Ryan was in a predicament; he remembered every detail of the past night. He remembered Charlie, with that steady grip and warm mouth... And it had his head spinning. He looked down at where his pet was fast asleep beside him. Slowly, Ryan pulled the sheet up over his shoulders and sat up. He needed a glass of water and a shower. He told himself he'd feel better after and less angry with himself, but knew deep down that wasn't the case.
~~~
Charlie woke up to an empty bed. He stretched his limbs and let out a big yawn. He sniffed the air- it smelt like breakfast. His tail wagging behind him, he followed the scent to the kitchen. There, Master was by the stove, barefoot with wet hair. His t-shirt had the imprint of water droplets on its shoulders and he was wearing his glasses. "Hi," he said.
"Hi," Charlie echoed.
"Sit down- let me cook for you for once."
Charlie did as he was told.
~~~
The two young men sat at a silent table. They had eaten a breakfast of eggs and bacon without so much as a word.
"Are you mad at me?" Charlie asked, finally breaking the silence.
"What? Of course not," he said.
"But-"
"Let's just...not talk about it, okay? It was a mistake. Not that you did anything wrong," he quickly added, having seen the hurt expression on his face at the word "mistake". "It's just... I don't think it's fair because of our already-existing relationship. I'm in a position of power over you, so to have sex with you just... doesn't feel right."
"I see." Charlie stood up to clear the table.
"Are you mad at
me?"
asked Ryan.
Charlie looked him in the eyes. "Never," he said.
~~~
A few days later, finals week arrived to the dismay of a very stressed out Ryan. It was also his last week before returning to the US. "If I don't get an 80 on this exam, I'm toast," he told Jing.
"You're smart- I'm sure you'll do fine!"
"Ughhhh." Ryan took out a cigarette and headed for the patio, Charlie following him instinctively.
"Hey! Don't let him follow you. The smoke is bad for his lungs."
"So?"
"
So,
don't be an ass," he snapped back. Ryan looked back in time to see Jing pull on his shoes. "I'll be back Sunday night instead of Monday morning," he said. "Make sure to have all the women and drugs hidden by the time I'm back."
"Hardy har har," said Ryan. He closed the door to the patio and lit up. It was freezing out and he regretted not bringing a jacket. About a minute later, Charlie was opening the patio door. "Here," he said, holding out a coat.
A sigh. "Thanks," he said. He looked down at Charlie's bare feet and cringed. "I guess you don't get cold, huh?"
"My spirit isn't tethered to this body like yours is, so I can disconnect my sense of touch at will."
"There's a philosophy somewhere in there, and if I had the time for it, I'd ask."
Charlie's tail stopped wagging. "You're stressed," he observed.
Ryan exhaled a plume of smoke. "No shit," he replied. "What gave it away?"
"The fact you've had half the amount of sleep you usually get."
"This just happens sometimes to college kids," he said. "We have to prioritize our time, and sometimes there has to be sacrifices."
"Is there anything I can do?" he asked.
Ryan thought for a moment before something easy came to mind. "You could make us some hot chocolate," he offered.
Charlie grinned, his tail thumping against Ryan's side. "Sure thing, Master!"
~~~
It was late at night when an idea came into Charlie's head.
"Why don't you fuck me?" he asked.
Master Ryan coughed on his water. "Why don't I
what
?"
"For the stress relief."
An exhausted Ryan gave him a lazy smirk. "It would be the other way around, if I'm honest."
"Oh."
