A Strong Hand

submission. That's how he finds peace."
    "Peace!" Nick exclaimed. "That's fucking hysterical. Twelve hard strokes with a cane? That doesn't seem like a peaceful way to spend the evening!"
    "And it wouldn't be for you. It is for him. It's his choice, you know." Damian wondered how he could explain it.
    "Remember how you felt Saturday night?"
    Nick nodded dumbly.
    "Most people wouldn't consider that to be fun either, but you were flying at the end," Damian pointed out. He had a terrible feeling that Nick was slipping away from him and savagely wished Crispin weren't so fucking dominating that he never thought to ask if it was all right to cane Eddy the way he had. "Crispin has a fantasy of being some kind of knight on horseback, swooping in to save Eddy from himself. And Lord knows, Eddy needs someone to answer to; he can't seem to master himself, so perhaps he's better off as a slave. It wouldn't work for me, but it seems to work for them. They've been together for three years."
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    "Are you saying ... Eddy wanted to be ... to be ... caned in front of all of us?"
    Damian chuckled but his smile faded as he realized how shaken Nick was. "He was pushing for it from the moment he came in. He knows better than to slam doors and mouth off like that."
    "Fucking hell," Nick said softly, relaxing and leaning into Damian's embrace, having completely forgotten that he was standing in a hallway, where other tenants of the building might see him.
    The door opened and Ashley poked his head out. "Crispin sends his apologies for forgetting to ask your leave to do that, Damian. It's all over and he's hoping you'll both still allow him to buy dinner for you."
    Damian looked at his boy. "What about it, Nick? Are you up for it or would you prefer to be taken home?"
    "Home, please, I think," Nick said, closing his eyes briefly.
    He was hoping that he hadn't just caught a glimpse of his own future.
    Damian was disappointed but he hoped that maybe Nick just needed some time alone to think. "I'll just run Nick home and then I'll meet you, Ash. Where are you going?"
    Ashley gave the name of the restaurant and Damian nodded. "I'll join you later. I'll just lock up first." He gave Nick one last comforting squeeze. "Come on, babe. Let's get everything shut down and I'll get you home."
    Nick followed Damian inside the studio, wanting to see how Eddy was. He felt as if he was looking at an accident: horrified, fascinated, but unable to look away.
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    He was surprised to see Eddy kneeling by Crispin's chair.
    The older man was stroking his hair and Eddy's face was peaceful, dreamy almost. He'd dropped the truculent voice and his replies to Crispin's questions were inaudible.
    Nick followed Damian's orders shutting down the studio and soon found himself in the older man's car. He sat huddled in on himself, staring straight ahead.
    Damian sighed. "Talk to me, Nick. Don't just shut me out."
    Nick shook his head. "I can't right now. I have to think."
    Damian said firmly, "That will never be you and me. I would never choose to hit you like that with a cane. I will never punish you either. I don't do this for disciplinary reasons. You're an adult, and you're in charge of your own life. You will never find yourself in Eddy's place with me."
    Nick's cold hand sought Damian's. "I know. And thank you for bringing me home."
    "See you tomorrow?" Damian asked hopefully.
    "I have school tomorrow. Thursday," Nick said.
    For a moment Damian feared that he would get out without even a kiss, but Nick turned and kissed him briefly.
    Then he was out of the car, running up the stairs of his building two at a time.
    Damian sighed and put the car in gear. Master or not, Crispin was going to hear his opinion of what he'd done that night. He hoped that maybe yelling at Crispin would take his mind off the boy he feared he had lost.

    * * * *
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    A Strong Hand
    by Catt Ford
    Nick fluctuated between missing Damian desperately and wondering if he was insane for trusting the man. He had to admit that although he had pissed Damian off frequently before they started doing things, the older man had never showed any signs of wishing to punish him; he was just sarcastic about his shortcomings.
    He realized with dismay that he had been a little turned on by watching Eddy's unquestioning obedience once Crispin had pulled him up short. What had disturbed him was watching him bare his arse, bend over the table, and agree