Lucien blinked, staring at the ceiling of the manor. The room was pitch black, and the heavy silence of the estate felt like a physical weight.

He scrambled out of bed, his heart doing parkour against his ribs. Had he slept through the entire party? Was the cake gone? Had Joey and Rick already left?.

Lucien sprinted down the stairs, his bare feet slapping against the cold marble. The main hall was a void of shadows.

BOOM.

Confetti exploded over his head, raining down like neon snow. The chandelier flared to life, blinding him for a heartbeat.

"Wait, why is it Lucien?" Joey blurted, holding a spent streamer cannon. Jamie stood beside him, looking equally confused.

Leon sauntered out from behind a pillar, an arched brow the only sign of his amusement. He looked lethal in his tailored black shirt, a predator draped in expensive cotton.

"So, the story about the wine cellar was a lie?" Leon asked, his gray-blue eyes tracking the way confetti clung to Lucien's messy black hair.

Lucien pouted, his bottom lip jutting out in that way Leon couldn't resist. "I ruined your surprise. I'm sorry."

Leon reached out, his large hand plucking a silver strip of glitter from Lucien's forehead. "You're my only surprise, baby. Ready for cake?".

The cake was a five-tier monstrosity Joey had ordered from the city. The top layer was buried under Lucien's favorite strawberries.

Lucien handed Leon the silver knife, his stomach letting out a pathetic growl. "Hurry up. I want the strawberry part."

Leon didn't take the knife. Instead, he snagged Lucien's wrist, pulling the boy back against his solid chest.

"We do this together," Leon rumbled against the shell of Lucien's ear. His large, scarred hand covered Lucien's slender one, guiding the blade through the frosting.

Lucien leaned back into the heat of Leon's body. "Happy birthday, Leon. I hope you're always this happy.".

"I will be," Leon whispered, his teeth grazing Lucien's earlobe. "As long as you're in my house.".

The rest of the night was a blurred mess of loud music and empty bottles. Lucien, the only sober person left, began loading his friends into cars.

Jamie—Lucien's roommate, "Honey"—clung to the car door, his eyes glassy.

"Listen to me, Lucien," Jamie hissed, pointing a shaky finger. "Use the oil. Makes the skin soft. Strawberry flavor... I'll send you the link...".

Lucien shoved him into the backseat and slammed the door with a loud thud. He marched back inside, his face a violent shade of pink.

Leon was sitting on the sofa, staring at the floor with a strange, unfocused intensity. The "King" of WK looked officially wrecked.

Lucien waved a hand in front of Leon's face. "Do you even know who I am?".

Leon snagged Lucien's hand, his grip crushing and possessive. "Wife.".

Lucien's jaw dropped. "Don't call me that! You're definitely drunk.".

Leon just looked at him, his steel-gray eyes dripping with a heavy, brooding heat. He looked like a wounded wolf.

"Come to the bedroom," Lucien sighed, tugging on the man's arm. "I have your real gift.".

Leon was on his feet instantly. He didn't walk; he snagged Lucien by the waist and hoisted him up like a sack of fragile flour.

"Leon! I have legs!" Lucien shrieked, kicking fruitlessly.

"I move faster," Leon rasped, his voice dropping into that deep, manipulative register Lucien feared and loved.

Inside the master suite, Lucien scrambled to the nightstand. He pulled out a small, velvet-lined box.

"Here," Lucien murmured, pressing the box into Leon's heavy palms. "Open it."

Leon pulled out a silk tie, charcoal gray with subtle vintage patterns. It looked expensive, high-end, and entirely too sophisticated for a man who made a living with his knuckles.

"You go to formal events," Lucien noted, his voice thinning with nerves. "I thought you'd need it."

"I love it," Leon rumbled, his gaze never leaving Lucien's face. "Help me try it on.".

Lucien bit his lip. "I don't actually know how to tie a Windsor knot.".

"I'll teach you," Leon whispered, his hand settling low on Lucien's hip. "Hands out.".

Lucien obeyed, his fingers trembling. A second later, the cool silk was looped around his wrists, cinched tight.

"Wait," Lucien squeaked, staring at his bound hands. "This is a tie, Leon. You're drunk.".

"Drunk enough," Leon murmured, flipping the boy over onto the massive bed.

Leon's knee slid between Lucien's thighs, pinning him to the mattress.

"I thought you liked the face-to-face look," Leon hummed, his shadow towering over the boy.

"I do! Leon, stop!".

"Liar," Leon whispered against his spine. "I've noticed. You always finish faster when I take you from behind.".

Lucien buried his face in the duvet, his ears burning a vivid, indicting red.

"You're faking," Lucien hissed, looking back at the man. "You aren't drunk at all!".

Leon didn't deny it. He just pulled the silk tie over Lucien's eyes, plunging him into total darkness.

Lucien shivered, his senses sharpening as his vision vanished. Every touch of Leon's calloused hands felt like fire.

"The more you cry, the more I enjoy this," Leon rasped, his breath hot against Lucien's mouth.

Lucien let out a broken, shaky sob, his fingers curling into the silk linens.

"Pretty little lamb," Leon murmured, his teeth catching the sensitive skin of Lucien's neck. "Time for your next lesson.".

Lucien slept until noon the next day. He opened his eyes with a groan, his body heavy and aching. Before he could even shift, Leon's arms were there, lifting him up and pressing a glass of warm water to his lips.

Lucien took a few sips, his throat feeling less like sandpaper. He pushed the glass—and the man—away with a scowl. "A little late for the attentive act, don't you think?" He remembered pleading for mercy the night before; Leon hadn't listened to a single word.

Leon caught Lucien's hand. He pressed a slow, lingering kiss into the palm. A low chuckle vibrated in his chest. "Look at me, baby. How does the tie look?"

Lucien's head snapped up. He went from drowsy to fully alert in a heartbeat. Leon was dressed in a crisp, expensive formal suit, looking like he had just stepped out of a high-stakes boardroom meeting.

The charcoal silk tie was knotted perfectly at his throat. The same tie that had been used to bind Lucien's wrists just hours ago.

"You—" Lucien's jaw dropped. "How can you wear that?!"

Leon adjusted the knot, his expression calm. "Why wouldn't I? It was a gift from you. I'm wearing it."

"Take it off! It's... it's dirty!" Lucien scrambled forward, reaching out to rip it from Leon's neck.

"I washed it. It's clean." Leon caught his wrists. "You have great taste, Lucien. It's a beautiful tie."

Lucien fell back against the pillows, pulling the duvet up until only his eyes were visible. Every time he looked at that silk, a flash of the night's "lessons" burned through his mind.

"You have no shame," Lucien muffled into the fabric.

"It's your gift. I'm wearing it every day," Leon replied. He leaned down, pressing his forehead against Lucien's. "Get up. I made those steamed buns you like. Eat something."

"You hungry?"

"Have some food, and I'll take you out." Leon pinched his earlobe. "Somewhere fun."

Lucien's eyes sparkled. He sat up immediately. "Really? Where?"

"The amusement park. You said you were bored staying home."