"Liam!"

Zayn was home very early. Liam wasn't ready. He scrambled out to the living room where he found Zayn shrugging off his jacket. But he wasn't flushed with need, he wasn't frantically ridding himself of his clothes. "Sir? You're home early. I'm not ready."

Zayn shook his head, smile wide on his face. He pulled Liam to him and kissed him, teeth clanking because of his grin. "I'm not here to fuck you." Zayn rolled his eyes. "I mean, I can, if you want," his smile went cheeky for a moment, "but no. You won't believe what I've done today!"

The joy was contagious and soon Liam was smiling, too. "What did you do?"

"Get dressed. I have to show you."

Liam called for Marvin to get him clothing, and five minutes later the two of them were out the door. Zayn couldn't sit still; he was tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, and rubbing a hand on Liam's knee. "Do I get any hints?" Zayn sent his slave a pointed look that had Liam chuckling. "No, I guess not."

Satisfied, Zayn sat back and drove the car nearly all the way down the coastline of their new home until they came to a long cliff, a two story white house with a beaten, old lighthouse standing proudly next to it, as if it remembered its purpose with honor. Liam was out of the car before Zayn even turned it off, heading towards the property with wide eyes. Zayn joined him, took his hand, and asked, "What do you think?"

"It's really cool," he turned to Zayn, "but you're wanting to move us already? And all the way out here?"

Zayn was shaking his head before Liam finished. "I bought it for my business. Well, Niall and I. Our business."

Liam felt a well of pride in his chest. "You bought a place? I didn't know you were even close to getting a place?"

"It happened kind of suddenly." Zayn pulled Liam, by their joined hands, into the house. "The relator I was working with never told me about this place because she was looking for business spaces. But the people selling it were at the end of their rope. It was way under market value so she mentioned it. The owners either sell soon or let the bank take it. And then it'd surely be torn down. This beautiful place, torn down." Liam looked around the wide entryway and agreed. The place was beautiful. "They were kind people. I made a generous offer and tada!" He held his arms out wide as if to show off the place. He didn't need to. Liam could see the value of it already. The dark wood columns, the arched ceilings.

"It's beautiful. But I don't get how it's appropriate for matchmaking."

"Because, my dear pair," Zayn teased, "matchmaking will only be a small part of what I want to do."

Liam raised a brow. "Tell me," he urged when Zayn remained silent.

"Okay, okay. So I'll have matchmaking events, social gatherings. All face to face this time. I'm not leaving it up to a computer to make the decisions this time. Not when it almost cost me the love of my life." He stroked a hand across Liam's cheek, making the man smile. "No, we're letting the people decide. And we'll have an office in the building for couple's counseling, with Niall at the lead of that, of course. At least now he'll finally be able to use the degree he actually schooled for, instead of running electronic profiles all day."

"Talking about me?" Liam spun around at Niall's voice to see him and then Harry with what had to be a face similar to the one he was wearing not ten minutes ago. "You started without me," Niall complained.

"Because you're late."

"Blame this one," Niall thumbed to Harry next to him. "He was naked in the kitchen when I came home."

"Really?" Liam muttered and Zayn kissed him while he laughed.

"As I was telling my well-behaved slave," Zayn noted haughtily which made Niall roll his eyes and Harry scoff, "Niall will have an office in here to do his work. Counseling, one-on-one matchmaking, whatever."

"I just need to renew my license before we get this place up and running and we'll be good."

"And we want to have events. Bed and breakfasts, socials, holiday parties. Anything to get the people in this town and the ones around it talking and meeting and hopefully loving," Zayn continued.

Niall puffed out his chest proudly. "The kings of love, we are."

"Where's your office going to be, Ni?" Harry asked.

Niall smiled happily and pulled Harry down the hallway. Zayn slid excited hands down Liam's arms. "What do you think?"

Liam rewarded his brilliant, kind Master with a slow kiss. "I love it," he spoke against his lips. "Can I help at all?"

"Of course you can, babe. Pick whatever you want."

"I'll be your secretary or something, I don't care. I know that you'll be spending a lot of time here and I don't want to miss you." Zayn's face went soft with adoration. "Plus," Liam smirked and leaned in to whisper, "we can use some of the bedrooms on a long day, when I can't wait 'til home."

Zayn tilted his head and bit down fleetingly on Liam's jaw. "My slave is so smart."

"I want to see the rest of it."

"All of it or just those bedrooms?"

Liam laughed, but said, "All of it, you wanker." He kissed the curve of Zayn's neck. "But maybe we'll save those bedrooms for another day."

Zayn wrapped firm hands around Liam's waist, holding him close as he rubbed the tips of their noses together. "As you wish, baby."

***

The office went up quickly. Liam and the boys worked long days and late nights with contractors and the small town government to get everything they needed as soon as possible. Word was spreading about what they were doing there, and everyone was enthralled because they'd never had something like this in their small town before. On opening day, people from every town in a twenty mile radius was gathered on the front lawn, admiring the landscape and eying the people they didn't know already.

Liam was running through all the rooms downstairs, making sure they all had snacks and water. Harry, Niall, and Kalli were in the kitchen, placing warm muffins on trays for her and Marvin to hand around in the foyer. Zayn was standing at the closed front door, staring at the newly sanded and stained wood with shaking hands.

Liam wrapped sure arms around Zayn's waist and murmured in his ear, "This is going to be great."

Zayn nodded. "Of course it is."

Liam just hummed knowingly and kissed his neck. "Where would you like me to be?"

Zayn interlocked their fingers and held tight. "Right here. With me." Liam came and stood beside him with a pleased smile. Zayn ran a gentle hand down his back and settled just at the curve above his bum. "You know? Nearly the entire time I ran my billion-dollar matchmaking company, I never had a slave. And when I did it...failed." Liam did his best not to look desperate for more on that subject because now was not the time.

"But?" Liam offered instead.

"But," Zayn agreed, "now here I am. Doing things my way, the right way, with the love of my life."

Liam felt the heat of his heart flush his face. "I love you, too."

"Enough of that. I won't have you two running off to do God-knows-what on our first day," Niall said as he came in from the kitchen with the servants and Harry in tow, all carrying a tray of baked goods.

"Us?" Zayn scoffed. "I'll bet a pretty penny you two," he pointed between the other pair, "dirty up one corner of this house before sunset."

Niall raised his hands up in mock innocence. "I have no idea what you could be insinuating."

Zayn rolled his eyes. "Right. Just...get him to swallow so you don't get it everywhere."

Liam inhaled sharply at Zayn's blunt words, but Niall and Harry both shared a loud crack of a laugh before Niall put a hand on Zayn's shoulder and assured, "He always does."

Marvin cleared his throat and Liam clapped his hands together loudly. "Well then, good to know. Shall we open the doors, sirs?"

Niall gave Harry a reassuring kiss and Zayn trickled his hands through Liam's hair one more time before reaching out and opening the door.

***

They didn't need to worry. Everyone loved it. Loved them. Well, in particular they were fascinated with the way the Masters and their slaves interacted, behaved. Liam would counter Zayn, almost argue, but not quite, and Zayn took his opinion in stride, actually considering it. Harry though, was cheeky, and flirty, and Niall, instead of reigning him in, seemed to encourage it. When Harry would cuddle up to another slave- never another Master, or even just a Human- Niall looked on with fondness. When he'd nip at Niall's ear, grip his wrists, push and pull in their movements, Niall played along.

The people were dumbfounded. This wasn't how Masters behaved with their slaves, especially ones from the big city. Maybe life out there wasn't so awful after all? Zayn assured them that they were unique, that their way of taking care of their slaves was their own, and in return people could see that they were genuinely happy and in love. This, of course, brought people from all over, wondering how they could get that, too.

The first few weeks were a constant stream, Liam keeping a full, organized planner for Niall and Harry, while Harry kept up with the house. For the first time since they opened, the day was slow. Niall and Harry had gone home early for some anniversary that wasn't actually their anniversary that Liam didn't try to understand. It was quiet, and Liam was working on the mixer next week.

"Li," Zayn called from his office. Liam shuffled from his desk in the lobby to appear at Zayn's open doorway.

"Yes, sir?"

"Come here." Zayn waved him over and Liam came around the desk and stood, waiting, while Zayn looked up at him. Liam wasn't completely comfortable with the height difference, and nearly knelt to remedy it before Zayn took a hold of his wrist and pulled him into his lap. "I miss your uniform," he whined and nipped at Liam's jaw. "How are you?" he asked, nuzzling into Liam's neck.

Liam sighed, relaxing on his lap. "Fine, sir. You?"

"Just fine?"

"I'm sitting on your lap, Zayn. I'm doing good."

Zayn laughed, soft and low, while his hands came around Liam's waist. "I'm glad." He kissed Liam's shoulder idly. "I couldn't have done this without you."

Liam scoffed. "I haven't done anything that your contractors couldn't do."

Zayn turned Liam's head by his chin, making him focus down on Zayn's eyes. "First, I wanted to send all those guys home just to watch you lift things in a vest all day­." Liam's eyes sparkled with mirth and he bit down on a chuckle. "Second, I didn't mean the physical stuff. I meant, I wouldn't be here, doing this, if it weren't for you."

Liam shifted some more, turning so he could face Zayn more easily and throw an arm around his shoulders. "Again, I didn't really do much. Mostly, I just let you love me."

Zayn tilted his head up, coming within centimeters of Liam's face. "Exactly."

Liam rolled his eyes. "Okay, I get it. You're being mushy."

Zayn tightened his hold around Liam. "Yes, I am."

"You called me in here just because you missed me," Liam teased.

Zayn nodded easily. "Yes, I did. Missed your face. Missed your smile." Liam smiled in answer. "Missed your voice." The slave hummed. "Missed the way you look at me."

Liam tried to feign annoyance, but his smile was too wide. "You just saw me like two hours ago."

"Too long," Zayn complained. "I get cold when you're not here. I'm not used to the sea air. It's chilly," he whined teasingly.

Liam slid a hand up Zayn's arm, hugging him close. "Well then, why don't I warm you up a bit?"

Zayn hummed a pleased sound. "Now we're getting somewhere."

Liam tilted his head and pressed his lips almost to Zayn's ear. "You know, there are extra blankets upstairs, in the guest rooms. Probably warmer."

Zayn went still for a long moment before standing quickly. He would have dropped Liam off his lap if he wasn't already pulling him towards the door. "That is a great idea. My slave is so smart. I'm always saying that," he mused loudly as they walked out of his office and up the stairs.

***

A bit of the steamy stuff coming next chapter! 

COMMENTS AND VOTES! MWAH!! Xoxo