A/N: basically a chapter of fluff with a side order of sugar

Regardless of his words to Gabe, he let him doze off, a soft blanket covering his nudity. He had some things to get together, and a chance to recharge would do Gabe good.

In the end, he let Gabe sleep the entire morning away, spending a large proportion of that time just watching him, perched on the edge of the bed and sneaking brief chances to run the tips of his fingers over Gabe's soft skin.

When Gabe woke naturally to the early afternoon light streaming through the window, Laurent had a continental platter of meats and cheeses waiting.

"What's this?" Gabe asked, sitting up in bed and accepting a glass of lightly sparkling grape juice. "It feels like a special meal."

"We haven't finished celebrating, Bambi. Not by a long way." Laurent let his lip curl into a smirk, knowing just how much it turned Gabe on, as he held out a sundried tomato. As he hoped, Gabe slipped it off his fingers using his limber tongue, and Laurent couldn't help the groan at the feeling of it flicking over his fingertips.

He spent a very happy twenty minutes slowly hand feeding Gabe small chunks of Italian cured meats and velvety cheeses, with the odd olive and tomato thrown in, until Gabe let his head fall against the headboard with a contented sigh.

"I'm full now. Thank you for doing this."

"My pleasure, Bambi." Laurent paused, and then decided to just go for it. "I want to do that for you all the time. Make you feel good and cared for."

"Just that?" Gabe asked with a cheeky grin.

"You know it isn't just that." Laurent leaned forward until his mouth was only a hairsbreadth from Gabe's ear, and he knew the soft tickle would run through him. "I want a lot more than just being allowed to care for you."

Gabe whimpered and Laurent sat back with a smug laugh even as he took Gabe's hand in his.

"Do you think you might be ready for some more play?"

"I should practice," Gabe responded, but the way his eyes travelled over Laurent's tight-fitting t-shirt belied his words.

"How about play now and practice later, and tonight I'll take you out for dinner?"

"You will?" Gabe's voice went high in wonder and, not for the first time, Laurent had murderous thoughts about his exes.

"I want to show you off everywhere, Gabe. Never doubt that. Besides, I'm looking forward to covering you with my marks, letting everyone know you're mine." He wondered if that was too far – too close to what had made Gabe uncomfortable earlier, about being on show for others. But Gabe smiled, slow and knowing, and his eyes darkened.

"Yes please," he whispered, and Laurent's heartbeat sped up.

Before he could say anything else, Gabe tilted his head. "Are you sure it's okay to play instead of working?" His voice was sweet, but Laurent heart the needy lilt in his voice and had a realization.

"Gabe," he said, allowing just a little sternness to bleed into his voice, "you must trust me to know what's best for you."

He was rewarded with a breathless noise from Gabe, and the sight of him relaxing against the bed.

"Let me give you what you need, Bambi," he added.

Gabe was beautifully compliant as Laurent stripped him; his face peaceful as he was bound with a complex diamond harness around his chest. When Laurent added a second layer of thinner, harsher rope, tight enough to bite into his soft skin roughly, he went even more lax, only the way his head sank back even further, his neck arched, his breath quickening, demonstrating his pleasure.

Laurent was ecstatic – bondage was one of his favorite things to work with as a sadist, and he looked forward to binding Gabe in many different positions, pondering for a moment as to whether François would allow him to fix some hooks to the ceiling as a tie point.

Watching Gabe sink down into perfect, pained, relaxation was glorious. Every reaction told Laurent that the boy was perfect for him and he couldn't have felt luckier. When he hovered over Gabe, pressing his mouth against the meat of his upper chest and sucking a bruising mark into the pale skin, the whine from Gabe's throat made him have to pull back, calming his own breathing before everything was over too soon. He'd never had such consistently visceral reactions with a sub before – not even one as wonderfully masochistic as Gabe.

He bit more marks into Gabe's skin, only kissing over the few scars he held on his front, but biting to the sides, claiming. He knew there were more scars on his back, finely silvered now, but they didn't worry him. His boy was a fighter, and he was proud of the way he was turning things around for his own needs instead of only thinking of the needs of someone who didn't deserve his care.

Gabe was breathing rapidly – small pants and even smaller whimpers – his hips rotating in tiny circles like they were looking for something. His eyes were closed, but Laurent watched them open to dark slits as he ran the edge of his fingernails over one of the bruises he'd put on Gabe's chest.

"More, please," Gabe begged.

"Oh, Bambi, always so polite, even when you're so needy for me. So sweet." He pinched a nipple, twisted it between thumb and forefinger, hard, until Gabe whined long and low. "Tell me exactly what you want."

"You, please."

"I know 'me' sweetheart. Be more specific."

Gabe flushed – his already rose-tinged cheeks going even duskier – hiding his eyes behind a sudden arm flung over them.

"No," Laurent instructed, pulling his arm to his side. "I want to see you, see every reaction."

Laurent could see the tendons in Gabe's jaw working overtime as he seemed to convince himself he could do it to get what he wanted. Laurent could positively see the cogs whirring. He was monitoring everything – something he would always do anyway, but this time he had many special reasons to keep Gabe safe – and he saw the frustration Gabe felt at being forced to act, but he also saw how hard he was, and how he clenched his fingers and his biceps tightened with aborted movements towards himself.

"I want-" Gabe took a breath and tried again. "I want you to fuck me. Please." His color was high but he kept eye contact as his entire body trembled with embarrassed arousal.

"You only had to ask, Bambi." Laurent smiled as that forced a frustrated huff of amusement from Gabe.

One day, soon, Laurent was going to tease Gabe until he was crying with the need to come, but that would be pretty mean for a celebration, even if he suspected the boy would love it under the desperation. Today, Laurent worked him open with his fingers for long enough that Gabe probably felt as though he was being tormented, before flipping him onto his stomach.

"Can I bind your arms, Bambi?" he asked hotly into his ear, the softly furred skin pressing against his lips as Gabe arched his neck, pushing his face into the pillow with a nod and a needy moan.

Laurent wrapped the rope until Gabe's arms were pulled behind him in reverse prayer. He looked glorious that way, muscles taut, his face now to the side, eyes closed and long lashes glistening with leaking tears. Laurent used a grip on the rope to help him slide in – one long press of flesh deep and aching. Gabe's mouth dropped open and Laurent congratulated himself on once again hitting the right line between pain and pleasure. He moved quickly then, a little rough, never quite letting Gabe get used to the sensation, until he spilled in the condom and carefully withdraw to a confused mumble from Gabe.

He gave no time, diving down and taking Gabe in his mouth, making sure the experience was hot and sloppy and short – Gabe coming with a sweet cry moments later.

He quickly untied the bonds, starting with the arms and massaging feeling back into them, helping Gabe drink some water before pulling the comforter over both of them as he spooned behind Gabe, pulling him close.

"Rest now," he instructed. "You can practice in an hour or so."

"Mmhmm," Gabe mumbled, shuffling back even closer. "I like how you do that you know?"

"Do what?"

"You know what I like. You don't push me until I'm not liking it anymore."

Laurent couldn't help a snarl, but he muffled it with a kiss to the back of Gabe's neck. "Of course. I want to listen to you. I want to make you feel good."

"Good. I like that," Gabe responded softly, slipping into sleep with Laurent watching over him. 

A/N: if you're wondering why Gabe sleeps so much: he can finally relax