Nick was excited for the bonfire, but he was even more excited to get to hang out with his sister again. It had been a long few weeks without her. Seeing the supplies for s’mores near the fire, he grabbed a stick and a marshmallow and set to work warming it up before sliding it in between two graham crackers along with some chocolate. He spotted Bethan nearby and he headed over to her. “S’more for the pretty lady?” he said, holding out his creation. @duvaldomme
Tagging: @duvaldomme & @submissivelynick
Location: Performing Arts Center
Date: Thursday, June 1
Summary: Presentation para. Bethan gives Nick instructions to make a crepe while he’s blindfolded.
Bethan asked Nick to move the long table to the middle of the room and then kneel by it. Having him recite his limits and safeword she laid out a selection of kitchen equipment before drawing a semi circle in chalk on the floor from one side of the table to the other and placing six thick candles at regular intervals along this line. "Your task today will test how well you listen and follow instructions, your ability to take care and pride in your work at all times and your trust in me. You will be filling and decorating a dessert following my instructions but you will be blindfolded. As the task progresses I will light the candles around you to test your trust that I will not allow anything to hurt you. Is that all clear Nick?" Bethan took a deep breath and smiled, "I want you stand behind the table and you have 45 seconds to memorise the position of everything on the table. I may add things later but I will not interfere with what is there." 3 bottles of sauce, strawberry, chocolate and toffee were lined up next to a can of cream then a bowl of strawberries, raspberries and finally chocolate sprinkles and gold stars.
Nick did as he was told, and once he was kneeling and had listed his limits and safeword, he listened carefully to Bethan's instructions. They'd talked through the basics of this before, but he knew it was important to pay attention now and show the headmasters that he was a good submissive. "Yes, Miss," he said, keeping his head bowed. "That is all clear, and I trust you completely." He got up as instructed and moved behind the table, barely catching a glimpse of the headmasters across the room as he started looking over what she'd set out for him. He whispered to himself and counted on his fingers as he went down the line, naming each item to himself so that he'd have a better chance of remembering it later. He even reached out to see how far away the items were from where he was standing, though he didn't touch them.
Bethan used a stop watch to calculate his time and as soon as it went off she placed the blindfold over his eyes. "Ready to begin Nick?" she asked as she stood behind him. She placed a plate on the middle of the table in front of him with a crepe that she had made earlier. Lifting his hands she put them on either side of the plate. "In front of you is a plate with a crepe on it. I want you to put three clear lines of strawberry sauce running from one side to the other." She watched as he got the sauce and followed the instruction before pulling out a plastic tub of cherries in sauce and placing his hand on the edge of the tub. "You need to take eight cherries from the tub and place them in a line along the middle of the crepe." Bethan purposely did not mention the thick syrup that they were in, he had to follow her orders regardless. "I am lighting the first candle," she said as he began to fish out the cherries.
Nick pulled in a deep breath when the blindfold settled over his eyes. It made his nerves worse, not because he didn't trust Bethan, but because this scene meant a lot to him and he wanted them both to get a good grade. "Yes, Miss," he said, grabbing the plate lightly. He reached out in front of him to the farthest left bottle, remembering that that was the strawberry syrup. Uncapping it blindly, he used one hand to hold the plate and the other to draw three lines of sauce across the plate, placing the ends of the lines close to the edge plate, since he didn't know how wide the crepe was. He replaced the bottle on the table where it had come from when he was done and soon found his hand against something plastic. "Yes, Miss," he said again, not worried about the candle at all. The cherries were in something wet and sticky, and he tried not to let his surprise show on his face as he started to fish out the cherries, one by one. He did his best to get them in a line along the middle of the crepe, using his left hand as guidance as to the position of the plate. He mouthed the numbers to himself as he worked, wanting to make sure he got exactly eight.
Bethan counted over his shoulder to make sure he had followed her instructions exactly. "Good boy," she praised as she considered her next step. "You need to finish filling the crepe now so take the cream and squirt it down the middle. Once that is done you need to fold it up properly into a rectangle." She didn't explain more, Nick knew that the edges needed to be underneath so the top of the crepe was flat and the filling enclosed. "I'm lighting two more candles," she warned him.
Nick listened carefully to the instructions, still not concerned at all about the candles surrounding him. "Yes, Miss," he said, pleased that she was praising him for what he'd done so far. He reached out for the cream, having to move over from one of the sauce bottles since he misjudged the placement at first, but again, he used one hand on the plate as a guide and squirted the cream onto the crepe, hoping that it was in the middle. He set the van back down where it belonged and took a calming breath before folding the crepe up. He was fairly certain it didn't look all that neat since he couldn't see where all of the fillings were, but he did his best and set the rectangular crepe on the middle of the plate like their mom had taught them.
Bethan bit her lip as she looked at the crepe. It was nowhere near as neat as he would usually do but then the whole situation wasn't normal. "I want you to decorate the top of the crepe now. I'm going to give you several instructions and want you to listen carefully because I won't be repeating my instructions. I'm also going to light the remaining candles and there will be one on either end of the table too so don't move too far." Bethan took a breath, "I want two stripes of cream down the middle of the crepe with a space in the middle for you to place a row of berries. Two strawberries should be sliced and fanned. Finish it off a drizzle of chocolate sauce and five gold stars." Her instructions were precise and didn't involve all the items on the table to test just how much attention he was paying at the start and whether he could keep it all in his head heaven knows some people would struggle with the task without the blindfold and candles burning around them. "If you have any questions ask them now, if not get started." She lit the last few candles around him and the two much smaller candles at either end of the table, limiting the room he had to work. She stayed close as he sliced the strawberries but she had left out a blunter paring knife which wouldn't cause him much more than a small knick if he did cut himself. Bethan muttered small words of praise and encouragement as he worked but never guided or gave him any suggestion of what else was needed.
Nick listened carefully to the instructions. Cream, berries, fanned strawberries, chocolate sauce, and five stars. He could totally do that. "Yes, Miss," he answered, reaching again for the can of cream. "No questions." He started off easily with the stripes of cream. He had to reach out again for the berries, and he remembered that they were to the right of the strawberries. He wasn't sure how many Bethan wanted on the crepe, so he did his best to create a line the whole way across, in between the two lines of cream. The strawberries would be harder--having to use a knife while blindfolded didn't sound like a fun task in the slightest. He took a moment to gather himself together before finding the strawberries and bringing two of them over into the cutting board. He took a step to the side to make it easier to cut, and he trusted that Bethan had placed the candle far enough away that he wouldn't hit it. He was right, and he ran his fingers along the cutting board until he found the handle of the knife. He carefully explored the utensil to figure out which side was the sharp one, and he didn't hesitate to pick it up and set to work slicing the strawberries. He set the knife aside when he was done and took a careful step back in front of the plate, spreading the strawberries out in a fan along the line of berries he'd already placed on the crepe. He reached out next for another bottle of sauce, remembering exactly where it was in the lineup. He drizzled the chocolate over the crepe and set the bottle aside. Finally, he reached over on the other side of the table for the sprinkles, making sure he grabbed the stars and counted out five that he sprinkled across the top of the crepe.
Bethan had to bite her tongue a few times particularly as he was examining the knife or stepped to the side and she could see how close to the candle at the back he was. She needed him to stay alert throughout and he was, working through each instruction in order. She glanced at her watch as he finished off and they were right on time for her prediction. She lifted off the blindfold and grinned at him, "You did very well Nick. I'm going to remind you of the instructions I gave you and you may blow out a candle for each one you got correct. For every mistake there is a consequence." As Bethan recalled each action Nick was able to blow out a candle so that in the end all the candles were out. She handed him a wet cloth to wipe his hands and then he helped her to tidy away the items before they both thanked the headteachers and left to go to her room for aftercare and snacks that did not involve crepes.
Tagging: @duvaldomme & @submissivelynick
Location: Bethan’s Suite
Date: Friday, May 26th, evening
Summary: Scene Week scene, involving home ec [Nick].
Bethan found it strange to see Nick on his knees by her couch but then she knew if they didn't start out the correct way the whole scene would fall apart. They could chat later, for now she needed to set the rules. "For the purposes of this scene you will call me Miss and I expect you to complete each task to the best of your ability. Do you understand? I don't think I'm going to ask you to do anything that you do not know how to do but if you are unsure at any point I expect you to ask promptly and not waste our time. Now I don't intend to push any limits but remind me of them and your safeword just to be sure."
Nick didn't mind kneeling for Bethan. When he'd seen that he was paired with her for the presentation, he'd initially felt a little weird about it. She was his sister, after all. The more he thought about it, though, the more he realized that he trusted her implicitly. With trust being such an important foundation for a scene, he really couldn't think of anyone he'd be more comfortable submitting for. "Yes, Miss," he said when she was finished speaking. "I understand. My safewords are yellow to pause and red to stop, and my limits are anything sexual and anything that would create a permanent mark."
Bethan smiled at him with a nod. "Be careful with the knives then," she grinned as she stood up. "I plan to make some spring rolls later so I want you to be my sous chef to start us off. I need carrots, cabbage and scallions all finely sliced and put in a bowl. Everything you need is laid out. I have some homework to finish so I'll just be in my bedroom when you are done and I expect you to come and find me once it is tidied away and the chopped vegetables are in the fridge. Any questions?"
Nick rolled his eyes at his sister's comment about the knives. He knew plenty well how to use a knife safely. "No, Miss," he said, giving a shake of his head. "No questions." He stood up and headed into the kitchen, seeing that she really had set everything up for him. He washed his hands and set to work quickly, getting all of the chopping done in just a few minutes. The veggies went into the fridge and he spent a few more minutes cleaning off the counter top and washing up the few dishes he'd used. He double checked that everything was taken care of before going back to his sister's bedroom and knocking on the door. "All done, Miss," he said with a smile.
Bethan looked up as he knocked and surprised he was finished so fast but then they had both been taught by their mother and knew what they were doing. It was for that reason she didn't bother going to check that they were done correctly either. "I would like you to dust the bookshelves please and then vacuum the living room. Once that is done you can choose to either help me with the spring rolls or I will find you another cleaning task." It felt slightly awkward asking him to clean her room but he was always much tidier than she was so it amused her a little too. However they had to complete the scene but she didn't want to push his good nature too much.
Nick 's smile faltered when he heard the list of things Bethan wanted him to do. He knew it was part of the scene, and he also knew that this was an easy way for both of them to gain some points, but it still bothered him a little bit. "Yes, Miss," he said, deciding not to argue. He found a feather duster in a closet and used it to take care of the dust on the bookshelves, lifting up the few knickknacks on them to get those clean as well. He went from room to room, making sure he got all of the bookshelves in the suite, before putting the duster away and moving on to vacuuming.
Bethan didn't miss the change in Nick's smile and while it upset her to see it she was impressed at the way he pushed it aside and got on with the task. He was clearly doing a thorough job on the dusting as it took him quite a while to finish up but she finally heard the vacuum start up. When it was finished she went to find him. "You're doing really well sweetheart, thank you. For now I want you to choose between helping me in the kitchen or cleaning the bathroom but I also want you to think about what you would like as a reward when we are finished. You can tell me when I have finished making the spring rolls."
Nick was just putting the vacuum cleaner away when Bethan joined him again, and he nodded at the praise. "Thank you, Miss," he responded quietly, trying not to let his annoyance get the better of him. He wrinkled his nose at the thought of cleaning her bathroom while she got to do the fun job of cooking. "Obviously I'm going to help you in the kitchen," he said, laughing a little. "How is that even a question, Miss?"
Bethan laughed along with Nick. "It's a question because you may have suddenly found a great love of cleaning bathrooms and I would be denying you that right by saying straight away we are going to the kitchen." She walked to the kitchen with him following and once hands were washed and she had put on her apron she was ready to start. "Get out the veggies and then heat the silver wok, I need it half full of oil," she ordered. The kitchen was one domain where she had no issue giving instructions and while he did that she got out the filo pastry. "Chop four sprigs of coriander and two red chillies please," she instructed as she began to mix up the filling.
Nick rolled his eyes again at Bethan--something about her just brought out that teasing nature in him. "Right," he said, shaking his head as he followed her into the kitchen. Doing what she told him to do was fairly easy going now. The fact that they were both working together to cook helped a lot, rather than it simply being him doing the work--and also, he was familiar with the recipe she was going to be using to make the spring rolls, so he was able to anticipate what she was going to tell him to do. He got the oil heating in the wok and chopped what he was asked to, setting the knife down to the side on the chopping board to await further instruction.
Bethan glanced over a few times but she didn't need to monitor Nick closely and noticing he was done she scooped up everything off his board and added it to her mix. "Do you want to roll or make the dressing," she asked before remembering it was a scene and she should be giving clear instructions. "In fact I would like you to fill and roll the pastry and I will make the dressing. You need an egg wash to seal it." He knew all this but she needed the practice too and being clear in what she wanted was probably going to be something she needed to work on.
Nick was about to respond that he'd do the dressing when Bethan changed her mind and decided to give him the other task. It struck him as odd, but he didn't really care what he did as long as he was here in the kitchen and not stuck cleaning the bathroom while she cooked. "Yes, Miss," he said, moving to grab a bowl and get the egg ready before he started to fill and seal the rolls.
Bethan worked quickly and effortlessly making up the dressing, she was sure she could make these in her sleep. "You should get 12 out of that mixture," she advised Nick as she looked over. "Just start frying them off as soon as they are ready." She got a plate and kitchen towel ready, not wanting him to take too long as the oil was hot and beginning to spit.
Nick nodded. "Gotcha." He counted through the rolls that he'd already made, then divvied up the rest of the filling into equal parts for the remaining rolls. It didn't take too long for him to finish making them, and once he'd sealed the last one, he started to put them in the hot oil. He stood back and glanced at the clock on the microwave to keep track of how long they were in the wok.
Bethan stood back and let Nick finish off the snack. It was dangerous to have too many people dealing with the oil anyway. Once done she took the plate and left it to the side for a moment to cool before giving him his final orders. "Leave the oil to cool but you can wash up the boards and knives and then serve the snack. I'm just going to finish of something quickly and I will meet you at the table in ten minutes." She wanted to leave him to tidy up as a final reminder it was a scene but she felt this was the best way without rubbing his face in it. They did work well together in the kitchen but in this instance it wasn't an even share of the workload.
Nick just kept working through his sister's instructions. He knew how to handle cooking with her, and he'd been cleaning up for his mom for years. "Yes, Miss," he said lightly as he finished frying the rolls. It was calming to finish cleaning everything up on his own--kitchen work always had been for him--and he brought the plates rolls to the dining table when he was finished. "All ready, Miss," he said as he slid the plate onto the table. "Bin appetit." He stood back, wanting to wait to see if he had any more instructions before joining her.
Bethan smiled at the sight as she came through. "Good boy," she said softly, knowing it was strange to them both to hear her use it in an actual scene but wanting to let him hear it all the same. "Come and join me Nick. You've done everything I asked and without any issues so you can definitely come and eat and as far as I'm concerned the scene is over. But you also deserve a reward so it's your choice. We could watch a movie or it's not too late to go into town or whatever you want really."
Nick blushed a little at the praise. He definitely liked hearing it, but it was just another reminder that this whole afternoon had been a scene for them. He slid into the chair across from her and served them both an egg roll--he'd heard her say the scene was over, but he could still be a gentleman. Their parents had raised them both correctly. "So, is getting some of your brownies completely off the table, Miss?" he asked with a grin.
Tagging: @duvaldomme & @submissivelynick
When: Tuesday evening, May 2
Where: Bethan’s suite
Summary: Bethan helps Nick work through his feelings about several different Doms after a trip into town.
Bethan finished putting away the things she had bought in town and tidied away the few mugs left lying in the kitchen. "Do you want a drink of anything?" she asked as she went to get some fresh beans out to make some coffee. She had let the discussion about her brother wait while they enjoyed the town but she knew it couldn't be put off any longer so they might as well get as comfortable as possible.
Nick sat down on a stool at the Bethan's breakfast bar while she finished getting everything put away from their shopping trip in town. It had been really nice to get off campus and just focus on having a nice time with his sister, especially after the stress that had been the presentation, the time leading up to it, and its aftermath. "Just some water would be nice?" he replied. "Anything I can do to help?"
Bethan shook her head, "Nope it's all fine. I'll just make my coffee and you can grab yourself a water and there is a box of cookies over there if you want to bring them too." Finishing quickly Bethan took her cup and made her way to sit on the couch before giving Nick a half smile. "Alright, talk to me. How are you really feeling because you look pretty worn out?"
Nick grabbed a bottle of water and the cookies Bethan pointed out before moving over to join his sister on the couch, lifting one leg up on the cushion so he could turn to face her with his back against the corner of the couch. "I'm okay, really," he said, setting the box of cookies down between them. "I was a little rough last night, but Mateo helped a lot and I slept well. I just know someone I care about had a harder time than I did, and I'm worried about them. That's all."
Bethan frowned, "Are they physically alright? Did things just not go as they had hoped?" She didn't want to pry too much which made things so much harder and her priority was Nick and how stressed he constantly seemed to be. "Are you still up for our talk? I don't want to add to how you are feeling but it might help to air some things, you know I'm not going to tell anyone anything."
Nick nodded and gave Bethan a half-shrug. "Yeah. I mean, they seem to be physically okay, but I don't really know many details. I just know they were still rough this morning. They have a Dom to help, though, so that's good." He bit his lip and unscrewed the cap on his water bottle, spinning it back and forth a few times. "Yeah, we can talk. I don't really know where to start, though."
Bethan sighed softly, "There presentations seem to be rough, I have to admit I am not looking forward to having to take part next month." Hearing his question she looked at him seriously, "Let's take them one at a time and I think we should start with Mateo. What do you like about him?"
Nick finally lifted the water to his mouth and took a sip of it while he thought about how to answer the question. "Mateo... He's really sweet. He was my first kiss and he wants to find a romantic claim and he calls me lobito and I trust him a lot. You should know that, um, he's not out, though. Just a heads up. I don't really mind it too much but I just wanted to let you know."
Bethan sipped her coffee and let him talk. She knew the people involved but he needed to really examine how he felt about each on and just talking seemed the best approach. "I won't say a word to anyone else about him...but if he is not out then where does that leave you? Not to be awkward but it seems to me you are a little secret just now and is that really what you want?"
Nick sighed and pulled his other leg up onto the couch, wanting to be more curled up than he was before. "I know," he said, going back to playing with the cap of his water bottle. "I don't mind, exactly. I mean, not at the moment, at least. But I don't want to end up with someone who's in the closet forever, y'know? But I think that's probably a long ways off and I don't really need to worry about that yet. It's more Blaine I'm worried about now. He... He really likes Mateo, B. I get so jealous thinking about the two of them together, but I mean... Do you think I should take a step back from him, for Blaine's sake? I don't want either of us to end up hurt."
Bethan pursed her lips as he spoke, "Do you think he will come out soon? Has he given you any hint that he will?" The longer he talked the more she was concerned about him, "I can't make that decision Los but I think it comes down to how strong you feel about him. How would you feel if he said he wanted to have you both as submissives? Could you do it? Knowing that every night he wasn't with you he was with Blaine. Because that could become the reality, he can have both and you need to think about how that would feel. The other thing is if you stood back and gave them a chance there is nothing to say it will last, the whole thing might fall apart within a few weeks but if it works are you going to regret not trying?"
Nick felt tears pricking at his eyes and did his best to suppress them, not wanting his sister to know just how upset he was at the thought of losing Mateo. "I don't know," he said with a shrug. "His sister took it better than he thought she would, but he's really scared of his grandma's reaction. I don't know when he's gonna come out to everyone else." A sip of water, then, to help calm himself down a little. "I like Blaine. He's a really great person, and... I don't know. I want him to be happy, I do, but I don't know if I could be happy if we were both Mateo's subs. I'd be so jealous all the time... I think Blaine cares more for him than I do at this point. I don't know what I'm going to regret. I care about Mateo a lot, but I feel the same way about the others and I don't know how I'm supposed to figure this out."
Bethan wanted to reach out and hold him but at the same time that might make him clam up at this point in proceedings. "Ok, so I think we both have a fairly good idea how you feel about Mateo. What about Jeff? Let's do him next. What do you like about him?"
Nick sighed and took a few deep breaths to resettle himself after getting so worked up about Mateo. "Okay," he said, thinking for a moment. "Jeff's fun. He never takes anything too seriously and I just have a really good time whenever I'm with him. And he's... good to practice with for one of my classes. And have you seen him dance? He's just... amazing. I could watch him for hours and not get bored."
Bethan could see a change in his body language and the way he spoke was very different too. She gave him an encouraging smile though and she replied, "We talked about me going to watch although it hasn't happened yet." She finished off her coffee and put the cup down on the coffee table, "And that brings us to Kurt, tell me what you like about him?" Bethan was very interested to see how he responded to the final name.
Nick smiled at his sister. "You really should try and find the time for that," he said. "I mean, just seeing how he knows how to work his body... but, um, yeah." He cleared his throat. "Kurt... is such a gentleman. He's always making sure I'm okay and is just really sweet. And he's got this great voice, too. I really don't understand where his mind's at, though. He was this close to being my first kiss but then he pulled back and said he wanted it to be someone special. Or I mean, he wanted me to have the chance to have it with someone special. That's just how considerate he is."
Bethan chewed her lower lip as she thought about everything Nick had said and tried to make sense of it. "Let's see if I've got all this. You really like Mateo, he was your first kiss, he has a name for you and you trust him but he's not out and he has a thing with Blaine which is potentially getting serious. Jeff is a lot of fun and you always enjoy yourself with him and Kurt seems to be a little hot and cold but is sweet and caring." She sat up and looked at him seriously, "From everything you have said Jeff sounds like a friend that you have a good time with but you're not really giving me any vibes that you see him as more than fun. I think you are unsure of Kurt and maybe that is because you are really interested in exploring more with Mateo. Do you agree?"
Nick listened to Bethan's summary of the situation and nodded along until she got to the end. "I... I don't know. I like all of them, B. And I think I might like AJ, too." He sighed and pulled the pillow around from behind him and hugged it to his chest. "Jeff asked if I wanted to go on a date with him and that sounds really nice. I guess I'm just--with him, I'm nervous because he keeps saying he's okay with going at my pace but he tried something last week that I wasn't ready for and he stopped when I told him I wasn't ready, but then he asked me if I was ready yet a couple days later and I just feel like I'm holding him back, y'know?" He looked down at his lap before lifting his gaze back up to meet his sister's. "I wish I knew what Mateo and Kurt were thinking. And Jeff, too. But like... is Mateo more interested in Blaine than in me? He probably should be. And Kurt... He has this whole thing about anything sexual in a scene not meaning anything because we all have to practice for classes and presentations and stuff. But he's always so sweet when I'm with him, and I can't imagine that he's not interested at all... I don't know, B. I want more with all of them."
Bethan 's narrowed as he talked about Jeff repeatedly trying to push him further. "I'm sorry Los but that would be a red flag to me. Maybe when you've had more experience then things would be different but right now he shouldn't continually be trying to rush you." The subject kept coming back to Kurt and Mateo and of course Blaine. "Have you given Kurt any indication you are interested in anything beyond scenes? Do you know for certain he wants more than just scenes right now?" Although they all knew they needed to work towards claims some people were looking to have fun or keep things casual for a bit longer whereas others were definitely taking things seriously already. "Where does AJ fit into this? Have you done much with him?"
Nick frowned, knowing Bethan was right but also not sure she understood the full picture. "I mean... He's willing to stop if he pushes me too far," he said quietly. "But he deserves someone who wants to do everything he wants. I was thinking about moving farther as a birthday treat to myself, but I'm worried that that might be putting too much pressure on it and giving whoever I'm with the wrong impression." He picked up his water bottle and sipped at it some more, trying to figure out the answer to his sister's questions. "That's part of the problem, I think," he said at last. "I don't know what Kurt wants. We started talking about this stuff a little on Sunday, but it was overwhelming and I asked if we could postpone it until after presentations because neither of us needed more stress then. What if he just sees me as someone to do scenes with?" He didn't know if he could handle that, and he swallowed and shook his head to clear it. "I haven't done too much with AJ, but he's really sweet, too. We started hanging out after I started seeing the others so much, but he kind of seems to be on the same page as me about how fast to move and I really like spending time with him."
Bethan was uneasy about the fact Nick seemed to be putting himself under stress and pressure for someone else but he seemed to get her point so she just listened instead of saying anything. Flipping things round she changed her approach, "Let me ask you this then, do you feel like you need someone special? I mean right now. Would it be so bad to just let things happen naturally?"
Nick chewed on his lip uncertainly, not having really thought about that before. "I mean... it would be nice," he said with a little shrug. "And I definitely think I'm feeling something more than friendship for all of them. Or I could, in AJ's case. But is it really fair to any of them to keep seeing all of them and falling more for them when they're not the only one I'm starting to feel that way for?"
Bethan sighed softly, "You see this is kind of my point. You are starting to feel things for them all but is it love, lust or friendship? Maybe if you took your foot off the pedal a little and let things develop for themselves you would see things clearer." She hated having to be so blunt but she knew it was what he needed.
Nick looked back at Bethan for a few moments. "I don't know if I can do that, though," he said, twirling his mostly-empty water bottle between his hands. "Like... I'm not trying to feel something for them. It's just happening. Things are developing for themselves and that's why I'm so confused."
Bethan nodded, "Alright, so what about if you let things develop the way they are and still don't tell anyone how you feel. What do you think is going to happen?" She raised her brows as she looked at him, "Someone else comes along...or in Mateo's case things get serious with Blaine and because nobody knows that you are interested in them suddenly everyone has found someone else and you are left. Surely that would be worse than talking to them each now and finding out where their thoughts are."
Nick knocked back the rest of the water and let the bottle fall down onto the couch in front of him, sure he'd end up laying with it again later. "That's exactly what I'm worried about," he said quietly. "I'll end up alone without anyone and it could have been avoided if I had been able to make sense of all of this now. Do you really think I should talk to all of them about this? What if I scare them all off?"
Bethan gave him a gentle smile, "I do, you need to talk to them however difficult it might be. They might not have any idea how you feel and I hate to say it but if they aren't looking at things the same way as you then you need to know that too."
Nick swallowed and looked at Bethan for a moment before moving everything between them away and sliding over to rest his head on her shoulder. "I don't want to lose them," he mumbled. "How do I talk to them about all of this without them deciding they don't want to see me anymore?"
Bethan wrapped her arm around his shoulder, her heart aching for him. "I know you don't want to lose any of them but you also can't have them all sweetheart. If you really don't know which one you want to focus on then you have to talk to them all and find out how they see things." She ran her hand gently up and down his arm, "From what you have said I think you should talk to Kurt first. He's the one that you seem most unsure where you stand but I also get the feeling he's the one that you are most curious about."
Nick leaned into Bethan's touch, grateful that his sister didn't mind him cuddling in close to her like this even though they were almost 22-years old. "I know you're right, but I don't like it," he said, chuckling darkly. "I think I'm most curious about Kurt because I know I have competition with Mateo and I'm worried about Jeff wanting to go too fast. And AJ... I don't think I'm quite there with him yet, like I am with the others. But I also think Kurt's the most likely to say he doesn't want anything with me beyond friendship and a practice buddy. But... last week he gave me my own personal rules for when I'm with him, too, so I don't even know about that." He sighed. "I'm a real mess, aren't I?"
Bethan leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead. "Yes, you are a mess but we will figure it out," she laughed softly. "Honestly I did not expect to arrive here and find my big brother involved with four different guys. It's quite a change to the Nick in high school."
Nick found himself laughing lightly as well. "You and me both," he said, tucking his feet up and onto the couch next to him. "I guess in high school I just didn't think it was important to date or anything since no one even knew what their mark would be. But now... I'm probably going to meet my Dom at this school. That's so crazy to think about, y'know?"
Bethan chuckled, "It is crazy that we leave here in a claim. I can't even get my head around the fact I need to find someone and here you are with them all chasing you. Total change from school." She gave a squeeze as she continued to laugh gently. Not that she had four guys chasing her in high school but she definitely dated a lot more than him.
Nick nodded, not lifting his head up from his sister's chest. "Have you been seeing anyone lately?" he asked, kind of eager to move the subject of conversation further away from him. "Anyone you think you could see yourself claiming down the road, if things go well?"
Bethan shook her head, not that he could see it. "No I'm not seeing anyone. I've made some friends but I haven't really done very much. A few scenes but I haven't really been looking that hard either. I'm not you, I don't have people flocking to me." She wasn't upset about it but it was a change to what she was used to.
Nick frowned and felt a little bad that he'd just spent who-knew-how-long getting into the details of all of his different options of partners while his sister hadn't found anyone she'd clicked with like that yet. "I'm sorry," he said softly, wrapping an arm around her to give her a little squeeze. "I'm sure you'll find someone before too long. Any sub would be lucky to end up with you."
Bethan shrugged, taking her turn to lean against him. "It's alright, I have plenty of time. I have a few things set up and when I want to I will put myself out there a little more. I seem to have been labelled as one of the soft Dominants and people see that as wrong but I don't intend to change who I am but I need to find my own path and get used to things in my own time."
Nick gave his sister another little squeeze. "There's nothing wrong with being who you are," he said reassuringly. "It's not like you're completely against the system or anything. Mom and Dad work so well together that it makes sense that you wouldn't be crazy strict like Wyatt or someone. Not that there's anything wrong with that, either."
Bethan smiled, "I know. I guess I take a lot of my lead from Mom. Whether at home or in the restaurant she was in total charge but apart from when we were late home without calling she hardly ever raised her voice." She leaned forward and grabbed the cookies, "C'mon. let's watch a movie and eat cookies. We've done enough soul searching today."
Nick grinned, thinking back to the couple of times they'd really gotten in trouble as kids, though it had never been all that bad. He was really grateful they'd grown up in the household they did. "A movie and cookies sounds great," he said, shifting so that he was still cuddled against his sister but not quite as close. "Thanks for the talk, B."
