Title: Another Life: Enoch Chapter 4
Characters: Enoch/Chandir/Wryn
Series: Another Life
Chandir filled the metal tub with steaming hot water. Today his sub would feel fresh and clean. The large dom had seen through the past that Enoch had never taken a proper bath. Water on earth had been too scarce and too precious to waste on cleaning a body. He couldn't wait to run his hands over the thin body, wash away the pain and the filth. The reassurance that Enoch was finally here with them would calm his nerves.
A little more water and the bath would be ready, Chandir thought as he glanced over at the sleeping man. He knew Enoch would be resistant. Their new sub was stubborn. Chandir had seen it not only in the visions he'd had, but with his own two eyes. He chuckled quietly to himself. Enoch would need to be a bit stubborn living with two doms. And Chandir knew, he and Wryn would cherish that stubbornness.
Slipping quietly out of the bedroom, Chandir entered the main living area. "One more pot of water and that should fill the tub enough," he told Wryn. "Until he's stronger, we will continue to use the small bathtub."
"The muesli will be ready to eat by the time he's clean. I'll change the bedding while you help him," Wryn said setting a pot of oats to the side to soften.
"You don't want to help?" Chandir asked in surprise.
With a soft laugh, Wryn said, "Oh, I don't have that much self restraint. I'm sure I'll help wash our Pais with you. And when he's strong enough, we'll take him to our bath house."
Kissing his husband and partner, Chandir rejoiced in Wryn's lack of restraint. The tub he'd brought in was small, made for one person. He couldn't wait to show Enoch the large elaborate bath house Chandir and Wryn had. They had a large square tub with benches placed inside. Restraint within that tub would be non-existent and would only strengthen their link. The connection flowing between the three men was bright and strong. Chandir stopped his musing of having Enoch in their bath, he reached out to get the last pot of water, when red fog started to fill the room. Letting his hands fall to his sides, Chandir relaxed as much as he could and waited for that which was to be shown.
Through the mist, Chandir watched as a younger Enoch knelt beside a muddy puddle. He was furiously scrubbing his hands. Chandir watched as the brown water became tinged with red. Suddenly the young teen was savagely kicked. The foot that struck him knocked him down into the dying earth.
"Don't waste that water!" a voice came from beyond that Chandir couldn't see.
Chandir's heart ached as he watched through the red mist, his young sub rubbing his hands on the dried grass. The streaks of red left in the dead brown grass wasn't from the mist of the vision. Chandir acknowledged it was blood that Enoch was trying to wipe off his hands.
"You wouldn't have gotten your hands all bloodied if you'd just left her alone. She was going to die no matter what you did," the unknown voice said. "Since you used your portion of the water already, you don't get any to drink."
The mist cleared as Chandir saw the first tears fall down Enoch's young face. He was back in the present. Clearing his throat, Chandir choked out. "He's been alone. He'll struggle with caring. He won't comprehend kindness."
"We'll teach him. We''ll show him," Wryn promised.
"Wryn, any kindness will need to be tempered with strict boundaries. At least to begin with. He'll not understand any other way," Chandir cautioned his fellow dominant. Chandir knew that dominance flowed strong within his soul but he also knew that boundaries and guidelines would help their newly acquired sub adjust to this new world. "Come. Let's go wash the old away. He'll start his life here, clean and sweet smelling."
Wryn nodded and followed Chandir into the bedroom.
"Good morning, Pais," Wryn greeted Enoch.
Their sub was awake and eyeing the large tub with suspicion. That suspicion was directed toward Chandir and Wryn as they walked to the bath and poured the last of the water in.
"Enoch," Chandir said with soft sternness. "It is polite to give a greeting in return when offered one."
Wariness replaced suspicion. "Um. Good morning."
Chandir smiled. The greeting was given in a hoarse, unsure voice. But Enoch had obeyed. "You will not escape the bed for several more days, but a reprieve will be given today. Your bedding will be replaced while we wash away the last of earth that is on you."
"A drink? Can I have a drink?" Enoch asked timidly.
Chandir watched as Wryn helped Enoch to sit. Wryn's voice was calming as he handed the cup to him. "Of course you can. Here, agape. Cool water to soothe you. No, no. Don't stop. Drink all of it. You'll have juice with breakfast."
"Juice?" Enoch asked.
Chandir and Wryn both knew that Enoch knew what juice was, just that none had lasted through the devastation on earth. Enoch wouldn't have had a taste of the sweet liquid since he had been an infant.
"After you've been bathed, though. The sight of you has been our blessing, but the smell of you...." Chandir let his voice drift away. He didn't want his gentle teasing to cause offense. But the boy's smell was not pleasant.
"We've tried to ignore it for as long as we could, agape, but we'd like to have the scent of you filling our nostrils," Wryn talked loving nonsense as he pulled back the covers. "Not this stench of...dirt."
Chandir watched in admiration as Wryn got Enoch stripped of the clothing he wore and then helped him to sit up on the side of the bed. Wryn's voice and gentle hands, had the boy ready for the bath before he knew what was happening.
"Let me carry you, Enoch. You're legs are far too weak." Chandir wanted to voice his actions so that Enoch would not be startled. He lifted Enoch into his large arms. Suddenly, the thin body stiffened.
"No! No!" Enoch's panic was so great, that Chandir could see it fill the room. The sub struggled in his arms. Chandir was afraid he'd accidentally hurt him as Enoch's body was so frail.
"Cease, Enoch!" Chandir ordered.
"No! Please. I want to drink! I'll rub leaves on me. I'll roll in the grass! I'll cover my scent. I promise," Enoch pleaded as he tried to get out of Chandir's arms.
"Enoch. Enough." Chandir let his hand fall and swat the struggling man's bottom. The body stilled instantly. Chandir continued talking, taking no notice of the startled expression. "Water here is plentiful. We have learned the gift of conservation. There is clean, safe water for which you can quench your thirst. You can clean yourself as well as drink."
Chandir didn't give Enoch time to panic any longer, but quickly lowered him into the warm water. Wryn's eyes met his. Chandir shook his head. He knew Wryn wanted to cuddle and coddle the sub, but to do so would cause harm in the long run. There'd be time in the future for that, but Enoch needed to first learn to trust them. Within trust would come obedience. Obedience would show Enoch that he was cared for.
"Feel, agape. Let the warmth flow into your bones," Chandir talked softy as he gently lathered the thin body. "Smell. It's nice, isn't it? The scent of the soap comes from the honeycomb of the bees. It's masculine. The worker bees who build the hive are male. Did you know that?"
Chandir was rewarded when Enoch slowly shook his head. His boy's body was relaxing as the warm water calmed him. Enoch was listening, reacting to Chandir's low and even voice. Yes, fate knew that Enoch was meant to be with them. His submissiveness was so pure, he instinctively reacted to Chandir.
"Yes. They are male. They build the hive for the queen to live in. It's built with their hard work, with their sweat and their pheromones." Chandir continued to talk as he ran his soapy hands over Enoch.
Wryn quickly changed the linen on the bed and joined Chandir.
Chandir tilted his head toward the liquid soap, as he gently poured water over Enoch's head, wetting the hair in preparation of the shampoo. He continued to talk of the bees and how good Enoch would smell as Wryn lovingly washed the grimy hair.
"We wait until the bees have moved on before we take the honeycomb. It's the way of life here to recycle what is offered. Any honey left over is used to sweeten foods and drink and the hive itself is melted down so that we can use its fragrance in our soap."
Enoch's body had become so relaxed that it was like the soft clay of the river. Easily maneuvered and pliable. Wryn and Chandir delighted in the feel of that body under their hands.
"There, you smell like man. You smell like life," Chandir said. He kept to himself that the scent of death was finally gone from the body. He wanted to only talk of the positives.
"Your scent is enchanting, agape," Wryn said. "The scent of you blends with the scent of the soap."
"What does agape mean?" Enoch's voice was sleepy. "You use words I don't know."
Gently scrubbing the stick like legs, Chandir explained. "We talked of the ancestors of earth who came here long ago. Remember?"
At Enoch's nod, Chandir continued. "They spoke in earth's old language of Greece. Some of the words stayed though your ancestors left. Agape means love. And you are our love."
"Do they sound familiar?" Wryn asked as he massaged the shoulders beneath his hands.
Chandir watched as fear raced across Enoch's face. "Do not worry, agape. The words will come. We'll remind you of the words that were unknown to you back on earth."
Wryn continued to rub Enoch's shoulders as he teased Chandir. "Anax will be the word Chandir wants you to learn first. It means lord. He thinks he's lord of all he sees."
Chandir smiled and flicked water at Wryn. "I do not think so. I know it to be fact. I am Anax. Just as you are Arkhe." Turning his smile to Enoch, he went on to explain, "Arkhe is chief or authority. Wryn is magnificent in his authority. You will harden when you see it."
Chandir laughed out loud when Enoch blushed and lowered his eyes. "Blush, you will, agape. You'll blush even more after you have the knowledge of what I say is true."
Wryn laughed along when Enoch's face flamed even more. "Come, agape. Let's get you back to bed. What little strength you had is gone, isn't it?"
Chandir bent and lifted the wet body in his arms. "I'm not ready to relinquish my role of transporter, Wryn. I'll carry him back to bed."
Enoch mumbled in his embarrassment, "Is everyone so big here?"
Running a soft cloth over Enoch's body to dry it, Wryn said, "We just seem big because you've not had the benefit of growing to your full height and weight. Lack of nutrition stunted your growth."
"You would have been a bit bigger, but not as large as I or Wryn. You are a submissive, naturally you would be smaller. Easier to put over a dominant's knee," Chandir chuckled. He set Enoch on the bed. "I'll prop your pillows up, so you can sit up to eat. Cover up so you don't catch a chill."
Wryn helped Enoch pull the covers over his dry, naked body as he joked with Chandir. "Some subs reach the height of doms. They don't seem to have any problem going over a lap."
"Subs? Doms?" Enoch said weakly.
"Those are not words only of the Arkhaios, of the ancients. They are words that you should know," Wryn said as he tucked the covers around Enoch.
"There are those with genes of dominance and submission. We've told you a little of that," Chandir stated. "Those on earth who have the genes of dominance or submission were the only ones who could survive the travel to our world. You, Enoch, are a submissive."
When Enoch started to shake his head in denial, Wryn chimed in, "Enoch. Submission isn't a bad thing. It is but who you are. Your submission links you to us. Think back. Remember. You've seen your submission to us."
Chandir watched as the memories flitted through Enoch's mind. He felt the mist that slowly entered Enoch's mind. A vision was upon their young sub. But instead of relaxing his body, Enoch's body stiffened. Tremors racked the delicate body. Another seizure tore through the man Chandir and Wryn had waited for so long to come to them.
"NO!" Chandir roared. This shouldn't be happening. They were connecting, they were making a link of three. The seizure had come at the worst possible time.
As Chandir roared, Wryn quickly put Enoch on his side. He pulled the pillows over to prop the seizing body against. Wryn wanted the thrashing body to be protected by the softness.
For a few minutes the body convulsed and then slowly the tremors stopped.
"Why? The other travelers had seizures when their fevers were too high, but Enoch is on the mend! What would cause them now? Did we miss something?" Chandir thought back to all the visions he'd been gifted with, but none gave the answer to why his sub was suffering from the seizures.
Wryn stroked his hands over the fragile body, assuring himself that no permanent damage had been done. "He's blocking them, Anax. He's afraid of the visions. He doesn't understand them so he's shoving them down."
Chandir's attention swung to Wryn. Pain was primary in the dominant's voice. Chandir was determined to know the source. "Why do you hurt? Why is there pain in your words?"
"I'm not sure. The visions demand to be seen. But Enoch refuses them. I'm trying to see them, but they want to show Enoch. Not me."
"He can't deny them," Chandir exclaimed. "They are a part of him. A part of us."
Both men's attention swung toward the bed when Enoch groaned softly. They watched as he slowly opened his eyes.
"So, you are back with us," Wryn said gently.
Chandir wasn't so gentle. "You cannot do this again! Your body cannot continue to take on such abuse!"
"Chandir," Wryn admonished, glaring at the large dom before he turned back to Enoch. Tempering his voice, he implored, "You need to accept the message, Enoch. You can't stop them. They are who you are. You can't thrust them away anymore than you can thrust away the color of your hair."
The pain-filled and confused eyes lifted to meet Chandir's. His sub was suffering. Chandir was determined to see it stopped. But as the eyes drifted shut from exhaustion, he knew he'd have to think about this. He'd never heard of a Historian refusing the gift of visions. He'd let his agape sleep and recover, while Chandir sought the answers he needed so desperately.
No comments:
Post a Comment