Only Consenting Adults Ch. 03

[Author's note: Aidan and Rosa's marriage fell apart after she cheated on him (OG01), sending him into a spiral (WOD07) and then finally running away to the other side of the world to try and work out what she did, and why (PBH01). Now, he's back, in the same city as the woman he still loves, unsure of his next move. Can he rebuild his shattered marriage? Is love enough?

This chapter contains depictions of drug use and reluctant consent.]

---

A THOUSAND MILES FROM HERE

Aidan sat up slowly. His entire body ached. There was a sound of movement and he opened his eyes, blinking rapidly.

"Yeah, sorry. That couch isn't the best."

Aidan looked up at Theo and shook his head.

"Want a coffee?"

"Yeah," Aidan replied, "Coffee would be great."

He rubbed his eyes and swung his feet down to the ground, pulling the bedsheet with him, tangling himself up. Blinking, his vision swam into focus as he shed the last vestiges of sleep, watching Theo's retreating back. The couch creaked underneath him as he stood.

"Can I get in the shower?" Aidan called out.

"Sure. Ant's already been and gone."

"Already?"

"Yeah. It's nearly nine. He's gone to work."

"On a Saturday?"

"Yeah. It's hell at work, he says."

Aidan padded to the kitchen doorway.

"You should have woken me up," Aidan said.

In the kitchen, Theo was busy brewing coffees for them both. "No point. You were sleeping the sleep of the dead."

Aidan grimaced. "Uh, yeah. I guess. It's been a while."

Theo handed Aidan a steaming cup, cradling his own in his hands. "When was the last time you slept, properly?"

"Tokyo. But not the night before we left. Not really."

"Big night?"

Aidan nodded slowly. "Massive. Certainly the longest."

"Sounds spectacular."

"Gruelling."

"Ah, yeah. Okay."

Theo gave him a smile. "It's good to have you back," he said.

"It's good of you to put me up for the night. Thanks."

"Least we can do. Ant says maybe we go out tonight, the three of us. Celebrate your return."

"I don't...."

"But I told him no. Honestly, sometimes his head's shoved way up his backside. Quiet night tonight, let you get your bearings again."

Aidan drank his coffee, tasting the bitter, dark brew.

"Oh, man. That's good," he murmured.

"New machine. Ant got it for me for our anniversary. You can adjust the strength with a dial. It's amazing."

Aidan sipped the coffee again.

"What's the dial at for this one?"

"It's turned all the way," Theo replied with a smile, "To 'raise the dead'".

---

Aidan caught the bus, even though Theo offered to drop him in the car. Aidan said he didn't want Theo to go to any trouble, but the real reason was that Aidan needed to be alone. He'd placed a call to Ant last night, announcing his return and within the hour had found himself at Ant and Theo's, with a warm meal and a couch to sleep on. It had felt good to be welcomed home, but that warm feeling was slipping away on the bus now, to be replaced by a darker, emptier feeling.

The feeling had begun in the back of the cab, in Tokyo, with Indi against him in the early morning light, and it just got stronger when they boarded the plane. It felt like midsummer, when the air was heavy and thick, the smell of the thunderstorm on the wind. Sitting on the bus, looking out of the window at the buildings going past, he could feel it still building, the pressure of it bearing down on him. From thousands of miles away it had been bearable but now, so close to his destination, the weight of it had become immense. As the bus turned a corner and he spotted his stop, his stomach lurched, sweat beading on the palms of his hands. It was all he could do to get up from his seat and step off the bus.

The street looked the same, a year on. The apartment blocks were as he remembered them. Even the coffee shop where he and Rosa used to go for brunch hadn't changed. He stood on the curb, surrounded by the familiar sights of his neighbourhood, but feeling that something had changed. Did he still belong here?

The thunderstorm heaviness kept building, much worse now he was off the bus and in the middle of it all. Not just the coffee shop, but the corner where she'd dropped the eggs on the way back from the shop, looking forlornly up at him in the middle of the mess. Or the table where she had reached out and squeezed his knee, flashing him a smile that took his breath away as they shared a moment recharging after a morning of lovemaking in the apartment.

The thought of the apartment triggered off more memories: Rosa humming to herself in the sun on the balcony; the time she glanced over her shoulder in the shower to see that he was watching her; the soft smile on her lips as she lay fast asleep in his arms as the sun came up; the way her eyes met his in the sexy yellow sundress as she headed out the door. He could still recall the way the door slammed after her as she walked out of their marriage to go and fuck a stranger from a coffee shop.

Aidan stumbled into motion, forcing himself down the street against the deadening inertia. He counted down the distance to the front doors of the apartment lobby, each step bringing him closer to the end of his long journey. An awful gnawing feeling gripped him and he felt the perspiration prickling on his spine, the doubt coming at him from out of nowhere.

Lying in the dark in Tokyo with Mara's naked body by his side, it had been so clear to him. He had just given it all up and walked out, leaving Mara behind, abandoning the life she'd promised him. Looking back now, he realised that he hadn't even hesitated: after all the equivocations of the previous year, this decision had been simple. Now that he was finally here, why had it become so hard?

It had been the look in Rosa's eyes as she'd left the apartment, the picture perfect face displaying her intent to betray him. There had been something in those eyes that had stopped him cold, something he'd never been able to figure out: was it disappointment? Was it cruelty? Was it indifference? Had she done it to punish him, or just because she wanted to, or had Indi's intuition been correct? Has she simply delivered the coup de grace, killing their doomed marriage in one single clean stroke to set him free?

Now he was finally going to find out. His hands were shaking.

He came to a halt in front of the familiar glass doors. Wiping his palms on his jeans he stepped through them into the lobby, his heart racing. The final step was to knock on the door. It was Saturday, her day off from the gym, so she'd be home, but then what? He hadn't thought about the moment after. What was he going to say? What would he find? In turmoil, Aidan punched the elevator call button, angry at his own stupidity. How the fuck could he have got all the way here without a plan for what he was going to do when the door opened?

The elevator came and he stepped in, hitting his floor, recalling all the times that he'd done this before, how familiar it all felt. When the door opened, it was as if his feet were on autopilot, carrying him forward, then down the corridor and finally to the door he'd come all this way to see. Aidan took a deep breath, and raised his knuckles to knock, but found himself staring at his fist, trembling. Blinking rapidly, he forced himself to rap the door twice, then he quickly stepped back as if electrocuted.

He waited in silence but there was no answer: Rosa wasn't home. He acknowledged the fact to himself, nodding, feeling the awful tension in his chest dissipate. Part of him was strangely relieved, happy to postpone the dreaded confrontation with his estranged wife for a little longer. He knocked again. Still no answer. Aidan turned to go.

There was a rattle from the other side of the door, and he froze. The door inched open, just wide enough to show a face, and for the first time since that fateful morning in the kitchen a year ago, Aidan found himself staring into the soft brown eyes of his wife.

"Rosa."

His voice was hoarse, rasping her name. She blinked, eyes wide, her pretty mouth set in a line. It felt surreal, finally seeing her in the flesh after all the time and distance he'd put between them.

"You're back," said Rosa.

"Yeah, I'm back."

Rosa didn't move, didn't open the door wider, but neither did she close it again. She just stared back at him, like a cornered animal.

"Can I come in?" Aidan asked.

Rosa didn't reply. She seemed to be transfixed, staring at him, then she glanced nervously over her shoulder. It was a strange, forced movement and it chilled Aidan to the bone.

"Babe, who's at the door?"

A male voice. Suddenly Rosa's face became animated, fretting. She turned, then the door began to open wider, revealing the owner of the other voice. Aidan gaped.

"Aidan," Davey said, "What a surprise."

Aidan found that he couldn't respond. His mouth was dry, his pulse hammering in his temples. He stared at his erstwhile friend in disbelief. Of course, Davey could have been there. Aidan had seen his posts, the pictures of Davey with Rosa, the posts on their feeds. It was Saturday morning, so of course he could have spent the night. Of course, he could have been sleeping with Rosa. Obvious now, but how had he not anticipated this? Faced with the brutal reality of his estranged wife in a relationship with a man he'd counted as a close friend, he just stared, unable to process any of it.

Davey draped an arm over Rosa's shoulder and looked from her to Aidan. Then he smiled.

"Last thing I heard, you were in Sydney, living the high life. I didn't expect to see you back here again, ever."

There was something about that smile, and the way the fingers of his hand wrapped protectively around Rosa's shoulder, that set Aidan's teeth on edge.

"I got in yesterday," Aidan replied.

"Long flight?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Yeah," Davey nodded.

A silence descended. Davey smiled again.

"So," Davey continued, "What can we do for you? Did you leave some stuff?"

Aidan looked at Rosa. She hadn't said a word. Davey turned to her, resting his hands on her shoulders, turning her to face him.

"Hey," he said, "How about you let us have a little chat? Okay?"

Aidan started to protest, but Rosa just nodded. Davey squeezed her shoulders in confirmation. She walked away and all Aidan could do was stare at her retreating back. After a year apart, after the distance he'd travelled to get here, she'd just turned away, leaving him on the doorstep to face the man she was now living with.

Rosa hadn't argued that she wanted to stay and talk to her husband, to understand what it was that had brought him all the way home at last; she hadn't said more than two words and had then just walked away as if Aidan was nothing more than a stranger for her boyfriend to deal with. Aidan felt sick.

Davey stepped out into the corridor, letting the door close behind him, cutting Aidan off from his wife.

"Unexpected," Davey stated, his eyes scanning Aidan's face intently, "I thought you were gone for good."

"I came back."

"Yeah, I can see. Question is, though, why?"

"What?"

"Why did you come back?"

Aidan regarded the other man carefully. The smile on his face was gone now.

"I came back to talk to my wife, Davey. I thought...."

"Ah, but here's the issue, Aidan," Davey interrupted, "You just turned up out of the blue on our doorstep, didn't you? You just arrived unannounced."

"Your doorstep?" Aidan echoed, shaking his head. "Our doorstep, Davey. Rosa's. Mine. Not yours."

Davey shrugged it off.

"I don't think that's right. Tell me, how can it be yours when you just upped and fucked off on a field trip around the planet, leaving her behind as you went and chased your fucking dreams?"

His tone was light, but the words were little barbs that dug into Aidan's skin, pulling.

"I didn't just fuck off."

"Sure. Okay, then how about we use a different word? Abandon."

"I didn't...."

"Sure you did, Aidan. You abandoned your wife and ran away with your tail between your legs. You left her here without even a word of goodbye for what fucking reason?"

Aidan felt his hackles rising. No way.

"She cheated on me."

"Cheated?" Davey replied, his eyebrows arching, "Dude, where the fuck were you? She was having a nervous breakdown. She was suffering. She needed you more than ever, and instead you cut her loose."

"What?"

"Yeah. Not been keeping up with current affairs while you were off on your little holiday? She went to pieces. Arly, me, a few other people who actually fucking cared about Rosa managed to put her back together again."

"She didn't say."

"Aidan, here's the problem. You didn't even ask."

"Fuck you. I did."

"Months later, way past the point that I'd sorted out all the shit for you," Davey sneered. "You're welcome."

With that he turned back to the closed door, but then he stopped.

"Do her a favour, Aidan. Stay away. Don't send her down that hole again just because you feel she fucking owes you something. Once was enough."

He opened the door and went into the apartment. Aidan looked past him, desperate for a glimpse of his wife, but the hallway was empty. The door closed with a thud, leaving him standing alone in the corridor, rooted to the spot.

---

In the kitchen, Davey watched Rosa as she moved around, gathering dishes and stacking the dishwasher.

"How're you feeling?" he asked.

Rosa didn't reply, and Davey watched her continue with her work.

"Rosa?"

This time, she stopped, a bowl in her hand.

"I didn't expect it," she replied.

"Was it a shock?"

"Yeah."

Davey nodded in agreement. "He should have called first. I don't know what was going through his mind."

Rosa slotted the bowl into the dishwasher rack and closed the door. She stood up, turning to face him.

"Babe, I'm worried about you," Davey said.

"I'm fine."

He crossed the floor, gathering Rosa up in his arms.

"I know you are. I know you're not like you were before. But you know I'm here, I'm here to help you, right?"

"I know."

Davey leaned back, taking Rosa's face in his hands. He kissed her on the forehead.

"Do you need a little lift?"

Rosa looked up at him, her soft, dark brown eyes regarding his face closely. Finally, she nodded.

"Okay, Rosa, we can do that."

He slipped his hand into hers and led her towards the bedroom.

"Why don't you sit down on the bed? I'll set you up."

Rosa sank down onto the bed, sitting on the edge of the mattress with her hands in her lap. Davey opened a drawer and retrieved a tiny bottle. He twisted the top, pulling a dropper containing a blue-tinged liquid from inside it.

Rosa tilted her head back and stuck her tongue out. With great care, Davey squeezed a single drop onto the tip of her tongue and Rosa closed her mouth again.

"Good girl. There, you'll feel it soon. How about you get settled?"

Rosa didn't reply. She pulled her top up over her head, exposing a plain white bra cupping her modest breasts. Raising her bottom, she shucked off her sweatpants, revealing the toned, shapely legs of a life-long fitness acolyte.

"Just that, or all of it, babe?"

Spurred into action, she reached behind herself, unclipping her bra and sliding her panties down her legs, stripping herself naked.

"That's better, isn't it? Feels so much better," Davey told her, and Rosa nodded.

"Good girl. Why don't you get comfortable?"

Rosa did as she was told, shuffling up the bed until she was resting against the pillows. Gradually, her eyelids began to droop, blinking slower as she slipped under the effects of the drug. Meanwhile, Davey had pulled some other items out of the drawer, and he brought them over to the bed.

"Here you go," he said, handing the first item to her: a wand vibrator.

Rosa switched it on and applied the rounded rubber tip to her waxed crotch. Davey watched her for a moment, hearing nothing but the low hum of the vibrator. Then, Rosa began to make low moaning sounds.

"Good girl, that's better, isn't it?"

Rosa nodded.

"Last thing. Ready?"

She nodded again, her eyes closed now, her mouth slightly open. Davey unfolded the transparent latex breath hood and gathered her long, dark hair up.

"You love this don't you? Chin up."

Rosa raised her chin, tilting her head backwards, allowing Davey to slide the latex hood over her head. He tugged it into place, running his hand over the slick surface, watching the way it adhered to her lovely face when she breathed in, then inflate as she breathed out, the air hissing through a small hole in the front. He studied her for a while, stroking her face through the hood and making low soothing noises as Rosa began to build up to her climax.

"Not yet," he said, turning the vibrator down, "Just enjoy it. I'll let you cum later."

Satisfied that she was following his instructions, Davey got up and left the room. Meanwhile, Rosa continued to press the vibrator against her pussy. Condensation from her breath began to cloud the inside of the transparent hood as her breathing became deeper, more laboured. The only sounds in the room were the buzz of the rubber tip between her legs and the susurration of the air passing through the tiny breathing hole.

Eventually, Davey returned, striding into the bedroom naked. He approached the bed, leaning over to inspect Rosa's prone form.

"Still going?" he murmured, "You like that, don't you? You like me taking care of you."

Rosa gave a slow nod. Davey reached down to turn the vibrator up, increasing the level of the buzzing, and Rosa began to moan.

"Ready to cum, Rosa?"

Another nod.

"Ready to cum for me? Good. You're doing fine, now, aren't you? You don't have to worry about anything, do you? Just see how good that feels."

He reached out and pinched the breathing hole closed, but Rosa continued to press the vibrator against herself, bringing herself closer to release. Davey watched the gorgeous body on the bed begin to squirm and writhe as her orgasm built within her. He took the vibrator from her hand, pressing it more firmly against her pussy, rolling it up and down her slit. Rosa bucked as the tip pressed against her clit, gasping. Her hands fluttered in the air, reaching out to find his wrist and wrapping her fingers around him.

"No, you know what to do. Come on."

Rosa released his wrist and slid her hands under her bottom, sitting on them.

"Much better. Good girl. I'm in control, I'll give you what you want. Okay?"

"Yes," Rosa groaned, but the word was muffled by the hood as it expanded on her exhalation.

"Please...," she gasped.

"Are you a good girl?" Davey asked, "Are you my good girl?"

"Yes... I'm... I'm your good girl."

Davey smiled. "Yes, you are. Do you want me to keep you safe?"

"Yes."

"That's right. I'll keep you safe. You're my good girl."

His thumb slid over the dial, and the vibrator hummed louder. Rosa reacted instantly, stretching herself out, moaning through the hood even as it sealed against her face. Her breathing was rapid now, laboured, as she began to run out of air. Davey kept his fingers on the breath hole, pinched closed, his eyes travelling down Rosa's naked body as he brought her to the edge of a staggering orgasm.

"You ready to cum for me now?"

Inside the hood, Rosa's eyes opened, looking up through the latex at him. She nodded again, mewling.

"Ask me."

"Please...," Rosa moaned, "I need to...."

"Need what?"

Rosa screwed her eyes closed, groaning, "Make me cum... I'm your good girl."

Davey grinned, thumbing the vibrator higher again.

"Yes you are. My good girl needs her reward."

Her abdominals began to ripple as her body yielded to the onslaught of the vibrator. Davey watched her thighs quivering, smiling to himself at the helpless woman before him. She was transported to another place, as the drug and the toy and the oxygen deprivation combined together to push her finally over her edge and into an overwhelming orgasm.