Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

((I\'m working all my chapters to be around 3000 words in length, in case anyone was wondering, not that you were, but anyway. I see you reading so at least I know it\'s getting some interest, even if there are no reviews. -Snifflepout- Seeing as I\'ve had to catch up with a considerable amount of words, you readers are blessed with a second update in one day, lucky things.))

Chapter Three. -Warnings: Minor body alteration, spanking, touches of mild angst, light bondage.

Rafael was momentarily distracted by the opening of the blonde’s robe and similar to back when they were being bathed, Raf couldn’t help but admire the boy’s body, he was just so perfect in every way; the light blush that had spread across his body just completed the beautiful picture that he presented. But then Hadrian was moving closer and the boy began to whimper as his watery blue eyes closed, leaving Rafael unable to move to help him, glued to the spot as he watch in horror as the white hot metal hovered mere inches away from the blonde’s pale chest.

“This will only hurt for a minute.” Hadrian murmered as he selected a spot on the youth’s body to use the tool on. A pause as everyone in the room held their breath and the heated metal was pressed to the side of one of the blonde’s nipples, causing the blonde to cry out in pain as the sensitive bead of flesh was pierced.

Rafael felt as it that same implement of torture had just been stabbed through his own heart when he heard the blonde boy cry out with such unrestrained pain. Under normal circumstances, Rafael would have no problem with someone getting hurt, when one was a merchant, one saw plenty of violence and the cries of pain from complete strangers would always haunt his dreams, but to see the innocent blonde boy subjected to such cruelty and as a result of someone else’s actions was too much for the generally strong willed male. “Stop please! Don’t hurt him any more!” He pleaded, only to receive a gentle shake of the head from the master.

As the pressure on the brand was not let up, Leon’s cries became screams of agony as Hadrian pierced his chosen nipple right through. Tears of crystal fell from sapphire eyes that were by now shining with mixed emotions of fear and suffering as that one touch marked him with such pain that it almost made the blonde boy pass out. He’d suffered before at the hands of his previous master, but nothing like this, this sort of thing was done to servants and slaves who needed serious discipline when all else had failed, not for an innocent boy who had done nothing wrong.

Hadrian just smiled sadistically as Leon’s screams rang in his ears, a sound he would never tire of hearing, especially when one could adjust the pitch and volume of a cry or scream just by hurting them in different ways. It was very pleasing to him to get a beautiful high-pitched scream as he did from the blonde and he could only wonder what sounds Rafael would make when it was his turn; something a bit deeper hopefully, to add a little variety to the screams of the younger slave.

All too soon in the master’s opinion, he removed the blisteringly hot metal from the boy’s nipple and set it aside to let it cool. He then slowly crossed the room to an ornate dresser where he pulled open one of the drawers and looked upon a selection of ornaments he had stored there. Flashing Rafael a vindictive smile in passing, the master returned to stand before the whimpering blonde boy and reached for that same abused nipple, making the boy flinch violently away so that he could be given time to recover. Hadrian was having none of it though and reached again, getting a firm grasp on the maltreated bud and pinching hard, as if Leon wasn’t already in enough pain, and delighted in the sharp cry that he prised form the youth with just that simple movement.

As the blonde panted harshly, his lean chest rising and falling with each laboured breath, Hadrian, in an almost gentle manner, slipped a ring through the bead of flesh before he leaned in as Leon squirmed to try and evade him, and took the abused nipple into his mouth, sucking gently for a moment as if to soothe the burning sensation that was emanating from that one spot on his chest. Stepping back to admire his handy work, Hadrian then turned to Rafael once again.

Raf had been glued to the spot the whole time, unable to find the will to move to Leon’s aid lest it result in yet more pain inflicted upon the boy. He felt so ashamed and guilty that the blonde had had to go through that just because Rafael couldn’t swallow his pride and submit to his new master. But apparently he had begun to understand that it was in his best interests to do as he was told, and it would be beneficial to the blonde slave too if Raf stopped resisting.

“Well? Are you going to submit to me now or do I have to pierce his other nipple too? Or will it take more than that to bend you to my will today?” Hadrian inquired simply, gesturing to the slouched blonde. “Or would you like to see his blood? Perhaps that is a better incentive to get you to realise how futile your opposition is.” He suggested, gesturing to the pierced nipple that had not bled at all through the episode.

Rafael daren’t be the cause of more pain for the boy, who probably hated him by now for putting him through that, so Raf nodded meekly. “Don’t hurt him anymore master.” He whispered, as if saying ‘master’ quieter would deny the fact that he’d said it at all.

“Well, don’t just stand there then boy! Take off your robe and let me see you before you bend over my knee.” Hadrian demanded, leaving the younger slave crying softly against the wall, all colour drained from him, his cheeks streaked with the paths of his tears. The master seated himself on the edge of the bed and turned his cruel gaze to the slave still stood nearby, staring at the blonde.

Slowly, as if he were in a daze, Rafael carefully loosened the rope around his waist and peeled back his robe to let it drop from his shoulders to pool around his feet. He could feel the blonde looking at him as well, but whether those gorgeously striking blue eyes were admiring him or glaring hatefully at his back he couldn’t say. In much the same way as it had with Leon, Raf felt himself blush deeply as he felt the cold hard gaze of the master raking up his body, lingering perhaps a little too long at his crotch. It was very clear what Hadrian wanted from this encounter.

After Hadrian invited him forward with a curt nod of his head, the jet haired slave shuffled closer and asking whatever deities existed for forgiveness for what he’d done to Leon, he lowered himself over Hadrian’s knee. It was a very distinct show of submission to undress and bend over Hadrian’s lap and especially for Rafael it was humiliating, but it had to be done if he wanted to spare the blonde any more injury.

Leon just watched from his position against the wall. His robe had not been replaced so he was still on show, but thankfully the attention was no longer on him. His pierced nipple felt as if it were still on fire, tendrils of fiery pain extending across his chest and part way down his left arm. It was like the energy had just been sucked out of his body and he didn’t have the strength to try and resume his attempts at escaping the ribbons that held him securely against the wall. As Raf could only watch him, Leon could only watch as Rafael removed his robe and bent himself over the master’s knee ready for the spanking that Hadrian had promised earlier. But Leon couldn’t understand why he had to suffer to make Rafael submit.

Sapphire irises remained locked on the pair seated on the edge of the bed, though his eyelids felt heavy and all he wanted to do was close them, drift off to sleep, wake up again to find that this had all just been a disturbingly realistic dream and he was curled snugly against his master’s warm and naked body. He was deluding himself though, he knew it wasn’t a dream and he just had to do whatever he could to avoid the worst of the punishment. Hadrian had made that part more difficult though as only Raf could prevent the punishment from being dealt to him with regard to the slave’s reluctance to yield.

Hadrian smiled again once Rafael was finally over his knee and he took a moment to admire the body that was curved over his lap. Light fingertips played over the lightly tanned flesh, seeking pressure points, sensitive spots, anything that could be manipulated at a later date. Predictably, hands lingered more on the gentle curves of the slave’s backside, stroking, fingers carefully probing down the crease between buttocks, seeking the ring of muscle the master knew to be there. However, before he could get carried away, there was the issue of Rafael’s punishment to attend to.

“You know what is coming next don’t you my slave?” Hadrian asked softly, ceasing his caressing and feeling his smile widen as Rafael couldn’t withhold the softest of moans of disappointment at having the touches stopped. There came a muted ‘yes master’ from the slave and Hadrian nodded approvingly, pleased with the slave’s subservience. The master than raised a hand and brought it down fast, but not too hard just yet, on Rafael’s bare backside.

Rafael’s body jolted forwards at the stinging blow, bucking out of reach of a harder strike. But what scared him most was the rather unwanted reaction elicited by that one hit. Some of the heat that began to burn at his stinging rear end went straight to his groin and began to pool there also. This caused his entire body to flush with heat, this time in embarrassment. He didn’t have time to ponder his reaction though, as a harder blow landed across his smarting buttocks and again Rafael jerked forwards a second time, pain lancing across his lower body.

A third spank landed, then a fourth, and a fifth until Raf’s mind was too much of a mix of pleasure and pain to keep track of how many blows struck his smarting backside. In anticipation of another blow, Rafael would push backwards to meet the oncoming hand. A haze of confusion had formed a blanket over his mind as he could not decide whether the blows hurt too much to continue or if the pleasure they seemed to generate was worth the pain that accompanied each strike.

Hadrian stopped suddenly and a delicate brow arched in question as he looked down upon the slave whose backside was red and sore after the repeated blows, the master’s hand stung some too, though not nearly as much as Rafael’s rear had to. “Are you enjoying this perhaps my slave?” He questioned with obvious amusement as he once again began to just lightly trail his fingertips over the inflamed flesh. “Have you become aroused?” He enquired when Rafael did not answer him, and as he cocked his head slightly in a quizzical manner, he could see that the slave was blushing furiously and tried to turn his head away from the master so that the crimson colour of his cheeks could not be seen.

Without warning, Hadrian dealt the slave another blow to the backside that made the dark haired slave yelp in pain and surprise. “Yes master!” Raf cried out feeling tears prick his eyes at his ill-treatment, regardless of how he was somehow managing to derive some pleasure from the torture.

The master then pushed the slave upright so that he was stood once again, but after that period of spanking, Rafael’s legs felt weak and he could barely support himself. Hadrian was not at all bothered by the slave’s lack of strength to remain standing; if he wanted Raf to stand then that was what Raf would do.

As he stood, Rafael\'s predicament became more obvious, the way his cheeks were an attractive rose blush, the way his length was stood from his body as a result of the erotic torture he had been subjected to, the way his legs shook with the strain of remaining upright. The sight also made the blonde boy look away in embarrassment lest he find the sight alone arousing enough to provoke a reaction within himself. The whole situation only served to make Hadrian smile again, something he did a lot when his slaves pleased him with their displays of companionship and such.

Hadrian paused as usual to observe his slave, admire him, touch him. This time, he reached out and gently again, drew the pad of a thumb up along the underside of the slave’s erect length, watching with satisfaction as the shaft twitched and he heard Rafael moan quietly above him. A few teasing strokes of the erection and it ceased once more as Hadrian left the erection alone in favour of taking the male’s wrists.

Knowing that resisting would only get Leon hurt more than he already was, even though he seemed to have recovered from the pain, Rafael didn’t struggle, even as more ribbons were produced and tied around his wrists. The free ends of the ribbons, that were a deep Indigo, were then tied around the bedposts, so Raf’s hands were above his head, his ankles were left free for now, but the most frustrating thing of all was that a ribbon was teasing brushed over his straining length, but no substantial attention was granted to him, which meant that Raf could do nothing to relieve himself of the pressure that was steadily building in his loins.

“If you even dare to try and rub yourself against my satin bedsheets, you will find yourself over my knee again, understood?” Hadrian asked sternly, glancing appraisingly at the male’s erection as it stood proudly from his body. The master himself though had yet shown no signs of enjoying his treatment of the slaves enough to instil arousal.

He left Raf on the bed though, after receiving the expected ‘yes master’ and he returned to Leon, who whimpered in fear and attempted to shuffle away, but he could not move away and so merely pressed his clothed back against the smooth wall behind him. Chuckling softly, Hadrian shook his head and crouched opposite the bound blonde slave. “This time, it will not hurt as much if you do not resist. Always remember that you are mine now to do as I wish with you. And now after your friend’s fine display of his manhood, it has put me in mind of something that does not necessarily require the use of an aid to bring about any pain.”

Leon understood perfectly what his master was talking about; after all, it was what his previous master had always used him for, but even though it was the same action, it would be a completely different experience to what Leon would prefer, what his previous master had granted him with. The thoughts alone of what Hadrian could do to him were enough to make the blonde boy nervous, but not as afraid as he could be, although Hadrian could potentially do some serious damage in what he was about to partake in. Leon did not get the impression that he come to much if any harm at this time though, as the master seemed more interested in satisfying himself than actually inflicting pain at that particular moment, but then again, Leon could always be reading him wrong.

Undoing one hand at a time so that the robe could be completely removed from the boy’s body before being tied once again, Hadrian tenderly made sure the circulation was running through the youth’s extremities again and took a moment, once again to admire the boy now that there was no longer the barrier of his clothes to obstruct his view. As he did so, Hadrian allowed his own robe to fall to the floor, therefore erasing any doubt about what was to follow.

((Yup, it\'s obvious what\'s coming up in the next chapter. It was going to be in this chapter, but everything else kinda ran away with me. Don\'t make me bribe you readers for reviews. >-> -Pauses- ... -Offers M&Ms for reviewers-))