Advent Day Eighteen

Summary: Set after Avengers: Endgame. Fluff and stuff leading up to Christmas.
Warning(s): Explicit. Disciplinary and erotic spanking; Heavy Domination/submission; sexual situations; dub/non-con (consent after the fact/reluctant agreement); violence and mentions of violence; AU

###

Tony was in his lab area with Morgan, helping her wrap the gifts she'd got her mom and Mordo. As soon as they were done, complete with bow and hand drawn nametags, he grinned at his daughter. "Shall we put these under the tree? Then have your mom and Magic-dad join us in the park?"

Morgan laughed and nodded. "Yes! It's strange having a Christmas tree that is living and indoors. Of course, it's strange having a park that feels like outside, indoors, too..." She chattered away as Tony helped her carry the gifts. "Friday? Please tell Mama and Papa-Mordo that Daddy and I would like to meet them in the park?"

"Of course, Miss." The AI quickly did as requested.

Mordo had been quietly meditating in the room when Friday's announcement came. Bringing the meditation to a close, he thanked the AI and slipped out of the room, heading towards the park.

He met Pepper there, and the two of them made their way into the park and towards Tony and Morgan.

Morgan glanced toward the door when her Mom and Papa walked in. "Mama! Papa-Mordo! We have butterflies!" she called in excitement, pointing to where some of the delicate creatures were flitting near flowers. "They must have been hibernating on one of the trees we planted. Or something..." she added, uncertain as to how butterflies lived through winter.

"You're probably right," Pepper agreed, as she walked over to join the two of them and smiled. "Did you have something in mind you wanted to do?"

Mordo moved over to join them as well, glancing towards the tree. "I need to add my own gifts..."

"I just wanted to hang out with you. I know we can't go outside and ice skate like we did when Ultimus wasn't here...but maybe we can play games in the park?" Morgan suggested hopefully.

Pepper smiled. "I think that would be a very good idea."

"We might not be able to go outside...but I think I can still make it so that we can play in the snow," Mordo said.

Morgan's eyes widened in excitement before filling with nervous worry. "Can we make it snow somewhere not in the park? I don't wanna hurt the butterflies...."

Tony smiled fondly. "There are several floors that no one has moved into. We could make it snow there. Clean it up after everyone has had their fun...."

"Just tell me where," Mordo said reassuringly.

"We'll go to the very bottom floor. That way if something goes wrong, we won't accidently flood anyone's rooms and we can fix it more easily." Tony grinned.

"Yay! Sledding!" Morgan jumped up and down excitedly.

Laughing at Morgan's excitement, Pepper began to head in that direction. If this goes well, perhaps we can make it available to the rest of the children, she said through the bond.

Sounds like a good idea to me, Tony responded. What do you think, Mor?

I'm sure it would be possible, Mordo agreed. As long as it all goes smoothly this time.

"Are we ready to go down now? Or do you want to watch the butterflies longer?" Tony asked the room at large, though he was looking at Morgan.

"Can we go now?" Morgan asked hopefully, looking at Pepper and Mordo. She knew Tony would go along with her.

"Of course," Pepper replied.

"I'm ready whenever you are," Mordo said.

Squealing happily, Morgan led her three parents out of the park and down to the lower level of the compound, where they could spend an afternoon sledding together.

****

Shaun had given Friday all the information he had about the last place he'd had the ten rings and when that had been. He hadn't been optimistic about finding them, but he'd figured if anyone could locate them, the AI could. Still... he blinked in surprise when she contacted him in his quarters.

"Master Shaun. I believe I may have located your ten rings..." The AI's dulcet tone carried through the room.

Scott was coming out of the bathroom, toweling his hair dry, as Friday made the announcement into the room. "You've found the ten rings?" He was immediately and obviously excited, knowing how much they meant to his bond mate.

"Where?" Shaun asked, just as excited.

"I am afraid they are quite a bit distant from us, Sir," Friday said apologetically. "It could take several days to get there, even if one of the speedsters takes you...and it is in very dangerous territory."

Shaun paused, obvious disappointment on his face. "But it is still on this continent, right? It is only days away and not months?"

"It is indeed on this continent and only days away. Not months," Friday confirmed, before adding, "I have emailed you a map, marking the location I believe it to be."

Scott moved closer to his mate, able to feel the disappointment as well as see it on Shaun's face and reached out to gently grasp the other man's shoulder...sending a wave of reassurance and a silent promise that they'd get the ten rings back. Once they could see where the location was, they'd be able to figure out the best way of getting them.

"Thanks, Friday," Shaun said, pulling out the tablet Tony had given him and pulling up the nap Friday had sent. "It's not too far away. I could make it in a week on my own. No need to drag anyone else into the dangerous area...." he mumbled to himself.

Scott gently squeezed Shaun's shoulder. "You're not going anywhere on your own. We'll look at it together...and then we'll talk about it with the leaders here. Figure out what the best thing to do is."

Shaun gave Scott a startled look. "I don't expect you to have to go with me..." he said hesitantly. "I can keep in touch with you through the bond, so you know everything is alright...."

"Shaun, I'm not going to let you go after the rings on your own," Scott said. "We're mated. What's important to you is important to me."

Shaun gave a hesitant smile at that. "I... thanks. That means a lot...."

"I don't want you trying to go after the ten rings on your own," Scott said seriously.

"I could handle it..." Shaun protested. He wasn't certain why Scott was repeating that he didn't want Shaun going alone. Shaun had already accepted that his mate wanted to help him. Unless there was something he was missing. "Why are you telling me that again...?" he asked hesitantly.

"I want to make sure it doesn't happen," Scott replied honestly. "Just because you could handle it alone doesn't mean that you should."

"Okay... I know you don't want me to...and I'll try not to...but if it seems the best option...." Shaun responded uncertainly.

"Going alone isn't the best option." Scott's voice was firm. "The world is still dangerous, even though a lot of us have been freed by now. Besides, you have no reason to try and do something dangerous alone. Not anymore."

"Of course, but... It sounds like you aren’t making a request or a suggestion. Just because I shouldn't need to go alone, doesn't mean it might not become necessary..." Shaun wasn't trying to be difficult. He was trying to get a gauge on Scott's frame of mind.

"Shaun. I know our relationship isn't really Ds, outside of what was necessary to form the bond," Scott said. "But this is somewhere I am going to put my foot down. Going alone is dangerous. Even if you can't be controlled by Ultimus anymore, you can still be captured. Hurt. Killed."

Shaun blinked at that and swallowed hard. "And if I chose to anyway?" he asked hesitantly. Nervously. He couldn't ignore the warmth spreading through him, knowing that Scott cared that much, either. The contrasting feelings left him at the edge of floundering.

"Then I'll step in and stop you," Scott replied. "And if I can't stop you from going alone, I'll come after you and bring you back. And then deal with you disobeying me."

Shaun swallowed again and licked his lower lip. "To disobey you, you have to be in charge… So... Are you saying you want to be in charge? All the time? Or just if I do something dangerous?"

"If I said all the time, how would that make you feel?" Scott asked, paying careful attention to the feelings through the bond as well as Shaun's answer to the question.

Confusion was the prominent feeling as Scott turned the question around on Shaun, all but asking what he wanted to happen. But underneath was a faint feeling of want...and shame at wanting. "I... I don't know..." Shaun finally said. It was the truth, if not the full truth. He didn't know because he didn't think he should want what Scott suggested. "I haven't really let myself think about it." Which was completely true. "D... Do you want that, really? That... Seems like a lot of work and responsibility... and... even though I guess I was arguing..." He flushed. "...I won't go after the rings without you or without your approval. I know you are right, and I might be headstrong, but I'm not stupid." He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "I'm sorry I pushed..." he added on. If Scott didn't want to be responsible for him, he certainly didn't want to push so much, his mate felt he didn't have a choice.

Scott could feel the emotions coming through the bond... the confusion, along with the want that lurked below the surface. He reached out and took hold of Shaun's hand. "If you want to be in that kind of relationship, there's nothing wrong with that," he said. "Equally, if you don't want that kind of relationship, there's nothing wrong with that either." He was hoping that, by saying it in that way, it would encourage Shaun to be more openly honest.

"I... I couldn't put that on you..." Shaun swallowed. "Even if I... I want that... It wouldn't be fair to you. I should be responsible for myself. I have been since my mother died... I... " He faltered, looking at their clasped hands, squeezing gently. "Even if there is nothing wrong with my wanting to... obey you, you shouldn't have to do something you don't want to do...." Scott hadn't given any clue on if he wanted to be in charge, or if he was just feeling pressured into it.

"But I do want to be in charge of you." Scott felt more confident in saying that, hearing the words and feeling the emotions from Shaun. "And if we both want that, we won't be alone in it. After all, there are several couples here in similar relationships." He gently gripped Shaun's hand.

"You aren't just saying that because you think I need it?" Shaun asked hesitantly, focusing on the feelings Scott was sending through the bond.

"No. I'm saying it because I need it as well." Scott's feelings through the bond were open and sincere. He meant what he was saying.

Shaun relaxed at realizing he hadn't pressured Scott into anything he didn't really want. "I... I need for you to be in control..." he whispered, almost shyly.

Scott smiled at the response, and gently squeezed Shaun's hand. "Thank you for being honest with me. I need to be in control of you as well," he said seriously.

"So... I'm not going after my rings without you, or without you deciding it is safe enough first..." Shaun returned to the conversation that had led to him becoming Scott's submissive. "I don't have permission to do that and if I disobey..." He left it unsaid, but they'd seen enough in the compound to know how dangerous behavior was normally handled. "But I don't want to disobey. Now that I know who I need to obey, the need to find the rings immediately has lessened. I don't understand why... but... obeying you won't be difficult."

"I'm glad to hear that," Scott said quietly. "But if you do slip up and you do end up disobeying me, it won't be the end of the world. We'll deal with it and then move past it. But it does help a lot that your need to obey me is higher than your need to go after your rings alone."

Shaun smiled crookedly. "I felt like it was my responsibility to retrieve them...make sure they don't fall into Ultimus's hands. But I have a bigger responsibility to you. So ..." He shrugged faintly.

"And I'm not saying you can't go after them at all," Scott said. "Just that I need to go with you...and we'll be making a plan."

"Yessir..." Shaun couldn't say he wasn't relieved. It wasn't that he thought Scott wouldn't help him, or that he'd forbid him completely. His pushing hadn't been a lack of trust. Until they'd confirmed that Scott was in charge, though, he'd felt the need to push. Now that their connection was settled, he felt more settled and no longer needed to push. I didn't realize what I needed until we decided on it... he thought, chagrined.

That's not too unusual, Scott replied reassuringly. And you know what you need now. And I'll do my best to adapt to whatever you need, he promised.

It helps that you need too... Shaun smiled.

We'll both take care of each other's needs, Scott said.

Shaun nodded, impulsively moving closer to Scott, and hugging tightly. Since we need to plan for getting the rings, maybe we can have Friday gather as much intel as possible for us to plan with and spend the rest of today getting used to our new roles?

That sounds very good to me, Scott agreed. He hugged Shaun tight in return, feeling more relaxed and at peace now that they knew where they both stood in their relationship.

Snuggling close, Shaun relaxed. The last thing he needed had finally settled and was giving him peace.