Frank stifled a yawn as he trudged along behind Gerard and Josh, cursing the bright morning sun that mocked him. It was barely seven in the morning and the latter two were behaving as though it was a pleasant afternoon stroll. Frank scowled at the back of their heads, hoping that his midi-chlorian count would kick in and he'd somehow be able to choke them both with the Force.

As if.

He sighed, listening to them talk about work, and watched Jim trotting along and sniffing at the pavement. The beach to his left was serene, not a breath of wind to ruin the picturesque morning. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, feeling very much like a third wheel thanks to Ty being comatose in the hotel and leaving Frank to fend for himself behind two beautiful demigods.

They continued to walk for a solid half an hour until Gerard stopped to look at his watch. He turned to Frank with a smile, "I have to go back, I have a meeting in an hour."

"Should I-"

"You can stay here and keep Joshua company." Gerard interjected with a smile, looking at the pink-haired submissive who looked rather startled at the mention of his name.

Frank immediately slammed on the brakes, "Wh- No, no, sir. I can come back and help you take notes, or-"

"I insist. Get some sun and fresh air before it gets too hot." He eyed Frank over his sunglasses, "Stay, boy."

The turn from employer to Dominant was instantly picked up by Frank, his back immediately straightening despite himself. He nodded obediently, whispering a quiet, "Yes, sir."

Gerard gave them each a glance over the rim of his sunglasses before he turned to walk back toward the hotel. Frank watched him longingly, stifling a whine in his throat that threatened to bubble up. He looked away from the back-view of his Master and away from Josh at his side. He had noticed that Josh took a step closer, almost in a protective manner now that Gerard had left.

Frank turned to look at him, choosing to allow the proximity to stay unmentioned between them, "So, uh, what now?"

"I was gonna grab some coffee and let Jim run on the beach for a little bit." Josh shrugged, "Y-You can... You can join me, if you want to."

Frank cleared his throat and ignored the flush in his cheeks, "Yeah, sure. Sure."

He followed behind the older male instinctively, his hands behind his back, as they walked to the small local cafe. He was befuddled for a solid twenty seconds when Josh asked him what he wanted to drink - he hadn't ordered for himself in over three months now. He stammered out his order before turning that familiar shade of red that seemed to happen exclusively around Josh.

They walked out five minutes later, letting Jim off of his leash as soon as they hit the white sand. Frank watched the golden retriever sniff along the ground, sipping his caramel frap as he sat down on a nearby bench. Josh sat beside him, sipping on the same thing but decaf. Frank hated the awkward silence between them, feeling the need to fill it, "You, uh, enjoying yourself so far?"

"Yeah, I mean, it's like a vacation, isn't it?"

Frank immediately snorted, "Sure."

"What?"

He sipped his drink, "You and your boyfriend-"

Josh interjected, "-Partner."

"Partner?" Frank frowned, to which Josh nodded solemnly. Frank nodded, "Partner, it is. Where was I?"

"I think you were gonna rant about your vacation." Josh said softly.

Frank nodded, "Exactly. You and your partner may be having a fun vacation but I sure am not."

"How come?"

"Because I can fucking hear you guys through the walls. Every chance you get." He huffed a little and took a sip of his frappuccino, scowling at the memory of himself laying in bed listening to Josh's moans through the wall - Ty being as quiet as always.

Josh seemed to have had a malfunction, his drink paused halfway to his lips and his eyes wide. Frank could see the pink shade bloom in his cheeks to practically resemble his hair. He avoided the younger submissive's gaze, watching Jim splash in the low waves of the shore. He cleared his throat quietly, "Yeah, well... W-Well, well..."

"Well, what?"

Josh let out a small whine of embarrassment, all of the macho bravado he had tried to work up in his system had eeked from his body faster than a slashed tire. He closed his eyes for a second, "I didn't know you could hear us."

"It's a hotel, not a panic room, Dun."

Josh let out another pathetic whine and finally sipped his coffee, "Yeah, yeah, I got it. Thank you."

He paused after that and turned to Frank, "Why are we lucky, exactly?"

It was Frank's turn to resemble a beetroot now, staring into the caramel-drizzled cream that remained floating over his drink like a tiny island. He opened and closed his mouth multiple times, a strangled gurgle tumbled from his lips as he realized that he had outed himself. Not in the gay sense, but the celibate kind.

Josh frowned, "Frank? Are you and Gerard doing okay?"

If Josh had asked him that a few weeks ago, Frank would have tried to clock him; a solid roundhouse to his perfect face. He would have most likely turned rabid, foaming at the mouth, and tried to tear Josh's pretty head off. He had blamed Joshua 'Perfect Greek God' Dun for the fuck up in their relationship, but Frank was beginning to accept that his own immaculate god-like Master was not as faultless as he had initially hoped. Did that mean that Frank loved him any less? Not even an inkling. Did that mean that he trusted Gerard any less? Initially, it had created a small rift, but they were slowly repairing the crack from both sides. And for that, Frank was so grateful.

He shook his head, "G and I are fine, relationship-wise."

Josh exhaled shakily, nodding, "Good. That's- that's good."

"Why do you look all concerned?" Frank snorted as he licked some of the whipped topping from his paper straw, "Why do you care about my relationship?"

Josh frowned, "Don't care."

"You're a shit liar."

Josh glanced sideways at Frank, "I don't want you more mad at me."

Frank lifted his hand, drawing a haphazard cross over his left bicep, "Scout's honor."

"What about Atticus' honor?" Josh grinned playfully and Frank couldn't help but smile brightly.

"You know 'Mockingbird'?"

"One of my favorite books, actually." Josh smiled, whistling for Jim, who immediately came running. Frank laughed as the two of them were showered in salty water, watching Jim shake out his coat and pants happily. Josh turned to him again, "What was I saying?"

"You don't want me more mad at you but you haven't told me why I would be."

"Oh," Josh breathed out, "Well, I know how happy you make him because I saw how broken he was when you left. And I don't ever wanna see him like that ever again. I can only imagine how you must have felt, he told me a little about your ex. I've been there, I've had manipulation tactics used on me my whole life. But, y'know, even if he and I aren't together anymore, and even if I don't have romantic feelings toward him anymore-"

"Anymore?" Frank interjected suddenly, "The hell do you mean by 'anymore', when was there a first-off for romantic feelings?!"

Josh winced, "I didn't mean it like that! I-I- I meant it more, like... Uh, I still care about him now but differently. He's not- We aren't-"

Frank could see Josh's eyes widen a little, his posture slouched, his breathing uneven and shallow. Jim immediately sat up, resting his head on Josh's knee. Frank frowned, watching Josh caress his support animal with a shaky hand, counting under his breath. Frank felt frozen, unable to move or comprehend. He knew that Josh suffered from severe anxiety and he had seen it somewhat at work when the load got too heavy for his shoulders, but when push came to shove, Frank had no fucking idea what he could do to help.

He took Josh's hand in his own and gave it a squeeze in the same manner that Josh had done when Frank was panicking on the flight here. Josh looked at him, swallowing hard, and just leaned in, hiding his face in Frank's neck as though it were his only lifeline. Frank froze up in surprise, but tried to remain calm and steady, allowing his coworker the proximity that he clearly needed to decompress.

After at least five minutes of the three of them huddled close on the bench, Josh finally emerged. He sniffed softly, "I-I didn't mean-"

Frank shook his head, "It's okay, dude. I swear. I'm not mad at you. I know you meant, like, you and him are now platonic, right?"

Josh nodded vehemently, his pink hair flopping and making Frank smile, "Platonic. No feelings."

Frank nodded, too. He continued holding Josh's hand, afraid that Josh would get the wrong idea if he let go. He had already been punished more than once for hurting the amative and sensitive pup, and he wasn't about to make his work-vacation even worse. He smiled weakly at Josh and, in turn, got a wobbly smile right back.

It was another minute of silence until Josh spoke again, popping Frank's silent bubble of profound dick-thoughts.

"So why are Ty and I the lucky ones?" He whispered, rubbing Jim's ear gently with his fingers.

"Oh," Frank sighed, "Because you guys are having sex."

Josh frowned, "You aren't? Why?"

"Fuck if I know, buddy. Fuck if I know." Frank muttered unhappily, "He's just, apparently, decided that whilst we're on this trip, we aren't fucking at all. I thought it would be the opposite, y'know? Like, we're out of town, no one knows us. I thought he'd be a little more lax about all this but it's like he's taken his yardstick and, instead of pulling it out of his ass a few inches, he's shoved it further up."

Josh let out a surprisingly loud giggle, grinning as he stared down at Jim, "Yardstick?"

"For sure."

"I dunno, a yard..." Josh trailed off.

"You think that's too long?" Frank raised an eyebrow.

Josh eyed him playfully, "Not long enough."

~

Frank was laying on his hotel bed, a half hour after he and Josh had come back from their walk. He had the privilege of witnessing Gerard getting out of the shower as soon as he arrived. He was greeted with a surprisingly passionate kiss that instantly had his knees buckle and his heart race. He had watched Gerard dry himself off and towel his hair before drying it with the hairdryer and a brush into its usual upturned coif. He got dressed into a crisp burgundy suit, a white shirt and a matching wine colored tie covered in white flowers.

Gerard and Josh both left after that, with Josh in his own black suit, and left Frank and Ty alone in their rooms. Frank knew it was the most opportune moment to talk to the Dominant about what had happened but there was also a small part of him, lodged in his chest that was also attached to his bladder, that was slightly terrified. He rolled himself off the bed, grabbing a nearby t-shirt to put on as he made his way to the adjacent room. He stared up at the beige-colored door as though it were the cave entrance to a monster's lair. He raised his shaking fist and knocked quietly.

He put his hands behind his back out of habit, waiting for at least a minute before Ty opened the door. His expression littered with annoyance that he had been interrupted. Frank felt his heart suddenly pick up tenfold, not only because he suddenly felt bad about bothering Ty, but it didn't help that the ornery Dom was dressed in nothing but his fabled beanie and a pair of boxing shorts. Frank genuinely felt as though he might piss himself under the scrutiny of his secondary casual Dom. Ty raised an eyebrow, "What's the occasion, pixie?"

Frank stuttered out a weak little, "I-I-I-" that made Ty tilt his head curiously. Frank tried again, "Uh, I-I wanted... I... Wh- The thing is-"

Frank swallowed and Ty stepped back, "Come in. Don't want you pissing yourself in public, yet."

Frank scurried into the room with his head cast down as Ty closed the door. He caught sight of the lavender mat on the floor with the incense holder and a single candle. Frank swallowed, cursing himself internally as Ty sat down in one of the armchairs, crossing his leg over the other with his ankle resting on his knee.

"I didn't know you were busy, sir-" Frank cut himself off when he realized he hadn't been given permission to talk. He looked back down at his feet, knowing full-well that Ty's dark eyes were on him.

"I was meditating, pixie. But you couldn't have known that. What brings you here?"

"I wanna talk to you."

Ty nodded, "I'm listening. You can sit."

Frank perched himself on the edge of the bed, his left leg bouncing nervously as he fiddled with the ring he had been bought yesterday by Gerard when they had gone out. It was just a simple black titanium ring that Frank had fallen in love with, but it also felt so special to him. Now, however, it was like his own lifesaver wrapped around his middle finger, "So, about the other day..."

"Oui?"

Frank finally drew up the courage to look at Ty, "I know what I did was wrong but I also think that, like, the way you treated me, and the way that made me feel went beyond my position as a sub and your position as a Dom. You lashed out at me and, as much as I deserved reprimand, I was really scared that I wasn't in a safe space. As- As though I were in danger."

Ty ran a finger over his bottom lip idly, taking in Frank's opening statement before he responded, "I admit that I overreacted. I'm very protective over my family and you hurting my sub whilst he is not only in a helpless headspace and trying to help you, it was my last straw. I never wanted you to feel unsafe, pixie." He cleared his throat, "I'm working on it. On... That."

Frank nodded and swallowed hard, "You should be. I still feel horrible about hurting Josh. I was panicking and freaking the fuck out and he just, just got in the way."

Ty pursed his lips, "He doesn't hold it against you."

"Still," Frank whispered, "It's not like me."

"Is that all?" Ty asked quietly as he raised an eyebrow.

No. Frank wanted it to be over already but in the same breath, he knew he wasn't done. He felt as though it was so entirely unfair that he had been punished and yet, Ty had gotten off completely unscathed. He hiked up his big boy pants and shook his head, swallowing yet again, "Y-You can't just do this to people, Ty. I was genuinely scared for my life for a second. What if Gerard hadn't come home at that moment? What would have happened?"

"Nothing," Ty frowned, looking at him, "Nothing would have happened. I'm not an animal with no self control. I had a split second lapse and, by the time he came in, I was about to let go because I realized what I was doing. If I was such a dickhead with no control over myself, do you think that I'd have made it as a Dom for so long, Frank? I wouldn't have the reputation I do, I wouldn't be trusted and respected in this town. I used to be a mentor. I was your Dominant's mentor. I would have been caught out by now if I wasn't vetted."

"I genuinely don't know. I've only known you for a short time."

"The community we're a part of have known me for over fifteen years, inside and out. They know that I have limits and they know that I'm a good Dom. Including your own. Do you trust him?"

"I do. And I know he trusts you, so I will, too."

Ty pursed his lips and scrutinized the submissive for a second longer, "I feel as though you aren't done. pixie."

"Aren't you... even a little sorry?" Frank frowned, wringing his hands, "I accepted my punishment because I hurt Josh and snooped in your house, but you can't just move on from almost choking me out while I was having a panic attack."

Ty got up, spinning one of his rings; a big steel falcon with a large turquoise stone in its talons, "'Sorry' is not a word I use. 'Sorry' is regret, and I try not to regret the things I do because I'd dwell too much on them. What I've been taught is to either fix it for a different reason or accept what has happened for the positive outcomes."

Frank frowned deeply as he took in all of the information handed his way, his first question being the biggest weight on his mind, "You don't apologize, ever?"

"No."

"Oh," Frank whispered, "And what exactly are the positive outcomes you have for choking me?"

"I do see a positive outcome in what I did. Don't get me wrong, don't confuse that as me saying that what I did was a positive thing; it was not. Not by a long shot, pixie. But every bad experience precedes something better - That's how the world often works. It may bring us closer because we talked about it, or it may set our relationship on an entirely different course. Who knows."

Frank nodded, taking in Ty's thoughts and opinions, "Yeah, maybe."

Ty watched him again, "What is it? What else? Do you feel differently?"

"I do, but I see where you're coming from now. And I'm hoping it'll never happen again." Frank tilted his head as he watched Ty play with a set of metal balls, spinning them slowly in his palm as they chimed quietly. The sound was so calming and peaceful, the hand motions slow and deliberate. He blinked his gaze away and looked up at Ty's chiseled, tanned face, avoiding eye contact with his pink pouted lips.

"It won't. Like I said, I'm working on it. There's one positive outcome, then." Ty shrugged and Frank smiled, nodding in response, feeling so at-peace because of the soft chiming of the bells within the bao balls that Ty was still handing gently, "How was your morning, runt?"

"We all went for a walk and then I had coffee with Josh, we watched Jim run on the beach. But they're gone now, in a meeting."

Ty raised an eyebrow, "You and Josh?"

"W-Well, Gerard had to go back to the hotel."

Ty shook his free hand dismissively, "You spent time with Josh and you both lived?"

Frank let out a soft huff, "C'mon, I'm not that bad."

Ty chuckled quietly, "I have to ask. You did donkey kick him in the chest, pixie."

"Well, it was your lady that took a chunk out of my fucking ear. I thought I was dying." Frank scowled as he reached up to touch his ear and the missing piece out of his cartilage.

"You wouldn't die from a cartilage wound bleeding out." He laughed softly and Frank felt his cheeks warm up.

"I didn't know that in the moment." Frank muttered, "That felt like punishment enough."

Frank frowned at his own words. Punishment. How was it fair that he had been punished for his indiscretions and Ty sat there without even a slap on the wrist. Frank closed his eyes and swallowed, picking up the scattered pieces that were left of his steeled nerves. Ty was still a Dom, but he was also a person. Just like the King of England was still a person and still able to get in trouble for his actions. Wasn't he?

Frank shook the thought away and looked at Ty standing next to the little refreshment station, leaning his hip against the counter, "What, pixie?"

Frank shook his head, at long last deciding that he was going to talk to this man without his vetted title. He had spoken to him as a sub to a Dom but now, now Frank had found the courage to find the person hidden beneath the respectable Dominant, no matter how scary they seemed.

"Not 'pixie'." Frank's voice wavered, "I'm not over it, yet, sir. I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be, I'm not forcing you. What would make you feel better, Frank?"

But his confidence was already wavering. He had figured that Ty would argue and try to prove that he was right and Frank was wrong. It had surprised him with just how pliable Ty could be when trying to communicate. He shrugged, "Nothing."

"Frank, come on. How do you expect to move past this if you don't fully expand yourself?"

Frank closed his eyes, his words coming out far too fast, "It's just unfair that I had to deal with repercussions and you didn't."

Ty's eyebrow rose a fraction, "You had a punishment as a submissive for disobeying orders. I didn't punish you for anything else. Do you feel as though I should have had a punishment, too? I didn't behave as a Dom, so what punishment would I receive? Something as a person instead?"

Frank shrugged slightly. All of Ty's questions stumped him; he was a submissive, how was he supposed to think about punishments in the same way as a Dominant? He felt bad stepping on someone's toes let alone hanging a person from them. He played with his lip ring, toying at it with his tongue, "M-Maybe? I don't... I don't actually know."

"Well," Ty perched himself lightly on the counter, "The punishment usually fits the crime. As did yours, remember? The stretching table. Do you remember what I said to you?"

"If I can't control my legs, you're going to make sure I can't use them for a while." Frank muttered, his cheeks flooding with color, "I remember, sir."

Ty nodded in approval, "Good, boy. So, what comes to mind, if I was a sub and I did what I did, what would be my punishment...?"

He sat back to think, leaning back on his hands. Frank tried to think of anything that would come to mind, but it wasn't that easy in the first place.

"Choking me doesn't seem appropriate." Ty mumbled quietly and Frank immediately shook his head.

"Let's stay realistic, please."

"Perhaps, it's not meant to be a physical thing," Ty sighed, "Look, Frank, what I did was an egregious mistake on my part. I am willing to own up to it. I hurt you because I reacted on instinct. As a Primal Dom, I constantly tread the line with my instincts and when my mate is threatened or hurt, I do react. Mix that in with... God knows whatever is going on in my head - It's difficult to always have a reign over. But-"

Frank leaned in, listening intently to the way Ty's French accent lilted his words every now and again, so subtle but so pronounced. He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, "I... As far as this incident goes, I never wanted to hurt you and I'll be on my best behavior from now on. I hope you will forgive me eventually. I'm... Uh-"

The room landline suddenly rang, a sharp trill that broke off the solemn conversation between them. Frank couldn't help that he jumped in his seat, his heart hammering as he watched Ty answer the phone, whispering quietly to whoever was on the other end. Frank couldn't help the tiny smile that was threatening to pull at his lips. Was Ty about to apologize? Frank was so sure that he was, but Ty said that he never did.

Ty hung up the phone and turned to see Frank's dopey smile, "What?"

Frank shook his head, smiling, "Nothing, sir. Non-apology accepted."

Ty stood up again and stretched his arm out, pulling his other arm under it to extend the taut pull of his toned muscles, "Since we still have some time together, how about I teach you some yoga, little one?"

Frank smiled brightly as he got up, "Really? You want me to join you?"

"It's a one-time offer. Don't get too excited." Ty went to his suitcase and handed him a spare pink mat, "Here. Stretch first and we can start."

"Yes, sir."