Fic: Tangled 5/? (Danny/Steve, NC17, OC's)
Title - Tangled
Characters - Danny/Steve, Kono, Chin, OC's (Rick Steadman, Kau'i Keahi, John Dawson, Michael Petersen)
Rating - NC17
Warnings - BDSM, established Dom/sub relationships, torture, abuse, dark themes, slash
Summary - A case hits close to home as the team work to track down an attacker who has a personal vendetta against Richard Steadman.
A/N - Sequel to - 'Wear No Disguise'.
Chapters - One : Two : Three : Four : Five : Six :Seven : Eight : Nine
~
previously -
"Then you should have stayed to see him find his pet tied to the rack you placed him on," Master informed him cooly. "That would have been his breaking point. All there will be now is him desperately trying to hold the peices together, even when they crumble in his fingers."
~
"Rick, hey," John said as he answered the phone. After the intense evening before he'd woken up with some aches, exhausted but satisifed. Michael had left for work early and he'd been having a lazy morning not doing much. He noted that he'd received a few missed calls from Rick the evening before as well as some messages of concern and support.
"Hi," Rick said and John could hear the tiredness in his voice. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, of course," John replied with a frown.
"I tried calling yesterday a few times but you never answered," Rick explained.
"Yeah, Michael and I -," John began before trailing off, not wanting to go into detail. "I'm fine Rick. I'm staying at Michael's for a few days."
"Good, that's good," Rick assured him. "Look Kau wants me to get out of here for a few hours before I drive him crazy. Do you mind if I come over? We need to clear my schedule for the next few days."
"Of course not," John told him, telling him of the address. "I'll see you soon."
"Yeah, great," Rick told him. "Bye."
He arrived at the house not long after and John showed him around.
"It's a nice place," Rick smiled with a small nod. John smiled and ducked his head, Rick understood how important his opinion mattered but he felt slightly strange that John was so eager of his approval. Having seen John and Michael together, seeing how happy his friend was, Rick was glad John had found someone to explore the lifestyle with on a more permanent basis.
"And through here," John said, pulling him along the hall. "Is the playroom."
He opened the door and ushered Rick inside. It was pannelled in dark wood, the floor a polished mahogany and thick rugs of red. The equipment itself varied and Rick took a wander around the room to inspect the pieces with a professional eye. He was surprised, most of the equipment leaned towards S&M and John had never been heavily into that side of the lifestyle. He came to a halt in front of a 'wooden pony' and stared, eyeing it and taking in the chains hanging from above, the spreader bar that lay propped against it.
Rick ran fingers along the pointed beam at his fingertips, heightened to just above his waist height.
"So, has he -," Rick began, glancing at John who was watching him nervously. Rick paused, unsure how much he should ask.
John was his friend and he cared about him, but his relationship with his Dom was his business and just because he and John had played together over the years didn't give him the right to pry. But it disturbed him and made him uncomfortable to think of John being made to endure a session on the 'pony'. It just seemed altogether set apart from his comfort zone and limits. However he told himself not to question unless John brought up the subject and stepped away from the 'pony' and instead turned with a smile to his friend.
"You're happy aren't you John?" Rick asked him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "With Michael. You are happy with him aren't you?"
"Yes, of course I am," John nodded in reply, a shaky smile on his lips.
"Good," Rick nodded, sliding an arm around his shoulders and guding them both out of the playroom. "I just like to be sure. You know me, the overprotective one. After what has happened with Kau'i, I want to make sure you're okay. If Michael is providing you with what help you need."
"He is Rick," John told him. "What happened with Kau'i has shaken all of us up. But we're good, he's helping."
"That's good," Rick nodded and they headed towards the main living area. "You know if you need to talk about it, or anything, you can always come to me."
"I know that Rick," John assured him. "But aren't you the one who needs to talk? Especially after what's happened with Kau."
Rick sat down and sighed, shaking his head when John asked if he wanted a drink. "I will need to talk, eventually. I just need to think things out first. I just want him home and that should be tomorrow. But I think it's going to be difficult, taking him back to the house. I may book us into a hotel or something for the next few days."
"You need me to sort that for you?" John asked, sitting opposite him.
"No, no," Rick shook his head. "I'll sort something. We do need to clear my schedule for the next week or so. I'm not in the right frame of mind to be doing business. Can I ask you to cancel whatever sessions that are booked? I was going to give Hani Hale a call, see if she minded taking on some of the clients, the people she's worked with before."
"I've cleared the next few days already," John replied, picking up his cell and scrolling through the appointments section. "But if you're calling Hani, I can wait before I clear the rest of the week and advise people to call her if she's willing to take a few clients until your back on track."
"Sounds like a plan," Rick agreed, pulling out his phone to call her. He stood and wandered over to the window as he waited for it to connect.
"Hi," Michael's voice interrupted them. Rick turned a little and smiled over at him before Hani answered her cell and prevented any further greeting.
"Hi," John said, standing as Michael approached, a pleased look on his face. "I thought you were working all day."
"Decided to have an early finish," Michael shrugged, giving him a quick kiss. "Thought we could enjoy the afternoon together."
"Rick and I needed to get some business sorted out," John explained as Micheal looked over at Rick. "He needed to get out of the hospital for a while, I've given him a tour."
"Oh?" Michael questioned, looking sharply back at him. "You showed him around?"
"Yeah," John nodded, detecting a tension in Michael's body as he drew away from him. "I thought it would be okay."
Michael didn't reply and instead smiled politely as Rick finished his call and looking to them.
"Rick, it's good to see you," Michael said, leaving John's side and going to him with an outstretched hand. "How's Kau'i?"
"Making a full recovery," Rick replied, shaking his hand. "Doctor says I can bring him home tomorrow."
"Good, that's good," Michael nodded with a note of relief. "And how are you?"
"I'll be fine," Rick admitted, not wanting to be drawn on the subject of his own feelings about the situation. "John, Hani says she'd be happy to help any way she can. You know the clients who've been to her before, can you make sure they have her details?"
"Yeah, sure of course," John nodded over to him.
Rick looked at his watch. He'd been in the habit of doing that the last few days counting the hours and minutes since he'd last seen Kau'i or been away from the hospital. He looked up with a grim smile and shrugged his shoulders.
"I'm going to head back to the hospital," he sighed. "Thanks John, for everything. You know I appreciate it."
"Of course I do," John assured him and they through the house for the front door. "Call me later, if you need me to come over to the house or to the hospital let me know."
Rick turned and pulled him into a firm hug. He didn't miss the flinch and tension in John's body as he put a tight hold around his back, the way John's breath escaped his lips with a sharp hitch, like it were painful. But John hugged him back without a word, though Rick searched his face when he pulled away. John avoided his eyes and said goodbye and Rick was acutely aware how closely Michael was watching the brief but tender exchange.
"Thanks John, I will call," Rick said, leaning in a moment as he opened the front door, keeping his voice to a low pitch. "And you call me if you need to talk about anything."
John looked curiously at him, giving a small nod of his head as he left. Rick couldn't help but feel there was something uncomfortable going on between Michael and John. His proffessional experience told him that though they seemed to be quite happy together that it wasn't as good a match as it seemed at face value. Though he'd been on the phone to Hani he hadn't missed the exchange between the two men or the look Michael had given John when he'd said he'd shown Rick around. Rick wondered if it were because of the playroom.
It was a remarkable room in it's own right and one of the cells of the S&M section had been fitted with a 'wooden pony' as well as equipment and toys to accompany it. But it just didn't sit right with him that John would be subjected to sessions on it, as well as becoming intimately accustomed to the other equipment also. And when Rick had hugged him, John had tensed as if he was hurting and Rick wondered if that hurt had been inflicted within that playroom also.
As he drove to the hospital he tried not to judge, he knew it was a failing of his. He held high expectations for the lifestyle and he could at times be unfair on Dominants when he didn't agree with their methods. At times he was right but he was also wrong to judge on occasion. But he'd been in the proffession long enough to see and understand warning signs when they were there. He was beginning to become uncomfortable with John's relationship with Michael.
John thrived under a more restrictive, possessive and strict Dom there was no denying. Rick understood that and had provided such attention on occasion over the years when they had played. It hadn't been often but at times they'd just wanted to have some fun and relieve some stress and tension. Once or twice, John had asked him for a session for his own personal reasons and Rick had always obliged, until his relationship with Kau'i had deepened. But whilst John revelled under a strict, demanding Dominant, he also needed to be gentled through a scene. Pain had never been a huge factor in terms of his submission, yet from the beginning of his relationship with Michael, it had suddenly become a seemingly prime part of their relationship. Rick remembered his anger finding out John had played in the 'chains and whips' cell of the house without his knowing about it. He also remembered his complete surprise in learning John had allowed himself to be subjected to the use of the instruments.
Rick sighed, pulling into the hospital car park and headed into the building, thoughts jumping forward to his partner as he walked through the corridors. Kau'i would probably tease him for being possessive and protective or perhaps even a little jealous that John had met someone. Not that Rick would bring up the subject, not now, not yet. He wasn't sure how things were going to go in the next few weeks but he'd decided to just feel Kau'i out in terms of their relationship for the next few weeks. Rick didn't want to tip the situation in the wrong direction and fuck everything up, scared to lose his partner if he messed up. For now he wasn't a Dom, he was just a man in love, desperately hoping his lover would recover from their traumatic ordeal without too much scarring, physically, mentally and emotionally.
~
"You showed him the playroom?" Michael demanded as John rejoined him in the living room.
"Yes," John said meekly, seeing the look in Michael's eyes and dropping his gaze to the floor.
"What did he have to say?" Michael asked, coming to stand before him.
"He liked it, said it was nice," John shrugged, not understanding why Michael was so upset about it. "What else would he say?"
Michael reached out and cupped his face with a hand, pulling him up to face him gently. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap. It's just our personal space pet, yours and mine. Look I know how important Rick is to you, how close you are. But it's our space sweetheart, our special place where we can be ourselves. When you invite other people in, I just get a little jealous, especially if it's someone like Richard Steadman."
"You're jealous of Rick?" John asked in surprise.
"Do you blame me?" Michael gave a laugh. "It's Richard fucking Steadman. Anyone who's serious in the lifestyle around here is in awe of him, he's a Master Dom. And I know you've played with him over the years, don't you think I get jealous of that fact and of any other Dom who got to play with you?"
"Well yeah I guess," John shrugged with a shy smile. "It's just, I see him as Rick, my friend. I just wanted to show him the playroom because it's part of who we are and he would understand and appreciate how beautiful it is."
"Even more beautiful when you're decorating one of my pieces," Michael smiled, pulling him closer and closing the gap between them with a searing kiss. "Did he ask you anything? About what we do in there?"
"I think he wanted to but he didn't," John replied, sucking in a breath as Michael drew back, making him rock on his toes.
"Good," Michael nodded in approval. "Because how I treat my pet is my business, nobody elses."
"Which is why he didn't ask," John told him, pulling out of his arms with a smile.
"Where are you going?" Michael asked with a possesive look in his eye. "I came home early because I want to spend the afternoon with you."
"I've got to make those calls for Rick," John informed him. "It won't take long."
"Okay, but be quick sweetheart," Michael said as John picked up his cell. "We've our own business to attend too."
Characters - Danny/Steve, Kono, Chin, OC's (Rick Steadman, Kau'i Keahi, John Dawson, Michael Petersen)
Rating - NC17
Warnings - BDSM, established Dom/sub relationships, torture, abuse, dark themes, slash
Summary - A case hits close to home as the team work to track down an attacker who has a personal vendetta against Richard Steadman.
A/N - Sequel to - 'Wear No Disguise'.
Chapters - One : Two : Three : Four : Five : Six :Seven : Eight : Nine
~
previously -
"Then you should have stayed to see him find his pet tied to the rack you placed him on," Master informed him cooly. "That would have been his breaking point. All there will be now is him desperately trying to hold the peices together, even when they crumble in his fingers."
~
"Rick, hey," John said as he answered the phone. After the intense evening before he'd woken up with some aches, exhausted but satisifed. Michael had left for work early and he'd been having a lazy morning not doing much. He noted that he'd received a few missed calls from Rick the evening before as well as some messages of concern and support.
"Hi," Rick said and John could hear the tiredness in his voice. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, of course," John replied with a frown.
"I tried calling yesterday a few times but you never answered," Rick explained.
"Yeah, Michael and I -," John began before trailing off, not wanting to go into detail. "I'm fine Rick. I'm staying at Michael's for a few days."
"Good, that's good," Rick assured him. "Look Kau wants me to get out of here for a few hours before I drive him crazy. Do you mind if I come over? We need to clear my schedule for the next few days."
"Of course not," John told him, telling him of the address. "I'll see you soon."
"Yeah, great," Rick told him. "Bye."
He arrived at the house not long after and John showed him around.
"It's a nice place," Rick smiled with a small nod. John smiled and ducked his head, Rick understood how important his opinion mattered but he felt slightly strange that John was so eager of his approval. Having seen John and Michael together, seeing how happy his friend was, Rick was glad John had found someone to explore the lifestyle with on a more permanent basis.
"And through here," John said, pulling him along the hall. "Is the playroom."
He opened the door and ushered Rick inside. It was pannelled in dark wood, the floor a polished mahogany and thick rugs of red. The equipment itself varied and Rick took a wander around the room to inspect the pieces with a professional eye. He was surprised, most of the equipment leaned towards S&M and John had never been heavily into that side of the lifestyle. He came to a halt in front of a 'wooden pony' and stared, eyeing it and taking in the chains hanging from above, the spreader bar that lay propped against it.
Rick ran fingers along the pointed beam at his fingertips, heightened to just above his waist height.
"So, has he -," Rick began, glancing at John who was watching him nervously. Rick paused, unsure how much he should ask.
John was his friend and he cared about him, but his relationship with his Dom was his business and just because he and John had played together over the years didn't give him the right to pry. But it disturbed him and made him uncomfortable to think of John being made to endure a session on the 'pony'. It just seemed altogether set apart from his comfort zone and limits. However he told himself not to question unless John brought up the subject and stepped away from the 'pony' and instead turned with a smile to his friend.
"You're happy aren't you John?" Rick asked him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "With Michael. You are happy with him aren't you?"
"Yes, of course I am," John nodded in reply, a shaky smile on his lips.
"Good," Rick nodded, sliding an arm around his shoulders and guding them both out of the playroom. "I just like to be sure. You know me, the overprotective one. After what has happened with Kau'i, I want to make sure you're okay. If Michael is providing you with what help you need."
"He is Rick," John told him. "What happened with Kau'i has shaken all of us up. But we're good, he's helping."
"That's good," Rick nodded and they headed towards the main living area. "You know if you need to talk about it, or anything, you can always come to me."
"I know that Rick," John assured him. "But aren't you the one who needs to talk? Especially after what's happened with Kau."
Rick sat down and sighed, shaking his head when John asked if he wanted a drink. "I will need to talk, eventually. I just need to think things out first. I just want him home and that should be tomorrow. But I think it's going to be difficult, taking him back to the house. I may book us into a hotel or something for the next few days."
"You need me to sort that for you?" John asked, sitting opposite him.
"No, no," Rick shook his head. "I'll sort something. We do need to clear my schedule for the next week or so. I'm not in the right frame of mind to be doing business. Can I ask you to cancel whatever sessions that are booked? I was going to give Hani Hale a call, see if she minded taking on some of the clients, the people she's worked with before."
"I've cleared the next few days already," John replied, picking up his cell and scrolling through the appointments section. "But if you're calling Hani, I can wait before I clear the rest of the week and advise people to call her if she's willing to take a few clients until your back on track."
"Sounds like a plan," Rick agreed, pulling out his phone to call her. He stood and wandered over to the window as he waited for it to connect.
"Hi," Michael's voice interrupted them. Rick turned a little and smiled over at him before Hani answered her cell and prevented any further greeting.
"Hi," John said, standing as Michael approached, a pleased look on his face. "I thought you were working all day."
"Decided to have an early finish," Michael shrugged, giving him a quick kiss. "Thought we could enjoy the afternoon together."
"Rick and I needed to get some business sorted out," John explained as Micheal looked over at Rick. "He needed to get out of the hospital for a while, I've given him a tour."
"Oh?" Michael questioned, looking sharply back at him. "You showed him around?"
"Yeah," John nodded, detecting a tension in Michael's body as he drew away from him. "I thought it would be okay."
Michael didn't reply and instead smiled politely as Rick finished his call and looking to them.
"Rick, it's good to see you," Michael said, leaving John's side and going to him with an outstretched hand. "How's Kau'i?"
"Making a full recovery," Rick replied, shaking his hand. "Doctor says I can bring him home tomorrow."
"Good, that's good," Michael nodded with a note of relief. "And how are you?"
"I'll be fine," Rick admitted, not wanting to be drawn on the subject of his own feelings about the situation. "John, Hani says she'd be happy to help any way she can. You know the clients who've been to her before, can you make sure they have her details?"
"Yeah, sure of course," John nodded over to him.
Rick looked at his watch. He'd been in the habit of doing that the last few days counting the hours and minutes since he'd last seen Kau'i or been away from the hospital. He looked up with a grim smile and shrugged his shoulders.
"I'm going to head back to the hospital," he sighed. "Thanks John, for everything. You know I appreciate it."
"Of course I do," John assured him and they through the house for the front door. "Call me later, if you need me to come over to the house or to the hospital let me know."
Rick turned and pulled him into a firm hug. He didn't miss the flinch and tension in John's body as he put a tight hold around his back, the way John's breath escaped his lips with a sharp hitch, like it were painful. But John hugged him back without a word, though Rick searched his face when he pulled away. John avoided his eyes and said goodbye and Rick was acutely aware how closely Michael was watching the brief but tender exchange.
"Thanks John, I will call," Rick said, leaning in a moment as he opened the front door, keeping his voice to a low pitch. "And you call me if you need to talk about anything."
John looked curiously at him, giving a small nod of his head as he left. Rick couldn't help but feel there was something uncomfortable going on between Michael and John. His proffessional experience told him that though they seemed to be quite happy together that it wasn't as good a match as it seemed at face value. Though he'd been on the phone to Hani he hadn't missed the exchange between the two men or the look Michael had given John when he'd said he'd shown Rick around. Rick wondered if it were because of the playroom.
It was a remarkable room in it's own right and one of the cells of the S&M section had been fitted with a 'wooden pony' as well as equipment and toys to accompany it. But it just didn't sit right with him that John would be subjected to sessions on it, as well as becoming intimately accustomed to the other equipment also. And when Rick had hugged him, John had tensed as if he was hurting and Rick wondered if that hurt had been inflicted within that playroom also.
As he drove to the hospital he tried not to judge, he knew it was a failing of his. He held high expectations for the lifestyle and he could at times be unfair on Dominants when he didn't agree with their methods. At times he was right but he was also wrong to judge on occasion. But he'd been in the proffession long enough to see and understand warning signs when they were there. He was beginning to become uncomfortable with John's relationship with Michael.
John thrived under a more restrictive, possessive and strict Dom there was no denying. Rick understood that and had provided such attention on occasion over the years when they had played. It hadn't been often but at times they'd just wanted to have some fun and relieve some stress and tension. Once or twice, John had asked him for a session for his own personal reasons and Rick had always obliged, until his relationship with Kau'i had deepened. But whilst John revelled under a strict, demanding Dominant, he also needed to be gentled through a scene. Pain had never been a huge factor in terms of his submission, yet from the beginning of his relationship with Michael, it had suddenly become a seemingly prime part of their relationship. Rick remembered his anger finding out John had played in the 'chains and whips' cell of the house without his knowing about it. He also remembered his complete surprise in learning John had allowed himself to be subjected to the use of the instruments.
Rick sighed, pulling into the hospital car park and headed into the building, thoughts jumping forward to his partner as he walked through the corridors. Kau'i would probably tease him for being possessive and protective or perhaps even a little jealous that John had met someone. Not that Rick would bring up the subject, not now, not yet. He wasn't sure how things were going to go in the next few weeks but he'd decided to just feel Kau'i out in terms of their relationship for the next few weeks. Rick didn't want to tip the situation in the wrong direction and fuck everything up, scared to lose his partner if he messed up. For now he wasn't a Dom, he was just a man in love, desperately hoping his lover would recover from their traumatic ordeal without too much scarring, physically, mentally and emotionally.
~
"You showed him the playroom?" Michael demanded as John rejoined him in the living room.
"Yes," John said meekly, seeing the look in Michael's eyes and dropping his gaze to the floor.
"What did he have to say?" Michael asked, coming to stand before him.
"He liked it, said it was nice," John shrugged, not understanding why Michael was so upset about it. "What else would he say?"
Michael reached out and cupped his face with a hand, pulling him up to face him gently. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap. It's just our personal space pet, yours and mine. Look I know how important Rick is to you, how close you are. But it's our space sweetheart, our special place where we can be ourselves. When you invite other people in, I just get a little jealous, especially if it's someone like Richard Steadman."
"You're jealous of Rick?" John asked in surprise.
"Do you blame me?" Michael gave a laugh. "It's Richard fucking Steadman. Anyone who's serious in the lifestyle around here is in awe of him, he's a Master Dom. And I know you've played with him over the years, don't you think I get jealous of that fact and of any other Dom who got to play with you?"
"Well yeah I guess," John shrugged with a shy smile. "It's just, I see him as Rick, my friend. I just wanted to show him the playroom because it's part of who we are and he would understand and appreciate how beautiful it is."
"Even more beautiful when you're decorating one of my pieces," Michael smiled, pulling him closer and closing the gap between them with a searing kiss. "Did he ask you anything? About what we do in there?"
"I think he wanted to but he didn't," John replied, sucking in a breath as Michael drew back, making him rock on his toes.
"Good," Michael nodded in approval. "Because how I treat my pet is my business, nobody elses."
"Which is why he didn't ask," John told him, pulling out of his arms with a smile.
"Where are you going?" Michael asked with a possesive look in his eye. "I came home early because I want to spend the afternoon with you."
"I've got to make those calls for Rick," John informed him. "It won't take long."
"Okay, but be quick sweetheart," Michael said as John picked up his cell. "We've our own business to attend too."