A/N: side note, in the final published version of the first 'La Maison', Noah isn't in it in the same way he is in the Wattpad version (because the Gabe side story doesn't happen) - so this is our first official meeting of Noah, even if it's minor.

It's getting to our darkest point, and this one definitely needs a trigger warning for the aftermath of sexual assault - please look after yourselves.

Landon

I'm not sure what gets through to my subconscious first: the crazed banging on the apartment door, or Nikki's gentle whisper of my name. I sit up, used to having to go from out cold to wide awake with barely any gap between the two, even after a shift that turned into eighteen hours – half of which was panicked coding when we almost lost a six year old three times. I'm not even an emergency room doctor, but had just been in entirely the wrong place at the right time. We saved the kid, though.

I don't know what the time is now, but it's still the gray of very early morning outside. As I got home some time around three am it's no wonder my eyes feel as though they have grit in them. It's also no surprise Nikki is reluctant to get the door himself. I don't live in the most salubrious area. It's only a couple blocks from the club, but there hasn't been the steady hand of gentrification here. It's the only reason I could afford the huge garden apartment, but I've owned it for eight years and I'm still waiting for the tendrils of improvement to extend far enough to reach.

It takes me a moment to recognize Dex through the reinforced one-way glass of the door, his face twisted in panic as he bangs with one hand and holds a pale, closed-eyed Dae up with the other.

"Come on, in the living room." I gesture Dex in, noting just how pallid Dae is, his head slumped against Dex's shoulder, his arms hanging loosely. "What happened?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen him for days. And then he was at my door, like this."

"Did he say anything?" I ask while I check Dae's flickering pulse.

Nikki silently brings my medical go-bag and I insert the electronic thermometer into Dae's ear.

"He was about to speak when he collapsed. I could only think to get him here. Shit, I should have taken him to hospital."

I shrug, waiting for the thermometer to beep. "Why didn't you?"

"'s complicated," Dex mumbles. He's not normally shifty, but Nikki distracts me, pointing with horror at a growing patch of red stain on the couch.

I carefully feel along Dae's back and hips, looking for a wound, but Nikki points again, this time at a matching stain at the back of his jeans.

"Okay, Dex, we need to get him to hospital, now. He's bleeding, and I think he's been assaulted, and his temperature is high enough that I'm worried he's septic."

Dex stares as if he's trying to work out what I mean but gives up. He's dazed, his dark skin blanched, his large eyes watery, even as he holds himself together.

Dex hasn't let go of Dae, though, even as I drove us to hospital, even as I guide us into the emergency room. Luckily, I see a friend of mine, Dr Richards, is on shift, and I approach him, quietly telling him the situation I suspect. Because Dae is almost completely unresponsive by now, Dr Richards – Noah – sends the triage nurse straight over, and she quickly has us settled into an examination bay.

It's hours later when Noah reappears.

"I have him on broad spectrum antibiotics to fight the infection. It's hit him hard, but fast, so I expect he'll begin to feel better quickly."

During the time we've been waiting a lot of scrub-clad people have been in and out of the room Noah had Dae moved to, running tests presumably, while the three of us sit on the uncomfortable squeaky chairs in the corridor.

"Do you know what caused it?" Dex asks, and I squeeze Nikki's hand.

"We've taken a sexual assault kit. He's been violently attacked, and I'd say multiple attackers and over a period of time, though the lab results will confirm, and the internal abrasions are what caused the infection to take hold so quickly. He has told us he doesn't want to report it. Perhaps you can see if you can get him to change his mind."

Dex looks ill, mumbling something to himself. I don't doubt that he's blaming himself for something, and I equally don't doubt that this is in no way his fault. Dexter is a good man, and he would never allow an injustice to stand. Especially not one like this. I know that from personal experience, just like how I understand many of the reasons why Dae would refuse to press charges against his attacker. The man that assaulted me, during a group scene, where he'd decided to take things in a far different direction to what had been agreed, and had not only drugged me, but bound me before raping me, had left town after Dex found out. He's still around, in the Midwest somewhere, but he won't be coming back to New York if he knows what's good for him. So I know there's no way Dex can be to blame for anything that's befallen Dae, but he looks sick as he stands to enter the room.

"I'm sorry," is the first thing Dae says.

"I'm sorry too, Baby," Dex grabs his hand, stroking it gently. "I should never have let you go. You don't have to tell me anything."

There's silence for a few moments, while Dae's eyes follow the movement of Dex's thumb.

"I want to," he whispers.

Dex just waits, never stopping his gentle touches.

"I went home. To my apartment. But- but my brother – my stepbrother – was there. And he took me to the house. Where he lives and where my stepfather lives. They aren't good people, Sir. I'm- I'm sorry I never told you. And I'm sorry I never told Master François. He's going to be angry. They're criminals. They hurt people."

Based on Dex's nonexistent reaction, he knows this already, and I wonder how long for.

"How long have they been abusing you, Dae?" is what he asks instead.

"Please, you can't say anything. It's Chul-moo, but he'll hurt you. And he'll hurt me."

"Worse than he just has?"

Dae flinches at the anger in Dex's voice but lifts his chin.

"It wasn't him. Not really. He was furious though, and when- afterwards, he gave me to his men to teach me a lesson. They get rough. He- he encourages them. And they kept me for longer than usual. But it doesn't matter. I'm used to it. But it hurt more than usual. And when I woke up and I was alone I knew they wouldn't look after me when I was sick. So I ran away. Except Chul-moo will definitely be mad about that, too"

"How long, Dae? And does Yi Seung know what his son is doing?"

Dae doesn't even seem to notice that Dex clearly knows more than he's said, as he hangs his head, shame emanating in his downcast expression.

"It started when Grandfather died."

I don't know when that was, or what the significance of Dae's grandfather is, but based on the bewildered hurt on Dex's face I'm guessing Dae has been living in hell for a long time. "My stepfather knows, but he doesn't care, as long as nothing happens in front of him. Chul-moo has made him think it's consensual, and he doesn't know about the men."

"Can't you tell him it isn't?"

"No."

The relationship – or not – that Dae has with his stepfather is clearly summed up in that single word.

"Why was he angry?" Nikki asks, going to the other side of the bed and taking Dae's other hand, perhaps trying to distract Dex, who is looking more murderous by the moment.

"I'm- shit. I'm sorry. He made me join the club. He wanted to get information about it, because he wants to buy it. And he was angry because I haven't given him anything he can use."

"What did he expect you to be able to give him?" Nikki asks.

"I don't know. Blackmail, I think, if anything illegal happens, but it doesn't. Or he thought I'd be able to get into the records, but I told him I couldn't. He's been threatening me for weeks, months really, that I had to get him something. But I didn't want to. Even if I could have, I wouldn't, not now. But Master François is still going to be so angry. He'll definitely kick me out, and then I won't-,"

"No he won't. It isn't your fault, Dae," Dexter is certain and stern.

"It is though. When I first got in I was totally going to do it. Get whatever I could. I just- everyone is so nice and I didn't want to hurt anyone. And then I found out I like it. Being your- being a sub."

"Baby, he's been abusing you for years. Of course you were planning on doing what he told you to. But you are a good person. I know that. Why does he want the club so bad, anyway?"

Dae seems taken aback by the warmth and surety in Dex's voice, and is visibly melting at it, suddenly unguarded.

"He wants to use it as an auction house. For the boys he smuggles here from overseas."

We have a little more darkness still to come, but we'll get back to the lighter stuff soon.

Talk to me 😘 I'm intrigued - I would love to know what you guys like about BDSM stories. It's been a few chapters since we had any scenes, but there'll be some niceness later - so I'd love to know what you especially like about the genre. Are there particular types of scenes you like to see? Hand spanking is always good, and bondage too, afaic. Would love to hear your favorites. 

Or characters and dynamics - what types do you like to read about? I have some varied stuff coming up in future fics - something a bit more S/M, some more relatively soft D/s stuff, maybe some more trad D/s if I can get into the right mindset to write it. I think I haven't done that much actually kinky stuff - and I have a few plans down the more extreme kink road too. 

Fill my brain 🤓😝