by Chris Owen
"I don't think you're ready, pet," Tobias said softly. He wasn't, Tobias was sure. If he ordered Noah in now, it would get messy fast. "Examine it some more. Touch it. Get used to it."
Noah took a deep breath and sighed heavily. But he got to his feet and moved back to the cage as Tobias told him to and then moved to the far side. He circled it again, bending slightly to trail his fingers along the top edge.
He stopped, and Tobias watched his face as Noah wrapped his fingers around the bars again and seated himself cross-legged beside it.
Noah stared into the empty space inside the cage and his brow furrowed. "It's just steel, I know. Steel bars alone can't hurt me," Noah whispered. He seemed to be talking primarily to himself. "I have a scar or two, but it wasn't the steel of the cage that hurt me before. Not really." Tentatively, he slipped one hand through the bars and into the cage as far as he could manage. His eyes narrowed, but he kept his arm there until his fingers stopped trembling.
"It was never the cage that hurt me, sir," Noah said again, loud enough to be well heard this time. "It wasn't this... contraption, it was... it was the people that put me in it."
"Exactly, pet," Tobias said. His voice was soft because that was what Noah needed, but inside he was yelling, cheering Noah on. "Exactly."
Tobias walked forward and around, keeping his steps just as slow and measured as he'd kept the entire process. With one hand he gently swung the cage door open. "When you're ready," he said, trusting that Noah understood he meant that afternoon, not months from now.
Noah withdrew his arm from the cage and turned to face the open door. He'd gone pretty pale since they'd started this, but the look on Noah's face wasn't really fear anymore. Nerves, worry, to be sure. But not fear. Tobias had seen fear in Noah's eyes before and this wasn't it.
Tobias didn't want to push him, but it did seem like forever before Noah finally moved around in front of the open door. He traced the contour of the locking bolt with his fingers and otherwise procrastinated for a bit before concentrating on the inside of the cage again.
By Tobias' estimation, it took him three honest attempts before he was really moving. By his third try he was trembling again and angrily wiping tears from his eyes. But he managed it, crawling through the open door and completely into the cage, his leash once more clutched tightly in one hand. Once inside, though, he froze.
"I'm right here," Tobias said immediately. He crouched down by the cage and kept himself in front of Noah, taking further care to stay at eye level. "You are not alone," he said. "You are not in danger. I'm right here. You are not alone."
Noah nodded and swallowed hard. Part of him, Tobias could tell, was keeping an eye on the still-open door, as if he might bolt at any moment.
With what looked like great effort, Noah forced himself to sit down on one hip. He leaned back, resting his back against the bars at the far end of the cage. His breathing was shallow and he blinked tears out of his eyes again, but he seemed better with Tobias in his line of vision.
"You're doing fine," Tobias said, sitting on the floor. "I'm right here. I can see you, you can see me. It's just steel. I won't hurt you, you know that."
Tobias watched carefully, but he was feeling more and more confident every moment Noah remained there. He wasn't panicking; he wasn't hurting himself to get away. He wasn't comfortable, but he was light-years from where he'd been.
"I will never damage you," Tobias said again, his voice soft and careful as he stayed exactly where Noah could see him.
"I know, sir." Noah closed his eyes and took several long, measured breaths. "I trust you, I do." Noah shifted again so he was sitting upright. His head just barely cleared the top of the cage. "It's not the cage. It never was the cage," he whispered again, reassuring himself perhaps, or just trying to stay grounded. Either way, it was an important distinction, and one he hadn't made until today.
"I've tried not to blame Brett," Noah said softly after a long silence. "I... I know he didn't mean to hurt me. But he was careless and he did. It wasn't my fault I lost my balance -- lost my headspace -- it wasn't my fault for not trusting him enough. It was his fault for leaving me there... right? It's not that I was wrong to be afraid. I wasn't wrong not to fight it and just wait for him to come back, was it? I've always felt like I let him down, that I should have shown my trust for him and tried harder..."
"It wasn't your fault," Tobias said matter-of-factly, his voice quiet. "He didn't earn the trust you still want to give him, and he messed up. You paid for it. It was not your fault in any way, pet."
Tobias had a great deal more to say on the subject, and maybe someday they'd get to that. He knew very well that Brett was a good man, a kind man, but he'd had no business messing with Noah's mind when he had. Tobias also knew that Brett had never gotten past the incident, and that fact alone softened his opinion. At the moment, however, all of that was beside the point. He had Noah in a cage and he had a job to do.
"It was never your fault," he whispered again, watching Noah closely.
Noah nodded again and sighed. Silently, he reached over his head and traced the bars with his fingers, out as far as he could reach, then down the sides to the barred floor. He slid his fingers along the floor as well.
"I'm okay, sir," he told Tobias softly. "My heart is still pounding a little and my stomach is tight, but it's like those knee-jerk reactions I used to have. It's not rational, it's emotional."
"You're doing well," Tobias encouraged him. "Do you want some water? I'd like you to stay there for a little bit, see if we can get you totally calm."
Noah blinked. "Oh... yes, please, sir." The small offer of comfort seemed to rally Noah a little. "My mouth is pretty dry."
Tobias nodded. He moved carefully as he stood up, watching as Noah tracked him with his eyes, turning his head to keep Tobias in view. Tobias walked the three steps to the table and got a water bottle, relieved that he'd not needed any of the first aid equipment or the cell phone. They weren't done yet, but the worst part was done.
He walked back to the cage and handed Noah the water through the open cage door. And then he carefully swung the door closed, not latching it. "I'm right here," he said yet again.
Noah took the water calmly enough, but his eyes widened as the cage door closed and he dove for it, grabbing hold of the door with one hand. He clearly wanted to shove it open, everything about his posture said so, but Tobias was pleased to see Noah fighting to regain control.
Noah took several deep breaths and, as his trembling subsided, he let go, moving stiffly to the back of the cage again. His eyes never left the door, however, even as he opened the bottle of water and took a long gulp.
"It's the same place," Tobias said as soothingly as he could. "It's still just steel. I'm still right here. And I am not going to leave, I promise. I will never hurt you. It's just steel bars. You're doing well, pet. You're okay." He kept up the litany as he sat down on the floor, right in front of Noah, on the other side of the door.
"Okay," Noah said softly when he could speak again. "Okay."
Noah sipped his water more slowly as they sat there. He watched Tobias the whole time, but his posture did relax little by little. When he'd finished the water he reached forward and handed it back through the bars to Tobias.
"Thank you, sir." He sounded better.
"Thank you," Tobias replied softly. "Do you think I can lock the door for a couple of minutes?"
Noah chewed his lip and his brow furrowed but he nodded slowly. "You'll stay right there, though?"
"Of course. I will never leave you like this." Tobias had a sudden thought and added, "And just in case you had a fear growing in the back of your mind, I will never use a cage in a scene with you. This is just to push the boundary. Do you understand?"
Noah sighed and seemed to relax a bit more. "I understand, sir."
"Good boy." Tobias settled himself a little more, and reached for the cage door. "Just a few minutes, pet," he said, as he flipped the catch to lock the d
oor. "I won't padlock it." He slid the bolt through its eye.
Noah didn't move, didn't stir, and Tobias was starting to wonder if he was even breathing until he licked his lips and swallowed hard. "I trust you, sir," Noah said, speaking carefully. "You've never betrayed that trust, never hurt me, never given me any reason to doubt you. I really..." His words trailed off, and he swallowed again. "I really can't tell what that means to me -- how grateful I am."
Tobias shook his head. "Thank you, pet, but really... don't think about me right now. This is for you. You're doing a great job, you're meeting your fear and you're getting through it. Pleasing me isn't the issue here, although I appreciate that you want to. Just be who you are, what you are. Feel what you feel. You're scared and you're upset, but you're coping. You're not panicking. Be proud of yourself, boy."
Noah bit his lip and blushed, and then Tobias caught a hint of a smile. "Thank you, sir," he replied, more confidently than he'd said anything since he crawled into the cage.
"Oh, well done, pet," Tobias praised. His heart lightened as he watched, noting all the changes in Noah's posture and how far he'd come since the first time Tobias had pulled the cage into the ring. He really was exceptionally proud of Noah, and he could feel pride beginning to stir in him. He himself was becoming part of the experience, and that was a signal to begin the end.
Slowly, he retracted the bolt and unlatched the door. "Ready to come out?" he asked casually, swinging the door open.
"Yes, sir." Noah shifted to his knees again and crawled toward the door once Tobias had it open. He still didn't like the cage, obviously, but he wasn't rushing or panicking at all.
Tobias smiled and moved back, giving Noah room to crawl right into his lap. "Come on, then," he said. "Let me hold you for a bit."
"Thank you, sir," Noah whispered as he settled against Tobias' chest. He pressed close and sighed, and although he seemed to be relieved to be rid of the cage, he wasn't trembling like he was before he went in. "Thank you."
"Happy birthday," Tobias whispered, holding Noah tight to him and rubbing his back. "I'm so proud of you. I can't even begin to tell you how much." He couldn't find words for the way his blood was surging, Noah's victory charging through him. It was a Top's high, without doubt, and he wasn't terribly sure it was appropriate, but there it was. He felt fiercely that Noah had outdone himself, exceeded any expectation either of them had, and the Dom in him was shouting for joy at the success. He pressed an almost chaste kiss to Noah's forehead and said it again. "So proud of you."
Noah was grinning now. "That wasn't too bad, was it? That was okay. I wasn't a complete wreck, you know?" He laughed softly. "God, I feel so good. So strong. Thank you so much, sir." He took a deep breath and let out his remaining tension as he exhaled. "What a perfect gift."
"I'm glad you think so," Tobias said, a little embarrassed by the growl creeping into his voice.
"I wasn't sure at first, sir, and you scared the hell out of me when you closed that door." Noah lifted his head and kissed the underside of Tobias' chin. "You're so good to me."
"Didn't mean to scare you," Tobias said. He took Noah's chin in one hand and held him there for a long, deep kiss. "Never mean to scare you," he said when he came up for air.
"I know, sir." Noah shifted slowly in Tobias' lap so he was on his knees facing Tobias and straddling his hips. "I am what I am. I am able to do these difficult things because of you. I am your boy. I know I'm growing personally, too, but if I make you proud, Master, it's because you have given me what I need to do it."
This time, Tobias actually felt the growl rumble in his chest, and with an effort he squashed the urge to merely dump Noah on his back and attack him. "My boy," he said instead, his voice tight. His hips rolled up of their own accord, and he tugged at Noah's lead with one hand, pulling him down for another kiss.
Tobias felt warm fingers through the leather of his pants, pressing his cock and lower, rubbing at his balls. Noah leaned heavily into him, and Tobias went backward to the floor, fingers still tightly gripping the harness.
Quickly, Noah undid his vest and pushed it open, then Noah's lips were on him -- warm and wet on his neck, his shoulders, teasing a nipple.
"God, yes. All mine," Tobias groaned. With his free hand he grabbed at Noah's ass, the smooth skin feeling slightly cool. His hips pushed against Noah's hand and he groaned again.
Noah said nothing; he just kept right on doing what he was doing. His teeth closed around the other nipple. His fingers rubbed and tugged at Tobias' cock and finally started to undo his fly.
"Not here," Tobias managed, even as his cock pushed past the zipper and into Noah's hand. "Table."
"Yes, sir," Noah said in his silkiest bedroom voice. He gave Tobias' prick a swift, hard tug and then got to his feet. He left Tobias where he was and slowly made his way over to the table. Tobias was grateful for the view, and he knew Noah's movements were deliberate. Finally, Noah placed his hands on the table edge, looked over his shoulder toward Tobias, and shoved his ass out, his erection now much more evident.
Tobias lay on the floor for a moment longer, wondering what he'd ever done to deserve such a sub in his life. "You're going to kill me one day," he said, rolling to his feet. He snatched the lube off the table and waved it at Noah. "But not before I manage to fuck you stupid."
"I think you've said that before, sir," Noah teased, spreading his legs just that much wider. "The stupider, the better; it's my thirtieth birthday, after all."
"Happy birthday," Tobias said again, shoving two slick fingers into Noah's ass. He leaned over Noah's back and bit down on his shoulder, rubbing his cock shamelessly on Noah's butt while he fingered Noah open.
Noah's head dropped forward between his arms and he groaned, long and low. Tobias felt Noah relax around his fingers and press back to meet them in his usual shameless way. "Yes..."
"You're such a slut," Tobias chuckled. He added a finger and rubbed against Noah's gland. "Think I can make you shoot before I fuck you?"
"Oh, God." Noah glanced over his shoulder and moaned. The answer was perfectly obvious; he didn't need Noah to tell him he could push his boy anywhere he wanted him to go.
Grinning, Tobias moved his fingers again. "You're so hot when you come," he said, making his voice as throaty as possible. It wasn't quite talking him into an orgasm, what with his fingers up Noah's ass, but it was close enough. "I love watching your cock when you shoot, you know that? The way it throbs and jumps and the way your balls pull up -- that's part of why I like watching you jerk off."
Noah whimpered, and the fingers of one hand moved to his cock. "Sir... love your voice, to hear you talk dirty, so hot." Noah moaned and kept talking, his words tumbling out of him. "Fingers are so good. Want to ride them, can't wait to feel your cock in me. Hard, deep... Oh, God." He started to pant, his fingers pumping his erection slowly.
"That's it, pet," Tobias growled. "Touch yourself. Talk to me. Make it feel good..." He rubbed against Noah again, leaving a slick trail as his own prick leaked.
Noah moved on Tobias' fingers and fisted his cock. "So good. Always so good. You make me so hard. Want you in me, need it, need you, Master, like air, like breathing. Need you... oh, oh, oh, yes, there!" He arched his back and then went still, letting Tobias continue the thrust of his fingers.
"Come for me," Tobias urged, driving his fingers deeper and stroking over Noah's gland again and again. His gaze was fixed on Noah's cock, waiting for the swollen head to pulse, waiting for Noah to come.
Noah gasped, ducked his head and grunted, and his fingers sped on his prick. In moments he was pulling release from his body, moaning and spilling milky spunk across the heavy table. "God yes... Sir!" he babbled, squeezing every last drop from his cock before his shoulders slumped and he sighed, fully spent.
Tobias groaned, his own cock leaping in sympathy as he slowed his hand and let Noah come down a little. "Going to fuck you," he whispered. "I'm going to bury myself in your ass and fuck you hard."
&
nbsp; "Yes. Yes, please, Master," Noah encouraged, lifting his head and looking over his shoulder. "Want you, want to feel you, want to still feel it tomorrow."
"You will," Tobias promised. He pulled his fingers out of Noah and reached for the lube again, slicking himself efficiently. He was harder than he could remember being in a long time -- weeks -- his dick rigid and red. He caught sight of the cage out of the corner of his eye and growled again, his hunger building even more. "So fucking proud of you," he said, grabbing Noah's hips.
"Best birthday ever," Noah breathed, pushing back toward Tobias' cock. "Do it, please. Take me!"
Tobias pulled Noah back onto him, sliding in hard and fast. "Just because you asked so nicely," he said roughly, starting to thrust. He felt Noah grab the table with both hands and slid one of his own around to Noah's cock. "You're still hard," he said with a tight smile. "Slut."
"Want you," Noah grunted, his fingers going white knuckled on the table edge.
"You better." Tobias bit down on Noah's shoulder again and thrust into him with tiny, shallow strokes, purposely missing the hot spot more often than he hit it. "Love your ass. Love feeling you around me."
Noah collapsed at the feeling of Tobias' teeth, bracing one elbow on the table and leaning into it. He reached back with his other hand and managed to get a grip on Tobias' thigh. "Jesus!"
"More?" Tobias asked, trying to sound like he was merely making a polite inquiry, but he thought he was probably betrayed by the need in his voice. He wanted Noah to come again, wanted to feel Noah spasm around his cock, but he wasn't sure he could hang on that long. With a groan he thrust harder, deeper, his body forcing him to up the pace.
"More! Harder. Please!" Noah shifted, changing the angle, trying to guide Tobias to the spot, as if Tobias didn't know perfectly well where his buttons were.
