Sorry for the big gap, I know its been like 2 months but it was the festive season, I moved out on my own in January, and my new year of studies has started, so it was a madhouse, but I hope to get back into it!

Frank was sent next door to be babysat because Gerard had a meeting and Frank was - apparently - far too needy and clingy to be alone. He knocked on the door and was surprised to see Ty open it instead of Josh, his freshly shaved head sans his usual black beanie today, which was unnerving in and of itself. Frank had only seen Ty's head a handful of times and the broken-necked falcon tattooed on the side of his head was startling every single time.

"Hi, pixie."

"Hi, Daddy. Gerard sent me over since he has a meeting." Frank held out the sacrificial Redbull toward his tired-looking secondary. Ty took it with a nod of thanks and immediately began chugging it. Frank's eyebrows rose with concern, standing on the porch as Ty finished the energy drink in seconds before he crushed the can on his palm. Frank glanced at the squashed tin and up at Ty's dark circles again, "Are you okay?"

Ty merely stepped aside, "Come in, Joshy is in the living room."

Frank stepped inside and took off his shoes immediately, his brain pausing at 'Joshy', but not thinking too much of it as he hung up his coat. The hallway on Ty's side was laid out in exactly the same fashion as theirs on the left - in fact, the whole right side of the house mirrored the left in perfect symmetry. The stairs in wood veered up to the right with the white walls and white marble flooring, but instead of the enormous Apollo painting that was on the left, this time, on the right, Ty had put up beautiful wooden shelves that showcased the assorted collection of bones and taxidermy he ethically collected as a hobby. On the other side where their enormous bay window sat, instead of the deep blue seating that stood in front of the kitchen door, Ty had placed a plush leather armchair and a carved side table.

He looked at Ty's head again, his eyes unable to look away from the tattoo that went from the side of his head all the way down the back of his neck and behind his ear. The wide-eyed stare of the mangled falcon made Frank's stomach squirm, but he wasn't able to look away as he walked into the living room behind Ty. He stepped aside to see Josh curled up in his puppy bed wearing nothing but shorts. He seemed to be watching TV quietly, his usually warm and cheerful face was resigned to sheer exhaustion. Frank flopped down on the sofa, "Hi, Joshy."

Their living room is one of the few rooms where Ty's need for minimalism really got left at the door, and it surprised Frank quite a bit. The entire living room was drenched in a Native American theme, and it made Frank smile when he began realizing how proud Ty seemed to be of his heritage. The wood floor for the rest of the house began in the living room, the walls were painted a soft off-white - almost cream beige but not - the door stood in the far left corner and as it opened, you were greeted with a big mirror on the wall and some tall palm tree-looking plants. The left wall beside the mirror was decorated with a bunch of different elements from a dreamcatcher to a macrame hanging, some wicker shields, and a large photo of a man who Frank assumed to be one of Ty's ancestors. Beneath the collage wall was a camel-colored velvet two-seater that was actually the first side of an L-shaped sofa with a blue patterned throw and a ton of native-inspired pillows. A small coffee table stood in front of it with some magazines and a stack of coasters. On the other side of the small table was a short ottoman that Josh had made, the mismatched fabric sewn together with strips of white leather. The entire setup stood on a white shag carpet adorned with all kinds of diamond and cross-hatch patterns that Frank could only assume to be native as well.

The wall with the living room door had an enormous painting of the Devil's Tower in Wyoming where, as Josh had told him, there was a lot of Native history about a giant black bear. Below the painting stood a wooden chest and a white wicker chair with a white fur throw and a red cushion. Parallel to the door and diagonal to the two-seater stood the larger three-person sofa section of the L shape in the same neutral brown velvet, and this was Ty's favorite sofa. It was draped with a black throw and fewer pillows than the other. The corner was adorned with potted plants at various heights, with names that Frank didn't know.

The other side of the room had a tall bookshelf and Ty's red armchair that he had brought with him from Jersey. Most of their furniture had remained in the old house since Ty's sister had moved into the house as it was, and he didn't want her to spend any money trying to make it liveable.

Joshy turned to look at him with a tired smile as Ty wandered back in and handed Frank a soda, which was also weird as that was Josh's first move whenever Frank came to visit - or anyone, really. Frank gave Ty a whispered thanks and looked at Josh again worriedly, "Are you okay?"

When Josh stared at the screen and refused to answer, Ty sat down beside Frank with another Redbull in hand, "He's in pupspace, pixie, he won't answer."

Frank felt his stomach fall into his boots as his eyes wandered back to Josh in the bed and the blank stare in his eyes that Frank had just assumed to be because of some Advil. He swallowed and managed a strangled, "Oh."

Frank watched as Ty reached over to rub Josh's leg with his foot, sipping his energy drink as he casually glanced at the TV. Joshy let out a lazy groan as he rolled onto his back, his knees and 'paws' in the air, enjoying the affection that was directed his way. Frank couldn't help but notice Joshy's erection, but he chose to ignore it, sipping his fizzy drink much faster than usual, as if the soda was his only lifeline. He almost spilled it when Joshy let out a pathetic whine, the sound made the air in the room thicker, the hair on the back of his neck prickled, and he swallowed silently once more. He turned all of his attention to the TV, doing his utmost best to not get flustered, but it wasn't working and he had no one to blame but himself. Not with the noises Joshy made, they were needy and pitchy and so different from the ones Frank had been privileged to hear prior to today.

He reached over to grab a scatter cushion, putting it in his lap as he played with the bobbles around the trim, ignoring the real reason why he needed it because he was entirely centered in the middle of a denial circle. He pretended to hug the pillow, glad that neither Ty nor Joshy seemed to notice as Ty was rubbing Joshy's belly slowly, the both of them seemed to be in a little bubble. A bubble wherein which Frank had yet to be granted access. Was he relieved? A tad. Was he envious? He wouldn't admit it, but with the way his insides clenched, he hated being on the outside of their world. He watched Ty's big foot with admiration, as he knew what it was like to be trapped under those beautiful soles, but his admiration swirled instantly, and Frank watched with abject horror as Ty's foot drifted south, pressing on Joshy's erection, rubbing and eliciting the same little noises. Ty was merely reading a book - one of the novels Frank had gifted him for Christmas- and he seemed so nonchalant about the entire affair, unbothered by the flustered submissive and horny pup in his midst. Frank couldn't understand why, and he really couldn't understand Josh.

Frank looked at Josh again, his insides so uncomfortable with the situation. He wasn't disgusted, per se, but he just didn't want to be around it. Ty paused his foot but didn't move it away, his eyes still glued to one of the pages of his book, "What is it, pixie?"

"I don't understand," Frank whispered, his voice shaking only a little as he began wringing his hands, obsessively spinning and picking at his engagement ring, "I don't like it when he's like this."

Ty raised an eyebrow, "Do you think that's fair? How would you feel if someone came up to you and said they don't like you when you're in subspace purely because they don't understand you? You're judging someone for who they truly are, Frank. He trusts you enough to be himself in front of you, and you're going to treat him this way?" Ty sat back, "Why, exactly? You go into your own subspace to get away, just because it's not human, you think it's weird? When a submissive hits subspace, they aren't human, either. And I think they're more like an object - my object in my care. So what's the difference between you and him? I treat animals better than I treat objects."

Frank felt his cheeks turn pink and his insides curdle with shame, "I don't know why it makes me uncomfortable, I know it's not fair, but something about it turns my stomach."

"But why? Unpack it, Frank. Piece by piece-"

"I don't know!" Frank snapped as he put his hands over his ears, suddenly so overwhelmed by the entire situation and what felt like an interrogation by his secondary Dominant. The lights felt too bright and too loud, the world was turning static at the edges, and every single color seemed as if the contrast had been turned up to a full hundred. Suddenly every light was screaming at him, the fridge growling like some Lovecraftian monster, and even the TV purred like a cat waiting to pounce. His insides and his organs were suddenly in the wrong place and he wanted to rip himself open to rearrange them, but he felt even more frustrated that he could not. He tugged at his hair but remembered not to pull, even if the ounce of pain made the overstimulation less. He hated being asked a thousand questions, especially when he knew he was at fault, because he immediately reverted back into a child being yelled at for accidentally knocking over a mug or tipping the pot of water over.

He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment to decompress and when he opened them, he saw Ty holding his hand out. He paused, knowing how big of a deal it was for someone who hated physical contact and germs. Frank reached out with a trembling hand and lay it in Ty's rough palm, watching with blurred vision as Ty gave it a somewhat comforting squeeze, "Breathe, pixie. I'm not doing this to make you uncomfortable or overwhelmed, but I want you to be a safe space for my submissive, especially if you're going to date him. And, honestly, I won't allow it if you're going to judge him. If you want him, you have to accept all of him, or you just don't deserve him."

Ty's tone was soft, and the furthest thing from scolding, his voice as gentle as if he were reading a bedtime story, but the words themselves were set in stone as if they were a warning, Frank knew that much to be true. He nodded slowly, as he wanted to accept it, but he just didn't know how. Joshy whimpered softly and got up, crawling over to sit at Frank's feet, perched on his knees and fists like a dog, the placement of his fists on the ground made his muscles taut under the skin, his veins jutting in a few places that, honestly, made Frank want to suck on them, but he didn't dare.

Joshy looked up at him with the biggest eyes, and Frank couldn't help but smile a tiny bit, holding his hand out for the tired pup who immediately leaned in to nuzzle his fingers, his eyes closing. Frank didn't pull away, watching intently as Joshy showed his hand the gentlest of affection.

"Good boy." Frank whispered and saw Joshy smile, giving Frank's hand a very soft bite with his front teeth. Frank let out a slightly nervous giggle, "Watch out, Joshy."

Joshy grinned and wiggled his hips, and it was at that moment when Frank caught sight of the little tail wagging with him; the curled rubber plug that imitated a tail so perfectly. Frank swallowed again, admitting to himself that it was cute, getting butt wags all for himself from Joshy. He let out a laugh, another apprehensive reaction that he couldn't help, "C-Cute."

Joshy smiled unashamedly and put his hands on the floor with his butt in the air, leaning down with his head as if he were in a play position, wiggling again to make his tail wag vibrantly. Frank let out another small chuckle, "Y-You wanna play?"

Ty shrugged, "Oh, I dunno about that."

Frank's smile immediately fell as he realized what Ty meant, looking at Joshy nervously as he sat up again and rested his head on Frank's knee, his eyes closing as he received head pets. Frank felt his cheeks turn pink, the warmth radiating from embarrassment when he finally understood that, no, Joshy didn't want to play, he had other things on his mind that made Frank's diaphragm constrict against his lungs.

"Joshy, aller au lit." Ty said firmly and Josh dropped his head, slinking back to his bed where he curled up small, his eyes only on his Daddy like a good boy. Ty smiled at Frank, his smile barely taking up half of his mouth like always, "Puppy is trained in French, not English, boy."

"Why?"

"Because Josh is trained in English, and I've trained him now to the point that if I give him a command in French, he goes into puspace. Like a... what's it, a Pavlov thing. Recurring training to give the same result in the brain on instinct."

"Within seconds? Really?" Frank turned to look at Ty properly, impressed at the notion of such impeccable training.

"I'll show you sometime. Not now, I don't want to mess with his head like that." Ty sat back to sip his drink, "He just wants to play with you, I think. Not with toys. He's in heat."

Frank's head snapped up as it had trailed off to look at the TV again, foolishly thinking that the conversation had dwindled into arduous chitchat, and how wrong he was, indeed. He stared at Ty in horror, "P-Pardon?"

"Once a month we simulate a breeding cycle. And to prep for it, the week before we don't have sex at all, so during the week where he would be in heat, he's insanely horny all the time. And I breed him to keep him happy and stuffed full. He can't have puppies but I know he likes to pretend when he's like this. It's a primal thing." Ty shrugged.

Frank nodded slowly, his brain trying to process, but Ty let out a small laugh, "You don't know what breeding is, pixie?"

"Of course, I know what breeding is!" Frank huffed, "I'm not stupid."

"Have you ever been bred?"

"Of course not, you goon."

"How fuckin' unfortunate. I know if anyone would love it, it's you, avorton."

"Why would I? I'm not interested in pet play or puppies or even having babies - not that I could have 'em. I'm pretty sure, I mean I've gone twenty-four years of my life pretty solid in the knowledge that I can't carry children, so it makes no sense that I would want to try, even as a roleplay. Like, I've never watched a movie where someone is pregnant and gotten jealous. None of that is a turn-on, Ty."

Ty rested an arm on the back of the sofa and tapped his own full bottom lip with a ringed finger, shaking his head, "Oh, innocent boy, being bred is a style of sex, it's not just for pet play. And I'm very surprised your Papa hasn't bred you yet. He's a pro at it, from what I've been told. But maybe that's because of your aversion to pet play, huh? He thinks you'd get upset, wahey. Even though breeding isn't just for pets, or even just for primal Doms. You'd be surprised that breeding is second behind spanking for most common kink in predominantly vanilla relationships."

Frank pursed his lips, his insides twisting angrily at the idea of his Dominant breeding other subs. He shrugged coolly, "Maybe."

He got up and walked to the kitchen with the guise of throwing his soda can away, but he was so angry at the idea that Gerard was hiding things he did or liked. What would the other subs do that he couldn't, or wouldn't? He was so sure that Gerard had stopped hiding things from him by now, as they had both decided how important communication was in their relationship, and now he finds out that Gerard has just been hiding one of his... well, Frank didn't know if it was a favorite or not, but he still kept it from him, and that made Frank so fucking irritated.

It was also exceedingly difficult to be angry in the kitchen he designed, the colors calming and soothing him so nicely despite his best efforts to be irate. Ty's kitchen, despite it being one of the rooms that was used the least in the house, was Frank's favorite. The floors were white marble to match the entranceway, the ceiling was white shiplap to match the living room. The wall on the left was purely cabinets in a muted teal color, the middle section housing the microwave and oven built into it. Beside the oven was the large double-door fridge. The counters were painted a lighter shade of teal in the same hue, and the countertops a beige marble. There was an enormous window that took up the wall parallel to the door, and beneath the windows was a double sink and Josh's little herb garden. The wall across from the fridge and big appliances held a coffee and tea station in the same light teal. There was a locker-type shelf on the far right by the window that held a shit ton of different teas, on the wall beside it, acting as a large backsplash for the coffee bar, was a wooden wall with wood shelves holding pictures and trinkets. The middle of the kitchen was taken up by an island in matching blue wood and beige marble. There were barstools on the side, and the one section of the island wasn't cabinets, but a little bookshelf for Josh's attempts at buying cooking books. The corner closest to the door had a round wood coffee table where they held family meetings and intimate dinners. The entire ambiance of the room made Frank calm, but that made him feel worse, so he stalked back into the living room and poked Ty on the shoulder roughly, ignoring the pup that was resting his head in Ty's lap. He grunted with annoyance, "What else?"

Ty looked up, a bored expression on his face that emanated just how little he cared about Frank's imminent tantrum. Frank put his hands on his hips with a huff and Ty tilted his head, running his fingers through Josh's blue curls, "Pardon, pixie?"

"What else does he like to do that he doesn't tell me?"

Ty raised an eyebrow, his lips pursed, "First of all, I'm not going to have a conversation with you unless you talk to me without that snotty attitude because I still have feelings despite not showing them often, and I'm not going to let my day be ruined by a little brat who can't control themselves at a minor inconvenience. You seem annoyed for whatever reason and I don't feel like debating your Dominant with you. Big feelings suck, pixie, but we don't take them out on the closest person, do we?"

Frank deflated as he let out a heavy breath and sank down onto the armrest of the adjacent sofa, "Sorry, Daddy."

"I don't know what you two do in your alone time and privacy, wahey. So, I don't know what he does and doesn't do, ya dig?"

Frank scowled at his hands and fiddled with his engagement ring again, flicking his nail against the metal prongs that held the coffin-shaped stone in place, his eyebrows furrowing, "I can't give you a list of everything we've ever done."

"His favorite things are needles, piss, and deepthroating. I know he's done those with you - countless times, even. Look, I can't speak for the others, but I'm sure he did a lot with Bert as his first sub in, like, an experimental way. Adam wasn't a masochist and purely a submissive so he limited Gerard's range a lot. And as far as Billie is concerned, he never spoke much about their sex life because he turned out to be a little, and you and I both know he would never do that shit. The only things I know are different is the pet play he did with Josh, who had to teach him most of it anyway." Ty kept playing with Joshy's hair as Frank sat there and stared at the stained glass of the front door, willing Gerard to come home early so he could leave. He glanced over to see Joshy looking at him with a frown - as if he knew. Frank looked away but was caught off guard when Joshy got up and left the living room. Ty frowned as he watched him walk out, with Frank also furrowing his brows, "What is he doing?"

"He's out of his headspace. Pups don't walk, well, not this one."

Frank swallowed, immediately feeling guilty for upsetting the puppy. He looked down at his shoes, staring at a scuff near his big toe, "Maybe I should just go home."

"You're in my care until he comes home," Ty stated before he got up and went to find Josh, leaving Frank all alone in the living room, and with his own screaming thoughts. It was as if his brain was a swirling whirlpool, the middle was where he continued to be thrown around, and each individual thought was a rogue wave that hit him and dragged him under where he would be confronted with the icy truth of his own mistakes. The frigid waters knocked the oxygen from his lungs as his guilt and shame were wrestling with an immature anger that seemed to unrelent. He wanted to be anywhere but here, he never asked to be exposed to this today, and the sheer surprise had thrown him. If he had known beforehand, he might have been able to prepare, but Ty and Josh were the ones who had thrown him into the water in the first place. He scowled as he pushed back angry tears and stood up, curling his toes in his boots, the seem of his socks pressed against his foot made him irrationally angry and seemed to only add to his fueled emotions.

He procrastinated about what he had to do, taking off his shoes to fix his stubborn socks, and relacing his shoes while he was at it. But eventually, he couldn't stall, and he knew he had to go and find them. He was worried about Josh, but his worry grew increasingly as the minutes ticked by and neither of them returned. He didn't want to upset Josh, but it could have been one of those 'you never know until you try' moments. Like vegetables. Frank began his search for them, looking in every room.

He stuck his head back into the calming kitchen, and pouted when they weren't sitting at the table waiting for him. He then checked the dining room just in case, taking in the black and white rug, the green accent wall decorated by a raw wood-frame mirror above some oak cabinets, and chestnut table that was surrounded by grey-green velvet seats, and yet there were no boys occupying those comfy chairs. He went into the garage and stuck his head in, sighing when he saw Ty's woodworking station abandoned, and both the black Jeep and the red Lexus were still settled next to each other. He went back into the entryway and made his ascent of the stairs, poking his head into Ty's yoga room that now doubled as their rope room. The walls were a light blue and decorated with 3D flowers made from dry acrylic paint - a gift from one of Ty's ex-coworkers at the Freakshow. There was Ty's meditation bench against the wall and the two cushions sitting on the other side of his tea table. The two yoga mats had been rolled up, and they weren't being used to decompress - which made him just disappointed when it was just as empty as before. He ducked back into the dining room one last time and went upstairs, his hand trailing over the polished banister as he scanned the doors. His initial thought was Ty's bedroom and that is exactly where he went, opening the door to the main bedroom. The back wall was painted black but only the middle section that stood behind the bed, a white stripe on either side framed medium-wood floating shelves. The wood-framed King bed had crisp white linen and a grey throw across the foot, and above the bed was a beautiful rounded-edge mirror. At the end of the bed was a rug that matched the native theme in the living room, in the same triangle bohemian-esque pattern with much-muted color. The far wall had two windows, the walls crisp white, but the windows were framed in wood like a honey-colored snake. There was a grey chest of drawers that stood between the windows, diagonal to the wall by the door - the TV was mounted to the wall to face the bed, and below it was Jim's bed. The wall across from the windows had been wallpapered a beautiful light green and adorned with a photo wall that Frank remembered he helped plan.

He ducked into Ty's bathroom just to make sure, huffing unhappily when he was met with an empty room. The grey shale-colored subway tile of the floor expanded from the door and across to where there was a two-head shower and a completely clear glass door. The walls were laminate in grey wood. The claw-foot tub stood to the right across from a counter of black cabinets and white marble, a two-sink and two-mirror masterpiece that included a little vanity and gallery lights above the mirrors in the same pewter as the rest of the hardware. Ty refused to have the toilet in the bathroom where he showered, and it was in a separate room for his sake, but it also made the bathroom look so classic.

"Where the fuck?" Frank muttered to himself and went back to the meditation room and looked at the other side where the rope rig had been set up. But there was no one tied to the rig in jute rope, and no one standing on the beige mats, no one kneeling on the black and red compression cushions. Frank closed the door again and turned to look around. It seemed so unlikely that they'd be in the playroom, and he was about to look in there when he saw Jim come up the stairs and walk directly to the one room he should have looked first: Josh's bedroom.

He mentally kicked himself for not realizing, cursing himself out as he followed the golden retriever to the door. He knocked before he opened, hoping that the excuse of letting Jim in would be enough of a reason not to wait for permission. Josh's room was where he located them both; Ty was sitting on the bed with Josh in his lap looking miserable. The bedrooms both had wood floors to match the downstairs, and the wall on the left had wainscoting panels all painted an eggshell grey to match the linen-quilted bedframe, but they weren't panels at all, they were sliding doors that opened into his closet. The wall behind Josh's grey bed was a dark navy with slices of natural tree trunk arranged in a cluster. One side had long lights hanging from the ceiling like two luminescent bubbles, the other side had an extendable reading lamp. Each side had a pretty wood end table in a light wood. Josh's bed was always so comfy, and so minimal. The grey linen matched the wall, but the white pillows and off-white throw slashed through the dark color nicely. He had a large rug under the bed in all colors of blue and grey stripe. The right side wall was all window with white curtains and blinds beneath it to block out unnecessary light. And across from the bed was Josh's drum kit and a bookshelf for his comic books.

Frank stuck both hands into the pockets of his cardigan to hide the angry fists that had instinctively curled, "I want to apologize."

Ty gave the submissive a nod of permission to enter the room and Frank felt his heart clench when Josh tried to curl up even smaller, eyeing his boyfriend quietly. Frank sighed softly, "I'm sorry, Josh, I didn't mean to hurt you, I don't think you're weird or anything, I... I just have a hard time getting used to it - this."

Josh squeezed his eyes shut as he nodded, the reaction made Frank look down at his feet, unable to muster even an ounce of courage to continue with his half-hearted apology. Ty interjected their awkward silence as he looked at his pup, "It's okay, chiot. He doesn't think you're weird, see? I'm sure there's things he does that you find weird, right?"

Josh frowned and shook his head, whispering, "He's perfect."

Frank turned around and stepped into the hall, unwilling to let Josh see him cry. He felt like shit, but he couldn't just change himself even if he was hurting Josh. He was so upset with himself, but he had no idea what to do to better the situation. He could ask Josh for some pup-time, and that would show him that he's trying, but he just... didn't want to do it. He couldn't bear the idea. He knew that if Gerard was here, he would tell him that he would often have to do things he didn't want to, especially since he was an adult. But he didn't want to panic and throw up on Josh, either. He hoped that maybe Ty might help, even if he was there to just monitor the situation. He kicked the wall lightly, cringing when he felt the pain.

Maybe it wasn't as bad as he thought it would be, like his first tattoo. He was so afraid of the pain because he was told it would be the most painful thing ever, and then he ended up loving the experience. This wasn't a tattoo, though. He stepped back into the room, "I'm being a baby about this, I know. I freaked out about something I don't really understand and that's not fair. But it's not like I'm afraid of it, I'm not scared of it, I just... don't get it. I don't understand why you want to be a dog. I don't understand how it makes you feel better. It feels weird to me, like... I know it's not bestiality, because you're not a dog, but Papa said that he didn't do the Little stuff that involves sex because it's bordering on pedophilia, how is this different?"

Ty frowned deeply as he regarded his secondary submissive. Frank knew Ty would never laugh or think of his questions as stupid. There was a reason Ty had taught every single person in their polycule, including Gerard, and probably hundreds of others. Ty was a good mentor for a reason, and he never thought a question was stupid, even if it was a weird one. Frank knew his question was weird, but he felt as if it needed to be asked anyway, and that he deserved an answer. Josh looked away as Frank sat down, "It's okay, Daddy, forget about it, please."

Ty turned to readjust on the bed, opening his body language up toward Frank as he answered, "It's not the same, boy. In the same way that a Master and slave relationship in bondage isn't actual slavery. It's all about context."

Ty rubbed Josh's arm gently, a reassuring gesture that Frank recognized, "It's okay, puppy. He's asking questions, and that's a good thing, it means he wants to know more about you and who you are because he cares about you. That's the first step, and we should be proud of him for that. He hasn't just kept his opinion unchanging and walked away without hearing you out. He's never asked about you properly except the one time when we came here to California on that trip. You don't have to talk, chiot, you just rest."

Ty waited until Josh closed his eyes before he turned his attention back to the awaiting submissive at the foot of the bed, "Pedophilia is the attraction to children, innocent babies who cannot fully understand and give consent to what's going on, same as bestiality with real animals, right? Fact is those things both happen in the world whether we like it or not, children and animals get assaulted every damn day, and we need to understand the difference, wahey. The privilege we have to do the things we do within the safety of our own boundaries with someone we can trust, is, like, crucial. Littlespace, when done properly, has no sexual aspect to it because a Little in headspace cannot give consent - even if they're legally an adult. I would never take advantage of Josh in his headspace without talking to him beforehand. The difference is, pixie, that they're both headspaces used to heal trauma and step away from the responsibilities of being an adult. Animal play allows you to indulge in fantasies without crossing that moral border. Responsible animal-play is dehumanizing to a human, but never assault on a human-animal. Responsible little-play is the same. And most of the time, if Josh and I have sex when he's in pupspace, I'm in a primal headspace, too. I am his Alpha, I would also be an animal. When I'm his Dominant, in a clear headspace, I never touch him inappropriately unless he's given me prior consent. Other couples have their own way of doing it that suits both parties, but in our house, we value that line, and we never tread on it." Ty nuzzled Josh's head gently and whispered to him, earning a very gentle whisper in return, nuzzling Daddy's palm.

Frank nodded, "I understand." Josh looked so peaceful as he gave his Dominant affection, and Frank found himself asking, "So... You do this every month?"

Josh nodded.

"To make... Puppies."

Josh let out a sigh.

Ty added, "To simulate the breeding cycle of a dog, but instead of Josh being male, he's the bitch."

Frank found his cheeks flush immediately, earning a chuckle from Josh. Ty nuzzled his pup's blue curls with a smile, "Like a little puppy boy-thing who just wants to be filled up, his insides all warm and waiting for Alpha, right? He just wants to be filled up nicely to make the pain go away."

Frank wanted to pass out, but Josh let out a whine, "Daddy..." He seemed so embarrassed and unwilling to go into his pupspace this time. Frank was just as mortified, his ears warm and hot to the touch.

Ty smiled, the hint of his French accent poking through as his words were curled with mockery, "What, puppy? You shy in front of your little boyfriend? You don't want him knowing how you beg to be knotted four or five times a day for a whole week?"

Josh hid behind his hands, "Daddy, please stop."

Ty rubbed Josh's muscular arm and leaned in to whisper, "You sure? It looks like you're not the only one getting hard at the thought." Josh hid himself in Ty's chest as the latter whispered, "Je pense que quelqu'un doit découvrir exactement ce qu'il manque, chiot." He tilted Josh's face up to look at him, "Tu es mon bon garçon, Joshy."

[I think someone needs to find out exactly what they've been missing, puppy.]

[You're my good boy, Joshy.]

Josh smiled a tiny bit and nodded happily as Ty continued, "Les bons chiots méritent une récompense, n'est-ce pas?" Josh nodded and nuzzled Ty's neck as the older Dominant eyed Frank darkly. That was never good.

[Good puppies deserve a reward, right?]

Ty rolled Josh onto the bed, "Rester." Before he grabbed Frank by the scruff and pulled him to his feet. Josh curled up to watch as Ty gave him a sweet smile before he dragged Frank out of the room, "You're going to make it up to him by being a good boy, do you understand?"

[Stay.]

Frank didn't even struggle as he was dragged down the hall, earning a slap to the head when he didn't respond fast enough, the touch made his insides ignite immediately. It did make him realize just how absolutely besotted he was for these three men, in that a slap to the head could turn him on faster than a blowjob would have from his ex. He didn't want to dwell on it for too long, or he might have had an existential crisis, but he didn't mind it, it just told him a lot about himself - maybe more than he needed to know. Ty pushed him into their playroom and snapped his fingers, "Clothes off, on your knees, runt."

Frank looked around as he got undressed, feeling honored to be in Ty's playroom as it was a rarity. The floor remained wood, the wall on the right was a steel grey that ascended up onto the ceiling, creating an expanse. The wall had racks and rails of equipment from cuffs to collars on one, and the implements beside it. There was a platform above the cage-bed that had been painted black and Frank realized it was a large makeshift ceiling with hooks all over it to create a constellation of mapped-out rig placers. A few masks sat on a shelf by the bed, and a vase held Ty's canes by the door. He had taken some inspiration from Gerard and placed a small Persian rug on the floor where Josh was to kneel, but it was nowhere near as big or as pretty. The rest of his larger equipment faced the left wall to be pulled out for use, and the wall right by the door was all mirror. It took Frank that entire moment of scanning to realize that the wall behind the bed was bare concrete, adding to the 'dungeon' feeling that made Frank's skin crawl.

Ty grabbed a black collar from the rack on the wall and it broke Frank's daze completely. It was one of his handmade leather ones with pretty purple stitching. He examined the fastenings as he spoke, "Have you done prep since you last ate?"

Frank hopped on one leg as he tugged at his skinny jeans, pulling them off with a huff before he threw them in the direction of a nearby corner, "Yes, sir."

Ty waited until Frank was on his knees before he leaned down to take Frank's dainty silver choker off and replace it with the heavy-duty collar, buckling it at his nape, "Do you consent, runt?"

"I do, sir."

Ty returned to clip a leash onto the collar and lash it to a nearby pole, crouching down so sinuously to take Frank's jaw between two rough fingers, "You are gonna learn how it feels to be bred, and you're gonna take it, do you understand? That little boycunt of yours needs to learn to take a knot before you can talk shit." He pushed Frank's head to the floor, using it as leverage to help himself up again. Frank was so close to safewording at the mere mention of 'boycunt' but he decided against it, the visceral reaction to such a startling concept wasn't about to shake him. Not yet. Not when he'd come so close to finally braving a topic he never thought he could. He knew he had to just shut up and see what it was like before he made an official verdict, and he knew this would be his only chance. Besides, he wasn't about to chicken-out in front of Ty, and not after the first round of their dare war. He was not about to seem weak in front of his opponent no matter the situation.

The door opened a moment later as a barefoot Ty strode in, Joshy at his heel, walking on his hands and knees with surprising ease, the stride seemed so natural for him. Joshy stayed at Ty's side like an obedient boy, staring at Frank, his tail wagging only slightly.

"Asseoir."

Joshy sat.

Ty turned and opened a cabinet, taking out Josh's black pup hood to help him into it, fastening and tugging until it sat in place. He helped Joshy into his chest harness and his leash, Ty's hand earning a nuzzle in return, and Joshy received a soft rub to his cheek, waiting for the pup to remove his shorts, "Ventre vers le haut."

[Belly up.]

Joshy immediately flopped onto his back with his knees and paws up, waiting and watching as Ty took some lube and began stroking him at a steady pace, getting his pup nice and hard. Joshy let out a whine, his big brown eyes on his owner, his chest rising and falling with huffed breaths that Frank found himself mimicking without meaning to do so. Ty looked at him, maintaining glorious eye contact as he spoke so evenly, "Un si bon garçon. Maître t'a apporté un jouet." Joshy continued to whine, pawing at Ty's hand, but his movements were ignored. He stood up and gestured to Frank with a nod of his head, "Aller."

[Such a good boy. Master brought you a toy.]

[Go.]

Joshy managed to roll onto his hands and knees, crawling over to Frank before he leaned down to sniff at his skin, his masked snout trailing from face to neck, but Frank remained still, unsure of what he was meant to do. He glanced at Ty nearby who was holding a leash in either hand, controlling both of his precious pets. Joshy licked at Frank's face, wide and spitty licks from his tongue, before he flipped Frank onto his stomach with surprising ease. The strength wasn't surprising, but the suddenness of the action had Frank breathless and almost bewildering, the action reminded him of the one and only time when he tried out for high school wrestling and he had been pinned before the fight even began. He felt winded and stunned, and yet the action hadn't even hurt him, it was just so surprising for Josh to do - he was usually so gentle. He whined as Joshy leaned over him and swept into his periphery, and Ty stepped forward, lubing up his fingers to stroke Josh and finger Frank at the same time, prepping both pups to breed like the skillful Handler he claimed to be.

Ty knew, and Frank was starting to realize, that Joshy couldn't use his hands when he was in pupspace, his movements limited to paws, and his reliance on Ty only added to the realism of the scene. Ty was adept at fingering, Frank was well aware, and the stretch hurt so badly, but he couldn't focus on it when all he could hear was Joshy's impatient whining and wordless begging, his need to breed overtaking his fortitude. Ty stepped away and gestured yet again, giving the signal to his precious pup, and Frank didn't even get a chance to understand what it could mean before Joshy wrapped his hands around Frank's hips and nuzzled him for a minute. Frank held his breath, a sinking feeling in his stomach told him what would come next, and his suspicions were confirmed when the burning stretch indicated Joshy pushing in with one powerful stroke that made Frank scream out. He didn't even get a second to breathe or to adjust before Joshy was fucking him quickly, and Frank's frantic scrambles for any surface were only met with his nails digging into the polished floor.

Ty crouched down nearby to observe, his eyes on his puppy who seemed to be doing such a good job for his first real breed. Joshy left a wet stripe up Frank's shoulder and continued to fuck him quickly, the intensity of his thrusts tripled as he barely pulled out, just buried deep.

Frank had no idea how long it continued, how long he had been splayed on the floor with only his hips in the air, but he was a mess by now, after being filled up at least four times - it must have been at least an hour surely, but with the speed at which Josh was thrusting, he had lost track of his own reality ages ago. He was in some kind of headspace, but he wasn't sure which, he just knew he wasn't quite lucid - he was pretty sure he didn't even know his own name if he had to be asked at that moment. He had collapsed on the floor ages ago and let Joshy do whatever he wanted after he came untouched a couple times - he lost count after two, and five dry ones that just hurt his insides more and more every time - he had experienced forced dry orgasms with Gerard before and the tantamount stimulation was agonizing, but this was way different.

Joshy eventually ran out of energy and collapsed backward, panting and heaving as he splayed on the floor. And when Frank thought it was finally over, he was sorely mistaken: Ty grabbed Frank around the middle, hoisting him up to push a thick, knotted toy into him with zero remorse or regard for his wellbeing. He let out a screech akin to a banshee and tried to wriggle free, but it was too late when he felt the flared base of the knot against his aching hole, the toy filling him so entirely that it almost made him nauseated. The plug pressed so firmly against his prostate and he couldn't help the spindrel of drool that dripped onto Ty's forearm, running down over his double-banded arm tattoo. He loathed the idea that he had been knotted, and he gave Ty a weak death glare, the brattiest face he could muster, but it was no use, he knew Ty fed on his agony. He was so upset, he didn't ask for a knot plug, and he just wanted to pout in the corner, but that involved moving. He could have been upset that Ty had done it without his consent, because he had no idea what knotting even was, but he did consent to the entire experience, and Frank grumbled mentally when he realized that it did include knotting.

Ty scooped him up carefully and carried him down into the living room, dressing him in a pair of loose shorts before Frank was graciously tucked in on the sofa and handed another soda and a mini Snickers. Ty vanished and moments later returned, astonishingly, carrying Josh in his arms. Frank's jaw dropped in surprise, watching as Ty deposited the weak pup onto the other sofa, giving him the same treatment but with Josh's own monogrammed weighted blanket in a deep blue color. He put the TV on for the two submissives and disappeared to clean up the mess. Frank wriggled, well aware of the knot pressing against his prostate the entire time - no matter how he sat.

He sipped his soda and looked around hazily, his body very confused at what had played out, but his brain wandered through the muck and mire of his dwindling headspace. After a scene, he immediately got cuddles before either he or Gerard went to clean up their mess, however, Ty did it ass-backward: clean first and then... Well, he didn't even cuddle, so Frank wasn't sure what the hold-up was all about, but it made him upset. He closed his eyes, listening to the vintage cartoons on the TV, and let his brain wander. It was a passing thought that got his attention so much so that he doubled back. He remembered his first encounter with Ty, his threesome, and how Ty had called Gerard 'soft' for the way he let Frank get away with things, and how it had been Gerard who had cleaned up their mess, and yet, Ty was now busy cleaning instead of either two submissives he had on hand. He frowned as he came to the conclusion that Ty was on the same trajectory as Gerard, just a few months behind, since he was also softening because of his submissive and seemingly allowing more now than he had when they began.

He glanced at Josh through hazy eyes and smiled, hoping that when he woke, he would remember this train of thought to share it with him. But he was fading fast, and soon, he felt himself drift off into a hazy dream of nothingness.

~

Hours later, Frank was half-awake on painkillers, watching Josh get adoring praise from his Daddy for being such a good boy. Frank was happily snacking on his pineapple, mushroom, and olive pizza that Ty had ordered for lunch when he heard the door open. His head snapped up as Gerard strolled in with a sigh and snow on his shoulders. Frank gave him a weak smile, "Hi, Papa."

"How is everyone?"

Joshy just smiled at him, still very much in pupspace from his perch in his bed with a new teddy he received from Daddy for being a good boy. Gerard came over to give Frank a kiss before he turned to Joshy who was showing off his new toy clasped between his puppy teeth. Gerard clicked his tongue gently, "My, my, my, and who is that? Someone has a new friend, I see. Well, look at you, sweet pup. Only the best boys get toys like that."

Joshy's tail continued to wag like crazy, his teeth glinting with such a bright smile that made his eyes squint practically closed, his teddy hanging by an ear in between his canines. Gerard chuckled as Joshy lay back down, gnawing on his bear as the eldest Dominant turned to Ty, "You have a very good boy on your hands, my friend."

"Fuck yeah, I do. You have no idea." Ty smiled, and Frank's head snapped up, eyeing him suddenly, suspicious about the smile on his face. He wouldn't dare... Would he?

Gerard looked at Frank, "And what about you, my sweet boy? Did you behave?"

Frank tilted his head as he applied a thick layer of innocence to his voice akin to frosting on a fresh cake, his eyes on Ty in an instant as he batted his eyelashes, "Ask Ty, sir. I can't possibly say for myself, he was the one who had to look after me."

Gerard raised both eyebrows and turned to look at the Dominant in question, his hands on his hips expectantly, "Well?"

"Very well-behaved, actually, he took it laying down, after all."

Frank felt his entire face flood with color and ferocious heat and Gerard looked between them, completely lost and missing out on the private joke that Frank didn't find very funny whatsoever. He pursed his lips, "Okay, something definitely happened. Do I want to know?" He turned to Ty, "What did he do this time?"

"Hey-!"

Ty smiled simply, "Something he's never done before, Big Papa."

"Ty, please, don't-" Frank's voice came out in a frantic squeak, the octave surprising him, but he couldn't focus on it when the panic in his system made everything feel on-end like nerve endings.

"Did he call the dentist's office all by himself?" Gerard asked with a smile, and Frank honestly wished he had, in comparison, it was less painful than this. Hell, he would have even phoned the doctor all by himself if it would shut Ty up, but he was in no position to barter.

Ty shrugged effortlessly and steepled his fingers, "Better."

"Did he... pass his maintenance test? I know he had some minor difficulty remembering the paraphilias lately."

"Better."

"Well, I don't know." Gerard smiled at Frank as if anticipating the action to be something of which he should be proud, but Frank wasn't sure if 'pride' was the appropriate emotion. Gerard tilted his head expectantly, "What did you do?"

Ty looked Frank in the eye, a malicious glint sparkled much like the North Star in the inky sky, except one was a beacon of hope, the other of desolation. And Frank didn't want either of the two. Ty looked up at Gerard matter-of-factly, "Someone got bred by a puppy in heat today."

Frank let out a silent scream and buried his head in the neck of his sweater, unable to process any of what had just happened. There was some part of him, and in retrospect, he realized how foolish it was, that hoped Ty would back down and keep it a secret. How could Frank be so naive, especially after the dare war. No sane person would snort soy sauce, let alone keep a secret so fiendish, and Frank only had himself to blame for trusting Ty with his shame. He couldn't bear to look at Gerard, or face Ty, or even look at Joshy. He peeked out for a second to see Gerard's eyebrows practically in his hair, and he vanished yet again.

"Well..." Gerard paused for a breath that ended in a surprised little laugh, "Fuck."

Ty let out a cackle, "He took it so well, too. He even let me knot him. You never know, mon frere, you could be a stepdad."

"Shut your ass!" Frank shrieked and kicked his feet against the sofa, so mortified by both of them. He refused to exist in that moment, no matter what.

"And he let Joshy breed him five whole times, y'know. It was eversick. He's still knotted, I think."

Gerard let out a whistle, "Now that, I did not expect." He sat down beside Frank, "Who knew my boy enjoyed being bred? So fascinating, aren't you, little creature?"

Ty chuckled, "He actually got pretty fussy when I mentioned you breeding another sub, I did just mean Josh but he got all... Huffy."

Frank kicked the couch a second time, but Gerard intercepted, wrapping his long fingers around Frank's ankle firmly, giving him a warning glance that stilled Frank's wary insides immediately. Frank let out a small whine that Gerard abated as he rubbed his thumb over Frank's ankle bone gently, "Well, now that I know he takes it so well, I might have to try it for myself."

Frank peeked out at him from his shirt again, blushing when Gerard gave him a subtle wink. He swallowed, "Really, Papa?"

"Of course, little one."