Learning To Command (Intricate Ties #5)

Chapter 1

Uncle Darren

Darren Quinn

"Aimeeeeee!"

"Shhh! Just give it back! You're gonna wake up Dad and Uncle Darren!"

"You said I could borrow it!"

"When I was done! I haven't read the ending!"

"But you're reading the ballet book now!"

"Shhh!"

Darren Quinn groaned, trying to bury his face deeper into his pillow to block out the impossible-to-ignore rising volume of the squabbling preteens outside his bedroom door.

One of his husband's arms was slung over him; it tightened around him with an answering grumble.

In the space between sleep and accepting wakefulness, Darren found himself wondering if his arm would be more effective at blocking out the sound.

If it were, would he be able to go back to sleep?

Then he sighed, pulling back the covers.

His husband, Miles Bennet, tried to tug him back. "Sleep. I've got it. Kids! Keep it down!"

The offer was certainly tempting. It was a long weekend, and they'd been up late finishing a book together.

Miles had started working his way through the Percy Jackson books with the kids before bed when they were over, passing the book around every two pages.

Darren had been more than happy to join the rotation, relaxing in the large leather sectional they'd bought when his old one proved far too small for movie nights.

"I'm up." Darren rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he staggered over to his bureau, starting to hunt for clothes. "We can tag team it. Should feed 'em anyway... slept in."

"That's what long weekends are for." Miles kissed the back of his neck before grabbing his housecoat off the hook in the ensuite bathroom, then slipped outside to deal with Bookgate.

By the time Darren had pulled on clothes and washed his face, the sound of little voices had migrated into the kitchen, where Miles was making coffee. Noah turned, looking up at him with wide brown eyes. "I'm sorry we woke you up, Uncle Darren."

It was impossible not to smile, resisting the urge to ruffle the boy's hair. "It's okay, time to get up anyway. Why don't we get your stuff together and get dressed while your dad cooks breakfast?"

By the time both kids were dressed with their bags packed up, Miles was setting plates on the breakfast bar piled high with a scramble, hashbrowns, and sausages.

He ate at the other end of the counter, and Darren let himself relax into the cozy sense of well-being that always came from eating his husband's food while watching Miles interact with the kids.

Even after three years of marriage, it was hard to believe sometimes that it was real. Even when it meant early mornings and an overstuffed apartment.

"God... we really need a bigger place." Coming back into their apartment after having seen the kids into a ride share to go to their mother’s, Miles started picking up discarded sneakers in the front entry. "I'm sorry about the mess, Dare."

Putting the last of the breakfast dishes in the dishwasher, Darren straightened, stealing a glance at his husband before turning it on.

Miles looked tired - who wouldn't be after a weekend running around with pre-teens?

- but quietly happy, and that happiness never failed to warm Darren to the core.

"It's alright. I knew what I was getting into. "

Miles gave him a dubious look, tucking the shoes away and closing the closet door before joining him in the kitchen.

"An entire weekend spent hopping between dance classes, figure-skating practice, and costume fittings?

If you knew what you were getting into, then we need to go buy a lottery ticket right now, because that's some fairy-tale level of foresight.

" To Darren's delight, Miles slid his hands around his waist, before backing him up against the counter for a very appreciative kiss.

Despite his assurances, what Miles had said was true.

Before he'd met him, Darren hadn't expected he'd ever really have children in his life on a regular basis, let alone be co-parenting part-time.

As the manager of New York's most exclusive sanctuary for the overburdened, his professional focus on that lifestyle was about as far from family-friendly as anyone could imagine.

He was fine with that. He'd been given Shimizu Services to form, and grow, and turn into a place where his peers could reach their full potential and their clients could get their needs met without judgment or shame.

He'd thought that would be the greatest accomplishment of his life.

But all that had been before Miles. He'd been a beautiful, broken man when he'd first set foot into Darren's office, aching for someone to be the anchor in the storm of his life.

His desperate need, willingness to surrender, and incredible good looks had made him the ideal devotee and awoken every kind of yearning Darren had ever experienced.

He'd never expected to move beyond the professional.

But Miles had surprised him with far more than just making the first move when he'd never even been with a man before.

"You've done so much for me all weekend," Miles murmured against his lips, reminding Darren of the unwavering heart and steadfast devotion at the core of his husband's being.

He stroked a hand up into his hair, his voice growing soft and inviting.

"Will you allow me to thank you properly, husband? We could go back to bed?"

Miles was always the most exquisite temptation, especially after a weekend of having to be quiet and discreet. But for the moment, the 'bed' part was even more tempting. "Mmm. Nap first? Play later?"

"I'd really like that," Miles breathed, kissing him again.

Darren grabbed Aimee's abandoned hairbrush on the way, tucking it back into the main bathroom.

Even with the mess, he couldn't help but smile.

When they'd started working to get Miles's children back, he'd been focused on doing it for Miles, not his own terror of having any responsibility over the formative years of a person's life.

He'd been an only child himself, and his parents divorced young.

While he'd had plenty of friends, even the concept of younger siblings had been foreign to him.

But the kids were important to Miles. Miles loved them, so Darren had set aside his fear and resolved to fake it until he made it.

He hadn't expected how quickly he would come to love them, or how protective he'd feel over them.

How could he feel any other way when he saw so much of their father in them?

After nearly three years of co-parenting, he'd do anything for Aimee and Noah.

Especially since he suspected that Noah - who'd inherited his father's gentle nature - might very well grow up to be some kind of queer.

When it came to Aimee he couldn't tell. The girl was as fiery as her mother and had declared her favorite t-shirt one with an assortment of cute anthropomorphic food items in the colors of every pride flag Darren had ever seen and some that he hadn't.

Regardless, they were quickly outgrowing the apartment.

Aimee, fortunately, showed no signs of wanting to leave behind her self-appointed 'protective older sister' role, but when she'd turned eleven, she'd still insisted on having her own space as a birthday gift.

They'd managed to block off the dining portion of the main living space with a mix of bookshelves and room dividers.

While it made her happy, it had made having more than just the quietest and most basic adult times even more impossible when the kids were with them.

Getting a bigger place couldn't come soon enough.

"Thank god it's a long weekend," he muttered, thinking back over how hectic the morning had been.

"Because it means we can nap?" Miles asked with a grin.

"Because we didn't make the kids late for school," Darren shot back, closing the bedroom door behind them.

Miles pulled him into a warm kiss. "I really love you, you know that? Thank you for doing this with me."

Darren cuddled into him. "Thank you for letting me. I... don't think I realized how rewarding it would be. Thank you for trusting me with them."

"How could I not?" Miles cupped his cheek with a smile. "Besides, after everything you've taught me, it's kind of nice to teach you how to parent."

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––––––––

Dozing in the familiar, strong embrace of the man who'd become his perfect partner had been a delectable way to while away the rest of the morning.

When he woke before Miles, he stayed still, not wanting anything about the lazy sense of warmth and well-being to change.

It was hard not to think back to the morning's worries, though.

Needing to move was a good problem to have, he told himself.

It meant they were doing everything right.

Hopefully, his other worry was also the result of doing everything right. Hopefully, Miles would be able to see it the same way.

"Mm... awake already, love?" Miles stirred against him, nuzzling a kiss to his shoulder.

"Mm. Just thinking about things." Drawing his fingers slowly through Miles's ash blond hair and down the back of his neck, Darren finally broached the question. "....are you satisfied with our play, my love?"

Still warm and lax in his arms in the aftermath of slumber, it took Miles a few moments to begin to rouse to answer his question.

Darren didn't mind. He appreciated the careful consideration his husband brought to any decision.

It always felt good to reward him for it, like he would if they'd already had playtime.

To cuddle and spoil and praise Miles for his devotion.

And yet, Darren knew that the time had come for him to do more if he wanted Miles to truly continue to benefit from their journey together.

Miles had been an ideal student, but he could be so much more.

For some people, the answer would be escalation: more extreme adventures, more adrenaline, more risk.

But that wasn't right for Miles, and for all Darren's practical experience in the arts, he knew it wasn't right for him either.

Fortunately, he had another option. If he could help Miles understand the benefit.

Miles nuzzled his jaw with a pleased moan. "Our play is so good, love," he sighed, warm and dreamy, cuddling closer to him. "You always take such good care of me. Spoil me so...."

Darren gave a pleased hum, returning his nuzzle and stroking a hand up into the short, ash blond strands of his hair. "As much as you spoil me, darling," he murmured, once again feeling a soft wave of wonder at what they'd found together.

After over three years of being together, he knew just how far to push Miles without breaking him.

How to push him to the point where the test of his strength and endurance became relief and release.

Miles had grown from a natural devotee with limitless potential to a wonderfully experienced one.

The deep pleasure of knowing exactly how to turn his ideal lover into putty in his hands was the most rewarding pleasure Darren could ever ask for as an authority in the lifestyle.

Whether Darren finished the session by riding his husband or by claiming every part of his incredible body, there was little he found more delightful than feeling Miles come apart underneath him, buzzing high on the endorphins of submission.

It was so easy to relax into domestic bliss with Miles. But already Darren could see both of them becoming far too comfortable with their routine. As wonderful as it was, was that really the best thing for Miles?

They'd always have this to come home to. He needed to help Miles find more.

Miles was ready to take those first steps, but he'd need all his skills to get him there. And first, he'd need Miles to understand exactly what he was asking.

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