I stated my current approval rating of Nick at a 4 - Moderate Disapproval.
I know there's going to be a lot of bois out there itching to give Nick a 10, but really examining him as a person and with his actions can't let me in good conscience rate him higher than a 5. Nick, even now, is morally ambiguous. While I can understand the ideals behind a 24/7 Dom/sub relationship, where one partner is always in control and the other makes it their duty to serve him, I can't qualify it in Nick's case, because Steven was not allowed to freely consent. There are points where that relationship works and is beneficial, but it has to involve communication and consent. Steven was kidnapped (and abused), and due to the trauma of that, he slipped into a downward spiral in his personal life that led to him joining Nick's household. Basically, Nick took advantage of Steven at a delicate time in his life and ultimately, manipulated the younger man into being his slave. I don't know that he can ever 100% make up for that, no matter how much Steven loves him or feels like he's been "saved" by him. Nick also has a history of ignoring Steven when he is saying no, particularly to sex. While Nick being completely in charge is part of their relationship, there's a difference between ignoring your sub when he doesn't want to go to sleep and ignoring him when you're literally hurting him with your dick. Just, with all of this, there's too much fraught history.
Nick also has a number of personality flaws that sometimes make it hard to like him. I'm not faulting anyone for being introverted or closed-off, but Nick has a bit of a hard time with honest communication. He can barely talk about his feelings with Steven, and in his interactions with Brad and Shawn, we can tell he might be good at shooting the breeze, but actually talking? Nope. He's also fairly easily led, with both Brad and Steven finding it simple to manipulate him emotionally, and his personality shifting drastically depending on whom he spends more of his time away from Steven with. Nick's alpha jock-y style of dominance, as well as the other side of the spectrum where he acts very fatherly, is also a little grating for me from time to time, but that's more of a personal gripe.
Under Zack's influence, Nick has slowly grown in maturity and wisdom, and started to evolve into someone a little more self-aware, caring, and sensitive. All things a good dom should be, even when they act merciless. He is protective (to an absurd degree), reliable, and in his own way, he is invested in making sure Steven is healthy and happy (when not using him for himself).
In any case, I love the story, I love the interesting conversation it provokes, and I am open to questions on my opinions!
Thanks for the poll [mention]bondagefreak[/mention]