Chapter Text
It’s a whole week until Henry’s next appointment.
He can feel heat pooling in his stomach before he’s even climbed the stairs. Edging himself each morning has made him deliriously desperate. He can’t wait for Alex to see him like this.
Yet once the door opens, it’s the look on Alex’s face that takes Henry’s breath away. Alex looks… Jesus.
He looks ready to pounce.
“Hey, baby.” Alex leans in for a quick kiss. Not on Henry’s cheek. This is apparently a thing they do now. “Come in. I want you naked.”
That’s more familiar. Henry undresses faster than usual, though. Whatever Alex has in store for him tonight, he quite literally can’t wait.
“Aren’t you gonna fold your clothes?”
Fuck. Henry quickly moves to correct his mistake — only Alex stops him with a hand on his arm. “Leave it,” he says. Then he doesn’t actually remove his hand. Henry is going to bloody perish. “Go on, then. The terms of our game.”
The words jumble together in Henry’s mind. Christ. He repeats this out loud for Alex every single week. “If I succeed, I’ll… I get the chance to win a reward. But failure means an immediate punishment.”
“There we go.” Alex smiles, distinctly pleased. “Safe word?”
“Austen.”
“Perfect. Just one more thing.” Oh. Another surprise, then? “I’ve gone over our contract this week. I think we’re due for a proper revision, but for now I want to remind you that you’ve green-lit a few things we have yet to try. My plan for tonight involves some of those. I think you’ll be pretty excited.”
Oh, God. Henry can’t actually remember everything he’d marked ‘yes’. It’d been ages ago — and a very comprehensive list.
“Okay. Good to know.”
Alex grins slyly. “You’re dying to find out, aren’t you?”
“Will you tell me?”
“You’re in luck. We’re gonna kick things off with one of them.” Alex lets go of Henry’s arm. “Take off my pants for me.”
Christ. This is certainly an evening of firsts.
Alex makes Henry do all the work to remove his trousers and underwear. Then he steps back, shrugging out of his shirt so he’s completely naked. He’s so beautiful. There should be whole books of poetry written about him.
Alex’s shirt gets thrown carelessly to the side. Then he meets Henry’s eyes again. “Before tonight’s challenge, I’m gonna use you for my pleasure.”
Ah. Speaking of poetry.
There’s no clumsy grinding on tonight’s itinerary. Instead, Alex has Henry get a bottle of lube from the shelf in the back. “You’ll want to coat the inside of your thighs generously — yes, that’s perfect. Now get on the bed for me. All fours.”
Henry is already hard as he takes his place. He’s certain he would’ve been even if he hadn't edged himself daily for the past week. Alex probably won’t touch him in any way that matters, but this may still prove trying.
Except Alex surprises him again. “One second. I’m gonna get you a cock ring.”
Now that’s mortifying. “I can handle this. I promise I’ll be good for you.”
“I’ve no doubt you will.” Alex steps up behind him, placing a hand firmly on his back. “But this isn’t actually part of your challenge. All I want right now is to use you — and what better way to do that than lock away your slutty little cock?”
Jesus. It’s ironic, truly, how Alex’s words go straight to Henry’s cock. “Yes. Please.”
“I knew you’d see things my way.” Alex bends forward, taking Henry’s cock softly in hand — a rare treat — before sliding the silicone ring on. It fits snugly right at the base. That’s going to be uniquely frustrating.
Alex grips Henry’s hips, holding him firmly in place as he slowly grinds his cock against Henry’s arse, and… Alex is half-hard. He’s so far gone already. How did that happen? They’ve barely even done anything.
“I’m going to fuck your thighs now,” Alex announces, as though that hasn’t been obvious for a good while. “You’re gonna be good and take it — and after I’m done, you’ll find out what I actually expect from you tonight. Isn’t that exciting for you?”
It is. And Alex’s condescending tone makes it even better. “Yes. Thank you.”
“So polite. You won’t be when I’m finished with you.” Alex nudges Henry’s knees apart slightly, then moves his hands so he’s gripping Henry’s thighs. “Here I go, baby.”
His cock slides between Henry’s legs, and Henry promptly forgets how to breathe.
It’s… God. It’s overwhelming. Just Alex’s hands on him had been a lot, but the feeling of Alex’s cock thrusting between his legs is out of this world. There’s the slickness of it, and the sounds Alex makes, and the way he fucks harder when his breaths become ragged, like he’s already getting close. Christ.
Henry is immensely grateful for the cock ring. Without it, he would’ve thoroughly embarrassed himself.
Alex comes with a loud groan, thrusting vigorously as he spills himself all over Henry’s thighs and arse — and Henry is so, so hard, he might actually die. He bites his lips to keep from pleading while Alex catches his breath. He hasn’t been this delirious in months.
“Fuck, turn around. Let me look at you.”
Henry complies, actually wincing as he shuffles around on the bed. This is agony. Only it’s all worth it for the look on Alex’s face. “There’s my good little slut. You want to come so badly, don’t you?”
“Please.”
“Let’s see if you can earn a shot at it. Up you get.”
Henry dazedly lets Alex pull him to his feet. He only sways a little when Alex lets go of him. His cock throbs uselessly between his legs.
“This will require a bit of setup.” Alex approaches the shelves in the back with a sureness to his steps. He must know exactly what he’s bringing out next. “I could’ve prepared ahead of time, but I wanted to surprise you — and if I'd laid these out, would you have been able to think of anything else?”
He holds up a pair of nipple clamps. They look like the fun kind — metal, with a chain attached between them and a ring hanging from the middle of the chain. Henry has played with similar clamps before. The ring is particularly familiar; one can use it to attach small weights, or a leash, or perhaps even a—
“I asked you a question, Henry.” Alex turns the clamps over in his hand, letting the chain dangle between them. He’s grinning knowingly. “But I guess I have my answer, don’t I? Just not your attention.”
“I’m sorry,” Henry offers, practically on autopilot. He’s so far gone, he’s barely hearing Alex. That may soon cost him everything. “I’m— Please—”
“Ssh, it’s okay. I love how badly you want them.” Alex comes back over, putting a steadying hand on Henry’s shoulder. “Kneel for me, okay? There you go. I’m gonna put these on, and then your only job is to wait for me to set up the rest. Can you do that for me?”
Henry manages a slow breath. Then a fervent nod. “Yes.”
“Perfect. Hands behind your back.”
The clamps are no joke. Henry whines helplessly as Alex attaches first the left one, then the right. The initial sharpness does give way to more of a quiet ache — at least until Alex tugs experimentally on the chain. Fuck, that’s agonising. Wonderfully so.
“You look so pretty like this.” Alex tilts Henry’s chin up, leaning in for a brief kiss. “I’ll be right with you.”
The next few minutes pass in a blur. Henry keeps his arms behind his back and tries to remember to breathe. He’s vaguely aware of Alex moving around — sometimes close to him, sometimes further away. He’ll find out soon enough what that’s about.
“You still with me, baby?”
Good question. Is he?
Alex’s hand is back on his shoulder. He’s smiling, and he’s holding something in his other hand; it’s another chain that’s attached to what looks like a metal spring. A bit further, in the middle of the room, there are two massive weights on the floor with a thicker chain connecting them. Huh.
It’s no wonder Alex needed some time to arrange it all. But what in the world is it for?
“C’mere.” Alex gestures for Henry to kneel in front of the weights. “Now bend over for me, palms on the floor… Perfect.”
The weights end up directly below Henry’s chest, with his arms in front of them and his knees behind. Alex carefully attaches the chain he’s holding to the ring dangling from Henry’s nipples, then secures the metal spring at the other end to the weights below.
That’s surprisingly fine. The chain barely tugs on Henry’s nipples in this position. He experimentally pushes himself upwards, only to wince when the chain immediately goes taut; that bloody hurts. Still, the spring is actually quite elastic. The weights below are so heavy that the clamps would come off before they moved an inch, but the metal spring does offer some leeway.
It’s a purposefully arranged predicament. The higher Henry raises his back, the more he’ll suffer.
“Did you figure it out yet?”
Henry glances up, careful to not raise his shoulders even a little. Alex is standing in front of him with his hands on the back of a chair. Oh. Henry can’t physically get up from the floor right now, let alone take a seat, and the only other person in the room is—
Maybe Alex won’t be a mere spectator of tonight’s challenge.
Alex pushes the chair forward so that it stands right before Henry. Then he sits down, spreading his legs — and fuck, his cock is right there. It’s no more than an inch above Henry’s face. Henry doesn’t take his eyes from it even when Alex rips a condom packet open with his teeth.
“Your challenge tonight is actually so simple.” Alex rolls the condom onto his cock with ease, then strokes his thumb gently down Henry’s cheek. “Make me come.”
… Fuck.
Suddenly, it all adds up.
“Isn’t that exciting for you, baby?” Alex asks. He’s smiling. His hand stroking Henry’s face is deceptively kind. “I've never let you touch me like this. You’d better make sure my generosity isn’t wasted.”
That’s incredibly enticing — only, it’s also incredibly daunting.
Henry carefully raises his chin, pushing himself up just enough to mouth against the tip of Alex’s cock. The consequence is immediate; the chain strains against the weights below, tugging hard on Henry’s nipples. Fuck.
But if he wants Alex’s cock in his mouth, he’ll have to try much harder than that.
“That’s nice, baby,” Alex encourages. He’s actually a little breathless, but nowhere near hard. Which makes sense; he’s already gotten off once tonight. That’s not going to make this any easier. “You can do better than that, though. I wanna feel your mouth all around my cock. Aren’t you gonna be a good little slut and give me that?”
Henry takes a deep breath. He can’t recall ever wanting to win a challenge this badly.
The next time he pushes himself upwards, he’s prepared. The sharp tug on his nipples is almost welcome. He’s rarely had such visceral proof of how hard he's fighting to please Alex. And once he pushes himself high enough to actually suck Alex’s cock into his mouth, it’s so worth it; Alex moans, his hips jerking forward, like he’s actually struggling to control himself. What an absolute dream that’d be.
Henry forces himself a fraction higher, whining miserably around Alex’s cock when the strain on his nipples gets worse. But he keeps going. He works his tongue and his lips as best as he can, wishing he could get his hands involved but too afraid to try. There’s a good chance that would actually make his position unbearable.
Still, his efforts seem to be working; Alex has hardened surprisingly quickly. He can’t be close yet, but he’s definitely enjoying himself. Henry swirls his tongue around Alex’s cock again, closing his eyes briefly — and surprisingly, that makes Alex swear above him.
“Fuck, you’re out of this world.” Alex’s fingers find their way back to Henry’s cheek. He thumbs gently at the corner of Henry’s mouth. “You’re so fucking— Do you even know what you—”
He breaks off into a low, seemingly helpless moan.
Henry closes his eyes again, surging forward with renewed determination. The fresh wave of pain helps clear his mind. He can do this. He can keep making Alex feel this wonderful.
It’s the only thing he truly needs.
Alex is back to swearing, his hand sliding into Henry’s hair. The way his grip tightens a fraction is the first warning Henry gets; the second is Alex’s hips stuttering forward with another moan escaping his lips. Then Alex’s cock pulses in Henry’s mouth, his whole body trembling with pleasure. Oh.
Henry diligently keeps working Alex’s cock all through his orgasm. Then, finally, he sinks down on the floor, panting heavily as the pain crashes back into focus. His cock throbs in time with his nipples — what a wild sensation that is. The aching frustration mingles beautifully with the sharp pain.
“There you go. You’re okay.” Alex’s hands slide across Henry’s shoulders. “You did perfectly. I’m going to take off the clamps now, okay? It’ll be more intense at first, but I know you can take it.”
Henry nods, then grits his teeth as Alex makes good on his promise. Jesus, his nipples burn. Nobody has done such a number on them in quite a while.
Alex gently tilts Henry’s chin up a little — and now that nothing keeps him in place, he follows willingly. “Knew you could do it. You’re the most perfect little slut, aren’t you?”
Henry desperately leans into Alex’s touch. “Please, I need you.”
“I’m right here, baby.” Alex strokes a hand gently down Henry’s arm. “Will you come on the spot if I take off the cock ring?”
“... I don’t know.”
“Can you keep it on a little longer?”
Silly question. “For you? Yes.”
“Perfect.” Alex opens his arms wide. “Then c’mere.”
It’s as wonderful as ever to sink into Alex’s embrace. Henry almost wishes he could freeze this moment. The knowledge that he’s pleased Alex is utterly blissful.
Still, the next part of their evening is always quite a thrill.
Alex gives him a long moment to wind down before gently pulling him to his feet. They approach the shelves in the back together. Henry feels pleasantly lightheaded as he selects a blue marble from the jar.
“Exceptionally well earned.” Alex holds out the drawstring bag, smiling when Henry drops the marble inside. He gives the bag a good shake before offering it to Henry again. “Eyes closed, baby.”
The marbles are all cool to the touch. Henry lets them slip through his fingers, indulgently prolonging the moment. Finally, he chooses one to pull back out.
It’s blue.
It’s actually blue.
“Look at that,” Alex says. He’s still smiling. “Do you realise what that means?”
Henry is bloody trembling from what it means. “Yes. I’ve… I’ve won a reward.”
“You have. But more importantly, you’ve been so, so good.” Alex sets the bag down in favour of wrapping Henry in his arms again. “And not only tonight. You’ve been good for me many times before. So many that you were finally able to find another blue one in there. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
‘A while’ is an understatement. “Alex, please.”
“Of course. I just need you to tell me something first.” Alex pulls back just enough to meet Henry’s eyes. “When was the last time you got off?”
Oh, God. Doesn’t he know? How, after everything, doesn’t he know?
“With you,” Henry admits. His voice only shakes a little. “The last time I pulled out a blue marble.”
Alex nods slowly. He doesn’t actually look surprised, so he probably did have a hunch — and most importantly, he looks pleased. “You always want to be perfect for me, don’t you? Even when I don’t ask you to be.”
“Yes.”
“That’s fucking amazing,” Alex says. Then, with another smile: “You can have anything you want tonight. Anything. Name it.”
The marble falls to the floor.
God. Henry feels more lightheaded than ever. Anything? Where does he even begin?
Alex is already pulling him closer again, so that’s a good start. It’s almost like Alex can’t help himself; he slides his arms fully around Henry’s waist, his palms settling on Henry’s back. “So? What’ll it be, baby?”
God. Henry wants…
He knows what he wants. Vaguely. He can visualise the basic shape of it; how it should make him feel, both during and afterwards. For a very long time afterwards.
“Talk to me, Henry. Do you want me to give you options?”
“No,” Henry says. He relaxes even further into Alex’s arms, sighing when Alex’s grip immediately tightens. This is what he wants. “I want… I want you to make me feel like I’m yours.”
A brief silence ensues. Alex’s grip around him is as steady as before, so that's at least reassuring. When Alex speaks, though, his voice comes out softer. “Make you feel like you’re mine? Baby. You are.”
Henry’s breath catches. Fuck.
“How could you be anything less?” Alex pushes Henry back a little, one-two-three steps, and then there’s a wall behind him and Alex’s capable hands roaming his body. “God, just look at you, filthy and needy and so fucking desperate, and it’s all for me. Do you think I don’t see you? Do you think it doesn’t drive me fucking wild to know you’d go to the ends of the earth to please me? Baby, I— I know you. I know you’ve been mine for a while, though it took me a second to catch up, but I’m there now, and I want you. So fucking much.”
Christ. Henry has always been powerless against Alex’s words, but this is different. Alex is hitting the brief unbelievably well — especially considering how vague Henry’s request had been. Then again, Alex has always been able to read him like nobody else.
It’s almost too much of a good thing. Henry’s only staying upright with Alex’s help. He’s so hard, it’s fucking unbearable. “Alex, please.”
Alex doesn’t waste any time. He gets a hand around Henry’s cock, his fingers hooking behind the silicone ring. God. Relief is so close.
“I’m gonna make you come now.” Alex’s breath is hot on Henry’s ear. His grip is steady. “And Henry? When you come, you come for me. Only for me. Got that?”
“Yes,” Henry gasps. He’s practically fucking into Alex’s hand. “Please, please make me, I want—”
Alex pulls the ring off in one swift movement. He drops it to the floor, his hand back on Henry’s cock in an instant, but Henry’s already tipping over the edge when Alex starts to jerk him off. And God, it feels like nothing else. Alex’s hand stroking his cock might as well be a symphony. It feels absolutely fucking unreal.
Henry hasn’t come that hard in years.
The moments that follow are a blur. They’re filled with Alex, but vague; Alex’s hands touching him, steadying him, guiding him. Then there’s the smell of clean linen and the soothing chill of Alex’s favourite gel — and finally there’s even more of Alex, his embrace warm and strong and wonderfully safe.
Henry thinks he sleeps for a while. Or he just drifts. It matters little.
No matter what, Alex will make sure he’s alright.
—
There are fingers brushing his hair. They’re gentle. Kind. Henry sighs, leaning into the touch. He could get used to this.
“You’re so fucking beautiful. I don’t think you even realise… You are so fucking beautiful.”
Oh. He could also get used to that.
Alex is practically wrapped around him. It’s his fingers caressing Henry’s hair. They’re in bed together, something Henry isn’t certain how it happened, but he’s glad for it. There’s nowhere else he’d rather be.
Henry slowly blinks his eyes open. The look on Alex’s face is very soft. Unusually so.
“‘Time’s it?”
“Not too late. You’ve only been out for an hour.” Alex trails his fingers down Henry’s cheek. “How are you feeling?”
“... Perfect.”
“Good,” Alex says. His tone is as soft as the rest of him. “I’m… I think we should talk.”
Oh, God.
“I just wanna make sure we’re on the same page about some things,” Alex adds, like that isn’t the most terrifying thing he could’ve said next. “We all get carried away sometimes, and I… I don’t think making assumptions is a good idea. Not about stuff like this.”
“About what, exactly?”
Alex offers him a small smile. “Just, y’know… everything between us?”
That is actually even more terrifying. “Alex, I… If I’ve crossed some sort of line, then I apologise—”
“You’ve done everything right. That's not what I'm getting at.”
But that leaves practically nothing. “I know I forgot to pay you last week. I've been meaning to rectify that.”
“What? Alex asks, much more sharply. “No. You don’t need to do that.”
“I want to. I'm well aware this is in fact your job, and I'd never dream of—”
“Baby, when I called you mine, I fucking meant it.”
… Oh.
They stare at each other for a moment; Henry in disbelief, Alex with a look in his eyes Henry has never seen before.
“I want you,” Alex adds, his emphasis on the word a whole revelation. “Goddamnit, Henry. What’s a guy gotta do to do you for free?”
That should be funny, only Henry’s still not certain this is real. “I'm… I wasn’t aware that was an option? That it could be an option?”
Alex shifts a little, like he’s restless. Or nervous? “I think, at this point, it's the only option. At least for me.”
That sends Henry’s mind spinning again. “Do you really mean that?”
Alex tsks. “No, I only said that to be a total dick.”
He's growing impatient. And that throws Henry off more than anything. “I… Stop. I’m going to need a minute. I didn’t expect this.”
It’s not his safe word, but it might as well be; Alex actually flinches, then quickly shuffles backwards. The ensuing space between them feels criminal. “No, of course. Sorry. I just really want you.”
That's incredible. Intimidating, but incredible. “I'll admit, I've never wanted anybody the way I want you.”
Alex smiles, only it doesn’t actually reach his eyes. “Then what’s missing? What more do you need from me?”
A fair question. Alex is quite literally offering everything Henry has dreamed of. He should be crying from joy.
“... I’m just a little afraid. Historically, when I’ve not paid someone to do this with me, it’s never lasted long.”
That sounds even worse out loud than it did in his head — but it’s the truth. Henry’s terrified. What if he can’t actually fulfil Alex’s needs? He doesn’t even know what those are.
Alex doesn’t speak for a moment. He looks… Come to think of it, he looks about the same way Henry feels. “Do you have reason to think it wouldn’t last long with me?”
Oh. Oh, no. “Alex, I’m—”
“Actually, here’s a much better question.” Alex makes a vague gesture about the room. “Outside of all this, do you even like me?”
Christ. The question alone is illuminating. But that aside, does Henry actually know Alex well enough to answer it?
“I like you as far as I know you. I do. Although we have admittedly not spent much time together outside of this.”
Alex furrows his brows slightly. “I always try to flirt with you, you know. It never takes.”
Wait, what? “You always get on my nerves, is more like it.”
“So I’ve got no rizz. Doesn’t mean I haven’t been fucking trying.”
“Aren’t you just a beacon of professionalism?”
“No,” Alex says. He fixes Henry with a pointed look. “Not with you.”
Right. That certainly takes.
“I was planning on winning you over tonight.” Alex’s fingers dig into the sheets, like he’s trying to hold on for safety. “I wanted to show you more of… Of me, I guess? Of how I get when I actually let go. When I bring my own desires into the mix. I wanted you to see that before I asked you properly.”
That sheds some clarity on the last few hours. “Tonight was wonderful. Frankly, I didn’t know this could be so wonderful.”
Alex actually grins briefly. “Fucking sweet.” Ah. There he is. “So, can we try this? You and me?”
“Probably,” Henry admits. It’s an understatement. Really, he’s showing remarkable restraint. “I just… What does that mean, exactly?”
A light switches on in Alex’s eyes. “We’ll rip up your contract and write a new one. No transactions, just a useful tool to narrow down what we both want out of this. And next time, we won’t meet at my place of work. You’ll come home with me.”
What a perfect picture. But it doesn’t quell all of Henry’s doubts. “What makes you think I’ll be able to satisfy you? Be what you need? We’ve never actually had that conversation.”
Alex lets go of the sheets in favour of taking Henry’s hand. “Our interests overlap. I enjoy complete control, especially of someone else’s pleasure. A lot of subs don’t appreciate prolonged denial the way you do.”
Oh. That sends a pleasant tingle down Henry’s back. “I could give you that. I’d very happily give you that.”
“You already have, even when I didn’t ask you to. Don’t you see? You drive me absolutely fucking wild. There’s so much we could enjoy together.”
“Yes. Okay. Just one more thing.”
Alex squeezes his hand tightly. “Anything,” he says.
Christ. He sounds like he means it.
“You asked whether I like you, and you’ve allegedly flirted with me — do you want something along those lines, too? A relationship outside of the playroom?”
Henry hasn’t felt this ridiculous since he was a schoolboy trying to figure out whether Justin McMahon actually wanted him, or merely enjoyed sticking his tongue in people’s mouths. Alex smiles at him, though, so maybe Henry has it right this time. “I do, yeah. I want all of that with you. Preferably all of it together, if you’re up for something like that?”
“So when I come over to yours, could I stay the night?” Henry asks. He smiles when Alex instantly nods. “And could we go out for breakfast in the morning?”
“Yeah,” Alex says. Except that’s not all he says. “Here’s the thing, though: I’d take you someplace with hard enough seats to watch you squirm from the night before. Then I’d drag you to the bathroom and blow you for a bit, only to leave you hanging. But I’d get off, obviously. I’d take off your shirt and come all over your chest and spit in your mouth when you beg for a taste. Then we’d go back out to finish coffee.”
… Fuck.
“That’s your idea of a date?”
Alex raises his chin a fraction. “Yes.”
Henry hasn’t heard anything sexier in his whole life.
“If you’d led with that, we’d already be doing it.”
Surprisingly, Alex shakes his head. “We’re gonna figure out our new contract first. I won’t cut any corners with you.” Then he grins again. “I can’t wait to show you my private toy box. There’s a cock ring in there that’s practically got your name on it. It has cat ears. Adds a little extra something, doesn’t it?”
Henry rolls his eyes. He’s smiling right back, though. He’s not sure if he’s truly seen all of Alex before. Not like this.
“Where did you even find that?”
“eBay.”
“That was a rhetorical question.”
“D’you have an Amazon wishlist?”
“More importantly, I have a vast collection already.”
Alex’s whole face lights up. “Bring your favorites next time? Please?”
“You honestly think I’d deny you that?”
“See, I knew you were a great idea. I fucking love being right.”
—
It’s much later that they finally make it out of bed. There’s so much to say, and so much to plan for. A whole world of new possibilities.
Alex nearly steps on a marble when he pulls on his underwear; it’s the blue one Henry dropped earlier. He catches Henry’s eye as he retrieves it from the floor. “You didn’t put this one away properly. I could’ve gotten you good for that. Maybe something to revisit another time?”
That’s exciting, but it also brings up new questions. “Do you want to keep this? Our system, that is. Do you want to continue it, going forward?”
Alex turns the marble over in his hand. “Yeah,” he says. “It really works for us. We both get exactly what we want from it. If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it, right?”
“You enjoy it, then?”
Alex grins slyly. “Do I enjoy getting to put you through it almost every time? Yeah, baby. Like nothing else.” He holds out the marble for Henry. “Now be a good little slut and put this away.”
Henry can certainly do that.
Maybe he should feel bitter as he drops the blue marble back into the jar. He doesn’t, though. After all, this is the beauty of Alex’s system; blue marbles get used up and must be earned time and time again, while red marbles go back in the drawstring bag. They never go away. It makes for a game of chance that Henry can theoretically win, but only if he’s perfect every single time. And when he isn’t? The consequences quite literally last forever.
When Alex had first pitched it, Henry hadn’t been able to agree fast enough.
“Maybe we could do with an update, though?”
Henry turns around. Alex is holding something for him to see; it’s a white marble. “What do you say we add a few of these to the mix?”
Interesting. “And if I get a white one, what happens?”
“I was thinking I’d work you to the edge a couple times, but only I will know whether I’m gonna let you finish. You’ll find that out right at the end.”
Jesus. Henry practically feels his cock twitch. “And, er. How many white marbles would you like to add?”
Something glints in Alex’s eyes. “No, babe, you’ve gotta earn these. From now on, when you win a challenge, you have to choose: you either put a blue marble in, or a white one. Up to you.”
“... You’re telling me I’m choosing between a definite orgasm, and an almost definitely ruined one?”
“Yep. And you’re telling me you won’t choose the white marble every single time?”
Henry’s cheeks burn. Why did he ever let Alex know him so intimately? “I guess we’ll both find out.”
“You are so goddamn perfect,” Alex says, smiling. “C’mere.”
At least Alex’s embrace feels as wonderful as ever. And Henry will have an unlimited supply of it from now on. He should count himself lucky.
Still, his balls may actually be about to turn blue.
—
It’s a whole month before Henry pulls his first white marble out of the bag. Not for lack of trying. Alex had been embarrassingly correct in his predictions of Henry’s colour preferences.
Henry had thought he’d be the most excited, but he’s surprised to find Alex even more so. Because Alex truly goes all out; he ties Henry spread-eagle on their bed, then lays out a whole buffet of toys for easy access. There are clamps, and a sizable dildo, and a fleshlight, and Alex’s favourite whip, and—
Fuck. Henry may have made a slight miscalculation.
Alex trails both hands down Henry’s chest, grinning. “Your safe word, baby?”
“Austen.”
“I’m going to give you everything I’ve got, and I trust you’ll stop me if that’s what you need. Sounds good?”
Henry swallows thickly. “Alex, please.”
“So perfect for me. Deep breaths, okay? I’m gonna have such fun with this.”
Henry closes his eyes as Alex reaches for the toys. He doesn’t actually need to know Alex’s next move. He’ll find out soon enough — and no matter what, it’s sure to be spectacular. Memorable for both of them.
He’s so fucking lucky, and in very good hands. And that’s all he truly needs to know.