Chapter4

#Chapter4

It wasn't even noon of his first official day. The last thing he wanted was to piss him off.

/"The rules I have set up for you are nice and easy. As they're not personalized, as there was only so much I could tell about you from a few sheets of paper, I would like to review the rules in two weeks and adjust them, if they need it, so that they will be more beneficial for you./"

/"Beneficial how?/" He didn't see how any of it could benefit him. This was all for Jackson's amusement, or fantasy, or whatever it was, wasn't it? He was just rich enough to be able to make it come to life.

/"Some people need a little extra help. Even those who don't always realize it. The rules I provide, they're not to control you, they're here as forms of structure and respect, which could be very beneficial for some people./"

Sly still wasn't so sure that he understood, but he nodded all the same.

/"Our first rule is nice and simple: call me Daddy. It's not always as simple as starting off and demanding that somebody calls you that, but as this is a peculiar arrangement, it changes the situation very slightly. The exception to this rule is, of course, on your day off, in which you're free to call me whatever you like, and in the event that you feel that it is undeserved. If I do something that scares you, or you feel that my behaviour is unacceptable, then it is understandable./"

Jackson had pointed to the first rule in his book, his finger hovering over the words, but he wasn't looking at it. He was looking at Sly. /"I don't think I'm a nasty person, and I don't see any reason in which my behaviour should ever be unacceptable, but people can perceive things very differently at times. It's why I value communication. Explaining and getting our views across to each other is more effective than getting cross and irritated with one another. Are you okay with that rule?/"

Sly nodded. He would have been okay with it even without the explanation, but he was glad that it had followed. The more logic he added, the more reassurance and strong portrayal of mutual respect, the safer and less afraid he felt.

/"My second rule is honesty. I need to be able to trust you, Sylvester. There are going to be times when your word is going to be all I have to rely on. It matters. It matters in the big things, like telling me if there is something wrong, or saying no if you don't want to do something that is making you uncomfortable, and in the small things, like being honest if you liked what I cooked, or answering honestly if I ask you a question. Honestly is important to me; I'd be more upset if you lied to me about something than the thing that you'd actually done./"

/"I'm a really bad liar,/" Sly admitted. In fact, before Ronan had moved, his favourite game was asking Sly embarrassing questions because he'd get his answer by his reactions alone. One of the other upsides about spending the month with Jackson was that he was now a lot closer to Ronan. The singer lived in the outskirts of a town called Chasemore, and Ronan lived in the city just beyond. It was a thirty-minute drive away, rather than the three hour one that it usually was.

He had been planning on stopping by to see him once the month ended so they could catch up properly. Phone calls just weren't the same!

/"Nice to know. Hopefully, I won't have to witness that. Are you ready to move on to the next rule, or is there anything you want to add or change?/"

/"Moving on is fine./"

/"Hygiene. This will mostly be my responsibility. A shower or bath will be given a minimum of once a day. As agreed, I will wash you and deal with this. Your teeth must be brushed each day after breakfast and before bed. It's your choice if you would like to do that yourself, or if you want me to do it for you. With your diaper changes, I don't want you to go too long before informing me that you need changing. You will get sore. I will try and monitor it myself, but if I'm busy, I'm going to need you to help remind me./"

Nodding, Sly didn't have much to say about that. It was already a sensitive issue. Jackson had already bathed and changed him into a diaper, and it was a jarring experience. It held to reason that he would be immune to it by the end of the month, but first, he had to get through the month, which meant using the things in the first place!

/"Your overall health is next. I will put into place a balanced diet and I will want you to get daily exercise. A healthy baby is a happy baby. As I mentioned earlier, I will also be asking you how you're doing daily, and if you feel that your mental health is declining, I will take steps to get it back on track./"

Sly made a face at that but kept quiet. He hated doing stuff. He liked to hide in his covers at home and binge on Netflix. It wasn't healthy, but it beat socializing.

/"This next rule is nice and easy: say good morning and goodnight to Daddy. It is a display of respect and affection./"

/"I can do that,/" Sly vowed with a small nod of his head. It sounded easy peasy.

/"The next one is loosely related: manners. Again, they fall into the category of respect. A well-mannered little boy is what I thrive to see. Saying please and thank you, as well as apologizing, if needed, make a lot of difference, even if it doesn't seem like it at the time./"

/"Manners cost nothing,/" Sly confirmed with a nod of his head, echoing something that Ronan had used to tell him all the time. His best friend was two years older than him, but there were times when he acted like such a mother hen, fussing over him over the simplest of things. Sly missed that.

/"Precisely./" It earned him another one of those sweet smiles. /"Swearing is also a no-go. I don't want to hear any F-bombs, or anything like that. Not whilst you're my baby boy, at least. You're free to talk however you wish on your day off, but I would like you to consider adopting some of these principles./"

/"I don't swear too much,/" Sly offered. /"Even when I shut my finger in the door. I said fruitcake instead./" Which Ronan, who had been present on that occasion, had found simply hilarious.

Jackson found the humour, too, as he let out a soft chuckle. /"You're adorable, Sylvester. I don't even think you realize it./"

Which had Sly blushing, and left with no freaking clue how to respond. Luckily, he didn't need to as Jackson carried on speaking.

/"That's all I have rule wise, for now. As expressed, you will be treated and cared for like a baby for the next month. You have to follow the rules listed, but as I said, guidelines are just suggestions. You don't have to talk like a baby if you don't want to, but if you do, that's more than fine with it./"

Closing the book, Jackson handed it to Sly, offering him a strange look paired with it. He then took a slow breath. /"I know this all goes against what you consider normal, and maybe strange, but I do hope that you give this lifestyle a chance. Allow yourself to enjoy the small things, at very least. You might even enjoy it. Now, with that being said, is there anything that you're still unclear about, or any rules you'd like to revisit?/"

Sly shook his head. There were none that he could think of.

/"Good. Then I will quickly go over the punishments and rewards, and then we can start our day. Sound good to you?/"

/"Yes, Daddy./"