Dark Delight (9/10): Gifts (David/Charlie, Goth series)
Title: Dark Delight
Fandom: NUMB3RS
Pairing/Characters: David Sinclair/Charlie Eppes
Rating: FRAO, NC-17
Summary: David and Charlie carry on a secret Dom/sub relationship, as 'vampire' lord and his goth girl. Then David takes them to an event where they can play out their fantasies fully among others.
Part 9 of 10: Gifts
Charlie and David discuss jewelry, symbolism, and what makes a lady.
Sequel to: Goth Girl
Warning: Sexual Assault
Word Count: 1878
Part 9: Gifts
Charlie straightened up eagerly. "You have something for me?"
David stepped around the little table in their hotel room where they had been sharing breakfast. "I was going to give it to you after the weekend, but you've more than earned it yesterday. Even if we spend the rest of the weekend in the room watching TV."
"What is it, what?"
David went over to his suitcase and got out a small box. "I told you I had a gift for you, but you thought it was the cuffs."
"I like my cuffs!"
David looked at the box for a moment, checking in with himself if he was ready to give Charlie this.
Yes.
He brought the box over and handed it to Charlie.
Charlie quickly opened the box. Inside was a solid black ring, a thick band engraved with a subtle rose/thorn pattern. It matched the pattern on the buttons on David's brocade steampunk waistcoat.
"Ohh," Charlie said breathily.
David took the ring out of the box, held up Charlie's left hand, and slid the ring onto his middle finger. David knew it would fit because a month ago he had taken advantage of Charlie being blindfolded to measure his fingers.
"Oh, my lord…" Then Charlie was his knees, pressing his forehead against David's thigh. He was trembling.
David stroked his hair. "Something you can wear any time, unlike the cuffs."
"I will never take it off," Charlie vowed.
"I like that."
"Please, my lord, let me show you my gratitude." Charlie shifted closer to David's crotch.
"No," David chuckled. "I'm tired after last night, too."
"I must serve you, my lord. Somehow."
"Pick up breakfast then."
Charlie jumped to his feet and began picking up the dishes. David threw some extra pillows onto the bed and leaned against them. He watched the ring on Charlie's hand as he worked.
Soon, breakfast was tidied up and Charlie crawled up the bed to rest his head on David's thigh. He studied his ring.
"What is it made out of?" Charlie asked.
"Black zirconium."
"Oh." Charlie stroked the ring. "Do you know Zirconium is naturally grey? The black is actually a layer of oxidation."
"Hmm."
"It's a transition metal, like titanium and hafnium. Atomic number 40. It has very low reactivity, so it's used in things like nuclear reactors. I didn't know they made rings out of it."
"Mm-hmm."
"And the rose and thorn are, of course, symbolic of dualism and…" He smiled up at David. "I love it, my lord."
"I'm glad." David had been mostly sure that Charlie would like it, but he could have guessed wrong. "A friend who does cosplay is a jeweler. He made it for me."
Charlie's eyes widened. "It's unique?"
"Like you."
Charlie shuddered all over, almost like an orgasm. "Thank you, my lord. I will strive to prove worthy of your gift."
David shook his head. "No obligations, Charlie. It's yours."
"And I am yours."
David could feel Charlie's fervor through his body. "I know."
Charlie lay his head back on David's thigh, and stared at his ring for a while. David was happy to sit quietly on the bed and watch Charlie admire it. He was still tired from last night. It had been his most energetic Feast in many years.
David had almost dozed off when Charlie spoke again.
"Do you remember Lady Hightower from last night?"
"Yes. Octavia is an old friend of mine." The first time David came to this convention, he was dressed as an acolyte, though a male one. Octavia had shown him the ropes, helped him figure out what he wanted, started him on the path to Lord Bronze. One of the last times David had been fucked was by her. Last night, she had enjoyed Charlie's ass, and given David her full approval.
"Octavia…" Charlie said thoughtfully. "Remember how, um, I got confused by him-her?"
"You were surprised she had a cock."
"I don't know why I was. But she was so beautiful."
David nodded. Octavia had been David's ideal - until he saw Charlie in full goth girl mode.
"She, uh, she told me that she was a woman, a Lady, so I shouldn't call her 'him'. She was very nice about it. I apologized."
David nodded again. He had been at Charlie's side all evening, after all.
Charlie continued, "I keep thinking about what she said later, after she, you know."
David smiled. Charlie's blush was quite endearing. Late in the evening, Octavia had sat with Charlie and talked to him, much in the same way she had once talked to a newbie David.
"She said, 'In the mundane world, I'm a man. And I'm not someone who's hiding that I'm a woman, I'm a man. I even wear a suit - I'm a lawyer, actually. Lady Hightower is a different part of me, the woman part of me. She sleeps until days like this when my man side sleeps and she takes over. It doesn't matter that they both have the same XY chromosome body. Both of them are me. I'm not embarrassed by either of them."
"I remember," David said. Octavia had given David a lot to think about, through the years.
"She said, 'When I'm a woman, I go by 'she' and 'her'. When I'm a man, I go by 'he' and 'him'. You'll never have any doubt by looking at me which side is awake. Some people are subtle. I'm not subtle."
"No, she's not," David chuckled.
"She made me think that maybe I can, well, maybe I can go, you know."
David waited.
"That I could go by 'she' and I won't be lying to anyone."
David smiled. "Charlie, unless you think I'm actually a vampire, I'm 'lying' to people too. It's a persona."
"Okay, yeah, okay."
David was pleased. He hadn't wanted to pressure Charlie but thought that going by 'he' while in the female acolyte persona was not fully committing to it. "I'd be happy to call you by 'she.'"
"All the time?" Charlie sounded uneasy.
"I heard a rule of thumb once. A drag queen friend told me, 'If I have my lipstick on, call me she.'"
Charlie pondered that for a moment. "But for me, I'm not… What Lady Hightower said, that when she was a woman, she was obvious and when she was a man, she was a he without subtlety. When I wear my panties under my clothes, what does that mean?"
"Mean?" David said. "It means as much or as little as you want it to. Nobody decides what it means but you."
Charlie sighed. "Math is much simpler."
"For you." David put his hand on Charlie's, rubbing the ring. "Do what feels right to you. The goth girl outfit for Halloween can't have been the first time you put on a dress, did your makeup."
Charlie shook his head.
David continued, "You worked your way in steps. Until you found something that spoke to you. Same with your panties."
"I want to wear a bra too," Charlie said, his cheeks turning red. "Under my regular clothes. Is that weird?"
"No," David said. He had to swallow hard at the surge of arousal the thought gave him. "Would you like a bra to match your panties?"
"Yes," Charlie said, his cheeks still glowing.
"I will buy you one. Several."
"Oh, thank you, my lord." Charlie said, pressing his cheek against David's leg. "You are so good to me."
David looked down at him, trying to come up with the words that would explain to Charlie what he meant to him.
Finally, he just raised Charlie's face so that he was holding Charlie's eyes with his own. Putting his emotion into his voice, he said firmly, "You…are…mine."
Tears seemed to come to Charlie's eyes. "Yes, yes, yes."
David held Charlie's gaze for a little longer, then let him go. Charlie wrapped himself around David's leg, snuffling slightly. David leaned back against the pillows, smiling to himself. Maybe he had found the right words after all.
After a while, Charlie's grip on David's leg seemed to ease. "My lord?"
"Yes?"
Charlie sat up. He looked shyly up through his lashes. "Do you think I… my persona, could have a name?"
"Sure."
"Are there any rules about what my name can be?"
"Some unofficial ones."
"Like what?"
"You can't give yourself an unearned title. You can't call yourself by a packname if the pack hasn't accepted you. It can't be racist or sexist or crude."
"Okay, anything else?"
"Not that I can think of." Though David would want to veto anything too ridiculous.
"I would like, do you think I could go by…"
David waited, intensely curious. It had taken him quite some time to come up with his own name.
Very softly, Charlie whispered, "Ormolu?"
David blinked. "'Ormolu?'"
"O-R-M-O-L-U. It's the word for a French gilding that is - or rather was - applied to bronze. It was a gold-mercury amalgam that was used until it was outlawed because the mercury was poisoning the gilders."
David tilted his head, waiting for more explanation.
Charlie continued, "It goes with Lord Bronze, to combine to make something more beautiful. It was a beautiful but deadly. I like the dichotomy. I could do something else if you don't like it. It just was the first thing that came to me and nothing else fits as well…"
David thought for a moment then nodded. "I like it."
"You do?"
"It's unique." He smiled. "Like you."
Charlie relaxed and smiled back. "Thank you, my lord."
David put his hand on Charlie's head. "If we go down to the convention, we will get a new badge for you, that says, 'Lord Bronze's Acolyte, Ormolu (she/her).'"
"I like that," Charlie said, then paused. "'If' we go down?"
"You said that you were uncomfortable with going out and seeing people walking the halls after they saw you at the Feast."
Charlie grimaced and was silent for a moment. Finally, he said, "I have a new dress."
David had to chuckle. "You want to show it off."
Charlie nodded. "I really like it." He rubbed his cheek against David's hand. "I hope you like it."
"I will."
"You'll stay with me downstairs?"
"Absolutely. I will not stray from your side."
"Okay," Charlie said and smiled shyly. "May I go take a shower now and prepare?"
"Yes."
Charlie got off the bed and went to the closet. Hanging on the clothes rack was three garment bags, one for each day. He took the middle one off the rack and lay it on the bed. His eyes were shining. The only time David could remember seeing that expression on Charlie's face before was when he was explaining a complex math concept.
David was curious what Charlie had in mind. It was hard to see how he'd top yesterday's outfit, but Charlie looked ready to do so. David leaned back against the bed. He'd let Charlie take a shower and then he'd take one. It took Charlie a lot longer to become a goth girl than it took David to become a steampunk vampire lord.
For Charlie to become Ormolu than David to become Lord Bronze.
David smiled. He was looking forward to the transformation.
Fandom: NUMB3RS
Pairing/Characters: David Sinclair/Charlie Eppes
Rating: FRAO, NC-17
Summary: David and Charlie carry on a secret Dom/sub relationship, as 'vampire' lord and his goth girl. Then David takes them to an event where they can play out their fantasies fully among others.
Part 9 of 10: Gifts
Charlie and David discuss jewelry, symbolism, and what makes a lady.
Sequel to: Goth Girl
Warning: Sexual Assault
Word Count: 1878
Part 9: Gifts
Charlie straightened up eagerly. "You have something for me?"
David stepped around the little table in their hotel room where they had been sharing breakfast. "I was going to give it to you after the weekend, but you've more than earned it yesterday. Even if we spend the rest of the weekend in the room watching TV."
"What is it, what?"
David went over to his suitcase and got out a small box. "I told you I had a gift for you, but you thought it was the cuffs."
"I like my cuffs!"
David looked at the box for a moment, checking in with himself if he was ready to give Charlie this.
Yes.
He brought the box over and handed it to Charlie.
Charlie quickly opened the box. Inside was a solid black ring, a thick band engraved with a subtle rose/thorn pattern. It matched the pattern on the buttons on David's brocade steampunk waistcoat.
"Ohh," Charlie said breathily.
David took the ring out of the box, held up Charlie's left hand, and slid the ring onto his middle finger. David knew it would fit because a month ago he had taken advantage of Charlie being blindfolded to measure his fingers.
"Oh, my lord…" Then Charlie was his knees, pressing his forehead against David's thigh. He was trembling.
David stroked his hair. "Something you can wear any time, unlike the cuffs."
"I will never take it off," Charlie vowed.
"I like that."
"Please, my lord, let me show you my gratitude." Charlie shifted closer to David's crotch.
"No," David chuckled. "I'm tired after last night, too."
"I must serve you, my lord. Somehow."
"Pick up breakfast then."
Charlie jumped to his feet and began picking up the dishes. David threw some extra pillows onto the bed and leaned against them. He watched the ring on Charlie's hand as he worked.
Soon, breakfast was tidied up and Charlie crawled up the bed to rest his head on David's thigh. He studied his ring.
"What is it made out of?" Charlie asked.
"Black zirconium."
"Oh." Charlie stroked the ring. "Do you know Zirconium is naturally grey? The black is actually a layer of oxidation."
"Hmm."
"It's a transition metal, like titanium and hafnium. Atomic number 40. It has very low reactivity, so it's used in things like nuclear reactors. I didn't know they made rings out of it."
"Mm-hmm."
"And the rose and thorn are, of course, symbolic of dualism and…" He smiled up at David. "I love it, my lord."
"I'm glad." David had been mostly sure that Charlie would like it, but he could have guessed wrong. "A friend who does cosplay is a jeweler. He made it for me."
Charlie's eyes widened. "It's unique?"
"Like you."
Charlie shuddered all over, almost like an orgasm. "Thank you, my lord. I will strive to prove worthy of your gift."
David shook his head. "No obligations, Charlie. It's yours."
"And I am yours."
David could feel Charlie's fervor through his body. "I know."
Charlie lay his head back on David's thigh, and stared at his ring for a while. David was happy to sit quietly on the bed and watch Charlie admire it. He was still tired from last night. It had been his most energetic Feast in many years.
David had almost dozed off when Charlie spoke again.
"Do you remember Lady Hightower from last night?"
"Yes. Octavia is an old friend of mine." The first time David came to this convention, he was dressed as an acolyte, though a male one. Octavia had shown him the ropes, helped him figure out what he wanted, started him on the path to Lord Bronze. One of the last times David had been fucked was by her. Last night, she had enjoyed Charlie's ass, and given David her full approval.
"Octavia…" Charlie said thoughtfully. "Remember how, um, I got confused by him-her?"
"You were surprised she had a cock."
"I don't know why I was. But she was so beautiful."
David nodded. Octavia had been David's ideal - until he saw Charlie in full goth girl mode.
"She, uh, she told me that she was a woman, a Lady, so I shouldn't call her 'him'. She was very nice about it. I apologized."
David nodded again. He had been at Charlie's side all evening, after all.
Charlie continued, "I keep thinking about what she said later, after she, you know."
David smiled. Charlie's blush was quite endearing. Late in the evening, Octavia had sat with Charlie and talked to him, much in the same way she had once talked to a newbie David.
"She said, 'In the mundane world, I'm a man. And I'm not someone who's hiding that I'm a woman, I'm a man. I even wear a suit - I'm a lawyer, actually. Lady Hightower is a different part of me, the woman part of me. She sleeps until days like this when my man side sleeps and she takes over. It doesn't matter that they both have the same XY chromosome body. Both of them are me. I'm not embarrassed by either of them."
"I remember," David said. Octavia had given David a lot to think about, through the years.
"She said, 'When I'm a woman, I go by 'she' and 'her'. When I'm a man, I go by 'he' and 'him'. You'll never have any doubt by looking at me which side is awake. Some people are subtle. I'm not subtle."
"No, she's not," David chuckled.
"She made me think that maybe I can, well, maybe I can go, you know."
David waited.
"That I could go by 'she' and I won't be lying to anyone."
David smiled. "Charlie, unless you think I'm actually a vampire, I'm 'lying' to people too. It's a persona."
"Okay, yeah, okay."
David was pleased. He hadn't wanted to pressure Charlie but thought that going by 'he' while in the female acolyte persona was not fully committing to it. "I'd be happy to call you by 'she.'"
"All the time?" Charlie sounded uneasy.
"I heard a rule of thumb once. A drag queen friend told me, 'If I have my lipstick on, call me she.'"
Charlie pondered that for a moment. "But for me, I'm not… What Lady Hightower said, that when she was a woman, she was obvious and when she was a man, she was a he without subtlety. When I wear my panties under my clothes, what does that mean?"
"Mean?" David said. "It means as much or as little as you want it to. Nobody decides what it means but you."
Charlie sighed. "Math is much simpler."
"For you." David put his hand on Charlie's, rubbing the ring. "Do what feels right to you. The goth girl outfit for Halloween can't have been the first time you put on a dress, did your makeup."
Charlie shook his head.
David continued, "You worked your way in steps. Until you found something that spoke to you. Same with your panties."
"I want to wear a bra too," Charlie said, his cheeks turning red. "Under my regular clothes. Is that weird?"
"No," David said. He had to swallow hard at the surge of arousal the thought gave him. "Would you like a bra to match your panties?"
"Yes," Charlie said, his cheeks still glowing.
"I will buy you one. Several."
"Oh, thank you, my lord." Charlie said, pressing his cheek against David's leg. "You are so good to me."
David looked down at him, trying to come up with the words that would explain to Charlie what he meant to him.
Finally, he just raised Charlie's face so that he was holding Charlie's eyes with his own. Putting his emotion into his voice, he said firmly, "You…are…mine."
Tears seemed to come to Charlie's eyes. "Yes, yes, yes."
David held Charlie's gaze for a little longer, then let him go. Charlie wrapped himself around David's leg, snuffling slightly. David leaned back against the pillows, smiling to himself. Maybe he had found the right words after all.
After a while, Charlie's grip on David's leg seemed to ease. "My lord?"
"Yes?"
Charlie sat up. He looked shyly up through his lashes. "Do you think I… my persona, could have a name?"
"Sure."
"Are there any rules about what my name can be?"
"Some unofficial ones."
"Like what?"
"You can't give yourself an unearned title. You can't call yourself by a packname if the pack hasn't accepted you. It can't be racist or sexist or crude."
"Okay, anything else?"
"Not that I can think of." Though David would want to veto anything too ridiculous.
"I would like, do you think I could go by…"
David waited, intensely curious. It had taken him quite some time to come up with his own name.
Very softly, Charlie whispered, "Ormolu?"
David blinked. "'Ormolu?'"
"O-R-M-O-L-U. It's the word for a French gilding that is - or rather was - applied to bronze. It was a gold-mercury amalgam that was used until it was outlawed because the mercury was poisoning the gilders."
David tilted his head, waiting for more explanation.
Charlie continued, "It goes with Lord Bronze, to combine to make something more beautiful. It was a beautiful but deadly. I like the dichotomy. I could do something else if you don't like it. It just was the first thing that came to me and nothing else fits as well…"
David thought for a moment then nodded. "I like it."
"You do?"
"It's unique." He smiled. "Like you."
Charlie relaxed and smiled back. "Thank you, my lord."
David put his hand on Charlie's head. "If we go down to the convention, we will get a new badge for you, that says, 'Lord Bronze's Acolyte, Ormolu (she/her).'"
"I like that," Charlie said, then paused. "'If' we go down?"
"You said that you were uncomfortable with going out and seeing people walking the halls after they saw you at the Feast."
Charlie grimaced and was silent for a moment. Finally, he said, "I have a new dress."
David had to chuckle. "You want to show it off."
Charlie nodded. "I really like it." He rubbed his cheek against David's hand. "I hope you like it."
"I will."
"You'll stay with me downstairs?"
"Absolutely. I will not stray from your side."
"Okay," Charlie said and smiled shyly. "May I go take a shower now and prepare?"
"Yes."
Charlie got off the bed and went to the closet. Hanging on the clothes rack was three garment bags, one for each day. He took the middle one off the rack and lay it on the bed. His eyes were shining. The only time David could remember seeing that expression on Charlie's face before was when he was explaining a complex math concept.
David was curious what Charlie had in mind. It was hard to see how he'd top yesterday's outfit, but Charlie looked ready to do so. David leaned back against the bed. He'd let Charlie take a shower and then he'd take one. It took Charlie a lot longer to become a goth girl than it took David to become a steampunk vampire lord.
For Charlie to become Ormolu than David to become Lord Bronze.
David smiled. He was looking forward to the transformation.