His Little Bird

Cravings

Birdie's POV

I yawn and lean against Ethan's side as my parents continue to grill him.

"Weston sent us your application. He noted you were very interested in having her branded." I bolt straight up in my seat at my dad's words.

Ethan's hand on my leg tightens and he looks down at me, just as surprised at my reaction as I am to hear her wants me branded.

"Relax, Little Bird. It's alright," he soothes, trying to pull me to lay against his side again. It takes me a moment, but I obey, eyeing him warily. "I know it is very close to a hard limit for Birdie, but it is quite important to me."

He caresses my leg very carefully as if he is worried I will spook if he touches me wrong, "Why does it interest you?" my father inquires.

"Collars can be taken off and are contrary to what a collar symbolizes to me. A branding is the level of permanency that I am committing to with my submissive. I have no interest in having her suffer the experience in order to some how show me her commitment. The branding interests me for the level of permanency of the commitment I am making." His explanation is sweet, but the idea of a branding is still too off putting.

"Would you want to do it yourself?" my father continues and I glare at him.

No, stop asking about it.

I didn't say it was a hard limit, but I really am not looking at doing it.

"Would I want to receive a branding as well, or would I want to give her hers?" Ethan clarifies.

"Both."

Okay, good one dad because he won't agree—

"I would be willing to receive one as long as I picked what it was and I would very much like to be the one to brand her because she is making the commitment to me." My mouth drops open. I hadn't expected him to say that.

Holy Shit.

My father shifts in his seat and I can tell he wasn't expecting Ethan to say that.

"One of my clients owns a business that does brandings—I am actually invested in the company, so I am fairly familiar with the process," Ethan continues.

Oh my gosh, he is like super serious about this!

"Okay, so you would do it at a licensed business, not just at home," my dad says, letting out a heavy breath. Ethan looks horrified by the idea.

"Oh my gosh, of course. I have no interest in doing a raw branding at all. I'm a sadist, but that is a different level of pain that I would not feel comfortable inflicting even if she wanted to do it without them numbing her," Ethan says, protectively wrapping his arm around me.

He must feel my shakiness because he directs his attention down to me. "Why are you shaking? It's okay, Little Bird. It wouldn't hurt at all. You wouldn't feel a thing," he says softly as if he was talking to a small child.

"I don't think Birdie is quite interested in a branding," my father steps in and I nod.

Ethan hums and continues to rub my shoulder affectionately, "Maybe we can talk about it later... are you worried it will hurt or do you not want to be marked permanently... is it just the concept of what a branding is?"

All of it puts me off.

A tiny part of me likes the idea of a branding just because it's permanent.

Everything else though is against it. It will hurt, he will own that one spot on me forever and I can't even think about being burned so badly it would fry the skin to leave a shape that just...