Chapter Three Title: Admission
It was several weeks before Rorschach appeared at the Nest again. He appeared at Daniel's side as he worked on the new grappling gun that he'd designed. Daniel managed not to jump out of his skin when he realized the other man was standing there. He finished screwing the CO2 cartridge casing in place, then turned and looked up at the smaller man looming over him.
"I'm ready for patrol." He stood up and pulled his cowl over his head, situating his goggles in place. In the enhanced clarity of his goggles, he saw that his partner was agitated.
"What's up, buddy?" Best to play things cool.
"When being sutured."
"What?"
"Asked when in Subspace before. Every time."
At this point in their partnership, Dan was pretty quick at deciphering cryptic comments, but this one was fairly obvious. "Every time I've sutured you...ever?"
He looked at the ground and nodded.
"Well that explains why you always refused painkillers."
"Pharmaceutical companies interested in profit, not consumer satisfaction or safety," Rorschach told him scornfully.
At least he was back to normal. Even if the topic of discussion was...unprecedented.
"Have decided will allow Submission again. Not on patrol. Here."
Dan's stomach jumped into his throat. He was going to allow it again. And he expected Dan to be able to patrol with that thought hanging over him all night? He gathered his control and nodded. "I will respect your request."
Fortune was on Dan's side, and the weather was bad, which meant most of the crime was going on indoors. Rorschach grumbled, but so much less than normal that Dan suspected he was just as apprehensive about what was going to happen when they got back to the Nest.
Dan fed them both again, and he was concerned it was a stalling tactic. He made passive conversation, to which Rorschach responded even less than he had on patrol.
"There's something I have to tell you. I am not going to put up with you going so far outside your comfort zone that you panic."
"Did not panic," Rorschach blurted.
"It's not good for you," Dan continued without pause. "It's not good for either of us. If you start getting overwhelmed, you need to use one of the safe-words. I know you want to jump in headfirst and to hell with the consequences, but I am not going to allow you to do that. We're going to get to that level, don't worry. But we need to start slower. This is unfamiliar ground for both of us. I am telling you to use the safe-words. I can't protect you from problems I don't know about. Alright, buddy?"
The other thought about it quietly for a moment, then nodded decisively.
Dan started out with the Not-Touching again, until his partner stopped flinching away from his hands. Then he gripped his hands, his forearms and biceps, slowly slipped his hand around the other's throat. "Is this too much?"
"Am fine."
This time, it took a little longer for Rorschach to get into subspace. When Dan felt the tension drain out of him, he said something he had been thinking over the entire patrol.
"Tell me what you want."
"Want to please Master." Every muscle in Dan's body tingled when he heard those words come out of Rorschach's mouth.
"I know it must have taken a lot for you to give me that, but I don't want it, not yet. I'm not your Master, and I asked what you want. Don't give me some bullshit answer."
Rorschach groaned. He was on his knees by now, and he shuffled them together and his fingertips dug into his thighs. "Can't tell, will hate me. Please, no."
"I won't hate you. I might not give you what you want, but I won't hate you."
His partner turned his face away and the whisper was so quiet, Dan was about to command him to repeat it, when it registered. No, he wouldn't be making him repeat that. It must have been agony to drag the words out the first time. He kept his grip on Rorschach's throat even. He settled down on his knees to be even with the man who was tearing his own heart out to share it with Dan. He touched his finger to Rorschach's cheek, turning his face forward again. He released his hold on the other man's throat and slid his fingers to the lower edge.
His partner's hands were grabbing his thumbs then, pressing them the wrong way. "Rorschach. Let go. If you are having a problem, use the safe-words." The hands released slowly.
"Yellow." His hands settled back on his thighs.
"Alright. I'm going to slow down. I'm going to touch you again. I am not going to take your mask off." He touched the lower edge of the mask again, and Rorschach made a visible effort to restrain himself. He trailed a finger up his neck, over his chin, and touched his mouth through the mask. A trace of black trailed after his finger, but the rest of the blots were fibrillating across his face. Dan leaned forward until he was barely an inch away from the other man's face.
"A kiss." He moved his finger from Rorschach's lips and kissed them.
It was strange to feel the fabric between his lips and the other man's, and for a moment Rorschach tensed and Dan felt a flutter of fear. But his partner relaxed and leaned minutely into the kiss.
Then his hands were off his thighs again. Dan tensed, thinking he'd pushed too far. But Rorschach rolled his mask up to the bridge of his nose and dove forwards, stopping a mere inch from Dan's face. "Please. Daniel, please," he murmured.
Dan took a deep breath and pressed his hand against Rorschach's chest. "Calm down." He could see the lower half of Rorschach's face draw tight. "You've been doing really well. You deserve a reward. But it's going to be on my terms."
"Hurm, yes."
"Are you still in Subspace?"
"Yes, M...Daniel."
"We're going to try something new. Stay there." He stood and went to a kitchen drawer. From within, he withdrew a bandana and a zip-tie. "Put your hands behind your back."
Rorschach's mouth moved. He didn't quite frown, but he wasn't madly grinning, either. He looked apprehensive. It was interesting, watching his face, learning to interpret it without the benefit of the mask. He crossed his wrists behind his back and dropped his chin to his chest, taking a deep breath.
Dan knelt behind him, tying the bandana around his wrists tightly and then securing it with the zip-tie. "Criminals tend to come away with their wrists cut raw from these zip-ties, and I don't want that happening to you. Are you ok?" He realized this was a ridiculous question and asked the more important one. "Can you get loose?"
He shifted his arms around a little. Dan liked to think he had enough experience with restraining people that this would be more than a farce. "Could get out of the bandana, easily, can't break the zip-tie. Am ok. Good to know the scum aren't just humoring us."
"I suppose it is." Dan moved back in front of the now bound Rorschach. "I like seeing you tied." He brushed a finger up his partner's breastbone. "Someday maybe I'll hogtie you and see how long it takes you to escape."
Rorschach growled. Dan put his face dangerously close to his mouth, and whispered into his ear, "How does it feel being so vulnerable to me?" He flicked his tongue against his jugular, then swooped his head around the other side and licked the corresponding place on the other side.
"Feels good. Still love you."
"Kiss me."
His lips were thin and cracked in a couple places, he was a mediocre kisser at best, but Dan was lost in the feeling immediately. He opened his mouth a little and breathed hotly against Rorschach's lips. He flicked his tongue against his partner's lips. Rorschach emitted a little sound that in anyone else would sound nervous. His mouth opened ever so slowly. Dan dragged his teeth over his bottom lip, drawing more of those deep, ragged sounds out of him.
He said something Dan couldn't understand, so he pulled away a little. "Come again?"
"I want you to be my Master. I have for a long time."
Dan knew he had to collect his thoughts quickly, before this offer was retracted. "Do you know what that entails?" was what fell out of his mouth.
"Am aware of how the world works, Daniel. Would..." He was intently staring at the ground again. "Would give Submission. In." He took a breath. "Any way you ask. Would give you self. Body. Scared, but trust you, want this."
He could feel the Universe spinning around him. It was frightening. "Do you want me to collar you?"
"Collar is lifelong commitment. Understand if don't want that. If just want temporary relationship. Love you, will give what you want."
"Do you want me to collar you?"
He nodded quickly, then looked away.
This was all happening too fast. Of course he wanted to have Rorschach be a fulltime part of his life. But, he didn't even know the name of the man's alter-ego. He didn't know the first thing about his other life.
"What about your...daytime life? I don't even know who you are. Will you move in, here? We'll have to get one of those collars with a break link, because it would be incredibly dangerous for you to fight crime with a chain around your neck. Would you even wear it out on patrol? Of course, I guess Hooded Justice wore that noose and no one used that to strangle him. I've never had a Sub before. What if I mess up?"
Rorschach's mouth was hanging open. "Daniel. Have thought of all this already. Will introduce you to disguise. Will continue as we are as Nite Owl and Rorschach. Daytime identities will develop relationship more slowly. Will be embarrassed if any scum gets close enough to throttle with collar. They will be very sorry if they try it, but, yes, will have weak spot. Would wear collar always. No, have never had a Sub before, but have been a Sub, know how to Dom. Trust you, love you. Have never been a Sub before, will help you learn to Dom. Will forgive any faults. Could have more than one collar, for crime fighting and for disguise." It was the most Dan had ever heard from his partner in one sitting.
He leaned forward and touched his Sub's jaw line, kissed him deeply. "I would be honored to hold your leash. Would you allow me to collar you, Rorschach?"
"Would be honored, Daniel. Master."
