The flight back home was tiring, and Elijah was more than thankful for the sleeping pills Aiden gave him. When he woke, he was surprised to find himself in Aiden's bed, the covers delicately tucked around him. With a yawn, he sat up and glanced around to find the male was nowhere to be seen. He tried to recall getting off the plane, or at least arriving home, but could not. He could only assume the pills had knocked him out for a solid few hours so the plane ride did not make him sick. After, Aiden seemed to have put him in his bed. A part of him smiled at that realization. Aiden could have put him in his guest room that he had granted Elijah as his own, except he had chosen to let him sleep in his personal bed. He laid back down for a moment, nuzzling into the pillows with a soft, content sigh. The pillows smelt like Aiden and his cologne, something he relished in and wished he could bathe in. Part of him was disappointed the trip was over, but the other part was glad to be home.
Home...it was strange for him to view Aiden's house that way. He had never considered any place his home. Never had he felt safe and secure enough to think a place could be his. Yet he had unconsciously come to accept Aiden's home as his own. The male had proven to be nothing but kind to him as well as understanding. Nearly even loving. It was a relief to finally feel safe with somebody; to finally know that he would never need to please someone he did not want to.
"You're awake." He jumped at the sound of Aiden's voice, looking up to find him leaning in the bathroom doorway. His hair was damp, and he had a towel wrapped around his waist.
"Y-Yeah," He stuttered as he eyed the male, appreciating the view before his eyes flickered up to Aiden.
"Thank you. For letting me sleep in your room, I mean." He said softly which caused the male to chuckle as he made his way over.
"You are welcome in my room anytime you desire, love." He ran a hand through Elijah's hair which the younger male immediately leaned into. This caused Aiden to chuckle, sliding his hand to cup the male's cheek before he leaned to press a light kiss to his lips.
"I am going to get dressed. Why don't you do the same and we can see about meeting Cade and Victor for some lunch? Cade informed me he has some good news." He hummed softly. Elijah nodded, standing, and immediately following him to the closet. He realized he was in his boxers and a large t-shirt, most likely Aiden's. This caused him to blink in surprise before he shook it off and disappeared to his own room. He did not mind that Aiden had changed him, but he was thankful the male had been considerate enough to not completely strip him. It seemed he always took into consideration how Elijah might feel about his actions.
Once he was dressed in a pair of blue jeans and the same t-shirt of Aiden's, he met the older male in the hall. Aiden was wearing something similar, much to Elijah's amusement. He enjoyed seeing the male outside of his typical suit that he wore for work.
"You look lovely, as always." Aiden hummed his approval as he approached, placing his hands on Elijah's waist to draw him in.
"You think so?" Elijah bit his lip as he stared up at the male before something caught his attention. He reached up, his fingers lightly toying with the choker Aiden still wore.
"Of course. I enjoy seeing you in my clothes." Aiden let out a chuckle of amusement, though he eyed Elijah curiously as the male toyed with the necklace.
"You aren't going to take it off or throw it away?" Elijah had expected the male would only wear it for the one night to appease him. He had expected the choker to soon be tossed in the trash as it was intended to represent Elijah as the dominant for the day.
"Of course not, Elijah. You picked it out and I am more than happy to wear it. I mean, imagine if you decided to remove your collar and not wear it or throw it away. That would upset me." Aiden explained as he reached up, capturing Elijah's hand in his own.
"Yes but...I am not the dominant. Wouldn't that...isn't that...I mean I thought you would hate it." Elijah was not sure how to put his thoughts into words. He had never imagined Aiden to even actually wear the choker for the one night, much less keep it on after.
"I am as much yours as you are mine, love. I am more than happy to wear this since you picked it out for me. All it means is that I am yours, the same as yours means you are mine." Aiden murmured, lowering his head to press a gentle kiss to Elijah's forehead. This caused the boy to smile slightly, giddy at the idea that Aiden viewed them equally. That Elijah was allowed to consider the male his.
"I like that." He admitted softly, offering Aiden a shy smile. The male hummed in response, releasing his hips before tugging him down the hall by his hand.
"I am glad you do. I do not own you, Elijah. You are my submissive, my partner. That means you are equal to me in every way. If there is ever anything you do not like or you are not comfortable with, you tell me, and we discuss it together." Elijah nodded obediently at Aiden's words as they got into the vehicle.
As they drove, Elijah found his mind wondering as he stared out the window. He could not help but wonder what would happen with his father. He questioned if he would ever see him again, or if he would never get to show the man how his life was improving. His gaze shifted to Aiden, watching the male as he drove. He could ask the man to see him, explain that he wanted to see his father one last time. If only to prove to him how much better his life already was with the constant support of Aiden. Yet he could not find it in him to ask the man. He feared it might seem like he was ungrateful for everything Aiden had offered him.
"Hey, are you still wanting to go to therapy?" The question caught Elijah by surprise, but he nodded immediately.
"Y-Yeah. I think it is better that I face my demons rather than run from them." He admitted softly. The older male reached over, grasping his thigh to offer a small squeeze.
"I called my therapist the morning after you told me. We made an appointment for today if you would still want to go. Is that something you want to do? Maybe after we see what Cade and Victor want to see us for?" He suggested. Elijah was startled by the idea but offered a quick nod.
"Yeah, that would be okay with me. Will you be in the therapy with me?" He asked softly, biting his lip nervously. He was not sure how much he could tell the therapist with Aiden there; he did not want the male to hear all the horrors of his past.
"Only if you ask me to be. Otherwise, no. I will wait in the lobby for you. Anything you disclose to her will be private; I will know nothing of it unless you desire to tell me." He did his best to reassure the male as he lightly squeezed his thigh.
"Elijah, you do know that no matter what happened it will not change the way I see you, right?"
"I-I know." He gave a rapid nod, biting his lip. Even so, he feared Aiden knowing everything he had been forced to do. The male knew the general idea, but the last thing he wanted was for him to know everything. Aiden nodded, giving his thigh one more squeeze before parking the car and helping Elijah out.
"Cade said they wanted to grab a bite to eat so we agreed to meet here." He explained to Elijah as he opened the door for him. Elijah entered, eyeing the small café curiously before Aiden stepped in, placing a hand on his lower back.
"Over there." The male nodded to a booth on the furthest side of the small location. Aiden kept one hand on Elijah's lower back, guiding him to the booth before allowing the younger male in first.
"You're late." Cade sounded rather amused, earning an eyeroll from Aiden as he scooted into the booth. Elijah took the time to take in Victor's appearance. He was relieved to see the male appeared to look much better than when they had first met. He was leaned back into the booth, sipping on a smoothie before he lightly nudged Cade, offering him a sip as well. His ginger hair was now styled back, appearing as though it had recently been cut. His eyes were brighter than before, seeming to light up with amusement at Cade's comment. Elijah could not help but wonder if the differences were the same for him; he wondered if Aiden's friends had noticed his change overtime.
"My apologies. Elijah had a long flight home and the sleeping pills knocked him on his ass." Aiden chuckled quietly as the waitress approached. He ordered two waters before offering Elijah the menu.
"Do they have coffee?" He asked the male softly which earned him a look of amusement. When the waitress brought the waters over, he asked for two coffees with almond milk and sugar on the side.
"So needy." At first, Elijah was concerned by Aiden's words, but he quickly relaxed as he noticed the amused grin on the male's lips. He simply gave a low hum, leaning into the male's side as he looked at the menu over his shoulder.
"I am not too hungry." He admitted to him softly as he eyed the options. Nothing sounded overly appetizing to him, most likely due to the plane flight.
"That is fine. Just get something small for now...how about a parfait? It has strawberries and blueberries with yogurt." The male suggested.
"And... yes I thought so. It comes with granola as well." He hummed lowly. Elijah nodded his approval, his eyes lighting up when the coffee came out. The waitress set the coffee down before she sat up, taking out a notepad.
"Are we ready to order?" She questioned. Cade spoke up first with a small.
"I would like a plate with two eggs over-easy, sausage, and toast. Then a bowl of hashbrowns with one egg over-easy." Cade hummed, offering her his menu which she took with a small nod.
"On a separate ticket, could I please get the avocado toast, a side of fruit, and a small side of hashbrowns?" Aiden requested politely once she appeared to be ready.
"As well as a parfait." With that, the woman disappeared, and Elijah hummed softly as he eyed the coffee.
"Aiden, would you...could you please help me?" He glanced to the male, hopeful he would not be irritated by the request. However, the male simply released a quiet chuckle and reached across him. He grabbed the small glass of almond milk, pouring half into his own and half into Elijah's.
"Do you want it sweet, love?" Aiden murmured softly as he added sugar into his own. Elijah nodded immediately and the male added some into his.
"Make sure you stir it."
"Yes, sir." The words slipped out and Elijah blushed slightly, quickly busying himself with stirring his coffee. He knew Aiden did not mind it if he called him 'sir', but he was enjoying being allowed to call the male by his name. Especially after having been told he normally would not allow a submissive to. It felt...special for him. In the same way Aiden wearing the choker allowed him to feel special.
"So, Cade, what is the news?" Aiden raised an eyebrow at the male, his eyes flickering to Victor who was studying Elijah with curious eyes, having noticed how he addressed Aiden.
"Does he have to call you Sir? I mean do you require that?" Victor asked without seeming to think first. This caused Aiden to blink in surprise as Cade quickly scolded the male.
"Victor, don't ask such personal questions." His tone was not harsh in the slightest, more like a parent scolding their child. This caused Aiden to chuckle as he shook his head.
"It is fine, Cade. I do not mind his questions." He waved the male off before his eyes met Victor's.
"At first I did, to get him accustomed to the life. However, I quickly realized I much prefer hearing him say my name." There was a small smirk on Aiden's lips as he spoke, and Elijah flushed the slightest bit.
"Oh." Victor nodded and Aiden could not help studying him for a few moments more before he spoke.
"Why do you ask?"
"Oh, well...my old...my old dominant always made me call him Master no matter where we were. It was...degrading...so I tried to avoid directly speaking to him in that manner." He explained softly. Elijah noticed how Cade reached over, grasping Victor's hand under the table to squeeze it gently.
"He probably did it to control you. To make you feel less than him, less than human even. It is not uncommon for a dominant to expect to be called something specific, but the submissive should never be forced to do so. Especially not in public." Aiden did his best to explain it to the male.
"Most of my submissives prior to Elijah were required to call me Sir in the bedroom or anytime we were alone. However, in public, they knew they did not need to refer to me if it made them uncomfortable. I did not allow them to refer to me by name because I had no intentions," Aiden paused briefly with a frown as he glanced to Elijah before shaking his head slightly.
"I had no intentions of keeping a long-term relationship with any of them. Elijah started the same as everyone else, and when I decided I wanted him to remain as my submissive, I decided I was okay with him using my name."
"Why do you make them call you Sir?" Victor questioned quietly.
"I did not feel a connection with them. It was a way to distance myself, to ensure they knew there was a barrier there that they had yet to cross." In a way, it might have sounded terrible to some. Yet it also sounded like a way to protect himself more than anything. It made Elijah wonder how many times Aiden had tried to find a submissive suited to him. He reached over, grasping the male's hand to lightly squeeze it. He knew it must have been difficult for him, constantly trying to find the person who matched him perfectly.
"So, what is the good news?" Elijah decided to change the subject after noticing Aiden's discomfort. It was clear he felt as though he were being judged for his words, and all he wanted was to make him feel comfortable again...perhaps he had learned something after playing dominant to Aiden. It was important to ensure both were comfortable with one another and felt safe.
"Victor has found a job!" Cade beamed proudly as he announced the news, a wide grin spread over his face. It was clear he was proud, and happy for, his new submissive. It meant he was taking steps to get his life back on track.
"Oh?" Aiden appeared surprised, not having expected him to get one again so soon. Though it did make sense. He was trying to make sure he never had to rely on a person the same way he did with his old dominant.
"That is great news, Victor. Where at?" He questioned with a smile.
The younger male was clearly the slightest bit embarrassed by the attention on him as he finished his smoothie before sitting it aside.
"A pet shop near my apartments. It is within walking distance so I can walk there without a problem."
"That is great to hear. I am glad you were able to get one so soon." Aiden nodded and glanced to Cade with a teasing smirk.
"Hopefully you will be fine with him working busy shifts." He teased his friend who seemed to pout, leaning back into his booth.
"I know, it sucks." Cade mumbled. This seemed to amuse Victor who grinned the slightest bit. He was clearly amused by Cade's pouting, leaning into the male slightly.
"But all that matters is that he is bettering his life." He heaved an over exaggerated sigh.
"I start today. Cade figured we could all enjoy breakfast before I start." Victor explained with a small smile.
"How sweet." Aiden hummed, glancing to Cade.
"What will you be doing at your job?" Elijah asked curiously as he studied him.
"I get to take care of all the animals!" Victor's face seemed to light up at the question. It was clear he was excited about getting to handle the animals.
The rest of the lunch went by with casual conversation regarding Victor's work mostly before the two had to leave.
"How was the parfait?" Aiden questioned Elijah as he opened the car door for him before getting in as well.
"Delicious!" He grinned at the male happily as he buckled up before leaning back into the seat. Aiden chuckled quietly in response, reaching over to gently squeeze his thigh.
"Are you ready to go see the therapist?" He spoke softer now as though concerned Elijah would back out. However, he simply smiled and nodded. He could not deny the bundle of nerves that built inside of him, but he did not want to back out. He knew Aiden would much prefer he see the therapist, and he was hopeful it would help him like Aiden seemed to think it would.
"She is really nice." The male spoke as though hoping to encourage him causing a small smile to grow on Elijah's lips.
"I enjoy my sessions with her."
"You see her as well?" Elijah was surprised with the revelation. Aiden glanced to him, hesitating before he gave a small nod.
"I do. I find it extremely helpful." He admitted as they pulled up to a small building. He parked before he got out. As he made his way to Elijah's side, he scowled as he noticed the male already getting out.
"Get your ass back in there before I smack it." He huffed. This caused Elijah to grin slightly, amused by the male's insistence to do something as small as opening his door for him. Yet he sat back down without argument, shutting the door. Aiden waited a moment, glancing to his watch before he opened the door once more and offered Elijah his hand.
"Thank you, sir." Elijah spoke the words teasingly as he took his hand and got out. This simply earned him a scowl and light smack on the ass.
"Don't toy with me." Aiden huffed as he guided him inside. He motioned for Elijah to sit on the couch in the waiting room as he made his way to the counter. He spoke softly with the receptionist before moving to sit beside Elijah. He was surprised when the male moved to snuggle into his side. Elijah nudged himself under his arm to press into his side, resting his head on his chest. Aiden's eyes softened as he draped his arm over him, relaxing.
"Elijah?" Aiden's eyes fluttered open at the familiar voice, and he hummed, gently taping the male so he sat up.
"Jessie, good to see you again." He greeted the woman as Elijah eyed her closely. He could tell the male was nervous, reaching over to gently squeeze his thigh reassuringly.
"You as well, Aiden. You must be Elijah. I'm Jessie." She offered a hand to the younger male who stared at it for a moment, biting his lip before he reached out to shake it.
"He's nervous." Aiden explained to her as he pulled the male closer to his side, gently rubbing his thumb along his hip as he held him.
"That is perfectly fine." She hummed softly, not seeming the slightest bit deterred.
"Will you be joining us today, Aiden?"
At that, he glanced to Elijah who hesitated before giving a small nod.
"For the first bit, please." Aiden did not like how the male seemed to have retreated back into the shy, small version of himself. He nodded, leaning to press a gentle kiss to his head.
"Of course, love." He murmured before he stood. Elijah stayed attached to his hip as they followed Jessie to the back. He sat on the couch, sitting up straight now rather than leaning into Aiden to try to be at least the slightest bit independent. Now he was able to take in Jessie's full appearance he noticed she had blonde hair which was pulled back into a neat bun with glasses and a professional outfit. In her hand, she held a clipboard with some paperwork in her hands.
"It is great to finally meet you, Elijah. I was surprised when Aiden messaged asking if I had any openings coming up. Normally he does not try to schedule earlier than he has to." She offered Aiden a teasing look as she spoke to Elijah.
"Now he told me that he would not reveal too much of your past because he wants you to do so when you are ready. So, for starters, would you like to tell me about yourself? Anything you are willing to disclose."
"Oh um," Elijah swallowed thickly, glancing to Aiden who only offered him a smile, gently squeezing the hand he held.
"I am eighteen and I live with Aiden right now...my mother passed away when I was a child and my father..." He trailed off with frown, shaking his head slightly before offering her a weak smile.
"My father was not the man a father should be."
"I am sorry to hear that." She nodded as she wrote a few things on her clipboard.
"Do you have any hobbies that you enjoy?"
"I like...I like spending time with Aiden and, umm, I enjoy going to the beach..." He trailed off, blinking in realization. There was not much that he did for himself for hobbies. His father never gave him time soon and he had never bothered attempting anything new with Aiden.
"Is that all?" She prompted. The gentle smile never left her lips and Aiden's hand squeezing his helped him feel more grounded.
"I haven't had much time to discover any other hobbies." He admitted, chewing his lip as he glanced up to Aiden.
"Hmm well that is certainly something we should try to branch out on. Hobbies are a good way for you to entertain yourself." She spoke calmly, continuing to take small notes onto her clipboard.
"And what is your relationship with Aiden, if you don't mind my asking?"
The question caught him off guard and he blinked a few times. He was not sure how to answer; certainly, he could not tell her the sexual part of their relationship. He did his best to recall if Aiden had referred to them as anything, his thoughts drifting back to Lizzie's.
"My boyfriend." He spoke the two words without thinking before his cheeks flushed. He immediately looked up to Aiden who appeared shocked. Dread filled him and he quickly opened his mouth to backtrack, but Aiden's hand came up to cover his mouth before he could.
"My boyfriend." Aiden confirmed, glancing to Jessie as he gave Elijah's hand a firm squeeze. The last thing he wanted was for the male to take back what he had just said. It had caught him off guard was all, but he did not mind it.
"Alright." She nodded slightly as she studied the two, offering a smile.
"I am happy for you, Aiden." She added. She had been the male's therapist for awhile and it was nice to hear he had finally taken a lover.
"Thank you, Jessie." He nodded as he gently stroked his thumb over Elijah's hand.
"Now, I am sure that is not the reason you are here, Elijah. So why have you decided to come see me?"
(Excuse me while I fangirl over my own Ship guys!)
(AHHH They have finally labeled themselves as boyfriends!!!)
(What do you guys think?! Thoughts, opinions, questions?)