AN:

This story is a little AU spin-off from the main story, made for fun, and as such is not beta-read.

The title comes from Bruce Springsteen's song of the same name, which is so perfect for Mario and Korlys' relationship.

Mario found Attrei sitting in an armchair on the porch, reading a book with the little beast in his lap. Claudio was nowhere to be seen. Thank the Maker.

He stepped closer and cleared his throat. Attrei didn't even notice, focused on the book with an expression as if he expected a monster to pop out of the page at any moment.

"Hey, Baby!" he said.

Attrei jumped and looked at him with wide eyes. "Oh, it's just you. Don't scare me like that."

Mario arched his brow. "I was only being polite," he said, sitting down in the armchair next to the mage. "If I wanted to scare you I'd sneak up from behind and grab your shoulder. But really. How can you be so scared reading a book? It's all made up, you know."

Attrei closed the book. Discussing literature with Mario was difficult when the thief was in the best of moods; when he was in a sarcastic mood like now, discussing anything was plain impossible. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"I just want to ask you something," Mario replied. "You remember that time when we talked about… safewords? Before we first came to Amarantine."

"Oh. That." That was one topic Attrei was even less eager to discuss with Mario than literature. "Didn't Korlys say he'd explain it?" he asked hopefully.

"Yeah, but he's been busy and I want to know."

"All right." Attrei licked his lips, searching for the least offensive explanation. "BDSM is sexual activity involving such practices as the use of physical restraints, the granting and relinquishing of control, and the infliction of pain."

Mario stared at him. "Okay. Great. Thanks. Now say it in Fereldan, please."

Attrei sighed. "It's sex that involves bondages, submission, and pain. But, it's supposed to be pleasant pain. They're not really hurting each other. At least I think so."

How was pain supposed to be pleasant? Mario was glad he was already sitting. "What bondages?" he asked weakly.

"Leather, I think. That's what the guys in the Tower used. They had to bribe Templars to have it brought from the outside, and everyone wanted to see it. I was just ten or eleven at the time, I only caught a glimpse. There were a whole lot of leather things, pants and vests and straps with buckles – a bit like what Korlys has on his armour, around the chest."

"You mean the harness?" What the hell did a harness have to do with sex?

"Is that what it's called?" Attrei shrugged. "I don't know. It was all black and shiny and a bit ridiculous, if you ask me. Except the cap. I remember I liked the cap, and wished I had one, too."

Mario was certain Attrei was deliberately trying to change the topic – he remembered that back then when they first mentioned it he seemed much better informed – but he couldn't bring himself to care. His mind was preoccupied with bondage and straps. Leather pants and vests were fine, as far as he was concerned… Korlys was always wearing his leathers anyway and he looked damn sexy in it. But there had to be more to it than that.

"And the code? What's that for?" he asked.

"Safeword? It's to make sure they don't get carried away. If the sub – the bottom, if he doesn't want to continue what they're doing, he says the safeword and the other one knows he means it, that it's not teasing or joking, and stops immediately. So they don't get really hurt, you know, it's all just a game."

"I see." The very fact they needed such a word was suspicious to Mario. But he still had Korlys' face before his eyes, when they talked about it. It was obvious that Korlys had experience with it and enjoyed it. And Korlys wouldn't enjoy really hurting his partner… but he loved games. So maybe this wouldn't be so bad, after all.

"Mario, are you all right?"

"What?" Mario's head snapped up. Attrei was staring at him with a worried look. "Yeah. Yeah, of course. I think I know enough. Uh, could you… keep quiet about this?"

"My lips are sealed," Attrei promised.

"Thanks… I'm going out for a moment, okay? I'll be back for lunch."

Mario walked away thoughtfully. The harness… on a naked body? Weird, but not too bad. Yeah, he could do that. Shiny pants sounded ridiculous, but he couldn't imagine Korlys liking that. So he'd skip that. The real problem was the rest of it. The painful games that required a safeword. But again, everything Korlys had taught him so far was fun. Maybe this would be fun, too.

oOo

He found a leather shop in a back alley near the docks. The shop didn't look too respectable, but that was fine. Shops like this were far more likely to have 'special' items than the posh ones downtown. True, his experience was based on things he'd used in his old business, but he couldn't imagine a luxury shop displaying 'sex harnesses'.

The door didn't have a bell, but with the loud screech it made when opened, it wasn't necessary anyway.

"Coming!" a voice yelled from the backroom, and a moment later, the shopkeeper appeared. The man had the red bulbous nose of a long-time alcoholic, and a build that had obviously been muscular when the man was younger, but was now slowly turning to fat, with a beer belly that made him look pregnant.

He said something that sounded like, "Canna hep ya?" in a gravelly voice, but his tone was amiable.

"Yes. I'm looking for the-" For what? Sex harness? Shiny pants? Mario felt the treacherous hotness spreading all over his face. "Stuff." Wow, well done! "I mean, special stuff. For… special purposes."

"Eh?" the shopkeeper replied, his brows drawn together in confusion. "What sort of purposes?"

Mario sighed inwardly. The guy wasn't going to make it easy, was he. "I need a harness… but not for armour," he tried again.

"Er... ya mean for horses?" the shopkeeper tried.

"No." There was no way around it, it seemed. Checking that there was no one else in the shop, he muttered. "BDSM."

The shopkeeper roared with laughter at that. "Oh, a sex harness." He collected himself after a moment, wiping tears from his eyes, and managed to say a little more seriously, "Well, what sort of harness do ya need? Do ya mean like a swing, or just one to tie someone up with?"

Swing? No… he didn't want to know. "Um. This – it's for a friend. I'm not into these things," he explained. "It should be similar to one that's used on armour."

The shopkeeper nodded knowingly. "What size is he, then?"

"He is-" Mario stopped, trying to find an excuse that would make this less embarrassing, but there wasn't any. "My size," he said resignedly.

"I see..." The shopkeeper looked him up and down. "I have a few things in the back. Follow me."

He led Mario to a little room off the main shop, where there were harnesses hanging from pegs on the wall, a display case with leather cuffs with D rings, bullwhips, ropes, and other things that Mario couldn't identify. The man went to one of the harnesses on the wall and took it down. "Ya might like this one," he said, handing it to Mario.

The thing was black, but not shiny, thank the Maker for small mercies. It had a leather thong to which vertical straps were attached at front and back; from those, six other straps branched – two would go around the waist, two around the chest and below the arms, and two around the neck. It had silver buckles that could be adjusted to make it fit, and five silver O rings, one one the chest, the other near the belly button, two at either side of the hip, and one...

"How does it work?" he asked, surprised. "This doesn't look like much binding to me."

"Here," the shopkeeper said, taking the harness back and turning it around. "Like this. You can try it on over your clothes. Just put this over your head, like that," he continued, helping Mario put his head through one of the openings between the straps. "Then put one arm through here, and the other through that one." The man got it on up to Mario's waist. "Obviously, once you're naked you can put the thong on, but for now..." He adjusted the buckles to make the fit snugger. "There, at least you can see how it feels... What do you think?"

There was a full-length mirror in the back. Mario stepped in front of it, wary of what he would see. But the result wasn't so bad. With clothes, at least. Without them, that would be a different story.

"How much for it?" he asked.

"That'll be four sovereigns... but, o'course you also will need leather cuffs – two for your wrists and two for your ankles, and leather cords for tying." As the shopkeeper listed the items needed he took them out and laid them on the counter. "And... does your friend have a whip?"

Mario was about to laugh at the ridiculous price – no way he was paying four sovereigns for a few leather straps and buckles – but the mention of a whip made him forget all about that. No, Korlys didn't have a whip and wouldn't need one, he wanted to say, but there were a few whips on the ship. He'd found them while he was looting their cabins. Back then, he didn't pay any attention to it, assumed they used it to whip kids and kittens, but… maybe they didn't. Maybe they whipped each other's naked asses.

He couldn't help laughing at the idea. "I'm not sure," he said. "I think I threw them all overboard."

"Well, do ya want one or don't cha?"

"I do," Mario decided. "Tell you what, I'll take it all for three golds, how's that?"

The shopkeeper laughed. "Son, I know I'm the only shop in town selling these 'specialty items', and even if I wasn't, that's quality leather goods there, why just look at those buckles!" he said, reaching out and giving the harness a few firm tugs around the buckles. "I'll tell ya what I'll do for you, son, I'll give ya the harness, all four cuffs, the leather cords, and the whip, for four sovereigns. And tha's my best offer."

That sounded reasonable – and Mario wasn't eager to check to see if the man was telling the truth about being the only one who sold the stuff. He intended to steal that much and more tomorrow anyway. "Four gold it is."

oOo

Mario hastily took off his clothes and folded them neatly on the chair, then picked up the harness. It looked easy in the shop, but doing it by himself without a big mirror, and under time pressure, was a bit more difficult. Korys could be back any minute now. It wouldn't do to let him find him still buckling the straps on. Finally done, he sat on the bed, but he was too tense to relax.

What if Korlys didn't like it after all? What if he burst into laughter at the sight? Mario didn't think he could survive that. But it was too late to change his mind now.

Korlys opened the door, a bottle of wine in his left hand, but paused in the doorway, eyes widening at the sight of Mario sitting on the side of the bed. He appeared to be naked except for a leather harness. "Wow." He quickly looked out the door both ways down the hall to make sure no one had been in a position to see inside, then came into the room, locking the door behind him.

He smiled and walked towards Mario. "You look amazing, caro. Where did you get such a sexy outfit?"

Mario quickly got up, his face so hot it would surely start to burn any moment now. "You like it?" He hated how squeaky his voice sounded – he'd planned to be confident and seductive, but now he couldn't remember a single witty line.

"It is stunning." The Antivan reached out, running his hand along one of the straps and tugging a little at the O ring on Mario's chest. "And very good quality, too," he said approvingly. "Excellent choice."

It better be, for that money. But that was definitely not a witty or seductive line. "I got it at a leather workshop on the docks," he said. Yeah, because that's so much better. He groaned inwardly.

Korlys didn't seem to notice, however. "Well, I am glad you found that shop," he said with a wicked grin. "I brought a bottle of an excellent merlot that I found along the way. Would you like some?"

"Sure," he said. He sat on the bed again, still feeling a bit awkward. But this, at least, was familiar. He watched Korlys as he opened the bottle and poured them each a glass, hoping his Antivan would take it from here, because he had no clue what to do next.

Korlys noted the whip and leather ties sitting on the table as he poured two glasses of wine for them. Interesting. Mario had not known what the term BDSM meant, and now he was here with all this gear. Someone had to have given him an education in between then and now. Probably Claudio. I will have to remember to thank him later.

He turned back and handed Mario a glass, sitting down next to him close enough to feel the other elf's body heat without their actually touching. "This is a wonderful surprise," he murmured, then leaned over and kissed Mario.

Trying hard not to beam like a happy puppy, Mario decided this thing really was worth every copper. At first he was still nervous, watching Korlys' every move to see what would happen next, but his Antivan was not in a hurry, and all they did for a while was sip wine and kiss and caress each other.

Once he could see that Mario had relaxed, Korlys put his glass down on the side table. "Are you still working on that?" he asked, and when Mario shook his head, he put the other elf's glass next to his. "Now," he said softly, toying with one of the straps going across Mario's chest, "I noticed you also bought some things to play with." He paused to lick the corner of Mario's lips where he could see a little drop of wine. "I must admit you intrigue me... do you want me to tie you up?"

Mario swallowed. Here it was. "Yes," he said, trying not to sound nervous.

It was clear the thief was nervous, but that was to be expected. After all, this would be an unsettling situation for anyone who was new to it, and Mario obviously hadn't had too much experience. Korlys got the ties from the table, ignoring the whip for now... not that he had any plans to use it in any serious way. He had spent enough of his life hurting others and being hurt himself to get into that. But, perhaps Mario only wanted to be teased with it. In Korlys' experience, the real excitement for most people was the hint of danger and the uncertainty. Even in the Crows it was rare to find someone who could actually get sexual pleasure from being flogged. He turned and gazed at Mario, considering what position would be best.

After some moments, he decided on a spread-eagled position. It made using a whip to tease Mario with a bit more difficult, but there were limited options for where to tie him to, since there was nothing on the ceiling he could use that would hold Mario's weight, and Korlys felt that tying his wrists to his ankles, or in any position that would have Mario's back to him, would likely cause him to panic.

"Lie down and spread your arms and legs," Korlys said. He took his time tying each limb to the bedpost closest to it, stopping frequently for long kisses or to caress Mario's skin. The long expanses of naked flesh were made even more tantalizing by the thin straps of leather and metal buckles that criss crossed it. The effect was mesmerizing, and he could hardly take his eyes off the other elf's body.

Once done, he strolled back to the table and picked up the whip. A fragment of memory flashed in his mind of the time he'd had to flog Tirano, followed – so swiftly it was almost superimposed – by the memory of his nightmare, where somehow Tirano had turned into Mario and he had only realized it too late to stop himself.

Korlys' hand tightened on the whip, but only for a moment and he relaxed again – he wasn't going to let his past ruin his present with Mario. He shoved the bad memories back down into the deep recesses of his mind, taking care to only allow his passion for Mario to show on his face when he turned back around. He let the whip uncoil from his hand, holding the handle lightly. As he walked back to the bed, the tip of it trailed the floor, making a soft whispery sound.

Mario lifted his head, trying to see what was going on. "Wait, what are you doing?" He squirmed against the cords, but they held firmly. "Don't I need this – safecode or something first?"

With a pang, Korlys realized his mistake – Mario's eyes were wide, and he was looking at the whip in alarm. It was easy to see that he had missed something. He tossed it aside, closing the short distance to the other elf quickly. Sitting by his side, he rubbed Mario's chest soothingly. "Caro, I would never hurt you – I was only teasing you with it because I thought you might enjoy it, but I should not have made the assumption that we both would have the same understanding."

"Yeah, I don't have any understanding," Mario laughed a bit. "All I know is that it involves leather and pain. So just have a little patience with me, okay?"

"It does not have to involve pain," Korlys said. "I do not want to hurt you. What I want is for you to be free to let me take care of your needs, and to help you learn about what you like and what you do not... I do enjoy the sense of power I get from seeing you tied up," he admitted. "But I do not want to misuse that power. I should have thought to let you choose a safeword to make sure I do not go too far."

Mario put his head down again. "That's what I want, too," he said, relieved. "I like it when you give up power and let me please you, and I know you also enjoy it. So I want to try it, too. I know you won't hurt me – it's just kinda difficult to remember it when you hold a whip." He laughed a little. "I'm sorry, Korlys… you need to get used to having a boyfriend who knows nothing. You're my first, you know. I never did anything like this before."

Korlys nodded. "I will not use the whip... Now, what will your safeword be? It should be a word you never would use in this situation and one you are sure you will be able to remember in the heat of the moment."

"Purple?" he blurted out. He wasn't even sure why.

"Purple it is," Korlys said with a smile. "Do you think you're ready to continue?"

Mario nodded "I'm all yours."

oOo

Claudio entered the dining room, yawning and stretching his back. Two guys sitting at one of the tables gave him a fleeting indifferent glance, then returned to munching their sausages. The healer wrinkled his nose. Sausages, this early in the morning? Disgusting. He never understood how people could stuff their faces like starved animals before they even started to move. You'd think they'd spent the night working out.

Of course, sex was an exercise if you did it vigorously enough… but what was the point of the exercise, if you then ruined the effect with greasy sausages washed down in beer? It made you plump and spotty and smelling of garlic, and totally ruined any chances with the ladies.

And that would be a tragedy, considering how many beautiful and willing ladies there were in Amaranthine. Denerim was bigger and shinier, Alamar was more decadent, but, judging from last night at least, Amaranthine was more uninhibited. Smiling at the memory, he sat at a table near the window, waved to the waitress, and ordered a jug of black coffee and a croissant, enjoying a moment of quiet before all the kids woke up.

Korlys walked into the dining room. The expression on his face was casual and at ease, masking the focus with which he scanned the room. Satisfied that there were no immediate threats, he walked over to Claudio. From the view through the windows, he could see the sun was shining. Korlys sat down across from the healer. "Bongiorno Claudio, it is a beautiful day, is it not?"

"Buongiorno," the mage replied with a little smile. "You look like you are in a good mood."

"As do you," Korlys said with a wink.

A waitress came by with a pot of coffee and two mugs. When she'd left, he leaned in a little closer to Claudio and said, "I have you to thank for that it seems, at least in part. Grazie for giving Mario an education yesterday. It was a bit of a surprise, but a very pleasant one, I assure you."

Claudio stared at him with wide eyes. "Uh… well, you are welcome, but… what exactly are you talking about?"

Korlys laughed. "Come now – no need to be coy about it. It is just the two of us here, after all." Sobering a bit, he continued, "Although I must say, I am a bit disappointed that you seem to have left Mario with the impression that I wanted to hurt him. You made it sound as if the Circle had given you a good education, but, if that is all you think BDSM is, it appears it was a bit lacking."

Claudio stared at his friend with an open mouth, then put his cup down, leaning back in his chair. "Wait… you think I… educated Mario in BDSM?! Me?"

"Well, who else would it have been?" Korlys laughed a little. "It was either you or Attrei, and it surely would not have been him. I cannot even imagine Mario asking him such a thing." The assassin frowned a little in confusion. "Although, now that I think of it, it is hard for me to imagine him coming to you, either. But where else could he have gotten enough information to buy all the toys he surprised me with last night?"

"He bought BDSM toys?" Claudio burst into laughter. "That kid never ceases to surprise me. But, no. He did not ask me. And considering what you said – that his information seemed to be lacking – I do not think he asked anyone truly experienced. Which means…" He blinked.

Which meant it had been Attrei. And someone would have to correct his misperception. "Not me – you will have to straighten Attrei out. You are both mages, after all."

"No. No, no, no." Claudio was still trying to wrap his mind around what had happened. One moment Korlys thanks him because Mario bought BDSM toys last night – where did he even get them?! – and the next, he's supposed to teach an innocent kid about the finer points of BDSM. "I think this should stay within your cute little family, yes?"

"I said 'not me' first." Korlys grinned widely – you couldn't argue with that logic.

"Ah, but – I am sure Mario asked him privately. You would not want him to know we discussed it-"

"That is fine – I do not mind you saying I came to you." Korlys' grin never faltered. If the choice was between the small bit of embarrassment that would cause, and having to educate the little mage on BDSM, well, it was no contest.

"Well. I will surely do it. When the need arises. Currently the kid believes sex is only worth it if done with the love of your life, preferably in marriage. We would not want to ruin his dreams, no?"

"True," Korlys agreed. "I will leave it in your capable hands, then, for when you feel the time is right."

"So… what toys did Mario buy?" Claudio asked curiously. "And where?"

"Mario would skin me alive if I told you that, but he mentioned a leather shop near the docks. I am sure it will not be too hard to find." Korlys winked. "I must say, they seemed to be very good quality. Perhaps that is why I thought of you."

"Sí, that is understandable," Claudio said with an approving nod. "I will definitely go have a look – they might have other toys, too."

The assassin wondered which toys Claudio might enjoy playing with, but refrained from asking questions. Korlys sighed at the pity of the healer's complete lack of interest in men. Such a waste. For now...

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