All Tied Up

River and Emmanuel took their time, spending most of their time texting each other before meeting each weekend. River had quite the collection of BDSM paraphernalia but Emmanuel had his own that he could bring over if he wanted to. Most of their dates on the weekends started with spending time getting food and talking, getting to know each other better.

Most of these dates would end in going back to River's place to play. They started slowly, so Emmanuel could learn how River reacted to everything he did. He knew his hard limits because they had spoken about them, but now it was about learning how hard to go on him, what soft touches would drive him crazy, and how long he could handle everything.

While River liked to be fucked at the end of sessions, they didn't do that in the beginning. They started with BDSM without sex being the outcome for now. There were a few times, with the right combination of impact play and light touches centered around River's cock that Emmanuel could get him to cum without any anal stimulation or touching River with his hand. Afterwards, River would practically melt into a puddle, wanting nothing more than feeling Emmanuel near and against his skin. He could manage to get the flogger to do it, but realized he'd need more constant contact with River's cock to get him there.

As the weeks started to pass, River was a little surprised to find that this method of dating each other, which was setting them up for a collaring eventually more than dating he had thought, was making River feel much more emotionally connected to Emmanuel than he had with anyone else; even Chuck.

Emmanuel was casually surprised by the feelings he was developing for River as well, but not overly so. He knew himself well enough to know that he was demisexual and tended to prefer romantic relationships to form organically rather than pushing immediately into sexual play. He had initially harbored concerns that River would grow too attached this way, but eventually worked out with the help of his therapist that there was really no such thing as long as healthy boundaries were maintained to prevent codependency.

He had been tempted to make River wait the full year and a day to even offer his sexual connection, but Emmanuel found that as he got to know River more it was increasingly more difficult to deny the chemistry they shared. He could tell that River could feel it too. There were times, after play when they were doing aftercare, that River would be turned toward Emmanuel and seemed to stop himself from coming forward to kiss him. When it happened, River would put his head down, like he was asking for some forgiveness for being too bold or not letting Emmanuel take the lead.

Emmanuel understood his desire for that level of intimacy, but he resisted both of their yearnings in the sure knowledge of a bigger payoff when they finally couldn't hold out any longer. This sort of long-term edging beat out any short-term satisfaction for Emmanuel and he wanted River to experience it too.

The wait was torturous; feeling that pull to want to connect that way and stalling it out. River was leaving it to Emmanuel though because he knew what he was doing, and it should be on his terms. River was along for the ride, giving permission for Emmanuel to take control of their situation and relationship. He had to wait for Emmanuel to make the move. Emmanuel could tell how it was affecting River though. Sometimes when he put his head down, his body would be shaking slightly from pulling away from what he wanted so badly. The more Emmanuel spoke to him and stroked his hair though, the more he would calm down again.

At the same time, they both were spending some time with Chuck and Krysta, for wedding planning and for the bridal party to mingle and get to know each other better. There were times where Emmanuel could see that something Chuck or Krysta would say, whether meant as a joke or a jab in Krysta's case sometimes, would cause River to go silent for the rest of the time he was there. He would take part in conversation if someone directly asked him, but other than that he would just watch. Chuck seemed to think it was just introspection but Emmanuel could read the look in River's eyes.

He was hurt by their comments about his crush and not being in the way of the happy couple. Whether that was because it hit too close to home or because he was offended by the implication was hard to tell, but River shut down afterward.

Sometimes, after those get togethers, River would ask Emmanuel to come over so he could just get lost in whatever tool Emmanuel wanted to use against him. Like he was letting go of the pain and stress of what had just happened while Emmanuel manipulated his body.

It was a weekend when a few of the bridal party was over to help plan out events with the bride and groom. River was indifferent to some of it but stayed involved because Chuck wanted to keep Krysta as stress free as possible. They had planned to go get fitted for tuxedos and bridesmaid dresses the next day as everyone was free.

River was in the kitchen cleaning off some plates for them when Krysta came in and leaned against the counter to look at him. "So, you and Emmanuel seem to be getting close."

River smiled at that. "Yeah, we are."

"That's good to see," she commented before she looked over to where Chuck and Emmanuel were talking together in the living room. "I was a little worried about what would happen after the wedding. You and Chuck are in such two different stages of life now. You're all about work, work, work but Chuck and I will be married and starting a family. Once we're pregnant, you two might not have as much in common to keep this friendship as strong as it has been."

River put the last plate into the dishwasher before he turned to Krysta with a furrowed brow. "I mean, even if I were to ever get married, which is...not something I can imagine honestly, it doesn't mean I'm going to be jumping into trying to find a surrogate and having kids. I'm still...very on the fence about kids, as you and Chuck know. I'm more than happy to be the fun uncle though, and that doesn't have to change anything."

"Doesn't it?" she asked him seriously.

"Why should it?" he asked her.

Krysta just looked at him like he was being clueless before she walked out of the kitchen, leaving him to his thoughts. Krysta was basically telling River that he needed to be ready for their friendship to get more distant once the wedding was over with, and River felt slightly panicky about it. He stood there for a while, watching the others, everything running through his head without giving him any sort of break from the thoughts that he would be alone by the end of all of this.

In the living room while that had been going on, though, Chuck segued their conversation about Krysta hoping for her dream wedding over to River. "You and River seem to leave together all the time it seems."

Emmanuel smiled into his drink before looking up at Chuck. "Is that a problem? You did give me your leave to pursue him. Have you changed your mind?" he asked with a knowing smirk on his face. He knew as surely as he knew River's body by now that Chuck had no homosexual leanings or he would have entertained River's crush by now, but that didn't mean he would easily give up a "back-up plan" if that was a position River held in his subconscious.

Chuck laughed at that. "No, of course not. I'm glad to see it. A little surprised because I've seen some of the guys River has seen on and off before and he's never been the type that gets attached easily, you know? It makes me worried for him sometimes. As long as you treat him well, I have no complaints."

Emmanuel nodded without comment on that subject. "Do you think your bride-to-be will insist that your friendship end once the wedding is over?" he asked rather bluntly, acting off of a hunch he had been developing ever since she asked him to date River. He knew his sister well and she had never been good at sharing her toys.

Chuck looked a little surprised at that. "Oh, I don't think Krysta would ask me to cut River off or anything, but we have talked about trying for a baby once the wedding is done. I know River is a great uncle to his nieces and nephews, but he's not really in a marriage and parent state of mind. I think he'd be a great dad but he seems afraid of it for some reason. Anyway, we just might spend a little less time with each other. I want to focus on my growing family, you know?"

Emmanuel nodded his understanding, sipping his drink to keep himself from saying more. He was pretty sure that River would love to be able to play the family's Gay Uncle without any need to step away from Chuck's life, but that was a conversation for another time.

River came back into the living room quietly, a little after Krysta did, clearly in his own head as he helped them clean up a little. By now, Emmanuel knew what that meant and he was not happy about it. There was nothing to do about it until River told him about it, though, so he kept to himself until the event was over and they could leave, with the obvious exception of trying to find subtle ways to comfort River.

River gave Emmanuel a small smile when he noticed what he was doing, and as the evening wound down, he came over to where Emmanuel was and murmured to him, "You up for coming over tonight?"

Emmanuel nodded immediately, having anticipated that this might happen.

"Good," River said and then went over to get his jacket and shoes on. He said a brief goodbye to Chuck and waved to Krysta, then waited until Emmanuel joined him at the door before he led the way to his car.

River briefly explained to Emmanuel in the car on the way to his house what Krysta and him had talked about in the kitchen, and it was clear that he was frustrated with the whole thing.

"I don't really know what more I have to do to show Krysta I am not here to disrupt her relationship," River ranted. "I'm happy for him, I don't want to ruin Chuck's relationship. I don't view friendship with him as some ridiculous, puny consolation prize. Short of marrying someone else though, I don't think anything will make her not view me as a threat."

Emmanuel looked over at River sympathetically, knowing that he did not have much to say about his sister that would put him at ease, especially with her basically saying the quiet part out loud compared to how she used to talk when they all lived together. What he did say, however, was, "She was never very good at sharing the things she viewed as 'just hers'."

Normally, River didn't ask Emmanuel for certain things. He liked to give Emmanuel free reign over their play, letting him take charge and do what he wanted to do. Emmanuel would try different things to see what River liked best, whether it be a flogger, a crop, dripping wax over his skin, working him over mentally with just his words, or something else. Tonight, though, once they had discarded their jackets and shoes and gotten down into the basement, River turned toward Emmanuel with steely eyes.

"I want to go hard tonight," River expressed after a pause, like he was trying to talk himself into asking for what he wanted that night. "I want to feel the ache later and be reminded of what we did. I want to feel sore when I move, knowing that you left bruises and welts. Please."

Emmanuel gave him a look that clearly communicated his hesitation. "Are you sure? The fitting is tomorrow and that tends to lead to exposure, no matter how careful you are. One bruise and..."

And everyone would know. Emmanuel didn't have to finish the sentence for River to know what it meant. "I'll lock the door to the fitting room," River said with a wave of his hand, a little agitated but trying not to show it. He knew why Emmanuel was worried, and he likely should have been too, but he also wanted his mind not focused on Chuck and Krysta tomorrow. "It's not the first time I've been cagey about undressing around Chuck. He made fun of me for it in college because I would go into the single stalls for showers after workouts."

Emmanuel did not look convinced, but in the end it was River's choice. "You understand, I am not at all ashamed about what we do here or what you're coming to mean to me. But I also don't believe in outing folks to communities that may not be understanding. So if you truly want this, tell me one more time."

"I want this," River replied without hesitation. "If I have to get down on my knees and beg, I will."

Emmanuel's eyes took on a particular shine to them, though the rest of his face remained expressionless. "Tempting, but let's save that for another circumstance, shall we?" he responded, gesturing for River to proceed.

River nodded his head and stripped out of his clothing, leaving them over on one side of the room and out of the way before he got down onto his knees in front of Emmanuel, his hands behind his back, waiting for further instruction. There were quite a few different placements he could be in for a scene like this, whether on his hands and knees on the floor, lying on a bed or on the massage table, or restrained on one of the benches. He could have chosen, but he preferred deferring to the Dom.

Emmanuel walked over by the bench they had used on their initial audition, standing there expectantly and rolling his sleeves up carefully while River crawled over and mounted the bench, waiting patiently for Emmanuel to finish. When Emmanuel was ready, he bent and quickly fastened River into the restraints on the bench. He then paced slowly around the bench, plotting his approach and drawing out the anticipation for River.

River let out an involuntary shiver as he waited for Emmanuel to decide what he wanted to do. He had thought of asking Emmanuel if they could also at least do something sexual this time too, but he didn't want to push his luck. He wasn't in the habit of demanding things of a Dom, and didn't want to seem too demanding or entitled. He could be a brat, and he liked being a brat, but he wasn't going to push it.

Emmanuel picked up a paddle on his next circuit of River's prone form and stopped within range of his rear. His first blow was unexpected, judging from River's jump as it landed. Emmanuel checked in with him to make sure he was okay and still wanted to continue before laying down a base layer of paddle-shaped marks and welts on his backside. Unlike previous sessions, Emmanuel didn't pause after each strike to soothe away the sting, though he remained fully aware of River's reactions and kept an eye out for any sort of use of a safeword or gesture.

River reacted to each hit, with a cry that was between pain and pleasure. He let his head fall down onto the bench, pressing his forehead against the smooth surface for relief as Emmanuel worked him over. His hips would move with each landed strike, causing his hard cock to rub up against the surface of the bench. They went for a while, with only the sound of River's cries and gasps, and the slapping of the paddle, filling up the room. At some point the pain and his cock rubbing against the bench was enough to push River over the edge, his cry more frantic then as he shot out cum onto the bench against his stomach.

He didn't safeword at all, but Emmanuel could tell when River was at his limit because his body started shaking. By then, River's backside, thighs, and some of his back were covered in welts and redness that would lead into bruising. He could feel the cum underneath him becoming sticky and drying on his skin, but it was something that was just barely on the outside of his consciousness.

When Emmanuel stopped swinging the paddle, River's body slowly relaxed down onto the bench. His pupils were wide and dilated as he looked behind him at where Emmanuel was standing and looking at him.

Emmanuel judged that River was pretty deep in subspace right then and that his judgment was definitely impaired. He unfastened the restraints and stood aside as River crawled unsteadily off the bench, kneeling next to it in his perfect submissive pose, though perhaps his buttocks didn't exactly touch his heels. Emmanuel noticed the puddle on the bench and smiled, tossing a cleaning wipe on top of the mess. "Clean up after yourself, pet," he said quietly but commandingly to River.

"Yes, Sir," River replied and cleaned up the bench before folding the wipe and cleaning up what he could from his front and throwing it away. Then he went back to his submissive stance in front of Emmanuel.

Emmanuel considered the next choice very carefully before nodding to himself and speaking, "That workout gave me quite an appetite, pet. Come over here and service me."

River's eyes flashed up to Emmanuel, his heart quickening at the demand. "Yes, Sir," he replied again, trying to hold back the excitement in his voice though his face was always a give away for that. As he reached for Emmanuel's belt, River could see evidence that he hadn't been speaking figuratively tenting the crotch of his pants. He worked quickly and soon freed his Master's cock from its confining position.

This was the first time River had ever gotten to see Emmanuel's cock, as Emmanuel tended to stay dressed other than when they were lying in bed, and even then he kept his boxers on. He was perfect though; thick and long, uncut, and the head was a purple color from having been hard for so long now. Precum had started leaking out, making the head coated in it and shiny, and River licked it up like it was a lollipop, letting out a hum at the salty taste.

River started with licking up all of the precum and then sucking on the head, enjoying the way Emmanuel would gush precum when it felt good. Then River slid down the entire length of Emmanuel, opening up his throat and pushing past his gag reflex, only gagging slightly, before his nose touched down on Emmanuel's trimmed pubes. He made a swallowing motion a few times, enjoying the way Emmanuel groaned at that and his fingers laced through River's hair.

River backed off from the deep throating, not wanting this over too soon. He focused on moving up and down Emmanuel's length, using his tongue all along the underside expertly to make it feel as good as possible. Every time he was rewarded with a gush of precum, he would moan around Emmanuel, sending vibrations through his cock. River used one of his hands to massage his balls, knowing the right pressure and movement to make it feel good.

Emanuel left River to his own devices for a while beyond threading his fingers into River's hair. Once he started getting close to climax, though, he closed his fist. He effectively stopped River's movements with his grip, so Emmanuel started slowly thrusting his hips, replicating River's pace when he didn't object after the first few strokes. River opened up his throat and worked on breathing through it, more than happy to be face fucked by Emmanuel.

Emmanuel had been edging throughout the entire experience so it didn't take long for him to become overstimulated. He caught River's eye and raised his eyebrow questioningly, trying to communicate the question of where River wanted it because he was beyond the ability to form coherent words. River's response was to grab onto Emmanuel's hips and move further down his length to show he was ready to swallow.

At that, Emmanuel threw his head back and erupted down River's throat. It felt like he hadn't had release in forever as he pumped spurt after spurt into River's mouth. River swallowed over and over, taking the entirety of Emmanuel's release. Near the end, he backed up a little so he could feel the warmth and taste of him flooding his mouth. He moaned in response as he swallowed one last time and then used his tongue to clean Emmanuel's cock off completely.

Once he was done, he sat back into his submissive stance and looked up at Emmanuel adoringly. "Thank you, Sir."