Safe and Sane

Jon leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes and moaned.

Theatrically.

He was in a heavy reclining chair in the lounge, which was the only way he could get away with how he was throwing his body back like that.

Without opening his eyes, he inquired, "Tell me there's coffee."

"I am so glad I'm gay and, more importantly, not living with my child's mother." Ben? Was sleep deprived, his shirt was spit up on, and he was thinking seriously about running away from home.

Gravel crunched under his boots as he paced the driveway. The distant thumps echoing from the barn were ignored, Gale's mind decidedly elsewhere. It had been a couple of weeks since Jon had come to him, upset and unsure, and when Gale had sought Jason out, casually, of course, he'd been in much the same state. Generally, he would've taken his time in talking them over their reticence, the reluctance of one to upset the other further, but since Matilda's accident, Gale was low on patience.

To be blunt, he'd lied. To the boy he'd locked in the stables and to the man who was pulling into the drive, and as Gale walked to open Jon's door, he found there was surprisingly little guilt. The greater good, all's well that ends well, blah, blah, blah.

"Thanks for coming," he smiled at the man who believed he was there to spend the night with Oscar so Gale could return to the hospital, "Does Ben know you'll be here?"

( Ben )

( Jon )

( John )

( Gus )

I'm at the hospital. Baby's on the way.

Beth didn't usually go to the club mid-week. Beth was wired, and buzzing, and needing.

She went up to the nearest person she knew, settled next to them, and tried out her most beseeching expression. "Darling, I know it's a terrible imposition and a great deal to ask, but would you please tie me up, hurt me until I scream, and call me filthy names? I'm quite willing to beg if that would help at all."

Who: Jon and Jason
Where: Private Lounge
When: Today
What: Talk
Status: Unfinished

( Can we Talk? )

"Whoa there, cowboy," Ben said, and held up both of his hands as he pivoted out of the way of someone who seemed in a really, really big hurry to get into the lounge. "Everything okay?"

Beth arrived at the club in the early evening. She'd escaped from work on time for once, showered, eaten lightly, and changed into a comfortable dress and heels, taking a taxi over to the club so she wouldn't have to worry about her car later.

She fetched herself a drink of juice from the bar, and looked around for Jon.

Thursdays were good days, Jon found. People gearing up for the weekend, over hump day, but still willing to buckle down and work, unlike Fridays. Thursdays were, in fact, the quintessential day in which to get things done.

With this in mind, Jon girded his loins- not literally, because, though his boxer briefs were snug they were comfortable and familiar and in no way like girding- his loins were entirely comfortable- and looked for Jason at the club Thursday night. When he found him, he sat down beside the younger man, tugged his sleeve lightly and asked with a smile, "Are you avoiding me?"

Someone at the cafe had gotten creative with Google and discovered that March 11th was Johnny Appleseed Day. They hadn't gone all out and insisted on planting, but the counter was offering a selection of apple-based delicacies, cakes, juices and hot cider along with their usual selection.

There was also a rather suggestive print of Eve (looking very like one of the serving staff) proffering an apple, tacked to the wall behind the till.

When Jon found Ben, Jon had just finished a scene. He was a little sweaty, his shoulders hurt from using the flogger, and he was grinning. He'd returned his sub for the scene to her regular dominant and now he was hyped. He kissed under Ben's chin lightly, wrapping an arm around his waist. "Come take a shower with me?"

Rupert had been back in town since Monday. The producers had been keeping them on a strict schedule, hoping that they could wrap up location filming by the end of the month.

Although Rupert had looked for Beth on campus -- and even thought he'd spotted her once -- he hadn't tried to contact her yet. After the distrastrous present exchange, he wasn't sure he'd be welcomed. It was the same reason he'd hung up the phone every time he'd tried to call her while he'd been away.

He'd deliberately chosen to reappear at the club the day of the munch, knowing that the majority of members would be at the cafe. He'd just intended to check for messages, flip through some lists, but when he saw a familiar face, he sighed in relief.

"Jon," he said with a smile. "How are you? How were your holiday? Can I waylay you for a moment?"

Jon sat down with Ben on the couch, put his legs Ben's lap and smiled, "Hi, sweetheart."

His hair was a mess, his tie was undone and he looked flat out tired.

Jon was at the club in the early evening when he got a call from Ian asking him to show a new member around. So really it was relatively easy to look around, check people out, and approach the new guy with a smile and a greeting of "Hi, I'm Jon."

Dear Ben,

This is meant to be a love letter, but I think it's going to be unsuccessful. It's not lack of feeling, by any means- any means. I'm constantly startled and a little amazed at how much I feel for you. I liked you, at first, before. I didn't really think that asking you out would lead anywhere. We're quite different. But now, I see where we mesh, the fine lines that draw me to you and vice versa. The way we fit, as improbable as it seems.

And now we're making a life together. Keeping the way we fit together constant, repeating. Learning each other for decades instead of weeks or months.

It's terrifying.

But so fucking amazing it makes me breath catch.

I don't know what to say except that I'm honored and privileged that you want to share your life with me.

All my love,
Jon

Jon found Beth in the common room Thursday evening a little before the appointed time. He'd set up the room, simple as it was, then came back out. It was a simple scene, all he'd told Beth to do was dress in a soft dress.

He sat down on the couch and pulled Beth onto his lap and kissed the back of her neck, "Hello, pretty lady."

Ben spotted Jon at the club, padded over and got down on *both* his knees. He kept his eyes up and on Jon's face. "I love you," he said, once he was sure he had Jon's attention. "Will you marry me?"

Lia really liked dressing up to go out, especially when it was potentially going to be a very, very good night. Very good indeed.

Lia was humming to herself when she headed to the bar, ordering herself a drink as she waited, fingers drumming on the counter happily enough.

Jon was waiting for Jason in a room. He was stretched out on the bed. The room, was different than normal. It was all white: the floors, the walls were always white, but now everything with color had been taken out or covered in whiteness. Jon was wearing only white; linen trousers, a polo shirt, white flipflops. Which he had to have changed into at the club since it was snowing outside.

He had his eyes closed, hands folded over his stomach. Lying on his stomach was a cock cage, clear plastic, and a sheet of notebook paper with a list of words.