ONE: Vanilla on My Hands

47: A Day for Him to Prove Himself to His Master

Frank winced as Gerard took care of him. Frank felt much better with a full stomach and was finally dressed, sitting cross-legged on his Master's bed, but the aftercare wasn't over yet. Gerard took hold of his wrist gently, avoiding the angry red marks and bruises. Frank blanched when he felt the instant sting of aloe vera gel being rubbed on his wrist before it cooled. Frank got over the initial shock and relaxed into it, watching Gerard work, watching how his Master cared after what he had just put Frank through.

"Feeling better?"

Frank was still watching him tend to his sore and red wrists. He only nodded, mind filled with curiosity of which he didn't want to consider yet. It silenced him and made him think more than was probably needed. The ordeal was over and Frank knew that; he knew not to make the same mistake twice, but he still thought, still wondered. The punishment fit the crime, but Frank still considered and wondered what would have happened if, partway through the punishment, he realized that he couldn't do this and he needed it to stop instantly.

Gerard had gone to work, or at least that was what Frank was led to believe. It was what his Master had told him he was doing so of course Frank worried if the worst had happened. He knew that he wouldn't signal, but he kept his mouth shut about it. His mind raced about what would have happened if he needed it to stop.

"You look troubled, boy," Gerard commented, noticing the frown on his submissive's brow. Frank snapped out of his long stare, looking up at his Master, seeing the moue of concern that sat on his face. Frank didn't want to bring something up that Gerard probably had completely under control, but he couldn't help it when he wondered what would happen if it wasn't under control. Not that he would voice his concern. He felt stupid for worrying, but he didn't all at the same time. He knew that he would have felt silly if he asked what would happen if he couldn't do something and Gerard wasn't there to hear or see him signal that enough was enough. Gerard knew what he was doing, but then again, Frank also knew just how new to this he was so of course he felt like he needed some form of comfort over what was taking over his thoughts.

"Frank," Gerard sighed, capping the gel, setting it down on the bedside table before handing Frank an ice pack, pressing it on his wrists before getting him to hold it in place, "I know the look of concern on a sub's face. It's what I'm supposed to spot. Telltale signs that tell me that something is wrong."

"I'm fine, sir." Frank insisted, not wanting to worry Gerard over something that he guessed was more than definitely something of which his Master had control.

"Boy," Gerard's tone lowered. He looked Frank straight in the eyes, making him shiver at the cold, yet concerned, stare. Frank knew that he couldn't hide it. Gerard was onto him, "If you don't tell me what is wrong then am I going to have to force it from you?"

"I don't want to come across as stupid..." Frank admitted, lowering his gaze from Gerard's because he felt somewhat ashamed. Like he was letting his Master down for doubting his methods, "I'm still so new to this and just... I thought of something and...sir?"

"Yes, Frank?" Gerard asked, sensing the nervousness in his submissive, "You can say anything to me and I won't think of it as stupid. I know you are new to this lifestyle and I expect you to ask questions. How will you learn if you don't ask?"

Frank nodded at that. Gerard did have a point, "I just wondered..."

"About what?"

Frank took a shaky breath before he adjusted the ice pack on his wrist, getting some relief from the burning cold on his left wrist before giving his right wrist some attention, "What would have happened if I couldn't do it, sir?"

"How do you mean?"

"What if I signaled that I couldn't do it?" Frank blurted out the question before he could bottle it back up again and come up with something else that he could have asked without worrying over, "What if I signaled while you were at work...if you were at work- Were you actually at work, sir?"

"I was at work, I wasn't lying," Gerard said honestly, making Frank swallow and look down at the warming ice pack on his wrist, "If Lindsey could have dealt with the work alone today then I would have stayed at home. Still told you that I was going into work, but I would have kept an eye on you, boy."

"So," Frank stammered, now knowing the truth that Gerard had actually left him hanging there. He had known already, but the confirmation sent a shiver down his spine, "If I'd have signaled while you were at work, how would you have known?"

"Trust your Master, boy," Gerard spoke warmly, reassuringly with a small knowing smile on his face, "I had my eye on you the whole time."

Frank frowned, "H-How?"

"I have cameras in the room for such scenes where I have to leave you alone," Gerard admitted, shifting on the bed to get more comfortable, "Do you really think that I would truly leave you alone, boy?"

For a split second, Frank considered it but he shook his head, knowing full well that he trusted Gerard with all of this. If he didn't then his signature wouldn't have been sat on the contract.

"Whatever the play...or punishment," Gerard said pointedly, making Frank look back down as he felt shame again for what he had done, "If you are out of my sight, you are still one hundred percent safe. If anything were to turn sour, it would stop instantly."

"But-" Frank stopped himself, feeling like he was speaking out of turn. Gerard just waved a hand at him, letting him continue, "So if you could see me signal that I wanted down and I wanted it to stop, how would you have stopped it from in the office? Say I started to have a panic attack and you were twenty away... What would have happened then?"

"In the worst-case scenario, being with you or away from you, I would stop it," Gerard reassured him again, "If you did need to get down and I wasn't there, be it in the office, I would have been able to get you down from my phone."

"Wh-" Frank stopped himself. What Gerard said sounded like some sort of technological mind-fuck. He tried to wrap his head around it but nothing seemed to be melding.

"Don't look so confused, boy," Gerard chuckled, "I assumed that you would understand that, being younger than myself. More technologically educated than me."

"Half the time I could barely get the TV to record shit when I wanted it to," Frank admitted with a smirk, "I'm not very good with technology."

"Well, be that as it may, if I needed to release you, it would only have been a phone call away," Gerard continued, "There is a remote, but if I'm too far away for it to work then I merely have to make a quick call and I activate the release mechanism."