Chapter 3: Daylight

We didn't even need to rent a van. Yvette had so little stuff, Alex and I moved it in just our cars. Alex was amazingly cool about the whole thing. But our first night together, I got a shock.

"So when is Alex moving out?" she asked me.

"What?"

"Alex. I mean, he's not going to live with us. Right?"

"This is his house." I sat up and looked at her. "I can't just throw him out."

"How are we going to have any privacy with him around?"

I shrugged. In all honesty, as close as my family is, the thought never even occurred to me. "I don't know. We just will. He's not going to spy on us. He'll have his own life."

She didn't say anything else.

After classes start, things got busy. I swam six mornings a week so I was out by 5am. Alex and Vette got a morning routine that worked for them without me. Vette and I usually met for lunch. Alex got home most nights by 7pm; that moved to 9pm after he made the football team. Saturday, Vette and I went to the home games or watched the away games on ESPN and Sunday was church. Somewhere in-between all that, I found time to spank Alex about twice a week. We re-established nearly all the rules. He reverted to calling me 'Sir' in private. He did most of the cooking.

For Christmas, Granddad gave us the key to the basement storeroom. The door marked "No Admittance. The playroom. Inside we found a massage table with an adjustable slant and six pairs of handcuffs. There was a freestanding frame to which cuffs could be attached, leaving the victim standing up. And a dresser with a drawer full of feathers, vibrators and liquid latex. I love my Grandfather. For Alex's Christmas gift, I gave him an on-line gift certificate. He promptly went shopping at a bondage warehouse and filled the second dresser drawer with whips, clips, chains and anything else he thought he could talk me into using on him. The first day I could get Yvette out of the house, Alex and I spent five hours in there. We used everything at least once. Alex would have screamed if I hadn't gagged him.

For Yvette's Christmas gift, I gave her earrings and a pendant to match her engagement ring.

Dec 28th, the three of us were back in Falls Church from a brief trip to Reedville, in the living room, in front of the fireplace, when Vette cleared her throat. "Peter? You haven't mentioned that I didn't give you a gift."

I shrugged. I had just assumed that it was a budget thing. I hadn't wanted to draw attention to it.

"I noticed." Alex said with his usual lack of tact.

"Alex." I watched him respond to command form. "Out."

He starts to leave the room but Yvette stopped him.

"I want him to stay. This is sort of for both of you. All of us." He sat. "OK. Um. Well. OK." She laughed self-consciously. "This is harder than I thought."

"I'm not pressed about a gift, Honey." I put my arms around her. "You're here every morning. That's gift enough."

"Well, I know that things aren't the same between you when I'm around."

I looked at Alex; he shrugged. "Things are fine. What do you mean?"

"I mean, like, he doesn't call you 'sir' around me."

"He doesn't call me 'sir' around anyone. I'm surprised you know he calls me that."

"I've overheard it a couple times. Usually you two are alone. But you do it around Beth. And your Grandfather. Jean and Joan."

"Oh." I hadn't actually noticed that. "They're different, I guess. They all know about us."

"I know."

She had a point.

Alex nodded begrudgingly. "Sir, I kinda don't do stuff around her. I mean, I didn't know if she'd be comfortable with it."

"You don't trust me," Vette said simply.

"Of course, we trust you," I snap, just as Alex concedes, "Not really, I guess."

"I want to earn your trust Alex." Vette looked at me. "That's what I want to give you for Christmas. Alex's trust."

"Excuse me?" I had no idea what she meant. I wasn't sure how she'd even accomplish such a thing.

"Alex," she said, taking his hand, "you trust Beth because you've shared more than just a few intimate moments with her - I mean that's part of it, right?"

He looked thoughtful, then nodded, "That ain't the only reason but, I mean, yeah, I knew she was cool after that."

"So do you think you'd feel a little more comfortable with me if we shared something more intimate?"

Alex stopped then and feral grin spread across his face. "Yeah, I could see that."

I did not like where the conversation was going. "Yvette, you don't know Alex. This is not a good idea."

"Peter, relax, I'm OK with this. And anyway, I think I know your libido pretty well at this point. Tell me the truth - you want to watch me and Alex, don't you."

Desperately. "It's not a question of what I want. The problem is that you don't know what you are asking. Alex will - Vette, Alex will - no. No. Out of the question."

"Actually, Peter," she nearly cooed, "I didn't ask you."

"He doesn't get a vote."

She went clinical on me. "Alex is a mentally stable, adult. He's not in jail and you are not his parent. I would think he's capable of making his own decisions."

"He's not," I snap. I saw Alex's jaw tighten. That was not what I meant. I sighed deeply. "I mean, yes, Alex of course you can make your own decisions. Look, I trust you, OK? But, Vette, you an' Alex have - have different tastes, OK? Look -"

"Alex," she asked, still holding his hand, "I don't like pain but I am attracted to you. Do you think you could be gentle with me?"

"I can do gentle," he said grinning. He looked at me, "If you say yes, sir."

She turned his face back to her. "What do you say?"

He hesitated. "I'm the submissive." He explained. "I've done damn near everything he's told me ta do since I's 15. I wanna fuck you hard. I'm willing to slow down. But I won't even kiss you good night less he says I can."

She stares at both of us in turn. "How do you think either of you can have a normal relationship like this?"

"We don't," I answered.

"I ain't normal, no way."

"Alex has a problem with the concepts of 'consent' and 'limits'," I pointed out. "He thinks everyone is willing to go as far as he is. But they aren't. Are they, Alex?"

"No sir." He took a deep breath.

"How many times have you used your safe word, Alex?"

He had to think for a minute then shrugged, "I don't know. Four, five. There'bout."

"So you don't push too hard," Vette countered.

"Oh no," Alex chuckled, "I got me uh collection of permanent scars. He stuck me in the scrotum with a fishhook once 'cause I said I could take it. Hurt so bad I couldn't cum without flinching for two months." Her eyes widened. "He fucked my ass - dry - with a water bottle once. Had ta wear adult diapers 'til my rectum healed. That sucked."

"Oh my god." She looked faint.

"Hey, it's cool. I got a safe word, right? He ain't made me say it in years."

It took a second but then she gots it. "You like being abused like that? What did he do that made you say it?"

"Couple things. Some of it's stupid - like I won't run laps. I won't just beat down somebody else. I mean another pain slut, cool, but not just violence for shit's sake. But he can do anything to me." He looked at me, that puppy dog look that freaks me out still. "Anything. Always."

"But I don't." I hated that look. I hate that look still. I hate the ownership it implies.

"Alex," Yvette looked at me, "What will you do when Peter and I get married?"

"Oh, I'm cool. I'll follow the rules 'til I find a new Dom. No problem."

Alex couldn't always follow the rules with me in control. Suddenly, I saw where Yvette is going with all this. Alex needed a Dominant and if he couldn't use me, he ran a very strong risk of doing something stupid. Very stupid, knowing Alex. I sat down next to Yvette. "Hon, I don't want you hurt in all this. I..."