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

XLIX

Spencer had just put down a huge bowl of popcorn on the couch table when Aspen emerged from his bedroom.
"You're going like this?" Spencer immediately asked, giving Aspen a once-over.
Aspen looked down at himself, confused. "Yeah—"
Spencer's eyes narrowed. "No."
"I'm not gonna be tied up—" Aspen protested as Spencer grabbed his arm and dragged him to the bedroom he shared with Alan. "You'll still want to wear something comfy, just so you don't look out of place. I'm sure Alan won't mind if you borrow something of his."
Decisively, Spencer reached into the closet and shoved an armful of clothes at Aspen. "You're running late. Get changed."
The clothes Spencer had picked were athleisure, and Aspen immediately relaxed into the fabric, basking in the scent of the detergent Spencer used.
"Better."
"Well, if you say so."
"Have fun. And don't be awkward, the event is invite only."
So Aspen had heard. Thea had assured him multiple times that people who were present wouldn't recognize him, and they had even let him take a peek at the guest list to see if any of his clients were listed.
"Thea said some big name in the world of Shibari is coming, and as you might remember, I am going to be in the presence of both my doms."
Spencer laughed. "You'll be okay." He gave Aspen a light shove. "You have a personality outside of being Alan's and Thea's plaything, you know? And I know that Alan is very impressed with your bondage skills. Besides, you won't have the opportunity for some petty revenge every day."

When Aspen left the apartment, he ran into the girl he vaguely remembered from all of Spencer's photo series. His ballet dancer friend. "Hello," he said, freeing the way into the apartment before the door could fall shut. She just smiled at him before Spencer's squeals of happiness were ringing in his ears. What Aspen wouldn't give to have friendships like that. Perhaps he should have gone to the munch at Aphrodite after all, just to meet people from the scene, but then again — The nerviness grew like a pit in his stomach when he pulled into the parking lot at the club. He went around the building to peek into the window front of Leo's office, but the room was pitch black. Obviously, Leo wasn't there. Noah, Thea's and Leo's assistant, was hunching behind the reception table when Aspen walked in. "Hello," they said. "You here for the Shibari class?"
"You know it."
"It's right through there," Noah said, pointing their thumb over their shoulder at Thea's playroom. The door stood open, and Aspen could catch glimpses of people inside.
"Thanks. See you around, yeah?" Aspen said, causing Noah to blush. They leaned in closer, and whispered, "Master Leo gave me shit for the other day when I assumed you were in the wrong place, and I just— Sorry again."
Aspen couldn't help but grin. "I've been there. No worries. Master Leo must mean a lot to you, huh?"
Noah flushed, their cheeks matching their hair. "Yeah. He's everyone's..." they trailed off. "Dad friend," they finished in a whisper, and then put a finger to their lips.
"I won't say a word," Aspen promised. After all, he'd signed an NDA. Noah might be one of four people that knew Aspen and Leo had hung out, but better safe than sorry. He nodded at Noah and then walked around the desk, making their way into the playroom. Thea's eyes landed on him and they hurried over, grinning from ear to ear.
"There you are, pet! I was worried you wouldn't come."
It had only been a few hours since Aspen had seen them last, but they were obviously over the moon to see him again.
"I'm here, Your Majesty. Since you specifically requested my presence, I am but your humble servant."
Thea clicked their tongue. "Your Master's over there. Stay with him for a bit, will you? I do look forward to you testing your skills on me, since—"
"Leo spoke so highly of them, yes, yes, I know."
Aspen leaned in for a casual hug, which Thea returned enthusiastically, but then they pulled back.
"You didn't cover up your hickey."
Instead of offering an explanation, Aspen just agreed: "No, I didn't."
With that, he shuffled off, to the far corner of the room, where Alan was sitting cross-legged on a yoga mat. As gracefully as he could, Aspen sat beside him. "Hi, Sir."
"Aspen. Are those my sweats?"
"On loan from Spencer."
"I see—"
At the front of the room, Thea clapped their hands. "Welcome everybody. As you know, it's very important to Leopold and me that Aphrodite establishments remain a place of learning, so I'm very happy to say that Rhiannon Ross, who's also instructed me in the wonderful art of Shibari, is here today to grace us with her expertise."
Aspen exchanged a glance with Alan, who was mouthing something at him that looked like 'Leopold', but Aspen had no idea what he was trying to say.
"Hello everyone, I'm Rhiannon, but since this class operates on a casual basis, Rhi will be fine for the next few hours. I'm here to teach a few ties, but if you have been practicing any, I'll be happy to give a few pointers that will hopefully improve your form. Is there anyone here who would be willing to stand model for the first 20 minutes of input?"
Before Aspen had processed the words, Alan had grabbed his wrist and raised his hand. "I volunteer my lovely submissive."
Shit.
"Master," Aspen protested meekly, but Alan had already stood and was now pulling Aspen to his feet. "Go forth and learn something, darling."
Aspen had been looking forward to staying under the radar for the evening, but he should have known that with both Alan and Thea in the room, that would be impossible. Oh well.
Rhi gave him a benevolent smile as he approached. "Thank you for being volunteered," she told him. "Aspen, is it? I've heard a lot about you from Thea over there. You're a rigger?"
Aspen scratched the back of his neck. "In training."
Rhi nodded. "Alright then, let's get started."