When Markus met Peter (M+/M+)(Concluded 11/30/24)

[Volobond]

A wild, nervewracking end to this ordeal, and yet, much like Hunter's bondage and plans, a loose end left glaring - what happened to the cowardly captor himself?

[CaptiveDan]

All caught up now! What an exciting last few chapters. I feel like "house fire while tied up" is every kinkster's worst nightmare - what a dramatic climax to the story.

Excited to see if Hunter faces justice, or if he remains at large as a potential future threat

[gag1195]

@Volobond Loose ends indeed! We'll have to wait and see! But thank goodness the immediate danger is over!

@CaptiveDan It's definitely up there for me as a very dark "what if" thought! Glad I was able to deliver some exciting chapters! As for Hunter, I do suspect I won't be able to leave him at large. The amount of fans rabid for comeuppance might come after me instead!


Thanks, everyone, for your patience! I've got a very busy week and am out of town this weekend, so I probably won't have time to get the next update out until sometime next week! Apologies!

[gag1195]

I am so sorry for delaying this update everyone! This past month has been crazy with work, fighting a cold, and visiting friends out of town. But the next chapter is here! And potentially good news, it ended up being too long, so I had to split it into two chapters, so we'll have a couple more updates before we finally end this story! Enjoy some denouement!



Part 33: We Are Family

Markus

A groggy, delirious blur. That was the only way to describe the past few hours. Still reeling from the fire, the smoke, the rescue, and the effects of the drugs in his system, Markus could hardly keep everything straight.

A seemingly endless stream of doctors and nurses, poking and prodding, questions and medical jargon. Markus vaguely recalled a few police officers asking him questions. He did answer them, didn’t he? Markus honestly couldn’t remember. He remembered water. Warm, welcoming water.

He was finally clean.

Laying in the hospital bed, but not alone, Markus faded in and out, seeing a different doctor or police officer each time.

When he finally came back to his senses, he hadn’t even fully opened his eyes before being tackled into a hug. “Ow…” Markus groaned as his side was squeezed.

“Shit! Sorry!” Lauren jumped back. Her eyes were red and puffy, but she had the biggest smile that Markus had ever seen.

“Is this what it takes for you to visit me?” Markus wheezed out a laugh, dodging Lauren’s fist as best he could in his weakened state.

“I hate you!” Lauren laughed, trying to scowl at her best friend.

“Hey! You can’t hit me!” Markus complained. “If there was any time you’re supposed to be nice to me, it's right now!”

Lauren hugged him again, more gently this time. “You scared me, Kent. There was a real moment when I thought you were actually gone.”

Markus reached out and gripped her hand. “I’m sorry. But I’m still here, somehow. I’m not going anywhere.”

As doctors periodically checked in and monitored vitals, Lauren filled Markus in on all the details she could, the efforts everyone had gone to. “Dean’s on his way now. Couldn’t get a flight out here any sooner. We were worried he was going to start swimming across the Atlantic.”

For the first time, Markus looked around. “Not to be rude, but…”

Lauren raised her eyebrow. “Oh, I see. I’m not good enough for you anymore?”

“Not that, I’m just surprised that Peter hasn’t broken down the door yet…”

“He tried.” Her expression was serious. “I’m not joking. He was admitted to check for smoke inhalation and detox of whatever Hunter used on you both. As soon as the doctors looked away, he bolted, charging through the hospital in his gown, trying to find you. Made it to the door before the team of doctors and officers stopped him.”

“He’s not under arrest is he?”

“Thankfully no.” Lauren smiled. “It was close though! Connor and his friend, Liam, are with him. And I think he’s been answering police questions since his escape attempt. I know he’s dying to see you.”

Markus couldn't stop smiling, imagining Peter sprinting through the hospital to see him.

“You found a good one.” Lauren sighed. “I like him.” She leaned in and whispered, “You’re welcome!”

“Bullshit!” Markus shouted. “You don’t get to take credit for Peter! That was a hard fought, homegrown Markus victory!”

Lauren shook her head. “I present to the court, exhibit A: Who’s idea was it to go to the Cloak and Dagger that night? Told you to take him home? I rest my case!”

Markus shot back, “But I didn’t take him home, if you recall. I hooked up with Eddie that night!”

“And who encouraged you to go on a date with Peter after you nearly fucked up, and then did fuck up, both relationships?” Lauren crossed her arms. “So again I say, you’re welcome!”

“I hate you.”

—--

A stern looking detective appeared a short time later and quickly shuffled Lauren out of the room. She had only the barest hint of a smile, but only her mouth. Her eyes remained alert and piercing. Her dark hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail.

“I’m Detective Sullivan.” She didn’ offer her hand, instead reaching into her pocket for a small notebook and pen. “I need to ask you some questions, if that’s alright.”

Markus nodded. It clearly wasn’t a question.

Detective Sullivan began asking Markus about the events of the past week. Details, timelines, anything Hunter said to him, anything that Markus could recall. His memory was hazy after a week of imprisonment, drugging, and panic, but Detective Sullivan seemed satisfied with Markus’ answers. At least Markus thought she was satisfied. Lots of curt nods and “hmms”.

Eventually, Sullivan closed her notebook and nodded at Markus. “Thank you for your time, Mr. Kent. I’ll be in touch. I’ll leave you to rest now.”

—--

The rest of the night was a whirlwind of visitors. Connor, like Lauren, refused to release Markus from an all encompassing hug. Markus could tell that the personal trainer had been carrying a lot of tension about this whole situation and was finally relaxing, letting the stress drain from him.

“I love you, Connor, but you are going to fully break the rest of my ribs…”

“I’ll cover the medical bill.” He joked, but eventually released. “I was so worried about you…”

“I know. Breathe. You can unclench now. I’m here. I’m fine, or at least I will be.” Markus smiled. “Lauren said you pretty much held everyone together through all this.”

Connor started to shake his head, then sheepishly nodded. “I guess so.”

“You’re too modest. And I appreciate everything you did.”

“I wish we’d been able to do more.”

It was Markus’ turn to shake his head. “You did more than enough.”

They were quiet for a time, a comfortable silence, until there was a knock on the door. Lauren poked her head in. “Sorry to interrupt, but I think there’s someone who’d like to see Markus.”

The door opened, and Markus’ heart skipped a beat.

There stood Peter, uncharacteristically nervous, uncertain. His face lit up when he saw Markus. And for the third time that evening, Markus was crushed in the best hug he’d ever received. Tears were flowing as he inhaled Peter’s scent.

“Peter…” He exhaled.

“Markus.” Peter replied. “You’re here…”

“Thanks to you. You saved me.”

“So, I hope this means you don’t want to break up with me.” Peter chuckled.

Markus sighed, groaning with the effort of dealing with his broken ribs. “I’d love nothing more if we could pretend the last week didn’t happen. Of course I don’t want to break up with you, Peter.”

A tighter hug. “Good. Because I’m never letting you go, ever again.”

“Ok, but you and Connor get to pay for my broken ribs, and I am not joking. You’re actually hurting me…”

“Shit!” Peter released his boyfriend and smiled. And Markus noticed that Connor and Lauren were gone, obviously wanting to give the couple some privacy.

They talked for hours, explaining everything that happened from their perspectives, interspersed with the need to pause and affirm that they were in fact really there, it was over, and of course to kiss.

Except for the hospital setting, and the terrible events leading them there, Markus didn’t want to leave. He was safe. Peter was safe. They were together. His friends had rallied to help him. Nothing could have been more perfect.

And then the Wilsons arrived.

—--

Peter’s family was as boisterous as Peter himself. It was no mystery that these were Peter’s people. If the constant stream of doctors and police officers were a whirlwind, the Wilsons were a hurricane. A force of nature, of aggressive warmth and welcoming, hugs and smiles.

Peter and his older brother, Noah, were both spitting images of their dad, Jacob Wilson. Peter, of course, was more muscular than anyone else in his family, but Noah also kept in good shape. Similarly, Mr. Wilson, from his years of working in Construction, maintained a solid frame even though he was in his sixties. Peter’s other brother, Thomas, was lankier and brown hair like Mrs. Wilson.

It took forever to get past greetings and introductions. Connie, Peter’s mother, explained that Liam had called them as soon as the ambulances pulled away from the apartment. They’d caught red eyes as soon as they could. She went on to explain that Peter’s youngest brother, Kevin, couldn’t make it but demanded some face time. Noah’s wife, Sherry had stayed behind as well. They were unable to find childcare for their two young boys on such short notice.

The rest of the day was spent hearing stories about Peter’s childhood, of Markus and Peter explaining how they met, and of Markus and Connie bonding over being teachers.

Lauren and Connor of course refused to leave Markus’ side, and Liam appeared after the workday ended. The accountant nearly fainted when Kevin face timed in and Liam realized that his best friend’s brother was the rookie of the year for his alma mater.

“Wait! Your brother is THE Kevin Wilson?” Liam’s mouth was agape. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Cause he’s a traitor!” Peter shot back. “Joining the Seahawks, unbelievable!”

Kevin was cackling through the screen. “Full ride, baby! Spartans didn’t offer me anything close to that! Must be because another Wilson spent 4 years warming the bench!”

“Now I know why you didn’t show up. It’s easy to talk smack from a thousand miles away! I may be in the hospital, but I could still kick your ass!”

“Boys, that’s enough!” Connie interjected, taking the phone from Peter. “We are setting a poor example. Let’s keep it civil, please.”

A doctor and Detective Sullivan arrived some time later to discharge Peter. Sullivan explained that a police escort would take Peter back to his apartment and supervise him in gathering a few items. Thankfully, the fire hadn’t spread to Peter’s room, so most of his belongings were safe. The apartment was still an active crime scene, for both the police and the fire department. With Hunter still at large, police would be posted at the apartment.

“But I’ve got nowhere to go.” Peter said.

“You can stay at the hotel with us, dear!” Connie suggested.

But Markus shook his head. “Peter, you can stay at my place.”

Peter took Markus’ hand. “Are you sure?”

The bearded man nodded. “We were talking about it anyway, and I think I’m ready.”

Peter kissed Markus. “Babe, you’re amazing!”

Detective Sullivan spoke up. “Of course, we’ll also have a police presence outside your house, Mr. Kent.”

The doctor nodded. “And now, Mr. Kent needs to get his rest. I’m afraid I’ll have to ask everyone to say goodbye, visiting hours are over.”

—--

Peter

It wasn’t a dream. He had to keep reminding himself. He and Markus were safe. Hunter was still out there, but the police were actively looking for him. They were safe.

Even if Peter did almost immediately get himself arrested by trying to find Markus. Detective Sullivan saw to it that Peter had an officer outside his door at all times. Liam and Connor also made sure that Peter stayed put until they got the all clear to see Markus.

They meant well, and did their best to distract him, but Peter was practically picking at his skin to get to Markus. After almost a full week apart, after being held hostage by Hunter, and after escaping the fire, the only place Peter wanted to be was by his boyfriend’s side. The doctors and their endless tests and check ups, and the police with their incessant questioning, conspired to keep the couple apart for as long as possible.

Sullivan was in and out of the room multiple times, each visit bringing more questions and requests for clarification. Peter almost lost track of how many times he explained the events of the past day, of finding Markus and being captured by Hunter, the fire and their escape and rescue. And every visit was punctuated by Detective Sullivan’s terse “hmms”.

“Just relax.” Connor said for the fortieth time. “They are taking good care of Markus and you’ll see him soon.”

“I think I’ve done plenty of waiting, if you ask me.” Peter huffed as he sank lower into the hospital bed.

Connor shook his head. “Besides, if what you’ve been repeating is true, then Markus is probably still out of it. Whatever Hunter’s been giving him needs to work its way out of his system. He wouldn’t even know you were there right now.”

“He would!” Peter shot back. He would, Peter knew he would.

“Well, it’s very sweet anyways.” Liam spoke up. “I still can’t believe you dragged Markus out of a fire. It’s so romantic!”

Connor smiled and looked at the shorter accountant. “Very romance novel cover.”

Liam scrunched his face. “But didn’t that handsome firefighter carry Markus out in his arms? Wouldn’t that be the cover shot?”

“I did most of the work!” Peter complained. “Escaped from bondage, pulled Markus to safety! That firefighter barely did anything! Why should he get all the glory?”

Liam and Connor couldn’t contain their laughter.

Surprisingly, Peter didn’t feel like talking to his friends much after that, so Liam and Connor contented themselves on talking to each other. By the time Lauren returned to trade places with the personal trainer, Connor had convinced Liam to join him for a few sessions.

Lauren settled into Connor’s chair and reached out for Peter's hand. “Markus is doing just fine. I think the police are going to try to speak with him now that he’s more alert. You’ll get to see him soon.” She squeezed Peter’s hand tight. “And, thank you. Thank you for saving him. I don’t know what I would have done if I’d lost him.”

Peter nodded. “Thank you.” He squeezed back. “I feel the same way.”

Lauren smiled. “You bring out the best in each other. I’ve known Markus since we were both confused, closeted freshmen. I’ve never known him as happy since he’s been with you.”

She squeezed even tighter, tighter than Peter thought possible for such a small framed person. “But don’t ever hurt him. Markus may be an idiot sometimes, but don’t ever try to hurt him.”

Peter nodded and she let go. “Don’t worry, I’m going to give him a similar conversation, once he’s feeling better!”

—--

As anxious as he was to finally see Markus, when the door finally opened and he saw his bearded hunk of a boyfriend laying in the bed, Peter didn’t know how to react.

Now he was sure he was dreaming.

He didn’t even care when Markus complained about his rib pain. When he said that he wasn’t letting go ever again, he meant it. For the rest of the night, and the next day, Peter was constantly in physical contact with his boyfriend.

Holding hands, gripping his arm, gentle hugs, and best of all, locking lips.

Even when his family showed up, Peter only strayed from Markus’ side when he absolutely had to. And Peter practically melted when he saw how well Markus got along with his family. He knew from the beginning that Markus would bond with Mrs. Wilson. But Peter’s brothers were a rowdy bunch. And Markus slotted in so perfectly.

And further solidified in Peter’s mind that he wanted a future with that man.

—--

It was torture having to say goodbye to Markus. Peter wanted to fight the doctors, demand that he be allowed to stay, but even his own stubborn self knew that it would be a losing battle. So he and Markus embraced and kissed one final time, before Peter and the rest of the Wilsons departed for his apartment and then towards Markus’ house.

And, Peter supposed, his house now too. Markus had officially invited him to move in. This would be Peter’s home now. With Markus, whenever he was freed from the hospital.

That honeymoon feeling lasted about as long as it took for Peter and his family to walk through the door. Immediately, Mr. Wilson grumbled and shook his head, complaining about Markus’ lackluster home renovation efforts. Noah and Thomas berated Peter playfully about not helping Markus, and questioning how much Peter had forgotten from their summers working for their dad.

Only Peter’s mom seemed sympathetic and understanding. She complimented what had been done and made supportive comments on the different swatches and inspiration pictures Markus had stuck up on the walls.

It was late, well past midnight, but Mr. Wilson was on his phone, texting up a storm. “When is Markus getting discharged?”

Peter shrugged. “Doctor didn’t say. Connor thinks it’ll be a few more days at least.”

Mr. Wilson’s face lit up. Peter knew exactly what was about to happen. “That’s plenty of time.”

[Volobond]

The Wilsons are a wild breath of fresh air! Good to see everyone in good spirits and on their way to a good recovery!

[blackbound]

Great to see how everything worked out. What a sweet and fun conclusion...

but what about Hunter??

[DeeperThanRed]

With how Peter's family is, it's no wonder he likes attention! Seriously though, it's nice how supportive everyone is towards Markus after everything he went through. Lauren continues to be the best friend ever.

I hope our couple gets to talk things thoroughly - I wonder how long it'll take them to get back at enjoying bondage with this ordeal left behind.

[Guardianbound]

The Wilsons are so nice, it's no wonder Peter grew up to be this ball of positive energy. Something tells me you have a final twist up your sleeve to shock us all

[Socksbound]

The Wilsons are a wild breath of fresh air! Good to see everyone in good spirits and on their way to a good recovery!

Couldn’t agree more.

Really enjoyed the introduction to Peter’s family. I laughed, I cried i romanticised throughout this chapter. You’ve done such a great job of building a suspenseful prequel to life. Knowing that Peter and Markus ended up together it’s amazing the start to their life together could be so momentous

[Bradstick]

Peter immediately making a mad dash for Markus room was so freaking cute! I am glad they are both safe for now. With Hunter still out there, I have feeling Hunter will find them before the police find Hunter.

I need to give this story a full reread as it been a minute since I got caught up. That and the way you write and tell stories is amazing! Great work and I can’t wait for more!

[Wedgieboy69]

I agree. We haven't seen the last of Hunter. I also don't trust detective Sullivan. There is a bad vibe there.

[gag1195]

@Volobond I've been wanting to write more with Peter's family for a long time, pretty much since I first mentioned them back in Bondage Weekend. I just haven't had the opportunity to until now. Of course as much of the family as possible is going to visit Peter after this ordeal, and thankfully they are just as wonderfully chaotic as Peter!

@blackbound Surely there are no loose ends left to tie up... right? Surely no one is forgetting anything...

@DeeperThanRed Like Markus said near the beginning of this story, Peter is the quintessential middle child. He also happens to come from a very loud and boisterous family, so he had to be even MORE! I'm also very glad for the chance to write more Lauren. As for our couple talking and resuming their "activities", we will see more of that in these last couple of chapters!

@Guardianbound It was a rowdy household. Nothing but energy for the Wilsons! As for twists... who's to say what might happen...

@Socksbound As I said earlier, the climax chapters were pretty intense so I had to relieve that tension in these last few chapters. The Wilsons are part of that tension relief. It's definitely been a wild ride to the start of their relationship.

@Bradstick And so on brand for Peter! Thank goodness the police and doctors were kind enough not to have him arrested/detained! But man, everyone here seems so hung up on this Hunter situation...

@Wedgieboy69 I was going to make the comment that not every new character I introduce is evil, but looking back, it does appear that more often than not... they are, or at least start out as antagonists in my stories... hmm...


Thank you for the very kind comments everyone! Just a couple more chapters to go!

[KidnappedCowboy]

Sorry that I am a bit late to the update.

The Wilsons are a great tonic to the toxic ride Peter and Markus have been on lately. I am sure there will be no smooth ride going forward for the couple, but with Peter driving and Markus safely strapped at his side, i'm sure the bumps will be gotten over!

[gag1195]

@KidnappedCowboy
Peter definitely appreciates your vote of confidence, especially you saying that he should be in the driver's seat! Markus has some thoughts about being the one strapped down... If only Peter would move his hand out of the way! Hopefully their road should smooth out soon! We'll just have to wait and see!

[gag1195]

Once again, I must apologize for the delay in getting this chapter out! October ended up being very busy work-wise, along with the amazing fun time I had dealing with pneumonia! So I had very little time or energy to get any writing done. But here we are, with the next chapter! We should be wrapping things up in the next chapter (maybe two more chapters, who's to say!) I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Don't forget to comment! Thanks!



Part 34: The Hustle

Peter

It should have been a good, long sleep. Peter was tired, exhausted. The stress of the last week had finally faded, everyone was safe. They had survived Hunter, survived the fire, survived the doctors and officers and visitors. Safe and warm in the bed he would share with Markus, Peter should have been able to collapse into a well earned sleep. And sleep clear through to the next afternoon.

But he couldn’t sleep. He tossed and turned. Mentally berated himself for not sleeping. He should have been asleep, he needed to sleep. But he couldn’t. Instinctively he reached out to the other side of the bed.

Markus wasn’t there. The other side of the bed was empty. He was alone in the dark bedroom. Markus was miles away, alone in his hospital room.

Peter pulled Markus’ pillow close, trying to inhale as much of his boyfriend’s scent as he could. Soon, he’d be able to hold onto the real thing. That feeling relaxed him, and sleep finally overtook him….

Until the hammering started.

At 6:30 in the morning.

“RISE AND SHINE PETER!” His dad called from the living room.

Peter, feeling much more like his grumpy, definitely-not-a-morning-person boyfriend, grumbled and shuffled his way down the hall.

There, his dad and two brothers were already hard at work pulling up the subflooring and inspecting the bones of Markus’ house, while other members of a crew were busy inspecting the kitchen, while yet more strangers were priming the walls for paint. Peter’s mom was overseeing the final paint choices off in the corner.

And Peter was suddenly very aware that he was in his boxers. Only his boxers. He just sighed. He wasn’t embarrassed, not by any means. Peter had no shame. Instead, he just sighed at the sight in front of him.

“Come on, Peter!” His dad shouted again. “Go get dressed and get busy! Have you lost that Wislon work-ethic we worked so hard to instill in you boys?”

“Can’t lose what he never had!” Noah laughed at his own joke. “Pretty Peter never was much use on the job site, so not much has changed!”

Peter flipped off his brother and retreated back into the bedroom and began rummaging through the boxes and bags of his belongings. He had expected to be able to spend some time today sorting through and organizing what he was able to rescue from the apartment, but clearly there were other plans.

He donned a pair of jeans, boots, and tee-shirt, then checked his phone. Some updates from Lauren, who had apparently picked up Dean from the airport about an hour ago. They were headed straight for the hospital, but Dean was already excited to meet Peter later.

I hope he isn’t mad that my dad is currently ripping up his grandmother’s house…

Back in the living room, Peter pulled his dad aside. “Dad, you haven’t even been here a day. Where is all this coming from?”

Mr. Wilson just shook his head. “You really didn’t learn a thing from me, did you, Petey? This is the power of making connections!”

“Dad, you’ve lived your whole life in the same small, midwestern town. What connections could you possibly have?”

His dad wrapped an arm around Peter and began pointing to the various workers around the house. “Vincent, there, inspecting the kitchen, used to live in Boston! In fact, he lived two blocks from your brother’s startup office! He and Thomas have really hit it off already!” He directed Peter’s gaze to the crew helping Mrs. Wilson with the paint. “And that’s Jorge, who is the nephew of my longtime foreman, Roberto.” He swept a hand around all the supplies, materials, and tools. “And all of this was donated by different local stores and construction firms. Turns out your Markus is a well loved teacher, and many current and former students’ families jumped at the chance to help him.”

He leaned in even closer. “It’s a small thing I can do to help make your lives easier right now. Besides, I can’t let my son and future son-in-law live in a half finished house. My own reputation would never recover!”

“Dad, we’ve been dating for just a few months! We’re just now moving in! We haven’t even begun to think about stuff like that!”

“Mmhmm…” Mr. Wilson simply nodded along with Peter’s statements. “Now, we going to stand here yapping all day? Get to work!”

Peter shook his head again, and fired off a quick text to update Lauren about his family’s impromptu extreme home makeover, and about keeping it a secret from Markus.

—--

Markus

Another rude awakening, another tight hug crushing his ribs.

“OW!” Markus called out. The hug didn’t stop.

“Sorry, Little Bro. I don’t care if it hurts!”

“DEAN!” Markus gasped out. It was really Dean!



“In the flesh!” He finally released Markus and settled into the chair next to the bed. “Sorry I wasn’t here sooner. Lauren and Connor have been keeping me up to date, but still…”

“Hey, you’re here now. That’s what matters.” He smiled at his brother. “Now, tell me all about what’s been going on in Paris.”

“I actually kind of wanted to talk about-”

Markus held up his hand. “I’m sure Lauren has already overshared enough. Now, I’m the one in the hospital bed, and I want to hear about Paris.”

Dean rolled his eyes. “Can’t argue with that…”

They spent the next few hours catching up, talking about life. Dean had lots of questions about Peter, and the events of the past week, and was just as stubborn as his brother and refused to let the subjects drop.

“I know it’s only been a few months, but… I think Peter could be…”

“Wow” Dean stared at Markus. “That’s a big step. Are you sure?”

“I’m not saying we have to rush to anything, but yeah. I’m sure.”

Dean raised an eyebrow. “Even though you haven’t gotten my seal of approval?”

“Like that’s ever stopped me before.” Markus shifted in the bed, finally ready to broach the subject both had been avoiding all morning. “Have you… have you heard from…?”

Dean sighed. “Against my better judgment, I did text her to let her know you and Peter were safe and recovering. She left me on read.”

“Oh…” Markus wasn’t sure what he felt. Relief? Regret? His own mother barely cared that her son was in the hospital. Was it because Dean mentioned Peter? Would she have responded if Peter hadn’t been brought up?

He didn’t have much time to dwell on that, because Connor arrived soon after, and the personal trainer proved a welcome distraction for the Kent brothers.

—--

It wasn’t until that evening when Peter finally made an appearance. It wasn’t that surprising. His family was in town, and he was trying to sort through the charred remains of his old life and trying to move everything over into their new life.

Markus audibly sighed and relaxed when his boyfriend appeared. He was alone, without the rest of the Wilson clan in tow. Probably for the best. Better to ease Dean into what could one day be his in-laws.

Peter was slightly red-faced and his hair was disheveled. Markus assumed it was from packing and unpacking whatever he could salvage from the apartment. Peter, the normally put together Adonis of a boyfriend, was looking positively mortal as he embraced Markus. That strangely comforted Markus as Peter carefully wrapped his arms around him. Markus furrowed his brow slightly. He could have sworn… Is that paint on Peter’s neck? No he must be imagining things.

Peter let go of Markus and straightened up to shake Dean’s hand. Markus smiled as his brother practically batted the hand away and instead engulfed Peter in a massive hug. Peter seemed almost stunned for a moment, before returning the gesture. The blonde model was much larger than Dean, so the hug quickly turned into Peter slightly crushing his boyfriend’s brother.

Both men were laughing when they released each other.

“Peter! It’s great to finally meet you!” Dean hugged him again. He leaned in and whispered, “I know you’ve heard this a lot, but thank you.” Markus pretended not to hear, letting them have their moment.

The three settled in for the next few hours as Peter and Dean got to know each other, and as Peter and Markus shared more of their ordeal with Dean to help fill in the gaps. Around dinner time, Peter and Dean left Markus and went hunting for the cafeteria while Markus ate his own dinner and had a long conversation with the hospital’s nutritionist.

Connor made a brief appearance, mostly to say goodbye to Markus for the night, and also to drag the nutritionist out of the room. “Let Markus rest, please. You can talk to me about his nutrition plan. I’ve already talked to your physical therapist about his exercise plan, so I can help keep his nutrition on track too.”

Markus mouthed a silent thank you to the redhead and settled into a peaceful meal and a marathon of that new Homebound show with the hunky, shirtless host.

—--

Peter

Dean was the spitting image of Markus… or the other way around? Their faces were a bit different, Dean’s a bit shorter and wider than Markus’, and Dean’s hair had a natural curl that Markus lacked. Dean was also a few inches taller than either Markus or Peter, but was more lanky than both. Peter wondered if Markus looked like this before he started working out with Connor.

Dean was definitely the more charismatic of the Kents. Though Markus had his natural charms, the teacher was far more reserved, keeping much of his true feelings close to his chest. Not surprising, given his past, Peter reasoned.

They fell into conversation naturally. They were joking and sharing stories as if they had known each other for years. Halfway through their cafeteria food dinner, Peter realized something. He felt no attraction to Dean whatsoever. On paper, the older Kent should be just Peter’s type, and Peter could imagine a past version of himself shamelessly flirting with the international businessman. But no, not anymore. He only had eyes for Markus.

Still, it was nice getting to know Markus’ brother. And Dean took the opportunity to tell some wonderfully embarrassing stories about Markus. Peter made sure to mentally file everything away as future ammunition to use against his perfect boyfriend.

Peter also took the opportunity to explain what was happening back at the house.

“So, I hope you’re not mad, but my family is currently in the process of renovating Markus’ house. I know it was your grandmother’s house, and I feel bad. My dad concocted this entire thing without me really knowing about it and then it was too late to stop it.”

Dean sat for a moment, thinking, scrutinizing Peter. Then he beamed. “That might be one of the kindest things anyone’s ever done for Markus. This is good for him. He gets way too in his head and indecisive. He’s been sending me pictures of paint samples and carpet swatches for almost a year. I trust your family to fix things up and not go too far overboard. And don’t worry, the secret is safe with me. No way I’m going to ruin this surprise!”

“Thank you, Dean. I know it's been a stressful couple of weeks, and I didn’t want to add to that with this impromptu renovation.”

“As long as I can still use the guest room, you’ll hear no complaints from me. I’ll even pitch in, though I’m definitely not as handy as your family!”

Peter chuckled. “We can put you on painting duty with my mom. Hard to permanently mess up while painting.”

—--

Markus

Peter and Dean were eventually ushered out by the hospital staff, but both promised to be back to visit again tomorrow.

The next day, Monday, was a revolving door of visitors.

Dean and Peter were there as soon as visiting hours started.

Both left around lunchtime, with the excuse needing to do more unpacking of Peter’s belongings.

Detective Sullivan stopped by briefly and explained that her team had recovered Markus’ personal effects; his phone, wallet, and keys, along with the drugged beer, from the apartment dumpster. They had managed to find everything just before the garbage truck emptied the dumpster. She promised that Markus would get everything back soon, after it was processed and inspected.

Connor and Lauren took over just after lunch, and the three of them spent the afternoon watching truly terrible reality TV, while Connor talked non stop about his plan for Markus’ physical therapy and meal planning.

Late afternoon, a new face appeared in the doorway. It was his principal, Carly Jules. “Hey, Markus…” She seemed a bit uncertain.

“Mrs. Jules! Hello!” Markus sat up straighter in his hospital bed. “I’m sorry I haven’t reached out. My phone has been in a dumpster and is now in police custody, and I haven’t had my work laptop, and-”

“Markus, Markus! It’s alright. The last thing I want you to do is worry about any work stuff. You have enough to focus on right now. I just wanted to see how you were doing. Everyone at school is thinking about you. And I mean everyone. Your team, the other departments, your students of course, but also students you’ve never taught, and lots of parents.”

She sat down in the chair next to the bed. “In fact, that’s part of the reason I’m here. Someone, and I’m still not sure who, set up a donation drive to cover your medical costs and stay here. I’ve just been to the hospital’s financial office and passed along the information. So, that’s one less thing to worry about as you recover.” She fished a portable DVD player and a disc from her bag and presented it to Markus. “There’s one more thing. And your students were adamant that I give this to you as soon as possible.”

She stood up and began walking to the door. “Rest, recover. Take as long as you need. We’ve got things under control at the school. And I should warn you, there’s going to be a “Welcome Back Mr. Kent” Rally whenever you return, so just prepare yourself for that.”

With that, she left Markus with the mysterious disc. He put it in and pressed play. And immediately teared up. It was his students, presenting their oral projects. Every single student was dressed as Markus. Many sported leather jackets, or the cardigans he often wore when the room was freezing. Most had on glasses, and mimicked his teaching mannerisms. A few of the girls had even used makeup to draw on a fake beard.

“We wanted to do something to celebrate you, Mr. Kent!” One of the students, an otherwise stereotypical football jock, said into the camera. “Once we heard you were okay, we knew we had to redo our projects so you could see them!”

A final shot of all the students dressed in their Mr.Kent best, all of them shouting, “GET WELL SOON!”

Markus was an emotional wreck for the rest of the night, and he happily replayed the video for every visitor, friends and doctors alike.

Perhaps the most surprising visitor came the next day, on Tuesday morning. Peter was busy with his family, and Dean was treating Lauren to brunch, while Connor was back working at the gym. Apparently Courtney threatened to put Connor in the hospital herself if he kept canceling his personal training sessions. So he had no choice but to return to work, under pain of death.

So Markus was enjoying a quiet morning, when Eddie knocked on the door. He awkwardly waved but didn’t cross the threshold.

“Hey, Markus.” He said quietly.

“Eddie…” Markus blinked. “What are you doing… I didn’t think… I mean, how are you?”

Eddie rubbed his neck. “I debated whether or not to visit. I know we left things on… not great terms… but seeing the news and everything…”

Markus nodded. “I get it. And I want to apologize again for what I put you through. I was an ass.”

“Yeah, you were, but I think you’ve been through enough that I can confidently say that I forgive you.”

An awkward silence settled between them. Eddie did eventually sit down, and Markus broached the subject.

“So, have you replaced me yet? Seeing anyone?”

Eddie rolled his eyes. “Not yet. Not to give you more of an ego, but you’ve been kind of hard to get over…” His eyes went wide. “Not that I’m here to try and win you back or anything like that! I am over you, I swear, and I don’t want to come between you and Peter, but you opened my eyes to some new experiences… Not exactly easy to find someone that ticks all the boxes, especially when ‘into bondage’ is now a pretty big one.”

Markus couldn’t help but chuckle. “Trust me, I know. I don’t think you know how nervous I was when I tied you up the first time. It’s definitely one of those make or break situations when trying to date someone new.”

Eddie nodded in agreement. “Lost a few hookups when I brought up the idea, but you know what, fuck ‘em. I’ve got a much better idea of what I want now, and I’m not going to let anyone shame me for it.”

They chatted for a bit, the awkward air between them fading. Suddenly, Eddie stood up. “Uh, do you mind if I…” he nodded toward the room’s bathroom.

Markus followed his gaze and burst out laughing. “Of course not! Go, go go!” And Eddie sprinted in, closing the door behind him.

One of his doctors walked in, one Markus didn’t quite recognize behind the face mask and scrub cap. Markus didn’t pay him much attention. So many nurses and doctors made their way in and out of his room throughout the day, it was impossible to keep them all straight in his head.

The doctor looked at the charts and vitals, and then began examining Markus’ IV bag. And injecting something into the line…

“Hey, wait, what is that?” Markus asked, Confused.

The doctor glared at Markus, grabbing hold of his patient’s hand and gripping it tight. “Just something to help you sleep…”

[Socksbound]

It’s Hunter omg he’s the mysterious doctor

[KidnappedCowboy]

It’s Hunter omg he’s the mysterious doctor

You think?

Just when we thought it was safe to go back into the water...

Cue the ominous chords!

[Volobond]

Ahhhhhhhhhhh! It was so heartwarming and wonderful and then that cliffhanger!

I'm so happy for Markus to have all this love coming his way, and that he has a wonderful support system. And legally if Hunter shows his face again I think all the Wilsons and their connections should get to stomp him.

[Wedgieboy69]

I don't know how much more of this roller-coaster I can take!

[blackbound]

Who knows, maybe it's the ultimate fake-out and it's actually a real doctor!

[DeeperThanRed]

Love all the fluff this chapter had - Markus and Peter seriously deserved some.

And speaking of deserving, I seriously hope the former can get a break... not that I mind it too much.

[Guardianbound]

Noooooo I just want Peter and Markus to have their bondage fun in a safe space, kidnap roleplay not kidnap for real! who is this doctor now

[gag1195]

@Socksbound A strong guess, but we'll have to wait and see, won't we?

@KidnappedCowboy The story isn't over, so of course it's not safe yet! Ominous chords on an organ!

@Volobond Push pull, push pull! It is quite refreshing to see the outpouring of support Markus and Peter are receiving in these last few chapters! And as much as I appreciate your feelings towards Hunter, I'm not sure "Stomping him" will hold up as a legal defense...

@Wedgieboy69 thankfully, we are almost done! The ride is almost over!

@blackbound the ultimate troll twist! That would be almost too cruel...

@DeeperThanRed The Markus/Peter pampering is long overdue given what they've been through! And again, don't worry, we are winding down. I know I keep saying it, and then adding more content and chapters, but we are almost done and Markus and Peter will get the chance to rest.

@Guardianbound They are so close to what you want! Just a few more hurdles to clear! But remember, chronologically, the next story is my first one, meaning there's 2 years of safe, consenting bondage fun between Markus and Peter!


Once again, thank you everyone for your supportive comments! I know this story seems neverending, so I truly appreciate the continued support you all shower on me and my works! I will hopefully get the next chapter out sooner than last time!

[Donbrown]

Oh no!! Markus' troubles are not over yet! I wonder who could this mysterious doctor be
Been waiting for weeks for the latest chapter and the latest addition really made my day! So did Peter's father and brothers; they're just the sweetest!

[gag1195]

@Donbrown Again, I really need to apologize for the delay in getting this update posted! I know I was busy and had decent enough excuse for why I didn't get it out sooner, but man it was agony not being able to continue the story in a more timely manner! Thank you for your patience! And I agree, the Wilsons are wonderful people! Peter and Markus are lucky to have them in their corner!