Chapter 13

13

I t wasn't often that Tobias had a truly bad day. That kind of thing had vanished when he'd retired from his veterinary practice, for the most part. Long gone were the nights of too much coffee, cursing and swearing through sudden surgery that all too often failed. He no longer worked day and night for weeks during a birthing cycle, only to come home to boys who needed him. He was retired now. He played sex games for a living and filed paperwork.

So when a day blew up in his face, it was always a shock.

This time, it had started out as one of those ridiculous mornings of dropped toothpaste caps, heavy traffic, the wrong file on his desk. If it had stayed that way, one petty annoyance after another, he could have coped just fine.

But, no. Serious breaches within the club had forced emergency meetings with Bradford, and a member had been put on probation. Tobias had never had to make that choice before, and he still wasn't sure it was the correct one. The other option had been expulsion, and to be perfectly honest with himself, Tobias wanted the man exactly where Tobias could keep an eye on him.

Tobias had spent the afternoon talking to Joseph, the sub affected, knowing that his own two submissives were as in the dark about the matter as the rest of club, and right outside his office as well. After an hour or so, Tobias had gone out and sent them home. They went because they were obedient, but it was plain that neither of them were too happy about it.

Tobias wasn't, either, but he needed to concentrate and he needed to do his job. He couldn't be divided, worrying about everyone like he was.

Finally, it was supper time, and he'd made sure Joseph was all right and willing to go home. Tobias wanted his home, too, and a drink, and to just not be the one fixing everyone for a few hours.

He drove himself home, weary to the bone and vaguely lonely, definitely upset. When he stopped at the market and bought flowers for Noah, the weight on his shoulders lessened. That was what he needed. Just for a few hours. He needed Noah.

At the house, he let himself in through the kitchen instead of the front door, one hand clutching the flowers and the other loosening his tie. He felt like he'd aged five years since they'd left that morning to go to the club.

The kitchen was dark, but light spilled in from the downstairs hall. Within seconds, he heard the sound of bare feet hurrying closer, and Noah came through the kitchen door, followed closely by Phan.

"Sir?" Noah's hands were on him quickly, helping him with his tie. "We've been worried about you. Oh." Noah's fingers hesitated at Tobias' throat. "Are those for me?"

Tobias nodded and handed them over with a sigh. "I had the very worst day. Is there supper ready?"

Phan nodded, his forehead creased with a fretful look. "Yes, sir. I'll get it on the table for you."

"I didn't think there was any such thing as a bad day at the club," Noah said, sounding surprised. He took the flowers and set them on the kitchen table, and with that, the worried sub waiting on orders disappeared, and Tobias' equal partner was standing beside him. Noah pulled out a chair for Tobias, guided him into it, and kissed his temple. "You just sit. I'll get you a drink, and then we can talk about it if you want."

Tobias sighed again and watched Phan moving around the kitchen, making up a plate of something that smelled of chicken and rice. "I didn't know it could be bad there, either," he said to Noah. "But it was pretty awful. There was an incident, and I had to do a lot of damage control. Bradford was furious, and rightly so. I'm still not sure if it was my fault at the root or not." He rubbed his forehead, where a headache was looming.

"I doubt very much that it was your fault," Noah said, setting a glass with a couple of fingers of whiskey in it down on the table in front of him. "Bradford isn't one to mince words. If he felt it had anything directly to do with you, I think you'd know. If it involved the misconduct of a Dom, then it might ultimately be your responsibility to fix things, though." Noah sat at the table with him, pulling a chair close.

"I think the fixing is underway -- but I also think my testing for new members might need to be adjusted. I need to re-read the file and see where I went wrong. What I missed." Tobias sighed again and glanced up as Phan put a plate in front of him. "Thank you, Phan."

"You're welcome, sir." Phan shifted his weigh from side to side. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Tobias smiled at him and took his hand. "Not right now. Thank you, though. Kiss me and go watch some TV or something, okay? I'll get you a little later."

After a moment's hesitation, Phan nodded, then kissed Tobias' cheek. "I'll be in my room if you need me."

Tobias nodded and let him go, reaching for his fork. "Take food with you, if you haven't eaten."

"I'm okay." Phan left the room, and a moment later Tobias heard him going up the stairs.

"Did he actually eat?" Tobias asked Noah.

Noah shook his head. "Neither of us did; we were waiting for you." He turned and looked at the now-empty doorway for a moment and then looked back at Tobias. "It's possible you didn't miss anything, you know. You can't put everything about a person on paper." Noah stood and pulled a plate for himself out of the cabinet.

"I know." Tobias picked at his supper and ate some chicken. "However, it's still my job to screen applicants. This one... I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt and letting him stay, on probation. Every time he plays for the next two months, I'm going to be in the security booth, watching. He's got eight months of being watched by me or someone else to prove himself. Which is all well and good after the fact, but maybe there was something I missed."

Tobias set his fork down and looked at the flowers on the table. "I want to stop thinking about it, really. It's been a hellish day and I'm tired and I won't actually get anywhere with this tonight."

Noah looked over his shoulder and smiled at Tobias. "Okay." There was a moment or two of silence before Noah joined him at the table with his dinner. "What would you like to talk about?" he asked, sliding smoothly into his chair. "Or not talk about at all?"

"I don't even want to think, sweetheart. I need you." It was getting easier and easier to say that kind of thing. It no longer made him want to swallow his tongue, anyway.

Noah nodded and laid a warm hand on Tobias' arm. "You've got me. I know you probably haven't eaten all day, so try to eat something, okay?"

"You, too." Tobias ate some more chicken and shook his head. "The kid was a mess, emotionally. Damn it. When there was a problem with the animals, I could leave it at the office, usually. This is stuck right between my teeth."

"I could talk to the sub if you think that would help," Noah offered easily. "Not that it's any of my business, but... well, you know." Noah rubbed his arm lightly before pulling his hand away to eat. "You can't take care of everyone, Tobias. I know you want to, but--" Noah stopped and snorted, grinning slightly. "Never mind, I forgot who I was talking to. You're not going to listen to that."

Tobias smiled ruefully. "You're right. I'm not." He pushed his plate away and looked at Noah. "The club, and both Bradford and myself personally, do not tolerate anyone ignoring safe words 'for just a moment or two' to see if he meant it. I would have preferred to have gone on thinking that such a thing was understood by everyone who pays us dues." He sighed, then went on, "But I'd like not to worry about anything for the next hour or so. I'm in your hands, Noah. I don't want to be in charge, just for a while."

Noah put his fork down. "One more sip of your drink and you're done, then." He stood, leaving their plates exactly where they were. "Come on."

Tobias smiled as he did what he was told. Noah might have left the police force, but he certainly still knew how to pull up the attitude. In a different world, Noah might have been a wonderful Dom. In this world, Tobias was glad that Noah would occasionally indulge, if only for Tobias' sake.

Quietly, Tobias followed Noah and tried very hard to leave his horrible day behind them both.

They moved wordlessly into the master bedroom, and once Tobias stepped through the door, Noah closed it behind them and locked it.

"Strip and lie on your back in the middle of the bed," Noah instructed, and though his voice was gentle, it was definitely an order.

Almost bemused, Tobias did it, courting the pleasant numbness that he could achieve by not thinking. Noah could take him there, and beyond the numb. Noah had done it before, when Tobias needed it enough to ask.

Noah turned his back and rummaged around in Tobias' armoire, coming up with a pair of leather cuffs that had a soft, padded fur lining and tossing them onto Tobias' bare stomach. "Put those on."

Tobias fingered the cuffs for a moment, trying to remember when he'd bought them. Before Noah could tell him again -- they both had far too much pride to allow that to happen -- Tobias slipped the right one on and then the left, and after a moment tightened the right a little.

"I like those on you," Noah remarked, smiling as he took his shirt off. He laid it neatly on a chair and reached for a short length of chain. Slowly he moved to the bed, sat beside Tobias, and threaded the chain through the headboard, attaching each cuff by a dog clip to the ends of the chain. "There, now," he said softly. "You're mine."

"I've always been yours," Tobias whispered. "Right from the first minute."

Noah nodded. He stroked a hand down Tobias' cheek and drew a line along Tobias' jaw with one finger. "I know." His fingers moved lower, across Tobias' throat to the collar bone. "I'm all you need to think about right now." Tobias felt the scrape of a fingernail circling one nipple, and Noah bent and licked the other one with his tongue.

"Yes," Tobias whispered. He closed his eyes and tested the cuffs, tugging a tiny bit. "Yes, sir." He let everything be what it was, nothing more and nothing less; he knew his breathing would deepen, that he'd be able to find subspace in a few minutes. For right then, however, he would just do as he was told and keep shedding the layers of the day and who he was. He couldn't shift as quickly as Noah could; he knew better than to push for it, though.

"That's it." Noah licked a spot over Tobias' ribs and then bit lightly. Tobias felt suction against his skin and knew that Noah was drawing up a bruise. Noah's fingers moved deliberately down Tobias' body, over his hip, and down one thigh. "Pretty," Noah whispered as his hand curled around Tobias' cock.

"Thank you." Tobias gasped the words out, surprised to find he'd grown hard. He was supposed to know those things, wasn't he? He tried to be still, but one foot kept wanting to slide on the bed, and his hips wanted to lift. But Noah hadn't said he could, so he didn't.

Noah laughed softly. "Oh, my pleasure, boy."

The bed shifted as Noah climbed off it and began to remove the rest of his own clothing. There wasn't much of it; he slid his sweatpants down over his hips and tossed them aside, and then he was as naked as Tobias himself. Noah climbed back on the bed and moved over Tobias, straddling his legs. Noah's hands slid up Tobias' thighs, massaging as he went. "How do you feel?"

Tobias thought about that. "Better, but not... I'm not there yet. Getting there, but still scattered. Does that make sense?" He wasn't sure how else to describe it.

"Yes, it does. Good boy. Close your eyes." Noah shifted and pushed Tobias' knees apart, keeping them flat on the bed, and knelt between them. "Bend your knees and open your legs wider." Tobias complied, but apparently not enough, because Noah's voice came back stronger and he rapped on Tobias' knee with his knuckles. "Wider."

Letting his knees fall open, Tobias was unable to keep a moan back. Vulnerability had always been hardest for him, and there wasn't anything more open than his current position. He opened his eyes, looking down their bodies instead of meeting Noah's gaze. Another thing that was work for him, although keeping his eyes lowered was easier than exposing the softness of his body.

"Boy. Eyes closed, I said." Noah gave Tobias' balls a slap. It wasn't hard, but it made a sharp sound and stung just enough.

Tobias bit back a curse and closed his eyes. "Sorry, sir. Too many things to sort out at the moment. I'll try harder."

"I only ask for what I know you can give," Noah chastised gently. "Do you feel safe?"

With a nod, Tobias inhaled through his nose and concentrated on exhaling slowly, looking for a calm place inside himself. "Yes, sir." He did. He was safe with Noah. He knew that in his soul.

"Why don't you tell me your words again? Tell me who you are. Tell me who you belong to." While Noah spoke, his hands roamed over Tobias' legs and hips, massaging, soothing, reminding Tobias he was there. "Tell me what you should be thinking about right now."

"Yellow and red, sir." He'd always liked his words to be obvious and easy to remember -- partly because he used them so seldom.

"Good boy. Yellow and red. Who are you?"

"I am Tobias. At the moment -- the moment that matters -- I am your sub." He breathed again, almost scenting the air. "I belong to you, no matter what the moment is. All I need to think about is doing as you tell me and pleasing you." Tobias sank onto the bed, the cuffs tugging at his wrists.

He liked that. He liked the reminder, the feeling of his hands being bound within the context of seeking comfort. Noah was comfort. He was safe.

Tobias took another breath. "I'm here to please you, sir."

"Yes. Good boy." Tobias could hear the praise in Noah's voice. "You may open your eyes. You may make any sounds you like and you may speak, respectfully, if you want to. I'm not binding you anywhere other than your wrists, but you may not move. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." He nodded, but was slow to open his eyes, almost reluctant to add stimulation of any kind now that he'd found a little bit of calm. The room, however, was dimly lit, and after a slow moment of adjustment, Tobias was glad he'd opened them; Noah was always a joy to watch.

"Good." Moving up over Tobias again, Noah's fingers shifted, and Tobias felt the warm touch and gentle pressure around his balls. "I love being able to do anything I want to you. I love that you trust me that much. I love you." Noah tasted a nipple again, then tugged at it with his teeth.

"Oh." Tobias felt his calm fracture as a spike of desire and arousal soared through him. "I love you," he echoed. He was looking down at the top of Noah's head; he could almost have kissed him if he hadn't been told not to move. His cock lifted as the reality of being bound by orders settled in. "Yes."

Tobias felt Noah's mouth slowly exploring him, tasting his ribs, bathing his abdomen in kisses, sucking at his hip bones. Finally, Noah's hand moved from his balls and wrapped tightly around Tobias' cock. "Come whenever you want, whenever you need to, but don't expect this to stop until I want it to."

"Yes, sir." Tobias' voice was almost a croak, his throat was so tight. He moaned to let some of the tension go, and tried again. "Yes, sir. Not until you want it to stop." Tobias could feel one of his thighs tense and start to shake. "Oh, God." He wanted, and Noah was right there, so close.

"Good boy. Beautiful." Unlike Tobias, Noah sounded completely in control. Perhaps it was a skill he'd learned being a sub for so long, but there were no urgent movements, no strain in his voice, and it didn't appear he was going to allow anything to rush him.

Noah leaned to the side, letting go of Tobias' cock and reached for the bedside table drawer. Out of it, he pulled a very familiar and nearly empty tube of lube and took his time slicking his fingers first, and then his own stiff cock. Next, Noah pressed two of those slippery fingers against Tobias' hole.

"Want?" Noah whispered. "Tell me."

"I want." Tobias nodded and looked down his body to where his cock was leaking and where Noah's hand vanished from view. "Please, sir. Yes, I want. Need." There had been a time when this would never have happened; not because Tobias didn't want to have Noah in him, but because Noah had been reluctant to top, even from a submissive position. Tobias would never have imagined Noah being so comfortable taking him this way. He was immensely thankful for it, however. "Please," he said again, all but pushing against Noah's fingers.

"Good boy." Noah's fingers pushed inside him, both at once so that Tobias really felt it. They didn't do this often, and Noah knew to take his time at first, but there was decidedly a difference between taking one's time and making sure one's sub knew who was in charge. Noah had learned that lesson well. There was another lesson he'd learned well, too.

Words.

"I'm going to fuck you, boy. Long and slow until you can't stand it anymore. Until everything goes away but you and me and the things we need from each other. Until you beg me for everything you want."

"I could start begging now, if you want." Tobias held himself still, but it was a matter of will. His body wanted desperately to move, to take Noah deeper.

Noah laughed. "If you like." His fingers twisted and pushed farther inside Tobias so his knuckles pressed against Tobias' ass.

Tobias' eyes widened, and he had to force himself to breathe somewhat normally. "Yes, please. Touch me, please. I need you. I always need you, every day." He moaned when Noah's fingers moved, and his hips rocked no matter how hard he tried to be still. "More, please."

"Every day," Noah repeated. His fingers slid away and were quickly replaced by his cock. "Just because you asked so nicely." Tobias felt every inch of Noah as he pushed inside. "And because this is always so fucking good."

"Good!" Tobias arched and froze. "Sorry, sir! Oh, God, you feel good." He wanted to move, but all he could do was rattle his chain and feel Noah taking him, filling him to the point where the stretch was all that Tobias could feel. "Noah. Please. Fuck me."

"Please, fuck me, 'sir.'" Noah growled. He reached out and gave one of Tobias' nipples a warning pinch and a twist.

"Sir, yes, sir!" Tobias barked.

"Oh, I like that. Military -- make a note."

Tobias wasn't able to make a note about anything at all; all of his attention was locked on what Noah was doing to him.

Noah began to move, slowly pulling nearly all the way out and then sinking deep inside Tobias again, controlling and measuring his thrusts. His body weight was balanced on his arms, and with each stroke he would arch lower over Tobias' body. "Fuck. Tight." He took a deep breath and let it out over a long moment. There was no trembling just yet, no moaning, none of the things that Tobias had learned meant that Noah was losing control. It would come, it always did, but for now, Noah was still very much in charge.

Which meant that Tobias didn't have to be. At all. The entire point of the situation broke over Tobias, and he finally gave in to it. "Sir," he begged. "Please, sir. Use me." He wrapped his hands around the chain and pulled, straining in his cuffs. "I'm here for you to take, to use, to fuck." His hips rocked, and Tobias knew he was risking Noah's ire, but the motion had been purely instinctive; he doubted he'd have been able to stop if he'd tried. Noah's cock butted against his gland, and Tobias had to clamp down and freeze so he wouldn't start fucking himself on Noah's cock again and again. "Please," he begged again.

"Not yet." Noah meant it. The pace was painstakingly slow as Noah thrust over and over. Tobias could feel Noah's gaze on his face, feel the stare of his Dom on him, demanding, expecting, taking him out of himself. Time slid away, and it felt like forever before Noah started fucking him in earnest.

Tobias could barely beg. His whole body was tingling and his mind was focused on staying still, doing what Noah had said. He knew he could come, but he desperately wanted to hear Noah's breath quicken, to hear and feel how close Noah was before he went. He needed to know that he'd pleased Noah before he could sink into pleasure himself.

Sounds poured out of him, unbidden. Whimpers and gasps, more than one grunt as Noah slammed into him, taking his breath. He could feel the pool of pre-come on his belly growing as he leaked, and he could feel one of his wrists being rubbed raw.

It was the wrist that sent him over. One more pounding thrust, and Tobias was on the very edge of his control. "Please, sir," he whispered one more time. "I'm going to come."

"Yes," Noah replied quickly. He sounded winded and his voice was rough, and Tobias knew he was working hard to keep his composure. Hard enough that he likely wouldn't last much longer.

Noah reached up suddenly and locked fingers with Tobias', pinning him down. "Now."

What breath Tobias had was pushed out of his lungs in a rush as he tried to yell. Incoherent, speechless if not voiceless, Tobias tightened until he thought he might break, and then suddenly relaxed as he came. His body was totally out of his control, and he found he didn't even want to try; pleasure took him, and his vision swam as he spiraled up and up, every nerve firing.

He could hear Noah's voice and he felt Noah's body taking him with hard, deep thrusts, over and over through his orgasm. Their palms slipped against one another despite their tight grip. Noah's breath was coming in quick pants and low grunts, and his hips made a sharp sound against the exposed flesh of Tobias' thighs.

"Fuck! Hot. Jesus!" Noah swore, stuttering as he tried to get a deep breath, and seconds later he was coming, too, filling Tobias with heat. His hair was damp, his rhythm faltered, and his former composure seemed to leave him altogether. "Oh, God, yes!"

"Sweetheart." Tobias' eyes closed and he lay there, limp and boneless. His breath was ragged, little more than shuddering gasps, and he didn't even bother trying to move his arms. He had a feeling they'd be sore in the morning.

Noah kissed him, stealing a little more of his breath away, and he felt Noah's fingers working the buckles on the cuffs. One at a time they let go, the chain making a cheerful sound as the cuffs fell away.

"Sweetheart," Tobias whispered a second time. He willed himself to move just a little, and succeeded in wrapping his arms around Noah's torso. "Thank you."

Noah moved then, helping Tobias rearrange his legs so that Noah could lie beside him. "Really, it was my extreme pleasure." Noah laughed softly. "Holy hell, was it ever."

Tobias smiled and burrowed closer, letting Noah do the cuddling. "You do know how to make my bad days fade away."

"Shhh. Don't think about your day." Noah stroked fingers through Tobias' hair. "Just rest."

"It's a little early for actual sleep." That didn't stop Tobias from sighing and letting himself be lulled. "But I don't want to move just yet. Shower in a while, maybe."

Tobias felt Noah shake his head. "You're such a control freak, Tobias. Who says you can't fall asleep at eight o'clock? If you want to, go ahead."

"Not without at least being slightly less sticky." Tobias laughed softly and yawned. "But maybe the shower can wait for morning."

"Give me a minute and I'll get something to sponge you off with, then." Noah didn't seem ready to make a move himself just yet. "Mmmm." Noah stretched. "That was awesome."

"I try," Tobias teased, trying to sound modest.

"You suck at being still," Noah said with a snort.

"I know," Tobias said, delighted. "And I was even trying. You're a much better sub than I am."

"I know. Good thing, because my Master is very particular." Noah kissed his forehead and then slipped away. "One nice, clean cloth coming up."

"Thank you, pet." Tobias smiled as he realized he was already slipping back into his usual mode. "Thank you." He lay comfortably warm as Noah left him, pausing to snort, and waited to be clean. Sleep would come easily, thank goodness. He'd wondered about that earlier in the day.

Once more, however, Noah had proven that occasionally stepping back from roles to merely be partners was something they needed to do. It wasn't an easy lesson for Tobias, nor was it a natural thing for him to do, but the rewards had always been there.

It was getting to be an easier step. Maybe one day it would be something he could do without getting butterflies when he bought flowers. Or perhaps not -- Tobias actually kind of liked the butterflies.

Still smiling, Tobias fell asleep, waiting for Noah to come back.