"Laurent needed to top to be more powerful". No. He needed to top because he wanted to. The Inn Scene Analysis + Comprehensive list of actual reasons why switching would make sense for Damen and Laurent in Captive Prince Trilogy
Part 1. Laurent
Section 1. Laurent In The Inn Scene
INTRODUCTION
THIS ISN’T ABOUT “POWERFUL”. THIS IS ABOUT WANT.
I saw a tweet complaining about how people are "so obsessed with Laurent topping" and that it's wrong to want Laurent to top to be more powerful, as if implying he can't be powerful while bottoming or in other ways. Besides that, I also saw tweets saying how people were glad that Laurent never topped and how he should stay "a pillow princess" for his whole life. Overall, many people seem to fail to understand why some readers actually want Laurent to top.
Well, I'll tell you why. You're right that Laurent does not need to top to "be more powerful" or "manly," as if he can't be powerful while bottoming. He can be powerful bottoming; there is nothing wrong with him bottoming and being powerful while doing so, and he also can be and is powerful in many other ways – emotionally, intellectually, verbally, etc. (Not to mention that one doesn't even have to be powerful if they don't want to). It is not about that. Nobody, at least not me, is saying that Laurent is weak for bottoming and that topping would "fix it."
He needed to top because he genuinely, fiercely wanted it himself. Because that scene after the bath and the blowjob at the inn (Kings Rising, ch. 15), when Laurent thrusted on top of Damen, showed it all loud and clear. Everything you needed to know about Laurent's (and Damen's) true canonical desires. It was not casual, not just a simple small hint. It was intense, overwhelming, romantic, hot, and insanely mutual.
THE INN SCENE
Laurent needed to top because he wanted it. Because he, thinking he was going to die, to die for his love, for Damen, still subconsciously and intuitively chose to push Damen onto the bed, get on top of him, start thrusting against him with his cock, basically imitating topping him, and talk about the First Night and how Damen would be his first, verbally claiming him even before Damen managed to form a coherent sentence.
Some people admit Damen wanted it while still somehow denying mutuality because Damen's feelings were described directly (as it is literally his POV), but Laurent's feelings were explicitly shown through his actions, words, body reactions, and expressions.
He needed to top because he had a desire to, a strong one. Despite not having had such experience before and not even having had a chance to try it in his past, despite his trauma, he still wanted to top Damen. That scene was exactly about that. It was not just about simple grinding and nonchalant irrelevant conversation. Laurent was not thrusting there against Damen in a power-bottom way or a neutral way. He was doing it in a top-way.
It was basically like their "rehearsal" for switching. They were both thinking about it, directly talking about it, and I dare say imagining it (Damen was for sure – as evident in his POV, while Laurent likely did the same). That was their first thought for both of them, when Laurent started thrusting on top of Damen and Damen said "I've never–" and Laurent responded with "Nor have I," instantly adding, "You'd be my first."
Laurent needed to top because while people deny he could want it, he was actually the one who initiated that whole scene. He did it, not even Damen. Intuitively. And then, they shared their mutual lack of experience ("I've never–", "Nor have I"), which was already deeply intimate – just voicing it, even though they both knew it already.
But Laurent did not stop right there. He could've stopped after saying "Nor have I"; instead, he chose to verbally claim Damen as his first one to potentially top: "You'd be my first." It was almost an invitation, proposal, admission of the possibility, but most importantly – an expression of his own wish. Laurent said it thinking he would probably never have a chance to have it despite wanting it, because he thought he was going to die for Damen, and this is beautiful and tragic in a way that required resolution, completion, required for them to get their First Night in their happily ever after, when all the dangers and troubles would be settled.
Laurent needed to top because he, though consumed by his own desire, watched Damen's reactions closely as he was on top of him, and when he saw that Damen's eyes were "showing everything," that Damen was aroused, that Damen was enjoying it too, Laurent was "responding, thrusting against him."
Laurent needed to top because he couldn't stop talking even after they exchanged the mutual verbal claiming/promise ("You'd be my first", "And you'd be mine"). He talked about the First Night tradition ("I thought in Akielos, a First Night was special") knowing damn well what that tradition was about. He didn't need clarification. He already knew the tradition applied to slaves being taken by their masters. He still chose to say it, with all their shared past in mind. It was a very bold half-teasing, half-probing wrapped into his typical witty remark/joke, alluding to their shared experiences of when Damen used to be Laurent's pleasure slave, even with those experiences being partially dark and traumatic for both of them.
But Laurent was almost inclining to the idea of reshaping it, together. Yes, it would simply be hot, maybe to replay something like this, especially since Damen would clearly find it extremely arousing and satisfying, but it would be more than that. Reshaping that shared past. Not denying it, just turning the helplessness and anger and violence into choice and trust and pleasure.
We're getting to my favorite part. Laurent needed to top because he came hard right after Damen verbally yielded to him saying "For a slave it means everything" (it was obviously not about clarifying the tradition for Laurent who already knew it; it was a direct reciprocation of Laurent's teasing/proposal with Damen's own willing surrender). The timing matters; he came right after hearing those words. Damen basically claimed that bottoming for Laurent would mean everything for him, and that wrecked Laurent.
But it was also the way he came – "Laurent’s first shudder came with his first sound, unconscious with exertion, his body driving him." He couldn't let himself come during the handjob just a little earlier and during the blowjob Damen gave him in PG because of his trauma, because he felt exposed being exclusively serviced and touched like that. However, he came like that after thrusting against Damen, imitating topping him, talking about it with him. He shuddered, he let out sounds. He was panting above Damen later, "his body still jerking with aftershocks." The orgasm was pretty strong.
And even there, it was not over. What solidified it all for me was his behavior after. Laurent "turned his head to the side, not looking at Damen, as if too much had been shared." Because it was; it was shared. Laurent felt vulnerable and open after sharing the depths of his desire to top Damen with him, after experiencing Damen lying like that beneath him and watching him feel exactly the same, after having that short but meaningful conversation about shared inexperience, mutual promises, teasing, yielding, and claiming.
Section 1.2 Possible complications and the way through them
IT WAS NEVER ABOUT THE LACK OF WANT
People say he didn't need it. People say he wouldn't enjoy it if they tried switching. But he needed it, he wanted it, and would most likely enjoy it. Yes, the actual switching would differ from that scene. It would possibly arouse some other feelings inside Laurent that could indeed complicate it at first but make the whole switching more profound in the end.
But it wouldn't be due to a lack of desire, and with their level of love, trust, and devotion, it wouldn't be something to block him from doing it forever. I am talking about Laurent's fear of hurting Damen. He'd have to face it before their First Night, but he'd get through it with Damen's gentle reassurance.
CAREFULNESS
Laurent wouldn't want to hurt Damen, humiliate him, or make him feel like he himself felt when he was abused by his uncle. But as I said, Laurent watched Damen's reactions closely even while simply thrusting against him, and he saw that Damen enjoyed it, and he kept thrusting. During the actual switching scene, Damen wouldn't push, put any pressure on Laurent, or make him do it – obviously not. But he would simply show his trust, want, lust, and love that would match Laurent's. And Laurent would do it – not because he'd be pressured, not because "he has to," but because he would want to, sincerely, and their mutual dedication would overcome his initial fear.
TOPPING THE WEAK VS TOPPING THE STRONG
Laurent wouldn't want to become like his abuser by taking advantage of someone weak and unwillingly vulnerable (that is why he would never top a slave, or Damen when Damen was still his slave). But Damen is not weak; he is quite the opposite – strong, masculine, resilient, powerful. A king like Laurent, equal to him. Not his slave anymore. Someone who has power, but also someone who is eager and willing to surrender to Laurent because Damen truly wants it himself, and that would do it for Laurent.
GUILT
Another thing that may surface is Laurent's guilt for what he did to Damen, for what he tried to do to him. It wasn't only the scars and nearly killing him. It was that Laurent tried to arrange a situation where Damen would be raped while drugged. And the forced public blowjob, too. Damen is not holding it against Laurent, obviously. But Laurent may hold it against himself if it comes to switching. But then again, the past would stay in the past – not forgotten, but not stopping them from moving forward either. Laurent already expressed his willingness to reshape their past by talking about the First Night, and if the switching would actually happen, they’d come through with it together.
Section 1.3 Additional points for Laurent
I want you to remember that the main message of this post is that Laurent needed to top because he wanted to (just like Damen needed to bottom because he wanted to). It is the only thing that matters in the end, the main reason. It would be another thing if he didn't. And it is okay if a character or a person similar to Laurent or associating themselves with him does not want to top. Below I provide additional arguments for why Laurent needed to top, but all of them are supposed to be taken with the knowledge in mind that Laurent wants it first and foremost – nobody is forcing him into it "because he has to." There are just some things to add to his already proven desire, and they wouldn't work if he didn't have it.
VULNERABILITY & LETTING GO OF CONTROL
People say we need Laurent to top to see him powerful while devaluing his power when he bottoms. Speaking for myself, I dream to see Laurent topping because it is very precious for me to see him vulnerable – in a good way. In a way where he is willing to open up like that in front of Damen while Damen does the same. Laurent needed to top because it would actually make him feel more vulnerable than when he bottoms, at least during the first time for sure.
He learned to let go of control with Damen and be vulnerable when bottoming, but it would be another kind of vulnerability, another form of letting go of control. The last defense he never knew he had broken. It would be something new and entirely different for him; it would be the simple lack of experience, mixed with his carefulness not to hurt Damen, mixed with the ghosts of his guilt now fading away with Damen's reassurance, mixed with him opening up like that emotionally and unraveling in this new, stunning, overwhelming way.
ABOUT THE POWER
It would be a new kind of power too, yes, but that is not the reason why he "must" top; it's just that it would be there too, and I can't ignore it. That power would be blinding, striking him to the core – the power of trust that Damen would put into him. And that is what would astound him. This level of trust coming from Damen – a virile man who'd never let anyone inside, and never could given his status, and never thought he'd want to until he met Laurent. From Damen, whom Laurent had set up for violation in the past. From Damen, who loves and lusts for him in every way, genuinely – this would literally shatter Laurent in the best way possible and rebuild him again.
ANOTHER WAY OF HEALING
Laurent had spent years feeling like he was broken, unworthy, stained. Yes, he reclaimed his worth on his own and with Damen too; he started to heal his trauma through bottoming for Damen, and it was extremely important and crucial. Listen again and don't get me wrong: he does not "have to" or "must" heal through topping too; he does not have to force himself into it. But he can additionally heal through topping, given his desire. And he would.
THE AWE
Just imagine what he would feel if Damen would bottom for him. No, not in that toxic masculinity dominating way. That's not what I mean. I mean the sheer trust and honest surrender Damen would offer Laurent. Laurent would feel awed, honored even. He would feel reverent, just like Damen feels when he tops him. And he would match the same care, reverence, and devotion taking Damen as when Damen takes him. He would be put into a place similar to the place of someone who abused him, but not to abuse or fear; he would use it to give love to the person he loves the most.
THE RECLAIMING, THE CONNECTION
Laurent was originally put into that role by his abuser, never knowing anything else, never having a chance to try. Eventually, he reclaimed it, and it mattered much. I am not trying to devalue it here – I value it wholeheartedly. I love and appreciate Laurent so, so much. I am afraid that my words may get twisted, which is why I need to emphasize it again: I am NOT saying he "should" top to heal or "should" top because he never tried it before.
I completely understand the importance of how his helplessness turned into his willing choice. How he reclaimed his body and his pleasure through bottoming. How he CHOSE to give himself to Damen. He wanted it, he craved it, genuinely. And he managed to overcome his trauma that restrained his body to connect with Damen in that way and to find love, trust, and pleasure where there used to be pain, fear, and humiliation. It was a very big deal for Laurent, and I am proud of him. He does not "have to" heal another way or try something else. But he can, and he found out that he wanted to – during that inn scene, when he wanted to top Damen, to share their First Night, to connect with him in this new way too.
Part 2. Damen
Section 2.1 Damen In The Inn Scene
Originally, this post was supposed to advocate why I think Laurent needed/wanted to top. But I realized I just couldn't finish it here. I need to cover Damen's side too. It is just as important. I saw posts saying "Damen would never let a twink like Laurent top." I found some switching fics I read underwhelming exactly because they seemed a bit one-sided to me – as if only Damen or only Laurent wanted it, while the other one was just going along with it. It wasn't like that in canon for sure. And I believe you have to deliberately choose to deny this whole chunk of canon text to convince yourself into thinking that Damen didn't want it or "wouldn’t let" Laurent do it.
THE INN SCENE
Damen needed to bottom because he wanted to. Let's go back to that inn scene that holds all the answers we need. Unlike Laurent, whose feelings we mostly see indirectly, Damen's inner world, thoughts, and feelings were always described in a pretty direct way, given that the books were written from his POV. So it was in the inn scene.
Laurent initiated it, the change of their positions. Damen's body and mind reacted immediately, instinctively. "His own desire flared at the reversal." It was just the very beginning of the scene, and Laurent simply getting on top of him like that was enough for Damen's desire to flare up instantly. And the word "reversal" matters; because the scene, again, was not just about grinding; it was like a taste of what the actual switching could be like.
Damen did not only found it arousing but also welcomed Laurent's actions straight away, verbally and physically. He took Laurent in his hand and said "Come on, then," feeling "ridiculously daring to tell Laurent in any respect what to do." Some people claim it would be boring if Damen bottomed. I don't share their opinion, and this little moment strengthened my belief even more. If they switched, Damen would be vulnerable for Laurent, of course, and Laurent would hold it like the most precious thing, and it would be beautiful and not boring at all, not for me. But this moment also showed the potential of the "complete reversal." Damen teasing Laurent while being underneath him, commanding verbally like that, while Laurent's on top. This scene showed it was possible.
He "wondered if Laurent ever fucked anyone in earnest" (If someone still thinks that scene was not about the idea of switching and not meant to show how they would both react to it. They both perceived it exactly like that, from the start). With a jolt of shock, he realized Laurent hadn't, and that, yet again, intensified his desire even more. The "flood of heat" came upon him at that realization. The author continued to describe just how aroused Damen was by the idea of Laurent topping him. The "flood of heat" was now directly tied to the realization that Laurent had never topped anyone before and that Damen would be his first. Damen was aroused as hell by the idea of being the first one who Laurent tops, the significance of it, the trust.
The full segment is: "He wondered if Laurent had ever fucked anyone in earnest, and he realized with a jolt of shock that Laurent hadn’t. The flood of heat that came at that wasn’t comfortable." But "wasn't comfortable" obviously was not meant in a bad way, not in a way that implies he didn't want it, since it would have contradicted literally every other word in that scene.
Even in that passage itself, "the flood of heat" (desire) is stated. And it "wasn't comfortable" just because of how crushingly intimate and strong it was – stunning, surprising, unexpected; for Damen, it was tied to the unguarded intimacy of possibly sharing their first times, to the deepest vulnerability of giving himself to Laurent for the first time while knowing that he would be the first one Laurent ever tops.
That was what led to Damen confessing "I've never–", and Laurent responding with "Nor have I." I said it earlier – they both already knew that about each other. But voicing it out loud like that, in a moment like this, mutually – it mattered; it was a beautiful and important sharing that led to mutual claiming: "You'd be my first" and "You'd be mine."
But what is especially interesting here is that Damen did not say "You'd be my first" right away – or, more like, the author decided to describe his inner world, his perception of what was happening first, before letting him answer. And it made sense. The whole passage is just so perfect and telling I have to quote it whole.
"Everything was magnified, the sensation of Laurent’s cock sliding so near his own, the slow roll of hips, the flush of skin. The heat of the fire was too hot, his palm on Laurent’s flank feeling the muscle’s rhythmic flex there. Looking up at Laurent, Damen’s own eyes were showing more than he knew, showing everything, and Laurent was responding, thrusting against him."
That was how Damen perceived it all. Everything was literally "magnified" for him. Everything was intensified: his emotional feelings, physical sensations. It was described in a very raw, tangible, physical way, which aligned with Damen's observant and physical nature. Laurent's cock sliding near his own, the roll of hips, the flush of skin, the muscle's rhythmic flex on Laurent's flank while Laurent thrusted against him. Damen was taking it all in. All of it was arousing for him, truly.
This passage alone is strong enough to debunk the claims (that I also saw on Twitter) saying that Damen would “only” enjoy switching because he enjoys doing everything with Laurent and it would be “only” that purely romantic gesture out of love. Though it would be romantic, and Damen would want it because he loves Laurent, the inn scene proved his sexual desire was genuine – physical, carnal, not only romantic, not some kind of sacrifice for love or just "puppy love devotion" only. Damen is the man highly connected to his physicality, and in that moment, his physicality was tuned to Laurent's perfectly. And he was lost in it, with "the heat of the fire too hot."
The inn scene is both hot and romantic, just like all their lovemaking scenes are. Damen looked up at Laurent, and his eyes were "showing more than he knew, showing everything." Showing that he enjoyed it, wanted it. That for him it was about something deeper than casual teasing over switching or grinding with no underlying levels. And so, Laurent was responding, thrusting against him. This was absolutely mutual, from start to finish. I cannot say who wanted it more – because they both wanted it equally; they were emotionally and physically in sync; they were thinking about the exact same thing.
And only after that passage did Damen "heard himself say" the "As you'd be mine" line. Even the choice of words in "heard himself say" instead of simply "said" indicated how raw that was, uncontrolled, unfiltered, pure feeling, with Damen being too overwhelmed at this point.
When Laurent said "I thought that in Akielos, a First Night was special", Damen responded with "For a slave it is. For a slave it means everything". Needless to say, in this emotional context, Damen was not simply explaining the tradition to Laurent or implying that it was special only for a slave, but not for him. Damen got what Laurent was trying to do here, what he actually meant behind that dry teasing – alluding to their past. And Damen reciprocated.
Damen surrendered, yielded to Laurent in those words. Damen put himself into the position of that "slave" for whom it would mean everything to be taken by his master, because for Damen it would mean everything to be taken by Laurent. That was what he truly conveyed in his words, using their past just like Laurent to express a deeper message. It was not about actual inequality. It was not about Damen specifically “only” wanting Laurent to take him "like a master takes a slave." It was that Damen confessed what it would mean to him, and that was what made Laurent lose it.
Damen's own arousal "spiraled out of control." "Climax hit even though they were not inside each other’s bodies, but joined together, one." Damen came here, in this scene, just like Laurent did. And if you remember, in PG, during their first time, when Laurent was grinding on Damen's lap (and came from it as they touched and kissed), Damen thought about how he himself needed more stimulation to come. Laurent was sensitive, having denied himself such stimulation for years for obvious reasons. While Damen was experienced and sexually active for most of his life.
However, in the inn scene, Damen seemed to have reached climax with little to zero stimulation at all. Sure, he may have jerked himself off in the end and the author left it undescribed, but even the choice to leave it completely undescribed speaks volumes. There is no mention of Damen touching himself. It is possible that he comes mostly just from Laurent thrusting against him, not even inside him.
His arousal is so strong he doesn't need active stimulation, and if he does touch himself and the author just doesn't mention it, the truth still stands – the focus is on how aroused Damen is from all of it – the conversation, Laurent thrusting on top of him, while the descriptions of whether or how he pleasures himself do not matter narratively.
They were not inside each other's bodies, but "joined together, one." Another brilliant line that solidified the mutuality of the scene. Laurent then turned his head, feeling vulnerable. And only after he left for the towels, did Damen return to reality, as before, he'd been completely consumed by the intimacy. "With Laurent gone, he felt the warmth of the fire once again against his skin, and heard the crack and spark of its flame."
Section 2.2 Additional points for Damen
Just like with Laurent, the main argument for why Damen needed to bottom stays the same: he wanted it. And nobody's forcing him into it or saying that he "must" do it. There are additional points, adding to his already evident desire.
CULTURE, MASCULINITY, UPBRINGING
Damen was raised in Akielos – the country inspired by Ancient Greece. In Ancient Greece, apart from places like Sparta, same-sex sexual relationships were accepted only under specific conditions. It was okay for a grown, free man to top but not to bottom. Bottoming was reserved for younger boys, slaves; it was considered something shameful, unmanly, and unacceptable for an adult man of a high social status.
Akielon culture prized masculinity and raw strength. Damen grew up in that environment. As a crown prince, he couldn't have possibly bottomed for anyone – not his pleasure slaves, not regular people, not even his close assistants. Even in the ring, he would simply overpower gladiators who stood no chance against him, and then he’d top them – the victor claiming the defeated.
He may genuinely not have wanted to bottom – but he also couldn't do it, had no opportunity, and I dare say, he couldn't imagine it because he'd simply never met someone equal, someone he would fall for hard, lust for much, and want to bottom for. He'd probably never thought he could meet that someone, but he did.
And as he did, as he was put into the situation and position that provoked those thoughts, his desire flared instantly at the idea. He didn't even have to face some kind of strong internal conflict – not in that scene, at least. Despite his established past behavior, he was swept away by the moment and the feelings it awakened in him, naturally.
VULNERABILITY
Damen, brought up in that already pressuring environment, wanted to appease his father and brother. His brother stabbed him when he was just thirteen, and Damen took it as an honor, as something that would make him stronger, more of a man. Damen needed to bottom because he was sincerely, strongly willing to surrender himself to Laurent completely, in the rawest way. Despite the culture he was raised in, his upbringing, despite all of that traditional virility he holds.
Some argue Damen is already emotionally vulnerable for Laurent (including when he tops him) and that it is enough. And though Damen is indeed emotionally vulnerable for Laurent, bottoming would be an entirely another form of vulnerability for Damen – both emotional (tied to the core of who he’d believed himself to be) and physical.
PHYSICALITY
As I already mentioned, Damen is a very "physical" man, connected to his own physicality, his physical environment, his body, his strength. Imagine what it would mean for a man like Damen to give himself over physically, to yield eagerly, just like he wanted to, knowing that Laurent is just the perfect person, the only person who can hold that vulnerability with reverence and devotion, who can love him through it just like Damen loves Laurent when he takes him. I'd known viscerally that Damen would welcome this kind of unraveling beneath Laurent even before I read that inn scene, because it was always pretty much in-character and aligned with how he viewed Laurent and what he felt for him.
NEW STRENGTH
Damen could also discover a new kind of strength in bottoming, unexpected. Bottoming does not always mean surrender, and it certainly does not equal weak. As proven by Laurent. It's not necessarily about teasing or power bottoming even. It's about finding that new, unique power in it. Power to trust your lover completely, to give and take in equal measure, to let someone you love inside you knowing you're making the right choice.
PAST EXPERIENCES
As we know, before Laurent, he’d preferred women, had female lovers like Jokaste. He slept with men on rare occasions, his experiences limited in comparison. Hard to imagine him as the crown prince bottom or desire to bottom for a male slave or a gladiator he just easily subdued in the ring. Although Damen had always preferred women, the love of his life is a man. In the same way, despite never having wanted to bottom before Laurent, he wanted it with him – and Damen's history only intensified the desire, making it more special. That is why the idea of the mutual First Night feels so meaningful – it is simply deeply romantic to be each other’s first.
SEX, INTIMACY & LOVE
Another theme I need to cover is Damen's overall history with sex and love of all kinds. Before Laurent, Damen had never been truly loved like that – cherished, comforted, taken care of. Laurent had Auguste who showed him familial love. Damen did not have someone like that. He had a cruel, treacherous brother, an ex who betrayed him.
Damen had been sexually active since he was thirteen. No matter the times or his eagerness, that is still very young – and I doubt it exclusively took the form of healthy teen romances with his peers. He was probably doing it with the slaves, growing up around them, trapped in those Akielon ideals of dominance along the way. Yes, he was a boy in his puberty and obviously wanted it in the earnest, but we cannot deny the cultural influence that may’ve also pushed him in that direction.
Sexual intimacy must have been the only intimacy he'd known, but it had never reached the same level of honesty and reciprocation that it did with Laurent. It was mostly just seeking pleasure, and when Damen tried to seek solace through it, to give love (as when taking Jokaste, making love to her), he couldn't achieve that level of true connection, still.
Damen needed to bottom because, though he enjoys giving love overall and through topping, he deserved to be cherished, to receive love like that too, from Laurent, who would want to give it to him. Laurent loves, cherishes and comforts him in other ways already, yes, and through bottoming for him too. This is not the only or mandatory way, but this is the way they both were ready to embrace.
GIVING PLEASURE
And speaking of Damen's known in-bed habits to give pleasure, he needed to bottom because that would be yet another way to give Laurent pleasure, make him come undone, and Damen would be happy to do so, while Laurent does the same for him.
Part 3. The Final Point
THE EQUALITY
And in the end, they reach complete equality. Yes, I will never stop saying that; I will not shy away from the truth – they reach complete equality in every aspect of their lives and relationship when they switch in bed.
And NO, this is NOT about dom/sub stuff at all. This is NOT about bottoming being "less" than topping or "weak." That is completely NOT WHAT I mean. Laurent is not weaker for bottoming. Laurent is not less of a man for bottoming. Topping is not some kind of a milestone he must achieve. Damen topping does not mean he is not vulnerable or trusting or open for Laurent because he literally always is.
Topping does not equal "dominating" and bottoming does not equal "subbing." And when I say they reach full equality when switching, I do not mean they are not fully equal now because there is a "dom" and a "sub," or a "man" and a "woman" in their relationship.
This is not that. There is no dom and sub in their romantic and sexual relationship, even if they don't switch. They are both men (and it's not that being a woman would be less or wrong or equal to sub – absolutely not, it's just that they are men).
By the equality they reach if they switch, I mean that they both GET TO KNOW what it feels like physically, emotionally, and mentally to take your lover and to be taken by him; to be inside your lover, claim him, come in him, pleasure him like that, and to let your lover inside, welcome him, open up for him, give yourself to him. To find power and vulnerability in both topping and bottoming, to express their love in both ways, to connect completely as their sex was always about that – connection, making love. They would both experience it, with each other, and that would make them completely equal.
They do not have to do it. They are not obligated to do it.
They want to do it. They need to do it. And they deserve to do it.