"Yes, thank you...I'll be there...goodbye."

Gerard hung up the phone and took a breath...he was really going to do this, and now there was no backing out.

---

At the age of 12, Gerard Way worked out that he was gay, when he found the captain of the football team to be more attractive than the head cheerleader.

At the age of 17, Gerard worked out that he was not only a total bottom, but also a sub, when his boyfriend at the time introduced him to that life.

At the age of 26, after several nightmare relationships with Doms who were only really interested in their own pleasure, Gerard worked out that relationships weren't for him, and that maybe if he wanted to continue to sub, then he would be forever alone.

Now, at the age of 28, after trying hook-up websites, one night stands, and every gay bar in the city...Gerard had come to the conclusion that if he was going to get what he needed, without the whole getting attached thing, or the dangers of one night stands that could (and had) lead to Emergency Room visits at 3 in the morning, and calling his brother to pick him up from said visits, and having to explain them...then he was going to have to try another route.

That is what had lead him to making that telephone call...the one to a place he had been told about called The Exchange...the place that if he had been told right, could be just what he was looking for.

---

***Time stamp~One week after the phone call***


Gerard was nervous. The club he was going to was private and expensive, but he was good at saving money and could easily afford the membership fee. He had dressed in his tight black skinny jeans and a grey vest top with paint splatters on it, and his favourite leather jacket that looked good on his slim body. His shoulder length firetruck red hair was washed and dried, tousled with his fingers for that careless "just fucked" look, and he had the next day free to recover, so he didn't have to worry about not being in the best state for his job at the library...but he was still nervous.

The woman he'd spoken to on the phone had told him that he could have a month's membership to see if this would work for him, and after that he would need to commit to a 6 month contract with one of the half dozen Doms that worked there, or leave.

Gerard hoped that one of those Doms would be what he was looking for, but at this point, after so many disappointments, he wasn't going to hold his breath.

He arrived at the club at a few minutes after 7pm, took a deep breath and walked inside.

---

***Time stamp~Two weeks later***


Gerard had tried 4 of the 6 Doms so far. None of them were a good fit, and he was pretty sure the one he was seeing tonight wasn't going to be any better. He'd been told that the man's name was Matt, and that he was rather more...aggressive than the other Doms he had tried, but then that wasn't a bad thing necessarily, as he had kind of wanted the others to go a little harder, but they wouldn't.

He dressed in the same outfit he did every time he went to the club, as he had found that a good way to keep that side of his life separate from the rest. He never wore any part of that outfit at work...ever.

When Gerard arrived, he took his customary deep breath, then walked inside.

Madam Ballato, the lady in charge of the place smiled as he walked in and showed him straight through to Matt's room. Gerard went in and sat down to wait. He didn't have to wait long.

"You're late."

The Dom sat down imposingly in one of the wing back chairs, fingers steeped against his chin.

Gerard lowered his eyes to the floor.

"I'm sorry sir."

He answered, quiet but clear. The man stood up.

"Did I ask you a question?"

Gerard swallowed and shook his hung head.

"No sir. Sorry sir."

"That's better. Now strip, on your knees and hands behind your back."

Gerard nodded and hurried to comply. He put his clothes on the table by the door and was naked and on his knees for the Dom in less than a minute, head bowed and hands folded behind his back. His cock was already semi-hard and the session hadn't even really begun yet.

"Nice, very nice."

He circled around him like a shark. He ran a finger down his spine. Gerard shivered slightly, but remained in his place.

The Dom walked away and went to the wall. He looked at the toys there and found a scourge. It had bits of plastic instead of metal, but it still had a bite to it. He grabbed it and turned back to the sub.

"I'm going to gag you now."

He showed the sub a dick shaped ball gag. Gerard worried slightly that the Dom hadn't mentioned any sort of safe-word, but he figured the guy knew what he was doing, and opened his mouth wide for the gag.

"Good girl."

The Dom tightened the strap hard. He then moved behind the younger man and pushed him over face down and ass up.
Gerard sucked in a breath through his nose as his face hit the hard floor, pain shooting through his right cheek as he'd turned his head at the last second. He squeezed his eyes shut and went with it...this was what he was here for after all, right?

The Dom lifted his hand high with the scourge in it and then brought it down hard.
Gerard gasped behind the gag as his body jolted under the impact. He righted his position quickly, digging his blunt fingernails into his palms that he had somehow managed to keep behind his back.
Gerard was no wimp, that was just one strike, and he would be ashamed of himself if he stopped this after just one...but that was fucking hard! He braced for the next.

The Dom continued to rain the scourge down on the sub's back, watching it get redder and welt up. A few blows broke skin and made him smile.

Gerard couldn't take any more. He moved one of his hands from his back and hit it twice on the ground...a sign he had been told to use by one of the other Doms if things got too much and he couldn't talk. This was the first time he'd needed to use the signal since coming to the club.

"Too much for you huh? Too bad."

The Dom hit him more and harder now.
Gerard moved his other hand, both going for the strap that held the gag tightly in place as he started to try to get away, rolling onto his side and kicking his legs out...the Dom had to stop now...right?

"Where do you think you're going?"

The Dom grabbed Gerard by the hair. Tears were streaming down Gerard's red face now as he struggled, clawing at the Dom's hands as he started to choke on the gag, panic setting in.

"Excuse me."

The Dom turned and saw another Dom in the doorway.

"Yes Master Iero?"

"Sorry in interrupt your scene, but there is someone looking for you. Said there was an emergancy with Annie."

"Fuck, Sorry man, that's my daughter, I have to go."

And like that the Dom let Gerard go and walked out.
Gerard was shaking as he curled up into a ball, his fingers fumbling uselessly with the gag.

"Dammit Matt."

Frank ran forward and undid the gag quickly.

"Are you alright?"

Gerard shrank in on himself, squeezing his eyes shut then opening them wide to look at the stranger.

"I've had enough..."

He choked out, voice a little wrecked.

"No more, please s-sir."

"Hey hey hey, he's gone...wait...you were not in a scene?"

Gerard looked up with wet eyes.

"No sir."

"Shit, you're still under. Fuck, and he left you? Wait...so none of this was consenual?"

"I...Sir?"

"Did you agree to everything that Matt did to you?"

"The...the gag, sir."

"And where is the bell or clacker he gave you since you couldn't say the safe word?"

"Sir?"

Gerard frowned slightly. His shaking was starting to slow down a little.

"How did you let him know to stop the scene?"

Gerard lifted a still trembling hand and hit the floor twice in demonstration.
Frank watched, but looked puzzled. HItting the floor meant nothing to him unless it was agreed on. He saw the sub starting to come down.

"Come on, let's get you taken care of."

Frank stopped though before he touched him.

"May I take you to the aftercare room?"

Gerard blinked up at him for a moment, then nodded.

"Please, sir."

Frank picked the sub up and carried him out of the room. He could feel him shivering with the temperature changes. He quickly entered the aftercare room and placed him on the sofa. He covered him with blankets and then went to get the apple juice and cookies from the fridge.

Gerard tugged the blankets tight around himself as he pulled his knees up to his chest. He felt so tired, he couldn't keep his eyelids from fluttering shut.

"No no, come on, you have to eat and drink and then you can sleep."

Frank placed the straw in the juice box and slipped it between the sub's lips.

"Come on, just a few sips."

Gerard sucked halfheartedly, his eyelids to heavy to open now.

"There you go, good girl."

Frank pulled the juice back and pressed one of the small cookies to the sub's lips next.

"You can do it, being so good for me now. Come on, just a few pieces."

Gerard whined sleepily but opened his mouth a little.

Frank smiled and stroked the sub's hair as he ate the cookies. He then laid his head on his lap and murmured quietly till he fell asleep.
Once the sub was asleep, Frank accessed the damage to his back. it was pretty bad, but not too much skin broken. He pulled out the arnica cream and started to slather it on. The sub's back would still hurt, but not as bad as without the cream.

Gerard woke feeling warm and safe. He opened his eyes a little and stretched, but winced as he felt like the skin on his back was tearing when he moved.

"Shitfuckbollocksmotherfuckingassholes!"

He swore out through gritted teeth, rapid fire.

"Whoa, that's quite a mouthful. I take it that your back still hurts. Let me put more cream on it."

Gerard looked over at the man who'd spoken. He sort of recognised him, but not really...like from a dream or something.

"Thanks...who are you?"

"I'm Frank, or Master Iero when I'm playing. What about you?"

"Oh..."

Gerard chuckled self consciously.

"Hi. I'm Gerard."

"Hi Gerard, nice to meet you."

Frank laughed as he shook the sub's hand with the one not applying cream.

"I've never seen you here before, are you new?"

Gerard shrugged one shoulder, then hissed and made a mental note not to do that again.

"I'm on a trial month, but after..."

He shivered slightly then let his shoulders sag and his head drop.

"I think I'm just going to go home and forget about it."

"Is it because of Matt, cause please don't think that all Doms are like that. Matt is a special kind of ass...in fact I have not met anyone named Matt that wasn't."

Gerard chuckled at that.

"I don't think I have either..."

He sighed before continuing, eyes cast down.

"No, he was the fifth Dom I tried here, and I know they're not all like him, cause the others weren't quite rough enough, but at least they discussed safe words and stuff before they did anything...I just...I've had Doms before but none have really been right, and I'm starting to realise that I'm probably not going to find what I'm looking for here, or anywhere else..."

He met Frank's eyes.

"I'm sorry. You've probably got things to do and I'm sat here monopolising your time. Sorry, I should probably go."

He started to get up.

"Stop."

Frank put command in his voice. Gerard swallowed and sat back down immediately.

"Yes sir."

"Now, I know that you have had some bad experiences, but I think that is on the Doms not you. You seem to be the perfect sub. You listen and acknowledge what you are told and that is a good quality. How about doing a scene with me next week. It is your last week right?"

"Yes sir."

Gerard nodded...he hadn't even noticed that he had unconsciously put his hands behind his back when Master Iero said "stop".

"Alright, so there is no harm in trying one last time."

He gave Gerard an easy smile. Gerard nodded.

"Yes sir."

"Is that a 'Yes Sir' to Master Iero, or a 'yes sir' to a request from Frank?"

Gerard swallowed, blinking rapidly.

"Uh, yes...Frank..."

He smiled shakily.

"One last time would be o-ok."

"Great! Now, why don't I help you get dressed and tell you how to care for your back. You're gonna need help though, have anyone?"

Gerard bit his lip, blushing slightly and looking down.

"Just my brother...he's going to hate me so much for this...he already knows more about my sex life than he ever wanted to."

"Well at least you can trust him."

Frank chuckled again.

"Come on, let's get you dressed."

Frank carefully led the sub out of the after care room back to where he met him. He had a feeling that this was not going to be a trial run, but the beginning of something special.

Notes

Hi there chipmunks...how's you?

So we are starting another fic. I have had this idea in my head for a while, but was not confident to write it alone...that is why I asked my lovely friend and co-writer to join me for the ride, and happily, she said yes!
So here it is, the start of a wild ride...hope you enjoy.

Until next time...PLEASE COMMENT, and peace out babies!
<3