Page 20 of Love Language

Do you have any questions? Anything else that you think I should know?

It was new. And he probably had a million questions. But this not-knowing was part of what appealed to him. He didn’t know what was going to happen, which meant that it was Marco’s responsibility.

Green, he said, instead.

Marco’s eyes lit up, and he moved around the bed with confidence. He positioned himself behind Greg, which felt a bit weird because they couldn’t see each other. He didn’t expect that Marco would voice.

Though perhaps no words were needed at all.

Marco ran both hands down the underside of Greg’s arms, lifting them and spreading them out until he was holding them stable at shoulder height, like a T.

Then, he began wrapping the cord. It somehow wasn’t at all like Greg had expected. He’d wandered past Shibari demonstrations, but never really paid attention to them. He knew there were a lot of knots and designs, but he hadn’t noticed anything about the technique.

It was a little unexpected that the rope was doubled. No, quadrupled. Each pathway was made with several layers of rope that all wrapped around him at the same time. It felt thicker and heavier than he’d realized it would.

And each time Marco moved, he jerked him around a little bit. It felt strange, and he realized that he’d been anticipating the finished product without considering the process. It felt like a lot of work for something so finicky. But maybe it was all about the designs at the end.

The really weird part, though, was that Marco wasn’t tying up his arms or legs. Wasn’t that the point of all this? He was just wrapping the rope around his chest. First, a coil at the bottom of his ribs, then another just below his armpits.

He supposed that was why it looked so pretty. There wasn’t enough pressure that it was hard to breathe, but it was also impossible to ignore it.

He felt Marco sliding his fingers under the rope, checking the tension he assumed.

OK? Marco asked, with one hand in front of him.

Greg nodded. So far it was… well, he didn’t really know what it was.

It was tight. Definitely tight. Noticeable.

And… he drew in a breath, feeling the mild constraint against his chest.

Secure.

That was it. It felt almost… safe. Like a visible manifestation of the way that he felt when he was kneeling sometimes.

Marco continued pulling the ropes through, now moving diagonally down and back up his chest. He felt the path of each cord, the journey that it made across his skin.

Greg breathed in deeply, getting a feel for the resistance against his muscles. It was a little like what he’d experienced before, pulling against a cuff on his wrist, but more subtle.

He wriggled his shoulders experimentally. It was… nice?

No, comforting.

It was like he was searching for something, and he didn’t even need to move because it was already right there.

He started to notice the knots on his back, the way that they pressed into his spine, pushing relentlessly. He didn’t think they would bruise. But he wondered if they might.

The cords kept him contained. Secure. Focused.

Marco added another row, further down on his belly. He let himself settle into the feeling.

He kept his arms elevated, his posture erect, but inside, something let go.

Shibari was wonderful.

Chapter 5 Marco

Marco held the last rope in his hands, trying to decide what to do with it.