Page 45 of A Different Form of Oxygen
Twenty-six
Ben
I know what made me pull away from Gavin. Even though I never thought anything could pull me away from him, today I allowed my fear to come between us. Everything was going great until the word punishment slipped from Gavin’s lips, triggering old memories of what punishments from David used to be like. Gavin isn’t David. Gavin is sweet and kind and everything I’ve always wanted. Last night was wonderful, and I am afraid I’ve ruined things between us. Gavin sets a cup of steaming tea in front of me, blowing heat from the top before walking back to flip the pancakes. The warm liquid slips down my dry, sore throat, and I release a hum around the cup. “This is good tea.”
The chair is loud against the floor when Gavin takes a seat beside me with two plates full of pancakes in his hands. “I hope you enjoy these pancakes just as much. How’s your nose?”
His eyes fall on my face with worry. “Maybe I should have grabbed you something cold instead of something hot.”
I lightly push his moving hand away before it can touch my piercing. I can’t believe I forgot all about my nose. “I’m fine Gavin. I’ll grab some ice after we eat. I’m starving. I cleaned it this morning while you were still sleeping, so it should be okay for now.”
He cuts into the golden pancakes in front of me, slicing them into tiny bite sized pieces. They are sprinkled with powdered sugar and topped with sliced strawberries and the sweetness jolts my taste buds with each bite Gavin brings to my mouth. Being able to leave things in someone else’s hands for a while is freeing and for a short moment, a huge weight is lifted off my shoulders. The way he feeds me with such patience and care makes me feel loved and cherished, something no one has ever made me feel before. Gavin collects our plates after we both finish eating, setting them in the sink.
“Do you have class or anything this morning?”
“No. today is Sunday, Papi.”
“Right. I must have gotten my days mixed up. It’s good you don’t have class today; you can take the day to relax.”
His hands move against the plate he’s washing, covering it in more suds. “We can spend the morning together before I head to work, or I can always stay if you need me.”
I shake my head. “No, I’ll be fine by myself. I’ll probably watch some movies and take a nap and maybe even snoop around your house a bit. See what kind of skeletons Gavin Bentley has hidden in his closet.”
He laughs. “Knock yourself out. You will see there is nothing in my closet but clothes and a few sex toys.”
My eyes widen in interest. “Oh yeah? What kind of sex toys?”
His face becomes smug. “Oh, I guess you will just have to wait and see when I leave won’t you, and maybe I can show you how they work later.”
“Why not get a little teaser?”
“You can wait until later. Have some patience, my Angel.”
I bring my bottom teeth over my lip, pouting. “Fine, Papi. How about a little cuddle time before you leave then?”
His thumb is warm as it traces circles against my cheek. “Cuddling sounds perfect. How about we move to the couch and watch a movie?”
“We have time for a movie, but no time for toy fun,” I say with a huff before moving to the couch.
“Easy, you’re testing my patience now, and good boys know better than to test their Papi’s patience.” He follows closely behind me. His back rests against the arm of the couch with his legs stretched over the cushions. I place my body between them, resting my head and back against his chest.
Peering up at him, I flutter my eyelashes. “Maybe I don’t like being a good boy.”
“Maybe we should do something about that then. I’m going to have to start giving you strikes. Consider this your warning.”
My eyes widen with curiosity and excitement. “Okay, Papi. I’ll be good now, I promise.” I wiggle my butt against his crotch.
“That’s strike one.”
I turn my head toward the TV, smiling. He puts on a movie and pulls the throw blanket from the back of the couch around us. My eyes close and I drift for a while, and when I open them again, the movie is already nearly ending. “I have to get going soon, Angel. Be good for me today, okay? That means no touching yourself without permission. Don’t forget you’re already on strike one.”
Rubbing my eyes, I move from between his legs to allow him to stand off the couch. “Okay, Papi. I’ll try my very best.”
He bends down to kiss me on my head. “Good boy. I’ll see you when I get off work, beautiful; let me know if you need anything. I’ll be here in a heartbeat if you do.”
“I’ll be okay. I’ve spent days alone before, you know.”
Peering down at me with a smirk on his face, he ruffles my already messy hair. “I know. Make sure to eat lunch. I have leftovers in the fridge; just pop them in the microwave when you get hungry.”
