BOUND & GAGGED IN A SLEEPING BAG (M+/M+) *UPDATE APR 04*

[bondagefreak]

POLL NO.9 FINAL RESULTS

SCROLL DOWN FOR THE NEW POLL

SPECIAL THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO VOTED ON THE POLL.
EVEN BIGGER THANKS TO THOSE WHO VOTED + TOOK THE TIME TO SHARE THEIR VOTES WITH US!

PHIL'S SHITTY WADS & BIG MIKE'S REEKING SHOES TAKE THE WIN!

THE NEW POLL

ON A SCALE OF 1-10, RATE YOUR APPROVAL RATING OF NICK.

JUSTIFY YOUR ANSWER IN THE COMMENTS SECTION

YOU MAY ONLY VOTE FOR ONE (1) OPTION.
YOU MAY CHANGE YOUR VOTE AT ANY TIME.

NICK
THE DADDY

LAWFUL NEUTRAL

Over the course of the first three books, Nick moves on from being a cold-hearted villain and the lesser of two evils to being Steven's main provider and loving caretaker. His protective fatherly instincts eventually start kicking in, rapidly cementing him as a reliable, if somewhat flawed consort to the houseboi who shares his bed. Fiercely territorial, highly dominant and gifted with a libido governed by an insatiable need to breed, Nick provides Steven with a strict father figure and lends himself particularly well to the role of THE DADDY.









SCROLL UP TO THE TOP OF THE THREAD AND VOTE!

AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION IS HIGHLY ENCOURAGED! SHARE YOUR ANSWERS WITH US!
SILENT READERS AND FIRST TIME POSTERS ARE WELCOME!

[mention]squirrel[/mention] [mention]OrdinaryWorld[/mention] [mention]Msueta@2[/mention] [mention]GoBucks[/mention] [mention]Socksbound[/mention] [mention]The slave[/mention] [mention]gaggedfeety[/mention] [mention]Pup Wingletang[/mention] [mention]Sockgaggedman[/mention] [mention]socjuc[/mention] [mention]jammer212[/mention] [mention]smushboy[/mention] [mention]luiggi87[/mention] [mention]Ossassin[/mention] [mention]blackbound[/mention] [mention]sws91[/mention] [mention]CorbD91[/mention] [mention]Mummybag[/mention] [mention]Mitchelaiden[/mention] [mention]zzzz12333211[/mention] [mention]MountainMan_91[/mention] [mention]ShadowHusky[/mention] [mention]user3434658[/mention] [mention]jammer212[/mention] [mention]Whitestorm[/mention] [mention]KidnappedCowboy[/mention] [mention]EJTied22[/mention] [mention]Volobond[/mention] [mention]LockedCheeseBird[/mention] [mention]Footsub[/mention] [mention]Red86[/mention] [mention]jammer212[/mention] [mention]Pup[/mention] [mention]4toes[/mention] [mention]Tsuhaya[/mention] [mention]harukatsukino[/mention] [mention]JDT544[/mention] [mention]subguybr[/mention] [mention]sniffingyoursocks[/mention] [mention]Trainedsub[/mention] [mention]SquashMeDown[/mention] [mention]cherryboy[/mention] [mention]sami200456boyfriend[/mention] [mention]smushboy[/mention]

[Msueta@2]

I voted for 10

[Volobond]

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]

[GoBucks]

I gave Nick an 8. He's a great provider for Steven. I love his bondage methods. Love his stinky feet, his big ass.

I can really only knock him a bit for just lacking that charm that Zack has. Both of them are very controlling dudes, but Zack just has that way that doesn't seem like it's being forced on you

Nick isn't quite as subtle.

[Sockgaggedman]

I'll give Nick a solid 8

I had a waaaay longer explication list, but my computer decided to turn off on me and I lost all of it! To say that I was angry would be an understatement, but I guess this is a lesson for me to always save my drafts in the future.

In my opinion, Nick loses one point of his score because he kidnapped Steven, so he kind of forced him into the relationship. You can read [mention]Volobond[/mention]'s comment for the longer version of my argument, as it was similar to his

Nick also loses 0.5 points because he is overprotective of Steven, and has a mostly 90/10 relationship with him. He also gives Steven very little say in either sexual or domestic life. But this only costed him half a point as Zack does some of those things too, and I can't trash on my master

And lastly I also took 0.5 of his points because I just like Zack more. Nick doesn't have Zack's charm, or smooth talk, or any of the things that might attract me to him besides his lovingly smelly 20 foot odor feet

My original post was sadly maybe 4 times the length of this one, so I'll try to get it back ( which is very unlikely, or reproduce it. Which is unlikely for more obvious reasons )

[sami200456boyfriend]

10

[OrdinaryWorld]

I'm also on a 4, too many negatives to Nick. Will most likely not go above a 6 ever.

[Red86]

I'm gonna have to give Nick a slight approval.

My rating is still highly based off Nick kidnapping Steven in the very beginning. Whether its stockholm syndrome or whatever it may have been, Nick is the reason Steven's life went spiraling downhill. He likes to be mister big shot when his friends are around which influences his actions at the time. And to top all of that off, Nick gives Steven very little say in their relationship. I get that some people would love this type of relationship but for crying out loud, sit down and talk about it 1st. Nick's my way or the highway isn't good for a healthy relationship. He really should have a conversation with Steven in regards to their bedroom life. Personally Nick is very close, if not slightly crossing over some lines there.

Am I saying Nick is a bad guy? No. Everyone makes mistakes from time to time. And we have seen Nick slowly changing. He's still overbearing with his protection but is slowly showing how much he truly cares for Steven. Still I think more positive change is needed.

Now I know this has been pointed out before, we are only seeing things from Steven's prospective. This could be swaying things. What's an old saying? There's 3 sides to every story, yours, theirs and the truth. Nick needs to open up a bit. It would be nice to see something from his prospective.

So with that said, my rating is slight approval. Depending on later events, it could change either direction. Only time will tell.

[subguybr]

I'm not voting because I'm still on page 39 (longest story that I read in my life lol).

Hey, don't you think Nick should put a chastity belt on Steven?

[4toes]

7, I moderately approve since it can be seen that Nick does take care of Steven but it does not change what he has done to him. I just wish he is not just easily swayed by those around him, then he would not be put in the position wherein he needs to redeem himself to Steven. Nick has room to improve, and I look forward how his character would further develop.

[mention]bondagefreak[/mention] Thank you for making your character so alive. We can see the growth and the development of each character.

[Ossassin]

7 I think Nick is a decent influence and generally a nice enough person.
He does have some questionable people he puts his trust in but ultimately is decent.

[KidnappedCowboy]

10

I gave him a ten, because he's evolving, and he's just damn gorgeous!

[Pup]

Time to apply my trademark cynicism and rate him a 4.
While I think at this point in the story he perhaps deserves something higher, his previous actions send his score tumblin' down

[socjuc]

Interesting survey... I will say 7.

The other comments on here have mentioned this, on how their relationship initially began through a kidnapping does impact the score. I think Nick is a strong Master for Steven who through his own accounting narrative, kind of needs that. I think from the outside we are rating Nick. But Steven from the inside, I think he would give it a higher score, and perhaps that may be Stockholm syndrome, yes, but Steven is taken by him.

I definitely think Zack's paralleled relationship with Jeremy definitely has influenced Nick in a good way. I see a somewhat calming of Nick that was not there in the initial books I read. Maybe not Zack's influence however a softening of Nick's persona has occurred. It could be Nick maturing, or it could just be the natural evolution of their relationship.

I think still as others mentioned, Nick's communication should improve. That would bring his score higher. I think that too will change.

[bondagefreak]

Only 36 hours into the new poll and already we've got over a dozen replies, several of which are very detailed and articulate.
I look forward to seeing more votes and reading more opinions from you guys over the course of the coming days.
It'll be interesting to see how Nick's numbers compare to Shawn's at the conclusion of this poll.

I just want to take a minute to welcome [mention]sami200456boyfriend[/mention] and [mention]subguybr[/mention] onboard.
[mention]sami200456boyfriend[/mention] I was astounded to see your name in the comments here as I had no idea you were even following Steven's adventure. Welcome to the ride, my friend. Now that you've broken the ice on this thread, I'm hoping we'll be seeing more comments from you.

[mention]subguybr[/mention] Welcome onboard, boi! I'm thrilled to see you commenting.
I don't know if you've been looking at the comments during your readthrough, but when/if you do, you'll rapidly come to realise that a large number of those commenting and/or voting on these bi-weekly polls are not fully caught up in their reading.

Readers are generally encouraged to comment and express their thoughts, no matter what part of the story they're at.

As for this latest opinion poll regarding Nick, I believe you are already qualified to vote.
Page 39 puts you at somewhere around Chapter 125. That's almost halfway up to current chapters!

Your opinion of Nick will continue to change and evolve as you progress into your reading, the same as it continues to change and evolve for readers who are fully caught up and awaiting new chapters. The poll is merely a reflection of what you think of Nick right now. So while your opinion of him might change over time, I do very much encourage you to vote.


Lots of readers here really enjoy hearing from those who are reading earlier portions of the story.
It would be awesome for you to share with us your thoughts regarding Steven, Nick, Brad, Jeremy and Shawn (and any other character you may have met thus far). How d'you feel about the Nick/Steven relationship? Is there one character you particularly identify with during your reading?

As for Nick not imposing a chastity device on Steven, there's a strong chance that he may simply not be into that.
In any case, I look forward to hearing more from you.

[bondagefreak]

DON'T FORGET TO VOTE ON THE NEW POLL AT THE TOP OF THIS THREAD!

CHAPTER 285 - HERO INSTINCT

Monday, May 25 (3:00 AM)

Considering how protective Zack was with his own ward, I had a feeling he would not have agreed with my venturing out into the night had he awoken whilst I was getting dressed. Jeremy's overly-muscled guardian would've no doubt prevented my departure and imposed my continued safety by forcing me into that dreaded sleepsack I usually slept it. Complaining about it would've awarded me some sort of soft disciplinary discourse, after which one of his fat muffling sponge balls would've been brought to the fore and imposed on my yapper.

I could practically see those events unfolding in my head, which is why I made a conscious effort not to make too much noise while getting dressed and departing the tent.

Zack may have been very alert and attentive to Jeremy's needs whilst in a woken state, but he was, by all accounts, something of a heavy sleeper. I, on the other hand, was generally very nimble and stealthy when I needed to. Even more so now that I'd lost a portion of my shapely swimmer's build and weighed a measly sixty-three kilos.

With the grace of a feral forest cat, I tiptoed my way out of the dome-shaped abode and slowly zipped the tent exit shut before creeping into the moonlit darkness that bathed the area.

My flashlight's moderately strong beam was of great comfort, and strangely enough, so was the constant buzzing of crickets, toads and other nighttime crawlies that kept on signing into the night.


Even as my mind busily conjured up wild imagery of flesh-craving beasts lurking about in the darkness, the sound of dried leaves and broken twigs cracked beneath my sneakered feet. Every sound, every noise seemed as though it was being amplified tenfold.

I looked around the campsite, searched the surrounding area and even made my way down the dusty trail where Nick's truck and Zack's SUV had been parked. Much to my momentary relief, Nick's truck was still there. But as the minutes went by and still no trace of his presence manifested itself, that brief glimmer of solace I'd experienced swiftly evaporated.

Seeing no other alternative but to continue my search by venturing further down the winding path, I carefully directed the flashlight beam towards the ground in front of my feet and carefully made the steep trip down towards the not-so-distant lakeside.


Rocks, roots and broken branches lined the forest trail leading down to the lake.
Had it not been for the powerful flashlight guiding my steps, I would've surely stumbled and hurt myself quite badly.

It took several minutes of careful walking for me to finally reach the pristine lakeside.
An eery calm greeted my ears as I finally emerged out of the forest trail and onto the pebble-lined beach.
The moon reigned supreme, but the air was noticeably cooler out here. Only the sound of my own heartbeat seemed to pierce the silence as I scanned the horizon and noted the absence of my lover.





It's only when I brought my flashlight up to conduct one last fleeting scan of the lake that I picked up the shape of what appeared to be a large figure sitting on the same piece of driftwood Jeremy and I had been sitting on earlier that evening.

I didn't know what it was at first but redirecting the beam of light toward the seated figure's broad back instantly illuminated what I recognised as being a shiny black puffer jacket. Nick's puffer jacket! Finally, I'd found him.



Nick must've heard my approach just then, 'cause he quickly took his eyes off the icy lake waters and turned to face me. I thought it strange that he didn't seem angered by my presence or upset at the fact that I'd left the tent's safety to come searching for him. But then I realised he couldn't quite make out who I was due to the bright flashlight beam pointing in his direction.

"Hey man. Everything alright?" Nick spoke, obviously mistaking me for Zack before finally realising his error and going ballistic upon finding out it was me.

"Babe! What the fuck are you doing here?!" the brute asked, suddenly getting up from the fallen tree he'd been sitting on and seeming absolutely flustered at the fact that I'd ventured all the way down here without any sort of protection.


I knew this would happen and knew he'd be unreasonably upset at the fact that I'd left the tent without his permission. I also knew that trying to defend myself with words was pointless, so I instead opted to continue my approach and pretend to sniffle back a few tears before finally stepping right up to him and pressing myself against his exceedingly broad, puffer-clad torso.

The blue-eyed muscleman seemed a little caught off guard by my display of sadness and swiftly rose up to the occasion by wrapping his gargantuan arms around me and pressing my face to his very powerful chest. I felt the top of my head being kissed and instinctively sniffled back a few more of those crocodile tears before slipping my hands inside his unzipped jacket and wrapping my arms around his superbly warm torso.


A few weeks ago, I would've most likely been tempted to say something like "I came to see if you were okay" or "I was so worried about you." Fortunately for me, my time with Nick and all the research I'd been done about guys like him helped me avoid some of the common mistakes most inexperienced other subs would've made.

Had my relationship been more standard, Nick would've surely reacted positively to my expressed concern for him. However, the bond I shared with him was far from being "vanilla", meaning that it was very different from all the other relationships I'd previously pursued.

Nick wasn't just my boyfriend. He was a lot more than that.
My safety and well-being were of utmost importance to him, and in more ways than one, he ended up treating me as if I was his own son.

The last thing on earth Nick would've wanted was for me to express concern for his well-being.
Sure, it would've probably touched him to know that I was worried. But he didn't need to hear it.

Having me run after him like this was synonymous with checking up on him and taking on the role of the caretaker and provider. His role! It might seem ridiculous to those for whom the concept of such relationships was foreign, but for a man like Nick, being the sole provider and being the one I ran up to for help and safety was the principal source of joy in his life. In other words, hearing me express concern for his safety would've - in his mind - subconsciously made me less desirable and would've been seen as a personal failure on his part. A failure to impart on me the fact that he was capable of taking care of both me and of himself.

I honestly thought that was a load of mumbo jumbo when I'd initially read up about it in a BDSM psychology paper. But the more I thought about it, the more I realised it was true.

In addition to remaining obedient and submissive, the key to remaining desirable and precious in Nick's eyes was to avoid roaming on his turf - that of the provider's - and stick solely to the "damsel in distress" role. In short, fatherly men like the one whose bed I shared all had one thing in common; a deeply entrenched hero instinct, something that made them yearn to protect, provide, care for and nurture.

Nick had quickly lost interest in his previous partners, not because they weren't sexy or pleasurable to play with in bed. He'd lost interest in them 'cause they wouldn't let him be the hero. They wouldn't let him be the knight in shining armour. Nick's entire libido and drive was focused around protecting me, keeping me safe and providing for me. It was something he was powerless to try and fight and it was something I would always need to contend with if I aspired to remain his partner for the foreseeable future and beyond.


That didn't mean I couldn't express concern for him or buy him a gift when I had the money to.
It simply meant I had to choose my moments and accept the fact that by treading on his ground, I risked making myself less attractive and less desirable to him. Occasional forays into the realm of the caretaker wouldn't harm our relationship. But treading into his "territory" too often definitely would.

The best way to counterbalance those expressions of concern I'd occasionally voice out was to regularly seek his help and remind him of how much he was needed and how much more difficult my life would be without him. That's why I made the conscious decision to avoid expressing concern for him, and instead made it all about myself by claiming I'd had a nightmare and been afraid because I'd woken up all alone inside the tent.

"I didn't leave you alone, babe. Zack was there with you." my man replied, hushing me down and rubbing my relatively narrow back with one of his big, leather-clad palms."

"But, Nick..." I whimpered, using the softest and most submissive tone I could muster. "I don't need Zack. I need you." I pointed out, something which caused my colossal caretaker's chest to puff up and heave with pride.

Deep down inside, Nick must've known I was there to check up on him. But he nevertheless accepted my explanation and was probably smiling on the inside at hearing me admit how truly indispensable he was to my wellbeing and happiness. It wasn't a lie though. He really was indispensable to me. I just had to embellish that a bit by remaining silent as to the real reason why I'd ran out of the tent to search for him.

Nick was, after all, my personal hero.
So it was only fitting for me to treat him as such.



My man's initial response what to start marching me back towards the tent and warn me of disciplinary action for leaving the campsite without his permission. I knew that I wouldn't escape this without being grounded, but I still tried making the most of it by asking Nick if I could stay here and enjoy the quiet lakeside with him for just a few minutes.

"Please Nick, just a few minutes. You've been away all week and I hardly got to spend any time alone with you this weekend." I pleaded, causing the handsome brute to huff and regain his seated position on that huge piece of driftwood he'd previously been sitting on.

The blond warrior-king wrapped his unreasonably large hands around my waist and effortlessly picked me right up off the ground before sitting me on his lap and wrapping those massive puffy arms around me.

At first, we just sat there, looking out into the lake's mirror-like surface and staring up at the heavens. But before we knew it, those few fleeting minutes of ours had turned into an hour, and in that moment of peace, Nick opened up to me about things we'd never previously discussed.

BOUND & GAGGED CHAPTER INDEX
A "CLICK-TO-READ" LIST OF CHAPTERS DESIGNED TO MAKE FINDING SPECIFIC SCENES A LOT EASIER

[GoBucks]

Ha I told you it was going to turn into a mushy feelings scene by the lake

Nick is turning out to be quite a deep guy! I wonder what he is going to share with Steven. His feelings about losing his aunt? His feelings for Steven?

[Pup Wingletang]

Manipulate is not the right word but I like the way Steven controls his response in order to play up to Nick's need to be a hero and look after him. I think they're made for each other! Such a lovely, touching scene playing out by the lake in the moonlight.

And finally it seems like the much need communication is about to happen! Really looking forward to the next chapter and it probably won't gave any bondage or gags in it. Although I'm sure Steven leaving the safety if the tent will have repercussions!

I'm still formulating my response to the poll. You know these questions around Nick always end up provoking an essay from me, especially when others have the temerity to question Daddy Nick!

[Volobond]

I'm sure Steven could've really turned up the charm by throwing in a "Daddy" somewhere in there I'm proud of the boi for learning how Nick operates and how to carefully plan his actions around that. It's... interesting how Steven has described Nick's "hero instinct" and the way his mind works around his need to be in charge and in control. Interesting. Still trying to work out on how I feel about that...

[LockedCheeseBird]

Ooh, nice chapter! You captured that feeling of walking in the forest at night, heart in your throat because you can't see anything, and carefully trying not to disturb anyone really well!

And I really like that you address one of the most confusing and counterintuitive things about these types of relationships: who is carer and who is receiver. Often the sub is depicted as the one giving, the one that does the menial tasks, and is there to be a vessel for the Dom's (sexual) needs. But the Dom is also taking care of the sub, making sure they are alright, etc. So things work on different levels, which are not always directly visible, as Steven also has discovered.

And don't worry, I'll post my grade and explanation, I have been thinking about it, but haven't found the time to write it out yet.

[ShadowHusky]

It was so incredibly fascinating to read Steven's breakdown on the psychology of his actions. The insistence of roles and the importance of their upkeep was a concept I had never really thought about. You really captured Steven's deep-thinking nature, while also staying true to his more shallow views on points.

It a shame that Steven feels the need to tiptoe around working with Nick, but it truly is the same with a lot of relationships in life; romantic or not. I think this was an important topic to discuss as it brings all of the audience to the same page.

Sorry, I've been quiet lately. It's hard sometimes to have these moments of extrospective thought, but I am glad when I have them.

My approval rating of Nick varies because obviously he has many points I adore, but also some I'd really clash with. I guess without the proper training I may be difficult at first, like Steven. I don't like to be controlled and I struggle with being the damsel. However, I do truly admire Nick's fatherly nature and caring heart, though I would be bothered by his closed off nature, I may feel cut off from him in that respect as I'd prefer a partner who is more honest about how they feel; I would hope my partner or partners would feel safe with expressing themselves around me. However, I do understand that it's got nothing to do with Steven, it's simply Nick's nature.

The foot odour would be a positive and a negative, though I find the concept very attractive, I would have a hard time dealing with it; which also in turn makes it more attractive.

[Red86]

While we don't know what Nick has opened up about yet, it's nice to see him start somewhere.

Part of me is thinking I may have been premature on posting my rating before reading the latest chapter. Steven has provided us with some information that I wasn't considering/thinking about of why Nick is the way he is. It doesn't change some the things Nick has done including the main kidnapping thing which is heavily weighing his rating down. That is something I just can not overlook.

The majority of me is not quite ready to go back, re think and change my rating. Though I will say the possibility of him receiving a slightly better rating may not be to far in the distant future.

[bondagefreak]

CHAPTER 286 - THE UNRAVELLING

Monday, May 25 (3:15 AM)

The night air was cold, but having my back pressed against Nick's muscle-shirt-clad torso and having his unzipped puffer jacket spill untold amounts of warmth around my arms and shoulders worked wonders at keeping the chilliness at bay.


"How come you were sitting all alone out here?" I asked, nuzzling the inside of my man's thick neck and finding myself unable to completely hide the amount of concern I felt for his emotional well-being.

"It's peaceful. I came here to think." came his somewhat curt reply.

"It's your aunt, isn't it?" I pressed, bowing my head down slightly and feeling a sharp pain in my heart at the fact that I hadn't been there to support him during her passing.

Nick kissed my head, almost as if he understood the pain I felt at not having been there for him.
"Yeah. But it's not just that. I've been thinking about a lot of things recently." he calmly admitted. "My aunt, my mum...you."

"Me?" I asked, a slight tinge of worry and curiosity managing to seep into my voice.


"I uhh...you've been giving me a lot to think about these past weeks." he continued, slowly struggling to remove one of his tight-fitting police gloves before taking hold of my left hand. The warmth of his huge palm and fingers around my much smaller ones felt divine. Suffice to say, I was slowly melting on the inside.

"I've been thinking about us a lot. Been thinking about what that means for the future." he went on, speaking to me in a low tone whilst keeping his tree trunk-sized arms wrapped around me in an authoritative embrace.

I didn't know what to say, so I kept my head down and refrained from speaking.

"I'll be spending a day alone with my parents in a few weeks, and then if all goes well I'll be taking you with me to see them." he explained, giving me reason to believe that he would soon alert his mum and dad of the fact that we were no longer just friends and that he'd taken me as his partner and significant other.

"Yes, Sir." was the only thing my shaky voice managed to respond.

A long moment of silence passed, during which point both of us just sat hand in hand, thinking about each other and thinking about what the future held in store for us. Nick eventually changed the subject to something a little lighter, but that quickly brought us back to what we'd initially been discussing.

"Did Zack tell you about the arrangement I made with him and Jeremy?" he asked, no doubt referring to the job offer Zack had approached me with last night before supper.

"Yes, Sir. And he also told me about your locker room at work." I spoke, bringing up the equipment warehouse owned by the construction company Nick and Zack both worked for.

"The locker room at my work? What about it?" Nick queried, cocking his head to the side and raising an unmistakably questioning eyebrow up.

I simply nodded my head and cast my gaze down once more.

"Speak, babe. What did he tell you?" the blond man pressed, obviously not following where I was heading with this.

"Zack...told me you kept all those notes I wrote you." I mumbled, keeping my head bowed down and lifting my free hand up to wipe the stray tears now welling up in my eyes.

A moment of silence came upon us again.


"I did keep them. I read them every day." my stone-faced lover finally admitted, kissing the top of my head tenderly and wrapping his massive arms around me even tighter.

"I had no idea you'd read them. I thought they were stupid and silly and I thought you just didn't care about them." I whimpered, raising my hand anew and doing my best to dry up the fresh batch of tears that were running down both sides of my face.

Nick didn't respond with words. At least, not immediately. He simply hushed me down, removed his other glove and brought his own hand up to my face in an order to dry my tears for me. His slightly calloused and work-hardened fingers were so large. So warm and comforting.


"No babe." he finally spoke. "I didn't think they were stupid. I actually found them really quite endearing." he confessed, causing me to sniffle back new tears and lift my gaze up towards his inexplicably handsome, moonlit face. "I look at those notes every morning before work, babe. They remind me of what a lucky guy I am." he continued, causing me to scoff a little and sob some more.

"You're not the lucky one, Sir...I am." I quickly objected; something which caused the man I love to instantly rebuke me.

"Babe, why would you say that? Of course, I'm the lucky one! You're smart, you're cute, you're kind, you're obedient. You make the best suppers, you keep the place clean, you always think about others and you have a good heart." he spoke. "The only person who's ever written me little notes like that is my mum. She used to put them in my lunch box when I was a kid. Only special people think about doing stuff like that. You're precious, Steven. And you mean more to me than you'll ever know." he continued, once again increasing the tightness of his inescapable grip around my seated body and pressing his face against the top of my hairy head.


I broke down into tears when he finished speaking.
I tried not to, but I just couldn't help it.

My man held me real tight against him and just sat there for what must've been ten minutes; holding me, hushing me, kissing the top of my head softly.





When my lover finally signalled that it was closing in on four in the morning and that it was time for us to get back in bed, I nodded my head obediently and moved to get up off his lap. Nick, however, had something else in mind. Instead of allowing me to stand, the beastly goliath kept his arms around me and ordered me to sit still.

I watched as he struggled to put his very large, yet overly tight leather police gloves back on, and watched as he unzipped his left jacket pocket and took out one of the heavy-duty pairs of steel handcuffs he'd brought.

"What are those for?" I asked, my somewhat fearful voice betraying the fact that I knew they were about to be used on me.

This probably had something to do with his father being a military police Sargeant, but Nick always seemed to have at least one pair of handcuffs stashed inside that insanely bloated puffer jacket of his.


The blond beast whose bed I shared kissed the top of my head one last time before showing me the handcuffs he was holding and apologising for what he was about to do.

"I'm sorry, babe. I told you'd there'd be consequences for leaving the tent..." he quickly began to explain.

"But Nick, you don't need to use those! I'm not gonna run away from you!" I pleaded, my voice becoming slightly more agitated at the prospect of being physically arrested by my very own boyfriend.

"I know you won't. But I'm not taking any chances. Sorry, babe. Hands behind your back."

BOUND & GAGGED CHAPTER INDEX
A "CLICK-TO-READ" LIST OF CHAPTERS DESIGNED TO MAKE FINDING SPECIFIC SCENES A LOT EASIER

[Volobond]

Okay, I'll admit that that was gosh dang adorable. Nick thinking about the future, even planning to have Steven meet his parents, and his gentle softness towards Steven was real sweet.

Still isn't quite enough to change my rating, though!

[LockedCheeseBird]

Aww, that was amazing, and precisely what Steven needed to hear! I'm really looking forwards to seeing it alongside them, and how these thoughts about the future will shape their relationship and the time to come! It feels like this whole camping trip has been slowly setting the stage for this conversation to happen, and I'm so glad it finally did!