He picked up his chopsticks, motioning to the food. “Eat.” Jasper’s incredulous expression fueled the quiet anger in the pit of his stomach, but he ignored it for now. “I’m proud of you, pet. I need you to continue making those decisions with your own well-being in mind. It’s the only way you’re going to find your real limits. Understand?”
Jasper carefully picked up his own chopsticks, poured some soy sauce into his dish, and mixed a bit of wasabi into it. “I think so, Sir.”
“Good,” he said again. That was good.
He let Jasper process that as they ate, then returned to the previous issue. “So if not a slave, then a sub. A sub has rights. They keep their autonomy. Thesubchooses what they are willing to give, when to give it, and what they need in return.”
“But you’re the one in control,” Jasper said, frowning as he picked up another piece of sushi.
Vincent tapped his chopsticks against his soy dish as he considered his response. “I’m the one in charge,” he finally said. “There’s a difference. It’s my job to ensure we both get what we need, within the terms and limits that you set.” He’d never been more grateful for his therapist than he was right then. Putting all this into words Jasper could understand would have been impossible without the past several years of digging into his own issues and relationship with kink.
“I might ask you for something you don’t want to do, but it’s your choice. Even if you agree, it’s fluid, and you can stop it at any time.”
“So can you,” Jasper said, finally glancing up long enough to meet Vincent’s eyes.
Vincent nodded. “All of this works exactly like your limits. It changes based on your needs.”
“What aboutyourneeds?”
It took every ounce of control to keep from saying his needs didn’t matter right now. That was only partly true. He was fine with taking what Jasper was willing to give while focusing on Jasper learning his limits for now. Instead, he waited for the server to refill their drinks before answering.
“You’ve been fulfilling my biggest need. It doesn’t matter so much what you give up. I want your submission, and I want it given willingly.”
They finished eating in silence as Jasper mulled that over. There was enough sushi leftover to fill a to-go box, and once Vincent paid, they headed back to the car.
Jasper settled in the passenger seat, his eyes on Vincent, which was much better than staring out the window. “You really mean all that,” he said slowly. When Vincent shot him a questioning look, he flicked his fingers as if to indicate everything. “I have all the power, and you’re not going to get mad if I say no to something.”
“I meant every word.”
“Even if I don’t ever want to try something new?”
“You might not have noticed, pet, but I enjoy our time together,” he said dryly. “So long as I have your submission, we can figure something out.”
Jasper was quiet for a moment, before he reached over and lightly rested his hand on Vincent’s thigh. “Thank you, Sir. You should teach a class or something,” he said, grin evident in his voice.
There was an idea. He shifted his hand to grasp Jasper’s fingers, rubbing his thumb along the backs of them. That really wasn’t a bad idea at all. There’d been requests for demos and such, and there were enough members now to make it worth the effort. Small classes would certainly be easier to start with than theme events or tastings. “Would you attend them?”
“If you’re teaching them?” Jasper asked with a soft laugh. “Yes, Sir. Definitely.”
Vincent refrained from rolling his eyes. “No, I would find an experienced sub to do them.” He might have the occasional desire to let his sub do all the work, but it wasn’t a frame of mind he’d really explored. “They’d be able to answer your questions better.”
“What if I don’t like their answers?”
“Then you come to me and we find an answer that works.”
Jasper rubbed his fingertips against Vincent’s index finger. “Okay.”
“Okay.”
The rest of the drive was silent, but it was comfortable. He still didn’t know if Jasper wanted to keep the condoms for the foreseeable future, but it didn’t matter until the tests came back anyway.
He followed Jasper to the fridge and waited until he put the food away to press him back against it, claiming his lips.
Jasper wrapped his arms around Vincent’s shoulders, his body unresisting and pliant. When Vincent finally broke the kiss, he licked his lips with a soft moan. “You could fuck me, Sir. Before I go back to studying.”
“I could,” Vincent murmured, moving his lips to Jasper’s neck. He took his time leaving a mark there, finally lifting his head to study Jasper. “Can you tell me who has the power here?”
After a long beat of silence, Jasper whispered, “I do, Sir.”
