COMPLETED | Take Me Down The Rabbit Hole (BDSM | 18+)

III

A/N: 
Sorry for the delay everyone! I hope you enjoy!

                                                                                              _____

From the moment Alan's response popped up in his inbox, Aspen had the strange feeling of not being able to say no. 
Of course, logically, it would have been fine for him to decline, but he knew - or at least suspected - what he was getting himself into. 
So when it came time for him to get ready, he did by taking a shower and putting on one of his more casual suits. 
Somehow, the need to make a good lasting impression was just as strong as the need to go join his friend for dinner. 
That sounded weird. 
But he went anyway, and his nerves caught up with him when he was in front of the door to Alan's apartment. 
He wiped his hands on his suit and pressed the doorbell, resisting the urge to turn around and run away. 
Had he thought this through? No. 
Before he could act on it, the door opened and a young man with silvery bleached hair opened the door. 
He too was in a casual combination of dress pants and shirt and looked Aspen up and down critically. 
"Spencer," a voice from inside the apartment chided. "Let Aspen in before he changes his mind." 
Something clicked. That was Alan's boyfriend. 
"Hi," Aspen said tentatively, "nice to meet you." 
"Same here," Spencer breathed out and finally freed the way into the room. 
Spencer closed the door behind him and awkwardly stayed back at the door. 
"Glad you could make it," Alan said softly, clasping Aspen's hand in his before pulling him in for a hug. "No reason to be nervous. I don't bite." 
"Sure," Aspen returned lightly before he could stop himself. 
"Alright," Alan announced. "Time to eat. Spencer made risotto." 
"Oh," Aspen breathed, trying to lose the tension in his shoulders. "You cook?" he asked Spencer, who gave a slight nod. 
"Spencer is a little nervous." 
At that, Spencer looked away and slumped back in his chair. 
"It's okay. I am, too. But if this is what we're really going to be doing, I want you to understand I am not planning on taking Alan away from you, and I'm sure you wouldn't let that happen either. I'm not here to be a villain, I'm just here because I'm curious."
Spencer didn't say anything, but he straightened, grabbed the plate that was set for Alan on the relatively small table, and began spooning risotto on it. 
"We've spoken - Spencer and me - and he's made a few requests about how this is going to work between the two of us. As you so rightly assessed, he's nervous about losing me, and I don't intend for him to have a reason to believe that he will because you're here." Alan accepted his plate and gave a warm smile to his boyfriend, who blushed. 
Aspen did understand. 
He was aware that Spencer was in a very intimate relationship with Alan, one that was easy to ruin if he took a wrong step forward. 
Spencer gestured for Aspen's plate and he reluctantly handed it over, not wanting the younger man to feel even more uncomfortable. 
They ate their risotto in silence, and even after they were done, Spencer still hadn't said a word. Alan was on the other side of the table, scrutinizing his boyfriend with furrowed brows. "Spencer?" 
The younger man squeaked at the tone of voice Alan used. "Yes?" 
"If you want to stay while I talk to Aspen, you have to watch your manners. I am about to have enough, am I understood?" 
"Yes, Sir." 
Those words were a punch to Aspen's gut. 
Alan sucked in a breath. "Good." 
"I'll," Spencer started before he cleared his throat. "I'll be in the bedroom." 
Then he got up, once again flushed the color of a tomato, and mouthed a "sorry" to Aspen. 
As soon as Alan heard a door shut on the other side of the apartment, he gave another sigh. "Sorry about that. I really didn't mean to scare you, and I was going to leave him be, but I can't let his behavior slide, especially not if we are really about to do this." 
Aspen found himself nodding. 
"So," Alan said and turned towards the window sill where he had kept a small stack of paper. 
"This is not a contract or anything that comes close to anything binding. This isn't Fifty Shades, this is supposed to be educational." 
He spread the paper out among their empty plates and glasses of water.
"Basically," he mumbled, "We are going to make a list with things that you are comfortable with," he pointed at a yet empty sheet of paper, "then I made a list with things that I want to teach you, but I don't know if that's something you want to look at right now. It might be overwhelming to you, and I have full intentions to take this all as slow as possible." 
Aspen threw a look at the list that Alan had set up and stopped reading after "rope-tying-techniques" - which was the first item. He gave a nervous laugh. "Do people call you crazy sometimes?" he asked, unbridled. 
"For this?" Alan tapped the list. "Not until now, no. But I don't parade this around in public. I'm a respected businessman after all, and Spencer is a model, so he deals with the public enough as it is." He cleared his throat. "Speaking of which, Spencer has made one very essential request about how this is going to work for us." He turned around in his chair to face Aspen. "I think it's not such a bad thing. Spencer has requested I do not have sex with you."
Aspen's eyes widened "You were-?"
Alan laughed. "Considering having sex with you? Yes, in fact, I was, since a lot of elements in BDSM incorporate .. intercourse, but I think we'll manage without it. Wouldn't you agree?" 
"Uh," Aspen hawed. "Yeah. Yeah, why not." 
"Attaboy," Alan mumbled, turning back to his paper. "So, is there anything you really want to try?"