He doesn't smile.

His face is open and vulnerable and he looks up at Marlo like he's the most important person in the world.

That can't be right, because Chris is the most important thing in the world and it is unthinkable that anyone might not realize it. 

"You're so good," he repeats, and kisses Chris's forehead. "I love you." 

He shakes his head. "Have to earn being good. Sir."

"You've been earning it every minute of every day for a month." 

"Thank you, sir."

He kneels before Marlo in a perfect posture of supplication, his head touching the bed. "Please use me as you like, sir."

Marlo can't think of a single thing he wants to do except take care of him. 

He reaches down and pets Chris's hair. 

This is nice. 

...It occurs to him that he would be far more likely to get fucked if he weren't subbing at a guy who had properly lost his virginity like two hours ago.

Or someone who hadn't already come twice that night. Marlo keeps petting for a few minutes, and then says, very quietly, "It's late." 

He feels guilt. It's his job to notice that it's late.

"Do you want to stay with me tonight?"

"I'd love to." He leans down and kisses the back of Chris's head. 

Cuddles.

"Are you my boyfriend now?"

"I'm your something, anyway." 

"'Something' is good. The entire concept of having a boyfriend is so soft-world that I would be embarrassed to show myself at the Academy."

He's so good. Marlo loves him so much. 

"I'm your something, is the important part." 

"Yes. And I'm your something. And now my something should go to bed."

"Mm." Kiss. "Mine should too." 

He settles in and closes his eyes and holds Chris closer than he strictly needs to. 

What a good boy. 

He still doesn't remember more than flashes of what he'd dreamed about, but when he wakes up he's warm and comfortable and in Chris's arms. 

It's 5:53. He watches Chris's face for seven minutes, and then gets out of bed as carefully as he can and gets started making breakfast and coffee. 

"I thought you might sleep in, since we stayed up late."

"If you wanted me to you'd have said so, Chris." 

"Very good." Chris kisses his forehead. "I release you from training. I am absolutely incapable of training you in an unbiased way. I assume you don't want me to call Grendel."

"You assume right, Chris." 

Breakfast is ready. 

Breakfast!

"If Anderson approves," he says, "I think the best thing would be for me to buy you. 'Something' is not a recognized kind of person in the Marketplace, and you'd be an atrocious trainer and a worse spotter. It'd add to my debt but that can't be helped and I'm not going to pay it off for decades anyway." 

He nods, keeps eye contact. 

"I don't know how well you'd do at Alex and Grendel's, you'd have to play a role in the training of the novices but you might do fine with teaching them self-defense and helping Rachel teach them to clean and so on and letting me handle the punishments. --You can speak freely and ask questions, you are for now a free person."