La Maison 5: Darkness (Complete: mxm BDSM)

Arc 2 Chapter 10.1

Gabe was suspicious. Laurent was having a very intense-looking conversation with Gray, in François' study. They'd left the door open, but each time Gabe oh-so-casually got closer they stopped speaking, waiting for him to walk away, to the point where he'd given up and was sulking at the kitchen breakfast bar.

Owen was there, with Kaiya and Ellis, as Gabe stared morosely into his raspberry tea.

"Has something terrible happened?" Kaiya asked in his sweet, genuine way, though Ellis snorted.

"Not like you're thinking," Gabe admitted.

"Like what then?" Owen asked.

"I want to try some more things."

"Have you asked Gray?"

"I haven't come out with it, but I think he knows."

"You told him you didn't want him to spank you though."

Gabe flushed, but Ellis and Kaiya seemed unfazed, waiting for him to explain.

"I know. But it was because I know Gray doesn't really want to do that. He'd only be doing it for me."

"A lot of the dynamic is about give and take though."

"Maybe in an actual contract, or in a relationship. But not for what we've been doing. I can't expect him to do something he's not comfortable with. I wouldn't be able to go under knowing that."

"It's not that bad. Gray spanks me all the time – he's good at it, and he does like it."

"Not the way I'd need him to do it."

"Oh. Fair."

Gabe went back to his tea, which was appropriately bitter. He was still swirling the liquid around the cup when Loki came back from the interview he'd been to, lifting Kaiya and twirling him as he giggled. That just made it worse, so Gabe stood, tossing the tea into the sink in preparation for escaping.

Except then Gray and Laurent came into the kitchen, looking serious. Ellis muttered something about going to François' office next door, and Kaiya and Loki left in a cloud of happy pheromones for some kind of date.

"Will you sit, Gabe?" Laurent asked, an unnatural – for him – look of hopefulness in his eyes.

Gabe sat on the couch, nervously playing with his fingers, and Owen perched behind him, running a soothing hand across his shoulders.

"I'm just here as an objective bystander," Gray said, sitting next to Laurent on the opposite couch.

"Okay. But to what?" Gabe asked.

"I want to offer you something," Laurent said. "But before I do I need to ask you something." He waited for Gabe to give him a worried nod before continuing, "You have been pushing me, Bambi. I'd like to know why."

Gabe stared, the worry escalating. He knew he had been, from the beginning, but he couldn't explain it. Couldn't explain the reason for why Laurent had simply seemed like someone he needed to push.

"I- I don't know."

"I think you do, but perhaps you haven't thought about it. Do I make you feel unsafe?"

"No! No, I don't feel at all unsafe with you. The- the opposite, really."

"It's as I said," Gray said, patting Laurent's arm.

"I think you push me because you're trying to see if I will change. If I'll become like your last- your previous partner if you provoke me enough. But I won't. I never will, no matter how hard you push. I want to make you an offer, but I can't do it if you don't trust that I won't become like him."