Baxter was still floating on cloud nine the next day. Daddy had not let go of him after they had fucked in the club in public, but had touched him constantly the rest of the time they were there. He’d held Baxter’s hand, had his arm slung around him, placed a possessive hand on his ass, or held his neck, as if to make sure everyone knew who Baxter belonged to. Baxter hadn't minded; on the contrary, he had discovered it was really hot when Daddy got possessive.

Not as hot as the sex, though. Baxter still couldn't believe he had done it, had sex in public. Or more accurately, he couldn’t believe he had let Daddy do it to him, but he didn't regret it. Hell, it had been the single most rewarding experience of his life, sexually speaking. The way Daddy had used him, had fucked himself in Baxter's mouth… God, Baxter had been on the verge of exploding after that, and when Daddy had fucked him so hard and deep, it had been almost too much. His orgasm had been so intense, he had feared he would faint from the sheer force of it.

And of course, afterward, Daddy had told him he loved him. It had been perfect, his declaration so simple but so heartfelt. Baxter hadn't doubted for a second he meant it, even if it was said right after the hottest sex ever. Hadn't he felt Daddy's love for him all along? It had been visible, tangible in every little thing Daddy did for him. He'd said the words right back, so relieved and grateful he didn't have to hold them back anymore.

They were sitting now at the terminal at LAX, waiting to board their plane, and Baxter smiled at the memory. Life was good.

Just then, his phone rang. He checked the caller ID and saw it was Jim. For a second, he debated not answering it, because he was pretty sure what Jim was calling about. But reality kicked in, and he answered the call. "What's up, Jim?"

"Hey, Baxter, I'm glad to reach you. Just wanted to let you know I have a trailer available. Monica from trailer four moved in with her boyfriend, so it's yours if you want it."

If you want it. That was the question, wasn't it? He should want it, should be glad there was a solution for him on such short notice. But moving into that trailer meant leaving Daddy's house, and the idea stabbed through his heart like an icicle.

"Thanks so much, Jim. Let me talk to Da… Hagen," he corrected himself. "I'll get back to you tomorrow at the latest, since I'm traveling right now."

"No worries, kiddo. I'll hold it for you till tomorrow. Let me know."

When he hung up, Daddy looked at him inquisitively. "Jim has a trailer available for me," Baxter said.

Something flashed over Daddy's face, but he hid it as soon as it popped up. "That's good news, right?" he asked. "You were expecting it to be the end of the month and we’re only halfway."

Baxter shrugged. "I guess."

"You don't seem happy," Daddy said, and Baxter realized he was being just as careful and noncommittal as Baxter himself was.

"I will miss you," he offered.

Daddy's smile was instant. "I will miss you too, baby boy. I was hoping you’d want to continue seeing each other now that our contract with Valentine’s Inc. is up.”

Baxter hadn’t even considered the possibility they wouldn’t, strangely enough. Daddy was right, of course, to bring it up because they hadn’t officially talked about it. “I’d love that,” he said.

Daddy moved his mouth close to Baxter’s ear. “This is the worst place in the world to talk about this, but I hope you’ll want to continue to be my boy as well.”

A deep rush spread through Baxter’s body. “Yes, Daddy,” he said. “I really want that. I love the way you take care of me.”

Daddy pressed a quick kiss on his cheek, ignoring some stares from other passengers. “That makes me so happy, baby boy. But it's a little soon to be moving in together permanently, right?"

There was something in Daddy’s tone that Baxter couldn’t quite place. Baxter himself felt conflicted as hell, too, but rationally, he knew it was true. "It is. I mean, we hardly know each other."

Daddy's smile felt forced now. "I wouldn't say hardly, but I get your point. I think we need a little more time dating before we can make a decision that big."

He was right, Baxter knew, but sadness still filled his heart. "There's also the issue of you still being my professor," he said.

"Exactly. We need to figure out how we're going to move forward before we do something so drastic," Daddy agreed with him.

They sat like that for a while, and Baxter's joy over their time together dissipated. Yesterday had been the single best Valentine's Day of his life. Hell, it came close to being the single best day of his life, period. But right now, he wanted to curl up into a ball and cry at the thought of losing it all.

His phone pinged with a text. CALL ME ASAP, it read. Denise. And he smiled, because he had a pretty good idea what happened.

“I need to call Denise real quick,” he told Daddy. Inside him, joy bubbled up for his friend’s happiness, but at the same time, he still felt the conflicted emotions over his own situation.

Maybe Daddy had spotted something on his face, because he said, “You can tell her about us if you trust her to not tell anyone else.”

Baxter’s face lit up. “I can? I know she won’t say anything. She’s not a gossip.”

Daddy leaned in for a quick kiss. “Go tell her, then.”

Baxter got up and found a quiet spot where no one could listen in, then hit the speed dial.

“He asked me!” Denise shouted as soon as she picked up. “We had this romantic dinner, and then he brought me to the park where we met during that music festival, and he spelled Marry Me with rose petals in the snow. He had freaking candles and everything!”

Baxter grinned at her infectious joy. “And?” he said, his voice teasing. “What did you tell him?”

“Oh fuck off, you,” she laughed. “Of course I told him yes, you moron. Like I would let Nick ever get away from me.”

“I’m so happy for you. You two deserve it.”

She shared more details of the proposal and Baxter listened, so happy for his best friend.

“How was your romantic getaway?” Denise asked. Baxter had told her his secret boyfriend wanted to spend Valentine’s Day with him.

“If I tell you something, will you promise me not to tell anyone else?”

“Bax, like you even need to ask. You know I don’t talk,” she said, her voice growing serious as if she knew he had something big to share.

“You know my secret boyfriend, as we’re calling him? You actually know him…”

“I…what? Who?”

Baxter couldn’t hold back his smile. “I found myself the perfect silver daddy.”

It took her three seconds. “Oh. My. God. You’re with Professor St. Croix?”

He grinned. “Well, that’s not what I call him, but yes.”

“Bax, that’s… I can’t even find words. How the fuck did that happen? Wait, you told me you found him through that app. He was looking for a paid date?”

Baxter told her the whole story, and after a little hesitation, he told her about the daddy stuff as well.

“He’s a real silver daddy, huh?” Denise said when he’d finished.

“Are you okay with that?” Baxter asked.

“Dude, whatever floats your boat. It’s easy to hear how much it means to you. How much he means to you.”

“I’m in love with him,” Baxter said. “I’m so, so in love with him.”

“I’m so happy for you, Bax. It sounds to me like you two are a perfect match. And damn, you scored yourself one hot daddy. I’d almost be jealous. Now, starts from the beginning when you visited that club and spare no detail.”

Baxter talked to her until the boarding was announced. It was such a relief to finally tell someone and even better that it had been his best friend. She’d been so happy for him, so supportive, though she’d voiced concern about the future as well. Well, that made two of them.

They settled in their seats on the plane, lucky to have three seats to themselves with Daddy sitting at the window. He immediately reached for Baxter’s hand, and Baxter was grateful for the contact.

"This was one of the best weekends of my life," Daddy said once they were in the air.

Baxter's heart hurt as he put his head against Daddy's shoulder. "Same here," he said softly.

"We're still together, baby boy. You moving back into your own place doesn't change that," Daddy said.

In theory, he was right. But the thought of being on his own again, of juggling jobs and study and taking care of himself and life, made Baxter's stomach fill with stress. How would he have the time to even be with Daddy if he had to work three jobs? Well, two. There was no way he could continue dating others through Valentine’s Inc. when he was with Daddy, so that had to stop. That meant long hours at Rocky’s, though, to make enough money.

He closed his eyes, pretending to sleep, but his mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, one more stressful than the next. Life with Daddy had been so simple, yet so fulfilling and rich. It had been peaceful, and suddenly, Baxter doubted if their relationship even stood a chance outside of that bubble. He couldn’t see how it would work, not with him working all the time. But if he didn’t, how would he afford college?

They avoided the topic on the entire flight home, and Baxter didn't bring it up until they were in the car, driving home from Boston. "So you think I should take that trailer Jim offered?" he asked.

"I can't make that choice for you, Baxter," Daddy said. "I would love to have you with me, you know that, but it is soon, and I don't want to suffocate you. You’re new to all of this, and I think you should take the time to make a good decision without any pressure on you."

It made total sense, what Daddy said, and Baxter couldn't find the fault in his logic. Why then did it feel so wrong? It had to be because the timing was so horrible, right after their weekend together, he reasoned with himself. Surely in the cold light of day, he would come to the conclusion it was for the best to slow down a little in their relationship. Daddy was right. Moving in permanently was too soon. He texted Jim that he would accept the offer before he could talk himself out of it.

They went to bed early that evening, both tired from traveling and the time difference. Baxter snuggled close to Daddy as always in bed, but for the first time, despite their physical proximity, his heart felt a thousand miles apart, and he fell asleep with dried tears on his cheeks.

For the last three years, Hagen had considered the day he had come home from that trip and discovered Jake had moved out to be the single worst day of his life. The good news was that Jake had just gotten bumped a spot down. The bad news was that Hagen was absolutely heartbroken.

When Baxter had left the morning before, Hagen had been able to pretend nothing had changed. He knew better, but neither of them had raised the issue. And so Baxter had gotten his stuff, little as it was, and had put it in his car as he left for college. And Hagen hadn't realized how empty his house would be, how empty his life and heart would be, until he had come home and Baxter hadn't been there.

He'd known it, had replied to the text from Baxter that he had accepted a shift at the gas station. But knowing it was different from experiencing it, and Hagen had broken all his self-imposed rules and had poured himself two glasses of whiskey the previous night.

His faint hope that things would get better the second day proved to be in vain, as he once again was looking at that bottle of whiskey as if it held the solution. It didn't, but then again, nothing did. There was no solution, not a good one anyway.

And not for lack of trying, as Hagen had spent hours racking his brain to come up with one. He'd gone through all possibilities in his head. Telling Baxter to move in with him. Assuring him he would pay all his bills. Offering to pay for his college. Hell, he had the money, and he would be all too happy to spend it on his boy.

But he couldn't. It was too much, too soon, too fast. Baxter was new to this type of relationship, and that, in combination with his previous bad experiences with his ex-boyfriend, would make him run if Hagen pushed too hard. He couldn't suffocate him, had to allow him to adjust to Hagen's care for him.

If he were honest, it was just as much about his own fears as well. He wanted it all with Baxter: the relationship, the taking care of him, the sex, living together, you name it. Hell, he wanted the dog and the white picket fence, too. But what if he got hurt all over again? What if Baxter, too, decided Hagen wasn’t really what he wanted?

No, taking a step back and allowing Baxter to make his own decisions was the right thing to do for both of them. They needed time to figure out how this could work. But god, it hurt.

And it was hard, knowing that Baxter was once again working himself to the bone, while Hagen stewed at home, lonely and frustrated. He wanted so much better for his boy than that life. He wanted to see him happy and able to focus on his academics. He wanted to see him thriving and healthy. But above all, he wanted to see him in his bed, in his house, in his life, and in his arms.

He needed to do something. He couldn’t stand by and watch Baxter drown again. Maybe he could offer to pay for his living expenses. He could pay to replace the furniture and household items that he’d lost when his roof had caved in. Or part of his tuition. Anything to take some pressure off of him. That was something he’d bring up and see if Baxter was open to the idea.

He wasn't even sure when they would be able to see each other again. Oh, they had spent two wonderful hours together today. Not. Baxter had been in his class today, and that had been two hours of sheer torture. For both of them, Hagen supposed, because Baxter had looked like he was suffering as well.

Maybe that was the first problem he could focus on. If he wanted to get serious with Baxter—and that wasn't an if anymore—he needed to figure out a solution where he no longer was Baxter's professor. The easiest solution was for Baxter to switch to a different college, but again, Hagen was not putting any pressure on him. It would be unfair, almost an abuse of power, both from him as a professor and from him as Baxter's Daddy.

On a whim, he decided to call a former colleague of his who had accepted a position at a small, private university in California. The man had always had an excellent network, and maybe he knew of some openings for tenure positions.

"Hagen, what a wonderful surprise to hear from you," William said as he picked up.

Hagen smiled at hearing his voice. The man was as eccentric as they came, but was a unique character, and Hagen really liked him. "William, my apologies for bothering you."

"You're not bothering me. I was about to start grading papers on a freshman assignment, a five-page paper on who the best president was. Not an assignment I'm particularly looking forward to grading, as you can understand, and that's the understatement of the year. Trust me, you're doing me a favor by helping me procrastinate."

Hagen chuckled. "How's life at Woodcliffe treating you?" he asked, referring to Williams new employer.

"Aside from teaching too many freshman classes, I really like it. It's a hell of a lot smaller than what we were used to, but I'm sure you're experiencing the same. I assume you're still in Massachusetts? Not tired of the snow just yet?"

And Hagen, who had never made an impulsive decision in his life, took the jump. "What if I was, William? You're well-connected in academic circles. Do you know of any openings for me?"

It was quiet on the other end of the phone line for so long Hagen feared the connection had been disrupted, until William finally spoke. "Are you kidding me? There's an opening right here."

Hagen's heart skipped a few beats. "What do you mean an opening? An opening for what?"

"Hagen, they just started the search for a professor in military history. Full tenure. With your experience and references, you would be a shoe-in. I didn't even approach you, because I thought you were happy in Massachusetts."

Hagen had to force himself to breathe. "William, shoot straight with me. Are you only saying this to placate me or do I really stand a chance of getting that position if I were to apply?"

"Hagen, my dear friend, have you ever known me to have any kind of filter? I’m the head of the search committee, does that give you enough assurance you stand an excellent chance?"

Hagen lowered himself on a chair, no longer trusting his legs to hold him. "I can't fully commit to applying, since I'll have to discuss this with my partner. Can I call you back tomorrow and let you know?"

The reaction on the other end of the line was a loud whoop, and Hagen smiled. "Hagen, you asshole, that should've been the news to lead with. Did you find yourself a new boy?"

And that was one of the reasons why he liked William so much. The man was as straight as they came, had been single his entire life—as far as serial one-night stands and short affairs counted as a being single—and yet he embraced Hagen's lifestyle with an enthusiasm that not even fellow Doms always shared.

"I have. He's wonderful and perfect for me, but I think the two of us may need a fresh start somewhere else."

"Woodcliffe would be lucky to have you, my friend, but more importantly, so would I. To have someone of your caliber teach here, that would be a huge boost for our academic program, and personally, I would love to work with you again."

After asking him a few questions about the position like benefits and the housing situation, Hagen ended the call with the repeated promise he would inform William as soon as possible if he was interested in the job.

Hagen had never believed in something as intangible as fate. Sure, as a lifelong student of history, he had been fascinated by how coincidences had sometimes shaped the course of history in dramatic ways. But was that fate? Oftentimes it was people making decisions, good ones or bad ones, that turned out to be fateful in the sense they had unforeseen consequences.

But right now, that call with William, Hagen had a hard time describing that as anything else but fate. He hadn't talked to the man in over a year, and the last time they had spoken, William had still been at their previous university, and Hagen had indicated he was happy in Massachusetts. And now that he impulsively decided to call him, there happened to be a job opening? It was hard to chalk that up to a coincidence.

He did pour himself that whiskey he'd been eyeing, then settled on the couch as he pondered it. Would Baxter be even interested in moving to California? It wasn't like he had any family here, from what Hagen understood. His mom was already in Florida, so that wouldn't make much of a difference. And he might have friends here, but you couldn't stay anywhere for friends. Hagen knew that all too well.

California could be the perfect fresh start for both of them. No one would know they had been professor and student. Hagen could start at a new job, and Baxter could find a college there to finish his education. Yes, he would have to switch, but he could choose a less expensive college and make it a little easier on himself.

It could be perfect…but only if this was what Baxter wanted. Hagen could bring it up to him, but he wouldn’t present it as the only choice, as an ultimatum. If Baxter wanted to stay here in Massachusetts, or if he wanted to stay at their college, Hagen would find a different job. He wouldn’t go to California without him.

But it was hard to envision moving across the country together without moving in together. And that brought Hagen right back to where he had started. He couldn't ask Baxter to move in with him. Not without scaring him away. Not without facing his own fear of being rejected and hurt once again. Hagen sat for a long time, nursing that drink, but by the time he went to bed, he was no closer to a solution.

Baxter came home late that night, too late to call Daddy. Sure, Daddy had assured him he could call him any time, but it was after midnight. Daddy never went to bed late, and there was no way Baxter was waking him up for a phone call. He'd tried to go home early, as his shift had ended at ten, but the store had turned into a horrible mess in his absence, and his manager had begged him to work a little overtime and fix it.

Of course, Baxter had said yes. He always said yes. He needed the money, and that was the bottom line of his life. It was the reason why he hadn't seen Daddy in three days, and if someone had told him two months ago he would get stressed out over not seeing his boyfriend for three days, he would've laughed them out of the room. But there he was, and what should have frightened him, to be this dependent on someone, instead made him deeply sad. He had been a part of the most amazing thing ever, and somehow, he had lost it.

And as he sat on his couch, which had been salvaged from his ruined trailer, he took a long, hard look at his life. He'd lost most of his furniture, as it had gotten soaking wet and thus permanently ruined with the leaking roof. But Jim had surprised him with some pretty nice used furniture, including a small table with two chairs and a reading chair. His bed had been okay, luckily, due to the fact it had been on the other end of the trailer, and so had his clothes, but he'd lost a lot of small, practical stuff like kitchenware and books.

All of it was replaceable, as anything that held memories for him had moved to Florida with his mom, but it would cost money. Money he didn't have in the first place, and money he couldn't spare if he wanted to make tuition.

He sipped his tea. It was time to get realistic. He would never be able to make tuition. It was insane to even keep trying and pretending. If nothing else, his fainting scare should convince him that working himself to the bone was a really bad idea. He couldn't keep doing it, not to himself, and now that he had a relationship, not to the two of them either. He owed them more than that.

But what was the alternative? He'd looked into some other colleges in the area and had even tried to figure out if transferring would cost too many credits. It was complicated, though, and tuition would still be steep. It was a few grand less than here, but still more than he could afford. Should he try to apply for financial help again? Maybe drop out until the new college year and try again? It was a risk. He would've dropped out twice then, not the most trustworthy and stable impression.

He took another sip of his tea, trying to organize the jumble of thoughts in his head. For the last months, finishing college had been his single focus, and he had given up everything else for that goal. As much as it hurt, Baxter had to admit that it wasn't working. He had given it his all, but he couldn't continue, not under these circumstances. He’d counted on getting financial aid next year, but even then, he’d come short.

He would either have to find a better paying part-time job or a cheaper college, or preferably, both. Or take out some serious student loans, and that option was something he’d have to consider seriously as well. He appreciated his parents’ care, but maybe it was time to bend their rule just a little.

But even then, even if he did find another job and switched to another college, he still would be pressed for time to fit in a relationship. He would have to choose, he realized. He couldn't work this many hours and study and be with Daddy. Something had to give. Something had to be sacrificed. So the question was what was worth more to him: his promise to his parents to not take on debt, his college degree, or his relationship?

And as he thought back on the empty darkness of the last three days without Daddy, how lonely he had been in bed, how much his body had hurt from the pain of their separation, Baxter realized the choice wasn't hard at all. It was incredibly simple, in fact. His college degree mattered, and he’d have to accept that taking on debts was unavoidable, but something else mattered most. As soon as that truth hit him, he put down his mug on the coffee table, got up, grabbed his backpack, turned off the light, and walked out.

The house was dark when he pulled up, confirming that Daddy was already asleep, but Baxter didn't care. What he had to say couldn't wait. He let himself in with the key he still had, then made his way upstairs. He had expected to have to wake Daddy, but instead, he saw the light spill from under his bedroom door as soon as he was at the top of the stairs.

"Baxter?" Daddy called out, and Baxter hurried into his bedroom.

Daddy had already gotten out of bed, standing there in nothing but his boxer briefs with a worried expression on his face, and Baxter couldn't breathe. Suddenly, his feelings were so big, so all encompassing, that he couldn't find the words to voice them. Instead, all he could do was sink to his knees and offer himself to Daddy.

Daddy's hands reached out to him instantly, caressing his hair. "My sweet boy, I have missed you so much. Are you okay?"

No, he wasn't okay. Not without Daddy. And the last piece of the puzzle clicked. Baxter raised his head. "I want to move in with you. I don't care that it's soon or rash or any of that. I don't care that you're older than me. I don't care that you're my professor. All I care about is that I need to be with you. I can't do this anymore without you, Daddy. I love you, and my life is too empty if I am not with you. I need you to take care of me. I need you to be my Daddy."

By the time he was done, tears were streaming down his face. But Daddy's eyes were suspiciously moist as well when he bent over and reached underneath Baxter's arms to pull him to his feet. The hug he gave him was fierce, bordering on painful.

"Yes. Oh my god, yes. I love you so much. Please, let me take care of you, baby boy. The last three days without you have been hell. I missed you so much."

Daddy wanted him. It started as a soft melody inside Baxter, then rose up to a loud song that danced through his veins. Daddy loved him and he wanted to be with Baxter. Everything would be okay again.

"I don't want to be by myself," he half-sobbed against Daddy's chest.

"Me neither," Daddy said, and his voice sounded just as emotional. "I didn't want to pressure you or suffocate you."

And Baxter understood that Daddy had wanted to set him free, hoping that he would return. "You haven't, Daddy," he assured him. "I'm here because I want to be. Because I need to be. You make me the best version of myself."

"Oh, baby boy, you say the sweetest things. Are you okay? Do you need something to eat?" Daddy asked, and the worry in his voice was like balm for Baxter's soul.

"I would love some chicken soup," he said, smiling through the tears that were still clouding his vision.

Minutes later, they sat across from each other in the dining room. Because even for a one-in-the-morning bowl of soup, Daddy insisted on eating at the table, and Baxter loved him for it.

"God, this soup is so good," he commented, smart enough to wait till his mouth was empty. "It's the perfect winter food."

"I have a lot more in the freezer," Daddy said with a smile.

"Good, because winter isn't done here yet. Did you see there is another snowstorm coming? I'm so tired of the weather here."

Daddy looked at him funny, and Baxter wondered if he’d said something wrong, but then Daddy leaned forward on the table. "Baxter, how would you feel about moving to another state?"