All Tied Up Ch. 03 by jroseemi,jroseemi River and Emmanuel took their time, spending most of their time texting each other before meeting each weekend. River had quite the collection of BDSM paraphernalia but Emmanuel had his own that he could bring over if he wanted to. Most of their dates on the weekends started with spending time getting food and talking, getting to know each other better.
Most of these dates would end in going back to River’s place to play. They started slowly, so Emmanuel could learn how River reacted to everything he did. He knew his hard limits because they had spoken about them, but now it was about learning how hard to go on him, what soft touches would drive him crazy, and how long he could handle everything.
While River liked to be fucked at the end of sessions, they didn’t do that in the beginning. They started with BDSM without sex being the outcome for now. There were a few times, with the right combination of impact play and light touches centered around River’s cock that Emmanuel could get him to cum without any anal stimulation or touching River with his hand. Afterwards, River would practically melt into a puddle, wanting nothing more than feeling Emmanuel near and against his skin. He could manage to get the flogger to do it, but realized he’d need more constant contact with River’s cock to get him there.
As the weeks started to pass, River was a little surprised to find that this method of dating each other, which was setting them up for a collaring eventually more than dating he had thought, was making River feel much more emotionally connected to Emmanuel than he had with anyone else; even Chuck.
Emmanuel was casually surprised by the feelings he was developing for River as well, but not overly so. He knew himself well enough to know that he was demisexual and tended to prefer romantic relationships to form organically rather than pushing immediately into sexual play. He had initially harbored concerns that River would grow too attached this way, but eventually worked out with the help of his therapist that there was really no such thing as long as healthy boundaries were maintained to prevent codependency.
He had been tempted to make River wait the full year and a day to even offer his sexual connection, but Emmanuel found that as he got to know River more it was increasingly more difficult to deny the chemistry they shared. He could tell that River could feel it too. There were times, after play when they were doing aftercare, that River would be turned toward Emmanuel and seemed to stop himself from coming forward to kiss him. When it happened, River would put his head down, like he was asking for some forgiveness for being too bold or not letting Emmanuel take the lead.
Emmanuel understood his desire for that level of intimacy, but he resisted both of their yearnings in the sure knowledge of a bigger payoff when they finally couldn’t hold out any longer. This sort of long-term edging beat out any short-term satisfaction for Emmanuel and he wanted River to experience it too.
The wait was torturous; feeling that pull to want to connect that way and stalling it out. River was leaving it to Emmanuel though because he knew what he was doing, and it should be on his terms. River was along for the ride, giving permission for Emmanuel to take control of their situation and relationship. He had to wait for Emmanuel to make the move. Emmanuel could tell how it was affecting River though. Sometimes when he put his head down, his body would be shaking slightly from pulling away from what he wanted so badly. The more Emmanuel spoke to him and stroked his hair though, the more he would calm down again.
At the same time, they both were spending some time with Chuck and Krysta, for wedding planning and for the bridal party to mingle and get to know each other better. There were times where Emmanuel could see that something Chuck or Krysta would say, whether meant as a joke or a jab in Krysta’s case sometimes, would cause River to go silent for the rest of the time he was there. He would take part in conversation if someone directly asked him, but other than that he would just watch. Chuck seemed to think it was just introspection but Emmanuel could read the look in River’s eyes.
He was hurt by their comments about his crush and not being in the way of the happy couple. Whether that was because it hit too close to home or because he was offended by the implication was hard to tell, but River shut down afterward.
Sometimes, after those get togethers, River would ask Emmanuel to come over so he could just get lost in whatever tool Emmanuel wanted to use against him. Like he was letting go of the pain and stress of what had just happened while Emmanuel manipulated his body.
It was a weekend when a few of the bridal party was over to help plan out events with the bride and groom. River was indifferent to some of it but stayed involved because Chuck wanted to keep Krysta as stress free as possible. They had planned to go get fitted for tuxedos and bridesmaid dresses the next day as everyone was free.
River was in the kitchen cleaning off some plates for them when Krysta came in and leaned against the counter to look at him. “So, you and Emmanuel seem to be getting close.”
River smiled at that. “Yeah, we are.”
“That’s good to see,” she commented before she looked over to where Chuck and Emmanuel were talking together in the living room. “I was a little worried about what would happen after the wedding. You and Chuck are in such two different stages of life now. You’re all about work, work, work but Chuck and I will be married and starting a family. Once we’re pregnant, you two might not have as much in common to keep this friendship as strong as it has been.”
River put the last plate into the dishwasher before he turned to Krysta with a furrowed brow. “I mean, even if I were to ever get married, which is…not something I can imagine honestly, it doesn’t mean I’m going to be jumping into trying to find a surrogate and having kids. I’m still…very on the fence about kids, as you and Chuck know. I’m more than happy to be the fun uncle though, and that doesn’t have to change anything.”
“Doesn’t it?” she asked him seriously.
“Why should it?” he asked her.
Krysta just looked at him like he was being clueless before she walked out of the kitchen, leaving him to his thoughts. Krysta was basically telling River that he needed to be ready for their friendship to get more distant once the wedding was over with, and River felt slightly panicky about it. He stood there for a while, watching the others, everything running through his head without giving him any sort of break from the thoughts that he would be alone by the end of all of this.
In the living room while that had been going on, though, Chuck segued their conversation about Krysta hoping for her dream wedding over to River. “You and River seem to leave together all the time it seems.”
Emmanuel smiled into his drink before looking up at Chuck. “Is that a problem? You did give me your leave to pursue him. Have you changed your mind?” he asked with a knowing smirk on his face. He knew as surely as he knew River’s body by now that Chuck had no homosexual leanings or he would have entertained River’s crush by now, but that didn’t mean he would easily give up a “back-up plan” if that was a position River held in his subconscious.
Chuck laughed at that. “No, of course not. I’m glad to see it. A little surprised because I’ve seen some of the guys River has seen on and off before and he’s never been the type that gets attached easily, you know? It makes me worried for him sometimes. As long as you treat him well, I have no complaints.”
Emmanuel nodded without comment on that subject. “Do you think your bride-to-be will insist that your friendship end once the wedding is over?” he asked rather bluntly, acting off of a hunch he had been developing ever since she asked him to date River. He knew his sister well and she had never been good at sharing her toys.
Chuck looked a little surprised at that. “Oh, I don’t think Krysta would ask me to cut River off or anything, but we have talked about trying for a baby once the wedding is done. I know River is a great uncle to his nieces and nephews, but he’s not really in a marriage and parent state of mind. I think he’d be a great dad but he seems afraid of it for some reason. Anyway, we just might spend a little less time with each other. I want to focus on my growing family, you know?”
Emmanuel nodded his understanding, sipping his drink to keep himself from saying more. He was pretty sure that River would love to be able to play the family’s Gay Uncle without any need to step away from Chuck’s life, but that was a conversation for another time.
River came back into the living room quietly, a little after Krysta did, clearly in his own head as he helped them clean up a little. By now, Emmanuel knew what that meant and he was not happy about it. There was nothing to do about it until River told him about it, though, so he kept to himself until the event was over and they could leave, with the obvious exception of trying to find subtle ways to comfort River.
River gave Emmanuel a small smile when he noticed what he was doing, and as the evening wound down, he came over to where Emmanuel was and murmured to him, “You up for coming over tonight?”
Emmanuel nodded immediately, having anticipated that this might happen.
“Good,” River said and then went over to get his jacket and shoes on. He said a brief goodbye to Chuck and waved to Krysta, then waited until Emmanuel joined him at the door before he led the way to his car.
River briefly explained to Emmanuel in the car on the way to his house what Krysta and him had talked about in the kitchen, and it was clear that he was frustrated with the whole thing.
“I don’t really know what more I have to do to show Krysta I am not here to disrupt her relationship,” River ranted. “I’m happy for him, I don’t want to ruin Chuck’s relationship. I don’t view friendship with him as some ridiculous, puny consolation prize. Short of marrying someone else though, I don’t think anything will make her not view me as a threat.”
Emmanuel looked over at River sympathetically, knowing that he did not have much to say about his sister that would put him at ease, especially with her basically saying the quiet part out loud compared to how she used to talk when they all lived together. What he did say, however, was, “She was never very good at sharing the things she viewed as ‘just hers’.”
Normally, River didn’t ask Emmanuel for certain things. He liked to give Emmanuel free reign over their play, letting him take charge and do what he wanted to do. Emmanuel would try different things to see what River liked best, whether it be a flogger, a crop, dripping wax over his skin, working him over mentally with just his words, or something else. Tonight, though, once they had discarded their jackets and shoes and gotten down into the basement, River turned toward Emmanuel with steely eyes.
“I want to go hard tonight,” River expressed after a pause, like he was trying to talk himself into asking for what he wanted that night. “I want to feel the ache later and be reminded of what we did. I want to feel sore when I move, knowing that you left bruises and welts. Please.”
Emmanuel gave him a look that clearly communicated his hesitation. “Are you sure? The fitting is tomorrow and that tends to lead to exposure, no matter how careful you are. One bruise and…”
And everyone would know. Emmanuel didn’t have to finish the sentence for River to know what it meant. “I’ll lock the door to the fitting room,” River said with a wave of his hand, a little agitated but trying not to show it. He knew why Emmanuel was worried, and he likely should have been too, but he also wanted his mind not focused on Chuck and Krysta tomorrow. “It’s not the first time I’ve been cagey about undressing around Chuck. He made fun of me for it in college because I would go into the single stalls for showers after workouts.”
Emmanuel did not look convinced, but in the end it was River’s choice. “You understand, I am not at all ashamed about what we do here or what you’re coming to mean to me. But I also don’t believe in outing folks to communities that may not be understanding. So if you truly want this, tell me one more time.”
“I want this,” River replied without hesitation. “If I have to get down on my knees and beg, I will.”
Emmanuel’s eyes took on a particular shine to them, though the rest of his face remained expressionless. “Tempting, but let’s save that for another circumstance, shall we?” he responded, gesturing for River to proceed.
River nodded his head and stripped out of his clothing, leaving them over on one side of the room and out of the way before he got down onto his knees in front of Emmanuel, his hands behind his back, waiting for further instruction. There were quite a few different placements he could be in for a scene like this, whether on his hands and knees on the floor, lying on a bed or on the massage table, or restrained on one of the benches. He could have chosen, but he preferred deferring to the Dom.
Emmanuel walked over by the bench they had used on their initial audition, standing there expectantly and rolling his sleeves up carefully while River crawled over and mounted the bench, waiting patiently for Emmanuel to finish. When Emmanuel was ready, he bent and quickly fastened River into the restraints on the bench. He then paced slowly around the bench, plotting his approach and drawing out the anticipation for River.
River let out an involuntary shiver as he waited for Emmanuel to decide what he wanted to do. He had thought of asking Emmanuel if they could also at least do something sexual this time too, but he didn’t want to push his luck. He wasn’t in the habit of demanding things of a Dom, and didn’t want to seem too demanding or entitled. He could be a brat, and he liked being a brat, but he wasn’t going to push it.
Emmanuel picked up a paddle on his next circuit of River’s prone form and stopped within range of his rear. His first blow was unexpected, judging from River’s jump as it landed. Emmanuel checked in with him to make sure he was okay and still wanted to continue before laying down a base layer of paddle-shaped marks and welts on his backside. Unlike previous sessions, Emmanuel didn’t pause after each strike to soothe away the sting, though he remained fully aware of River’s reactions and kept an eye out for any sort of use of a safeword or gesture.
River reacted to each hit, with a cry that was between pain and pleasure. He let his head fall down onto the bench, pressing his forehead against the smooth surface for relief as Emmanuel worked him over. His hips would move with each landed strike, causing his hard cock to rub up against the surface of the bench. They went for a while, with only the sound of River’s cries and gasps, and the slapping of the paddle, filling up the room. At some point the pain and his cock rubbing against the bench was enough to push River over the edge, his cry more frantic then as he shot out cum onto the bench against his stomach.
He didn’t safeword at all, but Emmanuel could tell when River was at his limit because his body started shaking. By then, River’s backside, thighs, and some of his back were covered in welts and redness that would lead into bruising. He could feel the cum underneath him becoming sticky and drying on his skin, but it was something that was just barely on the outside of his consciousness.
When Emmanuel stopped swinging the paddle, River’s body slowly relaxed down onto the bench. His pupils were wide and dilated as he looked behind him at where Emmanuel was standing and looking at him.
Emmanuel judged that River was pretty deep in subspace right then and that his judgment was definitely impaired. He unfastened the restraints and stood aside as River crawled unsteadily off the bench, kneeling next to it in his perfect submissive pose, though perhaps his buttocks didn’t exactly touch his heels. Emmanuel noticed the puddle on the bench and smiled, tossing a cleaning wipe on top of the mess. “Clean up after yourself, pet,” he said quietly but commandingly to River.
“Yes, Sir,” River replied and cleaned up the bench before folding the wipe and cleaning up what he could from his front and throwing it away. Then he went back to his submissive stance in front of Emmanuel.
Emmanuel considered the next choice very carefully before nodding to himself and speaking, “That workout gave me quite an appetite, pet. Come over here and service me.”
River’s eyes flashed up to Emmanuel, his heart quickening at the demand. “Yes, Sir,” he replied again, trying to hold back the excitement in his voice though his face was always a give away for that. As he reached for Emmanuel’s belt, River could see evidence that he hadn’t been speaking figuratively tenting the crotch of his pants. He worked quickly and soon freed his Master’s cock from its confining position.
This was the first time River had ever gotten to see Emmanuel’s cock, as Emmanuel tended to stay dressed other than when they were lying in bed, and even then he kept his boxers on. He was perfect though; thick and long, uncut, and the head was a purple color from having been hard for so long now. Precum had started leaking out, making the head coated in it and shiny, and River licked it up like it was a lollipop, letting out a hum at the salty taste.
River started with licking up all of the precum and then sucking on the head, enjoying the way Emmanuel would gush precum when it felt good. Then River slid down the entire length of Emmanuel, opening up his throat and pushing past his gag reflex, only gagging slightly, before his nose touched down on Emmanuel’s trimmed pubes. He made a swallowing motion a few times, enjoying the way Emmanuel groaned at that and his fingers laced through River’s hair.
River backed off from the deep throating, not wanting this over too soon. He focused on moving up and down Emmanuel’s length, using his tongue all along the underside expertly to make it feel as good as possible. Every time he was rewarded with a gush of precum, he would moan around Emmanuel, sending vibrations through his cock. River used one of his hands to massage his balls, knowing the right pressure and movement to make it feel good.
Emanuel left River to his own devices for a while beyond threading his fingers into River’s hair. Once he started getting close to climax, though, he closed his fist. He effectively stopped River’s movements with his grip, so Emmanuel started slowly thrusting his hips, replicating River’s pace when he didn’t object after the first few strokes. River opened up his throat and worked on breathing through it, more than happy to be face fucked by Emmanuel.
Emmanuel had been edging throughout the entire experience so it didn’t take long for him to become overstimulated. He caught River’s eye and raised his eyebrow questioningly, trying to communicate the question of where River wanted it because he was beyond the ability to form coherent words. River’s response was to grab onto Emmanuel’s hips and move further down his length to show he was ready to swallow.
At that, Emmanuel threw his head back and erupted down River’s throat. It felt like he hadn’t had release in forever as he pumped spurt after spurt into River’s mouth. River swallowed over and over, taking the entirety of Emmanuel’s release. Near the end, he backed up a little so he could feel the warmth and taste of him flooding his mouth. He moaned in response as he swallowed one last time and then used his tongue to clean Emmanuel’s cock off completely.
Once he was done, he sat back into his submissive stance and looked up at Emmanuel adoringly. “Thank you, Sir.”
Thanks for reading pls vote or comment Emmanuel had released River’s hair when he had begun to climax. Now as he recovered, Emmanuel reached out and gently but affectionately patted River’s head. “You’re welcome, Pet.”
River waited for Emmanuel to come back down from the orgasm, just watching him as he caught his breath and waited for his next order. Emmanuel considered letting River continue to wait for his own release, outside of what he’d done on the bench, out of a private sadistic glee for a few moments before ordering him face-down on the massage table. Once River was settled in position, Emmanuel began applying soothing cream to the damaged skin on River’s backside. He had been careful during the session not to break the skin but even this cream couldn’t penetrate to the sore muscles River would be nursing once his endorphins wore off.
Once he had taken proper care of his toy, Emmanuel ordered him to flip over. River very carefully moved onto his back, feeling the burn of the pain on his back and ass. He let out a slight hiss at it, but Emmanuel could see he was still blissed out enough that it was a good pain. The coldness of the soft plastic on the massage table was nice on the burning skin and he looked up at Emmanuel as he settled, curious as to what he would do now.
River was hard again from having serviced Emmanuel like that. He had always enjoyed oral and loved giving, and it was impossible for him to not get hard while giving oral to someone he was serving like this, especially Emmanuel. Emmanuel was everything he could ever hope for; he was handsome and calm, gentle but dominant, and the fact that he was shorter and thinner than River made it that much hotter to be under his control.
Emmanuel was pleased to see that River was still hard as he cleaned his hands of the cream that had coated them while he was tending to his submissive’s skin. He wanted to taste River at some point soon, but felt that such things might be more palatable to him on even footing at first, so he settled for working his member over by hand. His calloused hands were nonetheless soft and supple. He definitely worked physically demanding jobs but he also made sure to moisturize whenever possible to avoid having overly rough texture for just such an occasion.
River gripped the sides of the massage table, letting out a low moan when Emmanuel’s hand made contact with his throbbing cock. His back arched off the table, still sensitive from his orgasm against the bench. This was the first time Emmanuel had touched him like this, and it was so much better than River had been imagining and dreaming about. Part of it was probably the lead up to it, but it also had to do with the technique Emmanuel was using.
Emmanuel would consider himself a master at this, if only for the comedic value. He stroked and massaged River’s cock and balls expertly, using the occasional emissions to add a bit more lubrication to the party. River had always been vocal during their sessions so far, and he wasn’t disappointing Emmanuel now either. He didn’t try to muffle his cries or moans, though the only time he spoke actual words was to tell Emmanuel that he was close and to ask his Master for permission to cum.
Once again Emmanuel considered letting his inner Sadist answer, but benevolently granted River permission instead. River put one of his arms over his face as his back arched again through his orgasm, crying out as his cock spurt out cum all over his stomach and chest. Emmanuel smiled as River finished, enjoying the redness in his face and neck as he climaxed. When he had relaxed some, Emmanuel took some wipes from nearby and cleaned him up.
River looked up at Emmanuel as he came down from the high, his pupils still large and blissed out, though it was hard to see sometimes with how dark River’s eyes were, especially when turned on. “Thank you, Sir,” he breathed out and reached up to gently rub Emmanuel’s arm.
Emmanuel was noticing that the more they played, the more affectionate River seemed to get. Somewhere in the back of River’s mind, he realized he may be falling for Emmanuel, but he didn’t say anything. He’d deal with that later.
Emmanuel, meanwhile, handed River his clothes and told him to get dressed and meet him upstairs. He wanted to discuss the specifics of their relationship as it stood and moving forward in a place that wasn’t highly charged with sexual tension and release as well as the expectation of playtime that dungeons tended to inspire.
River slowly got dressed, feeling the burn on his skin as his clothes touched the tender areas of his back and rear. He took a moment to compose himself, slowly coming out of subspace and more to his normal frame of mind before he went upstairs and sat down on the couch not far from Emmanuel.
Emanuel had deliberately chosen a chair close to the couch, knowing that River would appreciate the option of sitting indirectly on his rump and that he himself would appreciate the opportunity to sit next to River when they were done talking. “Okay,” Emmanuel started, once River was settled, “I just want to check in since we’ve experienced a couple of changes to our routine. How do you feel about what just happened?”
River couldn’t help but smile and then he looked down to try and hide it. He didn’t hide it well though. “I feel good about it. It felt very natural and good. I have no complaints about it.”
Emmanuel smiled, “I’m glad you don’t have any complaints, but I’m going to need a more detailed answer than that, Pet.” River could hear the capitalization in that word and it did things to his insides. “Let’s start with the requested punishment first. Did it meet your needs?”
“Yes, it did,” River replied with a nod. “It was exactly what I was asking for and needed. Thank you for being willing to take my request, though I know the decision of what we do is yours.”
Emmanuel shook his head slightly, still smiling. “Like all relationships, what we do in the dungeon is mutually consensual. I may make decisions in the scene based on my understanding of your wishes occasionally, like we did today, but I will always check in with you afterward to make sure that was the right call. Is sexual activity something you wish to continue?”
“Yes,” River replied without even a bit of hesitation. “Absolutely. I really like sex being part of it, though I understand why we’ve been slowly building to it. No one has bothered to do that before, which is fine but it’s made the payout once it started so much better. I definitely want to continue down that avenue with you.”
Emmanuel nodded as if he had expected that would be the case. “Venues where sexual activities are acceptable?” he asked for clarification.
River looked thoughtful. “Here, your place if we ever go there, hotels and private areas, and where we’re allowed to in the dungeons are all fine.”
Emmanuel nodded expectantly again. “And now the question that I suspect you’ll struggle the most with: do we limit the sexual activity to scenes only?”
Normally River would have said yes, because that was how he had always done it before. Sex came after the scenes, and mostly only after scenes. Looking at Emmanuel now, though, he realized that wasn’t really how he wanted to do it. He could picture having sex outside of a scene with Emmanuel; even vanilla sex, which he hadn’t really had for a while now.
Finally, after a little bit of consideration, River said, “I’m okay with it not just being during scenes. We can have sexual activity with us on even footing.”
“Are you certain?” Emmanuel asked, clearly interested in River’s comfort. “Like anything else, consent is key and can be withdrawn at any time.”
“Yes, I’m sure,” River replied with a nod of his head and brought his eyes up to make eye contact so Emmanuel could see the truth there too.
“As you wish,” Emmanuel said with a slight smile. River couldn’t help but smile at that too, knowing the reference.
“What about you?” River asked. “We’ve talked about what I want, but what do you want when it comes to sex?”
Emmanuel looked surprised by that question. He was used to submissives being mostly focused on their own needs and desires and just expecting him to find a way to work his own needs into things. River looked like he truly wanted to hear what Emmanuel needed as well.
“I know, logically, that I hold all the power here,” River added after seeing how Emmanuel reacted. “I’d be a pretty awful submissive though if I ignored your needs and wants over mine. Dom drop is a thing too.”
Emmanuel smiled shrewdly. “I like to believe that it is a sharing of power. You submit control of yourself to me while your faculties are being overridden by overstimulation and in return I yield control of my baser desires in favor of doing what is negotiated best for you in that moment. I still get something out of the exchange, but exerting control over both of us is its own sort of giddiness.”
“That’s true,” River conceded, “but your wants matter too. And you haven’t answered my question. Do you want sex to be outside of scenes and the power exchange?”
Emmanuel chuckled good-naturedly, exclaiming, “Oh ho! I don’t recall authorizing you to have a backbone!” with a wink to show he was joking.
“Keep it up and you’ll really see my bratty side,” River joked with a wink.
“Generally speaking,” Emmanuel answered, ignoring for the moment the threat of a bratty side, “I prefer sex in my intimate relationships whether in or out of the dungeon. I’m largely demisexual, though, so I tend to wait to approach the subject until I feel comfortable and established with a partner or submissive.”
River knew what demisexual meant and had met a few submissives and Doms who were, though he never had been personally. He enjoyed sex much more with someone he was connected to emotionally, but could easily do one night stands too. “You approached it now, though, so I suppose that means you’re at least comfortable with me then.”
The twinkle in Emmanuel’s eye as he refused to answer spoke volumes to River. River smirked at that. He might have found that tendency to not answer certain things incredibly annoying in other people, but it was endearing with Emmanuel. In response, he moved over on the couch and gave a look that beckoned Emmanuel to join him there unless there was something else to talk about.
Emmanuel smiled indulgently and moved over by River, deliberately sitting right up against him to give him the rest of his aftercare. As River folded himself down to snuggle against him, Emmanuel caught the involuntary wince he tried to hide but ignored it and wrapped his left arm around his Pet. He couldn’t help but worry that the funishment that River had demanded would ultimately expose him, but he figured that risk was River’s to take.
They finished up their evening with having River take a bath with epsom salts to soothe some of the ache and then putting on cream meant for bruises before they snuggled up in bed together. River could admit to himself that he was getting used to having another warm body in his bed on the weekends, and some weekdays now when they could manage it, and it felt nice.
When they woke up the next day, they took showers and Emmanuel put some more ointment on him before they got dressed and headed out to the tuxedo and dress shop. It was a nice little store that was run by a family friend of Krysta’s foster parents, and the two of them weren’t the first ones there, though it was noted by a few that they came into the shop together.
Chuck came over to River with a big grin on his face and slapped him on the shoulder. River had seen that move coming, because Chuck did it a lot to his jock friends, and River put his feet in a stance so he wouldn’t stumble, suddenly very glad that none of his evening activities with Emmanuel had involved his upper back. Emmanuel caught the small wince from the ache in his muscles to stay standing, but River quickly smiled to cover it up.
“I really hope you don’t do that to all of your friends,” River commented. “I don’t think the non-jock crowd could handle it.”
Chuck gave a laugh at that. “Nah, mostly just my football buddies, but you keep claiming rugby was the rougher sport so I assume you can handle it.”
“It is!” River replied. “My mom could show you all of the x-rays from the broken bones from that sport.”
“He just likes looking tough in front of cute guys, I think,” Chuck said to Emmanuel.
Emmanuel smiled, “Aww, Chuck! You think I’m cute?” he asked in a cutesy voice while feathering his eye contact coquettishly.
River practically choked on his own spit at that, turning away from them and coughing to cover up the laugh as Chuck stared at Emmanuel for a moment before he said, “Well, I mean, even as a straight man I can admit when a guy is attractive.”
That didn’t help River’s problem any, and now he leaned against the wall while his body shook from the laughter he was trying not to show. Chuck looked back at where River was with a look that said he wasn’t as amused as his best friend was.
“Are you done?” Chuck asked River once he had turned back around and seemed to compose himself.
“At least until you flirt with your brother-in-law again, yes,” River replied with a grin.
“That wasn’t flirting,” Chuck argued. “I’m not that awkward when I flirt.”
“Yes you are, sweetie,” Krysta commented with a pat on Chuck’s shoulder, causing River to give a snort.
Emmanuel had been trying hard to hold back his own laughter during the entire exchange, but lost his composure when his sister got involved. “Krysta, how do you feel about your fiancé trying to ‘keep it in the family’?” he asked with barely controlled laughter.
“Aww, sibling-wives!” River cried, which got him a light slap on the arm from Chuck while Krysta shook her head with a laugh.
“It is an interesting choice, I suppose,” Krysta replied.
While they were all laughing at Chuck’s awkwardness, a consultant came up to them to let them know that the girls would be taken to the area where they had people try on dresses while the men could follow her to where they would try on some tuxes and get set up to order them.
Where the men were set up had a dressing room that multiple people could use, or a couple of smaller ones for privacy or when only one person had come in. River was a little apprehensive when he saw the dressing rooms because none of them had actual doors he could lock. The doors were simply blue velvet-like curtains. River looked over at Emmanuel when he noticed that, a little of the worry evident on his face.
Emmanuel hadn’t known about this, but he wasn’t surprised that something had come up to complicate the situation. He verified that no one else was looking at him before shrugging helplessly at River while mouthing the word “whoops.” River let out a little chuckle at that.
The consultant brought over a bunch of tuxes, and based on their measurements, started handing out ones that would fit. Most of the guys went to the shared changing area, but River started to slip into one of the private ones, which got a joking comment from Chuck about River being a prude.
River turned to look at him before commenting, “I mean, you did mention how cute Emmanuel is. I’d hate to pop a boner in front of everyone. Might make some of us here feel…inadequate.” With that comment made, and Chuck’s shocked face, he closed the curtain behind him, glad when he could hear laughing and jokes afterward.
Emmanuel also opted for a private room, but no one batted an eye at that because he didn’t really know anyone in Chuck’s friend group. He changed quickly and as such was the first one to be fitted by the tailor. River quickly changed into the tux he had been given and came out soon after, letting the tailor do what he needed to do while Chuck looked around at the different tuxes to try and narrow down which design he wanted.
When Chuck made a decision, the tailor went off to see if they had the sizes they needed. River was glad they had his size for the one Chuck wanted and slipped back in to change and let the tailor get everything pinned the way it needed to be. He thought he might be in the clear soon as he slipped back in to carefully get out of the tux and back into his own clothes.
He was only in his boxers and socks when Chuck came into the changing room without announcing himself or knocking on the wall. He only started saying something once he was in the changing room and then stopped when he saw the bruising on River’s legs and back.
“Fucking hell, Chuck!” River cried and turned around to try and hide it. He grabbed his pants and started to pull them on, forgetting for a moment that there were mirrors behind him.
“What the fuck is that?” Chuck demanded.
“It’s nothing,” River replied.
“Did Emmanuel do that?” Chuck asked, his face a mask of barely contained rage. “He’s abusing you?!”
“No, he’s not!” River argued with an expression to show how serious he was about that answer.
“Oh no?” Chuck asked him before he grabbed River’s arm, who was startled enough by the action that he dropped his shirt, and pulled River out of the changing room to where most of the others were standing and talking, though talk died as soon as the two of them emerged. “What do you think gentlemen? Is leaving marks on someone like this abuse or is it not?”
The way River stumbled out made it easy for Chuck to turn him around for the others to see the bruises on his back. He pushed Chuck away from him angrily, standing up straight to look at Chuck.
“It’s not!” River declared.
Emmanuel had already emerged from his changing room fully dressed when Chuck had begun dragging River out of his. Taking note of what was going on and making a quick decision, Emmanuel leaned nonchalantly against the three-quarters wall separating the private changing rooms. He wanted to see how this started to play out, but as of right now, he and River hadn’t made any commitments to each other yet. He would step in if he needed to, but he didn’t want to step on River’s autonomy either.
“How is it not?” Chuck demanded, and he was being loud enough that everyone in the building could hear them. River was staring Chuck down when the women came over to see what was going on.
River considered what he wanted to say while Chuck told Krysta that Emmanuel left bruises all over River. Krysta looked over at her foster brother in surprise. Emmanuel caught her look and shrugged helplessly, clearly not jumping in to disagree but also not exactly confirming anything either. He did look to River, though, to offer him silent support while they all waited for Chuck to quiet down enough for anyone else to speak.
River took a deep breath and let it out before standing up to his full height and putting his hands on his hips. “He isn’t abusing me, but even if he was, it wouldn’t be any of your goddamn business, Chuck.”
“How is it not? I’m your best friend!” Chuck replied angrily.
“Are you?” River demanded, and Chuck looked like he’d been slapped by the way he stepped back in shock.
“Are you kidding me?” Chuck asked.
“No, not even a little bit,” River responded with a shake of his head. “Best friends don’t push each other away just because they get married. They definitely don’t join in on bitchy comments towards their best friend just because he’s gay and had a crush on you! And they especially don’t make something like this so fucking public when it’s probably a very delicate situation to even talk about!”
Chuck had clamped his lips together now, staring at River with some conflicting emotions on his face. “I have every right to be worried about you when I see bruises. What you can see on you right now isn’t close to what I just saw.”
“For your fucking information, it was consensual,” River yelled at Chuck, and now quite a few people looked shocked. “Nothing you saw wasn’t anything that wasn’t agreed to before it was done. Therefore, it’s not abuse. You can call me a pain slut and a masochist, but you sure as fuck aren’t going to call me a victim!”
Thanks for reading pls vote or comment “You’re fucking sick in the head,” Chuck spit out at him.
Over his adult life, and some of his teen years, River had read a lot of smut books and romance novels, both in book form and online. He had heard time and time again in those, as well as in online forums, the idea that one single moment could completely destroy the love you could have for someone almost immediately. He hadn’t really thought that was possible, like the idea was being exaggerated or was more complicated than that. Staring at Chuck now, though, he had no better way to explain the way he felt than that the small part of him that was still in love with Chuck just snapped instantly.
At the actual statement, though, River just shrugged his shoulders. “Probably. I’m okay with that. If you aren’t, though, then that’s fine.”
He walked over and opened the changing room again, grabbing his shirt and pulling it on, then slipped back into his shoes before he turned and walked away from the changing area towards the door.
Emmanuel watched him go, then looked to his sister. The look on her face promised that they would talk about this later as she jerked her head toward where River had gone. Emmanuel mouthed a silent “thank you” and strolled unhurriedly through the door, pretty sure that he and River both had just been uninvited from the wedding, though Krysta may still decide to keep him on her side of things.
When he caught up to River, he found him sitting in his car with his forehead resting on the wheel. Emmanuel reached into his pocket and flipped River a comically large penny. Because River wasn’t paying attention to his surroundings, though, it bounced into his lap. River startled a little and then picked up the penny, looking it over for a moment before he looked up at Emmanuel. River gave a weak laugh, turning the coin over in his hands.
“I feel like such an idiot,” River admitted. “And I outed you to your own family.”
Emmanuel shrugged before saying, “Eh, she was bound to find out once Chuck knew. I doubt she’ll share my business with our parents without talking with me first. Besides, I’m surprised she didn’t figure it out sooner on her own. Or any of my other foster siblings.”
River got a faraway look in his eyes as he considered that. “Well, that’s one way to destroy a years-long crush in an instant. I didn’t know getting over him would be that easy, though. I might have done it a long time ago had I known.”
Emmanuel looked sympathetic, “I’m glad you can see the silver lining, though I still regret that the storm clouds have to be present, if only because change is hard.”
“It is,” River agreed. “I probably only have myself to blame for it though. I should have been more careful, but what’s done is done.”
“Don’t do that to yourself,” Emmanuel ordered. “The only way you could have been more careful would have been to not ask for what you needed in the first place, and even that is too much of a one-sided compromise than one such as Chuck merits. He was the one who barged into your privacy with no regard for your clearly stated boundary and then attempted to shame you for his uncouth actions.”
River looked up at Emmanuel with an expression of surprise on his face. He hadn’t really thought of it that way, but he couldn’t ignore the fact that Emmanuel was right. “That’s true. I guess I’ve gotten used to Chuck being kind of intrusive about stuff, and I’ve let things slide over time for the relationship.”
Emmanuel nodded his agreement with that statement, confidently staying silent to allow River the time he needed to completely process everything that had happened and adjust to the new reality. The longer River sat there ruminating on it, the angrier he got, and Emmanuel could see it on his face.
“He’s such a fucking ass,” River finally spit out. “And he’s been an ass a lot lately, I realize. I don’t know if that’s Krysta’s influence or just himself. Either way, it’s bullshit and he has some groveling to do before I listen to him.”
Emmanuel smiled gently, his pride for River showing fairly clearly in the expression on his face. When River looked up at him again and saw that expression, his heart seemed to speed up all on its own. He briefly wondered to himself if part of why it was so easy to tell Chuck off and not feel any sadness about that love draining away was because of this man standing right in front of him.
“Let’s go somewhere,” River suddenly said. “Like, out to eat, or…Dave and Busters or something. Just you and me.”
“Aww, you don’t want to invite Chuck and Larry in there?” Emmanuel asked with a grin.
“Fuck no,” River replied and then laughed.
Emmanuel climbed into the passenger seat and buckled up expectantly, as if he was going to leave the decision-making up to River right then. River grinned and shut his own door before he drove them to Dave and Busters in Livonia. They ate their fill, played games, and laughed while talking, putting the scene at the tuxedo shop behind them until they had to deal with it again.
Thanks for reading pls vote or comment