Bondage by Chris Owen, Jodi Payne Page B

your evening?"
    "It was nice, sir. Very productive. It's redeemed my faith in kids." He came in and started to sit, but remembered himself suddenly and knelt by Tobias' chair. "And yours?"
    "Fine, thank you." He dropped a hand to stroke over Noah's hair, his fingers tangling in it nicely. Noah was leaving it longer for him these days; he could almost grab a handful at the top. "Phantom has a nicely warmed bottom, and there wasn't need for punishment. How about you? Do you need strokes before bed tonight?"
    "I didn't earn any today, sir," Noah said simply.
    Tobias nodded and petted him again. "Such a good boy," he said softly. "Do you want some?"
    "No, sir." Noah smiled up in his direction. "Thank you for being indulgent, but I think they're better earned than owed for now."
    "Okay," Tobias said quietly. "Why don't you go get changed, and we can all curl up on the couch for a bit before bed? Phan, go fetch some sweatpants or something."
    "Yes, sir." Phan unfolded himself, wincing a little. He seemed to wait for Noah for a moment and then grinned. "Thank you, sir. Hurts like hell."
    Noah snickered, getting to his feet. "You're as bad as I am," he said, heading down the hall.
    "At least," Phan agreed.
    Tobias shook his head and went to the couch, settling in with a sigh. He was glad to have them both around and glad that they seemed happy; he was also ready for a little pampering. He grinned and admitted to himself that he was always ready to be pampered; Mrs. Miller had once told him that he was "just saved from being an idle wastrel by the possession of a decent work ethic."
    He wanted tea and cuddling and kisses, and then bed.
    Tobias heard Noah leave the bedroom and knock on Phan's door, waiting for him. He was dressed in sweats and a soft cotton T-shirt, and Phan, when he appeared, wasn't dressed much differently. The pair made their way down the hall together and settled on either side of Tobias.
    "So tomorrow we go to the farm," Noah observed, putting his feet up on the coffee table.
    Nodding, Tobias rested his hand on Noah's thigh and slipped an arm around Phan, who'd had to curl up to avoid sitting in pain. "I'm not sure about logistics. I'd like to have the truck out there, but we can't all go in it. Why don't you two come out in the car, and I'll meet you there when I'm done at the clinic?"
    "Yes, sir. The car can pick us up here. We'll be a little later than usual, because it takes me longer to get here after work than to my place." Noah took Tobias' hand in his. "Phan, I'm sorry that Dr. Brewer is concerned about this arrangement; did she say exactly why?"
    Phan shrugged one shoulder. "She thinks it'll get my hopes up," he said, echoing his earlier statement to Tobias. "She thinks it's unsustainable, and that I'll grow to resent not having a contract, that there is no way Sir can balance us. She seemed mostly concerned that both Sir and I would try to go back to our past level of... well, she didn't say intimacy, but the implication was that I couldn't be here and not want that. She says we can't turn back the clock."
    Tobias would have stared at the boy if he'd been at a better angle to do so. Phan really did open up to Noah, more than Tobias had expected or surmised.
    Noah shrugged. "I get her. Those are all legitimate concerns, but I think she might be underestimating Sir a bit. Kind of shutting doors when she hasn't really seen past the threshold. Do you think you're trying to turn back the clock?"
    "Nope. It would be a stupid thing to do, given how it ended. Things are too different now, I'm too different." Phan sat up a little, and Tobias had the curious feeling that he'd been almost forgotten as the two talked. "I'm not saying some feelings aren't there," Phan went on. "I mean, I've never denied how much I care about Sir, and that I admire him. But I really don't think I'm trying to go back in time. What do you think, kiddo? What's it seem like to you?"
    "I was going to disagree with her. I don't see that