Fic: "Hiatus" (1/2)

[mijan]

Title: "Hiatus" (Part 1)
Rating:: NC-17
Word Count: 18,737
Pairing: McCoy/Kirk
Warnings/Temptings: BDSM, bondage, marking, biting, medical kink, Risk-Aware Consensual Kink, public play, D/s, and so on.
Summary: Jim is in over his head with classes and training at the Academy. He needs a break, and he won't take one on his own, so Bones makes him take the hiatus that he needs.

Notes: This fic is part of my Ficathon fundraiser, and was written for treksnoopy and rubymiene. I hope you guys enjoy it!

"Hiatus" (Part 1)

Hey Jim, where have you been this week? I haven’t seen you in days. - LM

Sorry. Busy. Oral presentation in Advanced Tactics tomorrow, remember? Also practicing for the flight show with my squadron. - Jim

Jim, when was the last time you did something that wasn’t directly connected to schoolwork? Hell, when was the last day you didn’t wake up at 0400 to do extra physical training? - LM

Bones, I’m still trying to come back from the crash. I can’t let up now. - Jim

Jim, you’ve been fully recovered for months. Your academics are fine. You need to take a break. This isn’t healthy. - LM

Can’t. Presentation is a third of AT grade. Flight show next weekend. Exam next week in field engineering. Hand-to-Hand competition and history exam the week after that. - Jim

If you don’t take a break, I will come over there and make you take a break. - Dr. McCoy

After the history exam. - Jim

Leonard looked at the small screen of his comm unit and sighed. “Okay, kid. You asked for it.”

*********

Jim’s mind was still spinning in dizzying circles as he dragged himself back to his dorm.

His tactics presentation had gone well enough... or, at least, he thought it had. It was all a blur now, and while he was pretty sure he’d hit all the points he wanted to cover, his brain kept combing over everything he’d said, looking for mistakes and omissions that it was too late to fix anyway. In fact, he’d continued to spin his mental wheels through his two-hour flight session with Nova Squadron immediately after Tactics. Flying normally helped him clear his mind from everything else, but today, it just felt like another thing making his brain fray around the edges.

It was 1827 hours on a Friday, and he was too fried to think straight. He should be thinking about heading off-campus for a drink or maybe hooking up with Christie Wu from his hand-to-hand section... because damn, she’d definitely been flirting with him, and she was one of the few people who could pin him hard, and that alone was attractive as hell.

But no, he wasn’t going out, and he wasn’t bringing Christie (or anyone else) back to his dorm room. He was going to take a shower and start studying for his engineering exam. He’d only had time to read the material once for that class because he’d been too busy getting ready for his Tactics presentation, and now he only had four days to review everything and prep for the engineering exam. To make his schedule even tighter, his command seminar instructor had dropped an essay assignment in his lap. Every cadet in the class had been given a computerized model of a shipboard crisis, and they had to give a complete play-by-play of the decisions they would make as ship’s captain and defend those decisions. That was due on Thursday.

He could do it, though. It was just schoolwork. Sure, it was a heavy course load, but he could handle it. Compared to some of the shit he’d been through, this was nothing. Just one and a half more months until the end of the semester, and he could rest for a few days before the summer courses would begin. It would be fine. He could get through a few more weeks.

Fuck, his head hurt.

The turbolift deposited him on his floor, and while he was glad that his exhausting week was over, part of him was dreading going back to an empty dorm room to study for the rest of the night. While, on one hand, he’d been surrounded by people all day, he’d been working, not playing. He hadn’t had any social time in weeks.

Damn it to hell, he was lonely. He considered going over to Bones’ place to study, but that was pointless. Bones was working a late shift on Fridays at Starfleet Medical for the month, and he wouldn’t be back until 2200. By then, Jim was pretty sure he’d be passed out on top of his study materials.

He let himself through his door, and did a double-take at the sight of Bones reclining on the unused bed that his ex-roommate had once occupied. He was dressed in black pants, a black shirt with a high collar, and boots that Jim had only seen him wearing a few times.

“Bones?” Jim dropped his bag and stumbled slightly as he automatically shrugged off his uniform jacket and hung it next to the door. “I thought you had clinic duty tonight.”

“I did, but I traded off with someone else,” he said in a suspiciously neutral tone. “Told them that I have a family issue to deal with.”

Jim toed off his boots, leaning against the wall to keep from tipping sideways. “Why’d you do that?”

Bones gave Jim a searching look. His arms were folded across his chest and that dangerous eyebrow of his was approaching yellow-alert. “Because it’s the truth.”

Suddenly, Bones’ last text comm came back to him, and Jim realized what this really was. “Bones, what are you... are you kidding me? Is this a damned intervention?” He grabbed his bag, hauled it across the room, and dropped it on his desk with a thud, before spinning around to look back at Bones. “I don’t have time for this!”

Bones unfolded his arms and let one foot dangle over the side of the bed, but made no move to actually get up. “Oh really? Don’t have time for what?”

Jim opened his mouth, then stopped. Bones hadn’t actually said why he was there. Jim forced himself to take a slow breath. “Listen, I’m sorry... I’m just wound a little tight, I guess. It’s been a busy couple of weeks.” He tried for a hopeful smile. “I was actually thinking about heading over to your place to study instead of staying buried in my room, but you were at clinic, so now that you aren’t...”

Bones wasn’t shaking his head ‘no,’ but the subtle shift in his expression told Jim that he was going in the wrong direction.

“What?” Jim asked nervously.

“Have a seat, Jim.”

“I’ve got work to do.” Suddenly even more twitchy, Jim spun around and began digging things out of his bag and putting them in their places. Regular PADD, engineering PADD, his paper notepad because he was weird like that, running shoes, data chip with the digital model of the shipboard crisis for his Command Seminar...

“Jim.”

The name was spoken from just behind him, and Jim actually startled and spun around to see Bones standing there, looking at him with an expression of sad frustration.

Jim forced himself to take a couple of breaths, then said, “What?” again, feeling stupid.

“Please sit down.”

The request was surprisingly gentle but carried an authority that Jim recognized immediately, and shit, he should have realized what was happening before, but it didn’t matter. Something had changed in the dynamic in the room, and for the first time in weeks, Jim felt part of his brain slow down... just a little bit. He stepped over to his own bed and sat down heavily, cringing as the impact made the tension headache flare for a moment. In annoyance and a bit of embarrassment, he closed his eyes.

“That’s better,” Bones said softly.

There was the sound of Bones rustling around, and then the familiar whirr of a tricorder. Whereas the sound of a medical tricorder had once sent Jim running in the other direction, it changed when it was in Bones’ hands and they were behind closed doors. Bones had a need to take care of people, and that need often landed squarely on Jim. What Jim had discovered, to his surprise, was that he liked it when someone he trusted took care of him. He needed it. And Bones was the only person he trusted like that.

“What’s the prognosis, doc?” It was their code - Jim giving Bones permission to treat him in whatever way Bones deemed necessary. Sometimes, it was as simple as telling Jim to take a vitamin pill or to drink something with electrolytes. Other times, the treatment of choice tilted into a realm of unorthodoxy that Jim couldn’t have fathomed a year ago.

When Bones didn’t answer immediately, Jim opened his eyes and saw Bones staring at him with intense concern.

“Hold on a second, Jim.” He reached back into a duffel bag that Jim hadn’t noticed before and pulled out a small kit. He selected a chip, put it into a device about the size of a communicator, and pressed the narrow end of the gadget against the underside of Jim’s wrist. There was a clicking sound, and Jim thought he felt something prick his skin, but he was more distracted by the look on Bones’ face.

“What is that?”

“Biochemical analyzer,” Bones said as he studied the small readout screen. “Jim, your cortisol and epinephrine metabolite levels are obscene for someone who isn’t in an active, sustained combat situation, and there’s evidence that you’ve been producing inadequate levels of melatonin.”

“English, Bones.”

Bones put down the device and looked Jim square in the eye. “Your stress levels are through the damned roof, kid. The hormones that control your sleep cycle are way off, which tells me you haven’t been sleeping, and your body is bombarding itself with other hormones that are okay for short periods of time, but after a while, they start to cause damage.”

Jim frowned. “What sort of damage?”

“Are you kidding me?” Bones shook his head and rolled his eyes. “Jim, your blood pressure is notably elevated, you’re physically shaking, and you’re even showing signs of developing a temporary cardiac arrhythmia from the adrenaline overload! That sort of damage!”

“Oh.” Jim fidgeted. “But Bones... it’s Starfleet Academy. It’s training. It’s not supposed to be easy. We push like crazy and then take a break between semesters. Other people survive this just fine.”

“Other people aren’t taking two to three extra courses every semester because they’re convinced they can do a four-year program in three,” Bones said flatly, putting his tricorder down and fishing into his bag again. “Other people don’t take the whole damned world on their shoulders.” He pulled out a hypospray and loaded a cartridge into it. “And other people aren’t you, kid, and I don’t care about them quite so much.”

Jim felt a flush of heat up his neck. “What’s in the hypospray?”

“Something to neutralize the effects of your little adrenaline overload,” Bones said, coaxing Jim to tilt his head to the side. “Should help get your blood pressure back down and prevent your heart from overstressing itself so it can recover.”

Jim shuddered at the sensation of Bones’ hand against his cheek and cooperated, flinching slightly at the sting of the device when it activated. Then he frowned. “Wait a minute, you didn’t just give me a sedative, did you? I’m not going to fall asleep in five seconds?”

“No, kid,” Bones said as he tucked his equipment back into his bag and sat back on the floor, leaning against the unoccupied bed. “That’s not what I’m here to do, although you really do need a good night’s sleep.”

Jim breathed a sigh of relief. “I know, and I promise, I’ll get one,” he said, standing with an indulgent stretch. And damn, whatever Bones had given him was already having an effect. He could actually feel his body stop shaking and his heart rate slow down. The headache seemed to ease a bit, too. He hadn’t even realized how physically tense he’d been.

He grinned at Bones. “But I feel better now. Whatever was in that hypo, it’s working, so thank you for that. It should make it a lot easier to focus on my studying. Besides, there’s also this report that we just got assigned today in my command seminar, and it’s due next week in the middle of everything else, so I’m going to have to finish that this weekend, too. I figure I can get at least three more hours of work before I fall asleep for the night, and -”

“Jim.” Despite the fact that he was sitting on the floor, Bones was giving him a level gaze that projected authority and control and... damn. “We’re not done yet.”

Jim felt himself wilt a little bit. “But, I... seriously, Bones, I have a ton of work to get done. I can’t just blow it off. Maybe we can go back to your place, and I can study there.”

But Bones was shaking his head. “Jim, you can crunch out a top-notch report in a couple of hours. And that engineering test? Don’t even pretend that you don’t know the material cold.”

Despite the drug that Bones had given him, Jim could feel anxiety creeping back up through his chest. “I can’t stop.”

Bones sighed and stood with an exaggerated groan. “That’s exactly why you need to stop.” He cast a sideways glance at the door, then looked back at Jim. “You know that you can tap out at any time, kid. I’m not about to force you to do anything. But I also know that you trust me, and that you know that anything I do is because I know you need it.”

A shiver worked its way up Jim’s spine. “I know.”

“You asked for the prognosis.”

Jim swallowed tightly. “I did.”

Bones reached out and wrapped his fingers around Jim’s wrist, pressing gently against his pulse. “Here’s the prognosis: You’re going to burn out. By the time you get to the end of the semester, you’re going to be in the hospital instead of in your classes. You’re going to miss your exams because you’ll collapse before you get there. Or, if by some miracle, you do make it to the end of the semester without ending up in the infirmary, you’ll be so anxious that you’ll mess up. No matter how hard you study, your brain is going to be so scrambled from overload and exhaustion that it’s going to short-circuit on you. You’re sabotaging yourself, kid.”

Jim could feel himself breathing just a bit too fast. It was true. Bones was right, and as much as he wanted to deny it, he was on a fast track to burning out at the moment. “I’m just trying to keep up.”

“Keep up?” Bones’s eyes widened slightly in incredulity. “Jim, you’re a masochist on a normal day, but this is self-abuse.”

Jim cringed. “So... what’s the therapy for this?”

Bones finally smiled and released Jim’s wrist. “There are a few ways we could treat this, but I’ve got one in particular that I’d like to try on you first.”

Jim actually felt himself smiling back a bit, despite the strange flip his stomach had just done. “Should I be scared?”

The smile turned into a smirk. “Well, it might sting a bit, but I think you’ll find it very therapeutic.”

“Your room, doctor?”

To Jim’s surprise, Bones actually shook his head. “Nope. We’re going on a field trip.”

“A field trip?” Jim echoed, confused.

“Go get dressed,” Bones said easily. “Dark clothes. Something nice that shows off your ass.”

“My ass?”

“Actually...” Bones’ smile changed - heavier, devious. “I know what you should wear. You need to stop thinking, so I’m going to do it for you.” He walked over to Jim’s closet and started rifling through. “I saw you wearing this the night you let that Orion lady drag you to that old-fashioned disco place. Still have no idea what people see in re-creating an era of music that never should have happened, but I’ll say this, kid...” He came up holding a pair of pants Gaila had selected for him from the fashion district in town. “Your Orion lady friend sure knows how to truss up your pretty little ass.”

He threw the pants over to Jim. They were a synthetic material that looked like a hybrid of leather and denim, and they made his ass look obscene. Jim had loved wearing them at the disco, but he couldn’t have imagined Bones, of all people, telling him to wear them. He stared at the pants in his hands, and looked up at Bones, who was smirking.

“Go on, Jim. Get dressed.” He stepped over to Jim’s dresser and began digging through the second drawer.

Jim put the pants on the bed and started to take off his uniform, but then he stopped. “Wait a minute, Bones... I might have time to swing by your room for a bit of play, but... where are you planning on taking me? And what time will we get back? And what about -”

“Jim.” That look was back, and it was damned effective. “Stop thinking, stop talking, and get dressed.” He tossed a sleeveless black shirt onto the bed next to the pants.

Jim managed to keep his mouth shut as he quickly stripped out of his uniform and pulled on the outfit that Bones had selected for him. The shirt was snug and the pants clung like a second skin. Gaila had loved it, and by the look on his face, Bones had a similar opinion. Bones almost never looked at him like that - they were friends first and foremost - but when the setting and situation crossed into the murky world of kink, the lines between friends and something else got really blurry. They’d never bothered to define it, and that was fine by them.

Even though Jim had stopped talking, his brain was still spinning, and questions were on the tip of his tongue. Where the hell was Bones taking him? Bones had told him to dress nicely a few times when they’d gone out to eat, but Jim suspected that he wasn’t planning on dinner. What sort of place that Bones would take him to would want him to dress like that? What did Bones have in mind? How much time would it take? And why -

“Jim, I said to stop thinking.”

Jim swallowed nervously. Damn, Bones could read right through him. A few years ago, the idea of someone being able to read him like that would have been terrifying. With Bones... it was different. “Sorry,” he mumbled.

Bones smiled at him - a normal smile this time. “It’s okay, kid. We’ll fix that by the end of the evening. So put on your favorite boots, grab that leather jacket of yours, and let’s head out.”

A minute later, the door to Jim’s dorm room was sliding shut behind them, and they were on their way. Bones was carrying that large duffel of his, and Jim was getting even more confused. Sure, it contained the ever-present med-kit, but there had to be some other stuff in it, and... if this was going anywhere similar to the places their other kink adventures had gone... Where could we be going that Bones would be bringing along stuff like that?

They got a few curious glances as they walked out of the dorm building and down the path to the south gate of campus. Jim suspected some of those glances were at his ass... not that he minded that in the slightest.

“Oh good, our cab is here,” Bones said as they passed through the gate. “All aboard, Jim.”

Jim slid across the back seat of the cab, waiting for Bones to give the driver directions. When the cab started moving and Bones hadn’t said a word, Jim tentatively asked, “Are you going to give him our destination?”

Bones gave him a sly look. “I gave them the destination when I ordered the taxi.”

“Curse your sudden yet inevitable betrayal,” Jim muttered.

Bones snorted. “Relax, kid. Actually... it’ll take about ten minutes to get there, so you have ten minutes. Start telling me about your presentation today. How did it go?”

Jim frowned. “I thought you wanted me to stop thinking about it?”

“I want you to get it out of your system now.” Bones slid an inch closer so that their knees were pressed together, and he placed one hand firmly on the back of Jim’s neck and began massaging the over-tense muscles. “Why are you asking questions, Jim? Just tell me about your presentation.”

Knowing that it was all the explanation he was going to get, Jim launched into the outline of his presentation, his main points, the instructor’s questions, and the reaction from his classmates. He was only halfway through discussing his analysis of using close maneuvers around dwarf planetary bodies when he realized the cab was stopping. He’d missed the entire ride and had stopped wondering where they were going.

Jim blinked as Bones swiped his credit chip across the reader. “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”

Bones only grinned knowingly. “C’mon, Jim. Out of the car.”

The cab drove away, and Jim looked at his unexpected surroundings. They were on a side-street that he didn’t recognize. In fact, it was narrow enough to almost qualify as an alley. At the end of the street was a much busier road, but he didn’t have enough clues to figure out if he should recognize it. It was unnerving. “Bones, please, just tell me where we are.”

“This is the Castro district.” He put his hand on the back of Jim’s neck again and steered him around. “And this is the doorway to the Balls and Chains... a private BDSM club.”

Jim had to look twice. Even staring at it, the doorway was so well-matched to the wall that Jim wouldn’t have noticed it if he’d just walked by. Then... “Wait a minute. A BDSM club? And it’s private?” That meant Bones was a member of an actual, honest-to-God... “Holy shit.”

Bones merely laughed as he hoisted his bag over his shoulder and pressed his thumb against a small, almost-invisible access pad on the wall.

A male computerized voice greeted them. “Identification confirmed. Welcome back, Leonard.”

The door slid open, and a shadowy entryway greeted them.

Bones gave Jim a look, raised an eyebrow, and tilted his head towards the door before letting himself in. Trying to ignore the pounding in his chest, Jim followed him.

There was a coat-check room with a service countertop open to the entryway, and a man dressed in a black leather vest, a bowtie, and no shirt underneath smiled at them as he took their jackets. “Do you need one of the changing rooms, Sir?” His question was addressed to Bones, and to Jim’s surprise, only to Bones.

“Actually, yes.”

“Room Two, Sir,” the man said, pointing towards one of several doors off the entryway. “Enjoy your evening.”

A moment later, they were ensconced in a small room with a velvet-padded bench and a mirrored wall... and maybe it was good that they were alone just then, because Jim didn’t know if he was about to bounce off the walls in excitement or panic. Maybe both.

“Bones, what are we doing here? You’re a member of a place like this? Why didn’t you tell me? How did you find out about this place? What is the changing room for? What are we -”

Suddenly, Bones had him pinned against the wall of the room, one thigh between Jim’s legs, with one hand firmly over Jim’s mouth and nose. The feeling of Bones’ solid body pressing against his front and the hard wall against his back short-circuited Jim’s ability to think, and the sudden knowledge that Bones was restricting his air brought his entire span of attention to a pinpoint. Nothing existed beyond that space, that moment, that sensation, and Bones.

Bones must have seen Jim’s sudden shift in focus, because he nodded and slid his hand down just enough so that it was only covering Jim’s mouth. Bones never toyed with real breathplay, so Jim knew what he wanted was Jim’s undivided attention, and damn, he had it. Jim could breathe, but he couldn’t talk. He couldn’t move, but at that moment, he didn’t want to.

“There you go, Jim. Easy there.” Bones’ voice was low and intense, which was soothing in a way that had Jim’s brain going just a bit fuzzy. “Now listen. The first thing you need to do tonight is to stop over-thinking everything. Stop asking questions. Stop trying to control everything. Can you do that?”

Jim nodded.

“Well, I’ll believe it when I see it, but that’s a good start. Now, we’re here because you need to get yourself away from campus and other cadets, but you also need some social interaction. Tonight is going to be a bit different, but if I know you - and I’m pretty sure I do - you’re going to love this. Do you trust me?”

Jim nodded again, more emphatically this time. He did trust Bones. He absolutely did.

Slowly, Bones lowered his hand from Jim’s mouth and took a step back, not completely out of Jim’s personal space, but not pressing him to the wall, either. Strangely, it made Jim feel disconnected and directionless. He kept his back against the wall for support. “Do I get to ask any questions at all?” he asked when he found his voice again.

At that, Bones smiled sympathetically. “That sounds like a question to me. But okay... one question at a time, and I’ll decide whether or not to answer.”

Jim thought about that. “What happens at a place like this?”

“All sorts of different things. It’s a BDSM club, so use your imagination. There’s open play space as well as private rooms. There’s one open room where people can have sex, but the main room is for kink play only, not intercourse.”

“Open rooms where...” Jim shook his head, trying to absorb this. Despite already knowing that Bones had a pretty kinky background, it still took him by surprise every time Bones said something that was so... so blunt. “What are we going to do?”

“We’re going to do whatever I decide for us to do,” Bones said flatly, in a voice that left no room for argument. “You get to make one decision tonight, and only one decision, but you can make it at any time.”

“What’s that?”

“The decision to stop and go home.” Bones leaned back against the wall, crossing one leg over the other and folding his arms across his chest, and damn he looked good when he stood like that. “Until you make that decision, you agree to trust me and cooperate. I won’t do anything where you can’t tap out instantly. You have the right to safeword at any time, Jim. You always do. Same thing here as when we do this back at my place.”

“I... okay.” Of course he could safeword. That wasn’t even a question. Bones would never force him to do anything. But at the same time... “So... there are a lot of other people here?”

“Well, it’s early in the evening. There will be some people here already, but it will get busier in an hour or two.”

“Are there... well... special manners and codes of courtesy at a place like this? I’ve heard that there are Dom/sub protocols and stuff, but... I mean... how do I talk to people?”

“Just follow my lead. As long as you’re not rude in general, you’ll be fine,” Bones said as he leaned off the wall and began digging through his duffel bag. “But as far as what to say to people today... I’ve got that solved for you.” He pulled something out of the duffel.

Jim felt his eyes go wide. “Shit, Bones, is that what I think it is?”

“Classic ball-gag and head harness,” Bones said happily, holding it up so Jim could see. “I bought it for you last month. I figured this was the perfect time to bring it out.”

Jim stared at the contraption, but he wasn’t sure what he thought of it. It seemed humiliating, degrading, restricting... but at the same time, there was something intensely appealing about the concept, even though he wasn’t sure why it felt appealing. “How would I safeword?”

“Hand signals, Jim. What signal would you use if you were doing land-based battle drills and you wanted people to stop?”

Automatically, Jim held up his right hand, clenched into a fist, surprising himself at how naturally he did that.

Bones smiled. “See? You don’t need words to communicate. You can also tap me three times, or... hell, Jim, I know you. If I can see that you’re in distress, I’ll stop and get you out of here. You know that.”

“Okay,” Jim said, feeling hesitant. “But... Bones? As much as you say you want me to shut up half the time, why this? Why tonight?”

“You’ll see. And that’s enough questions for you. So make your decision: yes or no? Because it’s either this, or we go back to campus.”

Jim stared at the ball gag in Bones’ hands.

Yes, he should go back to campus. He had too much work to do to waste an evening like this. This whole kink club thing was tempting - very tempting - and hell, the idea of it was stirring sensations in his body and mind that made him absolutely certain that this was a brilliant idea. The temptation, however, was completely offset by the massive list of things he had to do before next week.

“Jim?” Bones was looking at him with that unique blend of authority and concern that sent Jim’s stomach in somersaults, and screw his massive to-do list and homework and exams, because the look on Bones’ face made all the rest of it seem completely inconsequential.

Feeling a bit strange about the whole thing, but sensing that a grand gesture somehow fit the situation and perversely made him feel better about it, Jim smoothly sank to his knees in front of Bones, opening his mouth to accept the gag.

For a second, Bones’ smooth confidence was blasted away as his eyes widened in surprise. “Jesus, Jim, I...” He shivered, then pulled himself together. “You never were one for half-measures, were you?”

Jim shook his head, still holding his mouth open.

Bones’ hands were gentle as he slipped the gag and harness into place and buckled the straps. The rubbery texture of the ball was strange in Jim’s mouth. It was large enough that there wasn’t any extra space, but it didn’t seem to put too much pressure on his jaw, either. The straps of the harness went around the back of his head and neck, and another fastened snugly under his chin, all connecting to the strap holding the ball through metal rings over his cheeks. It was a strange sensation... and then Jim realized that he really couldn’t talk.

Of course you can’t talk, you idiot, Jim thought to himself. It’s a damned ball gag, and you agreed to it. But rationalization didn’t help when he was used to being able to communicate easily at all times, and suddenly, his communication outlet to the world was gone. He couldn’t tell Bones if he was nervous or scared or in pain or -

“Jim! Look at me, kid. Come on, deep breath, through your nose.”

Jim blinked to see that Bones was also kneeling now, directly in front of him, and was gripping Jim’s upper-arms, steadying him... because he’d been panicking. Focusing on Bones’ eyes, Jim forced himself to breathe steadily until the panic subsided.

“Jim... you need to trust that I’m going to take care of you, even when you can’t talk. And... I know you’ve been gagged before under bad circumstances, but this isn’t like that at all, okay?” His eyes were sincere and steadying. “This isn’t exactly like the other ways we’ve played, but you can still consider this to be treatment in a sense. This is psych therapy. I want you to come to your own conclusions about why we’re doing this as we go, but the first step in this sort of treatment is to relax and let things happen.”

Jim made a desperate sound in his throat, but he had no idea how Bones would interpret it. Hell, he wasn’t even sure what he meant by it in the first place.

Sighing softly, Bones brushed his hand softly over Jim’s cheek, thumb stroking his jawline, then his fingers traced down to the pulse that was hammering away in Jim’s neck. “Easy there, kid. Easy.”

Jim shivered under the attention. Throwing himself into the emotions and sensations and silent needs that he never admitted except when he and Bones were doing this sort of thing... he tilted his head forward and rested his forehead on Bones’ shoulder.

The warm, strong hand moved to the back of his neck, stroking and rubbing, and Jim felt his brain slow down just a little bit more. Thoughts vied for his attention. He could still feel his tactics presentation from earlier clawing at his brain alongside the massive pile of work he had to do, but they weren’t quite as loud. It helped.

Then, Bones’ hands were on his upper arms, gently pushing him back. “Are you ready?”

Jim nodded, and Bones smiled at him.

“Come on then, up ya go.” Bones got to his feet and pulled Jim up after him. “And Jim... I’ve got to say this...” His voice dropped to a low growl. “You look fucking hot as hell like this.”

The rare sexual compliment stirred something in Jim’s stomach, but before he could think of a way to express it, Bones was grabbing the duffel bag and steering him out the door.

Another couple was in the entryway now - a pair of men, checking their coats. To Jim’s surprise, when one of them took his ankle-length coat off, he was wearing nothing above his knee-high boots except a leather thong, a chest harness, and a collar. Jim’s eyes went wide as the obviously Dominant man bit the first man at the spot where his neck met his shoulder, and the guy’s knees buckled as he let out a low moan. Jim’s own breathing quickened, and he suddenly felt flushed.

“Jim,” Bones said into his ear, “it’s not polite to stare with your eyes quite that wide. Voyeurism is absolutely acceptable around here, but just don’t gawk.”

Jim nodded vaguely and let Bones lead him up a flight of stairs.

There was a bar in the room, and everyone was male so it was obviously a gay establishment, but compared to any other club Jim had seen in his life, the similarities ended there. The seating was plush and set in a variety of different arrangements. Patrons were wearing everything from elaborate costumes to strikingly simple clothes. Leather, lace, fishnets and corsets. Some were wearing dark slacks and tight shirts. Some were wearing things that bordered on formal attire. Some were wearing almost nothing at all. Jim was pretty sure that one man was wearing a horse’s bridle, a tail, and what were meant to be hooves. There were various seating and lounging areas, some in very unique configurations.

He wasn’t sure where to go next, but Bones’ hand found the back of his neck again and was guiding him forward. “Come on, let’s take a look around.”

It was all Jim could do to nod and let himself be led. The atmosphere was almost instantly infectious, and Jim found himself moving differently within a few steps as his mentality shifted into something seductive and exotic. There were eyes on him as Bones led him through the room, admiring him like a showpiece on display, and to his amazement, it felt incredible. A couple of people gave Bones a grin and a nod, and Jim got the impression that Bones knew them by the way he nodded back. It seemed like Bones was showing him off, and Jim didn’t mind that one bit.

“Len!”

It took Jim a moment to realize that the voice calling from over by the bar was talking to Bones.

A man with a round, ruddy face and more presence than actual height came bustling across the room wearing a broad grin. He caught Bones’ hand in an enthusiastic handshake. “Good to see you.” He softened his voice to an undertone. “I need to thank you again for patching up Ivory after that suspension accident last week. I’ve never had something like that happen here.”

Jim could tell that Bones was trying very hard to keep his face from flushing red, but Bones just shrugged. “Every scene has risks. Human skin has its limits. That Dom needs a few lessons in suspension safety.”

“Well, he’ll have to get those lessons somewhere else. He’s not coming back to this establishment again, I can tell you that. So glad you were here, Len. So very glad.”

“Thanks, Ted, but my name is Leonard.”

Ted waved his hand. “Leonard sounds so stuffy! Can’t call you that. What about Leo?”

“Leonard.”

“Lenny?”

Bones gave him a look that could have scared a Klingon. “Ted...”

By then, Jim was trying not to snicker and failing.

Ted laughed. “Leonard it is.” He glanced sideways at Jim for the first time and winked. “Does he make you call him that when you misbehave?”

For a split second, Jim felt a surge of panic, wondering how the hell he was supposed to answer that, but Bones answered for him smoothly. “He’s got his own name for me, but in scene, it’s usually ‘Doctor’, if you have to know.”

Ted raised an eyebrow and grinned. “Medical kink? And you found a handsome doctor like this to indulge you? You are one lucky sub.”

“Actually, he’s not a sub,” Bones replied for Jim. “Jim, with a capital-J, is a bottom, but he’s nobody’s sub.”

Jim found it strange that Bones was answering for him, but what choice did he have? And at the same time, he’d never really thought about whether he was a bottom or a sub. He played with Bones, and Bones took care of him, and that was good enough for him. He nodded in agreement with the description, and Bones smiled at him.

“Ah! My apologies, Jim.” He looked honestly apologetic and turned to fully face Jim for the first time since he’d walked over. “It’s usually only subs and slaves I see with ball gags. I shouldn’t have assumed. I’m glad Leonard brought you down here. Have you ever been to a BDSM club before?”

Jim shook his head.

“Well, you started with the best!” Then Ted looked back at Bones for a moment before returning his gaze to Jim. “Do you play with other Tops? Because a gorgeous bottom like you is going to have to draw a raffle considering the number of Tops and Doms who will be scrambling to play with you.”

Jim’s eyes went wide. While the idea of playing with other people appealed on some level, he was there with Bones, and in his current state - vulnerable and unable to talk - he wasn’t about to trust anyone else. He took a decisive step closer to Bones, latching onto his elbow.

Bones raised an eyebrow at him, then smirked at Ted. “Well, it’s up to him, but I think Jim has made it pretty clear that he’s with me tonight. Besides, it really is his first time in public. Maybe another time.”

“All the pity,” Ted said with a shrug. “But you might want to put a play collar on him for the night... just to let people know.”

“Oh, I don’t think that will be necessary,” Bones said in a different tone of voice. He maneuvered Jim in front of him so that Jim’s back was pressed against his front. He draped one arm over Jim’s left shoulder, and tucking his chin over Jim’s right shoulder. “I’ve got other ways to mark my territory.”

With that, Bones’ mouth was latching onto the base of his neck, at that sensitive junction where it met his shoulder, and there were teeth and suction and pressure and... Jim’s breath caught, and his entire world was Bones’ arm wrapped around him, and Bones’ mouth claiming him. The rest of the room disappeared, and it was hot and intense as Bones’ teeth dug into the pressure point with exquisite sharpness.

“Whoa, easy there, Jim!”

Jim blinked a few times and realized that Bones was partially supporting his weight.

“He swoons so pretty,” Ted mused. “Anyway, I was going to offer you one of my private rooms if you wanted for tonight, on the house, in appreciation for what you did last week.”

The words “last week” resonated loosely in Jim’s head, and his memory bounced back to some of the cryptic messages Bones had sent him over the past couple of weeks, asking what he was doing that night.

“I think I might like that,” Bones said thoughtfully. Then, stepping away from Jim, he said something in Ted’s ear.

An even broader grin spread across Ted’s face. “That one is being used right now, but when they’re done, I’ll have it sanitized and re-set for you.”

Bones nodded and stepped back. “Sounds good. We’ll probably be in the main play room.”

“I’ll come find you. Thanks again, Len... ah... Leonard.” Ted pumped Bones’ hand a few times with a hearty handshake, then hurried out of the room.

Jim gave Bones a questioning look.

Bones shook his head with a long-suffering sigh. “That’s Theodore Wilson, the owner of the Balls and Chains. You can figure out the rest of it...” Then he grinned. “Or, at least, as much as you need to right now.” He slid one hand around Jim’s waist, pulled him around, and started walking towards the back corner of the room. It was only as they got close to the wall that Jim realized that it was a door, blended neatly into the dark and intricate structure of the wall.

The door slid back, and Jim stepped through to an overwhelming view. Dark recesses and brightly lit stages and platforms created a complex texture of light, woven through by the talking, yelping, moaning, and laughing patrons. One stage had a man blindfolded and tied to a large X-shaped device while a man with a whip was leaving an artistic pattern of marks on his back. He yelped and squirmed with each strike, and if Jim could have let his mouth fall open, he would have. On another stage, a man tied in an intricate harness of rope was being lifted off the ground by that harness. And another lit area had a man tied with his hands above his head while another man was in the process of applying... clothespins? Yes, those were old-fashioned clothespins all over his body.

Undercutting it all was a low thrum of music with a heavy beat, but not loud enough to make conversation difficult.

“Come on, kid,” Bones said in his ear. “Let’s grab a seat where we can watch the action for a little while.”

Jim could only nod dumbly and let himself be led. The more he let Bones tell him what to do, guide him, and speak for him, the easier it became. There was no reason to fight this. He was in for the duration, whatever that might mean.

Bones was steering him towards a small group that was sitting in a recessed area off the main room where they could see everything but not easily be seen by others. One of them waved as they approached.

“Gentlemen,” Bones said, using the thickest drawl Jim had ever heard out of him. “Got space for myself and this pretty little thing?”

“Of course, Leonard,” said the one who had waved. He was wearing long pants and a collared shirt, like Bones, and Jim guessed he was one of the Doms in the group. “And is this Jim that you told us about?”

Bones maneuvered Jim into one of the seats - a broad, softly cushioned bench of sorts - and then sat down next to him as he dropped the duffel bag onto the floor. “That he is. Finally got him away from his schoolbooks.”

“Mmm... I’d like to see him in a schoolboy uniform,” one of the other men mused, giving him an appreciative up-and-down gaze.

Jim felt his cheeks flush hot.

Bones laid a hand on the back of Jim’s neck and began kneading the muscles there. “Now, Bill, that’s not his scene. Although, I must admit, it might be a nice view. But really, we’re still figuring out his scene as we go along.”

“So he really is pretty new to this?” the first guy asked.

“Only been playing for a few months. I thought it was time to bring him on a field trip.” Bones’ fingers caught in his hair and tugged lightly before going back to that kneading motion. Jim’s breath caught, and he melted just a bit more.

“Well, I’m glad you did. And it’s good to see you becoming a regular here,” Bill said. “Hopefully, Jim will, too.”

Bones chuckled softly. “Well, he hasn’t tapped out yet, so I think he’s enjoying himself so far.”

Bones’ voice was low and rumbling, and the rhythm of the music was deep and pulsing. Outside of their little alcove, the scenes on the brightly-lit raised platforms were carrying on. The sights and sounds were overwhelming, but Jim was starting to understand that he didn’t have to do anything about it. He could watch the man with the whip change over to a massive flogger, and listen to his sub make sounds that should have been impossible for a human larynx. He could see the man covered in clothespins gasp and squirm as the Dom started removing the clothespins. He could take in the sight of the blissed-out expression on the face of the man who was suspended in the air by nothing but a few ropes and his Dom’s best intentions. He could do all of that without needing to do anything.

Jim listened to what the people around him were saying, and he nodded when it felt like he should. They were talking about scenes they’d played or were planning to play, and kinks they’d been trying out, but the conversation was starting to wash over him. It was a strange, heady sensation... a bit like being drunk, but far more relaxed and far less delirious. Bones’ hand was still working his neck, and it was hot and demanding and almost like Bones’ mouth on his neck...

The thought sent a flash of something warm through him, and he gasped at the memory of the teeth digging into his neck.

Bones must have noticed because he shifted in his chair and looked Jim in the eye, his hand still firmly on the back of Jim’s neck. “You doing okay in there, kid?”

Jim nodded, and slowly closed and opened his eyes to show Bones that he was relaxed and happy.

Bones smiled, then brought his fingers around to press gently on Jim’s carotid pulse. “You look like you’re doing a bit better than earlier. I think the plan for therapy is working so far.”

Jim quirked his head, furrowing his eyebrows in curiosity.

“Not yet, Jim. I’ll know when you put it together, but don’t dig for the answer. I want you to relax... take it all in. Watch the scenes over there. But for the moment, I’ve got something here I need to do.” Bones looked over at the first guy who’d greeted them and nodded him over. “This is Master Gordian. Experienced Master. Specializes in rope bondage. He’s going to watch you for a moment because his slave over there, pip, is hankerin’ for a bit of needlework and a doctor’s touch, and that’s one of my specialties.”

Watch me? What? Jim blinked, confused.

“It’s okay, Jim. I’ll be right over there, and if you need anything, just tap Master Gordian and he’ll get me for you.”

Bones? What are you doing?

“But first... I don’t want you to feel left out. Hold your wrists out in front of you, Jim.”

I trust Bones. I trust Bones. Jim held his wrists out.

“Good, kid. Now, I could do this, but Master Gordian is much better at it. So just relax for a minute.” Bones looked over to the other man. “Go ahead.”

Gordian smiled at him. He was a big guy with a dark complexion and broad shoulders. He was non-threatening but definitely confident and in control as he began weaving a piece of rope around Jim’s right wrist and forearm. Jim watched in a mixture of fascination and confusion as he worked, all deft hands and smooth twists, but there was no way such a loose set of rope wraps could possibly -

With one final tug, the whole rig tightened around Jim’s forearm like a clamp. His eyes widened as he looked up at Bones, who chuckled at him as Master Gordian began making short work of the other arm. When he was done, Bones came over and took hold of the loops of rope at Jim’s wrists.

“Thank you, Master Gordian.” Then he looked back down at Jim. “Now, remember, you can tap out at any time. Just because I’m not looking doesn’t mean you can’t get my attention. But... enjoy this, Jim. Nobody is going to touch you without my permission, so relax and watch the show.” And with that, he tugged the loops of rope up over Jim’s head, hoisting his arms.

Jim was confused until he heard a soft click, and he twisted around in place to see that there were metal clasps attached to the wall above his head, and his right arm was attached to one... and his left arm to another. Jim gave the rope an experimental tug, and realized he was good and truly stuck.

“Keep an eye on my buddy for me,” Bones said to Gordian before grabbing something out of his bag and crossing the little alcove.

“Will do,” Master Gordian said as he settled in next to Jim.

Bones tapped something on the wall, and the lights intensified over one seat where a slender man with mocha-toned skin and almond-shaped eyes was already tied up to a pair of metal clasps on the wall above his head.

It occurred to Jim that it wasn’t just the raised platforms and stages that were designed for kink play in this room; everything was built with the idea of scenes happening spontaneously at any time, any place. It was overwhelming to consider the possibilities, and Jim was happily overwhelmed.

Jim didn’t know what had his attention the most: the sense of restraint from his arms tied above his head, the gag in his mouth, the man on the other side of the room tied to the X-shaped thing who seemed to have climaxed just from being flogged, or the sight of Bones running a sterilizer over pip’s chest.

Yes, definitely happily overwhelmed.

He knew what was coming, but that didn’t stop the sharp intake of breath when he saw Bones pierce the skin on the man’s chest and slowly thread the needle through it. The ghost of that sensation echoed through his own body from his memory, making him shiver. He’d always liked to watch other people being sexual, but this was a type of voyeurism that he’d never experienced. It was kink by proxy, and the imagined sensations seemed more real than some of the actual sex he’d had.

At the same time, another sensation, less physical this time, began to brew in Jim’s gut: jealousy. Bones could certainly play with anyone he wanted, and Jim had no problem with that... but at the moment, he wanted Bones’ hands, attention, and ministrations focused on himself. Even tethered to the wall and gagged at Bones’ hand, Jim felt lost and uncertain.

Everything around him was rhythm and moaning and talking and laughing. The beat of the music was thrumming through his chest in time with his heart. He couldn’t move and he couldn’t talk. His eyes couldn’t take it all in, but he could watch Bones.

The man under Bones’ ministrations was letting his head roll back between each piercing, while his skin quivered. Bones wasn’t talking to him, but his hands were firm and decisive. It was hypnotic in a sense, and Jim was fixated.

“You like watching that, do you?” Master Gordian’s voice rumbled warmly in his ear.

All Jim could do was nod. He couldn’t even look away from Bones and pip to make eye contact with the man who was speaking to him.

Master Gordian chuckled. “Then you go ahead and do that. Because you know that your Doctor wouldn’t be doing this if he didn’t think you’d like the view, too.”

Jim let that sink in, and the odd sense of jealousy slowly morphed into something else. Now that he was paying attention, it was obvious that Bones had angled the scene so that Jim could see everything. He felt his body relax just a little bit more.

“My little pip has been mine for six years,” Master Gordian said conversationally, “and he doesn’t ask me to let too many other folks play with him... but after we saw your Doctor take over after that suspension accident last week...” He let out a low, breathy whistle. “The accident was horrifying, but Leonard was genius. He’s a gentle Dom most of the time, but as a Doctor, he’s gorgeously forceful... hell, even I wanted his hands on me.”

Jim nodded again. He wondered how many times Master Gordian and the rest of this group had seen Bones in action, who Bones had played with, and what Bones had done while Jim wasn’t there to watch... or participate. It was good that he didn’t have to talk, because he wouldn’t have had the words for what he was thinking and feeling. And damn, he wanted Bones’ hands on him, too.

Under Bones’ ministrations, pip writhed. His eyes were closed, and he was looking more and more blissed-out by the minute. He was wearing a pair of lacy black underwear that left nothing to the imagination, and it was obvious that he was achingly hard.

At the same time, Jim started to notice a pattern emerging from the needles on pip’s chest. Bones was forming two circles, one over each pectoral muscle, alternating adding a needle to the right circle, then to the left. It looked exquisite. Bones was so confident with each motion. The snap of the sterile casing on the needle, the firm grasp of skin with his left hand, and the sureness of each stab. Jim could see the needle raising the skin as it penetrated flesh and pierced back out on the other side, and again, the remembered sensation of that sharp burn echoed back to him. It wasn’t a strictly sexual feeling, but he felt a stirring of that, too.

“You really like that, don’t you?”

Jim could only nod.

“You want him to do that to you?”

Jim nodded again, feeling more desperate this time.

“Does he do it to you often?”

Jim started to nod, but then he stopped... and sadly shook his head.

“Well then... maybe you should ask him to do it more often,” Gordian said thoughtfully. “Because... now let me tell you something that I wouldn’t tell you if you were a sub or a slave... but you’re your own man, and you’re new to this. That man there? Your Doctor? They don’t make ‘em like that every day. He’s been coming here for a few months, and we kept asking him if he’s got his own pretty little toy to play with, and when he was gonna bring you.”

Jim whined tight in his throat and tried to bite down on the ball gag. Bones had been coming for months... and had been talking about him. What had Bones been doing in his absence? How much had Bones wanted to bring him along? Jim tugged at the restraints overhead, not to get loose, but just to pull at them.

Master Gordian must have noticed his desperation. “He talks about you all the time, you know. Not in so many words, but the small things he says. He likes taking care of people in general, but he loves taking care of you. So if you want him to do that more often... maybe you ought to ask.”

Across the alcove, pip let out a deep-throated moan, and Jim felt a deep shiver run up his spine. The two circles on pip’s chest were complete, and Bones was reaching for something else... a thin strip of either fabric or leather. Jim couldn’t be sure what it was, but then Bones was weaving the strip around the hubs of the needles on the right side of pip’s chest in a criss-cross pattern, like spokes on a wheel.

Jim stared, fixated, as Bones tied off the first web and began weaving the other one. Once both webs were complete, he fixed metal rings around the center of each circle where the lines crossed, and tied another strap between those two rings.

Suddenly, Jim understood. Bondage by needleplay. It was beyond Jim’s realm of comprehension, and he was starting to realize all the things he’d missed along the way. Bones ran his hand up along pip’s chest, then did his customary pulse check. When he was satisfied, he turned back to look at Master Gordian. “I believe he’s ready for you.”

“Thank you, Doc,” Gordian replied as he stood and walked over to pip.

In the background, Master Gordian was untying pip’s wrists from the overhead restraints, but almost all of Jim’s attention was on Bones, who was... who was... straddling Jim’s thighs as he reached up and unclipped the restraints from the wall. He brought Jim’s hands down, but he made no move to untie the ropes around Jim’s wrists.

Jim looked up at him, blinking stupidly. Even if he could have spoken, he would have had no idea what to say, and that was okay. Everything was okay. He didn’t need to speak. Bones was in control, and it was okay. It was more than okay - it was liberating. He felt his eyes go wide with comprehension.

“Do you understand now, Jim?” Bones asked, his voice heavy and husky. “With the gag on, you don’t have to worry about what to say. You don’t have to worry about what to think. You’re always in control in your day-to-day living, or trying to stay in control, and you do that a lot of time with words. You’re clever as hell, but you need to turn it off sometimes, and you need an excuse to let go. I gave you that excuse. You desperately need to let someone else take control, so I did.”

Jim nodded, staring at Bones as if his life depended on it.

“Good, kid. Very good.” Bones slid off Jim’s lap and sat down next to him, tugging Jim around so that his weight was resting on Bones’ chest. “Watch the show now,” he said in a low tone in Jim’s ear.

Jim hadn’t noticed that Master Gordian had finished untethering pip from the wall and was leading him across the play room to the platform with the large X-shaped thing. Unlike the man who had been on it before, Gordian positioned pip face-forward. Pip took hold of a pair of handles at the top corners of the X, and Gordian hoisted him up slightly and wrapped two broad straps around each of pip’s upper thighs, fixing his pelvis to the X.

“That’s a Saint Andrew’s Cross, Jim,” Bones said into his ear. “It’s an incredibly versatile piece of equipment. I’ve thought about buying a collapsable one to fit in my apartment. Would you like that?”

Jim could only nod again.

The image of Bones tying him to a cross like that suffused Jim’s thoughts as he watched Master Gordian measure a length of rope and begin winding it around pip’s torso, fixing it to hooks and loops along the cross. Torso... arms... legs... shoulders... part by part, pip was fixed firmly and artistically to the cross. The more rope restraints Master Gordian applied, the more relaxed and blissed-out his slave became. The writhing was sensual, not struggling. It was forceful but gentle.

Jim was panting heavily through his nose, and didn’t care that Bones knew how this was affecting him. There was a hand rubbing firmly and possessively at the back of his neck, and Jim felt his brain slip into neutral.

Finally, Master Gordian took the strap that Bones had tied between the two needle-webs on pip’s chest and fixed it to a chain that came down from the front loop on his collar, so that whenever pip moved his head, it tugged on all the needles in his chest at once.

Jim’s body ached just looking at it, and he whined piteously.

“You want me to do something like that to you?”

Jim nodded again. His eyes were watering with the amount of desperation and ache he was feeling.

Bones hummed low and deep in his chest, and shifted behind Jim, and suddenly, the mouth and teeth were back at that sensitive spot where Jim’s neck met his shoulder. Teeth and suction, sharp and hot and digging deep into muscle. Jim writhed, unable to control his motions or the high-pitched whine that escaped around the gag in his mouth.

Bones’ arms fastened firmly around Jim like living restraints, hands clasped and locked at Jim’s sternum, and Jim wasn’t going anywhere as Bones continued to bite and suck and bite again. He knew Bones had to be leaving a mark, and the idea of it made him buck and squirm, even as the white-hot pain of the pressure point threatened to overwhelm him.

And then, it stopped.

Jim sagged back into Bones’ lap, unable to think or move. He made a noise in his throat, but even he wasn’t sure what he meant by it.

“You okay, kid?”

Jim weakly held out his hand and gave a thumbs-up sign.

Bones chuckled. “Yeah, you’re okay. So... you like watching these folks up on the platforms?”

Jim nodded, even though he thought the answer was pretty obvious.

“Do you want to go up on one of those platforms?”

Jim froze, and he felt his eyes widen. He wasn’t sure. On one hand, he was an exhibitionist in his own right... when it came to normal stuff. On the other hand, this was brand new and totally overwhelming.

Before he could nod, shake his head, or even shrug, Bones’ hand was carding through his hair reassuringly. “It’s okay, kid. Not today. Maybe next time. Not before you’re ready.”

Jim instantly felt himself relaxing again.

“But for now... how about we take that ball gag out?” He started to reach for the buckle at the side of Jim’s face.

In Jim’s fuzzy brain, something snapped uncomfortably. If Bones was taking out the gag, that meant he had the option of talking again, and he’d instantly feel like he’d have to talk. Reflexively, Jim pulled away from Bones and clenched his teeth down on the ball in his mouth.

“Jim? What’s wrong? I know you’re enjoying yourself, but I promise, I’m not done with you.”

Jim spun around in place so he could look at Bones, furrowing his eyebrows together in questioning.

“Jim,” Bones said softly. “I know you’re in a great headspace right now, and that gag is part of it. I just want to take it out long enough for you to drink some water before we get into the next thing I’ve got planned.”

Jim felt himself pulling back a few more inches.

Bones sighed. “You don’t have to talk. Just drink some water... or actually, I brought you an electrolyte drink... and then we’ll put it back on and...”

Jim was shaking his head in twitchy movements. The gag gave him permission to stop thinking, to stop talking, and rest. It was like a security blanket, protecting his mind from a different place... a place that was painful and exhausting... a place he’d just barely managed to escape. He didn’t want to go back there. Not yet. He was still too tired, too threadbare.

Bones gave him an exasperated look. “Oh, kid... what am I going to do with you?”

Jim shrugged, then - throwing all sense of shame to the wind - he leaned forward and curled himself up on the seat with his head in Bones’ lap.

He felt Bones sigh again, and then hands were on him... rubbing... squeezing... scratching. It felt good. Sharp twinges of pain and soothing strokes of pleasure vied for dominance, and Jim felt himself relaxing again. Bones’ hand found the spot on his shoulder that was still sore from the bites he’d planted there and pressed down. The deep ache shot through Jim’s neck and arm, making his eyes water, and it was good and right. His brain was slowing down again. Bones wasn’t going to make it stop. Jim took a deep breath through his nose and let it out, sinking into Bones’ ministrations.

Around their secluded alcove, more incredible scenes and sights were unfolding, and Jim watched it all passively with his head in Bones’ lap. Bones resumed chatting with the other people sitting in their small area as he kneaded and scratched and pulled hair and had Jim all but purring under his hands.

Jim felt himself drifting into that faraway place again when someone approached and blocked his view of the play room floor.

To Part 2