Page 131 of Piece Us Together

“Oh, what a good boy,” I breathe, my lips still whispering along his. He makes the softest little sound, a whine or a whimper, his free hand coming up to grab at my shirt. I can feel the tremble in it. My pleased smile turns to a grin when I pull away to find him blinking at me like he’s dazed. I lean in once more, running the tip of my nose along his, then guide Nolan’s head up to do the same to him. He’s panting softly despite me not having kissed or touched him in a while. “Both of you are such good boys.”

He makes a sound similar to Maison’s. They press in close to me in unison, not caring when legs and arms and knees get in the way. I laugh, my chest burning with fondness and love as I end up with a lap half-full of the both of them. I can feel their erections. I can feel my own too, throbbing with the beat of my heart.

That’s not what’s happening tonight, though.

That’s not what any of us need.

“When was the last time you ate? Either of you?”

Nolan nuzzles his face against my neck while Maison rests his chin on Nolan’s shoulder and looks at me. I can already tell I won’t like his answer, which is probably why he waits for Nolan to go first. “I had a late lunch, but nothing since then.”

“Okay.” I set my gaze on Maison. “And you?”

He tries to look away, but I reach out and grab his chin, guiding it until he’s forced to meet my eyes. There’s that fear again. It kills me, how easily he’s spooked. I’m going to have to be so very careful with him. “I won’t be mad. Just tell me.”

“I don’t—” He pauses, swallowing hard. I can see him fighting the urge to yank his face away from me to escape my gaze. “I don’t remember. I think—not since breakfast. Here.”

It’s hard to keep my reaction from my face, but years of practice allow me to pull it off. “Okay. Then we all need to eat. And I want to take a look at your hand, Maison. Then I think we should get some rest.”

Maison closes his eyes. “Is that my punishment? For being bad?”

“Is what?” I ask, trying to keep my voice soft despite how perplexed I feel.

“Just going to sleep…”

It’s hard not to smile. The gravity of the evening helps. “You weren’t bad, Maison.”

“I was. I left when I knew we aren’t supposed to after a safeword and I said all that shit and I got drunk and I—”

“That’s enough,” I say softly, but without room for argument. He bites his lip, but I can tell he’s considering not listening, so I add, “I’m in charge, right?” He nods. “Then if I say it’s enough, it’s enough. If I say you weren’t bad, you weren’t. My rules.”

“But I broke a rule,” he argues, unable to help himself. “At the very least, I broke the rule about the safeword. Right?”

“Right. And you’ve punished yourself ever since, haven’t you?” I counter, raising an eyebrow at him.

He sinks into himself, cheeks going pink. His gaze drops. I allow it. “I—yeah. Yes. I guess—yeah. I have.”

“Then it’s over. I’m going to bandage your hand. We’re going to eat. Then we are going to rest. Not because someone was bad or as a punishment, but because that’s what the three of us need. Care. Food. Rest.” I pause before adding, “We need a chance to breathe. A chance to just be together without complicating things. Just one night of sitting in this happiness, of basking in finally being together. Then, tomorrow, Nolan will make us breakfast and we’ll eat and talk everything to death, and then—if you’re both very good boys—we’ll play. Understood?”

“Yes, sir,” Nolan says.

I keep my eyes on Maison. He nods slowly. “Yeah. Okay. Understood.”

Maison is quiet as I bandage his hand, not even wincing when I dab at the split knuckles with antiseptic on a cotton swab. I try not to pay attention to the scattered scars around the area. How many times has he done this to his hands? Are there other things he does to hurt himself? Would it help if I hurt him in safer ways? Or would that just be enabling?

“I’m sorry,” he whispers as I carefully wrap gauze around his hand.

My fingers stumble for just a moment before I continue. “For what, sweetheart?”

“All of it.” He swallows hard, loud enough for me to hear. “Everything.”

I secure his gauze before taking his chin between my thumb and finger and looking into his eyes. “You know what I care about most out of everything you’ve done?”

He looks terrified, his voice a weak tremble as he asks, “What?”

“You came back.” I smile, leaning in to press my forehead to his. “You came back to me. That’s what matters, okay?”

Maison sucks in a breath, then closes the distance between our lips with a tilt of his chin. I’m still smiling. I feel him start to do the same, the kiss quickly becoming mostly teeth. When Ipull away for a breath, I find Nolan sitting like an adorable little peeping Tom beside us, bottom lip caught between his teeth. I grab him by the throat and guide him to Maison, the two of them colliding in more teeth and muffled laughter.

---