In Search of a Master - Junjou Style
Chapter Two: Collars and Rings
While normally not a morning person, Akihiko managed to rouse himself well before nine.
Despite his exhaustion, he wanted to make sure he had enough time to prepare for Hiroki's arrival. Going into "master mode" was not something he necessarily just rolled into right out of bed. At least, not the kind of master Hiroki usually required. And after Kusama's hedging over the phone, Akihiko wanted to present himself to his returning slave today in a way that would have an even greater impact than usual.
He was giving himself a final once over in the upstairs hall mirror when the professor's efficient knock sounded at his door. Akihiko's reflection smirked back at him around his unlit cigarette before he turned to head down to the entry. He was surprised when he opened the door, however, not just to encounter a red-faced Hiroki, but a somber looking Kusama as well.
Both men's brows rose considerably at the sight of him emerging from behind the heavy, hardwood door.
It wasn't just that Akihiko's thick, silvered mane was perfect in its sensual disarray; that the tight black tee-shirt he wore showed off the breadth of his shoulders and displayed the firmness of rounded pecs and flat belly. Nor was it the black jeans he'd donned, emphasizing the length of his legs and wonderfully showcasing his ass.
What really had caught Hiroki and Nowaki off guard was that Akihiko Usami greeted them with a sturdy, leather collar twirling in lazy loops around his index finger.
Akihiko kept his expression neutral, but inside he delighted at the new color in Hiroki's cheeks. Kusama's furrowed brow told him too, that he'd made exactly the right decision choosing to exercise his privileges at this time.
"Come in," he invited after offering a very slight bow in return to his guests much deeper ones.
"I am surprised to see you here, Kusama-san."
"I won't be staying long, Sensei." Nowaki offered this politely but he kept his dark blue gaze trained on his lover who, after railing at him the whole journey over, had grown very quiet and now refused to meet his eyes.
"I just wanted to ensure that Hiro-san arrived safely."
There was something in Kusama's tone that caused Akihiko to cock his head slightly to the side. He looked over from the surgeon to his friend.
Hiroki had his hands jammed deeply into the pockets of the light jacket he wore. His chestnut head was downcast and the energy he emanated was even more agitated than normal. While Akihiko was filled with concern by this, he kept his voice just on the firm side of neutral: he needed to gauge exactly what was going on.
"Hiroki, why don't you come join me here in the hall. I have things that need to be attended to." He gave the collar another beckoning whirl around his finger.
There had been a time when Hiroki would have complied immediately, rushing in before the invitation had even been properly extended. But today Akihiko was keenly aware that his friend had not even started to take off his shoes yet.
In fact, far from expressing any indication of complying to his soft command, Hiroki was purposely standing as far aside as he could from the place where the entry's ceramic tile met the rich wood of the hallway. This demarcation, once crossed-over, would signify Hiroki's submission and his willful entry into his "Hiro" slave mode.
Given Hiroki's behavior Akihiko suddenly wondered. Did Kusama accompany him because he was afraid Hiroki wouldn't show up on his own?
This possibility took him by surprise, since, as long as he'd known him; Hiroki had been drawn to him like a moth to a flame. Akihiko's shock increased when his friend and first slave at last lifted his head and in the solemn, dark eyes that met his, this suspicion was confirmed.
Then, before Hiroki looked down again, Akihiko saw it.
In a flash he'd tucked the collar into his back pocket and was directly in front of Hiroki. His fingers clasped the slightly smaller man's angular jaw, pulling it up.
I'll be damned…
Without acknowledging what he'd discovered, Akihiko tightened his grip. "Being obstinate before we even begin, Hiroki?"
Akihiko was well aware that Kusama immediately bristled and puffed up at his sudden movement and the way he was handling Hiroki on the neutral side of the hall. He sensed the restraint the younger man was employing to keep from coming to Hiroki's aid.
Not that Hiroki needed defending.
"Back off, Akihiko! I haven't crossed over yet!" Strong hands found Akihiko's chest and pushed him backwards even as Hiroki tore his jaw sharply out of his grasp. The jolt made the unlit cigarette fall from Akihiko's lips.
"Hiro-san!"
Prepared for the usual barrage of Kamijou verbal abuse, Akihiko was surprised when, at the sound of Nowaki calling his name, Hiroki stopped short, his balled fists trembling a moment before he slammed them back into his jacket pockets. Furious eyes dropped down and new color filled already heated cheeks.
Akihiko watched Nowaki step over; Hiroki's shoulders were shaking slightly and his breath was shallow and quick.
"Hiro-san…" This time the name was said in a much softer tone. "We have an obligation to Usami-sensei."
Hiroki stiffened but stayed still as Nowaki laid a large hand on his shoulder. A moment later Nowaki held his lover's coat in his hands and Hiroki was bent over taking off his shoes.
As soon as Hiroki had shed his jacket, Akihiko stepped forward again. He waited for Hiroki to straighten and reached out, slowly this time. His fingers found and curled lightly around what it was he'd first noticed: the light-weight, black, metal collar encircling Hiroki's proud neck. In an instant he knew the thick, facetted chain was powder-coated titanium.
Expensive. And not the kind of collar one used for training. No, this is the sort one wears out in the world after a complete surrender has been made.
He had seen Hiroki, as friends, several weeks ago for an editorial meeting and was certain at that time the professor's throat had been bare.
"This is new, Hiroki…"
It wasn't often that Kamijou Hiroki didn't have a retort, but all that Akihiko received in response was a light cough as his friend cleared his throat.
"It is, Usami-sensei… relatively."
Pale eyes darted over to Kusama, the younger man stepping in, in the midst of his lover's silence.
Akihiko frowned. When he'd negotiated the first contract between Kusama and Hiroki, he'd stipulated that, as Hiroki's trainer and first master, he would have rights to call upon him for occasional slave services until he saw fit to fully release him. This was a clause he stipulated with every slave he trained and turned over to another. It was a measure of protective insurance, since he took great pride in his skills and in his slaves, and had no desire to see either misused.
There was a rare nervousness in Nowaki's voice. "We just hadn't heard from you in so long… Well, we figured…"
It was true; it had been almost eighteen months since he had last called Kusama to summon Hiroki. Even so, it was in very poor form for the doctor to accept Hiroki as "his," completely, without first alerting him to such intentions and seeking permission.
If he had become Hiroki's full-time master, Kusama could direct his "slave" to be with whoever and however he wanted, per their own contractual agreements. But as Akihiko studied the careful way the surgeon was handling his friend and former plaything, he doubted in any other situation that the younger man would be likely to share. And if Hiroki too, had taken Kusama as his full-time master, it would certainly be inappropriate for Akihiko to be calling on him.
That the two had been bold enough to make such an arrangement without consulting him at all, well, then, their present situation was a tremendous loss of face in different ways for each one of them.
No wonder Hiroki didn't want to come.
"There's more."
Akihiko's eyes widened slightly at Hiroki's growled whisper.
"Oh?"
With lightly shaking fingers, Hiroki began unbuttoning the crisp white dress shirt he wore. Akihiko's normally neutral expression shifted from one of question to amazement. There was nothing beneath the shirt but bare skin and there, flashing in the morning light, bright against the dark discs of Hiroki's nipples, glinted silver.
Akihiko's eyes shot over to Kusama. "You pierced him?"
In the circles they moved amongst, the act of piercing was extremely significant. The small silver hoops that bit through Hiroki's sensitive tips as declarative as any wedding band.
His expression now very uncomfortable, Nowaki nodded.
"Kusama…"
Hearing the growling disapproval in Akihiko's voice, this time Hiroki jumped in. "I asked him to!"
It was difficult for Akihiko to keep his expression schooled at such a stunning revelation. He was hard pressed to imagine Hiroki making such a request. He studied the pair before him carefully, both men trying hard to downplay the states they were in.
Hiroki's protecting Kusama?
Akihiko watched with ever-increasing awe as, now that he'd started to disrobe, Hiroki continued. Blinking pale eyes, he was stunned again when the professor's pants came off and Hiroki's beautiful cockhead sported yet another ringed piercing.
This is entirely out of hand.
With a measured step, Akihiko moved back over the line of submission and as easily slipped fully back into his station as first master.
"Kusama-san, Hiroki, we had an agreement, did we not?"
Standing there, bare between two masters Hiroki shivered with tension. Nowaki extended a comforting hand, but Hiroki shook this off without looking back at him.
Drawing a deep ragged breath he stepped over the line into the hallway where he paused for only the merest of moments, before sinking down to his knees and bowing his head.
"Yes, Usami-sama. We did."
It was obvious to Akihiko that Hiroki was all but choking on these words. Back across the way, Nowaki remained in the entry, his expression vacillating between one of jealous desire and protective anxiety.
"This is an unexpected and rather unfortunate turn of events, Kusama." Akihiko stared hard at the younger master. "But you said you didn't have long to stay. Will you be picking this slave up later?" Akihiko purposely refrained from referring to Hiroki by name.
"Yes, Usami-sensei." Nowaki met Akihiko's eyes evenly, but his normally pleasant expression absent, replaced by something remarkably strained and his face had become exceedingly pale.
"Good. You can have him back in four hours and I suggest that you leave time in your schedule for you and me to have a serious conversation when you return."
Gazing down at Hiroki, kneeling at Akihiko's feet, Nowaki licked his lips and nodded slowly. He knew that he had failed Hiro-san yet again. If he had truly been a good master, he would have done things correctly from the start and his Hiro-san would not have to be here now, going through this.
"Yes, Sensei, I certainly will."
"Up!" Akihiko snapped his fingers.
Making sure to keep his posture correct, Hiroki rose. He kept his head down, feet in a wide stance, and his hands clasped together behind him. He had already disgraced Nowaki with his poor behavior in the entry even though he hadn't crossed over. He was not going to make things worse by being belligerent now.
"Oh, and Kusama-san!" Akihiko called out as though Nowaki was leaving, despite the fact the younger man hadn't moved yet.
"Yes, Sensei."
"I doubt I'll be needing any of these things; so I suggest you hold on to them."
Akihiko made a production of turning to Hiroki and removing the rings from his nipples, being sure to give each one a good tweak in the process.
Hiroki tried to keep from flinching, but his tips had always been extremely sensitive. Akihiko bit back his pleasure seeing Hiroki respond. He held the rings out to Nowaki with one hand as the other swept down the smooth toned chest to Hiroki's equally bare groin. His friend's skin was like silk here and he was surprised to see no signs of stubble.
"Lovely," Akihiko growled, even as he dropped the nipple rings into Kusama's open palm. "So clean."
It was taking everything in Nowaki's possession not to reach out and tear Usami's hand off his Hiro-san. "Waxed." He ground out at last.
"By you?"
"No. Professional."
"Ummmm." Akihiko hummed as his hand continued its journey downwards and wrapped around Hiroki's cock. Whatever Hiroki's emotions; being naked between two obviously agitated masters was having a profound effect on him and his dick was lifting already.
"Balls too?"
Reaching under Akihiko fondled Hiroki's heavy sac. It was wonderfully nude. He gave a playful but hard squeeze to one of the glands and listened to the cadence of his temporary slave's breath in response.
"Yes, Sensei. Full body"
Nowaki's voice was incredibly tight but Akihiko ignored it. He was going to have to punish both of these men if balance was ever to be restored between them now.
"Good idea." Inside Akihiko grinned. He could only imagine how uncomfortable it would have made his very proud and very private friend to arrange for a waxing and then submit himself to so delicate a procedure with some stranger.
Not to mention the pain.
He made a couple passes with a large palm over Hiroki's tight thighs. "Very nice, I don't see any ingrown hairs. You'll have to give me the name of the salon."
After making re-acquaintance with Hiroki's cock again with a few hard, languid tugs, Akihiko removed the ring here as well. He could sense Hiroki's tension rising with the removal of each piercing.
He watched as Kusama put each silver hoop carefully into his front jeans' pocket.
Hiroki stiffened and his head snapped up when he felt Akihiko's fingers feather back up his bare torso and brush against Nowaki's collar.
"You won't be needing this either, Hiro."
"Aki…" Hiroki caught himself and snapped his mouth shut in a pained line before the word left him. He turned his head, glancing only briefly at Nowaki before dropping it back down.
"But I definitely think you're going to need some lessons today, a reminder in what it means to be owned."
Akihiko felt Hiroki shiver as he undid the clasp to Kusama's collar. He passed the chain over without turning back to his temporary slave's regular master, understanding he was taking a risk. While he knew the limits of Hiroki's endurance the surgeon was an entirely different matter.
As he withdrew the black leather collar from the back of his pocket and affixed it around Hiroki's strong neck, he kept his voice casual. "You cleaned yourself out this morning before coming here today, Hiro. Correct?"
Akihiko couldn't tell if Hiroki's wince was from the implications of his question or Kusama's sudden outburst.
"Wait a minute, Sensei! We had an agreement!"
Nowaki had started forward, unable to contain himself any longer. But he stopped short when Usami took a hold of his lover's thick hair, raised and turned Hiroki's face to him. His sweet Hiro-san's eyes were open but stared off to the side not meeting his. There was a shine on his beloved's cheeks where silent tears had already left their mark.
"We did have an agreement, Kusama. More than one to be exact."
Akihiko still had no intention of entering Hiroki, especially after all that had transpired, but both men needed to feel the power of this possibility. He was also pleased with Kusama's reaction. He'd hoped the surgeon would respond like this: it was important for Hiroki to know that his lover and second master had been trying to look out for him,.
Kusama's eyes had gone from blue to black with the intensity of his emotions. Akihiko kept his voice flat as he met this dark gaze. "You can spend the next four hours hoping that I am better at honoring agreements than you are."
With this dismissal Akihiko released Hiroki's hair. He returned to closing the last of the collar's buckles.
"Down," He ordered softly once the last one was secured. He was both pleased and worried when Hiroki sank bonelessly down to his knees in an instant. Leaning over, Akihiko ran long fingers through Hiroki's hair once more, only this time much more tenderly.
It almost made him want to call this whole thing off, seeing the expression on Kusama's face as the man stood there, seemingly rooted in place in the entry, eyes fixed so intensely on the man at his feet.
Almost.
"I said four hours. The sooner you go, the sooner you get him back."
These words registered with Nowaki like a slap. His eyes flickered back up to Usami's, searching. Seeing something in Hiroki's first master's expression, he at last relented.
"Yes, of course. Thank you for taking care of Hiro-san today, Usami-sensei. I am sure he will serve you well."
After a low bow, Nowaki turned and left.
He stopped to look back one last time at his beautiful lover on his knees beside his first master. He called out softly before stepping out into the hallway and closing the door behind him.
"I'll always come back to you, Hiro-san. Please remember that."
Thank you so much for the response to this fic this far. I am greatly pleased by how many of you were enticed by the idea of consent. It makes me hopeful. I hope to hear from you again and maybe others as well as this piece unwinds.
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