It didn’t matter how comforting Reb’s body was as I lay half against him, half on top of him that night. I simply couldn’t settle. And in spite of Reb’s seeming ability to sleep through anything, it was clearly disturbing him too. Finally, at about two in the morning, he muttered “Will you fucking well go to sleep, Steve? Or at least have the courtesy to lie still and let me!”
I was wide awake. “I can’t sleep. And don’t talk to me like that, and don’t call me Steve. And I don’t have to be courteous to you – you’re a slave, and that’s the idea of owning a slave, or have you forgotten? A slave’s purpose is to serve his owner, irrespective of his personal desires. You don’t have to thank slaves, or be courteous to them.”
Reb pushed me to one side and sat up and switched on the lights. He looked great there, his torso bare and the sheet tumbling off him so that it fell across the top of his thighs, revealing a suggestion of his pubes. I was annoyed, as the light hurt my eyes.
“Look, Steve, you’re upset, OK? But don’t take it out on everyone else around you – it’s not a trait that endears you to other people.”
“I told you not to call me Steve….”
“Listen, you stupid fucker, will you? And think. So OK, when I’m working, when other folks are around, I am your slave according to the law and I guess it’s right for me to call you ‘sir’. But when you’re in bed with another guy, you need to be more intimate, to relax. Otherwise you end up in those silly games that you see guys playing on all that porn you watch, where there’s a ‘master’ and a ‘slave’ and all the language that goes on with it. So if you want that, you can have it and I’ll grovel in front of you and call you ‘master’ and kiss your feet and all that kind of crap. Is that what you really want, Steve? Or do you want a proper relationship, a grown-up kind of relationship with another guy, where you both respect each other, listen to each other, and, incidentally, have some pretty great sex?”
He stopped, and I went to say something, but Reb’s arm snaked around me and pulled me up to sit next to him. “So here we are, Steve. Owner and slave. If someone came in now, how would they know which was which?”
“…they might see that brand I had put on you?”
“Apart from that! They see two guys sitting together in bed, both clearly naked. One’s calm, confident, strong, and if not actually happy, seems to be doing OK. The other looks worried, harassed, about to burst into tears…. Which one would you think they’d think of as the slave?”
I sat there, almost unable to say anything. Reb waited, then squeezed me closer to him as if to comfort me. Go on, Steve…. Say it…”
“I guess they’d think I was the slave, worried about….”
“Right! They’d think you were worried about what I might be planning for you – they couldn’t know from looking at the outside that I’m a pretty nice kind of guy, who likes to help others. In the service I used to see a lot of young guys like you who are wasting their lives…”
“I’m not wasting mine! I’m going to college, in a great frat….”
“Will you shut up, and listen? Anyway, a lot of young guys waste their lives because they are afraid of telling other people what they want – no, what they hope for, or need. So they get the wrong job, marry the wrong person… They play along in ‘the system’ always trying to do ‘the right thing’ – the ‘right thing’ as society defines it, or as people around them expect them to be. But it’s not the ‘right thing’ for them, so deep inside they’re in conflict between what they ’ought’ to do and what they ‘want’ to do, so they’re miserable and unhappy. And when they’re miserable and unhappy they’re less able to think straight, less able to do ‘the right thing’ – the proper right thing – for themselves. And that’s you, isn’t it, Steve? Recognise any of that as being a bit like you?”
“No…”
“Steve, are you saying that because you mean it, or because it’s the answer people expect you to give as you like to be in charge, like people to see you making the running?” Reb shifted in bed so we were pressed even closer, and casually reached down to scratch his belly and his dick. That totally self confident, totally male thing to do was more than I could bear – no way could I ever do that so unselfconsciously.
“Well….”
Reb looked at me and smiled encouragingly. “Go on, Steve, now you’ve started… It gets easier, you know….”
“So, OK, it’s tough. Dad expects a lot. And I reckon I do it right. And then Jake came along… And it all fell to pieces. Nothing seems to work with Jake…”
“You mean everything you usually do doesn’t seem to work with Jake. And that’s because you really never learned to think for yourself – you’ve kind of got programmed to be a rich kid who always gets what he wants providing he does as his dad says…. And other people go along with that because you’re good at it. But then you meet Jake, and Jake doesn’t give jack shit about your money, or your house, or your dad…. And everything you’ve learned in the past doesn’t work any more. But then you don’t – or can’t – modify your behaviour: you don’t see that Jake’s being a man, a proper man in his terms, a man who makes his own way in life, a man who’s prepared to humiliate himself as he’s worked out that it’s worth it to him for the money he gets…. And instead of that you simply offer to give him some of yours, as it doesn’t mean anything to you. So you totally devalue all his efforts, Steve. But you don’t see that, and you simply get angry when he rejects you.”
Reb paused again, and said quietly “Frankly, I think you’re pretty lucky – he does at least see you. Personally I’d never want to set eyes on you again if I was Jake and you behaved as you did.”
“You make I sound as if it’s all my fault… Jake needs to…”
“Oh for fuck’s sake, Steve! Listen to yourself! Who cares about ‘fault’? I kind of assumed you wanted Jake!”
I found myself almost snivelling. “I do…”
“So we need – no, you need – to think about how Jake feels, and plan what you’re going to do to make it right with him.”
“But what sort of things…”
“Shut up, Steve! I want to sleep, even if you don’t. But that’s almost all you need to do. Now you’ve understood the problem, now you’ve admitted to yourself that there’s something that you need to do. Get some sleep now, and you’ll be amazed: in the morning you’ll feel better, and you’ll have a plan.”
We lay down in bed and Reb let me lie half across him again and I was comforted by his warmth and the total experience of his body as his chest rose and fell as he breathed, and his male scent came to my nose. But I still couldn’t settle, and suddenly Reb’s arm was around me again. “Lie still, I said! If you’re going to make me sleep in your bed… I need to sleep.”
“I’m sorry, Reb.”
“Hey, you’re coming on! Did I hear the word ‘sorry’? I didn’t think that was in your vocabulary! Anyway, I know what a young guy like you needs to help him sleep….”
Reb reached down and began to stroke my dick, and in spite of me trying to wriggle away – he was gripping me around the shoulders – he persisted in spite of my feeble cries of ‘no, please’ and ‘stop…’ as he was causing me such exquisitely pleasurable and almost painful sensations as his nail scraped my piss slit and tweaked at that little triangle of skin underneath my dick head. Then, as I shot a huge load, he pulled me closer to him again and muttered “Now, fucking sleep, will you? It should be easier now, as men are almost programmed to sleep after sex!”
Dad told me that he would be staying in the city that night as I drove him to the station, but added “Tomorrow, though, I’ll be back earlier than usual as I will need to change – and you’ll need to dress up smartly – as we have a dinner engagement in Greenwich.”
“Oh, my delayed birthday…?”
“No. More important than that. We’re invited to a colleague’s as we want you to meet his daughter – she’s the same age as you, and about to go off to college.”
“I don’t want to meet a girl, dad, I….”
“Nonsense! You didn’t let me finish. She’s the same age as you and although there’s too little time to arrange the marriage before you go to college, you can become engaged . Then we can have a ceremony in your vacation…”
“Dad, you’re joking? You’ve got me married! That’s…”
“That’s prudent, Steve. He’s one of the partners and, like me, he’s worried that his daughter will be, like you, the prey of gold diggers and the insincere who are simply after your fortune. So if you’re married, all that will be avoided. And with our two families united, the leadership of the firm will be secure, and…”
“Dad, no…”
“Steve, will you listen to me? I know best. Anyway you’ll be safely married, we’ll buy you a great apartment in the city as soon as you’ve finished college and start work at the firm, which will do until the grandchildren come along, when you can move out to Scarsdale or Greenwich…”
“Dad! Grandchildren? This is…”
“This is sound sense, Steve. We’ve planned two – the old ‘heir and a spare’ as they do in royal families…”
“Dad, no! I’m not some stud, a slave you’ve bought for breeding, a slave you can tell what to do, who he’s got to fuck, how many progeny he’s got to sire…”
“Steven! I will not have you using coarse language. I think that having that Reb around is part of the problem – I said he was unsuitable right at the start, and we’ll sell him…”
“No! There’s nothing wrong with Reb! You don’t seem to mind spending time with him watching all those games…”
“That’s different , Steve. I’m grown up and it’s OK for Reb and me to have a bit of banter when we’re watching a game – that’s what’s expected. But you’re still immature – listen to the way you’re protesting about my plan for you, a plan that will leave you wealthy and secure for the rest of your life….”
“No, dad! I’m not selling Reb…”
“I’ll compromise, Steve. I know you really wanted a young slave to go to college with and I agreed to rent a livery one for you. Well, now I can see there might be some advantages in having a permanent slave, so we’ll sell Reb and I will make up the difference so you can buy a properly-trained young slave, someone who will be a credit to us in the frat….”
“NO!” I shouted now. “Listen to you, dad! ‘We will sell Reb’… ‘Who will be a credit to ‘us’ in the frat…’ What about me, dad? How about thinking about me for a change? Reb’s mine. I don’t want to sell him. It’s not up to you. And at college I want to be independent – it’s not really OK for you to have arranged the frat for me… But it’s for you, isn’t it? You want to recreate the way you were, to be able to brag to everyone that I’m in the most exclusive frat in the most prestigious college…. Well I’m not going to do it!”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“No, dad. I’m not going to sell Reb. I’m not going to marry some bitch you’ve lined up for me to stud and sire grandchildren for you. I never wanted to be in a stupid frat in the first instance – all those silly rules and practices. I don’t even want to go to that college. I’d rather stay here and go to community college, where I can be near my buddies…”
“Steve, you’re over excited. We’ll discuss this tomorrow night….”
“Why not tonight? Why not right now?”
“Because, Steve”, dad was icily calm now “I have to catch the train – which is almost due – and I have important meetings this morning. And as I have already explained to you I am staying in the city this evening.”
“So as usual your work is more important than your son…”
“Steven, remain calm! That’s nonsense. I only work for you, to make sure you have everything you could conceivably need…”
“Except you, dad…”, I muttered bleakly. But it was too late, as dad had got out of the car and was striding briskly into the station.
As I drove home I found myself feeling good! I ought to have been upset after a row like that with dad, especially one where I’d defied him as I know how he hated that. But the more I thought about it, the more I knew I’d done the right thing. And once I’d said ‘no’ to selling Reb, the rest had got easier and easier.
When I walked into the kitchen Reb was there tucking into a huge breakfast as usual, and I didn’t even bother to complain. He looked at me “Hey, the cat’s got the cream….”
“Yes… you were right, last night. I do need to think about things, do the right thing. And I’ve started.”
He raised his eyebrows questioningly, and I recounted my encounter with dad.
“I’m glad you think so much of me…. Not wanting to get rid of me.”
“The decision is only temporary! I can easily change my mind if I find you disobeying all the time and eating these huge breakfasts, which you know I don’t like as I don’t want you to get fat…” I was smiling at him now, so he knew I was joking.
“So what about Jake?”
“Well… I hadn’t thought….” My ebullient mood sort of came crashing down.
“Steve, you’ve taken a giant step. You’ve started to get out from under your dad. So what’s so hard about taking the next one, and simply going and telling Jake the truth?”
“Tell him the truth….?”
Reb just looked at me for a few seconds. “It’s obvious to me that you want Jake. So why don’t you tell him just that? That you’ve been stupid, and arrogant, but that you want him.
Then ask him to help you. Tell him you respect him, and you need someone like him to help you grow up!”
He was right, and I knew it. “Come on – I need to be ft if I’m going to do all this… Stop being an advice column and start to act like the slave I bought you for… I reckon I need a good hard workout to get in shape for tonight, and you need one to stop all that stuff going to your belly!”
Reb and I had a great day – after the workout we swam, and then fooled around in the pool like two buddies, ducking each other and stuff like that. And I swam naked and wasn’t worried about it. Then later in the afternoon we went up to my room and I spent hours in the shower, and shaving, and Reb was laughing telling me I was just like a kid going on his first date, especially as I agonised over what underwear to wear.
“I hope it is like a first date”, I replied. “The first of a new beginning for Jake and me. And as for the underwear… Well, I don’t want him to think I’m squandering money on stuff….”
“Oh, so you’re planning to be naked with him, are you?”
“Reb….!”
“Look, Steve, one word of caution. You’re starting to do it again… Starting to plan what everyone else should do… You know what you’re going to do, and now you’re imagining what Jake’s reaction to it will be, planning how you’ll strip each other, planning…. You’re heading for a fall, Steve – not only might Jake react badly to that, but, if he does, you’ll be devastated.”
This was going to be tough, I knew. And Reb did all he could to talk to me before I set off, and gave me a big hug before I got in the car and muttered “Just keep your cool, buddy” as we broke off, and that made me feel a whole lot better.
I parked the car in the public parking garage and went and waited outside the employee entrance at S & G on foot, as I didn’t want to emphasise we were rich enough to have a car. Jake came out, saw me, nodded, then strode off. I rushed after him.
“Jake….”
“We’ve got nothing to say, Steve. Fuck off! No, there is one thing you can do – let me have the half of the profit on Greg.”
“I’m sorry, I forgot, of course…”
“Only a stupid rich kid could forget something like that. The money means something to you, does it? But I need it.”
“Jake, I said I’m sorry. I can’t change the past, but I’m trying for the future…”
“Trying what? Trying to buy some more fancy clothe before you go off to the fancy frat in the fancy college…?”
“I’m not going to a fancy college. I’m enrolling at Community College here, because…”
“…because you’ve found out some of your other rich kid friends are staying close to home. You’re all too attached to your big fancy houses, the slaves, the…”
“Jake, no! Listen, will you? Please…”
Jake stopped and turned towards me. “OK, I’ll waste thirty seconds more of my life on you…”
“I was wrong, Jake. Wrong not to introduce you to dad. You’re a great guy, Jake, and if dad had sneered at you or looked down on you it would have been him who was in the wrong. But I couldn’t see that at the time. And then I was wrong to look down on you for working at Ray and Stu’s, for doing slave’s work, for dressing like a slave… I know you need the money, Jake… And a guy should work for what he needs.”
“So what’s brought on this change of heart, Steve?”
“Because I missed you, Jake. Missed you terribly. And I tried to ‘buy’ you I suppose, offering you money instead of Ray and Stu paying you, and that didn’t work…”
“So you couldn’t buy me, so now you’re trying…”
“Shut the fuck up! You’re as bad as my dad! He never talks about stuff with me, never debates properly. Always assumes he’s in the right. And that’s what you’re doing, Jake…”
We’d got to the entry to his apartment building now and he went to shut the door after he’d gone in, with me outside. I stuck my foot in the door. “No, Jake! You can’t get rid of me that easily! Let’s talk, please….”
Jake reluctantly stopped pushing the door, and let me in. We trudged up the stairs and went into his apartment. “I’ve got to get changed to go to Ray and Stu’s – shower… I’ve got to be clean as you know…”
“So they can appreciate all that bare skin! I do, too, Jake…. Can I watch?”
Jake stripped off his S & D uniform and went into the shower. Quick as a flash I stripped too, and joined him. I ran my hands over his body as he stood there soaping himself and saying nothing.
“I liked it more when you were hairy….”, I muttered. “But there may be some advantages…” I knelt in front of him and took his dick in my mouth. Jake didn’t try to stop me, but he didn’t encourage me, either, until I did some of the things to his dick Reb had done to mine last night. Then he was wriggling and squirming and protesting – and I stopped, slid my body against his as I got to my feet, put my arms around him and kissed him, forcing his mouth open so I could bite his lip and probe all around his mouth with my tongue.
Suddenly Jake reacted. Now it was his arms around me, crushing me to him. We thrust our bodies backwards and forwards, kissing passionately. Completely careless of the water we pushed out of the shower and threw ourselves down on Jake’s bed and carried on kissing and caressing each other. I wanted to fuck him, and I knew Jake wanted to fuck me. Then suddenly he stopped.
“Enough of this!”
I was terrified. I thought it was all going to be all right, and now Jake had broken away.
“But….”
Jake burst out laughing. “You idiot, Steve. You look totally terrified. I just don’t have any time now – I’ll be late for work! And anyway we deserve to have a proper long reconciliation….”
“Don’t…” I stopped myself. I was about to say that Jake didn’t need to go to Ray and Stu as he didn’t now need the money. Then I remembered what Reb had said about not devaluing him. “Don’t be late… Is it OK if I wait here for you?”
“No, not really. My brother’s using the place tonight on his way back. And three would be a real crowd in here.” Jake grinned at me. “And, anyway, I know you think he’s got a great ass… And I don’t want you distracted.”
“So will you come to my house – dad’s house, I should say.”
“OK, after work. It will be late…”
“I’ve got a better idea, Jake…” I got out my phone and dialled Ray and Stu’s apartment. When the slave answered I asked to speak to either of them, and got Ray. After the usual pleasanteries and me enquiring if Greg was still performing satisfactorily, I explained that Jake and I had a great opportunity to view another ‘property’ (as slaves are referred to), and that Jake did not like to ask for time off. I could hear Ray laughing as he called out to Stu “Steve and Jake want to fuck, and want to know if we can manage without Jake tonight”. He came back on the line and said “Why didn’t Jake call?” Oh, fuck me! I could see problems arising as Jake was looking at me, not able to hear the other half of the conversation. “Well it’s a great opportunity for us, this ‘property’, so thanks, that’s very good of you…”
“Steve, you’re not telling Jake, are you? You want to surprise him with an evening of great passionate sex.”
“You’re so right”, I laughed. “Jake will call you tomorrow”, and I pressed disconnect.
“Come on, then… Let’s get dressed… The sooner we get home, the sooner we can pick up where we left off.”
“Not so fast, Steve! I’ve been working all day. I’m famished…”
“I’ll call Reb and tell him to get some stuff out of the freezer. Steak, or lobster, or…”
I saw Jake hesitate. I knew I’d done the wrong thing. I was making Jake feel inadequate again. Getting to always do the right thing was going to be a lot more difficult than I thought. Quick as a flash I added “…but on the other hand, I reckon you owe me dinner! You’ve got the profit from Greg, so you can treat me for a change…”
We went to a local chain pizza place. It was pretty basic – paper napkins, even. But it didn’t matter – we shared food, as you do. And all the time, as he pushed a piece of pizza dripping with cheese into his mouth, Jake’s eyes were smiling… And he leaned right towards me and whispered “This is like your dick, Steve… Warm, kind of slippery, and going down my throat…”
We drove home with Jake’s hand resting so comfortably on my inner thigh, just so casual and normal, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Then we raced up the staircase and were almost tearing our clothes off as got to my bedroom. Reb was lying there as we went in, and sat up, looking at us.
“Get out, Reb”, I snapped.
“Steve, don’t talk to Reb like that”. Jake’s mood seemed to have changed totally now.
“He’s a slave….”
“He’s a man, Steve, and he deserves respect.”
“For fuck’s sake, you two!”, Reb shouted. “Stop this childish quarrelling! You came in here ready to fuck, like two jackrabbits! Now, get down to it, or do I have to come over there and spank you both. I reckon I could, you know – take you both – or even if I couldn’t, it would be fun trying…”
“Reb, please leave us….”, I said, laughing too now.
“No, Steve. We’ve all had sex together – it wouldn’t be right to send Reb out to the gym! Let him stay – you and I have got nothing to be ashamed of, and an older guy like Reb might learn something from two young studs like us….” Jake was laughing too as he said this, ready to pick up where we’d left off.
It was as if a shadow passed over the sun, so suddenly did the mood change as Reb said quietly “Actually, Jake, we haven’t all had sex together. You and Steve raped me. That isn’t having sex together at all.”
Oh fuck me! All this treating slaves as equals and always doing the right thing was even harder than I’d imagined – even those few words from Jake could be wrong. And Reb’s remarks were having an effect on Jake, too – he’d stopped caressing me and was now looking at Reb intently, and I could feel his dick losing its hardness.
“You’re right, Reb. And I’m sorry. I can only say in mitigation that I was still in work mode – I was helping Steve to tame you. And it was for your own good, you know….” Jake turned to me and went on “It’s the job, Steve, it’s getting to me. I want to do the right thing, to treat slaves as men and not as objects, then something like that happens and I know I’ve failed. I’d never rape a free guy, never help someone chain up a free guy so he could be raped. But that job – it’s dehumanising: I have all those slaves all day to guard and display, and it’s hard to keep thinking of them a men like you and me.”
“A whole lot of guys would envy you, Jake – having all those slaves under your control. But you could get another job…”
“Steve, I’ve told you before – there are no other jobs for guys like me without college degree. Even when I need some temporary extra casual work, there’s nothing, and I end up ‘slaving’ at Ray and Stu’s. So it’s fine for you to say get another job if this one isn’t right for me, but from where exactly?” Jake stopped, looked at Reb again. “Reb, I truly am sorry.
You’re a nice guy, a really nice guy, and I shouldn’t have raped you. And neither should Steve have.”
“Jake, speak for yourself! Sure, you might not have wanted to do it. But I needed to – Reb’s my slave, remember? I have a right. And you’re forgetting that Reb was headed for stubbing, and the mines – and now he’s fine, but he needed to learn that he’s a slave, needed to understand that his life isn’t like it was in the marines. He needed to understand that, Jake, deep down – and I think he has.”
Reb looked at Jake and said quietly “Life’s all about choices, isn’t it? What’s the harder choice – working at S & D, or maybe being destitute and being enslaved yourself? Having a wild slave stubbed and heading for the mines, or giving up some of your principles to teach me that being a slave isn’t necessarily all that bad with an owner like Steve? So don’t think too badly about yourself, Jake – you did what you thought was right.”
This was all going wrong. I wanted Jake and me to have long, glorious sex and make up. And now he was beginning to feel bad about himself, and starting this futile discussion with Reb.
“Jake, you did the right thing. I did the right thing in buying Reb and ‘saving’ him, and you did the right thing by helping me ‘tame’ Reb.”
“You didn’t buy him to ‘save’ him, Steve! You bought him because he was cheap…”
“Jake, what does it matter? The result’s the same – here we have Reb now, a really nice guy, who’s been saved from mutilation and the mines. And who is kind of reconciled to being a slave, and who has a pretty good life….”
“…as long as you continue to own him! As ever, Steve, you’re making the ‘expedient’ argument, rather than the moral one. But what if you sell him, Steve? He could be down the mines any time after. I see all kinds of guys ‘on the scrap heap’ at S & D, some of them who could have the same potential as Reb… It’s not right…”
“You can’t change the world, Jake. But you can make a difference every now and then, though: look at Greg, too – he’s happy now. So stuff whether it’s expedient or moral – it’s the right result. And as for it being for ‘now’ – well, that’s all any of us has, isn’t it? We never know what lies in the future, what capricious turn of events will tear our world apart. So let’s enjoy it whilst we can.”
As I said this, I pulled Jake towards me and kissed him to stop further arguments. And I pushed him gently back on to the bed and started unbuttoning his shirt. And after we’d fucked it seemed wrong to leave Reb out of it, and one of us lay each side of him and we
took turns to suck his dick – it was a lot of fun, actually: Jake and me lying there with our faces so close together, pushing Reb’s dick around and tasting each others spit on it. And as I went to sleep, half lying on Reb with Jake spooning into the back of me, everything seemed right with the world.
If only I’d known how prescient some of my words were to be!
To be continued …
