On Your Knees, Honey (Don't Hide That Pretty Face)

by pumpkinspiceprouvaire

Summary:

“Yeah,” Grantaire says. “If we’re going to insist on putting our kink life into neat little boxes, I guess I would say I’m a switch.”

Enjolras makes a vague humming noise, but doesn’t elaborate further.

“Why do you ask?” he prompts.

Enjolras looks at him, head tilted to one side, for a moment, and then shrugs one shoulder. When Grantaire raises an eyebrow, he adds, “It’s just- It’s been a long while, since the last time I subbed. I was wondering if you would be interested in switching up our dynamic, sometime?”

Grantaire damn near falls off the bed.

“You sub?!” he says, in a tone of voice which is closer to being a squeak than he would have liked. “You?!”

Enjolras’ question comes late on Wednesday night, when he’s running his fingers slowly through Grantaire’s hair, and Grantaire is lying with his head on Enjolras’ chest, listening to the soft thump of his heartbeat under his ear. 

 

“You said you’ve dommed before, right?” 

 

Grantaire, at this point, is close to being fully asleep, and he has to make a conscious effort to blink himself out of it. He frowns and turns in the bed, so the point of his chin is resting on Enjolras’ chest now, instead of his ear. 

 

“Yeah,” he says. “If we’re going to insist on putting our kink life into neat little boxes, I guess I would say I’m a switch.” 

 

Enjolras makes a vague humming noise, but doesn’t elaborate further. He watches Grantaire through heavy-lidded eyes, looking as close to sleep as Grantaire had felt two minutes ago. But his curiosity is piqued now, so he sits up in bed despite the protest of his muscles, which had descended into a state of near atrophy following the toe-curling fucking Enjolras had just given him. 

 

“Why do you ask?” he prompts. 

 

Enjolras looks at him, head tilted to one side, for a moment, and then shrugs one shoulder. When Grantaire raises an eyebrow, he adds, “It’s just- It’s been a long while, since the last time I subbed. I was wondering if you would be interested in switching up our dynamic, sometime?” 

 

Grantaire damn near falls off the bed. 

 

“You sub?!” he says, in a tone of voice which is closer to being a squeak than he would have liked. “ You?! ” 

 

“Wow,” Enjolras says drily. “Is it really that hard to believe?” 

 

Honestly, yes. Grantaire and Enjolras had fallen into this…arrangement (they’re not dating, but they’re also not not dating. It’s complicated. Grantaire generally tries not to think about it too hard, especially when the sex is this good) several months ago, and he’d discovered that Enjolras’ dominant personality very much extends to the bedroom. He’s abrasive and mean and can be borderline cruel when asked to. And oh, does Grantaire ask. 

 

Well, beg would be more accurate.

 

"I'll take that as a yes," Enjolras says when Grantaire doesn't say anything, just keeps staring at him like a moron, but he seems amused more than anything, which is good. 

 

Grantaire shakes his head. "Sorry, sorry. I just- I guess I'm just used to our current dynamic." 

 

A whole slew of images pass through his brain in the space of a second. He imagines a reversal of said current dynamic, Enjolras on his knees in front of Grantaire, Enjolras tied eagle-spread to the bed, blindfolds, gags, begging. All the things Grantaire normally does for Enjolras.

 

The role reversal is certainly appealing. 

 

"So is that a no?" Enjolras asks, and Grantaire swears there's a slight note of something resembling disappointment in his voice. 

 

"No!" Grantaire blurts out, and then backtracks. "I mean, yes. Yes. It's been a while since I've dommed, but…Yes. It'll be fun. We can totally switch sometime." 

 

Enjolras' face lights up, which Grantaire wasn't expecting. 

 

"Soon?" he asks eagerly. "Combeferre is going to Senegal to visit his grandparents next week, we could do a night then?" 

 

Grantaire swallows. This is all happening very fast. Although he'd be lying if he said the thought of ordering Enjolras around for a night wasn't doing it for him. 

 

"Yeah, next week," he agrees. "Sounds good. We can work out the plan before then." Preferably as soon as possible, so Grantaire has time to rehearse the night a thousand times so he doesn't embarrass himself by going off in five seconds flat to the sight of a spaced out, submissive, horny Enjolras. 

 

Jesus, he needs to get himself under control. 

 

Enjolras is watching him warily. "Are you sure this is okay?" 

 

Grantaire nods, quickly pulling himself together. As distracting as the thought of Enjolras subbing for him is, the real thing is in his bed right now, and he doesn't want to give the wrong impression, like Enjolras could somehow think he isn't 100% up for this.

 

"Do you need me to bring anything?" he asks. 

 

Enjolras shakes his head. "Don't worry. I have lots of things in my place." His cheeks pinken the slightest bit, and he adds, "I have a collar too." 

 

Grantaire is going to die, seriously. 

 

He clears his throat. “Good. That’s great.” 

 

Enjolras sighs contentedly, the conversation apparently over. He lies his head down on the pillow again, and, after a moment, Grantaire follows suit, leaning his head on Enjolras' shoulder. Enjolras has a small, satisfied looking smile on his face, and Grantaire and he have been sleeping together for long enough now that he knows what it means; Enjolras is excited. 

 

“I didn’t know you liked to switch,” Grantaire says. He runs the tip of his finger slowly around Enjolras’ nipple, grinning when he twitches. 

 

“Yeah,” Enjolras says. “Like I said, it’s been a long time.” To Grantaire's surprise, his face falls. He bites his lip, and then continues, voice quieter. “I think it’s only fair for me to tell you now that it hasn’t always been…It doesn’t always go well for me.” 

 

He frowns. “Elaborate?” 

 

“I drop.” Enjolras says bluntly. “Every time.” 

 

Grantaire blinks, leaning back so he can give Enjolras a skeptical look. “ Every time?” 

 

“Yeah,” Enjolras answers. “I mean…I haven’t exactly tried it a lot, because my reaction was quite extreme and it kind of put me off a little bit. I’ve tried it maybe three, four times. And,” he shrugs. “Yeah. Every time. So I just kind of gave up on it, until now.” 

 

"Whoever you were fucking before me is obviously shit at aftercare," Grantaire says. He knows, obviously, that Enjolras has had other kink partners before him, but the flare of emotion in his chest is motivated by a feeling of protectiveness, as opposed to jealousy. 

 

“No, but they weren’t, ” Enjolras argues. He sits up a little bit, looking imploringly at Grantaire. “They did everything right. I mean, sure, it maybe took a little bit longer than average to get me down, but we negotiated beforehand, we checked in regularly during, and I did get to subspace. And when the scene ended and I dropped, they did everything right until we got it under control.” He frowns deeply. “I don’t know why I dropped, but it wasn’t anything they did. I promise.” 

 

"Enjolras," Grantaire asks cautiously. "Have you considered that maybe you just don't like subbing?" 

 

Enjolras sighs. "Yes, I have. But, like, I do enjoy it. I know I’ve only done it a couple of times, but I know that much. It feels good to let someone else be in control.” His hands curl into fists in the bedsheets. “It's just the after part that…doesn't tend to go too well for me." 

 

Grantaire nods slowly. He’s wary, which he thinks is understandable, but he can also see where Enjolras is coming from in bringing this question to Grantaire. They’ve been doing this for months now, and it’s fair that Enjolras wants to experiment with some role reversal, and of course Grantaire would rather he go to someone familiar and comfortable, like him, than trying to find a stranger. 

 

Enjolras has turned on his side, looking at Grantaire, something guarded in his expression. Grantaire smiles, so he knows there’s nothing to worry about, and tugs him to lie a little bit closer. 

 

“So, what has made you so curious about it again?” he asks. 

 

Enjolras shrugs. “Nothing in particular, I suppose.” His hand rests lightly on Grantaire’s side, tracing a small circle with his thumb absent-mindedly. “I just- Like I said, it’s been a long time since I tried subbing. And don’t get me wrong, I enjoy what we do together. But I just think it could be fun to change it up, to have you in control for once.” He gives Grantaire a small, soft smile. “And I trust you to know what’s good, and to help me should I need it.” The smile falters. “I do understand that it could be a lot of pressure, to have the thought of subdrop hanging over your head when you’re trying to enjoy yourself. I know I would feel that way.” 

 

Grantaire sighs, and nuzzles his nose against Enjolras’ temple, because that’s the sort of silly, wonderful thing that he can do now that they’re close like this.

 

“We’ll work it out,” he says. “We’ll make sure it’s all planned out, so there’s no surprises. And we’ll do regular check-ins And I’ll help you through it if you need me to, of course.” 

 

Enjolras nods. He shifts on the bed, and when he looks up, there’s a glint in his eyes that Grantaire knows well. 

 

"You know, talking about it now…" Enjolras says, moving somehow even closer to Grantaire, so they're pressed together from shoulders to torso to hips. "It's making me feel kind of…" He nuzzles into the side of Grantaire's neck, pressing a slow, open mouthed kiss there. At the same time, his hand slides down Grantaire's body. Long fingers circle Grantaire's dick, and it gives a jerk of interest. 

 

Grantaire laughs, and it turns into a groan as Enjolras rolls on top of him in one graceful movement, and starts trailing a line of kisses down his neck to his chest, slowly getting lower. 

 

"Are you going to ruin me twice in one night?" he asks breathlessly as Enjolras presses a kiss to his stomach. Enjolras looks up from his task and honest to god pouts at him. 

 

"I am capable of being nice, you know," he says haughtily. 

 

Grantaire knows it well- they don't have wild  kinky sex all the time, just, like, most of the time- but he grins anyway. 

 

"I don't believe that for a second," he teases, and Enjolras smiles too, sharp and smug and sexy. 

 

"You'll see," he says cryptically. He resumes his path of kisses down Grantaire's torso and stomach, and Grantaire leans back against the pillows with a self-satisfied smile, and lets him. 

 

***

 

The following week, Grantaire’s knee bounces the entire metro journey to Enjolras’ apartment. It’s the night of their scene, their first time switching their roles, and he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t a bit nervous about it all. 

 

Sure, they’re more than prepared. They’ve been exchanging messages back and forth all week, outlining the details of the scene, limits, things they could potentially try to add, should the mood call for it. Grantaire kind of wants to get his phone out of his pocket and read the plan of action through once more, but the old lady sitting beside him is already watching his bouncing knee with interest, and he doesn’t want to give her a heart attack should she see his screen. 

 

His heart is pounding slightly by the time he’s knocking on Enjolras’ front door, but he manages to school his face into a hopefully neutral expression by the time Enjolras opens it. He looks gorgeous as usual, wearing a button down with the sleeves rolled up and black jeans. It’s surprisingly formal for his own apartment- Grantaire is surprised he isn’t wearing shoes, honestly. 

 

“Hi,” Enjolras says, stepping back to let Grantaire in. When he walks in, Enjolras presses a lingering kiss to his cheek, and he can smell cologne and the citrus bodywash he always uses. 

 

“Hey,” Grantaire replies. “How’re you feeling?” 

 

Enjolras gives him a tight smile. “I’m good. Do you want anything to drink?” 

 

Grantaire gratefully accepts a glass of water, and the two of them drink in silence, standing in the kitchen. Once his glass is drained, Grantaire sets it down on the counter and rubs his hands together. 

 

“So,” he says, “Any questions, notes, edits, temporary limits before we begin, or are you ready to get started?” 

 

Enjolras shakes his head. “Nope, I think I’m all good. You?” 

 

“All good,” Grantaire says, and then, just to be sure, “Red for stop, yellow for pause, green for go?” 

 

When Enjolras nods, Grantaire flashes him a grin and nods towards the hall, where Enjolras’ bedroom is. “Lead the way then. Last time you’ll be doing it tonight, I promise.” 

 

Enjolras huffs a laugh, and Grantaire follows him out of the room. He consciously squares his shoulders as he walks, watching Enjolras’ body from behind. 

 

God, he’s going to ruin him tonight. He’s so excited. 

 

It’s apparent when they’re in his room that Enjolras has tidied up. The two of them spend most of their time together in Grantaire’s place, since he lives alone, but the few times they’ve ended up in Enjolras’ bedroom it’s been kind of chaotically organised, books covering most surfaces, doors to the sliding mirror door wardrobes permanently left half open, the bedsheets thrown back haphazardly in the most ‘better than nothing’ attempt at bed making Grantaire has ever seen. 

 

Now, everything is tidy and neat and in its place, the wardrobe doors slid shut, the bed neatly made, with everything they need for tonight set on top, because let no one accuse Enjolras of not being prepared. There’s lube, obviously, and beside the bottle there’s two pairs of thick leather cuffs, one for wrists and one for ankles. There’s a butt plug, and beside it a remote- it vibrates then, that’s pretty cool, Grantaire feels pretty enthusiastic about that. There’s a cock ring, a blindfold, a ball gag. They’ve already discussed the plan for tonight, and so it’s doubtful all of these will get used, but Grantaire appreciates Enjolras’ preparedness, should they decide they’re in a place to be a little bit spontaneous. 

 

In the middle of the bed, too, is Enjolras’ collar. Grantaire lifts it, testing the weight of it in his hand. It’s a simple collar, red- because of course it’s red- and leather, with a D ring at the front and back, presumably for bondage purposes. Grantaire turns to Enjolras, who he’s been largely ignoring since they entered the bedroom and shut the door. 

 

He stands in the centre of the bedroom, watching him with an expression that maybe speaks of him being the slightest bit nervous. Normally, at this point, Grantaire would already be avoiding eye contact, dropping his chin subserviently and waiting for instruction from Enjolras. But Enjolras wants him to take the lead today, wants to be led by him, and Grantaire has to embody that role. 

 

He stands up straight, crossing his arms over his chest, still holding the collar, and gives Enjolras what he hopes passes as an unimpressed look up and down. 

 

It’s hard to be unimpressed, when he’s looking at a literal work of art, but Grantaire tries his best. 

 

“Well?” he throws out carelessly. “Strip.” 

 

Enjolras blinks, and Grantaire watches his adam's apple bob as he swallows. His fingers go to the buttons of his shirt, popping out the first button slowly. 

 

Seriously, who even wears a button-down to a hook up? Surely that isn’t time efficient in the slightest. 

 

“Hurry up,” he snaps. “I don’t have all day.” 

 

Enjolras’ eyes flash up to meet his, and there’s a defiant look in them, his mouth downturned but not quite scowling. Grantaire raises an eyebrow coolly, and tries to convey Look at me like that again and you won’t be orgasming tonight. He must get that, or something similar, across, because Enjolras’ cheeks pinken slightly and he looks down at the floor, shedding the rest of his clothes a lot faster. 

 

And then Enjolras is naked in the middle of the room, Grantaire a few feet away, fully clothed, watching him. He makes a considering noise, a hum from the back of his throat, as he walks a slow circle around Enjolras, like he’s inspecting him. He’s beautiful, of course he is, and Grantaire appreciates the excuse to openly oggle him as much as he wants. While he looks at him, he rubs his thumb slowly back and forth over one of Enjolras’ nipples, watching with satisfaction as it hardens and revelling in the shivery sigh he makes. 

 

The other one gets the same treatment, obviously. 

 

Once he’s had his fill of looking, Grantaire stands in front of Enjolras again. His head is lowered, eyes on the ground. His face is slightly pink, but his cock is also showing an interest in the proceedings, stirring against his thigh. Grantaire knows how it feels to have your naked body scrutinised from every angle, how openly vulnerable it feels. It should be easier on Enjolras, though, considering he’s working with a body much better looking than Grantaire’s. 

 

"Look at me," Grantaire tells him firmly, and Enjolras looks up, makes the briefest of eye contact with Grantaire before he falters and glances at the floor instead. Grantaire decides to let it slide, given that he sometimes struggles with eye contact when he's submitting too. 

 

"Present," he says, and Enjolras looks up to the ceiling, baring his neck so that Grantaire can wrap the collar around him. He buckles it, putting two fingers under the strap to check it's not too tight. He can feel Enjolras' pulse under the pads of his fingers, strong and steady and a little bit faster than normal. 

 

The collar fits perfectly. Grantaire steps back and observes Enjolras, hands on his hips. The collar suits him, the colour and fit makes sense with everything Grantaire knows about him, and the red looks good against his pale skin. 

 

“Okay,” Grantaire turns to the bed, and lifts the butt plug and lube next. He shoves them none too gently at Enjolras, who wasn’t prepared to be handed anything, and he briefly fumbles them both, but doesn’t drop them. Grantaire snorts at his clumsiness, and nearly reminds him again that they don’t have all day, but it decides to be nice, for now. 

 

"Prepare yourself," he says, and then he sits down on the chair in the corner of the room, crosses his left foot over his right thigh and leans his head on his hand, affecting boredom. 

 

“I-” Enjolras starts. 

 

“Did I ask you to speak?” he interrupts, letting his voice slip into a little bit of a sneer. “If I wanted you to speak, I would have asked you to speak, slut. But I didn’t. I asked you to prepare yourself. Nod if you understand, and if you’re still green.” 

 

Enjolras opens his mouth, and then seems to realise how counterproductive that would be, and shuts it again. He finally seems to get with the programme then, nodding firmly and opening the lube, slicking up two of his fingers and reaching behind himself. Grantaire sees the moment when he slips the first finger inside, by the way his eyes flutter and there’s a slight hitch in his breathing. It’s a sight Grantaire will never get tired of, but instead of continuing to look at Enjolras, he drops his eyes to the remote in his hand instead, the one that controls the vibrating butt plug. It’s pretty self-explanatory, just an on switch, and a dial that goes from zero to five. 

 

“Grantaire-” Enjolras starts, his voice strained. 

 

He looks up. Enjolras is watching him imploringly, one of his arms still behind his back. The expression of his face is a mix of nerves, frustration, and confusion. “What do you want me to-” 

 

Grantaire understands where he’s coming from, he thinks. Grantaire has asked him to prepare himself, and then has opted to completely ignore him. He’s most likely confused about whether he should be putting on a show or not. 

 

“We’ve been over this, slut,” Grantaire snaps, his voice dripping with impatience. “I don’t need you to speak. Am I going to have to gag you?” 

 

Enjolras blinks, chewing his lower lip. After a moment, he shakes his head, but the frown on his face doesn’t disappear. Grantaire decides to relent then. He loves this when he’s subbing, loves trying to guess what Enjolras wants from him without him saying so, revels in the embarrassed and humiliated feeling when he gets it wrong. But it’s clear from the way Enjolras is staring at him that he doesn’t feel the same way, and Grantaire decides to take some amount of pity. 

 

He sighs, like he’s extremely inconvenienced. “I don’t care how you do it, just do it. Prepare yourself and get the plug in and tell me when you’ve done it.” 

 

Enjolras’ shoulders relax now that he has some guidance, and he nods, more to himself than to Grantaire. Grantaire looks away from the remote and watches him, still affecting a boredom he doesn’t feel for the sake of the scene. How could he be bored when Enjolras is fingering himself open less than five feet away? 

 

He’s gone for effectiveness rather than a show, which is very in character for him. Still, his eyes are closed, his lips parted, a pretty flush on his cheeks and chest, his cock is hard, jutting out proudly. He’s gorgeous. As Grantaire watches, he obviously decides he’s prepared enough and withdraws his hand, reaching for the plug, sitting on top of the chest of drawers for easy access. He glances up at Grantaire through his lashes as he slicks it up, a peak of blue under blond, and Grantaire raises an eyebrow. 

 

“You’re taking it awfully slowly,” he tells Enjolras. “Do you not want to get fucked tonight?” 

 

Enjolras obviously takes that for the not-so gentle encouragement it’s supposed to be, and reaches behind himself. There’s a beat, a couple of steadying breaths from Enjolras, and then he says, “I’m ready.” 

 

Grantaire stands up and walks slowly to Enjolras, who is watching warily. He holds the hand with the remote up, making a considering humming noise, and then turns the dial up to five. 

 

Enjolras all but shouts, practically doubling over as he's assaulted by the vibrations. Instantly, Grantaire strides over and grabs a handful of his hair, yanking it so he's forced ramrod straight again. 

 

"Stand up straight, slut," he admonishes him. "Stand still and take what I give you. You know what to say if you want it to stop." 

 

Enjolras groans through gritted teeth. His eyes are clenched shut, his cock hard and leaking against his thigh. Grantaire lets go of his hair in favour of grabbing both Enjolras' wrists in one hand and holding them tight behind his back. The other, he uses to turn the vibrator off. Enjolras sags against him, a small noise of relief coming from the back of his throat. 

 

"Good," Grantaire says. He'd meant it as a throwaway word, so he's surprised when Enjolras shivers against him, making another small, needy noise. He looks at the remote, to check he’d definitely switched the plug off like he was supposed to. He has. Interesting. 

 

He turns the vibrator on again, but keeps it low, building it up steadily until Enjolras is shaking and whimpering where he stands. Grantaire waits for his noises to reach a crescendo, and then switches it off again, revelling in the way Enjolras clenches his fists and moans in disappointment every time.

 

He doesn’t know how many times he’s done this, but the next time he turns the vibrator off after keeping it solidly on the third setting, Enjolras’ eyes snap open, a flash of frustration in them, and he yells, “For fuck’s sake!” 

 

“Excuse me?” Grantaire asks cooly, taking a step towards him. Enjolras doesn’t shrink under his gaze. 

 

 “Can you just- I don’t know, use me for something?” he snaps. “Instead of just making me stand here?” 

 

Quick as a flash, Grantaire reaches up and grabs Enjolras’ collar by the D ring, yanking him down so he’s forced to bend over slightly. 

 

“I don’t know exactly what makes you think you’re giving the orders around here,” he says. “But if I want you to stand there for six hours, you will , unless you safeword. Understand?” 

 

There’s a pause, and then Enjolras says, “Yes,” but he still sounds annoyed, rather than submissive. 

 

Hm. Maybe it's time to change tactics then. Grantaire grips hard onto Enjolras’ shoulders and forces him into a kneeling position. After he’s done that, he turns around and grabs the items he wants off the bed, before turning back to Enjolras. He’s looking up at him from his position on the floor, exposing the long length of his neck above the collar. The sight of the pale skin awakens something primal and animalistic in Grantaire; he wants to bite into the delicate skin, turn it purple and red and blue with his teeth. 

 

Sadly, Enjolras has a very strict ‘not above the neckline’ rule when it comes to hickies, but a man can dream.

 

“You don’t want to stand there? Fine, you can make yourself useful.” Grantaire wraps two leather cuffs around each of Enjolras’ wrists and secures them, before using a carabiner to link both of his wrists together, so he has very little room to move them. 

 

Next, Grantaire holds up the blindfold. “Green?” he asks. 

 

Enjolras nods, still glaring. “Green,” he says. 

 

Grantaire puts the blindfold over his eyes, making sure it’s tight. Some of Enjolras’ curls get tangled in his fingers and tugged, and he makes a broken off sound from the back of his throat. 

 

“Huh,” Grantaire says to himself. Just for an experiment, he grips onto Enjolras’ hair and tugs hard, and Enjolras gasps, letting him drag his head back, exposing his neck.

 

Grantaire laughs. “Yeah, that makes sense. You like having your hair pulled, slut?” 

 

Enjolras, notably, doesn’t say anything, and his mouth is curled into a frown rather than lips parted and desperate, like they’d been when Grantaire had pulled it the first time. 

 

Grantaire frowns, and yanks his hair somehow harder, making Enjolras arch his back so he doesn’t fall over. “Hey, I asked you a question.” 

 

Still, Enjolras hesitates. He’s breathing heavily through his nose, lips pressed tight together, and after a moment he finally says, “Yes.” 

 

“Finally,” Grantaire says dismissively. “It’s not that hard.” 

 

“What do you want me to do?” Enjolras asks, apparently choosing to ignore Grantaire’s comment. 

 

Grantaire steps back. “Give me a handjob. Make it good.” 

 

Grantaire can’t exactly make out what Enjolras’ expression is under the blindfold, but the lower half of his face is downturned. 

 

“I- What?” he says, confused. 

 

“You heard me, slut,” Grantaire says serenely. 

 

“I don’t-” Enjolras starts. “I- Where are you?” 

 

Grantaire laughs, callous and cruel.

 

“Next you’ll be asking me to give myself a handjob,” he says. “I’m not going to do all the work for you. Work it out.” 

 

For a moment, Enjolras doesn’t say anything. And then, hesitantly, he reaches forward with his hands, the edge of his fingers just brushing Grantaire’s thigh. 

 

Grantaire, however, has the advantage of being able to, you know, see, so he steps to the side before Enjolras can get a proper grip. Enjolras makes a noise of frustration through gritted teeth, reaching blindly in mid-air. He moves like he wants to stretch his arms out wide, but is hindered by the cuffs holding him together. 

 

“This is so fucking stupid,” he snaps suddenly, and he sounds so genuine that it makes Grantaire pause for long enough that Enjolras is actually able to get a solid grip on him. 

 

“Why do we have to play this stupid game?” Enjolras asks. He doesn’t sound like he’s in subspace, Grantaire realises. He sounds…The same as he always does, to be honest.

 

“Why can’t you just let me be good for you-” Enjolras snaps under his breath, still trying to get Grantaire’s fly down with his hands restricted, and Grantaire is too distracted to step away from him.

 

Oh. Grantaire thinks. And then, oh. 

 

Enjolras isn’t in subspace. And that’s an issue. But Grantaire…thinks he might have an idea of what could get him there. 

 

He sighs. “Yellow.” 

 

Enjolras freezes, and then, after a moment, reaches up and hesitantly removes the blindfold himself. One look at Enjolras’ face confirms what Grantaire already knows, which is that Enjolras isn’t even the slightest bit in subspace yet. Grantaire glances at the clock quickly- Over an hour. Normally by this point, Grantaire would be a horny, spaced out wreck. 

 

“What’s wrong?” Enjolras asks, jaw tight. 

 

“You’re not into this at all, are you?” Grantaire asks him. 

 

There’s a short pause, and then Enjolras asks, “How could you tell?”, his voice sullen and grumpy. He’s looking at the floor to the right of Grantaire’s feet rather than at his face, his hands now limp in his lap. 

 

“It’s just obvious ,” Grantaire says in a ‘duh’ tone of voice, because it is. 

 

“Oh,” Enjolras says, and there’s something fragile in his voice and face suddenly that has alarm bells going off in Grantaire’s head. “I’m sorry.” 

 

Okay. No. Backtrack. Damage control, right now. 

 

“Hey,” he says urgently, and he holds out his hand to Enjolras. He looks up, his eyes wide, and Grantaire repeats the motion. 

 

“Let’s sit together on the bed to have this conversation,” he says, and thankfully Enjolras takes his hand and gets to his feet. Grantaire unhooks the carabiner from between the cuffs, setting it on the bedside table, and the two of them sit beside each other on the bed, not looking at each other. Grantaire’s mind is whirling, trying to think of what to say. This is salvageable, maybe, but only if he doesn’t fuck up right now. 

 

“So,” he says, and he almost cringes at the sound of his own voice in the silence. Enjolras looks at him, and he’s able to make eye contact with Grantaire now, that’s a start. He’s still naked, still wearing the collar, still has a buttplug with a vibrator that Grantaire has the remote for in his ass. But he feels like it would be weirder to point that out at this point. 

 

“So,” he says again, redundantly. “The reason I stopped, is because I got the sense that you were getting frustrated, and not in a sexy way. I thought we could just take a pause, and reassess, and discuss what you actually want out of a submission scene. Because,” he takes a chance and nudges Enjolras’ shoulder companionly, “We were doing all the same kind of things we normally do, but you didn’t seem to be enjoying it half as much as I do. So I’m getting the sense that we like different things, when we submit.”

 

“Okay,” Enjolras says, still watching Grantaire warily. 

 

Grantaire volunteers himself to go first. “This is a bit redundant, since we both have a good sense of what I want and what I enjoy when I submit. I spend a lot of time in my own head, and a lot of time grappling with my shitty self-esteem. Therapy helps, but something else that helps is-” He swallows thickly. “I like…someone saying all the things I think out loud, and breaking me down with them. And then just…reminding me that they’re not true. The scene ends, and real life hits, and all those thoughts and feelings are left behind, along with anything I ask you to do to me, and, y’know, my ability to form full sentences.” 

 

Enjolras’ mouth twitches into a small smile at that, which Grantaire thinks is a win. 

 

“So now I’ve told you what I want, and what I get, out of submission,” Grantaire says. “What about you?” 

 

Enjolras licks his lips. After a moment, he says softly, “I guess…I want someone to tell me what to do.” 

 

Someone to tell him what to do. It makes perfect sense, really. Enjolras is a leader, he has a lot of responsibilities, a lot of people relying on him. Of course, for once, in this specific scenario, he’d want to be the one not in control. He wants to be given the orders, he wants to follow them. 

 

“But I was telling you what to do, Enj,” Grantaire says softly. “I mean, yeah, not at first, I’ll admit. But I changed my strategy a little bit when I worked out it wasn’t doing anything for you.” 

 

“Yeah,” Enjolras says, his voice small. “But you were-” He pauses, and then after a moment, he sighs and says, “It sounds stupid.” 

 

“Tell me, Enj,” Grantaire says firmly. “You know this only works if we’re honest with each other.” 

 

Enjolras nods in agreement. There’s a pause, even longer this time, and then he eventually says, his voice soft. “You were making fun of me.” 

 

“Okay,” Grantaire says. “I won’t do that anymore. What would you like me to do instead?” 

 

“I want someone,” Enjolras closes his eyes, breathes deeply. “I want someone to tell me what to do, and I want to know that I’m doing it right .” 

 

Yep. Grantaire thinks. There it is. 

 

“Okay,” he says. “Cool. I want to try something, if you would be willing to hear me out?”

 

“You want to renegotiate?” Enjolras asks, raising an eyebrow slightly. 

 

“We can either renegotiate, and try again now,” Grantaire says patiently. “Or we can stop for tonight, take a rain check, talk about it and try some other time.” 

 

Enjolras bites his lip, obviously deliberating with himself. After a moment, he asks, “What is it you have in mind?” 

 

Grantaire breathes in slowly, and then blurts it out before he can doubt himself. 

 

“I want to be nice to you,” he says bluntly. 

 

Enjolras blinks, and echoes, “You want to ‘be nice to me’?”, both eyebrows raised.

 

Grantaire nods firmly. He doesn’t quite know why, but he has an assured, confident feeling that Enjolras is going to enjoy this. He wants to try it, at least. 

 

“You mentioned something earlier,” he says. “You said ‘Why can’t you just let me be good for you’. And I think…that that’s what you want. I think you want to be good for me, and I think…I think you want me to tell you that you’re being good.”

 

He swallows. “So. What about, instead of being my slut or my whore, you were my good boy instead?”

 

“Your good boy,” Enjolras repeats. His face is mostly impassive, but there is a reaction; he blushes deeply, over both cheekbones and down his neck, even his chest. 

 

“We don’t have to!” Grantaire says quickly. “We don’t have to do any of this. We can think about it, or-”

 

“No,” Enjolras interrupts. His voice is soft, but it’s enough to stop Grantaire’s rambling in its tracks.

 

“No,” Enjolras says. He licks his lips nervously. “I think…I think I want to try that. Being your good boy.” 

 

Heat curls in Grantaire’s belly at the words. Yeah. He kind of wants to try that too. 

 

There’s a discussion that needs to be had here, Grantaire knows. They need to discuss why Enjolras felt the need to conform to a certain type of submissiveness, why he felt he couldn’t be honest with Grantaire and with himself about what he really wants. 

 

“Should we leave it for tonight, and do this another time?” he asks. 

 

Enjolras shakes his head. He’s frowning a little bit, but not frustrated like he was earlier. He seems more curious than anything. He looks at Grantaire, his eyes trialling up and down in body, and the blush on his chest deepens. His lips part. Grantaire stays still, letting Enjolras look, even if he’s not quite sure what exactly is so interesting.  

 

Eventually, Enjolras swallows. “No,” he says softly. “I’d like- I’d like to try it now, if that’s okay with you? I feel okay to keep going." 

 

Grantaire hesitates for a moment, and then nods. If Enjolras says he's okay to keep going, Grantaire will trust him. And he has to admit to himself, he's quietly curious about how his theory is going to pan out. 

 

"Yeah, we can keep going," he says. “Anything you want me to avoid? Any words or…endearments, I guess, that you want to be off limits?” 

 

Enjolras frowns, and then eventually shakes his head. 

 

“Nothing is occurring to me,” he says. “We have our safewords anyway, I can let you know.” His mouth quirks into a small smile. “I trust you.” 

 

There’s a little thrill of sheer emotion in Grantaire’s chest that he tries not to examine too closely. 

 

“Ready to go again?” he asks instead, and, at Enjolras’ nod, he reaches forward and takes the blindfold from where Enjolras still had it clutched loosely in his hands, and stands. Enjolras looks up at him from his space on the bed. 

 

“I’m going to put this on again,” he says, and he notices instantly the difference in his tone. It’s slow, gentle, almost languid. “Colour?” 

 

“Green,” Enjolras says instantly, and he shivers a little bit when Grantaire slips it over his eyes again. He glances at the carabiner on the bedside table, and makes the split second decision to leave it, for now. 

 

"How about you get back on the floor for me? On your knees?" Grantaire suggests. He feels the slightest bit hesitant about this, about the idea of getting to tell Enjolras all the things he thinks about on a daily basis, of Enjolras hearing how he really feels. 

 

But this isn't about Grantaire and his feelings. This is about Enjolras' submission. If Grantaire is being more honest than he's letting on, well, no one needs to know. 

 

Enjolras slides off the bed to the floor in one graceful movement, settling on his knees. He shifts for a moment, like he's trying to get comfortable, and Grantaire wonders why, before remembering it probably has a lot to do with the butt plug still inside him. 

 

Grantaire steps forward, slipping his fingers underneath the front of Enjolras' collar, feeling the sensation of his throat as he swallows. 

 

"The collar suits you," he tells him softly. “I wanted to tell you earlier, but…yeah. You look really lovely right now.”

 

Enjolras smiles softly, the blush on his cheeks and chest darkening at the compliment. 

 

"Thank you," he says, his voice quiet. 

 

Enjolras’ cock is mostly soft now, lying against his thigh, and Grantaire’s is the same- Mid-scene negotiation tends to have that effect. He’s still holding the remote in his hand, and runs his finger slowly over the dial as he looks down at Enjolras. 

 

“I’m going to try and build you up again, babe,” he says. The endearment slips out of his mouth entirely without permission, and he sucks in a sharp breath as he waits for Enjolras’ reaction- a shuddery breath in, and his tongue licking across his lips quickly. He doesn’t say anything though, so Grantaire keeps going. “I want you to hold nice and still for me, until I can tell you it’s okay to move, and then you can do whatever you want. Green?” 

 

Enjolras nods. “Green.” 

 

From there, Grantaire starts building him up slowly again with the vibrator, starting off by fluctuating between one and two. At the same time, he walks a slow circle around Enjolras, and just lets himself touch. He runs his hands softly down the panes of his shoulders, his chest, his back, and, after getting the all clear from Enjolras, he rakes his nails down the same areas, admiring the lines of red on the pale skin. He runs his thumbs back and forth across Enjolras’ nipples until they harden, and when he bends down and swirls his tongue around one of them, while simultaneously turning the vibrator up to three, Enjolras whimpers softly, and Grantaire can feel him shaking slightly with the effort of keeping still, of not leaning into Grantaire’s touch. 

 

Eventually, Grantaire gets to his feet again. At this point, he’s kept the vibrator on three for a solid fifteen minutes, and he can tell Enjolras is desperate for more, from the way he’s biting hard onto his lower lip, from how hard he is. 

 

Grantaire unzips his fly and pulls his jeans and boxers down to expose himself, already hard and leaking just at the sight of Enjolras, Gently, he reaches down and grabs both of Enjolras’ wrists, bringing them up to him. 

 

“Green, darling?” he checks, and Enjolras nods and sighs shakily when he wraps a hand around Grantaire, as if even this action has given him some small form of relief. His long, delicate fingers grip Grantaire, gliding up and down his shaft in a perfect rhythm, and Grantaire moans softly, stroking a hand through Enjolras’ hair. 

 

“Good boy,” he tells him softly. “You’re so good, staying still for me for so long. You can move now, if you want.” Enjolras makes a small noise of relief, and presses his face into Grantaire’s hip bone. 

 

And then he turns the vibrator up to four. 

 

Enjolras makes a noise, almost like a yelp, at the sudden change, and his hand, still wrapped around Grantaire’s cock, jerks. Grantaire makes a slight noise of discomfort, and Enjolras takes his hand away. 

 

“Sorry,” he says quickly, his voice uncertain. In answer, Grantaire runs a hand gently through his hair again, before gripping and tugging slightly, smiling when Enjolras makes a punched out groaning sound. 

 

“It’s okay, honey,” he tells him, “Just get back to it.” 

 

Enjolras nods, and, after a moment’s hesitation, licks a stripe up his right palm, then his left, before wrapping both his hands around Grantaire’s cock and starting to jerk him again. It makes things slicker, smoother, and Grantaire groans, tangling his hands in the blond hair he loves so much, sinking his fingers into the curls. 

 

He yanks them slightly again, simply because of how much he knows Enjolras enjoys it. Enjolras makes a desperate noise, and when Grantaire looks down, he realises with a jolt that Enjolras is rolling his hips desperately, bucking them into the air, as if he’s trying to chase some friction, get some relief, from the vibrations inside him. 

 

“Holy fuck,” Grantaire chokes out, his voice strained to his own ears, “You are so fucking hot.” 

 

“Grantaire,” Enjolras says, something urgent and desperate in his voice, the slide of his hands back and forth on Grantaire’s cock jerky and frantic but still somehow so good. “I need- Fuck- I need-” 

 

“What do you need, darling?” Grantaire asks, and, just for kicks, he turns the dial on the vibrator up to five. Enjolras shouts and releases Grantaire’s cock, doubling over. He reaches down and wraps his hand around the base of his own cock, the grip looking surprisingly tight, and he groans long and loud. 

 

Grantaire smiles. “What do you need, beautiful?” he asks again, and turns the dial down to two, so Enjolras can actually, you know, tell him. 

 

Enjolras takes a few moments to catch his breath, and then says, “I need a cock ring or something. If you’re going to keep-” He cuts himself off with a shutter, presumably as the vibrations get the better of him, and then he manages to get out in a rush, “I’m going to come unless I get a cock ring.” 

 

Grantaire frowns, and turns the vibrator off. “You can come whenever you want.” 

 

“No, I can’t,” Enjolras says quickly. 

 

“What?” 

 

Despite being blindfolded, Enjolras looks up, like he wants to meet Grantaire’s eyes. “I can come whenever you want,” he clarifies. 

 

“Oh!” Grantaire says, finally catching on. Orgasm control isn’t something Grantaire particularly enjoys when he’s subbing- frankly, he’s too impatient- and they hadn’t discussed it before tonight. But if Enjolras wants to be told when he can come, Grantaire can do that. It sounds, honestly, incredibly hot. 

 

He steps forward, pressing a kiss to the crown of Enjolras’ head. “Sure, we can get you a cock ring, babe. Thank you for telling me what you want. You’re so good.” 

 

There’s a cock ring still sitting on the bedsheets, and Grantaire pulls his underwear and jeans up again to go pick it up, before kneeling down on the floor in front of Enjolras. He leans in and presses his lips against his collarbone, sucking a mark into the delicate skin, while at the same time reaching down and putting the ring around the head of Enjolras’ dick. 

 

“Green, babe?” he asks against Enjolras skin, and when Enjolras confirms, he slips it on, making sure it’s secure, and then brings his hand up to the head of Enjolras’ cock, running his thumb in slow, teasing circles around the head until Enjolras is shuddering with the overstimulation. Meanwhile, Grantaire kisses a line up the side of Enjolras’ neck, across his jaw, to his ear. 

 

“Comfortable, babe?” he checks, still running his thumb around Enjolras’ head. 

 

Enjolras sighs, his head tilting to give Grantaire better access to his neck. “Yes.” 

 

“Good,” Grantaire grins, nips his earlobe, and, just to be a little shit, turns the vibrator on again, all the way up to five. 

 

Enjolras releases a long stream of swear words and leans forward, all of his weight on Grantaire now, and Grantaire uses it as an excuse to trail his lips all over his body below the collar, sucking bruises into the skin of his collarbones and chest and shoulders. 

 

“God, you are so incredible,” Grantaire mutters to him. “You’re taking it so well for me, Enj, and you’re going to take so much more for me. You’re so good, Enjolras. So good.” Enjolras doesn’t say anything, but he makes a soft, contented noise into Grantaire’s shoulder. 

 

He turns the vibrator down low, all the way to one, and stands up again, brushing off the front of his pants. Enjolras sways slightly when he loses the support of Grantaire’s weight, but he stays upright. 

 

“Green to keep going, honey?” Grantaire asks him, and Enjolras nods. 

 

“I’m green,” he says, his voice a blissed out mumble. 

 

Grantaire nods, even though Enjolras can’t see it, and brings his hand to his fly.

 

“Wait,” Enjolras says suddenly at the sound of the zip, and Grantaire freezes instantly. It’s not their safeword, but he can’t just ignore it. 

 

“All good?” he asks. 

 

“I want-” Enjolras wets his lips with his tongue, unaware of how Grantaire’s eyes track the movement. “I want to see you. Can I?”

 

Grantaire knows he has a big, stupid grin on his face right now; he can’t quite hold it back. He tries to school his face into a neutral expression, or, at the very least, a slightly less manic-looking smile. 

 

“I don’t know, darling,” he says, letting a slight teasing note into his voice. “That depends. Are you going to ask me nicely?” 

 

“Please,” Enjolras says instantly, “Please, Grantaire. I really want to see you. Please let me. I’ll do anything you want.” 

 

Grantaire hums thoughtfully. He already knows he’s not going to deny Enjolras this one thing, but he’s pretty sure he can do better than that. 

 

“I’ll be good,” Enjolras continues, “I’ll give you anything you want and I’ll be so good for you. I want to look up at you while you fuck my throat, and I want to see you when you fuck me and-” 

 

“Okay,” Grantaire interrupts with a slight laugh. “Of course you can see me, babe. How could I possibly say no to you?” 

 

He slips his fingers under the blindfold and pulls it up slowly. Enjolras blinks rapidly as his eyes adjust to the brightness. He looks up at Grantaire, and-

 

The difference compared to when the blindfold was removed the first time is night and day. Now, Enjolras looks up at him, his eyes wide and bright and hazy. His expression is open, and there’s a certain amount of softness on his face that Grantaire isn’t used to seeing, but it’s definitely a good look for him, as is the blush on his cheeks and chest. 

 

He is very much in subspace this time round. It’s a relief to see, and, if he’s being honest, there’s something extremely hot about knowing he’s the one who made Enjolras look like that.

 

Grantaire smiles, reaching down with one hand and caressing Enjolras’ cheek and jaw gently. Enjolras sighs softly and leans into it, closing his eyes, and Grantaire tries not to think of a cat when he nuzzles his cheek against his palm. 

 

“You’re lovely,” he tells him, smiling when Enjolras leans further into his hand at the words, “How are you feeling, gorgeous?” 

 

“Mm,” Enjolras stops leaning on Grantaire’s hand, kneeling up straight again and looking up at him again. “I’m good. Really good. I want- I want to thank you-” 

 

They’ve had this planned since they’d first discussed Enjolras subbing, but Grantaire is still excited. To be fair, if there’s ever a day he’s not excited for one of Enjolras’ blowjobs, it probably means there’s something very wrong. 

 

“You can,” he tells him. He steps back and pulls down his jeans and underwear down again, just enough that his cock and balls are exposed. His cock is rock hard, because how could he not be, with Enjolras looking like that, begging to see Grantaire before he sucks him off. 

 

“Green, sweetheart?” he checks, stroking himself slowly. 

 

“Green,” Enjolras confirms. He knee-walks a little bit closer, and, when he’s in front of Grantaire’s crotch, he opens his mouth obediently. Grantaire kind of wishes he’d kept the cuffs for this, but even as the thought crosses his mind, Enjolras puts his arms behind his back, gripping each elbow with the opposite hand, staying still and being so good for Grantaire, and he realises he plans on holding that position for the duration of the blowjob.

 

It shouldn’t be possible, but he feels his cock get somehow harder.  

 

“Good boy,” he says softly, running the pad of his thumb gently along his lower lip, before sliding his cock into Enjolras’ mouth and groaning at the feeling of the soft, wet heat around him. 

 

He lets Enjolras take it at his own pace first, simply carding a hand slowly through his hair as Enjolras sinks down onto his cock, sucking lightly. He gasps when he feels the head of his cock brush the back of his throat, and Enjolras makes a low, satisfied humming noise around the cock in his mouth. The sound vibrates around Grantaire’s shaft and his knees briefly wobble, before he breathes deeply and gets himself under control. At the same time, Enjolras pulls back and releases Grantaire’s cock from his mouth, sticking out his tongue instead and licking long stripes up his shaft, before curling his tongue around the head in repetitive, teasing circles. He’s looking up at Grantaire, his eyes wide and so blue, a small smirk on his face as he takes his dick into his mouth again and bobs his head up and down, sucking languidly. 

 

“ Fucking- Shit, Enjolras,” Grantaire grits out, unable to look away from the sight below him. “Do you have any idea what you look like right now? You’re so- Fuck, you look like- art, or something, I don’t fucking know.” It’s possible that Enjolras is making him slightly inarticulate. 

 

In answer, Enjolras pulls off Grantaire’s cock and starts sucking and licking his balls. Grantaire, honestly, could let Enjolras have his way with his cock and balls forever, but they do have a plan here, so after just a few minutes longer, because Grantaire is only human, he grips Enjolras’ hair and pulls him back slightly. 

 

“This is fucking great, babe, but I’m still in charge, and I want to take over,” he tells him. “Green?” 

 

“Green,” Enjolras confirms, and there’s a little flicker of excitement in his eyes, in the way his mouth curls into a small smile. 

 

“Perfect,” Grantaire tells him, meaning a lot of things, and when Enjolras opens his mouth again, he thrusts his cock into it. His hand tightens in Enjolras hair, another on the back of his neck to keep him steady, and thrusts in and out of his mouth and throat in short, steady bursts. Enjolras is taking it so well, breathing steadily through his nose, his hands still behind his back. When Grantaire’s head brushes the back of his throat, his eyes squeeze shut, and there’s a few tears gathering when he opens them again. 

 

“Beautiful boy,” Grantaire tells him. “So, so good for me.” He’s hitting the back of his throat with every thrust now, and of course, he already knew Enjolras could deepthroat, but the way he’s staying so still and letting Grantaire do whatever he wants with his mouth and throat is one of the hottest sights he has ever seen. 

 

In fact, Grantaire realises with a jolt, he’s seriously going to come right this instant if he doesn’t stop, which wouldn’t be ideal since he still wants to fuck him, and Enjolras, presumably, still wants to be fucked. So he grips the base of his cock hard to hold himself back, and grips onto Enjolras’ hair to pull him off. Enjolras’ splutters a little bit when he pulls off, and there’s a little trail of saliva still connecting his lips to Grantaire’s cock, but he’s flushed red, his eyes and eyelashes are wet as he looks up at Grantaire, waiting, and he’s still stunning. 

 

“God, you’re pretty,” Grantaire says, and then he loses all concept of a filter, and blurts out, “Someday, we’re going to do that again, and I’m going to come all over your face, and you’re going to look even prettier.” 

 

Enjolras blinks, taken aback. And then his mouth curls into a small little quirk of a smile. He clears his throat, and then brings a hand up and wipes slowly at his lips with the back of his fingers, and says, “I’d like that.” 

 

Grantaire is smiling too. He holds out his hand, and, when Enjolras takes it, he helps him get to his feet. For a moment, all he can do is look him up and down, admiring. The patches of red on his chest and cheekbones, the purpling bruises on his chest and collarbones where Grantaire had sunk his teeth in, the soft, dark blond hair on his chest and stomach and thighs. 

 

God, he's gorgeous. Grantaire could let him stand there all day, wearing nothing but a collar, and never get bored of looking at him. 

 

He wonders if that would be something Enjolras would be willing to do, at some point. But that's not the matter at hand. 

 

"On the bed, sweetheart," he tells him, letting go of his hand. "Hands and knees." 

 

Enjolras nods and climbs onto the bed obediently, getting into position on his hands and knees, his face pointed towards the sliding mirror doors of the wardrobe. While he does that, Grantaire finally takes off all his clothes, before climbing up behind him and stroking the back of his knuckles over the soft skin of his ass. He draws them closer to the still lightly vibrating plug, listening for the hitch of Enjolras' breath, grinning and withdrawing when he hears it. He teases him like that for longer, raking his nails into the soft skin of his ass and thighs, revelling in the way it makes Enjolras moan and lean into his hands. 

 

Eventually, he curls his fingers around the rim of the plug. He pulls on it slowly, nearly pulling it out completely, and then smiles, and presses a kiss to Enjolras’ lower back while he pushes it in again. He’s essentially fucking Enjolras with the plug, and he can tell that it’s both too much and not enough for him, by the way he’s groaning through gritted teeth, the way all four of his limbs are trembling with the effort of staying still. 

 

Figuring he should probably put him out of his misery soon, Grantaire pulls the plug out completely, and Enjolras hisses at the sudden emptiness. He leans over the top of him so he can reach the bottom bed frame and sets the plug there- they can deal with it later. For now, Grantaire stays where he is, his body hovering just over the top of Enjolras’, and presses a gentle kiss to his neck, his ear, the edge of his jaw. 

 

“Good boy,” he tells him softly, and Enjolras’ sighs, his eyes closing. There’s a small, contented smile on his face, and Grantaire swallows and says, “Beautiful,” more to himself than anything. 

 

“You’re going to get to come soon, I promise,” Grantaire tells him, and then he pulls back so he can’t see Enjolras’ face anymore, just the long, graceful line of his body. He kisses a soft, slow line of open mouthed kisses down the notches of his spine, deliberately drawing it out for as long as possible, just to be a tease, knowing that Enjolras isn’t going to stop him. 

 

When he reaches the bottom of his spine, Grantaire keeps his lips pressed against his skin, trailing them down to the skin of his ass again. Enjolras’ skin is pink and warm to the touch, still covered in the lines made by Grantaire’s nails. Grantaire kind of wants to leave more marks, wants something that is going to stick around, that Enjolras will notice in the mirror from the corner of his eye when he’s getting changed. 

 

And maybe Grantaire just thinks it’s hot. Sue him. 

 

“I want to mark you,” Grantaire says, “Colour?” 

 

“Green,” Enjolras replies instantly, and then he makes a little punched out half-pain half-pleasure noise when Grantaire sinks his teeth into his ass. When he pulls back, there’s very definite teeth marks marring the pale skin, and Grantaire groans at the sight, pressing his thumb into them. He brings his other hand up, caressing Enjolras’ ass again for another moment before gripping hard and spreading him wide. Enjolras’ hole is still shiny with lube, open and ready for Grantaire. But he’ll get to that- There’s something else he wants to do first. 

 

“Fuck,” Grantaire mutters softly to himself. He’s still holding Enjolras open, and when he feels him shift slightly under him, he says, “Hey. No moving, be good for me. And I know I said I’ll let you come soon, but not yet. Understand?” 

 

“ Yes, ” Enjolras says desperately, and then “Grantaire-”, and there’s a small note of what very well could be embarrassment in his voice, but he doesn’t safeword, so Grantaire doesn’t stop. 

 

Grantaire grins, takes a breath, and, without ceremony, shoves his tongue into Enjolras' hole. 

 

Enjolras makes a noise which can only be described as a squeak, and seriously, Grantaire has no right to be thinking about how adorable that is while his tongue is deep inside Enjolras. He groans at the thought despite himself, and turns it in a slow, teasing circle. Enjolras is tense under his hands but is staying so still, being so good, and Grantaire is going to eat him out like he deserves. 

 

He reaches in as deep as he can with his tongue, thrusting it in and out, and Enjolras yelps out a singular “Fuck!”, breathless and desperate. Grantaire ignores him, just focusing on the taste  of him on his tongue, fucking him open with it, closing his eyes and revelling in the way Enjolras’ moans are getting louder the longer Grantaire does it. 

 

At this point, Enjolras’ moans have dissolved into a steady stream of “ Fuck, fuck, fuck, Grantaire, fuck, Grantaire, ” when out of no where he blurts out “Wait, Grantaire, stop.” 

 

Grantaire pulls away instantly as the urgency in his tone. “Enjolras? All good?” 

 

Enjolras breathes shallowly for a few seconds, and then says, “No, I’m okay. I just- I was going to come.” 

 

Grantaire frowns. “But…the cock ring-” 

 

Enjolras interrupts with a shaky laugh. “I don’t think it would have mattered, honestly.” 

 

Grantaire huffs a laugh too, and leans down, pressing another brief kiss to the base of Enjolras’ spine. “Fair enough. Thank you for letting me know, gorgeous.” While he’s doing this, he uses one of his hands to rub at Enjolras’ perineum with his thumb, feeling him twitch under his hands. 

 

“How are you feeling, sweetheart?” he asks. “Are you ready to get fucked?” 

 

Enjolras laughs shakily again, and Grantaire is secretly relieved that Enjolras is feeling comfortable enough about all this to laugh. “I think I’ve been ready for about an hour now.” 

 

Grantaire grins. He stands up off the bed and walks to the bedside table, grabbing the condom off it and unwrapping it. Before he crawls onto the bed again, he goes to the front, where Enjolras is facing the mirror doors, and uses a finger under his chin to tip his face up. 

 

“You’ve been so patient,” he tells him. “Good boy.” He leans in and gives him an open mouthed kiss, their tongues tangling together. 

 

“I’m going to fuck you like you deserve,” he tells Enjolras when he pulls away from him, and then presses a kiss to his nose, even though that’s ridiculous, just because he can. 

 

Enjolras smiles. “Please, do.” 

 

Grantaire smiles too, and then walks around the side of the bed and climbs up on it, positioning himself on his knees behind Enjolras. He reaches down and circles his finger around Enjolras’ hole, and Enjolras buries his face in the mattress and yells “Grantaire, please.” 

 

“Okay, okay,” Grantaire says with a laugh as he opens the condom and rolls it onto his cock. He grabs the lube from the bedside table and drizzles some on his hands, giving himself an extremely perfunctory once-over with it. “You know, sweetheart, you’re surprisingly bossy for someone on their knees, begging for my cock.” 

 

“I know,” Enjolras mumbles into the mattress, “But, please.” 

 

“Only because you asked so nicely,” Grantaire says, and then he grabs both of Enjolras’ hips in his hands, and holds him steady while he slowly sinks into him. He closes his eyes with a moan, and doesn’t stop pushing forward slowly until he feels himself bottom out, his hips pressed flush against Enjolras. 

 

“Oh, fuck,” he says. The room is quiet apart from both of their breathing. “You feel so good.” 

 

He doesn’t give Enjolras time to answer before he pulls back and thrusts forward again, tightening his grip. Enjolras gasps at the feeling, and Grantaire watches his fingers clench around the bedsheets. He starts thrusting faster then, getting a rhythm, one that has him biting down swear words at the feeling of Enjolras’ tight heat around him. 

 

Enjolras isn’t looking up at this point, his face buried in between his arms, which are now stretched out in front of him instead of holding him up. Grantaire looks up, fascinated at the sight of the two of them in the mirror, the graceful curve of Enjolras’ back, leading up to his ass, where Grantaire is pounding him. 

 

He thinks Enjolras needs to see it too, so he leans forward and buries a hand into the soft mass of Enjolras’ hair, jerking his head up so they’re both staring into the mirror. 

 

“Look at yourself, babe,” he grits out between brutal thrusts, tightening his hand in Enjolras’ hair and making him mewl, “On your hands and knees, being so good for me, taking everything I’m giving you. How does it feel?”

 

Enjolras gasps, and manages to grit out an answer. “God, fuck, it’s- So good -”

 

“You’re so gorgeous,” Grantaire tells him, “And you feel so fucking good, so tight and hot. You’re just so good for me. There’s no one else like you.” 

 

Enjolras cries out, and he clenches somehow harder around Grantaire. He looks up, making eye contact with Grantaire in the mirror, his eyes wide and desperate. 

 

“Please, R,” he says desperately, “Please, can I come?” 

 

Grantaire stops thrusting so he doesn’t go off at the idea of Enjolras asking his permission to come. He leans forward and hooks a finger through the D-ring on Enjolras' collar and tugs, using it to pull Enjolras back against him. His cock falls out of him as they manoeuvre, but no matter. He's kneeling on the bed, Enjolras' back and ass and back of his thighs pressed flush against him. He reaches with a finger and turns Enjolras' face gently to the side so their eyes can meet, and Grantaire kisses him, thrusting his tongue deep into his mouth, Enjolras pliant and open and groaning for him. 

 

As they kiss, Grantaire trails a hand down Enjolras' flank, across his stomach, and fists his hand around his cock. Enjolras moans into his mouth, and Grantaire breaks their kiss, trailing his finger alongside the underside of his dick, before tugging lightly at the ring. "So, you want to come, babe?" 

 

" Yes ," Enjolras gasps, "God, please, yes." 

 

Grantaire trails his lips down the side of Enjolras' neck, and bites into the smooth muscle at the junction of his neck and shoulder. 

 

"You know the drill then, gorgeous," he says. "You have to ask me nicely."

 

Enjolras makes a low growl of frustration, squirming against Grantaire. “I’ve already asked you nicely .” 

 

Grantaire laughs. “I think you can do better than that, honey. Everyone knows you have a way with words. Time to show it off.” 

 

"Please take it off, Grantaire," Enjolras begs, wild and desperate, "Please let me come. I'll be good." 

 

Grantaire smiles, and presses a soft kiss to Enjolras' shoulder. "You're already being good." 

 

Enjolras squirms in his hold, grinding his ass down on Grantaire’s cock. It feels so good that Grantaire has to muffle a moan by biting into Enjolras’ shoulder. 

 

“I’ll do anything you want,” Enjolras says desperately, “ Anything, R. We can- I don’t know. We can try that thing you wanted, with the boots. And the- Hnngh. ” His words dissolve into a wordless groan when Grantaire trails the tip of his finger teasingly around his head. 

 

“Hmm,” Grantaire hums vaguely, pretending to think. The boot thing is intriguing, to be fair. He’s had that fantasy for a while now. 

 

“Whatever you want, we can talk about it,” Enjolras says. He’s looking up at Grantaire desperately, and then sighs in relief when Grantaire reaches down and removes the cock ring, closing his eyes and throwing his head back to rest on Grantaire’s shoulder. He slides his hand back and forth over Enjolras’ dick slowly, and presses a kiss to the juncture of his neck and shoulder.

 

“I want to do this with you again,” Grantaire mutters to him. He hadn’t even known that he was going to say it, but it’s out before he can stop it. “I want to take care of you like this again. I don’t want it to be just a one time thing.” 

 

Enjolras opens his eyes, and turns his head to look at Grantaire slowly. He’s panting, his lips bitten red and parted, and he looks up, making direct and deliberate eye contact with Grantaire. 

 

“Yes,” he says softly, “We can do this again. I’d really like that.” 

 

God. He’s perfect. He’s everything. 

 

"Good boy," Grantaire tells him. He aims a kiss at Enjolras’ neck, but misjudges, his lips somehow pressed against the leather of Enjolras’ collar. 

 

“You can come now,” he says into the material, and twists his wrist the slightest bit. 

 

Enjolras comes, his back arching, and Grantaire keeps his hand on his cock, pressing kisses to his shoulders, jaw, the back of his neck, as Enjolras shakes in his arms. He looks up, remembering the mirror, and stares open-mouthed at Enjolras’ orgasm. He’s gasping for air, his head thrown back, eyes squeezed shut, shuttering through the aftershocks. 

 

There’s also cum all over the bed, but that’s…not the matter at hand. 

 

He keeps his arms tight around Enjolras, one hand still curled around his dick, sliding his hand up and down it slowly, only letting go when Enjolras squirms in his hold and makes a small whimper which sounds more like pain than pleasure, murmuring praises into his skin the whole time. He loses track of what he's saying a little bit, simply whispering nonsense coos of endearment into Enjolras' hair as he slowly goes boneless and heavy against him. 

 

Enjolras eventually opens his eyes. They’re hazy, and even when he looks up at Grantaire, he doesn’t seem to be completely in the room. Grantaire reaches up and cups his cheek in his hand again, and Enjolras turns into it, pressing a slow, closed-mouth kiss to his palm. 

 

Grantaire swallows, so he doesn’t say anything stupid, like I love you. 

 

"Lie down for me?" he requests instead. "On your back?" Enjolras makes a small noise of assent and peels himself off of Grantaire, turning onto his back. He’s so far into subspace, Grantaire knows well what it feels like- Enjolras’ brain probably feels like mush right now. His expression is open and trusting as he looks up at Grantaire, his limbs splayed out like a broken doll. He sighs softly, and presses a kiss to his bent knee. 

 

"Do you want to keep going?" he asks, "I can fuck you again, but it's also totally okay if you want to tap out. I can look after myself." 

 

In answer, Enjolras simply holds his arms out, a dazed looking smile on his face. Bemused, Grantaire sinks into them, and Enjolras curls his arms around his shoulders and pulls him in for a deep kiss, all tongue and teeth clacking together. 

 

“I want you to keep going,” Enjolras says against Grantaire’s mouth, his words a lazy, blissed out slur. “Want you to keep fucking me.” 

 

Grantaire presses a long, lingering kiss to Enjolras’ cheek. “I can do that,” he murmurs into it. There’s a little bit of awkward manoeuvring as Grantaire adjusts his position, and Enjolras is no help, all of his limbs having apparently turned to jelly. Grantaire can’t even be annoyed about that- God knows he knows how it feels. 

 

But eventually, they get it right, Enjolras’ legs curled up and around Grantaire’s waist, and Grantaire is slowly sliding his cock into Enjolras again, not stopping until he bottoms out, his hips pressed tight against Enjolras’ ass. Grantaire can’t help the low moan that comes from the back of his throat. The two of them are completely pressed together, Grantaire pinning Enjolras to the bed with his arms and his hips and his cock, Enjolras spread out underneath him, completely unable to move. Grantaire has a fleeting moment of wanting to cuff Enjolras' wrists to the bed, but he's not going to move from his current position right now, not with how deep inside Enjolras he is.

 

Maybe next time. 

 

To compensate, he moves his arms from their current position and wraps both his hands tight around Enjolras' wrists, over the leather cuffs, pressing them hard into the mattress. 

 

He thrusts once, groaning at the feeling of Enjolras' tight heat clenching around him. Enjolras moans brokenly, and when Grantaire looks at him he has his eyes squeezed shut, biting down hard onto his lower lip. 

 

Grantaire's hips jutter involuntarily, and Enjolras gasps. 

 

"Is it too much?" he asks, even though pulling out of Enjolras now might just kill him. 

 

Enjolras groans, shaking his head on the pillow. His hands curl into fists, Grantaire feeling the flex of muscle where he's still gripping hard. 

 

"Don't stop," Enjolras says breathlessly. "Want you to come- Want you to feel good." 

 

Grantaire smiles. He knows he’s going to come soon, but he wants to hold it off for a little bit longer, not yet willing to give up the feeling of Enjolras around him, the wide-eyed, trusting way he’s looking up at Grantaire. So he takes it slowly, slow, steady thrusts out of Enjolras, pulling nearly all the way out and sinking slowly back in again. Enjolras isn’t as loud as he’d been earlier, but he’s making small, contented noises into Grantaire’s skin, his lips pressed against his shoulder. 

 

Grantaire pulls back a little bit and cups Enjolras’ face again, angling him so he can lean down and press slow, open-mouthed kisses to his neck. He has to push down the urge to bite down, especially when Enjolras shivers at a particularly deep thrust and tightens around him. 

 

“R, Grantaire, I-” Enjolras says, and Grantaire realises with a jolt that he can feel Enjolras’ cock, half-hard, pressed between their two abdomens. He leans up on his elbows, and lets go of one of Enjolras’ wrists so he can intertwine their fingers instead.

 

Enjolras looks up at him, wide-eyed, gripping hard onto Grantaire’s hand. He moans, and says, “Grantaire, harder.” 

 

Grantaire raises an eyebrow. “Is that any way to ask, babe?” 

 

“I’m sorry,” Enjolras says instantly, but not in the soft, vulnerable voice from earlier. He tightens his legs around Grantaire’s waist, pulling Grantaire deeper into him and gasping when his cock brushes his prostate. 

 

“Grantaire, fuck me harder, please, ” Enjolras says. 

 

“ Fuck, ” Grantaire grits out, and then does what he asks, pounding in and out of him, listening as the soft noises Enjolras had been making dissolve into louder groans. His hand is a vice grip in Grantaire’s, and the other one, the one Grantaire is no longer holding, is resting on his back instead, the nails digging into his skin. 

 

“Amazing-” he grits out into the skin of Enjolras’ neck, “Fucking- Amazing, you’re amazing, you feel so fucking good, I can’t-” He’s borderline incoherent at this point, but he has enough sense left to reach out with one of his hands and wrap it around Enjolras’ cock, jerking him hard. 

 

Enjolras yells , too low to be a scream, and, to probably both their surprise, his cock jerks and there's a weak spurt of come across his stomach as he surrenders to a second orgasm. 

 

"Oh fuck, " Grantaire manages to grit out, and then he's pressing his face hard into the skin of Enjolras' neck and shaking apart as he comes too. He comes so hard that he feels like his vision whites out, the whole world narrowed down to the press of his face against Enjolras’ shoulder, the smell of sex and sweat and citrus body wash, the little huffs of air Enjolras is making below him. 

 

His own limbs feel like jelly, so for a couple of moments he just lies there, sliding down so his head is resting on Enjolras’ chest instead, eyes closed, listening to the pound of his heartbeat under his ear. He breathes deeply as he slowly comes down from his orgasm, his own heartbeat settling slowly. 

 

After a few moments, Grantaire’s afterglow has faded enough that he has the presence of mind to pull back slowly, both because he’s concerned about Enjolras’ comedown, and also because he weighs a good bit more than Enjolras, and is kind of worried that he’s, like, crushing him right now. 

 

Enjolras lies still, unmoved from the same position he’d been in while Grantaire was fucking him; eyes closed, lips parted, cheeks and chest red. Grantaire swallows. He has no idea what Enjolras’ subdrop is supposed to look like, has no idea if he’s currently dropping or not. 

 

He grips the end of the condom and slowly pulls out of Enjolras.  He makes a small noise from the back of his throat, but doesn't move or speak beyond that. 

 

“Enj?” Grantaire says softly. “You okay?” 

 

Enjolras hums softly, and looks at Grantaire through half-lidded eyes. After a moment, he hums again, a small “mm-hm,” sound. 

 

Grantaire isn’t sure what to make of that. But he hasn’t burst into tears yet, so that’s a good sign, right?  

 

"Hey," he tries, "I'm just going to get rid of the condom and get something to clean up. Are you okay if I leave you for a minute?" 

 

Enjolras doesn't verbally respond, but does give a small nod, and closes his eyes again. Grantaire bites his lip, unsure if he should leave him, but he does need to clean up. 

 

“I’ll be quick,” he promises, before standing up and retreating to the bathroom. He disposes of the condom, gives himself an extremely perfunctory wipe down, and then gets a new flannel from the cabinet and warms it under the hot tap for Enjolras. 

 

He's still in the same position when Grantaire comes back, but his eyes are open now. Their eyes meet, and, after a moment, a small smile twitches at the corner of Enjolras’ mouth. It makes Grantaire smile too, relief sinking into his bones, and he climbs back on the bed again next to him, running the cloth reverently over the skin of his stomach and thighs until anything unsavoury is gone. 

 

"Thank you," Enjolras says, voice quiet, when Grantaire finishes and sets the cloth on the floor to be dealt with later. 

 

"No problem," he says. "How are you feeling? Do you need anything?"

 

Enjolras blinks up at him sleepily for a moment, before shaking his head slowly. He reaches out and curls his hand around Grantaire’s bicep, tugging lightly. 

 

“Just- Lie down with me?” he says. 

 

Grantaire certainly isn’t going to turn down that request, so he lies down on the pillow and holds out his arm for Enjolras to curl in close to him. When they’re both settled, he pulls the bed covers up and over the two of them, determined not to think about how gross that is. Enjolras sighs and seems to sink into both him and the bed, his breathing slow and steady. 

 

Grantaire can feel himself starting to relax into the bed as well, but the nagging thought of Enjolras’ subdrop keeps him awake. He’s been looking up at the ceiling, but now he turns his gaze to Enjolras. He’s lying perfectly still against Grantaire’s shoulder, his eyes closed, lips parted as he breathes softly. 

 

Has he-

 

“Enjolras?” Grantaire says softly. 

 

“Mm?” Enjolras opens his eyes, and they’ve still got the hazy look of subspace in them, but there’s a hint of something else there, something more fiery and familiar, something Grantaire is used to seeing when he looks into Enjolras’ eyes. 

 

“You- Are you okay?” Grantaire asks him. 

 

Enjolras blinks, his brow furrowing as he does a quick self-assessment. He shifts slightly against Grantaire, wrapping an arm around his waist, and, when he looks up, he’s giving Grantaire a small, bright smile. 

 

“I think…I actually am?” he says, “I’m tired, but…I feel good.” 

 

Some strange mix of happiness-hope-satisfaction swirls in Grantaire’s chest. “Really?” 

 

“Really.” Enjolras confirms. He shifts onto his elbow, and presses a soft, lingering kiss to Grantaire’s lips. 

 

“Thank you,” he says softly. “That was…It was really, really good. I had a lot of fun.” 

 

Grantaire wants to get out of bed and do a victory lap, or maybe a celebratory dance, but he is an adult man, he can maintain composure for this. So instead he just smiles, and cups Enjolras’ face in one hand, rubbing a thumb softly back and forth across his cheekbone. 

 

“Me too. It was great. And I’m glad you’re feeling good. That’s what I wanted.”

 

“I didn’t know it could feel like that,” Enjolras says, his voice still uncharacteristically soft. He rests his head on Grantaire’s chest, running his fingers through the thick hair there. “I didn’t know I could feel so…” He trails off, sighing softly. 

 

“I’m glad we changed tactics,” he says instead. “It was the right thing to do.” 

 

Grantaire presses a kiss to his temple. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow,” he assures him, “For now; do you need anything?” 

 

“I-” Enjolras starts, but before he can speak he’s interrupted by a loud rumble from his stomach. The two of them look up at each other in unison, and then something breaks, and they’re both giggling stupidly. 

 

“Something to eat and drink?” Grantaire suggests wryly, when they’ve gotten themselves under control, and Enjolras nods, still grinning. Grantaire gets out of bed, but when he glances over his shoulder, something in Enjolras’ face has fallen, his eyes wide as he looks at Grantaire. 

 

Grantaire makes a split second decision, holding his hand out to Enjolras. “Wanna come with me?” he asks. He notes that Enjolras is still wearing both the collar and the wrist cuffs, and reminds himself that he’s probably still quite deep in subspace. Enjolras nods gratefully and grips Grantaire’s hand, following him into the kitchen. 

 

The two of them stand side-by-side in the kitchen, drinking water and eating toast Grantaire made. He has a fleeting moment of imagining Combeferre returning early from his trip and walking in on the two of them, naked and eating toast, Enjolras wearing a collar and covered in hickies, and nearly chokes on a particularly dry crumb. 

 

After he’s finished, Grantaire nudges Enjolras softly in the side. “You still doing okay?” 

 

“Yeah,” Enjolras says with a nod and another small smile. “I’m good. Are you good?” 

 

“The best,” Grantaire says with a shit-eating grin. He reaches up and rubs a thumb slowly across Enjolras’ collar, dipping it underneath to brush skin instead. “Ready to take this bad boy off and go to bed?” 

 

Enjolras nods, but something in his face tightens suddenly. 

 

“Enj,” Grantaire says. “What’s up? Why are you looking like that?” 

 

He blinks, and then shakes his head. 

 

“Nothing,” he says, which Grantaire doesn’t believe for a moment, and then, “I just- You’re staying here, right?” 

 

Grantaire smiles, and pecks Enjolras lightly on the lips. “I’m staying, I promise.” 

 

Thankfully, Grantaire manages to locate a spare duvet in Enjolras and Combeferre’s airing cupboard, because they do have to draw the line somewhere. The two of them brush their teeth, and then Enjolras takes the wrist cuffs and collar off, setting them on the bedside table. Grantaire offers him ointment for the slightly red skin underneath, but Enjolras shakes his head no, yawns so widely that Grantaire can practically see his molars, and looks pointedly at the other side of the bed. 

 

They end up lying on their sides, Enjolras’ back pressed tight against Grantaire’s chest. Enjolras is taller, but Grantaire is more bulky, so it’s easy for him to wrap an arm around his waist and pull him in, enveloping Enjolras in his arms. Enjolras is breathing slowly, steadily, and Grantaire smiles. Enjolras is okay, they’re going to be okay, for tonight anyway. 

 

Still, he mutters a soft “Wake me up if you need me,” against Enjolras’ neck. When Enjolras makes a soft noise of assent, Grantaire brushes a few blond hairs away from his face and presses a soft kiss to the back of Enjolras’ neck. 

 

He doesn’t know if he’s ever fallen asleep so fast in his life. 

 

***

 

Grantaire blinks awake the next morning with Enjolras still pressed up against him, still fast asleep. For a moment, he can do nothing more than stare down at him, watching the steady rise and fall of his breathing, the part of his lips, the blond lashes fanned out on his cheeks. 

 

Dating or not, Grantaire feels like the luckiest man in the world right now. 

 

He’s also the hungriest, so he shifts Enjolras’ weight off of him, huffing a laugh when he groans unhappily but doesn’t wake, throws on the pair of sweatpants he’d brought with him and makes his way to the kitchen. 

 

It shouldn’t be surprising that Enjolras and Combeferre don’t have a lot by the way of actual food, but he manages to track down bacon and eggs in the fridge. Grantaire whistles as he cooks, because he is not only the luckiest and hungriest man in the world but also the smuggest, because last night he’d made Enjolras feel so good, fucked him so hard he came twice, and, even better, there’d been no subdrop to speak of afterwards. 

 

If he does a small victory dance right there in the kitchen, well, no one will ever know. 

 

He’s just plating up the bacon and eggs when there’s the creak of floorboards behind him, and Enjolras’ voice says “Morning.” When he turns, Enjolras is standing in the doorway, wearing only a pair of boxers, his arms folded across his chest, and in the morning light Grantaire can clearly see a line of hickies, stretching from his collar bone down his chest. He’s smiling, and he’s gorgeous. Grantaire considers asking him if he can like, dim it a little, because it’s far too early to be blinded by the light, and then dismisses the thought. He hasn’t had his coffee yet and it’s showing. 

 

“Good morning,” he says instead. “How are you?” 

 

“Mm, good,” Enjolras stretches his arms over his head like a cat, and then steps into the kitchen and into Grantaire’s space. “Tired and achy, but in a good way.” 

 

“Too tired to make coffee?” Grantaire asks teasingly, and Enjolras huffs a laugh and turns to the coffee machine. 

 

They don’t speak again until they’re sitting together at the breakfast bar, working through their breakfast. 

 

“So,” Enjolras asks conversationally over the rim of his coffee mug. “How do you think last night went?” 

 

Grantaire takes a sip of coffee to stall answering the question, and then sets his mug down, and says, “Yeah. I think it went really well, in the end.” 

 

Enjolras nods eagerly, which is good. They’re on the same page with that, at least. 

 

“The start was-” Grantaire says hesitantly. 

 

“Yeah, no,” Enjolras cuts in. “It wasn’t good. You were right; both to safeword, and to renegotiate.” 

 

“I don’t want to overstep,” Grantaire says. “But I think that maybe you should consider adding humiliation and degradation to your limits.” 

 

Enjolras hums thoughtfully. Grantaire continues speaking, nerves spurring him into a state of word-vomit. 

 

“I mean, it’s obviously not up to me to tell you what you’re into, not after one night of domming,” he blurts out, “But it seems like there could be a correlation between those things and your subdrop. So I just think you should think about it. Sorry.” he adds lamely at the end. 

 

Enjolras frowns. “Why are you sorry? You’re right.” He frowns, a furrow between his eyebrows as he looks down at his plate. “I hadn’t ever…I don’t know why I hadn’t considered that my subdrop had to do with the kinds of things I was asking for.” He laughs self-consciously. “I guess part of me was thinking that if I can give that kind of thing out, I should be able to take it.” He flushes, pushing a piece of bacon around his plate with his fork. “I don’t know.”

 

“Enjolras, that’s bullshit, ” Grantaire says firmly. “You do know that’s bullshit, right? Your submission- It’s about you, it’s about what you want, what makes you comfortable. You don’t need to conform to anyone else’s idea of submission, not mine, not anyone’s. ” He reaches across the breakfast bar and squeezes his hand tight, because this is important, because he needs to understand. “It’s for you. It’s what you want. You know that, right?” 

 

Enjolras blinks. “I know. I guess…I didn’t really know what it was I wanted, until last night.” He looks up at Grantaire from under his lashes. “Until you told me.”  

 

Grantaire can feel his face going red. He drains the rest of his coffee, and regrets it instantly, because he’s just lost his ability to stall. He clears his throat, setting the empty mug down. “Yeah. I- That’s good.” 

 

“You were really great, R,” Enjolras says. He’s smiling softly, looking at Grantaire in a way that makes him want to melt in the best way. “Seriously. You were perfect.” 

 

“That thing I said-” Grantaire blurts out, because he’s always been bad at taking compliments and he’s not about to change his ways now. “When you were begging, about doing it again. That was just- It was something I said in the spur of the moment, we don’t have to do that again if you don’t want to-” 

 

“Oh, no, I want to,” Enjolras says casually. He grins, sharp and smug and familiar, the way he grins when he knows he’s about to say something that’s going to make Grantaire’s knees go weak. “I’m already looking forward to being your good boy again.” 

 

Grantaire, in response, grins. “Oh no, I’ve ruined you. Am I going to be expected to shoulder all the responsibility from now on? That’s a lot of pressure.” 

 

Enjolras smiles and presses a kiss to Grantaire’s cheek in answer. “We’ll share.” He stands then, running a hand through his hair. 

 

“Well, I’m going to go start the laundry” he says, putting his plate in the sink and starting to walk out of the room. “Otherwise Combeferre will come back and wonder why there’s been a duvet shortage.”

 

Grantaire grins. “You could try telling him we were making a blanket fort.” 

 

Enjolras snorts a laugh in response. Before he can leave the room, Grantaire loses control of his filter again, and blurts out “I meant it, you know.” 

 

Enjolras looks over his shoulder with a frown. “Meant what?” 

 

Grantaire swallows, pinned by Enjolras’ gaze. Part of him regrets it deeply, wants to push the words back into his throat, and yet part of him thinks that now is the moment, now he finally wants to be honest with Enjolras. 

 

“I- The things I was staying last night,” he says, his voice stuttery and awkward to his own ears. He wants to cringe away from it, but he stands tall and somehow makes eye contact with Enjolras, who is watching him curiously, his head tilted to the side slightly. 

 

“Like, I know everything said during a scene is just…you know, for the scene. Especially when it’s degrading,” he continues. “But like,” His throat has gone dry, and he clears it awkwardly and then continues. “You really are all the stuff I said, last night. You’re beautiful. You’re amazing.” Enjolras is standing still, simply blinking at him, his lips parted, and Grantaire has never felt so awkward and tense in his life, so he shrugs half-heartedly and says, “So, uh, yeah. I meant it. I just thought I would…tell you.” 

 

For a moment, nothing happens. And then Enjolras is striding across the kitchen, and the base of Grantaire’s spine is suddenly pressed against the counter as Enjolras shoves him against it with both hands on his hips, kissing him hard. Grantaire is never one to turn down a kiss with Enjolras, so he wraps an arm tight around his waist, pulling their bodies tight together, his other hand coming up to tangle in Enjolras’ hair. Enjolras moans and tilts his head to better slot their lips together, sliding his tongue against Grantaire; he tastes of coffee, with the lingering taste of sleep underneath. 

 

Grantaire doesn’t know how long they stay there, tangled up together. Eventually, they break apart. Enjolras’ eyes are wide and dark, looking down at Grantaire, his shoulders heaving as he catches his breath. 

 

“You too,” he says, his voice husky, and Grantaire, at this point, has lost track of the conversation completely, and can only say, “What?” 

 

Enjolras doesn’t answer, just shakes his head and smiles softly, before leaning down and pressing a gentle kiss to the corner of Grantaire’s mouth. 

 

"Come back tonight?" he asks, and there's a slight note of the desperation he'd had the night before when asking for anything. It's subtle, but it is there. 

 

Grantaire blinks, even as his hand curves around Enjolras’ waist again, rubbing a gentle circle on the bare skin of his back with his thumb. “We don’t have anything planned for tonight, though.”

 

“I know,” Enjolras murmurs, his lips still pressed to Grantaire’s cheek. “I just want to see you. Come back tonight, please?” 

 

Grantaire smiles, and brings his hands up to cradle Enjolras’ face in his hands, pressing a soft, slow kiss to his lips. 

 

“Well,” he says, when he pulls away, his lips brushing Enjolras’ with every word. “When you ask me like that, how could I say no?”

Notes:

hi I do not know how this happened but it is what I have written so alas. They are cute and horny and I love subjolras. Bon appetit.

I know commenting on smut fics is hard, but I actually worked really hard on this and I'm really pleased with the result, so I would really appreciate it if you left a lil kudos/comment if you enjoyed it! You can even open this as a new incognito tab, and leave one without being logged into your ao3, if that's your jam <3

My eternal love and thanks to aro-enj and shamedumpster for betaing! Love you guys <3

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