Chapter 24 - Fetishes, Faith and Fear. (Fetish Friday Continued)
Justin awoke to the tickling touch of someone playing with his hair. He felt incredibly refreshed. His body was lighter than air. And, while he was still sleepy, there was an underlying energized tingling that was vibrating through him that almost made him want to jump right out of bed. Almost. Maybe later, though. When whoever was playing with his hair was done.
*Hhhhhmmmmm* The boy rolled over with a lazy grin and a moan of happiness to find Brian hovering over him, his long sure fingers twining and untwining in Justin’s short blond locks. “Hey, Big Guy!” he murmured and contentedly stretched like a big indolent house cat.
“Finally awake, are you? I was beginning to think you’d never wake up, Princess,” Brian’s quiet voice held hints of concern even though the words were flippant.
”What time is it?” Justin asked, squinting at the bright light coming through the bedroom windows.
“Almost two,” Brian said, although he didn’t seem all that anxious to get moving himself.
“Two? What the . . . ” Justin tried to sit up but fell back wincing when he felt how sore all his muscles were. Then, all of a sudden, the morning’s events started to come back to him. “What happened?”
“That depends on who you ask, Sunshine,” Brian seemed to be picking his words carefully. “Your buddy Malik seems to think I overdid things a bit with Today’s Trial. I guess I DID lose track of time a little . . . Are . . . Are you okay?”
“Hmmmm . . . a little stiff maybe,” Justin flexed his shoulders which felt tight after being in the restraints for so long. “But otherwise . . . actually, I feel great. Really great, actually." He belted Brian with one of his blindingly bright smiles as proof. “So, how’d we do? Did we come close to beating Kerek and Paal?”
“You were amazing, Sunshine,” Brian let all his pride in the boy show through in his voice. “We creamed ‘em. I think it’s safe to say this challenge is in the bag.”
“Yes! I knew you could do it, Brian. I’m so glad I got to be with you." Justin reached out and squeezed Brian’s hand affectionately. “I was pretty much freaking out beforehand but then, when I knew I could arrange it to make sure you’d be my partner, I just knew it would be alright.” Then he added with sincerity, “thank you for taking such good care of me, Brian.”
“It was my pleasure, Sunshine,” Brian answered, his voice low and husky as he tried to hide his emotions. “But you’re the one who did most of the hard work. You really were incredible. Way to show ‘em not to mess with little blond twinkies, right?” Justin blushed a deep pink and the sight made Brian’s heart flutter, scaring him into immediate evasive action. “But, right now, as long as you’re sure you’re feeling okay, we’d better head downstairs and let your fans all know that you’re still alive. Malik was pretty sure I’d killed you. If you hadn’t woken up soon, I think he would have taken it out on my hide.”
“Justin! Thank fuck you’re okay!” The little blond was swarmed by well wishers as soon as he and Brian made it down the stairs - Malik, in particular, seemed rather proprietary, sweeping the boy off to the couch and giving Brian the stink eye in the process. “Do you feel better? Did you get some rest? I’m sorry we had to move you, but everyone thought you’d get more rest upstairs in a bed than down in the Passion Pit. Are you sure you’re okay. If you’re not . . .” Malik didn’t finish his threat but his vengeful glare directed at Brian left little room as to whom he would hold responsible for any lapse in Justin’s health. Brian shook his head at the excessive concern and left them to their coddling, heading into the kitchen to scrounge for some lunch.
“I’m fine,” Justin insisted, trying to shrug off the other young man’s sympathetic petting. “Really, Mal, I’m fine. But I won’t be if you don’t stop pawing at me. Shit, Mal, I’m not made of china or anything. I just . . . needed a nap is all.”
“We are all pleased to see you awake and hear that you are feeling well,” Paal put his hands on Malik’s shoulders and gently pried him away from the littler blond. “We were all worried though when you passed out. We would not want to have our little ‘Cupcake’ taken from us, now would we?”
“Uhhhnnn. You guys all heard that, huh?” Justin cringed, again blushing, and wishing for the thousandth time that he didn’t have such pale, translucent skin. “Any chance I could convince you to pretend you’d gone deaf about then? Would you accept bribes maybe?”
“No fucking way, Cupcake,” Dane joined in with the congenial razzing. “You will forever be our little Cupcake Boy! Hah! Which is perfect because you’re just so fucking cute that I could eat you up.” Dane flounced down on the couch next to Justin and commenced tickling him and nibbling at the boy’s neck until they were both breathless.
“Stop! Stop already! Uncle! Uncle!” Justin was hollering as he tried to wiggle out of the giant’s grasp.
“Nah un uh - the safe word is ‘Cupcake’ remember!” Kerek teased him from his royal perch on the arm of the couch.
“Fine! Cupcake! CUPCAKE, already!” Justin screamed between bouts of laughter and Big Dane finally relented in his tickling. “Sheesh! If you were so worried about me, you probably shouldn’t be tickling me till I pee myself, Big D!” Justin complained as soon as he’d caught his breath. “Now, what did I miss? Other than lunch, that is? Fuck, I’m starving. Is there anything left to eat?”
“Now we know our Cupcake is feeling better - he is again hungry!” Paal seemed as glad to see that Justin was okay as everyone else - and even more willing to tease him about his new pet name than anyone. “You rest, little Cupcake, I’ll go get your lunch for you.”
“Shit! I’m never getting away from that nickname, am I?” Justin moaned.
“Nope. Never, Cupcake! In fact, when you’re ninety, I’m gonna call you up and wish you ‘Happy Birthday, Cupcake!’,” Malik reasserted himself on the couch next to Justin and put a protective arm back around his shoulders.
Brian, who had just emerged from the Kitchen with a turkey sandwich in tow, shook his head and snorted at the friendly teasing the poor lad was having to endure. “I believe that’s MY Cupcake you’re fondling,” He used his knee to pry his way in between Malik and Justin and then seated himself half on top of the younger black man in an effort to reestablish his ownership of the Cupcake in question and hopefully also to shield the kid from all the ribbing he was getting. “Hands off!” Brian pinched Dane’s wrist which was draped over Justin’s back from the far side. “Get your own Cupcakes, you losers!” And, even though Brian’s tone was flippant and joking, the underlying intonation raised several curious eyebrows around the room.
Somebody might have even commented on the Stud’s unwarranted possessiveness, if they weren’t all interrupted right then by the sounds of increasing conflict that were coming from the wall-mounted computer set up to monitor the Passion Pit.
“Owww! I said to fucking STOP already, damn it!” Adrien’s voice belted out of the computer’s speakers.
“What the hell’s going on?” Brian got up with the rest, all of them flocking over to watch what was going on downstairs.
“Let me out of these, Fucker!” Adrien was straining against the same set of satin restraints Brian had used on Justin earlier - but Adrien didn’t look like he was enjoying them half as much.
“No fucking way! You’re not making me lose THIS competition too, you pathetic whiner!” Daniel was looming over the bound man, sneering down at him with abject hatred. “You agreed to be the sub as long as I didn’t fuck you, so you’re going to lay there and deal with it and NOT cum until we’ve won this thing, Richie Rich. So shut the fuck up already!”
“I would if you hadn’t forgotten that thing in your hand was a dildo and not a fucking ramrod,” Adrien had managed to sit up and back as far away from Daniel as he could while still restrained. “Undo these straps. NOW! I’m out of here and I don’t give a crap if you lose another stupid game, you fucking sadist.” Adrien was tugging on the restraints and trying to reach the strap with his teeth, but all to little effect.
Daniel just stood there glaring disdainfully down at his victim without moving a muscle.
“Isn’t someone going to do something?” Malik asked of nobody in particular. “Shouldn’t The Master intervene or something?”
No one really knew what to say. The room remained silent except for the sounds of Adrien struggling against his bonds and Daniel chuckling evilly as he watched but did nothing to help.
“Fuck you, Daniel. You fucking prick! Let me out of these. NOW!” Adrien’s voice was edging into panic. “Daniel! DANIEL! DAMN YOU, DANIEL. LET ME OUT!”
“Shit!” Brian muttered, trying to think if he really wanted to get in the middle of those two again or not. Where the hell were Ted and his minions? Shouldn’t THEY be doing something here? It shouldn’t be Brian’s job to take care of the fucking bully or protect the little rich kid. He shouldn’t have to stick HIS neck out.
Of course, when Daniel continued to just stand there and gloat, Brian knew he didn’t have a choice.
“Fuck it! Come on, guys. We have to break this up since The Master doesn’t seem to give a fuck.” Brian stalked off, glad to note that pretty much everyone else was following right behind him.
Without knocking, Brian flung open the door to the Passion Pit, glad to see the way Daniel startled when the door slammed against the wall.
“What the fuck are YOU doing? This is my time down here and you’re interrupting,” Daniel tried to bluff his way through.
“Yeah. Tell that to someone who cares,” Brian marched straight over to the bed and started untying the restraint on Adrien’s left wrist. “Or maybe someone who doesn’t care - that you were about to basically commit rape.” Daniel lunged forward and tried to grab Brian’s arm to pull him back before he could finish releasing Adrien. “Get your fucking hands off me!” Brian growled, turning toward the man he wanted to hit so badly.
“Whoa, there, Buddy! Time to back the fuck away, Daniel. This is NOT going any further and you know it,” Dane had managed to grapple Daniel back away from the bed so he was no longer in striking range of either Brian or Adrien. And, within seconds, all the rest of the House Boys had filed in as well, forming a phalanx between the aggressor and his prey.
Brian made short work of the restraints after that. Adrien was visibly shaking, rubbing at his chafed wrists and edging his way around the perimeter of the walls in an attempt to get out without having to come nearer to Daniel. When the disheveled blond reached the door, he fled, actually running for the stairs.
Brian pushed his way through the wall of disapproving protectors and confronted the miscreant. “You fucking went too far, and you know it! If it happens again, you’ll fucking regret it!”
Brian didn’t wait to hear if Daniel had a response. He stomped out the door in Adrien’s wake, the rest of the frowning House Boys following.
Brian arrived upstairs in the Greatroom just in time to see Adrien pulling the lucite box full of his clothing off the wall.
“What are you doing, Adrien? You don’t have to leave. It’ll blow over,” Brian said, trying to sound reasonable as he approached the skittish man slowly.
“Yeah, right! It’ll fucking blow over? Not fucking likely! Daniel’s had it in for me from day one and whoever’s running this show apparently doesn’t give a damn what the hell that asswipe does. I’m NOT sticking around to see what the fuck else he can dream up to torment me. I’m so fucking out of here already! I wouldn’t stay here even if they just fucking paid me the million dollars today! Fuck ALL this shit!” Adrien already had his box open and his pants on before the rest of the crew made it upstairs.
“Shit, Adrien! You shouldn’t have to leave. If anyone should fucking leave it should be Daniel,” Kerek came up and put a sympathetic arm around the still visibly shaken man.
“Fuck it! I don’t care anymore. I can’t take it!” He was practically sobbing at this point. “I don’t care if I have to go crawling back to my fucking parents. At least they’re not going to intentionally humiliate me and fucking torture me in public.” Adrien pulled his shirt on over his head with an air of finality.
“Take care, man,” Dane was the first one to come up, say goodbye and hug this man who’d become his friend. “It sucks that you’re leaving, but I understand. Good luck with your parents and all.”
Most of the rest of the boys gathered round, then, and all wished Adrien well. When the angry surfer boy finally turned and faced the front door he seemed relieved more than anything. He squared his shoulders, looked back once and gave his friends one last smile, and then strode towards the big front door with purpose, not looking back again.
“One down. Six more to go!” Daniel snarked from where he was leaning casually in the frame of the kitchen doorway, his arms crossed and a look of triumph on his face.
“Fucker!” Brian growled under his breath, but didn’t move to confront the bully.
That privilege fell to Queen Kerek. “Let me,” Kerek said to Brian as he walked past. The Queen strutted over to the gloating despot, smiled at him facetiously and then pointed to his feet. “Get on your knees and blow me, Slave!” Daniel momentarily looked back with contempt, almost as if he thought he could refuse. Kerek’s resolve didn’t waiver in the least. “And when you’re done with me, Slave, you’re going to blow everyone else in the house. And, if you finish that before the end of the day, you’re going to start over, and blow everyone a second time and a third time and however many times after that until your fucking lips fall off. Now . . . Get Started!”
