*
I slept well, for a change. Maybe it was because I'd been up and about so much and exhausted myself. I slept so well, in fact, that I ignored the first alarm I set for myself and kept on sleeping. I wasn't really all that hungry for dinner anyway. In reality, I was too nervous to eat. What if Master Richard didn't end up catching my cold and this whole day turned out to be nothing more than a pointless, worry-filled waste of time? Or what if he did and got sicker, developed complications or something like that?
When my second alarm went off, I smacked it with my paw and immediately reached for the tissue box, though I didn't make it in time. “ehhhhhhIHHPTShhoooo! EhhhhPTschhhhhhhhh!” I sneezed freely, resisting the urge to immediately nuzzle my drippy nose into my warm, dry pillow. Instead, I propped myself up on an elbow and pulled tissues from the box. A couple blows later, and my nose felt worse, not better. “ehhhTChooo! Ehhchuhhhh! Ehhhhh... ehhhh-YIHschuhhhhh!” My head and nose both throbbed, so very full of congestion that had settled while I had slept. There were only a couple options right now—I could keep sneezing and blowing and sneezing and blowing, or I could try to actually do something about it.
So I trudged down the hall to the bathroom. A shower was just the thing to calm my nerves regarding tonight and clear a little of the congestion in my head. I sniffled and snorted in the shower as the steam made my nose run, and I was without a tissue or handkerchief . I couldn't help but think about the way my Dom used to always have a towel ready for me when I stepped out of a shower. Grabbing my own towel and wrapping it around my waist wasn't exactly the same.
Back in my room, I stood in front of my closet for a while, trying to decide what to wear. Putting on my skin-tight, black leather uniform was the last thing I wanted to do after wearing pajamas and an over-sized bathrobe all day, but I did want to make it clear to Master Richard's submissive that I was also a sub here with the pack. I didn't want him to feel threatened by me or, worse, feel like I was competition. Like I'd told Howl, I wasn't interested in Master Richard as a Dom. After giving it considerable thought, I put on something in the middle—dark washed jeans and a white tank top. I put on a hoodie as well, planning to take it off before heading in to see the sub but feeling too cold to walk through the halls without it. I shoved handfuls of tissues into the pockets of the hooded sweatshirt, so I would be prepared when I next sneezed. Last, I picked up the silver chain and dog tags I normally kept on my nightstand. I put them around my neck and tucked the tags under the hoodie and the tank so only the chain could be seen. I could still feel them, though, the metal warming against my body. It almost felt as though Lewis were with me, lending me his strength and his sense. My Dom might not be in my life any more, but in this way he was always with me.
As I headed downstairs, more sneezes snuck back up on me. I tried to scrub them away with my paw, knowing that I'd draw too much attention to myself if I sneezed now. But the feeling was sharp and insistent, working it way through my muzzle and tickling my nose terribly. So I pressed a tissue hard to my nose and tried to keep them small, at least. “ehhhhh-ynnghh! ehhh-hngghh! eh ehhh ehh ehh ytttphhh!”
I froze, ears twitching, listening for any sound. All it would take was one sub from the floor above to investigate the stairway or one Dom from the floor above to explore, and for certain I would be asked what I was doing heading toward work when I had a bad head cold. But no one appeared. Realizing I'd been holding my breath, I let it out slowly and then continued on my way.
The club was a well-oiled machine. And even though it was relatively early in the evening, it was already fully operational. About half of the scene rooms were currently in use, with Doms checking in at Mrs. J's desk to find out their room assignments and subs scampering around the rooms to check on subs and inform the Doms of any special requests. Master Richard and his client had been assigned to room five, and I was relieved to find Howl was in charge of that room tonight. He and I exchanged knowing looks as I headed in, and I knew he'd be giving us the privacy we were going to need.
Master Richard was already there, waiting anxiously, but his sub wasn't here yet. He paced around like a wolf trapped in a cage, checking the equipment and supplies and then double-checking them. A nervous, insecure Dom was a strange sight to see indeed. I didn't know what I could do for him, so I just hung back and tried to keep out of his way and blew my nose a whole lot. I definitely didn't imagine the way Master Richard's ears twitched, turning slightly in my direction to listen every time I did so.
It wasn't long before the door opened and a tall, white rabbit hopped into the room. For as nervous as Master Richard was, his sub was bouncy with excitement. He was handsome, with an adorable pink nose and long ears that flopped over halfway. He noticed me at once but didn't hesitate to strip down to nothing and drop to his knees in the middle of the room.
“Good boy,” Master Richard said, stalking over, circling, then stopping in front of the rabbit. He touched two fingers to the bottom of the sub's face and guided his head up so he could look his sub in the eye. “Before we start tonight, there's someone I'd like you to meet.” He gestured for me to come over, so I did. I kept my distance, but there was still no disguising my appearance. The soft red of my nostrils. The tiredness in my eyes. He had to have suspected I was ill. “This is Nose. He's one of the pack subs. And he's got a bit of a head cold today.”
The sub's eyes light up automatically. He looked from me to his Dom and back again. “Really?”
As if to prove it, I lifted a finger to my nose and sniffled. The sub's ears twitched. As did his dick.
“Absolutely,” Master Richard said. “Now, he wants to have a few words with you before we get started with the scene today. It doesn't matter what you've told me in the past. This is your scene and your choice now. And you can always safeword and stop what's happening at any point. But I want you to be honest and open with him, all right? You won't disappoint me, no matter what you say or decide.”
His sub answered automatically. “Yes, Sir. I understand.”
“Good. I'm going to let you two speak privately now. Nose? Come get me when you're finished, all right?”
I nodded and waited for him to leave. He turned around and strode from the room at once, not so much as giving a visual hint or a whispered command to his sub about how he should respond to me. I was reassured by this. “Hi,” I said to the rabbit, keeping my distance. I stood with one arm flat against my side. My other arm was bent, the hand tightly gripping the other arm. “Whed Baster Richard foud out I had a cold, he asked be if I'd—”
“Sneeze on him?” The rabbit finished for me. “So that he can catch your cold and give it to me?”
I nodded. “Is that truly what you wadt?”
He sighed dreamily. “I want him to make me sneeze every way possible. I want to catch his cold. I want to feel it in my nose.”
“You... ehhh...” My breath caught, and I tried for a moment to fight it, lifting my paw up to my nose to apply some pressure. But that didn't seem to do anything. With the other hand I dug a tissue out of my pocket and held it to my muzzle. “ehhh-Htchhuffffffff!” I wiped and noticed how he was staring at every movement I made with something like envy and longing in his expression. “You realize you're goidg to be sick? Dot just sdeezig but headaches add coughs add a sore throat? That it wod't just be here id a scene for fud but sobethig that lasts a week or two?”
“I do,” he said. “And I can't wait. I've got plenty of sick days accumulated at work. Whatever misery I might feel when I'm sick will be worth it. I want him to give me his cold. I want to be helpless and sneezy and stuffed-up just for him. And I'll get to feel it for days.”
He couldn't be more clear in what he wanted, but I just wanted to be sure. “I deed you to give your full, exblicit codsedt.”
“I give it. I want Master Richard to be sick and sneezing on me so I'll catch his cold and sneeze for him.”
I believed him. He sounded genuine. And, besides, his dick was hard just from talking about it; you couldn't easily fake that, not even on a Dom's command.
“Will you do it for us?” he asked me. His deep blue eyes were pleading now. “Please?”
I had one final question for him, though. “What if I do this add Baster Richard doesd't cobe dowd sick? Or if he does add you dod't?”
The rabbit smiled. “Then at least we tried, and it'll mean a lot to me that you did what you could. Maybe one day he'll catch another cold, and we'll try again. I'm just thrilled to get an opportunity now.”
That was all I needed to hear. “Great. I'll go get Baster Richard, all right?”
He nodded and dropped his head back into a submissive stance, chin to chest, to wait for his Dom.
I stuck my head out into the hallway and found Master Richard leaning against the wall outside the room. He hadn't even been watching through the window in the door. He looked nervous, though, at the sight of me.
Not wanting to cause any more anxiety, I told him right away. “I'll do it. Sniff!”
A relieved smile spread across his face. “That's great, Nose. Thank you.” And, before I could stop him, he hugged me to him. “I appreciate this more than you can imagine.”
I was pretty sure I could imagine a lot at this point, but I didn't say so.
“Just give me a few minutes to play with him and if he's the good little sub for me, this will be his reward.”
After the hug, he walked around me, heading back inside. But I reached out and grabbed his arm, holding him in place for a moment. I dropped my voice down to the softest of whispers, which wasn't easy because it was raspy and stuffy. “Be careful.”
He was still smiling—grinning, really. “Don't need to be. The whole point is to catch this from you!”
But I shook my head. “I bead your sub. Be careful with his heart.”
Master Richard looked at me for a full minute, considering carefully what I'd said. Then he nodded.
He led the way back into the room and, once I was inside as well, closed the door behind us. He ignored his still kneeling submissive entirely at first, focusing on me but narrating every move so that his sub would hear. “C'mere, Nose. Let's find you somewhere to sit down, 'cause I know you're not feeling good. How about...” He rolled a stool over to a side wall, and I sat down on it, leaning against the wall a little but keeping my balance. “And here's a tissue box.” I couldn't help notice how he touched me now as he got me set up. Just little pats to my arm or my cheek. He was making it clear now there was no safe zone between us now. He was going to get close if he wanted to, and I was meant to let him. “If you gotta sneeze, just sneeze.” And when he smiled at me this time, I knew it was just for me, not his sub. “This is a safe space. No sneezes are embarrassing here. Just let 'em out however they come. No need to apologize.”
Then he left me and walked in circles around his sub. My Dom used to do that, too. I'd always imagined he did it to buy himself time to figure out exactly what to do with me. Whenever I deserved a punishment, I noticed that he would circle for an especially long time. He had always been sure of himself when delivering any sort of command or any punishment, though. I'd never had cause to see Lewis as weak or conflicted. My Dom had always known best.
And so, it seemed, did Master Richard. “Cologne, I think.”
His sub made a needy, excited sound. “But your cologne makes my nose tickle so much, Sir.”
“I know it does.” He put his hand on his sub's head and slid it down until he was cupping the rabbit's cheek. “It makes your nose tickle and itch and run. And I don't want you to touch your nose at all.” The rabbit shivered in anticipation. “No matter how bad your nose gets, I don't want you rubbing or wiping or anything. You have to ask me. And maybe I'll do it for you, if I decide you deserve it. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“If you're good, I'll give you a treat. Your treat will be getting to watch as Nose gives me his sneezy head cold. But if you disobey me, I'll have to tie your paws behind your back, and maybe we'll just let Nose go back to his bed.”
With a whimper, his sub raised his head, looking up at him with hungry, eager eyes. “I'll be good, Sir.”
“Even when you're so sneezy and your nose is dripping and tickling and you know you could make it feel all better if only you ran your hand under your nose?”
He whimpered again. “Even then, Sir.”
“ehhh-YIHChihhhhh!”
Both of them looked over at me. The sneeze had been quick, but I could have covered it if I'd wanted to. Master Richard had told me I shouldn't, though. It had felt strange to sneeze so openly, but the way both men were grinning at me made me feel a little less self-conscious about it.
Master Richard chuckled. “Can you resist the urge to rub your nose, even with Nose over there sneezing and rubbing his own whenever he likes?” He raised his head, looking over at me. “You all right over there, Nose?”
I played my part well, scrubbing my paw at my nose dramatically and sniffling into the fur. “Snff I'b snff snfffff all right. Sniff! Just snrff feelig snffff a little sniff ticklish sniff sniff SNIFF add sdeezy.”
I saw the sub chew on his bottom lip, his large front teeth worrying it. “I... can control myself, Sir. You... you know I can.”
“Very good.” And he reached down with his other hand, passing his wrist under his sub's nose. I realized, probably at the same time as his sub did, that Master Richard had already applied the cologne. He'd known he'd wanted to play like this since before he'd walked into the scene tonight. I couldn't help but respect that level of planning. He really was an excellent Dom.
The sub's cute little pink nose was already twitching from the scent, which he must have been terribly allergic to it. I wondered how long it had taken them to discover that, whether the sub had told them or they'd taken to experimenting with different scents. I don't think it was for me, but I was beginning to see why they liked this sneezing element so much in their play.
“ihhh Ih Ihh I've got ihhh an ihhhhh-itchy n-n-n-nnng! IH IHH IHCHEW!”
Master Richard didn't so much as flinch at being sneezed on, which made me feel a little better about what was in store for him when he was ready for me. And his sub didn't squirm or try to wipe his nose, even though it had to feel wet now, after such a wet sneeze. Poor rabbit. I wondered if Master Richard had thought to bring enough tissues, or if he was counting on borrowing some from the box I had in my lap.
“ihhh IHChhhh! IHCHEW! IHHSHEW!” He lifted a paw instinctively but put it back down again before it got to his face. I noticed. So, it seemed, did Master Richard.
“No touching,” he reminded his sub. “That's my job, isn't it?” He grabbed for something next to him and a moment later he had tissues bunched in his hand. Gently, he rubbed and wiped and even let his sub blow a couple times. But then the sub pulled back, eyes closing and body shaking with deep, desperate, involuntary gasps.
It took me a few moments to realize that he must have sprayed the cologne on the tissues. What a trick! But his submissive didn't seem to mind. In fact, he was grinning even though his face was contorted into an about-to-sneeze sort of expression. “ihhh! IHH HIHCHEW! IHCHEW! IHHSHhhh Ihhhh IHCHEW!”
Just being around those sneezes made my cold-filled nose tickle a little in sympathy or need or just coincidence. I started to pull a tissue out of the box, but then I remembered what Master Richard had told me. So I decided it would be good practice to keep sneezing freely, and I merely closed my eyes. “ehhhh-EHShuhhhhhhh!” I sneezed, immediately, cupping my paw to my nose and wishing I'd gotten that tissue out after all. There was too much mess to pull my paw away, so I snuck the tissue in-between and blew immediately. My nose felt warm and sore when I blew hard, but I didn't have much of a choice. And it felt so much better when I'd gotten the worst cleared from it. There was nowhere to dispose of the tissue, so I stuffed it in the pocket of my jeans, making a bulge close to where another bulge might have been if I'd been as turned on as the two of them.
They were both hard, the rabbit's erection certainly evident and also glistening with a drop or two of pre-come, from what I could see. Master Richard was hard as well, and the bulge in his tight leather pants looked like it just wanted to escape and plant itself in his sub's gentle, white fur. Perhaps it wasn't just his sub who was feeling attraction.
“IHH... IHCHHHHHHH!” The sub sneezed again, wetly, his nose practically streaming. I could almost feel his need to wipe his nose dry. He slid his paws under his legs, trapping them there to prevent himself from letting his master down. It was a little like cheating, perhaps, but Master Richard hadn't said he couldn't. And he didn't say anything about it now. But he did drop carefully to his hands and knees. He sniffed at his sub, as if trying to identify him. Then he gave his sub a nuzzling sort of rub. I thought it was sweet, affectionate, but I didn't realize until a moment later that he was actually sharing the scent slathered on his neck with his sub.
The sub's whole body swayed, trembling with the overwhelming need to sneeze. “IHHH! IHH! IHHH! HIHHH!” He buried his nose in Master Richard's fur. “IHHCHHIFFF! HIHHCHEFFFF! HIHHSHHFFF!” He rubbed and snuffled and sneezed some more. “Ihhhhhh IHHSHHHH! IHHHSHHHH! IH IH IH IH IHHHHCHFFFFFFFFF!”
Master Richard pulled back, replacing his cologne-soaked neck with another set of tissues. These ones didn't make his sub sneeze at all, though. “Bless you. Bless you. You were so good for me,” Master Richard whispered. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to listen or not, so I busied myself with blowing my own runny nose. But I couldn't help noticing the way the sub rocked in his arms, trying to calm his body down sexually. And I saw the way Master Richard pulled his sub's paws out and kissed them, praising their restraint.
“I think you definitely deserve a treat now,” Master Richard said, louder now so that I would hear. The sub gasped excitedly as Master Richard got up. He stepped back, enough to put a good distance between the two of them but still letting himself be seen. If this was his sub's treat, he wanted his sub to have the best seat in the house to watch this.
Nervous, I left my spot on the stool and came over to him. I had spent so long today thinking about if I should really do this or not that I'd forgotten to think about how to do this. I wish he and I had discussed this beforehand. Did he just want me to sneeze on him, or did he want something more intimate? I could lick him perhaps? I felt strange and spotlighted and awkward as I walked over to him. I didn't even know where he wanted me to stand.
But I shouldn't have worried. Master Richard was in full-on dominance mode right now. It was in his nature to lead me and direct me exactly where he wanted me. “Are you all right?” he asked me, stepping close and rubbing his hand up and down my back. “Are you still willing to do this? It's okay if you aren't.” He asked this as if I could possibly say no right now with his sub watching eagerly. But that was the kind of Dom he was, wanting to make sure there was consent, just like I had wanted to earlier with his sub.
“Absolutely,” I replied, trying to tap into the confidence he was exuding, trying to pretend this was just a scene I was playing with a Dom instead of some strange arrangement on display. But even though I felt safe and encouraged, I still felt the immense pressure.
“Good.” He moved in close and put his paws on my hips, squaring off with me. “Now, when you feel the need to sneeze or cough or sniffle, just go ahead and do it. In the meantime...” He removed one of his paws momentarily to locate something in his pocket. I heard a soft click. Catchy dance club pop music started playing in the room, filling the silence.
I had to laugh. This wasn't the sort of music I normally listened to, but it was familiar enough and upbeat. There was nothing soft and sweet about it, nothing romantic or classical. I think it probably put us all at ease. In fact, Master Richard started singing along.
He had a great voice. At the recognizable easy-to-get-stuck-in-head sort of chorus, his sub joined in. I felt the pressure of the moment melt away. I felt myself smiling. This was still one of the strangest situations I'd ever found myself in, but this was making it feel kind of fun. It was a BDSM club-turned-karaoke bar. Not that I could ever tell any of the subs about this, except the two who already knew. I didn't want to be a topic of gossip this week.
A light tickle started to build in my nose, but I didn't want them to get their hopes up in case it went away. But I could feel it tickling, getting stronger and stronger. Before today, I never would have paid such attention to sneezing. It was just something that happened. Except to these two, it was something magical and exciting. And... and it was about to happen. “ehhh-EHShuhhhhh!”
They both went silent, staring right at me.
I sniffed, feeling self-conscious.
But Master Richard lifted a paw to my nose, pressing, wiping. “Thanks, pup,” he said softly, almost reverently.
“Still... sniff!” I rubbed my nose against his paw, the fur soft and warm against my sore nostrils. “Still feel... sdeezy,” I informed them.
The sub sat back on his heels, running his hands up and down his thighs with anticipation, but he looked weak and needy, like he was going to overdose on pleasure just from those words. Master Richard grinned and lifted my head, pointing it at his own face. “Good,” he told me. And I wondered, briefly, if there were anything now that I could possibly do that wouldn't be good in his view.
Deciding that there wasn't anything, and not being able to control the urge to sneeze anyway, I just relaxed and let my cold take control. “ehhhhhhhhh H'Tchhhhhh! HehYIHShhhhhh! ehhh-Yehchooo! EhhhShooo! Ehhhhh...”
“More?” he whispered in disbelief, but I couldn't open my eyes just yet. I just felt too sneezy.
“ehhh-EHShuhhhh! YIHShhhhh!”
Finally, I opened my eyes. Master Richard's face glistened. His tongue hung languidly from his grinning mouth. And his eyes shone with gratitude and joy.
“Bless you,” the rabbit piped up sweetly.
Master Richard wiped my nose with his paw and then his arm. It needed a lot of wiping, truthfully. I sniffled and nuzzled and really needed to blow my nose.
“Here,” Master Richard produced a clean, folded handkerchief. He unfolded it with a flourish and held it to my nose. “Go on and blow.”
It was lovely and soft but, I discovered, not very thick. I'm sure I got his paw wet as I blew. In any other circumstance, I would have been mortified. But he didn't mind. He held it unflinchingly at my nose until I stopped blowing and felt like I could breathe a little easier again. My head was still stuffed-up with this cold, and my nose still felt tickly and drippy. But I felt better.
In fact, I felt kind of good, looking at the way he grinned at me, gave my nose a final wipe, and then stuck a finger in his mouth. His submissive whimpered a little at this. And, I admit, the visual was kind of a mix of hot and teasing at the same time. But it was definitely not a look I expected to see from a Dom. And I realized, then, that I was the one in control here, not him. Master Richard needed me. Master Richard was at my mercy. Slowly, I smiled. “I'b godda bake you sdeeze,” I told him. I saw his eyes dilate. I saw his snout wrinkle slightly. “You're godda catch by terrible cold, add thed you'll sdeeze so buch. There's do stobbig it dow. I'b... I'b...”
The momentary control I'd felt over the situation started to ebb. I didn't want to sneeze again so soon, but I didn't have much of a choice. “eh! Ehhh! Ehhhhhhhhh eh eh yehhhh-YEHShuhhhh!” I sneezed into his face. He gasped, inhaling sharply but deeply. I reached down for his paw, bringing it to my face as though I were going to kiss it, but instead pressed it to my runny nose. “I'b godda get you sick with by awful cold.”
“Fuck yes!” Master Richard exclaimed involuntarily. He rubbed at my streaming nose with his hand, swiping fingers under each nostril multiple times. But he also moved in closer, so every breath I breathed was into his face. And I could feel his body press against my front, harder than I ever would have guessed. He wrapped an arm around me, holding me close, rubbing up against me. It was like he wanted to be as close to the germs as possible and didn't know how else to do it without actually being inside me. I glanced over at his sub, wondering if the rabbit might be jealous. But he looked just as eager as Master Richard—maybe even more.
The post-nasal drip made me cough in his face, made me transform back into a submissive. It was just as well. I wouldn't have been able to keep that control up for long; it just wasn't in my nature. “Gotta blow by cough dose agaid.”
He lifted the handkerchief into place. Parts of it were still wet right through, but other parts were still dry, and that was what he surrounded my nose with for me. I took a deep breath and blew. He massaged and wiped and let me blow again and again. And, when I was done, when my breathing finally returned to normal and that horrible wet scratchiness was gone from the back of my throat, he moved in for a kiss.
My nose bumped his. My tongue lapped at his. And my cold became his.
Maybe it had been his ever since he'd spotted me that morning. Maybe it was always supposed to be this way. Maybe this had been inevitable.
But it was a heady feeling, kissing a Dom again, kissing anyone again, really. The love and passion I'd always felt with Lewis wasn't there. But I won't pretend it didn't feel good.
It felt good to be needed again, even if this really was the last way I ever would have imagined it.
He kissed me hungrily for much longer than I'd expected. My nose started to fill, started to make it hard to breathe, and I knew I'd have to be the one to break this off. So I pulled back, gasping and feeling the tickle flare up in my nose again. “ehhh-CHIHHH! YEHHSHUHHH!”
Before either of us could do anything for my nose, he kissed me again. I coughed into his mouth, fighting for breath, starting to pull away from him. Then I felt the handkerchief again, with yet another surprisingly dry portion, and I felt his fingers pressing on either side of my nose, encouraging me to blow and clear it again. Which I did.
And, when I was done, I opened my eyes to see him drying off his face with the same handkerchief, which he pocketed. While his hand was there, he switched off the background music. “Feeling okay, pup?”
I nodded.
“Need anything? Tissues?”
I nodded again. “As lodg as they're dot soaked id cologde.”
He laughed and shoved a whole bunch of tissues into my hands. “I need to look after Nathaniel for a minute,” he whispered to me. “You call out if you need me, okay?”
I nodded a third time.
“Thank you,” he said, petting my head. “Thank you for every bit of that.”
And then he pulled away completely, making me shiver at the sudden absence of his warmth. I plucked one of the tissues out of the bunch and wiped my nose. Then I looked over at Master Richard and his sub and the intimate sight brought a stab of pain to my chest.
The rabbit nuzzled his face into the space between Master Richard's neck and shoulders, where it fit perfectly. Master Richard's arms were around him, stroking his back. The sub was shaking a little, overwhelmed. I knew that feeling all too well. He needed grounding. He needed reassurance. He needed his Dom.
I saw one ear bend and rest on top of Master Richard's head. I saw two of Master Richard's fingers rub a circle into his arm. I saw the rabbit's fluffy white tail wiggle. I saw Master Richard's body rise and fall with a deep, satisfied breath, taking his sub's body with him, held tight against him. They stayed like that for a few minutes, just touching and breathing together. Then Master Richard's hand tightened at the nape of his sub's neck, massaging. And the sub lifted his head, smiling. His eyes twinkled, wet but pleased. His nose twitched and Master Richard smiled and nodded. Then he effortlessly pulled the rabbit up to his feet.
Silently, he helped his sub dress. He gave little nudges to indicate how his sub should move, and the rabbit obeyed perfectly. The sub kept moving in for nuzzles and Master Richard returned the nuzzling or stroked the back of his head. “I'll call you immediately if I start coming down sick,” Master Richard told him.
“I'll keep all my nights open. But I'll understand if it doesn't happen this time, Sir. I appreciate you trying.”
Just watching the two of them together--the easy way they communicated through looks and touches, the effortless and instinctual way the sub responded to his Dom—it brought back sensations and memories so quickly I didn't know how to handle them. I felt my eyes filling with tears. I felt the pain stabbing at my chest. And I felt my throat closing up to air. Panicking and not wanting to let them see me cry, I fled from the room. I stopped just outside the doorway, leaning against the wall to keep from falling down. Dizziness and uncertainty danced around in my head. Any moment now I was either going to pass out or completely lose control, and I wasn't sure I'd be able to choose which it would be.
Suddenly Master Richard and his sub were coming out of the doorway together. “See you soon,” he said, seductively, and tapped his nose.
The rabbit grinned broadly. “I can't wait.” Then he nodded at me. “Thanks again. You've no idea what this means to me!”
Absolutely certain I would start crying if I uttered a single word, I just raised my paw and waved back. I tried to smile, but I wasn't sure I succeeded. I felt the corners of my mouth twitch. I felt tears spilling from my eyes. I felt my whole body tremble.
Master Richard gave his submissive one more hug. When his sub was gone, he turned around to face me. “Really, thanks, Nose. I...” He trailed off as he took a look at me. His breath caught. “Nose?”
And that's when I lost it. Gut-wrenching sobs tore their way out of me. I just stood there, bawling, in the hallway.
That is, until Master Richard stepped swiftly in front of me. His arms were bent at the elbows but they pressed on either side of my body as he pressed his front against mine. Then he glided me back into the scene room. He didn't change his hold of me, so he wasn't able to close the door behind us, and he only brought us just far enough inside so that people walking down the hallway couldn't see us. And there we stood together, me sobbing uncontrollably into his chest, and him just holding me close.
He didn't try to soothe me or quiet me. He didn't even stroke my back or tell me I'd be okay. He just held me with his strong arms and let me cry it all out. So that's just what I did. I cried about losing my Dom. I cried about missing Lewis so much it hurt. I sneezed a few times as well, right into his fur, but he didn't so much as flinch. I cried and cried until I had nothing left inside me.
“There now,” he said, leaning back. “Is this... do you feel guilty?”
I gasped for breath. “Guilty?” my voice was weak and wobbly, so uncertain and confused.
“For spreading your cold to me, knowing that I was going to give it to my submissive.”
I shook my head. “Doe... that... that was beautiful. I'b hodored to... heh-YIHSHHHHHH!” I sneezed, spraying Master Richard's face suddenly. “Oh! Oh sorry!”
He licked his lips and breathed in deeply, but he made no move to wipe his face. “Don't be sorry, pup. The whole point was for me to catch your cold, remember? This is just a little icing on the cake to make sure. Sneeze on me as much as you like.” He rubbed a paw up and down my back. “So if you didn't feel guilty, what were the tears about then?”
“I...” I was pretty sure I couldn't cry any more even if I tried, but my voice still trembled as if tears were somehow almost upon me once more. “Seeidg what you two have bade be biss by Dob so buch!” And then, impossibly, I burst into tears again.
“Oh... oh pup.” His arms wrapped all the way around me now and he pulled me aside, bringing me to the recovery corner. He wrapped one of the blankets around me and then cradled me tight in his arms, rocking back and forth as I cried some more. Luckily, the one thing that was in stock here were tissues, and he used some to catch my tears and wipe my nose, which was running badly from all of this. “Do you want me to call an Alpha to come take care of you tonight?”
An Alpha would be able to look after me tonight the way a Dom couldn't, the way Master Richard couldn't. But I didn't want to be evaluated, didn't want them to know how heartsick I still was. If they decided it was best for me to leave the pack, I wasn't sure I could handle that kind of rejection on top of this rotten cold. So I shook my head. Perhaps offering to pass me on to an Alpha was his way of getting rid of me tonight, after all this?
“I'b sorry,” I told him. “I'b wastig all your tibe.”
“No,” he said firmly but reassuringly, so there was no misunderstanding him. “You're not. I have all the time in the world for you. I'm here as long as you need me.”
I needed him. Of course I did. But he already had two subs falling for him. He didn't need another. I could see how easy it would be to respond to him, though. Master Richard was genuine, commanding, protective. Master Richard had a way of making you feel more important than anything else. He probably didn't even realize he was doing it; his dominance was such an innate part of his demeanor. No wonder subs were so drawn to him.
“What can I do for you, Nose?”
I let out a sound that was something between a sob and a laugh and buried my face in his warm chest again to hide the fresh wave of tears. It had been so long... so long since I'd been held by a Dom, I'd almost forgotten what a comfort this touch could be. Master Richard wasn't my Lewis. But if Lewis had been here, he would have understood. He probably would have shook Master Richard's paw and thanked him for looking after me. Even wrapped up in the blanket, held tight in Master Richard's arms, I felt so weak and vulnerable.
I felt like everything was already out there, raw and exposed. So I might as well go all in. “I lost hib a little bore thad two years ago. He was hit by a drudk driver ruddig a red light. By the tibe I got to the hosbital, he was dead.” My breathing hitched and I swallowed back more tears. “Whed Lewis died, I lost the love of by life. I also lost the secret bart of byself, the best bart of be.”
Master Richard squeezed me tightly in a hug.
I went on. “I drifted uselessly for so lodg. I thought I'd dever ehhhh...” Magically, I felt a tissue at my nose. “hehh-Ehyshhffffffff!” I snuffled into the tissue. And, when I was done, he pocketed the used tissue. At this point, I expected such a thing an didn't say anything.
He hugged me again. “I'm so glad you found your way to our pack.”
I laughed a little more evidently this time. “You're just sayidg that because I have a cold add cad sdeeze all over you.”
He laughed back. “Well, I won't lie. That's definitely convenient and much appreciated. But that's not what I was thinking of. You're such a kind submissive. You give yourself up to it.”
“Look who's talkidg!” I exclaimed. “You're the ode sittig here, cobfortig a sick, sdiffly subbissive who isd't eved your owd!”
“Every submissive in the pack is my own,” he replied softly. “Any one of the Doms feels just the same. If you ever need someone to take you down, all you need to do is ask.”
“Thadks,” I whispered. “But I thidk by baster was the last ode I wadt to do that.”
Master Richard nodded. “Then at least let me do right by him and put you to bed? You're sick, and you've had one heck of a day. You need your rest.”
He didn't even know the half of it. But I did feel worn out, and the idea of climbing all those stairs alone was exhausting. Besides, what sub didn't like a little bit of care now and then? “Yes blease.”
He gently stripped me of the recovery blanket. Then, all at once, he scooped me up. He cradled me against his chest as he rose. I couldn't imagine the sort of strength that must have taken, and I clung on with my arms around his neck. But I needn't have worried. He moved smoothly, even through the doorways, even up the stairs. In fact, the movement was so welcoming that I felt my eyes closing and my body trying to slip into an exhausted sleep already.
When he laid me on my bed, it was with the utmost care and gentleness. I looked up at him, feeling sleepy and sated, and accidentally sneezed right in his face again. “EhhhhhheptChhhhhhhh! Oh! Oh, sniff, Baster Rich—”
“It's fine,” he told me, licking his lips. “Remember? Bless you though.” He tucked me into bed with a tissue box, pulling the covers up to my shoulders. Under the blankets, I wriggled out of my jeans and sweatshirt, dropping them to the floor beside the bed. I left my tank on, and I left the dog tags on as well. I didn't usually sleep with them on, but I wanted to do so tonight so I could feel a bit of Lewis against my fur. “Can I get you anything else, pup?”
I shook my head. “You'd better get outa here before sobeode catches you id a sub's roob.”
“All right.” He dropped a paw to my head and pet soothingly. “Just one last thank you for how you served me and my sub today. You were generous and incredible.”
I smiled with the satisfaction of a submissive who's done a job so good a Dom thinks to praise him for it. I closed my eyes but mumbled a sleepy, “I hobe it all works out the way you wadt it to, Sir.”
I heard his soft footsteps cross my bedroom. The door opened, and I was asleep before it closed behind Master Richard.
