Parts 123-130: Tuesday (Silas/Luke, North/Owen, North/Silas/Luke)

*Silas*

I tossed in bed once more, trying my best to find a comfortable spot, but it didn't seem to exist. The apartment was too quiet, too still, too hot. Too everything. When I listened for it I could hear gentle snores coming from the front room where my dad had no doubt fallen asleep in his recliner once more. Every click and creak from the surrounding apartments seemed to echo through the space and it may have been my imagination, but I thought I could hear the blood rushing through my veins.

Finally I sat up; giving up on sleep for the time being. I'd tried to go to bed early because I'd been dragging all day, but I was simultaneously exhausted and wired; my brain and my body at odds. I needed to tire myself out more completely, get my body on the same page as my mental state so I could get the rest I needed.

Throwing my legs over the side of the bed I grabbed a pair of silky gym shorts from the top of my hamper and tugged them up over my boxers and the semi that no amount of self-service the last few days seemed to satisfy. I'd been resisting the urge to check my phone for the last hour, trying to give Sang, Victor, and Nate their privacy, but just thinking about her was enough to get the blood flowing.

It had only been four days since I'd spent the night with Aggele, but I was itching to lay with her in my arms. I'd seen her every day at school yet it felt like I hadn't gotten any time with her at all since Friday night, after the football game. We were trying our best to keep things evenly distributed without actually working out a structured schedule. None of us wanted that, to be literally taking turns, but it was hard to make sure we all got enough time with her. I was counting the minutes until tomorrow when I would have her next to me for the whole night. But for tonight I had to find a way to get some sleep.

I grabbed a zip-up Red Sox hoodie off the back of my desk chair and tossed it on as I moved quietly through the apartment. I had to get out of here. Slipping on my flip flops by the door and grabbing my keys, I shut the apartment door behind me as quietly as I could, hoping I wouldn't wake my dad, and then trotted down the steps toward the parking lot.

The old blue Ford was not the newest car on the block, but North kept her running well and she turned over instantly. I drove with no real destination in mind other than forcing myself to turn away from Aggele's, and wasn't surprised to find myself pulling up in front of the Taylors'. I think my car could drive here on its own, I make the trip so often.

I parked in front of North's door and noted his trailer was dark. It was early for him to be asleep, but I knocked lightly at the door anyway, just to see. When I didn't hear any movement I figured he must be out; I didn't think he had an assignment tonight, but sometimes things come up. There were lights on in the main house so I headed that way; Uncle would still be at the diner for a few hours so it must be Luke that was home. I let myself in and wandered through empty, brightly lit rooms. I couldn't help but smile to myself knowing Luke was definitely home. I wasn't sure if it was born of a subconscious fear of being alone or obliviousness to energy conservation, but Luke had a tendency to leave every light on. I left the kitchen lights on, since Uncle would come in through that door, but I turned the others off as I headed back toward his room.

His bedroom door was ajar and I tapped out a rhythm on the wood as I pushed it open, drawing his attention toward the entryway.

"Hey, Silas," he greeted me with evident surprise. "What's up, Dude?"

He was watching TV before bed, sprawled out in just his boxers, pillows piled up behind him; he had one arm behind his head, the other holding the remote draped across his stomach.

"Nothing," I respond, "just needed to get out of the house. Did North get called out on an assignment or something?"

"Not sure, but he left on the bike a while ago; I haven't heard him come back."

I nodded along as he answered; I'd already figured he wasn't home. I stepped further into the room to see that he had the guide up on the TV, apparently looking for something to watch.

"Want to join me?" Luke asked as he motioned at the screen, "I was just looking for a movie or something."

I kicked my sandals off beside his bed and settled in on his left, leaning against the headboard and crossing my ankles. "Anything promising?"

"Just a lot of sitcoms and crime shows." He flipped through the pages of the guide until we got to the movies, then clicked through reading descriptions.

"What are you thinking?" I asked him. "Action? Horror?"

"What about this?" He moved the cursor to one I'd not heard of, "George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino race to Mexico after robbing a bank and stumble into a Vampire Den."

"Works for me," I told him as I stole a few pillows from his stack and got comfortable.

We were almost halfway through and still hadn't seen any vampires. We had seen quite a few strippers, however, as apparently this vampire den was inside a strip club. The description hadn't mentioned that. When a twenty-something Salma Hayek walked out onto a stage in a tiny red outfit my eyes went wide and as she twisted and swiveled around the room I became increasingly aware of Luke sitting next to me.

I watched out of the corner of my eye as he shifted, bending the knee closer to me, attempting to disguise the tent growing in his boxers. I could practically feel the heat coming off his skin even though more than a foot separated us and that, more than the half-naked actress on the screen, had my blood flowing south. My sweatshirt suddenly felt way too warm and restrictive.

I subconsciously wiped my palms, which were beginning to sweat, down the sides of my shorts and Luke's eyes followed the movement before flashing up to mine. When he saw that I'd noticed he looked away quickly, inhaling sharply as he averted his eyes and shifting to sit up a bit straighter. Back on the screen Salma stood on a table and poured beer down her shin, into a guy's mouth, somehow making the odd act look incredibly sexy. There was no way we were making it all the way through this movie.

When he shifted his left leg again I reached across the distance between us and stilled his movement with my palm firmly on his upper thigh. He looked over at me and held his breath, waiting. I kept my eyes on his as my hand glided down to his knee with a firm pressure and then back up, pushing his boxer shorts up high on his leg and letting my fingers dig gently into the soft flesh at the top. I could see the clear outline of his growing erection and stroked my fingers tantalizingly close to where I knew he really wanted my hand.

His breath rushed out and his eyes drifted closed as my fingertips swirled over soft skin. I skimmed my fingers a little higher and he re-animated, clicking the TV off before tossing the remote to the foot of the bed and leaning toward me.

*Luke*

I never gave it much thought, but watching a sexual movie scene with someone else in the room is completely different than watching one on your own. With your parents it's incredibly embarrassing and uncomfortable. With a normal friend it's a little awkward. With a friend you've had sex with… well…

Ordinarily if I was watching From Dusk Til Dawn on my own I would have noticed Salma's body in passing and moved on, watching the rest of the movie, but as soon as she came on screen scantily clad all I could think about was Silas sitting next to me and what he was thinking.

When he stopped my squirming with a hand on my thigh I froze, unsure if he was truly just trying to get me to stop moving or if he was inviting something more. The sensual glide of his palm along my thigh answered that question and I fought to hold back a groan. His touch crept higher and what was a semi was quickly growing into a full blown hard-on at his proximity.

I fumbled to click the TV off and then tossed the remote away as I turned toward him, letting my left knee fall to the side and giving him better access. My right hand landed on the inside of his knee as our lips met and I slid up inside the leg of his shorts as his tongue probed into my mouth. My tongue moved against his and my fingertips dug into the thick muscle of his thigh.

His hand moved off my leg and to the mattress between us as he twisted further into me. The heat of his other palm against my bare chest sent tingles running over my body and I felt them run straight down my spine as he flicked and pinched at my nipple. His hand moved down my chest, tracing the lines of each muscle he passed. When he finally finished his descent and his palm rubbed along my length I groaned into his mouth and drug my nails down along his thigh, earning a growl and his tongue probing much more forcefully into my mouth.

I mirrored his movements, letting my hand glide over the silky material of his shorts and feeling his thick cock, hard and ready against his left thigh. I rubbed along his shaft, tracing the outline with my fingers and swiping my thumb back and forth over the head. As I pressed the fabric against him a felt a small wet spot of pre-cum that revved me up even higher.

Silas circled his fingers around my shaft through my boxers and stroked up and down the length a few times before he hooked his finger into the waist band, tugging it down and freeing me to the cool air. I flexed my hips up against his hand as he pumped up and down so slowly it was almost tortuous. Needing more, I got to my knees and then swung one leg over him, straddling him.

I leaned back for half a second, checking if it was okay for me to straddle his lap like this and he answered my un-vocalized question by grabbing me by the back of the neck and pulling me down into another steamy kiss. I eased my weight down onto him, feeling his hard length under me. I ground my butt against him, rocking my hips back and forth, and reached for the zipper pull of his hoodie. I eased it down, and slid my other hand onto his chest. I was surprised to find warm skin under my palm; I'd assumed he was wearing a t-shirt under the hoodie, but apparently not. I took the zipper all the way down and then, with both hands, slipped the soft fabric off his shoulders. He helped me remove it, never one ceasing his assault on my mouth, and as soon as his hands were free of the material he wrapped one arm around my waist and flipped us.

He held himself up off me and I watched as he reached one hand into his pants. A second later that hand was back on the bed next to my head and when he lowered his weight down on top of me I realized he'd adjusted himself, trapping his rock hard shaft between us. I clutched at the bare skin of his back while he ground his hips down into mine and I rocked mine to meet the rhythm he was building.

His mouth moved down along my jaw line and to my neck while I ran my hands all over his exposed skin, smoothing over his chest, back, and arms. His muscles were thick as they bunched under his skin and I savored the feel of his hard body against mine.

Our bodies moved together, pressure and friction building the heat between us. My hands slid down the taut muscles of his back and I slipped them under the waist of his shorts and boxers, firmly gripping two handfuls of his firm, round ass. The boy had a bit of a bubble butt and I used my grip on it to encourage his movements. His shorts slipped further down his hips and after a few wiggles from Silas I used my feet to help kick them down off his legs, leaving him bare.

Gradually his mouth moved further down my chest until he had to ease his hips back to move further down. His tongue left a wet trail down my stomach and his fingertips skimmed along my ribs. My cock was still half out of my boxers and when his face came level with my shaft he put his mouth bare millimeters away from my skin and exhaled hot, wet air against me, eliciting a building tingle in my balls. When his fingers hooked into the sides of my waist band I lifted my hips and he slid them the rest of the way off.

Once we were both naked he resettled himself between my legs, our shafts lying side by side against my stomach. If I was a different guy seeing his enormous cock next to mine might make me feel insecure, but instead my mind was completely preoccupied trying to figure out how he had ever fit inside me. He traced the edge of my lower lip with his tongue and I wrapped my legs around his waist, hooking my ankles around one another and pulling him tight against me. I felt him smile against my lips and then he leaned over me, reaching for the night stand drawer.

With a bottle in hand he worked his way down my body once more. I spread my knees wide and was not disappointed when he licked, with the flat of his tongue, from my balls all the way up to the tip of my cock, before swirling around the head and taking as much of me into his mouth as he could. The wet heat of his mouth almost made me come undone right from the start. He pumped and swirled and sucked and my brain was completely and utterly filled with nothing but sensation, and then cool, slick fingers began to work their way around my ass.

I didn't bother holding back the moan when he first pressed against my asshole. He wasted no time sinking to just the right depth and pulsing his finger against that perfect spot.

"Fuck, Silas, I'm gonna come if you keep doing that," I warned him. It seemed like I could last for days inside Sang, but a little prostate play and I was putty in his hands. His only response was to suck harder and accelerate the pulsing rhythm of his finger. My balls began to tighten and I clenched the fingers of one hand in his hair, the other in the sheets. He added a second finger and I couldn't hold on any longer. I slammed my hips up against his face and he took me into the back of his throat as I exploded, pulse after pulse of hot cum filling his mouth that he eagerly swallowed.

As the last waves of my release washed over me my cock was so sensitive I actually had to pull Silas up off me by my grip in his hair. My whole body twitched as he eased his fingers out of me and I pulled his mouth up to mine; kissing him thoroughly and tasting myself on his tongue. I held on to him as my heart rate slowed, aware of his thick erection on my stomach; I needed just a minute to pull myself back together so I could return the favor, but before I began a knock on the open door had us both turning to look.

*North*

I was sitting at my kitchen table, working on a ridiculous homework assignment, when my phone vibrated, the sound amplified as it danced across the table top. I picked it up to see a text from Mr. Blackbourne.

Mr. Blackbourne: Mr. Taylor, are you busy this evening?

Any excuse not to do this physics homework.

No, sir. Do you need me?

I waited for a return text and was surprised to see the phone light up with an incoming call.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Taylor, I thought it might be best to call rather than text. I've been meaning to talk to you. Do you recall what we spoke about at Family Night?"

I thought back to the night in question, nothing immediately coming to mind. We had gone swimming, the guys played video games, we grilled out. I couldn't recall speaking to Mr. B. about anything of significance during that time. After that, of course, we had played that card game and from there…

The memories of the game and what followed had me growing hard. I could see it as clearly as if it were yesterday; Sang spread out in the middle of a circle of cards, wrapped around me in the closet, riding Luke and Silas with more confidence than I'd ever seen on her.

"Mr. Taylor?"

His voice brought me back to the conversation and I cleared my throat, grateful he couldn't see the heat filling my face.

"Yes, Mr. B?"

"Family night. After the shower. You expressed an interest in what you'd seen me doing?"

He let the sentence drop off and the memory resurfaced. Before the shower I had seen Mr. B. with Kota. His hands tied together with Nate's belt. Afterward I had asked him about showing me more. What had he called it? Bondage? No. Restraint. Yes, that was it.

I cleared my throat again, but the words came out strained. "Yes, I remember. We talked about restraint."

I think I detected a hint of relief in his voice that I'd finally caught on. "Yes. Are you still interested in learning more?"

"Yes," I answered without any hesitation.

"Did you find a partner?"

I remembered him telling me that tying up Sang was not an option; not yet, anyway. I briefly considered my brothers, but dismissed them quickly. I didn't think I was ready for that. "No, Mr. Blackbourne. I haven't approached anyone else about it."

"That's fine. For the time being we can make do on our own. Would you like to begin tonight?"

I sat dumbfounded for a moment. "Tonight? As in right now?"

"Well, yes, unless you know another meaning to 'tonight'."

I didn't know if I was ready to start this tonight. What did he mean 'on our own'? Was he planning to let me tie him up? That definitely did not hold the same appeal for me. Or did he mean he would restrain me? I'd never given up control in the bedroom and I didn't know if I'd enjoy that at all. Man, tonight. Shouldn't I give myself more time to think about it? Then again, if I did give myself more time I'd probably just psych myself out. Maybe this should be like my first experiment with Silas. Dive in head first, before I have time to talk myself out of it. I made a split-second decision and said, "Yeah, okay. Tonight."

"Excellent. I'll see you at my apartment straightaway."

With that he clicked off the line. I stared down at my phone as the screen went dark, my mind racing with possibilities and questions. I had no idea what I'd just gotten myself into, but I took a deep breath, grabbed the keys to my bike and headed out the door.

Mr. Blackbourne's complex was quiet; warm lights glowed from the windows. I parked in an open spot in front of the condo next to his and walked past a toppled tricycle and a sidewalk chalk drawing of a house and a sun; the quaint façade giving no indication of the depraved debauchery I imagined was about to commence within.

I stepped up onto the porch steps and hesitated; should I knock? Use my key?

A muffled voice came through the door, "Come in, Mr. Taylor." I didn't even bother to question how he knew I was out here; I just pushed open the door and walked in.

He was still dressed from school in dark slacks and a blue button down. His ever-present tie was missing; several buttons undone at his neck and his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He was standing at the kitchen counter, stirring something in a coffee cup.

"Would you like something to drink, Mr. Taylor? Coffee? Soda? Water? Cocoa?" At the last he lifted his own mug, apparently his beverage of choice this evening. I shook my head in the negative and he crossed over to the living room, settling himself in the wingback chair I knew he favored for reading. He nodded his head toward the sofa next to him and I moved to sit down. "You don't have a reason to be nervous, Mr. Taylor," he called me out on my tense posture and I tried to relax, "It's not like you're in trouble."

I forced a half grin and sat back a little further into the couch. "Sorry, I'm just not sure what to expect."

He nodded as though my words made perfect sense. "I thought we'd start slow. I saw how much the idea intrigued you, and normally I'd try to stay out of your sex life with Miss Sorenson, but as I mentioned, given her history, I really don't know that pursuing this with her is a good idea, as much as I may want to. If we ever get there we need to take it very, very slowly. And there are safety concerns, of course. This isn't something you should dive into without research."

I'd really not thought that much about it. What did you need to research, really, when it came to tying someone's hands together with a belt? "What sort of research?" I asked, the curiosity making me forget my nerves for the moment.

"Well I guess first we should talk about what type of restraint you want to practice and why. The different forms have different concerns."

I'm guessing the cluelessness was evident on my face, because he went on.

"Restraint is just a broad term for controlling your lover's movement. You can do that a lot of different ways. With your body, for example, pinning their arms or legs. Or simply by command if your partner is willing; you tell them not to move and they don't."

That thought certainly look me by surprise; I had already done that with Sang and had never thought of it being on the same page as actually physically restraining her with ropes or ties, but when he put it in those terms it made perfect sense. No wonder the idea of tying her up turned me on, it was right in line with the control I loved to exert over her in the bedroom.

Apparently my face gave something away because he called me out, "I'm guessing by your reaction you may have already had some experience with one of those?" I nodded and he smirked. "Those two forms I'm not worried about at all. As long as you're paying attention to Miss Sorenson's response and you let her go at any hint of pain or panic it should be fine. And from my own experience I think she enjoys it." I nodded again without thinking and he actually laughed.

"What are the other types?" I asked, getting him back on track.

"There are standard restraints. Items designed explicitly for the purpose. Wide-cuff handcuffs, ankle cuffs, et cetera. The two most important things to remember with those are making sure they're comfortable, meaning not too tight and also soft enough that if she tugged or struggled slightly they wouldn't cut into her skin, and also that you can get her out quickly. Velcro is good for that. If you're using something that buckles or ties you need to practice releasing them. If she were to start to panic you can't be fumbling with the release."

"Do you have any of those?"

"I do have a small collection; would you like to see?"

*North*

I must have nodded, but I don't remember doing so. He glided smoothly to his feet and padded back toward his bedroom, motioning for me to follow. I trailed behind him, still unsure what I was getting myself in to. Were we just looking?

He stopped next to his dresser, slid open one of the top drawers and began pulling things out, lining them up on the dresser's surface. Everything he pulled out was the same matte black; some of it leather and other appeared to be nylon or cotton, I reached out to pick up a leather circle with fleece on the inside and a silver buckle on the outside. I couldn't help but wonder who all of this was for. Was Dr. Green into it? Or had he used it on other girls before we met Sang? I considered asking, but decided that might be pushing a little too far, he was already exposing more personal information than I would have expected.

"All of these pieces are mix and match, which is good because it doesn't take up too much space. That's a cuff, meant for wrists, though on Miss Sorenson it could probably circle her ankle. It's important to note the width of the leather, which distributes the force more evenly if she pulls. It's fleece lined, as well, to make it more comfortable. These are obviously buckled, so you'd need to practice if you were going to use these, or you could find similar ones that fasten with Velcro."

I still couldn't wrap my head around practicing for something like this. How much difference could it really make? I looked up to find Mr. B. wrapping a matching cuff around his wrist, then held it out to me.

"Try to release it. I'm going to move a bit, as someone might if they began to panic. I won't fight you directly. See how quickly you can get it off."

I reached for the buckle and he moved his hand in small twitches. I fumbled for the loose end and felt it slip from my fingers; he wasn't actually trying to get away from me, but without it perfectly still I couldn't get a good look at it and it was hard to tell which way to push the strap. I finally got it off, but realized if this had been a different scenario and Sang had been panicking she would have likely been moving much more violently and even without that it had taken far too long.

"Can you really do it faster?" I challenged him, thinking Velcro was definitely the way to go.

He held the open cuff out to me and I offered my wrist, letting him circle it; he fastened the buckle snuggly, but loose enough it could spin on my wrist. I shook it out, letting it fall to the wider part of my hand and spun it around a little before offering him my wrist once more. He reached for the buckle and I'm not sure if I even got one twitch in before the cuff was falling to the floor. He had released it one handed and made it look way easier than I now knew it was. Without missing a beat he went on.

"This set has wrist and ankle cuffs, and each of them can be connected to one of these other pieces."

He picked up a strap of webbing; the kind of stuff they use to make adjustable belts and dog leashes, and demonstrated how one flat edge slipped into a loop on the cuff and then folded back onto itself with the telltale crunch of Velcro.

"There are short ones to connect the cuffs together and long ones you can use to fasten them to bed posts or whatever else you can image. Then there's the spreader bars." He picked up a black bar, about 12 inches long and with a twist of his wrist it telescoped out to four or five times the original length. "These can also be connected to either the wrist or ankles, adding some rigidity."

I took the bar from him and was surprised at how light it was. It must have been some sort of lightweight alloy. Carabineer style clips on either end fastened easily to the cuffs. As I twisted it back and forth, extending and then collapsing it, I could picture Sang standing at the foot of my bed, her legs spread wide with the bar stretched between her ankles; her palms planted on the mattress, un-moving under my command. She would look back over her shoulder at me and give me a small smile as she wiggled her hips back and forth, testing my self-control.

Mr. B. clearing his throat brought me back to the current moment and I leaned over to place the bar back on the dresser, using the movement to disguise adjusting myself in my jeans. My little daydream had started to get me hard.

Mr. B. started placing items meticulously back in his drawer, "As you can see with a dozen pieces, which don't take up too much space, you have a lot of options." I was thinking I needed to invest in a similar set; that mental image was going to be burned there for a very, very long time.

"What about this piece?" I asked as I picked up a coiled length of surprisingly soft nylon rope.

"Well that would be the fourth primary form of restraint. Rope. There are several varieties, different techniques. Kinbaku is the Japanese variety; it's actually quite beautiful. All about the patterns created on the skin. Sometimes it doesn't even actually restrain a person in any way; just confined to the torso." He pulled out a thick book, The Beauty of Kinbaku, and slid it over to me. "I've not spent much time with this one. I learned a basic handcuff tie, but that was as far as I took it."

I pulled the book closer and laughed when I saw the subtitle, Or everything you ever wanted to know about Japanese erotic bondage when you suddenly realized you didn't speak Japanese. He gave me a small smirk and went on as I flipped through the book.

"Doing rope safely takes a lot of work. You have to really know what you're doing with the knots, you can't tie it too tight or allow it to tighten under movement. You really can't practice it by yourself because tying a living, moving person is completely different from practicing knots on an inanimate object, and above all, even if you've practiced extensively, you have to have an escape route." He pulled a pair of scissors from the drawer and set them on the dresser as well. "Medical scissors, with the protected edge, should always be within reach so you can cut the rope off if the knots get too tight or sweaty or if you just don't have time to un-do it properly."

I reached a section of the book with a collection of full page photographs and slowed to study them. The images ranged from fairly simple to unbelievably intricate patterns. Criss-crossing and weaving over the skin. The women portrayed were, admittedly, quite beautiful, but I didn't even see them.

"You're welcome to take that with you," Mr. Blackbourne said. I looked up to find him quietly studying me. "I have a feeling you'll get more use out of it than I will."

"Why didn't you?" He gave me a confused look and I elaborated, "Take it any further, I mean."

He pulled the rope from my loose grasp and ran it through his fingers, studying it intently. "I can appreciate the beauty of it, but for my purposes and desires the standard restraints work just fine. I learned enough to safely use scarves or belts. That's the fifth form, by the way. A sort of DIY, if you will. But if I'm home to have access to the rope I'd rather just use the cuffs." He held the rope back out to me and I hesitated in taking it.

"It's very…" I paused, searching for the word. Hot as fuck. "Erotic," I finally spit out, censoring myself. "But it looks complicated."

"It's not that bad, but it does take some trial and error." I quirked an eyebrow. In question? In challenge? I'm not sure.

Mr. B. chuckled lightly under his breath but held my gaze, answering the challenge. He reached out and circled my wrist, pulling it up and silently directing me to hold it out in front of me. He positioned my other arm so my wrists were around 8 inches apart and began to loop the coiled rope loosely around both.

"Look, I know you said you hadn't found a partner yet but if you want to pursue this it's non-negotiable. It doesn't have to be a sexual interaction. I'm sure one of your brothers would be willing to be your mannequin if you asked; though they might rag you about it mercilessly."

After circling 5 loops around both wrists he took both ends to the center and crossed them, then began wrapping the chord in the middle more snuggly.

"How did you learn?" I asked as I watched his movements in fascination.

"Sean was kind enough to play along without too much teasing. It was more clinical than sexy at first, while I was still trying to figure it all out."

He cinched the ropes tighter and tucked the two loose ends into the tight coil he had formed in the center. A rigid column of rope now sat between my wrists, the loops on my arms tightened to the point that I couldn't pull my hands out, but still loose enough I could rotate them. I experimentally tugged, trying to pull my wrists apart or slip my hand out, but the rope held. I looked up to find a satisfied smirk on Mr. B's face and I held my wrists out to him, "Okay, you made your point. You can let me go now."

He held his hands comfortably behind his back and circled me; looking me up and down as I stood helpless in front of him. Well, not helpless, our self-defense training could more than compensate for bound wrists, but I wasn't actually planning to hurt him or myself so I was left rather ineffective.

"I don't know, Mr. Taylor, I think I rather like having you and your defiance bound," he said with a laugh. I tried not to examine too closely why this had me growing hard. He stood behind me and leaned in close until I could feel his hot breath on my ear. "Relax, Mr. Taylor. I'm just messing with you."

*North*

I tried to adjust my stance to one of nonchalance at his words, but breathed a sigh of relief when he came back to my front and began releasing me.

He studied the rope intently, not meeting my eyes. "If you're really not comfortable asking one of the other boys, we can do this together." He looked up to catch my attention and held my gaze, "I'd rather not. I do the tying. I do not get tied up." I couldn't tear my eyes away from his as he made his normal stance very clear. He finally glanced back down to my hands and I took my first breath in what felt like minutes. "Above all, though, I want you to be safe with this and if you need me in order to do that I will."

I sincerely appreciated his offer, but after this experience I thought I knew how he would feel. I was inexplicably turned on, but also confused and uncomfortable. I like control in the bedroom, maybe even needed it, and at that moment I had no control what-so-ever. If practicing with him would make him feel this way I would suck it up and ask one of the other guys who didn't have our common predilection. I knew most, if not all of them would agree to help just because I asked, it was just embarrassing, especially since I would undoubtedly not be good at it at first. I cleared my throat before attempting to speak. "Thank you, sir, but I'll suck it up and ask Silas. Or Luke." Luke would probably be the worst in terms of mocking me, but I was starting to build up a theory that if he was complicit in it then he really couldn't make fun of it.

A wave of tension I hadn't realized was present seemed to seep out of him and he visibly relaxed. A surge of gratitude rushed through me. The fact that he'd been willing meant a lot. He freed the last twist of the rope and I let my hands drop back to my sides as he coiled the rope with calculated, precise movements.

"I can't stress enough how important communication is here, North." I did a double take at his use of my first name. "Whoever you practice with needs to be comfortable. They have to be able to tell you if it's too tight or uncomfortable or if they're losing sensation in their fingertips. And you have to pay attention to their non-verbal cues as well; you can't get so lost in the moment that you forget." He stacked the rope on top of the book and added the scissors to the pile before holding it out to me. "Take it slow."

I hesitantly reached for the book and our fingers lingered over the same spot before he abruptly dropped his hands back to his side. I lowered the book to cover my crotch, a fleeting thought wondering what was up with my dick tonight that every little thing seemed to make it jump.

The silence stretched and began to grow awkward while he uncharacteristically fidgeted with the restraints in his drawer. I idly wondered again who the perfectly aligned drawer of goodies was for and to stop myself from asking about something that was none of my business I blurted out the next thought in my head. "So what does this mean for Sang?"

He looked up from his collection and fell easily back into the strong confidence that looked so natural on him. "For now, nothing. I have every intention of continuing with the verbal restraint I've already introduced her to and you're more than welcome to do the same. I just ask that you don't do anything that could trigger a negative memory. No handcuffs, no rope, no belts. I did have success blindfolding her without a negative reaction, so that should be fine, but never leave her alone when she's in any sort of restraint."

"When will we take it further?"

He sighed and rubbed subconsciously at one of his temples, "Ideally I'd like to wait until she asks about bondage. I don't know if it will naturally occur to her. She's so inexperienced; she may not even realize it's an option. Failing that we will need to broach the subject with her carefully. Suggest it in passing a few times and give her time to mentally process. Take baby steps, starting with loose ties she can undo and trying to replace her memories from that day with happy, pleasurable ones. I realize it's asking a lot, and possibly I'm overstepping a boundary, but I'm going to ask that I be there for any attempts unless and until we've established that she's truly comfortable with it. Having a spotter is not a bad idea when you're still learning. Someone who can watch for signs of distress just in case you get carried away."

My fantasy certainly hadn't included him, but as I added him to the mental image I found I didn't mind. We rarely agreed on anything, but we had always worked well together and I knew this would be no exception.

"And the bottom line is we have to be prepared to accept that she may never be okay with it. If that's the case you'll have to either find an alternate outlet among our family or let it go."

"You don't have to worry about me pushing her; it wouldn't be appealing if she wasn't into it."

"Good," he responded simply as he made a move toward the door.

I followed him out of the bedroom and back toward the front of the apartment. As I stared down at the rope in my hand I found myself lost in thought, running through variations of how this conversation would go with one of my brothers. How in the Hell was I supposed to bring this up? And how would they react?

Mr. B. picked his now cold chocolate up off the side table and carried it into the kitchen, pouring what was left down the sink and rinsing the mug to put it in the dishwasher.

"Uh, Mr. B.?" I waited for him to look up at me before I went on. "How did you broach the subject with Dr. Green?"

"About teaching you about this? I told him I'd made a commitment to you back at Family Night. I won't disclose any specifics that you don't want me to, but I wasn't sure if today would turn physical and I won't hide anything from him."

I felt blood rush to the tips of my ears and rubbed self-consciously at the back of my neck. The idea of today turning physical made my heart race. "No, I meant back when you first started," I clarified. Though it was interesting to know that he felt an obligation to the doc. Things had been a little different between them lately, but I sort of thought it was just them being more open about the physical relationship they'd always had, but maybe it was more than that?

"Oh," he said, my actual question drawing him up short. "Well. The very basis of our relationship was experimentation. We were young and trying new things; trying to figure out what we liked. It wasn't uncommon at all for one of us to go to the other with something new we wanted to try, whether it be a physical act or a scenario. Adding this to the list wasn't an issue."

So much for getting an idea of an ice breaker from his experience. I was on my own with this one.

"Mr. Taylor," he called my name and pulled my attention back up to his face as he rounded the kitchen counter to come stand before me. I never understood how he could make me feel like I was looking up to him when he was actually several inches shorter than me. "Don't force it. For them or for you. I know I've stressed the safety aspect a lot tonight because it's absolutely fundamental, but ultimately this should be enjoyable. Fun even. Relax." At the last he poked at my shoulder, rocking me back. I caught myself easily, but my shoulders did relax a bit and I let out a chuckle on a huff of breath.

"You're right, I don't know why I'm so tense. You'd think after the afternoon I had I'd be relaxed." He quirked an eyebrow and I realized the reason my afternoon had gotten so interesting was because he wasn't at school to witness it. "I, uhh, may have spent fourth period in your office with Sang."

I sort of thought he'd be pissed, at the very least irritated given the risk I'd undertaken by doing what we did on school grounds, but he actually laughed. "Do you need to try for that tension relief again?"

*Owen*

I hadn't known where tonight would lead. I really didn't know what to expect, I just knew I needed to uphold the promise I'd made to North. If for no other reason than to make sure that he didn't try it on his own and end up hurting or emotionally scarring the girl we loved.

I could tell he was tense the moment he walked in and I did my best to ease his mind. We were just talking after all, and the boy acted like I was either going to jump him or lecture him at any moment.

My heart raced as I built up the nerve to open that drawer and expose this part of myself fully to another. Sean of course knew about it, and over the years we'd occasionally played, but he never really got into it, doing it for my pleasure more than his. Not to say he didn't get his own pleasure out of the encounters, I just didn't think it really had anything to do with the items in the drawer. I was lucky to have found an accepting partner in him and I wasn't sure how far my luck would stretch. My brothers' respect was important to me and I hoped I wouldn't lose Mr. Taylor's by exposing this very private facet of myself.

With a deep breath I tugged the drawer open and began extracting each piece, setting them on the dresser one item at a time.

I could practically see the thoughts racing through his head as he ran his fingers over the supple leather and my nerves settled as I explained their function and the key safety considerations. Having something to focus on helped. When he challenged me to release the clasp on one of the cuffs faster than he had I relaxed further, confident my fingers knew just what to do without even looking.

When I demonstrated the use of the spreader bar I couldn't help but reflect back on the recent memory of Kota and the afternoon we spent together. I attempted to quickly adjust my hardening shaft to hide the reaction from North, but found him lost in his own fantasy, as evidenced by the growing tent in his jeans. I cleared my throat and began putting pieces away, giving him a moment of privacy, as much as I could while still in the room, anyway.

He spotted the piece of rope I hadn't mentioned yet and I latched on to explaining the basics of rope restraint, grateful to have a topic that would distract me from the arousing thoughts that came with the other pieces for me. The rope just never really did anything for me. He laughed lightly at the title of the book; but it was the best I'd found when I was trying to educate myself on the topic, and when it came right down to it sometimes you had to be able to laugh at yourself. Even, or maybe especially, when it came to this.

When he quirked his eyebrow after my declaration that rope restraint, in general, wasn't that complicated I couldn't not rise to the challenge. It had been a while, years even, since I'd dabbled in rope, but it came back to me quickly as I wrapped his wrists loosely.

As he watched me work it seemed to be the most relaxed he'd been since he first walked into the apartment. With his attention fully focused on what I was doing he was out of his head for the moment. Until I finished, that is. He then realized that I hadn't just been messing around; I truly had been tying him and he now couldn't separate his wrists.

"Okay, you made your point," he said as he held his arms out to me. " You can let me go now."

I couldn't help myself; I circled him slowly, letting him stew for the moment. "I don't know, Mr. Taylor," I teased, "I think I rather like having you and your defiance bound."

He stood rigid before me. Irritated? I didn't think so. A little insecure, perhaps, and movement in his jeans told me at least partially aroused.

"Relax, Mr. Taylor," I breathed into his ear, "I'm just messing with you." I circled back to his front and heard the relief in his exhalation as I began to loosen his bound limbs.

I could tell our show and tell was coming to a close and I knew I needed to make the offer. He was still pretty tense about the whole thing and he needed someone to confide in. Ideally he'd find someone as I had found Kota. Someone who would not only tolerate his experimentation as Sean had for me, but who would enjoy it. Give him an outlet for his desires that wasn't Sang. But with how skittish he was being about it I didn't know that he'd actually reach out to anyone else.

As the words left my lips I was simultaneously praying he would take me up on the offer and that he wouldn't. At least then I would know he was doing it safely. Still, I couldn't help the relief that flooded my body when he declined. He seemed to be coming to terms with the idea of asking one of the other guys and I was grateful.

I wrapped the loose rope into a neat coil as I tried to reiterate one more time how absolutely fundamental communication and safety were, then handed him the stack of materials. I was sure he'd pour over the book in detail and I trusted him to be safe now that he understood the risks.

We headed back out into the main room and I tried to lend some normalcy to the situation as I washed out my mug. He surprised me when he asked about Sean. We hadn't made any sort of announcement to anyone but Sang about our shift in relationship, but assumed eventually the boys would pick up on it. Apparently it took less time than I'd anticipated.

"I told him I'd made a commitment to you back at Family Night," I explained, then thought it important to reassure him. "I won't disclose any specifics that you don't want me to, but I wasn't sure if today would turn physical and I won't hide anything from him."

The look on his face told me before his words did that he hadn't been asking about our current relationship and I felt a little silly for assuming.

"No, I meant back when you first started," he elaborated.

"Oh," that was a different story altogether. Our relationship had be so different back then. I explained the nature of our relationship, but he didn't seem terribly comforted by that information. I circled around the kitchen counter and made one last attempt to relax him. "Ultimately this should be enjoyable," I reminded him. "Fun even. Relax."

He finally seemed to ease up a bit. "You're right, I don't know why I'm so tense. You'd think after the afternoon I had I'd be relaxed." At my questioning look he went on "I may have spent fourth period in your office with Sang."

I laughed at that. I should have known; I did ask him to deliver her to the office after all. Could I really expect him to turn down the chance at an hour alone with her? I just hoped they were discreet. The last thing we needed were new rumors going around about the two of them skipping class together. He was right though, he should be more relaxed than he was if he'd spent a portion of his afternoon wrapped up in Miss Sorenson. "Do you need to try for that tension relief again?" I asked.

*North*

I gave him a questioning look. Was he asking me what I thought he was asking me? My dick seemed to be pretty confident in his invitation because it came to attention and was straining to get out of my jeans. He glanced pointedly at my bulge and then back up to meet my eyes. Before I built up the nerve to respond his phone chimed and he stretched over the counter to check it.

I watched his expression shift as he read the text, a soft smile curving his lips that told me it was Sang.

"Sang?" I asked unnecessarily.

"Huh?" he asked as he looked up from the screen, his mask of cool indifference moving in once more. "Oh, no, it's not Miss Sorenson. It's Dr. Green, letting me know he's home from the hospital."

My thought from earlier about a change in their dynamic returned. I would have sworn on anything that text message had been from Sang. The fact that it wasn't made me think there was definitely something going on. Were they hiding it from us? Mr. B. looked happy, though, and for that I was glad.

He slipped his phone back into his pocket, all business once more. "I'm sorry Mr. Taylor, but I didn't realize how late it had gotten." I made a dismissive gesture with my hand. It was getting late and I should probably head home. He made a final sweep over the kitchen, tidying the counters while I gathered the items he'd given me and then moved to put on his shoes. He was leaving? Interesting.

He grabbed his wallet and keys off the small dedicated table by the door and I followed him out through the attached garage. We stood awkwardly by his car for a moment. What does one say at this point? 'Bye' sounded inadequate.

"My apologies, again, for cutting our meeting short," he said as he opened his car door. "If you have any questions or need anything you know you can always call me, right?"

I nodded; that my family would be there was a constant I had grown to rely on over the past five years. "Thanks, Mr. B." With that I turned to head for the parking lot, stopping short a few steps past the overhead door. "Hey, Mr. B?" I called to get his attention. He stopped halfway into his car to look back at me. I'm not sure what inspired me to say it, but I called out, "Have fun with the doc tonight." That soft smile flashed over his features again, so briefly I almost missed it and I swear I saw the color rise in his cheeks.

"Goodnight, Mr. Taylor," he said pointedly, ending our conversation. I couldn't help but grin at the thought that I'd successfully called him out on exactly where he was going as I turned on my heel and made my way to my bike.

*North*

With the book and rope safely stowed in the compartment under my seat I made good time getting back to the house. I was surprised to find Silas's car parked in front of my trailer. I didn't think we'd had plans tonight, but surely he would have called me if he'd been expecting to find me here. The trailer appeared dark, but maybe he was watching TV or asleep.

I made quick work of swapping my helmet for the book and rope and headed into the trailer, somewhat surprised to find it empty. He must have headed over to the main house, then. I dropped everything on the kitchen table and headed back out the door, not even bothering to turn on a light.

The house was quiet; the kitchen the only room illuminated. Uncle should still be at the diner and if Silas was here he and Luke were probably in the back. I headed towards Luke's room, wondering if, when, and how I should bring up what I'd just talked about with Mr. B. It wasn't something I could just blurt out.

I could see the light on in Luke's room from down the hall and his door was partway open. I knocked lightly as I pushed the door the rest of the way open and froze at the sight before me. At first all I could process was skin. A lot of skin.

Silas's naked back was to the door, Luke wrapped around him, both of them looking over at me in wide-eyed silence. Silas pushed up to his knees, exposing even more of both himself and Luke as they separated and he turned toward me.

*Silas*

I turned toward the knock on the door with wide eyes and when I saw North standing there all I could think was Thank Theos it's not Uncle. I got to my knees, leaving what I hoped was a reassuring palm on Luke's thigh.

"Christόs, North, me trómaxes." (Christ, North, you scared me)

My erection bobbed freely in front of me and I thought to cover it, but then noticed North's eyes flicking back to it repeatedly as he took in the scene.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I can leave."

With a quick confirming glance at Luke I turned back to him, "you're welcome to stay."

There was movement behind me and my hand fell away from Luke as he shifted. I kept my eyes on North as Luke got to his knees; he moved in close to me, one arm wrapped around my waist, his hand resting low on my stomach and the other hand trailing lightly up and down the outside of my thigh. I crooked a finger at North and beckoned for him to join us.

He moved slowly toward the edge of the bed and kicked off his boots before stopping abruptly. He spun around and I thought he was leaving until he shut the bedroom door fully and twisted the lock; it wouldn't keep anyone out who wanted in, but it would slow them down and tell anyone who wasn't intentionally prying to keep out. Once that was done he turned back to us and tugged his shirt over his head as he climbed up onto the bed.

I hooked one finger into the waist of his jeans and drew him in closer while Luke's hand slid down to stroke my length. My eyes closed against the sensation, but I forced them open again and made quick work of North's button and zipper. His hand stretched out and he cupped my sack, rolling and massaging me while Luke stroked and I tried to free him of his very restrictive black jeans. Eventually he released me and helped shove his jeans down over his hips. He flopped back across the foot of the bed to kick the jeans the rest of the way off and I followed him down, taking his hard rod between my lips in one smooth motion as I descended. I missed the warmth of Luke at my back, but a moment later he was wiggling under me, his head tipped back, his mouth finding my own cock hard and ready. I fought the impulse to thrust my hips into his mouth and tried to keep an even rhythm on North as my head bobbed up and down.

North groaned as I worked him over, threading his fingers into my hair and using a firm grip to set my pace as he simultaneously thrust up into my mouth. Luke wrapped his lips around the tip of my cock and alternated sucking with a delicious pressure and swirling his tongue around the head while his hand worked over my length, pulling me closer and closer to release.

I slid down as North's hips lifted off the bed and took him deep into my throat, holding him there and swallowing around the tip until I was forced to pull back to breathe.

"Fuck," he growled out as his hips fell back to the mattress and I pulled back off him gasping for air. He covered his face with both hands and scrubbed his palms up and down.

*North*

Silas's mouth felt amazing, but I realized as he coaxed me closer and closer to eruption that, while momentarily satisfying, this would only bring me temporary relief, like my hour with Sang had. What I needed was the full-body exhaustion of hard fucking.

"Silas," I groaned out from beneath my hands as he stroked me while catching his breath. I peeked out from between my fingers and saw I had his full attention. "Shit, man, that feels great, but," I paused, having trouble saying the words.

Something flared in his eyes and he nodded, knowing what I meant without me saying it. He straightened up, drawing Luke with him. I watched with fascination as they moved toward one another naturally, knee to knee, chest to chest, their foreheads tipped together. Their hips rolled in a sinuous movement, grinding against each other as Luke nipped playfully at his lower lip. Silas closed the gap between them more firmly, sealing his lips against Luke's, and then twisted to fall back on his back with his head on a mountain of pillows. He sat back up and shoved all but one pillow off to the side, then resettled himself as I got to my knees. He held a hand out to me with a bottle of KY and I moved closer, taking the bottle and sidling up close to him while he lifted his knees toward his chest.

My cock was as hard as steel and dripping pre-cum in anticipation and I tried to temper my enthusiasm, knowing he'd need me to go slowly. I started massaging his taint and then eased back further, rubbing small circles around his asshole and he groaned out in approval. The sound was cut off suddenly and I looked up to see Luke had moved up by his face and his cock was now muffling Silas's sounds. My shaft throbbed with the need to be buried deep in a tight, hot hole and I redoubled my efforts to prep Silas, sinking two lubricated fingers into his ass. Luke hissed in a breath between his teeth as Silas moaned around him.

As Silas relaxed and I was able to glide my fingers easily in and out I decided I couldn't wait any longer and I quickly slathered my aching cock with the KY and moved closer until my thighs were tight up against him. I braced myself with a hand on the back of his thigh, opening him further to me and gripped myself with my other hand and began to slowly press into him.

It took every bit of self-control I possessed not to slam into him; I worked my way in inch by inch as he adjusted to my size and finally I was balls deep, with his hot passage clenching down tight around me. We groaned out together as I rocked my hips against him and then started to pull back. There was no doubt in my mind this was exactly what I needed as I buried myself in him over and over again, gradually building up speed. Luke's hand roamed soothingly over Silas's chest and stomach as his hips thrust into Silas's waiting mouth. I watched as Luke spread his knees wider and sunk lower while one of Silas's hands moved between his legs. Luke's hips stilled, his cock falling away from Silas's mouth as he groaned out and I could imagine what Silas was doing to elicit that reaction.

"Harder, North," Silas breathed out. He didn't have to ask me twice. I tugged him further into me by his hips and set one of his ankles on my shoulder. Gripping his leg for leverage I slammed into him harder and faster. One of his hands wrapped around his cock, stroking in time with my thrusts, the other hand still between Luke's legs. I didn't hold anything back; reveling in the fact that I could give Silas everything I had without fear of hurting him or pushing him too far. We all climbed higher and higher together until a rush of white hot pleasure ran down my spine, gathering in my balls before erupting.

I pounded into Silas with increasingly jerky movements as my muscles spasmed with my release and Silas and Luke were both just moments behind, painting Silas's chest and stomach with the evidence of their own climaxes.

*North*

Eventually I eased out of Silas and, letting his leg fall to the side, collapsed next to him on the bed, sharing the small pillow under his head. Luke lay sprawled out as well, catching his breath, lying opposite us with his bent knees at the head of the bed and his head closer to the foot. The room was silent except for ragged, uneven exhalations from all three of us and the pounding of blood in my ears. I felt Silas's chuckle beside me before I heard it.

"Damn that was…. Damn," he mumbled under his laughter. A moment later he tried again, "That was definitely not what I expected when I left the apartment tonight." He turned his head toward Luke and I heard the faint sound of puckered lips as he gave a peck to some exposed bit of Luke's skin, then he sat up and squeezed my thigh affectionately as he scooted out from between us and headed toward the door. He cracked it open and listened before opening it more fully and ducking into the adjacent bathroom.

My muscles were deliciously tired and I started to drift off before Silas returned. He flopped back onto the bed between us, jostling me out of my doze. He stretched his body the full length of the bed, crossing his arms under his head and letting one ankle lay over the other; combined with the satisfied grin on his face he was the picture of relaxation.

I forced myself up onto my elbow, knowing I'd fall asleep if I stayed prostrate, and took in the fading glisten on his chest that confirmed he had washed up in the bathroom and was still slightly damp. Luke must have moved while Silas was in the bathroom, because his head now rested on a second pillow at the top of the bed rather than the bottom, his eyes closed. I looked over to the clock on the nightstand and something triggered in the back of my mind that Uncle would be home from the diner shortly.

"We should go to the trailer before Uncle gets home," I suggested. "I can't even imagine the look on his face if he walked in on this," I said as I gestured across the three of us, lying naked on Luke's bed.

Silas laughed in response; it was funny in theory but would be nothing even remotely close to funny in reality. We both got to our feet and began putting our clothes back on.

Luke sat up, wrapping his arms around one bent knee as he watched us getting dressed. "Right, that's a good idea" he said quietly, his brow crinkled in thought. He looked… dejected.

I crossed over to the side of the bed closest to him and gave him no time to react as I pulled him into a head lock and mussed at his hair. "I meant for you to come with us, little brother."

"Hey!" he called as he tried to wiggle free, "I'm older than you!"

"Yes," I agreed, "but you're littler." I released him with a laugh and was glad to see the spark back in his eyes as he shoved me away from him and reached for his boxer shorts. We waited for Luke to grab shorts and a tee shirt from his dresser and I wondered at the fact that those items weren't among the clothes spread on the floor; apparently he hadn't been wearing any?

He shoved at me again as we headed out of the house and I draped my arm patronizingly around his shoulders, emphasizing the few inches I had on him in height. Silas made it to the trailer first and led the way in while Luke and I dawdled, playfully trying to trip each other as we walked side by side. I climbed the few steps up to the door and froze. Luke bumped into me, not expecting me to stop so suddenly, but I couldn't seem to make my feet carry me out of his way as I stared wide-eyed at the open book in Silas's hands. Luke finally shoved me hard enough to challenge my balance and I caught myself a few steps into the shared living room/kitchen area.

"What the heck was that about?" Luke asked as he came the rest of the way in, giving me a confused look. He looked to Silas for an answer and then moved further into the kitchen, "What do you have there?"

My heart raced and my palms sweated as they stood side-by-side, their attention entirely focused on the book. Silas flipped the pages, skimming rather than reading, and I could tell when they got to the full page photo section because they lingered much longer.

Silas looked up with unrestrained humor all over his face. "Dammit, why can I not think of the word in English. You loxós bastard," he declared, barely holding back a laugh.

The word he was searching for translated roughly to kinky, but I wasn't going to remind him of that.

"When did you start with this?" Luke asked, open curiosity on his face and none of the mocking I'd expected.

"I haven't. I don't. I mean, Mr. B. just gave me the book tonight." I stuttered out. Both of their faces registered surprise when I mentioned Mr. B's name; why did I do that? They didn't need to know his involvement and his preferences in the bedroom were not mine to share.

"So you and Mr. B…?" Luke asked, letting the end of the question hang.

"No! No. We were just talking and the book was something he bought several years ago out of curiosity, but never pursued it, and he thought I might like to look it over." I tried to dodge land mines as I spoke, hopeful I wasn't breaking his confidence in the little bit I'd revealed.

"So you're not interested?" Silas this time.

I took a breath to answer and then paused. I could say no. I could avoid the embarrassment and play it off as a passing curiosity, nothing more. But of all my family these two knew me best, and if I couldn't acknowledge this to them then there was no hope of asking one of the others. "I didn't say that," I dodged, speaking softly.

"Whatever floats your ship, friend," Silas said. The phrase, of course, was boat, but his voice had lost its teasing nature and I could see the acceptance on his face so I didn't correct him, grateful for his neutral response.

I turned my attention hesitantly to Luke, expecting to find him holding back laughter, ready to text Gabe and the others so they could all rag me mercilessly. Instead I found him looking at the photos again and when he turned back to face me I was surprised to see that he looked intrigued. "You're going to try it with Sang?" he asked, a note of uncertainty in his voice.

"No. I mean, maybe someday, but Mr. B doesn't think she'd react well given what happened with her mom." Silas began to grow visibly angry at the memory of finding her and I went on, hoping to distract him. "For now I'm just going to read about it and maybe practice some of the knots." I swallowed nervously, building up the nerve to go on. "He actually was rather insistent that I find a, uh, partner." I paused, trying to read their reactions and getting nothing from either of them.

"A partner?" Luke finally asked.

"Yeah, he said it would be very different tying a person versus some inanimate object that doesn't have to worry about blood circulation or comfort."

Luke's eyes flicked back and forth between me and Silas and he finally said, "I could help you." My eyebrows went high at the unexpected offer and he rushed on, "if you want, I mean. If you didn't have someone else –"

"No!" I cut him off, "That would be great. I, uh," I rubbed self consciously at the back of my neck, "I actually was thinking about asking you."

Luke's cheeks flushed and a somewhat satisfied smirk crossed his lips that grew until we were grinning at each other dopily. Silas looked back and forth between us. "Were you gonna start, like, now?"

I finally looked away and laughed, all of the tension from earlier gone. "No, I don't think so."

"Good," he said, closing the book and setting it back on the table, "because I'm exhausted and I didn't want to have to drive home to give you two privacy." With that he stripped off his hoodie and dropped his shorts as he headed for my bed, crawling between the sheets in nothing but his boxers and settling in on the far side.

Luke shook his head with a soft smile and then followed suit, stripping down to his boxers and taking the middle. Not for the first time since we found Sang I was grateful to have a king size bed squeezed into my little trailer and I tossed my own clothes in the hamper before switching off the light and joining them.