Frank had showered and dressed after cleaning their side of the house. He had walked across the upstairs hallway and knocked on the door wherein he heard music playing. He had opened it to find Josh strung up in Ty's shibari rig, crying quietly, and Ty had a dreamlike glaze in his dark eyes. He had informed them that Gerard would be home soon with lunch if they were hungry, and then he went downstairs, running like a puppy awaiting its owner. Now, here he sat, waiting for papa to come home, perched on the stairs. He hummed to himself under his breath as he fiddled with his toes, his chin on his knees, and his eyes unwavering from the big wooden front door.

Not five minutes later did he hear keys in the lock and the door opened, shining a bright beam of light from the white plains of snow that had the afternoon sun reflecting on its surface. He jumped up and scurried to the door, hopping to a standstill as Gerard entered, the light behind him casting an ethereal glow that made Frank's insides swirl. His mind flittered for just a moment, thinking intrinsically of the giant painting behind him where Apollo was bathed in the same sunlight. Gerard smiled at him warmly, carrying his chestnut-leather briefcase in one hand, and a plastic bag filled with food clutched in the other, his keys dangling from his ever-wandering pinkie finger. He shuffled forward and kicked the door closed with his foot, "Well, hello."

Frank immediately jumped in to assist his Master, taking his belongings from him carefully. He set Gerard's briefcase down by the coat rack where he stored it every day, and took the bag from him, lifting it up to give the contents a precursory sniff. He saw Gerard watching him with an amused smile and he couldn't help but grin, "Good afternoon, sir."

He set the food down carefully on the sideboard table and helped Gerard out of his coat, hanging the grey trenchcoat on the standing rack. watching his papa shake some snow from his auburn hair, "How was your morning, my boy?"

"It was good, sir. I did all my chores and baked some more cookies." Frank smiled proudly as Gerard removed his brown leather gloves and stuffed them in the pocket of the coat. Now that he had rid himself of his winter necessities, he turned his full attention to Frank, who was still waiting for some proper attention. He withheld the urge to giggle when Gerard gave him a gentle kiss on the forehead, his lips lingering on the latter's skin as he took in his freshly-washed scent. Gerard hummed, "You may not smell like apple cinnamon anymore but you still have such a mouth-watering hold on me. I haven't figured out what it is yet, but if I ever do, I plan to bottle it."

Frank couldn't help the warmth that spread in his face and the strangled little noise that buffeted his throat. Gerard chuckled softly, "No witty retort this time? I'm surprised. I was expecting a Buffalo Bill reference at the very least."

Frank smiled, shrugging, "I dunno, sir, maybe I'm not feeling very cocky today."

"That explains the weather. Some people often say California is hell, and apparently, it's freezing over." Gerard eyed him playfully, "Since when are you so docile?"

Frank wrapped his arms around his Dominant, permission be damned, and closed his eyes as his head hit Gerard's chest. He let out a heavy breath that he felt he had been holding in all morning. Gerard put a hand on the back of Frank's head, cradling him gently, and seemed to accept the silence as Frank's only answer: he was glad to see him. Gerard tucked a finger under frank's chin after a minute of their embrace and tilted his head up, looking down at him with the same green gaze that Frank had been thinking about all day. He swallowed, his brain curious about whether or not Gerard would kiss him, but he was rewarded with the exact token he had sought. He closed his eyes, kissing back so gently as he tried not to melt into a puddle. He felt Gerard pull back and whisper against his lips, "I hope you didn't eat too many cookies and spoil your appetite, runt."

Frank couldn't help but giggle as he took Gerard's hand, tugging him along, "Only two, sir, for quality control purposes."

As they entered the beautiful kitchen, Frank looked away from his Dominant and saw both Ty and Josh hunched over the tray of cookies, inhaling and scavenging the baked goods like vultures - the all-black outfits didn't help, and neither did Ty's slouch. Gerard whistled sharply, his fingers between his lips, the action reminded Frank of an owner calling their misbehaving dogs. Ty and Josh both whipped up and spun around, hands clutching a stack of baked goods, their mouths full and chewing like cows. Frank giggled from where he hid behind Gerard, snickering at the vacant expression in Josh's eyes as his sweet tooth was slowly satiated. Frank looked up at his Dominant as he folded his arms, as poised and dignified as he ever could, so effortlessly. He raised a poignant eyebrow, "If you don't mind, I actually brought food home for you two starving orphans."

Ty wiped his mouth on the back of his arm, dusting his sweater sleeve off the heel of his hand, the action only dispersed more crumbs from his clutchful of cookies. He looked at Gerard, "Sick."

"Eversick. Right?" Josh grinned at Ty, earning a high-five in response. Ty set the little stash of baked goods back onto the tray but away from the untouched ones, and dusted off his hands.

Frank smiled when he saw the small hint of confusion from Gerard and he explained, "They learned a new word, sir."

Ty adjusted his beanie, leaning hip-first against the island counter, "Josh gave me an early Christmas gift. Apparently, he was too excited to wait."

Josh put his hands behind his back and smiled proudly at Gerard, rocking back and forth on his feet, "Some Lakotan heritage, and modern slang is part of it, sir. There's eversick, wahey, nay, ziff, skoden, stodis, chundy-"

"Is it my heritage or yours?" Ty gave Josh's shoulder a playful punch, and Josh couldn't help but blush, pretending to tackle Ty in the same high-spirited manner. The coltish altercation ended up with Josh in a headlock, his hand trying to pry Ty's grip from around his neck. Frank couldn't look away, surprised at how Ty could so easily overpower Josh when he knew the burly submissive had the upper hand when it came to strength. Josh tapped Ty's leg three times and he immediately let go, helping Josh straighten up and take a nice breath as he fretted with his pink curls, picking and nesting them like a concerned mother. Josh laughed, the sound coming out rather bashful and whiny, "Da-aaddy-y-y..."

Gerard took the tray of cookies away as Frank began unpacking lunch, taking out the styrofoam containers to find out who got what meal. He went around the counter to the table and set out plates as Josh brought over the food. Ty sat down at the table and got his roast beef sub, Josh got a meatball sub, Gerard got a vegan fried chicken sandwich, and Frank got potato curry that made him way more excited than he wanted to admit.

Ty and Josh ate in silence as they always did once Josh got his permissive nod, whilst Frank waited for Gerard to check his insulin levels. Frank smiled, "Thank you for getting lunch, sir."

"As I said, my boy, it's the least I can do." Gerard cut into his sandwich, picked up a quarter, and began eating, giving Frank a wave of his hand that indicated he could also eat.

After a few bites into his warm curry, Frank could feel someone's gaze on him in the same fashion that one felt watched in a haunted house. He looked up to see Ty staring at him from atop his baguette, chewing and somehow not blinking, his gaze curious and dubious at the same time. Frank's smile faded after a minute of staring right back, instantly worried that something was wrong, his brain running through every possible scenario. 

"How?" Ty whispered

Frank put his cutlery down quietly and wiped his mouth on a napkin, he looked at Ty and felt the same anxiety return. Did he forget an important date? Was he supposed to talk about something? Did Ty ask him to do something and he forgot? Was he eating his meal instead?

"How?" Frank asked and Ty nodded, only adding to Frank's internal strife, "Wh-What?"

"You're just eating that without dying." Ty pointed to the plate of bright orange curry and basmati rice that Frank was using to dip some naan bread. 

Frank looked down and back up at his secondary Dom, snorting softly, " Why? It's not that spicy, daddy."

"But... you're so soft."

Josh's head shot to the side, his brows furrowing, "Ty-"

Ty looked at him and tilted his head, "What?"

Frank found his own head tilting a bit but in the same way as a confused dog being told an instruction they didn't understand - because he really didn't. He blinked a few times, "...I'm soft?"

"Well, yeah," Ty scoffed as though it were obvious, smiling as he looked at the other three at the table before he turned to Frank with a casual shrug, "You cry over anything. Like Josh."

"Hey." Josh huffed softly, looking at his Daddy, "That's not very nice."

Ty looked at him again, his head now constantly turning to someone as he tried to explain himself, "I didn't say it was a bad thing. You're tough, chiot. Just soft."

Frank shrugged, playing with his lip ring, "I don't mind being emotional. Curry doesn't make me sad."

Ty shook his head simply, "No, I was talking to Josh. He's tough, you're soft."

Frank eyed him as he fidgeted with his fork, somewhat irked by where this conversation seemed to be headed, "I'm tough, too."

Ty snorted again as he bit into his sandwich, "Yeah, sure. Just eat your curry, pixie."

Frank turned to look at Gerard for help, but the latter just pursed his lips and remained quiet; Frank knew why. He and Gerard had had this conversation before and Frank had to stand up to Ty, he couldn't always rely on G to fight his battles, and he didn't want to, either. He was a brave boy, after all. Frank turned back to Ty and set his fork down after playing with it so long that it had now become warm to the touch, "I am tough, and I don't care if you believe it or not."

Ty chewed and swallowed his bite, nodding as he wiped his hands on a paper napkin, "Okay, prove it."

Josh looked at Gerard immediately with widened eyes, and even Frank could tell he didn't like where this was headed, but Frank was now determined. He turned his full attention to Ty and steeled his nerves, "Oh, I will."

Ty smiled triumphantly and sat back in his chair, looking all too much like a supervillain, all he needed was a cat in his lap, he even had a scar on his face even if it was a small one in his eyebrow. He smirked devilishly, "Alright, I challenge you to a dare war."

Josh's eyes instantly widened in response, even wider than they had before, it was clear that he was now on high alert, "No, absolutely not-"

"Challenge accepted." Frank interrupted. Josh looked at Gerard again for help yet again, but the older man shook his head.

Ty extended his hand for Frank to shake, leaning in with an intimidating glean in his eyes, "Two main challenges, and then a wild card round. Whoever gets the most points is crowned the toughest. And if you win... Well, what do you want if you win?"

Josh let out a whine and sank back in his chair with defeat as Frank thought for a minute before answering, "You will wear a shirt that says 'I am Frank's bitch' for a week straight."

Ty rolled his eyes, a bored grimace on his lips, "I'd wear that anyway."

Josh suddenly grinned, "Make it a crop top."

Frank's smile broke into a wide and devilish glimmer, "And pink. Bright Barbie whore pink."

Ty turned to squint at Josh ruefully when Gerard cleared his throat to speak for the first time since this entire debacle broke out. He had all eyes on him, "Might I interject?"

Frank expected Gerard to put a stop to their game and be the mature adult in the house as he always was when it came to potentially dangerous activities. However, Frank didn't expect Gerard to sip his juice and so idly add, "Perhaps the writing should also be in glitter?"

Frank let out a gasp and Josh turned to Ty as it was his chance to look smug, "You hear that, daddy? Glitter."

Ty ignored Josh's taunting and glared at his smug, red-headed brother, "What the hell did I do to you?"

Gerard shrugged idly as he put his arm around Frank, "You called my submissive soft, I picked my side."

Frank turned to Ty and stuck out his tongue, watching the way his shit-eating grin wiped whatever last ebbs of happiness from Ty's gaunt face as scoffed haughtily, "And if I win?"

"Your choice." Frank shrugged.

Ty leaned back in his chair, playing with the fluff of hair that had started sprouting from his head, twirling his finger around a specific strand that he always seemed to find. It took a minute or two of silence before Ty grinned - the smile had Josh grin, as he was obviously on 'Team Daddy' without a doubt - a pup with unwavering loyalty. Ty leaned in close, "You have to play animal for 24 hours straight. Whatever animal you choose. Kitten, puppy, cow, fox, it's up to you. Although, I know a certain boy who has been looking for a new friend."

Frank internally slammed on the brakes, his initial instinct was to slap Ty so hard with the nearby newspaper that he would have ink print on his face into his sixties. But, he also knew Ty would revel in that response, so he decided to save face. He put on a sweet smile and held out his hand to shake, "Deal."

Ty gave his hand a squeeze and Frank withheld the urge to wince, both surprised and not surprised in the slightest at just how strong Ty's grip was, even in a regular setting. Frank bit his tongue and held in the urge to whine - he was tough. Ty let go and eyed him playfully, "Finish your curry, you're gonna need it. The war commences today."

Frank looked at him flippantly, "Don't think you can decide on the bets, daddy. We need a referee so it's all above board." He turned to look at Josh, who immediately looked at his food as if it were the most entertaining movie in the world. Frank turned his pleading gaze onto the man he knew would cave to anything he wanted.

"Fuck, fine. I'll do it." Gerard sighed, "But the moment there's egregious amounts of either vomit or blood, I'm calling a truce."

"So, what's the first dare?" 

Frank turned to look at Ty who waved a dismissive hand and continued eating, leaning over his plate much like a hyena guarding its carcass. Ty wiped his mouth, "Something I might have to change. It could be too much."

Frank frowned, worry bubbling as a simmer in his stomach as violent events from history all played through his head, "What is it?"

"I want you to watch The Notebook without crying."

Frank stared at him, his brain drifting between offended, confused, and irritated. He raised an eyebrow and let out a short humorless laugh, "Excusez-moi?"

"Well, if you want to be tough, you need to make it through those floofy movies without ruining your make-up, Bubbles."

Frank felt a flair of anger in his system, "What the fuck?"

Josh frowned and turned to look at Ty, "Bubbles?"

"Isn't that her name?"

"Who?"

"That cartoon you watch with the girls with the big eyes. The blue one is always crying. Isn't that her name?"

Frank scoffed, "I'm not a Powerpuff Girl!"

Josh looked at him, "Bubbles is pretty bad-ass, though, Frankie."

Frank folded his arms, grunting when his engagement ring almost got caught in one of the threads of his sweater. He shook his hand and looked at Ty as though it were somehow his fault, "I don't give a fuck if she's fucking, I dunno, Napoleon or some shit, I'm not a damn crybaby. And there's nothing wrong with crying when you watch a movie. Wh- There's nothing wrong with crying, period!"

Ty looked at them both, "What? Am I wrong?"

"You think crying is 'soft'?" Josh turned in his chair to face Ty, returning to the topic at hand, "I cry all the time. So do you. What, just because Frank does, it means he's soft?"

"No-"

"Then what?" Frank interjected, resisting the urge to stomp his foot.

"Well, crying during a movie is a little..."

"Soft?" Frank pursed his lips, "Do you know that the brain can't differentiate between made-up and real life? Experiencing those emotions while watching a movie means no different than if I experienced it in real life. Same as if I was in love with a book character, my brain doesn't think it's fictional, the emotions are still the same because it's the same rush of hormones. So why is the reason for crying any different between real and a movie, Ty?"

"I-" Ty shrank in his seat just a touch, his eyes widened as he watched Frank's mouth pucker with an unimpressed grimace. 

"So, answer the question," Frank snapped "What's the difference?" 

"I... I guess there isn't." Ty looked at Josh, "Crying isn't soft."

"That's right. Now, try again."

Ty fiddled with his watch strap, "Do a cartwheel?"

Frank's mouth pulled into a tight line, frustrated fury burning the back of his throat as he threatened to practically breathe fire. Josh eyed the former, looking at Ty again, "Uh..."

"What?! That's difficult for some people! I don't think Gerard could do a fucking cartwheel."

Frank's jaw clenched, "You are such a fucking dick. I know Gerard can do a damn cartwheel, he's strong as fuck. And so am I." Frank felt Gerard give his shoulder a squeeze, almost like a silent 'thank you' for sticking up for him when he didn't need to. 

"Don't you bare your teeth at me, you little sausage dog." Ty scoffed, "What, are you going to nip at my ankles?"

Frank was on his feet in an instant, his knuckles resting on the table as he leaned in, actual bubbles of anger burning his insides, "I will give you one fucking chance to apologize before I kick you out of my fucking house."

Gerard seemed surprisingly quiet the entire time, but the silent lean toward Frank meant that he was closer just in case Frank tried to lunge across the table and bite Ty in the jugular. He had his hand steepled in front of his mouth, silently watching the verbal altercation between brother and lover. 

Frank narrowed his eyes, "I'm waiting."

Ty frowned for just a second before he sat up, "No. I don't apologize."

Josh let out an exasperated sigh, "Ty-"

Ty held up a hand to silence his whinging submissive and looked up at Frank, who was absolutely fuming. He let out a small exhale, "I don't say 'sorry', because it means nothing in this world. However, I can see my opinion offended and upset you, and my attempts at humor weren't funny like I thought. And my point of view on something that was wrong. I can accept that. And that I hurt you when I thought I was being sincere. What can I do to fix it?"

Frank looked at him and at Josh because he knew that those words were because Josh had taught him how to accept accountability. It was impressive, and from the way Ty was looking at him, Frank could tell that he meant it. His anger waned slightly, and he sank back into his chair with a huff, taking a deep breath through his nose as Gerard rubbed his back gently. Frank could feel the small pokes of Gerard's watch clasp on his back every time he rubbed near his shoulder, the gentle press of his fingertips and the warm expanse of his palm. It may have been overstimulating if he were angrier, but for some reason, as it did when he was anxious, it seemed to help him decompress instead. 

"Give me a proper dare and stop treating me like I'm made of glass. I'm not a 'girl', or a baby, or a soft wimpy crybaby bitch. I'm a strong man who lets even stronger men push him around, and I won't let you treat me any differently because you somehow see me as some helpless and weak little bird in your nest. I'm not. I may not be as big and maybe I'm not as mature as you, but I'm not a useless baby, you dumb fucking dodo."

Ty nodded slowly, clearly processing Frank's firm words. He chewed on his bottom lip, "I'm not a dodo."

"You're about to be as extinct as one if you aren't careful." Frank seethed and Josh put a hand over his mouth as he tried to hide a giggle. Ty eyed him, obviously aware, and turned to Frank again, "So... Something physical."

"It's a start."

"Okay," Ty's eyes narrowed and his jaw set in a determined countenance that had Frank both a little apprehensive and satisfied that he was being listened to by his secondary, "Meet me outside in ten minutes."

"Done..." Frank paused as Ty got up to get a refill of his water, "Dodo."

Everyone finished their lunches and dispersed to change into comfier, and to some degree, warmer clothing. Frank was busy putting on some sweatpants when he saw Gerard looking at him with a hint of worry greying his green eyes, "You don't have to do this, Frank. I've seen this man eat a live spider just because he was told he shouldn't."

Frank pulled his sweatpants up and tied the drawstring, "I want to do this. I want him to regret ever calling me soft. I'm from Jersey, fuckhead. I will make him eat his words." Frank puffed his chest out and turned to see Gerard smile a little, but the concern still remained in his gaze.

"So is he," He sighed softly, "It's not that I don't think you're tough, I just don't think you realize how competitive he can be and that he has the tendency to go overboard if he gets far too involved in it." He whispered, pulling Frank closer by an arm around his petite waist, kissing his forehead gently before he whispered, "But I believe in you, my prince."

"Thanks, papa." Frank closed his eyes, taking in Gerard's cautionary warning, "I- I don't like that people think I'm soft and vulnerable just because I look and dress the way I do." He looked down, the idea of his words seemed to bother him more than expected, "It- it's why I allowed Ryan to change my dress style over the years into a more masculine appeal, I guess."

"If it helps," Gerard whispered and wrapped both arms around Frank, "I have never thought, for a second, that you were soft. A bottom, maybe, but never soft. Not for a single moment of knowing you or having you in my life."

"You're just saying that."

Gerard shook his head, brushing a stray lock of Frank's hair behind his pierced ear, "I wouldn't have allowed you to be my submissive if you weren't strong. Who else could sit for two hours and just let me stick needles into the same area without tapping out?"

Frank couldn't help the smile that made its way to his lips, "Just me, papa?"

He smiled down at his submissive as he held him impossible close, and tucked his finger under Frank's chin to rest his thumb on Frank's bottom lip, their eyes locking in a moment so intimate that Frank dared not breathe. He stared up at his Master as his left knee buckled somewhat, his insides melting as Gerard whispered, "Just you, sweet boy."

"Just me."

Frank was sent on his way with a kiss and a reassuring pat on the butt. He giggled as he pulled on a hoodie and made his way outside to see Ty and Josh standing in the snow. Jim was stood on the back porch in little snow booties and a red winter parka. Ty turned to see Frank fully dressed and sneered, "There's no need for all of that."

Frank was about to ask when he saw Ty remove his sweatshirt and push his pants down, standing bare-assed in the snow. Frank's eyes widened with concern, "I need context here, Dodo."

Ty eyed him ruefully but decidedly ignored it as he kicked off his boots, "Naked darts."

Josh turned to Frank with a small albeit anxious smile, "Snow edition."

Frank blinked a few times as he stared at Ty's naked body in the snow, his brain still processing the idea of being stripped down in the cold. It seemed like one side was worried about the frigid temperature and the other was lusting after Ty's muscular frame and taut muscle. He let out a slow noise much like a deflating tire, and Ty seemed to see exactly into his brain as he added, "Unless you wanna tap out, Lusty Lola."

"...tap out?"

"Are you forfeiting already, pixie?"

Frank snorted as he lifted his hoodie up, "You know I- Hang on, wait a minute." Frank frowned as he watched Ty rub his arms to keep his temperature up, "What is with all the nicknames, by the way?"

"Huh?"

"Pardon." Gerard interjected.

Ty blatantly rolled his eyes, looking at Frank, "What about 'em?"

"You always call me by some sort of pet name, even when referring to me to someone else. I think I can count a handful of times you've actually said my name. Or Josh, or Gerard. Why is that?"

Ty frowned and looked at Josh for confirmation, and when the latter nodded, Ty's brows furrowed even more as he scratched the crown of his head, "I, uh... I don't know. Names always feel so... personal. I mean, names have power, ya dig? Saying someone's name is an intimate thing and sometimes I get uncomfortable. I used to be weird about eye contact but I've grown used to it because of scenes and shit. Names are just... weird."

"Is that the same with you, but the other way around? Why Josh calls you 'Daddy', and only uses your name in a serious conversation?" 

Ty nodded, "It's why I go by 'Ty', not 'Tyler', my whole name makes me uncomfortable when people use it to refer to me. It makes my skin crawl."

Frank raised an eyebrow, surprised that he had known this man for almost a year and was still finding out so much about how his brain worked and how many things they could have in common. Not necessarily the 'names' issue, but he did find himself comparing certain aspects of his ADHD to whatever Ty had, except Ty's was way more severe, and yet, he seemed so complacent in living how he was, without finding out why he behaved that way. Frank shook his head - he could never. He shook the thought from his head and began undressing, gritting his teeth as the cold whipped against his skin.

When both boys were naked, but Frank seemed to be the only one shivering. He glanced up from his blue toes to see Gerard and Jim sitting under the awning nearby, and a very pink-faced Josh who was holding a dart board. Ty took the batten from Josh and held it out to Frank, "We each have six darts, and we have to get the winning score on the board in the first three. For the second three, we have to try and get the other person to tap out in as few tries as possible. If there isn't enough, you can reuse the darts, but it counts against you. After ten, if no one taps, it's a draw."

Frank took the colorfully-patterned board as he tried to mentally process the steps despite his feet screaming for warmth "G-Got it."

"Go on, pixie. La parole est à vous."

[The floor is yours]

Frank turned and walked into the snow, standing where Josh had made a mark with a large 'X'. He was already shivering and had definitely already felt his balls retreat up into his body. From one glance at Ty, he could tell he was suffering the same shrunken fate, and how uncomfortable it was for them both, but no one seemed to be ceding - He knew the extreme cold would make the pain worse. Josh stood to the side, watching worriedly.

Ty held up the first dart, aiming and evening out his breath, and he threw it a second later, hitting very close to the center. Josh cheered as Ty held up the second one immediately thereafter, wasting no time, earning even louder applause as he hit the bullseye in one shot. The third bounced off the board and into the snow at Frank's feet, he grinned in response, which promptly earned him the finger.

Ty shuffled through the snow and picked them up, his quick strides thanks to his long legs meant that he was back to stand in his previous spot in less time than Frank would have liked, but he shook his head a little, rubbing his ears as Frank tried to shuffle from foot to foot, "Swear I'm getting frostbite on my tip."

"I'm s-sure J-Josh will w-warm it u-up for y-you." Frank felt a shudder go through him as he tried even more to warm up, his internal organs were desperate for any semblance of heat.

"I'm m-more worried about yours," Josh grinned, his teeth chattering, "You're the one w-with metal in your d-d-dick."

Frank winced, suddenly feeling the cold on the underside of his dick and he was genuinely worried that the alloy bar would stick to his foreskin in the same way your tongue gets stuck to a pole or an ice cube. He almost missed Ty throwing the first dart thanks to that haunting thought, but he couldn't miss the sharp pain that shot through him like electricity when the dart struck him in the thigh, hanging from his skin and dangling, taunting him as it tugged on his already-sensitive dermis. His eyes widened, the pain excruciating and way worse than he had anticipated, but Ty smiled, clearly enjoying seeing the sub in torment. He held up the second one and pretended to throw it straight, but he turned at the last minute, pegging Frank right in the foot with the dart.

Frank let out a scream and immediately dropped the board, glaring at Ty with pure abject hatred as he crouched down to pull the dart from his foot. He stood up and limped toward Gerard, his legs both numb and in egregious pain. Gerard wrapped a blanket around his submissive who was so embarrassed and angry with himself. He held back his tears as he watched Ty pick up the board, a smug glimmer on his face that Frank wanted to slap off about six million times over. Gerard held the blanket around Frank's body as he stepped out of the snow and onto the first step of the porch for some approximation of relief.

Josh walked up to Ty with his lips pulled to the side, his expression unsure, "I think you went too far for the first one, daddy."

"He asked for a tough dare, he could have just stuck with the cartwheel."

"Hey!" Frank snarled from nearby, "Sh-Shuddup!"

Ty shrugged and tried to hide an involuntary shiver that wracked his lanky body, but Josh's keen eye for concern managed to see through his tough façade in seconds, "Please, just go inside before you get hypothermia, sir."

"W-When we're done with this r-round. L-Look at him, he's m-mad, maybe he won't actually pussy-out."

"Why is cowardly always compared to vaginas, exactly?" Josh frowned, "Why is being a 'pussy' supposed to be someone weak?"

"It's not," Gerard added from nearby, "It's to reference the phrase 'scaredy-cat' but foreshortened. It's only in the later half of the century that misogynistic men took it to mean that vaginas are weaker and therefore, to be a pussy is to be afraid. It actually just refers to how skittish a feline is when faced with sudden threats."

"Cats are bad-ass, though." Josh argued politely, "I mean-"

"Can we f-fucking finish this p-please?" Frank snapped before he shrunk a little, realizing just how irritable the cold had made him, "It's so fucking cold."

Josh frowned, "Where were we?"

"You were asking why we're still continuing if Frank tapped out, and he did, but for his turn, yeah. Unless..." Ty turned to look at Frank with a patronizing tilt to his head and held out the darts in his hand, "Unless he doesn't want to hurt me back." 

Frank felt anger rising up in his throat and stomped toward Ty, snatching the darts from his cold fingers, still glaring up at the tall native sadist who had been putting him through a cold day in hell. Frank watched Ty stand where the board had dropped, and picked it up, holding it lazily against his stomach which looked hilarious until you realized that that was the same height as Frank holding it up to his chest. Frank clenched his jaw, pretending to aim for the board, but revenge was all he had on his mind. He pretended to aim for the plinth, throwing the dart right at Ty's nipple. It hung from his skin in a very nightmarish way that made him look down unhappily, and Frank scowled when the only reaction he got from Ty was his lips rolling into his mouth. Frank put on a pout as if it would hide the fact that he didn't aim whatsoever, "Oops."

Frank glanced at Josh and Gerard, the former looked as though he were on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and the latter looked far too entertained for his own good. Frank turned back to his secondary and tried another but it just bounced off of Ty's rigid stomach muscles and into the snow with a light 'thwip'. Frank bared his teeth angrily and held up the third one; he knew he had already lost, but he didn't care, he just wanted to make Ty hurt in any way possible. Ty looked at the darts laying on the floor at his feet and up again, "Do your worst, pixie. I still win."

Frank squinted and aimed, trying his best to hit Ty in the dick with the third dart. He threw it, narrowly missing Ty's balls with the tiniest scrape. He winced and Frank let out an agitated huff.

"Go for the throat, my boy."

With papa's words resonating in his head and with it being the only thing that seemed to be making its way through the icy barrier in his brain, Frank turned to Ty and threw again, aiming for his neck. Ty yelped and pulled the dart from the side of his throat, "Ow! You son of a-!"

Frank grinned brightly, watching Josh run to Ty's side quickly to assist him in pulling it out carefully. He turned and scampered back to the waiting arms of his Dominant, the waiting warmth of the blanket that he sorely needed. Gerard wrapped the quilt around Frank again as he shivered from head to toe. He smiled down at his submissive, "I don't really care where the points stand, but that was a win for me." 

Frank giggled, his knees wobbling so badly that he had dropped at least a foot in height, "Th-Thanks for the t-tip, sir."

Gerard helped Frank back inside and turned on the floor heating, warming up Frank's feet as he assisted him up the stairs, "You really should take a warm shower. I don't want you losing limbs, I have happened to grow rather fond of them all."

Frank was shaking so badly now that he had gotten out of the snow, his teeth chattering, the cold seemed so copious that it was actually hot, and he didn't understand how, he just knew it was bad. He wrapped the blanket even tighter around his shoulders, "I w-w-wanna d-die."

Gerard scooped him up and carried him into their white bathroom, with Frank curled up in his arms. He sighed softly as he set his submissive down to put the shower on, "I suppose it's your turn to pick the next round?"

Frank nodded, unable to talk as he stepped into the shower that Gerard had promised was lukewarm, but it felt scalding on his frozen skin. He hissed at the infernal heat, but he watched Gerard adjust the temperature before decidedly joining him after having stripped down in record time.

He pulled Frank back into his arms, letting the combination of bodily warmth and hot water heat him up enough to stop the shivering and defrost him like a microwave meal. The mental image of Frank as some Kraft dinner made him laugh, but it hurt to do so, and instead, he hid himself away in Gerard's armpit. He felt long fingers and warm touch on his aching muscles, gently massaging and easing the burden from the day.

When Frank was sufficiently warm and clean, Gerard stepped out and got them both some warm clothes, a mauve towel hanging from his hips. He helped Frank dry his hair with a towel and gave him the succour he needed to get into fresh panties and leggings that weren't covered in melted snow. And as relaxed as his body was from the shower, he was still fuming with anger and rage, practically vibrating to the point that Gerard noticed after pulling on a cardigan. He pursed his lips, "So, what's your plan?"

"I'm going to ruin him." Frank spat as his head popped out of the neck-hole of his shirt, "Just wait and see."