I thought Levi would say something, anything, in response to this man addressing him as "pet", but he didn't. His face was very pale, the indigo shadows below his eyes turning black in the room's warm light. His mouth and brow flattened in irritation as he looked up at the blond man, but there was a strange, cold spike of something odd about his face... something I could only read as fear.
A light trace along my shoulder startled me, and I looked up to see the other man smiling at me rather fondly. "This is yours?" he said. "I'm surprised. Last time I saw you, you said you were still single... and that you had no intent of coming to these shindigs, for that matter. Did you pick him up on the way here, or did you lie to me?"
"I wasn't under the impression that anything I do is your business," Levi replied sharply, his voice very dry.
The man's eyes gleamed over his unwavering smile. "It was, once," he said. "Used to be you couldn't even sit down without begging my permission. And even recently, you'd tell me when you had a new partner... To prove to me that you were acting like a proper Master, or something like that."
"I'm not looking for your approval," said Levi. "And you're not threatening anyone by dropping hints that we've been together. It's not news."
"No?" the other man said, raising an eyebrow. "So you've told this one about your submission to me? All the gory details? Does he know the ways you've debased yourself for my pleasure?"
"Just cut it the fuck out already," Levi spat bitterly, rolling his eyes. "I'm not doing this stupid dick-waving shit again."
"And since when," interrupted a hard, girly voice. Leah had returned, slapping both hands on the table beside Levi and glaring at his attacker. "Since when is being a submissive some kind of humiliation, Blondy?" she demanded. "Being your sub is only humiliating because you're such a terrible top. And Levi was smart enough to see it."
"And instead he threw himself at the first leather daddy who gave him the time of day," he sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets with an exaggerated shrug. "Some old guy who gave you this delusion that you're suited to dominance instead. What a waste. Your friends here never got to see the fervor you exhibit licking my boots."
"Ugh, shut up, already," Leah groaned. She took me by the shoulders and ushered me back into my seat beside Levi, avoiding the man's eye. "Ignore him, Ash. He's seriously just trying to get a rise out of Levi. That's all he ever does."
Levi didn't seem about to introduce me, but in the whirlwind of this conversation, I'd gathered enough information to fill in who had just fondled my collar and followed me back to the meetup. Levi's ex.
"My Master. I was his slave."
Not submissive... he'd used the word slave. Something he had never called me. Was there a difference?
Leah had called him 'Blondy'. It sounded like a title, rather than an affectionate nickname. And maybe a little silly of a name, but paired with his oppressive aura, I couldn't find it funny.
And through this muddy realization, the image of Levi's horrid scar came floating up to the surface. Malicious incompetence.
He'd been warning me that this man was dangerous. If I told him that Blondy had grabbed my collar, what would he do? I decided not to start a scene. Instead, I obeyed Leah's suggestion. Flat-out ignoring Blondy, I passed Levi's drink and wallet to him and gave him a short bow of my head.
"And you ignore him, too," she added to Levi, loudly enough for Blondy to hear as she sat on my other side. "This always happens. He'll give up if you don't give him anything."
Levi turned himself to the table and opened his mouth, but Blondy interrupted, stalking over and planting himself on the edge of the table. "You don't need to give me anything," he said silkily. "You were mine for long enough. You think I can't read you already? You didn't want your toy to see you like this. You're fucking embarrassed that I'm here."
"Who wouldn't be?" Leah said pointedly.
I snorted out a laugh, then quickly tried to stifle it. Beside me, Levi was still and silent... and then, abruptly, he laughed too.
"I mean... yeah," he admitted. "I'm embarrassed that you think this is gonna scare off my boy again. Is this all you came for?"
Blondy shrugged. "It's nice to see you again," he said simply. "Do you really think I need to expend effort to 'scare off' your toys? Nah. I just miss stepping on your throat."
"Ooh, so bad," Leah huffed. "Fuck off already. We were having such a good time without you."
Blondy's spiked smile widened again, and he leaned over Levi with his hand on the table between us. "Next time, stand up to me yourself and don't wait for the little girl to rescue you," he hissed, just barely enough that I could hear. Levi said nothing. With that, our interloper shoved himself off the table and sauntered off to the opposite corner of the room, where a small group actually looked happy to see him.
Leah poked her head past me and pawed at Levi's hand urgently. "What did he just say to you?" she demanded.
"Nothing," Levi muttered. "It's not worth repeating."
"Lee... just stop letting him--"
"I know."
"You know he's just trying to--"
"I know," Levi repeated forcefully. "I know. It's stupid. I'm fine."
Leah looked about to add to this, but was quickly distracted by the re-entry of Miss Red with two girls in tow, both of who descended on Levi in the same way that Leah had. "You just missed it," said Leah.
"Missed what?" asked Red.
Leah recounted what had just happened while Levi was visited by admirer after fervent admirer, forcing the smile back to his face through the conversation. Time and again, the attention drifted to me, and I was swarmed with affection that seemed directed more at my owner than myself before their chatter returned to him. But he had been right. This really was more of a meeting than anything else. I heard small snippets of people discussing BDSM -- showing off collars, discussing past and future parties, making private plans -- but more often, I heard people talking as if among normal friends. Many times, I was tugged into the conversation that floated around Levi like a pleasant but powerful fragrance... but I found myself often too shy and overwhelmed to say much.
Overall, though, I couldn't help but notice the way everyone looked at Levi, like he was a shimmering, magnetic presence among his peers... and each time I caught one of those gazes following him, I felt my own reverence bloom until it left me feeling incredibly small beside him.
It was very late at night when we finally left. Levi slipped us both out when a majority of the group had departed, after we'd all been hugged and fawned over by Miss Red, and after Levi adamantly assured her he would give thought to going to Wulf's next play party. I couldn't even imagine it just then. The meetup had been enough as it was.
But Levi was oddly quiet after that. He said nothing as we walked back to the car, his pace just barely outstripping mine so I could only follow after him like a puppy. Halfway there, I began to feel strangely ignored.
"Did I fuck up?" I asked him timidly, jogging to even our gait.
He didn't respond.
"I mean... I'm sorry I was so quiet. There was a lot going on. Did I say something wrong back there or anything?"
