1 - The Search #2
It was exactly the kind of deep connection and commitment he'd imagined when Darren had first suggested that he learn to command.
A couple like them, partners who loved and supported each other but wanted to expand and grow together.
He couldn't be certain, of course. But the tenderness between them was impossible to miss, which made his heart ache unexpectedly.
He wanted them, and Darren did, too. Every bit of him buzzed with anticipation as Darren untied him and they slowly began to tidy their gear.
"My Master wishes to bestow a token in thanks for your performance, as well as an open offer of hospitality during your time in our city. Tours, dinner, drinks, coffee. Anything you wish."
The man who knelt respectfully beside the platform they'd been performing on made Miles's chest tighten, as if he could barely breathe.
He was small-statured and unassuming, though from his voice and the parts of his face visible around his mask, he didn't seem overly young.
There was so much else about him that reminded Miles of everything he'd been attracted to in the sweet young man he'd met at the street fair, who'd tried so hard to convince Miles into a quickie in an alley.
He hadn't given in - it wasn't right to engage in something so casual, especially with someone so young - but it had definitely fueled a thousand possibilities and fantasies that he and Darren had entertained together since.
Miles had been transfixed by the little sub as he served his Master.
His adoration and devotion had been apparent in every kiss and touch, in the way he smiled and yielded to his service.
It ought to have been at odds with the interest they'd both shown in him and Darren, which - from his overture now - was definitely far more than voyeuristic.
They were alike, though. Miles couldn't have explained how he knew, but it resonated deep inside him. This man knew the type of deep love and devotion he held for Darren. His interest in them was intertwined with a deep desire to serve the man he loved.
Could he possibly hope to earn the same kind of devotion?
The quiet hope in the man's blue eyes was unmistakable.
This was a risk for him, too. They could easily say no, and he'd have to return to his mentor with nothing.
He was taking that chance for a man that he loved, and being so brave.
When Darren reached out to lift his chin, testing him, he yielded with a soft gasp, trembling with an eager nervousness that almost made Miles groan aloud.
The urge to wrap this man up in his arms was achingly strong.
Miles yearned to promise to support him and protect him and reward him for that bravery so badly he could taste it.
That surge of desire - not sexual, but just as strong - transformed the sharp tension of anxiety into a deep, resonant calm.
His lingering self-doubt evaporated as effectively as if Darren had commanded it, but unexpectedly, he hadn't needed to reach for Darren at all.
This confidence had arisen, unbidden, from his desire to protect.
Every part of him ached to become the sanctuary this man was asking for.
To nurture and care for this precious devotee who'd come to them with such courage and vulnerability.
Darren glanced at him with a smile, reading him effortlessly, then gave the man a decisive nod. "I'd be happy to accept your offer of coffee. We can discuss the rest then. Please meet us in the entry lounge."
As Darren helped him into his robe and they gathered their things to change, it was impossible not to glance back at the couple. The blond had returned to his date, cuddling onto his lap with visible, giddy happiness.
Holding him close, his dom met Miles's gaze with a beautiful, glittering intensity that sent a very different bolt of nervousness through him.
It was a quick, sobering reminder that everything Miles was thinking was his own interpretation.
He didn't truly know what either man was interested in; the dynamics he'd sensed between them were something he could have imagined.
Perhaps they'd be mismatched. The blond could want to taste Darren's ropes.
Perhaps his dark-haired date wanted Miles at his feet.
But before Miles could look away - or truly panic - the dark-haired man inclined his head towards him in a slow, deliberate nod. His gaze lowered in undeniable respect.
Yielding.
"Them," he whispered to Darren as they left the room, leaving them behind. "I can feel it. We have to - I want - "
Slipping into the small laundry room they'd been given to store their gear in, Darren dropped his bag and pulled him into a searing kiss. "No hooking up tonight," he rasped, as if to remind them both of their deal.
Miles bit his lip on a whine even as he arched into his husband. "No hooking up," he agreed, cursing himself for even having suggested it. "Fuck!"
Darren chuckled against his mouth, sucking hungrily at his bottom lip. "Don't worry, husband," he purred. "There are many, many ways we can take control of those beautiful men tonight. And then we'll take full enjoyment of their guest house. And tomorrow will be another day."
"Tomorrow," Miles repeated with a groan, reveling in that same, amazing sense of calm and surety he'd felt before. They could still have a taste of everything they'd been fantasizing about since that day at the street fair.
They just needed to meet them first. Get to know them.
It was time to understand who this magnetic couple truly was. Miles only hoped that he really was as ready to step up as Darren thought he was. But ready or not, it was time for his trial by fire.
Grounding himself in Darren's trust and the hope of his own newfound surety, Miles slipped his hand into Darren's and went to meet his would-be sub.
~~~