Chapter 4

Yes, starting point.

I knew I’d eventually find one but I was glad when he gave me another hug and started talking about what made him happy.

“One aspect of happiness I can decipher is physical touch. I am confident that holding you and providing comfort increases my happiness.” He said it so matter-of-factly that I almost glossed over how cute that was.

“I like physical touch and cuddling too. Not just…not just the sexual kind of touch. I like being held.” I knew that could end up with him carrying me around everywhere, but I was confident I could create a good boundary if it got that far.

He made a happy sound and patted my head. “We will have much in common, but appreciating mutual physical contact is a good foundation for any relationship where caretaking will occur.”

Yes, that was a good place to start.

Oh, starting point.

“Um, speaking of starting points, I want to make sure we talk about a few other foundation kinds of things. Like…what’s your name?” Had anyone already mentioned it? “If Larry said it right before I…lost consciousness, then I’m sorry but I didn’t hear it.”

My new friend went very still before letting out a very human and dramatic sigh. “No. He did not. I apologize for missing that step in the human custom for social introductions. I am used to being known.”

Huh?

Nope, first things first.

“It’s okay. The drama was a distraction and then we got involved in talking about other stuff.” Like about cuddling and about how I was brave when I managed to look at him. “We’ll just do that part now.”

“I have taken the human name Jerker.” Before I could mentally walk through how he’d pronounced JER-ker, he kept going. “Again, I apologize for not making that known.”

“You’re used to being known. It’s fine.” He seemed worried about fucking up our introductions so I straightened and kissed his cheek again. “But why are you known?”

That sentence was terrible but I found myself mirroring his words unless I really thought about it.

“I was…” He paused, clearly working on translating an idea or a word. “Hmm. I do not think there is a single word translation. I was… The human language is fascinating.”

Oh yeah.

“I will say I was part of our group-captain-decision-makers.” He went quiet again, rolling the idea around in his head before making a rolling shrug. “I am not pleased with the translation, but it is the closest that I can find without additional research.”

Well, it wasn’t bad as long as I was understanding the combination right. “So you were part of the decision-making group that’s closest translation would be captains? Like running the ship as a group?”

Wait.

Had I heard that right?

It wasn’t until I thought about what he’d said that the reality hit me and it wasn’t just a word game of figuring out what he meant.

“Yes. That is an accurate description.” He gave me a pat on the back like he was proud of me for working out the details. “It makes me known.”

I could see that.

I was back to my questions having questions again.

“Um, are you still in that position?” I wasn’t sure if that was a stupid question or not until he shook his head and treated it reasonably.

“No. My term has finally ended and another has taken my position.” His answer was so casual I had a feeling he thought I already understood more than I really did. “I am ready to interact socially with humans and to be a member of your society. Do not worry.”

Well, I hadn’t been before, but now I had more questions at the very least.

“You’re doing a very good job interacting socially with me.” He’d been helpful and polite and he’d made me feel good. “I’m not worried.”

I was a bit confused, and kind of turned on, but not exactly worried.

“I am very adept at learning new information. I will be able to be a good caretaker for you.” Patting my head, he seemed like he thought that was very important to point out. I was trying to work through what he’d meant exactly but then he distracted me. “I have researched human pleasure and I understand the different ways to give you the physical and psychological submission that humans require.”

Oh.

Um.

“You…you don’t mind the physical part, right?” That wasn’t what I should’ve asked but it was what came out, so I tried not to have a heart attack.

“Human pleasures are very…potent. I will be a good provider of sexual pleasures.” He must’ve thought seeing was believing because the tentacle that’d been slowly caressing my ass gave it a firm pat that wasn’t quite a spank but was just enough to have my imagination flaring to life. “Yes, I will provide excellent physical pleasures.”

It finally occurred to me that as a leader of his people he was probably the Type-A of Type-A people.

He was going to be more trouble than dating a scientist.

Damn it.

How had I done this to myself?

“I…” There was no reasonable response to what I thought he was saying or doing, so my brain kind of turned off. “I like physical pleasures.”

Especially since it seemed like he was going to keep me.

I had a Dom.

Pushing away all the logical issues with how we’d gotten to this point, I focused on the way he was holding me and how he wanted to be a good caretaker for me, and he obviously wanted to spank me.

Evidently, good Doms spanked because he did it again, and when I moaned and hid against his body, he chuckled for the first time. “Yes, good boy, my Theo. You must turn to your Dom for comfort during stressful sexual pleasures.”

There was a crazy mix of desire and submission and embarrassment running through me but the soft, pleased sounds Jerker kept making said he was thoroughly enjoying whatever he was sensing from me. “Good boy.”

Giving me another firm spank, his limbs tightened around me in a wavelike motion that was soothing and arousing. Without thinking about it, I tried to rock and rub against his tentacles, but he kept me firmly in place. “Consent is important in human domination-based relationships. I have been made aware of that very clearly.”

Damn it.

Someone had told him we had to talk about shit.

“I consent.” Yes, that was clear. “I consent. Green.”

Fuck.

“That means I’m good.” Had anyone told him about safewords?

“Safewords. Yes, good boy.” I got another head pat and I could hear almost parental-like pride in his voice “Those are very important to humans.”

Part of me wanted to laugh, but I nodded and did my best not to do anything that would distract him. “Yes…they’re…they’re part of human communication in…in domination-based relationships.”

“Because humans are not able to discern enough information based on nonverbal data.” His smiling, matter-of-fact tone sounded like he’d read it in a book.

And one that he thought was cute…or something close to that.

“However, humans do not always have the ability to process known information accurately when their hormones are…adjusting.”

We didn’t think when we were horny.

He wasn’t wrong but I didn’t want either of us thinking at the moment.

“Your increased desire has made it difficult for your brain to keep track of important information.” Giving my bottom one more light spank, he shifted me around on his lap until I was sitting up on two of his larger limbs. “Without clear consent, human rules dictate I must not provide sexual pleasures in public.”

Looking around the employee lounge, he had a thoughtful expression on his face. “This may be considered public. I am not certain of that fact when it comes to how humans see privacy, but on my ship, I would consider this…what is the word…half public?”

“Semi-public. But half works.” Shit.

Crashing my face into his torso, I sighed before straightening. “Yes, this is at least semi-public and we shouldn’t be doing…sexual stuff in here.”

I’d started to just give a euphemism, but decided at the last minute he wasn’t the kind of guy I should be vague with.

“I am pleased I understood human customs in that regard.” One smaller limb stroked over my head and it took me a second to realize his nubs were fixing my hair. “Social etiquette seems to indicate that we participate in the ritual consumption of food before we can leave.”

He didn’t seem pleased with that idea either, but as the captain-ish person, I was pretty sure he’d gone to a lot of events he’d wished he didn’t have to.

“Yeah, you’re right.” And logically, I knew I should get to know him more before I asked him to spank me.

An hour would be enough time for that, right?

“Then we can have privacy and…” How should I say it? “Um, and explore domination-based pleasures?”

Hmm, being clear was important.

“And I would like to be spanked.” Yes, I couldn’t die of embarrassment if he needed the words to be confident.

I was his first human…well, it seemed like his first human anything. And since their submission was complete and kind of crazy-sounding, I told myself again that communication was going to be very important.

“To some human submissives, spankings provide a combination of pain and control-based caretaking, as in boundary setting and punishments.” His Humans for Dummies tone made me want to smile. “To other humans, it provides pleasure, pain, and invokes control-based caretaking that has a happy, owned undertone.”

I knew where his question was going but I still let him ask it anyway.

“Based on your physical signs and vocal tone, I have made an educated guess, but please indicate which category your desire for a spanking falls into.” Jerker waited, giving me a look like he knew he was smart and he wanted me to confirm it.

He was going to be a pain in the butt once he could read my mind.

Well, read my emotional and physical responses.

But I’d seen Larry do it to Nicholas and there was definitely mindreading involved, no matter how they described what they were doing.

Trying not to sigh or give him mixed signals so early in our relationship, I did my best to keep my tone even and not dramatic. “I like spankings in the happy owned way.”

Yep.

Well, in for a penny and all that… “It makes me aroused.”

His body shifted and if he’d been human, his chest would’ve puffed out. “I am glad to see I have already started being able to reliably read your signals.”

I’d seen Larry have similar looks when he was right about stuff, but Jerker took it up a notch. I had a feeling I was going to need to remember that captains were just a bit more interesting than the average alien.

“Me too.” There was no point in ignoring how fabulous he thought he was, so I kissed his cheek. “It makes me feel special that you’re learning to read me so quickly.”

He was nearly floating he was so proud of himself.

“Keeping you safe, happy, and physically content are the most important things to me, my Theo.”

My?

I was already his my?

Wait. Had he already said that?

Oh…I should’ve listened closer to Nicholas when he’d said he met and moved in with Larry in the same afternoon.

“Thank you, my Jerker.” Well, it wasn’t like I was going to let the perfect Dom walk out of my life just because we hadn’t known each other very long.

Besides, he was polite and cuddled really well too.

And making him happy couldn’t be as hard as he seemed to think it would be.

Puffing up again, he gave me a full-body hug with every limb. “You are such a good submissive human and make me very happy. I must explain that. Come.”

Oh.

Lifting me off his lap, he stood me carefully on the floor before his smaller limbs fixed my clothes and combed through my hair again. “Humans wilt easily. No. Rumple. Yes, that is the word.”

We just wore more clothes than they did.

Wilted kind of made sense though…especially with the way I was trying to convince my cock to deflate.

He wasn’t cooperating.

But Jerker didn’t seem to think that was a problem because he just shifted my erection to the side as he did his straighten me up pat-down thing. “Yes, now you are proudly displayed so that others may know you are being well-tended.”

Great.

That was something I hadn’t thought to figure out a boundary for.

Nicholas should’ve prepared me for finding the alien of my dreams better.