Leo kisses Lindsay's hipbone. "Yours, always yours."

His other hand falls to the back of Leo's neck, presses down. "My good boy." 

Leo hisses and puts his mouth on Lindsay's prick.

Sex with Leo is — good. Sweet even when they're rough with each other. 

Lindsay, for his part, has an excellent night. 

Leo too.

It's not that unusual for two old friends to want to spend the night together, especially after what just happened. 

No, it isn't. 

Lindsay falls asleep with his Leo in his arms, soft and safe and satisfied. 

Ashley calls on Lindsay the next morning. 

"You look well."

"As do you." 

"I brought you a necklace I thought you might like."

The necklace is silver, with an emerald pendant in the center. It is pretty; it is also the sort of gift you would bring a submissive you do not know at all.

"It's beautiful," he says, because it is. The reminder that he and Ashley don't know one another doesn't sting, exactly, but it isn't a good feeling. 

He turns and lifts up his hair so Ashley can put the necklace on him. 

Ashley brushes his fingers along Lindsay's neck as he puts the necklace on, then presses a finger into one of the bruises. "I'm afraid," he says, "you're too beautiful, you utterly outshine it."

He hisses at the pressure and ducks his head. Ashley's charming, he knows this, but his cheeks are still warm. "Thank you, sir." His voice is warm and maybe a little bit breathless. 

Ashley kisses his cheek. 

"Your parents have told me you don't have anyone you want to invite to the wedding. I am very suspicious that this is not, in fact, true."

"It is not," he agrees. "At the very least, Stephen Galbraith has informed me that if he is not invited he will, and I quote, 'storm the wedding in a mask and transform it into a veritable Bacchanalian revel,' which I assume we'd prefer to avoid." Lindsay actually quite likes the idea, but he's reasonably sure that the sentiment won't be shared. "And Leo Maturin has made no such threats, but," and his voice goes softer, "he is my closest friend of many years and I would like to have him there, if it's possible." 

"I would quite enjoy a Bacchanalian revel, but I am afraid it would scandalize various people I prefer not to scandalize, such as your parents, my parents, and my friend Emmett. So best to invite him, I think."

"Yes, I thought so too." He tries to think if there's anyone else from the Society it makes obvious sense to invite. 

"You may invite as many people as you like." He considers. "You may invite as many people as you like, but only a hundred or so people can fit in my house, and the rest will have to stand in the garden."

"I can think of five, not including my family." 

"All your friends are welcome." He kisses Lindsay's forehead. "I think your parents were trying to keep it small because they're ashamed. I'm not ashamed of marrying you. If I were, I wouldn't do it."

He's... very sincere. 

Lindsay isn't entirely sure what to do with that. He nods instead of trying to respond in words. 

He tucks a lock of Lindsay's hair behind his ear. "I'm happy to be marrying you."

He isn't sure what he meant to say, but "You don't know me," wasn't it. 

"I don't," he says, "but I want to, because you say things like that."

He doesn't know how to answer.