Hagen hoped he hadn't shocked Baxter too much with his statement. He had backed off afterward, sensing the boy had a lot to think about. They had watched another movie, cuddling on the couch, which in itself was a special experience for Hagen. This time, they'd opted for a more lighthearted movie, what Baxter called a disaster movie, a genre he was apparently fond of.

"It helps you put things into perspective," he told Hagen with a smile. "No matter how shitty your life is going, when you see the volcano erupt or this giant earthquake wreak havoc on the West Coast, it makes you feel better."

It was an interesting approach, and while Hagen wouldn't say he loved the movie, it was entertaining enough, and it was clear Baxter did. After the movie, Baxter yawned, and Hagen had no trouble picking up the signals. He was tired, his boy, despite the long nap he'd taken. No wonder, he still had a lot of sleep to catch up on.

"It's time for bed," he told Baxter as he gently pushed him off the couch and got up himself as well.

"Stupid question maybe, but where am I sleeping?" Baxter asked.

"Not a stupid question at all. I have a guest room ready for you, but I would love it if you slept in my bed," Hagen said. "But the choice is yours. I can understand if you need a little time to—"

"I would love to sleep with you," Baxter said. "Daddy."

They didn't say much during their evening routine. Hagen provided Baxter with some toiletries and explained where everything was. "I have to leave early tomorrow for class, but you don't have class till later, right?"

"Yeah, my first class doesn't start till ten. But I have a late class, so I won't be done till six," Baxter said.

"Walk with me to my study," Hagen said, pleased when Baxter obeyed without questioning him. "I have put some things here for you," Hagen said as they were in the study, pointing toward the corner of his desk. "There's a key for you to the house. The remote for the garage is right next to it, so put that in your car so you can access it and park inside. I also have a debit card for you, and I've written the pin code on that piece of paper. Please memorize it and destroy the paper. That card is yours to use for whatever you need."

He saw Baxter wince and reached for his wrist to pull him close. He grabbed his chin to make sure Baxter met his eyes. "This is the nonnegotiable part of our agreement, baby boy. If you want this, you'll have to allow me to take care of you. Having that card is part of it. I trust you will use it to buy food, gas, clothes, whatever you need as long as you're staying here. Is that understood?"

Baxter's shoulders dropped as his body relaxed. "Yes, Daddy."

Hagen kissed him softly on his lips before he let them go. "Good. Take an Uber to pick up your car tomorrow, okay? Use the card for that. I will have groceries delivered for both of us. Is there anything you don't eat?"

Baxter made a face. "I don't like avocado," he said. "I've only had it once or twice, but I think it's gross."

"Well, that's an easy one, because I don't like it either," Hagen assured him. "Okay, off to bed we go. You need sleep."

He'd worried it would be weird, maybe, the two of them finding their mutual positions in bed. But it was like they had done it a thousand times before. Hagen settled on his side, and within seconds, Baxter snuggled up to him as the little spoon. The soft sigh he let out told Hagen how happy he was in that position, and he fell asleep with his arm tight around Baxter.

When he woke up—he'd set an alarm even though his internal clock always woke him around six-thirty—Baxter was still fast asleep. Hagen allowed himself the luxury of enjoying it for a few minutes, the sensation of his boy in his arms. That round ass was parked snug against his front, delighting his morning wood. One day, one day he would send Baxter to bed with a plug inside, lubed up and all, so he could wake him up by filling him. Wouldn't that be a perfect start of the day?

He daydreamed about it as he took his shower, jerking himself off to the fantasy of Baxter falling apart in his arms. He had so many plans for the boy. All he needed to do was wait for Baxter's answer tonight. His release was fast and furious, a little preface of what was to come when that fantasy became reality.

All through the day, his mind was on Baxter. He saw him once in the hallway, studiously ignoring him in the same way Baxter did him. They would have a hard time doing the same tomorrow when they had class together. But for now, everything was okay, even if Hagen had a hell of a time concentrating on his classes, because Baxter kept floating into his head.

After work, Hagen made sure he was home before Baxter. He'd asked him to text him when he started driving, so Hagen would know when he would get home. He wanted to have dinner ready, so Baxter could eat right away. He'd timed it perfectly, because when Baxter's car pulled up in the garage, the beeper for the oven went off, indicating the lasagna was ready.

Hagen turned off the oven but left it in, knowing it could use another five minutes with the heat off. That would give him time to properly greet Baxter. The way Baxter's face lit up as he walked into the kitchen and spotted Hagen made his heart dance with joy. He waited to say anything, curious to see how Baxter would greet him. Much to his surprise, the boy walked up to him, then dropped to his knees, bowing his head and folding his hands behind his back the way Hagen had taught him.

It brought tears to his eyes, which was the strangest thing. There had been many boys who had kneeled for him, far more perfectly than Baxter had done, and yet none of them had mattered this much. His hand found Baxter's head and patted him, dragging through his hair, scratching his neck and caressing his cheek. Baxter leaned into his touch, seeking it actively. That was something he would've discouraged as a Dom, but as a Daddy, he loved it.

"What a wonderful way to acknowledge your Daddy, baby boy," he praised him. "You made Daddy really happy."

Baxter beamed at him, and the pride that he’d gotten it right radiated off him.

"Come give Daddy a kiss," Hagen told him, tugging him until Baxter rose to his feet. Then Hagen pulled him close and took his mouth in a searing kiss.

He'd missed him. It had only been hours since he'd seen him that morning, and yet he’d missed him. How was that even possible? How had this boy gotten under his skin this quickly?

He broke off the kiss with regret. He wanted to do so much more to him than kissing, but it would have to wait till after dinner.

"Hi, Daddy," Baxter said, a happy smile painted on his face.

"Hi, baby boy," Hagen said, and then he had to kiss him again, because those lips were too damn appealing, begging for his touch. "I cooked lasagna for us, so let's eat."

He had already set the table, so after quickly going to the bathroom and washing his hands, Baxter joined him in the dining room. What a difference it was to not sit there by himself, but have this beautiful boy across from him, Hagen thought.

Dinner was pleasant, the two of them finding enough to talk about without getting too deep. Baxter cleared away two full plates of lasagna, which pleased Hagen deeply.

"Oh man, that was so good," Baxter said as he put his fork down. "I'm stuffed, but wow. Thank you for cooking."

"You're welcome. Now, I believe I owe you some help with your homework."

Baxter's mouth pulled up in a crooked smile. "When you say it like that, you really sound like my Daddy."

Hagen leaned back in his chair. "Is that so? Well, I thought you might need proper motivation, so I've come up with a system to reward you. You take an hour to read through the text, and afterward I’ll quiz you. For every answer you get right, I will fist that gorgeous cock of yours once. Play your cards right, and you get to come in my hand."

He loved the way Baxter's eyes widened, a faint blush spreading from his ears to his nose. "I don't know how I'm supposed to concentrate on the French Revolution now," Baxter complained, a hint of a whine in his voice.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll find a way," Hagen said. He rose from the table to clear the plates. "Keep in mind that I am really, really good at hand jobs."

When he walked out of the dining room, Baxter let out a little whimper, and Hagen smiled. Minutes later, Baxter sat in his study, his book in front of him, and his notes all spread out around him. Hagen had told him he would set a timer, and he was curious to see how Baxter would do.

It didn't surprise him that once Baxter got started, he didn't look up at all. He was completely focused on his book, scribbling down notes in the margin. Not that Hagen was watching him the whole time, of course not. He had merely settled down in the reading chair in the corner of his study to read. The fact that he could observe Baxter was a nice bonus.

Now came the hard part, Hagen thought when the timer indicated that the hour of studying had passed. He might have a PhD in history, but that didn't mean he knew a hell of a lot about the French Revolution anymore. It was a topic he had covered in college but had hardly studied up on since, so he would have to bluff his way through this. Luckily, he was a fast reader and he would have Baxter's textbook.

"You ready to be quizzed?" he asked Baxter.

Baxter nodded. "Bring it on."

"Hand me your textbook and notes, would you? Or rather, let's switch places."

Baxter lifted one eyebrow in a telling gesture. "Are you telling me you need the textbook to quiz me, Professor?"

Damn, the boy had seen straight through his bluff. Hagen loved that he was smart, even if he would have to spank him for it at times. Then again, he'd always been partial to a good spanking, so who knew what pleasure that would bring both of them.

"You better shut your smart mouth, boy, before I put something in it," he said.

Baxter chuckled. "I thought the deal was you would pleasure me, not the other way around. You chickening out on me?"

Oh yeah, Hagen would have plenty of reasons to spank him, he was sure. He smacked Baxter's bottom as they switched positions, eliciting a little yelp from his boy. "You watch your mouth, or I'll make sure sitting will be painful for the next few days."

Baxter's cheeks flushed, and Hagen loved it. Clearly, spanking was something he was looking forward to. So was Hagen, so that made two of them.

"Now, smart ass, tell me how the French Revolution and the American Revolution are connected."

By the time Daddy was done quizzing him, Baxter had accumulated a total score of twenty-seven. Not bad for an hour of studying. Then again, studying here, in the comfortable warmth of this study, the total quiet around him, it was a completely different experience than trying to cram in as much as possible in between jobs, while his stomach was rumbling from hunger. He had slept well, his head was clear, his body content with the food in his system. He couldn't believe what a difference those two days had made.

And how easy the word Daddy came to him, even in his mind when he thought of Hagen. He wasn't Hagen anymore, or maybe he never had been. Not really. There had always been that aura of something else about him, something bigger and deeper. And while Baxter would've been fine with calling him Sir, Daddy had an intimacy to it that hit him in all the feels.

"Good job, baby boy," Daddy said, and there was the proof. Those simple words, they lit a fire inside Baxter and made him want to do everything he could to please Daddy. It was the weirdest thing, something he had never experienced before.

"Thank you, Daddy," he said. "And thank you for helping me study."

"Before we get to the rewards part of the program, I have to ask you for your official answer to my proposal, Baxter."

He'd been Daddy one second, and now, by the change in the tone of his voice, he wasn't. Well, he still was, but Baxter sensed the difference. This wasn't his Daddy Dom talking to him. This was Hagen, approaching him man to man. He appreciated it more than he could put into words, that Hagen was so careful not to put any pressure on him. But he needn't worry. Baxter's mind had been made up yesterday, and though he had spent most of the day mulling it over in his head, he hadn't changed his mind.

"I happily accept your proposal," he said, then laughed as the wording hit him. "Oh my god, that sounded like you asked me to marry you."

Hagen laughed, but then his face sobered. "Maybe one day," he said, and it zinged between them, this knowledge that they both wanted more. Neither of them was in this for a hook up, for a quick sexual experiment. It settled Baxter and calmed him, knowing Hagen took this as seriously as he did.

"But I’m elated to hear you want to try this with me," Daddy said. "Why don't you come cuddle with me for a bit so we can celebrate?"

Now there was an invitation Baxter gladly accepted, and without a second’s hesitation, he hurried over to Daddy and climbed on his lap. Those strong arms came around him, and with a sigh of relief, he put his head against Daddy's chest.

"I can't wait to explore all these new things with you," Daddy said as he slipped his hand under Baxter's hoodie and caressed his back with slow, thorough moves. "There is so much I want to try with you."

Baxter's mind filled with too many dirty things. "Yeah?" he managed. "Like what?"

"Well, for starters, you had twenty-seven correct answers, right?"

Baxter hummed in agreement, curious where he was going with this.

"Well, you also had five wrong answers. Now, if I reward you for the good answers, it would only seem fair I punish you for the ones you got wrong. Don't you think?"

There really wasn't a good answer to this, was there? If Baxter said yes, he would get punished, whatever that meant. But if he said no, he would disobey his Daddy, and that wouldn't work either. Daddy was being a smartass, Baxter concluded, so he'd better go along with it.

"Yes, Daddy."

The hand on his back traversed lower now, until it had reached his waistband, and then it snuck under, finding the bare skin of his ass. Suddenly, he didn't have any trouble figuring out what punishment Daddy had in mind for him.

"Are you going to spank me, Daddy?" he asked.

Daddy grinned. "That depends on whether you think a spanking would be a punishment. If it's something you're looking forward to, it wouldn't really work, now would it?"

The man had a point there, but Baxter saw no right way to answer this. If he said he wasn't looking forward to it, he would be lying, but if he said he was, Daddy wouldn't spank him. "I don't know what to say, Daddy. I want to try it, but not as a punishment, I guess?"

"Thank you for being honest with me, baby boy. I appreciate you telling me the truth. We can try a spanking to see how you'll react to it. Would you like that?"

Would he like that? Talk about a dumb question. Baxter's body was almost vibrating at the thought. That in itself was the weirdest thing, as he'd never even thought about spanking up till two weeks ago. Daddy had changed everything for him, and he was excited to start on their adventure of exploration together. Still, he didn't think responding in that smart-ass way would earn him any favors, so he opted for a more demure reaction.

"I would like that very much, Daddy."

Daddy squeezed his ass, hard. "You'd better remember that your face is an open book, boy. I could read your thoughts easily, and while I appreciate you having the restraint not to actually say them, I'd like to remind you I can punish you for even thinking them just the same. And trust me when I say that won't be a pleasurable spanking."

Baxter was sure that little speech shouldn't turn him on, but boy, did it ever. "Yes, Daddy."

"You're going to be a handful, aren't you?" Daddy asked.

Another one of those questions that didn't have a right answer. "Sorry?"

"I've always liked a challenge," Daddy said, and then Baxter didn't feel as worried anymore about being too much of a brat.

"Before we start with this, Baxter, can you tell me one more time how this will work?"

Baxter loved him for it, the care he took to make sure Baxter understood what he was consenting to. "Now that I've accepted your proposal, we've officially entered into a Daddy-boy dynamic, meaning you’re in charge and have the authority to reward or punish me as you see fit. I have the option at any given time to use my safewords. Yellow means slowing down or talking about it and red means you'll stop what you’re doing immediately."

"Thank you, baby boy. I'm so immensely happy we're on the same page."

"Me too, Daddy," Baxter said.

"Okay, here's what's going to happen. Since this is your first time, I'll explain what I'm going to do. But this will be the only time. After this, I will proceed without explaining anything. When I decide to spank you, I will ask you to drop your pants. That is something you need to do to signal to me that you're consenting to this. After that, the only way to get out of it is by using your safeword. You will drape yourself across my lap, unless I indicate otherwise. I decide how many slaps you get. Using the word stop or any variation thereof will not have any impact on me. Are we clear?"

Daddy's authority blazed through Baxter, and his body already on fire with sheer anticipation. "Yes, Daddy."

Daddy gently pushed him off his lap. "Strip."

Baxter's hands were already on his jeans, and without any sense of modesty, he dropped them, dragging down his underwear at the same time. For one second, he worried about being too eager for this, but then he saw the naked hunger in Daddy's eyes, and he forgot all about that. They both wanted this, and it was a hard guess which one of them wanted it more.

When he was naked, Daddy pointed at his knee, and something strange came over Baxter, a deep sense of peace, of destiny. He wanted this so much, and even if he didn't understand why, he would roll with it. Everything Daddy had done so far had been good for Baxter. He trusted him on a level he'd never trusted anyone else, and that included with this.

He was sure it wasn't elegant, the way he clumsily draped himself over Daddy's knee, but Daddy's strong hands helped him, shifting him a little until he hung there, ready for it to start.

"You’re so beautiful," Daddy said. "I'm going to make this so good for you."

Baxter wanted to crack a joke that if he made it good, it wouldn't be punishment, but then Daddy's hand came down with the first slap, and Baxter forgot to think. Something happened to him at that first touch, his mind going to a place he'd never been before. He shivered, as much on the outside as on the inside, and then Daddy slapped him again, a little harder, and he moaned.

He closed his eyes, wanting to focus on the sensation of that contact, and he wasn't disappointed. Daddy's hand found a rhythm, not too hard, not too soft, not really hurting him. If someone had told Baxter a spanking could be comforting, he would've laughed, but that's exactly how it felt: comforting. As if Daddy gave him something precious with his physical presence, his touch, his attention. And Baxter soaked it in, every slap, every little stroke Daddy did in between.

He lost track of time as the spanking continued, unconsciously canting his hips upward to create more contact, more friction, more Daddy. He didn't think he would ever have enough of this. Baxter hadn't realized how hard he'd gotten, how much his cock was leaking, until a deep moan fell from his lips that startled him.

And then he knew, and it was all he could think about, his balls full and heavy, throbbing in their need to release. How was this possible? Daddy didn't say a word, but Baxter reasoned he had to know. There was no denying the wetness from Baxter's dick against his leg, the way Baxter was trying so hard not to rut against him, a battle he was losing fast.

But what had Daddy said? Baxter couldn't come without permission, could he? Daddy had been crystal clear that Baxter's orgasms belonged to him, not to Baxter. He couldn't disappoint him, not on the first spanking. He panicked for a second, then remembered what he had to do.

"Yellow! Daddy, yellow!"

Daddy stopped spanking him. "What's wrong?" he asked, concern lacing his voice.

Baxter wanted to speak, but what came out was a sob. He tried again. "I'm too close, Daddy. I don't want to disobey you."

He wasn't sure when it had become so important to not disappoint Daddy, but it was all he could think about right now. He wanted nothing more than for the spanking to continue, but he knew that if it did, he wouldn't be able to hold his orgasm back, and that was not what Daddy wanted.

"Oh, my sweet boy, how perfect of you to be so obedient. Daddy is so proud of you. Since this is your first spanking, and you're taking it so beautifully, you're allowed to come. Show me how much you're enjoying this, baby boy, show Daddy how much you like it when he spanks you."

Halfway through his words, he had resumed his slaps, and Baxter broke. He couldn't resist the urge anymore and rutted against Daddy's leg, releasing the hold he’d had on himself. It only took a few slaps more, and then he came so hard, stars danced in front of his eyes.

"Daddy!" he called out.

He had barely finished coming when Daddy pulled him up, back on his lap, and Baxter went willingly, needing him fiercely. He didn't know why he was crying, but he was, and he buried his face against Daddy's chest as Daddy held him. His ass hurt as he sat on it, but Daddy's warm hand on his back made everything better, as did the sweet words he whispered into Baxter's ears.

"You did so good, baby boy. I am so proud of you. I love how you surrender to me. You're so beautiful, my sweet boy. So perfect."

Baxter soaked it all in, not even registering the words anymore, just the deep affection in Daddy's voice. It made him feel proud and valued and loved, and right now, that was all that mattered.