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That was a neutral question, right? And his voice had sounded normal too, not reflecting the anxiety brewing inside him. He hadn’t spoken to Adar since. What if the alpha had hated it? What if it hadn’t worked?
For Delton, it had been sheer perfection. He’d loved it so much more than he’d expected, especially the aftercare. Holding Adar like that, being allowed to touch him… His heart had been so full it had felt like bursting, even if Isam had found out the truth. And when Adar had told him he loved the aftercare with Delton, he’d been elated.
Adar cleared his throat as he shot a look sideways as if he wanted to check that Oliver was okay with this topic. “Good. It was perfect. Exactly what I needed.”
Pure adrenaline flooded Delton, and he couldn’t keep himself from smiling. “It was?”
Adar met his eyes, his look so sincere Delton’s stomach swooped. “Yeah. I hope you feel the same because I would love to do it again.”
“Absolutely.” Shit, was that too eager? “If Oliver is okay with it, of course.”
“Oliver is fine with it,” the dragon omega said with a sly smile. “Sounds like a perfect solution.”
“Would you be willing to watch?” Adar asked.
Oliver shook his head. “Not at this point, I think, but I have no issues with you continuing.”
“Can I suggest we label it?” Delton asked. “For clarity of communication, it would help if we could agree on what to call it. My suggestion would be to label it impact play like Adar has. That covers both the underlying need and the fact that it’s a simulation, a specific scene, not a generalized affection for pain.”
Adar’s mouth curved into a smile. “I’ve never met anyone as good with words as you.”
He needed to stop complimenting Delton, or he wouldn’t be able to contain himself. “Thank you.” He took a steadying breath. “Okay, so what you’re saying, Oliver, is that you have no objections to Adar engaging in impact play.”
“Not if it’s with you.” Oliver’s grin was back. How had Delton never realized what a devious little shit the omega could be? Probably because he’d never had a chance to show his real personality. Delton had always liked Oliver and thought him sweet, if maybe a little bland in character. But holy shit, he was showing a different side, one with much more spunk, and Delton loved it, although it scared him a little too.
“If Delton is okay with helping me, I don’t need anyone else,” Adar said.
“Good. That’s settled, then.” Oliver looked almost smug.
“Is there anything else you guys can think of that you’d like to discuss?” Delton asked.
Adar dragged a hand through his hair. “Erm, yeah, I was wondering if… Obviously, I don’t want to stir up bad memories for Oliver, but would it be okay to ask questions? Like, get-to-know-you kind of stuff? I’m not talking about the bad stuff but hobbies and preferences and his family and things like that. I know nothing about him.”
Delton gestured at Oliver. “That’s something only Oliver can answer.”
“Of course,” Oliver said, a little too fast and easy for Delton’s liking.
“You don’t owe him answers,” he said to the omega, who frowned.
“What do you mean?”
“It’s okay to set boundaries with Adar. He may ask things you don’t want to discuss, maybe because they dredge up painful memories or because they’d trigger you into having nightmares or whatnot. Or maybe because you simply don’t like to talk about it. Whatever the reason, you can tell him no, and he will respect that.”
Nothing was left of Oliver’s playful confidence, a stark reminder of how fragile his mental health still was. “I’m not used to saying no.”
“I understand that, considering what you survived,” Delton said gently. “You haven’t had any practice because you were never allowed to say no, which is why I felt I should mention it. I promise Adar will never get angry with you for saying no.”
Funny how he didn’t know the man all that well, but he could state that with absolute certainty. Adar’s sense of honor would never allow him to disregard anyone’s wishes, least of all Oliver’s.
“He’s right,” Adar said, but he was looking at Delton and not at Oliver, something in his eyes Delton couldn’t decipher. Almost like…surprise?
“I will try,” Oliver whispered.
“Why don’t we practice for a bit?” Delton nodded at Adar. “Let’s start with a simple question, one that has no emotional value to it.”
“Okay.” Adar thought for a moment. “What’s your favorite color?”
“Orange. The warm orange of a sunset. It always makes me happy,” Oliver said softly. “What’s yours?”
