Trust Me | MxM | BDSM

2. A Collar's Promise

I hold my breath so my throat doesn't move. Paul moves the brush across the sensitive skin, leaving dark ink on it, then leans back to regard his work critically while gnawing at his lower lip. He's not part of the scene, in the sense that he's not doing bdsm, but he's definitely a vital part of the club. His make-up is flawless, and his body painting has added a certain spark to quite the number of relationships already.

He's been wanting to get his hands on me for weeks now, so when I approached him with the request to draw a collar around my neck, he had been more than happy to say yes. Now, collars are proof of a serious commitment, and usually gifted by the dom, so I admit that my move is unorthodox. Both Paul and Luc have approved, though, giving my confidence a little boost.

"I think," Paul stretches the word, squinting at a point on my skin before flipping the brush across it briefly once me, "that's it. We're done."

"Paul, this is amazing," Luc states seriously, gaze fixed on my neck. "You're a genius, everyone knows you are, but this is just perfect. There's absolutely no way he's going to say no."

"Look, look!" Paul urges me, turning my swivelling chair around so I am facing the mirror. To be honest, I don't know what to say, so I'm quite glad that neither of them asks me a question that I would be obliged to answer. Slowly, I lift my fingers to my neck, but Paul slaps them away instantly.

"Don't touch it, you'll ruin the paint."

The collar is marvellous. He managed to mix colours only a tinge darker than my skin and used them to draw the faded outlines of stitched leather. Only the empty nameplate is clearly visible, the sole sign that the collar is truly there. Without it, even a schooled eye might think the mind was playing tricks on it inside the twilight of the club.

"Are you sure you don't want me to put your name on it?"

I shake my head before remembering to speak up.

"No."

It was well-known that Gavrilo liked to name his subs, though only as part of a scene. I intended to show my dedication to him by allowing him to name me entirely. It was hopefully a clever move, yet also one inspired by a sense of self-preservation. If he called me whatever he wanted, I wouldn't constantly be reminded of the fact that I was only playing the part of Mike. That was dangerous on the one hand, but also a great relief on the other.

I hoped it would allow me to simply be his submissive, no feelings or personality attached.

"Well, then I guess you're ready," Paul gives in and swirls my chair back around so I'm facing him again. I fix my gaze on his green converse sneakers, again wondering if he's wearing such characteristic shoes so that the subs who don't look at his face always know it's him. He puts the brush aside, then squeezes my thigh. "Up you go."

"Thank you," I say dutifully as I get up from the chair and walk back to Luc. He's barefoot, same as I, but wearing short leather pants so tight that they push his balls back into his stomach every step he takes. His words, not mine. I wouldn't know as I never had to wear them before, and I am not eager to gain the experience.

Luc holds his hand out for me to take, and I follow up on the subtle request. He lifts a finger to tap at his lips, and I my eyes follow it to discover a reassuring smile. My gaze briefly snaps to his eyes, and they wrinkle softly as he notices.

"You're ready, so just don't overthink it, okay?"

"I won't, sir."

We leave Paul to his other work and make our way over to the private booth on the third floor where I am supposed to meet Gavrilo Kemp. A petite young man wearing a thin golden collar is preparing the table, making sure the sleek black surface is blemish free. Ken's the submissive of the club's owner and in charge of all the subs and their worries, yet also deals with any complaints the doms might bring up.

"Well, if it isn't little Mikey coming for his debut," he laughs, his voice a clear ring in the quietness of the club that has yet to open its doors for the evening. Only subs and doms in preparation are allowed inside. I hear a sharp intake of breath coming from him.

"Is that-" he muses before allowing himself a half-heartedly suppressed laugh. Guess he's noticed the faint outlines of the collar around my neck. "Oh, you really did it. That might earn you some punishment for being cheeky, but I'm sure master Gavrilo will love it, even if he's not going to say."

"Don't tease him, he's nervous enough as it is," Luc says lightly and pushes me towards the table with a hand between my shoulder blades. I stumble a step towards the empty space close to the railing.

"Come on, I said Gavrilo's going to love it. And believe me, I've seen what gets the guy off. Besides, nothing promises commitment more than that blurred collar around Mikey's neck, so I think it's the right track."

I let out a small sigh of relief at the reassurance, then get to my knees in front of the table, facing the dark leather couch that embraces it in a half-circle.

"He's not going to be here until half an hour or so, so you don't have to get down like that already?" Ken's voice goes up at the end, indicating that there is room for me to answer. I take the chance to speak up.

"I will wait for Master Kemp as I have been told is befitting, and I hope that will please the Master," I explain, carefully choosing my words. It's the truth, I decide. While Gavrilo might have written in his letter that he will be understanding when it comes to my inexperience, he also made it very clear that what he demands is unquestionable devotion. So if I fail, I may fail because of a mistake, but not because I lack the will to please.

Ken laughs yet again, then resumes to clean the table of the dust that has settled on it during the day. I notice him shaking his head from the top of my vision and quickly lower my gaze further, staring at my hands that rest on my thighs, fingers pointing straight at my knees. Luc's bare feet slap on the floor as he leaves, and soon enough, Ken disappears as well.

I wait, alone.

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I debated on the whole collar thing, but I think it's fine?

What do you think of Matt/Mike/the MC so far? I'm struggling a little with giving him personality, mainly because he doesn't really have one, which will be a topic later on.

XOXO

T.