Page 21 of Collin: Episodes 10-12
“Why did you really cancel your date tonight?”
Damian dropped his eyes. “There is someone, okay? But it’s not possible. Not for me. Not now. But…”
“No one else is them?” Collin guessed.
Damian nodded. “No one else is them.”
“Are they a sub?”
“I don’t know. And I don’t really care. I think they are, but…it wouldn’t matter. I just want them.”
“Do they want you?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know if they know what they want.”
“Guy or girl?”
“Guy. I think. But if they told me they were changing their pronouns, I wouldn’t even care.”
“What do you like about them?”
Damian’s eyes unfocused, looking at something far away and not present. “The way they move. The way they smile—when they really smile. How much they care. Their hands. Their voice. The way they think. What I feel when I’m around them.”
“So, you have spent time with them. They aren’t someone you’ve just seen around.”
“No. I’ve spent time with them. But it’s a secret. I’m a secret.”
“They’re closeted?”
“It’s complicated. I think they’d come out if they could. But…sometimes people aren’t free.” Damian sighed.
“Can they get free?”
“I don’t know.” Damian gripped his pillow more tightly. “I can’t think about it too much. Mr. Reevesworth and Mr. Moreau, you, Linda, Ellisandre, and I guess we’re adopting Ash now. It’s enough.”
Collin chuckled, eyes half closed. “Do you think Ash will really get Ellisandre drunk?”
“Shit. I better send them a bribe.”
“Paulsen or Ellisandre?”
“Ellisandre!”
“So does that mean you’re not going to move out?”
“Dude, you’re not even making sense. Go to sleep. Why would I move out?”
“Just… that… if you found someone, wouldn’t you have to leave?”
Damian huffed, eyes already closed. “Guess that would depend. I’m not ready to be a dom yet, though. And why the hell would I want to go home to a cold, empty apartment at the end of a long day when I could have this?”
Collin smiled, eyes falling shut. “You should stay forever.”
Mr. Reevesworth woke Collin up in the morning with kisses on his neck. Damian was already awake, but he left the small bed and joined Collin and Mr. Reevesworth in the big bed. Collin woke by degrees to the sounds of Mr. Reevesworth making out with Damian. When he was awake enough, it was his turn. Then they all put on workout clothes and went down to the gym. Damian had his routine, and Mr. Reevesworth supervised Collin on a gentle program: interval training on the treadmill and elliptical followed by a small amount of weight lifting.
“I could do more,” Collin groused as he stood by, waiting to clean the machine after his dom finished with yet another round of weights.
“You will, upstairs, after this,” Mr. Reevesworth said pointedly.
