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He tightened the knot, testing the tension before backing away to admire his handiwork. It really was a beautiful knot. He never used to see the beauty in such things, not until his brother had pointed it out to him. Yet Vegard was unsure whether the beauty had always been there, or whether it was simply beautiful because he had seen in through Bård’s eyes. Bård had a way like that. He could make anything beautiful because to Vegard he was the personification of beauty. There was very much beauty in the way the coarse fibres of the rope held firm as Bård tested the knot for himself, and Vegard felt the familiar stirrings of arousal as he watched the tendons move under the smooth, pale skin of his brother’s wrist struggling under the restraint. Vegard smiled. As much as Bård trusted his brother, as willing as he was to be tied up, there was always that momentary flash of panic when he gave himself over to Vegard.
Through years of dedicated experimentation they had learnt together that knots are for more than just sailing or haulage. Bård was splayed out on the bed, pinned like a butterfly on a cork board to each corner of the wooden posts. He was gloriously nude save for the old bed sheet that covered his lower body. It really was an irresistible sight, especially under the warm flickering glow of the candlelight that illuminated the bedroom. Through the thin, threadbare fabric it wasn’t difficult for Vegard to ascertain his brother’s level of excitement. The very act of being restrained like this, watching Vegard undergoing the procedure he had perfected through diligent practice, it never failed to get Bård hard.
Bård’s eyes followed Vegard around the room as he revisited every corner of the bed, performing his final inspection of the four beautiful knots that held Bård in his place. Once satisfied, he moved to the foot of the bed and slowly peeled off his boxer shorts, feeling his brother’s gaze on his rapidly-growing erection. He took himself in hand, and as he slowly pumped the flesh to full hardness he relished the sight of his brother being driven wild, writhing on the mattress with unconstrained lust. The bed creaked under the force of Bård pushing and pulling against the ropes.
Vegard crawled onto the bed slowly but surely, inching himself up so he was lying flat, entire body covering Bård, skin-to-skin from the waist up. He was careful to hold that old bed sheet in place, but of course he could still feel the heat emanating from the other man’s groin. For a brief moment he lay in wonder, feeling the smooth expanse of skin rise and fall beneath him. He lived for the look in Bård’s eyes at the beginning of the scene; that intriguing combination of wonder, desire and to a smaller but very real extent, fear. He stroked the short strands of hair soothingly, stopping when his hand reached the nape of Bård’s neck. He kissed him just once, savouring the soft lips before withdrawing and sitting up so he was straddling the younger man. He reached for the little slip of dark fabric on the nightstand.
“Are you sure this is what you want?” Vegard whispered softly, running the blindfold through his fingers.
Bård simply looked up and nodded, giving confirmation in his steady azure gaze. Vegard grunted his disapproval. “You need to say yes or no, Bård. If you want me to do this you need to be vocal”. Vegard rolled his hips, secretly enjoying the sweet moan his simple action elicited, yet still Bård didn’t speak. Instead he shut his eyes and bit down on his lip as Vegard grinded slowly and tortuously against him.
“Yes, I’m sure” the younger man finally choked out after a few seconds.
“Good. Very good” Vegard soothed, leaning down close again to secure the blindfold. Although he understood that taking away Bård’s vision would enhance the sensory experience for him, not being able to see the look in his eyes made Vegard feel blind. This is why he insisted on Bård’s verbal cues to tell him if something was too much. Yet even with Bård’s assurance there was always a risk that bravado or the need to please Vegard would push the younger man to take on more than he could handle. Furthermore, Bård’s intrinsic compulsion to be taken deeper into subspace was something that Vegard had to keep a handle on. His own self-discipline was essential, as this sort of play teetered precariously on the knife edge between pleasure and pain. “Are you ready?” Vegard asked softly, running his hands soothingly along Bård’s chest. He really looked lovely. His pale, unblemished skin was the perfect canvas for the art they would create together.
Bård nodded, before quickly remembering what he had been instructed to do. “Yes, I’m ready Vegard”.
“You need to tell me if it’s too much” the older brother reiterated, reaching for the solid white candle on the table next to him.
“I will” Bård assured him, parted lips forming a silent ‘o’ as he took a few deep breaths to ready himself.
Vegard tilted and twisted the candle slightly in his right hand, pouring a few drops onto the delicate skin of his left forearm. The initial heat gave him a jolt, but the sensation quickly subsided into a pleasing warmth. None-the-less, there was always the danger that what felt good to him might be near unbearable for his brother. Still, nothing would induce him to stop now he had his lover between his thighs, waiting and willing. He extended his arm fully upwards, suspending the candle a full metre above Bård’s torso.
The first three drops landed in the hollow between Bård’s nipples. He twitched at the moment of contact, but immediately stilled and relaxed back into the mattress. The three drops took a meandering path down Bård’s torso, rapidly solidifying on their journey. “More” Bård breathed, muscles in his arm tensing as he braced himself for Vegard’s next move. This time the older man trickled more wax, a little south of those first tentative drops. Bård said nothing, but moaned softly and squirmed beneath Vegard. The wax dripped down in rivulets onto the old bed sheet below.
Satisfied with his work so far, Vegard replaced the candle on the nightstand and looked up at his brother’s face. Even without seeing his eyes he knew his brother was frustrated. It was evident in the way he set his jaw. He knew that Bård wanted more, needed more. He knew that every synapse of his skin cried out for more. Yet it was only when Bård issued his verbal confirmation that Vegard continued. He lifted a glass jar with a blue candle within and repeated the ritual of testing the temperature on his arm. Once satisfied, he ghosted the across Bård’s skin so he could feel the heat within. “This is going to feel more intense. Are you ready?”
Vegard didn’t wait for Bård’s affirmative reply before he poured. Bård yelped in shock as the indigo blue wax landed in a swirling pattern around his belly button. He grit his teeth and took in a few sharp breaths to ease his discomfort, and the movement of his diaphragm caused some of the earlier droplets to crack, creating an effect that reminded Vegard of dragon scales. Vegard paused, waiting for Bård’s breathing to regulate before continuing. The ritual was repeated many times, Vegard never failing to test the heat each time he switched to a new candle. The process was sensual, erotic and infinitely fascinating. He could never grow tired of it. Yet more than playing with the wax, he loved the effect the heat had on his brother’s body. He loved watching the muscles underneath his pale skin as they tensed, twitched and relaxed. He loved how he pulled and tensed on the rope in different ways depending on where the wax landed. He loved the sounds that escaped Bård’s lips, a series of hisses, moans and grunts as he ascended further into the heated space. Pain and pleasure were barely distinct; only a brittle membrane of paraffin in-between.
Soon nearly the entirety of Bård’s torso was covered in a marbled sheet of shiny wax, and Vegard stopped to admire the effect. Blue and white collided into a curious amalgam that put him in the mind of a shimmering icy lake. The red wax streaked over the top created a striking contrast. He followed streams and rivers, saw intricate patterns in the licks of colour. He almost got lost in the abstract masterpiece; an optical illusion he had created on his living, breathing canvas.
By now Bård was incapable of speech, mumbling incoherently as Vegard pulled away the bed sheet to expose his cock. He was so hard, so vulnerable, so undone. Vegard had to fight the carnal urge to penetrate him, to cause the waxy façade to crack and fall away with every ardent thrust. He sensed Bård was simply too far gone for that. Instead he dispensed a little lube into his palm and slicked up their neighbouring members. His firm grip, coupled with strategic grinding of his pelvis, was all that it took for Bård to come in a tortured cry, hot semen joining the swirls of wax on his chest. The sight of his brother’s ecstasy set his heart racing, and in less than a minute he too came, trembling, their mutual essence mingling on Bård's chest.
Bård was barely aware of Vegard’s completion, and was still stuttering nonsense as Vegard crawled up the bed and pressed his hands to his flushed cheeks. “Hush now, don’t try to speak” he whispered tenderly, planting a soft kiss on the corner of his mouth. “You were so good, Bård. I’m so proud of you” He commenced with the necessary aftercare, starting by peeling off the sheets of wax that were still warm and pliable. It was a labour of love for Vegard, and he was determined to follow through thoroughly yet expediently for Bård's comfort. Sensing his brother's agitation, he neglected to peel off the more stubborn drops of wax. It could wait. He cooled the skin with a damp towel, before applying ointment to the tender, pink flesh.
Only then did he untie Bård, first his ankles and then his wrists. The man reflexively curled into a ball, shivering and stuttering. He was so out of it that even when Vegard had relieved him of the blindfold his eyes remained clamped shut, as if overwhelmed by the reality he wasn't yet ready for. Vegard knew that the only remedy was to gather his spaced-out brother into his arms and wrap them both in the woollen blanket he kept under the bed. He enveloped him entirely with strong arms, knowing his solid physical form would bring his brother gently back to earth. He whispered soothing, encouraging words as he held him. Surely enough, soon the shivering had subsided and Bård's breathing had settled to an easy, regular rhythm. Only when he was sure Bård was asleep did he let himself drift into blissful unconsciousness.