Chapter Text
Five days had passed since the argument began, and the tension still hung thick between Matt and Chris. It had been three days since Chris had stopped Matt from going out with Nick. Three long, quiet, emotionally draining days.
For the first few days, Matt had sobbed into Nick’s shoulder, barely pausing to take a breath. Nick just held him, letting him cry it out. He knew it wasn’t healthy for Matt to bottle everything up. Every sob broke Nick’s heart, but he didn’t know what else to do except be there, comforting him.
Even though Nick and Matt often clashed, especially over trivial things, Matt was still his baby brother. He adored him, unconditionally. Nick’s love for Matt wasn’t the same as Chris’ — it couldn’t be — but it was deep, and it was real. Watching Matt in this much pain, seeing him break down, felt like a weight Nick couldn’t escape. He couldn’t stand hearing Matt cry, and every moment he spent watching him suffer made Nick anxious, unsure of how to help.
Nick had plans to go out with Madi. They had made the plans before the fight had even started, but now, he didn’t know what to do. On one hand, he wanted to keep his promise, to have a break and spend time with his friend. On the other, Matt was clearly struggling, and he didn’t want to leave him alone.
Matt had practically glued himself to Nick’s side for the past five days. Normally, Matt’s clinginess would have annoyed Nick, but now, he understood. Matt had always had Chris by his side, taking care of him, being his anchor. But now, everything had changed. Matt was trying, but without Chris, he felt lost. He needed someone, and Nick was the only one there.
Nick couldn’t help but feel like he was being smothered. But he also couldn’t walk away. Matt had always been dependent on Chris, but now, that dependency felt heavier than ever. He hated that it made Matt feel trapped, like he couldn’t even make small decisions for himself without permission. Even something as simple as ordering food became an ordeal.
When Nick suggested canceling his plans, Matt shook his head. "You should go," he said quietly, his voice laced with exhaustion. "I’m already a burden to you, I don’t want to keep you from seeing your friends."
"I can cancel. Madi would totally understand," Nick said, trying to reassure him.
"No, don’t be stupid," Matt replied with a weak smile. "You haven’t seen her in days. You should go. Have some fun." His words were genuine, despite the sadness in his eyes. He didn’t want to stop Nick from doing something for himself. It wasn’t fair to him, and Matt knew it.
"Are you sure? Would you be okay?" Nick asked, still worried.
Matt nodded, even though the uncertainty in his eyes betrayed him. "I’m literally the one telling you to go," he joked lightly, though his heart ached at the thought of Nick leaving. He appreciated Nick’s concern, more than he could express.
Nick hesitated a moment longer, then sighed, smiling slightly at Matt’s reassurance. "Only if you’re sure," he murmured, looking at him with a mixture of concern and affection.
"I will literally lock you out of the house myself if you don’t go," Matt pushed with a teasing grin.
Nick chuckled weakly. "Okay, okay. I’ll go, Jesus."
With that, Nick went out with Madi, leaving Matt and Chris alone. He made sure to tell Matt that his phone would be on loud, that if Matt needed him, he’d drop everything to come back. As Nick walked out, Matt’s heart swelled with affection for his brother. He didn’t deserve the care Nick was giving him, but he was so grateful for it.
That had been about three hours ago now. Matt had spent the time holed up in Nick’s room, letting the hours pass in a haze. The TV was on, Netflix droning in the background as his fingers mindlessly scrolled through his phone. But no matter how hard he tried to lose himself in the distractions, his thoughts always circled back to one thing: Chris.
He missed him, more than he cared to admit. Chris was the love of his life—he always had been. But right now, it wasn’t just missing him. It was the hurt, the confusion, the betrayal. Chris had ordered him. For the first time, Chris had ordered him in that way, and it shattered something inside of Matt.
Matt understood that Chris had been angry—hell, they both had been. But Chris had never taken that anger out on him before. Not like that. Not with such force, not with such an uncompromising, absolute command. Chris had broken one of the most sacred promises he'd made to Matt—the promise that he would never, ever use his power over him like that. It wasn’t just about the order itself, it was the weight of it, the fact that it had come from Chris, the one person who was supposed to make him feel safe, not cornered.
It stung, and no matter how many times Matt tried to push it out of his mind, it stayed with him, lodged in his chest like a stone.
He turned his attention back to his phone, hoping to distract himself, but then his stomach rumbled.
He hadn’t eaten in hours, and with Nick out, Matt had no choice but to confront his next obstacle: food. Normally, Nick would’ve already asked what he wanted, ordered their usual takeout, and they would’ve eaten together in silence or watched a movie. But today wasn’t normal.
Matt stood up and made his way to the kitchen, trying to ignore the aching emptiness in his chest, but each step felt heavier. He prayed to whatever higher power was listening that he wouldn’t run into Chris. But as fate would have it, when he rounded the corner into the kitchen, there Chris was, lounging on the couch, looking like absolute shit.
Of course, he was.
Matt’s chest tightened at the sight, but he couldn’t turn back now. Chris had seen him. He was still hungry, so there was nothing left to do but push past the unease and get something to eat. He took a deep breath and steeled himself before walking into the kitchen, pretending not to notice Chris.
Chris watched him walk past, his heart sinking at the silence between them. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. He had messed up—big time—and the distance between them was palpable. He hesitated, watching Matt rummage through the fridge, and then finally summoned the courage to speak. It was now or never.
“Hey,” Chris began, his voice tentative, like he was walking on broken glass.
Matt didn’t look at him. He kept his gaze fixed on the fridge, searching for anything edible. Pepsi, water, Coke, Prime—none of it was what he wanted. But that didn’t matter. His hunger wasn’t the issue.
Chris watched him for a moment longer, waiting for some kind of reaction, but when none came, he took a breath and tried again. “Can we please talk?”
Matt paused for a beat, then slowly turned around to face him, a look of annoyance clear on his face. He studied Chris for a long moment, eyes cold, before his gaze dropped to Chris' disheveled state. He was wearing a white tank top, grey sweatpants, and his hair was a mess—his eyes were swollen from lack of sleep, the dark circles underneath them a clear sign that he’d been struggling.
“You look like shit,” Matt muttered, the words falling from his lips without a second thought.
Chris had to fight a smile at that. Typical Matt, always blunt, always honest. He could see the hurt behind the words, but at least it wasn’t a punch.
He rubbed his tired eyes, the weight of the situation pressing down on him. “Yeah, I know. I’ve been sleeping on the couch... I can’t sleep in our bed without you.” His voice was quieter now, vulnerable in a way Matt hadn’t heard in days.
Matt just hummed in acknowledgment, still not looking at him as he turned back to the fridge. He didn’t want to be here, didn’t want to have this conversation. He was still so angry, so hurt. Chris had made him feel small, powerless—and that was something Matt wasn’t used to feeling around his Dom.
Chris knew this wasn’t working. This wasn’t going anywhere. He had to make Matt listen. “Okay, can you please just listen?” he pleaded, his tone softer now, less defensive.
Matt glanced back at him, his eyes hard but searching. He raised an eyebrow, silently urging Chris to continue, but his expression was guarded, skeptical. He wasn’t going to make this easy.
“Thank you. Matt, I’m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I love you so much. You mean so much to me, and I’m just so sorry I hurt you,” Chris cried, his voice shaking with regret, his eyes filled with sorrow.
Matt’s chest tightened as Chris spoke, but it wasn’t enough to heal the wound. He was still so raw, still angry, still hurt. The words were there, but the damage had been done. He couldn’t just pretend everything was okay. Not yet. The apology felt too little, too late, and Matt could feel every ounce of pain from the last few days settling deep into his bones.
“Matt, it was never my intention to order you like that. You’re my whole world, and it kills me to know that I hurt you like that,” Chris continued, his words low, heavy with emotion. “You’re the love of my life, and I would never do anything to intentionally hurt you. I shouldn’t have treated you that way. I promise, I’ll never do it again.”
Matt’s fingers automatically went to his mouth, chewing at his nails in a nervous habit, as anxiety began to claw its way back into his chest. It had been like this ever since the fight—his heart was a storm of emotions, and his mind couldn’t keep up. He felt like he was suffocating, trapped in a cage of his own making. His body had learned to react to stress in this way—biting his nails, trying to calm the frantic thoughts, but nothing helped. He just wanted to stop feeling like this.
Chris noticed the nervous gesture, his eyes softening as he stepped closer to Matt. Without thinking, he reached out gently, pulling Matt’s fingers from his mouth. “Stop that,” he whispered. “You don’t need to do that.”
Matt didn’t respond, his gaze falling to the floor as the weight of everything continued to press down on him. His chest hurt, his throat tight with unshed tears, but he wouldn’t let them fall. Not yet. “It’s not that simple, Chris,” Matt said quietly, his voice trembling. “I get it, you’re sorry. But you don’t just get to order me around and then say sorry. You broke one of our most important promises. And that’s not something I can just forget.”
Chris’ heart dropped as Matt spoke, the truth of his words hitting harder than anything he had felt before. “I know I fucked up. I never meant to cross that line, Matt,” he said, his voice raw. He reached for Matt’s hand, his thumb brushing over the boy’s knuckles softly. “I never wanted to make you feel like… like that. Like you don’t matter. You do. You matter so much.”
Matt shook his head, pulling his hand slightly away. His emotions were a storm—anger, hurt, confusion—and they were all tangled up together. “I’m your property, Chris. I wear this fucking collar every day. It says it for the whole world to see. Everyone knows that. Everyone sees me as your fucking property. And you promised me, you swore to me that you’d never treat me like I’m less than you. And then you order me. You’ve crossed the line between being my Dom and just controlling me.”
Chris’ chest tightened as Matt’s words landed with brutal clarity. The collar, the Match—the thing that made Matt his. The collar that was an unavoidable reminder, not just of their relationship, but of how the world viewed him. Chris had promised to protect Matt’s dignity, to give him the respect he deserved, but in that moment, Chris knew he had failed him. He felt disgusted with himself, but all he could do was stand there and listen.
“I’m sorry,” Chris whispered, his voice cracked. “You’re not just my Sub, Matt. You’re my whole world. I never meant to make you feel like less than that.”
Matt looked at him, his face a mix of sadness and frustration. “I know, but it doesn’t change what happened. You ordered me, Chris. You took control, and I had no choice. I couldn’t even ignore you. I had to obey.” He choked back a sob, trying to hold it together. “You don’t get it. You’re my Dom, but that’s not the problem. The problem is that I couldn’t even stand up for myself. I couldn’t even leave when I needed to. But you crossed the line, and that fucking hurts, Chris. It really hurts.”
Chris felt like the air had been knocked out of him, the full weight of what he had done crashing down on him. The realization stung—deeply. “Matt, I swear to you, I didn’t want to make you feel like that. I didn’t mean to treat you like that, like you were just something I could control. I’ll never do that again. I love you too much. But I know I fucked up, and I’ll do whatever it takes to fix it.”
Matt took a deep breath, wiping at the tear that had slipped down his cheek. He was still so angry, so hurt, but part of him just wanted this to end.
He missed Chris. He missed his Dom, the man who had always been there to hold him, to love him unconditionally.
The Man-child he called his boyfriend. The one who could always make him laugh, or cheer him up when he was sad. The one who looked after him always.
The one who let Matt roam free as a Sub, giving him as many rights as he possibly could, instead of treating him like a bound and gagged slave.
The love of his life. The one who had brought joy back into his world, even when things were hard, even when Matt’s own insecurities made it hard to feel deserving of that joy.
Matt looked back up, his gaze piercing into Chris’ anxious eyes. His chest felt tight, torn between the need to forgive and the stubborn, aching hurt that had been lingering for days. He sighed, his voice barely a whisper but loaded with everything he had been holding back. “Okay,” he whispered, his eyes softening slightly but still guarded.
Chris’ eyes widened in disbelief, his breath catching in his throat. “Okay?” He repeated, as if trying to process what he was hearing. His heart hammered in his chest, hope flooding through him. He had never thought that Matt could say those words so easily after everything that had happened.
Still staring at him, Matt whispered again, “Okay.” A faint, small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to make Chris’ world feel like it was falling back into place.
Chris, unable to contain the flood of relief and love he felt, nearly leapt into action. He didn’t even think, just acted on instinct. With a grin that could light up the darkest night, he lifted Matt effortlessly, holding him by his thighs, and pulled him into a passionate kiss.
Matt, caught by surprise, laughed breathlessly as Chris lifted him into the air. His heart raced, not from fear, but from the overwhelming feeling of being wanted, of being loved. He kissed Chris back with everything he had, the joy of the past few days finally bubbling up inside him. It felt so good, so right, to finally have Chris holding him again, after all the pain.
Chris pulled away reluctantly, his lips trailing across Matt’s face in a frenzy of kisses. His voice was breathless, but sincere. “I—” kiss, “love—” kiss, “you—” kiss, “so—” kiss, “much—” kiss.
Matt chuckled, half-amused and half-exasperated at the flood of affection. “Okay, okay, I get it,” he laughed, his voice soft and filled with warmth. “I love you too.” He smiled, a real, genuine smile, one that reached his eyes. “You can put me down now,” he said, still giggling, his arms clinging to Chris' neck as he held on tightly.
“Nope,” Chris replied, the smirk never leaving his face. “I’m never letting you out of my arms again,” he said, his voice low and possessive, though filled with a tenderness that only Matt could elicit from him.
Matt rolled his eyes but didn’t fight it. He knew he was done for, completely and utterly trapped in Chris’ embrace. He tightened his hold around Chris' neck, resting his head against his shoulder, content to stay like this for as long as possible. The world outside didn’t matter right now. It was just him and Chris, and that’s all that mattered.
The two of them didn’t know how long they stayed like that—wrapped up in each other, letting the comfort of the moment wash over them. Chris held Matt close, his face pressed gently into Matt’s chest, while Matt’s legs were wrapped around Chris’ torso, his arms securely around Chris’ neck, and his head nestled into the Dom’s shoulder. The weight of the world seemed to fade away as they both simply existed in the shared warmth of each other’s company.
Until they heard Matt’s stomach rumble.
“Oh my god, you’re hungry.” Chris chuckled softly, his heart sinking with the realization. “I’m so sorry, you were looking for food. We have none, by the way.”
Matt huffed, shaking his head, and sighed in frustration. Of course, they didn’t have any food. It seemed like everything was a little bit off lately. But despite the lack of food, the tenderness in Chris's voice as he spoke to him made Matt’s heart swell with warmth.
“What do you want? I’ll order us something,” Chris offered gently, the sincerity in his voice palpable. It was moments like this, when Chris was trying so hard to make things right, that Matt was reminded how much he loved him. It hurt still, but it felt like there was a chance for things to heal.
Matt smiled softly, the vulnerability in his expression unmistakable. “Pizza sounds perfect,” he replied, his voice quiet but full of gratitude. He had missed Chris, more than he could admit. In these quiet moments, the distance between them started to feel smaller.
Chris wasted no time, quickly ordering their favorite pizza. As they settled on the couch together with their meal, Chris couldn’t help but feel a sense of peace wash over him. He had missed this—just being with Matt, sharing a quiet night, without the tension that had dominated their days.
As the movie played on, Matt gradually fell asleep, his body curling naturally into Chris’ arms. Chris looked down at him, a wave of emotion hitting him all at once. He didn’t realize how much he could miss someone until he felt that absence. How many nights had he spent without Matt, trying to fill the space, but nothing compared to the feeling of Matt back in his arms. The Sub was his everything. He didn’t know what he would have done if Matt hadn’t forgiven him. But here they were, and that was enough—for now.
Nick came home a few hours later, his eyes immediately drawn to the quiet scene unfolding before him. Empty pizza boxes lay scattered on the coffee table, the movie playing softly, and Chris gently playing with Matt’s hair while the boy slept soundly on his chest. His heart warmed at the sight. He was relieved, so relieved to see them together again. They had both needed this healing, and seeing them like this was the reassurance he hadn’t known he needed.
“Everything okay?” Nick whispered softly, gesturing between Chris and Matt. Chris, still with his gaze fixed on Matt, nodded slowly, his voice barely above a breath, “Yeah.”
Nick smiled slightly, the tension of the past days easing a little. “Good,” he muttered, looking at Chris with a quiet understanding.
“Thank you for looking after him,” Chris whispered, his face reflecting genuine appreciation. Nick gave him a small smile, but there was a weight in his eyes. “Of course,” he replied simply, his tone full of quiet reassurance.
Chris looked over at him, his voice still soft. “There’s pizza in the fridge for you, if you want it. I’m gonna take him to bed,” he said gently, his hands running through Matt’s hair one more time before he stood.
“Oh yeah, thanks,” Nick replied, his eyes following the way Chris carefully scooped Matt up, treating him like the fragile treasure he was. As Chris began to walk towards the stairs, Nick called out to him quietly, “Chris.”
Chris stopped in his tracks, turning around with a soft hum.
“If you ever hurt him like that again,” Nick’s voice dropped, hard and cold, “I will kill you. Not joking. I will actually kill you.”
Chris froze, his heart hammering in his chest. He swallowed hard, a lump forming in his throat as he realized just how deep this wound had cut. He nodded silently, his eyes wide with remorse. He never wanted to hurt Matt again. “I won’t. I swear,” he whispered, his voice cracking slightly.
As Chris finally got Matt settled into their bed, he quickly changed into something more comfortable. He was barely settled when he felt the weight of Matt’s body shifting against his, Matt instinctively crawling into his arms, his need for Chris overwhelming.
“I love you so much, Princess,” Chris whispered, his voice hushed and tender as Matt fell back into sleep against him. He kissed Matt’s head, the emotions still lingering in his chest.
For the first time in five days, the two of them slept peacefully through the night. There was no tension, no tears, just the quiet comfort of each other’s presence. And though things weren’t perfect, it felt like a step in the right direction—a small but vital step toward healing.