His hand stroked gently over my hair.

“Are you trying to calm me down?” I was a bouncing, babbling ball of excitement, but my mind was slowly unwinding under his caressing fingers. I had tried to say the words energetically, but they came out slurred and slow toward the end.

His hand stroked over my hair again, in the same slow, gentle rhythm.

“Because…it’s working.” I admitted. No longer resisting, I let the tension flow out of my body and my thoughts. I curled up against him and laid my head in his lap.

He continued to pet, slow and gentle. I noticed he was stroking, pressing down, as I breathed out, and lifting his hand as I breathed in. My breaths grew slower and deeper. Gentle pets smoothed away my thoughts. Gentle pets filled my awareness as my eyes fluttered shut.

“Good thrall.”

I was so good to submit, so good to let go of my responsibilities for a while and just be. So good to be held and petted. So good to be in his lap, surrounded by his warmth, his scent. So good to be a good thrall.

“Just let go now. Thrall is safe with Sire.”

“Thrall is safe with Sire,” I echoed, and my voice was so slow and dreamy. I smiled to hear it. Good, trancey thrall.

“Thrall loves to obey.”

I snuggled closer, getting comfier. “Thrall loves to obey.”

“Sire speaks, thrall listens.”

“Sire speaks,” I yawned, and could feel myself blushing, hoping he didn’t think I was yawning at him. “Thrall listens.”

He chuckled. “Hmm, sounds like thrall needs a nap.” I started to object, but a gentle pet led to a caress down my back, and I shivered and relaxed deeper. “Thrall sleeps at Sire’s will.”

“Thrall sleeps at Sire’s will.” I frowned. Didn’t want to sleep. Wanted to stay curled up like this enjoying his presence forever.

“Shhhh.” The sound tingled through my awareness, pulling my mind down deeper into trance. I felt like there was…something…I was trying to do? “Thrall sleeps at Sire’s will.”

“Thrall sleeps at Sire’s will.” That’s right, now I remembered: I was setting down to sleep.

“Good thrall. Thrall loves to sleep.”

“Thrall,” I had to pause for another breath, they were so slow and drowsy now, “loves to sleep.”

“Good thrall. Have a good rest.” He snapped his fingers. “Sleep”

“Ys Si…” and I sank into dreams.