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Description
James was still for five minutes, watching his friend sulk while their horses restlessly wandered around the ring. He decided it’d been long enough.
“You okay, Lucas-”
“I’m fine.” Not even a moment could pass before Lucas grunted his answer.
“You don’t look fine.”
“I’m fine.”
“Hey, listen.” James pushed himself from the fence and approached his friend. “I’m rooting for you to beat me at this point, I really am.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah! But you would know if I went easy on you, so you just need a little motivation.”
“My naturally competitive nature isn’t enough for you?” Lucas chuckled, waving his hands.
“Well clearly not,” James agreed, laughing as well. “Come on, let’s make a bet. That’s worked before.”
“Yeah, in seventh grade.”
“You can pick. Go ahead.” Lucas pursed his lips, glancing sideways at his friend.
“Loser gets tied up by the winner.”
“You’re- wait, what?”
“Come on,” Lucas whooped, running over to his horse. “I don’t wanna get tied up, let’s do this!”
“I don’t want to, either!”

“I told you I didn’t want to get tied up,” James said with a shrug. Lucas didn’t hear him; he was too busy kicking a fence, immediately cursing when it hurt his foot. “Hey, language!”
“Oh screw you,” Lucas muttered, crossing his arms and approaching.
“Well, let’s go.”
“What?”
“I won. I get to tie you up.”
“Now hold on-“
“No buts,” James argued, grinning and grabbing his friend’s arm. He dragging him towards the stable, where there was a common room they could sit in. “How are you ever gonna get motivated to beat me if we don’t have any follow through?”
“I feel pretty motivated right about now.”
“Good, it’s already starting!”

Lucas had been sat down in a chair and told to “wait here, I’ll be right back.” He was tempted to get up and leave right then and there, but he knew James would be mad. Or, even worse, disappointed. James was the type that would weakly smile and tell you it was fine but it wasn’t fine, you did something bad and you knew it, so Lucas sat down while his friend got rope.
More than just rope, it seemed. James returned, smiling, with a roll of duct tape as well.
“What’s that?”
“Tape.”
“Yeah, but why?”
“… Reasons. Put your hands behind your back.” Lucas rolled his eyes and did so, wrapping his arms around the back of the chair. James’ brow furrowed. “Why are you doing that?”
“What?”
“Putting your hands behind the chair.”
“You told me to!”
“I just meant behind your back! I wanted you to be comfortable while I did this.”
“Well thank you,” Lucas muttered, rolling his eyes and shifting so his friend could get to this hands.
“No problem!” Finally, he got started. This actually was not the first time one boy had been tied up by the other (it’s a long story), so Lucas had an idea of where this was going. James’ knots had always been relatively comfortable, but firm. They only hurt when Lucas struggled a lot, and this time was no different. James only did the usual: he started with his wrists, then his ankles. When he moved onto the chest and thighs James asked if he was comfortable, and Lucas grumbled some affirmative response. And he was comfortable, though he started wondering why his friend was being so quiet after all the rope was gone.
Then he heard the duct tape.
“Now wai- mmph!”
“Come on,” James said as he plastered more strips over his lips. “This isn’t that bad. Remember when you wrapped it all the way around my head? That just wasn’t nice.” It wasn’t, so Lucas’ only real argument was a very dramatic eye roll. “Alright, stand up.” James helped his friend get to his feet, making sure he was steady before letting go of his arm. “You alright?” Lucas nodded. “Okay, because I’m not done.” He turned to his friend, brow furrowed in confusion. “So I know you said you didn’t want to get tied up, and I believe you, but I really am rooting for you. So I’m gonna do one last thing, because I really want you to win.” He moved to retrieve something from behind them, but when Lucas tried to look over his shoulder he almost lost his balance. Irritated, he kept his eyes in front of him, curious and a little afraid of what his friend had in mind.
Then he felt the tip of a whip.
Okay, not an actual whip. A riding crop, to be more specific, which was much less painful. It still startled him, though, to the point where Lucas released a muffled yelp and fell over. He squeezed his eyes shut, shoulder throbbing.
“Oh, shoot, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean for you to fall!” He glared and kicked at James, who jumped away. He looked down, hurt. “Hey, come on!” He brought the riding crop down again, not hard but enough to elicit another yelp. James did too, this time, and dropped it. “Sorry, sorry! I did that without thinking, I’m sorry!” Lucas grumbled something into the tape and pushed himself into a sitting position. His friend knelt down next to him and removed the tape. “S-Sorry.”
“Let’s go,” Lucas said as soon as he was able.
“Huh?”
“Untie me and let’s go again. Right now.” James blinked, then laughed.
“There, look at that motivation!” He got up and started picking at the knots. “Let’s do it, it’s getting dark soon anyway.” And it was almost dark by the time they got the ropes off. But they had a little time.

“You did it!” James congratulated, hopping off his horse and running over to his friend. Lucas was wearing a rather smug grin, one a bit hard to see in the growing dusk, and he held his hand up for a high five. James returned it, beaming.
“Alright, let’s go inside.”
“Okay.” The stable was close, and when they entered the common room James began a text to his parents saying he’d be home soon. Before he could send it, Lucas plucked it out of his hand from behind. Brow furrowed, James turned around. “Hey, I need-“ He shut up when he saw what was in his friend’s other hand.
“Loser gets tied up by the winner.”

Description
James was still for five minutes, watching his friend sulk while their horses restlessly wandered around the ring. He decided it’d been long enough.
“You okay, Lucas-”
“I’m fine.” Not even a moment could pass before Lucas grunted his answer.
“You don’t look fine.”
“I’m fine.”
“Hey, listen.” James pushed himself from the fence and approached his friend. “I’m rooting for you to beat me at this point, I really am.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah! But you would know if I went easy on you, so you just need a little motivation.”
“My naturally competitive nature isn’t enough for you?” Lucas chuckled, waving his hands.
“Well clearly not,” James agreed, laughing as well. “Come on, let’s make a bet. That’s worked before.”
“Yeah, in seventh grade.”
“You can pick. Go ahead.” Lucas pursed his lips, glancing sideways at his friend.
“Loser gets tied up by the winner.”
“You’re- wait, what?”
“Come on,” Lucas whooped, running over to his horse. “I don’t wanna get tied up, let’s do this!”
“I don’t want to, either!”

“I told you I didn’t want to get tied up,” James said with a shrug. Lucas didn’t hear him; he was too busy kicking a fence, immediately cursing when it hurt his foot. “Hey, language!”
“Oh screw you,” Lucas muttered, crossing his arms and approaching.
“Well, let’s go.”
“What?”
“I won. I get to tie you up.”
“Now hold on-“
“No buts,” James argued, grinning and grabbing his friend’s arm. He dragging him towards the stable, where there was a common room they could sit in. “How are you ever gonna get motivated to beat me if we don’t have any follow through?”
“I feel pretty motivated right about now.”
“Good, it’s already starting!”

Lucas had been sat down in a chair and told to “wait here, I’ll be right back.” He was tempted to get up and leave right then and there, but he knew James would be mad. Or, even worse, disappointed. James was the type that would weakly smile and tell you it was fine but it wasn’t fine, you did something bad and you knew it, so Lucas sat down while his friend got rope.
More than just rope, it seemed. James returned, smiling, with a roll of duct tape as well.
“What’s that?”
“Tape.”
“Yeah, but why?”
“… Reasons. Put your hands behind your back.” Lucas rolled his eyes and did so, wrapping his arms around the back of the chair. James’ brow furrowed. “Why are you doing that?”
“What?”
“Putting your hands behind the chair.”
“You told me to!”
“I just meant behind your back! I wanted you to be comfortable while I did this.”
“Well thank you,” Lucas muttered, rolling his eyes and shifting so his friend could get to this hands.
“No problem!” Finally, he got started. This actually was not the first time one boy had been tied up by the other (it’s a long story), so Lucas had an idea of where this was going. James’ knots had always been relatively comfortable, but firm. They only hurt when Lucas struggled a lot, and this time was no different. James only did the usual: he started with his wrists, then his ankles. When he moved onto the chest and thighs James asked if he was comfortable, and Lucas grumbled some affirmative response. And he was comfortable, though he started wondering why his friend was being so quiet after all the rope was gone.
Then he heard the duct tape.
“Now wai- mmph!”
“Come on,” James said as he plastered more strips over his lips. “This isn’t that bad. Remember when you wrapped it all the way around my head? That just wasn’t nice.” It wasn’t, so Lucas’ only real argument was a very dramatic eye roll. “Alright, stand up.” James helped his friend get to his feet, making sure he was steady before letting go of his arm. “You alright?” Lucas nodded. “Okay, because I’m not done.” He turned to his friend, brow furrowed in confusion. “So I know you said you didn’t want to get tied up, and I believe you, but I really am rooting for you. So I’m gonna do one last thing, because I really want you to win.” He moved to retrieve something from behind them, but when Lucas tried to look over his shoulder he almost lost his balance. Irritated, he kept his eyes in front of him, curious and a little afraid of what his friend had in mind.
Then he felt the tip of a whip.
Okay, not an actual whip. A riding crop, to be more specific, which was much less painful. It still startled him, though, to the point where Lucas released a muffled yelp and fell over. He squeezed his eyes shut, shoulder throbbing.
“Oh, shoot, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean for you to fall!” He glared and kicked at James, who jumped away. He looked down, hurt. “Hey, come on!” He brought the riding crop down again, not hard but enough to elicit another yelp. James did too, this time, and dropped it. “Sorry, sorry! I did that without thinking, I’m sorry!” Lucas grumbled something into the tape and pushed himself into a sitting position. His friend knelt down next to him and removed the tape. “S-Sorry.”
“Let’s go,” Lucas said as soon as he was able.
“Huh?”
“Untie me and let’s go again. Right now.” James blinked, then laughed.
“There, look at that motivation!” He got up and started picking at the knots. “Let’s do it, it’s getting dark soon anyway.” And it was almost dark by the time they got the ropes off. But they had a little time.

“You did it!” James congratulated, hopping off his horse and running over to his friend. Lucas was wearing a rather smug grin, one a bit hard to see in the growing dusk, and he held his hand up for a high five. James returned it, beaming.
“Alright, let’s go inside.”
“Okay.” The stable was close, and when they entered the common room James began a text to his parents saying he’d be home soon. Before he could send it, Lucas plucked it out of his hand from behind. Brow furrowed, James turned around. “Hey, I need-“ He shut up when he saw what was in his friend’s other hand.
“Loser gets tied up by the winner.”