Kadyn sat in front of the computer, squinting at the screen.
It was two o’clock in the morning and he was trying to be as quiet as possible so as not to disturb his partner. He knew he should have been in bed, but this was the best time to play with the guys who lived on the other side of the globe. He was earning some crucial points here.
He silently cheered himself on as he neared the goal he had set for the night. He logged off with plans to sneak back to bed, hopefully with Vincent none the wiser.
A slight sound had him turning around to find Vincent looming over him. Kadyn’s eyes widened and he searched his mind, frantically trying to come up with a plausible explanation for being where he was.
‘I am sooo dead,’ he thought as he sheepishly smiled up into the handsome, but somewhat peeved, face of his Top.
“Why are you at the PC instead of in bed?” Vincent asked in the tone of voice Kadyn dreaded. “I hope you have a good reason. We’ve discussed you being up in the middle of the night before. You promised if you couldn’t sleep, you’d let me help. Somehow, I don’t think the PC is me,” he added dryly. “And I don’t see that it is helping you sleep.”
“Ah, well it’s like this, Vincent. You were sleeping so peacefully, I didn’t have the heart to disturb you. I, hmm, kinda thought a bit of time on the computer would make me tired.” Kadyn swallowed nervously and licked his dry lips. He knew the rules and knew he was grasping at straws. There was no way his Top was going to swallow this flimsy excuse, but Kadyn felt he at least had to give it a try.
“That’s not a good reason and you know as well as I do that playing on the computer won’t help you sleep, it just wires you up. I don’t mind helping you. If you’d asked me, I would have rubbed your back and shoulders to relax you,” Vincent replied with a touch of exasperation in his voice. “Get to bed,” he added as he pulled his Brat up and swatted him just enough to get his point across. “You’ve been on the PC way too much lately. It’s off limits for the next two days. Since you can’t control the amount of time you spend on it, I will.”
Kadyn glowered and massaged the duplicate handprints Vincent had left on his backside as he obediently made his way up to the master bedroom. He was so close to his overall goal and losing computer privileges for two days was really going to throw a monkey-wrench into his plans. He stopped in the middle of the stairs and turned to face his partner. “Vince, can’t you give me lines instead? I’m really on a roll, man.”
“No, I’m not going to give you lines. Losing the computer for two days will hopefully teach you not to use it as a way to get to sleep. Come to me if you need that. Now let’s get to bed. You need your rest, sweetie,” he added in a kinder tone. As they climbed into bed, Vincent invited, “Scoot up closer to me. You’ll sleep better.”
Kadyn shuffled over until he was stretched out beside the bigger man, with his head on Vincent’s chest. He relaxed into the soothing rhythm of a large hand rubbing his back. But sleep evaded him as his mind raced with ideas of how to accomplish the objectives he’d decided on. He smiled when he hit upon the perfect scheme. He’d just borrow and set up a couple of extra computers so he’d be able to play all his characters at one time. He imagined patting himself on the back as he squirmed contentedly next to his lover.
When he heard the steady breathing that indicated Vincent was sleeping, Kadyn gently patted the quilt behind him and Bandit immediately scrambled onto the bed to nestle against his owner. The rule made when Kadyn was given the puppy, was that Bandit had to sleep in the laundry room. That decree had gone by the wayside before the first night was over. It was either Kadyn sleep downstairs with his pet or Bandit sleep on the doggie bed his new master had set up for him in one corner of the master bedroom.
Vincent had eventually capitulated in order to get his young lover back in their bed with him. It only took a few nights for Kadyn to teach his pup to wait for his signal and then quietly make his way onto the large queen-size bed once the older man had fallen asleep.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The very next night, Kadyn pushed himself up on one elbow and checked to make sure his partner was sleeping soundly. He carefully got out from under the covers and signalled with a finger to his lips for Bandit to be as quiet as possible while they made their way downstairs to the study.
Once there, Kadyn quickly got their home computer and two borrowed laptops up and running. Luck seemed to be on his side as he easily closed in on the getting his three characters where he wanted them in just under an hour. All were worth some serious money now and he’d put them on the auction block first thing Monday morning when his computer restrictions were lifted.
He’d been working hard the last few weeks on a plan to purchase his own business. Acquiring the funds for the down payment had been the fun part. Doing up a business plan complete with market analysis and strategy would have been almost impossible for Kadyn had Kyler hadn’t helped him. The bank manager, Lucas Hudson, had offered a lot of encouragement and soon Kadyn would be ready to surprise Vincent with all he had accomplished. He knew he would need the support of his partner before finalizing any of this. Hopefully by the end of the week, he’d be in a position to lay it all out on the table.
But right now, Kadyn knew he had better get back to bed before his good fortune ran out and his Top discovered him not only up again in the middle of the night, but also on the computer which he was denied access to for at least another twenty-four hours.
He and Bandit had made it back to the master bedroom, and Kadyn was just pulling up the covers when the lamp on Vincent’s side of the bed came on. Kadyn cringed; he was busted, big time.
“What the hell is going on with you?” an exasperated Vincent growled. “Didn’t I tell you to get some sleep?” He pulled his Brat around to look at him.
“I-I…” Kadyn quickly figured out that using the bathroom ruse wouldn’t work; neither would saying he couldn’t sleep.
“I’ve been wondering when you’d come back to bed for almost forty minutes. You’ve been on the computer, haven’t you?” Getting a hesitant nod, Vincent continued. “It’s too late to discuss this now as it’s after two. But rest assured we’ll be discussing this in detail tomorrow morning, capiche? For now go to sleep, we both need it!”
Kadyn rolled over and tried to settle. It was several minutes later when he heard Vincent’s steady breathing, a sure sign the man was sleeping soundly.
At his master’s signal, Bandit was back on the bed and nestling against Kadyn’s side. But the peace and quiet didn’t last long.
Kadyn was unable to fall asleep for worrying about the ‘discussion’ Vincent had promised for the morning. The young man did not do ‘waiting’ very well at all, and the postponing of something that might prove unpleasant was exceptionally unnerving.
He was soon tossing and turning. He kicked the blankets off and punched at his pillow, anything to distract himself and keep his eyes off the red numbers of the clock as they ticked over.
It was when Kayden got up and went to the bathroom for the third time in less than twenty minutes that Bandit retreated to his own bed in the corner.
Finally decided enough was enough, Kadyn retrieved his Ipod from the night table. As chance would have it, or not, he no sooner had his headphones on when Vincent woke up.
As soon as he awakened, Vincent knew something was wrong. “Kadyn, are you alright?” Not getting a response, he turned on the bedside light, to see a startled Kadyn listening to music.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you. Go back to sleep, Vincent.” Kadyn mumbled without even removing the headphones.
“You’ve gone and got yourself worked up over our discussion, haven’t you?”
Kadyn just shrugged. He figured it was his Top’s responsibility to take care of things. He just didn’t understand why Vincent would put him on hold like this.
“I’m sorry. I know you don’t deal well with waiting.” Sleepily rubbing his face a bit, Vincent gave the situation some thought. “Since we’re both awake, how about you telling me what you’ve been up to and why you were using the computer after I grounded you from it?”
Kadyn tossed his Ipod to the foot of the bed, threw back the covers, jumped up and stood with hands on hips, angrily glaring down at the older man. “It’s your fault I can’t sleep! And it’s your own fault that you’re awake now. Seeing as you got a kick or something outta keeping me waiting, I’m gonna make you wait.” With that, he stormed into the en suite and slammed the door. He rarely got this upset and had no means of handling this level of resentment on his own.
Vincent sighed and got out of bed. He tried to open the door of the en suite only to find it was locked. “Kadyn, I wasn’t getting a ‘kick’ out of keeping you waiting. I wanted us to talk when we were both rested. Now, open this door!” Getting no reply from his Brat, he added, “If I have to get the key, it will only make matters worse.”
Only silence greeted Vincent’s ears. Kadyn had no intentions of moving from where he was scrunched down in the corner next to the counter. He didn’t understand why he was this angry, but he was. And because of his anger, he was unwilling to accept his partner’s explanation or do what he was told.
Vincent shook his head as he walked to the bureau and opened a drawer. As soon as he found the key, he unlocked the en suite door and walked over to where Kadyn was still crouched. Reaching down, he hauled the young man to his feet. “Come on, Brat. We need to talk and since you insist, we’ll talk now.”
Leading Kaydn towards the bed, Vincent began not unkindly to converse. “Okay, I want to know what has got you so upset about my restricting your computer usage.”
Kadyn remained silent for several moments while his Top waited patiently. Finally he started to speak in a low, hesitant voice. “I’ve been working on a surprise, Vincent, and it was important that I finish up something this weekend. I didn’t want to disobey you, I didn’t have a choice.”
“Sweetie, you had other options. Why didn’t you just tell me that earlier? I’m not an ogre. I would have understood. If you’d told me, I would have let you finish your surprise, since it seems to mean so much to you. But now you’ve added rudeness to the list. We aren’t rude to one another, are we?”
Kadyn shook his head before hiding his face against Vincent’s chest. “Sorry,” he mumbled.
“Okay, honey, come here. Let’s get this over with. You know why you’re being punished, right?”
This time Kadyn nodded. “For disobeying and being rude,” he quietly admitted.
Vincent sat down on the side of the bed, pulled the younger man over his thighs and lowered Kadyn’s sleep pants.
“You had no business being on the computer after losing that privilege, nor should you have been out of bed in the middle of the night. And you know temper tantrums and being rude are never acceptable.” He raised his hand and brought it down several times in quick succession, turning Kadyn’s bare bottom red.
“Not so hard, Vincent!” Kadyn wailed, trying to squirm away but unable to do so.
A minute or so later, Vincent ended the spanking and within seconds had a sobbing Brat cuddled on his lap. He murmured comforting words and waited for the cries of pain to diminish and for the inevitable complaint.
“That really hurt, Vincent!” Kadyn griped as he glared at his Top, a show of displeasure on his tear-streaked face.
“It was meant to, sweetie” Vincent softly acknowledge with a kiss to the younger man’s forehead. “And the computer is now off-limits for a full week,” he added.
“That’s not fair! You already spanked me.”
“Yes, because apparently just denying you a privilege doesn’t get the message across. It’s too late to discuss this further so we’ll finish talking about this computer obsession of yours in the morning. For now, go to sleep. Heaven knows we both need it!” Vincent helped Kadyn get settled, then lay down next to him and soothingly rubbed his back.
“We’ll bake chocolate chip cookies right after breakfast, okay?” Kadyn requested around a wide yawn. He fell asleep with his partner’s assurances being whispered in his ear.
Vincent smiled. Although still unable to understand why his Brat equated baking cookies with forgiveness, it was something he would never deny this young man whom he loved with all his heart.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Kadyn toyed with the gold collar round his neck as he waited for the last batch of cookies to come out of the oven. During the early hours of this morning, his excitement to get his players ready to sell had him briefly forgetting the significance of this precious gift. Although he was anxious to post his game characters online, he decided to wait until tomorrow when he would ask Kyler or Rene to do it for him. He didn’t want to disobey Vincent again.
The timer beeped and he pull out the final tray and set it on the cooling rack, then he walked over to the table where Vincent was sitting and sat down on the older man’s lap. Wrapping his arms around his partner’s neck, Kadyn softly asked if they could talk now.
“Of course we can,” Vincent responded. “Tell me what you’ve been working on that’s so important it’s kept you up nights. I really want to know.”
“I can’t tell you everything, Vince. In fact, I can’t tell you very much at all without giving away the secret. I promise I’m not going to do anything really drastic until discussing it all with you. But I need at least another week, maybe two before I can let it all out of the bag. I guess I’m asking you to trust me. Can you?” Kadyn had been curling up the ends of the other man’s collar and not quite looking him in the eye, but now he glanced up to do so while keeping his fingers crossed.
“Sweetheart, of course I trust you. I won’t even ask what it’s all about.” Vincent’s reply testified to the confidence he had in his partner. His Brat might be impulsive, over-enthusiastic and disobedient at times, but as a rule he was pretty straight-forward and honest. He wrapped his arms Kadyn and gave him a gentle hug. “When you’re ready, you can tell me about your surprise. Until then we won’t discuss it. Will that work okay for you?”
“Sure, as long as you don’t believe all you might hear. People talk, you know, whether they have anything of truth to share or not.” Having grown up in this small town, Kadyn knew this for a fact. Didn’t matter what he did or where, his folks always found out. Didn’t matter if he acted up in class, in Sunday school or on the playground, there was usually someone who couldn’t get to his parents fast enough and squeal.
“Even though only four others are in on my plans, some nosey so-and-so is bound to think they know what’s going on and gossip about it. Just don’t listen, okay?”
“Okay, I promise I won’t listen to anyone but you. If I’m asked about anything, I’ll just say you’re working on a surprise and I don’t want to know what they may have heard. How is that?” Getting a nod in reply, Vincent changed the subject. “Are you going to come to the bookstore with me soon so we can go out to lunch later, or do you have other plans?”
“Oh, I forgot this is the last Sunday of the month and that you’re doing inventory. I’m still available to help you though, and I remember getting your guarantee that we’d eat the Maple Grille if I did your grunt work.” Kadyn laughed at the expression on his Top’s handsome face. “One of these days, you won’t be able to get those eyeballs of yours to stop rolling upwards like that,” he teased and pushed himself off the bigger man’s lap.
Grabbing a couple of cookies, he ran out of the kitchen and down the hall. “Bet I’ll be ready to go before you are, Vince” he called out over his shoulder.
Vincent chuckled and shook his head. With Kadyn, he never knew what would happen next. But he was never bored. Getting quickly to his feet, he hurried after his Brat. “You might, but I wouldn’t count out it.”
He caught up with Kadyn in the bedroom and wrestled him onto the bed. “Want to delay the work at the bookstore for half an hour?”
“Whatever you want, big guy.” Kadyn giggled as his partner’s fingers lightly grazed over his ribs and tickled. He threw his arms around Vincent’s neck and squirmed under the heavier body covering his, grinding his erection against his lover’s.
It took only a matter of seconds for both men to be naked; their Sunday morning attire consisting of t-shirts, boxers and socks quickly being discarded. In Vincent’s case, there was also a bathrobe added to the articles of clothing finding their way to the floor.
Moments later, Kadyn bucked as a well-lubed finger penetrated his body. It was soon followed by a second, then a third. When Vincent was satisfied with his preparations, he carefully replaced his probing fingers with his rigid penis and wrapped his hand around Kadyn’s. After giving the younger man time to adjust to the fullness, Vincent slowly but steadily increased the speed and depth of his movements until he felt his young lover tighten around him and heard him shout out his climax. Only then did he allow himself his own release.
“You sure we have to work at the bookstore today, Vince?” Kadyn murmured once his heart rate and breathing had slowed some. He turned to drape his upper body over his Top’s chest and gaze pleadingly into Vincent’s eyes. He groaned when his partner just smiled and nodded his head.
“Up and at it, Brat! The day’s getting away from us.” Vincent lightly patted Kadyn’s backside by way of encouragement, pushed out from under him and stood up. He smirked when his Brat complainingly obeyed while rolling off the bed and onto his feet in one smooth motion.
It wasn’t too much past the allotted half hour when they finally got around to leaving the house.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Kadyn became more excited as the week drew to a close. If Vincent didn’t know better, he’d have thought his Brat was on drugs. As it was, the older man pretended he didn’t notice anything and hoped that whatever the surprise was, it would work out as quickly as Kadyn had hoped.
Then the weekend arrived and whatever Kadyn had expected to happen, didn’t. The disappointed made it difficult for the young man not to let loose and just blurt out his secret, but somehow he managed to hang in there.
On Monday, everything finally fell into place and Kadyn was ready to share all. By the time Vincent got home for supper, his partner was practically bouncing off the walls.
“Kadyn, is everything all right?” Vincent inquired as he walked into the front room. He’d immediately noticed how wound-up his Brat was and apprehensively wondered what had happened.
“Everything’s fine, Vince, and I an finally tell you all I’ve been up to the last few weeks.” Kadyn grabbed his partner’s arm and towed him over to the sofa in the living room. Once they were seated and facing each other, he began to talk while bouncing on the edge of the couch.
“Okay, you must pay attention and listen closely so you don’t forget what I am saying.” Kadyn smirked at Vincent’s groan of long-suffering as those were the very words the older man more often than not had to use at the beginning of any serious conversations he wanted to have with his Brat.
“First off, you do remember encouraging me to take up pottery and ceramics, right?” Kadyn’s blue eyes were sparkling, his happiness very much apparent.
“Of course I remember. It was during our trip to Vancouver and unless I’ve missed my guess, you enjoyed the classes. After all, that vase on the sideboard you designed is beautiful and my mom loves the serving bowl you made for her. She’s always bragging about how talented you are.” Vincent looked somewhat suspiciously at the younger man. “Just where is this going? Don’t tell me you’ve lost interest in doing ceramics.”
“Nope; you’re kinda off the mark.” Kadyn laughed at Top’s erroneous presumptions. “I love doing pottery and getting my hands dirty. That’s why I’ve been going to Cassandra’s shop at least twice a week since taking the ceramic course last winter. It’s nice to know your mom thinks I got talent though.” He blushed at the unexpected praise.
He took a moment to get his thoughts back on track before deciding to just lay his cards on the table. “Cassie is selling her business and I want to buy it. I’ve put a lot of work into setting and reaching goals over the past several weeks, and now I’m ready to ask for your support.” Kadyn’s earnest sounding voice and now tense body clearly demonstrated how important this was to him. He expelled a deep breath, sat back and waited for his partner’s response.
Vincent was surprised by his partner’s news. Not only was the bit about Cassandra selling her shop a surprise; but up until now, he’d had no idea Kadyn wanted to have his own establishment. After taking a few seconds to get his thoughts in order, Vincent warmly replied. “I’ll support you in anything, including running your own ceramic shop. I take it you’ve looked at all the financial obligations involved but do you realize how much of what is now your free time will be taken up with running a business, even a small one?”
Kadyn rubbed his hands together and smiled at how easily his Top was going along with all this. “One of the reasons why I first toyed with the idea of having my own small business is that Dad is not as close to retirement as he thought he’d be by this time; especially with Mom still spending a lot of her day at the beauty salon instead of slowing down like they had planned. So I thought if dad was willing to work more hours, and he is, then I’d find something else to do with my so-called ‘free’ time.”
Kadyn was beginning to babble, but Vincent knew that given time his Brat would get to the point while filling in all the details along the way.
“When Cassie told me about moving to Terrace to be with her sister, I asked Kyler for some help to put together a business plan. I took it to Lucas Hudson at the bank and he said it looked good, providing I came up with money of my own. I had the amount my parents had put aside for me to continue my education, but that wasn’t enough. And that’s where the computer games came into play. I worked long and hard at developing my characters so I could sell them. Everything finally fell into place today and all my players got sold for a really great price. Now I have the amount I need for a down payment, Vince. Isn’t that great?”
“It certainly is, but why have you been keeping it all a secret? I’m afraid this is what I don’t understand.”
“I wanted to show you what I was capable of doing on my own so you’d know I’m able to handle such a venture. I got a gazillion ideas for making the business so much more doable and cost-effective than it has been. Like plans that offer classes all year round to various interest groups, not just during the fall and spring months.” Kadyn paused for a moment and chewed on his bottom lip. “All I need is your permission,” he diffidently requested.
“Sweetheart, you don’t need my permission to start your own business!” Vincent instantly replied. “I'll support you one hundred percent in whatever you want to do. There may be times you’ll want my opinion or advice and I’ll be there for you. It looks to me like you’ve done all the preliminary work, so I’ll have no intention of holding you back.”
“I do value your judgment, Vincent, and even if I don’t need your permission,” Kadyn softly answered, slowly rubbing his fingers across his collar, “I still want it. To me it represents part of the promise.”
Vincent smiled at Kadyn, all the while thinking what a loving and trusting partner he had. “Okay, if you feel that way, you have my permission to start your own ceramic shop.” He moved close enough to lovingly hug his Brat.
“Thanks, Vince. It’ll mean a lot to Cassie too, cause she’s already left town. She was anxious to move on and said she had every confidence in things working out.” Kadyn enthusiastically returned the embrace. “Guess we’re gonna have to work out some kind of timetable, cause once the deal is sign, sealed and delivered, I’m gonna be mega busy. I have a lot of changes to make to the old building. First thing I want to do is get rid of that little apartment Cassie lived in. I can put that space to better use by moving the kiln and inventory shelves back there. That in turn will give me more room to set up a teaching studio of sorts with long tables for clients work at. I gotta paint the whole place to really brighten it up. Rene and Kyler both offered to help. I hope to be opened for business by Valentine’s Day, so I have less than a month to get it all done.”
“Whoa there, tiger, we need to look at how long you plan on working each day to get the shop set up. I know you have great ideas, but you only have so many hours in a day. You still need to sleep, eat, have fun and spend time with me.”
“We can have a lot of time together if you’re free to help with some of the renovations,” Kadyn strongly hinted at his need for any assistance the older man could give him.
“I’m more than willing to help, but we may need to do things in steps. Have you made a schedule yet? It will help you see how long each thing will take, such as cleaning out the shop and doing the painting. That way you can adjust as you go and it won’t seem so overwhelming if something takes a day longer than you planned.”
“Well, as usual my Saturdays are pretty much my own. I promised Dad I’d work Monday, Wednesday and most Friday mornings in the store, still keeping track of the inventory for him. That leaves me with at least three whole days and three afternoons a week to work in my own shop. Then there’s Sunday and evenings still free. I figure that should give me plenty of time to get everything done, especially with family and friends pitching in.”
“It sounds like you’ve got things planned out. And with the bookstore being closed on Sundays, I’ll be able to help you the whole day. I think though, that you need to keep your evenings free.” When Kaydn started to protest, Vincent raised his hand in a ‘stop’ sign and continued. “You’ll need time to unwind, relax and look at what has to be done the next day. Trust me on this. I ran into something similar when I started the bookstore. I just don’t want you to spread yourself too thin.”
“I’ll try to follow your directives, Vincent; at least during the renovation stage. But you’re gonna have to realize that once I open up for business, I’ll be providing some night classes for adults who work during the day. I also plan to offer kid’s birthday parties on Saturday afternoon. Of course, I’ll have to insist that reservations be made several days in advance for those activities.”
“I don’t have a problem with you doing a couple of evenings a week, as long as it doesn’t get out of hand. And,” Vincent added with a grin. “I’m so sorry I work Saturdays.”
“Ya think, huh?” Kadyn smirked. “You’re probably relieved at not having to spend time with a bunch of little rug-rats who are throwing paint and plaster around.”
Kadyn’s empty stomach chose that moment to complain by growling loudly. “Can we discuss this while we eat supper, Vince? I got everything ready for tacos; just have to reheat the meat.” Getting a nod, Kadyn jumped to his feet and sprinted into the kitchen.
He was turning up the heat under a frying pan when Vincent caught up with him. Less than five minutes later, the two men were seated at the table and about to chow down.
Kadyn crunched into his taco and chewed slowly while mulling over one last favour he had to ask. “I’d like to go to Kelowna for decorating supplies because I’ll have a bigger choice there. If all the paperwork is done by the end of the week, can I borrow your car on Friday to make the trip?”
“Of course you can. That’s no problem. You know you can use it anytime there’s a need.”
“I know I can here in town; it’s the long trips that sometimes have you rethinking my driving it. This shopping spree I’m going on will take most the day.”
“That’s fine, as long as you drop me off at the bookstore by nine. Just how much is this shopping spree going to cost and how are you planning to pay for everything? You know how I feel about having a big balance on your credit card.”
“Oh yeah, I know your thoughts on piling up debt.” Kadyn frowned for a moment before coming up with what he considered a rational explanation for maxing out his Visa, because he was pretty sure that would be exactly what he would be doing by the end of the week. “I figure in all likelihood, it will easily get up over a couple of thousand dollars. But my card is empty at the moment and it never takes me too long to pay it off. Remember, I don’t own a vehicle. Just think of all the money I save with having no car payments, no insurance and no maintenance costs. The only gas money I spend is when I use yours. But I’ll still be careful and you know how much of a penny-pincher I can be at times.”
“I know you’re very good at paying your bills, but that seems like a lot of money for paint and building supplies. What about the stock you will need once you open for business?”
Kadyn concentrated on loading up his third taco. When done, he glanced over at the man sitting across from him. “Fortunately, a lot of stock was included in the purchase of the business. There is very little needed for my start-up; although I will be picking up some Valentine-type molds and a bigger variety of glazes. I’ve taken measurements of everything at the shop and written out a list of what’s needed. I’ll have to have some of it delivered, like the two-by-four studs, sheets of Gyproc, and shelving materials; hopefully by the first of next week. I also have to line up a plumber and electrician.”
He sent his partner a self-satisfied grin. “See Vince, I got it all figured out.”
Vincent nodded. It looked like Kadyn had things under control and he was very proud of his partner. “So I see. Well, if things get tight with the new business, let me know. I’m sure I can work out a loan with terms we both can live with,” he added with an outrageous leer that had his Brat laughing.
“We better enjoy the rest of this week, cause I think it is going to be the last one I’ll get for a while that won’t have me run off my feet. After that, I’ll try my best to work reasonable hours but I can’t promise to always be on time in the evenings.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The next three weeks flew by and Kadyn seemed to go non-stop. To say he was thrilled with those who showed up to offer a helping hand would be an understatement. Besides Vincent, his parents and his best friend, Rene, others he’d have never thought to ask put in surprising appearances.
Rene’s partner, Zack, as well as Zack’s parents, Hayden and Todd, rolled up their sleeves and pitched in as often as time would allow. Good friends such as Kyler and Cameron were joined by their partners, Chad, Hugh and Patrick, whenever they could find an hour or two of free time. Even Chandi and Eric dropped by and spent the entire first Saturday knocking down walls and cleaning up the debris left behind.
The normal slow season for contractors enabled the electrician and plumber to fill their contracts and do what had to be done without any delays. Each day, Kadyn would be the first to arrive and the last to leave as he oversaw everything. More often than not, this led to him running late.
At the beginning, Vincent cut his Brat some slack. He knew Kadyn needed to get into a rhythm that worked best for him. But it eventually became necessary for him to put his foot down and Kadyn not only went to bed early on two nights after writing lines about coming home at a reasonable time, but he was also grounded on the third Sunday, which didn’t go over too well at all.
Finally the eve of his grand opening arrived and he was more hyper than ever. He was also working himself into a crankly mood when his desire to repeatedly go over the plans for the next day coincided with his partner’s insistence that they go to bed and get the rest they would need to face what was bound to be another long, tiring day.
“You go ahead if you’re so tired, Vincent. I’ll come up when I’m good and ready,” Kadyn irritably suggested without even looking up from the list in front of him on the kitchen table. “And just so you know, I’m starting to get a little pissed off with you bugging me every couple of minutes. I’m an entrepreneur now with my own business. As one yourself, you should know how much I have to do to get everything ready. Now just bug off and leave me alone.”
Kadyn was engrossed in doing his own thing and failed to notice the look on his Top’s face.
“You may be an entrepreneur, but you are also still my partner,” Vincent replied in an annoyed tone of voice. “And we don’t speak to one another like that, do we?”
Not waiting for a response, Vincent pulled his Brat to his feet, confiscated Kadyn’s chair and pulled the young man over his lap. Bringing his hand down sharply, he began to spank Kadyn while at the same time sternly reprimanding him. “We don’t speak rudely to one another and when I say it is time for bed, it’s time for bed. Don’t you think I’ve noticed the dark circles under your eyes and you not wanting to eat? I will not let you wear yourself out and endanger your health over the opening of your store. I love you and I will do whatever it takes to keep you well and happy, even if it means spanking you to make sure you understand that. Do I make myself clear?”
Even though the punishment was being administered over his jeans, the combination of the physical chastisement and the scolding was enough to quickly have the weary young man in tears. Kadyn kicked and squirmed in an attempt to evade the hand steadily setting his backside on fire.
“I’m sorry, Vincent. I’ll go to bed now. Just stop, pleeeeease!” he wailed, trying to get his hand back to block the painful swats. So overwrought was Kadyn, he didn’t realize the spanking had ended until he felt himself being picked up and seated on Vincent’s slightly parted thighs. Wrapping his arms tightly around his partner’s neck, he sobbed out his remorse.
Several minutes later, Vincent’s soothing back rub and loving words of forgiveness enable Kadyn to get his crying under control. He collapsed heavily against the older man’s chest and in a somewhat dazed state, waited for the aftermath of hitching breaths to subside before submissively following his Top upstairs.
Upon entering their bedroom, Kadyn immediately found himself being undressed, gently hassled through his nightly routine and tucked into bed. He was sleeping soundly by the time Vincent crawled in beside him.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Kadyn was up on Friday long before his partner. He was able to shower and dress without disturbing the older man and then quietly leave the house to take Bandit for his morning walk. He returned just as Vincent was coming into the kitchen.
“How are you feeling?” the older man inquired as he gave his young partner a hug. “You look better and the circles under your eyes are a lot less noticeable. Looks like your cruel Top may be onto something in getting you to bed early,” he added with a grin.
“I’m pumped, man!” Kadyn animatedly announced, wrapping his arms around Vincent’s neck and kissing his cheek. He was too happy to react to his Top’s teasing comments. “It’s my big day. I’ve sent out special invitations to all who have helped over the past few weeks, for the luncheon I’m having catered at noon and then the grand opening will be at two this afternoon. But you already know all that.”
Vincent couldn’t help but smile at his Brat’s enthusiasm. “I think the luncheon is a great way to thank all your friends for their support.”
Kadyn couldn’t stay still. He started breakfast preparations while babbling almost non-stop. “I have dozens of little Valentine-type figurines ready for those interested in painting and taking them home. I’ve order two monstrous sheet cakes from Stewart’s bakery and I’ve also rented three large urns, one for tea and two for coffee; plus all the supplies needed to provide hot drinks.”
Pausing in the middle of beating some eggs, Kadyn looked quizzically at his partner. “Do you think I’ll have enough refreshments for everyone?”
“I think you’re all set. There’ll be plenty of food. You’ve done a great job on everything, sweetie; I’m very proud you. I know you know that, but I want you to remember it all day today since I can’t be with you because of Emily still sick and unable to work. I’ll come over at lunch time though, you can be sure of that.”
Kadyn was tempted to voice his disappointment yet again, but they’d already been over this more than once. As a businessman himself now, he accepted that his partner has his own responsibilities to meet.
They ate their morning meal while companionably discussing hopes and plans for the day; then Vincent left for the book store after kissing Kadyn goodbye.
The younger man busied himself by washing the dishes and straightening up around the house. At ten-thirty, he merrily made his way downtown. Arriving at his new place of business, he stopped and stared up at the sign swinging over the front door. He felt a bubbling sense of pride at the words ‘Clay Treasures’. As there were really no last minute tasks to take care of, he passed the time puttering around as he waited for the caterers and his guests to arrive.
The luncheon went off without a hitch and the grand opening surpassed all expectations with Kadyn having the time of his life and the event lasting much longer than planned.
It was one excited Brat still enjoying an adrenalin-high who followed his partner through the back door of their home later that evening.
It should have been a time to unwind and relax, but Kadyn seemed to have other ideas. He began rooting through the pantry and refrigerator, taking out baking ingredients and piling them on the counter. It was the mixing bowls, measuring cups and spoons, and cookie sheets that tipped off Vincent about his partner’s plan to bake.
“Hmm,” Vincent murmured with a grin. “Did you like Stewart’s cake so much you decided you wanted to make something sweet of your own? We just baked chocolate chip cookies the other day, so what is it going to be this time?”
Although Vincent was curious about what his partner had in mind, he had no intentions of letting him bake at this particular point in time. The older man began putting away the perishables. “I think we can both do with a nice long soak in the tub.”
Kadyn gave his Top’s suggestion some thought. He looked at the items spread out in front of him and then gave a somewhat self-conscious shrug. “I thought I’d make some bread. I was kinda hoping I could wear off my excess energy by beating on a big pile of dough.” Looking up at Vincent who was slowly shaking his head, Kadyn mimicked the movement and sighed. “Won’t work, huh? A bath would be better, right?”
“Right!” Vincent assured him. “Go run the water and I’ll lock up down here.”
The younger man sprinted down the hall and up the stairs, leaving a trail of clothing in his wake. For some unknown reason, a hyped-up Kadyn and disarray seemed to go together. In situations like this, it was easier for Vincent to just pick up after him than make his Brat do it.
Kadyn was standing naked next to a half-filled tub of water by the time Vincent joined him. He stepped in and sat down to watch his Top strip. “You know, Vince, I would have put on a show on if I was the one doing the undressing in front of you.” He leered up at the now nude man, appreciating the view for a few seconds. Then he turned off the water and moved to make room for Vincent to get in behind him.
After a bit of restless squirming, Kadyn settled between the older man’s legs and leaned back against his lover’s broad chest. He moaned his contentment when strong arms wrapped around him and Vincent’s deep voice murmured in his ear, asking for details of all that had gone on after he’d had to return to the book store.
“Geesh, where to begin?” Kadyn pretended to ponder over what to tell his partner first. “I bet just about everyone in Jade Heights stopped by at one time or another during the day. I sure was kept hopping, but I loved every minute of it. A group of seniors have signed up for classes on Tuesday mornings and I already have three reservations for kids’ birthday parties. It isn’t only good news for my business but also for Stewart’s bakery, cause he’ll be providing the cakes. He made me a deal; I get every seventh cake for free as long as I get them all from him.”
Kadyn continued babbling over the next half hour amid a few comments of encouragement. “I’m thinking of developing a couple of new characters for that online game I play.”
“Not if you have any plans to be playing during all hours of the night,” Vincent firmly responded.
“But it really is serious play, Vince. They’ll be a kind of insurance in case something unexpected happens. I really want to avoid running up any more debt.”
“Good management should help prevent that happening, sweetheart.”
“Yeah, I guess so.” Kadyn trusted his Top’s judgement and let the subject drop. Besides, the water was beginning to cool and he now had something else on his mind.
Using his toes, Kadyn removed the plug and then flipped over to face his partner. He gently kissed Vincent’s lips before slowly moving down the front of the bigger man’s body. He teased each nipple in turn, sucking them into hardened nubs. The water had all but drained away by the time he reached his goal, enabling him to take Vincent’s engorged penis into his mouth without fear of drowning.
Several minutes later, Kadyn cooed his happiness as his lover found his release and shot down the young man’s throat. Kadyn swallowed and gazed up at Vincent with a silly grin on his face, thrilled at having so totally pleasured his Top.
“My turn?” he asked hopefully.
“Yes, but not here. I intend to take my time in the comfort of our own bed.” Vincent sealed his promise with a kiss.
The End
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