La Maison 4: Blue (Complete: BDSM manxboy)

Chapter 18: Therapy

A/N: this is very dialogue heavy, so sorry. But you do get to find out a little more about Tim's background.

Plus, sexy times will come next chapter. Xander has to get Tim into his playroom at the club, after all 😉

Tim wasn't happy. After the other night at the club, the last person he wanted to open up to was the one person who'd instantly judged him so harshly.

So, when he'd arrived at the fancy office, and greeted the perfectly coiffed woman on the reception desk, he'd dropped into the comfortable chair in the waiting room with a pout and a sulk after she told him the doctor was running a few minutes late. It was probably on purpose. Another indication that he wasn't worth the man's time.

He'd tried again to convince Xander he didn't need to speak to a professional, but for some reason it was apparently the one thing he wasn't going to budge on. When he'd seemed to become actually distressed about Tim's family, Tim had decided it wasn't worth upsetting him over. He could always see the doctor and then tell Xander it was all fine. It wasn't like he was the only kid whose dad had believed in corporal punishment, and just because he wasn't a fan of it now, as an adult, didn't have to mean anything.

"You can go in, Tim," the receptionist said, fairly kindly he supposed, but there was probably all kinds of messed up people coming through, so she'd have to be good with people.

There wasn't even anyone in the office when he entered, except Gray, looking smug behind a huge desk. So he had been just making Tim wait for no reason. But then he seemed to read Tim's mind, which was a bit creepy.

"People leave through that door, Tim," Gray said, pointing to a door on the far side of the room. "When there are patients waiting, it's better for confidentiality."

"Oh." Well, what else could he say?

"Would you like to sit here?" Gray pointed to a couch, but a regular couch, not one of those psychiatrist chairs, though there was a big armchair on the other side of the coffee table, where Gray sat when Tim sank onto the tweed fabric.

"Um, what do I call you? Master Gray?"

"God, no. You can call me Gray, or Doctor Kemholt if you're feeling formal, though not many people do that. Did Mariella offer you a drink?"

"She did, but I have water, thanks."

Tim wasn't going to be lulled by any bedside manner. This was a waste of time.

"Tim, before we start, I want to tell you how sorry I am about my attitude the other night. I was wary about agreeing to see you, partly because of your relationship with Xander and his connection with me, but mainly because I knew you could hardly have a positive opinion of me after I was so pointlessly cold toward you."

Well, if he wanted to disarm Tim, he was going the right way about it. Tim didn't even know how to respond.

"And I'm not telling you I'm sorry to get you to forgive me either, so don't worry about saying anything. Feelings you have about me are valid, just as your feelings about other things going on in your life are."

"Um...okay."

"Can you tell me why you're here?"

Tim looked quizzically at him. What a strange question.

"In your own words."

"Oh, okay. Xander's worried, I guess. I'm here because he asked me to come."

"And why's he worried?"

"Because I freaked out the other night."

"Why did you freak out?"