Respite

I walked into the bar and plopped myself down on one of the stools, breathing a long heavy sigh. The sign outside told that the name of this place was called "Respite" and after the day I've had, that's what it might as well be for me.

After mustering the courage to actually tell my parents I was gay after years and years of silence, I was rewarded for my bravery by being promptly cut off from them, ostracized and pushed away, like a shameful secret that they could just hide away as if I wasn't there. So, after a few days, I took the hint literally and left in the middle of the night. I didn't really have a direction and wound up staying in a run-down motel on the outskirts of Los Angeles. I mean, I didn't have anywhere I had to be so why not try to start fresh in a big city, right?

Unfortunately, one big reason was that my parents took my leaving as a sign to legally disown me. My mother in particular took the trouble to call me just to let me know that piece of information just an hour ago and promptly hung up before I could even utter a response. It's probably best for her that she did though, otherwise I would have just wasted the next few minutes screaming obscenities at her that would make a sailor look like a shy baby-faced child with the vocabulary to match.

But that's all over and done with.

Now

is the time to wash these events down with lots of alcohol and bottle up those feelings until they tear me open from the inside out. I ask the bartender for a shot of rum and after downing it, notice a man walking up to a slightly elevated platform to my right. Music starts to play from a speaker above him and he starts singing a slow bluesy tune that matches my mood.

"Is this seat taken?"

I jump and whip my head around to see a tall dark-haired gentleman with a beaming smile partly hidden by a full beard looking at me. He cocks his head quizzically, waiting for my answer. "No it isn't." I reply simply. I might be coming off as rude and on any other day I would try to apologize or at least act like I wasn't a total emotional wreck right now but I just don't have the energy for it.

However, the man doesn't seem to care and sits next to me, ordering a drink of his own. After taking a sip, he extends his hand to me and introduces himself. "I'm Kastor. Kastor Hemmings."

I look at his hand and let out a deep sigh. "Look Kastor, I appreciate you trying to talk to me and I am flattered by it. Truly, I am. But after the day I've had, the last thing I wanna do is talk to random people in a bar that I don't even know." I turn my head away from him and order another shot.

"Y'know," Kastor says, his casualness taking on a slightly serious undertone. "If you've had a really bad day, drowning your sorrows in alcohol probably isn't the best thing for you." He looks at me with green eyes that were stunningly clear and so vibrant that you could almost mistake them for emeralds. God, could I sound any more cliché?

"How do you know what's best for me? You don't even know who I am." I shot back irritably. I turned away from him again, feeling guilty. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said it like that."

Kastor didn't seem at all offended by my retort and looked at me solemnly. "Look, you're right. I don't know you at all. But maybe it's

because

I don't know you that I can be a willing ear for your troubles."

I look at him, warily. "Why are you so interested in lending your ear to my problems?"

He gives me a small smile before taking another sip from his drink. "That depends on how our conversation goes and how much I've cheered you up afterwards." He offers his hand to me again.

I give Kastor a small smile as well, the first one of the day in fact. "Maxwell Matthews." I say simply, reaching for his hand and giving it a firm shake.

Kastor lets out a hearty laugh and pats me on the back. "Good man! Now, what seems to be the problem, Maxwell?" I quickly fill him in on the day I've had and managed to keep my voice steady and my emotions in check. Usually I'm able to keep calm and rationalize in times of great stress but my sexuality and my hiding it has always been one of those cracks in the wall that eventually starting spreading when I wasn't looking. Kastor looks at me sadly. "I'm sorry to hear what has happened to you. Truly, I am."

I face the shelves of alcohol with my head downward. "Yeah, well...shit happens, right?"

Kastor grabs my shoulder and I raise my head to look at him. "No. Not right. When I came out to my parents, they were nothing but supportive and understanding. You didn't deserve one ounce of what happened to you. And fuck your parents for thinking that you do."

I looked at him suddenly, anger beginning to bubble up inside me. "Don't say another word about my parents." I told him reflexively.

Kastor looked at me. "Why in the world would you say that? Because they're your parents?"

I looked back, blushing slightly. "Well...yeah." I say dumbly, not really sure how else to expand my argument.

"If that's all it takes for you to defend someone, you need to raise your standards a bit." Kastor took a moment to finish off his drink and promptly ordered another. "If my parents gave me the same treatment yours did, I'd make it a priority to get as far away from them as possible."

"That's why I'm here." I mumble lamely. "They live all the way back in Texas so I'd say I'm definitely a ways away from them."

Kastor gives a hopeful smile. "Well, that's something, right? Maybe a new atmosphere with different people could do you some good."

Yeah..." Suddenly, I picked up on something that he so casually slid into the conversation.

"Wait, you're gay?"

Kastor chuckled, a low, rich rumble that was full of amusement. "Bisexual actually. It's pretty funny how my parents found out too. There was this cute guy I was secretly dating in high school but I found out later that he was cheating on me with another guy. So after we broke up, I decided to get back at him by sleeping with his older sister. That's kind of a blessing in disguise though because it was with her that I

really

started to learn how much I enjoyed dominating someone."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise and interest. "Yeah, I know what you mean. It was with one of the first guys I slept with that I started to figure out I was a sub." Kastor waited, clearly waiting for me to ask the obvious. "How does sleeping with his sister fit into the story though?"

"I'm glad you asked, willing listener of my tale!" He winks at me and the bartender makes a slight gagging sound as she passes us by. Kastor playfully rolls his eyes at her. "Hey Marin, just because you've heard the story a billion times doesn't mean everyone has!" He turned his attention back to me. "Anyway, it fits into the story because after my ex-boyfriend found out, he went and outed me to my parents, expecting them to be shocked or horrified. On the contrary, they were angry at my ex for giving my secret away and they constantly made sure that my orientation didn't change how much they loved me." His charming smile abruptly turned into a frown. "They weren't conditional about their love, you get me?"

I looked into his eyes, feeling my face getting slightly heated and my heart beating just a little harder. Suddenly I'm aware of how close we are, how lean his face is, how the dark shirt he is wearing manages to accentuate a toned torso and skin that has been tanned under the California sun. "Yeah, I get you." I say quietly.

I instinctively try to wave down the bartender but after a moment I reconsider. "Had enough to drink tonight?" Kastor asks with an amused grin.

I roll my eyes at him, starting to let my guard down ever so slightly. "Well, I guess I shouldn't try to just keep this down. Besides, I should probably stop while I still have my wits about me." I look at him seriously, looking once again into his deep crystalline eyes. "You helped a lot, actually. You're pretty easy to talk to."

Now it's Kastor's turn to blush as he gives me a sheepish smile. "Oh, it was nothing. It's just that from the moment you walked in, I just knew you had this raincloud hanging over you. I guarantee anyone could see it too." He downed the last of his second drink and gave a contented sigh, his cheeks taking on a slight rosy coloring. "I should probably stop too. If I drink anymore then I might say something stupid and scare you away."

He smiles impishly at me and I let out a quiet laugh. "You might be a little too charming to scare me off."

"That's the hope."

We sit for a moment in silence, each of us pondering where the next few minutes will take us when suddenly, the bartender Marin shows up to break the quiet yet palpable tension forming between the two of us. "Hey boss, you all done here?" She brushes her curly charcoal hair out of her eyes and gives me a wink and a nod which I return with a thankful smile.

I suddenly look at Kastor. "Wait. Boss?" Maybe that was just a nickname Marin called him...

"Yeah, I'd say I'm ready to call it a day. Can you and the others close up without me?" Kastor turns to me, sensing that my confusion. "I own this bar. It's my own little respite away from the world, hence the name." He bores into my eyes before adding "But you seem like a smart guy so you probably already figured out the meaning, right?" He turns back to Marin with a warm chuckle. "I'll be in the back if you need me."

Marin nods in understanding just before giving me a strange Cheshire-like grin as she moves away to attend to other customers. Kastor looks at me once more and something is obviously different now. The way his posture turned from leaning to straight-back, how the look in his eyes has turned from one of merriment to one of caution and analysis. I gave a little start when I realized that he was sizing me up, trying to determine something about me. My heart started beating faster as I looked back into his eyes; it was almost like he was placing me under a microscope, trying to figure me out from every angle just by looking at me. The thing was, I welcomed the attention, especially if it came from this handsome bar owner that so happened to strike up a conversation with me tonight.

Finally Kastor broke the silence. "Look Maxwell, I have a room in the back I sleep in. Do you think you'd wanna join me?"

I figured he'd ask me that after that staredown that just happened but even so, my heart still thumped louder than before. I looked at Kastor, examining his clearly defined body, confident personality, and seemingly understanding and empathetic nature of my situation. On the other hand, I just met the guy. For all I know, this could be an elaborate ruse just to sleep with me. However, after the day I have had, maybe a few minutes away from the outside world wouldn't be such a bad thing...

I got up from my barstool. "Lead the way, then."

Kastor stands up and starts walking to a side door away from the hustle commotion of the bar and we both slip inside. The door leads to a long hallway with a door at the end and as we approach it, I can't help but notice how Kastor tends to walk with a certain swagger that practically cries out for him to be noticed, as if he can be in control of any situation at any time. It's a confident walk that only adds to his charming allure and it is one of the little things about his demeanor that only makes my heart beat faster in anticipation.

We arrived at the door and we both went inside. I looked around and saw a massive bed across the room and a mounted TV right above me as I entered. The walls were painted a bright crimson color and gave me an impression of how a modern noble might try to decorate their room. I didn't get much time to look at anything else however because a moment later, Kastor shut the door, locked it, and walked up to me, pulling me into his arms and kissing me passionately.

I closed my eyes and leaned into him and felt myself spinning slightly as he pushed me against the door, pinning both my wrists above my head with one arm and sliding his tongue into my mouth. As we explored each other's mouths, I opened my eyes just a bit to see Kastor unbuttoning his shirt with his other hand, revealing a tanned chest with rippling abs to match the rest of his body. He all but practically rips my own shirt off as he starts to kiss and bite at my neck, causing me to moan in wanton pleasure as my knees start to buckle. He continues sucking at neck, leaving light bruises all over the area as he works his way down and starts biting at one nipple while teasing the other with his free hand. I try to move my arms but they are still held in place by Kastor; I could see him somehow smirking while ravishing my body, knowing the pleasure he took in having full control of my movements and the frustration it caused me of writhing around, unable to shake his grip.

When he thought he had worshipped my torso enough, Kastor kissed and licked his way back up to my mouth, aggressively grabbing my face as he bit my lower lip, causing me to moan even more from the sensation before pushing his tongue back into my mouth as we continued to taste each other. Suddenly Kastor pulled back and his steely gaze and dominant stance softened just the slightest bit. He let my arms down and took my hand, leading me to an ornate dresser by his bed. He pulled one drawer open and my eyes widened at the contents within.

An assortment of collars and leashes lay inside! I blushed heavily; sure, I had worn collars before in situations like this but they had always been...simple and somewhat plain, usually just tanned leather. These collars had all sorts of designs on them- one was a pure white collar with bright red roses painted all over the surface. Another was dark green with purple waves splashing the bottom half of the leather. There were even a few that looked to be made of blackened metal.

Suddenly I felt Kastors hands snake around me as his fingers once again teased my nipples. He kissed my neck briefly before speaking. "Is there one in particular you'd want for tonight?" His voice was like a polished piece of steel covered with layers and layers of silk as he whispered into my ear behind me and I once again leaned into him. From the corner of my eye, I saw Kastor grab something and with precise movements, I heard a

click

and tried to move my hands only to realize he had handcuffed me!

I turned around and looked at him with fear in my eyes, suddenly more than a little alarmed. Kastar, sensing my apprehension, quickly grabbed my shoulders to steady me. "Hey, listen. Calm down." he said in a clear cool voice. "Maxwell! Look at me, ok?" I took a deep breath and did as he said, staring into those sharp green eyes. The longer I kept eye contact with him, the less I stopped moving. He had that look of sage wisdom that not many people have, the sort of silent reassurance that showed he would treat you as if you were the most precious jewel in the world. In a quiet and calming voice, Kastor spoke again. "If at any time you feel uncomfortable or want to stop, all you have to do is say 'red'. Got it?"

I swallowed down the lump in my throat but kept looking into his eyes. Why was I here? I don't even know this guy! And yet, I'm handcuffed inside his room in the back of a bar where probably nobody would hear me if I screamed. In other words, I was being the absolutely epitome of recklessness and irresponsibility. Despite that, there is a charisma and charm to Kastor that I can't deny. Plus, he actually hasn't given me a reason not to trust him the entire time I've been with him tonight. Even more so, I was still willing to

give

him my trust, to hand that fragile part of myself over to him because I thought he would take care of it. So, taking a total leap of faith, I answered him. "Yes, I understand."

Kastor gave me one of his little knowing smiles. "Good. Now, which collar do you want?"

I looked down into the drawer and browsed Kastor's collection for a few moments. Where did he even get most of these? Finally my eyes settled on a dark blue collar with jagged lines of white streaking through the leather, almost like white lightning. I described the one I wanted to Kastor and felt the cold material against my neck as he tightened and secured it. And just like that, it was almost if a switch had been flipped on inside my head. It was such a minor accessory but once a collar was around my neck, the change was so major that it almost seeped out into the air, that feeling of obeying, the feeling of letting go of the outside world to please the person in front of you, the feeling of pure

submission.

Kastor seemed to sense the change in my demeanor as well; his strong hands guided me down to my knees easily, as though my knees were made of sand.

I looked up at him as he kicked off his shoes and started unbuckling his belt. My heart quickened as he let his pants and underwear fall to the floor, exposing his proudly hanging 8 inch cock right in front of my face with a shining bead of precum leaking from the tip. My mouth started to water as I felt Kastor's hand on the back of my head, pushing my forward. I stuck out my tongue and immediately began swirling it around the head of his cock as I relished the taste of his meat. But, naturally, I wanted more, like a crazed addict who desperately needed their next fix. I pushed my head forward a bit more and took a few more inches into my mouth, relaxing my throat as I began to bob my head back and forth, taking just a little more down my throat with each movement.

Kastor let out several groans of pleasure at my worshipping. "You're quite the eager one, aren't you?" he asked huskily, looking down at me with a mixture of lust and fascination. "Like a little puppy dog, ready and willing to please their owner." I blushed heavily at the comparison but if anything, my cock only grew even harder from it and began leaking its own precum as well. He grabbed my head with both hands and pushed the remaining few inches of his cock down my throat, causing me to splutter and gag at the sudden push. Before I had to time adjust however, Kastor swiftly pulled his entire cock out and shoved the back into my mouth in a single motion; I relaxed my body as he continued his assault on my throat, gasping for air whenever I could.

His deep groans gradually rose in volume and his thrusts became wilder and faster. More precum kept leaking out of his cock and I could feel it throbbing and twitching more than ever, a shaft of pent-up energy and pleasure just waiting to burst. My tongue continued to swirl around and lick at his cock, sucking and milking it with my mouth for all it was worth until...he suddenly pulled it out. I looked up at him curiously, afraid I had done something wrong. Instead, he only looked down at me and chuckled with amusement before saying "Not yet, Maxi."

Maxi? Nobody had ever called me that before and at the moment, I couldn't tell if I liked that nickname or not. Either way, I pushed the thought out of my head when I saw Kastor bringing out a long chain leash before attaching it to my collar. A shiver went down my spine, but this feeling was one of anticipation rather than displeasure. I cocked my head slightly when I noticed that Kastor had produced a key when I wasn't looking and quickly unlocked my handcuffs before taking them and putting them back where they belonged.

I brought my hands out from behind me and was allowed a minute to relax them before Kastor began to walk across the room to his bed. I began to rise but he promptly pushed me back down to my knees. For the first time tonight, I saw the truly calculating face of this man, the face that looked at me wondering how many buttons he could push tonight, how many he was

allowed

to push since this still was our first time together.