Paparino's Piccolo Gattino

Over the course of the day, the guys were eventually able to soothe Ash enough that he fell asleep in CC’s lap, his head resting on his friend’s shoulder. The wild child, who was acting anything but right now, cuddled him as close as humanly possible as he slept, gently running his fingers through his hair and rubbing his hand up and down his arm and back. They were all still worried about him, wondering when his boyfriend would get home so he could make sure he knew he still loved him.

Jake was still the only one to know the identity of their traumatized friend’s lover, and he’d kept his word in keeping their relationship a secret. Unless his own sweetheart asked and pressed him for answers, he meant what he said when he’d promised Andy that he’d keep his mouth shut. He didn’t want the school board to go after them, whether Ash was emancipated or not, and especially not because they were gay.

Before long, since they didn’t really have to watch over their friend anymore, Jinxx curled up in his own lover’s lap for a nap of his own. The dominant teen mimicked CC’s actions and cuddled him close, gently playing with his hair and rubbing his back as he dozed off so he knew he was loved. He remembered the time they’d gone through this same problem themselves shortly after they started dating about a year and a-half ago, and he didn’t want to go through it again. And even if Andy was older than all of them, maybe he’d be grateful for Jake’s help and advice if he gave any.

It wasn’t long after the two submissive teens had fallen asleep that the two still awake heard a key in the lock on the front door. CC tightened his grip as much as he dared when Ash stirred a bit, trying to make sure he didn’t get rudely awakened, and wasn’t paying attention when the new arrival walked in. His dominant friend, however, was looking up and smiled at Andy. The band director returned the gesture as he set his messenger bag and a small box down by the couch and on the end table next to it. As softly as he could, he cleared his throat to get CC’s attention, startling the young man enough that he tightened his grip on his charge in a protective manner in the same moment that he looked up.

“Mr. Biersack, wha—” he started, cutting himself off from his shock.

“Surprised, are we, CC?” the band director chuckled.

“A little,” CC answered, nodding.

“Well, this is my home,” he told him, still chuckling.

“Wait a minute—I thought this was Ashley’s house,” he said, sounding confused.

“Technically, it is. Legally, it’s mine,” Andy explained. “You see, I bought this house when I moved here from Ohio to take the job as Orange High’s band director.”

“So why does Ashley live here, too, then?”

“Because I’m the infamous boyfriend he’s always telling you guys about.”

By this time, Jinxx was awake once again as well, and his grayish-blue eyes widened as his jaw dropped with shock, just like CC’s had.

“Wh-what?” the drummer choked out.

“Mmm hmm,” the band director hummed, nodding. “We didn’t start dating till after he was emancipated, so it’s perfectly legal. However, we keep things on the down-low because not only is this town homophobic as all get-out, but we don’t want the school board saying anything. Even though it’s perfectly legal, it’s doubtful they’d have anything nice to say about a teacher dating a student.”

“So you were just going to keep quiet till after he graduated this summer?” Jinxx asked curiously.

“Exactly. Like I told Jake earlier, we’d appreciate if you guys kept this quiet,” he answered.

“Don’t worry; we will,” the three of them chorused.

“So how’d you find out about them before us, hun?” the other submissive boy asked, turning his attention to his own lover.

“I went to the bathroom with Ashley earlier when he nearly started crying in class,” Jake explained. “While trying to calm him down, he said he just wanted Andy. I was confused and asked who he meant, only to be answered by someone else.”

“Your name’s Andy?” CC asked, looking up at their teacher, his arms still wrapped around the older man’s boyfriend.

“Mmm hmm. Well, technically it’s Andrew, but I prefer Andy,” he answered, nodding.

“It suits you,” Jinxx said thoughtfully, his head cocked.

“So I’m guessing Ash didn’t give you guys much, if any, trouble after you brought him home?” Andy asked, changing the topic.

“Not really. I mean, he’s seemed a bit depressed, but like I said earlier, Jinxx felt the same way in our relationship at one point,” Jake answered, shaking his head. “He’s also been cuddled up with Chuppy more than he’s been by himself since we got here, too.”

“And I see he’s raided my half of the closet again,” the older man chuckled, gingerly sitting down beside CC and his sweetheart.

“He did?” the trio asked in unison.

“Mmm hmm. He grabbed a pair of my old sweats and a hoodie that I wore back in high school,” he answered softly.

“Mmm,” Ash murmured, nuzzling his friend’s neck in his sleep.

“Buon pomeriggio, mio piccolo gattino,” Andy said softly, gently brushing his hair back out of his face.

“Mmm. Paparino?” his sweetheart asked sleepily, slowly opening his eyes.

“Sí, tesoro. It’s me,” the older man answered.

“Paparino!” he cried, launching himself from CC’s lap into his.

The rest of his friends gave them confused looks since they had no idea what they’d said to one another, even though they were simple Italian phrases. The band director wrapped his arms tightly around his sweetheart, murmuring soothing, loving words in his ear, both in Italian and in English. It took merely a few minutes before Ash calmed down enough to let him go, although he still didn’t want to move from his lap.

“I see you raided my half of the closet again,” he chuckled softly, gently kissing his temple.

“I always feel closer to you when I’m wearing your clothes if you’re not around,” the teen said, pouting.

“I never said you couldn’t wear my clothes, gattino,” Andy laughed.

“You keep calling him ‘gattino’,” Jinxx said thoughtfully. “What’s that mean?”

“Sorry, I forget that not everybody’s fluent in Italian,” he said. “Gattino means kitten in Italian. He’s sweet and cuddly like a kitten, so that’s what I started calling him as a pet name.”

“And he called you ‘paparino’. What’s that one translate to?” his friend asked.

Uncertain about whether to translate it or not, he looked to his sweetheart for an answer.

“They’re pretty open-minded, and I’ve already told them about my sordid past,” Ash said softly, nodding. “Once I explain it the same way I did with you, they’ll understand.”

“But will they accept such a thing?” Andy asked, sounding both curious and concerned.

“If they don’t, then they’re not true friends,” the teen said firmly.

“All right, sweetheart. Paparino means Daddy in Italian,” the older man said, turning his attention back to the others.

“Why are you calling him Daddy, though?” CC asked curiously, his brows knitted in confusion.

“Because he loves and spoils me, to a certain extent with the latter, as well as makes me feel safe,” he explained. “I’d never felt safe around anyone until the first day of school when we met. I started thinking of him as Daddy, especially after I got emancipated and moved in with him, because of that. Unless I’m mistaken, those are the three main things daddies are supposed to do for their kids: love and spoil them, to a certain extent, and make them feel safe.”

“Yeah, that’s about right,” Jake agreed. “I’ve always felt loved and safe with my dad, although I quit calling him Daddy ages ago, and he’s always spoiled me a bit.”

“Same here,” Jinxx and CC added, nodding.

“Well, my biological father never really did that, and my mother most certainly didn’t,” Ash said. “If I didn’t think of them as Dillon and Adelaide, it was Mother and Father. Never once did I call them Mommy and Daddy, not even in my own head. They never deserved to be called such by me.”

“And obviously Andy does all he can for you and then some,” Jinxx said thoughtfully. “Just like Jake does for me.”

“Mmm hmm.” His smile dimmed for a moment. “That’s why I don’t get why I was feeling abandoned by him this morning. He hasn’t abandoned me, and I know he never would.”

“Well, I think I might have something that’ll help, mio gattino,” Andy spoke up. “You’ll have to let me up so I can get it, though.”

Pouting, Ash moved aside and all but cuddled up to his protective friend again as his lover rose from the couch. He made his way over to where he’d set his messenger bag and the little box he’d held on his way in, grabbing the box from the end table before turning around. Andy came back over to the couch, where he reclaimed the seat he’d taken before his sweetheart woke up and allowed him to get back in his lap.

The teen looked at the box in his hand curiously, wondering what was in it just as much as his friends were. His lover chuckled softly and told him to open it, holding his breath as he did so since he knew it was the last thing he’d ever expect. With a tentative touch, as if he were afraid it were a box of baby snakes that were going to kill him, he slowly untied the ribbon tied around it in a bow. Andy took the ribbon and tied his hair up in a ponytail at the nape of his neck with it as he took the lid off, holding a breath his sweetheart wasn’t even aware he’d taken as he watched.

Inside the box, there was a thin strip of leather no more than an inch wide, but several inches long, that looked like a mini belt. It was solid black and gleamed as if it were a freshly polished boot, but the buckle and small dog tags on a D-ring gave away what it was. Ash looked up at him with wide eyes, excited to get a present from him, but confused as to why he’d chosen this. He chuckled as he gently took it from the box, allowing it to be draped over his hand as he held it to explain.

“I’ve noticed that you’re not really into traditional necklaces, and you remember our chat about fetishes?” he asked.

The teen nodded, not wanting to go into detail in front of his friends.

“Well, think back to what I told you mine was,” Andy told him.

“Ohhh,” he said softly, his eyes widening in understanding. “I remember now.”

“I figured that, because you’re pretty far from traditional and because of my own kinks, a collar would be better suited than a necklace. Don’t you agree?” the older man asked.

“Of course, Daddy,” he answered, nodding eagerly. “But what do the dog tags say?”

“Well, why don’t you read them and find out?” his lover suggested.

Ash nodded and gently fingered each of the three dog tags so he could see the silver inscriptions on them. The one in front was a pink heart that said “Andy’s Sweetheart” in a beautiful cursive font, the inscription standing out against the background. The second and middle tag was black guitar-shaped tag that said “Purdy Bassist” in the same font as the first. The third and final tag, which was hidden by the first two, was a red heart that said “Paparino’s Piccolo Gattino” in the same font as the first two. All of the inscriptions stood out against their backgrounds since they were done in silver and each of the tags was a different color, but it was the last one that was the most special to both of them.

“Oh, Daddy,” the teen breathed, tears welling up in his chocolate-brown eyes.

“I’m guessing you like it?” Andy asked, trying to hide the uncertainty in his voice.

“I don’t like it; I love it!” he cried, wrapping his arms around his neck. “Thank you sooo much!”

The older man laughed as he wrapped his arms around his sweetheart, pulling him close for a tight hug. Jake, Jinxx, and CC all cooed at them how sweet and cute they were, saying that Ash really did act as sweet and cuddly as a kitten. That caused a round of laughter from all of them, although the last of their little group blushed furiously at his friends’ light-hearted teasing.

“You want me to put it on you, gattino?” his lover asked.

“Please,” Ash answered, nodding eagerly.

“Lemme know when I’ve got it tight enough so I don’t choke you,” he told him, having him turn around in his lap.

“Okay, Daddy,” his sweetheart agreed, nodding.

He moved his hands around in front of the teen, one end of the collar in each one, so he could wrap it around his neck before fastening the buckle.

“That’s tight enough,” the teen said a few seconds later.

“Lemme make sure I can get at least two fingers between it and your neck,” Andy said. “If I can’t, it might actually be a little too tight.”

He sat still while he gently wedged two fingers between the strip of leather and his skin, which he was able to do with ease.

“Seems loose enough to me,” he said thoughtfully. “Lemme know if it feels too tight later, okay?”

“Okay, Daddy,” Ash agreed, holding still so he could fasten the buckle. “Thank you so much! Now I’ll have a little piece of you everywhere I go.”

“Keep the tags tucked into the collar of your shirt, and everyone but your friends will think it’s just a fashion statement at school,” the older man advised.

“And if someone does ask why I’m wearing a collar at school?” he asked curiously.

“Personally, I’d just tell them it’s a fashion statement,” Andy answered. “No one really needs to know the sentimental value behind it, nor is BDSM widely known or practiced around here.”

“BDSM?” all of the teens chorused in confusion.

“It’s an acronym for Bondage, Dominance, and Sadomasochism,” he explained. “Not all three parts have to be utilized at the same time, of course, but it’s still not very widely known or practiced, especially in the heart of the Bible Belt.”

“So what exactly do the Dominance and Sadomasochism bits mean?” Jake asked.

“Yeah. It’s pretty obvious what Bondage is,” Jinxx agreed.

“In a relationship where the dominance comes into play, there’s usually a clearly defined Dom and sub,” the older man began. “Some couples have a Switch, or two, which means that the person can switch between being a dominant and submissive personality whenever they feel like it, or depending on their mood.”

“So what would you be?” the other submissive teen asked.

“Because of my past and the one bad experience with being a sub I’ve had, I’m a Dom,” he answered truthfully. “I won’t go into detail about that experience, mainly because it hurts to think about in many ways, but suffice it to say that I vowed I’d never let a person have that kind of power over me again unless I trusted them explicitly. Not saying that I don’t trust Ash, but I just don’t feel comfortable enough to go down that road with him at the moment.”

“What about you, Ashley?” CC asked curiously.

“It should be pretty obvious that I’d be the sub in this relationship,” the teen chuckled, cuddling against his lover.

“However, there’s also another type of relationship that’s like Dom/sub to the extreme,” Andy continued. “It’s called a Master/slave relationship. Obviously, there’s a clearly defined Dom and sub, but the slave gives up total control to their Master. They do what their Master, or Mistress, tells them to do, kneel at their feet unless told otherwise, and even get punished if they don’t.”

“What kind of punishments do they get?” Jinxx asked, sounding a bit scared.

“Usually nothing worse than a spanking, though what implement is used is between the Master and slave,” he answered. “But either way, any good Dom knows that it’s not they who hold the power, but their sub who does.”

“How so?” CC asked curiously.

“The sub is the one who sets the boundaries, which their Dom isn’t supposed to cross without their permission,” the older man explained. “If the Dom is a good one, like I am, once they find those boundaries if their sub doesn’t tell them what they are, they’ll push them from time to time to see what their sub’s comfort level is, but will never go past them without permission.”

“So that’s why you refuse to push past my boundaries,” Ash said thoughtfully.

“Exactly, mio gattino,” he agreed, gently kissing his temple. “After having an abusive Dom myself, I swore that I’d never become what Syn was to me. I hated feeling powerless when I was supposed to be the one with the power, even though I was the sub.”

“We’re not even gonna ask what you mean by that,” Jake chuckled.

“I’m pretty sure you can figure it out,” the collared teen said, sticking his tongue out at him in a childish gesture.

“Be nice, gattino,” Andy said, a note of playful scolding in his voice.

“But Daaaaddy,” he whined playfully, pouting at him.

“No ‘buts’, mio gattino.” He feigned a stern expression. “I don’t think you want that little rear spanked in front of your friends.”

Despite his abusive past, Ash’s eyes lit up at the thought of a spanking from his lover, especially if it were done while in the throes of passion. However, he was right about him not wanting his ass spanked in front of his friends, especially considering that both of them knew he’d worn a thong that morning. It was pretty obvious that, as close to his friends as he was, he hadn’t felt comfortable enough to tell them about his fetish, and the older man really didn’t want to embarrass him if he didn’t have to.

The quintet sat there talking for a while longer, Andy finally deciding to just order pizza from Anna Maria’s since neither he, nor his sweetheart, felt like cooking. Not only that, but he was perfectly fine with feeding the other teens, especially since they’d stayed here with his sweetheart all day after he left school early. In fact, it would be his way of repaying them for skipping more than half the school day to help them out.

After the pizza arrived a short time later, Jinxx headed to the kitchen to help dish up the warm, cheesy goodness that was their dinner. They forced the others to stay on the couch and loveseat, refusing to let any of them help out. The way they saw it, Andy’d been working hard all day while Jake and CC were trying to be a replacement Dom for Ash until he got home. It was only right of them as the submissive ones to serve their dinner to them, even if they didn’t kneel at their partners’ feet while they ate. The band director couldn’t argue there, especially with his understanding of how a Dom/sub relationship worked to begin with, and Jake and CC didn’t really feel like pissing Jinxx off by arguing.

Once they’d eaten and cleaned up, the other three teens said that it was time for them to start heading home since they’d already lied to their parents by saying they went over to Ash’s after school, not in the middle of the day. Although he was a bit sad to see his friends go, the collared teen gave them all hugs and waved as they climbed into Jake’s car, his lover by his side. Andy thanked them all for helping his sweetheart as much as they could, even giving them a hug as well. The trio hadn’t minded and would even be willing to do so again in the future, if necessary, something the two of them were grateful for besides each other.

Notes