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Robin's back was to her, but he was tense, more so than usual. Actually, he had been like this more often lately. He wasn’t misbehaving, not really. He was pushing back more, sure, but he was still following directions. Something was disquieting him, though. Robin hadn't voiced that to her, but she could tell. Even if he didn't realize it himself.
"Robin," she said softly, letting him know that she had returned. He took a deep breath and a small fraction of that tension eased. At first, she had assumed he just needed to go down more often. But it wasn't that. He still went down for her beautifully - after years of being together, they had a good routine - but afterwards, he was restless again. That was what gave her the hint, in the end.
"My lady," he murmured in response, the only sound he was allowed to make right now.
He loved submitting for her still, of that much she was certain. But she began to suspect that he wanted something more. He might not even know it consciously, but she was starting to think he might be more of a switch. You wouldn't think him a sub at all, if you met him outside of the bedroom. He was bratty and bossy, and a bit of a drama queen. But most telling, to her at least, was an innate confidence he held. It went beyond his cocksure attitude, which was more of a show. He often had a quiet assurance to the things he did. So when he started chafing at the restraints of their bedroom play, she began to think that it might be the role he was playing that fit so ill. Or rather, it didn't fulfill his needs. Because she thought he might need stimulation, but she was certain neither of them wanted to lose what they already had.
Marian had approached all the way to the side of the bed now, where she could reach forward and run fingers through Robin's hair. He leaned appreciatively into her touch, hungry for attention. His hands were tied up against the headboard, and he was on his knees. He had been waiting patiently for a little while, and his eagerness made her suddenly question if it had been too long. "Color, little bird?"
He hesitated for a split second before answering, "Green." The fact that he had to consider though, that meant that he might have been toeing the line of yellow. She trusted that he knew where he was mentally, but a dose of affection couldn't hurt.
"Good. Good boy," she murmured while her fingers worked into his scalp. He cocked his head and pressed into her like a cat. Despite the reassurance, she decided to move along now and untied him from the bed. Robin was still half-hard from before, and Marian knew his sensitivities well. She took hold of him with a tight grip just like he enjoyed most and began to move purposefully.
Robin made little gasping sounds after a moment, but nothing more. He was obedient, quiet when asked. He could be a brat but that's not what tonight was about.
Marian moved onto the bed so that he could lean back into her chest, and it only took a few minutes before he was coming into her hand, loud breaths muffled by a hand to his mouth. She reached up and dislodged the pad of his thumb from his teeth; he always resorted to biting there if she didn't give him a gag when he was supposed to be silent.
"Ahh, Robin, you're so good for me. You did amazing, thank you. You're such a good boy." She murmured praises while she wiped her hand off on the sheets and then went back to carding fingers through his hair. They would both need a shower anyway.
Robin moaned and turned his face to bury it in her breast. "Hey little bird, how are you doing?" she whispered.
"Mmm," he grunted.
"You can talk to me now, Robin. How are you?" He seemed extra sensitive. At least more than she expected. After a moment though, he lifted his head.
“Good. Great. Just… worn out, now.” Marian hummed her understanding and pressed his head back down. She let him lie there for a little while longer and then gave him some water and started to get him upright.
They cleaned up in the shower and she changed the sheets before they both plopped onto the bed later. Marian wanted to bring up her idea, but it took her a surprising amount of time to gather the courage. She wasn’t normally a shy woman, but this was something different.
Of course she and Robin were already open to playing around with others. They had welcomed other subs into their bed a number of times, and Robin had even visited another dom once or twice. The thing was, he had only ever played as a sub. After eight years, he had no experience with anything else. This felt a bit like it was coming from left field, even though she had her reasons for thinking it might work.
“I have an idea, little bird,” she finally said. He turned his body to face her, eyes half closed like he was falling asleep.
“Yeah?” he prompted. He sounded perfectly alert. “An idea about what?”
“About you,” she told him. “About how to help with the way you’ve been restless lately.”
His eyes opened up all the way and a frown slid into place. They had discussed it, but Robin felt defensive when she brought it up. He worried she would take it as a sign that he was dissatisfied with their relationship, even though she assured him she knew that wasn’t the case. They were working on it.
She supposed she had better just come right out with it, though. “I thought it might be helpful for you to try your hand at being a dom.”
His face went through a truly impressive array of emotions in a matter of seconds. Confusion, shock, fear, anger, curiosity… and then settled back into some sort of perplexed mixture.
“What?” he asked, a stressed tone to his voice. “You want me to dominate you?”
“Not me,” she answered mildly. “I trust you, Robin, but I really don’t get any enjoyment from submitting. No, it would have to be someone else.”
Robin’s eyebrows went up as he started to take in what she was suggesting. “You’re serious,” he said flatly after a moment.
Marian sighed and lifted herself up on an elbow. “Our dynamic has always been more or less the same. I don’t want to change it, and I don’t think you do either. But the thing is, I really do think you could get something out of domming. You would be good at it, I’m certain. You have an eye for detail and you are caring and gentle. I think you would find it gratifying to take care of someone, and I think it would be good for you to feel in control like that every once in a while. I’ve thought about it off and on over the years, but it didn’t seem important. Not till now.”
“Now,” Robin repeated, drawing the word out. “Because you think I’m not getting enough out of being a sub?”
Marian took a deep breath, meeting his eyes. He looked wary, but open. Robin trusted her. “No, that’s not quite it. You are unsettled right now, but you will work through it. This isn’t something you need to supplement our relationship. I think it could be something to complement it.”
He pursed his lips and looked down, thinking it over. She wouldn’t order him to do this. She just wanted to bring it up for him to think about. But Robin took her suggestions seriously. And whether he admitted it or not, she thought he must have considered the idea one way or another throughout the years. Finally, he lifted his eyes up again. “I don’t know the first thing about being a dom,” he told her.
She grinned. “That’s the best part; you have an expert to guide you through the whole experience!”
That coaxed a little smile from his lips. “You really think this might be a good idea?”
“I wouldn’t bring it up if I didn’t.” He nodded. He knew that was true.
“I’ll think about it.”
A few weeks later, he and Marian worked together to post an ad in their local dungeon. There was a corkboard for people looking to exchange services, usually when they were looking for something specific. Robin’s read: “New male Dominant, mid-30s, looking for experienced submissive. Gender unimportant, looking for someone flexible and open. Must be willing to play with a third party present.”
He wasn’t sure how long this was going to last or how he would feel, but he knew he wanted Marian there, at least to start. He was actually more calm about the whole endeavor than he expected to be. Even though he had no experience as a dom, he was only a little nervous about the new role. He had already been thinking up ideas and even fantasies. Marian had talked with him about it at length, which was immensely helpful. Besides, he already knew what he liked in a dominant, thanks to her.
After only six days, he spoke with someone that he thought might be a good fit. They agreed to meet up that weekend, just for coffee. Marian wouldn’t be there; she only scoffed and told him he could hold a simple conversation on his own. Which was true.
So that Saturday, he waited at a table in a small coffee shop, fifteen minutes early, knee jiggling as he sipped at a drink. He had exchanged pictures with the other man, so he noticed him the moment he walked in. Much was pretty cute in person. A bit dorky, big blue eyes, reddish hair. His gaze was sweeping the room, so Robin stood up and caught his attention. He walked right over.
“Hi. I’m Robin, nice to meet you. You must be Much?”
“That’s me,” the other man said with a smile. Robin took his hand and shook it, wondering afterwards if that was too formal. Oh well, the moment had passed.
“Do you know what you want to drink?” he asked, motioning to the counter. Much stepped forward and ordered a coffee. He let Robin pay for it, which gave him an unexpected thrill. Robin was taller, maybe a little leaner, but he already felt protective of the other man. Which was… totally unexpected. It must be from his mindset coming into this.
Once they had the second drink, they went back to Robin’s chosen table and silence fell again. Robin cleared his throat. “So. I texted you the basics already. I haven’t ever been a dom before, but I’m wanting to try something new. I am in a committed relationship already, where I am a submissive. Marian is fully informed of this whole endeavor and she will be there, at least at first, as a sort of… teacher. Um, we can see how it goes from there. But Marian will be my priority, I need to be clear about that from the start.”
“Yes, right, that makes sense,” Much said eagerly. He blinked at Robin, eyes honest and eager. Robin didn’t know what to do with that. He wanted to pat him on the head. “So, um. You might want to see me more than once, or…?”
Robin nodded. “I think we’ll just take it day by day. If the first scene goes well, and we want to meet up again, I am open to that. But I don’t necessarily have any expectations, either.”
“Okay,” Much answered.
“So. Did you have any questions?” Robin asked, wanting to let the other man have a chance to speak. Besides, he felt pretty good about this. He would want to talk some more of course, if they were going to move forward. But so far, it all seemed to be working out in his favor.
“Um,” Much said, and bit his lip. “This woman, your dom? Would she be involved in the scene at all?”
Robin shook his head. “Not unless something came up. Honestly, I just want her there as a precaution…” He trailed off, feeling silly. Doms don’t usually need other doms looking over their shoulders, like having training wheels.
“That’s okay!” Much said quickly, maybe sensing Robin’s discomfort. “It’s actually really sweet that you would worry that much about doing things right.”
Robin offered an awkward smile as thanks for the reassurance.
“Really. Everyone has a first time, you know, but most of the time, you just have to bear with it if your dom makes a mistake. It sounds like you are being very careful not to make mistakes. I appreciate that.”
Robin blinked, and then he gave another smile, more genuine. Much seemed genuine too, and that made Robin feel better. Because it was true - he didn’t want to make anyone suffer through his fumblings as a dom, especially not when he could have Marian there to guide him. She very rarely made mistakes with him, after all.
“Okay. Well, thank you. So… she would be there, just as backup, if I needed her. And you could meet her too, of course. She wouldn’t do anything without permission, and she would respect your safewords.” Robin explained, confidence returning. Much nodded. Most of that went without saying, hopefully.
They exchanged a few more questions, centered more on logistics. Then Much leaned back, and gave Robin a once-over that had a distinctly lustful quality to it, though mild. “Well. I’m interested. I would be happy to play with you, if you’ll have me.”
Robin smirked. “It would be my pleasure.”
The day of their first scene, Robin was giddy with excitement. He and Much had been texting, and he knew for certain now that he liked the guy. He had decided with Marian what he wanted to do, and he was ready to try it out. Much was set to arrive at 8 PM.
"Go sit on the couch, Robin," Marian told him sharply after he bounced over into her space one too many times while waiting.
"I'm bored," he whined. "Just put your work aside for the night."
Marian set her hands down on the table next to her laptop. Then she turned to him pointedly. "Robin, go and wait on the couch until your guest arrives." She waited a beat and then faced her laptop again and began to type.
Robin grimaced and stood there for a moment longer. "You can't tell me to do that, I'm supposed to be a dom tonight."
Marian chuckled. "Oh yeah? And that means I'm not your dom any longer?"
"No, I -" Robin frowned, the conversation getting out of hand. "Of course not." And yet, he hadn’t expected to have to follow orders while he was domming someone else.
She smiled up at him. “Have a seat, little bird. Breathe. Take a moment to calm yourself before he gets here.” He sighed at that, because it did make sense. He needed to be centered, calm, and rational for this. Reluctantly, he walked from the room and sat on the couch.
With a great effort, he managed to take some deep breaths and he did feel less jittery once the doorbell rang. That didn’t stop him from jumping up and running to the door, though.
He opened it to see Much on the other side, looking equally nervous and excited, which warmed him. Somehow, he hadn’t pictured that. “Hello!” Much chirped.
Robin grinned. “Hi! Come on in,” he said. Much entered, with a bit of a hop in his step.
“How are you doing tonight?” Robin hovered nervously to the left, letting Much make his way inside, but wanting to check in with the man who would be his sub. He just wanted to get started right away.
Much smiled back at him, his blue eyes twinkling. He had walked through the short entry hallway, and was now standing in the opening between the kitchen and the living room. “I’m excited for tonight. Is that weird?”
Robin shook his head quickly. “No! Not at all, Much. I want you to be excited.” He stepped through the arch into the living room and waved Much after him. "So, welcome to my house…" he started, already on his way to an awkward speech when Marian walked in. He grinned at her, suddenly proud and happy to show off his new sub.
"Hello, Much," she said calmly. "I'm Marian, Robin's dom. I'll be here tonight, but just to watch."
Much smiled warmly, and Robin was almost surprised to see him so content. It still seemed like such an odd situation, despite Much's assurances that he didn't mind. "Nice to meet you, Marian. Is there something I should call you?"
"Just Marian is fine," she answered, her voice going very gentle. "You don't answer to me at all, only Robin. He'll be your dom." Much nodded once, looking happy. Robin felt a little turned on, just knowing that Much anticipated this as much as he did.
He cleared his throat, recapturing the man's attention instantly. "So. On that note. Much, let's talk about rules."
"Yes, sir." He put his hands behind his back and his expression eased so that it was still pleasant, but more neutral. Robin felt a flare of adrenaline.
"Master. You can call me Master."
Much lowered his eyes to hide a smile. "Master."
The evening went off without a hitch. Robin kept his plan for the scene fairly simple and straightforward. Marian had pushed for that, actually, because Robin had a lot of grand ideas, but she had insisted he start off slowly. Robin couldn't help but add in his own flair – he didn’t want Much to end up bored, after all!
He must have reached a good balance, though, because everyone ended the night happy. Much had been blissed out at first, but still content and positive after some cuddling and snacks. He said that he had had fun and he wanted to come back if Master would have him.
And oh, would he.
Robin could not have imagined the high he would get over having control of a whole scene – a whole person! – like that. He loved giving up control, and just letting go, with Marian. He loved the endorphins and floaty feeling he got in subspace. He loved the stress relief of letting Marian make all his decisions, and he loved pleasing her. He adored being a sub.
So he just never thought about it beyond that. But there was an entirely different joy to be had from guiding someone else through that same experience. He loved the heady satisfaction that Much wanted to do whatever it took to make him happy. He loved observing every little shift of expression on the other man's open face and monitoring it, making the call for what he needed and what would bring him just a little more pleasure. He loved the implied trust when Much allowed Robin to blindfold him. He loved the adrenaline rush it gave him.
There was something amazing about being a dom, too. So after just one night, Robin was forced to admit to himself at least: he was a switch. He didn't want to have to choose one role or another, he wanted the best of both worlds. Call him greedy, hedonistic; it didn't matter. He wanted it all.
Marian checked in with him after Much had gone home for the night. She forced him to articulate all this, even though he was feeling a bit high still and he had to do it while prowling around the house. She smiled and nodded in all the right places, but she didn't say much.
At some point, a seed of uncertainty made its way through Robin's distraction. He came to a halt near her, one foot propped up on the coffee table. "Are you okay? Does it bother you, watching me do all that with someone else?"
Marian – perfect, gorgeous, understanding Marian – just shook her head, her lips curving in a gentle smile. "I can see how happy you are, Robin. I want you to have everything you need; I would never hold you back."
Robin hesitated. "That doesn't mean you don't have any feelings about it, my lady."
"I do have feelings," she agreed. "Very good feelings. Don't you worry; I've always known who you are, little bird." He isn't sure what that means, because he doesn't think either of them knew he was a switch until recently, even if Marian suspected sooner than he did. Was she suggesting something about their polyamory? They had always had an open relationship, but he hadn’t ever had much desire to pursue anyone beyond Marian. A night here or there with someone else was fun, but he wasn’t ever interested in an actual relationship.
It hit him all at once that that may not have been exactly true anymore. He did want Much to come back. Not just once, but many times. He had fun with him, and not just because of the sex. He liked Much. He found him cute and clever, his sunny personality a joy to be around. Robin was… fond of him. But did he want to date him?
Well… he wasn't sure. But it wasn't a no.
So maybe Marian was leaps and bounds ahead of him in her analysis of the evening. Well, that was to be expected. There was a reason she was his dom. He focused his attention on her again, and found her smile unchanging. He shifted in closer to her. "Are you suggesting I… what, make this official?" He questioned, as if it was the most absurd thing ever. It did feel a little absurd. He and Marian had been together for eight years. He hadn’t expected anything fundamental to change at this point.
Marian laughed. Before answering, she stood up and walked to Robin's side, ruffling his hair with a hand. He leaned into the touch, eyes sliding shut with ease. "I'm not suggesting anything, my dear Robin. But you are free to choose anything you'd like. Much seems good for you, if you want him and he wants you." Robin made a small noise, not quite a whine, in the back of his throat. Marian's fingers tightened in his hair, pulling firmly, and his breath caught, appreciative of the pressure. "Good boy," she murmured, even though he wasn't doing anything special. "I'm not going anywhere, you know. Whatever you choose to do, I'm going to be right here."
Unbeknownst to him, that was exactly what he needed to hear. Tension in his shoulders eased like a cut string, and he relaxed his body against Marian's. She held his weight for a moment, alternately scratching and pulling at his scalp. Then she huffed and nudged him. "Get off, you big oaf. Let's go to bed if you want to be a ragdoll."
Robin lifted his head and looked at her, lids heavy over his eyes. He suddenly felt tired; the adrenaline must have left his body completely. When she took his hand, he followed her without protest to the bedroom and curled up against her on the bed.
Two weeks into their arrangement, Much had gone over to Robin's house three times total. Marian wasn't always there, and she really did leave them to it most of the time. Much didn't think he would mind if she did butt in every once in a while; he noticed how Robin looked to her for guidance and approval. But as it was, he had a nice little bubble of his own with Robin, for the time being.
And today, Robin was coming over to his apartment. Much had offered to make them dinner, because he was a decent cook, and he had been wanting to make food for Robin since day one. So finally, Robin was going to be there. He was not sure if this counted as a scene or a date, because they did intend to play afterwards, but he thought it might be stretching beyond just the scenes now.
If Robin wanted to date him, Much would say yes in a heartbeat.
Robin was such a surprise, honestly. Much expected awkward, fumbling, simple. He never got any of that. Robin came in like a storm, and even though Much could tell he was nervous, he only ever acted with almost arrogant confidence. But he was good at what he did. He was observant and smart and he didn’t really make mistakes. Or if he did, he made up for them so quickly that Much never noticed the difference. He was creative, too. Came up with ideas and proposals that seemed increasingly ambitious, but so far had worked out fine, as long as Much said yes.
He planned to always say yes.
Needless to say, he was loving his time with Robin. He knew that it was temporary, Robin had made that clear from the start, but Much was infatuated. Robin just had so much charm, he couldn’t help but fall a little bit. So he would enjoy the time he had while he could. He would certainly miss it when it was over.
Robin knocked on the door at six o'clock sharp. Much was in the middle of taking the kebabs out of the oven, so he muttered to himself and then took off his oven mitt to go get the door.
He opened it to find Robin leaned against the frame, a smirk on his face. Much rolled his eyes at the antics. "Come on in, then," he said, stepping back. When Robin did, he began to look around the place, betraying his curiosity. Much felt mildly self-conscious. "I know it's small, but it's just me here, so I never needed a lot…"
Robin shook his head almost frantically. "No, it's nice! It looks clean and comfortable…" He trailed off, and Much smiled ruefully. There was no avoiding that Robin and Marian were richer than him. He shrugged and went back into the kitchen.
"Well, it serves its purpose anyway. Um, the food is almost ready here, so if you want to just have a seat…"
"Sure," Robin answered amiably, and pulled out a chair from the table. He sprawled all over it, long legs stretching out. Much allowed himself one long look before shifting his attention back to the food.
"Well. I hope you like chicken," he said nonsensically. Robin snorted his laugh. Much smiled sheepishly in response and started to serve up the kebabs with sauce over a bed of rice. "I'm a big fan of Middle Eastern food, actually."
He brought the plates over and Robin's eyes widened like a cartoon. He licked his lips. "Looks perfect."
They both ate with gusto; apparently Robin did like chicken. In fact, they both stuffed so much food in their mouths, there wasn't a whole lot of time for talking. Much would take it as a compliment to his skills as a chef. Once the meal died down, Robin cleared his throat like he had something to say. Much looked up, expectant, and found the other man trailing a skewer through the leftover sauce on his plate.
"Robin? Are you okay?" he asked.
Robin blinked and then his face wore an easy grin, like flipping a switch. "Fine," he said. "I just wanted to talk about something tonight. Before we play."
Much raised his brows, urging Robin to go on, but an inkling of fear started to creep through him. Was this it? So soon, and with so little fanfare?
"I've had a really good time these past couple of weeks. I really like being your dom."
"I like it too, Robin," Much answered meekly, wondering if he was going to have today as a last time, like a consolation prize, or if Robin would just leave after he said his piece.
"And I like you, Much. I like spending time with you, outside of our play too."
An unfortunate blush crept over his features. He peeked at Robin and found his smile unchanged. This… didn't seem so bad. Maybe it wasn't a rejection?
"And I like you too," he replied dutifully.
Robin placed both hands flat on the table. His tone brightened. "Well, in that case, how would you like to make this official?"
Much blinked, stunned for a moment. "What?" he asked.
Robin rolled his eyes. "You know, boyfriends. Lovers. Partners!" He waved his hands vaguely but expansively, presumably indicating all the options for what they could call themselves.
Much couldn’t help his very surprised gape. "Are you serious? You want to… be together? What about Marian?"
At that, Robin's expression shuttered. He looked suddenly more closed off, though not fully so. Much almost regretted bringing up Marian. "I love Marian. I'm not leaving her for you, or for anything. I just thought maybe you wouldn't mind that."
He shook his head. "I don't ," he insisted. "I know Marian comes first. I just didn’t know if she would be okay with… you dating someone else."
Robin blinked and then a cautious smile eased back onto his lips. "She is. But what about you?"
"I am too! You really want to date me?" God, he was a lucky man. He hadn’t ever dared to dream it would turn out this way.
Robin laughed. "Not if you keep this up. How many times do I have to say it?"
Much grinned back. "A few more, at least, I think."
Robin shook his head, eyes fond. "I like you, Much. And if I'm going to be your dom, I don't want Marian to always be first. I want to take care of you. You and Marian are different, but… you'll both be important to me."
Robin's serious declaration made Much's stomach swoop in a nearly uncomfortable way. It was so unexpected. But not unwelcome.
"I… thank you, Robin," he whispered finally. There was nothing else to say.
Robin reached out and ran a thumb down his jawline, a tender look in his eyes. "Don't mention it. This is for me as much as you." Then he leaned over and sealed the decision with a kiss.