Category: pwp, slash
Spoilers: sequel to Tethered
Disclaimers: don’t own them. Bugger.
Rating: not for the little ones
Content Warning: slash and collars
Summary: two men and a collar, continued
Dedication: what Widget asks for, Widget gets. Including sequels
Archiving: Yes please, just let me know so I can come and gloat. 
Notes: this is the second time I’ve tried a story like this, and I’m still not sure I’ve got it. Let me know how I can improve!

"What is it?"

Daniel folded his hands behind his back and tried to look innocent. "Just open it."

Paul hefted the box in his hands for a moment longer, trying to gauge its contents by weight and feel. It was a little too small and light to be another book. Daniel was not the kind to give chocolates, and by the way he was almost vibrating in front of him, it was probably something a little less common than a CD.

Cautiously, he lifted the lid. Inside, on a nest of tissue paper was the black leather collar he had given to Daniel, with spectacular results, the last time he was in Colorado. He looked up, not quite sure why he was receiving his own gift. "Daniel…"

"Pick it up," he told Paul quietly with a little lift of his chin.

Slowly, Paul did as he was told. As the collar cleared the paper, he heard a sound. A very distinctive sound. "Oh tell me you didn’t?"

Daniel just grinned, his eyebrows lifting in quiet amusement as Paul dumped the box and took the collar by both hands. Sure enough, there it was, attached to the buckle. A small, shiny, silver bell.

Hands slide around his ribcage and stroked down to his hips. "So," Daniel said as he pushed his body up against Paul’s. "Do you want to try that thing we talked about on the phone last week?"

"You mean with the…"

"Yes."

"And the…" he shook the collar to ring the bell.

"Uhuh."

"And with the…"

Daniel lifted a hand to show Paul his fingers. "Do you know how hard it was for me not to chew my fingernails?"

Paul leaned forward slightly to suck on the very tip of his fingers, gratified at the way Daniel’s other hand flexed around his hips and pulled him closer. "I’m sure your sacrifice will not have been in vain."

They paused for a moment, eyes locked, then dived at each other. Kissing, nipping, sucking, hands going everywhere, not an inch of space between them, they stumbled down the short corridor and into Daniel’s bedroom. Pulling back from the kiss long enough for Daniel to pull Paul’s shirt off, he pushed back in again, greedy for more after a fortnight apart. It was always like this, first gorging themselves on touch and taste, pushing and pulling and biting until they were sated. Later, they would go more slowly, drowsing in the feel of skin on skin, memorizing each other in anticipation of more weeks spent apart. But now they were both too hungry, too needy, to slow down.

The little bell chimed as Daniel fastened it around Paul’s neck. He knew that from this moment on he was going to associate that sound with this – love, sex, taste, touch, the way Daniel flooded his senses and filled his world.

"Too tight?" A blunt fingertip was running around his neck, smoothing the skin and checking the fit.

"Just right."

Daniel laughed quietly and slapped his arm in gentle rebuke. "Try the bed out then, Goldilocks."

Happier than he could remember being in a long time, he bounced on the bed and stretched out on top of the sheets. "Just right," he repeated with an exaggerated sigh.

Daniel was already crawling up between his outstretched legs. "Lift," he requested with a gentle tap. Obediently, Paul lifted his hips so Daniel could pull his jeans off and clear. Erect, naked except for the collar, Paul watched as Daniel stood back and stared at him. "Beautiful," he murmured.

Paul stretched out even further, comfortable under Daniel’s gaze. Before Daniel, he had never enjoyed being stared at. He didn’t like being watched without the protection of clothes, attitude, his carefully groomed and polished appearance. But the comfort Daniel felt in his own skin was contagious, and now Paul didn’t so much as blush as he met Daniel’s eyes. "Take off your shirt," he requested. Daniel didn’t move. "Please?"

Slowly at first, Daniel undid one button, then the next. By the third, his patience snapped and he pulled it off over his head. Paul pushed himself up into a sitting position and held his arms out in silent request.

Daniel pushed into his chest, toppling them back over onto the bed as he smothered Paul in sloppy kisses. "You wanna keep going," he whispered into his ear before he sucked on an earlobe.

"Do you?"

Daniel planted his hands on either side of Paul’s shoulders and pushed himself away slightly. "I asked first."

If it were later, Paul would have dragged out the game. The silly little verbal matches they had in bed always ended up with both of them giggling and rolling around in play. But right now, he wanted other things. "Yes," he said firmly as he reached around and pulled Daniel down hard against his chest, squashing him into the mattress and leaving him breathless.

Daniel rolled them onto their sides and broke the kiss. Pouting slightly, Paul watched him roll to the side of the bed and stand up. "Lie on your stomach." As Paul shifted to lie spread-eagled on the bed, Daniel leaned over to plant another kiss on his shoulder. "Just like we said on the phone, okay babe?"

Paul nodded his consent, already tingling with anticipation. Daniel started on his feet first, the soft material not what he was expecting to feel. As Daniel moved to fasten his arms, Paul saw what he was being tied up with. Real, padded cuffs. "You’ve been busy since the last time I was here."

Daniel laughed and moved out of sight towards the foot of the bed. "It’s your fault! You gave me the address of that online supply shop and too many ideas."

Paul laughed. "I have plenty more, if you want to hear them."

The mattress dipped under Daniel’s weight as he crawled up to knee between Paul’s thighs. "All in good time, babe." Smaller movements as he shifted his weight and planted his hand under Paul’s arm. "I wanna try this first."

The bell tinkled as Paul arched his back under Daniel’s first pass. He must have filed his nails to a point, he thought hazily as Daniel trailed the sharp points, feather-light, up along his spine. Daniel shifted again slightly and floated his nails down the side of Paul’s ribs, over and around his ticklish spot. He shuddered and squirmed under the faint touch, enjoying the growing sensitivity of his skin and the way the muscles in his arms and legs were starting to burn slightly as he pulled and twisted in the restraints.

"You like that? You do, don’t you?" Daniel’s delighted whisper floated down to his ears as he writhed against another floating pass. "Do you like this?"

The mattress shifted slightly under them, then Paul felt both hands run straight down either side of his spine, claws pressing in hard enough to raise welts in his hyper-sensitized skin. He cried out and bucked, then absolutely howled when Daniel leaned over and blew cool air over the ten long marks down his back. Hot and cold, sharp and soft, his skin could no longer tell the difference. Everything felt electrified.

Daniel was whispering again. "…you should see…mine, all mine…so beautiful…" Another, gentler puff of air, then Daniel was licking between his shoulder blades. Long rasping strokes of his tongue down and across, tasting and sucking, soothing and smoothing the scratches. Paul sighed in pleasure as he sank into the mattress, letting his arms and legs hang from the restraints as Daniel methodically lapped down the length of his spine. 

He paused in the little hollow at the base of Paul’s spine, inhaling his scent and tasting the salt on his skin. Nuzzling and rubbing, tasting and licking, Paul’s back curved and flexed against the combination of the wet tongue, the rasping hint of stubble, and the slight sharpness of his teeth. 

Reaching back, Daniel found by touch the taunt muscles on the inside of Paul’s legs. Gently he began to run the edge of the nails on his index fingers up and down the flesh. Paul groaned at the fresh sensation and tried to push his legs even wider.

Daniel dragged his nails up one last time, sketching the slight curve of Paul’s ass before pushing apart his cheeks. Paul had only a second to grasp this before the wet tongue slid straight down the groove of his spine and along the cleft of his ass.

The scream that ripped out of his throat shocked him. His hips bucked up and backwards automatically, demanding more, NOW. Firm hands grasped and held his hips as Daniel devoured him.

"Please…" he panted. "Now…."

As Daniel pulled back he almost mewed in disappointment, a sound that earned him a chuckle. "I knew that bell was a good idea," came a smug voice from the end of the bed. Restrained, face-down, he could not see Daniel move, but he felt the mattress shift under his weight. A moment later, a hand rested at the junction of his shoulder, long fingers reaching out to tap the silver bell. Paul twisted his face, mouth seeking out fingers that were kept just out reach.

A cool, slick finger ran down his cleft. "Ready?" In response, Paul pushed his hips backwards encouragingly, and was rewarded when Daniel slowly sank one finger into him.

The hand on his shoulder was pulled down his back, the sweaty palm leaving a warm trail on his skin, as a second finger joined the first, twisting and stretching.

"Now," Paul rasped out.

Daniel shifted himself again between Paul’s legs and leaned back to unsnap the restraints that tied his legs. Using his new freedom to pull his knees under him, Paul lifted up into Daniel’s touch.

"Ready?"

Paul nodded wildly, the little bell jangling in wild counterpoint to his movements. Daniel slid in with one long, slow stroke, pausing to shower Paul’s skin in kisses.

Paul’s wrists twisted in their restraints as his fingers found the cable. Gripping hard, he pulled on them until the bedhead creaked. Using the tension, he began to rock back and forth, slowly at first but with increasing speed as Daniel matched his pace.

He had been anticipating this too much, his need for this too great for it to last long. "I’m gonna…" he panted out.

Daniel’s claws ran blindly down his sides, encouraging him to let go. With a choked scream, he came, the waves flowing through his muscles and into Daniel. With a last erratic stroke, he collapsed over Paul’s back. Paul’s trembled as the last of the aftershocks ebbed away and he took Daniel’s full weight on his knees.

With an apologetic kiss on his back, Daniel slid out and slithered around to undo the cuffs that bound his hands before pulling Paul into a full body hug. Bonelessly, Paul let Daniel around their bodies to his satisfaction. 

"Okay?" asked a little voice next to his ear.

Paul stretched languidly, the little bell around his neck chiming softly in counterpart. "Purrr-fect." 

Laughing, Daniel pulled him in tightly and kissed him.