Kneeling for Nathan
The evening of the emotionally exhausting Monday, Nick was secretly relieved when Nathan’s text reminder buzzed with the message:
Dude. 6:30. The Henry. No backing out. You owe me tequila and answers.
Daniel smirked when Nick showed him the message, pressing a soft kiss behind Nick’s ear as he left for his own dinner meeting. “Good,” he said. “You need someone to talk to. I’m glad it’s him.”
Nick showed up at The Henry, an old-school spot near Uptown that Nathan insisted had the best mezcal selection in the city. Nathan was already there, leaned casually against the bar, half-smiling like the cat that had swallowed the canary.
When he spotted Nick, he lit up. “Well, well, well. If it isn’t Dallas’s newest golden boy,” he called out. “Come here, you scandalous little slut.”
Nick rolled his eyes but couldn’t help smiling. “Hey, Nathan.”
They hugged quickly, and then Nathan shoved a drink into Nick’s hand and leaned back with a grin. “Okay. No bullshit. Tell me everything.”
Nick laughed, uncomfortable already. “Define ‘everything.’”
Nathan gave him a pointed look. “Don’t play coy, Courser. I’ve been watching this unfold since the first time Daniel made one of those weird ‘just checking in’ visits to your office. You’re not slick. And now you’re his plus-one in the Dallas Morning News? With Logan Shields, no less? Dude, this is a gay fever dream.”
Nick took a big sip of his drink and exhaled. “It’s… a lot.”
Nathan leaned forward. “So start at the beginning.”
Nick hesitated. He wanted to protect what he and Daniel had—what they were building—but he also trusted Nathan. More than anyone else, maybe. Still, he offered the sugar-coated version first.
“It started with the interview,” Nick said, quietly. “I mean, you’ve seen him. The second he walked in… I was toast. But it wasn’t just how he looked. He told me later that he’d first seen me in Texas Monthly—that spread from college? Said he’d tracked me ever since.”
Nathan choked on his drink. “Tracked you? Jesus.”
Nick laughed. “It’s not as creepy as it sounds.”
“It’s exactly as creepy as it sounds. But also? Kind of hot. Continue.”
Nick told him about the visits. The seemingly random office drop-ins. The flirtation buried in leadership language. “It was never overt. But it felt like… a current. You know? Something just under the surface.”
Nathan nodded. “Oh, it was overt. For him. Daniel King doesn’t ‘drop in.’ He’s been eye-fucking you since day one.”
Nick smirked and pressed on. “Then came the text. The invitation to swim.”
Nathan raised his eyebrows.
“Okay. Not an invitation. An order,” Nick corrected.
“See?” Nathan said, tapping the bar. “Now we’re getting to the good stuff.”
Nick flushed. “I went. We swam. We… competed. He made it a game. Loser had to pay a price.”
“Oh my God. And what was it? A blowjob?”
Nick shook his head. “He wanted truth. That was the price.”
Nathan blinked. “Truth? What kind of weird CEO-zen-daddy mind game…?”
Nick looked down, serious now. “That was the night I told him. That I’m… gay. That I’d been hiding it. And…that I think I get off on being...” he hesitated, “...on being kind of..submissive".
Nathan didn’t laugh.
Instead, his face softened, but also intensified. “Nick…”
“No, it’s okay,” Nick said quickly. “He was… incredible. He didn’t shame me. He saw it before I did. But saying it out loud, to someone? That was terrifying.”
Nathan touched his arm. “I’m proud of you.”
They paused, both sipping their drinks.
Nathan leaned in. “But also. I want details. I swear on my vintage baseball card collection, anything you say stays between us. Pact?”
Nick smiled. “Pact.”
They bumped fists like middle schoolers.
“So,” Nick continued, his voice low, “he has this insanely sexy personal trainer. Antonio. My workouts are basically... staged. Daniel tells Antonio what he wants to see. What to make me wear. It's all these tiny, tight compression shorts and see-through tanks.”
Nathan nearly spat out his drink. “Stop.”
“I’m serious,” Nick laughed. “He watches me like I’m a fucking OnlyFans live stream.”
Nathan was flushed now, either from the mezcal or something else. “Okay. Keep going.”
Nick hesitated, then decided to trust him fully.
“There’s a pool boy—Marco,” he said, voice even lower now. “One weekend… Daniel brought him in. For both of us.”
Nathan blinked. “Wait. So, threesome?”
Nick nodded.
“Nick…”
“I know. It was... a lot. And fucking amazing. I couldn’t believe I was doing it. But Daniel makes it all feel... safe. Controlled. Like it’s okay to want these things.”
Nathan sat back, eyes wide. “Jesus, no wonder you’re glowing.”
Nick looked at him shyly. “There’s more.”
“Of course there is.”
“The night of the new business win,” Nick continued, “Daniel texted me: ‘Be in bed. Face down.’ That was the first time I stayed the night.”
Nathan didn’t say a word, but his shifting in the booth said plenty.
“He restrained me that night. Took me like he owned me. I couldn’t fucking believe I let it happen. But…damn…I trust him.”
This time, Nathan had to physically adjust himself. There was no getting around it.
Nick gulped. “Then… he showed me the Play Room.”
Nathan tilted his head. “The what now?”
Nick looked up at him, part shame, part excitement to finally be able to talk about it. “His private dungeon. Gear. Furniture. Restraints. It was… overwhelming. But he took care of me. It was scary how much I liked it.”
Nathan was quiet, his mind whirring.
“I know it sounds fucked up,” Nick said quickly. “I hate how much I love being...like that. It scares me.”
Nathan reached over and pulled him into a rough, warm hug. “It’s not fucked up. It’s honest. And I totally get it. I’m honored you told me.”
Nick clung to him, relieved.
“I’ve got your back,” Nathan said. “If anyone at the agency starts talking shit, I’ll shut it down. You’ve got a team, okay?”
Nick pulled back, eyes wet but grateful. “Thanks.”
Nathan wiped his face playfully. “Aw, you little bitch. Crying in my mezcal. I bet ‘Daddy Daniel’ wouldn’t stand for that,” he laughed.
Nick laughed, sniffled, wiped his face too.
As they walked toward the door, Nathan slung an arm around Nick’s shoulders and asked, “Okay but real talk. Logan Shields.”
Nick looked at him, smiling carefully.
“Any action between the three of you? I mean, come on. You’re telling me Daniel wouldn’t share his toys?”
Nick, thinking fast, simply shrugged. “I signed an NDA.”
Nathan groaned. “You absolute whore.”
They both burst into laughter.
And for the first time in a long time, Nick felt... light. Like maybe he didn’t have to carry this secret alone anymore.
Nathan might tease. But he was safe.
***
The dust settled faster than anyone could’ve predicted. What had started as the agency’s biggest scandal in years—Nick’s rise, Daniel’s audacity—was already fading into legend. And the best part? Nick delivered. With his new authority, he wasn’t just holding his own—he was thriving. Creative leads deferred to him. Strategy teams followed his suggestions. Even the senior partners stopped second-guessing Daniel’s decision. Nick’s ascent wasn’t just justified. It was undeniable.
Daniel, of course, wasn’t surprised. He’d known what Nick was capable of all along.
There were a few bumps on the Leadership Team—jealousies, side-eyes. Most of them had clawed their way through years of industry grit. Nick had done it in one. But he didn’t let it get to him. He held steady. The storm passed.
The only cloud on the horizon was Nathan.
Their friendship hadn’t fractured exactly—but something had shifted. Nathan had been supportive the night the news broke, no question. But Nick could sense something different beneath the jokes and high-fives. A curiosity he couldn’t quite decode. He kept replaying that first night out—the drinks, the banter, the half-serious questions about kink and control. Nathan had seemed too intrigued. Like maybe this wasn’t just about Daniel and Nick.
So, Nick returned the favor. Same bar, same drinks, but this time it was Nathan’s turn to unload. “No getting out of it,” Nick texted, just as Nathan had.
Nathan showed up with a shit-eating grin and two tequila shots already ordered. “So, Mr. Executive Power Bottom. Tell me everything.”
Nick rolled his eyes but smiled. “Jesus, Nathan.”
“I’m serious. I want the filth, man. What’s the CEO’s dungeon like? Do you have to clock in when he ties you up or is it salaried kink?”
Nick laughed, deflecting. Tonight was supposed to be Nathan’s night, but he’d let this ride for a bit. “It’s all good. Really. He’s… amazing. But I didn’t come here to rehash my sex life.”
“Yeah you did,” Nathan said, sipping his drink. “You just need a little more tequila to admit it.”
It didn’t take much. A few drinks in, the walls between them started to fall. Nick kept it light at first—stories of Daniel tracking him down after the Texas Monthly article, the early innuendo, the private invites. But Nathan pushed harder, leaning in with that smirk that said I’m kidding… unless you answer.
“What was the three-way with the pool boy like? Who fucked who?”
“Nathan—”
“Come on. How does Daniel restrain you? Cuffs? Rope? Mood lighting?”
Nick shook his head, half amused, half annoyed. “You’re relentless.”
“I’m horny,” Nathan corrected. “Big difference.”
By drink four, Nick was buzzed and way less guarded. He gathered his courage and finally confronted Nathan.
“All right big guy, you’ve had a lot of fun at my expense. But I know you well enough to know something’s off. I bared my soul to you when the news about Daniel and me broke. You owe me the same.”
Nathan looked away, then back, more serious than he’d been all night. “If I tell you something, you have to promise it stays between us. Like, for real.”
Nick nodded. “Of course.”
Nathan leaned in, voice lower now. “I’ve had this fantasy for years. Not the sub stuff. The other side. Being in control. Like Daniel. Being the one who decides everything. Who takes what he wants. Makes someone beg for it.”
Nick blinked. “Wait… you?”
Nathan laughed dryly. “Yeah, shocking, right? The loud-mouthed gay guy who cracks jokes in meetings aspires to be a fucking dom. Guess I’m full of surprises.”
“That’s… not what I expected,” Nick admitted. “But it makes sense now.”
“What does?”
Nick hesitated. “You’ve been more than interested in the dynamics between Daniel and me, but at the same time, you’ve been kind of distant. And now I wonder if it’s because you’ve wanted this all along—and didn’t know how to say it.”
Nathan nodded, swirling his drink. “Maybe. I’ve had dreams. Like, intense ones. But I’ve never done anything about it. I’ve gone to a couple leather bars, tried to strike up conversations, but I never know what I’m doing. I don’t even know how to act like a dom, let alone be one.”
Nick leaned forward, suddenly serious. “That’s exactly how I felt about being a sub. Until Daniel showed me. And once it started… it all came naturally. Like, scarily naturally.”
Nathan raised an eyebrow. “So you’re saying I need my own Daniel?”
Nick smirked. “I’m saying… maybe Daniel could help.”
Nathan choked on his drink. “Oh hell no. You want me to tell the CEO of our company that I want him to teach me how to dominate some poor twink in his basement?”
Nick shrugged. “He’s discreet. He’ll get it. And he respects people who are honest about what they want.”
Nathan stared at him, wheels spinning. “You think he’d even consider it?”
“I don’t know,” Nick said honestly. “But I do know this: if you want to learn how to be the kind of dom you’ve dreamed about, there’s no better teacher.”
Nathan ran a hand through his hair. “Fuck, man. I didn’t expect tonight to go this deep.”
Nick grinned. “Me neither.”
Nathan looked at him, eyes glassy from booze and maybe something more. “If you talk to him… just float it. Casually. See what he says.”
Nick nodded. “I will.”
Nathan leaned back, exhaling. “God, I’m so fucking horny it hurts. Do you realize how long it’s been since I had real sex? Like, proper, sweaty, take-control sex?”
Nick laughed. “Maybe your dry spell’s about to end.”
Nathan smirked. “Only if Daniel’s willing to share his secrets. Or his boy.”
Nick flushed, said nothing, and quickly adjusted himself to disguise the wood he threw as a result of Nathan’s comment.
They finished their drinks in a silence that was heavier than usual—but not uncomfortable. Something had shifted. A boundary crossed. A new chapter opened.
And neither of them quite knew what would come next.
***
When Nick brought up Nathan’s…desires…to Daniel, there was no subtlety. He didn’t even try. Couldn’t. This wasn’t something to dance around, and he trusted Daniel enough to lay it out plainly.
Daniel listened in silence, arms folded, face unreadable. And when Nick got to the explicit part…Nathan's long-standing dom fantasy—his craving to command, to control—Daniel's brows lifted slightly. Not with surprise. With recognition.
He sat back, absorbing it like a déjà vu.
Nathan’s uncertainty. His hunger. The hesitance behind the desire. It was all too familiar.
Daniel saw it like a mirror held to his past. He’d once been that man—aching to dominate but unsure how to begin. Untamed, but yearning to lead. And now, staring at Nick, Daniel saw a rare opportunity. Two birds, one stone: shape a dom from the ground up… while taking his sub even deeper.
His left brain warned him to steer clear—too risky, too intimate, too many ways it could go wrong.
But the right side of his brain—and his cock—had other plans.
Mentoring Nathan on the tools, the psychology, the art of dominance? Fine. That was easy. Dangerous, maybe, but manageable.
But what if Nick wasn’t just the messenger… but the lesson?
Daniel’s expression never changed, but a thought took hold: Nick still had much to learn about submission. Sure, he’d been used—fucked, denied, edged, humbled. But not truly humbled. Not in a way that tested the power dynamics between friendship and hierarchy. Between ego and surrender.
Nick had already surpassed Nathan at work—by a lot. It would require a new level of obedience to submit to Nathan; one that stripped Nick of the very identity that had gotten him this far: the star. The golden boy. The rising star who now had to kneel.
And that could be beautiful. For both of them.
Several days passed without a word from Daniel on the matter. He said nothing, revealing little.
Then, on Saturday morning, Daniel told Nick he’d made dinner reservations at Catbird for that night. “We have things to discuss”, he explained obliquely.
Nick’s stomach tightened but he knew better than to question Daniel. That restaurant meant something. It was where Daniel had gone public with their relationship. And if he was choosing it again… it meant something was coming.
That night, both men arrived looking dangerously good—Nick in slate-gray slacks and an open-collared black shirt that clung in all the right places, Daniel in a navy jacket that looked custom-fit to his dominance.
They ordered, sipped wine, exchanged small talk. But eventually, Nick asked the question that had been burning inside him since Tuesday.
“What’s this about, Sir?”
Daniel smiled, pleased. “The Nathan conversation. I’ve given it thought.”
Nick sat straighter, anxious.
Daniel explained everything. That Nathan’s desire wasn’t surprising. That Daniel had seen it in him for months. That he had, once upon a time, been that exact same man.
Then, Daniel’s tone shifted—low and deliberate.
“You’ve done well,” he said. “But so far, I’ve spared you a certain flavor of submission—humiliation. It wasn’t intentional. I just hadn’t found the right context.”
Nick’s breath hitched.
“But with Nathan, we have a safe opening. A way to explore that. You trust him. He trusts you. And I trust both of you.”
He paused, swirling his wine.
“So here’s what I propose: I will mentor Nathan—personally. I’ll teach him the mechanics, the psychology, the rituals. But I’ll need you, Nick, to be the subject. To submit. Sexually. Psychologically. Fully.”
Nick sat back, stunned. “You mean… he’d be the dom?”
Daniel nodded. “Yes, and you would submit to him. But I will guide him. Every step.”
Nick shook his head slowly, overwhelmed. “I don’t know if I can do that, Daniel. He’s my friend. And at work… I’m ahead of him. It’d feel…”
“Exposed?” Daniel offered. “Deferential?”
Nick nodded. “Yeah.”
Daniel leaned in. “Exactly. That’s the point. You say you trust me. Then trust me to use your obedience for something greater. Nathan needs training. You need humbling. This is the intersection.”
Nick’s mind spun.
“And you’d be there?”
“Always. Nothing happens without my instruction. You’re still mine, Nick. No one—no one—will ever replace that. But this… this is growth.”
Nick hesitated. “And if I say no?”
Danile didn’t answer. His silence spoke for itself.
Nick looked down at his glass, then back up at Daniel. “He’ll touch me? Use me?”
“Yes,” Daniel said softly. “Fully. But under my watch.”
“And he knows?”
Daniel shook his head. “Not yet. That part is yours to deliver.”
Nick exhaled slowly. “You’re really serious about this.”
Daniel nodded. “I don’t take anything involving you lightly.”
There was a long pause. Then Nick said quietly, “Okay. I’ll tell him. I’ll do it.” Once he got over that hump, Nick felt a stir in his groin. Maybe this would be ok, he thought to himself. He’d managed through other previously unimaginable kinks. How bad could having sexually submitting to your insanely hot best friend be?
Daniel reached out and gently touched the back of Nick’s hand.
“I’m proud of you,” he said. “This will make you stronger. Not less.”
Nick smiled faintly, nerves rippling beneath his skin, fighting for attention with his swelling cock.
As they left the restaurant, Daniel placed a hand low on Nick’s back and guided him out like a man who owned him.
And that night, Daniel made love to him—not to dominate, but to reward.
Slow. Possessive. Devouring.
And by the end of it, all Nick could think about was what it would feel like to kneel for Nathan.
Under Daniel’s watchful eye.
