sofa. Nick stood above him, intimidating in the best way. 

“Grab one of those throw pillows and put it on the floor in front of me.” Nick’s voice was not a suggestion. It was a command.

Charlie scrambled to do what he was told, a thrill of excitement running up his spine. He had just placed the pillow down in front of Nick when the honey-eyed man spoke again, “Now kneel, get comfortable.”

Again, Charlie obeyed without pause. He felt like a spring wound tight, like he would explode into a million pieces at any moment. Knees pressed into the cushion he had just laid down, his eyes did not leave Nick’s face. 

“Good job, baby.” Nick ran a hand through the other man’s curls, Charlie shamelessly leaning into the touch with his eyes fluttering slightly. Charlie felt his breathing go shallow and his head turn a bit fuzzy.

“Listen closely, love. I’m going to go do some work at my desk, but you are going to stay still until I’m done. Does that sound okay?”

Even though Nick’s gravelly voice posed a question, it was clearly more of an order. “Yes, Nick.”

Before Nick walked away, he stepped closer so that he could press Charlie’s head against his firm abdomen. “You look so lovely, Charlie, on your knees for me.” After a moment of Nick’s eyes roaming over Charlie’s face and settling on his blue, glassy eyes, he spoke again, “Color?”

It took a moment for Charlie to understand what Nick was asking. “Green,” he breathed out, “Very green.”

Nick’s smile was sunshine as he stroked a hand through the smaller man’s hair once more, “Good boy.”

It had been about an hour since Nick had spoken to Charlie. While his knees were aching and his muscles burning from being still in the same position for so long, his mind was blissfully empty, focused only on the task at hand: stay still for Nick. 

When Nick stood up from behind his desk, he grabbed his water bottle and brought it over to where Charlie was kneeling on the floor. Charlie watched as Nick brought it to his lips and drank before setting it against Charlie’s own lips, tipping it slowly so that the curly-haired man didn’t spill as he sipped. 

Nick squatted down so that he and Charlie were face-to-face. With a hand caressing Charlie’s cheek, Nick finally spoke, “Thank you for waiting for me, Charlie, you did so well.” He wrapped his arms under Charlie’s and lifted him into a standing position. However, Charlie’s knees felt too wobbly to stand on his own and he ended up slumping into Nick’s strong arms. 

Nick maneuvered Charlie back onto the sofa, laying him down before laying next to him. Charlie was crowded against the back cushion, Nick manhandling him into a tight squeeze. “So good, Char, thank you for being so patient while I finished my work. Perfect Charlie, my sweet boy. Can you tell me your color, love?”

It took Charlie a moment, still basking in the warmth of Nick’s embrace and words. “Green.”

“Thank you, baby, so proud of you. You were wonderful, Char.”

Charlie reveled in the feeling of release, of having control taken away and given back, of the comfort and praise Nick provided afterwards. While the ache in his knees and back would follow him back to his flat that night, so would the warm caress of Nick’s words and tight security of his arms.

“But have you two boinked yet?”

Almost choking on the sip of tea in his mouth, Charlie snapped his head over to his friend and coworker. He whisper-yelled to the other man, “Isaac. There’s a kid two aisles over! Keep your voice down… and who the fuck says ‘boink’?”

It was almost a week since Charlie had taken his first steps into the club Tara had recommended, and he and Nick have met up almost every day since. So far each day was the same: Charlie goes to Nick’s office, harmless banter ensues, Nick has Charlie kneel for him (sometimes across the room, sometimes next to his office chair) as he works on his computer, Nick ends their time together by cuddling him into the sofa in his office. It’s been nice - soothing. But Charlie is also a bit confused. 

They had kissed their second time meeting, but Nick hasn’t made any move to take things further yet. Sure, he often pressed soft kisses to Charlie’s forehead while cuddled up on the couch, lips lingering each time. But it was a far cry from what Charlie so desperately desired.

“I don’t know if that’s the relationship he wants.” Charlie confessed, busying himself with restocking the romance novel shelf that always seemed to sell out quickly. 

Isaac paused to ring up an older woman carrying a small stack of french literature. When the bell chimed as she left the front door, the short-haired brunette leaned over the checkout counter and shot Charlie a deadpan look. “You two have literally talked about how you want him to fuck you. I think it’s obvious that’s where the relationship is heading.”

A burning blush washed over Charlie’s ears, cheeks pinking alongside them. “But he might have changed his mind? There’s only been one time where things felt overtly sexual and that was back when we first started.” Honestly, it was starting to worry Charlie that Nick hadn’t suggested taking things further. What if he no longer saw Charlie as someone he wanted to be sexual with? Is it possible to be friend-zoned by your dom?

Isaac gave a noncommittal hum and they fell into comfortable silence for a while, nothing but the quiet shuffle of a few customers near the back of the store and the gentle music from the overhead speakers. After depositing the last book that would fit on the shelf, Charlie picked up the rest of the inventory to bring back to the stockroom. Isaac caught his eye on his way by.

“Just talk to him. Clearly he just wants to make sure he’s addressing your needs, you just have to let him know exactly what those needs really are."

“Grab your pillow, I want you by my desk today.” 

Upon entering Nick’s office, Charlie was fully prepared to ask the ginger-haired man about taking things to the next level. But his conviction quickly dissolved into a soupy puddle of nerves when his eyes fell on the handsome lad. He was sporting a tight white tank top and dark joggers, clearly not the usual business-casual attire he normally wore at work. 

Nick had explained that he had to come straight from the gym today to help sort out some electrical issues, and didn’t have time to swing home to change. La Tanière was closed to the public Sundays to Wednesdays anyway, so he didn’t necessarily need to look professional for any patrons.

It really wouldn’t have been that bad, but Nick’s hair was still a bit damp from the shower he took at the gym and his biceps were right there, out for anybody (i.e. Charlie) to gawk at. Charlie knew Nick had a fit physique but it was a whole new challenge to focus when those arms and pecs weren’t hiding under a button up. 

They had chatted for a bit, Charlie trying desperately to not give away how affected he was. After a while, Nick asked if they were ready to play and the curls on Charlie’s head were bouncing with a nod before the question was even finished.

So that’s how Charlie ended up kneeling next to Nick, who was sitting at his desk and calling one of the vendors for the bar downstairs. It was about ten minutes into him kneeling with his hands folded behind his back. 

Normally, his mind would be all floaty and warm as he tuned out everything and focused on following Nick’s simple instructions to stay still, but his mind was clear and sharp, acutely aware of the deep rumble of Nick’s voice talking into the phone.

“When do you think that’ll be back in stock? I think we have a few left in inventory, but we’d definitely like to order more before next month.”

Charlie didn’t like this. He was the one Nick was supposed to be paying attention to. He was knelt right next to him for fuck’s sake, willing and at his disposal to use his body as he wished.

With an audible huff, Charlie unfolded his hands from behind his back and eyed Nick’s sweatpant-adorned thighs that were resting at his eye-level. Charlie wanted to be crushed by those thighs. He wanted to sit on top of them, feel the muscle tensing under him. He wanted to claw at them as Nick fucked into his throat over and over and over. 

A mischievous glint in his eye, Charlie’s hand reached up to toy with the soft fabric by Nick’s knee. Still talking on the phone, Nick merely glanced down once and brought his free hand to rest in Charlie’s curly locks. The tug on his hair that Charlie was expecting -- hoping to feel, never came. Nick’s eyes fixed back onto his emails, now asking the vendor about some rum brand that they had been out of for some time. 

Charlie didn’t want to be bad , but he also sort of did. He wanted Nick to see him being naughty and punish him. So he firmly spun Nick’s office chair around, so that they were now facing each other. 

Surprise landed on Nick’s face, but his honeyed eyes quickly narrowed down on the man who was kneeling in front of him. 

Yes, look at me. Play with me. Charlie thought as he slid his hands up those firm thighs he had been fantasizing about moments earlier. Before he could reach too far, Nick’s own hand stopped them and squeezed them firmly, a clear order: stop.

But Charlie didn’t want to stop. He never wanted to stop. Instead, he stood and sat himself in Nick’s lap, straddling the larger man. He briefly worried Nick would push him off, but Nick’s arm wrapped around his waist and Charlie fell forward so his head was near Nick’s neck.

The phone call was coming to an end and Charlie was wickedly pleased to hear the slight hitch in Nick’s voice as he tried to wrap things up quickly so that he could hang up. Using his position as an advantage, Charlie pressed his hips down onto Nick’s lap, subtly rocking back and forth. His lips made purchase on the pale expanse of Nick’s neck, licking and kissing softly, but also nipping at the reddening skin in order to tell Nick to hurry up.

Finally the call ended and the moment it did, Nick gripped the soft locks at the back of Charlie’s neck and pulled him away so he could see his face.

“That wasn’t very good of you, baby.” His words were rough, deeper than usual. “I thought I told you to stay still. Instead, you just helped yourself to whatever you wanted, didn’t you?”

Charlie was breathing heavily, reveling in the pressure on his scalp from Nick’s hand pulling at his hair. He whined softly and rocked back against Nick’s lap and felt Nick’s arousal matching his own.

“Answer my question, Charlie. Did you disobey so you could take what you wanted instead?”

A gasping breath escaped his dark pink lips as Nick crushed Charlie fully against him, holding him in place with an iron-grip. “Yeah, I did. I wanted it so bad.”

Nick’s face was unreadable as he studied Charlie’s face. The smaller man tried to squirm on Nick’s lap again, desperate for some sort of friction, but Nick held firm with constant pressure to both of their hardened members. 

Charlie couldn’t take it. He needed more . But Nick’s steadfast grip was unyielding. “Nicky,” Charlie whined, not caring how desperate he sounded, “Please, I need it.”

Next thing he knew, Nick had hoisted Charlie up with one arm as he stood, the other pushing a few documents and office supplies off his desk. Nick pressed Charlie’s back into the cool wood of the desk, laying him out before him.

Moans broke the silence as Nick stood between Charlie’s legs that were dangling off the side of the desk and pressed their fronts together, both rutting against each other. 

“Such a naughty little thing,” Nick panted against the smaller man’s lips, “I should teach you a lesson for that, don’t you agree princess?”

A gasp escaped Charlie’s lips with a particularly well aimed thrust of Nick’s hips as they frotted together. “Yes, Nick. Please, do something.” His mind was starting to feel floaty and warm again, and Charlie basked in its glow.

With a growl, Nick flipped Charlie onto his stomach in one fluid motion. His body trapped Charlie against the desk, causing the brunette to gasp at the feeling. “Brat,” Nick purred in his ear before pulling back to grab at the waistband of Charlie’s leggings, “Color?”

Charlie’s eyes were squeezed close and his breathing was labored as he waited in anticipation for Nick to finally get his hands on him.

“Charlie, what’s your color?” Nick asked again, softer, grip on Charlie loosening.

Finally registering Nick’s words, Charlie quickly said, “Green, so green.” He felt distant and close at the same time, not sure which feeling to chase.

Nick slid Charlie’s leggings and underwear down at the same time, placing a soft kiss to Charlie’s neck while he muttered, “Good girl.” 

Charlie moaned at the feeling of Nick’s warm, rough hands palming his bare ass. He took a moment to gasp out, “Not girl.”

“Sorry baby, my good boy.” Nick didn’t sound disappointed, but Charlie still felt a nagging feeling in his head.

“Noooo,” he whined, not sure what he was really even asking for, “Nick.” His name was a plea.

Nick paused, but continued squeezing and kneading at Charlie’s rear and lower back. “Princess?”

The smaller man hummed in approval, mind finally calming at the name. He risked a glance at Nick’s face; the ginger-haired man was smiling down at him, eyes both hooded with lust but also soft, almost sleepy looking.

“My sweet princess. I’m going to give you your punishment now, okay? We’ll start small since this is the first time. I’ll spank you five times with my hand. After each one, I want you to count aloud. Also, since we’re still working on colors, I want you to say your color after each as well. Understood?”

Body trembling in anticipation, Charlie quickly said, “Yes, Nick… thank you, Nick.”

“Sweet thing,” Nick cooed before shifting back slightly, “What did I do to deserve you?”

Charlie wasn’t sure if he was expected to respond to that, but he quickly got his answer when the first sting of Nick’s palm made contact with his left cheek. Body rocking forward, it took all his mental capacity to gasp out, “O-one. Green.”

The second one fell on his right cheek, the sting sizzling its way across Charlie’s body and fizzling out in the clouds of his mind. “Two. Green.”

After another smack to his left cheek, which still smarted from the first one, Nick took a second to smooth his hand over the heated flesh. “Three.” Charlie moaned out, “Green.”

“Such a brat. My brat. Sweet little minx.” Nick was muttering (more to himself than to Charlie). He landed another slap to Charlie’s left cheek, who cried out a little, having expected it on the right side.

“F-four. Green.” Charlie could feel wetness against his stomach, no doubt his cock leaking at Nick’s actions. 

The last spank was harsher than the others, but a pair of lips pressed into the red skin immediately after. Nick took his time kissing the warm flesh and up the back of Charlie’s spine as Charlie breathed out the last, “Five… green.”

“So proud of you, baby. You did so well, being so good for me.” Nick’s voice was low, kissing along his shoulder blade before standing fully and gently turning Charlie back over. He gently stripped Charlie’s shirt off, along with the pants that were pooled around his ankles, leaving the slim lad completely nude. 

Gathering Charlie into his arms, Nick picked him up again and walked them over to the couch Charlie was already oh-so familiar with. The larger man sat with Charlie straddling his lap, pulling back slightly so that he could strip out of his tank top. 

Charlie had almost forgotten about his throbbing erection, but Nick clearly hadn’t. A soft moan slipped past the brunette’s lips as Nick’s hand worked him over, grip firm and practiced. It didn’t take long for Charlie to slip over the edge, cum spilling onto Nick’s fingers with a high pitched sigh. 

While he wasn’t fully coherent, mind still floating away from him in the most wonderful way, Charlie brought Nick’s hand to his face and sucked them clean, missing the heady look Nick was giving him. 

“You’re perfect, Char,” Nick muttered, folding the smaller man against his chest. They were skin to skin and it made Charlie’s body thrum with content. “So perfect for me, princess.”

Charlie was vaguely aware of Nick cuddling against him, moving them so Charlie was pressed tightly between him and the back of the sofa. His eyes felt heavy and he wasn’t really registering what he was seeing anyway, so he let them fall close. It wasn’t quite sleep, but his mind was blissfully empty, focusing only on the tight arms holding him together and the warm fingers tracing patterns on his back. 

He wasn’t sure how long they were laying there, but he slowly became more aware of everything around him, including a soft voice pulling him back. “Charlie, babe. You’re doing so well, love. How’re we feeling?”

Burying his face further against Nick’s neck, Charlie hummed in response. He knew it was probably time for him to get home, but he couldn’t quite pry himself away from his current position. 

Nick’s body shook lightly as he chuckled at Charlie’s response. “It’s alright, Char, we can stay here as long as you need. But I’d like to hear your voice; how’re you doing?”

It took a few moments, but Charlie finally got his mouth to open enough to say something. “... ‘m good. Feels really nice.” 

“I’m glad. I hope that was all okay with you? I should’ve asked before getting you off like that….” Nick’s voice was unsure and guilty, making Charlie frown and pull back slightly to look at Nick’s face.

“Nick… I’ve wanted that for the past week. If anything, I’m sorry I couldn’t return the favor….” He stared directly into those soft brown eyes and winked, smirk dancing on his red-bitten lips.

The other man’s response was to pinch Charlie’s hip. “You cheeky thing… I was trying to ease you into things. But now that I know you’re ready for that, you will have ample opportunity to return the favor.”

They stayed like that for a bit longer, switching between gentle banter and comfortable silence. Eventually Nick sat up, Charlie immediately shivering at the lack of warmth.

“Let me see your bum,” Nick said, walking to a shelf and grabbing a bottle of lotion. 

Not quite sure where this was going, Charlie shyly stood from the sofa and covered his soft cock with his hands. It’s not like Nick hasn’t gotten acquainted with that particular part of him already, but still….

Nick sat back on the couch and pulled Charlie down so that he was laid across his sweatpant-clad lap, ass up in the air. The squeak that escaped Charlie’s lips was wholly uncalled for.

They were silent as Nick gently rubbed the cool lotion onto the burning skin of Charlie’s bum, taking extra care to soothe the skin that had been reddened by his hand. Unlike before, this silence was anything but comfortable. Tension cloaked the air so thick that Charlie had to resort to breathing heavily from his mouth. Nick seemed even more affected; Charlie could feel the larger man’s cock twitching from under him. 

When Nick’s hands finally stilled, Charlie wordlessly slipped out of his lap and onto the ground, once again kneeling in front of the muscular lad. When Charlie’s hand crept their way up his thighs, Nick made no move to stop him this time. 

A sharp exhale left Nick’s lips as Charlie palmed him through his sweatpants. Charlie paused, holding Nick’s heady gaze. “This okay?”

Both of Nick’s hands ran through Charlie’s curls as he breathed out, “Absolutely, princess. Take what you want."

Charlie didn’t need any more convincing; he pulled down Nick’s pants and underwear enough so that he could get his hands on the man’s pulsing erection. His cock was nothing short of mouthwatering to Charlie - thick and long and hot in his hand. 

They continued to stare into each other's eyes as Charlie tightened his hand around Nick’s cock, thumbing at the underside of the head in a way that made Nick’s hips twitch. Charlie’s blue eyes never left Nick’s as he leaned forward and sucked at the tip.

Throwing his head back, Nick’s hands tangled though the brunette’s curls, pulling lightly. His shuddering breath was enough to encourage the smaller man to keep going, sucking Nick further into his mouth. 

After a few minutes of alternating between sucking, licking, and swallowing Nick’s length down his throat, Charlie was pleased with the whining mess that Nick had turned into.

“Fuck, Charlie. So good. Baby your mouth is heaven.” Nick’s hands had yet to leave Charlie’s hair. “So close, can I fuck your mouth, angel?”

Charlie couldn’t nod fast enough as he got into position, opening wide and relaxing his throat the best he could. Nick used his hands to guide Charlie’s mouth down onto his dick, hips thrusting to match their movements. 

“Shit --  making me feel so good, darling. Letting me fuck your pretty little mouth.” Charlie’s cock had been growing increasingly hard since the feeling of Nick lotioning up his ass. The taste of Nick on his tongue, the desperate noises spilling from his lips, and the mouth that seemed to non stop praise him made it impossible to ignore his own arousal any longer.

Charlie fisted a hand around his leaking cock, tugging swiftly as Nick used his mouth. Tears were welling in his eyes at the effort to not gag. When he glanced up at Nick, Charlie’s eyes were red and glossy, making the icy blue of his irises even more stunning. Nick’s eyes furrowed and he cursed, holding Charlie’s head still as he shot into his mouth.

Taking the opportunity to extend Nick’s orgasm, Charlie swallowed around Nick’s length, throat fluttering and tightening around his sensitive head. 

“Charlie,” Nick moaned loudly, finally pulling him off his cock as he was completely spent, “You’re going to fucking kill me with that mouth of yours.”

They were both panting, Charlie still tugging at himself, almost reaching his climax.

Nick noticed and hauled the slim man off the floor and back onto his lap - Charlie was starting to think of it as his favorite place in the world to be. “Keep going, baby. Play with yourself for me.”

The intensity of their eye contact was almost too much for Charlie, but he was determined to show Nick that he could listen and be good… when he wanted to. He was almost over the edge when Nick said, “Now slow down, love. Don’t come until I let you.”

Charlie whined, but did as he was told. Slowing to a snail’s pace, he loosened up his grip on himself and let himself fall further away from his impending orgasm.

“Good. So good for me,” Nick’s voice was a taunt and a salve, “Now suck, get them nice and wet.” His fingers were pressed against Charlie’s plump lips and he eagerly sucked them in, swirling his tongue around them until they were coated in his spit.

Nick pulled them out, making Charlie whine at the loss. He was still stroking himself, a bit faster now that he wasn’t right on the edge of orgasm. Nick reached his spit-soaked fingers around Charlie’s back and onto his hole.

Charlie jolted at the feeling, eyes rolling slightly as Nick stroked the sensitive skin of his rim. “F-fuck, Nick, feels nice.”

Nick’s plush lips captured Charlie’s own in a heated kiss before pulling back to just stare at him. “You like that? Me playing with your hole?”

Charlie’s body was shuddering at the feeling and he hissed out, “Yessss. Feels so good, Nicky….”

“I want you to come for me like this, you playing with yourself while I play with your tight, wet pussy.” Nick’s voice was steady, but it was low and playful. 

Feeling his body seize, Charlie alternated between fucking up into his fist and down onto Nick’s fingers flicking across his rim, pressing but not entering. His orgasm tore through him and he spilt between them, most of it collecting on his own fingers, but some dripping onto Nick’s bare abs. 

Nick’s hand covered Charlie’s own, stroking him though the waves of pleasure while his other hand continued its work at Charlie’s hole. Becoming more and more sensitive with each stroke of his cock, with each circle of Nick’s fingers, Charlie whined and writhed on Nick’s lap.

“You can do it doll, ten more seconds,” Nick purred, biting his lip as Charlie shook with pain and pleasure, “Feels good?”

It hurt, he was overstimulated and couldn’t inch away, but at the same time it was like his orgasm was never-ending. “Yeah,” Charlie gasped, “It’s so much, Nick.”

Sensing the pain was starting to overtake the pleasure, Nick slowly came to a stop and pulled Charlie into a gentle kiss. “You’re amazing, Charlie. My sweet angel.”

Charlie couldn’t do much more than nod, exhausted but so, so satiated. “Yours.”

Chapter Text

“-and he has a dog named Nellie who is the cutest thing on the planet. He taught her to play dead when he shoots her with finger guns, he showed me a video of it --  it’s hilarious. And he also showed me a photo of him when he was a teen; he was a proper rugby lad! Tiny shorts and everything. Oh, and he also-”

“Charlie, if I have to hear one more fun fact about Nick Nelson, I’m going to pour my tea on my own head in the hopes that I get third degree burns so I can leave this conversation.” Tao lifted his mug up in warning.

Charlie cut a glare in his “friend’s” direction. “Eat glass.”

“Besides,” Charlie continued, “I believe it was you who asked me how things were going with him, Tao. You can’t ask a question and be annoyed when you get an answer.”

A scoff left Tao’s mouth. “You passed ‘answer’ and dived into ‘TMI’ territory twenty minutes ago.”

Isaac snorted from where he sat with his book.

Folding his arms across his chest with a scowl, Charlie slumped back into his bed/couch. They were wrapping up their weekly film night, Charlie having been the host for this one. Elle wasn’t able to make it and Tara and Darcy had left after the first movie ended. Now that their second film was over, the three men were left chatting with a mostly empty box of pizza in front of them. 

“I think it’s sweet, Charlie,” Isaac cut in, “Although I agree with Tao that you’ve barely taken a breath since you started on about your boyfriend-to-be.”

The curly-haired man flushed fiercely, but didn’t respond to his friend’s jest. He liked Nick. He really liked Nick. Not only was their chemistry together off the charts, but he was a genuinely great guy who was kind and understanding and fun to be around.

But it had been three days since he and Nick last spoke, and a few days even longer since they had last seen each other in person. 

Honestly, he was quite worried that he had scarred Nick off somehow. Maybe he pushed Nick too much last time? Maybe he preferred his subs to be perfectly obedient, and not tease like Charlie did. 

But maybe that was a problem in itself. Charlie liked pushing Nick’s buttons. He liked teasing Nick and getting a rise out of him. He just wasn’t sure if that’s what Nick wanted. 

After Charlie had gone home that last time, Nick continued texting him and checking in with him throughout the evening, making sure he felt alright and telling Charlie how wonderful he was. It was slightly overwhelming, but in the best way.

Then the next day came and they exchanged a few brief messages -- Charlie having been busy with a double shift at the bookstore. The day after, Nick had said he was going out of town to visit his mum; Charlie had refrained from messaging him, not wanting to interrupt their family time. The radio silence since then had been disheartening to say the least.

Darcy had caught on to Charlie’s solemn mood early on in the night and pumped him full of vodka-crans before they and Tara left. That left Charlie where he was now: just on the right side of buzzed and hopelessly pining after a man that hasn’t texted him in days.

“Fine, sorry, I’ll shut up about him.” Charlie sighs and tries to pay attention to Tao’s verbal dissertation on The Killing of a Sacred Deer as the screen stays paused on the end of the credits.

A while later, after Tao and Isaac had bid their goodbyes for the night, Charlie was a few more drinks in and dangerously teetering off the edge of tipsy and into the surreal embrace of drunkeness. His bed was nothing more than a nest of blankets and pillows, and he felt oh so soft and cozy in that moment.

Pulling out his phone, he did something his completely sober self wouldn’t have dared to: message Nick just after midnight.

Charlie: nickkyyyy

Charlie: you up?

Charlie: i miss youuu so so much xxx

It took a few minutes, but just as Charlie was about to give up hope and fall asleep, his phone buzzed with a response.

Nick: Hey, lovely :) I’ve missed you too. How are you? x

Charlie: horny ;)

Nick: CHARLIE SPRING. You cheeky little…

Nick: Maybe I could help you with that… (if you’re comfortable that is)

Charlie: YES

Nick: Can I call you?

Rather than respond, Charlie clicked into Nick’s contact and pressed the ‘video call’ button. Nick answered swiftly, his room dark behind him but his face illuminated by the screen on his phone.

“Hi Char,” Nick spoke softly and quietly, “It’s good to see your pretty face.”

Charlie’s cheeks were already warm with liquor, so his blush made an appearance in his ears instead. He giggled and retorted with an equally quiet, “You too, Nick. I missed you these past few days.”

“Really? I thought you were avoiding me!” Nick said, sighing in what looked like relief. “I thought I might’ve- I dunno, scared you away or something.” There was a look of insecurity on the auburn-haired man’s face that had Charlie’s thick brows furrowing.

“I thought you were the one avoiding me! When I didn’t hear from you, I thought…” Charlie shook his head and laughed with a smile. “Why are we like this?”

Nick joined him in laughter and Charlie had to pause to watch that sunshine-smile on his phone’s screen. “Okay, new rule: If one of us is ever feeling unsure or is spiraling in our own self-doubt, we talk and clear the air as soon as possible. I want- we should have open, honest communication if we’re going to keep seeing each other.”

There was a brief pause before Charlie spoke, “And do you still want to? Keep seeing each other, I mean?” His stomach was twisting uncomfortably and he’s pretty sure it wasn't from the booze. 

“Yes! Of course I do. Unless… unless you’re second guessing it? Which would be totally fine by the way! You should never feel pressured to keep-”

“Nick,” Charlie had to cut him off with a fond eye roll, “I want this, trust me.”

Nick’s eyes got a bit darker at the admission. “Yeah?”

Charlie nodded, gently rolling his bottom lip between his teeth and staring at the man. “I want it all… if you’ll let me have it?”

Nick cursed, phone going dark for a brief second before his face came back on the screen. “Char, you’re killing me.”

The smaller man shimmied lower into his mound of cozy blankets, eyes never leaving those honey-brown ones staring back at him. “Can- can we play a bit?” Charlie spoke this timidly, some of his earlier bravado leaving him.

Nick shuffled around again on his end, but his face stayed in view of the camera. “I’d love that, baby. But let’s not do anything too intense, yeah? Not while you’re alone. I- for my own peace of mind?”

Charlie agrees, already feeling a pool of warmth gather low in his belly. He was only wearing underwear and a ridiculously large sweater, having ditched his leggings the moment Tao and Isaac had left. “How- how do we do this?” Charlie’s voice was unsure again, holding none of the cheeky confidence it had earlier. 

“Take your jumper off.” 

The firm tone of the larger man’s voice had Charlie shivering in anticipation. He quickly shed his sweater, along with his undershirt, leaving his olive-toned skin exposed. 

“Now touch yourself, princess,” Nick’s voice had taken on a deeper quality, but was still as gentle as ever. “I want you to only touch your chest, and imagine it’s me touching you.”

Charlie did as he was told with his free hand, trailing his fingers teasingly down his collarbone, around his nipple, down to his belly button, and back up to his neck in slow, feather-like strokes. His other hand was tightly gripping his phone as his eyes fluttered close on their own accord. 

“That’s it, baby, such a good boy. You like it when I play with your tits?” Nick’s arm was clearly moving as he touched himself as well, but Charlie couldn’t actually see anything other than the grainy illumination of Nick’s face and upper chest.

He keened softly, fingers pinching and rolling one of his nipples before trailing to the other side and administering the same treatment. “Nick- wanna see you.”

Nick was quick to turn a light on and strip off his shirt, propping his phone up somewhere so that Charlie had a view of his full body. The larger man was sitting up in bed, his pale chest spotted with tawny freckles. Charlie wanted to connect those dots like constellations. 

Staying reclined, Charlie used a pillow to prop his own phone up so that he had two free hands. With the new phone position, Nick could now see the movement of Charlie’s hands as they explored his own chest. 

“You’re so lovely, Charlie. Wish I was there with you.” Charlie saw Nick’s hand palming himself through his boxers. “Bet you’d let me take care of you, huh?”

Biting back a smile, Charlie nodded his head and ducked his chin coquettishly. “Only after I take care of you first, Nicky.”

Nick let his head drop back, dipping his hand into his boxers to give himself a few quick tugs. He squinted at the phone in front of him with a grin. “You’re such a tease. Naughty little thing.”

Hands stilling on his chest, Charlie sobered a bit. “Is that okay? Do you mind that I’m not always… good?”

With furrowed brows, Nick’s hand halted its own movements and he picked up his phone to get closer to the screen. “Woah, Charlie, I never said you’re not good. You’re always good, even when you give me cheek. I love that so much.”

Charlie turned his face away from the screen, not wanting Nick to see the insecurity across his expression.

After a beat, Nick continued, “You know, I think you may be figuring out a new kink you’re into. Have you ever heard of brat play?”

Without a noise, Charlie rolled over so that he was once again facing the camera. He shook his head and waited for Nick to elaborate.

“I think that may be a thing for you. Like, poking and pushing and teasing your partner. To try to get a rise out of them..”

“And… does that bother you? That I don’t always want to behave like a perfect sub?” The curly-haired man pulled a blanket over his body, seeking the comfort and security that a heavy quilt could provide. 

“Charlie, not at all. I find it quite hot, actually.” Nick winked, causing Charlie’s lips to quirk up in a smile. “I love it when you’re soft and pliant and so needy for me, but I also love it when you’re a cheeky little bastard that talks back and bends the rules a bit. You are a perfect sub -- perfect for me… Can I ask you a question?”

“You just did,” Charlie retorts with a smirk.

Nick rolls his eyes, but his grin is bright. “Smart arse. I’m curious about why you want to rebel or push my buttons? Do you not like it when I tell you what to do?”

“I love it when you tell me what to do! I just- I like riling you up, I guess? Like, I love when you get all flustered and you manhandle me into behaving again… Last time when you like, punished me? That was so, so good.” Charlie takes a deep breath before continuing, “I like doing what I’m told and being good for you, but I love when you make me be good for you.”

Nick is quiet for a while, observing Charlie carefully through his phone screen. When he finally speaks, his voice is tragically soft. “You’re stunning, Charlie, you know that? Like, everything about you is so beautiful.” Charlie couldn’t help but bury his face in his pillow to hide his smile and his embarrassment, albeit poorly. “I- I’d like to see you more often -- and not just for dom/sub stuff… if that’s okay? Of course, I still really want to do that stuff too, but I mean-”

“I’d really like that, Nick.” Charlie had to cut him off. “I meant it earlier when I said I want it all. With you.”

They remained there, smiling dopily at each other for far too long. Nick was the first to break the silence. “Are you free tomorrow night?”

If Charlie was nervous the first time he stepped into La Tanière, he was downright shitting bricks as he waited for Nick to arrive for their date. Nick had wanted to take him out somewhere nice to eat, but eating in public still made Charlie’s skin crawl. Sensing his discomfort at the suggestion, Nick offered to cook for them, but that also made panic swell in Charlie’s heart; What if Nick made something really greasy and heavy? What if he couldn’t finish the entire portion Nick served him, and he thought that Charlie hated it?

Instead, Charlie offered to make food for them before they have a mini Netflix marathon in his flat. While big extravagant dates were sometimes fun, the brunette was far more comfortable with something that fit his homebody nature. Especially for a first date where his nerves were already on high alert.

He had just finished making dinner and let it sit on the range to simmer while he flew around his flat, shoving his dirty clothes in the hamper and folding almost a dozen blankets. Why did he even have so many blankets?

A knock at the door had Charlie’s heart doing somersaults. He straightened his cropped sweater and made sure his leggings were pulled up enough to only show the slightest hint of his midriff before going to the front door. With one quick hand attempting to flatten his wild curls, Charlie took a deep breath and opened the door.

Nick was standing there like a greek god, hair styled more than usual in an effortless quiff, a few stands delicately falling over his forehead. He was in a pair of fitted black jeans and a casual white tee-shirt, but Charlie could argue that he just walked off the runway. What really stole the show was the eager grin he wore, the kind that made his eyes go all squinty in the corners and made Charlie feel like his whole world was complete.

“Hi,” Nick breathed out.

“Hi,” Charlie responded, equally as softly, “Come in, come in. Feel free to take your shoes off if you’d like.”

As Charlie ushered Nick inside, he had to stop himself from reaching out and touching him as he breezed past. It had been almost a week since the smaller man had seen this man, and he was not a patient soul. 

Luckily for Charlie, Nick had a similar train of thought. He reached out once the front door clicked close and pulled Charlie in tight. 

“Ugh I shouldn’t have missed you as much as I did,” Nick groaned, burying his face into the curly-haired man’s neck, “I think you’ve poisoned me. And the only antidote is being close to you.”

Charlie laughed and snaked his arms around Nick’s waist. “You’ve caught me. This was all an elaborate ruse to trap you in my lair.”

Nick pulls back slightly and presses a kiss to Charlie’s forehead. His warm eyes meet Charlies’s as he whispers, “Hi.”

“Hi,” Charlie replies again with a grin. His eyes land on the canvas tote bag slung over one of Nick’s broad shoulders. “What’s in the bag?”

Nick just slings it off his person and drops it down next to his Vans. “Just some stuff from work. Your place is really cute by the way, very you. I love all your photos too.” He gestures to the wall that’s littered with snapshots of his friends and family, grinning at the famed one of him and Tori when they were both in primary. 

Charlie rolls his eyes, trying to tame down the warmth in his cheeks. “Thank you, nosey.” He leads Nick to his two-seater kitchen table and encourages him to sit while Charlie grabs their dinner; Charlie wants to get the eating part of the night over with as quickly as possible. “So how was your mum’s?”

Even from his peripheral, Charlie could see the way Nick’s face lights up. “Really great, as always! It was mostly just her and I growing up, with my brother usually staying with my dad, so we’re really close. It sucks that I live further away from her now, but we still make a point to visit each other at least twice a month.”

“That’s so great you guys have a good relationship like that,” Charlie smiles, thinking of how much of a mama’s boy Nick must be, “You and your dad or brother close at all?”

Nick’s nose scrunches up as he answers, “Not really. Dad fucked off to France when I was young and David’s always been a bit of a prick so I avoid seeing him whenever possible.”

“That sucks, Nick, I’m sorry to hear that…” Charlie knows it can be tough to deal with family sometimes; while his dad was usually pretty understanding, his mum was quite difficult to talk to. He grabbed two wine glasses and a bottle of red he had been saving for something special. Tonight felt like the perfect occasion. 

With glasses sporting a healthy pour, Charlie plated up two servings of chilli con carne and dressed the salad he had prepared ahead of time. Nick stood to help him bring plates over to the table while Charlie dug out some silverware. 

“I think you’ll really like this, I went heavy on the heat since you said how much you like spicy foods.” Charlie beamed at Nick, excited for his reaction.

Nick smiled at him in return. “Charlie, I think I’d like anything you made for me, spicy or not.” Charlie blushed and sipped his wine, watching as Nick gathered some on his spoon and blew on it briefly to cool it down. 

After only a few seconds, Nick’s face turned tomato-red and tears welled in his eyes. Charlie could only watch in horror as Nick frantically chugged some of his wine.

“Water,” Nick gasped, “Charlie please, water.”

Only after Nick had drunk a whole glass of water and the glass of milk that Charlie had offered, his face finally looked more normal and he seemed to no longer be in physical pain. Charlie groaned and buried his face in his hands.

“I’m sorry, the recipe said to use jalapeno peppers, but I found these new peppers at Tesco that were supposed to be crazy spicy, and I thought ‘It’s Tesco… how hot could they be?’... Apparently pretty hot.”

Nick just laughs and gently grabs Charlie’s arm, pulling his hand away from his face and holding it across the table. “Charlie, it’s fine . I swear. You might’ve killed a few of my taste buds there, but I’ll survive.” 

Charlie just scowls down at his own serving of chilli con carne. Of course he had to ruin the start of their date with his horrible cooking. He was usually pretty decent when it came to that stuff -- he kind of had to learn how to cook in order to make healthy meals for himself. But of course he had to go and muck it up. He sort of wants to try it for himself, but even when just smelling it, the spice of it makes his eyes sting.

“Your salad is lovely,” Nick comments, seeing the disappointment on Charlie’s face. “We could order in some take-out and have the salad while we wait?”

Grumbling, Charlie agrees and helps Nick clear the mess of chilli into the bin. They lightly bicker over where to order from, but eventually settle on a little Indian place around the corner. Charlie lets Nick call in their order while he sits down to munch on his salad.

Honestly, it’s a bit of a relief to eat a smaller portion of food now, then wait for a bit before he has to eat again. Sitting down and eating his full portion at once is still challenging to Charlie, and he doesn’t think it’ll ever get much easier. 

Nick doesn’t seem to mind, chatting away lightly while eating his own salad. By the time they’ve finished their salads, gotten their curry, and migrated to the couch that conveniently was also the bed, they’d finished off the bottle of wine and both men were slightly flushed and giddy.

“I really did miss you,” Nick murmurs into Charlie’s curls. He’s reclined slightly with the smaller man laying against his chest. “Is that weird? I know we’ve only known each other for a few weeks, but… I just really like you, Charlie.”

Charlie couldn’t stop the blush that rose to his cheeks if he tried. “I really like you too, Nick.” 

Their faces were close enough that it didn’t take much for their lips to meet. They kissed lazily for a few minutes, legs tangled together. Charlie pulled away slightly to smile down at the other man. 

“Did you still want to watch a movie? Or we could…” Charlie trailed a finger from behind Nick’s ear to the neckline of his tee-shirt. “We could maybe play a bit?”

As much as Charlie loved just spending time with Nick, it had been almost a week since they’d fooled around. Charlie was feeling pent up, not only sexually but emotionally as well. He didn’t realize how much he’d started to enjoy relinquishing control until the opportunity to do so was no longer available. 

Luckily, Nick seemed to be on the same page, flipping them both so that he was hovering over Charlie’s supine body. “I think the movie could wait…” 

This time when their lips connected, there was more heat and intent behind it. Nick pressed his lower half against Charlie’s, causing them both to sigh into each other's mouths. Before Charlie could roll his hips up in return, Nick pulled away and got up.

“Stand up.” Nick’s voice was firm, but not harsh. Charlie felt a shiver of anticipation travel down his body as he obeyed. “Now before we start, I just want to check in. Do you have lube and, um, condoms? Is that something you want tonight?”

Charlie couldn’t nod fast enough. Remembering Nick liked verbal responses, he spoke up. “Y-yeah. I want that. And I do. Um, have those. They’re in my night stand.” He gestured to the end table that also acted as his bedside table.

Nick took both of Charlie’s hands in his. “If you ever change your mind, or it gets to be too much, just color out, okay?”

Again, Charlie nods. “I will. Yellow for pause, red for stop.”

“Good boy,” Nick presses a quick kiss to his forehead, “Now take off your leggings. Leave your top on.”

Quickly complying, Charlie felt a bloom of anxiety in his chest. He had worn something special underneath his leggings. He had hoped the night would lead to this, but now that they were actually there, he wasn’t sure if Nick would actually like his surprise or not. When his leggings were off and cast aside, Charlie couldn’t meet Nick’s face.

“Fuck, Charlie.”

With his lip caught between his teeth, Charlie’s blue eyes finally looked up to see Nick’s reaction. Nick was staring at the lacy black panties on the man in front of him, gaze heated and eyes wide. “They’re… is it okay?”

Nick reached his hands out and thumbed over the thin fabric on his hips. “So good, baby. You look gorgeous. So pretty for me.”

Charlie felt his anxiety melt away at Nick’s words and touch, eyes falling close and reveling in the feeling. 

“Feet apart, love. I want you to stand still for me. Keep your hips still and hands behind your back, okay?”

Even though it was a question, there was no doubt in Charlie’s mind that it was an order. Doing as he was told, Charlie could only watch as Nick dropped to his knees in front of him, gaze fixed on Charlie’s prick, semi-hard and visible through the black lace.

Holding Charlie’s thighs, Nick leaned forward and kissed up the length of Charlie’s cock. It was enough for Charlie to feel himself begin to harden fully. Nick sucked on the head lightly and Charlie gasped in an unsteady breath as he tried to remain still. 

Nick continued his administrations, alternating between kissing, licking, and sucking until Charlie wasn’t sure if the warm wetness he felt was saliva or precum. Charlie’s legs were shaking with the effort of staying still, but his hips stuttered when he felt Nick’s hand come up to massage his balls though the lace. 

Feeling this movement, Nick pulled back. His lips were red raw from mouthing at the fabric; the way he licked at the glossiness around his mouth made Charlie think it must have been precum that had soaked through his panties. “Stay still, princess.” Nick reminded him, fingers pressing more firmly into Charlie’s thighs, as if he was going to hold him still if need be. 

That thought alone had Charlie itching to disobey. He wanted Nick to take away the choice to move, to manhandle him so that he was at the whims of what Nick wanted to do to him.

“Make me,” Charlie gasped out as Nick’s hand moved from his balls to the lace covering his hole.

Eyes narrowing, Nick removed his hands and mouth from Charlie. He stood up and stepped back a bit. “No.”

With a whine, Charlie stepped toward Nick, trying to get his hands back on him. “Nick, please.”

“No, Charlie.” Nick grabbed his wrists and held them in a rock-solid grip. 

Charlie frowned. He didn’t want to pressure Nick at all, but it still seemed like they were playing? But hearing the word “no” from him made Charlie want to stop everything.

“Um, color?” Charlie had never asked for Nick’s color before, but he had to know if he should stop or if he was okay to keep pushing. 

With a grin and a wink, Nick replied, “Green. You?”

“Green,” Charlie breathed out, “Nick… Nicky, please.” Charlie pulled at his wrists, relishing in the unmovable grip around them.

“Do you promise to be good?” Nick asked, “If not, I’m going to stop again.”

Charlie leaned into Nick’s space. “I’ll be good, I’ll be so good, I swear.”

“There’s my boy,” Nick smiled before gently pushing Charlie onto the bed so that he was laying on his stomach. “Lift your hips up, there you go.”

Charlie felt a bit exposed with his body bent so his ass was in the air, but his toes curled when Nick knelt behind him and traced the outline of his panties with a warm finger. 

“No moving,” Nick reminded him, “But I want to hear you. Let me know what feels good.”

Before Charlie could respond, Nick’s hot breath was hitting Charlie’s hole though the lace. A quick swipe of Nick’s tongue and Charlie almost already broke his promise to be good. He had never felt anything like it before; the roughness of the lace alongside the heat and wetness of Nick’s mouth -- it was almost agony because Charlie only wanted more.

Luckily for him, Nick was quick to further things along, adding a finger to rub at his hole through the lace. He then pushed so that his finger dipped slightly into Charlie, the lace being pushed in as well. 

A moan broke through Charlie’s lips, using every ounce of control not to push his hips back into Nick’s touch. “Oh Nick, feels so good.”

“Such a good boy for me,” Nick breathed out, watching in awe as his finger pushed the lace deeper inside of his boy. He did this a few more times before leaning over to the night stand and pulling out a bottle of lube and a condom. Quickly pulling the panties to the side, Nick pressed two lubricated fingers into Charlie’s tight heat. 

“Fuck, Nick,” Charlie groaned, “You’re fingers are amazing.” And they really were. Charlie wasn’t sure how Nick knew where to touch to get him whining and leaking the way he was, but he wasn’t going to complain. 

“Can you take another?” Nick asked, voice low and rough.

Charlie sighed out, “Please…”

A third finger joined the other two, making Charlie goan at the sting but sigh at the stretch. Nick splayed his fingers inside him, drawing a gasp from the smaller man. 

Nick reached around with his free hand and gently rubbed at Charlie’s still-leaking prick through the panties. Charlie gasped, “Yes, Nick I’m so close.”

“Not yet, baby.” Nick alternated between thrusting and curling his fingers inside the smaller man, his pace relentless.

Charlie whined and twitched with the effort to stay still. He began to make small movements, pushing his body back to meet Nick’s fingers. Nick halted his efforts as soon as he noticed, clicking his tongue.

“Charlie, I thought I said to stay still.” Charlie felt a warm, rough hand caress down his inner thigh, the feeling hypnotizing but not where he wanted Nick’s touch.

Charlie made sure he caught Nick’s gaze as he pushed his ass further in the air, curving his spine far past the point of comfort.

“Nicky,” Charlie called in a singsong voice, “I think we both know I’m still going to get what I want.”

Charlie’s mouth watered as he saw the muscle in Nick’s jaw jump as he clenched his teeth together. Those honeyed eyes were sharp as daggers and Charlie felt pinned down by their edge.

Nick wordlessly stood and stalked to the bag he had set down by the door. A flash of panic ripped through Charlie as he thought about Nick leaving him for not listening, but that panic fizzled into white hot excitement as the ginger-haired man returned with some white cotton rope in one hand and a ball gag in the other. 

“Oh so now the fun really starts?” Charlie egged on with false bravado.

Dropping the rope onto the bed, Nick’s fingers thread their way into the brunette’s curls, tightening into a gentle grip. “As much as I’d love to gag that pretty mouth of yours first, we’re going to start with the rope.”

Cock throbbing at the thought, Charlie just nods. 

“I’m no expert in the art of shibari, but I know a couple of the more simple knots and can do a couple of ties and harnesses…” Nick’s eyes meet Charlie’s own cerulean gaze. “I know bondage was on both of our ‘yes’ lists, but are you up for it tonight?”

There was a brief moment of hesitation from Charlie, mostly wary about the unknown and unfamiliar. But the thought of Nick tying him up in that gentle way of his made him light headed. He wanted this. Badly. And he wanted Nick to be the one to take care of him. Really badly.

When Charlie told Nick as much, the larger man smiled shyly and peppered kisses all over Charlie’s face. “You’re so wonderful, Char. I’ll talk you through everything I’m doing, and if it ever seems too much, just let me know and we can stop or switch to something else. Sounds good?”

“Sounds perfect,” Charlie returned with a shy smile of his own.

Charlie stayed notably silent while Nick stripped off the smaller man’s top and began to wrap and tie ropes across his lithe chest. As more and more rope tightened around his torso and upper arms, Charlie felt a euphoric rush fill his body at the pressure being applied. It felt like he was being held together, the restriction both controlling and freeing at the same time. 

Nick continued to talk though it with Charlie not really paying attention to the words but so grateful for the low, grounding tone of his voice. He finished by tying Charlie’s wrists together behind his back so that they were connected to the rope harness crossing his torso in artful diamonds and knots. With a press of his lips to Charlie’s shoulder, Nick murmured, “How do you feel? Okay?”

Charlie moved his arms slightly, testing the feeling of the rope holding him together. He released a sigh and leaned into Nick’s side. “So okay, Nick. It’s nice.”

Nick smiled. “Do you want to try the gag too? Or do you think that’ll be too much too fast?”

Charlie considered it, not wanting to overdo it, but also finding the whole concept very appealing. “Maybe for a bit? I don’t know if I want to wear it while we… you know, but maybe up until then?”

Nick leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss onto his lips. “That sounds great, we can absolutely do that.” He picked up the gag and addressed Charlie once more. “If you want me to stop or take this off, tap me or the bed three times, okay?”

Charlie nodded in consent before adding verbally, “Okay,” he paused, feeling the need to express what he's feeling with the next two words, “Thank you.”

Nick simply pressed another soft peck to the curly-haired man’s lips. He gently pushed the ball of the gag into Charlie’s mouth and fastened the strap for it to stay in place.

It felt weird. Not bad, just… strange. The synthetic taste of the silicone ball was heavy on his tongue, but the way Charlie’s jaw was stretched open felt obscene and sexual, reminding him of the ache felt with a mouth full of cock. 

“Is it okay?” Nick asked softly, stroking a hand though Charlie’s curls. 

The gagged man nodded, body shivering in anticipation. Both him and Nick had gone a bit soft sans the previous touching, but watching Nick strip down to nothing had Charlie’s dick twitch once again in interest. Nick gave himself a couple of firm tugs, eyes raking over the slim man in front of him.

“God, Char. You look divine.” There were a few moments of pause, Charlie squirming slightly under the heat of Nick’s gaze. “Can I touch you?”

Do you even have to ask? Charlie wanted to say, but settled for frantic nodding. 

Nick didn’t hesitate to crowd into the smaller man’s space, one hand slinking low on his back, gripping at the swell of Charlie’s ass. His other hand ran up the ropes pressed into Charlie’s shoulder blades, finding its home in the soft curls at the base of his neck. 

Charlie’s moan was muffled by the gag as Nick’s fingernails lightly grazed up the back of his scalp. The larger man pressed their hips together, erections full and throbbing against the heat of each other's bodies. Charlie let out another muffled moan at the sensation.

“You feel so good, princess,” Nick’s fingers gripped harshly at Charlie’s locks and pulled his head back, forcing the smaller man’s gaze to his. “I can feel how wet you are on my thigh, you’re absolutely soaked for me.”

Brain feeling a little foggy, Charlie tried to nod in agreement but Nick’s grip in his hair was firm. 

“How about we sit down and you show me just how desperate you are for my cock, yeah?” Despite Nick posing it as a question, there was no doubt in either of their minds of the command.

Nick sat first, pulling the bound man onto his lap. Without being able to use his arms, Charlie relied solely on Nick to situate his body so that he was straddling his hips, their hard members brushing together with just a thin layer of black lace between them. 

“I really, really love these on you, but I want to feel your wet pussy on me -- bare.” Without waiting for a response, Nick gave a harsh tug at the thin straps on Charlie’s lingerie. The fabric ripped in two with a sharp pinch against the olive skin of Charlie’s hips, causing a zip of pleasure to run up his spine. The smaller man let out a gasp around the ball in his mouth. “I’ll buy you so many pretty little things to wear, angel… keep you all dolled up until I can take you apart bit by bit.”

Without the constraint of the panties, Charlie’s precum was able to drip onto Nick’s cock, creating a deliciously slick slide of heat with every shift of their bodies. Charlie pressed his hips into the sensation, mouth watering at Nick’s words. 

“That’s it baby, rub your clit on me. Show me how good I make you feel.” Nick’s voice was rough with lust, his usually bright amber eyes now a deep whiskey color in the low light of the room.

Charlie rocked desperately against the man beneath him, little muffled whimpers escaping with each brush of skin on skin. For the most part, Nick just sat back and watched Charlie rut against him. His mouth was parted a bit, a slight smirk at his lips as he breathed heavily in time with Charlie’s movements. His hands wandered around the smaller man’s skin, eventually settling on his dusty pink nipples.

Each time Charlie tried to express his need for Nick’s cock in his ass, the gag turned his pleas into a muffled murmur of pleasure and saliva. 

“I don’t know if I like this gag as much as I thought I would. I miss being able to hear you beg for me. Are you okay if I take it off, baby?” Nick’s fingers ran across the strap keeping the silicone ball in place. 

Charlie nodded frantically, suddenly desperate to kiss the man in front of him. Once Nick undid the gag, he gently pulled the ball out of the smaller man’s mouth. Charlie’s lips were puffy from the stretch and saliva dripped down his chin as he panted, mouth free. He surged forward, mouth feeling clumsy against Nick’s, tongue and lips tingling, jaw aching. 

Nick took control of the kiss. His mouth was demanding and firm, grounding Charlie’s floaty mind. The larger man must’ve seen the spacy look on Charlie’s face, because he maneuvered them both so they were horizontal on the bed. “I’m going to take care of you, sweetheart. Ready?”

Words were difficult to piece together in the haze of comfort and pleasure Charlie was feeling. The ropes knotted around his chest, arms, and wrists were the only things keeping him in one piece -- that, and the firm press of Nick’s warm body against his. All he could muster up was a breathy, “Nicky… need it.”

Nick swiftly rolled on the condom and applied a liberal amount of lube to his member and Charlie’s already stretched hole, feeling the bound man shiver at his touch. 

“I’ve got you baby,” Nick murmured, capturing Charlie’s lips with his own as he slowly pressed into his tight heat. Charlie’s arms instinctively moved to grip Nick’s firm biceps, but the tug of the ropes kept them in place. 

There was nothing Charlie could do but gasp and take it as Nick’s hips thrusted forward and back, forward and back, the pace quickly increasing. There was a steady thrum of pleasure throughout his body, but it was lessened slightly by his racing thoughts and self doubt. Was Nick enjoying this as well? Was Charlie being good enough? How could he make this better for Nick?

Sensing that Charlie was overthinking, Nick gripped the ropes across his chest and used them for leverage to fuck deeper into Charlie’s hole with renewed vigor. His voice was rough as he panted out, “Let go, Char. I’ve got you. Let go for me.” 

It could have been the prolonged foreplay beforehand, the new angle against his prostate, or the gentle yet commanding tone in Nick’s voice, but something in Charlie whited out, leaving his mind blissfully empty. His body felt like it was floating up into space as his orgasm melted through him like wax turning into liquid from the heat of Nick’s body. 

Charlie was unaware of Nick’s stuttering thrusts and loud groans. He didn’t comprehend his own noises of pleasure that slipped past his lips -- soft hums and keens that had Nick filling the condom after a few more thrusts in. 

The next moment of awareness came with Nick’s fingers gently carding through his hair. Charlie released a soft sigh in contentment, a smile playing at his lips.

“There’s my boy,” Nick murmured against Charlie’s skin, pressing gentle kisses to his temple. He was spooning the smaller man from behind with a soft fuzzy blanket pulled over them both. “My sweet, perfect boy.” 

Charlie blinked his eyes open gradually. The lights had been dimmed and his rope restraints were laying on the floor next to the bed. There was a damp washcloth on the floor as well, explaining the lack of a sticky mess on his abdomen, thighs, and ass.

Nick’s hands were running over Charlie’s skin and through his hair in a way that both grounded and awakened him. He pressed words of praise and admiration into Charlie’s warm skin, making the smaller man preen and lean into Nick’s touch. 

“How are you feeling, baby?”

Charlie’s jaw ached from the gag. His muscles were sore from use. There was a dull throb in his backside. His skin felt tender where the ropes had pressed into his body.

“Perfect,” he whispered with a genuine grin. His eyes still held a slight dazed appearance, but his hand found Nick’s and he tangled their fingers together. “Thank you for-- for everything.”

Nick hummed in contentment and gave Charlie’s hand a squeeze. “No need to thank me, darling. That was probably the hottest sex I’ve ever had.”

With a giggle, Charlie mustered up enough strength to turn around in Nick’s arms so they were face to face. He pressed a lazy kiss to the other man’s lips and whispered, “I told you I’d get what I want.”