[PackagedStories.net] Bind of the Magi by TheSweetCount
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The new fallen snow crunched under Mary’s white boots as she made her way
briskly down the freshly ploughed streets that led to her home. Her breath made
frosty puffs of fog in the crisp December air as she strode down the sidewalk,
shopping bags in each gloved hand. She wore a red woollen coat that reached down
to her knees, with a grey-black faux fur collar bundled tightly around her neck
to keep cozy. Brightly coloured Christmas lights gleamed through the snow decked
tree branches around her. The cool, clear air left a little tickle in the back
of her throat and she fancied she could almost smell the turkeys roasting, the
warm spices of mulling cider, the tang of mandarin oranges, and the sweet scent
of peppermint springing forth with the warm glow from each passing window.
Christmas had always been Mary’s favourite time of year. All the shopping
was done now; tomorrow she would be cooking a holiday feast for all their
‘orphaned’ friends who, like them, weren’t able to make it home to their
own families for the holidays. But tonight was just for Joe and her.
They’d been married a little over a year and in that time their love had only
grown stronger, their bond tighter. Each day she woke up, looked over at Joe
sleeping, and felt she was the luckiest woman alive. She still got tingles down
in her toes when she saw him smile. When he looked in her eyes, held her in his
arms, covered her with soft, passionate kisses - she felt that nothing else in
the world mattered.
Lately, they had not been able to spend much time together. They both loved the
small starter home that hard work had allowed them to buy, but mortgages and
other unexpected expenses meant they both had to work just to make ends meet.
Mary worked as a receptionist for a small insurance firm while Joe was an
apprentice carpenter. With their mounting bills, Joe worked overtime whenever he
could, even taking second or third jobs “off the books” just to make ends
meet. Often he was so exhausted he would barely be through the door before he
was in bed, fast asleep.
Tonight would be different. They’d made a promise to each other, Christmas day
was for their friends, but Christmas Eve was just for them. Because money was
tight, they’d made a pledge: they could buy each other just one gift.
Something special, a surprise. Something they knew the other would love.
As soon as the pledge was made, Mary knew what she would get for Joe. She felt a
little shiver down her spine just to think of it. As she and Joe had grown
closer, they had shared many things: their hopes, their dreams, their deepest
fantasies. She’d been thrilled to discover that along with Joe’s caring and
tenderness he had a wicked side. A side that wanted nothing more than to lash
her to the bedposts and ravish her unmercifully. Through the cool night air, she
felt her cheeks grow warm when she thought of the times they had had, her arms
bound with soft silk scarves to the bedposts of their huge oaken bed (which he
had crafted himself, turning the posts on his lathe, fastening the frame
together with thick wooden pegs and hand tools) and Joe riding her all through
the night. The first time he wrapped a scarf across her eyes she thought she
might explode from the waves of pleasure that shot through her body, never
knowing where his hands would be touching next.
He’d shared with her how sexy he found it to hear her mewing with pleasure,
unable to talk or object, free to relax and enjoy the pleasure sweeping over
her. They’d played with scarves as gags, knotting them in the middle and
slipping them into her mouth, snugly knotting them behind her head. They both
knew the gags were largely symbolic for even with the scarf in her mouth Mary
could still talk quite intelligibly. Once, Joe even taped her mouth gently shut
with layers of cloth surgical tape but Mary, mischievous scamp that she was, was
still able to talk and be understood as Joe sat straddled on top of her. She
remembered the gleam in his eye and the many tickle sessions she had endured for
that behaviour!
Often, when the lovemaking was over, they would lie in bed together and he would
tease her that someday he would get her a proper gag and stop once and for all
this ‘ridiculous insolent chatter’. More tickle fights would ensue but
Mary’s curiosity had been piqued. She would ask him what he meant by ‘proper
gag’ and gradually he began to describe things he had seen in his
‘research’ on the internet. She shivered again as she recalled his
descriptions: stuffed leather plugs, straps criss-crossing in all directions,
firm panels, muzzles snugly pressed against the face to stifle any kind of
sound. Of all those he described, she noticed his eyes would light up the most
on the ‘pump gags’. Muzzles with some sort of inflatable bulb inside that
could be pumped to plug the mouth of even the brattiest bride.
So, scarcely able to believe her own audacity, she had looked through the
history on his computer and found a shop that carried things like the ones he
had described. Many an hour she spent, ogling restraining contraptions of all
kinds, before finding the perfect gift. From Sax Leathers, an inflatable
butterfly gag. The center section puffed up to fill the mouth while the two
‘wings’ would tuck in between her teeth and cheeks, filling them up like a
happy, naughty chipmunk.
Many months of scrimping pennies had at last allowed her to order it and at
last, just today, it had arrived. Packed in amongst the bags of brussel sprouts,
parsnips, potatoes, and other holiday goodies was a plain brown parcel from Sax
leathers that she had picked up that very afternoon. Mary giggled to herself as
she thought of how she would look, all bundled up for Joe. Turning up the walk
to the little bungalow that was home to her and Joe, she began to plan her
evening. There were lots of groceries to put away and other last minute
preparations to finish before Carol came over to help her get ready.
workshop were finally at an end. Joe looked over his handiwork and knew that he
had the perfect gift for Mary.
It had been early that summer that the two of them had taken a Sunday off and
gone antiquing in the country. After many happy hours holding hands in the
sunshine, wandering from shop to shop, poking through dusty little back rooms,
she saw it: a beautiful old steamer trunk, easily over 100 years old. The wooden
slats had all been sanded down and refinished with coat after coat of gleaming
varnish which let the golden colour of the wood beneath shine through. Strong
black iron bands reinforced the sides and guarded each corner of the big box and
on the front, a hand forged iron hasp allowed the trunk to be locked with a huge
antique padlock.
Naturally, they couldn’t afford it. Shouldn’t have even thought about it,
really, but Mary kept coming back, drawn to it. Three times that afternoon she
insisted that they go back into the little shop for just one last look at it.
Joe knew that Mary enjoyed their little bondage games and had sometimes hinted
that it made her feel like “a treasure”. He knew that she admired the
craftsmanship of the old trunk but he couldn’t help wondering if secretly she
was drawn to the idea that she could be the “treasure” locked inside the big
box.
Since he couldn’t ever afford the real chest, Joe set about making his own
reproduction. He had a pretty good memory for design and had even
surreptitiously paced out the trunk on one of their many visits to get an idea
of the dimensions.
The budget that he and Mary had set for their one gift for each other was just
enough to cover materials and Chris helped out by providing the workshop.
Evenings, nights, weekends - whenever Joe could squeeze some time around his work
and his overtime, he was down in Chris’s basement, sawing, planeing, finishing
joints, sanding the finish, creating his masterpiece. The corner joints were
mortised together without a hair’s gap between them. Midway along each side
he’d run extra bracing from top to bottom to strengthen them and over
everything, straps of steel that he’d painted black and weathered to match the
original ironwork. Another strap of steel wrapped around the lid of the chest,
overlapping the bottom edge to form a tight flange when the lid was closed.
Joe learned that a plumber on one of his job sites was also an amateur
blacksmith with a small forge in his backyard. Together they crafted a sturdy
heart shaped hasp that was a pretty fair match for the one on the original. The
one thing Joe hadn’t been able to find was an antique padlock but he figured
that would give he and Mary an excuse to go antiquing again next summer.
Finishing had taken the longest time. Joe had lost track of the hours he had
spent sanding, staining, and varnishing to produce the glossy finish that shone
before him. Working around the crescent shaped holes that he had routed into
each end to serve as handles was probably the hardest part of the job. He could
have used thick leather straps for handles like the original but he had a
feeling that handles that doubled as air holes could come in very handy.
It had been touch and go for the last week or so. Joe had worried that he
wouldn’t finish in time but a last big push and everything was ready.
Christmas eve and all the finishing coats were dry, it was ready to be
delivered. He was looking forward to tonight, his special Christmas with Mary.
With the work on the chest and all of his other overtime they had seen very
little of each other lately. Tonight was sure to be special.
At breakfast that morning Joe had very nonchalantly asked Mary about her plans
for the day.
“Well, I’m going out around 3:00 to pick up the last few things I need for
the big dinner tomorrow. The shops will probably be a bit crazy but I should be
home by 4:30 or 5:00. When are you off today?”
“Oh, we’re still pushing to finish the Taylor job, then Cavanaugh wants to
take us all out for a quick drink to say thank you for all the hard work. I
figure we wrap up the job by 4:00 at the latest, get cleaned up and have one
quick beer… I should be home 6, 6:30 at the latest.”
“Then we have the whole evening for…our Christmas.”
Joe had to struggle to keep a straight face through that story. The truth was,
they had finished the Taylor job yesterday and Cavanaugh’s thank you wasn’t
a beer, it was giving the whole crew today off, with pay. When Mary was out
shopping it would be the perfect time to bring the chest home and set up his
surprise.
Chris had generously offered his pickup truck and help to get Joe’s project
home. Getting it up the stairs from the workshop had been a bit of tricky job.
“Careful Joe,” Chris grunted. “Remember, ‘Flesh heals, wood
doesn’t’”.
Joe gasped as he struggled to keep a grip on his end of the chest as they
manhandled it up the staircase.
“Jeez, Chris. Why did you have to buy a house with three turns in the
staircase? Could you make this any more awkward?”
“Hey, it’s an architectural feature, man. You pay extra for that. Just
remember ‘PIV-OT…PIV-OT!’”
“Oh man, I am going to give you such a slap!”
Finally, they got it secured in the back of the pickup and pulled up in front of
Joe’s bungalow.
“See this? A nice comfortable One Level home,” Joe panted as he backed his
way through the front door.
“Yeah, yeah, Mr. Smart Guy. Where do you want it? Living room?”
“No, let’s set it up at the foot of the bed. I figure Mary might want to use
it as a blanket box.”
A bit more nudging and heaving and the trunk was in position.
“Thanks again Chris, really. I couldn’t have done this without you.”
“No problem, dude. It’s really a beautiful piece. You do good work.”
“Thanks.”
Reaching into his pocket, Chris pulled out a rumpled paper bag. “Oh, one last
thing. Early Christmas present for you.” He tossed the bag over to Joe. “I
know you were kind of bummed that you couldn’t find the right lock for it.
Well, when I was on the Sheffield job last week, guess what I found in a little
second hand store on Main street.”
Joe opened the bag and saw a beautiful old brass padlock. It was as big as his
hand and must have weighed several pounds. An old fashioned barrel key hung from
the keyhole on the front and above it was a little metal flap that could swivel
around to cover the keyhole when it was not in use.
“Even works, too after I gave it a good shot of WD-40. Just don’t lose the
key,” Chris laughed, “I don’t think they’re making them anymore.”
“Thanks man. That’s really great.” Joe was choked for words “Thank
you.”
“Ah, no biggie, you candy ass!” he said, punching Joe’s arm. “See you
tomorrow! You warn that wife of yours I’m bringing my holiday sized
appetite!”
Joe watched from the front window as Chris’s truck pulled away, then set about
making his preparations.
“5:30 on the dot! Are you all ready Mary?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be!” Mary giggled. “Now, get in here!” She
“Plus a few little goodies of my own. I do declare, Mrs. White! I had no idea
“I swear Carol, you tell anyone and I’ll…I’ll…”
“Don’t worry, fusspants. Your secret is safe with me. Now go get changed. We
“Yes, mistress.” Mary giggled as she strode into the bedroom. “I… oh my
“He made this for me… All those nights, those weekends. No wonder he’s been
“Dry those tears Mary. We will. We will make it special.” An idea came to
“Wow…” Carol gasped.
“Yep. I told you he liked it. Hey, I just thought of something! That must be
“What?”
“Oh, I called Holly and Chris’s place while I was at the mall to ask if they
“Does everyone have keys to your house?” Carol laughed.
“No, silly. Just Chris and Holly and you, of course.”
“Of course. Well, my dear, I think it’s time to wrap this present.”
“Okay,” Mary took a deep breath. She was starting to get nervous again.
“Relax. You’re going to be very comfy. I found you can get some very good
“It’s actually designed to be used for sash cords, curtain tiebacks, and
“I had a look at those websites you suggested so I think I can get you pretty
“Okay then. Here, toss me a blanket from the closet and we’ll make sure
“Better get this out of the way. We don’t want it digging into that tender
“We can do something with this, though,” she said smiling wickedly. Undoing
“Aren’t you a pretty little present. Okay, turn around now, hands behind
“I read a lot of articles on how to tie somebody securely and most of them
“The trick is to make sure you cinch it up tight.” Tucking the loose ends
“I practiced a few times on my legs to make sure these knots would be
“One more loop up top,” Carol continued, wrapping another loop above
“Wow, Carol. You’re pretty good at this.”
“Well, Christmas comes but once a year. Gotta make it special.” Taking
“Okay, Mary, down you go.” Gently, she guided her friend along to the side
“Alright sweetie, let’s truss you up like a Christmas turkey.” Folding
“That ought to hold you!” Mary tried wriggling around and was amazed at how
“Now, where’s that last little surprise of yours?” Carol asked, kneeling
“Oh my goodness! I almost forgot. It’s in the box on the kitchen counter.”
“Oooh! Yes, I think this could keep even you quiet. Okay, open wide!”
“Any last words?”
“mmmmgggg….mmmmmgggg”. The faintest of moans, the tiniest of mews was all
“Just one last thing, to keep that from slipping out.” Carol reached into
“All done. You sure you’re going to be okay?”
“Okay. You guys have fun! I’ll be back at 9:00 tomorrow morning to help you
“Oops! Almost forgot!” she giggled, reaching into the bag and pulling out a
a lot of hiding places in a 600 square foot bungalow. His eyes fell back on the
trunk. Well, why not? Try it out, see if it’s going to be comfortable for
Mary.
Slipping off his jacket, he tucked it under the bed, then gently lifted the lid.
The inside smelled rich and woody. Joe stepped carefully into the box, then sat
down and pulled his knees into his chest. Nope, not going to fit that way. Maybe
if I scooch down. Sliding along his backside, he lay down until his back was on
the floor of the trunk and his butt cheeks pressed up against the far side. Once
again tucking his knees into his chest he could see there would be just enough
clearance for the lid to close. Oh Man! She is going to freak out when she opens
the lid and finds me, he thought to himself. Slowly, he reached up above himself
and gently pulled the lid closed.
Looking around the warm cocoon, he could see two shafts of light shining into
the box from the two handle holes he’d cut into the ends. This is cozy.
She’s going to be surprised… man, am I sleepy… just got to close my eyes
for a second… surprised… man… so… sleeeppyyy….
“mmmm! Mmmmggg!”
“Mary, is that you?”
“mmmg!”
“One grunt for yes, two grunts for no”
“mmmgg!”
“Can you open the trunk, I seem to be stuck.”
“mmmggg mmmmggg”
“Oh don’t tell me, you’re kind of tied up too?”
“Oh great. Carol’s still coming over before everyone else tomorrow,
“mmmggg”
“Aren’t we a pair. I wanted to be underneath you tonight but this wasn’t
“Well, it’s good to be with you, anyway I can. I love you Mary.”
“mmmg mmmooo”
“Merry Christmas, darling.”
“Mmmmgg gmmmg”
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