Kyle
That Friday evening began like any other, but I was nervous. I'd remember this very special day for the rest of my life. I knew it had to be perfect. It occurred to me later that it might have been wiser to do this in private. It was a lot like proposing with an audience. There's always a chance that you'll get a no or force someone to say yes against their will. I already knew that Dexter was in, but the real surprise was going to be for Preston. I thought this would all work out, but my nerves were grating against my resolve. This was so important to me that if it didn't go smoothly… well, I didn't want to even think about that.
After I was sure that Dexter would accept his collar, we worked out the plan for the evening.
Preston came in as Dexter was setting up the table for cards. Dexter had been teaching us how to play hearts. We all sucked at it, but Dexter was fearless. It made me proud to see him try to run the table. Most of the time he lost hard, but he had guts.
Preston showered and changed, then joined Dexter who was getting us all a beer. We all busied ourselves. The boys were doing something in the kitchen and I was watching the news. It wasn't long before there was a knock at the door.
Preston ran from the kitchen to greet our guests. Dexter followed with a couple of beers for what turned out to be Jake and Robert. A few minutes later, Leonard arrived with his new sub.
I was grateful, both that Leonard had found someone, and for the opportunity to add another couple to our closest circle of friends. Leonard would always be important to me, but when he visited as a single man, I worried that it might make Dexter uncomfortable.
When they arrived, Preston was in the kitchen arranging the cheeses on the serving plates and setting out the cream and sugar. I answered the door and was stunned to see the new boy. I recognized him as one of the three boys I'd fought with in Preston's old neighborhood.
Before I could react, I heard a crash of dishes behind me. It was Preston standing in front of a pile of broken dishes. "Alex?" he said in a not so friendly way.
Alex's head dropped. Turning toward Leonard, he whispered something and turned to leave.
Leonard was not going to have his sub retreat from our front door. "Freeze, now!"
Alex froze in place and slowly turned around. Leonard sat him down on the couch. "What's going on here?"
Preston was the first to speak. "Alex is one of the three boys who originally beat the tar out of me. He was the least of the three. I rescued his sorry ass the day I took down his two friends. Looks like I was right; he is one of us."
During the next few hours, we all put our differences behind us. Alex showed us pictures of his face, swollen from the beating he took from his friends not long after Preston rescued him. "Leonard is taking me to his class this week. He's bound and determined to see that never happens to me again. I told him I'd avoid that area, but he said, 'No sub of mine has to avoid any area.'"
I was nervous, but Dexter seemed to be overjoyed. When everyone took their seats and started sampling the simple appetizers, I rose to make my announcement.
"Before we all get too comfortable," I said. "I have something I want to share." Turning to Dexter and Preston, I said, "Boys, front and center." In seconds both of them were kneeling in front of me with their heads down and their hands clasped behind their back. I'd never done this in front of our guests to this degree, and I knew everyone was wondering what was happening, everyone but Dexter anyway.
Reaching behind me, I opened the drawer and withdrew the collar I was prepared to give Preston. "Boy, look at me."
Preston looked up seeing the narrow collar and a big smile erupted on what had been a face of apprehension. Later, he told me he'd thought they were in some kind of trouble.
I slipped the collar around his neck and before fastening it I looked into his eyes and said, "If you agree to it I will fasten this collar. This means that I want you now and forever. You will belong to me. I will love and protect you always. This is my promise to you. Accepting this collar also means that you understand this union includes Dexter. It means you want to stay here with us always. Do you understand?"
Preston looked up at me and then over at Dexter. Tears filled his eyes and he said, "Yes, Sir. Please fasten my collar." As I fastened the collar around his neck he beamed with pride.
I turned to Dexter. "I am prepared to collar you as well. You have served as my alpha long enough to know whether you love Preston and me. Accepting my collar means you will always love and respect us. In return I will always love and respect you. I will protect you to the best of my ability. Do you want to make this commitment to remain here as the alpha of our union?"
The look on Preston's face as Dexter answered was pure joy. Dexter turned to me and then to Preston. "Yes. Please, Sir, I will be your alpha."
After fastening the collar around his neck, I handed him the smaller collar and told Preston to remain where he was. I gave Dexter permission to stand and I sat down with our guests, who were watching transfixed.
Dexter ordered Preston to look up. He obeyed as he always did. Dexter reached down, fitting the two collars together, explaining to Preston that the collars fit into one. "My collar has one buckle. Yours has two which will signify the two Doms you serve. Mine fits on the bottom which signifies my position as alpha."
Dexter seemed to assume that he had Preston's permission and it occurred to me that earlier they'd been in the kitchen a long time. They shared a special bond as we all did, but they'd been friends a long time first. It made me wonder how much of a surprise this actually was for Preston.
Finally, Dexter told Preston that accepting the collar meant he had two owners. That he'd belong to both of us. Preston was holding back tears at first, but after a few seconds they started to flow, and he was sobbing, trying to be as quiet as he could.
Dexter and I dropped to the floor and held him in our arms, telling him how much we loved him in unison.
Looking to the side we could see that our guests were a wreck. Pulling back, I ordered the boys up.
When they were both standing a cheer and calls of congratulations came from our audience. Jake and Alex jumped up to examine the collars and as usual we split off into two groups. After what turned out to be an incredible evening, everybody headed home. When they were gone, I sat the boys down. "I can't marry you both. If I could I'd have proposed to you tonight. That is how serious I am. These collars are close to being the most that I can do to express my love for you both."
"Sir, how is this only 'close'?"
"Marriage provides protections that this collar doesn't. I am prepared to establish a trust that will protect the two of you if something ever happens to me. I know with the professions you are about to have, you'll have little need for my royalties or property, but I don't want anyone to ever take it away from you." The boys looked at one another and then back at me.
Both of the boys smiled at me. "Then, this is all real. I mean forever," Dexter said, standing and pulling Preston and I into another three-way embrace. After consummating our union, we lay side by side across the bed. After a few minutes we started to discuss the disposition of the collars. Preston and Dexter couldn't wear their collars at work and I didn't expect them to. They decided to take a moment and collar each other as they returned home. I approved the idea, not wanting to be bothered with stopping everything I was doing to put on someone's collar.
*~*~*
The following week we went to Jake and Robert's house. They were cooking dinner. Usually that was something simple like barbeque chicken or hamburgers. Today we had standing rib roast. We were really surprised.
Jake came over and shook his head. "I don't know why he's making such a big deal tonight. I guess he wants to celebrate your collars. Anyway, it smells delicious."
Their table was set for seven, so we knew to expect Leonard and Alex. True to form, they arrived a few minutes late. Leonard was given a glass of some kind of cola and the rest of us were handed a glass of wine which was unusual. I had my mouth all ready for a frosty beer. A few minutes later we were called to the table.
The plates had been removed and as we took our seats, Jake appeared from the kitchen with two full plates followed by Robert who had two more. They soon brought out the last three and Jake refilled our wine glasses.
We were all waiting for our hosts to take a seat when Robert surprised us all. Taking a small box from his pocket, he slowly dropped to one knee, opened it, and held it up to Jake. We were shocked because a Dom never kneels before his sub.
"Jake, I love you more than I ever thought possible. I can't imagine my life without you. There's just nobody like you. Will you marry me?"
We all thought that Jake was going to be offered a collar. The idea that marriage was legal for them had totally escaped us. Jake seemed to be stunned. As a Dom, Robert tended to be on the demanding side compared to me. It never occurred to me that Robert was so deeply in love with his sub. The very idea that his first love would one day be his husband was touching.
Jake looked into Robert's eyes and, swallowing hard, whispered, 'yes,' like he was choking. A moment later big dinosaur tears started sliding down his cheeks. Robert slipped the ring on Jake's finger, then rose and pulled him up close, silencing his crying with a kiss. When the lengthy kiss was over, he licked the tears from Jake's cheek, showing everyone there was no part of Jake he considered unclean.
Robert addressed the table, telling everyone to eat, and we all dug into the beautiful meal that sat before us.
When we returned home, I sat my boys down for a conference. It was unusual to take this moment after a night out, but there was something that was beginning to pollute my thoughts and I needed to get it off my chest to clear my head. My writing tended to suffer if something was bothering me.
Today my concern was my boys' comfort. "I bought this house when I was single," I said. "I didn't have a big income and there wasn't a lot I could buy. Now there are three of us and I think we need to consider buying a bigger place. My income has multiplied and now that the two of you receive a stipend you have incomes as well. Soon you'll be full-fledged doctors and our combined income will… well you get the idea."
To my surprise they both looked horrified. Preston spoke first. "This is the house I became a sub in. It was this place where I fell in love… twice. I'm a part of this place. I know we'll be doing great, but personally I'd rather spend the money paying back some of my student loans and get those out of the way."
Dexter was less eloquent. "Me too. This place is part of the magic. Maybe we could just make some changes. Then when our loans are paid off we can pay this place off."
Over the next year we had the old plumbing and wiring replaced. The evaporative cooler was replaced with an air conditioning unit and a new heater. We updated the kitchen and opened it to the dining room. The back of the house was expanded to include an oversized walk-in closet and we built a deck overlooking the back yard which we'd newly landscaped.
The old cellar had been long ignored. The final improvement involved hanging a ceiling to cover the vents and pipes which ran under the house. The floor was heavily padded, and a dark brown plush carpet was installed. When the work was done, I ordered the boys to stay out of the room for the next month.
During the day, while the boys worked, I took delivery of different pieces of equipment which I arranged in the future playroom downstairs. Special low reflected lighting was installed. A sling and a padded table with mirrors sat against one wall and a bondage rack stood in the corner. A cabinet on the adjoining wall was filled with necessary equipment.