La Maison 1: Colors (Complete: manxman)

18 - Confusion

* * * * *

On the evening I head to Frankie's for my final discussion with Frankie and Ellis, Amir has taken Owen out for dinner. I can't work out how I feel about it. Amir is a good man and, provided the shadow of Gavin doesn't prove too much, he would be a perfect Dom for Owen – he offers literally every aspect that Owen needs.

But, it doesn't change the fact that I'm wishing it was me who was able to fulfil those needs, even as I know I can't.

So, with my mind unclear and my ethically ambiguous hat on, I head to Frankie's to offer my two friends not-therapy.

* * * * *

"So, how are you feeling?"

Ellis grins back at me from his position in Frankie's lap.

"Amazing."

"Yes, Gray," Frankie says, "thank you for talking sense into me. It was going wrong and you've saved us."

He kisses Ellis' cheek tenderly.

"So, you've both thought about what you want from your relationship, and where you stand with each other?"

"Yes, we're going to change the structure of how we do things. I'm going to go back to being a submissive full time, but we've discussed what our hopes are, and we're relaxing some of the expectations – I'm going to be spending more time with my friends and working on my music, and Suzu supports me fully in that, and we're adjusting what's required when it's just the two of us or we're not around other people in the lifestyle."

"We'd forgotten, well, I'd forgotten about the most important tenet of Dom/sub relationships, of being completely open and honest in communication. I wasn't communicating with Ellis, and you helped me see that. Plus, even though Ellis is happy to do this full time, we'll be doing it in a much more relaxed way and spending time being boyfriends too. This time we've had has reminded me why I liked Ellis in the first place."

"Suzu says it's okay if I keep calling you Gray," Ellis laughs, "he says, because I'm his submissive it means I don't actually have to be submissive to the Doms at the club, although, I think I probably will when we're actually in the club, because it's hot."

I laugh at Ellis' joy, and Frankie's laughing scowl at his words.

"Does that mean I can still hug Ellis then, Frankie?"

"Fine," he growls, but he can't stop the grin too, "as I know hugging is more important to you than oxygen, you can still hug him, as long as he's happy with it."

"Oh, I am, Gray gives the best hugs, other than you, Suzu."

Ellis hugs into Frankie, nuzzling his neck and Frankie actually purrs – purrs! I'm loving this new, softer Frankie.

"Oh, and by the way Gray, I'm hoping you will help me out. Ellis admitted he doesn't like me fully training the new subs," I'm not surprised, there's a lot of fucking, "so I'm not doing it anymore, beyond the posture, positioning and behavior training. For some of them, that might be all, but you know a lot of subs come to us wanting to be trained in techniques and specialisms, and in what to expect from punishment, which I know you'll be terrible at- "

"Hey! I got pretty good at punishing Owen, he loved it."

"Oui, because I bet you barely ever gave him more than a swat on the ass."

I decide not to credit that with a response, besides what Owen and I got up to is between us, when it wasn't on the stage, anyway.

"Anyway, I'm hoping you, and the other top tier Doms, will agree to pick up that side of the training. I will waive your annual fees," that'll be good for my back pocket, not that I really need it, but the club charges exorbitantly for membership, though that does help it maintain exclusivity, "and you only need to do what feels comfortable. Will you consider it? And I'm also hoping that, with spending time with them before they train you can highlight if any of them are vulnerable as subs."

I think to my current, extremely single, status, and my concerns about how Frankie has been going about finding new subs.

"Sure."

"C'est parfait."

"Gray, I have a favor to ask of you as well."

"Sure thing, Ellis."

"I have a friend at school, and I'm worried about him. He's in a bad situation at home, and he's not looking great. I think he needs to talk to someone who knows what they're doing. I haven't been able to get him to open up to me, though I think he wants to, but because I was MIA for a while from the social side, I don't think he's ready to trust me. I think he'll trust you, you have that way about you..."

Just to add to the list of ethically tenuous things I'm doing with my medical license.

"Of course I will. How about I pick you up tomorrow and drive you to school?"

"No need! Suzu bought me a car."

I roll my eyes at Frankie's largesse, and bid to keep Ellis' hot body off the sweaty subway, but only a little bit, as Ellis is ecstatic.

* * * * *

I'm waiting in the park opposite the entrance to the Conservatory where Ellis goes to school, warming my hands on takeaway coffee, enjoying the weak spring sunshine on my face, and wondering what I'm doing with my life. This is my lunch break, I've had a morning of frustratingly unsatisfying patients, none of whom actually need to see me, and I'm beyond bored of dealing with upper class women who are tired of shopping and fucking the delivery guy, so they make their ever-absent husbands pay thousands to see me, where they spend their time simpering and trying to fuck me instead.

This will probably be more of the same, without the shopping and fucking. I don't know any of Ellis' friends, but for most attendees at this school there's a lot of money – few of them are on full scholarships like Ellis is.

Ellis sends me a message that they've finished in class and are heading to find me, so I wait, sipping my now-tepid coffee.

When I see Ellis I smile, moving in to give him a hug, not really registering the guy hanging behind him until I pull back.

"Gabriel," I gasp.

A/N: French

Oui = Yes

C'est parfait = That's perfect