Page 71 of Collin: Episodes 4-6
“Yes, sir.”
“We’ll work on that.” M. Reevesworth set the bottle of juice down on the shower shelf and put soap on a loofah. “Let’s get you clean, pet.”
Out of the shower, dried, and wrapped in a massive soft blanket, Mr. Reevesworth installed Collin on the couch. “I’m going to leave you with Damian, just to watch you, while I get changed and shower a little myself.” Mr. Reevesworth looked down at his ruined clothes. “I’m pretty sure there’s any number of unknown fluids on me at this point after the vet’s office.”
“And me.” Collin flushed.
“Can Damian get you more tea?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. Drink the tea. I’ll be right back.”
He left Collin and Damian alone together.
Damian was already dressed again in a warm set of matching sweats. He stood and moved toward the kitchen. “I’ll be right back. Does more orange spice work?”
“Please.”
Collin floated in the silence, his ears half following Damian’s quiet movements and the bubbling of the electric kettle. Everything had been so bad, and now everything felt warm and cozy and soft. Even if two punishments were coming his way, he didn’t care. Or was that the right way to describe simply not being afraid of them? He’d been touched, seen, and somehow, somehow, everything hadn’t shattered.
A large part of him twisted in his chest, still ashamed for causing a scene, for being needy, but it was being smothered under the warm blanket and a haze of endorphins.
Damian returned with the tea and sat on the coffee table in front of Collin, holding it. “I cooled it down so you could drink right away.”
“Thank you.”
“Did you safe word because…because I’m a dom?”
“I-I think so.” Collin took the tea and wrapped both hands around the mug. Damian had picked his favorite, something big enough to press between both his palms at the same time. “Mr. Reevesworth felt…too far away? Like he was outsourcing me.”
“Even though he was using me?”
“I think he was using me to teach you, too? Sorry about that. Safe wording kinda…mucked that up for you.”
“No.” Damian raised his hand as if to touch Collin and then dropped it.
Collin grimaced. Making Damian so unsure of himself felt god-awful. He reached out and took Damian’s hand and squeezed it. “I’m not scared of you.”
“I just wasn’t what you needed. I was in the way.”
Collin nodded. “Still sorry about fucking it up.”
“You didn’t fuck up the lesson. If anything, you reinforced it. I didn’t think about what you were experiencing watching me work today at all. I just thought it was nice that you were looking after me. I did appreciate it.”
Collin blushed a little. “I liked looking after you. I didn’t do it just because I had to. I wanted you to be happier though. You were really stressed.”
“I should have hung up on the idiot, then called him back, and let him know he could see his therapist for his personal issues and me for his business and legal ones. Now I’m going to have to do that Monday.” Damian sighed and rubbed his face. “Mr. Reevesworth is right. I hurt myself. And that signaled to those around me that they could be hurt by me and that they should accept hurt. Mr. Reevesworth has tried to teach this to me before, but I never really got it, not until today with you.”
What was there to say? Collin had nothing. Instead, he cradled the tea against his chest and snagged Damian’s hand, squeezing it. “You really feel like another dom, Damian. And when you used your foot on my dick…it was just…it felt wrong, not at all like how Mr. Reevesworth was with me, and it was just like…it wasn’t him. It wasn’t my dom.”
“No, that came out of my own experiences and how I’ve played and been played with.” Damian rubbed his face with his free hand. “I’m guessing that’s not how Mr. Reevesworth is with you.”
“I thought I could do humiliation, but that…”
“You probably can, just not that particular kind. Mr. Reevesworth has used his foot on me many times, but now that I think of it, only when I was in pup mode. You can imagine; I’m a handful, so he’s gotten inventive over the years.”
Collin giggled. “You, a handful? I bet you’re a model sub.”
