Page 117 of Caged In

“How the hell is that—” Reni gestures at Izz’s body “—consensual.”

This is going to end badly if his friend keeps pushing, “Reni, please leave.”Before Sin silences you with his usual methods. “I’ll talk to you about it later.”

Before Reni can open his mouth to add onto the growing tension, the nurse interjects, her bravado coming back with a vengeance, “Jasper is correct. You are not helping in this situation. I’ll ask you to step out of the room or be escorted out.”

It’s weird. Hearing someone say his real name. Nobody uses it anymore. She must have pulled up his records on the little tablet she has leaning against her hip.

Reni scowls at Sin but he does as the nurse asks. Storming out of Med-Wing. Izz guesses Reni won’t go far, probably waiting in the corridor outside the door—pacing back and forth, no doubt cursing them all out.

“Alright,” the nurse takes a deep breath to ground herself, “I’m going to need him to undress so I can look over his entire body. If that’s okay with you. It will benefit his health to do so.”

It’s quite strange—the nurse still talking about him to Sin. To get Sin’s permission. He doesn’t blame her, if he didn’t know Sin, he’d want the male’s permission to touch anything belonging to him—

Izz inwardly beams at the thought of belonging to Sin. Which he does. The entire prison is constantly gossiping about it. And he doesn’t mind. In fact, he loves the idea.

Izz gets naked in front of Sin and the nurse.Moving where told, to let the nurse poke and prod at the cuts Sin made in his skin. He has a lot of them. He hadn’t realised there are so many before now. And the worried look in the nurse’s eyes isn’t helping him feel okay with his new kink.

After the external exam, he’s being stitched up as the nurse explains hygiene practices—to Sin—for cleaning the wounds. And keeping the stitches away from any direct water flow. And more boring instructions Izz zones out of. It’s not like she’s talking to him anyway. And he trusts Sin to listen, to collect any pills or whatever he needs to heal.

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Turns out, whatever pills the nurse gave him are the pick-me-up he needs. Izz’s raring and ready to go. Or, more like, not in pain and able to function properly.

He arranged with Sin to have lunch together, so he can talk to Reni alone and he also wants to beat Zidie in The Gang’s card games. He was so close to achieving it last time. He knows he can do it. He wants the gloating points.

“Hey,” Izz greets his friend as he emerges from Med-Wing’s doors. He isn’t sure where to start in his explanation.

“Are you alright? They cleared you to leave?” Reni’s mother bird is firing up and fretting over Izz, circling him to check he has all his parts attached.

“It wasn’t that bad.” At Reni’s sceptical look, Izz adds, “I only needed a handful of stitches.”

“I’m going to kill him. Why did he—”

“Stop. It was consensual. I had the choice to stop it at any time. I liked it, okay,” and Izz does enjoy it. He wouldn’t take any of it back. It’s an experience he’s never been through and one he wants to do again.

And again.

Just thinking about it is getting him hard. He hopes his friend doesn’t notice his pants tenting. If Reni does, he doesn’t mention it as they slowly make their way to the Rec-Room.

“What do you mean youlikedit. Is that what he’s got you thinking?”

How to explain it to Reni . . . without coming across like a crazy person . . . “You know how Sinj is into all kinds of weird sex things—”

“Yeah, but that’s Sinj, he’s wacked and a masochist—ohhhhh . . .” Reni’s voice trails off as what Izz’s hinting sinks in.

“Mm-hmm,” Izz hums, a little embarrassed having to explain his newfound kink enjoyments with his friend. He fears being judged harshly for it, “I’ve figured out I’m one too.”

Izz doesn’t understand it. But it turns him on when he has a blade against his skin. Threatening, pressing up against his throat. Cutting him . . .

“Oh,” Reni mulls over Izz’s disclosed claims. Walking in silence for a time as they edge their way through the corridors to their destination. “You’re careful with it? He stops if you ask?”

“He gave me a safe word and everything. It’s consensual. Trust me.” Izz holds his hands out in a reassuring gesture. Trying to convey to his friend that he’s one hundred percent cool with what went on between him and Sin.

“Alright. But if he steps out of line, scary motherfucker or not, I will mess him up. Even if I die in the process, I will make him hurt.”

Izz laughs. Nudging his friend playfully. “Thanks. You know. For having my back since I got here.”

“Don’t mention it. It’s what friends do.”

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