All Tied Up

~*~ This story contains elements of BDSM all throughout, so if you don't enjoy that, you can skip this one. ~*~

It was getting later into the evening, as the sun began to set against the backdrop of Detroit, Michigan. River Thorn had finished taking every single particulate out of the body they had been examining, and the body had been sewn back up after the autopsy. Dr. Carrington had let River do most of the exam, though he helped here and there. He wanted to make sure River was as comfortable with all parts of this job before he let River loose to do full autopsies on his own.

This wasn't the first job River had out of school, but the last few years he had been interning in various parts of the labs in Ann Arbor while he finished up his masters, and now he was busy with his PhD, but he had finally landed a job with the coroner's office in Detroit, which had always been his goal.

Now that the bugs, dirt, particulates, tissue and fluid samples had been collected and the autopsy complete, River was cleaning the body after the chest had been sewn up again. He used a cloth with gentle soap to clean away any blood and dirt. The family had already identified the body and River would call the funeral home in the morning to come collect the body. River always tried to give them a clean slate to work with once they had a hold of the bodies.

Just as River was zipping the body back up into its bag, the buzzer rang at the loading bay door. River let out a small groan, because it meant another body coming in. Of course, he could get it loaded into one of the trays for preservation until he could work on them, but they usually liked to make sure they started taking samples pretty soon afterward. He went over and hit the button that would let the mortuary transporters come into the building. They had a ton of samples working and bodies that were part of active investigations, so only someone with a key card or who got buzzed in could even come into the building. He watched the camera as they came inside and then went back to cleaning up the table to wait until they came into the room.

River had been prepared to see the usual team of transporters, both older men, one an African-American fellow with tight, curly white hair and stubble and the other a shaggy gray-haired man who never seemed to stop talking. Instead, Rufus was leading the gurney but a younger man was pushing and doing the more physical work. He was shorter than River, though much closer to his age, and well-muscled. He had sandy blonde-brown hair and River could see tattoos peeking out from the edges of the man's coveralls.

As the two transporters came into the room, they could hear what sounded like eerie, ghostly screaming throughout the back where the fridges were. River could see the slight look of trepidation on the younger man's face as he glanced over at where the refrigerator units were.

River gave him a warm smile. "That's just the sound of gasses releasing out of the bodies we have in the refrigerator units. Eerie sounding but just science."

The new guy looked like he was unsure of that, but willing to take the explanation. They lined the gurney up next to the open table and transferred the body bag over without saying a word. River could tell that the new guy was watching Rufus to learn what he had to do, but seemed to be picking things up quickly.

"We're picking up the Forrester body too," Rufus told River.

River went over to the refrigerator units and opened one up that was in the middle, opening up the bag to check the toe tag. He knew it was the right body but they had protocols because mistakes had been made, and Dr. Carrington was a stickler for protocols. Once he was sure he had the right body, he closed the body bag again and motioned to the tray for them to take the body. Rufus told the new guy to give River the paperwork for him to sign off on the transfer.

New Guy reached under the mattress on the gurney and pulled out a clipboard with two sets of paperwork on it. One was the standard delivery packet from the Police station. River knew that he had to sign and date-and-time the top copy and let the transporter separate the copies and keep the sealed envelope under the clipboard. The second document was the chain of custody form for the funeral home that the Police station used for unclaimed bodies. The man handing him the clipboard eyed him interestedly as he explained what he needed River to do with the paperwork. His tone was confident, even though River was sure this was the first time he was being asked to deliver this spiel.

River smiled at him again, deciding not to mention that he knew what to do. He filled out what he needed to and then dated and signed it before handing the paperwork back to him. The man took the clipboard back, leaving the sealed envelope with River, and stashed it back under the mattress on the gurney before wheeling it over to the open refrigerator, slotting it in next to the tray that Rufus had expertly unlatched and pulled out on its rollers. He and Rufus grabbed the handles built into the body bag and hefted it over onto the gurney before Rufus pushed the tray back into the refrigerator unit and closed the door. As he did that, the new guy unzipped the end of the bag that River had opened and double checked the toe tag against a sticky note he took from his pocket. He looked over the toe tag for a moment, proving that this was the first time he had been trusted with this task.

"So, are you just training here or will you be a new fixture around these parts?" River asked the new guy once he was done with his triple check of the body.

He looked a little startled by the conversational tone to River's voice, but smiled and said, "I guess Sam is finally retiring. At least that's what they told me when I interviewed for the job. I've been partnered with Rufus to learn the ropes. I don't know what happens after I learn the job."

As he finished speaking, Rufus announced to River that he was going to the restroom, eliciting a good-natured eye roll from the new guy before he shuffled off in the direction of the more accessible restroom. The other was over by the breakroom, through two secured doors.

"I liked Sam but boy he could talk," River commented with a laugh as he went over to stand near the new body, putting the sealed envelope on the top for a moment before he checked their cameras and got it ready to turn on for when he would break the seal. The envelope would tell him where the body was found, in what condition, what the field agents had taken already, and what they wanted from River. "If he's retired then I assume you'll be on our rotation going forward. I'm River Thorn. I work under Dr. Carrington here."

"Under, hm?" the new guy said under his breath before saying much more loudly, "I'm Emmanuel, but Rufus calls me Manny."

"Just Rufus?" River asked with a chuckle. He was taken by how handsome this guy was, but knowing River's luck, he was probably as straight as they came. "It's very nice to meet you, Emmanuel. Don't be a stranger. We don't bite here, usually."

"Oh? What does it take for that to become an option?" Emmanuel asked before answering the question, "Yes, just Rufus. I can't get him to stop, so I decided to just roll with it."

"Full moons and halloween, usually," River joked then he said under his breath, "Or the right kind of mood with the right kind of guy."

Emmanuel blinked at the last bit before laughing at the joke. "I'll have to see what happens around here during the next full moon," he responded as the door to the restroom opened and Rufus shuffled out.

"Thank you for the work gentlemen," River said to them once Rufus looked ready to go. "Have a great weekend."

"Don't get up to too many shenanigans, River," Rufus told him.

"Me? Never! Most of my personal time is spent on my classes and dissertation." It was mostly not a lie. River spent most of his free time on school, but he went to the kink dungeons on the weekends to blow off some steam. He just never talked about that with coworkers.

Emmanuel and Rufus wheeled the gurney through the loading bay door. River waved from the door controls and closed the oversized garage door before turning to his new acquisition. He looked up at the clock, considering how long this might take before he washed his hands and got to work.

Rufus continued in his minimalist conversation for the rest of their shift, which was generally fine with Emmanuel. He enjoyed quiet, but he really wanted to ask about this River guy at the morgue and couldn't find a decent way to bring it up in their everyday routine. So he kept his peace about it and decided to check out some clubs he knew of in the area near where the guy worked later in the evening.

Emmanuel knocked off the transporter job and unlocked his bike from the rack before riding it to his second job in the warehouse. This job was great for him because it paid by the piece and he could load his tally of pallets in a few hours and get paid for 8 hours worth of work. He put in his earbuds and got to it, remembering to lock his bike up again. He had forgotten once and had a hell of a time finding the kid who had stolen it.

River cleaned up after he was done and put the body away in one of the slots in the refrigerator units. It was getting late but that actually worked out well for him because it was Friday and nothing good ever got going until the early morning hours anyway. He went to his house to shower and change, and then headed out to one of his favorite kink dungeons to blow off some steam.

He always started off far more clothed in the beginning of the night here, not wanting to be outside on the street in kink wear. Once he got into the building though, he lost his shirt and hung it up with his coat before delving into the scene. His dark hair was styled and he wore leather pants that had a fuzzy lining so they were easier to get off and on. He was shirtless now, showing off his rugby physique, with just a black leather harness on. A few months ago he would have worn a collar too, but he was currently between kink partners.

River started out the night by talking to some of the people he knew before a few of them wandered off to see what fun they could get up to. He always enjoyed watching some of the scenes before he felt ready to get involved in any on his own. It was a little after midnight when River finally felt good enough to take part in an impact play scene with a dom he knew well and liked, though they didn't work together long term.

"You aren't collared tonight, beautiful," Jason said as River stripped off his pants and got into position. He wore a black jock strap underneath so he could still maintain a little modesty in front of so many people.

"It's hard to find someone good that I click with," River admitted. Jason rubbed the end of the paddle on River's back for a moment before he pulled back and brought it down on one of River's ass cheeks. River's head fell forward and he let out a soft moan at the feeling of the sting.

"You haven't met all the doms and subs in the Detroit metro area yet," Jason said as he used his hand to take down some of the sting before he slapped the other cheek with the paddle just as hard. "Don't lose hope."

"Mm," River grunted in response, wanting to just lose himself to the pain instead of having this conversation, and Jason picked up on that and was happy to oblige.

Emmanuel had checked out every gay bar and social club near the morgue, to no avail. Well, not completely. He'd made out with a few cuties and gotten two numbers, but he hadn't found the guy he was looking for. He had heard through his search, though, that there was a more underground style club on this street. He hadn't exactly been spreading River's description around, but one guy had been upset with him during their rendezvous that he was getting a little too rough and had suggested he might find better luck in what he was looking for at this club.

When he got to the club, he had to fill out some paperwork, sign an agreement to their rules and guidelines, and pay the cover for the club before they let him walk around and meet people. Emmanuel could see why this was more underground. There were scenes with people being dominated, scenes with people being spanked and hit, people being tied up and suspended from the ceiling, and more.

He had been to dungeons before, but this one felt much better managed than any of the ones he was familiar with. He knew that he was basically a tourist here, so he stayed respectful and always asked before staying to watch a scene. He moved around throughout the club, exploring the many rooms and hallways, still keeping an eye out for River but also getting himself excited about maybe coming back here to find playmates.

Emmanuel came into the area where River was with Jason at the height of their scene. River's ass, the back of his thighs, and some of his back was red and angry looking, with raised lines along where Jason had changed to a crop instead. River had melted down into the stuffed block he was set up on for this scene. His moans and cries had gotten louder the longer the scene went on, the pain and pleasure rushing through his body as it was flushed with endorphins.

"You're such a good boy," Jason said as he grabbed River's hair and pulled his head back.

Emmanuel had been looking at the sub in the scene and was pretty sure it was the right body shape, but when he finally got a good look at River's face, he found it exquisite. River was deeply entrenched in subspace. His pupils were dilated, his face flushed a pretty red, and his face showed the mix of pleasure and pain he was feeling with absolutely no filter. It was the best part of BDSM to Emmanuel and he felt even more drawn to this man.

Jason let River's hair go, and River turned his head once he had come back down to the block. The man behind him put the implements to the side, and began to work on after care. He carefully and gently cooled down the red areas with some ice before he put ointment on the raised areas for better healing. All the while he murmured to River what a good boy he was and how well he had taken that, caressing River's back, shoulders, and neck. River had a look of bliss on his face, his eyes not really focusing on anything.

"Get up when you're ready, baby," Jason said to him. "Take your time, okay?"

River gave a nod, taking in deep breaths as he slowly came out of subspace. He eventually pushed himself up onto his hands and knees and carefully got up. He grabbed his pants and slowly put them on, feeling the sting of the fabric on the welts that were left behind, glad for the soft lining, as he knew he would be when he selected these pants.

Emmanuel watched as River came out of subspace and gathered himself. Before River could really begin to look around and register who else was present, Emmanuel backed quietly out of the room. His mind was spinning with ideas and thoughts and he had to get them under control before he saw this absolute specimen of a subby boy at work again. He thanked the owner and the random person at the entrance to the dungeon who had chosen to sponsor his visit and signed up for a full membership.

River continued around the club, at one point taking over as the person holding the crop for someone else, before he found someone to take home so he could finish up the night by getting fucked hard. It was exactly what he needed, and by the time the guy got dressed and left his home, River felt relaxed and ready to go to sleep. Of course, this all would have been better had it been someone who could stay and cuddle and give full after care afterward, but he would take what he could get at the moment.

The next day he went to meet Chuck for lunch. Chuck was now engaged to a very nice woman named Krysta Long. She was nice enough to River but it was clear she wasn't overly comfortable with them being alone or with River being too close to Chuck. Chuck knew of River's feelings now, but had made it clear he could never view River that way, which had been unnecessary because he had already known Chuck couldn't.

"Have you thought about your plus one for the wedding?" Chuck asked River as they ate.

"Oh, uh, not really," River replied with a shrug.

"I thought you were seeing someone?" Chuck asked with a confused look.

"I mean, sorta, not...it's complicated," River replied, stumbling over his words. He didn't know how to explain that the Dom he was seeing before had stepped over some important boundaries for River so he ended the collaring. "I'm just kind of sleeping with people, honestly. It's hard to explain."

"It would go a long way to calming some of Krysta's worries with you if you have a date for the wedding," Chuck commented. "And besides, I want to see you happy."

"I am happy, Chuck," River replied. "I've been focusing on my studies and work, and I'm busy. I'll figure something out, I promise."

They finished eating and then the two of them parted ways so that River could go home to work on assignments while Chuck went off to meet up with Krysta. By the time Monday came, River went to his morning classes and then arrived at work ready to get back into the nitty gritty of forensic science. He found he was somewhat disappointed when there were no deliveries from the Police station all day.

Emmanuel had spent the entire weekend digging his old laptop out of the closet it was buried in and getting it updated and back on the internet. Then he combed through all of the available BDSM social media websites. It didn't help his search that River most likely would not use his real name, but that was fine with him. It just made the search all that much more exciting for Emmanuel. He did eventually find him under the name of AThornInYourSide, which was a play off of River's last name, but it took him until Monday night.

Emmanuel did have to stop his search occasionally to go work his various jobs, but the Police station told him to take the day off, paid, when he clocked in for the day on Monday. He was surprised and checked in with Rufus to make sure he wasn't getting canned. Rufus told him this happened on (rare) days when there had been no murders. He told "Manny" to just enjoy the paid day off and try not to overthink it, because the Police station was just as likely to call him in on a weekend as give him a weekday every now and then.

Emmanuel went early to his warehouse job and did two days worth of work in about 6 hours and went back to his tiny apartment to continue the search. By the time River was getting out of work, Emmanuel had found his profile and checked the photos to make sure it was him. He stepped away from his laptop, suddenly consumed with nervous energy. He paced around his meager 400 square feet until he had composed several messages in his head and discarded each of them. Ultimately he decided to see if he could get inspiration from the social media site.

Emmanuel went through River's profile, looking at the photos he had uploaded, many of which were artistic or done during private scenes. He had many with him tied up, a few with him collared, and quite a few during impact play. His current profile photo was one in black and white which didn't show his face, just the bare profile of it, while he was in a kneeling position with his head down ready for orders.

He read in his profile that River was a switch who fell more on the side of the sub but he was happy to take over if someone wanted him to. He loved getting hit by things and giving as well, he enjoyed wax play, being tied up, praise, and anal play. His limits were things like doing kink in public, scat and urine, leaving scars, and he hated rape play and CNC, or consensual non-consent. For the last he simply explained it was triggering to him and left it at that. He mentioned he was currently uncollared and looking.