Chapter Text
“The mission of these parties is to provide a safe, sex-positive, play space for ethically non-monogamous folks in a welcoming, inclusive, and sexy atmosphere,” Jim says to the circle of people huddled in the living room. Jim is sporting ice blue hair, a teal tank top, a leather chest harness, and black skinny jeans with rips slashed through the front of the pants all the way down to the cuffs like ladder rungs. Their name tag says, “JIM” with a little doodle of a knife, and under that, “Pronouns: they/ them.”
Some folks sit on the couches and chairs, some on pillows on the floor, and some stay standing, but they have organized themselves into a circle around the room for the welcome introductions and reading of house rules.
Stede, he/him, sits on a wooden dining room chair, back ramrod straight as he tries not to let his eyes fall on any one place in particular. This is Mary, she/her, and Stede’s first play party, and he doesn’t want to be a creep, but everything and everyone is just so shiny and new to him. And they’re all so cool. Some folks are already in a state of undress, some just wear lingerie, some are in leather straps and harnesses, and the party has just begun! He feels a bead of sweat as it starts to roll down the back of his neck. It is very warm in the house, but he figures that is on purpose since most folks would be walking around naked, or close to it, soon enough.
“We do have some basic party and house rules, of course, so listen up!” Olu, he/him, says. “Rule number 1: good consent is mandatory. To be allowed to attend these parties you must value and respect consent in all of its forms. If you wish to approach someone and ask them to play with you, it must be done verbally. If asked, and you are a yes, then say yes. If you are a maybe or a no, then say no. Everything but an enthusiastic yes should be considered a no. No's should be met with respect and gratitude for them being honest and taking care of themselves. Be specific with any requests for play. Play at this party is 100% optional. Please only play if you feel 100% comfortable with what you're doing. Close-up voyeurism is a form of play, so that also requires consent.”
Mary sits to Stede’s right and Evelyn, she/they, the woman who invited them both, sits on her right. Mary and Evelyn’s hands are clasped between them and Evelyn has been trailing a finger up and down Mary’s arm the entire time they’ve been sitting down. Stede is excited about Mary’s sexual exploration. She had come out to him as bisexual about a year before, saying she had a big crush on a woman in her true-crime book club. Stede was surprised but not upset. He knew something was missing in their marriage and the more they talked about, read about, and researched open marriages and polyamory, the more it all made sense. Evelyn was a wonderful and incredibly sexual partner, which is exactly what Mary needed as sex wasn’t a high priority for Stede and it never had been in their marriage. Stede was incredibly grateful that Evelyn could fill that hole, so to speak, in their marriage.
Jim takes the printed-out sheet from Olu and begins to read. “Rule number 2: Clean up after yourself. Your host tonight is being awesome by offering their space to us. The basic campsite rule always applies, leave the space better than you found it! Donations to the host are always appreciated but never mandatory. If I find even a stray condom wrapper on the floor, I swear to fucking god, you guys…” Olu puts a hand on Jim’s knee to calm them, then takes the rule sheet back.
When Evelyn suggested the QP3 events, Stede was wary, but she made them sound so amazing and fun. QP3, or Queer Poly Play Parties, are a well-kept secret in the local community, but Evelyn knew everyone. She was in an open marriage and dated a lot. One might think by looking at her that Evelyn was just some weird cat lady, but she is quite the closeted kinky freak. She identifies as a pansexual Domme top, whatever that means, Stede thought. But whatever it was, it did it for Mary. They had weekly date nights but had never attended a dungeon or party before. When Mary told him she wanted to attend one and that the QP3 events were known to be the safest and most inclusive, he agreed they sounded great but that he would feel better if he tagged along. Just in case. What he could possibly protect Mary from, he had no idea, but he knew that if he was left home alone while his wife attended a cool queer play party, he would be up all night just… wondering.
“Rule number 3,” Olu reads. “Do not get shitfaced or too high. Always be responsible with your alcohol and substance consumption. We understand the desire to feel relaxed or take a little liquid courage, but the more you drink or smoke, the less able you are to give good consent. Drunk people are also just less fun to be around. It’s messy, and you don’t want to be known as the Resident Party Mess. Worse yet, we, the party organizers, end up feeling like babysitters.”
Jim cuts in, “I’m not babysitting any of your asses tonight. I’m here to fuck.” There are a few giggles around the circle.
The house is a sprawling queer haven, with every detail and piece of art chosen to help guests feel comfortable. Partygoers are encouraged to write their names, or the name they want to go by for the evening anyway, and their pronouns on a sticky name tag. Most folks stick them right to their chests as they know they’ll be taking their clothes off. When they walked into the house, Stede and Mary were met with a bright and sunny floral painting with cursive words that read, “ You are responsible for the energy you bring into this space .”
The foyer leads to the kitchen, which is open-concept. There’s a long marble island in the center of the warmly red-painted room. One side of the island is lined with bar stools and the counter is completely covered with snacks, a plethora of charcuterie boards, veggies, and cut fruit to nibble on and recharge your energy throughout the night. At the end of the counter is a bucket filled with ice and bottles of water, and a sign on top of the bottles reads, “Remember to hydrate!”
Jim takes the sheet back. “Rule number 4: The kitchen, bathrooms, and calm-room are all Sex-Free safe spaces. Please try to keep phone usage in these areas or turn them off entirely. The living room is a public play space, and the bedrooms are open or closed play spaces. If the door of a bedroom is open, you may go in to use it, if closed that means the occupants want private playtime. You're welcome to use the bedrooms for private play, but please don't monopolize the space or a bed for more than 30 mins, and if you want to use the bedrooms for play but welcome voyeurs and guests to join in, then play with the door open,” Jim says and hands the rules back to Olu.
Olu had given them a tour of the space when they arrived. The house is huge, with numerous bedrooms and ample play space. The upstairs has most of the bedrooms, each decorated in a different monochromatic color scheme. On the main floor are the kitchen, living room, massage room, and calm-room, which ended up being a lounge with a bunch of comfy chairs and pillows, a speaker playing lo-fi beats, and a table set up with various arts and crafts.
“Sometimes play parties can become a bit overwhelming for folks,” Olu had explained. “This room is a quiet place to calm down if you need a breather.” Stede thought that was awfully considerate and silently eyed up the coloring books and fancy marker set to check out later.
Olu glances down at the paper Jim hands him. “Rule number 5. There will be designated people to go to if someone is having a problem. No matter how big or small, please bring the issue to one of the designated party lifeguards. Tonight, our lovely lifeguard volunteers will be Lucius and Pete. Lucius has also volunteered to be a Lube Fairy for the party, so if you need any supplies, like condoms, lube, dental dams, towels, or whatever, find him and he will help you out. And, if you have any questions or concerns regarding the space, please find Jim or me!”
“I’ll also be doing sketches all night!” Lucius, he/her/any, pipes up and holds up his sketchbook. “No faces, just bits! I especially want to practice butts tonight, if there’s any interest,” he says and waggles his eyebrows at the crowd.
His partner Pete, he/him, elbows him in the side. “You can practice on my butt anytime, babe,” he says quietly, and the circle giggles. His other partner, Fang, he/him/Daddy, nods and raises his hand, pointing down at himself, mouthing, “Me too!”
Olu showed Stede and Mary the basement, which was the most “sex-themed” part of the house, as it was the dungeon. It was dimly but warmly lit, with a lot of red fabrics, black leather, purple decorations, and golden lamps, set to low. There was a wooden X with cuffs attached to the top and bottom, which Stede discovered was called a Saint Andrew’s cross, and an all-black bed with a cage below it in the center of the room. There was a sex swing with a leather sling to lay back on and chains holding it up. There were numerous shapes of leather furniture, some of which Stede could recognize, like couches and chairs, and some very oddly shaped ones, which were spanking benches, Mary had to explain to him. Numerous impact-play items hung from hooks on the walls, some leather, some fur, some silicone, all very intimidating as far as Stede was concerned.
“And the last rule,” Jim interrupts, not having to look at the sheet anymore. “Get it, sluts.”
The circle hoots and claps, standing up and starting conversations or moseying into one of the other rooms. Evelyn is already pulling Mary away.
“Do you want me to come with you, Darling?” Stede asks Mary.
She looks to Evelyn then back at Stede and smiles. “No no, you should mingle and make friends!” Then she’s off. Evelyn’s tight red dress that leaves nothing to the imagination is already being hiked up as she moves down the hall, pulling Mary into one of the rooms and soundly closing the door behind them.
Stede sighs. Alone at a regular party was one thing, but fuck all if he knew what to do with himself alone at a sex party. Standing in the living room, he looks around, and there is already a group of three people making out, one of whom is entirely naked. Stede feels as if he’s intruding on a scene. He makes his way back to the kitchen, knowing that would at least be a sex-free space.
The island of snacks is a refuge for Stede. Island of Misfit Orgy-goers, he thinks to himself. He snatches a bottle of water, does as the sign says, and hydrates. He can hear music playing throughout the whole house, a sexy and sultry playlist that he quite enjoys. Over the sound of the music are the occasional moan or sound of slapped flesh and a whimper. Stede blinks, staring at the wall and taking in the sounds of the evening. Could he distinguish Mary’s voice from the rest? He wonders. He doesn’t think he can. He doesn’t know if he’s ever heard her in the throes of passion, come to think of it, and that thought slightly depresses him.
“First time?” a deep voice says across the island.
Stede turns and looks up to meet big brown eyes glittering down at him. The man is his age, mid-forties, wearing a purple cropped t-shirt and leather pants. He has long salt-and-pepper wavy hair with a short, curly beard. He’s sipping a bottle of water too and smiling at Stede. He’s objectively the hottest man Stede has ever seen.
After a moment, Stede realizes the man asked him a question. “Oh, yes. Yeah, it’s my first party. I came with my wife Mary, but she’s… indisposed,” he says. “I’m Stede.” He extends his hand to the man.
“Hi there Stede, I’m Ed,” he responds, pointing to his nametag: “Ed, he/him” with a little doodle of a snake. He takes Stede’s hand in a firm handshake, fingerless leather gloves on his hands, and numerous black-inked tattoos up each arm. “So what is your mildest and wildest for the evening?”
“My what?”
Ed’s eyebrows shoot up. “Is this your first play party full stop, or just your first QP3?”
“First full stop,” Stede says, wondering what gave him away. “What do you mean by ‘mildest and wildest’?”
Ed takes another swig of water and grins. “It’s a common play-party icebreaker game, a good way to get to know other guests and see if your interests align. You say what your most mild expectation for the evening is and your wildest fantasy for the evening. So, like, my mildest would be chatting up newbies at the snack table, and my wildest… Well,” Ed drags a hand through his beard in thought. “I guess I counted 36 people in total tonight. Is a 36-person orgy too lofty a goal?”
Stede laughs. “Always shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you land among the stars.”
Ed rounds the counter to lean against the side next to Stede. “That’s the spirit! So what’s yours?”
Humming in thought and taking another swig of water, Stede considers the question. “Mildest would also be chatting up nice folks at the snack table. Maybe even venturing into that calm-room for some nice arts and crafts,” he says. Ed’s eyes light up like he’s figured something out. “Wildest, hmm. I fear I’m way more boring than this crowd, unfortunately.”
“There’s nothing unfortunate about knowing what you want. Even if what you want is to chill and color, that’s wonderful,” Ed says. “No one is required to be wild here, they’re just allowed to be.”
Stede likes that philosophy and smiles at the welcoming stranger. “I guess my wildest is to-be-determined then. Maybe kissing someone new. That would be pretty wild for me,” he says, thinking about the fact that his last first kiss was with Mary.
“Great wildest,” Ed says, grabbing a handful of almonds and tossing them into his mouth. “Want to make identity necklaces with me in the calm-room?”
“What are those?” Stede asks, already knowing he wants to go wherever this man takes him.
“They have cord to make necklaces and a ton of different colored beads, each color is an identifier. Come on, I’ll show you,” Ed leads the way and Stede follows.
The calm-room is down the hall. On the walk there they pass an open door with the earthy scent of lavender and orange emanating from it. A glance in shows the massage room, lit only by candles, where Jim is rubbing Olu’s entire naked body down with scented oil as he lays face-down on a massage table, eyes closed and face slack, an image of bliss and relaxation.
The door to the calm-room is closed but there’s a sign on the door that distinguishes it from the other rooms and says to come in. Ed opens the door and steps aside to let Stede through. They sit cross-legged on pillows on either side of a coffee table near the floor. In a shoebox under the table is a plastic box with a dozen compartments filled with different colored beads and some that have letters on them. At the bottom of the box is a printed-out piece of paper with the color key on it. Ed pulls a roll of string out of the box and a pair of scissors, cutting each of them a length.
“You can make a necklace or a bracelet. Some people use these letter beads to spell their names so they don’t have to wear a name tag for the rest of the night. Here’s what the colors mean,” Ed says, handing the key to Stede.
It reads:
Red- Kinky
Pink- Kink curious
White- Vanilla
Black- Approach me, I'm shy
Orange- Not playing tonight, just watching
Green- Top or Dom
Blue - Bottom or Sub
Purple - Switch or Vers
Clear Glitter - Queer
Yellow - Straight
Ed watches carefully as Stede picks out his beads, deliberating over each one. He picks up a white bead, then puts it back, picking up a pink one and setting it by his string. Then an orange one, which he sets down, then picks up and puts back in its compartment. He sets a yellow bead down and Ed lifts an eyebrow at that choice but doesn’t say anything.
“I’m honestly not sure about some of these terms,” Stede says, sighing. “How do I know if I’m a top, bottom, dom, or sub? I’ve never tried anything. What’s the bead color for a confused old man?” he says with a huff. He starts to take an orange bead back out of the container.
Ed puts a hand on top of his, catching his eye. “That’s the beauty of these parties, mate. You can figure all of that out. I might be able to help.”
Stede’s breath hitches, and imagining the very attractive man helping him with something, anything, sexual is almost too much for his brain to picture. He blinks, his mouth agape, then he looks down at the hand covering his.
“Not like that,” Ed says, smirking and taking his hand back. “I can help you figure it out by asking you questions,” he adds, and he’s all smiles again, his big eyes glowing with mirth.
“Oh!” Stede says and pushes the beads away for the moment. “Okay. Please do.”
“Okay, so when you’re having sex, do you like to take control at all? Are you usually the one who initiates?” Ed asks, picking up a red, purple, and glitter bead and sliding them onto his string.
Stede watches his beads carefully. “Uh, Mary pretty much always initiates,” he says, distracted.
“And does she take control?”
“Hm, I guess? Not so much control as she… directs?” Stede answers.
“Do you like being told what to do?” Ed asks, fingering through the letter beads for a moment before finding an “E” and a “D.”
Stede’s face scrunches up. “I don’t know. My instinct is no? Who likes to be told what to do?”
Ed chuckles. “Lots of people, Mate.” He picks up another red, purple, and glitter bead to put on the other side of his name then lifts up his necklace. “Tie this around my neck,” he says, holding it up for Stede. Stede nods, leaning over the table and getting very close to Ed as he lifts up his long hair to expose his neck. Stede ties the necklace in a bow behind Ed’s nape. Ed’s head is tipped back but his eyes are cast downward to watch Stede and their eyes meet for a breath. “Did you like that?” he asks and his voice is low and husky.
Stede’s mouth is completely dry and he feels faint. “What?” he whispers.
“One doesn’t have to be submissive to be a bottom,” Ed changes the subject. “Being a sub is less about the act and more about the mindset. It can be a whole identity. But being a bottom mostly just means you prefer receiving. Kind of like being the fucker or the fuckee,” he says.
Stede looks confused. “I think I’ve only been the fucker, does that make me a Top?”
Ed squints at him. “I don’t think you’re a Top, Mate, but… I have been wrong before.”
“Do I give off bottom vibes?” Stede asks, then scrunches his face at the word choice.
Ed laughs and looks Stede up and down. “Not sure yet. Just wouldn’t peg you for a Top.”
“What would I have to do for you to peg me as a bottom?” Stede says then immediately claps a hand over his mouth. “That’s not what I meant,” he exclaims, but Ed is already falling off his pillow in laughter.
Once Ed has calmed himself, wiping literal tears from his eye and his chest still heaving from laughing so hard, he levels his gaze on Stede’s beads. “You sure about that yellow bead?”
Stede looks down at the bead, then the key. Are you sure about that yellow bead ? he thinks. Brow furrowed, he picks it up and tosses it back into the plastic container. He looks back up at Ed. “I’m more confused than when I walked in here,” Stede says, putting all of his supplies back in the box and closing it.
Ed places a hand over his again, comforting and warm. “That’s what exploring is for, satisfying your curiosities and answering your questions. Would you like to go upstairs with me?”
Stede stumbles over his thoughts and words at once. “Yes,” he finally manages. “Enthusiastic yes, if that wasn’t clear.”
Ed stands and pulls Stede up from his pillow. Taking Stede’s hand in his, Ed leads him out of the calm-room. In the hall is a fully nude man, the name tag stuck to the center of his chest reads, “Buttons, he/him” and he’s wearing a large, pearlescent strap-on dildo. Ed nods to the man, giving him a small salute. “Good evening, Buttons,” he says, standing aside to let the man pass. Ed nods to the strap-on and salutes it as well. “And to you too, Karl.” Buttons nods back and keeps walking, the dildo bobbing up and down with each step.
“Karl?” Stede asks. “Is Karl the dildo?”
“Karl’s the dildo,” Ed says, and he pulls Stede up the stairs. They pass by rooms with groups playing with one another, a couple practicing rope ties with another couple, closed doors with sex sounds coming from the other side, and naked bodies passing them in the hall on their way to the bathroom or to replenish their energy at the snack counter. They finally end up in the purple room at the end of the hall and Ed ushers him inside. “Would you like me to leave the door open or closed?” Ed asks.
Stede tries to remember the etiquette about doors. “I can’t remember the policy, so I’ll leave it up to you,” he says, taking in the decadent eggplant-painted walls, plush lavender armchair, and violet comforter on the bed. He hears the door click closed behind him. His heart is racing and he thinks he might just pass out from nervous energy. There’s a light touch on his shoulder, so he turns to see Ed standing behind him.
“Hi there,” Ed says, and Stede sighs, feeling like a teenager.
“Hi there,” Stede returns, and he can feel his face get hot with a blush.
“Would you like to sit down and keep chatting?” Ed asks.
“I think I’d like to kiss you,” Stede blurts out and is overjoyed when Ed’s reaction is a huge smile.
“I would also like that. Come sit with me,” he says, sitting on the edge of the bed. When Stede sits next to him, Ed places a hand on the back of his neck, but doesn’t pull or press him to move, he just rests it there, letting his fingers play in the base of his golden hair. Ed’s smile is confident, easy-going, and relaxed. He doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to do anything at all and seems satisfied in just enjoying Stede’s company.
“You are a very beautiful man, Ed. But I must warn you, I’m not a very sexual person. And up until about an hour ago, I was pretty sure I was straight, so…” he trails off.
Ed lets his hand fall to Stede’s back and he rubs circles into it. “We don’t have to do anything at all, you know,” he says softly.
“I know. I do want to though. I want to kiss you,” Stede says, taking his sweaty palm and wiping the moisture off on his thigh before placing it on Ed’s neck and drawing him closer. Ed smells like leather and cinnamon sugar. Stede closes his eyes and lets Ed close the distance.
Ed drags a thumb across Stede’s mouth then moves his lips over Stede’s back and forth, the fullness of both of their lips just barely brushing up against one another’s. He closes his eyes as well and presses forward, sinking into the kiss.
Stede feels like an electric current is passing between them. He angles his head to the side slightly to press deeper into the kiss and can’t help the little whine that comes out of him when Ed’s hand cups his jaw. He can feel Ed’s lips turn into a smile under his own lips. Stede opens his mouth to him and Ed takes his lower lip into his mouth and sucks on it, licking against the opening of Stede’s mouth, but not intruding. He takes his time massaging their lips together and it’s unlike any kiss Stede has ever experienced. It leaves him breathless and shaky.
Ed pulls back first, giving Stede an appraising look, checking in. “How are you doing so far?” he asks.
Stede’s eyes flutter open and he feels drunk. His lips feel a bit swollen and he knows they’re pressed-pink, probably matching the rest of his flushed face. He licks his lips, the taste of Ed still on them, and he bites his lower lip, savoring the pressure. “I’m swell,” he says, dazed and heady. He blinks for a moment, trying to wrap his brain around the situation. "Are you here with someone?"
"Nope, flying solo tonight. I go to all of these parties, whether I have a partner or not. I usually find something fun to do," he says and his eyes fall back to Stede's lips.
"Am I… your something fun tonight?" Stede teases.
Ed chuckles and raises a brow. "Do you want to be?"
Stede finds it hard to breathe again. He and Mary hadn’t negotiated anything like this for him . He considers his options but decides he should play it safe. Maybe after some necessary Google searches, he’d feel comfortable with casual sex, but at the moment he just feels nervous energy coursing through him. "I don't think I'm quite ready for doing… that. Maybe next time though?"
"Plan on coming back to another QP3?” Ed asks, resting his hand on Stede’s thigh and then trailing it up and down, from knee to hip, in slow, tender traces.
"This is the most fun I've had in ages, so yes, absolutely."
"It's a date then," Ed says. "We have these parties once a month. I'll be here; I always am."
"Oh?"
"Yep, it's my house," he adds, gesturing to the room with a wide sweep of his arm. "I let Jim and Olu play hosts because I can't be arsed to manage the group. But I live alone and this house is too big not to make good use of it."
Stede’s silent for a moment. “That’s very generous of you,” he says, distracted by the delicious tingling feeling that Ed’s touch is sending across his entire body.
“I get rewarded for my generosity sometimes,” he responds, grinning, and dipping his head into Stede’s neck, kissing along his jaw. He kisses up Stede’s cheek, pushing a hand up to the back of Stede’s head, fingers curled through the thick blonde locks there, and he pulls gently, urging his head forward until their lips meet.
They kiss lazily, exploring each other’s mouths until they’re heaving with lust and desire for more. Stede pulls back and rests his forehead against Ed’s, taking in a gulping, unsteady breath. “I should probably go,” he says, partially trying to convince himself.
Ed rubs his nose against Stede’s and inhales deeply, letting it out slowly, attempting to slow his racing heart. “That’s probably for the best. Because I will keep you here forever if you don’t stop me.” He stands up and pulls Stede to his feet.
Stede doesn’t know if Ed is being hyperbolic or serious. He also doesn’t know which he would prefer. “May I,” Stede begins to say, but feels awkward about it.
Ed squints at him. “I have a feeling I’m going to say yes to anything you ask right now, Stede, so no use in deliberating over it,” he says and chuckles at Stede’s look of relief.
Stede lets out a sigh. “May I get your number?”
Ed’s smile is slow and his eyes twinkle in an answering giggle. “You may,” he says, turning to the end table next to the bed and snatching a pen from the drawer. Stede is confused and then remembers that neither of them has their phones on them. Ed pulls Stede’s arm to him and pushes his sleeve up, taking the cap of the pen off with his mouth and jotting his number along Stede’s wrist. The ball of the pen glides over his pale skin and tickles slightly. Ed blows on the ink to let it dry and the cool air makes Stede shiver. “Please use it,” Ed says, not letting go of Stede’s hand as he leads him out of the room.
“I hope you aren’t disappointed that you didn’t get your wild 36-person orgy,” Stede says as they walk out of the room and down to the kitchen area where Mary is sipping a bottle of water and looking well-fucked. Her hair is tousled and messy at the back of her head and she’s just wearing a black silky slip instead of her dress. She smiles brightly at Stede when their eyes meet, but when she notices that he has come down the stairs with Ed, her eyes bulge and her smile falls to an open-mouth gape. She fixes her face quickly, trying not to laugh, and grinning like a maniac. She nods to Stede, pointing at Ed, and gives Stede an enthusiastic thumbs up.
“It’s okay,” Ed says, turning to Stede at the base of the stairs. He leans in and kisses him on the corner of his mouth. “I still landed among the stars.”