It was now only a week before Christmas and the house was fully decorated. Frank had been able to go shopping for gifts with all of his partners in tow, splitting off when he had to buy gifts for one of his bodyguards. It was his first time spending a Christmas away from his mother, and he was also surprised by how little snow there was in California in comparison to New Jersey.

He was now alone at home since Gerard had left for a work meeting, and Ty and Josh had gone out God knows where. He finished showering and towel-drying his black locks that had now grown down to his shoulders. He pulled on a pair of simple black panties and one of Ty's enormously oversized t-shirts that he had stolen when he folded the laundry with Josh last week. He rolled the sleeves up until he could finally see his hands, and flattened the material over his chest, happy with the soft texture. Being home alone almost always made Frank rather introspective. It was almost 2017 and that was mind-boggling. How much the world around him had changed and how grateful he was that Gerard had left the world of politics before it fell to shit. Or, more shit. Frank felt saddened by it because he loved politics, and it was the subject as a whole that got him where he was today, he just wished that it hadn't become such a violent topic, and a hateful one, at that. He shook the thought from his head and decided to focus on where he was now, rather than what could have been.

He had been in his new house for almost six weeks and, sure, there were definitely still some things that needed fine-tuning to his liking, but he loved his new home nonetheless. Being alone was not something Frank found himself doing now that he shared a house with four people, and half a house with his fiancé. But it gave him time to really admire the little castle he had created with his Master. Gerard and Ty had designed the home from the ground up, making sure that everyone had what they needed to create their own safe little nest. The exterior was a warm beige with speckled masonry climbing up the sides, matching the semi-arid climate of Sacramento really well in terms of real estate.

Frank decided to use the time to himself and be productive, despite it being a backward order, he would do his chores. He knew he probably should have cleaned before he had a shower, but to him, showering made him feel productive. Besides, who said he was only allowed one shower a day? Ty had up to four sometimes, but that was his own predisposition and Frank wasn't about to ask. He decided to start by the front door and work his way up, grabbing his earphones and cleaning supplies. He put on some Type O and began sweeping, admiring the enormous entranceway. He had been genuinely surprised at the size of the foyer alone and could have bet one month's salary that the old living room in Ryan's house could have fit in it. Hell, everything about this new house was just exceptionally large. From the white marble of the floor, the honey-colored staircase where all four of them could stand beside each other on the same step, and the enormous framed canvas on the wall to his left. It was a large oil painting, a reimagining of Apollo and Hyacinth's last moments that Ty had painted for them once they had settled in. The painting stood six feet tall and at least sixteen feet across; Ty had built the canvas himself and had measured it to fit the entire expanse of the left wall of the foyer. God knows when he found the time to paint the entire thing, but Frank knew never to question Ty - methods behind the madness should never be uncovered. To the right of the staircase was a dark blue chaise that sat below a beautiful bay window. A tiered crystal chandelier hung above Frank's head as the staircase veered up and to the left, the balcony leading to a landing and a hallway that connected the two parts of the house. If Frank went up the stairs and kept going left, he would end up outside Ty's shibari room.

Now, however, the entryway had been decorated for the holidays by the two subs about a week prior, even before they had taken the day to do the living room. The wooden banisters of the stairs on both sides had been wound with fake pine wreaths from bottom to top, the greenery then bedazzled with white holly, white gold baubles, and a few smaller white decorum. Josh had suggested silver and white, but there was something about white gold that Frank couldn't ignore. They had even set up a few glass jar candles on the first two steps that they lit every night for some ambiance - electrical candles, of course. Especially with Jim and his fluffy tail running around.

Next to the curved staircase, wrapped up in the gentle slope, was an enormous fake Christmas tree. Frank insisted on a plastic one since he just couldn't stand the idea of a tree carcass in his house slowly dying while it was draped in lights. And Gerard could never deny him that. The tree went from floor to almost halfway up the second floor and it was decorated in warm white lights, the same platinum baubles as the stairs, and a magnetic shit ton of white cashmere bows. It was a magnificent sight when you walked into the house and at first, Frank wanted to admit that it was too much, but now? Now, it brought him so much happiness, even when he had to get on his hands and knees to dust under it. Gerard had promised that they would go and get some fake boxes to wrap and put under the tree over the weekend and Frank was so excited - he loved the task of wrapping gifts.

He swept and mopped the floor, taking great care not to hit anything on the tree, and carefully made his way through the wooden french doors next to the staircase that went into the kitchen, wiping his forehead. He smiled when he saw his kitchen, happy with just how pretty it was. It was also another big room in the house, but to be fair, all of the rooms were. He still had to get used to it. The one wall that faced the backyard was purely window and sliding door - but Frank made sure that it had retractable blinds for nighttime. The ceilings in the house were nice and high. And he had everything painted a crisp white. The countertops were a glittery black granite, one row against the far wall, and an island across from it, nothing excessive. They had the essential appliances, and Frank was so grateful that Gerard agreed to purchase a dishwasher in the same shiny chrome as their new fridge and oven. They had Edison bulbs hanging from the ceiling above the island counter, and all of the counters had been painted a muted teal, the same color of one of Gerard's suits that happened to be Frank's favorite. There were three wooden barstools on the other side of the island and, behind it where Frank was now mopping, was a vintage oak breakfast table with four grey chairs - a seating area where they found themselves sitting together most often when family matters were to be discussed.

Frank listened to his playlist, scrubbing a sticky stain from the wooden floor under the table where Ty had been sneakily feeding Jim more table scraps despite Josh explicitly banning him. He straightened up and looked at his crossroads; he could either go into the dining room that stood behind the table or to his right into the living room. He decided to get the smaller room out of the way and ducked through the archway into the barely-used dining area. It was for special occasions and, Frank realized with excitement, that included Christmas. He had already draped a white cashmere runner across the table and set down a pretty wood centerpiece with white candles in it and gold-sprayed holly pieces.

The white marble from the entryway continued in their dining room, the walls painted a warm beige and each panel of the wall had intricate wooden wainscoting to give it a vintage Victorian feel that Gerard seemed to love sneaking into the design of the house here and there. But Frank loved that either way. On one side was a large canvas print of Cabanel's Fallen Angel, one of Frank's favorite religious artworks. It took Frank a while to realize why it was his favorite, but it took Josh almost five seconds to look at the anguished painting and turn to Frank, asking if he had it printed because Lucifer looked just like Gerard. Frank glanced up at the large canvas print and into the eyes of the fallen angel, his stomach twisting into a dozen knots as he forced himself to look away - the same reaction he had whenever he found himself looking into his own Master's eyes for too long. On the other side of the eight-seater table were two in-walled shelves that housed some of their favorite knickknacks. There were some books from Gerard's French collection and one or two photographs that added warmth to the room again. Frank looked at the framed pictures and smiled, seeing a photo of Gerard and Lindsey that was taken a few days before they left for California. The other photos were a mix of Gerard and Franks' that did not make it into the frames in the rest of the house, but they were no less special. Frank had even put up a photo of his mom in the dining room for safekeeping. He felt it appropriate since she loved cooking and eating and making sure everyone was fed. In the middle of both tall glass storage pieces was a mahogany bar with a few essentials just in case they ever entertained. Frank had once stolen a gin and tonic after a rough day, and the gold bar set that Gerard bought just made the entire experience ten times fancier than it should have been. Above the table was another three-tier chandelier but this one had black iron rings that matched the black legs of the chairs. Frank was proud of his choice of seating for this room; he had spotted the chairs online one day and immediately fell in love with the concrete-colored linen and rounded backs to these chairs that, to be honest, no one ever fucking used. He didn't care. He had eight of them in his possession and that was enough. If Gerard ever had to entertain for work, or they brought friends over for dinner, he would make sure everyone knew he had picked those chairs himself. Frank mopped around the tall ficus in the corner and made his way out as White Zombie sang More Human Than Human, and wiped a trickle of sweat from his hairline, his cheeks now hot and flushed.

He tiptoed over the mopped floor and out of the dining room, crossing the kitchen carefully with supplies in hand, and made his way into the swathe that was their living room. It was one of his favorite rooms besides their bedroom. The wooden floors from the kitchen continued into the living room. Well, the living room itself was also technically two rooms but they had split it into a TV room, and then through the door at the end, was their relaxing cozy nook - Gerard insisted. The walls of this half of the lounge were a rich navy blue, the floor covered by a large red and blue Persian rug. The wall to the left was a large shelving unit that took up most of the wall and in the middle was where their flat screen was mounted, and this is where he and Gerard found themselves every Thursday night to watch one of Gerard's black-and-white movies. The mantel beneath the TV was where their five Christmas stockings hung, and where they had draped more long pine-brush lengths across the top and down the sides. They had been a present from Josh, and he had hand-stitched everyone's names into the fluffy rim of each sock. One for Daddy, one for Papa, one for Frankie, one for Puppy, and one for James, as Gerard liked to call him. No matter how much Josh tried, Gerard just couldn't get around to calling the dog 'Jim'.

Everyone's stocking was unique to themselves, and Frank was so sure that Josh had actually made them even if he would never admit it. Ty's stocking was pure black except for the name that had been stitched in white, Frank's stocking was also black, but it had a knitted-sweater skull print on the front with white fluff and his name in red. Josh's was black and red plaid with white paws stitched onto the bottom and white fluff, his name in black. Gerard's stocking was exactly like an ugly Christmas sweater in white, green, and red with snowflakes and snowmen all over it, white fluff, and his name in red. Jim's stocking was red and it had a Jim on it wrapped in Christmas lights and his name in black. They were all unique, but they all worked together, just like their owners.

In the far left corner by the two windows was where a mustard-colored leather armchair would have stood, but it had been moved out of the room and replaced with a floor-to-ceiling tree. This tree wasn't as beautifully simple in color scheme as the one in the foyer, but it was just as exquisite to look at, and even better in Frank's opinion, because he and Gerard had decorated it together with the other two spending time with them. He still remembered that day fondly. The tree wasn't fully green like the other, but it had been sprayed white and had a snowy aesthetic to it. They had draped it with more than one set of lights and a few strands of silver tinsel before tying beautiful bows into the limbs. Frank went to admire the bows themselves, touching the shiny fabric. The same material had been used to tie bows to the strings of each stocking for some cohesion. Josh had even found some candles in the same color for the little coffee table. The color in question? A muted peach. They also put a shiny silver star on the top that twinkled thanks to a well-hidden battery pack. Behind the tree hung some abstract art that Gerard adored, but was ultimately hidden by the tree, but he didn't seem to mind because he actually liked the way they had decorated the living room. Frank took it as a compliment since Gerard was very serious about his art.

From the ceiling hung another chandelier, and from that, Frank had hung more wreaths of pine and little lights. Some could say he went overboard, but he liked to think he was cautiously optimistic. In the right corner of the room across from said chair stood a tall fake tree in a wicker basket and it was one of the few things in the house that set off Frank's allergies when he had to dust it. Next to it was a small table with a blue lamp and some magazines. Across from the wall unit was a beige plush sofa covered in cushions of various designs and matching color scheme. A small marble table stood in the middle of the room with a vase of pink peonies and a small frame.

Frank paused for a moment as he was sweeping the rug. He looked up at the TV with that same thought in his head. He and Gerard had a routine every Thursday where they spent time together. It was every Thursday, and yet, it was never boring. He never felt as though their time together was a chore. He leaned against the broom as he stared at the floral cushion on the sofa, a frown on his brow. Was it really the routine that he hated about his relationship with Ryan? Because, if he was honest with himself, he had a lot of routine in his life now. From his chores to his hygiene schedule and his time set out for each partner. Hell, he even had a schedule on his phone for his medication. So what was it? Was it Ryan himself? Was it the fact that it wasn't his own routine and he felt as though he had to just lump along with someone else? Or was it simply that he just didn't love Ryan like he thought he did? If he had to compare the love he had for his ex and the love he had for his Dominant, it was the same as comparing a bruised banana to an orange. If you threw in the love he had for his two other partners, that was the same as adding a raspberry to the mix. None of it was the same, but Frank knew one thing for sure: he hated bananas. So did Ty but that was for a completely different reason. Bananas didn't make him miserable for six years. Or, maybe they did. Frank wasn't about to judge him. He shook his head of the distracting thoughts and continued sweeping and polishing until the room was a satisfactory level of cleanliness.

He ambled his way through the archway at the end of the blue living room, hands full of cleaning supplies and a bucket that continued to knock into his shins. He set everything down with a huff and took his shirt between his fingers, fluffing and waving it against his skin to create a breeze. He wiped his forehead on his arm and adjusted one of his earphones in his ear.

Between the armchair and the tree was their nook, their little escape from the rest of the house that wasn't completely bondage-related. Although, it seemed as though Gerard had staked a claim in the room more than Frank had; it was where you could find Gerard eighty percent of the time. The walls were a beautiful burnt orange, and the floors were also the same honey-wood as the previous lounge. A simple brass candelabra-type chandelier hung from the ceiling to match the warmth of the room. Gerard's olive-colored sofa was one of the few items that made its way across the country with them, and it found its home in the nook from the old office where it had previously been. It stood against the left wall below some historical art prints - one of Las Meninas, and the other being The Night Watch, and between two wooden tables with carved wood lamps. Across from the sofa was a very old-style fireplace with a rosewood mantle that housed more of Gerard's old-office belongings. Above it was a large framed painting of Flaming June that Frank had bought for Gerard as a housewarming gift. To the left of the fireplace was a wooden bookshelf that had been built into the wall, and it was where half of their book collection remained. There was another large rug on the floor to tie the room together and a small wooden table. In front of the shelves was a brown leather armchair where Gerard sat in the mornings to read his newspaper and look out into the world from the large window. Frank had found him there most mornings but never had the heart to break his silent reverie. He just stood and looked at him for a few minutes, just admiring his Master in the morning sunlight.

There was something ethereal about seeing Gerard in the sun that Frank couldn't explain. It was the way the light would touch his skin and practically set his hair aflame with how bright it would glow. It seemed an almost juxtaposition to how dark he knew his partner could be, and what lurked beneath the surface. It was a wild thought to him most days that this man who seemed so... 'normal' was not the word to ever describe Gerard. Perhaps, it was something akin to 'unforeseen' instead, that someone so bright and colorful could have such unexpected and perverse tendencies. He thought back to the damned painting that hung in the dining room and the dark eyes that he always tended to avoid, and how any viewer of the art itself knew of the evil in those eyes, but why was Frank the only one who could see that in Gerard? Anyone else who met Gerard always seemed to open up and be taken with him as though he were the savior they had prayed for, and yet Frank knew it was the exact opposite. Was he just that good at hiding his depravity? How long had it taken to master such a skill? Frank remembered when he met him for the first time, and he had no idea. Gerard was a charming politician with an effervescent personality and a confident stride. Now that he knew him in a different light, it surprised him daily when he could see Gerard switch so quickly from 'sadist' to 'public figure'. And that glint never left his thrilling green eyes, but, Frank supposed, perhaps you had to know it was there to see it in its entirety. Frank now knew exactly what tendencies those were and what gave Gerard that predilection in his gaze, and what that meant for himself. He had to take a second to recover mentally before he could finish vacuuming.

Frank walked out of the rooms and went back into the entranceway, glad that the marble floor was dry, as he knew it could get rather slippery when wet. The only other room to clean downstairs was their guest bathroom which was hidden under the large staircase. He wiped his face on his shirt and opened the wooden door, grunting as he lugged his supplies into the bathroom. This room was one of the few where Gerard had complete creative freedom and it showed. The walls were tiled three-quarters of the way up with dark green subway tile, the other quarter painted white to match the ceiling. The floor was white tile with a small black diamond at every corner to create a spaced pattern that reminded Frank of old floors. There was a toilet on the left with a dark wood seat and a stack of old books next to it for display. Across from the toilet was a white porcelain sink that they had installed into a dark wood table. There was a beautiful mirror with an ornate gold frame on the wall above the sink. Against the far wall of the bathroom was a large claw-foot bronze tub with gold fixtures bolted to the wall. Frank had been given a long lecture about how good copper baths were because they were antimicrobial and good for you, but apparently, you weren't actually allowed to use it. He wasn't sure why, but he knew not to ask. Gerard had his reasons and Frank just ran with it - it was a beautiful additure for the room nonetheless. An in-wall shelf was adorned with old bottles filled with some flowers and even a small yellow-and-wood globe. He got on his knees with a scrubbing brush and a tin of metal polish and began cleaning the tub diligently when he paused near the headrest side. There was something stamped into the underside of it. He frowned and turned almost completely upside down to have a look at what it said. He squinted, pulling out his phone to use the flashlight, but ended up taking a photo instead. He zoomed in on the screen and frowned, "Who is... Helen Ashford? Ma'am, we have your bath. Sorry."

He sent the photo to Gerard, cracking some joke about a dead lady's bathtub, and pocketed his phone again to finish cleaning. It took Frank five minutes to clean the floors and a few minutes more to polish all of the porcelain. He panted, leaning his cheek on the cold tile. He went back into the kitchen and grabbed himself a can of diet soda, shotgunning it as quickly as he could as his heart hammered in his chest. He let out a raucous burp and rubbed his chest, throwing the empty can into the recycling bin. He perched himself on one of the bar stools and took out his phone, scrolling through some of his feed as he took a break. He saw Gerard's name pop up in his notification bar and he smiled, opening their text tab. He saw his photo and their previous conversation from the day before.

Frank: We have some dead lady's bath. Hope she didn't croak in it lol

Apollo: I assure you, my grandmother did not die in the bath, Frank.

Frank: Oh.

Frank let out a groan and rubbed his face, all but wanting to punch himself. Of course, it was his grandmother's bathtub. Of course. Why the fuck did Frank feel the need to laugh at an old woman who died? He had no idea why he said half the things he did, or why no one stopped him. And now he had just disrespected his almost-grandmother-in-law. He heard his phone 'ping' again, and he hesitated to look at the response, but he couldn't ignore Gerard. He opened the message and had a look.

Apollo: I can hear you spiraling from here. Relax, you did not know. Besides, she had a wicked sense of humor from what I remember.

Frank smiled, knowing that Gerard might just be saying that to cheer him up, but he didn't care. It worked. He typed his response, curling and uncurling his toes against the bottom bar of the stool he was still perched upon.

Frankie: Cool cool cool. I wasn't spiraling that bad. I was just hoping it wasn't like that scene in The Shining.

He sent Gerard a little black heart before putting his music back on and pocketing the device safely. He hopped from the chair and made his way upstairs, monkey-crawling up the stairs on his hands and feet like he used to as a child, because, well, who was going to stop him?

He put the cleaning items away and went upstairs, grabbing the second set of cleaning goods that he hid in the hallway closet. He knew he would never get the chores done if he had to lug it all up and down the stairs and rather, have a set on each floor. Even Gerard thought it was clever. It wasn't hurting anyone after all. He took the broom and the vacuum and decided to start in the main bedroom on one far side, working his way across the landing until he got to his half of the hallway. The railing of the hallway was polished while he stood there, making the white paint shine from the light of the chandelier that he had been standing under about an hour ago. He and Josh had also hung some baubles from the railing and put up a smaller version of the hallway tree upstairs, standing on the landing surrounded by some ruched white fabric and a little Golden Retriever statue that had a Christmas hat in its mouth. A small rug stood across on the other side of the overlooking landing that signified where Ty and Josh's half of the house stood. The walls above were also painted the same beige as the hallway below, and the lower half of the walls were white and wainscotted just like the balcony. The floors were also white marble and freezing cold, so Frank went to the thermostat and turned the floor heating on, a feature he never expected to ever have in his life. He finished cleaning the railing and turned around startling himself when he saw his reflection in the wide mirror on the wall.

His face was pink and mottled from his exertion, his black hair sticking to his forehead and cheeks. He took a second to look at himself and it was the first time in a while that he actually took note of his appearance. His freshly dyed hair had just started touching his shoulders, dead straight at the ends thanks to his Asian heritage, but full of volume thanks to mom. His face had lost some weight since last year from what he had seen in pictures, his cheekbones more pronounced. He hadn't necessarily lost weight, but he had been exercising every day to some degree. He didn't want to lose weight anyway, and he knew Gerard preferred him with a bit of meat on his bones anyway so he always made sure to eat well. It was like padding so he didn't break any bones. He leaned in a bit, remembering that he had another laser appointment next week; he was tired of shaving and he hated how he looked with facial hair, so it made sense. He rubbed his cheek, smiling at the soft skin that wasn't interrupted with sharp stubble like it used to be. He also needed to trim his eyebrows that evening, for sure. He played with his lip ring and tilted his head, he had been itching for another piercing for a long time now, and he was so close to asking Gerard if he could get his philtrum pierced.

He huffed and turned, walking down the hall, polishing the picture frames that hung in a mural on the wall. He walked into the main bedroom and smiled happily, his toes curling into the soft beige carpet. He set his supplies down and went to make the bed. He and Gerard had bought a new bed when they moved, a dark wood four-poster with a tall mattress. Their room wasn't the same red and off-white color scheme it had been in Jersey, but rather, a green and muted mustard that Frank had honestly not been very hopeful about, but now? He loved it. The wall on the left had a long dresser where Gerard stored his ties and various accouterment, and their towels in the last two drawers. There was an olive green runner that went across the top with some candles and a little fake fern sat in the middle. The walls and ceiling of the room were a warm faded mustard color that was interrupted with thick white skirting in two squares on the ceiling- one in the corners of the room where skirting usually stood, and then the ceiling sunk in only a few inches to allow for a second row of white trim, and within it, another small chandelier. There was a window on either side of the bed and each one had olive-colored drapery at the top with flimsy white netting for privacy. On each side of the bed was a side table in the same dark wood as the dresser and bed frame. Each table had a lamp and was decorated with each person's nightly routine. Gerard had his books, a coaster for his water, and his insulin case, while Frank had a coaster, a comic book, and his phone charger. The inside of his top drawer had an array of sex toys, condoms, and lube. Although to be fair, the same could be said for Gerard's second drawer - the top drawer had more books and his glasses case.

Frank tucked their dark green sheet in at all four corners and lay their comforter down neatly. The white material had vertical stripes along it in the same dark green. He then lay their dark green quilt across the foot of the bed. He also knew precisely in which order Gerard liked their pillows to be stacked: three large dark green continentals at the back, two slightly smaller olive-colored pillows in front of it, two smaller white scatter cushions in front of those, and one olive and green cushion right in front. As Frank listened to Echo and the Bunnymen, he fluffed the cushion lightly, admiring the Chinese brocade fabric. There were also ten pillows total and for some reason, that made Frank's brain happy. And, in all honesty, this room in the house, besides their playroom, made him the happiest of all. Yes, he loved his house from every single inch, but their bedroom was their space. This is where they always came together at the end of the day, good or bad. They cuddled here and cried here and fucked here, why else would Frank love it? This bed was the epicenter of the room, but they spent time together as a whole here. Frank could sit and watch Gerard get undressed at the end of the day, and Gerard would watch Frank brush his teeth in their en-suite. Frank would pick out Gerard's tie and match it with his socks, and sometimes, Gerard would pick out Frank's clothes for the day.

He sat down on one of the ottomans and rested his head against one of the bed posts, just admiring the bed they had made together. His brain chose that moment to remind him that this bed and what they shared here was also another routine. And it was some of his fondest memories. His nighttime care routine, his hygiene, and his bedtime - all a routine. But he shared it with someone who made it bearable. Yes, even sex every night became a routine unless they weren't in the mood or were under the weather - although, that was very rare. Yes, sex had become a routine now, but the act itself never failed to excite him. It was never the same, and Gerard always found a way to make it as good as the last, sometimes better.

He straightened the two beige ottomans at the foot of the bed once he stood up, wiping his ass-print from the velvet. The visual itself reminded him of the one time he rode Gerard on one of the ottomans, and he couldn't help the grin on his face. It wasn't the most exciting place they'd ever fucked, but it sure was fun. He threw his pajamas in the hamper next to the doors of their walk-in closet. He plugged in the vacuum and began cleaning, his brain almost zoning out entirely as he went around the large fake fern in the far right corner and moved the curtains of the big window of the right wall aside.

He straightened the runner on the dresser and polished the big round bronze mirror above it when he finished cleaning the room. He went into the en-suite bathroom with his mop and switched on the lights. He paused and went back into the bedroom and opened the doors to the walk-in, looking over the beige carpet and dark shelves, scanning over Gerard's left side and Frank's right side, making double-sure that everything was neat and tidy. He scurried in to clean the mirror in the middle and the glass that covered Gerard's watch display. He grunted in annoyance with himself and brought the vacuum in, giving it a quick once over before he went back to the expansive bathroom.

It was more white than he had hoped for in a bathroom but he wasn't going to complain since he knew Gerard liked it that way. It was a peaceful break from all of the color in the house and Gerard often went into the bathroom to soak in the tub and just regroup. Frank began by sweeping the white and beige marbled tile before mopping it from the back forward. The bathroom was also big, and probably the size of their old bedroom. The walls were painted beige, and the bottom half had the same tile as the floor. The wall on the right had white counters and two basins, the countertops were beige marble. There were two enormous mirrors that were separated by Grecian-style pillars. There was an enormous shower that took up a whole corner of the bathroom on the left, the showerhead was waterfall-style and attached to the roof of the shower, but there were also two showerheads on the wall, and the tiled floor and walls were the same as the rest. The shower stuck out from the wall almost in an octagon shape, three of its faces were glass. Frank could remember the countless times he showered with Gerard, the shared tenderness of just being together under the water could fix even the worst days. They never really had shower sex, because it seemed very impractical. He had given Gerard a blowjob once or twice in there, but it was hell on his knees. Full-on sex was impossible if they were both standing because their height difference made it impossible, and if Gerard tried to pick him up, there was a falling hazard that Frank refused to even entertain.

On the left side, the same width as the one shower wall was the bathtub that was actually built into the wall by tile around it, almost like a sunken tub. There were three jars in descending order of size that were filled with bath salts, white tea, and tiny bath bombs. And that bath was where any water-related sex would occur. It was so much easier and much nicer to enjoy in the bath than the shower, there wasn't as much legroom, but they didn't care at all. There was also a huge gold-frame mirror on the tiny piece of wall between the shower and the counters. Next to that mirror was an outcrop of the wall only a few feet that hid the toilet from view. Which brought Frank's perverted thoughts all the way around full circle. That mirror saw everything. All of the mirrors did, especially the ones above the sinks that faced the bathtub. They also saw the one time when Frank was bent over the counter one morning.

He made sure he finished the bathroom before he grabbed his stuff and walked out into the hallway, turning and walking into the bedroom right outside - his bedroom. He could decorate this room exactly how he wanted and, as much as he liked his room back in Jersey, this one was more his style. The floors were wood rather than carpet but covered in a large pale peach rug that was decorated in a black scalloped pattern. The walls were all black, the ceiling and windows painted white, and there was a beautiful white and gold candelabra chandelier in the middle. The ceiling had the same double-step wainscoting as the main bedroom, too. His big bed stood in the middle against the wall on the right, a large outcrop of black and white curtains framed a brown-leather padded headboard. Above the headboard hung a round bronze mirror- an exact twin to the one in his and Gerard's room. His sheets were white, his big pillows black to match the blanket, but the scatter cushions had black stripes squared around the edges. At the foot of the bed stood a padded black ottoman with some brown plaid cushions and a long striped one that Josh had crocheted for him. Each side of the bed had a dark wood table and a glass lamp with a white shade. On the black wall on either side of the bed were two thinly framed photos, photos that Frank had taken in high school. They weren't of anything special, but he loved them nonetheless.

On the far side of the room where the windows stood, there was the second half of their beige sofa suite, a second beige sofa that couldn't find a home in the living room downstairs. It found itself here in Frank's room decked in black and white pillows and a fluffy blanket. It was where Frank and Josh liked to sit and make out sometimes. Directly across from the foot of the bed was a short wooden stand with a big TV on top of it and Josh's game console, since Ty was still a little uncomfortable with it in the house. He had only just gotten used to TV in the house as it is. Frank got to vacuuming and sweeping, moving the rug as best he could on his own to clean the floor beneath it. He looked up at the wall behind the TV and remembered when he and Ty tried to put the wallpaper up themselves. It was a fond memory as well, watching Ty fight with the paper and the glue as if it had a personal vendetta against him. The wallpaper itself was nothing of consequence, just black and grey thick stripes from floor to ceiling, but it added something to the room that he enjoyed.

He didn't sleep in this bed as much as he did in his bed with Gerard, but he did sleep here when it was his night with Josh every Wednesday. That was special to him even if they never did much - hell, they haven't even had sex, yet. His room was like a private sanctuary to him in a different way. The room he shared with Gerard was for them, but this room, this was his alone. He hid here when he was overstimulated and didn't want to upset the others, he hid here when the world was just a bit too much, and it was somewhere where he didn't have any expectations of him. That was healthy, his therapist told him, especially when he had a lot of expectations from others. They didn't have to be high expectations at all, but it was good to have a place that was entirely his own; his very own Switzerland.

He flopped onto his bed when he finished vacuuming, panting softly. He checked his phone again and smiled when he saw he had been sent a heart from Gerard, as well as a text letting him know he'd be home in about an hour or so, and he was bringing everyone some lunch. The idea that Frank wouldn't have to cook after this as well, did give him a burst of energy to clean the last room in the house; papa's study. He grabbed all of his things and made his way to the door across from the stairs next to their playroom - which he didn't need to clean since he had cleaned it a few days prior. He opened the door to the office and smiled at just how 'Gerard' it was. The ceiling and walls were a warm muted tan color, the skirting was a stormy steel blue. The floor was wood but covered predominantly with yet another Persian rug. On the left were some prints on the wall in thin frames, prints of cityscapes in Quebec, and below it was a sideboard table next to a teal and red plaid armchair, a brown leather footstool stood in front of it. On the other side of the sideboard was a wooden chair that had a leather padded seat in the same shade of blue as the skirting. The wall facing the door was one of Frank's favorites to look at because it was just so unique and so intrinsically done by Gerard that it looked perfect in his eyes.

Each side of the wall was framed by built-in wooden bookcases and was painted in the same blue as the skirting, the shelves stuck out of the walls just enough to frame a luxurious dark-brown leather sofa. There was a painting above the sofa in a gold frame, and in the frame was a copy of Gerard's favorite painting, an imitation of Monet's Bain à la Grenouillère that had been in his old office, but had never been a centerpiece like it was now. It even had two spotlights above it that had been fixtured into the blue-shelved bridge of the bookcases to perfectly display the painting. The bookcases had all of Gerard's prized books, including Salò and the books he had been given from Lindsey for his birthday. He decorated the shelves with some of his little art pieces like a trophy he had received in high school for graduating summa cum laude, his lacrosse award from university, and a beautiful bust of Apollo that Frank had given him. A little table with some candles and a table book stood in front of the sofa, the table book being another gift from the happy submissive - a history of Greek Mythology and its Part in Democracy. There was a bright crystal chandelier in the middle of the tawny ceiling that just contrasted so much with the cozy warmth of the room.

It was so interesting to see how different this office was from the one he had been used to back in Jersey. That office, although very nice, also felt so precise. It was a home office, but Frank knew that Gerard often had meetings in there and, so, it needed to put on a perfect face. This office, it was so personal, so cozy, and so much nicer. Gerard didn't need to have his desk facing the room or facing any potential meeting-members, it could face the wall and allow him the view of the garden outside. He had no reason to constantly be perfect anymore to the rest of the world, even in his own home. But to Frank, he was perfect either way - he just liked this version of Gerard way more. The framed certificates on the wall above the desk were an indicator of just how intelligent his papa was, and Frank was surprised to learn that Gerard went as far as getting his Master's degree before he moved on to become a member of Congress. Frank knew his Dominant was smart, and he never doubted him for a second, but a Master's in Political Sciences? He was a little embarrassed by his dumb English certificate, but he didn't let it stop him from showing Gerard how proud he was nonetheless. And Gerard always corrected him whenever he brought it up. He never allowed Frank to wallow in his smaller successes because there are some people out there who are proud of the fact that they passed the tenth grade, and that didn't mean their success was any less special. It was moments like those that reminded Frank just how mature Gerard was, too. How fair and unbiased he was because of his work, and how he just always seemed to find the best in any situation. Frank couldn't help but gravitate toward him because of it.

Frank continued cleaning as he allowed himself to zone out, thinking of his partner, allowing himself to just bask in the positive energy that always seemed to emanate from this room in particular. Gerard no longer had to hide in his work and pretend to be someone else, and he was no less successful. He seemed happier now, even if it took some time to get here. Frank sat on his knees to continue polishing all of the wooden furniture in the office - there was more in here than in the rest of the house combined. There was a second chair in the corner that matched the one sitting by the sideboard, and behind it was a large window that hung plaid curtains similar to the pattern of the armchair. The wall on the right next to the window was where Gerard had put his antique desk, pushed against the wall with his leather desk chair turned to face the outside. Frank smiled when he saw a photo of himself and Josh on the desk, and a tiny picture of Ty's driver's license tucked into the side of it. It was the closest you'd ever get to having Ty in pictures - Frank learned that the hard way only once. He smiled at the photo of himself and Josh, remembering when it had been taken - on his birthday. It was that very morning when Frank had been surprised by the three of them and when Josh had posed for a picture. Frank was half asleep with no pants on, but clearly, it was a fond memory for his Dominant.

He finished cleaning, a weight off of his shoulders, and just sat down in the plaid armchair, looking at the room. This is where he always sat, where he had permission to sit. He wasn't always allowed in the office when Gerard was working because he knew he could be a distraction, but when he was, he would sit here and read or practice the work Gerard gives him every week. And sometimes... sometimes he would just sit and watch Gerard work. He would just listen to the keyboard as he typed or the light scratch of his fountain pen on his personalized stationery. If he was being very good, however, he would be promoted from chair to flank, and he would sit at Gerard's side on the rug, just sit like a happy little pet on the floor and revel in their proximity. He didn't need more. He didn't even need conversation. And if he stayed like that, if he continued to behave, sometimes Gerard would touch him. He would reach down and stroke Frank's cheek with his thumb while he worked, just a light touch of approval that had Frank's soul soaring above the clouds. It never failed to have his inner sub thrive just a little bit more.