Advanced Flogging

[duke_of_illusions]

It's an early evening, back in the club. Barma has sent Al on his own, to make friends, to try something new.

Dodo is a breath away.

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[duke_of_illusions]

"Al."

Barma takes his chin, says his name slowly, testing his awareness.

[al_truism]

"Ru," he whispers back, a bit raspy from all the coughing, and smiles for him.

[duke_of_illusions]

"How do you feel, sweetheart?"

Resting their foreheads together.

"Ready for bed?"

[al_truism]

"Sticky. Hurts."

But he's smiling.

"Yes, please." This is going to be a hard crash.

[duke_of_illusions]

He murmurs a thank you or two to Gerard, then scoops him up and lifts him away.

Homeward.

[al_truism]

Al touches Gerard's arm, giving him a smile. He's okay.

He's still shivering with the aftershocks, all the way home. That had been intense.

[duke_of_illusions]

Barma puts him right into the bath when they get home, running the warm water up slowly around him, keeping his hands on him, stripping him off from the bottom of the tub before his things can get too sodden.

[al_truism]

Al melts under the attention, leaning into him and calming down completely. Barma is always a complete comfort to him.

[duke_of_illusions]

"Hello."

He tells him again, when Al is smiling and still, and the water is turned off. They're left in the quiet.

"Mind blown, hm?"

[al_truism]

"Do you know what he did?" Al murmurs. There's a lovely dark bruise flowering on his shoulder.

[duke_of_illusions]

"Tell me."

Which means 'yes,' but he wants to hear Al talk about it.

[al_truism]

"Flogging, first- and then he hit me." Al shivers. "With his fist, I think- he said he was hitting me as hard as he could."

Al leans against him. "The- waterboarding was new. We've never done that. He used my hair to hold my head back and I think I started choking."

[duke_of_illusions]

"Poor baby. He said you may have swallowed a mouthful or two by mistake."

Kissing him, concerned.

[al_truism]

"I don't know if I breathed it-" he probably didn't. Or if he did there wasn't enough to hurt him. "I don't think so... but he turned me upside down. I think he used soda next."

[duke_of_illusions]

"He said 'swallowed.' Probably scared you, but won't hurt."

Kissing his forehead.

"How did the soda feel?"

[al_truism]

He nods, smiles.

"Worse. It stung and I couldn't really spit it out."

Leaning into him.

[duke_of_illusions]

"You're amazing."

Smiling at him in return.

[al_truism]

"Think so?"

He smiles, bashful, cuddles into Barma's hands and reaches for the shampoo. They'll need it, after the soda.

[duke_of_illusions]

He reaches to do it for him.

"I want to try."

[al_truism]

"Please. I like having my hair touched."

It feels decadent somehow, being loved on like this.

[duke_of_illusions]

"Meant waterboarding. I want you and him to do that to me."

But he'll also shampoo for him in the mean time.

[al_truism]

He laughs, feeling silly, but brightens up at the thought.

"... I'd love to do that. Get you all gasping and desperate."

[duke_of_illusions]

"You know, it was only seven minutes from the time he started tying you?"

Informing him, gently.

[al_truism]

"It felt like hours," he admits, flushing.

[duke_of_illusions]

"Then I can't wait."

Smiling.