Page 22 of The Toymaker

Winter Solstice in Eveningwood was always celebrated after dark, and the celebration for Raven’s Landing was almost like a small fair. Kit and Riju decided they’d eat in the city. It grew dark early, so they left around four-thirty.

Extra lanterns on strings and posts had been added, and nearly everyone had a candle or a lantern in their window. Riju had placed one in their shop window before leaving. The longest night of the year wasn’t scary, but it was a way of chasing away the dark and telling spring to hurry since the nights would gradually grow shorter.

They held hands as they walked down the street. People had cleared the streets in front of their homes and shops, so uneven piles lay around between buildings or shoved against them. The roofs looked as though they’d been frosted with sugar icing, and more was drifting down, although it was quite light, and Riju was sure they wouldn’t get much more.

While the city and The Edge had no classes for those who wanted to learn how to write or act in plays, several students had a set near the Castle. It was free, and a bucket had been placed out in case anyone wanted to toss in a coin.

Riju and Kit sat on a bench near the front while trying to figure out why the set had been draped in so much black cloth. The actors must have been taking lessons in rope bondage and suspension because there wasn’t any nudity, but the play started with a fairy who was lifted into the air. Even with the ropes dyed black to hide it against his black clothing and the set, Riju could still see it.

The play was about a great darkness that arose from the place between realms with the intent to destroy all life, and valiant Knights had to fight it off. Riju had the feeling it was supposed to be serious, but the actors were so dramatic with terrible lines, it was more funny than dramatic. Someone fell off the stage halfway through a loud speech about fighting for the good of those who couldn’t, and the audience burst out laughing. At least the rope harness keeping the “darkness” aloft did its job.

“That was so bad, it was kind of good,” Kit said once the play was over, and people were applauding. “I’ll put a din in the bucket for effort.”

“Put one in for me too.”

While Kit went to drop in their coins, Riju stayed on the bench and glanced around at those leaving. Some were giggling, likely about the quality of the play.

If he’d gone with Trig, it probably wouldn’t have been as fun. Trig had never cared for the Solstice celebration. According to him, they were pretty much always the same.

Riju probably would have had to go alone again, and Trig would have complained about him going out at night too. He always had.

He and Kit would be able to have a lot of fun together if they stayed in a relationship. The grief wasn’t gone, but he could see things being better in the future. Already, he was starting to get used to their new life. If he wanted to have his doll sit on the table by his plate at dinner, he could.

Trig had never liked that, but Kit didn’t mind at all. In fact, he had his sit on the table once in a while too. Kit also liked repeating words with him.

It was like he could be himself entirely.

***

After the New Year, they had an argument one night while making dinner since it turned out Riju’s way of eating sweet potatoes was never going to work for Kit who thought only butter was gross to him. Riju thought dousing it in brown sugar and maple syrup before baking it was disgusting. He despised the taste and the feel of so much slick syrup in his mouth.

Kit said he’d never eat the dish with only butter because he'd hate the taste. Riju would eat the sweet disaster when pigs flew and pixies learned to read. He was starting to feel pretty defensive when Kit suggested they split the sweet potato into two pans, add what they liked, and bake it.

“It’s an extra dish to wash, but who cares?”

“Oh.” Riju hadn’t thought about splitting it.

Riju had only gotten to eat sweet potato the way he liked once with Trig because the asshole also thought it was only good after being made sickeningly sweet, and he refused to have it cooked any other way. He’d acted like not loading it with sugar was a crime against humanity.

It worked perfectly with both eating their sweet potato the way they preferred.

In January, he started working more on his toys to build a collection. Business was a bit slow which wasn’t unusual. They didn’t get any more snow, but it was often cold and dreary. Sometimes, they sat behind the counter during the day and sewed between customers. Kit also worked on samplers so his stitches could be neater.

At night, he gave Kit a few lessons in how to cut cloth for dresses or how to safely whittle and shape wood. With Riju’s help, Kit made a tiny bed for his doll with wool in a wooden frame.

Trig hadn’t needed help working with wood. He’d been the one to teach Riju. He hadn’t cared to make a doll, and Kit doing an activity with him while truly enjoying it made Riju happy in a way he couldn’t quite describe.

Closer to the end of January, he suddenly remembered a particular thing he’d always wanted. He could purchase it because Trig couldn’t say shit to him anymore, and Kit certainly wouldn’t bitch about an item of clothing.

He left Kit to watch the shop one dreary afternoon when they hadn’t had a single customer. Fortunately, the shop in Raven’s Landing had one already made in his color so he wouldn’t have to wait for one to be made. He returned with his package.

“What did you get?” Kit asked from behind the counter.

“You’ll see in a minute. I want to put it on first. Did anyone come in?”

“Nah. I’ve only seen a couple of people walk by.”

Riju took his time lacing it in his room and scrutinizing himself in the looking glass. He liked vests, and he’d always wanted to try a waist corset for men. Trig had said no because he thought they weren’t attractive on men, and it wouldn’t look good on him.

He checked the laces in the back. He didn’t have it too tight since he merely wanted it to feel snug, not restricting, and it wasn’t to give him the appearance of being thinner either. Since it was black leather, it'd go with the rest of his clothes.

He knew he'd have to get another because he loved the firm feel around his middle.

Satisfied, he put his coat back on and left it unbuttoned before he sauntered back into the shop.

“What do you think?” Riju leaned on the doorway and cocked a hip out. “It feels divine.”

Kit turned in his chair, and his eyes looked ready to pop out for a second.

“Do you like it?”

“Hell, yeah!”

“It’s not tailored, but the shop we saw them in last year had this ready-made one in my size. It fits well enough. I like the snug feel of it.” Riju came over and boosted himself up on the counter to sit.

“I remember you said you wanted one.”

“And now I have one.”

Kit smiled. “I’d like to see you taking it off.”

“But I like it…”

“You could put it back on.”

“Oh. Do you mean after I’ve fucked you?”

Kit laughed. “Yeah. Not today. I was just saying for the future.”

Riju had been satisfied enough with his hand lately, but he couldn’t pretend he didn't miss Kit in his bed and on his cock. While he wasn't ready for sex again just yet, he’d wondered if they could sleep together all of the time in the future. He hadn’t done so every night with Trig. With Kit, a lot of things were different in a good way without the jarring that sometimes came with changes.

“You know, if you still want to be with me, we could go slow. I’m not quite ready to go all in just yet. Maybe you could sleep in my bed a couple of times a week.”

“It hasn’t been that long, so we can wait, and yes, I’d like to. I did want to ask something. Even if we’re not having sex right away, I need to know for the future.”

Riju crossed his ankles. “What?”

“Later, I was wondering if you could be my Master.”

Since they’d brought things down to friendship, Riju hadn’t considered exactly how their relationship would be later. They both had things they expected from a sexual relationship, and instead of simply figuring it would go like before, it should be discussed before they got too serious again. The dynamic was different without a third, and they’d also be moving elsewhere.

Riju slid off the counter and went over to sit by Kit. Drawing a leg up on the chair, he pulled Red from his coat pocket. “We do need to know what to expect. What we like aligns, but in Raven’s Landing, we’d need to change it a bit. I can’t keep you naked and working in a shop there, especially one for children.”

“I know, and I wasn’t expecting you to. I was thinking we could work this out with our job. I like the structure of being a slave. I enjoy having rules to some extent. At the end of the day, when it’s just us two…”

Riju hugged Red to his body. “You’re okay with being a part-time slave? I like the sexual part. However, I want you to have a full say in the decisions we make with the business and our life. I’m not Trig. It’s not fair if I decide every little thing, and I don't want to have full control of you. Not like that.”

“Part-time is okay. When we close the kid’s toy shop for the day, nobody has to know what we do behind closed doors. I can cook and clean, although I think if we’re both working, it needs to be a bit more fair. One can’t be doing everything all of the time.”

“We can divide the housework like we’re doing now, and we can figure out what works best for us in the business.”

“Okay. Even if most of the dynamic isn't like it was here, I’ll be happy knowing what I can generally expect.”

“Rule number one is you can call me Master, but I don’t expect it every time you speak to me,” said Riju. “It sounds tiresome, and it was more of Trig’s thing to make a slave pay attention and think when they speak.”

“I won’t do it all of the time.” Kit smiled. “Master.”

“Pretty Kit. If you’d like, I can take you here when it’s warm if you want public humiliation. Anything goes here, so it’s something we can figure out later.”

“Hell yeah!”

“And while you like being told what to do and used for pleasure, I have things I like too. How would you feel if I wanted to be paddled and afterward, held by the hair while I’m on my knees and sucking your cock?”

“I’ve never dominated, so you’d have to teach me.”

“But how would you feel about it?” If Kit wasn’t willing, Riju could see himself as keeping the dominant role. He’d been willing to take the submissive one for Trig if they married and never had thirds again. Given the option, he’d rather be a switch and experience both sides.

Kit thought for several moments. “Er, if I’m holding you by the hair and making you suck my cock, you’d like it, right?”

“Yes. That’s why I asked.”

“Wouldn’t I still be pleasing you and being obedient?”

Riju hadn’t thought of it like that. “Actually, yes, it kind of is.” Perhaps he should have known Kit would since he was so naturally submissive.

“I could get used to it. You will have to teach me what to do at times. I haven’t done it before, and I don’t think it’ll come naturally.”

“I can teach you what I like.”

The bell tinkled as a man entered. A small badge shaped like the lord’s crest twinkled on his vest. “I have a message for Riju from Trig. Since you have red hair and spectacles, I guess you’re Riju. Erm, he’s in prison.”

“I’m aware,” said Riju.

“Sorry. I don’t know how you two know each other. I just run messages for the city guard and the lord.” The man pulled a parchment packet from the inside of his vest and placed it on the counter. “If you wish to reply, it’s something you can do alone. No offense, but I don’t run messages to the prison from citizens. Prisoners are allowed one or two through the guardhouse depending on the circumstances, so if you expect further communication, you have to set it up yourself. Got it?”

“I understand.”

The man left, and Riju held the packet for a moment.

“You could toss it out,” said Kit. “He can’t make you do anything.”

“I might as well read it. Maybe he’ll tell me where he buried a pile of gold I didn’t know about.”

Kit snorted as Riju unfolded the parchment. Honestly, he expected it to be about his possessions and to bring them for storage. Perhaps there’d be a few insults and nasty assumptions.

Trig asked Riju to visit him so they could talk. He was sorry, and he missed Riju. Blah, blah, blah.

Please come and see me even if it’s only for five minutes. I have a couple of last-minute things I didn’t get to say. I don’t want to put them in a note.

Like what? How much he hated Riju? Or was he going to pretend to be contrite and expect Riju to wait years for him to get out of prison?

He held it out. “You can read it. It’s not anything important. I thought he might ask for me to pack his personal stuff and leave it at the guardhouse to be held in storage.”

Kit scanned it. “I guess I don’t exist anymore.”

“Yeah, I noticed. I’m sure he thinks you ran off.”

Are you going?”

“I don’t want to hear his shit. I think I’ll pretend I didn’t see it since it’s probably all crap to make me feel guilty. No thanks. How about if I bring up the doll shirts and we can sew? I don’t think we’re going to be busy today.”

“Sounds good to me. Oh, one more thing about later.”

“What?”

Kit leaned over. “I’m really bad at math. I could probably do the ledger later, but if you’d prefer not checking after me and fixing my mistakes, it might be better if you do it.”

“Are you truly bad at it?”

“Yeah. I’m slow, and I usually make mistakes even if I check it again. I can do basic money and give change, and I can add up the price of a few basic things, but when the numbers get bigger, it gets harder, and I’m likely to mess up. Kids used to make fun of me in school because the teacher would have to go over basic concepts again for me, and I was always behind them. My Uncle said it would all get easier, and it never did.”

“I’ll do the ledger, Kit. Don’t worry.”