Gabe was suspicious. Laurent was having a very intense-looking conversation with Gray, in François' study. They'd left the door open, but each time Gabe oh-so-casually got closer they stopped speaking, waiting for him to walk away, to the point where he'd given up and was sulking at the kitchen breakfast bar.

Owen was there, with Kaiya and Ellis, as Gabe stared morosely into his raspberry tea.

"Has something terrible happened?" Kaiya asked in his sweet, genuine way, though Ellis snorted.

"Not like you're thinking," Gabe admitted.

"Like what then?" Owen asked.

"I want to try some more things."

"Have you asked Gray?"

"I haven't come out with it, but I think he knows."

"You told him you didn't want him to spank you though."

Gabe flushed, but Ellis and Kaiya seemed unfazed, waiting for him to explain.

"I know. But it was because I know Gray doesn't really want to do that. He'd only be doing it for me."

"A lot of the dynamic is about give and take though."

"Maybe in an actual contract, or in a relationship. But not for what we've been doing. I can't expect him to do something he's not comfortable with. I wouldn't be able to go under knowing that."

"It's not that bad. Gray spanks me all the time – he's good at it, and he does like it."

"Not the way I'd need him to do it."

"Oh. Fair."

Gabe went back to his tea, which was appropriately bitter. He was still swirling the liquid around the cup when Loki came back from the interview he'd been to, lifting Kaiya and twirling him as he giggled. That just made it worse, so Gabe stood, tossing the tea into the sink in preparation for escaping.

Except then Gray and Laurent came into the kitchen, looking serious. Ellis muttered something about going to François' office next door, and Kaiya and Loki left in a cloud of happy pheromones for some kind of date.

"Will you sit, Gabe?" Laurent asked, an unnatural – for him – look of hopefulness in his eyes.

Gabe sat on the couch, nervously playing with his fingers, and Owen perched behind him, running a soothing hand across his shoulders.

"I'm just here as an objective bystander," Gray said, sitting next to Laurent on the opposite couch.

"Okay. But to what?" Gabe asked.

"I want to offer you something," Laurent said. "But before I do I need to ask you something." He waited for Gabe to give him a worried nod before continuing, "You have been pushing me, Bambi. I'd like to know why."

Gabe stared, the worry escalating. He knew he had been, from the beginning, but he couldn't explain it. Couldn't explain the reason for why Laurent had simply seemed like someone he needed to push.

"I- I don't know."

"I think you do, but perhaps you haven't thought about it. Do I make you feel unsafe?"

"No! No, I don't feel at all unsafe with you. The- the opposite, really."

"It's as I said," Gray said, patting Laurent's arm.

"I think you push me because you're trying to see if I will change. If I'll become like your last- your previous partner if you provoke me enough. But I won't. I never will, no matter how hard you push. I want to make you an offer, but I can't do it if you don't trust that I won't become like him."

Gabe wondered fleetingly what this offer was, but he knew he wouldn't find out if he didn't convince Laurent that he trusted him. It was that thought that highlighted luminously across his brain: he did trust Laurent. He already knew he wasn't going to turn into Sawyer. He flushed, his cheeks burning hot as he thought about how bratty he'd been to try and get a rise out of the man – how pointlessly obnoxious when, really, he didn't want a reaction.

"I do. I promise I do."

Laurent looked uncertain, and Gabe knew his claim wasn't enough – wasn't proof. But Gray smiled and patted Laurent's arm again.

"You have to take that. It's the kind of thing that Gabe can only show you, and that requires action."

"Action," Laurent mused, his usual smirk returning, and Gabe was almost annoyed how hot he found it. He'd been Pavloved into it.

Gabe waited though, hopeful that Gray's support might mean he finally found out about this offer from Laurent.

It did. Laurent took a breath, like he was steeling himself, and it took a moment for Gabe to realize it was in case of rejection. He only worked it out when Laurent sputtered out, his eyes looking anywhere but at Gabe, "I- I'd like us to have a contract. And, and more. I want us to date."

Gabe opened his mouth, surprised. Not at the offer – he'd hoped – but at Laurent's uncertainty. Others may be off-put by it, he figured, but Gabe wanted someone who wanted him so much they would be bothered by his rejection. It solidified the desire he already had for Laurent.

"Yes," Gabe told him. "Yes, I want that too."

Laurent looked adorably surprised, his eyes finally coming to rest on Gabe's face, like he was checking for the truth. Gabe looked back, clear and easy, a weight he hadn't known he was carrying lifted.

Gabe anticipated that they could get straight to sealing the deal, but apparently a lot more discussion was needed. What followed was an interview that should probably have been awkward, but instead each question – from Laurent or Gray, with occasional interjections from Owen – took him one step closer to the thing he'd wanted nebulously for a long time, and more specifically lately.

By the time they were finished, Gabe had transferred to the couch next to Laurent – and Gray was now seated in his old place with Owen in his lap – with Laurent's arm holding him securely to his side, intermittently pressing his nose into Gabe's hair.

Gabe barely noticed Gray and Owen leaving; too content to be in this space of safety and potential. When they'd gone, though, Laurent gently stroked his face, rousing him until he sat up, blinking sleepily.

"You should wake up now or you won't sleep tonight."

"You could always tire me out."

"You want to jump straight in?"

"Yes!" Gabe sat up taller, intent on getting his point across. "We've talked, and agreed, and decided all the areas where we will be careful, but I want more than talk. I want you. And I want you to show me what you can do – all the things you've hinted at and tormented me with."

"I've tormented you?" But he asked it with that cheeky smirk again, clearly very proud of himself.

"Take me to your room," Gabe told him instead of answering, and that worked, because Laurent got an almost feral light in his eyes, sweeping Gabe into his arms with barely any effort, though it made Gabe yelp at the sudden movement.

He yelped again when they got to Laurent's room and he was thrown onto the bed, bouncing to stop. He'd never actually been in there – he'd had no reason to – but he was immediately taken with how peaceful it was. His own was, too – but in beachy shades of clean white and sea-blue. This was a grown-up room made up of rich, glossy woods and a navy comforter. It held a sense of security and smelled like Laurent – a spicy wood scent.

He looked up at Laurent, who loomed over him with a devilish glint.

"I think, Bambi, that before we start anything else, you should receive a small-," he paused, looking annoyed with himself, and Gabe knew he was stuck on the next word, and why.

"It's okay. You can say punishment. I trust you."

Laurent breathed out, a warm smile forming at Gabe's simple words.

"Come here." He helped Gabe to stand back up, and when Laurent was seated securely on the bed, he pulled Gabe down, across his lap, his arms crossed under his face. "This okay?"

It was more than okay. Gabe felt excitement running up his spine – being so close, feeling his body pressed against Laurent's strong thighs, the arousal at what he knew was coming. Laurent's hands ran smoothly across Gabe's body – one on his upper back, stroking and holding him firm at the same time, the other on the back of his leg, taunting and tempting. Gabe wriggled a little, just enough to telegraph his impatience, his desire.

"Don't forget your safeword," Laurent whispered, stroking that hand up, and up, until his fingers were hooked in the waistband of Gabe's track pants.

"I won't," Gabe told him, voice rough and needy.

"I think ten, to start with. I want to know where you are with intensity, so tell me if it's too much."

Gabe knew it wouldn't be too much, but it might be enough, and he whined as Laurent pulled his pants down, over the curve of his butt, and wrapped his other arm more securely over his body, keeping him in place, preventing him from falling.

Gabe was thankful for that when the first strike came: rapid, hard, stinging. His body jolted with shock and with pleasure. Laurent wasn't messing around – these weren't love taps – he had intent and was using it. Gabe's legs were kept tightly closed with the elastic of his pants, but without that he thought he might turn to jelly and slide onto the floor with the desire of it. Laurent was at ten in moments and Gabe whimpered with the thought it might be over so soon.

"The color you go... Bambi, you are a revelation," Laurent whispered. "I want to do more. Can I?"

"Please."

At the plea, Laurent chuckled, a dark, sensuous sound that made Gabe gasp, before raising his hand again.

He kept going, steady and harsh, until Gabe felt like he was floating, hot tears falling as he let go of everything in that moment. All the worries, his past, none of it seemed important, not when anything he could grasp in his mind was focused on the perfect burn and sting.

"So beautiful, Bambi. Ideal. Everything I could want, here, pressed on me." He stroked the hot skin of Gabe's ass as he spoke, gentling away the burn, chuckling when Gabe hissed. Gabe could feel the press too, of Laurent against him, hard and wanting but willing to take the moment of peace, and Gabe let himself stay down, floating in the miasma of calm.

"I want to do more with you," Laurent said, his voice deep and promising. "Are you ready?"

"Yes. Please."

A/N: are you on Instagram? Hey, me too. Come check it out if you want. I'm:

becauseicanhey

And I will be posting some moodboards and character summaries soon