Chapter Twenty-Two #4
“I’m not going anywhere, pet.”
Jasper noticeably relaxed, and Vincent tightened his hold on him, rubbing a hand against his back. “You were perfect, pet,” he murmured, pretending not to notice the hitch in Jasper’s breathing or the dampness seeping into his shirt. “Absolutely perfect.”
And beautiful in his submission, as always.
Jasper sniffed and took several slow breaths. After a long moment, he said, “I guess that wasn’t so bad.”
“Glad to hear it,” Vincent replied with a soft breath of amusement. “But take a few days to decide if we’re adding punishments to the table.”
“Okay.” Jasper yawned against Vincent’s shoulder. “Good night, Sir.”
“Sleep well, pet.”
WHEN MORNING came, alarms screeched, doors opened and banged shut, toilets flushed, and showers ran. Keith shouted for Reiko to shut off her alarm, which was getting louder by the second. Terrance yelled up the stairs that breakfast was nearly ready.
Vincent groaned and rolled over, burying his head under the pillow. How the fuck did Jasper deal with this every day? He preferred his mornings to be late and quiet.
“Sorry they’re so loud, Sir,” Jasper mumbled, still half asleep. He curled closer, fingers and arm warm where they settled on the back of Vincent’s neck and across his shoulders.
Vincent grunted and tried to fall back asleep, but it was no use. Especially when there was a knock on the door.
“Jasper. Breakfast,” Keith called. There were a few moments of silence, then, “Vincent, you can join us too.”
Vincent sighed, removing the pillow and cracking his eyes open to find Jasper watching him. “What time is your class?”
“Nine.”
Vincent sighed again, rolling onto his back. A quick glance at the clock said it was barely past six, but there was no point in trying to get back to sleep now. “Get ready, then. You need a shower.”
“And whose fault is that?”
“Yours,” he replied as he dressed in yesterday’s clothes. He shot Jasper an annoyed glare when a pillow hit his head, ignoring the laughter that followed as he headed downstairs.
Terrance looked up from the stove when Vincent trudged into the kitchen. “Sleep well?” he asked with a grin.
He managed a soft grunt as he eyed the coffee maker. There were only some dregs of liquid left, but it was hissing and spitting as it brewed a fresh pot.
Terrance snickered. “I forgot you were a nightmare when you had a morning class.”
Vincent turned bleary eyes on him and silently flipped him off. The last thing he wanted to think about this morning was college life. Most of that time was overshadowed by his mother’s illness and death and then the car accident that turned his life upside down.
Terrance shook his head and grabbed a cup, switching it out with the pot and letting it fill up before handing it over.
“Bless you,” Vincent muttered, ignoring Terrance’s snort as he sipped the coffee, not even caring that it was black and too bitter for his taste. He was halfway through it before he was coherent enough to glance at the table to find Amber and Keith finishing their breakfasts.
He tilted his head as he turned back to Terrance. “Aren’t you off today?” Jasper had mentioned he and Amber weren’t due back until today.
“Yeah,” Terrance answered, scooping a fresh pan of scrambled eggs onto a plate. He shrugged when Vincent eyed him like he was crazy. “We’re always up this early. Not all of us have a vendetta against sunlight.”
Vincent wasn’t awake enough to argue, so he focused on his coffee. He heard a door shut upstairs, and then Jasper clamored down the stairs and rounded into the kitchen with a grin. He shook his head, not understanding how anyone could have that kind of energy in the morning.
Terrance wiggled the coffee pot in offering, and Vincent readily held his cup out for a refill. He’d need another three in order to get through the morning until he could get home for a nap before opening the club.
Jasper’s smile faded into a frown when he saw the cup in Vincent’s hands.
The little furrow between Jasper’s eyebrows deepened as Vincent took a sip of coffee. He doubted Jasper was even aware of his reaction, much less recognized that specific type of jealousy for what it was. That could become a problem, but it could wait until he was more coherent.
“Eat up. You must be starving after last night,” Terrance said, smirking as he handed Jasper a plate full of eggs, bacon, and toast.
Jasper scowled as he took the plate. “Ass.”
Terrance laughed and mussed Jasper’s hair. “Why’re you so cranky? Did Vincent kick you out of your own bed?”
“Amber should teach you to mind your own business,” Jasper said, slapping at Terrance’s hand.
Vincent raised an eyebrow, not missing the shift in moods around the table.
Amber glanced up, phone in one hand and toast in the other, hovering halfway to her mouth. She met Vincent’s eyes before setting her toast back on her plate and straightening in her seat. “I need to do what?”
Terrance winced and stepped away. He turned off the stove, grabbed his own plate, and took it to the table.
Apparently they’d be dealing with Jasper’s jealousy now.
Jasper’s cheek twitched as he gritted his teeth, staring at his plate and scuffing his foot against the floor. “Nothing,” he finally said, setting the plate aside. “I’m not hungry. Can we go?”
“No,” Vincent replied, ignoring Jasper’s sneer.
“Why? Is there some rule that says ‘Keep your mouth shut when someone’s sub oversteps with your Sir’?”
Terrance sputtered and turned to Jasper with wide eyes. “I what?”
“You heard me!” Jasper clenched his fists and shoved away from the counter.
Vincent frowned. “Jasper.”
Jasper stopped at the edge of the kitchen, though he refused to turn around.
With a sigh, he glanced at Amber. “Sorry. I’ll take care of it.” Amber nodded as he dumped his coffee in the sink and guided Jasper out of the kitchen with a hand on his shoulder.
Jasper grabbed his bag on their way out the door. When they reached the car, he slumped into the passenger seat, staring out the window with his arms crossed.
Vincent let him stew. There were a dozen ways he could approach this, though he wasn’t sure which would be best. Jasper wasn’t stupid, and he picked up on things quickly enough, but the issue was finding the real root of the problem.
He pulled into a café near the college twenty minutes later and held his card out to Jasper. “You’re not going to class on an empty stomach,” he said when Jasper eyed him in confusion.
Once Jasper was out of the car, he let out a slow breath.
He probably should have expected this with how Jasper reacted to Adam, but he never expected that kind of reaction with his own family.
Then again, Jasper hadn’t interacted much with others in the lifestyle.
Even in the club, he stayed in Vincent’s office or at his side.
Maybe he should remedy that once Jasper’s finals were out of the way.
He took his card back when Jasper returned with a breakfast sandwich and orange juice. “Jasper.”
Jasper sighed and jammed his straw into the juice carton. “I know. I’m sorry, okay? I know I was a dick.”
“I’m not the one you need to say that to. I’m more interested in why.”
Jasper shrugged, tearing off a bite of his sandwich without eating it. “I wanted to get your coffee, even though our coffee sucks. I know it’s stupid—”
“It’s not stupid,” Vincent said firmly. “It was stupid to act like a dick about it. You’re my sub, Jas. It’s okay if you don’t want others serving me.”
“Really? It feels stupid to get mad over something like that.”
Vincent considered that a moment. “Are you more upset that I was served by someone else, or that it was Terrance who gave me the coffee?”
Jasper opened his mouth to respond, but closed it a second later. He took a bite of his sandwich and chewed in silence. “That it was him, I guess,” he finally said.
“Why?”
“I don’t know. I know he and Amber are happy together, and he’s not gay. But you have history with them, and you barely know me.”
“I did know them in college, but that has nothing to do with the relationship I have with you. I know you well enough. Enough to extend our contract.” He reached out to press a finger beneath Jasper’s chin and turned his face enough to look at him directly.
“You’re mine as much as I am yours, pet, so if you want to keep service between us, we can. ”
Jasper swallowed, his tongue flicking out to wet his lips. “Okay,” he finally said.
“Okay?”
He tilted his head into Vincent’s hand. “I don’t want others serving you, but I think I’d be okay with you doing scenes at the club, so long as there’s no fucking.”
Vincent studied him in surprise at the distinction. “All right,” he replied slowly. “That’s something we can discuss later.”
Jasper nodded and finished his breakfast as Vincent drove to the campus.
“Just to be clear, this is something that I would discipline you for.”
“Are you going to punish me for it?” Jasper asked softly.
“Discipline, not punish. And should I?”
“I guess?” Jasper finished his sandwich and crumpled the wrapper into a tiny ball. He drank the rest of his juice until the straw gurgled on air.
“Why don’t you consider it and let me know this weekend, and what kind of discipline you think would be appropriate.”
Jasper made a face, his brow furrowed as he glanced at Vincent. “You’re going to let me decide the punishment?”
“Yes.”
“What if I say a blowjob makes it all better?”
Vincent shot him an exasperated look and pulled onto campus. “Discipline is nonsexual.”
Jasper scoffed. “Says who?”
“Says me.” Vincent followed where Jasper pointed and parked near the building he needed for class.
“Discipline is not punishment, pet. My punishments are for things like being a brat, or deliberately refusing to do as told without safewording. They’re another level of play.
Discipline is for disrespect, to correct behavior.
It will never be sexual,” he said firmly. “Understand?”
Jasper gave a jerky nod. “Yes, Sir.”
“Good.” He grasped Jasper’s chin again and coaxed his head up. “I’m not angry with you. You made a mistake, and you’ll correct it, and we’ll move on. Nothing has changed, and I will still work on the new contract for you.”
Jasper blinked rapidly and let out a shaky breath. “Thank you, Sir.”
“Of course, pet.” He leaned in to press a quick kiss to Jasper’s forehead and then his lips. “Are you good?” When Jasper nodded, he let go and sat back. “Then I’ll pick you up this weekend. Let me know how things go tonight.”
Jasper grimaced as he unbuckled. “You could come over and see for yourself.”
“You need to work it out between yourselves, and I need to be at the club early.”
Jasper pushed the door open with a sigh. “Thanks for breakfast, Sir. I’ll call you tonight.”