Chapter Twenty-Two
Sitting in his parents' home, Krish constantly thought about Luke. The way he looked, the way he smelt. He enjoyed his company. He found Luke smart, tough and strong. To endure what he had and still be the way he was astounded Krish. And the fact that he was willing to dominate him in the bedroom? Do everything that Krish liked? Krish was overwhelmed.
Krish knew that Luke had spoken to his friend, who was into the BDSM lifestyle, and was going to meet up with him to discuss it in further details. Luke had mentioned a contract and safe words. He knew about hard and soft limits, what Krish was willing to try and what he wasn't, which showed he knew about BDSM. Well, if his friend was into it, then, of course, Luke would know.
But the fact that Luke was willing to discuss it with his friend and to discuss aspects of it to ensure that Krish not only enjoyed their time together but remain safe showed Krish how much Luke cared for him.
SSC. Yes, Krish had heard about it, but Luke knew far more than he did. Safe, sane, consensual. Luke had also mentioned RACK. Risk-Aware Consensual Kink. There was a subtle difference between the two but a difference none-the-less. And Luke knew about them. He'd explained them to Krish, going into detail and showing him on a website his friend had told him would have the information they needed.
The fact that Luke had taken the time to contact his friend and look up the information on the website his friend had provided, spoke volumes about the type of person Luke was, and for that, Krish was grateful. He knew what he liked and what he didn't like, but he was aware that there was so much more to the BDSM community that he didn't know. Krish had definite no's. No way was he being tied up to a cross, being whipped then fucked. Absolutely not. But, Luke had mentioned a paddle, smacking his arse.
It had been a previous boyfriend that had done that to him, and he hadn't liked it, but looking back on the experience, Krish wasn't sure if he hadn't liked it because of the person who was doing it to him or the act itself.
They'd been going through a difficult time when they'd tried it out. So, it could have been that Krish wasn't in the right place mentally and emotionally for them to have attempted it. Being with Luke now, Krish knew he would try even if it were only once just to be certain.
Luke had also mentioned bondage and the different types. They'd used scarves the night before, and Krish had enjoyed it.
Enjoyed it, Krish snorted, shaking his head. He'd fucking loved it. Knowing Luke had complete control over him had him harder than he'd been in a very long time. And knowing that Luke had searched these websites and had bought things for him, sex toys for them to explore together, made Krish feel light and tingly and happy.
It was hard to explain the way Luke made him feel. It wasn't just the sex between them, even though the two times they'd had sex had been phenomenal, it was the way Luke was. Luke was a genuinely caring person. Even with all the shit that was happening in his life because of Sarah, he'd refused for a long time to retaliate until eventually, it got to the stage where he'd had no choice. Krish admired that about him. His patience. His strength.
Luke had to be a strong person to endure everything in his life and still be the individual he was. He'd had that chance to escape his life, and he'd taken it with both hands. And now he was at university gaining a degree in a subject he loved.
So many people on the streets turned to drink and drugs to escape, but Luke hadn't. Even though Luke had said the reason for that was because he had such good friends, it was also a testament to the strength he had.
Did it bother Krish that Luke had been a prostitute? Yes, it did. And not for the reasons most people would think. Luke should never have been in that position in the first place. He dreaded to think of the things Luke had been forced to do, and had been forced to let other people do to him, to survive. Krish tried not to think about it at all, but sometimes his thoughts would stray to Luke's past. Like, how many men had fucked him or how many blowjobs had he been forced to give?
Krish gripped the sofa in his hands. Luke had admitted that he'd been a virgin the first time he'd had sex and it had been with the punter. That he cried after that first time and Matt had held him. But he kept on doing it because he had no choice. He hated it. Hated Luke experiencing it and knowing he couldn't change it.
"Are you okay, son?"
Krish glanced over at his father where he sat next to him. "Yeah, I am. Why?"
"The way you're gripping the seat. Do you want to talk about it?"
"It's not what you think. Nothing bad has happened." Krish glanced around the room, noticing everyone focused on them. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Okay. I've met someone I like. He's someone from Uni who's on the course I'm TA for."
"That's fantastic," Annie said, smiling brightly.
Krish glanced over at her, raising an eyebrow. "It's early days. So, we'll just have to wait and see."
"But he likes you too?"
"Yes, Mum, he does."
"You really do like him?"
Krish glanced over at his dad, frowning. "Yeah, I do. It's not like he's the first boyfriend I've had."
"No, he's not, but he's the first one you've spoken about like this."
Krish tilted his head. "Like what?"
"When you mentioned your previous boyfriends, they were just that--your boyfriends. But when you mentioned this one everything about you was different. He means more to you than your previous ones."
"Yeah, he does. Is that a problem?"
His dad leaned forward resting his arms on his knees and twisted his head to stare at Krish. Krish swallowed when he saw the look on his face. It was almost blank. "There are times I wish you weren't gay, Krish."
"What?" Krish's mouth fell open in surprise. His dad hadn't had any real problems accepting him when he'd first come out, so where was this coming from?
"I don't have a problem with your sexuality. But I worry about how others will be with you. If you weren't gay and you were in a relationship, everything would be fine. But you are gay and in a new relationship and I worry about how others will react." He twisted in his seat, reaching over and gripping Krish's hand. "I love you, but I dread that one night I'll get that phone call telling me you're in the hospital because some homophobes have taken it upon themselves to teach you a lesson. It scares me, Krish."
"Oh, Dad, you don't have to worry."
"You are my son, and no matter how old you are, I'll always worry about you, even more, because you're gay. Yes, times are changing, and people are becoming more accepting, but there is still an element out there who will hate you simply because of who you love, who you want to be with, and I can't protect you. I can't be there for you every second of every day making sure that you're safe. I know you're an adult, but you are my child, and I'm scared."
Krish shook his head slowly, unable to find the words to reassure his dad. Yes, he was gay, and there would always be someone out there who would hate him for it, but there was nothing he could do about that. He wasn't going to lie about who he was. He wasn't going to keep his sexuality hidden because people would find him more acceptable if they thought he was straight. He had a right to be...him. A right to love who he wanted to love even if that person was the same gender as him.
"I agree with your father, Krish." Krish glanced over to his mum, Annie, who was walking towards him. She knelt in front of him and placed a hand on his knee. "We love you so much, and we do worry about you. You are our son, and as parents, we would naturally worry, but even now, your sexuality can still cause problems. We will never abandon you because of it. We will always be here for you and be supportive. This man you're seeing, what's he like?"
"I don't want to tell you about him. There... He's smaller than me, with blond hair and bright blue eyes. He's slim, and he smiles a lot. Strong, so strong. I know when he was in foster care that he didn't have a great time."
"Were his foster parents nasty to him?"
"No, Mum, it's not that. He was in foster care with his friend, and they both had to leave."
"So, where did they go?"
Krish glanced away, staring into the fireplace. How did he answer the question? Did he tell them the truth, and would they accept Luke once they knew the truth? Would they hate him because they knew he'd been a prostitute, living on the streets? Should he even tell them? Krish rubbed the back of his neck, closing his eyes. He didn't know what to do.
"It can't be good if you're not answering the question," Deepak muttered.
Krish opened his eyes and looked over at his dad, swallowing hard. "I'm not sure what to tell you. It should be up to Luke."
"Just tell us."
Krish leaned his head back on the sofa, staring up at the ceiling. "He ended up on the streets for a couple of years before he found a place to live."
"On the streets?"
"Did he do drugs or was he an alcoholic?"
Of course, his parents wouldn't think about prostitution and rent boys. They didn't think like that.
"Was he a rent boy?"
Krish's eyes shot to Aaliyah. How did she know to ask that? Krish opened his mouth to answer, but nothing came out. He shouldn't be discussing this without Luke.
"A rent boy? You mean a prostitute, Aaliyah?"
"Dad, look--"
"He was a rent boy? He let strangers have sex with him?"
"He had no choice! He had no other way to survive."
His dad stood, glaring down at Krish. "No! You will not consort with one of those."
"But, Dad--"
"I said no. You are my son, and you will do as you are told. My word is final."
"No!" Krish shouted, standing up to face him. "You need to listen to me first before you decide. This is my life and my choice. I'm an adult. How many times have you told me to listen before deciding, and yet, you're not doing it, are you?"
Deepak glared at him, and then nodded. "Go on. Tell me why I should change my mind."
Krish inhaled deeply, then released it. "His foster father tried to rape him. He left but had nowhere else to go. Yes, he was a rent boy, a prostitute, but Luke was always careful. One of his friends was murdered, another tried to commit suicide. He watched people turn to drugs or become alcoholics, but he didn't. I admire his strength, Dad. And he's genuine. He's nice and caring."
Annie reached out, placing her hand on Krish's arm. "You really like him, don't you?"
"Yeah, Mum, I do." Krish sat down and dropped his head into his hands. "I think he's amazing. To have survived so much and still be a great guy."
"I want to meet him."
Krish groaned. His dad would bombard Luke with questions.
"Do that for me, Krish. That's all I ask."
Lifting his head, Krish nodded. "Okay."
Krish only had to convince Luke now, and he wasn't sure how Luke would react knowing Krish had told his parents. Yeah, Krish was in trouble.