All Tied Up Ch. 04 by jroseemi,jroseemi A few days later, Krysta sent Emmanuel a message asking him if he had any time to come over to chat. Not the sort of person to avoid conflict when it was inevitable, Emmanuel fired off a quick message to let her know he was on his way and carried his bike down to street level. Krysta came to open the door when she saw him locking up his bike outside and let him come in to sit on the couch. He couldn’t see Chuck anywhere but it didn’t mean he wasn’t there at the house somewhere.
“I’ll start by saying I had Chuck order and pay for the tuxes for you and River based on what was left in your dressing rooms,” Krysta commented, acting like tuxedos was really all they were chatting about then by how casually she said it. “I figured having that expense off your shoulders would be a good thing for you, at least. River could pay for the whole grooms’ side if he wanted to, but it’s the thought that counts.”
Emmanuel smiled wolfishly, “I’m not sure having Chuck pick up the tab for tuxes we likely won’t get the chance to wear is necessary, but I appreciate the thought. I assume we’re no longer welcome on the groom’s side.”
Krysta gave a roll of her eyes at that. “Chuck is upset, but he’s not stupid. I told him I would talk to you and we could work on mending the relationships but I was not going to be okay with him making decisions to kick anyone out right this minute. So I guess we should talk about the bruised elephant in the room. I take it the relationship you and River have isn’t romantic then, but BDSM related?”
Emmanuel’s eyes twinkled a little at that. “Quite an assumption, dear sister. You know I’m demiromantic. Things started off in the Dungeon, yes, but they seem to be progressing toward something more,” he answered.
Krysta looked thoughtful at that. “It wasn’t just my assumption. Chuck was thinking so too since you didn’t seem overly worried about trying to help River in that situation. That’s good though because I think Chuck will be less worried if you actually feel something for River. He’s a little clueless about non-vanilla relationships, but mostly he wants his friend to be happy and safe with a partner who can actually love him.”
Emmanuel considered that, and offered a bit of explanation. “Your concern for River is admirable. He is quite safe with me, and his participation is consensual. You know my past with relationships enough to know that love is a soft limit for me; one that I’m cautious of for good reason. As to his scuffle with Chuck at the fitting, there is a bit of backstory involved plus I tend not to intercede in partners’ outside affairs unless invited or directly involved in situ.”
“You don’t think them fighting about you involves you in the situation?” Krysta asked him.
“They weren’t fighting about me. They were fighting about Chuck’s lack of respect for River’s clearly stated boundaries and willingness to publicize River’s secrets for clout. I was simply a bystander like everyone else. Chuck wisely didn’t even look in my direction while the whole thing went down,” Emmanuel answered.
Krysta looked at him curiously. “What would you have done if he had?”
Emmanuel smiled wickedly, “Involve myself,” he said simply.
Krysta shook her head at her brother. “I should expect nothing else but that. Does River know that love is a limit for you? That you try hard not to go that route?”
Emmanuel considered claiming privileged information on that but thought better of it. “We’ve not come across that subject yet. We may never need to. So far the relationship began as strictly sceneplay and has evolved to a more established dynamic wherein he has expressed an interest in making more long-term. I’ve been honest and forthcoming with him from the beginning.”
“So, maybe he’ll make this long term thing with you and then be free to find love with someone else then?” Krysta asked him. “I know you’ve done the polyamory thing before.”
Emmanuel spread his hands in a gesture Krysta well knew and hated. “Who knows what the future may bring? I only offer to cage those who wish to be.”
Krysta sighed but decided to leave it alone. She asked him some questions about what scenes tended to be like, just so she could be educated about what her brother was doing. After a little bit, the door opened and Chuck came into the house. He stopped at the threshold when he saw that Emmanuel was there, but then he seemed to recover and walked in and shut the door behind him.
Chuck came over and kissed Krysta hello and then turned and looked at his future brother-in-law. “Emmanuel. Nice to see you.”
Emmanuel nodded respectfully but reservedly. “Chuck,” he responded.
Krysta looked up at Chuck expectantly, and Chuck gave a sigh before he sat down on the couch next to her. “I owe you an apology. I shouldn’t have gotten into yours and River’s business, and especially shouldn’t have made it public. I’m sorry.”
Emmanuel nodded as if he expected nothing less. “Apology accepted, though truly River is the one to whom an apology is most owed. He was most affected and moreover feels that he’s lost a long-time friend.”
Chuck had the decency to look ashamed of that. He swallowed hard and nodded his head. “I know. I sent him a text but he hasn’t answered me so far. The apology should really be in person but I may need to wait until he’s ready to talk.”
Emmanuel nodded noncommittally, glancing at his sister to try to assess her reactions to what her husband-to-be had to say. Krysta rubbed Chuck’s leg lovingly and said, “I’m sure he’ll answer soon, but maybe tell him you want to offer an apology and pay for lunch or something. River adores you, so I don’t think he’ll stay mad forever.”
“I hope not,” Chuck replied. “We’ve been inseparable since college, and I don’t want to lose him. Especially not this way. I’ve never seen him so angry before, other than one time in college…”
When Krysta saw the curious look on Emmanuel’s face, she told him, “River and his friends were attacked in college. It was a gay bashing. One of his other friends was the one targeted, but another one jumped in front and got hit by a baseball bat in the leg twice before anyone could stop the guy. River didn’t get hurt but…”
Emmanuel shook his head woefully. “That sounds terrible. I’m sure River found a way to blame himself for not taking the hit for his friend.”
“He did,” Chuck confirmed. “And so he used a lot of his anger at the situation to demand consequences from the university with Trev’s aunt. I’ll never forget the way his eyes looked when he told me he’d never speak to me again if I stood on my fellow footballer’s side. He said if I chose teammates who would attack my gay friends over those gay friends, then I didn’t deserve to have any queer friends.”
Emmanuel nodded his agreement with that statement. “He has quite a way with words.”
“Yeah, he does,” Chuck agreed, with a wistful smile on his face while thinking about his friend. “And he’s really smart and thoughtful. Which is why my behavior was unfair to him. I got worked up. I was worried you hurt him and might do worse damage to him, mostly emotionally.”
Emmanuel considered his next words carefully. He didn’t want to alienate Chuck but there were some things that needed to be said. “Take this with a grain of salt, Chuck, but you really should consider trying to develop some self-awareness. Maybe ask River about his perspective and actually listen to what he has to say. Put your privilege aside for one conversation and just try to imagine what it must be like for someone like River.”
“Someone like River?” Chuck asked for clarification.
The look on Emmanuel’s face was one of extreme patience that was beginning to wear thin. “A gay man in sports, a gay man in forensic science, a man who survived being attacked while out with his friends simply because they dared to be gay and out about it. Even I don’t fully grasp what River has experienced in his lifetime and I’m bisexual. I can hide my orientation to pass as ‘normal’ in our shitty society if I choose to. I’m not asking you to do all this in a vacuum; ask River, but listen to him.”
Chuck looked thoughtful for a moment before he finally nodded his head. “Yeah, you’re right. I’ll do that. Thank you.”
Emmanuel stood and thanked his sister for the invitation to visit and made his exit. He felt that he had given them both quite a bit to think about.
River, meanwhile, had seen the text from Chuck and had promptly ignored it to focus on school. He was so close to finishing up; he had been working hard on his classes and dissertation, and was coming up on when he would have to defend it. He couldn’t let his fight with Chuck make him forget what was important.
He went to work with the same mindset. It was late at night, in what was deemed as quiet time, when the buzzer sounded for transport. River got up and went over to check the cameras, happy to see that it was Rufus and Emmanuel. River pressed the button to let them in and then went to check on who he knew he had to send with them that night.
They were going through their normal routine when there came another buzz, but this one from the front. River furrowed his eyebrows and asked them to hold on a moment while he went over to check the cameras.
River pressed a button and then said, “Can I help you?”
The man on the screen for that camera held up his badge. “My name is Detective Park. Can you let me in?”
“Officer, we’re after hours now,” River replied. “Police are supposed to come during the day time.”
“I was looking for you, though, and Dr. Carrington said you work later at night,” Detective Park explained. “River Thorn, right? I work cold cases, and wanted to talk to you.”
Cold cases caught River’s attention, and he only took a moment to consider it before he pressed the button that would unlock the front door for the cop. River went back over to continue signing for the exchange of bodies while he waited for Detective Park to come into where they were. He showed up just a few minutes later carrying two file boxes, which he placed down onto a counter.
Detective Park was a rather good-looking man who must have been in his mid to late-thirties, of Korean descent with black hair that was just barely sprinkled with white, a five o’clock shadow, and glasses on his face. He was wearing a suit though he had ditched the coat at some point and they could all see his gun in its holster around his abdomen. He smiled at River and tapped the boxes like he figured River knew what they were, and he was at least half right.
“I’m a friend of Dr. Carrington’s,” Detective Park explained. “Turns out you’ve been asking some questions about a cold case I have the files on, and I wanted to talk to you about it.”
Emmanuel and Rufus knew better than to stick around for privileged conversation, so they wheeled their current charge out the roll-up door without saying anything. Emmanuel watched River’s face but he never looked away from the Detective or the boxes, so Emmanuel focused on the task at hand and made a mental note to text him later.
River barely registered that they had left, but Detective Park watched them leave and only started to speak again once the doors clicked shut. “Cassia Thorn, six years old when her body was found. And now her big brother is a forensic scientist for the same city she was found in.”
River gave a brief smile that said Park had him figured out. “A lot of evidence taken from what I’ve heard, but no culprit ever found. I may have some ulterior motives for working in this particular area, but I am good at what I do.”
“I should hope so,” Detective Park replied. “I figure you’re not going to butt out if I tell you to, so maybe it’s better to let you help me close the case once and for all. But you really need to be sure you want to do this before you agree. You may learn things about your family and the friends around them that you can’t unsee. You may unlock secrets you’d rather not have known. So if you want to do this, you need to be prepared for that.”
River had been looking at the boxes, but now he shifted his gaze over to Park. The man had a look on his face like he knew what he was talking about but when their eyes met, the look turned sympathetic. This wasn’t the first time River had been told that, of course. He’d had professors warn him about it, as well as his oldest sister. This was something he had thought about for a long time.
“I appreciate your concern, but I’ve put a lot of thought into this over the years,” River finally said. “Cassia and I were born less than a year apart, Irish twins. Everyone called her my shadow, but I’d say it was the other way around. I should have been a victim alongside her, but somehow the perpetrator got us separated. Any facade of a happy family or happy family friends is just a lie. It may be a pretty lie, but it’s a lie all the same, and it’s a lie that led to my sister being murdered. I can handle that facade coming down, Detective. So count me in.”
Detective Park looked him in the eyes to make sure he was serious and then nodded before turning to the boxes. “Here is everything we have on the case. One box is filled with files, statements, every bit of paper trail we had back then, while the other box has the rape kit and all sorts of preserved samples, as well as test results for what could be tested back then, like tox screen and such.”
River came over to stand beside the detective, moving the top box so they were side by side before he opened the first one. He saw the rape kit on top and knew which box this was instantly. “What kind of samples did they manage to preserve?”
Park pulled out a file and opened it, looking through the list. “Condom must have been used as there was no semen found. There were hairs found, including one or two with a root. She might have ripped a few out and they fell on her. There was also some saliva preserved. There was also a partial fingerprint on her skin, but it wasn’t very clear. They kept it and if we can find a way to enhance it, we might have something but that was beyond their capabilities back then.”
River looked up at the clock. “Do you want to pick a time to do this, or do you want me to make coffee?”
Park grinned at him. “Brew us a whole pot. We’ll be here a while.”
River did just that before he grabbed a couple of mugs and the two of them sat down in the lab area to go over every little bit of evidence. This wasn’t the first cold case he’d seen samples from, but it was by far the most important to him so he took care of each sample he looked over and worked on. He carefully looked over the hair samples with a microscope, checking the roots for the left over samples of skin that would be left behind.
DNA didn’t come from the root itself but from the skin cells that were left on the root from being ripped out of the skull. He carefully grabbed those pieces of skin off the roots to test for DNA. He also used solutions to get samples of the saliva and carefully went through everything in the rape kit to make sure he couldn’t find anything else to test. Everything was carefully labeled and new files were started both physically and in the system.
By the time they had gone through everything, it was almost six AM. Dr. Carrington would be there anytime to let him off his shift.
Detective Park put the lids back on the boxes once they had them packed up and stored them in River’s office for later. “For the record, don’t tell your family you’re working on this, and don’t let them know what we find out. It may feel like a long shot, but if the perpetrator is still around your family, and they think you are getting close, it could put you in danger. They may get desperate.”
River gave a nod. “I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you, Detective.”
“Call me Jae,” Park told him. “We’ll be working closely together, so we might as well drop the formalities. I’ll see you soon.”
River watched him leave and then locked up his own office before Dr. Carrington got there. He clocked out and then went to his car to make the drive back to his own home. When he got inside and sat down on the couch, he finally pulled his phone out, surprised to see a few texts from Emmanuel. He must have been so engrossed in his work that he didn’t hear or feel the alerts.
Emmanuel’s concern for River could be clearly read in his messages.
“I have to admit, Pet, that I am curious as to what the handsome Detective has to say to you that made you so oblivious to our departure.”
A few hours later, Emmanuel had tried again, clearly trying not to be problematic, but willing to offer help if it was needed.
“It’s been a few hours, so I assume whatever you’re tied up in is compelling, but I’m here for you if you need an eye.”
From here, the frequency of the messages started to become more rapid, though still spaced respectfully.
“Checking in with you. It’s been four hours now and I must admit I’m a tad concerned. Please blink twice if you’re under duress.”
“River, I’m beginning to think you’ve forgotten your phone at home. I’m going to lie down for a quick nap now, but your number is set to circumvent DND. Be safe.”
River immediately felt bad for being so distracted that he had missed every message, or even Emmanuel leaving. He had been so focused on what he was sure the case was that he didn’t think about Emmanuel’s feelings and he was kicking himself for that.
“Hey! So sorry! I had my phone on me but I guess I got so focused I completely missed it buzzing at all. Detective Park — or Jae as I’m supposed to call him — is working on my sister’s case. I had been asking Dr. Carrington about it and about the cold cases files and who was in charge of them. I guess it got back to Jae and he wanted to talk to me about it. He’s asking me to work on the case with him, which is not only a big deal but exactly what I have been hoping for in my career here in Detroit. We basically spent all night poring over notes, samples, and files. I’m home now and about to shower before sleeping,” he sent before he turned his phone sound on and then went into the bathroom where he put the phone near the shower while he turned it on and got stripped down.
He heard his text tone while he was in the middle of washing the shampoo out of his hair.
“I’m very excited for you to be realizing the goal you’ve been training yourself for your whole life. Get good sleep, text me when you can.”
“Yes, Sir,” River replied once he got out of the shower and dressed into what he wore to sleep in, which was usually just boxer briefs.
River crashed hard and didn’t wake up until early afternoon. He got up to fix his hair and get dressed before he checked his phone. There was another text from Chuck begging River to give him a chance to apologize. He wasn’t sure he was inclined to listen to it, but Chuck promised him a meal out of it, and River got a little smirk on his face. He sent back a message that he would be open to getting brunch, the gayest meal River could think of, on Sunday, but only so long as he could have backup with him in case Chuck upset him. Chuck readily agreed to both.
Then River texted Emmanuel. “I’m awake now. Again, I’m so sorry about not seeing your messages. I know I can get very one-track minded when working but never to this extent. I didn’t even have my headphones on this time.”
Emmanuel had been up for hours by then and had been out scalping tickets for that evening’s shows at the local venues. A petty part of him wanted to ignore River’s message when he heard his special text tone, but that wouldn’t do, so he finished the transaction he was in the middle of and looked at the message, a smile already forming on his face. He just couldn’t help himself where River was concerned. His thumbs practically flew over the fake keyboard on the screen of his phone as he responded.
“Think nothing of it. I’m just glad you’re okay and that you’re on the road to finally finding out who is responsible for what happened to set you on this path. If you’re free later, I’d love to hang out.”
Thanks for reading pls vote or comment “I am definitely free and would love to see you,” River sent back soon afterward.
Emmanuel smiled at his phone and sent back a quick message. “Just say where and when. I’m out and about supporting capitalism at the moment.”
“That depends, do you want a night out or a night in?” River asked. “I make a mean lasagna, but only for special people. 😉 What exactly does supporting capitalism look like?”
Emmanuel smiled and snapped a selfie holding his spread of tickets close to his face with the Detroit Events Center featured in the background. He sent the photo along in answer to River’s message and then realized he hadn’t answered the question that River had posed. “I’m not letting you get out of making a decision, River Song. I asked you where and when…”
River grinned at that. He recognized what Emmanuel was doing at the Events Center and decided not to respond to it other than to heart react to the photo. To the other question though, he said, “Alright, be at my house at six then.”
Emmanuel responded with a thumbs-up emoji and went back to hawking tickets. The funny thing was that no one used printed tickets any more and most things were done electronically, but no one would know how to find what they were looking for by sight alone otherwise.
River went to work getting stuff from the store and then got to work making lasagna and tiramisu. His brother called him halfway through so he put the phone on speaker and walked around cooking while talking to his brother. At some point, Atlas phoned their sister Ocean and added her to the call. They did this at least once a week to keep up with each other as adults.
River told them about the fact that he was working on Cassia’s case, but he made it clear to them that they couldn’t tell anyone else, not even their parents.
“Why not mom and dad?” Atlas asked.
“Because mom can never keep her mouth shut and I may have to look into people that they won’t be happy about,” River explained as he put the lasagna in for its final bit of cooking. “I told you two because I know for sure neither of you were involved that day and you both can keep quiet. Consider this a siblings secret.”
“Yeah, better to keep mom and dad out of it,” Ocean agreed. “You can tell them once you know who did it. I have no doubt you’ll figure it out.”
“Don’t forget that grandma is having a barbecue next weekend,” Atlas said after they were all silent for a little bit. “She says you never come around enough. She also says you never bring any nice boys home.”
“Because I usually don’t have any nice boys to bring home,” River commented.
“Because you keep dating all the bad ones,” Ocean snickered.
River’s mind brought Emmanuel’s face up, considering that. He wouldn’t necessarily say Emmanuel was the first guy he would think of to bring home to his parents due to how they got involved, but this was the first guy he had ever considered it with. Of course, they weren’t committed to each other in any way right then, whether in vanilla terms or BDSM terms. They weren’t boyfriends and River wasn’t collared.
“Are you seeing anyone now?” Ocean asked.
“Yes, but it’s not…I mean, I’m not sure it’s to the point I’d bring him to grandma’s back yard party or anything yet,” River replied.
“What about grandma’s front yard party?” Atlas joked.
“Maybe if it were a basement party,” River retorted and both of them laughed. “On that note, he’ll be here any minute, so I’ll talk to you both later.”
River got off the phone and then went in and changed into jeans and a button up shirt, both items that were easy to get off if need be. He left the top two buttons undone on the shirt, showing his collar bone a little. His neck still felt empty. He’d never been with anyone that required a year and a day for collaring, but he wasn’t going to complain and seem impatient.
Emmanuel dressed comfortably, given that River had hinted at lasagna and no midwestern American boy could control himself around lasagna. River smiled when he opened the door to let Emmanuel in, kissing him on the cheek briefly before closing the door behind them. The house smelled amazing, and Emmanuel noted when he got a good look at River that he was wearing an apron with frills and a skull and crossbones design on it in black and white.
Emmanuel watched appreciatively as River sashayed back into the kitchen and then went to sit out there with him. “So tell me all about this handsome Detective you ignored me for!” Emmanuel said as he settled on the stool in the kitchen.
River briefly turned back over to look at Emmanuel with narrowed eyes before he pulled the lasagna out of the oven. “Why, Emmanuel, if I didn’t know any better I’d say you were jealous. Detective Park was very kind but also very business. He wanted to make sure I knew that I might find out things I might not want to know, and he imparted to me that I needed to keep my family out of the situation because it could get dangerous if the culprit thinks I’m getting close. Essentially, I’m putting myself in danger if the culprit knows I’m looking into this, and he was worried about that.”
Emmanuel smiled, “I’m glad he warned you, but I doubt very much that would change your determination at all. So you were going against his orders to tell me?”
“Probably,” River admitted. “I told my siblings too, but I’m not letting anyone mention it to mom and dad, or anyone else in the family. So it doesn’t go beyond the four of us — five if you include Jae. And no, it doesn’t change my determination at all. If I learn things that ruin relationships, well…maybe they weren’t built on truth.”
Emmanuel nodded his agreement to that. “Wise words, Pet. Especially considering that you’re risking the most in this, I will defer to your judgment regarding who you tell.”
Leaving the lasagna to cool, River came over to stand between his legs, putting his arms on Emmanuel’s shoulders. “Thank you, Sir. I appreciate that. Honestly, I can’t imagine it will be all that risky other than to my memories and relationships. Detective Park is doing far harder work than I will be, I’m sure. He’ll do the heavy lifting while I just get to do the science.” He said science as if what he meant was magic.
“The folks closest to the danger seldom see it,” Emmanuel warned, “Your detective is right in cautioning you that the person who did this was probably close to the family and likely stayed that way to stay on top of new developments. They’re probably acutely aware of your mission and if they suspect that the police are taking you seriously and including you in the case, you’re the more available target to them.”
“I’m not the same type of target that Cassia was though,” River replied. “She was six, and small, and the most she could fight back was with her nails, and she did. I’m an adult, male, and a jock who played all through high school and college. Plus I know how to shoot a gun.”
Emmanuel smiled indulgently. “Yes, dear, you are, but you also have no idea who this person is or what they’re capable of beyond this one monstrous act. Assuming that they preyed on your sister because she was small and largely defenseless may seem safe because that’s largely how cowards work, but still. They have you at a significant disadvantage. You may never see them coming. Cowards, after all, can be counted on to always take the route most likely to let them succeed and take advantage of your weaknesses, such as they are.”
River could see the wisdom behind that, and normally would have been properly chided, but he was feeling playful and bratty right then, so instead he said, “Aww, Sir, are you worried about me?”
“Immeasurably,” Emmanuel intoned dolefully, giving his best Alan Rickman-as-Snape performance.
River gave a little snicker at that. “I’ll be careful, I promise. But maybe you could keep me safe tonight.”
“I’m not going to make any promises,” Emmanuel snorted.
River smirked at him and then turned to carry the salad over to the table before he grabbed the lasagna and put it in the middle of the dining table. Once they were both seated and River had gotten Emmanuel and himself something to drink, River said, “So, I’m making Chuck take me to brunch on Sunday for part of his apology. And like, good brunch. The kind that comes with endless mimosas and the good omelets made to order at the omelet station.”
Emmanuel smiled at that. “Good, milk it for all it is worth. He was an ass and he needs to know it. I pointed out his privilege to him a little bit and recommended he actually listen when you talk if you ever consent to talk to him again.”
“We’ll find out if he’s taken that to heart or not,” River replied and started to serve up the food. “I told him I was going to bring backup, but if you don’t want to be that backup I can bring one of my friends. Theo and Hop are both good at keeping a cool head under pressure. Trevor can too but he’s busy.”
Emmanuel seemed to consider that. “Are you sure you want me there? Your history with Chuck is pretty long and the discussion could bring up things you’d rather I didn’t know,” he offered.
River looked thoughtful as he chewed some of his salad. He didn’t answer until he had swallowed. “I honestly can’t think of anything I could say to him, or vice versa, that I would be upset at you finding out. I try to lay out my skeletons for a prospective Dom or partner to see ahead of time, other than Cassia. You’re the only one who has ever known about that. Even Chuck doesn’t know as much as you do.”
It was Emmanuel’s turn to look thoughtful as he munched on his rabbit-food. He even wiggled his nose a bit when he saw River looking. “If you’re sure, then I will be glad to join you in draining Chuck’s disposable income.”
River grinned at that, glad to have Emmanuel as backup for that. The two of them ate and talked, with Emmanuel realizing that River was a great cook. He explained his mom had taught him and all of his siblings from a young age while their dad worked on building a business of plant nurseries that now did extremely well.
“Once I got my job here and decided to continue my education around here, my parents bought this house as a graduation present,” River explained. “Chuck calls us new money, but my family doesn’t care about that kind of stuff. Mom and dad just wanted to be able to give us good futures.”
Emmanuel listened to River’s story, realizing that their backgrounds were about as different as they could be in this country while both being from similar ethnic groups. Still, he didn’t want to bring down River’s mood, so he kept his peace about that observation. Any time River attempted to give him an opportunity to talk about himself, Emmanuel asked another leading question about an aspect of River’s past that they hadn’t fully explored.
River wasn’t stupid, so he saw what Emmanuel was doing, but he figured if Emmanuel wanted to keep things to himself, then he wasn’t going to push it. He was beginning to become aware, though, that he was becoming far more invested in this than his partner was, and deep down where he wasn’t going to let it show that hurt. There was a brief moment, though, where Emmanuel caught River’s eyes seeming to unfocus for a moment as he briefly fiddled with his phone in his pocket before the look was gone and then River answered the question he had asked.
Emmanuel, of course, misread River’s expression and decided to tackle it head-on. “You seem disappointed that I’m not sharing much about myself,” he said in a questioning manner.
River looked over at him in surprise. “No, not at all. You don’t have to share anything you don’t want to, Emmanuel. I just…” Here he paused, unsure of how to say it or what to even say. “I don’t want to get overly invested in anything between us when the other party may not be, if that makes sense.”
“So you’re doubting my commitment?” Emmanuel asked.
“No,” River said carefully. “I simply date a lot of emotionally unavailable people, and I don’t want to fall into that trap again. I’m trying to be careful so that I don’t get hurt and thus put that on you.”
“Dated,” Emmanuel corrected, emphasizing the past tense. “You don’t need to hold back with me if you don’t want to.”
“You sure?” River asked him, like he wanted to make sure before he opened up that particular type of vulnerability.
“Always,” Emmanuel said, confidently, “it’s kind of a requirement of being the Dom a lot of the time.”
“It is, yes,” River agreed. “But there are always limits. Some subs and Doms want things to be separated in very specific ways, and if you bring commitment, feelings, and love into the equation, it ruins it for them.”
“Do you recall our initial conversation about all of this?” Emmanuel asked River.
River’s eyes lifted to the ceiling as he thought about it. “Vaguely, but school and work sometimes take up a lot of brain space so you may need to remind me.”
“I’m demisexual, River. I tend to develop feelings as time goes on, which is why so many of my previous dynamics and situationships fell apart. Too many folks in this area who are into our lifestyle only want to dabble,” he clarified.
River gave a shake of his head at that. “I don’t think 24/7 is realistic with my work and such, but I want to be able to find a relationship I can be in fully while still submitting to whoever my boyfriend is. Someone who knows what he’s doing.”
It was Emmanuel’s turn to shake his head. “Clearly we’re not speaking the same language right now. My problem is not with people who don’t want a 24/7 dynamic or we never would have progressed beyond the discussion where you made it clear that the TPE life is not for you. My problem is that over the course of time in a dynamic, I tend to develop romantic feelings but most of the other folks in this city who are into BDSM only want to dabble in the relationship side of it,” he said patiently.
“I didn’t mean to imply you wanted TPE,” River replied. “But I get what you mean now. I’ve always wanted the relationship first and foremost, over the power exchange. But the power exchange is usually what I can get so I settle for it because it fills a hole of loneliness for the time that the Dom will play with me. It’s like a bandaid, but it works for a little bit. I, obviously, want both, but it’s hard to find someone who wants the same mix as you. I’ve given up on the idea of marriage completely because as I said in our messages, no one would have chosen me as a first choice. I was always the second or third choice.”
Emmanuel looked sympathetic. “I’m sorry, Pet. I don’t fall that way. I think I understand what you want; but for me, the power dynamic always happens first. That doesn’t mean it always comes first, but I take time to develop the feelings.”
“I understand,” River replied with a smile. He wasn’t going to continue to worry about it, especially when Emmanuel was trying hard to reassure him.
When they were done eating, River told Emmanuel to make himself at home while he cleaned their dishes and put the food away. Emmanuel went into the living room, looking around for the first time rather than just leaving to go downstairs or into River’s room. River had painted one of the walls a deep burgundy color in this room, and it was covered in family photos and photos of River with friends.
The largest photo was from River’s sister’s wedding, where his entire family was standing with Ocean and her husband, Carson. River’s mom was holding a photo of Cassia in a pink dress to finish off the family. There were photos of the three siblings together at family gatherings, at weddings, and at River’s graduation from grad school. There were also photos of River with his friends at graduations and in college.
The oldest photos on the wall though were ones of him and Cassia as kids. There were a few with all four of the kids, but most of them were River and Cassia together. One had Cassia in a little basket on a blanket around Christmas with a ribbon on her head while River sat next to the basket wearing a Santa hat.
There were other photos, like one where an almost one year old River was giving her a kiss on the head in his parents’ room after his mom had given birth, and one that seemed to be on Easter around the time when Cassia must have disappeared. It was probably the last photo ever taken of her, and Emmanuel could see the absolute adoration on River’s face when he looked at his baby sister.
Emmanuel was so wrapped up in the photos that he didn’t hear River approach until he spoke. “That was Easter. Mom took photos of us at an egg hunt. She went missing the next day. Mom was already pretty into new age religion by then, celebrating those holidays, but she still celebrated the Catholic ones with Mamaw and Poppop. She stopped celebrating them after Cassia disappeared though. Dad would still take us over for the holidays but he watched us like hawks. Mom’s slowly started going back to holidays but…it’s not the same as it was.”
Emmanuel’s expression spoke volumes of sympathy as he looked to River. “You have a beautiful family,” he said. It was then that it occurred to River that Emmanuel, being a foster kid, probably couldn’t put together a wall like this.
“I’m very privileged,” River replied thoughtfully, and there was sadness in his tone. Sadness for himself, but mostly for Emmanuel. “Do you have any photos of your parents?”
Emmanuel shook his head, not daring to speak the answer just then. He didn’t even have clear memories of either of his parents and no way to trace where he came from. He had been in the foster care system, passed from family to family across the country, for as long as he could remember. By the time he had even attempted to find his birth family, most of the records had been lost to various natural and man-made disasters.
River really wanted to go to Emmanuel to offer him physical comfort, but wasn’t sure if it would be appreciated right then. He looked back at the photos on the wall, running his hand along the frame of the Easter photo. “I always thought that seeing Cassia’s body was the worst thing that could ever happen to me, after a month of her being missing. I suppose that’s subjective, though. My struggles seem small compared to losing your entire family. I’m sorry.”
Emmanuel gathered together the reins and got control of himself rather quickly, saying, “Absolutely not. Do not minimize your struggles just because I also had some. Your experiences are just as valid and shaped your life just like mine did for me.” He looked at River then, taking in the somewhat shocked expression on his face. His expression softened somewhat and he reached out to pull River into a tight hug.
River melted into his embrace, slipping his arms around Emmanuel’s shoulders. They had both experienced quite a bit of loss, even if their circumstances were vastly different. River had a loving family that had stayed together and gotten closer despite the horrendous loss they experienced, while Emmanuel had to forge together the relationships he had now from nothing before. They were different traumas, but trauma nonetheless.
River moved back a little so he could see Emmanuel’s face, taking in the warm and caring expression on his face before River leaned in and kissed him. They hadn’t kissed yet, and if they were in a scene River would have held off, but for some reason it felt right to him right then, so he gave in to the impulse.
Emmanuel had been thinking along the same lines right then, so it came as a bit of a surprise that River took the initiative. His surprise didn’t last long, however, as he ardently kissed River back. River let out a little hum in response to Emmanuel kissing him back. This was a type of intimacy that River usually didn’t do with hookups, because it felt too close, too personal, though he had with Theo once upon a time.
Kissing his Doms in the past had been good, but not like this. He wasn’t sure if it was the lead up, the fact that it had taken them so long to get to it, or the connection that was blossoming between them, but this was easily the best kiss he’d ever had. Emmanuel’s reaction was similar. He generally didn’t make out with hookups or subs as a rule. He had only ever had one sub make it through his year-and-a-day collaring requirement in the decade he had been involved in this lifestyle, and she had turned out to be psychotic and a serial cheater. She let her true colors show the day before the collaring ceremony that he had planned in secret and he had taken about three months to recover before effectively sealing off his heart behind a protective shell.
Thanks for reading pls vote or comment This kiss, though, and the entire experience with River so far, had done more to crumble that wall than anything ever had since. Emmanuel really hoped he wasn’t setting himself up for more heartache, but he really couldn’t deny their chemistry any longer.
When they finally broke the kiss, they rested their foreheads together, taking a moment to catch their breath. River’s eyes had the darker and slightly dilated look he got when he was just barely in subspace, teetering on the edge. Emmanuel was also breathing heavily, his heart racing like it hadn’t in a very long time.
Once River was able to think again beyond the physical need to be close to Emmanuel, he finally said, “You’re right, as you usually are. We’ve both been through some pretty awful things. Still, I’m sorry that you’ve lost so much. I struggle with not being able to fix things like this for people, though I know that’s not my job. You seem to have created some chosen family now though, even if Krysta gets on my nerves sometimes. Hopefully she’s better with you, though.”
Emmanuel shrugged, offering a gentle smile. “She is who she is. Fairly unapologetically so, honestly. She loves me, in the way that she does. Also unapologetically. She and the Longs took me in when no one else would and really made me feel like I was at least cared for.”
River looked thoughtful. “I’m glad you had them. My Mamaw and Poppop, rest his soul, took in a lot of teens who had hard lives. Some of them stuck with the family, but others moved on eventually. My uncle Vinny is still very active in the family though he isn’t related to us. He’s one of my favorite people. You’d probably like him. He had a tough life. His mom died, and his dad was absent, so when he and my mom became friends in middle school, he slowly transitioned until he lived with Mamaw and Poppop full time. I get to see him next weekend at grandma’s barbecue.”
“Family barbecues are quite a thing,” Emmanuel acknowledged. “I can’t remember the last one I went to.”
River smirked. “I’d invite you, but I’d hate to scare you off with that, and my family would for sure comment on it because I’ve never brought anyone to a family event. Or home to my family ever, actually. I’m not against introducing you as a potential boyfriend though, someone I’m dating.”
“A ‘potential’ boyfriend, eh?” Emmanuel asked archly, cocking an eyebrow dramatically as he couldn’t hide a smirk. “I mean, if you’re not against it…”
River chuckled at Emmanuel. “Well, I mean, the collaring is a year and a day, but you’ve never mentioned how long becoming a boyfriend is, so I can only assume I’m still in the ‘potential’ category for that as well. And to that last part, I would like it if you would come, but only if you’re comfortable doing so.”
“Why, River Song, are you asking me to be your boyfriend? If I agree, how will you know I’m not just doing it to get invited to the barbecue?” Emmanuel asked with a smile and a twinkle in his eye.
River grinned at that. “Ah, I’m not worried about that. Once you try the baby back ribs, you won’t be able to leave me. You’ll keep me as your boyfriend just to get more, and that’s not even talking about the desserts. And if I am asking that, are you saying yes?”
Emmanuel chuckled softly, asking, “Oh? How many babies were sacrificed for their back ribs for this barbecue? If you’re asking that, I might be saying yes. I’ll have to try these fabled desserts first.”
“At least thirteen, so you know it’s going to be a real party,” River joked, then his smile faded down a little so he looked more serious. “I am asking.”
Emmanuel nodded soberly, saying, “Then I will answer after I taste your bribe.”
River laughed at that. “That’s fine, but then I’m only introducing you as a ‘potential’ boyfriend until you give me an answer.”
Emmanuel nodded his assent to that stipulation, then pulled River down for another of those electric kisses. River kissed him back, losing himself in how good it was. His body reacted to the kiss, his cock getting hard in his jeans. He could feel that Emmanuel had a similar reaction the longer they kissed and the more heated it got. They were both breathing heavily again when they broke apart for a moment.
“I want you,” River murmured to Emmanuel.
Emmanuel looked down at River’s obviously straining crotch and back up to his face. “I couldn’t tell,” he joked, but his eyes belied his surface-level humor. They were dark with lust and he was having a really hard time remembering why he had been holding out for so long. He gestured for River to lead the way. River led him down the hallway and into his bedroom. The walls were a beautiful pastel blue color and he decorated the room in cherry stained oak furniture, except the bed. The bed was wrought iron with four posts that were set up for bondage when he needed it.
The two of them undressed each other, getting down to just naked skin against naked skin as they continued to make out. Once they were completely undressed, River backed up and laid down in the middle of the bed, giving himself over to Emmanuel for whatever he wanted.
Emmanuel evaluated the bounty before him, noting that River was already dripping. “Naughty boy,” Emmanuel observed as he knelt with his left knee on the bed then leaned forward onto his hands to get closer to where River sprawled. He crawled the remaining foot that separated them and made eye contact with River as he took the head of his leaking cock into his mouth. River let out a soft moan of pleasure when he did that, letting his head fall back onto the pillow.
Emmanuel’s admonishment only turned him on more, causing his cock to gush out more precum. “Only for you, Sir,” River commented when he could think enough to speak again despite the hot, wet heat around the head of his cock.
Emmanuel, privately disappointed that River could manage to speak, focused on taking that ability away from his Pet with his mouth and hands. He succeeded, too, as River was so overtaken by the pleasure he was getting from Emmanuel that all he could manage to get out were moans, groans, and the occasional sigh. He didn’t say any sentences though, or even words other than a constant stream of “Oh, Sir.”
Emmanuel finally released River’s cock from the suction he was applying to it with a great deal of self-satisfaction. He had begun working a finger, and then two, into River’s ass as he had been working him over with his mouth. It hadn’t taken long to find his prostate and begin to stimulate it. River had pulled his legs back and was moving his hips to meet Emmanuel’s fingers. It had been a while since anyone had touched him like this, and with his Master it felt so much better than it had before. He seemed so much more sensitive to Emmanuel’s touch and everything was heightened.
Eventually, River could only give a whine to show that he wanted Emmanuel’s cock in him because he couldn’t form the words. Emmanuel, who had been watching River’s expressions closely, smiled wickedly to himself. “What is it that you want, my Pet?” he asked evilly.
River gave another whine, managing to reach his legs out and wrap them around Emmanuel’s hips to draw him closer. Once he had him there, he wrapped his arms around Emmanuel’s shoulders, making sure he wouldn’t go anywhere. Emmanuel chuckled huskily and leaned over to the nightstand and opened the drawer. Completely unsurprisingly, he found lube and a condom inside. He put the lube on top of the nightstand and opened and rolled the condom onto himself, all within the circle of River’s thighs.
Emmanuel lined himself up to enter River before reaching over to the night stand and fetching the lube. He squirted a fair amount into River’s waiting hole, smirking at the slight wince River gave at the temperature difference. River wanted to hurry him along, but also knew better than to be impatient. If he tore, then they wouldn’t be doing this again for a while, and River didn’t want that. He wanted to be able to do this again, and soon.
Not wanting to get his hands sticky, Emmanuel used the head of his cock to smear the lube around a little before pushing himself slowly inside. River let out a groan at the intrusion, but it was clear it was more about enjoying the feeling of being filled up by Emmanuel. He clung onto Emmanuel until he was all the way inside.
“Mmmm, you’re so big,” River managed to gasp out.
Emmanuel felt fairly confident in his size, but hearing compliments always made him feel amazing. He stopped when he was fully inserted to move his hips in a slight figure-eight while rhythmically tensing and releasing his pelvic floor muscle. He watched River’s face for a reaction and deliberately ignored the engorged length of River’s penis in front of him. He had plans for that later but they involved not touching it until the right moment.
River let out a moan at the feeling, his eyes rolling into the back of his head. He didn’t use words when he was ready for Emmanuel to move, instead placing his heels on the top of Emmanuel’s ass to pull him closer so his hips moved a little bit. Emmanuel took his nonverbal cues in stride and began slowly stroking back out until just his head was inside River before easing back in.
River let out a groan of pleasure and satisfaction at the feeling of that. Even though it was far too slow right now to get off, it felt amazing in every way. He could feel almost every ridge and vein of Emmanuel’s cock, and it made River feel so owned by him. Emmanuel knew from experience with others and personally that he was not moving fast enough to force an orgasm and that was by plan. Even while incredibly turned on and excited about finally seeming to find someone he was compatible with, Emmanuel was in complete control of himself as he painstakingly dragged out each stroke in and out of River.
River could tell that he was in control too, which just brought River all the closer to losing his own control. He brought his eyes up to lock onto Emmanuel’s, positive now that he was going to fall completely head over heels for this man that was on top of him and he didn’t even mind. River kept letting out moans every time Emmanuel hit his prostate, arching his back slightly to bring his body closer to his Dom’s.
Emmanuel maintained eye contact as he slowly began increasing his tempo with each thrust, careful to drag the head of his cock against River’s prostate on each withdrawal. He noted when River started to get closer to climax and considered backing off to edge him longer, but decided to make his move. Emmanuel held the tempo that was hitting River right and wrapped his hand around the base of River’s leaking cock.
River let out a whine at that, because it put a halt on River tipping over the edge. He was panting, looking up at Emmanuel with eyes that spoke to how close he had been and the desperation to cum that was building inside of Emmanuel’s Pet. Emmanuel kept up his pace, hitting River’s prostate expertly all the while, building up the intensity of what his release would be once he allowed him to cum.
It was almost painful not to be able to cum yet when it felt so good, and River’s moans kept coming out as whiny and needy, which Emmanuel loved. After his small bit of torture, he loosened his grip and gently ran his hand up and down River’s throbbing cock, setting in motion his release finally.
River’s back arched, bringing their chests together as he groaned out, “Fuck. Sir, please, can — may I cum?” River always tried to be precise about his language, and the fact that he slipped up showed how scrambled Emmanuel had his brain right then.
Emmanuel smiled at him as he squeezed gently around his Pet’s cock as he nodded, ready to flood the condom himself. He brought his hand up along River’s chest and then around his throat, just lightly cutting off River’s airway so he knew whose he was. River cried out through his orgasm, his head falling back so that his neck was exposed to Emmanuel, which Emmanuel took as the consent it was to move his hand away and bite down onto it. His cock twitched against Emmanuel’s stomach as it shot between them.
Half an instant behind River, Emmanuel stopped moving as he spurted into the condom. The warmth of it and the slight expansion of the non-latex barrier between them let River know what happened, since Emmanuel was nearly silent with his orgasm.
It took a while for River’s brain to come back to the present. He could feel Emmanuel’s weight on him, which was a welcome way to center him back to reality. He reached up and began to gently rub Emmanuel’s back with his hands, enjoying the warm, smooth skin and the hard muscles he could feel under it.
It had been a while since River had sex without strings attached. It was easy enough for him to have sex with people without catching feelings when he put that specific wall up between them. He never fell for Theo because he knew Theo wanted Hop so badly, and when that chance opened up as a possibility while they were still messing around, River planted them solely as friends with benefits, and thus losing Theo to Hop hadn’t hurt at all. He’d just been happy for Theo, and for Hop.
When he didn’t put that wall up, though, like he hadn’t with Emmanuel, sex just deepened whatever he already felt for the person. That had hurt him badly last time with his previous Dom, but River wasn’t going to let his past experience soil this at all. He was happy to be falling in love with this man whose body weight on top of his own was so comforting and welcome. Though it made his collar-less neck feel even more empty the deeper he fell. His mind processed how long they had been playing now, counting down how many months they had left. He could get through it, and he would stay silent so as not to seem like he was pushing Emmanuel.
Emmanuel waited as long as he could before his steadily deflecting cock made it necessary to grasp the base of the condom and gently pull out of River’s warm hole. He stripped off the thing, careful to capture most of the ejaculate inside, before tying it up and tossing it in the trash can by the bed. He pushed River’s legs to one side and laid down close against his side, needing more body contact now that he was coming down from the intensity of his orgasm.
River turned onto his side so that his back was up against Emmanuel’s chest, contentedly sighing as Emmanuel wrapped his arms around him. Emmanuel sighed himself as he mumbled something about getting used to this. River smiled at that, hoping that he would get used to this because River wanted it to happen much more often now.
Eventually, River got up and cleaned himself off before doing a cursory cleanup of Emmanuel’s chest, and then they snuggled up together again in order to fall asleep. As River drifted off to sleep, he just kept thinking of how nice it was to have someone there that wanted him and seemingly only him for once.
Thanks for reading pls vote or comment