by Luna, David
Braden liked that idea and clapped his hands for everyone to hear. “Gift time, everyone! Head on over to the dessert and coffee bar we set up. Grab whatever you want and bring it back to the table and then grab your gifts for Sebastian and we can take turns. Per the birthday boy’s request, I baked several desserts that he loves, in lieu of a cake. We’ll eat while he opens everything.”
Everyone seemed to love that idea, scooting back from the table, which had been fully cleared by the wait staff, along with any remnants of the catered dinner. When everyone was back in their seats, Gideon clinked his spoon against the side of his coffee mug, to get everyone’s attention. “Thank you, everyone, for coming to help make Sebastian’s birthday a special day.” He turned towards his boy and smiled. “Happy Birthday. I love you, baby.”
Sebastian grinned, and replied, “I love you too, Sir.”
They began going around the table giving Sebastian his gifts and each and every one of the gift givers shared with him what he meant to them. There were more than a few tears and the love he had for his family in that moment was overwhelming. His boy ended up with a veritable treasure trove of toys and treats for Lola, which Gideon knew made him so happy because, obviously, everyone knew he loved to spoil her rotten.
He got a magazine subscription for a couple tattoo magazines and unbeknownst to Gideon, Braden had worked with MetalSmiths, Inc., the company that had created the sign for Catharsis, the sign for Meta Ink, and his boy’s permanent collar and chastity device to commission a metal sign in old sailor style tattoo font.
Gideon smiled at Braden in surprise and his brother’s husband blushed at him before glancing at his friend and explaining, “I thought you might like it. Kinda has a double meaning.” He cleared his throat, embarrassed obviously, and continued, “Gideon is your Master and, you’ve mastered your craft of tattooing, so…”
Gideon loved that Sebastian had a friend who knew him so well and he could tell it was Sebastian’s favorite gift of the night when he grinned and touched the sign in awe, half stood and reached to hug Braden. “It’s perfect. I love it. Thank you.”
When his boy addressed everyone, he fell even deeper in love with him, which he hadn’t thought was possible. “Everyone, truly, thank you for this night. I can hardly express what it means to me, but I’ll try.” He smiled and looked at Gideon for support. Gideon clasped his hand and held it as Sebastian continued. “This is the first birthday party I’ve ever had, and the first birthday gifts I’ve received since I was five. I want you to know that this day, this night, means everything to me. The gifts, they’re absolutely lovely, but the fact that you all came tonight to celebrate with me, each of you, to take the time to tell me how much I mean to you is more than I could dream of in a lifetime. I love you all so much.”
His boy got up and hugged each and every one of his guests, several of which were crying. Braden, wanting to avoid any awkward silences, quipped, “Well, now we’re gonna have to top this every year.”
Everyone laughed and continued to enjoy their desserts. His boy sat, happiness radiating from him as he smiled at him. And then, like he just couldn’t help it, he glanced beside himself and Gideon could see Sebastian’s excitement at finally getting to the end of all the other gifts. When his boy looked at him again and bit his lip, obvious yearning in his eyes, Gideon couldn’t make him wait another minute.
“Go ahead and open it.”
He bounced in his chair and asked, “Yeah?”
Gideon chuckled, “Go on.”
“Yes, Sir.”
He practically dove for the box, scooting his chair back he went to try to rip open the packaging but couldn’t find a paper seam and then realized the huge top of the box was removeable. He stood to pull it up, tossed the lid to the side, looking into the box and then looking back at him. There was lots of blue tissue paper in the box and another big box nestled inside, but an envelope was on top. He opened the envelope and saw two tickets for London.
Sebastian turned to him confused and excited, both. “We’re going to London?”
“Do the dates look familiar? Think about it.”
Sebastian stared at the tickets, in obvious confusion. Gideon watched as a grin slowly spread across his face. “Oh my god! The London Tattoo Convention!”
Gideon nodded and laughed as his boy launched himself into his arms. Kissing his face and repeating an “Oh my god” mantra. He popped him on the ass and said, “There’s more, keep opening.”
Gideon looked around the table, everyone was smiling and laughing at his boy’s excitement. The next box was opened and another box and envelope was revealed, and then three more. Gideon had gotten them tickets to every major tattoo convention in the world and his boy was beside himself.
“I’m not sure what the rules are for being a featured artist at one of these things. I figured we’d figure it out together. But I think you should apply to each one and see what you hear back.”
Surprise at the suggestion made its way across his boy’s face. He could see the argument and put a stop to it immediately. “Don’t argue with me. You’ve got a huge following and you’re booked out for months in advance. You’re in demand and should be able to showcase at these events.”
Sebastian looked at the five sets of tickets and took a deep breath, nodding. “Yes, Sir.”
“Now, open up your last gift.”
Sebastian looked back at the other box, nestled on the blue tissue paper and moved to pull off the lid. Gideon moved his chair back and took a knee, and when Sebastian gasped at the small, ornate wooden jewelry box inside, nestled in red tissue paper, he grabbed it and turned with it towards Gideon, eyes going wide when he saw him on his knee, a hand flying to his mouth after letting out one more shocked, “Oh my god!”
Before Gideon could do anything, his boy was on his knees in front of him, his discomfort at being above his Master an automatic reflex. As his beautiful boy looked up into his eyes, his tears slipped down his cheeks. Gideon reached to wipe them away.
“Sebastian, thinking back on it, I can pinpoint the exact second that I fell in love with you. It was the moment you woke up in my arms for the first time and smacked me in the face when you thought I was Zavier.”
Sebastian gasped and started laughing, covering his mouth with his hand, more tears escaping his eyes as everyone else laughed as well. Gideon smiled and continued, “I thought to myself, a boy that could stand up to a Dom like that because he was so distraught over possibly hurting his new friend, was someone I couldn’t ignore, and shouldn’t let go. I knew in that moment I had to get you in a contract but I also knew that would never be enough.”
He took a deep breath, Sebastian rubbed his hand along Gideon’s knee, offering him strength when he sensed he needed it to keep going. “I was stupid and I started our contract with the stipulation that it could never be more than a simple Dom/sub contract, knowing that ending it would gut me. I didn’t think I was worthy of a man like you, a sweet, beautiful submissive who had more goodness in him than I even knew.”
He leaned forward and kissed his boy, reassuring him that he was okay. “From the beginning, we fit together like two pieces of a unique puzzle, one that wouldn’t ever be whole until the other of us filled the gap. But I was scared, and I ended it because I thought a man like you deserved better than a man like me.”
He made eye contact with Zavier and nodded his way, Sebastian looked over his shoulder, following his gaze. “The night I ended our contract, Zavier said that I was right, I’d never be good enough for you, but that I’d need to bust my ass every day for the rest of my life to ensure that I deserved you. He was right.”
He wiped away Sebastian’s fresh tears and continued, “So this is me, vowing to you, that I’m going to bust my ass, every single day for the rest of my life to ensure that I deserve you, to ensure that I cherish you, and to ensure that I’m worthy of the titles Master and Husband. Will you marry me, Sebastian Phillips, and allow me to prove it to you?”
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br /> Sebastian was nodding and crying and throwing himself in his arms, before Gideon could even pull the box out of his boy’s hands to slide the ring on his finger. A litany of yesses falling from Sebastian’s lips. His boy was shaking in his arms, overcome. Gideon just held him, whispering that he loved him and wanted the chance to love him forever.
“You’re so beautiful. So perfect for me. You’re flawless in your service and I will work so hard to honor your submission and love forever, to earn the collar you wear, and the ring I put on your finger, but, boy? You need to let me go so I can do that.”
His last comment had a watery laugh escaping from his boy, and he finally pulled back and handed over the box. Gideon pulled out the ring from MetalSmiths that matched his collar, and slid it on the ring finger of his shaking hand. Once he did, Sebastian attacked him with kisses and the table erupted with cheers, whistles, and congratulations, all the while, Sebastian kissed and hugged him, refusing to let go, which was just fine for Gideon.
When his boy finally pulled back, he looked him in the eyes and asked his Master point blank, “When are we getting married?”
Hopeful, so goddamned hopeful he’d gotten it right, he replied, “Whenever you want. It’s just a matter of how you want to do it, where you want to do it, and when.”
“Tomorrow, at the courthouse.”
Everyone laughed but Gideon was serious when he asked, “Why tomorrow?”
“Because I don’t want to wait another day to be your husband.”
“You don’t care about finding the perfect suits to wear, having a long engagement, or inviting all of our family and friends to a big fancy event and reception?”
“You wear a Henley and some tactical pants, I’ll wear some jeans and a concert tee.” He’d glanced down, describing exactly what they were wearing, and Gideon’s heart sped into overdrive as Sebastian continued, “I’ve waited long enough for you.” Sebastian turned and asked the group, “Can you come tomorrow, to the courthouse to see us get married?”
As everyone agreed, clapping, and some of them rubbed tears from their cheeks, Gideon stood and pulled his boy up with him. “You’re sure?”
Sebastian’s laugh rang out and he nodded. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”
Gideon grabbed him in a bear hug, lifting him off his feet, and looked into his eyes when he said, “We don’t have to wait until tomorrow. We don’t have to wait another second. We can do it tonight, if that’s what you want.”
Everyone gasped except for his dad, who stood and asked everyone to move over to one of the larger grassy areas of the rooftop. Excited chatter took over as everyone moved. Sebastian could see the seriousness in his eyes and he gave his answer, “Yes, please, Master.”
Setting him down, he clasped his boy’s hand, walked towards the group, and heard his mom ask his dad, “Duncan, you got ordained? When did you do that?”
His dad puffed up with pride, making Gideon chuckle, and replied, “I didn’t. I got deputized for a day. All I had to do was pay a fee, show my ID, and bring the wedding license.”
He was so pleased with himself everyone laughed. And Sebastian turned to Gideon, eyes narrowed. “That’s what you had me sign and date today at the studio?”
Gideon kissed him and murmured against his lips, “Am I forgiven?”
Sebastian laughed and shook his head. “You’re crazy, is what you are.”
Gideon pulled his own ring out of his pocket and slid Sebastian’s off his finger, handing them both over to Braden. They approached Duncan, hands clasped, and faced each other, Lola, tongue lolling out of her mouth, walked and sat beside Sebastian, everyone else looking on. As his dad took them through the ceremony Gideon couldn’t help but be overcome by the moment.
Looking in his boy’s eyes, he knew he was the luckiest man alive. “I can see our lives stretching out before us, traveling, maybe even children.” There were gasps and happy murmurs from their family. “The possibilities for us are endless. I’m so grateful I set aside my fear and my stubbornness long enough to realize what I had in you. To realize I was better off with you than I could ever be without you. It was the best decision I’ve ever made.”
Gideon felt Sebastian’s words deep inside his heart when his boy said, “I think that I’ve gone through my life alone just so I was deserving of the amount of love you’ve brought into my life. Your love and the love from your amazing family have helped me realize what real family is. I can barely remember a time when we weren’t together. I believe the darkness of our past lives has been eclipsed by the light that our love and happiness wrought. I can’t wait to love you, faithfully, as your husband for the rest of my life.”
Soon after, they were exchanging rings and sharing their first kiss as husbands. Zavier and Braden brought a case of champagne up from their wine cellar they’d had left over from their own wedding, saying it had been meant to be. Everyone shared a toast, and afterwards, as they were all chatting and they were being congratulated, he heard Maya joke, “I gotta stay away from this rooftop going forward, everybody keeps proposing and getting married here,” making everybody laugh.
Gideon watched as Sebastian pulled Braden aside and whispered in his ear. Braden pulled out his phone, typed in a few things, and then the music was switched and turned up. As the beginning notes of Sleeping at Last’s “Turning Page” began—one of his boy’s favorites—he held out his hand and Sebastian clasped it, moving in to rest his head against Gideon’s chest. They danced their first dance together as husbands, their family and friends watching. The day had been amazing, the night had been wonderful, and their wedding, perfect.
When the night wound down, they headed home. He picked a tipsy Sebastian up to walk him through the elevator door to their loft, making him giggle uncontrollably. As the laughter died down and he walked into their bedroom, Sebastian placed his hand on his cheek and kissed him so gently it nearly did him in. He put Sebastian down and watched, rapt as he stripped. But just as he was about to move in and devour his boy’s mouth, Sebastian kneeled and presented, but instead of casting his eyes to the floor, he raised them to Gideon’s.
“Master, you vowed to share the rest of your life with me today and I did the same, but I also wanted to pledge my service to you, for the rest of our lives. I never thought I’d be lucky enough to find a Dominant like you, even for the short term. I still can’t believe you want to be my Master forever, but I will always be grateful you saw something in me that I could never see in myself. Something that shined bright in your eyes and yet was shadowed in mine. I’m grateful for your love, but I’m just as grateful for your guidance, and your ownership. It will forever be my pleasure to give you the gift of my submission. I love you, Master.”
Gideon sank to his knees, capturing his boy’s lips with his, their kiss, slow and painstakingly tender. “As your Master, I vow to always put your needs and safety before my own. I pledge to honor your gift of submission to me and cherish it always. I lived in darkness before you, and I have such darkness within me, and while that will never change, you brought with you the light I needed to see the path to guide us. I will forever endeavor to keep your light shining bright for us both so that I may one day deserve ownership of you. I love you, boy.”
They made love that night, slowly, sweetly, knowing they’d just begun their lives together and joyful for the gift of each day that was to come. It turned out they didn’t need fancy suits, they didn’t need a wedding planner, they didn’t need invitations or save the dates, they didn’t need an expensive venue and a gigantic wedding cake.
All they needed was each other, friends, family…and forever.
Thank you for reading Saving Sebastian. This is my third novel and it’s been a long time coming. I hope you enjoyed it. Please take a moment to leave a review, if you’re so inclined.
I welcome contact from readers. You can find me on Facebook; Twitter; Instagram, Pinterest, and Luna David.
⌘ Luna David ⌘
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nbsp; To Morningstar Ashley, I’m pretty sure it’s not an exaggeration to say that this book wouldn’t have been finished this year without you! Sprinting with you is what breathed new life into this book. It’s been a pretty rough year and I wasn’t convinced I could pull it off, but you were. Your faith in my abilities gave me the kick in the ass I needed to finish. Thank you!
I’ve met some really great people in this genre. It’s felt like coming home. As time has passed, I’ve become really close friends with several great people and each of them has supported me and given me such wonderful friendships that I know will stand the test of time. Ladies, you know who you are. You’ve offered up your friendship, your laughter, your love, and your loyalty. I couldn’t ask for more. I’ve truly found my tribe. Thank you for being you.
To my wonderful beta readers, you polished my voice and provided much needed advice. Thank you so much! Morningstar Ashley, Sheena J. Himes, Elizabeth Coffey, Denise Dechene, Jen Barten, Michael Edward McFee and my last minute beta, Miranda Turner Vescio. Every single one of you had unique views on what would aid in making this book great and it’s all the better for your help. I can’t thank you enough.
And last, but definitely not least, to the people who helped make this book what it is, inside and out. Thank you. Pam Ebeler at Undivided Editing and Judy Zweifel at Judy’s Proofreading, you were amazing and wonderful to work with. Stacey Blake at Champagne Formats, wow, does my book look gorgeous on the inside! Thank you for taking me on last minute! And, my cover artist, Kellie Dennis, at Book Cover by Designhttp://www.bookcoverbydesign.co.uk/. Wow, does my book look gorgeous from the outside! This is my favorite cover so far. It’s truly stunning and you brought my guys to life in a way I couldn’t have even dreamed. Thank you!
Once upon a time…
Deep in the shadows of the infamous BDSM club Catharsis, Luna David, future Authoress, dreamed of crafting epic gay romance novels to the chorus of whips, chains, and riding crops.
Working for the man by day, and playing caped crusader by night, she met and fell in love with another superhero whose alter-ego was a mild-mannered financial analyst. Together they joined the Coalition of Antisocial Action Heroes(CAAH), leaping tall buildings in a single bound and escaping the horror of peopling, utilizing such evasive maneuvers as “duck and cover” or “cut and run” or “turn tail and hide.”