For as often as he employed praise kink intentionally, Darren found himself squirming. The words made him unexpectedly self-conscious, but not unpleasantly. "Thank you, Sir."
His husband's smile widened, tracing his jaw. "Why Darren, are you blushing?"
Being called out only made his cheeks burn hotter, of course. "Absolutely not."
"My big, strong dom?" Miles kissed his cheeks, voice warm with good humor. "Shy about being called a good boy?"
"I'm just being a good pet," Darren tried to growl, trying to wiggle down in his arms so he could hide his face in his neck.
"Of course, darling. The best pet." Miles tightened his arms around him to keep him in place, stealing another kiss. "You can be in charge again, love. Thank you for humoring me."
"Gonna spank you for torturing your poor sweet pet," Darren grumbled.
"Next time we have the house to ourselves?" Miles suggested, far too hopefully.
"Mm. Deal."
It normally wasn't difficult for Darren to relax after playtime, especially cuddled up to Miles, with Miles's fingers stroking through his hair.Especiallywhen it ended in him being wrecked as good as Miles always managed. But his husband's unexpected initiative that day left his thoughts buzzing with ideas.
"The new beginner's class starts Tuesday. Do you feel more ready?"
"I think so. More so after tonight."
"Good." Darren traced slow circles on his chest. "I was thinking I'd like to start accepting performance invitations at events again. I know we don't really need the money, but it's good to attend with a purpose. Then we can see who we meet. I have a number of standing offers on the table from hosts who've heard about my sub with his huge cock, who looks so beautiful all bound up in rope."
Miles shivered against him with a pleased hum. "Or even parties where we don't get paid? Like that famous New Year's party up in Boston that we've never actually checked out?"
"Mmm, I'd forgotten about that. You want to go to Boston and join that sexy showcase, my love?"
Miles groaned, shifting against him until he could claim a warm kiss. "Master," he breathed, "I live to serve your every whim."
? ? ?
––––––––
Miles Bennet
Moving was a whirlwind of stress, but when it was over, Miles found himself settling with a sigh of relief. Having space to expand into was a blessed relief: space for the kids' things, space for a real kitchen table, and even a bit of space for workout gear. He still preferred to hit up the gym with Sasha around meetings, but having the option to stay home with Darren - and often work out with and for Darren, inevitably shifting into some kind of playtime - was glorious.
The sense ofexpandingextended into playtime, too, especially with Darren's new beginner Shibari class at Shimizu. It had been easier than he'd expected to pick up on the introductory ties and techniques he'd seen Darren teach dozens of times, which they reviewed before every lesson. It was even easier to support his instructions, sharing his knowledge and experience with new riggers and their rope bunnies with a confidence that felt blessedly earned.
Perhaps he was more ready to step into Darren's role than he'd thought. Slowly, the idea of taking the lead at Darren's side began to feel not just doable, but exciting.
With the right people.
Finding said people would be more difficult. He had complete faith when Darren said they'd find the right couple when the time was right, but it was also becoming very apparent that they'd likely need to step outside of the circles of their existing events.
"So..." partway through dinner one night in March, Miles decided to breach an idea with his husband. "Does Shimizu Services ever have a booth at Folsom East?"
He was pretty sure the answer was no, considering the exclusivity of the dungeon. He'd never seen Darren advertise, and assumed most of their clients were word of mouth or referrals from existing club members. He'd only discovered them himself after going down a hell of a rabbit hole on a fetish site online, discovering the club's booking number in connection with one of Darren's beginner Shibari classes. Actual membership at Shimizu - whether booking with a dom or for facilities access - was exclusive and expensive. Darren himself had admitted that they might never have met if Miles hadn't sounded so sexy on the phone.
Darren leaned back in his chair with a smile, immediately seeing through Miles's carefully casual ruse. "We haven't ever really needed to. Why? Are you thinking you'd like to attend, my love?"
Miles chuckled. "I can't keep anything from you, can I?"
"I can tell when my good boy is curious about something new." Darren stretched out his leg under the table to rub Miles's calf. "Want to go together? It's public, so there's no sex at the actual festival, but we could dress up and go shopping."
Miles chewed on his bottom lip, thinking back to the street festivals and night markets he'd been to in the past. "I'm kind of torn," he admitted. "I would like to see it, and I'd kind of like to see if we can... you know, meet some people? But the thought of spending a couple of hours just pushing through a sea of humanity isn't exactly my idea of a great time. That's why I was kind of hoping you'd have a booth."
