Contains: Asphyxiation/breathplay.

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"Don't you trust me, Daniel?"

It was a loaded question if Daniel had ever heard one! Granted, it was warranted. Daniel had agreed to help the Baron put together a new alchemic concoction that he had been working on, though the brunette had ended up doing more idle standing than lending assistance. Fascinated by Alexander's profound knowledge, the Englishman always enjoyed learning something new regardless. Unfortunately he didn't quite understand where all of the ingredients came from, but he could memorize the names for later should he need them or be asked to fetch more.

His job had been simple; to keep the flame on the burner high as Alexander slowly poured the next ingredient in. It was an important job because the liquid must be heated to a certain degree in order to mix properly, and the ingredient must be done drop by drop which required both of Alexander's hands. However, let it stay high for too long and it would bubble over and be ruined, he'd been told. But the higher that the simmering liquid rose, the more nervous that Daniel had become! He'd seen spilled liquid eat through organic tissue as quickly as ice melted in a pot of boiling water. When the substance had begun to froth, Daniel had started to sweat. Not even the Baron's encouraging words of 'Hold fast, Daniel.' had been enough to soothe him. And right as it seemed the vial would spill over, Daniel's hand jerked away from the knob of the burner.

Naturally, it was only a second before the Baron had snapped for him to lower the flame. Though the command had been enough to make the Englishman reach back and turn it down, it was too late. Daniel currently stared at the wet mess on the table, fidgeting as he hesitated to answer. "Daniel? I asked you a question." Alexander reminded. The Englishman swallowed hard, offering a small smile.

"O-of course I do."

"Truly? Because it seems to me you believed that I would let you become harmed by our experiment." Alexander countered; his expression stern, arms crossed, and feet apart. Daniel recognized that stance all too well, and he knew he wouldn't be getting out of this one without a 'lesson'. "Though I must admit you do look sufficiently shamed by your mistake, I believe you need a lesson in trusting me with your wellbeing." Ah-ha, and there was that dreaded word. Daniel wanted to protest that he did trust Alexander—with his life, but speaking up now would only be contradictory to his very 'wellbeing' later.

Spending the rest of the day in nervous anticipation, Daniel had found himself right where he thought he would; lying naked in his own bed. His arms were spread out above him, tied to opposite posts at the head of the bed. He squirmed as he listened to the Baron undress; listened because the dark fabric over his eyes prevented him from watching this task be performed. Feeling the mattress dip with the weight of the older man, he nearly held his breath at the first brush of skin. All it took was a touch of fingertips against Daniel's inner thigh and the quiet command of 'Spread them for me, Daniel.' For the Englishman to obey. Those pale legs spread wide enough for the Baron's narrow hips, more than necessary actually, but he knew that was how Alexander liked it.

Indeed Alexander gave a small hum of appreciation as he came to settle on his knees between the Englishman's tender thighs. Calloused fingertips trailed up along the insides of them, and Daniel gave a small gasp, head pressing back into the pillow. His body had become quite responsive over time! As this was to be a lesson of trust, Daniel questioned neither the blindfold nor the restraints around his wrists. He did trust Alexander, and if he had to prove it this way then that should be easy, right? He felt Alexander's breath against his collarbone, causing goosebumps to rise up before those soft lips pressed against his skin.

Surrendering his body to Alexander was easy. Whether he was giving pain or pleasure, the Baron had never broken Daniel's trust. Alexander seemed to possess the ability to know one's limits after a simple assessment of their initial reactions. Daniel still had a hard time with such things, often over or underestimating the effects of desperation on another human being. But this hadn't been a mistake over a prisoner, this was more personal. The Englishman had let Alexander down due to a simple weakness of character; his own desire to flee from immediate danger.

Currently Daniel was giving a hiss of pleasure as the Baron drew up a mark on the side of his neck, tilting his head to the side. Presenting your throat to another was an almost animalistic form of submission, wasn't it? Perhaps with anyone else it wouldn't have held such meaning, but Alexander's teeth had easily cut through Daniel's skin on previous nights—though Daniel had no idea how… But Alexander did not bite his neck, not tonight. No, that action was reserved for his shoulder, right above his collarbone. Daniel cried out at that, and though his voice began with the heightened pitch of pain it soon faded into a groan as he arched upwards into the body above him.

Alexander's long fingers slid up along Daniel's slender sides, leaving a tingling sensation in their wake. Naturally, without sight, Daniel's body had become hypervigilant. The smell of burning wax from the candles and the faint wisp of some kind of perfume or oils that he would catch whenever Alexander leaned in close; two scents which might have otherwise gone unnoticed. Every shift of the bed would cause a faint rustle of the sheets below them, sometimes followed by a quiet creak of the bed. And the sense of touch! Each one was unexpected, sudden, and nearly electric! A brush of one calloused thumb over Daniel's right perked and sensitive nipple, the wet swipe of a hot tongue across the bruise that the bite had left, and the bite of nails digging in to his hip. Each of these would result in a groan, wiggle, or gasp from the Englishman.

Daniel could both feel and hear Alexander's breath increasing, sending heavy gasps falling over his heated skin. The scent of musk that came with sweat and arousal was faint, but increasing very slowly. A lock Alexander's hair fell to brush Daniel's chest like cold strands of silk as the Baron's lips drew up another mark at the crook of his neck with a hard, stinging suction. He never understood why Alexander loved marking him so often, but it wasn't as if he had a reason to complain. Who could see them here, other than the Baron and himself? The servants all avoided him and most the prisoners were kept hooded. Even if they did see, Daniel didn't care. He felt favored by those marks, claimed and cherished. He had never felt so accepted before.

Even without direct stimulation Daniel's cock was soon full and throbbing, resting heavily against his abdomen as he squirmed from it. The Englishman never had any way of knowing how long he would be forced to wait for his own pleasure, but that was half the point. The lack of such knowledge always kept him guessing, and more importantly, made Daniel much more eager to obey. Thankfully it seemed Alexander would have mercy on him this night!

Daniel's heart raced as he felt the older man pull away, and he listened to the sound of the drawer on the dresser beside the bed slide open. Soon enough those skilled and slender fingers were sliding into him, filling him one by one. Daniel would never willingly admit it, but he had even come to love the sensation of being prepared! The feeling of being invaded, the slight sting, and the slow, sure stretch of such a surprisingly sensitive area… If Alexander so chose, he could have the Englishman begging from that alone!

But the Baron didn't seem to want to play that particular game tonight, as his fingers didn't linger or tease this time. Other than a seemingly accidental brush of Daniel's prostate, which had gotten a sharp gasp and an arch from the younger man, Alexander seemed to be all business. The Englishman was almost sad for it, struggling to understand what exactly the lesson was here. If he was asked afterwards and he got it wrong, he feared another lesson would be in order. Even if this one wasn't too terrible, he was sure the next would be! And it wasn't that Daniel wasn't a clever man, Alexander was just that cryptic at times!

As quickly as they had come, those three slender fingers left his aching, wanting body straining for more. The brush of warm hips against his inner thighs would provoke a shudder from the younger man, anticipation always at the peak just before the satisfaction of having his body filled would come! Alexander didn't hesitate to give, either, and Daniel was starting to wonder if there really was a lesson to be learned this night. Perhaps the Baron just wanted to scare him a little, make him fret about it all day long only to have it come to nothing?

Daniel groaned as he was slowly filled, thighs tightening about the older man's waist even as he urged his own body to relax. Those hips came to rest against him, and the short thrust forward was enough to give the Englishman a small jolt as well as assure that Alexander was just as deep as he could go. However instead of beginning his thrusts, Daniel felt those hands again. They started at his abdomen, and he sucked his stomach in as they traveled upwards, palms following fingers, up and over his chest. The brush over his nipples would be received with a small arch and a quiet whine, and Daniel winced as the bite on his shoulder was agitated from the touch. Alexander's thumbs traced his collarbone slowly, and Daniel swallowed hard.

"A-Alex…"

"Sshhh…" Alexander urged; his voice low and thick with lust. Those thumbs continued towards the middle, meeting at the juncture of his clavicle. Fingertips slid to the crook of the Englishman's neck, thumbs following up until they met his Adam's apple. "Do you trust me, Daniel?" They rubbed there lightly, making talking a little more difficult.

"Y…yes, I trust you." Daniel assured, even though he felt his pulse beginning to race. That question alone nearly gave him the urge to panic, anticipation taking a turn for the worse suddenly.

"Good. Then don't struggle." Before Daniel even had time to worry over that order, the Baron was already pulling his hips back for the first powerful thrust. It earned an arch of the Englishman's back, and just as he pressed his head back into the pillow those hands about his neck tightened enough to cause his breath to catch. They stayed just like that for the next few thrusts, not quite tight enough to cause panic, but enough to force the younger man to gasp for every breath. It was a small price to pay for the pleasure he received from those thrusts alone, or so he first thought.

No sooner than Daniel let a strained groan slip free, he found the fingers tightening around his neck trapped the sound within his throat. His heart skipped a beat, and he exhaled out of instinct with the next thrust. Upon attempting to inhale his next gasp of air, the choke that came instead flooded his system with pure panic. The Englishman tensed, knees pressing into Alexander's ribs as the younger man's wrists pulled at the scarves that bound them above his head. "Aa—ha!" Within moments Daniel's head felt light, and he could feel the veins in his neck throbbing in time with his rapid heartbeat.

"Don't… struggle…!" The Baron above him demanded again, but how could he obey? He couldn't move, he couldn't see, he couldn't breathe! To his great distress, Daniel felt those fingers squeeze even tighter; the heavy thrusts which rocked his smaller body never pausing even for an instant. And he was to lay still? His blood was rushing in his ears now, and he fought hard for every tiny gasp of air, coughing and choking hard enough to shake his shoulders. Daniel could feel the blindfold dampen with his tears; not conscious tears but ones borne of desperation. "Trust…!" Alexander's voice cut through the haze that had fallen over Daniel's mind quite suddenly.

Ah yes, this was all about trust. The long fingers around his throat were like a deadly iron collar, and yet that single word snapped the Englishman back into the present. This was only a lesson; the Baron had no reason to want him dead! His mind trusted Alexander, but his body wasn't so keen as to be fond of the man depriving it of vital oxygen. Yet Daniel was suddenly made aware of his own pleasure with the next thrust, feeling an overpowering rush of pleasure as the Baron struck just right. The Englishman felt his own erection give a slight bounce with the next thrust, and the shock that he was still aroused was almost alarming.

The feeling that came next was…joy. At least, that's what he swore it was. His lungs ached and his chest was hitching with the urge to breathe, but his body was throbbing with pleasure from his head down to his curled toes! Though no light could possibly reach his eyes through the blindfold, Daniel swore he saw colors dancing in front of them! For a moment, Daniel forgot that his body was fighting for its life. Instead, every beat of his overworked heart sent a throb of pleasure rushing through his veins, and he ceased to writhe quite so desperately under Alexander's grip.

Daniel could no longer concentrate. It seemed that his hearing and even sense of smell had fled along with his sight, leaving only pleasure. And just as he felt darkness begin to close in around the edges of his consciousness, those thrusts shortened considerably, and with it Alexander's hands slid loose. Daniel's wounded throat struggled to inhale, choking instead, but his body still surged with pleasure. Hot, still slightly slick fingers wrapped around his aching erection. Within a few swift strokes the Englishman was crying out—a terrible, strangled sound in reality—as he spilled over his own stomach and the hand which had brought him off.

Daniel had never known the sensation of a world-shattering orgasm before he had met Alexander. That said, no previous orgasm even began to measure up to this one! Daniel's entire body went numb for a few blissful moments before his fingertips and toes began to tingle—almost stinging! He was trembling all over, small aftershocks sending stronger shudders through him now and then. He only realized that he was still coughing when he felt the Baron pull out of him, though the older man didn't leave his spot between those inviting thighs just yet. The blindfold was lifted, and Daniel winced as candlelight invaded his sensitive vision. The chaste kiss against his lips would encourage them to flutter open however, though his eyesight was a little blurry.

"Do you understand now, Daniel?" Alexander asked with a small, confident smile as he reached up to brush the bangs from the younger man's face. "I would never let any permanent harm befall you, no matter how close I might take you." Daniel's lips parted, though he felt his throat tighten enough to provoke a small cough when he attempted to speak. Swallowing nervously, he nodded instead. Though Alexander's lesson worked a little better than the older man ever could have imagined, Daniel concluded. Not only would he trust the Baron enough to obey without question next time, but he had learned a new respect for the older man. The message was clear to him: If anyone or anything was to harm the Englishman, it would be Alexander himself. "Good boy. When your throat heals, we'll try this without your hands bound. Do you think you can handle that?"

Daniel's heart skipped another beat, and a jolt of adrenaline shot through his exhausted body. To his surprise, he realized that it was excitement. A nod of his head would earn him another kiss, first to his lips, and then to his bruising throat. "That's just what I wanted to see. Now, you will trust me." Alexander's lips brushed his throat, and his words vibrated against it. Daniel could only nod again, more than eager to experience that immeasurable sensation of pleasure once again. He had always loved Alexander's hands for the power they held over pain and pleasure, but now they held his life as well.

And Daniel couldn't be more content to trust the Baron that last responsibility.