Love & Stitches at The Asylum: Part Thirty-Eight
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Leaving Jared’s P.A. in charge of the General Clinic wasn’t exactly in the brief, but the man himself wasn’t there. He could fuck a bag of nails if he thought Seth was going to sit around wiping noses when his boys were in class and the rest of the Doms were watching their shining examples of submission on the bar television without him.
Which was how at ten a.m. on a Monday he found himself calling in sick to work.
And at one minute after ten, he emerged from his hiding place in the dance club, carrying his whiskey with him across the gym. What Jared didn’t know yet wouldn’t kill him, and there was no way the man was going to take out Seth’s truancy on his subs.
Laughter a tad dark, Seth shook a finger—his middle one—in the general direction of the upstairs classroom before he pushed into the bar. “I know you, my man. I know you.”
Behind the bar, Rhodey was pouring a few shots, looking quite pleased with himself. “I don’t know what you’re all worried about, Lawson. From what I can see, things are off to a great start.”
Lawson’s lips thinned. “I’m glad you think so.” He kept his eyes on the screen. “Damn it, Reed, just ask him for something to do with your hands. He’s going to end up losing all his points within the first five minutes.”
“He’s fine, my man.” Noah relaxed back into his stool. “Jared knows him, he’s not going to punish him without a good reason.”
Taking the seat Jared normally occupied to Noah’s left, Seth noted that both televisions were on in the bar. One with a view of the kitchen in the upstairs loft, the other of the classroom from the side with a wide angle that shifted every few moments. At a table he’d pushed up to another, Jacks sat before a portable sewing machine, hands unmoving.
Green eyes glued to the television, Jacks shook his head. “I can’t watch...”
Shea snorted, taking a swig of the beer Rhodey slid to him. “Does it help that there are no tea kettles? I don’t know why that ended up being a thing. I put ours in the cabinet under the sink so it wouldn’t set him off again. Apparently since Wren and Matt know how to make coffee and tea, Danny is going to fail because he can’t. But he’s terrified to burn himself. And neither of us even drinks tea and we can make our own damn coffee.”
For some reason, there were numbers underneath each sub’s name on the chalkboard, and Jared walked up to add one to Jamie’s. Seth squinted, trying to read them all. “What’s he doing?”
Noah tipped his shot glass toward the screen. “He’s working with the bank system. Right now, they all have full ones. They can add to it, or lose from it, depending on their behavior and performance.”
“Oh.” Perhaps Seth came off a little sullen, but of course Jared had found an early opportunity to pad the so-called bank of his sub, who was also the worst sub in the room. “Rhodey, if you’re serving them up, hit me with a shot of something other than Reed’s Fireball.”
Brow arched, Rhodey held up his favorite bourbon. “I wouldn’t insult you like that, my man.” Instead of a shot glass, Rhodey poured Seth a few fingers in a tumbler. “If it helps, Pike’s doing well so far. He had a bit of a slip up earlier, but Avery talked to him and he was in a good place when Curtis brought him up.”
“Slip up?” Accepting the glass, Seth adjusted its smooth curves in his fingers before he took a sip. “Wait...where’s Quint?”
Shea glanced over. “He called in to say he was delayed with a patient, but he’ll be there soon.”
“Hell.” Standing, Seth set the glass down. “I’ll go relieve him.”
That got him a level look from Rhodey. “He won’t be long. And this works out well. Pike needs a chance to see he can manage without him. You should be proud, he let Reed put your gun away rather than bringing it to class. That would’ve lost him at least a few points.”
Freezing in place, Seth tried to put Rhodey’s words in an order that made sense. Because there was no way on God’s hairy balls that Pike could’ve gotten into his locked drawer... Was there? “Please tell me you would’ve stepped in. Dammit. I need to take Quint out of the Clinic. Someone needs to watch him, always.” Rubbing his temple with two fingers, Seth tried to think who he might know that would be crazy enough to work in Anniston Falls. “Maybe a couple of Vani’s merc docs are looking to transfer. She collects them like some people do those little teaspoons when they go on vacation.”
“I would’ve taken care of it before anything bad happened. But I just told you, Avery was keeping an eye on things. They talked. Everyone was happy after. This is a good thing.” Rhodey lifted his glass in cheers. “You took on a mob rat, you had to have been expecting…less than normal behavior. At least you don’t have to worry about locking up the fucking butter knives.” He cast Noah a long look. “Which took you much too long to figure out.”
Noah huffed, shaking his head. “I managed. So will Seth.”
“Butter knives?” Eyes on the screen, Seth slowly slid back into his seat at the bar, watching as a relieved looking Danny crawled under Jared’s desk.
Behind him, Jacks let out a distressed sound. “Oh no... I should go get him.”
“Nope.” Shea tapped the bar, grabbing the glass of some kind of pink, sparkling alcohol Rhodey poured for him and bringing it to Jacks. “He’s got this, my man. Jared’s making sure he’s comfortable. And if he’s under there, he won’t keep his eye patch on the whole time. This is a good thing, too.”
On the screen, all the subs had gone still, listening to something Jared was going on about. Seth recognized that look in those ice blue eyes. Orders. Directions. Precisely worded to his troops. No room for error or inattention. Lip curling, he took a sip from his Glencairn. “Yes, sir, captain.”
Except there was no way any of his FSU would have been under desks unless bombs were falling. Reed had relocated to the top of his, and Danny in his new hiding spot. Pike was playing with Fresco discreetly at every opportunity.
Maybe the bastard has gotten softer.
Jared said something, and everyone snapped into motion. Pencils hit paper with a speed that made Seth’s fingers itch to do the same. He could practically hear the bark that had prompted it, except...Jared didn’t appear to have raised his voice. At all. Which was very strange.
The camera caught movement again, Pike falling off his seat. Seth tightened his fingers around his glass. “What is this? The nineteen-twenties? They make these things with sound now, you know.”
Snorting, Rhodey plucked something out of his pocket and slid it across the bar. “This is connected to my personal feed, so I’ll be taking it back after. I don’t hook up the sound to all the cameras to give people some privacy. I’m thoughtful like that.”
Taking the small black dot that he sometimes wore on guard duty—but that one definitely wasn’t connected to Rhodey’s personal feed—Seth pressed it into the shell of his ear in time to hear Jared welcome Pike’s cat with an affection he wouldn’t have credited to the man.
“I’ll be damned. The old dog does have some new tricks.” Shaking his head, Seth spoke over the rim of his glass.
Rhodey inclined his head, his gaze snapping to the screen at an exchange between Keiran and Reed. He sighed. “All right, I’ll give you that one.” He pulled out his wallet and handed a fifty to Noah. “But he won’t throw anything at anyone.”
“We’ll see.” Noah smirked, collecting another fifty from Lawson. “This isn’t meant to be easy, they wouldn’t learn anything. But I don’t see him getting in too much trouble. Reed, however…”
Jaw ticking, Lawson kept his eyes locked on the screen. “Is struggling to settle down. Which you knew would happen.”
“Someone drugged Jamie.” Seth tipped his glass toward the screen, sympathy for Lawson making him want to even the playing field. “Not a peep out of him, and he looks like someone replaced him with a cardboard cutout. That’s cheating, my man.”
Lips curved around the rim of his glass, Noah lifted his shoulders. “I did what was necessary to help my boy succeed. And the medication he needs isn’t being ‘drugged’. Reed decided to go in a different direction. Neither way is wrong, he just needs to use the tools Stephan gave him.”
Tempted to look at Jamie’s chart, Seth took out his phone. Except Pike said something, and Jared moved toward the back of the room with that sinister fluid grace a man of his size and musculature had no right possessing. “Fuck. Here we go...”
“Seth, drink.” Rhodey reached across the bar and tapped his glass. “Jared is a patient man and your boy is…doing much better than expected. Give them both some credit and enjoy the show.”
And Rhodey was correct, because Jared not only gently set his boy straight for insulting himself, he let him know it was fine to draw in class. Which would actually allow him to focus better. Letting the alcohol warm his palate, Seth nodded as he listened in. “Good. That’s very good.” Something else Jared said had him frowning, however. “Wait. Is he assigning us our modules?”
Shea came over to the bar, leaving Jacks to his sewing and studying the screen like it might give him a better idea of what was going on without hearing what was being said. “That’d be kinda cool. I have no fucking clue what the hell I’d teach them.”
“Definitely not how to watch their language.” Lawson arched a brow at him. “You’re lucky Danny doesn’t pick up your bad habits.”
Jutting his chin at the screen, Shea brought Lawson’s attention back to it. “Your boy looks comfortable.”
“I never understood where Jared’s anti-swearing fetish came from. He tried that on us in his unit, and spent more time writing demerits for disobeying orders in one week than sleeping so he gave up.” Eyeing Reed, who reclined on his desk, Seth settled his forearms on the bar. “He’s like a human bendy straw. No. That’s your boy, Rhodey. I’m not sure what Reed is. Other than damned edible looking.” He gave Lawson a wink. “No harm in looking.”
Lawson chuckled, some of the tension easing from him at the comment. “None at all. That kitten is keeping him distracted, which might help. He seems a bit calmer.”
“I wish Danny would come out. I want to know he’s okay.” Jacks’ cat-like eyes darted in Rhodey’s direction. “We need to put a camera under the desk.”
Rhodey made a thoughtful sound. “Consider it done. I’ll have Avery set something up when Jared’s otherwise occupied. He usually keeps a few spare minicams in his pocket to replace the ones that go out on his rounds.” He brought his hand to his ear. “Do not make it obvious, my little viper.”
The interchange had everyone but Seth missing Jared’s threat to cane anyone who insulted someone else. Which was worrisome. “Hey, does he mean he’s going to cane everyone who falls below ten points?”
“Mhm.” Rhodey didn’t sound terribly concerned. “Which is a very good way to keep everyone in line…” He trailed off as another voice came across the ear piece.
Connor’s tone was clipped, broken a bit by the wind. “You asked for a head’s up when Quint came back. He’s in. The man’s fast. If I wasn’t keeping an eye out for him, I might’ve missed him.”
Sitting up straighter, Seth frowned at Rhodey. “Where was he? I assumed he was in the clinic here. He wasn’t on the roster today. He was supposed to be in class.”
“No, he got a call from a teen he’s been checking on. Some kind of athlete who’s trying to get a scholarship, but broke their collarbone or some shit.” Rhodey lifted his shoulders. “He’s been putting in extra time to set them up with special trainers. It hasn’t taken him away from his work here, so I didn’t see a problem with it.”
“There’s not a problem, other than his being my sub. Give me a shout or something when you change his schedule around.” Gaze on the door to the gym, Seth wondered whether Quint would take the back stairs or the front. “Do I need to give him a note or something?”
Rhodey shook his head. “No, Jared will deal with him. And I didn’t change his schedule, my man. Your boy is one of the most independent subs I’ve ever known. If he’s not taking care of Pike or on shift, he’s putting in extra hours with whatever bleeding heart case that he can find. I don’t know how the fuck that didn’t get him killed when he was on Vani’s payroll.”
Yeah, well...it still might.
“We’re...working on it not being a problem.” Giving Quint control over Pike’s welfare was supposed to scratch that itch his boy had to take care of everything and everyone. Not...make him more exhausted, overworked, and prone to haring off. “Though if she, I, and you haven’t been able to keep him from holding onto that tendency, I don’t know if anything will ever make him truly let go.”
The edge of Rhodey’s lips quirked slightly. “We’ll see. I could’ve probably gotten him back sooner if I’d told him about the gun, but I didn’t think him smothering your other boy with his need to protect him from everything was a better option. These classes, though…just might do it.”
Seth had known Jared as a C.O., and as a co-Dom, for several years, but not as a sub. And certainly he’d never been witness to his more intense training style at The Asylum until recently. He fell silent, watching Quint’s entrance unfold, the deft way Jared handled the seating arrangements, then Quint’s confusion when he realized he wouldn’t be seated with Pike. Likely literally.
Then Reed’s mouthy bet about Quint had Seth sucking air through his teeth and wincing as Jared turned. “I once saw two doctors taking bets on how long a patient would live. Unfortunately, Jared heard them too. They were court martialed. That?” Seth tipped his glass at the television. “Is pretty close to what I always thought of as his court martial face afterward.”
Lawson’s grip tightened around his glass. “Reed wouldn’t bet on something that extreme. What the hell did he say that lost him three points and got him stuck in his chair?” He shook his head and started to stand. “I need to go talk to him. I don’t want this distracting Curtis.”
“It won’t.” Rhodey put a heavy hand on Lawson’s shoulder. “And you’re not going in there. No one is. Let Jared deal with them how he sees fit. Getting put in his place isn’t going to kill your boy. He’s getting cheeky.”
Dallas leaned back a little when Jared’s back was turned, exchanging a look with Keiran that was all smolder and sex when he bit into his apple cupcake. A little of the icing stuck to his upper lip, and he used the point of his tongue to swipe it off. When Jared turned a second later, Dallas was back in his original position, his cupcake back on the desk, the bitten part down so it appeared it hadn’t been touched.
“Your subs are sneaky, uncle.” Noah lifted his glass in a rare show of admiration to Rhodey. “I think they have a good read on things. You won’t have any more points lost from them. Until Jared catches them.”
Which didn’t look like it’d be anytime soon, since Jared’s attention was wholly absorbed in trying to give out the class assignments while also corralling...Quint, who was sneaking looks at Pike. Seth leaned back heavily, his stool rocking a bit.
“Ooh! There he is! There he is!” Standing, Jacks pointed at the screen. “I see his ears!” The man acted like he hadn’t seen his sub on international television multiple times. Hand over his heart, he sat, laughing a little and swiping at the corners of his eyes with his knuckles. “Oh, thank God.”
Shea nudged Seth with his shoulder, his gaze on the screen. “What did he say? Does he sound okay?”
“He wants a doctor’s note to skip the hardcore class.” Eyes on the screen, Seth answered absently, willing Quint to face the fuck forward. “Come on, my boy. Let it go. You never could just fucking let it go.”
Noah let out a low whistle, his gaze on the bottom of the screen. “And there he goes. There’s no way Jared doesn’t already know he’s out of his seat.” He picked up a handful of snack mix, crunching on it. “Your boy is not very good at being sneaky.”
“Yeah? Try getting past snipers better than him. This just isn’t a tactical situation.” Eyes on Quint, who had lifted Pike and was bringing him back to his seat, Seth scowled.
Lifting his hands in a soothing motion, Noah nudged his chin toward the screen. “I was talking about your other one, my man. And that’s not a bad thing. It makes him easier to handle when he’s being impulsive. I noticed the same thing with Curtis…only, he wasn’t small enough to even try to creep around. Now that they've had their moment, they’ll both feel better for it.”
A sharp sound in his ear made Seth duck a little on reflex. He straightened, realizing Jared had snapped his fingers. He stood by Quint’s seat now, laying into him about sticking with his seat. At the same time, Avery leaned over his own desk, contorting to become almost weightless as he dropped a wad of paper on Jamie’s desk. A note.
Eyes widening, Jamie looked from Jared’s back to Avery, who mouthed, “Fucking read it.”
Noah shot Rhodey a dirty look, as though he was responsible for Avery potentially sabotaging Jamie’s performance.
To which he only got a level look from Rhodey. “Let’s see how sneaky your little cat is.”
Gingerly lowering his hands inside the well of his desk, Jamie coughed as he uncrumpled the paper, and the little black dot landed in his hand. It was impossible to see what the note said, but judging from the Are you fucking shitting me? look Jamie lobbed at Avery, it was pretty clear that Avery wanted Jamie to use his position closest to Jared’s desk to his advantage.
Meanwhile, Jared was knocking a point off Quint’s score at the board.
Shea winced, giving Seth a sympathetic look. “I was not expecting that, my man. But…Rhodey’s right. Maybe this is what he needs.”
But what about what Pike needs?
Not wanting his boy to appear weak, Seth clenched his jaw, watching as next Pike lost a point, then Quint again, and Jared dressed down Quint for calling Pike ‘brat’. “It’s not a fucking insult!” Shouting, he leaped to his feet, going for the door. “That fucker. Jared! You son of a bitch! Leave my subs—”
Jerking him back, Rhodey slammed the door and pointed at Seth’s stool. “Sit the fuck down. Think, my man. You wouldn’t accept that behavior and you damn well know it. I’m letting you listen in so you know he’s not being unreasonable.”
Blowing out hard breaths, Seth shook his head, ready to fight Rhodey until motion on the screen—Curtis—had him stilling. Face hot, he nodded, hope breaking open a small crack in his chest. “Good. This is good. He won’t feel alone.”
“No, he won’t. And Quint will get a chance to sink into his own submission.” Rhodey patted Seth’s shoulder. “Jared knows what he’s doing.”
But not what Jamie is doing...
As the Dom made his way to the middle of the classroom to watch over the events that transpired there, Jamie ducked out of his seat, keeping low and somehow making the entire maneuver look like a dance video as he placed the camera and scurried back to his seat. Danny’s hoodie popped into view in a small pane in the upper right of the screen.
Shea let out a soft laugh. “It’s like seeing inside a beaver den on those nature shows he likes falling asleep to. Look, Jacks. He’s taking his notes and he finished that whole apple. He’s happy in his little hole.”
“You’ve got a good man there.” Not caring that Curtis was dressing on the right, Seth gave Lawson the compliment about the man everyone thought of as his co-Dom—despite the private arrangement they had and Curtis’ occasional switching. “That was a class act thing to do.”
Expression softening with pride and love, Lawson inclined his head. “I hope this doesn’t distract him too much from his own learning, but…it’s good for both of them to have this. Family meant something…very toxic for them. For many of us, but…I think you know what I mean.”
“I do.” Attention split between Lawson and the classroom breaking up for a short recess, Seth returned to his seat.
Jared’s face appeared alongside Wren’s around the mouth of the desk, the wide angle lens distorting everything a little so it looked like everyone should’ve been sporting gills. At his sewing machine, Jacks sniffed a little. “It’s not a beaver costume. Does it look like a beaver costume? I totally fucked it up. I hope nobody makes fun of him and calls him Wally.”
“No, Jacks, that’s not what I meant.” Shea went over to his man, rubbing his shoulders. “He always looks fucking sweet in anything you make him. And he hasn’t shivered once. I was talking about the way the camera’s set up, that’s all.”
“Oh.” Jacks’ laugh was about as airy as you could get for a tenor. “That’s alright then.” He tipped his head to one side. “It’s supposed to be a teddy bear. But you know...a beaver could be cute, too. When I’m done making all these uniforms for the subs, I’ll get to work on it.” Glancing at the screen, he thinned his lips. “Do you think...if they’re getting caned as punishment...I should pad the pants a little in the seat?”
Shea snorted, shaking his head as he bent down to kiss along the side of Jacks’ neck. “You’re spoiling him. Don’t overdo it. They don’t need padding, they need to follow the rules.”
“They only cane over clothes at English prep schools.” The quiet correction came from the doorway to the gym, where Drew poked his head through. “Permission to come to the galley to make food for my sir, sirs?”
Motioning him in, Rhodey nodded. “Go ahead. And you can tell your Dom he doesn’t need to hide you away during the next class. It’ll be good for you to interact with the Core subs, instead of those misfit fuckers who like starting petty fucking bullshit.” He gave Drew a pointed look. “I’m not blaming you, but you will be picking better friends, or I’ll do it for you. Danny likes you.”
“Yes, sir. I’m so sorry about that, sir. I already sent them all mail from a website that mails bags of dog poop to people. Don’t tell anyone, please?” Skirting around the bar, Drew kept more than an arm’s length away from everyone. “Would anyone like some chicken and dumplings while I’m cooking lunch?”
Shea pulled up a chair beside Jacks, leaning back to smile at the sub. “Sure, bring us a couple of plates.” He kissed Jacks’ neck again. “I’ll feed you while you work.”
Nodding absently, Seth returned his gaze to the screen, where Curtis was asking Pike if he wanted a bendy straw. “Yeah. Please. That’d be cool.”
“Make enough for everyone, pet.” Rhodey waved Drew on, folding his arms over his chest as he stood a bit behind both Seth and Lawson, as though prepared to keep either of them in their seats if they tried to get up again. “Everyone seems to be in a better place. Progress.”
The box of tissues Curtis brought made Seth smile. “I never thought I’d have a sub like this boy. I fucking love him.”
Lawson lifted the drink he’d been nursing, smiling without taking his eyes off the screen. “I know exactly what you mean.” He let out a soft sound of approval. “Good boy, Matt. I was sure he’d lose his temper, but he’s been keeping his head down.”
Pike getting into trouble was pretty much a given, but...Quint. Seth breathed a giant sigh, then polished off his drink, before realizing there was no one behind the bar to get him another. He stood, moving to do it himself. “Quint’s always been Quint. A gentle soul. Caretaker. Ruthless when protecting those he loves. But, we’d both already seen so much by the time we ended up going into ops. Mercenary work. Pike, he needs that soft touch, and Quint has it. More than me. I’d ruin him without us as a team. So I rely on him more than I should.”
“I don’t think you do, my man. The three of you have a rhythm that works for you. Yes, there will be the odd issue to iron out, but…” Lawson gestured to the screen, where Quint was cuddling Pike. “They’re happy. Happier than they were when I first met them. That counts for something. They have that because you understand them both.”
Around the schoolroom, the subs all seemed to take care of each other in little ways. Keiran, the most like Quint in his tendency to ‘mother hen’ was giving Jamie a cupcake. Seth had to wonder if it was a thank you for putting his ass on the line with the camera placement.
“Yours isn’t half bad at sneaking.” Gesturing above his head toward the TV with the beer he’d just opened, Seth gave Noah a compliment he seemed to enjoy giving himself. “The other one...I thought he was the clean one. What’s with all the cookies on the floor?”
Noah chuckled, arms rested on the edge of the bar. “I think he’s decided Danny is the only kind of pet he ever wants to have. Probably because he doesn’t shed. He does that when Danny’s in pupspace sometimes to lead him where he wants him to go. I think he’s hoping he can tempt him to his desk.”
On the other screen, the view of the kitchen showed Curtis grabbing some chocolate milk and brownies, dancing around Reed. He popped a giant bite of brownie into Reed’s mouth, alongside his sub’s lollipop, when Reed started to say something.
“Everything seems alright.” Jacks leaned into Shea, reaching up to curve a hand against his cheek. He closed his eyes. “I hope it stays that way.”
Taking out his phone, Seth kept his eyes on the TV that showed what went on in the kitchen. Curtis had snuck his own phone out of his pocket a few moments before, glancing furtively toward the classroom where Jared was in conversation. None of them were supposed to have the things, but Seth sent a silent thank you to the other man as he blasted off a text that would help Pike. His little pixie.
He watched as Curtis opened his messages, then looked around at the ceiling, a smirk on his lips. Then mouthed, “You motherfuckers. You’re sick.”
Rhodey huffed out a laugh. “See? School. Where you learn all kinds of brand new things.”
“I think Curtis has known the word ‘motherfucker’ since he came out of the womb.” Jacks grinned at Lawson, then Noah. “But you’ve known him longer than I have.”
Looking over at him, Lawson smiled. “No, that’s a fair assessment. I think he objects to us watching, but it was either this or driving myself out of my mind, wondering how they were all doing.” He looked back at the screen and sighed. “Reed still hasn’t asked for the help he needs. I’ll have to speak to him about that so he will do better in the next class. This does seem to be magnifying some specific issues.”
“He seems to be doing pretty well—” Seth’s observation was cut off by the sound of Pike wailing, “Fuck! No, Fresco!” Whipping around to observe the other screen, he cursed himself for taking his eyes off it for a moment. As if staring at it hard enough might give him the control he’d temporarily handed over. To a man he had to remind himself was one of his oldest friends. “Oh, God. Is that... No!” Setting down his drink, he growled, waving at the television. “You do not... I swear, I’m changing out all that shit for pink bubblegum syrup.”
Noah shook his head, taking a few gulps of his whiskey. “He’s lucky. When I used to use that on Curtis—and the first subs around here—I wasn’t so gentle. It’s a little bit of soap, my man. He knows better, I’ve heard both you and Quint speak to him about it. And Jared’s disciplined him for it before.”
“I hope it doesn’t taste anywhere near as gritty and horrific as it smells. Believe me, I enjoy their squirmy tears as much as the next Dom, but if I won’t put it in my mouth I don’t want it in theirs.” Pulling a face, Seth tipped his beer to his lips, washing away the imagined taste with the dark nutty flavor. “Besides. I want to be able to kiss that mouth. Or fuck it without getting road rash.”
Snorting into his glass, Noah met his eyes. “Let me tell you from experience, it won’t be an issue if he rinses enough. Look, Quint’s making sure of it. You’ll get your boy back in perfect condition, so long as he doesn’t find any more rules to break.”
Now, that will be the trick.
Drew came out of the galley, somehow managing to walk with a very large tray without lifting his eyes to any Dom’s face as he served them all with graceful motions that at the same time were designed to make him disappear into the background. ‘A good service sub never called attention to himself’, Seth recalled Jared saying once.
Just to fuck with the boy, Seth clapped him on the back with a loud, “Thank you. This looks delicious.”
Which, amusingly enough, prompted the sub to respond with a stammered, “S-sorry, sir.”
“You did well, my boy. Don’t use that fucking word.” Rhodey nudged Drew to get him moving again. “Go feed your Dom. I don’t want you watching this and spoiling the surprise for yourself.” He put his hand on Lawson’s shoulder again when he started to stand. “He. Is. Fine. Don’t make me tie you to the stool, that would be embarrassing for you when your boys get out of class and find you like that.”
Listening in on the conversations between the subs in the kitchen, Pike among them, with Reed and Jamie, Seth grinned. “And Jamie just told him about the fidget spinners Jared brought.”
Jacks pointed at the television above Seth’s head. “Which won’t do them any good if their asses are too sore to sit. C’mon. Jesus Christ. Get back in the room!” Shooting to his feet like he was ringside, Jacks suddenly became one-hundred percent semi-pro fighter and zero percent model. “Fuck.”
Rubbing his hands over his face, Lawson let out a heavy sigh. “I’d get that boy a watch if I didn’t know he’d lose or break it the first day he had it. And Curtis was trying to get their attention…I couldn’t tell why at first.” He focused on the screen, as though trying to convey his words through it. “Don’t be mouthy again, my boy. Just settle. If you can make it through this class without getting a beating, I’ll be happy.”
Which didn’t look likely since now all the subs were engrossed in talking about what their Doms expected of them. Pike and Quint still didn’t look like they were getting any closer to moving toward their seats and Jared glanced at his watch on the other screen. “God, this is like watching a ticking time bomb.”
Unlike before, Noah didn’t look so relaxed, seeming to count down the passing seconds with the rest of them. “Do they think time fucking stopped or something? I’m getting a goddamn school bell.”
Finally, the subs all seemed to get a collective clue and headed in fits and starts toward the classroom. It was like cheering turtles toward a fucking finishline. Probably only thirty seconds passed, but Jared was taking points off all their scores by the time any of them noticed a thing.
Slapping a palm over his face, Seth shook his head. “Somehow, I don’t think Jared believes in bells unless they’re attached to weights clamped to balls. And remember, you’d better not let them make a sound while he beats your ass.”
“True.” Noah groaned, thumping his fist against the bar, like he’d gotten caught up in the energy Jacks had started, making a pained sound. “Sit, Quint. The time doesn’t stop until you sit. What is he doing?”
Peeking through his fingers in time to see Keiran pelt Quint with a ball of paper, Seth mock sobbed into his hand. “I’m buying your boy his next high priced kitchen appliance for trying, Rhodey.”
“He’ll appreciate that.” Rhodey took out his wallet, taking out a stack of bills and handing them to Noah. “Maybe it’ll distract him from the beating I’m going to give him. I told him not to throw things in class. Those exact words.”
By the time Quint sat, Jared had brought his score down by two more points. Two minutes hadn’t passed, so Seth could only assume that the incractions had to do with his care of Pike. “He’s just doing his fucking job, Jared.” Growling, Seth clenched his jaw as he came out from behind the bar. “No, Pike...” He held up both hands in a stop motion. “I know that look. Shit... No...no-no. No!”
“I don’t think he can hear you, my man.” Rhodey squeezed Seth’s shoulder, likely half in comfort, and half preparing for him to try to make it to the stairs again. “If it’s any help… Yeah, I’ve got nothing. That boy is looking to get on Jared’s bad side. But…he’s not the first and he won’t be the last. Just wait.”
Relaxing his shoulders a little to telegraph an entirely different intent, Seth nodded and breathed deep. “You’re right.” The resignation in his tone gave no warning before Rhodey was knocked backward and tangled up in Jacks’ bolts of slippery fabric.
Seth raced for the stairway door, throwing it open with a shouted, “Pixie! Behave! Don’t do it!” He made it up the first two steps with an aborted, “You can do—”
Hand hooked to the collar of his shirt like he was scruffing a misbehaving guard dog, Rhodey dragged him back to the bar. In his other hand, he had a length of Jacks’ fabric. Seating Seth, he wound the sparkly pink material around him snuggly. “You’re lucky I’m in a good fucking mood. I don’t like repeating myself.” He patted Seth’s cheek. “You can thank me later.”
Chewing the plump curve of his bottom lip, Jacks eyed the door. “I could just...”
“No. This is Jared’s class. Let him handle this.” Rhodey’s tone was firm. He pointed at the screen. “Any of you go up there and you’ll ruin not only what Jared’s trying to teach our boys, but everything they need to learn. Everything they’re struggling with, and getting past, will be meaningless.”
Seth jerked against the fabric on general principle. No Dom worth his salt was going to sit tied up without trying to get loose. No merc either. He had double incentive to escape, but Rhodey had practically mummified him in Danny’s princess tulle.
“And the subs who are sitting on their hands and doing nothing? What are they learning? It’s good to know you were so worried for Jared’s authority—his ability to keep control of the class—that you ordered them to be facsimiles of themselves.” Seth jerked again, rocking the stool a little, then slumped to glare at the screen from under his brows like a reject from The Shining. Where Jared was assigning lab partners. “Holy fuck... He’s putting Pike with Jamie? Is he out of his fucking mind?”
Noah gave Seth a hard look. “He is managing his class. And lay off Rhodey’s subs. He needs different things from them than you need from your boys. But they’re all subs and Jared will get through to them. And it won’t always be fucking easy. It will get them where they need to be. I know that, first fucking hand.”
“Thank you, nephew. Let Seth say whatever will make him feel better right now.” Rhodey let out a heavy sigh. “He’s looking for a weak spot. And he won’t be able to use my boys for that. They’re strong in their own ways. And they have their own things to work on. When Jared gets to them, it’ll be fucking hard to stand back, but I will. I owe him that respect.”
Listening in as Pike let loose a string of words at Jared that might’ve tripped up a lesser mind—because damn his boy was both ruthless and smart—Seth practically held his breath, hoping against hope that somehow his boy would win this verbal chess game.
“Fuck me.” Slumping backward, Seth briefly closed his eyes. “He just told him to write a two under his name and three synonyms for ‘fucking’ on the board.”
Lawson was watching the screen with a mixture of horror and fascination on his face. “Well…your boy seems quite proud of his two, so that’s…something?”
Motion on the screen caught Seth’s attention, bringing his gaze to Quint as Jared taunted Pike with the information that had he followed the instructions to the letter he would’ve had seventy-two, rather than two points. Half of him wanted his boy to replace that notebook in his grip with Jared’s neck. The other…
Believed in Jared and in Rhodey.
“The man’s mind is diabolical. I’d admire it if it weren’t pointed at my sub.” Chuckling bitterly, Seth eyed the beer he’d discarded on the bar. “Could have had seventy-two points... Who thinks things up like that?” He looked around. “Well, I mean, besides me.”
Rhodey’s lips twitched with amusement. “Then I guess it’s a good thing your boy’s seeing what happens when he keeps pushing.” He glanced at the screen, wincing when Jared gave Quint back all his points. “That’s an…interesting approach.”
“No, pixie.” Watching Pike’s frustration mount, Seth spoke through clenched teeth. “Concede the game. You were at checkmate before you even began. Enough now.” Playing Jared in actual chess had been known to be an all night affair, the game moving forward in tiny skirmishes, with small deaths by nicks and cuts until one of them emerged the victor. He’d missed that kind of competition. But not this.
Especially not one that resulted in the boy he loved safewording.
In a choked cry of ‘Unicorn’.
Rocking forward, Seth fought against the restraints. “Let me up, Rhodey. I swear to fucking, God.” He rocked backward, nearly tipping over. “He safeworded. That’s it. He’s out.”
Two hands firm on Seth’s shoulders, Rhodey steadied him. “What good are you going to do your boy if you knock yourself the fuck out? Jared knows what a safeword is. I don’t like repeating myself, but again…think. He did exactly what he needed to. And how Jared handles this now will set the tone for the whole fucking class. Don’t take away what your boy just went through by swooping in. The Dom he needs to get him through this right now is right there. He needs to be able to rely on all of us. If he knew that, he wouldn’t have come so close to walking right into the fucking gang’s hands while trying to help another sub. He is safe in there, Seth. You know that.”
Perhaps it was the lingering taste of fear from the other night that had Seth fighting to reach his boy. Knowing enough about triggers to fill a textbook or two, Seth reached for a circular breathing exercise. Tried not to picture Quint’s face when he’d let him go all those years ago, leaving him to his fate. Unprotected. Alone. Pike and Quint’s tears were similar but different, his younger boy’s having a sweetness that still held innocence’s more delicate notes. Rare. Pure. Something to fight for. Quint’s, all these years later, had lost that quality. They held a more robust intensity that spoke of longing unfulfilled and pain remembered.
“Don’t let him lose himself. I can’t let him... What happened with Quint. That will not happen to him.” Flexing his fingers, Seth knew the truth was that he was helpless to stop whatever came next.
And terrified that no matter what Rhodey said, this might be the beginning of the end. Of history repeating itself. All over again.
On his feet, Quint’s eyes flashed with a dangerous light. His notebook hit the floor, the thing twisted almost in two. Before he took a step, Noah was heading for the door. Rhodey’s sharp command stopped him short.
His next wasn’t for anyone in this room. “Move. Now.”
And on the screen, chaos erupted.
****
I forgot unicorn was Pikes safeword. I already can’t wait for next weekend. I’m so invested in this big ole family y’all made!
ReplyDeleteLove seeing the Doms getting just as angsty as the subs over their behaviour 😆
ReplyDeleteAhhh! This is going to be a long week
ReplyDeleteKnew Quint would lose it, and shoulda figured Rhodey would have his 'boys' prepped. Why does everyone keep forgetting Quint is/was a merc?
ReplyDeleteReally loved to see how the doms react to see Jared teaching. This will (again) be a long week. Curious what will happen now.
ReplyDeleteI love seeing this from the Doms' perspectives.
ReplyDeleteRhodey is a man of many talents
ReplyDelete