They had been getting closer, ever since that night at the club. Nothing had happened, yet, but Gabe knew it was a 'yet'. Laurent was surprisingly tactile, and Gabe found himself leaning into it, more and more. Even needing it. The best – and perhaps most surprising – part of it was how their closeness was improving their other relationships. Gabe was relaxing into his friendships with the other subs, confident enough that Ellis had compared him to Dae a few days ago and he'd liked it. Liked the thought that he was now someone who would stand up for himself, and for what was right, in the same way Dae always did. Loki and Kaiya were disgustingly, soppily, happy together. Laurent and François were actually communicating without perpetual sharp barbs, and Gabe had even seen them laughing together the previous day. Even Ellis seemed to be relaxing around the man, which was something Gabe had thought he'd never see.

Gray had told Gabe that his attitude was clearly untroubled by what they'd been doing, and he'd offered to increase some of the impact play during their therapizing scenes. And Gabe had turned him down. Gabe had been surprised at himself, Owen had seemed so too, but Gray had just nodded with a chuckle and said that he'd 'thought as much', whatever that meant. He hoped it didn't mean Gray thought he didn't want it at all – because that was far from the truth; he just didn't feel like he wanted it from Gray anymore.

But he wasn't getting it from Laurent yet either. He was quick to open his arms for Gabe to sink into a too-short hug when they greeted each other, or to stroke his hair as they sat close on the couch. He didn't even flush – like Gabe did – when François or Gray, or even Loki, made a barely veiled suggestive remark. He just smiled at Gabe with a soft promise in his eyes. Gabe didn't want soft though, and he was on the edge of frustration that Laurent wasn't making any move to take things further.

"I don't need a babysitter, you know?" Gabe didn't care how petulant he sounded, as when François and Ellis had gone to the door, after Loki and Kaiya had already gone on a date, they'd checked Laurent was planning on staying in before they were willing to leave Gabe, and he found it ridiculous.

"I know." Laurent's voice was kind, but he was still smirking, and Gabe didn't know whether he wanted to scream or kiss it off his handsome face.

"So why do you let them think I do?"

"Oh? Is that how it is? You're a tough little independent fawn who don't need no man, but you want me to fight your battles for you?"

"That's not what I mean." But perhaps it was. Gabe might love his new-found confidence, but he still wanted someone – and more and more, that someone was Laurent – to demand something of him, and to take. "You just let them order you around as much as any sub."

That got a reaction – Laurent's smirk twisting into momentarily bared teeth, though it was back seconds later, along with a tilted head.

"Oh? Bambi's looking for a punishment?"

Gabe's head flicked up and his eyes narrowed. "Not from you. You can't."

No one could, he knew that. Not outside the club, which he had only stepped foot into for his sessions with Gray since the night when he'd freaked out. And maybe not ever.

Laurent seemed to realize his mistake.

"Nothing without your agreement, Bambi."

"What happens if I'm really rude to you?"

"More rude than you already have been since we met?" But he chuckled, and Gabe dropped his head with a flush.

"Yeah, more rude."

"Gray's been teaching you. So what do you know about punishment?"

"They can be for fun. I don't mind the sound of that kind. Or if you've been bad. I'm not sure about them."

"But you know it isn't all about pain. The point of punishment is to correct behavior, and those behaviors are agreed in advance and so are the appropriate punishments. If you don't want to be punished with pain, you won't be."

Gabe wondered if Gray had told him that. He tended to shut down when the topic of punishment came up, and Gray had never pushed it beyond the basic points. Those words from Laurent made his chest feel lighter.

"You don't use pain as a punishment?" he asked.

"I have. And I've also offered punishment that was physically painless, or at least no more than uncomfortable. It very much depends on what my partner wants and needs."

"Good," Gabe said, feeling a strange sense of deflation, as if he'd been looking for Laurent to be more demanding on the topic. To paint himself as unsuitable for Gabe's needs.

"What do you want from me?" Gabe asked after a long moment where both of them were contemplative.

"Everything you'll let me have. I'd have thought that was apparent by now."

"So, you think I'm pretty or something?"

"Of course. And the 'something'."

There was silence again, until Laurent went to pour himself a drink, waving the decanter to offer Gabe one. He shook his head, scowling.

"Why is it that that bothers you so much?" Laurent asked.

"It doesn't."

"So, you're angry and pushing over something else?" He didn't wait for an answer. "You've been through a lot, Gabe. I won't pressure you into something with me before you're ready, but equally, I won't put up with you being disrespectful."

Gabe sucked a harsh breath. He didn't even think Laurent was trying to turn him on, but his stern words and matching face were doing things to Gabe.

"Will you spank me?" he asked suddenly, far more breathlessly than he was going for.

"I thought you didn't want that?"

"You said-" Gabe stopped, his face burning.

"Pain for fun?"

Gabe nodded, his eyes on his own hands in his lap.

"I think you skipped a few steps. Are you comfortable with touch, Bambi?" Laurent asked, and Gabe's eyes flicked up, suspicious, looking for the smirk, but there wasn't one, even though he must know by now that Gabe liked being touched – by him, anyway.

But it was more. Laurent's stance had changed, the glass placed to the side, his feet apart and shoulders back. He looked serious, still. Genuine.

"I- I think so. I think I will be."

"Okay." Laurent tapped a finger to his lip, thinking, before sitting in the armchair by the fireplace. "Would you like to sit?" he asked, nodding to his lap.

Gabe was certain his response should be to balk. To run away. To be fearful about where this could go.

Instead, all he could think was that he absolutely did want to sit in the man's lap. He wanted to crawl to him and do what he was told. He wouldn't go that far. Not yet. But it didn't take much internal convincing to have him shyly nodding, walking over slightly unsteadily at the thrill of what he was letting himself agree to, until he was standing before the man, still looking for any sign of smugness. Any sign at all to remind him this was a bad idea. That Laurent was hiding something like Sawyer had been.

"My choice," he whispered, very quietly, as he climbed to straddle Laurent's thighs. Laurent kept his arms resting, unflexed, on the arms of the chair, though it was wide enough for Gabe's knees to easily fit outside his thighs, so he was easily balanced. He didn't sit too close, resting only on the thick muscles – nothing else touching.

"Are you trembling?" Laurent asked, almost as quietly as Gabe had spoken, still with no judgment in his tone.

Gabe shrugged, no longer willing to make eye contact, not when they were so close.

"I know I have to prove it, but you can trust me," Laurent said, still not moving, still waiting for Gabe to make any move necessary.

Perhaps he could trust him. But therein lay the rub. This kind of trust, the one that meant no fear of what could happen, was always a negative. It was a lack of cruel treatment, rather than anything positive. Because that's what Gabe knew now, better than anything. Because not being cruel? Well, that could always be taken away, couldn't it?

He was glad Laurent didn't seem insistent though. That he didn't seem determined to push Gabe to agree with him. Instead, they both stayed still, and Laurent didn't even try to touch him, until Gabe became frustrated with how close he was to getting something he wanted but still not getting it.

He gestured that he wanted to lay against Laurent's chest. "Can I-?"

"Yes, please," Laurent whispered, and Gabe felt a spike of power at the plea.

He leaned, still not shifting his hips forward, but he kept going until the side of his face was resting against the muscle of Laurent's upper chest. It felt good under his cheek. Warm, rising and falling with even pacing, matching his own breaths.

"You can put your hands on my back," he suggested softly, nuzzling in a little closer when he felt the secure warmth of Laurent's large palms against his t-shirt.

They'd been this close, distance-wise, many times lately, but Gabe had never let himself be so vulnerable. He was held up fully, and when someone was being held up, they could be dropped. But Gabe wanted to feel dropped, of a different kind. Had waited so patiently, working with Gray and Owen, until he felt ready. He realized, in this exposed position, that he finally did, provided it was Laurent doing it.

He wanted to suggest that skin-to-skin might feel good, but he couldn't bring himself to say the words. It felt so tentative as he rested his curled fingers against Laurent's chest, sighing contentedly as there was careful movement of the hands on his back.

He wasn't sure when he fell asleep, but he jolted upright when he heard the slam of the front door closing.

"Hey," Laurent said softly, reaching a hand out as Gabe scrambled off his legs.

"Oh my god. I'm sorry- I didn't mean-"

"It's okay. You were sweet, actually, Bambi, snuffling away, little nose twitching..." He smiled but there was nothing mocking in it, even when Gabe searched.

His heart swelled a little, completely against his will, but he still backed away, giving Ellis a wave as he passed him going to the stairs. He might be running away now, but he thought, perhaps, he might bring up that spanking again next time they were together.