Chapter Text
"Let's play questions and commands,"
Raffles, Hewette, Collier, a few of our other mutual pals, and I were sitting outside in the evening dew. It was that strange period of late-autumn-early-winter where no one was quite sure what to call it. Not cold enough to snow but chilly all the same. Since the beginning of the year I had made many friends at the school, particularly through Raffles though I still had a few friends in my own year.
"Oh, yes that sounds like a good time! AJ, you go first. You always give the best questions."
"Well, alright then. If you insist. Hum.. Bunny, how about you? I've given you enough commands, seeing as you are my fag, so how about a question?"
I was horrible at questions and commands. I could not think of interesting prompts for the life of me and whenever someone asked me a question (which were by tradition very rude and personal), I would become flustered and nervous. But I did try to partake in such activities anyway. I will admit it was humorous to see the other boys make fools of themselves.
"Sure. Ask away."
"Do you think you could go one night not helping me sneak back into the dorms? You are always such w nervous rabbit, I don't think you would dare."
The rest of the company laughed and my face flushed.
"I could too! One night. I could. I just don't want to. What if you get caught, then we will all get in trouble!" I could tell where he got the neurotic impression from.
"I for one, don't think you could," Another boy, Waverly, chuckled. "I'd bet on it. You're too much of a pet to him. I daren't say you're more than just a fag and master with the way you tail him to a sad puppy."
Raffles was grinning at me cheekily. "Well, Bunny? What do you say? You and I, we'll make a deal of it. Tomorrow night I was planning to sneak out in my disguise- and I shall do just that. You will wait in my rooms for my return. You are not to leave them, you hear me? Not to lower a rope, to alert me of others, not even to watch to ensure I am safe."
"I'll add stakes too," he continued. "The winner can make the loser do whatever it is he likes. Anything at all."
My mind raced instantly when he told me of the winner's bounty. All sorts of things I could tell him to do. To make me tea for once, to wear something silly to class, to kiss me, to... well. Perhaps I let my mind stray too far. Hastily I shook his hand, confirming our deal.
The next night, just as my friend had told me to, I sat in his room as he put of his disguise. Today was a small moustache and a silly looking cloak. I shifted on the bed, nervous as ever.
"I will be back in 2 hours, my rabbit. You recall our deal, do you not?" He spoke as he fastened his bowtie expertly.
I couldn't speak, I felt nauseous. So I just nodded. With a smile, a goodnight, and a warning to not stay up too late waiting for him, he fled our the door with a swoosh of the dumb cape.
He would be fine. He always was. And he had gone out before I was his fag, how was this any different? He had told me not to worry and now I was already. God damn my nerves! I needed to do something to keep myself busy. Distracted. I picked up a book.
I had read the first like about 10 times without retaining any information before I made up my mind that it was a lost cause. How long had I been here worrying and fretting? Surely over 2 hours by now. Oh dear, what if he had been caught? And now he was in trouble! I must rush out and check.
No. He had told me not to. I wrestled with my brain, trying to take deep breaks and slow my heart from it's rabbit's pace. It hasn't been 2 hours, not yet. I could wait. Just a little longer and he would be back, so proud of me for being a good rabbit and waiting. And then I could make him do whatever I liked! Yes, there was something to think about. What I could so with my spoils. My mind clouded is with horrid, sinful ideas and I shook my head in an attempt to be rid of them. Raffles would never want anything of the sort. Sure, he broke the rules and snuck out and I was sure he stole sometimes too, but sodomy was completely out of the question. He would never stoop so low.
...
Oh my god what if he was hurt. During his time out he has certainly injured his leg in the bustling streets, been trampled by a hansom cab. I could see it in my mind, clear as anything. He had barely stumbled back to the school and couldn't get up to the window. He was bleeding out. He would die and it would be all my fault. I needed to go save my Raffles!
I stood up with a start and rushed out of Raffles' dorm, trying my hardest to be as silent and swift as possible as I slunk across the floor to the sill I usually helped him up from. To my simultaneous surprise and relief, I saw my friend at the base of the window, smiling up at me. He had not been caught and he had not been injured. He was alive and well and I exhaled a breath I hadn't even realised I was holding.
My giddiness was cut short when I saw Raffles smirking up at me and I realised what I had just done. I had played exactly into his trap, hadn't I? Well. It was too late to quit now. Defeated, I lowered the rope slowly for him to climb. Once he got to the top he tapped me on the shoulder playfully and opened his mouth to make some sort of snide remark I'm sure.
"I know, I know," I grumbled softly and my companion put a palm to his lips to stifle a giggle that threatened to sneak out. I didn't even want to think about what horrible punishment he had planned.
Other fags had horrible punishments from their masters. Many a time a boy had come into a class or common area crying and sometimes bleeding from the abuse. I never knew what to say. Once or twice I offered to mention something it the housemaster but they would always grow panicked and frantically beg me not to tell, that they would be in trouble.
I asked Raffles once about a particular boy after one of these occasions. His face turned pale and he told me he would take care of it and refused to elaborate on what that meant. A week later that boy's fagmaster left the school and was never heard from again. I can infer what he meant by "take care if it" but tales such as that are a story for another time.
I knew that my Raffles would never hurt me like that. Other than perhaps a flick to the nose or a light kick in the shin under a table if I really truly deserved it, he never layed an unwanted hand on me. I don't think he could if he wanted to. He is strong, but I am and was very nimble and small and could dodge just as good as anything.
"Reflexes as jumpy as a rabbit," Raffles would say.
Once he told me I could be a jolly good boxer should I put my mind to it. I told him if he ever entered a fight his opponent would come out of it a winner but would also find his purse significantly and inexplicably lighter. We had a good laugh at that.
So a grueling painful physical punishment was off of the table.
I was snapped out of my thoughts by Raffles's door clicking shut behind me. He motioned me to sit down and I followed his orders, refusing to make eye contact as he stripped himself of his moustache and cape.
"Look at me, Bunny. No one likes a sore loser, after all." I tilted my head up. The evening moonlight cascaded through the window and flooded the room in a silvery glow that made his eyes sparkle and dance. He looked beautiful.
I could tell plain as anything that he was holding back an "I told you so," and it was no use waiting for one to come, that would be more humiliating than it already was.
I sighed. "So what is my punishment to be?"
He put his hand on my shoulder and grinned.