Frank stared at the clock anxiously as he awaited the arrival of his Master. He had his day off while Gerard had gone to work, and that meant that he hadn't seen him since seven that morning; it was now nearing eight p.m and he couldn't wait to see him.

Today, he knew that Gerard had a lot of work and a ton of meetings with new and vetted investors about the upcoming campaign for his District. Frank had taken the day to not only do some self-care - shaving the necessary body parts that he usually did, douching as per usual that took about an hour of his day, and recoloring his hair the jet black of which his Master was now increasingly fond - He even went as far as putting on a face mask while he was in the bathtub snacking on some grapes and trying to decipher one of the books he had stolen from Gerard's study. That was Frank's latest endeavor; he had taken up trying to learn French in his spare time. He didn't realize just how intense a language it was and just how many vowels it contained.

He had done all of his chores for the day, including cleaning the right side of the house that belonged to his Master. He made dinner about an hour ago and set the table, hoping that Gerard wouldn't be too tired so that they could sit and share a meal together. The seared salmon was sitting in the oven drawer to keep it warm while his vegetarian substitute fish-steak lay beside it on its own bed of wild rice.

He heard the soft hum of his Dominant's Mercedes as he pulled into the driveway. His stomach jumped excitedly as he hopped up from the sofa, going to sit on his knees on the rug to show his Master just how much he had missed him. He waited, hearing the car door open and close before he heard the trunk do the same. He heard the soft tinkle of keys in the door before it opened and let in a steady cold breeze from the freezing March air. Gerard walked in and closed the door, putting his briefcase on the small table and throwing his keys into the bowl. He pulled on the laces of his snow-covered boots and tugged them off before hanging his coat by the door.

Frank watched him intently, waiting to be greeted, but Gerard strode right passed him into the kitchen and began to make himself coffee. Frank turned to look at him, a small frown on his brows when he noticed how his Master had an extra layer of thunder etched into his features. He didn't speak or get up from his spot on the beige carpet; he didn't know if he was allowed; he didn't even know if Gerard had seen him yet - He seemed so distracted and agitated.

The latter finished preparing his warm beverage and walked over to the sofa where he sat himself down and took a sip. He snapped his fingers and pointed to the floor in front of him, to which Frank jumped and scrambled over, sitting on his knees and elbows. He smiled contentedly when he felt Gerard's feet rest on his back, and closed his eyes.

They sat in silence for at least ten minutes before it was broken by a clipped and icy tone, "Did you finish your chores for the day?"

"Yes, sir. I did, sir," Frank replied softly without looking up. His reply was met with more reticence that felt so aloof and distant. He stared down at the carpet, "Sir?"

"What?"

Frank blanched at the snap of venom in Gerard's voice but didn't let it put a damper on his happy mood. He readjusted on his knees, "I cleaned the house and I made dinner, sir. I-If you're hungry, sir."

Gerard took his feet off from Frank's back, "Thank you, boy. You're dismissed."

Frank sat up on his knees and turned to face his irascible Dominant, "H-How was your day, sir?"

"Horrendous." He sipped his coffee, "You're dismissed, Frank. Thank you."

He nodded and whispered a soft 'yes, sir' as he got up from the floor. He gave Gerard one last glance before he walked to the stairs and began ascending. He got to the landing and stood there, overlooking the living room and seeing his Master; Gerard leaned forward and set his coffee on the table before he put his face in his hands and ran them through his hair with a heavy sigh. Frank pouted at the sight and fiddled with his fingers for what felt like the thousandth time since Gerard returned home. The deafening silence seemed to creep up the stairs from below and it made Frank's stomach uneasy.

He wanted so badly to ask what had happened that made his Dominant so ornery and defeated - It was a weird color on Gerard and Frank was growing to hate it. He decided against his better judgment and against his Master's order to make himself scarce. He got halfway down the stairs and then stopped in his tracks, "S-Sir, if you wanted to talk, I'm a good listener. I know what you said, but I just wanna help and I don't want you looking so sad. I mean, maybe I can't help you but if you just wanted an ear or something, I'd love to just sit and-"

"For God's sake, Frank. What part did you not understand? I gave you two simple words in instruction and, for once, I just want you to obey them without fighting me. Just go. I am not in the mood for this," Gerard snapped suddenly and slapped his hand down on the armrest. The sound may have been dulled by the padding and taupe linen, but Frank jumped all the same as though the sound had reverberated like raucous gunfire. His knees shook a fraction as he turned and bolted up the stairs. Fear and anxiety rippled through his brain like cracks in porcelain.

He hid against a wall for a moment, surprised by the cruel tone that had come from a pair of lips that usually uttered decadent softness even when he was firm and harsh. Frank had never experienced this side of his Master, and the shellshock was astounding to his system. He pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs to make himself as small as possible against the wall, waiting for the rush of unnecessary panic to subside. It wasn't that he hadn't ever had someone shout at him; not only did he have both a Japanese father, but a half-Italian mother - raised on strict parenting from a much older generation - who worked two jobs on her own to support them both definitely meant that his childhood had more than enough screaming matches. But it was a sudden sound from the most unlikely person. Gerard never ever shouted - Frank was always scolded and lectured and reprimanded in other ways.

Gerard technically didn't even shout. He didn't raise his voice; he didn't need to raise it even a decibel - It was the culmination of everything that arose at that moment that stunned him like a bullet between the eyes.

Frank blinked back the anxiety-filled tears and looked up at the pristine white ceiling as he took a shaky inhale of much-needed air into his system. He eventually rose to his feet, feeling akin to Bambi taking his first steps with the way his knees continued to tremble. He held onto the wall for support and turned to slowly make his way down the hallway.

The moment his fingertips touched the doorframe to their playroom, he felt a sharp tingle zip through his arm and down through his body. He had been dismissed, but did that mean he couldn't do what he wanted?

He opened the door and flicked the switch on the wall, dowsing the room in the scarlet lights with which he had grown so familiar. He looked around curiously, somewhat proud of how polished and tidy the room looked thanks to the deep-clean he had done within its confines. He ran his fingers over one of the shelves and scanned the gags, toying with his tongue ring.

His mind raced with endless and - albeit, way too fast to process - thoughts and plans and schemes through which he could help his Master. It was clear that Gerard had had a shit day, an overtly horrendous day, and he needed some way of venting those pent-up emotions. Frank wanted to assist his Dominant in feeling better. He wanted to make sure that even if it didn't make everything one-hundred percent better, he could still go to bed tonight knowing that he had tried.

He sat on the edge of the bed and looked around, picking at his thumbnail as he looked for the best options that would create a perfect scene for his perfect Master. He got up and stripped down to his boxers, folding his clothing to put them on the wooden chair in the corner - decidedly adding his underwear to the pile as well. He replaced his day collar with his play collar from the glass cabinet and stuck a finger into it to make sure it was on securely.

He pursed his lips and curled his toes against the carpet before he walked over to the wall on the left where all of the impact implements hung lackadaisical on the wall. He touched each one and then stopped, walking over to the cabinet. He opened the bottom drawer to grab a bottle of lubricant and then began rifling through his latex accessories. He slicked up his hands and arm with the clear glide before pulling on the skintight black glove, rolling the rubbered fabric up to mid-forearm. He held his fingers up to the light, dazzling in the way the red and warm-white lights played and danced over the shiny material.

He repeated the process with the other glove, rubbing his hands together to shine the latex with the remnants of cherry-scented Astroglide.

Frank then set everything back into place as neatly as possible before grabbing one of the shorter-length paddles off the wall. He sat down on his knees, adjusting comfortably on the Persian rug as he waited with practically bated breath for the sound of his Dominant. He wasn't even sure how much time had passed that he sat there patiently, but when he heard the faint sound of feet on the hallway floor, his stomach jumped up as though slingshotted into his larynx.

He looked down at his thighs and set the paddle in his hands, keeping the beautifully-crafted instrument of agony at eye level; presenting it to his Master in the hopes that it would alleviate his tensions. His heart dropped into his lower intestines when the door opened slowly and he heard a sigh.

"Why is it that whenever you vanish from my sight, I always find you in here when you aren't meant to be?" Gerard asked with a tired tone to his voice. He walked into the room and picked up the leather paddle, "Thank you for the offer but I'm not in the mood."

Frank looked up at him despite not having permission, looking him in the eye, "So?"

Gerard frowned "'So'? What on Earth do you mean by 'so', exactly?"

Frank continued with his dumbed gaze, looking into his Master's eyes, "So what if you're not in the mood? What am I supposed to do?"

"You're supposed to get up off the floor, put this all away and go to bed." Gerard frowned and held the implement out for Frank to take. He did not. He looked at it and up at his agitated Master.

Frank's bottom lip pulled into a pout as he looked up at Gerard, putting on the bravest face he could muster, "Why?"

Gerard's eyebrow rose, his gaze darkening as he turned to walk back to the door where he flicked the light switch up to turn all of the lights on fully, "I don't have time for your discompliance tonight. Get up, right now. Take it all off. I want you out of here, now."

Frank felt the sudden dispersion of rampant butterflies in his stomach as the words barely made it past his lips, "No, sir."

There was a flash of anger in Gerard's eyes, brilliant darkness scorning his hazel irises. The hand that was clutching the doorframe seemed to tremble with rage before it was seemingly put under cool control again - or was it a trick of the light?

Frank internalized his fear, putting on a brave face as Gerard clenched his fist and took a breath, "I know what you're trying to do, Frank. Now isn't the time. Get up."

Frank steeled his nerves as he looked his Dominant in the eye, holding onto the paddle for all it was worth, "I'm pretty comfortable down here, thank you."

Frank wasn't sure whether it was just his own terrified imagination or not, but he was so sure that he had almost heard his Master snarl under his breath; a visceral sound, on top of what seemed like something unhinging in Gerard's eye, both culminated in him storming over to his submissive and grabbing the hair on the top of his head to tug on it harshly.

Frank yelped loudly in surprise, cringing and hissing in pain - his scalp and roots were both screaming at the ache. "I don't think you fucking understand how this works, brat; I talk, you listen. I haven't given you even a semblance of permission to run your fucking mouth. Now, you do as I say and get up... Or I make you," Gerard spat venomously as he tugged on Frank's hair again roughly, eliciting another whine of agony from the small boy.

"Ow, fuck-!"

Gerard lifted the submissive up by his hair and snatched the paddle from his hands before slapping Frank on the arm with it, "I didn't say you could talk, runt. You're very lucky I don't sew your trap shut."

Frank looked up at his Master despite the pain-tingled tears in his eyes and the tight grip in his hair, and stuck his tongue out impudently. There was a sudden and sharp pain to his cheek and the sound of a slap rang out in their soundproofed playroom seconds before Frank's head was lifted by the front tip of the paddle until their eyes locked. Frank's frightened ogling was met with pure and divested rage that made his knees shake.

His mind was not even able to comprehend what was happening when he was pushed over roughly, stumbling on his own feet until his hip collided with the side of their spanking bench. He couldn't help his pained grunt as he was forced over, his chest pressed against the black vinyl, but he continued to wriggle and tried to get free. Gerard walked around to the front of the bench, crouching down to look at him, "You will be punished for your indiscretions and disobedience. Do you understand? Not out of anger, but your lack of respect for your Master. And you will take what I give you. Do you accept your punishment, brat?" He tilted Frank's head up with the end of the paddle to look him in the eye yet again; the submissive merely stared back with big eyes and gave a small nod.

Gerard got up and fastened Frank's wrists to each top corner of the bench, his arms stretched out painfully at the joints. His ankles met the same fate after his legs were unceremoniously kicked apart, the leather pressing against his protruding ankle bones. He strained his neck to try his best at following his Master with his gaze, swallowing hard when he saw Gerard putting the paddle back on the wall.

Gerard took his time in scanning and inspecting his other implements, touching a few of them with a gentle finger graze. Frank's neck felt as though it were about to snap, his tendons burning with the strain that made him rest his cheek on the bench to watch helplessly.

Gerard took one of the sleek black canes from the corner and held it up to examine its length before he walked back over to the shivering submissive that was still bent over. He poked Frank's temple roughly with the end of the cane, "Your bravado astounds me, filth. I am so severely disappointed in you."

The remark had Frank frown softly. He felt the cane run up the back of his leg and he tried his best to suppress a grunt, a fair amount of drool already seeping from his pouted lips. He waited for the impact, bracing himself and steeling his nerves; he was already shaking and trembling with fear.

"Pick a number between one and ten, boy."

"S-S-Seven, sir," Frank barely managed to croak out.

"Pick a number between one and five."

Frank frowned in confusion, "F-Four, sir?"

Gerard hummed idly; the sound itself was so nondescript but for Frank, it held an edge so sharp that it could have cut diamond, "Very audacious. Now multiply them."

Frank blinked as he tried to withhold his tears, sniffing softly as he answered, "T-Twenty-eight, sir."

"Add ten."

Frank let out a whimper. He shook his head in protest but replied nonetheless, "Thirty-eight."

"As you wish," Gerard replied simply before the cane came down in a hard strike against Frank's skin. The sudden pain shot through his body like a pinball, jolting against his insides and his nerve endings until it rang in his brain like a loud carnival bell. He yelped loudly and before he could breathe, another two swings in quick succession were whipped against his already-burning skin.

He whimpered as he tried to get away, wriggling despite his uncontrollably-shaking thighs and tugging on his restraints. "No. You don't get to move. You brought this on yourself," Gerard spat as he slapped Frank's calf with the cane in a warning. Gerard whacked him again twice on his throbbing skin, "What do you say, runt?"

"Th-Thank you!" Frank sobbed brokenly and sniffed, cringing because he was already so hard and his dick was pressed remarkably and uncomfortably between his thigh and the bench.

There was no relent thereafter, no matter how much Frank begged and pleaded for mercy. His body was running with a cold sweat and thrumming white-hot at the same time. He had been forced to say 'thank you' over and over to the point where the words had completely lost conceptual meaning in his head. They tumbled from his lips like an agonized fountain when his Master forcibly barked at him.

He panted and heaved, his chest compressed and aching against the flat vinyl top of the bench. He was covered in perspiration and drool by the time Gerard got to thirty. He paused, panting softly under his breath behind his submissive. Frank had never been caned before and he could only imagine, from the exquisite pain resonating from his ass, what his skin actually looked like - He wouldn't have been surprised at all if he was bleeding.

He sobbed unabashedly, his throat burning from his gibberish begging and cries. He pushed his hips forward to grind against the bench, whimpering when the tingles ran over his skin.

Gerard set the cane down on the bench beside Frank's head before he stood behind him again. He ran his fingertips over the purpling welts on Frank's skin; the pliant submissive whined and tried to move away, his skin burning at the warm touch. There was suddenly a hand that came down on his ass and he moaned so obscenely, reveling in the agony as he tugged on his cuffs.

The action was repeated another four times and Frank started panting, craving the skin-on-skin contact from his Master. He was spanked twice from Gerard's right hand, one from the left and then back to his right hand. The stinging left Frank breathless and keening in his throat, letting out another weak sob that ended in the soft call to his Master.

"What do you say, you filthy fuck-hole?" Gerard practically snarled as he gripped Frank's hair and tugged his head backward.

"I-I'm sorry!" Frank cried out between gritted teeth, his neck protesting at the strained angle into which he was being pulled.

"For what?" Gerard spat.

"F-For m- Ah!" Frank cried out when the side of his head was slapped brashly, "Misbehaving, sir."

Gerard let out a small grunt as he spanked Frank harder than before, the sound resonating through the room before he slapped Frank's overworked senses. If you had asked him, by that point, if he could have tasted the slap, then he would have said 'yes'.

"P-Please..." He cried and hiccuped, "Please, stop. Please, sir. I'm... S-Sorry."

"Oh, now we're sorry? When the implications are on us, we're sorry - But when we're unfettered and deciding to be an ungrateful brat to the man who only wants five minutes of peace and fucking quiet after a horrendous day, then what do we want?" Gerard punctuated his reprimand with another heavy slap to Frank's trembling flesh.

"Please..."

Gerard brought his hand down again and Frank wailed quietly, his chest bracketing painfully. He felt his Master grab a handful of his bruised flesh to squeeze it painfully - it made Frank hiss and his eyes screw shut.

Gerard held Frank's ass in his hand and made it jiggle in his hand before spanking him again for the last time, "Filthy little boy."

"'M sorry."

Gerard caressed Frank's skin slowly and softly, grazing over his welts with an almost-admiring touch. Frank could hear his Dominant panting over the sound of his own blood roaring in his ears. The sound of his Master's exertion made him hum hazily; his brain had definitely slipped into some form of a molasses headspace from which he couldn't quite escape after such a heavy beating. He couldn't help but stick his ass out an increment further, hoping for more.

"What, boy? What do you want?" Gerard whispered in a surprisingly soft tone.

"Just wanna help." Frank sniffed as he tried to push back another sob that was seemingly lodged in his throat. He heard Gerard sigh softly and rest his hand on Frank's lower back before moving away.

"By misbehaving?"

Frank merely sniffed again, his nose running and mingling with his tears and drool. He nodded feebly, "You gotta get the anger out."

Gerard walked around to the front of the bench and looked at his pathetic submissive. He shook his head and began unfastening the cuffs, "You shouldn't put yourself through this for my benefit."

Frank couldn't help but chuckle hoarsely, "Wouldn't be a proper masochist, would I?" He sniffed again and managed to offer his Dominant a tiny glimmer of a smile as he tried to get up before his legs automatically gave out.

Gerard caught him immediately and held him up in his arms, "You infuriate me," He whispered as he reached down to unfasten Frank's ankles and fully free him.

Frank nodded, looking down at his Dominant, "That's what I'm here for, sir."

Gerard snorted as he stood up and looked at Frank in his latex gloves. He bit his lip, "I'd hate to take these off. You look ravishing."

Frank smiled at the sudden compliment, wiggling his fingers in the gloves, "Th-Thanks, sir."

Frank was still trembling and twitching from the adrenaline; the same feeling and the involuntary reaction he had after he had been roped by Ty. Gerard frowned at the reaction before he scooped Frank up carefully into his arms to wrap the small boy around his hips, "Your punishment is over. I understand why you did what you did. I appreciate it, boy. I just hope you know that if you ever try a stunt like that again, I will purposefully sit and pull out each and every one of your pubic hairs by hand."

Gerard narrowed his eyes at Frank, who then immediately bowed his head down to hide the wide grin on his face, "Yes, sir. Of course, sir."

Gerard scoffed softly as he walked out of the playroom, "Insolent boy."

Frank clung to him tightly, nuzzling his Master's neck with his cheek to bring himself back to the world in the best way possible. He might have been aware of the fact that they were in the hallway, but he couldn't be sure.

Gerard let out a small sigh of a breath as he walked into the bedroom, "Would you like a bath or shower?"

"Bath, please," Frank whispered, a pout on his lips when he could clearly see just how drained his Master looked, "I know you're tired, sir. I-I can take care of myself today."

Frank was carried into the bathroom, clinging onto Gerard as the latter bent down just enough to open the faucets. He stood up again and put Frank on his feet, "It's called 'aftercare', not 'self-care'. This is my job. You were punished and now I need to make sure that you're looked after."

Frank could only nod, watching Gerard pour some oil into the water as he began to peel off his skintight gloves, "Yes, sir"

Gerard eyed his submissive, "Do you remember how to look after your latex, boy?"

Frank was silent for a moment as he tried to remember the lesson he had been taught previously. There was a definite frown on his face, his voice in an unsure whisper, "Of course, sir."

There was a hint of a smile on Gerard's lips as he watched Frank roll the latex from his clammy forearm, "It's okay if you don't remember; The first time I showed you was also after a scene. Now get in the bath, boy."

Frank held the gloves out to his Dominant and climbed into the tub gingerly, watching Gerard unfurl the gloves gently. He eyed Frank expectantly when he saw that the submissive had yet to sit down. Frank winced a little as he lowered himself into the water, grunting at the explosive heat on his tender flesh, "Balls."

Gerard chuckled softly, "You know it helps."

Frank was panting as he tried to assimilate to the burning of his skin, nodding in wordless reply to his Master, his hands gripping the bath rim. It took him at least a solid minute or two to finally be able to start washing himself with the warm water.

Gerard was stood by the sink nearby, "You turn them inside out to wash the lubricant off with warm water - no soap. Although, I know Ty uses baby soap for his things. Nothing harsh, what have you. And then you pat them dry and hang them, or lay them flat. Do remember that there is a difference between using chlorinated latex and unchlorinated latex, and how you wash them? If you wash chlorinated latex - which we also own - then you add a second step to the washing process. Using fresh water and a few pumps of lube or oil in the water will help it from sticking to itself. It's also very important to make sure you get rid of all the residue so that it doesn't make the latex go cloudy, remember? Do you remember the difference between the two, boy?"

Frank looked at Gerard, surprised to see the warm smile on his face as he posed the question. Frank couldn't help but look down and pout again, "I don't, sir. I'm sorry."

Gerard continued to smile at his submissive, "It's fairly simple." He rinsed the gloves in some water before laying them down on a towel, "Chlorination is used to treat the latex itself from its natural state. So, unchlorinated latex is the latex that sticks to itself, like these gloves. Chlorinated latex has less of a smell, as well. It's more like rubber in the sense that it doesn't stick to itself. Some people find that chlorination can sometimes make it harder for the latex to shine, but I haven't always had that issue. A lot have also found that, because of the chlorination process, it helps those who have a latex allergy as it isn't triggered as easily."

Frank watched Gerard dry his hands after cleaning the gloves and he nodded, "I understand, sir."

Gerard pursed his lips as he looked at his submissive, "You look awfully lonely in that tub."

Frank smiled hopefully, "I am, sir."

Gerard unbuttoned his shirt, and Frank watched in complete awe as his Master got fully undressed from his pristine work suit sans jacket. Gerard put his clothes aside and snapped his fingers, gesturing for Frank to move forward, which he carefully managed to do without ripping his skin apart on the tub floor. Gerard climbed into the bath behind Frank and sat down, his long legs curled up on either side of the tiny submissive. Frank smiled and automatically leaned over to place a kiss on his Dominant's knee.

He giggled softly when an arm was wrapped around his chest and he was gently pulled back against Gerard, his head just beneath his Master's chin - He was having a hard time ignoring the fact that Gerard's semi was pressed against his back, or the fact that his own semi refused to go down.

He turned awkwardly on his knees to face Gerard and took a washcloth in his hand with some soap, cleaning his Dominant's chest gently. Gerard closed his eyes, physically relaxing against the back of the tub. Frank took the risky chance at that moment and leaned in, kissing Gerard so gently on the lips, hoping that he wouldn't get in trouble. He was so surprised when he felt his Dominant kiss back and rub his arm affectionately. He pulled back with a smile, pushing Gerard's hair back with a wet hand, "I'm really sorry, sir. I just wanted to help."

"You helped exponentially, my prince. And you put yourself through that pain just so I'd feel better," Gerard uttered, his voice almost disapproving as he examined his and Frank's entwined hands.

"Anything for you," Frank whispered breathily as he closed his eyes again, "Anything."

"You're far more than I deserve," Gerard admonished quietly and Frank frowned at that statement.

"I don't think so," He replied as he brought his knees up in the water before he lowered them down slowly, flexing his aching joints.

"Au contraire, mon garçon." Gerard's airy whisper had Frank's skin run with goosebumps and his stomach jump, "Vous valez plus pour moi qu'un trésor inestimable."

"Hmm?"

"Beautiful boy." Gerard merely chuckled, "I suppose I owe you an explanation as to why I came home as grumpy as sin."

Frank shrugged and turned himself over, laying with his head on Gerard's wet chest with his feet up behind him and his ankles crossed, "Up to you, Mon Apollon."

"It's only fair now that I'm calmer than I was previously," Gerard sighed softly and Frank waited patiently for him, eyes closing once more as he listened to Gerard's heart beating steadily beneath him, "I had to fire someone today."

"Who?"

"Rob," Gerard sighed with vague disappointment, "It was a long time coming, though."

Frank glanced up in surprise to see Gerard's lips set in a firm line. "Rob? Really?"

"Rob isn't very... Accepting of those who swing the other way," Gerard explained lightly and Frank gritted his teeth quietly as he lay his head back down, "He's had multiple complaints about and against him from my staff that he's made homophobic comments towards them. And he's harassed a couple of people on more than one occasion. And I know he isn't aware that I fall under the category of his slurs; I'm sure if he knew I was gay he wouldn't be as proud and obnoxious about throwing around his colorful amalgamations."

"At who?"

"Mainly Patrick. The others, too, like Josh and even Cara." Gerard scowled with disapproval, "I don't want to repeat what he called anyone but he was rather rude to Cara today and he made her cry."

"Oh, no," Frank whispered softly, "So, then what?"

"I had to let him go, of course," Gerard sighed, "Luckily, Josh had been shadowing him a lot this year so he can replace Rob for now."

"Are you okay?" Frank asked. Gerard remained silent for a moment and he looked up curiously, "Sir?"

"It is unfortunate to have gotten rid of him after so long, but I always promised a happy and harmonious workplace. If there is animosity - the business suffers."

"Of course," Frank whispered, nodding understandingly.

"So, I had to do what I had to, unfortunately." Gerard shrugged, "He had to work off until the end of the week and we've done everything properly but he won't be around from next week."

"Won't that be awkward?" Frank frowned at the idea of having to work with Rob now that he'd been fired.

"You and Lindsey and Derek are the only ones who know," Gerard added, "No need to make things worse."

"Derek?"

"He's the staff manager, Frank," Gerard reminded him and Frank nodded, remembering.

"Right, yeah." Frank sighed, "Why didn't Derek do anything?"

"Of course he did something, my boy." Gerard shifted in the water and slid further down, their faces inches apart, "But there's only so much he can do when one of the staff members starts calling someone a 'cock-sniffing dyke'."

Frank's eyes widened and he looked up, frowning, "That doesn't even make sense."

"It's still insulting and it made Cara cry," Gerard muttered, "And Cara Shaw is stronger than some men I know."

"Dick," Frank muttered softly at the thought of Cara crying as Gerard nodded solemnly.

"Quite." Gerard sighed, "I'm sorry I was so short with you, boy."

"I get it, sir." Frank sat up on his knees between his Master's legs and looked at him as he felt the water making a slow run down his spine and his chest.

"Good." Gerard still seemed a flash guilty, "Now, don't mention anything at work tomorrow, alright?"

"Of course I won't, sir." Frank shrugged nonchalantly, "No idea what you're talking about."

"Good." Gerard smiled; the smile on his lips didn't quite hit his eyes but the action itself, nonetheless, was enough for Frank, "By the way, I spoke to your favorite admiration today.

"Wh-?" Frank looked up in confusion from staring at Gerard's flatly toned stomach to see a different and more mischievously cheeky smile on his lips as he side-eyed Frank, "Sir?"

"Ty, boy," Gerard explained and Frank went a ruddy pink in the cheeks, "I know how much you admire him."

"Sir, I-" Frank felt a frantic panic in his chest, "I don't-"

"Will you relax?" Gerard laughed as he sat up, chuckling heartedly at his fervently adamant submissive, "Frank, my dearest boy, I know you love me; in fact, I can see it in your eyes now that I know what to look for. But if you sit there and tell me that you don't admire Ty Joseph, I will call your bluff and bullshit."

"He is pretty cool." Frank looked down, still blushing furiously, "There's just something about him that I love to be around and that draws me to him. And I don't know why."

"Oh, I know. I'm always drawn to him as well, perhaps not in the same way. He is the most dangerous type of Dominant; the type of person that draws you in, like the darkest magic." Gerard nodded understandingly. "In any case," He instantly turned the conversation back to where he had begun when he saw Frank frowning, "I spoke to him today."

"Yeah?"

"He's going to be at the party I mentioned, so you'll know at least one person." Gerard smiled, "In fact, he and Josh are going to be on display."

"What?" Frank frowned, his mind conjuring up some weird kind of twisted human art pieces in a warped Tim Burton style.

"Well, considering the fact that they're a new relationship, they won't be doing demonstrations, but they will be displayed."

"I don't understand." Frank shook his head as Gerard sat up and twisted his hand, gesturing for Frank to turn. He did, turning on his knees to sit back between Gerard's legs, his legs out in front of him as Gerard grabbed a bar of soap and a washcloth.

"At some gatherings in the lifestyle, people are contracted or hired to merely stand around and look pretty, or they are showcased in a display if they have special talents," Gerard explained as he began to wash his submissive's back slowly with gentle circular motions, "As far as I know, Josh will just be put up on a platform with some of the other submissives in their gear."

"And Ty?" Frank asked curiously as he fiddled with the pink bar of soap in his fingers, his brain instantly thinking of the white mannequins in The Clockwork Orange when he thought of the submissives on display.

"Ty will most likely be... hanging around." Gerard chuckled and Frank couldn't help the smile on his lips.

"On hooks?"

"Perhaps." Gerard ran the soapy cloth down over Frank's arm, "Or he'll be performing in ropes."

"Some 'Cirque du Soleil' shit." Frank looked up as his Master washed his other arm slowly, "Sir?"

"Yes?"

"Sounds fun."

"It will be, but we need to get out of this bath soon so I can take care of those welts, boy."