Page 63 of Designation: Null

Robert lives in a large, one-bedroom apartment, about twenty minutes away from work. It’s a converted brownstone on the edge of a suburb in a nice neighborhood.

“We should get a bigger bed,” Robert says as they go inside. That sentence makes Logan’s breath catch in his lungs.

They take their shoes off in the entryway. Robert has light carpet and the walls are painted a pleasant beige that makes the crown molding stand out. Logan’s feet sink into the carpet. “It’s so soft,” he says.

“Yeah, your days of rice torture are over. Unless you’re just a really jittery cook who paces and flings food all around.”

“That’s it, exactly. I also do some mending for people but have a hell of a time with the buttons.”

Robert sighs heavily. There’s a hint of a smile on his face but his eyes are sad. He crowds Logan into the wall. “That’s all done, Logan. If you think you want to do something like that, something that hurts or is a challenge or a test, you bring that to me, too. Daddy decides. Do you understand?” he asks, the backs of his fingers going down Logan’s cheek.

“Yes, Daddy.” It’s already getting so much easier to say. And he likes it.

“Logan. I mean it. I’m not saying you can’t want to hurt. I’m saying I’m in charge of it. We can work it out. You don’t hide that from me.”

“I understand. I won’t.”

“Come on, good boy.” He shows Logan the bedroom and the bathroom, the living room, and then takes him to the kitchen. “So, basically, this is your house now. Act like you live here.”

“That’s… that’s really weird.” Logan walks over to the couch, sits down, and puts his feet on the coffee table. He leans against the pillow and closes his eyes. This is home now. He has the sneaking suspicion he can get used to that pretty quickly.

“Lunch?”

“Um, okay,” Logan says, suddenly exhausted. And calm. Exhausted calm? He can hear Robert in the kitchen puttering around. He isn’t really asleep, but he isn’t quite awake either.

Eventually, Robert comes over to him and strokes the back of his hand down Logan’s cheek. “Come eat, honey.”

Robert smiles at him, soft and with so much pride, or affection, orsomethingthat’s a little hard to look at head-on. They sit on barstools next to each other and eat soup Robert had in the freezer.

“Did you make this soup?” Logan asks.

“I did.”

“So, you’re like a real adult?”

He cocks one brow and Logan blushes, which is ridiculous. “That’s why you call me Daddy.”

Logan puts a hand to his warm cheeks. “I’m gonna melt into a puddle right here. Uh, do you want me to cook?” Logan asks, very much afraid the answer will be yes. Neither of them will be happy with that outcome.

“If your pantry is any indication of your skill, then no. I’ll cook. I can teach you some stuff if you want to learn, but I like cooking.” He hesitates. “My mom would teach you how to cook if you wanted.”

Logan puts the spoon down, wanting to give this his full attention. “What do you mean?”

Robert turns to face him, wipes his mouth idly with his napkin, and then takes Logan’s hands in his. Which contributes to the “this is a big deal” feeling Logan has. “You’re my submissive. We have dinner with my parents in a week. She’ll want to make sure you’re taking care of me. If it doesn’t make you too crazy, it’d be nice if you were willing to spend some time indulging her. And all of them, really.”

“I can do that,” he whispers, emotional about the idea of having Robert’s mother treat him like a son-in-law. Maybe that’s overstating it. “I really liked them when I met them.”

“They liked you too.”

“So, um, what exactly will you tell them about me?”

“I’ll tell them you’re my boyfriend—my submissive—and that I’m crazy about you. And then I’ll have to give them all ten bucks each because they’re jerks who gave me shit about bringing you over to dinner and won’t stop telling me how ridiculously obvious it was that I was into you. Are you full?”

“Yes, Daddy.” And he might start crying because that’s the best thing anyone has ever said about him.

“Let’s unpack your stuff,” he says. Robert picks up Logan’s bag and takes it to the bedroom. “Are you okay sleeping on the right?”

“Sure,” Logan says, stomach clenching. He’s never spent the night with another person. Robert moves a few things around in the wardrobe to make space and Logan hangs up his items.

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