Page 100 of All Tied Up

Oh God. Neil didn’t want to go home. Not tonight. Maybe never.

“But,” Neil added, “will you please take care of Jamie first?” He wasn’t going to share their conversation if Jamie didn’t want to talk about it yet, but he wanted to make sure Jamie got all of the love and affection he deserved. That he never had to worry about feeling excluded or like he wasn’t enough.

Sebastian's smile widened. “I think we can arrange that.”

At just that moment, lightning lit up the room, followed scarcely a second later by a deafening crack of thunder. The lights all flickered off and the small droning background hum of electronics shut off.

A few seconds later, everything snapped back on.

“Yipes, that was right here,” Jamie exclaimed. “I should go check the emergency generator.” He pulled off the blanket, hooked his prosthetic over his other leg, and swung himself around to sit up.

“And I should call all the guests with emergency plans in case the power goes out again,” Sebastian added.

“Um… Can I help? Or should I leave now so I’m not in the way?”

They all looked out the wall of glass. There should have been hours of daylight left, but it was black as night.

Jamie thrust his phone out where everyone could see it. “The storm’s not supposed to let up until two or three a.m., and they’re telling people not to travel. You could get a flash flood coming down the mountain.”

“Baby boy,” Sebastian gave him a serious look. “I don’t feel safe with you driving right now. I know you have an important meeting tomorrow, but can you stay another night?”

He was going to have to wake up ridiculously early tomorrow and fight rush hour traffic into the city, but Neil found himself smiling. “If Mother Nature wants to keep me here, who am I to argue?”

“Yes!” Jamie launched himself into his arms. “If the power goes out we can read under the covers with flashlights.”

Sebastian rolled his eyes. “If the power goes out, you’ll be out in the shed fixing the generator.”

“But I’ll go with you,” Neil offered loyally.

“Wanna go now?”

Neil looked back at his computer. “I have to finish this up and send it off before five—and before we lose internet, I suppose. But then I can be wherever you guys want me.”

Sebastian cupped his cheek. “Well, I was thinking that since we have all night, we’d like you eating dinner with us in the kitchen, maybe watching the rain from the porch, and then in our bed for your reward. How does that sound, sweet boy?”

“That sounds perfect.”

15

Sebastian

Sebastian stretched as well as he could when most of his limbs were pinned down by his two slumbering boys. He checked the clock, and there was still half an hour before he needed to get breakfast started for the guests and send Neil back to Portland for his meeting.

That gave him plenty of time to listen to the patter of the rain and enjoy the last few minutes with Neil.

This last week had been intense. Sebastian had promised to give Neil the Daddy experience, thinking he’d let Neil try out a few things while indulging a few of his and Jamie’s fantasies.

Instead, he’d found a trustworthy friend who he could talk about anything with, taken a whole new look at his financial planning, and formed a bond so strong that he wasn’t sure how he could let Neil go.

Going 24/7 with a new sub had been intense for all of them, but in the very best ways. While he’d thought it would only be for a few days, he didn’t regret a single minute of it almost a week later.

Neil felt like his.

Sebastian wanted every shy smile and confident grin. He wanted to be the one Neil turned to at the end of a hard day or the beginning of a beautiful new one.

Of course, that was probably new relationship energy talking. Being in the poly community, he figured he was more aware of it than most people. But it still felt like there was something more there with Neil that was worth exploring.

Sebastian kissed Jamie’s tousled head. Jamie had seemed so happy these last few days. Sebastian could see the doubts warring inside his skull and he didn’t want to push. He knew that Henri had done a number on Jamie’s self-confidence, and Sebastian was extra protective because of it. He would never, ever date anyone again who didn’t care about Jamie as much as he did.