Chapter 8
8
C hrissy was so quiet on the subway ride into Manhattan that Leo started to wonder if he’d made a mistake. But they were getting along just fine, and it would have been rude to turn down Neil and Isaac’s invitation to dinner. Besides, Chrissy needed to get over whatever this awkward stage with Neil was. They’d been friends before, and Chrissy needed all the friends he could get.
It had been a remarkable two weeks, and Leo hadn’t heard a safe word, not even about this dinner invitation, so he knew at least that Chrissy was trying to trust his judgment. He was proud as a peacock and knew he probably looked it, but he didn’t care. Actually, he was proud of that too.
Chrissy spent his time in the office dealing with whatever he was asked to do, and he’d had to run into his kennels twice to cover for trainers out with the flu. He didn’t complain—it was vaguely like water over stone.
He gave his boy’s hand a squeeze and smiled at him, just checking in and reminding the boy that he was there. Boy was still something Chrissy tolerated but didn’t seem comfortable with yet, despite nicely filling that role in every domestic way possible. He’d given the boy a couple of playful swats, but until Chrissy was ready to call him Master , he wasn’t pushing any harder than that. He wasn’t the flogger type of Dom anyway.
Not that a sweet little over-the-knee spanking wasn’t something Leo was looking forward to—either as a punishment or a reward. They both needed it, and he was trying to have patience.
They left the subway as silently as they boarded. Neil and Isaac lived in a nice neighborhood on a cute street lined with brownstones. He took Chrissy’s hand as they walked, trying to figure out how to break the silence, because he needed to know what was on Chrissy’s mind.
“Are you okay?” he asked finally. It seemed the simplest way to start.
“I am. Isaac doesn’t like me, and the little bit is scared of me, but I’ll be on my best behavior.”
“This is a good time to work on all of that.” He had to assume that Chrissy’s perception of Isaac had more to do with looking after his subs, especially Alain, than hating anyone, but he could understand how it could feel that way. “Isaac allowed Neil to make the invitation and to have us in their home, so maybe there’s more to it than that.”
“Yeah, I think if Neil wanted it, it would happen, and he’d happily take the punishment. But it’ll be good to see Neil and the little one, and I swear, I will be sweet as sugar.”
“Be yourself. That’s what Neil wants.” He squeezed Chrissy’s hand again. He would run whatever interference he had to. “Leave the rest to me. I’m here for you.”
“Ditto, and thanks. Seriously. Neil’s a good guy, and he’s been through a ton.”
He didn’t know Neil that well, or anything about what the man had been through, but he respected that advice and would remember that. “I’m glad you let me know. Is this the place?”
“It is. Can’t you smell the amazing food?” Chrissy’s voice was pitched loud enough to hear through the open windows, and he heard the laughter that answered him.
“La! It’s the po-po come to dinner!”
Chris rolled his eyes. “Uh-huh. Not a cop, Alain. Still not a cop.”
He laughed. “Oh, Alain’s fun. I’ve only spent a few minutes with him in person, but I remember liking him.” They climbed the steps to the front door, which opened before they could ring the bell.
“Leo. It’s good to see you again. It’s been quite some time.” Isaac had a warm smile and was dressed in khakis and a sport coat.
Leo shook his hand. “It has. I was trying to recall when we met last.”
“Come on in. Hello, Chris. Welcome.”
“Evenin’. Thank you for the invite, Doc.”
Leo had to admit that Chrissy was stunning at that—managing to straddle that line of polite so he couldn’t be called on anything while still denying his submission in a weirdly direct way.
Isaac obviously noticed and gave him a curious look. He just shrugged. It was what it was… for now.
He looked around as they walked in, taking note of the details—the wide crown molding, the hardwood floors, the tall windows. Swanky while still charming. “Your home is gorgeous.”
Isaac smiled at the compliment. “Thank you. It’s a constant work in progress.”
“It’ll be finished around when Isaac decides it’s time to move.” Neil met them in the hall, arms open for Chrissy. “Chris.”
“Hey, man. Good to see your face.” Chrissy took a hard, pleased hug. “They got my happy ass on mandatory leave. Can you believe it?”
“I heard. Don’t do so much overtime; they can’t afford you.” Neil chuckled and stuck his hand out. “Good to see you, Leo.”
“And you. Thanks for the invitation.”
Neil nodded. “Alain is in the kitchen cooking, which is his happy place, so don’t feel too bad for him.”
“Does he need any help?” By which he meant, did Alain need Chrissy’s help, which he assumed was understood.
“God, no. Alain is incredibly defensive about his kitchen. It’s all just so.” Neil winked at him. “But please, come in. He made boudin balls and shrimp toast.”
Chrissy’s head tilted. “What’s a shrimp toast?”
Neil chuckled. “Little toasts with spicy tiny shrimp on top. He’s very proud of them.”
“Dude. I love shrimp toasts. And balls. I’m so in.”
Leo chuckled and rolled his eyes. “I don’t know what a boudin ball is, but as Chrissy says, what’s not to love about balls?”
That even got a short laugh out of Isaac.
The living room had that chic mid-century modern look that he saw all the time in magazines, but it had those cute narrow feet. “Love the couch.” He went for the big chair instead; it seemed like it would hold his weight better.
“Chrissy, tell me what you’ve been doing?” Neil sat beside Chrissy on the couch. “Leo says you’ve settled in well.”
Chrissy shot Neil a look, and Leo heard in his head, Not Chrissy . “I’m good. Working at the vet’s office.”
“He’s been a huge help to my staff, fun to have around. We’ll miss him when work wants him back.”
“Cool. You are a busy bastard, aren’t you?”
Chrissy rolled his eyes at Neil. “Hello, pot. Meet kettle.”
Isaac snorted. “He’s got a point, boy.”
He sat back and listened to the banter, very interested in the yummy scents coming from the kitchen. It smelled amazing. He leaned forward and picked up one of those balls, popping the whole thing in his mouth. “Mmm. Oh. Mhm.” Savory and so well spiced.
“He’s going to love supper.” Chrissy offered him this warm, fond smile.
“Alain will be happy to be appreciated. Feeding people is what he does.” Isaac sounded so proud.
Neil nodded, then settled, eyes seeming to focus somewhere just out of sight.
“So you’re settling in with Master—uh, excuse me—with Leo okay?” Isaac reached for a shrimp toast.
“Yes, sir. He’s a joy.” There was no hesitation, no stress at all.
“We’re having fun. Our tastes run along the same lines, and our sense of humor too.”
“But?” Neil looked between them, grinning. “There has to be a but …”
“No buts. Just easy. These things are so good.” Leo popped another ball in his mouth.
“Sounds like everything is working out. I’m glad to hear it. I know Neil is—he’s been worried about you, Chris.”
“No reason to worry, Doc. I swear to you, I can be a responsible adult.”
Isaac raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t say I was worried. I said Neil was.”
Leo didn’t interfere; whatever that was about had nothing to do with him.
“Understood.” Chrissy gave Isaac a nod, one of those milquetoast smiles.
“Don’t get defensive.” Neil laid a hand on Chrissy’s knee. “I’m allowed to worry. I’m not going to apologize for giving a shit about you, Chrissy.”
Chrissy took a slow, steady breath. “Is this an intervention, y’all? Because it sure feels that way.”
“Oh, fuck off, asshole. You know it’s not.” Neil rolled his eyes and shook Chrissy’s leg a little. “I just care about you, Chrissy.”
“The name is Chris, and I’m not your sub. Don’t shake me, please. I care about y’all. I’m being nice.”
“He’s right. He is being nice.” It was time to come to the boy’s defense, even though he really believed everyone in the room was actually trying to be supportive, not hurtful. He could see that Chrissy felt ganged up on. “I think he needs just a little bit of space, Neil.”
“Sure. Sure. I can’t help it. He brings out the Dom in me.”
“That isn’t an open position, buddy.” Chrissy’s words made both Neil and Isaac blink.
Leo just laughed, overjoyed by both the statement and the reactions. “We’re in… negotiations.” He had to assume Neil knew Chrissy was a top, but in this company, he didn’t feel that had to be a secret. “Very thoughtful negotiations.”
“Yeah.” Chrissy met his eyes, and there was his boy—that spark clear for him to see. “So, let’s be friends. I got a person to stress over me.”
“Well, this is happy news. I’m glad for you both.” Isaac had a genuine, and somewhat relieved, smile on his face.
“Can I have one of the shrimp toasts now? They look amazing.”
Alain peered out of the kitchen. “Does anyone need a drink?”
Leo stood, picked up the plate of shrimp toasts, and offered it to Chrissy, then glanced over at Alain. The boy was pint-sized and lovely. “I would love a seltzer, maybe with a splash of juice, please. Chrissy?”
“What are the options?” Chrissy took a toast and stood. “You know what? I’ll come help. That way I can see what I want.” He gave Alain a wink. “I promise not to bite.”
“Yeah, yeah. I hear you.”
“Good boy,” he whispered, setting the plate back down and taking his seat. Chrissy was surprising him tonight, and he felt the pride in the set of his shoulders.
Isaac’s eyes were filled with questions, but it was Neil who asked them. “What voodoo did you do, man? I thought he’d never relax.”
He shrugged. “Like I said, we have a lot in common. I didn’t take no for an answer but haven’t asked him to say yes yet either. He’s… a work in progress.” And the sex was good. Really good.
“He is that. Zack really did a number on him.” Neil rolled his eyes.
Leo nodded. “Was that his name? I get ‘my ex’ and a lot of nonsense about he ‘failed’ this Dom… I mean, it’s obvious to me what’s going on, but he won’t give me any details. Not one.” And he could really use some color on this.
“He seduced Chris, convinced him to move, then after a year and a half it was, ‘Oh, you’re not trying hard enough’, and ‘You aren’t pleasing me’, followed by ‘I’m moving my new sub in, but you can stay and pay rent.’”
Leo frowned. “I was afraid it was something like that. At least now I understand what pieces I’m putting back together.” He glanced up at Isaac and Neil. “I’m determined to remind him who he is, and hopefully convince him who he should belong to.” The second part was proving easier than the first.
“Good deal. He’s a good man.” Leo liked that there wasn’t a ‘but’ attached to Neil’s words.
He nodded. “I agree.” He leaned forward. “Ask him about the kittens.”
“Did you guys get kittens?”
“Not yet, they’re not big enough to come home. But they’re ours—Dot and Spot.” Chrissy handed him his drink, then passed out beers to Neil and Isaac, and kept a glass of iced tea for himself. “Want to see a picture?”
“I definitely do. Where did you find them?” Neil took his beer and sat up, watching Chrissy scroll through his phone.
“One of my techs found them with no sign of mom and brought them to my clinic. A shelter I work with found a nursing mom for them.”
“They’re adorable. A pair of mirror images.” Chrissy showed them off, as proud as a papa.
Isaac stood and moved around behind the couch to get a look. “Oh, they are so sweet. Very good choices. How great that you live in a place that allows pets.”
Leo nodded. “I’m a vet. You never know when I might need to bring an animal home. I’ve had night duty with pregnant gerbils, a miniature dachshund on fluids, a ferret with a head cold…”
“Aww… ferrets are cute. Stinky, but cute.” Chrissy grinned at him, winked. “I think our kittens are the sweetest. We just saw them and they’re… friggin’ adorable.”
Neil seemed much more relaxed now than when they’d walked in the door. “So, I guess this is really a thing then? Getting cats seems like a big step.”
“It’s a thing,” he said with absolute certainty. “And we’re animal people. But really, they’re Chrissy’s cats. He fell in love with the litter, and he picked that pair out and named them. If it were to become not a thing, it wouldn’t be an argument.”
Chrissy didn’t respond, didn’t do a thing but sit with his drink, but Leo couldn’t sense that incipient urge to bite and snarl that had been there earlier.
“Neil, would you mind trading seats with me? If you don’t think I’ll dent your couch.” He chuckled, but he was actually serious.
“Steel frame,” Isaac offered, grinning slyly. “You never know when you’ll need a sturdy couch.”
“Ah. When you’re my size, it’s a consideration.”
Neil didn’t balk, and just traded seats so Leo could sit with Chrissy. He sat close enough that he could easily rest a hand on his boy’s thigh, making sure to put a little weight on it so it wouldn’t be ignored. “We’re looking forward to the kittens and, in any case, Chrissy knows how I feel.”
“I do.” That tense muscle under his hand began to relax, and it wasn’t another minute before Chrissy’s thigh leaned into his.
He’d often been self-conscious, always being the big man in the room, but he understood his strengths, and in this scenario, his size always worked in his favor. He was a solid presence at least, and that was easy to trust and hard to ignore.
Neil and Isaac were talking with Alain, when Chrissy leaned close. “I love the way you smell.”
He couldn’t decide if Chrissy knew that would give him goosebumps and settle nicely into his balls, or if the boy was just being sweet. He turned to look at Chrissy. “Are you being naughty or nice?”
Chrissy’s eyebrow lifted, and his boy winked at him. “Would I be naughty?”
He raised an eyebrow right back. His boy did like to have fun. “You might, rabbit, you might.”
Chrissy chuckled, then the soft sound became a happy, real laugh.
That got everyone’s attention. Neil glanced between him and Chrissy and back again, and the look on the man’s face was pure astonishment.
Score one for Bugs Bunny.
“La, that’s a good sound.” Alain grinned at them all and took off his apron. “Y’all come make up your plates. It’s all ready. I made étouffée for us, and good bread to sop it up.”
“It smells so good, Alain. I was sitting here a few minutes ago just enjoying the homey and warm scent of it.” Leo stood, pulling his boy up with him. “étouffée? What is it?”
“Shrimps and crawdaddies in a thick gravy over rice. Nice and rich and yummy.”
“Mmm.” Leo held Chrissy’s hand, pulling the boy in front of him and handing him a plate. “I can’t wait.”
The bread smelled yeasty and comforting, and the food bubbling in the pot seemed spicy and like the sea. There was a huge pot of rice there just waiting for them.
Leo spooned some rice onto his plate and some onto Chrissy’s, then ladled the stew out, stopping when Chrissy said, “When.”
Chrissy got them both rough chunks of bread, and they ended up around a dining table that fit them. There was a sense of home, of peace.
The table was quiet except for silverware clinking against plates and a few happy noises as they all tested Alain’s dinner. It was savory and a little spicy, and he sighed after his first bite. “Alain, this is delicious. I’m not surprised, everyone says you’re an excellent chef, but I haven’t had anything like this myself. It’s wonderful.”
“It’s jus’ good ole home cooking, but it feeds the soul. Y’all are welcome anytime.”
Such a sweet boy. Leo understood why Isaac was so protective of him, he seemed to have his big heart right out there on display.
“Chrissy and I will have to come to the diner soon.”
“You’d like it a lot,” Chrissy agreed. “They have a fabulous biscuits and gravy.”
“I’m sure. Everyone at Les’s always says it’s a great meal. Do you guys get in there much? I love it.” Leo took another big bite.
“We go to Les’s… once a quarter, maybe? The diner is thriving, and it’s an early life. We’re all in bed by eight-thirty these days.” Neil sounded satisfied as hell.
Isaac shrugged. “I actually have time to eat breakfast before work and read the news. It’s kind of nice.”
Leo nodded. “Sounds like you work hard.”
Alain beamed at Neil. “It’s a joy. We get to be together, we get to cook, and we get to be ourselves, all the time.”
Neil nodded to Alain, patting his hand. “We’re closed from after brunch on Sunday to Tuesday breakfast, and we close at two p.m., sharp.”
“And in general, they’re mine that whole time.” Isaac grinned, sitting up tall.
Alain chuckled. “And we get to make sure Master Isaac gets a good supper, and Master Neil gets to rest in the evenings.”
A poly relationship had its complications, but these three made it so simple. Or maybe it was the clear affection they all had for each other that made it seem easy. It was obvious they were happy. He stretched out a hand and rested it on Chrissy’s nape for a moment, just to remind the boy he was there.
He got a smile, a nod, and there was a real satisfaction there. He understood because he felt the same way. He dug back into his dinner and listened to the small talk.
It didn’t mean anything, but it felt warm, and he was proud of his boy. Chrissy had done well.