Damaged Goods (Closed for myself and Ladythunder)

Aaron sat in the corner. He always thought of this as his corner, despite owning the house, he always sat in this same one. Maybe because it was the darkest, or because it face nothing but a very generic wall, but it was always this one. The thought that it reminded him of another corner, one he'd hidden himself in before, didn't really enter his mind.

He did everything in his power not to think of that.

It was dark outside, but that was normal for 3:52 am. The house was dark as well, he didn't want to disturb his neighbors. A few times before he'd turned all the lights on, went looking through every nook and cranny of the house. He'd almost jumped out of his skin when the door bell had rung.

Just a concerned neighbor looking in on him, but he had learned his lesson. They didn't like that he wasn't the same, but they were good enough people, so he went out of his way to make their lives easier. So on nights like this, when he woke in a cold sweat, trembling and panting, he wrapped himself in a blanket and went to his corner.

Eventually he calmed himself, he had relaxation techniques he was trying, and he knew logically he was safe. Some nights just took longer than others. Tonight was one of those. It took over an hour before he went back to his room and fell asleep again.

He needed to talk with his doctor again, maybe about something to help him sleep.

Aaron didn't work, up until last year he was a successful poker player and was getting ready to retire. He was frugal, so most of his winnings were around, he owned the house outright as well as his car. That all let him exist on the interest from the rest of his money, his total net worth right now was about 2.3 million dollars.

Not bad for a guy not yet thirty.

He woke again around 10 am, eyes blurry and head threatening to split his skull. He went out to his kitchen, knowing he needed food. As he ate eggs and toast, he looked out the window. The house beside his had been on the market for a while, the "Sold" sticker for about a week or so. This was the first he'd seen of a moving truck, but a crew was unloading from one.

Aria Stonebridge was moving. For the first time in 15 years she was moving from her comfortable nest in a nicely appointed home to this place most of the way across town. Development forced her to move, not personal choice. The city had re-zoned her property, designating it as commercial property and they wanted to rip down her house. She had finally run out of appeals and other options, as well as the desire to actually live there in the first place. She had gone through so much trying to keep it that she no longer wanted it. It was almost a blessing that she wasn’t able to.

That was why she found herself early on a Saturday morning, supervising a moving truck as it backed towards her property. She’d had professional movers come in and box her personal belongings, but she’d saved the basement for herself. Only after all the items that there were taken down and placed into piles with labels, did she let them down there to move her things. They were innocuous piles, burnished wood and eye bolts that gave no clue to their real purpose. She really wasn’t looking forward to putting them all back together.

An hour later, she tucked her blonde hair into a ponytail as she watched the movers repeat the process in reverse. She could almost feel eyes on her though. She knew that the entire neighbourhood was checking out who had purchased the empty house. She wasn’t that much to look at though, she stood 5 foot six, 120 pounds. Shoulder length blond hair and sparkling blue eyes. She was small boned, so she looked even lighter than she actually was. She was far from fragile though, but that was a fact few and far between were privy to.

Looking at the outside of her house she wasn’t sure that she had made a decent choice. The house was nice enough, a three-bedroom walk-up with an unfinished basement that she could turn into anything that she wanted. The walls downstairs were without even drywall, but instead, cement. She already had great plans for it. She could see them in her mind. At least the floor was finished though, real hardwood covered the floor from wall-to-wall. She rather thought she would leave the walls just as they were because it looked a little bit more rustic. The floor joists made excellent anchor points, it was just all the rest that had to be fixed.

All of that would be for another day, though for now, she had to worry about getting the basic things that she needed unpacked and put away. She had paid the moving company to pack her items, but she wouldn’t let them unpack, preferring instead to do it herself. Looking around with one last glance around the neighbourhood, Aria entered her house and began the long arduous task of putting her life back into order. As she did though. She wondered at the quietness of the neighbourhood. She thought it would be interesting to see, when she might spot the first neighbour. It was a bit of a richer area, and therefore she knew the people that lived there would also be relatively reclusive.

She would fit in rather well there as long as nobody found out the things she worked hard to keep quiet. Wealthy parents and careful investing meant that she fit in with the ritzy neighbourhoods because she didn’t have to work anymore than they did. Instead of doing the things that the idle rich chose to take part in though, she found an alternate outlet for her creativity.

Aaron watched as the movers were leaving, their truck unloaded, probably with their money secured as well. It wasn't a nice thought, and he bit it back. Everyone has to make a living, some people actually do things that matter you know.

It was a phrase he'd heard many times, it was the voice his mind chose this time that unnerved him. It was Her voice.

Taking a few moments to collect himself, Aaron decided that he should do the neighborly thing. The people here were good people in general, they liked things quiet and to pretend they were the strangest around. It was an odd behavioral thing, but people felt more secure if they seemed to believe their personal kinks were as bad as it got.

How wrong they were.

Still, he was learning coping mechanisms and had a much more balanced view of what people could use to keep themselves going. Besides, with some of them it made sense. If getting a quick blowjob from a maid was the worst thing going on, it meant life was pretty good.

Aaron went outside, glancing around. It was just habit that he do so, a habit he'd had before his trauma, that had just made it a little more pronounced. The place was usually quiet, so he walked out to get the mail. His 6'2 frame was slender in the hips, but also broad. He had always kept in pretty good shape, a habit he continued to this day.

As he glanced at the new neighbor, he saw her through one of the large windows on the front of the house. Wave Aaron, that's what normal people do, He'd been working on acting normal, and had given a voice that job.

He wasn't schizophrenic, he knew it was just his mind, but having it sound like an outside source helped.

Following the advice, he smiled and waved to the lovely blond.

Aria was standing in her living room contemplating the bizarre sprawl of stacked boxes and badly placed furniture, wondering where to begin in this room when she saw him first. Her eyes were drawn by his wave, and she lifted a friendly enough hand in return, her gaze taking the time to check him out. She thought him rather attractive; those broad shoulders and narrow hips conjured visions of silken sheets and straining bodies.

Forcing her mind from him and from his delicious looking body, she nevertheless, let her eyes followed his body as he turned and went back to his house, learning inadvertently where he came from. She returned to work soon setting the items there into the spots that she wanted. The bedroom was next, because she was interested in actually having a place to sleep that night. The entire while she worked though, her mind kept returning to the sight of the man she had seen outside her window. It wasn’t so much that he was attractive that she kept thinking about, but the hesitancy that she had noticed after he had waved.

An hour later the sheets were on the bed enough dishes had been unpacked that she could find her wineglasses, and so she was sitting legs propped on the coffee table enjoying a glass of wine. There were still no curtains on her window so she got to watch the flow of life from beyond the glass as the neighbours around her began their evening activities. Some left together she knew to go to shows and other such amusements, the cynical part of her knew that some left to visit lovers instead. It was sad, though, no matter how jaded she became, she never understood infidelity.

Walking into her kitchen, she noticed the lights in the house next door and was reminded of the man who waved at her earlier that day. She was curious, wondering how it was that he was alone and yet seem so friendly. The obvious conclusion that was perhaps he was gay, but there were many other possibilities of course. Perhaps he was just an asshole. Finishing her wine, she set her wine glass into the sink, and went for a shower. After that, she stretched out on her bed and read until bedtime.

The following few days were filled with unpacking and organizing, with little time for other amusements. She barely thought about her neighbour, other than in general thoughts about the neighbourhood in general. However soon enough, she had the majority of her house organized and at left her time to wonder what she should do to fill her time. Perhaps it was finally time to go outside her doors.

It only made sense to start with, someone she’d already had limited contact with, to at least test the waters. It would have been easy enough to stay reclusive, to hide in her house like all the rest, but she craved some interaction. Even if it was limited. Which was why four days after moving and she found herself standing on her neighbours’ porch next door, ringing the bell.

Aaron was surprised at her wave, surprised she'd even noticed him really. Still, despite his hesitant motions, he was smiling as he returned to his house. The rest of the day he cleaned. It wasn't something he did often, but the time was mostly right.

Unlike many other residents, he didn't hire out much help. It was a by-product of his experiences, and his rather cheap nature. It wasn't that he hoarded his money, or that he wasn't generous when it was right to be so, he just didn't feel the need to have a huge house, an expensive car, or people to do everything for him.

The next few days, his mind drifted to his new neighbor. It was odd that he'd think of her, he hadn't even thought of a woman since he was freed. Hell, he hadn't even jerked off since then.

As he went about his routine, he found his fingers were restless. Sitting at his table one afternoon, he realized why that was. He dug out a coin, a big silver dollar he'd won at a small cash game several years ago, and started letting it glide over his fingers.

He hadn't done that in a long time, it was something of a shock he could still accomplish it, but the coin fell down his fingers, then his thumb pulled it back up to start the descent all over again.

The sound of his door bell going off made him jump, the coin ringing against the table. He glanced over his shoulder, a momentary rush of adrenaline dilating his pupils and accelerating his breathing.

The moment passed.

Probably just some sales rep, or the jehova's witnesses again. Be nice, be normal.

Truth be told he hated Reps with a burning passion, and while he had nothing against religious types he just wasn't interested. His brief trip to the door was devoted to rehearsing his polite rejection speech.

So it only stood to reason that when he opened the door and his lovely new neighbor was standing there, he was totally without words. His brain almost short circuited again, but after just a few seconds, he found the "normal" thing.

"Hi, I'm Aaron, I saw you moving in a few days ago, I probably should have come over and offered to lend a hand."

When Aria’s neighbour opened the door he seemed almost dumbfounded to find her there and for the first time in years Aria flushed uncertainly, wondering if so casually popping by had been a mistake. As he suddenly introduced himself in a rush of words her right eyebrow lifted slightly. She was unsure of the reason for his apparent nervousness, but she wasn’t going to comment on it either.

Instead she gave him a socially correct half smile before she relaxed a bit and let it blossom into a bit of a grin as she murmured, “Quite alright, I would have likely fallen down in shock if you had, the people that live in these types of neighbourhoods are not well known for their courteous natures as a general rule. It is nice to hear you are potentially an exception.”

She paused and said, “Aria Stonebridge, it’s nice to meet you.” She paused then, and let the silence drag out pointedly as her gaze measured his calmly until he invited her in. She did so gladly, happier to be inside than standing on the porch where all eyes could see. She found herself in his living room presently, sitting on a comfortable sofa, this time with a glass of cold water in hand

She was studying this Aaron, trying to get a bead on him, though she found him rather mysterious to say the least. There were moments he seemed to be two completely different people. One minute he was charming and friendly, seeming as if he found her interesting and was glad she was there, others she thought perhaps he just wanted her to leave. She found him to be quite interesting as her agile mind tried to figure out who he actually was behind the front he was putting up. All of it was done unobtrusively though, she remained bland and friendly, but she was curious.

Finally though, after much small talk, Aria looked at him. Casually, having decided she really didn’t want to do it herself, and realising she could ask for most things in a way that someone who had no exposure to her lifestyle would suspect, perhaps she could reassemble those piles of wood in her basement with help. She mentioned, “You said something about you thought you should have offered to help when the movers came by. I have a number of small assembly projects that could use a handy hand with a wrench or screwdriver if you are sincere…”

Quickly she added, “if you’re busy though I totally understand, don’t feel obligated to say yes if you have other things to do.”

It took Aaron a few moments before he invited her in, his social skill definitely needed some honing Still, Aria was easy to be around. He discovered that quickly and was very grateful. She was content to make small talk, to smile and enjoy the company.

She's nice, but something's wrong.

He mentally told his inner voice to shut up. Another benefit of depersonalizing it to some extent, he could exercise a little more control. There was nothing wrong, nothing at all. This was a perfectly normal thing for people to do.

She's like Her you know.

His mind snapped at the voice then. People like Them weren't common. It had taken almost two months before he'd come to be able to live without glancing over his shoulder or being too suspicious of everyone around him. It was a statistical anomaly, not the norm.

Still, knowing something and living it were two very different things.

"Um, sure, I'm handy enough with tools. Simple assembly is definitely within my powers. As long as there's instructions handy for the complex stuff."

He was smiling, he found it easy with her. It wasn't a chore to act normal like with some people, he genuinely liked her company and enjoyed being around her. The smiles were easy, the conversation natural.

"So, you want that now, or later, or whenever's good for you?"

"Um, sure, I'm handy enough with tools. Simple assembly is definitely within my powers. As long as there's instructions handy for the complex stuff."

Aria nodded. The items she wanted to put together were almost self explanatory, but again, to someone who didn’t know what they were building it could be a bit difficult. Instead she gave a friendly smile once more and told him, “That’s ok, I’d be there and I’m really good with pointing at something and telling you how to do it.” She almost joked that she was good at giving orders too, but something held her back.

"So, you want that now, or later, or whenever's good for you?"

As he asked, Aria glanced at him sharply. If she had to guess she might have said then that he was…no, it was absurdly unlikely that she could have blithely moved in next door to one. She couldn’t be that lucky. Not to mention he seemed to be suffering from PTSD. That didn’t usually mesh well with what she wanted. She ignored the tickle in the back of her mind that kept pointing out small details of maybe.

Instead she took another small sip of water and replied, “Whenever, I am currently between projects so my time is pretty flexible.” She was actually stuck on one, but it was a personal piece, and so there really was no hurry on it. “I don’t know what you do for leisure time but pretty much when you’re free would be great, the stuff will still be there tomorrow, next week, whenever.” She wanted to ask him for tomorrow, to dictate a time that would be convenient, but held back.

They did make plans for the next day after all though, as neither seemed to be doing anything in particular it seemed just as well. Shortly after Aria decided to take herself home, not wanting to impose on her neighbours hospitality further, especially when she’d just met the man. She left wondering why she was feeling drawn to him almost in spite of herself, and had to raise a cautionary whisper. She’d been burnt many times before. If she wa interested, now was the time to take care. She didn’t want to singe her fingers again.

In the privacy of her own home she stepped into the spare room and looked at her unfinished project, the clearly straining lines of it, the captured exquisite nature of it, then up, to…nothing. It was so glaringly missing that something that it made the whole thing look unappealing, but until the inspiration struck her she was stuck for it. With a last lingering glance she turned off the light once more, wondering vaguely why she was itching to paint in the startlingly grey eyes of her neighbour into the unfinished scene.

"Actually I'm officially retired, so leisure time is pretty much all I have."

That was odd, he didn't usually open up so easily. Still, her company was soothing in a way he couldn't really describe. Something about her eyes, her body language, all just exuded serenity. He had never met someone like that, it was refreshing.

Despite that, Aaron was very grateful for the break until tomorrow. He knew he'd be anticipating it, but also needed the break from her company. Despite his liking it so much, there was always a chance he could say too much. Plus, he had this annoying tickle in the back of his mind that said she was like Her.

That was stupid, not only were they a rarity, he also had developed a clinical understanding of the difference between what They had done, and how it was supposed to be done.

The knowledge didn't make things easier though. Anymore so than some people he'd met who'd been in car wrecks. Not every drive would result in a crash, that much was logically clear. Emotionally, not so much.

"Thanks Aria, I'll come over tomorrow."

He walked her to his door, he even took her offered hand when she left, and returned her smile. The whole thing felt so... natural. So often he'd been forcing interactions, but Aria made it so easy, he wanted her to like him.

You want to please her.

Normally that thought sent a shudder down his spine, but not now. It felt ok, oddly normal in it's own way. It was a normal thought, he rationalized. Perhaps a little presumptuous given that they'd just met, but nothing totally outside the realm of human thought.

What struck him more was that he'd noticed her as a woman. That was something he hadn't done, at first deliberately, then unconsciously. She hadn't behaved provocatively, but he'd felt his eyes drawn to her crossed legs, the slight swell of her breasts as she'd breathed.

When he went to sleep that night, he didn't have nightmares. When he woke he wouldn't remember the dreams he had. The impressions remained, he felt refreshed, relaxed, safe even. It was better he didn't remember the dreams, because his conscious mind wouldn't have been able to reconcile the image of her standing over his prone body with his experiences.

The hour was late when Aria finally tired herself out enough to sleep. She turned in, her body naked beneath the covers as was her custom, and soon slept deeply. She dreamt then, the dreams full of half shrouded images, the picture of a mans body arched beneath hers, caught in the throes of passion, his hands caught in her grip above his head while her other hand slid between his legs to toy with him. She shifted restlessly in the bed, reaching for that which was no longer there.

She woke in the early morning light, her skin warm with the heat of her arousal, the fading echoes of a mans whispered devotion reaching out to caress her ears. The sheets were wrapped tight against her lower body, winding in and out of her legs like a snake, almost pinning her down. Kicking her way free she lay back in the bed and spread her thighs, letting her fingernails trace up her inner thighs, leaving tiny red marks in their wake. She moaned in quiet pleasure, one hand drifting from between her thighs, to her nipples, the other making her gasp with delight as it strummed a response from her clit.

She came quickly that morning, wishing that she had someone there to do it for her. She hated having an empty bed, but she had no choice just then. Afterward she lay back in the rumpled bedding for several long minutes, simply enjoying the newness of the day and the pleasure of just…being. She refused to attribute any of that content feeling to the knowledge her hunky neighbour was coming over that day, to begin assembling her life.

Finally she rolled out of bed, and hit the shower, washing her hair and body leisurely, stretching lithely in the shower, relaxing in the pounding water. She dressed down, in a t-shirt and snug jeans, a pair of house shoes on her feet, strictly because things were up in the air in the house, and if she and Aaron were going to be in the basement, she wasn’t interested in dropping something on a bare foot or stepping on something either.

Curled up a bit later with the morning paper and a steaming cup of coffee she found herself idly wondering what he was doing, and when he’d get there. She was eager to get started!

Aaron woke with an erection, something far from uncommon, but this one felt different. Most of the time his morning wood was simply a product of sleep, it was, well, wooden. He felt totally disconnected from it most of the time. This morning was different.

It felt achy, with a dull throb. Like he was enjoying the arousal, like it might actually feel good to reach down and give it a rub. It had been so long since he'd even thought about touching himself that the thought didn't really process. He felt much like he had in college staring at calculus formulas, he was aware they served a purpose, but couldn't for the life of him wrap himself around the concepts.

Deciding his normal routine was probably best, he simply ignored it and showered. Eventually it went down, but for the first time in a long while, he felt a twinge of sadness at that. Like he'd missed an opportunity, or that a long lost friend had just driven by and he'd neglected to even wave.

Pushing the melancholy aside, he scrambled some eggs with a liberal dash of hashbrowns. He had no idea about the protocol for something like this, how long he should wait, what he should bring, any of it.

Rather than panic, he focused his mind on something small, and of absolutely no relevance to anything, like the color of his drapes. When his mind was suitably relaxed, he looked at the issue again.

She said whenever, and while very early would probably be rude, earlier was probably the right play. As for tools, he could bring a few that would obviously be needed, anything else he'd either have to ask her for or come back and get.

See, nothing to it.

Feeling better about things in general, Aaron finished eating, dressed in jeans and an older t-shirt. He didn't want to look like a slob, but he didn't want to wear something he wanted to remain nice. He grabbed a set of socket wrenches, a screwdriver, a roll of duct tape, and a can of WD-40. The latter two were holdover habits from his father and grandfather, things that were better to carry just in case then wish later you had them.

A brief walk later, he was ringing her doorbell, just a few minutes after 10.

When her doorbell rang, Aria naturally went to answer it, pausing a moment in the hall to assess her personal readiness before she swung the door open with a smile. She felt a bit out of the loop, having been somewhat secluded by her own choice the past little bit. She rarely dated, social interactions seemed to follow a specific interest group but they were relatively limited past that. She was looking forward to the upcoming ‘visit’ no matter the reason for it.

Stepping aside she noted with pleasure that Aaron had appeared with tools in hand, and he was as yummy in person as she’d remembered. She found her eyes moving up and down his body, checking out the way he filled his jeans, the spread of his shirt across his chest…Realising she was staring, instead of being abashed, she lifted her eyes to his and licked her lips. Deliberately. It was outrageously flirtatious, but she didn’t care; it was also true to form for her.

She made him have a drink with her first, simply declining to show him to the area she was intending for him to begin, and instead ushering him into her kitchen. Pouring a glass of juice for them both she sat with him on a bar stool each , tucked up to the breakfast bar.

She tugged over a notebook she’d filled with detailed drawings, not quite insert tab A into slot 1 but it was close, that she had written out when she’d prepared to move the stuff, but it was comprehensive enough that he’d be able to follow it easy she thought. She had no idea if he’d be able to discern just what he was building, let alone what its use would be, but she figured if he asked she’d come up with something. Somehow with out offering a practical demonstration she told herself as she caught herself eyeing up his ass again.

Finally she led the way into the basement, flicking on the low lighting before plugging in the floor lamps that created pools of light in places. Ones that would and had worked as spotlights before. For now, they shed illumination on the piles of smooth, darkly stained then varnished wood. It was all set into neat piles and clearly labelled. It would be easy to figure out what was what as he went along.

She pointed at the one who’s plans looked somewhat like a chair, but with wide spaced boards, and a almost cross like thing near the top, the bottom bits were angled 45 degrees from the crosspiece in the middle…It was an odd contraption, especially when the diagram indicated the boards, once affixed should have several heavy duty anchor points added.

“I think that one might be a great place to start.” she suggested softly. She hung around as he began, working on adapting the lighting to her purpose by taking out the single bulbs and installing track lighting where the individual bulbs could be focussed in whatever direction she wished. The place would be lit as she wished it, and modifications to the switching system would give her complete control over what lights were on at any given moment.

The lighting was a to do project for sure, but she was more interested in Aaron and his project, using her own as a bit of an excuse to linger.

"Thanks Aria,"

The words were the right ones, but he slightly stumbled over them when she licked her lips. Aaron had never thought a whole lot about his looks, it makes absolutely not difference at a poker table who looks the best. In high school and such he'd dated a little, but it wasn't a huge priority for him.

And after those weeks, and the months since, had it really been almost a year? He hadn't thought about sex, looks, any of it. He'd been told that was natural, that his sex drive would return to normalcy in time.

God, he hated that phrase, "in time". It was a total cop out because whoever says it clearly has no idea. It was a phrase that had been directed at him a great deal during his initial recovery. Now it tasted like bile in his throat.

With a small shake of his head, Aaron returned to the present. This rather stunning woman had just flirted with him. He'd never been much at flirting, so he smiled, letting her know he'd seen, but didn't make a big deal out of it.

They spoke briefly as they drank the juice she poured before she led him down to the basement. The whole way down he felt only a slight tinge of panic, but swiftly quashed it. This basement was brightly lit, he was with someone who he liked, and had no reason at all to doubt that.

To assuage his mind, he read the instructions she'd given him more carefully. A few of the designs looked oddly familiar.

Told you, you know exactly what those are...

He instantly told his inner voice to shut up. He'd seen plenty of normal things perverted, hell, he still had some difficulty walking down the hardware aisle's of a store. This didn't really mean anything.

"Sounds good, I don't think this will take very long, you seem to have a knack for instructions."

Aaron sat, pulling out the appropriate sheets of paper, and began assembling the chair. He hadn't been simply saying nice things about her, everything she'd written seemed crystal clear and didn't need much further explanation. He was grateful he'd brought his own tools, he knew his way around them and that made tightening nuts to bolts and screwing the boards together simpler.

He was very aware of Aria being close to him, but she seemed genuinely interested in the lighting. It was quite an interesting set up she had there, almost like a display was going in here. Actually, that made a fair bit of sense, she might collect odd things, or have some other creative outlet.

It didn't take Aaron long to finish the body of the chair, but the diagram indicated it would be weighted to the floor, so he had to be sure he got the location right.

"Alright Aria, mostly assembled, where do you want it?"

Aria turned from where she had been installing the last fixture, and looked at him with a warm smile. She nodded to a place on the floor, climbing down from the half ladder she’d been standing on to come closer, and inspect the work he’d done. Her hand touched the center of his back as she gently shifted him out of the way; the first contact she had between them as she leaned over and examined the chair.

Glancing over her shoulder with a warm smile of approval she nodded. “it looks fantastic, I think it would be perfect over there, where the light is falling, see if you can center it, facing outward.” She smiled at him again, and helped him shift the chair to a spot. Then she asked him to wait, while she turned on the freshly installed lights, adjusting it until just the bulb that was directed toward the chair was lit, leaving it highlighted, the rest of the room in shadow. A few minor positioning issues and she nodded, turning back on the lights so he could finish affixing it to the floor.

Aria watched him out of the corner of her eye as he knelt down to finish the project, her gaze following the firm line of his back as he bent over in concentration, picturing him naked, thighs slightly spread as they were now for balance, leaving his jewels hanging free, perfect for the multitude of delights she enjoyed heaping on them.

She cleared her throat, licking dry lips once more and waited until he stood, the first project finished. She said, “You seem competent at what you’re doing, I guess I’ll leave you to it? If I didn’t have things to do I’d put them together myself. Thank you again, you go fantastic work.” She gestured to the piles that were left and offered, “Take your pick on what remains, its all to be done, I think they are marked well enough to follow, but if you have a question, I’ll be down the hall past the kitchen, second door to the left. I’ll leave the door open”

She waited for his agreement, then slipped upstairs, pausing in the kitchen to marshal her thoughts back into order before giving the still packed boxes a disdainful glower, and moving down the hall. She knew what she wanted to do, and it had nothing to do with boxes!

There were too many piles to get through all of them today, so he picked the biggest to tackle in her absence. When Aria turned, he glanced over his shoulder, watching the sway of her hips as she moved. The odd image of those hips, swaying as she held his cock in her nether lips, seared into his mind for a moment.

His head swayed back and forth for a minute, clearing the image from his mind. It was a totally normal thing, to notice an attractive woman and think of her as such. That didn't stop the thing from unnerving him.

Months of no sexual thoughts meant this was something of a break from his normal routine. It was something to discuss in therapy next time if nothing else, and doubtless his therapist would be happy.

Finally clearing his mind, he started on the assembly. He was humming softly to himself as he assembled the device. It wasn't complicated, it was just elaborate, and hence time consuming.

Part of his brain recognized it, metal loops at the end of boards that needed to be secured, chains, the boards themselves forming an "X" shape. He knew the form, it was a St. Andrews cross. Something he was all to familiar with.

The bigger part of his brain didn't focus, maybe didn't want to see, what it was as he created it. This particular diagram even noted where it was supposed to be in the room. Nothing specific, but given her lighting set up it wasn't too hard to find the right spot.

Aaron leaned it up, then crouched, securing it to the floor, making sure it was weighted and wouldn't move around. When he stood, finally really seeing what he'd made, his heart rate increased dramatically.

"Calm down, it's nothing bad. She's been nice, it might be just something personal to her. Maybe if I take a break it'll help."

His voice was slightly higher than normal as he spoke just above a whisper to himself. He turned, taking a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself. To some degree he succeeded, but his heart rate was still elevated as he went upstairs.

"Aria?"

Aaron poked around a little, hearing her finally. He moved towards the door, knocking twice before pushing it open. His eyes widened at what he saw, Aria was painting. Nothing bad about that, but it was what she was painting.

It was a scene all to familiar to him.

Aria?”

She’d planned to cover the painting, thinking she would hear his approach before he got there, to turn the easel away from the door, that also held the best lighting angle and therefore the position she was working on when his call came. The trouble was, she was attempting to put in the last of the silver flecks into those grey eyes that made them stand out in her memory. She was thinking ‘just one more little line and I’ll put it away. Unfortunately one line always became two. It was the way of the artist, when she was on a roll it was hard to stop.

So it was as he called her. She was just setting down the brush when he pressed the door open and got the full view. It was a naked male, but one, his body was arched toward the front of the painting, a raging erection almost seeming to twitch as the eye fell on it, confined in a harness that let it grow, but even a glance at the painting seemed to indicate the denial. He wouldn’t be able to, no matter how hard he tried. His body was bent back, his hands rested on his ankles, the dark cuffs that locked each together a clear contrast to the pale hue of his flesh.

Arched, his body was a sight to admire, but it was his face that arrested the attention, His head was tipped back, displaying a collar that matched the cuffs, his face was tilted back, lips parted, a hint of his tongue could be seen brushing his lower lip. A strong nose, it was a handsome face, but the expression of naked desire was what caught the attention as the man in the portrait stared toward the shapely legs and shadowed crotch of the woman that stood over him. Most of all, Aria knew Aaron found himself looking at the eyes that were a dead ringer for his own.

Aria opened her mouth to say something, just as his tools hit the floor and he spun on a heel, leaving so fast she was sure he was running. A few minutes later she heard her front door slam. She stared at the tools on the floor, nonplussed. To herself she said “…” Setting down her paint, she followed, but instead of reaching the front door as well, she made her way to the basement, wondering.

Flipping on the lights she smiled at the sight of her bondage chair, then her eyes easily picked out the completed cross, glistening like an old friend in its showcased position. She knew that’s what he’d finished when he’d come looking for her. Aria’s nostrils flared slightly, feeling a bit bad. She’d hoped he wouldn’t do that one any time soon, It was one of the few that she couldn’t come up with some sort of explanation for its existence.

A few hours later, hoping Aaron had time to think about things she went to his home again, ringing his bell. She simply wished to apologise, to make sure he was alright, but to no avail. She knew he was home; she sensed it, almost like smelling his fear stench in the air. But he wouldn’t come to the door. She had brought his tools, and debated holding them hostage until he came to her to talk, but in the end she relented and left them on his porch, set aside so nobody could take them.

She began making discrete inquiries, and soon the answers were found. Not from the community she lived in, but instead from the Other community she lived in. A tale so depraved it made her ill to hear it, a tale of abuse and neglect, of pain and suffering no animal, let alone a human should endure. She understood now why he fled, she just didn’t know how to apologise for being what she was. Instead, one morning with his morning paper, there was simply delivered a single white rose.

Aaron didn't remember leaving her house, didn't remember going to his own, didn't remember his sobbing. All he could see was that scene, the man restrained, unable to get release, his entire body straining but ultimately helpless.

His mind flashed back to his ordeal, the cruelty of those two. It wasn't fair, he hadn't been doing anything. She had approached him in a bar, smiling, flirting, hinting at things. He hadn't been drinking, he was just taking a break from the tables, enjoying a few comped amenities after a very good night.

Despite not drinking alcohol, she'd slipped something into his water.

The next conscious thought was being bound, blindfolded, gagged, helpless.

Aaron had been kidnapped by a couple, he only thought of them as Him and Her, or He and She. For three weeks they'd held him against his will, they'd flogged him bloody a few times, shoved things into his cock, made him perform, raped him, and laughed the whole time.

During his whole time, he'd been unable to cum, his balls abused, crushed, his cock twisted and kept almost always hard. After three weeks they'd decided to release him. They beat him into unconsciousness, then broken his cock.

That had been the worst, three weeks of no release, then they broke it. It hurt to get aroused, the shaft was damaged if it became aroused. He had scars on his back where he'd been flogged, they'd pierced his nipples against his will, and hadn't done a very good job of it.

He called, canceling his therapy session, his mind too quivery to tolerate it. He spent most of the time in his corner, the one very similar to the corner of the cage they'd forced him into when they had other things on their mind. On the periphery of his mind was the fact that someone was trying to see him.

Aaron knew it was Aria, but he couldn't face her. Not like this.

Eventually he managed to mostly pull himself together, enough to try and return to normalcy. When he went outside, on his morning paper was a white rose.

It was the symbol of friendship, a calming thing. It had to be from Aria. The delicate petals parted as he held it to his nose, inhaling. She was a friend.

Aaron went into therapy that evening, something that helped a great deal. In the morning, he found himself on Aria's doorstep, ringing the bell.

Aria left Aaron alone after she delivered her token. She could say she wasn’t interested, but the truth was, she was good at healing war wounded. Every one of her subs had come to her with his own issues. None of them had stayed, choosing the wider variety of life that there was to offer, but not one left the same as they had come either. She took the broken and the lost and made them whole once more.

It never began that way, she was friends first, attracted, something started, and she…fixed. And never against the others will either. She didn’t decide one day that she didn’t like the way someone was dressed and choose to change it, it was always a deeper issue, and harder to fix. With that realisation, Aria sighed heavily. She’d been pacing her living room, deep in thought and now chose to curl up on the cushion of her overstuffed chair.

She tipped her head back for an in depth examination of the ceiling, sighing softly. She was rather introspective this morning, going over the things that had happened in her work room, trying to think of how she could have fixed it before it went so terribly wrong. She had liked Aaron, liked him for his quick humour when he chose to let it out, his easy manner, the way with tools he seemed to have. True, her darker desires had been equally interested, but they were sort of secondary. It bothered her that she had upset him. That was the plain and simple of it. Worse still, she felt as though she had to fix that too/.

The ring of the doorbell took her by surprise. She was expecting nobody, had dressed for being alone in her home, unpacking the last of the boxes, perhaps getting into the basement to finish putting her dungeon together, now that she had no one to help do it for her. She was wearing jeans and a cropped top that showed off the flat, firm plane of her tummy.

Peeking through the security peephole, she was floored to see Aaron standing outside. To say he was unexpected was a serious understatement! She took a deep breath and opened the door for him, standing framed in it looking up at him uncertainly. “Hi.” she said quietly, when he didn’t state his business, she took a chance and swung the door open , moving aside to let him in.

Leading the way to a seat, she sat back and stared at him, seeming to be at a loss for words, finally coming up with a lame, “I’m sorry for the other day, I didn’t mean to…startle you”

Aaron was grateful when she invited him in, knowing there was some awkwardness still to be worked out. He sat opposite her for a bit before he finally found words.

"Aria, I'm sorry for the way I reacted. It's just... I was kidnapped and abused, tortured, and raped in a situation very similar to that one you were painting. I guess it just fried my brain for a bit."

He took a deep breath, eyes closed for a moment.

"I know that not all activities like that are bad, and I'd guess you're very experienced given the collection of furniture you have. Also, I like you. I mean, I know we don't know each other that well, but you're the first woman I've noticed... in that way, since I was kidnapped."

He shifted nervously, unsure how much to reveal to her, finally deciding to go for broke.

"I don't want to go back to being alone. I want to be your friend at the very least, and if you don't mind we could work on more."

It was one of the things he'd discussed in therapy, honesty and directness. Everything he'd seen of Aria meant she was the total opposite of Them, she was what you were supposed to look for in a friend or partner.

"If I've got too much baggage, I understand, but I wanted to at least put it out there."

"Aria, I'm sorry for the way I reacted. It's just... I was kidnapped and abused, tortured, and raped in a situation very similar to that one you were painting. I guess it just fried my brain for a bit."

Aria listened without comment, as he told his side of the story; pretty much what she’d heard of the pair that had been blackballed in their community since then, with his own spin on it.

"I know that not all activities like that are bad, and I'd guess you're very experienced given the collection of furniture you have. Also, I like you. I mean, I know we don't know each other that well, but you're the first woman I've noticed... in that way, since I was kidnapped."

Aria opened her mouth then, about to speak, to tell him of the beauty that was meant to be seen in the painting she’d done. How intense, and powerful it was, something not to be feared, but for someone with an interest, to admire and be aroused by. The sheer sensuality contained in the painting that begged to be seen… But her lips closed, the words left unspoken as she sensed there was more to be seen.

"I don't want to go back to being alone. I want to be your friend at the very least, and if you don't mind we could work on more."

Her head tilted as she considered him, hearing the sincerity in his voice, as well as the dismal expectation she would turn her back. It wasn’t unwarranted, after all, most would walk away, or more likely run, or else exploit his weaknesses. She sighed heavily. In spite or perhaps because of it all, she liked him. A lot. Here was another bird with a broken wing. She could maybe fix him, so he could truly fly. Then she would let him go, for she believed that she never owned what was trapped. If he came back it was meant to be. Unfortunately it didn’t help her personally when she let them go, but it didn’t make her less likely to do so.

"If I've got too much baggage, I understand, but I wanted to at least put it out there."

She stood then and murmured, “Follow me.”

She led the way to the basement, looking over her shoulder at him to make sure he was ok. She hoped the fact he was free might help him enter a domain he now considered dangerous. Flipping on the bank of lights, he would instantly see the changes. The flogging chain hung, waiting for restraints to be hooked to it, sitting empty it looked like a gallows. The toy racks on the walls. But most important was the art. It hung on the walls proudly, each piece both graphic and exquisite.

The piece he’d seen was there too and it was to this she walked, pulling it from the wall and setting it on the floor where she could touch it. She swept her hand over the straining form to illustrate it as she murmured, “Look at the way he is poised. Yes, he is restrained, but not trapped, see how he strains to offer himself for her pleasure. His cock is hard and confined, sure, but he isn’t in pain. You can see it on his face. He is denied, but he accepts. He serves, not through force, but because he wishes to.”

Her voice dropped, caressing him, “What was done to you was horrific, something that never should have happened. Those people weren’t dominants, they were rapists and users. This life style is not about abuse. It is about a different range of enjoyment. This space is so big because I have demonstrations here, people come here some times to learn how to be better at their chosen form of play. That’s what this is about. Being good enough to be able to care for your dominant, or your submissive. Not about breaking spirits.”

Her hand touched him, turning him to her so he could see the sincerity in her voice. “I will attempt to teach you, if you will agree to try to open your mind to the possibilities.”

She stood then and murmured, “Follow me.”

Follow me.

Such a small thing to say, so simple, and yet so difficult. Still, he followed. He wasn't compelled to, he just wanted to. She was kind, and hadn't reacted badly to his story. Granted he'd omitted details, but he didn't like thinking of details, or the trial, right now.

He followed her.

She'd mostly finished the dungeon, some of the devices he recognized, some made him curious. He paused mentally, curious? It took him a moment to realize, it was her. He wasn't worried about anything right now, he was relaxed, or at the very worst dissociative.

Aaron looked over the painting, surprised she'd added his eyes to it. Still, it didn't bother him. Her voice was soft and gentle as she explained, and he could see what she was talking about. The differences between what was depicted and what he'd been through was astounding.

Plus, she was a damn talented artist.

He thought about her offer, could he really go back there? Then a simple fact kicked into his brain. He wasn't going back There, he was going forward with Aria. There were very few, if any, similarities between what she might do with him and what They had done to him.

"If you'll go slow with me, I would be honored Aria."

"If you'll go slow with me, I would be honored Aria."

How could she help but smile then? He barely knew her, and yet he was willing to take a huge chance with her, opening himself for, and because of her. She turned then, studying him closely, marking the sincerity of his gaze. Aria’s hand reached out and brushed against his shoulder, a sign of support and approval. Letting it fall away, she retreated to a safer ground, heading back upstairs into the comfort zone.

She needed a better idea of just what she was getting into, and therefore sat down with him on her sofa once again, pulling her feet up and tucking them beside her as she pulled out a notepad and began to ask a series of non threatening, but penetrating questions about the things that had been done to him, the effect they had on him, emotionally and physically. Aria asked many questions especially when he mentioned damage to his dick, around how it affected him, what his doctor had said, etc. She knew some of her questions made him uncomfortable, but they had to be asked.

Finally Aria turned her attention to ferreting out the details on things he thought he might like. Her interests were varied and deep, but she often tailored them to her playmates needs, thinking it a blessing when they matched more than not. She knew that this would be a slow process, but worthwhile in the end. She could also see, that he was definitely interested in theory, it was the proving of it that would take time and patience. Both things she had in spades.

Finally she set aside the notebook and stretched her feet out over the length of the sofa, placing them on his lap. “Rub them…” It was a soft command, barely more than a prelude of possibility, but it was a first step, something safe. And her feet always enjoyed the attention

Aaron was grateful when they moved back upstairs, he'd meant what he'd said about her, but was grateful she'd found a more comfortable place to discuss it. The living room was nice, she'd removed all the boxes from it, so they had room to sit and talk. For whatever reason his eyes were drawn to her legs as she tucked them beside her, that quickly changed when she started asking about what had been done to him.

Her manner was very professional, and the nature of her questions seemed more designed to understand him than simply get a retelling of his ordeal. He answered all her questions, the floggings, the ball busting, the insertion, the forced stuff with Him. She seemed more interested, or at least concerned about his broken dick.

"Well, it was different than the normal broken penis. Normally a broken penis has the ligaments near the base torn or broken, and some cartilage damage. With mine it was more like a really bad contusion. They surgically repaired some ligament damage, but the stuff in the shaft they couldn't help with. If I was limp, it was fine, but if I got aroused, it hurt like nothing I've ever felt. That part just had to repair itself. There was some physical therapy that helped, but it hurt so bad I'd wake up in the middle of the night if it got aroused that way."

Aaron paused, the memories of nights like that, eyes snapping open, then curling into a ball as the pain lanced into him. It had corrected itself eventually, and he had no real adverse affects from it, physically at least. Mentally, he still expected pain if his dick started swelling.

"It got better eventually. I'm fully capable of an erection now, it's just been a long time since I was attracted to someone. I haven't even masturbated since they let me go."

They went on, talking about a few other things before she called a halt by putting her feet in his lap.

“Rub them…”

Aaron knew a command when he heard one, and that's what this was. It was soft, kind, with a promise of possibilities to come. Foot play was something they hadn't done, not really. They'd made him kiss boots after they'd kicked his balls until he couldn't see straight, but that was more for humiliation than anything.

Gently he touched Aria's feet, stroking lightly at first, unsure. The soft sounds she made, and the very caring eyes relaxed him further. Her command had been to rub, so he started. He applied too much pressure at first, but her soft noise corrected it, and he lightened his touch. It didn't take long before he had the right pressure, just above a tickle but below really digging into a massage feel. He rubbed over her soles, heels, along her toes, the sides, around her ankle, everywhere.

His cock was about a third aroused as he did this, only because he was trying very hard not to think of this as something overly sensual, but clearly his cock was interested.

When Aaron touched her feet, Aria let out a breath she’d been holding. She wasn’t sure how fast she could or should push anything between them. In fact she had the feeling she should perhaps not start anything at all, instead referring him back to his psychologist, but it wasn’t her way. She was attracted to his mind, and definitely his body, and the sincerity in the depths of his eyes encouraged her to take those steps forward anyway.

With that she let go, relaxing into the couch cushions with a low groan as he kneaded them and massaged them. She had intended his massage to be an icebreaker of sorts, but this was pure magic. He was good without trying, and she felt the massage travelling its effects up her legs too, making her groan contentedly. She was peripherally aware that his cock was hardening in his jeans and smiled at that, letting her unattended foot rest lightly on his bulge, her toes wiggling against him, deliberately exciting him.

Aria whispered, “Its alright to let yourself feel with me. If you find it sensual, go with it.” She sensed he was trying to hold back his arousal, perhaps thinking she wouldn’t approve. The thing was, she did approve, and wanted more. Her toes curled against him, rubbing lightly as she noticed his hands fell still on her other foot, his cock filling under her ministrations.

She moved then, letting her feet fall away from him as she moved beside him. Her fingers eased into his hair as her body pressed to his, her lips hovering an inch above him as her eyes met his. “It’s ok to trust. Let yourself be free, I want to see you soar…” Her lips took his then, coaxing a response as her tongue traced a line over his lower lip until it opened for her.

Her other hand wasn’t unoccupied either, pressing against the front of his pants, toying with the hardness within, until her lips lifted and she whispered again, “Unzip your pants for me Aaron, show me you are into this too, Know I am not giving you something you don’t want…”

He didn't know how she sensed his hesitation, but she did. It probably wasn't terribly difficult to figure out, in this position she could read his body language very well. She also had more experience than he did.

When the soft curl of her toes rubbed his jeans, he stopped. Not from fear, or shock, but from the unexpected rush. He made a little moan of pleasure as she teased him just a little.

Aaron had learned to associate arousal with denial, that any time he got hard, it would just be torture for him. It was one of the reasons he hadn't really experienced sexual arousal in so long, somewhere in his mind he could still hear Them laughing as he sobbed in frustration.

But that memory wasn't present here. It was just him and Aria. He might still react later, but for now, this was good. There was no fear, no memories. Only her.

“It’s ok to trust. Let yourself be free, I want to see you soar…”

She wanted to see him. It was so different, to feel free like this. Part of him registered he could stop it, if he wanted to it would end. It was an odd realization, but part of him responded. It was freedom. It wasn't power, though he supposed that was part of it. He could stop this if he wanted.

That one realization opened everything to him. It wouldn't be easy to fully understand, or implement, but he was free, free to do, free to feel, free to stop if he so chose. That meant he could do anything.

The notion was cut short slightly when she pressed herself against him. His grey eyes locked with hers, seeing her inner serenity, her urge to control, but the discipline and love to have it mean something beyond simple being Dominant.

So lost in her gaze was he, Aaron almost didn't hear her whispered words. But they registered, and he got nervous again. It wasn't panicky, but it was still nerves.

One of Their favorite past times had been abusing his cock and balls. And humiliating him, verbally, about them. They had done a very good job of shattering his confidence in himself, especially about his package.

Very calmly, he reasoned with himself. Aria wouldn't laugh, or mock, or hurt. This was different, she was different, she would stop if he wanted to. Again he felt that freedom, she wasn't forcing him, this was his choice in the end.

"I understand I want this, just, be gentle please."

His hand was shaking as he obeyed her, unzipping his jeans, releasing the button, and pushing his boxer briefs down. His cock was mostly hard already, a crease in the skin near the middle where they had broken it, but the structural damage had been minimal in the end. It still looked like a cock, but looking closely you could see where the skin had healed from beatings. The head hadn't fully returned to it's normal shape, if you looked closely the top was a little flatter than it should be.

Aaron held his breath while his cock swayed, feeling much more vulnerable than any other time in his life, but also very safe as he again lost himself in her penetrating gaze.