Midnight Rose Ch. 01

He was barely aware of Lucius sitting down on the armchair over all his crying. He only tried to scoot away when he felt himself brushing against the man's left leg.

"Stay. You're alright."

He wasn't sure he was, but he stayed put nonetheless, far too out of it to really move anywhere. Besides, he didn't want another punishment added on to the one he was already going through.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but at some point, Lucius' left hand placed itself on his head.

He flinched. Oh God, he didn't want Lucius touching him there-

The man's long fingers carded through his raven hair, fingertips brushing against his scalp in a soothing, calming motion.

...

Did he know?

No, he couldn't.

Yet...

The clashing thoughts and anxiety seemed to dissipate with the gentle caress. Elias panted, sighed? He didn't know, but as he did, he felt some tension leaving his body.

Carefully, he peeked up at the Dungeon Master, seated oh-so-elegantly in the black armchair, his right hand swirling a glass of cognac. Lucius caught him staring, but didn't admonish him; instead, he offered a gentle smile and brushed his fingers through Elias' fringe.

It suddenly seemed exhausting, tedious, even, to cry so much. The raven sniffed, scowling, before turning his head away, allowing some of the long hair to fall back into place. He didn't want Lucius to see his face so clearly, not like this.

Again, the other man said nothing. He sipped his drink and played with the soft, dark hair, glancing every now and then at the young man's face to see his expression.

It took a minute more, but eventually, Elias began to lean against his leg. The longer he stroked his hair, the more he pressed along his scalp, the calmer he got.

Elias wasn't sure what sorcery lead him into leaning his head against Lucius' knee, but he did.

This night had been brutal. He was just so tired, and the way that the other combed through his hair...it made everything come to a stop. His anxiety, the stress of daily life, the fear of the unknown; all of it came to a steady halt the longer he let himself be touched.

Who was this man, who could just as easily torment the damned, as he could care for the weary and lost?

In that moment, Elias decided he didn't care. All that mattered was the tender touch on his head, the warmth of the leg beneath his cheek, and the peaceful emptiness in his mind.

As he drifted on that hazy line between sleep and wakefulness, Lucius watched him intently, observed the evening breaths, how the knot in the young man's brow smoothed over, saw the tears slow their flow and eventually dry on flushed cheeks. He gazed at Elias, even as those dark grey eyes closed under the continued ministrations of his hand.

Satisfied, the Dungeon Master took a sip of his cognac. 'That's it. Just relax. Let everything melt away and just experience the moment.'

He had had many a submissive in his career as a Dominant, but none quite as interesting as the young man kneeling at his side. Something about him screamed at Lucius to do something, to help, in the best way he knew how, even if Elias wasn't aware of it himself. Or, in the possibility that he was aware of the energy he gave off, was perhaps too scared to acknowledge it.

Lucius felt his watch vibrate, and glanced down at it, slightly saddened that their time together was drawing near. He shut the timer off, hand still carding through Elias' raven hair as he quietly spoke, "Your ten minutes is up, darling."

Elias' eyes flew wide open, wrenched from the dream-like state Lucius had cast upon him. He felt a blush blooming over his face as he truly realized just what he was doing, and pushed himself away from the other man's leg as though the touch had scorched him. He knelt, stock still, eyes on anything but the Dungeon Master, glad that he had removed his hand from his hair. What had he been thinking?

"Now, that you've had time to think," Lucius spoke, swirling his drink casually as he kept his eyes on the back of the young man's head, "What would you have done differently to avoid this situation?"

Elias shifted, eyes trained to the floor. His hands clutched the fabric of his jeans in trepidation and just a tad of irritation. "I would have stayed home..." he mumbled under his breath.

"While an amusing answer," Lucius commented lightly, a laugh in his very voice, "I want to know what you would have done if you still ended up in my club."

Elias frowned, irritation starting to win over trepidation. "I should have looked at the floorplan. And should have stayed at the bar." The last point was added with ample salt, either for himself, or for Lucius, who so easily got under his skin, he could not tell.

"Why should you have looked at the floorplan?"

He was already getting very tired of answering questions. "To find the saferooms."

"And?"

Elias finally decided to toss the Dungeon Master a frustrated glare over his shoulder, but hated how seeing the man's smug face left him feeling weak-kneed. Less biting than he would have said otherwise, Elias responded, "And to make sure I didn't end up in your stupid private lounge."

A hearty laugh resonated from Lucius, whose hand came back to pat Elias on the head, much to his displeasure. After stemming his laughter, he said, "You have quite the sharp tongue. Had you been my submissive, I might have punished you again for that bratty response."

Elias' face paled when Lucius leaned down, grinning ear to ear.

He placed one long, elegant finger under the raven's chin. "Maybe I would spank you, like you suggested before."

It disturbed Elias to know that the thought of Lucius slapping his ass made warmth spread throughout his abdomen.

He released a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding in when the other man straightened himself back in the armchair. How could Lucius make him feel so many conflicting emotions at once, with nothing but a few words and a touch here and there?

"Your punishment is nearly over. There's just one last thing left to do, isn't there Elias?"

The young man glanced at Lucius, suddenly recalling the last instruction he had given him, and how this was the last nail in the coffin of his dignity.

He couldn't believe he was actually going to say it, but he doubted the Dungeon Master would let him leave without saying it. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Elias articulated carefully, "Thank you."

Lucius regarded him evenly, one brow rising curiously. "Thank you...what?"

He was really going to make him say it, wasn't he? A million curses were ready to fly off the raven's tongue, but he stayed them, feeling the prickle of embarrassed heat from his ears to the tip of his nose, hoping against hope that his fringe hid the worst of it.

"Thank you for punishing me..." quickly, he added, "Master."

A second passed, in which Lucius gazed down at him with that predatory smile of his. Then another.

He took a sip of his drink.

"You've been a good boy."

Elias' hands shook.

Another second passed.

Lucius nodded, almost to himself, going for another sip.

"You may leave now."

Elias practically scrambled in his haste to get out of the lounge.

Lucius stood from the armchair, taking slow steps towards the hallway, brushing his fingers over the Asters in their vase on the coffee table. He twirled the remaining drink in his glass, a knowing smile on his face.

He wondered if Elias would come back.

XXXXX

Time seemed to have slowed down.

He ran. He ran away from that room as fast as his legs could carry him. Ran for dear life.

Ran from the gravitational pull of the man in his dark suit.

Ran from the weakness and vulnerability.

Ran from the punishment.

He ran. It hurt him everywhere, but he ran.

He could put as much distance as he wanted from him...

But he couldn't run away from the memory;

From the very real feelings burning deep within his most sacred self.

His breaths came out in heavy pants, ears buzzing, barely able to hear the music over the million thoughts bouncing around in his head.

People might have looked at him strangely, he might have crashed into patron after patron, but he didn't notice. The world around him was a blur, and only the most important things were clear in his mind.

Find Nick and Lily.

Get the hell out of here.

Nick nearly screamed when Elias grabbed his arm.

"Elias, fuck man! Where have you been? You just ran off after-" the blonde began but quickly shut up when his friend dragged him towards Lily a little further away. "Dude, are you okay?"

Elias didn't respond. He grabbed Lily away from where she was chatting with a man in studded gear. "Hey watch it assho-?" She stopped mid sentence, uttering a baffled, "Elias!? Wait, we were looking for you everywhere; where were you?"

Again, Elias kept quiet dragging his friends along with more force than he had know to be capable of, ignoring the pleas and questions his friends were throwing at him.

All that mattered was getting to the door and leaving this place.

He stopped, head flicking in all directions, feeling as though he was being watched.

Grey eyes flicked up, just making out glass viewing points from the hallways beyond the walls of the club's dance floor.

Through the lights, the fog, the din and chaos in his mind, he saw him.

Lucius, high above them all, watched over him with his all-seeing golden eyes.

"Elias!"

The raven finally pulled himself back to reality, eyeing his friends wearily.

Lily shook her arm free from his grasp, her makeup-heavy eyes regarding him worriedly. "We've been worried ever since we lost you at the stage, and now you look like you've seen a ghost. Did something happen?"

Elias looked back at the glass. Lucius was no longer there.

"Hey!" Nick snapped his fingers at him. "Fuck, don't tell me someone drugged you," he said, taking on a worried tone of his own.

Elias shook his head. "I'm fine."

"No, you're not." Lily reached out to him, but Elias backed away.

"I just want to go home" he ground out quickly. Both his friends seemed to cringe at the tone, but backed off. Nick nodded.

"Okay, yeah. Let's go home."

They made their way to the entrance.

Elias looked back one last time.

He pursed his lips, heading out with Nick and Lily.

XXXXX

After the events of last night, Elias had driven his friends home, had specifically chosen to not speak about what had happened to him and went to his own apartment in need of sleep.

Lily and Nick had sent him a few messages come morning, both of them apologizing for bringing him somewhere he hadn't been comfortable being. Neither of them mentioned his panicked state, his lack of clarity on the matter or anything else, for which Elias was immensely grateful.

Last night he could barely get a wink of sleep. His mind had replayed his encounter with Lucius over and over like a broken record, until the exhaustion of reliving his "punishment" finally knocked him out for all of three hours. By then the sun had risen and he couldn't sleep anymore.

The raven rubbed his eyes, hand resting around his cup of tea. Thinking about it would get him nowhere. Besides, it was unlikely he would ever see Lucius again, neither did he want to.

'I think...'

A despairing groan emanated from the back of his throat. Who was he kidding? Lucius, despite everything he had done -or in spite of it- had left an impression on Elias, one he was far too familiar with, and yet felt completely out of his element in all at once.

Finding the opposite sex attractive is a human feeling many, including himself, are afflicted with. Not to say that is a bad thing, but Elias always found it difficult to manage attraction, his libido, crushes or romantic feelings, for that matter, so dating had never been his strong suit. He had had two girlfriends in the past, one from high school, and another he had met through Nick, yet neither relationship lasted very long due to his...well, lack of experience.

Women are attractive. This much, he knew he understood; he liked women, even if he had never had much in terms of romance with one. If the occasion arose in which he found himself wanting to watch porn to help himself get off, something that happened infrequently at best, he would gravitate towards heterosexual content, and on very rare occasions lesbian content. Usually, he was content just touching himself if the need arose.

Lucius, however, had made him dig out things he had buried long ago.

Feelings of desire for a man was simply out of the question in his family. His parents expected a wife and family of him, and he had already long ago figured out he had no desire for children, or even a wife.

He had once harbored feelings for the same sex, but he had set those thoughts aside, cast them into the darkness of his psyche, hoping, perhaps, that they would disappear. For a while, Elias thought they had.

Until last night.

Last night had put everything he had known about himself into question.

Elias breathed, eyes closing.

He had to build everything up again; the protective barrier he had always had and always will have needed to be erected again. As long as he didn't ever see Lucius again, there was no chance it would fall once more.

TBC.

XXXXX

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