“Uh, Mr. O’Connell?” Matteo asks, lightly rapping his bandaged knuckle on the open door. Normal classes had finished for the day, which he was thankful for. He didn’t want to have to deal with the business of the hallways during class changes, or worry about interrupting class or causing delays. “Mr. Acosta said that he spoke to you? About these” He held up one of his bandaged arms; the other hanging by his side-it hurt too much to try and maneuver it. They aren’t exactly perfectly, or prettily, done, but everything is covered and taped together properly. “He told me to stop by so...” Matteo trailed off, entering the room properly; but still hanging by the door in case it wasn’t a good time.
“Alright, monsters, I’m off, you be good with Dawa. I’m just with friends, you can call anytime. I love you” After kissing each of their heads, Amy slipped out of the house before the hypnotic effect of the Paw Patrol wore off and they started questioning her comings and goings. Bless their little curious brains, they would for sure have been all over her and probably caught her in a lie. For a great improviser, Amy was a horrible liar. But she also wasn’t ready to tell the truth to her children. The past year was hard enough on them, they needed some stability for a while. The last thing they needed was to get the idea that their parents were back together, not while it was still so new and may not even last. But while they needed to find their footing again after everything, what she needed was to feel good, to do things for herself and right now, Will was offering it all to her. They said they’d take it slow and see where it went, but their clandestine meetings were getting more and more frequent.
Maybe it was reckless, maybe it was stupid, bound to repeat previous messes, but there was an undeniable chemistry between them, not always positive but for sure electric. For every painful hard lows, they had such wonderful highs. And maybe they’d crash and burn once the bubble popped, in which case she’d be glad not to have given any false hope to the boys, but maybe, just maybe, they could make it work this time, they had matured and been through enough, it might just be fine. She walked a couple blocks around, finally reached his car and slid in easily. “You know, I’m getting into all this secret thing. It’s very hot.” She smirked and leaned in for kiss, sighing a little against his lips. This just felt so right.
Tagging: @dommateolopez, @submissivelynick, @miss-sue-sylvester, and @headmaster-shue, with mentions of @jamie-beiste
Date: Thursday, February 7th, 2019
Summary: Mateo and Nick go through their exit interview for their trial claim.
Will went through his papers, getting his notebook ready as it became 1pm and he signalled to have Mateo brought in to the room with him and Sue. “Mr. Lopez, please have a seat,” he said, motioning to the chair across from the desk. “Alright, so let’s start simply - how do you feel your last 30 days went?”
“Jesus, William, did you bathe in aftershave today or just fuck the bottle?” Sue rolled her eyes and clicked her pen as the Dom walked in. “Yes, and please, don’t bore us.”
Mateo sat in front of them, hoping he didn’t look as nervous as he felt. His lips pressed together to keep from laughing at the Headmistress’s comment. “Well, Sir and Miss, l believe they went very well. Nick and I have already established a bond as Dom and sub, and I think a few things we discussed during our trial helped solidify that. I can’t speak directly for Nick on this of course, but I think it was confirmation that we are heading down the right path together.”
Will noted, jotting down his notes, “And what were these things that were discussed during your trial? And we are looking for your answers and your opinions on where you both are at. We’ll get his later.”
Sue yawned, a bit over dramatically. “Yes Darling, give us the gory details.”
He let out a soft breath. “A few things come to mind. Particularly his desire to continue scenting with other Dominants, which is within his rules with a few stipulations. Even though I didn’t quite rule in favor of him wanting to do a particular scene for the first time with another Dominant, he accepted it with understanding. It also led to us putting more effort into exploring the other’s likes outside of our own main desires when it comes to kink. I think those realizations helped strengthen our relationship.”
“It’s a safe space Lopez, no need for the vaug-ities. What stipulations. What was the scene. Who was it with. What did you two discuss. What things did you explore. Details are important,” she said, leaning forward because she was genuinely interested. This trail would b a tricky one. A Dom who’s already had a failed claim and a submissive who’s been showing promise, but lacks so much confidence. Not to mention, that this was a graduation on the line for the submissive. She wanted the details, all of them.
He fought the urge to raise an eyebrow. A safe space? Hm. “From what I understand, Sam Evans offered to do a scene with him involving degredation and humiliation, to a more intense degree than Nick has experienced. When he came to me to talk about it, I was hesitant, as he has confidence issues and I was concerned that such behavior, even in the context of a scene, would be detrimental to his mental health. So I suggested that we do a similar scene together first, to make sure it would be something he could handle before doing so with another Dominant. No matter how capable the Dominant might be.”
Will hummed with a nod, enjoying the more specific information now, which would be the most beneficial over all. “And how did that scene with you go? Also, did the scene with Mr. Evans happen and if so, do you believe your work with Nick made it more successful?”
“It has not yet but I believe Nick will be capable of handling it without my presence. I have faith in him to determine if and when he might need to use his safewords, should things get too intense for him.”
“So you had mentioned Mr. Duval’s lack of confidence. How have you been dealing with that and what have you been doing to assist in his gaining of confidence?”
“In addition to him speaking with a therapist, I always try to communicate with him about how he’s doing. Whenever he tries to internalize things, if he feels he’s failed or done something wrong, I encourage him to open up about it and explain why he’s feeling such things. Talking them out usually helps him, and if he internalizes too badly, I’ll put him through a scene, usually something sensory or power exchange related. It helps him get out of the negative train of thought and reminds him that he’s not the horrible person he thinks he is. It helps with his confidence as well, since his submission is something he’s very good at and comes naturally to him.”
Will listened, nodded and took notes as he usually did, listening to Mateo’s answer. “Very interesting. How long did it take the two of you to figure out what would help him through his issues with self confidence?”
He paused for a minute to think, cocking his head. “I think… apologies, I’m trying to recall exactly. There was something he was very upset about, I don’t remember what. It was a while ago. He wasn’t responsive to anything I was saying, and was defying me, so I ordered him over for a punishment. I had him kneel and write lines, something positive and affirming - I apologize that I can’t remember precisely what. But it seemed to help break the chain of negative thoughts, and I think he realized it wasn’t exactly a punishment - just a way to get his mind out of that negative place by reminding him that he isn’t the terrible person he thinks he is. Since then it’s been a bit easier tugging him out of that mindset.”
“Sounds like there’s been a lot of trial and error,” Will agreed with a nod, “It’s good to see you were able to work through these things. Now, tell me Mr. Lopez, what do you feel is different about this claim than your previous one?”
“There has been, but I believe we’ve come to a good place.” Mateo let out a sigh, rubbing his hands on his pants to try and calm himself. He knew this was coming. “I feel much more confident in my role in this claim. My previous one… it felt as though I wasn’t the Dominant at times because I was tentative in demonstrating that outside of scenes for fear I would be resented. This time, especially after our trial, I don’t feel that way. Nick and I have a deeper bond, that I’m extremely sure about. He and I are compatible as Dom and submissive because he understands the decisions I make are always in his best interest, which I don’t believe my previous claim understood.”
“That seems appropriate and understandable,” he agreed. Will hummed in agreement as Mateo spoke, remembering some of the same concerns during his last interview. “So you feel that you and Mr. Duval have been able to connect better and more effectively? What makes you believe Mr. Duval is so much more understanding of your thought process and Dominance?”
“I believe because we started out with a D/s mindset, it’s different. True this is also a romantic claim, however, Nick and I began our relationship as Dom and sub, as well as friends. There was nothing romantic between us for the first half of our knowing each other - it was purely D/s. The romance came after that. I think that secured our roles a bit more clearly in our minds as opposed to my last claim where our roles were… well, in his mind, an afterthought. Nick sees me as his Dominant first and foremost, and he is my submissive first and foremost.”
Hearing the magic words twitched Will’s ears a bit. “So as a romantic and D/s claim, it sounds like you both have a good understanding of the definition between the two. Has this always been the case? Meaning, has there been a time where there has been a struggle between your D/s side and the romantic side? Perhaps a romantic moment that he may have felt was ‘ruined’ by D/s stepping in?”
Mateo shook his head. “Not with Nick. Things with us have always been based in that D/s mindset. The romance evolved from that, but no. I don’t feel as though there’s been a struggle between us in balancing the two.”
Will nodded, “Alright. Sue, anything else before we send in Mr. Duval?”
“Just a simple thing, describe for me what your think the future will look like for the two of you. Will you work, will he? Will there be another claim? Any slaves? Will you see both of your families? Explain.”
“I intend to study law and become a lawyer. Nick is not sure what he would like to do, but if he would like to work, I won’t stop him. I intend to claim another sub, of which Nick is fully aware. As is Jamie. I won’t keep either of my claims from their families, and I will keep in touch with my sisters. My… my grandmother is no longer in touch with me. And as of now, it looks like we might try to settle in California, though nothing has been decided.”
Sue simply nodded. She was satisfied. “Alright then. Send the submissive in on your way out. Thank you Mr. Lopez”
“Thank you, Headmaster and Headmistress, for your time.” Mateo nodded and got up, heading out and pressing a kiss to Nick’s cheek. “Your turn, my love,” he murmured, squeezing his hand.
Nick let out a shaky breath when he saw Mateo, but he smiled at the kiss. “Thank you, Sir,” he said. He bit his lip and gave his boyfriend a nod before turning and heading into the room with the headmasters. He looked uncertainly around him before stepping into the middle of the room. “Hello, Sir, Miss. Um, may I kneel for this? Or, um-- where do you want me?”
Will watched as the exchange occurred, and Nick walked in. “Take a seat, Mr. Duval,” he explained, motioning to the chair in front of the table, quickly jotting down a few notes. “Alright, let’s start off with the basics, how do you feel your trial went? Please keep in mind that we are looking for specifics about this.”
Nick swallowed and moved over to the chair, his heart pounding in his chest. He was nervous, and he knew it showed, but there was nothing he could do to hide it. He took a deep breath to try to steady himself before he answered. “I think it went well, Sir,” he said, slipping his hands beneath his thighs to keep them from fidgeting. “The rules we came up with when we started helped a lot, I think. I knew what was expected of me in terms of scenes with other people, and it was nice knowing I’d be getting a couple scenes a week with Mr. Mateo, no matter what. I tried hard to represent him well this past month, and I mean… I can’t say for sure how other people saw it, but I think I did a pretty good job of that, Sir?”
Will nodded along, jotting down notes as Nick spoke, taking in the information he was getting. “Well, why don’t you tell us why you think you have represented him well? I’m not interested in what other people saw, I’m interested in how you feel you did this.”
“Yes, Sir,” Nick said, giving a little nod. “I mean, I always try to be a good submissive, so I’m not sure it made much of a difference, but the collar around my neck definitely reminded me that my actions reflected on Mr. Mateo, too. I don’t think there was anything specific that happened where I would have done or said something I shouldn’t if I hadn’t been wearing that collar, but it was still something I thought about. If, um, that makes sense, Sir? And I like that feeling. I like knowing that the things I say and do could come back and reflect one way or the other on Mr. Mateo.”
“Buttchin might want to dance around it, but I’m more of a get to the piont kinda gal. How’s your brain Nick? Still convinced you’re the worst ever and every problem is your fault, or has Mr. Lopez actually helped with your self esteem issues?”
Nick flushed at the headmistress’s commentary about him, but it wasn’t inaccurate. “I think… I still struggle sometimes, Miss,” he replied. “Talking to my therapist helps, and talking to Mr. Mateo does, too. I know he won’t lie to me. If something really is my fault, he’ll tell me. But if he says it’s not, I have to believe him. I don’t know if I’ll ever not have some sort of self-esteem issues, but… he helps. He knows how to talk me down and how to make me see things from a more neutral perspective.”
Sue jotted a few notes but didn’t let anything on. She loved making the students squirm and wonder what she was writing, even if most of the time she was just drawing inappropriate pictures and making a list of new nicknames for Will. So far today she’d come up with “Sir Sings-a-lot and Q-tip,” but she didn’t like either of them and scratched them out as she spoke again. “Glad to hear it, that was getting annoying. So what would you say your relationship with Mr. Lopez is like? Why do you want him to claim you?”
Nick blinked, these questions catching him off guard entirely. He chewed on his lower lip for a couple of seconds while he gathered his thoughts. “Our relationship is very much based in Domination and submission, Miss. I don’t know if we’ve ever really interacted without our marks coming into play in some way. He kind of… completes me. Well, he and Mr. Jamie do, together. And I hope Mr. Jamie eventually joins our claim, but right now, I want Mr. Mateo to be my Dom officially because I really don’t know what I’d do without him. He calms me. He makes me into a better person. I want to spend the rest of my life taking care of him and having him there to take care of me, too.”
“Mmmhmm mmhmm” she hummed, hating the part where these kids would prattle on about being missing puzzle pieces and destiny. “Jamie. Yes. Let’s talk about him It’s clear Mr. Lopez wants a second claim, possibly Jamie. What do you think about that?”
“Mr. Jamie has been a part of our relationship for a long time now, Miss,” Nick said, feeling relatively confident in this topic. He’d known it would be coming, especially with how Jamie had been mentioned in their rules when they’d applied for the trial. “I want Mr. Mateo to claim him, too. Honestly, it felt kind of weird doing a trial claim on my own, because he’s such an important part of our relationship. I’d still want Mr. Mateo to claim me even if Mr. Jamie weren’t in the picture, and I’d be open to exploring a second claim option for Mr. Mateo if things somehow didn’t work out with Mr. Jamie, but… I think all three of us are in agreement about Mr. Mateo claiming us both.”
“And how will that work exactly? Would Jamie be your Dom as well in some ways or on equal footing with you?”
“Well, I mean… legally, he’d be a sub just like me, Miss,” Nick replied, giving a little shrug. “The plan right now is that he’d get to exercise his Dominance in scenes with me on occasion, but Mr. Mateo would be the one with the final say in everything. We all know he’ll officially be a sub just like me, though, Miss, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“Now i’m interested in something,” Will said with a cleared throat, “what happens if the second claim isn’t James? What does that change for you in your acceptance of a second claim?”
Nick frowned. “Then something very strange happens between now and then, Sir,” he said, his gut clenching automatically at the thought of being in a claim with anyone else but Mateo and Jamie. “But, if something were to happen, I think Mr. Mateo and I would have to talk it through and figure out what works best for us both. I know he wants two claims, and I’m okay with that, but I’d want there to be a lot of communication between the two of us first and then between all three of us. I know Mr. Mateo would want to make sure I’m comfortable with what was happening with the second claim, and I think we have a really good foundation in open, honest communication that would help us figure that situation out. And it will be good for any other road bumps that life throws our way.”
“Stranger things have happened,” he said simply, jotting a few notes. “So in this life with two claims - regardless of who - do you see yourself and the other claim on the same level? Or do you expect to have something over the other one?”
Nick blinked before shaking his head slowly. “No, Sir,” he replied, before quickly adding, “I mean yes. Yes, we’d be on the same level, but no, I wouldn’t have anything over the other one. With Mr. James, it’s a romantic relationship between all three of us. With another sub… it may be that I only have that romantic connection with Mr. Mateo, but in terms of submission, the other sub and I would be complete equals. I wouldn’t say that the romantic connection gives me anything ‘over’ the other sub, Sir, no.”
Will hummed and nodded, thinking through the boy’s answer. “Alright, back to about your trial claim itself - what did you find during this trial that you believe either you, Mr. Lopez or the two of you still need to work on?”
Nick took a deep breath when he realized they were changing pace again, and he shifted a little in his seat. “The only thing that really comes to mind is working on how we handle our kinks and what happens when we can’t meet the other’s needs entirely. Like… I’m not into pain play as much as Mr. Mateo is, and we’re working on getting me to like it, but I think we might also need to discuss opportunities for him to get those kinds of scenes elsewhere sometimes. If that makes sense, Sir?”
“And how does that make you feel Nick? That you can’t fulfil your Dom’s needs fully? That he seeks outsiders to do what you can’t?” Sue pressed what she was sure was a sore button for Nick, but she wanted to see how he’d react.
Heat rose to Nick’s cheeks and he looked down for a few seconds while he gathered his thoughts. “It… doesn’t really feel great, Miss,” he admitted softly. “We’re compatible in so many ways, and I do wanna learn to like everything he likes, but it’s gonna be a long process and it may not ever happen, really. But I’m trying. And I want him to be happy and fulfilled, and if that has to be with other people sometimes, that’s okay, Miss. I’ll probably have to do that too, sometimes. But we’re honest with each other about our scenes with other people, and that helps with the jealousy some.”
“And are there things that he is trying to be okay with for you? I would encourage you, Mr. Duval, to be careful about making yourself tolerate something for someone else. But it’s good to hear you know and understand your limits.” He agreed, looking to Sue for more questions and the eyeroll he knew was coming.
“Yes, Sir,” Nick replied. “He and I have started exploring humiliation some. It’s something I know I like and he’s unsure about. But we definitely always have safewords, and I’m actually even starting to like some kinds of pain play. I wouldn’t keep doing it if I hated it, but I hope I can start to enjoy even more of it as Mr. Mateo and I work through it together.”
“Alright, well Sue, is there anything else before we bring Mateo back in?”
“Nah, let’s get the two little daisies back together before their petals fall off,” she sighed as she set her notes aside. She prefered shooting from the hip for the last part of the interview.
When both boys were once again sitting in front of her, she made a show of looking them over. Sometimes her gut told her everything she needed to know and if a couple didn’t look right together, she almost never gave her stamp of approval. “Well, Mr. Lopez, I certainly think that Nick is a /better/ match for you than your last submissive. I’m not sure he’s perfect, but neither was the last one. Tell me, why should I put my name on this claim? Why will you two work when so many others failed- yourself included.”
Mateo sat next to Nick, immediately sliding his hand into his submissive’s to squeeze gently, a reassuring smile flashed in his direction. “We will work because we’re both on the same page about it working. We’re both… sure of what we’re getting into. And we both know what the other wants out of our claim and our future.”
Nick felt relief wash over him when he saw Mateo again, and he squeezed his hand back, not letting go for anything. He bit his lip at the question but nodded along as Mateo responded, not wanting to say anything himself unless he was directly spoken to.
Sue glared nearly the whole time Mateo spoke, merely to intimidate him and maybe even confuse the both of them. “Mr. Duval. What would Mateo say is your best quality as a submissive?”
Nick swallowed hard and did his best not to completely shrink down into his chair at Sue’s gaze. Mateo’s hand in his helped. “I, um,” he started before looking at Mateo, as if he could help him out here. What would his Dom say was his best quality as a submissive? His obedience? That felt almost trite to say. He bit his lip again before looking back at the heads. “Maybe my loyalty?” he replied. “He knows I’m his, and he can trust me to act as such. Or— well, he trusts me because he knows I’m honest with him, Miss. I know it’s kind of cheating to say two qualities, but loyalty and honesty, really.”
Sue was more interested in watching Nick’s response than hearing it. Could the sub actually admit something positive about himself, and not just that, but admit that he saw what Mateo saw in him. She picked up her pen and again scribbled some notes before looking to Will. “Well? Anything to add Shoeleather?”
Mateo tried to ignore how Sue was glaring at him, but he had to admit it made his spine a little like liquid. Still, he squeezed Nick’s hand again, a silent praise for his answer. His gaze turned to the Headmaster, curious for his final words.
Will put his pen down, taking a moment to go over his notes. “I think you both have explained yourselves well and overall, things seem to have gone well and I am optimistic that will continue. Keep in mind - it does need to continue. Whatever happens here does not mean your relationship is perfect and that you can do no better. Though, you both seem to understand that. Congratulations, we will be putting in the paperwork for the legal claim. Additional congratulations to Mr. Duval who will effectively be graduating at the end of the semester. Keep up the good work.”
Nick’s mouth dropped open, and he felt tears spring to his eyes. He had been so stressed over the last couple of days that hearing that his claim had been approved was almost too much relief for him to handle. “Thank you, Sir-- Miss,” he said as he scrambled to his feet, pulling Mateo up with him. He wrapped his Dominant up in a hug, holding onto him as if he’d never get to do this again, even though the exact opposite was the case.
Mateo could hardly believe what he was hearing. He hugged his submissive tightly, scarcely daring to breathe “Thank you… thank you, Headmaster, Headmistress. Thank you,” he breathed, looking at the two of them over Nick’s shoulder.
Tobias was standing in his room, just in his towel as he looked at himself in the mirror that was in his closet. He wasn’t really sure exactly what to wear. He wanted to wear something that was going to Will. Will already knew Tobias was good in bed, but he wanted to show Will that he was a gentleman when it came to things like dates, which is why he asked the other out. He decided to keep it fancy, but casual as well. He grabbed a nice button down and dark jeans, throwing those on over his underwear.
He thought about throwing a tie on for a couple of seconds and decided to just go with it. He tied it around his neck and then put his fancy shoes on before he grabbed his keys, locking the door and headed out to the car. He got in his car and he started it before driving over to Will’s. When he got there, he sat in his car for a couple of seconds before actually getting out of it. He walked up to the door and knocked on it soft, but firmly a couple of times before he back away a bit, waiting to see him on the other side of the door.
Will got out of the bathroom with a towel loosely wrapped around his hips. He knew Ash was in his bed doing god knows what, he had just told her that he needed a shower. As he looked up, William saw his friend wearing his shirt. he couldn’t help but smile. ‘’Well, well, well, look at that.’’ He said leaning on the door frame. His eyes traveled downwards and he couldn’t help but stare at her legs. ‘’So fucking sexy.’’ He shook his head, while biting his lip. Will wanted to do a second round, but decided against it. After all, he had to go to the gym. ‘’You can keep the t-shirt, it looks better on you anyways.’’ He winked. Ashley had spent the night with Will after they had had a night of fun. When she woke up Will was in the shower so she invited herself to his closet finding a button up shirt and putting it on and barely buttoning it, not leaving much for imagination. When she saw him and the grin on his face she returned it as she played with the hem of the shirt. Ashley eyed his towel Clad body “pretty damn sexy yourself.” She smiled “seriously? thanks will, it smells like you and I love it .
It wasn’t all the time that Erica got a mission but she always did enjoy them when they weren’t at the Songbird trying to get information from big boobed morons. She herself had to play that game but at the end of the day it was nice to hunt.
Erica moved quietly and quickly, never skipping a beat. She would have to thank Cameron later for the beautiful set of throwing knives, perhaps it was in hopes that she would hide her tits as he would put it but nevertheless they were lighter than her guns which she needed.
Her finger ran the edge of the blade as she moved around the shadows. Erica noticed that she wasn’t the only one trying to get the promised intel.
a weird feeling had been bubbling in will's chest all day and he couldn't quite but his finger on what it was. there was some excitement mixed with nerves and a dash of confidence at the thought of kennedy coming over. one thing that was certain was his feelings for her. he really liked her; when he thought about it, it was crazy. he was never one that fell for someone so fast, but here he was--a twenty one year old experiencing all the crush-y feelings that came when you were thirteen years old and had a crush on someone way out of your league. will thought feelings like this were supposed to be over with by now, when you're an adult. perhaps it was just because he hadn't felt like this about someone in a long time.
nevertheless, he felt them, and he had to mentally prepare himself for this. kennedy was going to be staying at his house. huge deal. he debated with himself upon if she should make a move or not. he could, and everything could go horribly wrong and kennedy would get weirded out, or he could and everything could go right. or, he couldn't, and nothing would happen and everything would be fine. he wouldn't even know what to say to her if he tried to make a move. "hey, you give me this weird feeling and it kind of feels like it's summer and you just had a really stressful school year but now you're so happy because you don't even have to think about anything for three months." was that weird? will figured that wasn't something to worry about after he had just buzzed her in. he didn't have time to think about what he was going to do, as she was going to be here any minute. { bothwentmxd }
It had been a stressful couple of days for Perrie. She was annoyed, frustrated and worn out. She just needed to escape for a while. Forget herself and what troubles she'd been having. That's why she was so excited to be meeting up with her life long idol, Will Smith. She'd grown up watching his show and she couldn't believe she'd found herself having a normal chat with him. In the end, she'd arranged to meet with him in a small cafe. She was hoping that not many people would be there and they'd have a private opportunity to talk. He really interested Perrie and she was keen on getting to know him.
She made her way into the cafe and her eyes darted around it for a moment, Will wasn't there yet. Perrie walked over to booth in the far corner, deciding it'd be the most private out of all of the seats. She smoothed down her skirt quickly before she sat down. She bit her lip as she looked through the menu, deciding what she fancied. For once, her stomach wasn't twisted in knots and Perrie thought that she might be able to actually finish something without feeling terribly sick. The little bell on the cafe door rang as it opened and Perrie's head shot up to see who it was. She smiled when she saw Will and waved a hand at him, to let him know where she was.
