“So, Alain. Tell me what has been the best part of staying with Master Cyrus?”
The rules. He didn’t have to worry about what to do, he didn’t have to stress things, he just followed the rules and Master Cyrus was pleased. “He’s been very kind and generous. I enjoy his company.”
Doc chuckled. “He is both of those things.”
“You’re going to have to ask better questions, Sir.”
“No kidding. He’s worse than you are.”
“Sir wants to know about your work with Master Cyrus. What are your rules? The important ones. We’ll need to know that.”
“We.” Doc chuckled again. “I heard that.”
Okay, that was confusing, and he was going to have to figure things out some, him. “I have chores. No cussing. No saying mean things about myself. Used to I had to say no to lots of stuff, to prove I knew how, but that’s better.”
Doc nodded slowly. “Simple enough. Knowing how to say no can be hard, for lots of reasons. It’s about respecting yourself, your time, your body…you have to know how to love yourself to say no.”
Alain nodded, because he knew he was supposed to, but honestly, he knew better. Self-love was supposed to be a sin, and he hadn’t reckoned that in his soul.
Doc squinted at him, but the doubtful look turned to a wink and a smile. “I’ll come up with enough chores to keep you busy.”
“Yes, Sir.” He really needed to put his head down and get himself a place with a couple three or twelve roommates soon so that Master Cyrus didn’t have to stress on him no more.
“Does Master Cyrus have a bedtime routine for you? Or even a bedtime?”
“I go to my room at eight or nine so he got him some privacy after we have talks and stuff, and I just keep it down with my tablet.” He was working hard at his art and his GED, but no one needed to know about that.
“Nine sounds good to me too.”
Chou sat up a little, watching him. “What did you and Master Cyrus talk about before bed last night?”
“Hrm…” He frowned. He’d made dirty rice, and then they’d had tea together. He’d sat on the floor and they’d talked about the difference between pain and hurting. “We talked about… I—is that like talking out the side of my mouth, Chou? I mean, I won’t disrespect him none and it was…about—” Lord, Alain, don’t you know another word for fucking that ain’t fucking? “—intimate stuff.”
Go him!
“Sex.” Sure, Doc had a word for it. “If he told you something in confidence, then you shouldn’t tell me. That would be disrespectful, right? But if you have something on your mind you can always come to me.”
“I don’t know. I don’t know how to know.” Alain grinned and shook his head. “But for two guys that ain’t having it, we chat on it and things around it a whole lot.”
Chou cracked up, just gorgeous, huge belly laughs.
Doc shook his head and rolled his eyes. “That sounds just like Cyrus. I mean…that’s…wow.”
“It is. Wow. It’s…the least hot thing ever.” He blinked at himself and clapped his hand over his mouth.
Doc laughed that time, and Chou just kept right on going. “Sorry… I just…sorry!” The two of them were giggling like fools.
Alain started to giggle too, the sound pushing out of his fingers and making fart noises, which made everything worse.
“The thing is,” Doc started to say but had to stop for a breath. “The thing is, Cyrus can be hot, am I right?Ishot, I mean. So…”
“He says that sometimes there’s chemistry, sometimes there’s not. But we’re bon amis, and he’s good to me. He teaches me so much.” Now Doc? Blistering. Chou? Like a jungle gym to play on.
“I’m sure. This is what he does—he’s part therapist, part professional Dom. And it’s good to have a friend.”
Chou set his empty bowl down on the table. “Personally, I prefer talk about sex to be sexy.”
Doc snorted. “That’s because you have a one-track mind. No sexy talk tonight; everyone’s tired.”