"— one." 

He hits him four more times in quick succession, aiming for different parts of Marlo's upper back. 

"After you are punished, you say 'thank you, Chris.'"

He nods. "Thank you, Chris." 

"Good boy. You took that well."

"Thank you, Chris," he repeats, in a different tone. 

(He's glowing again.) 

"Eat." Chris sits and follows his own instructions. "I am in charge of disciplining you. I will punish your faults when I see fit. I do not appreciate having to interrupt my meal because you cannot control your annoyance at your imperfections. Are we understood?"

He blinks twice. "Yes, Chris." 

He sits down. He eats. 

After dinner, Chris says, "After dinner each day, you will take your accumulated punishments. You will have an hour of free time, less the time it takes to punish you. You may lie down and rest, go for a walk or read any book in the house. You may ask permission to do some other form of recreation. After your free time, today you will study. You will go to bed at 9:30. You have a cot at the foot of my bed where you will sleep. You will not leave your bed until 6 a.m. unless you have a physical need to do so. When you wake up, you will not speak unless spoken to. You will prepare my coffee and stand at attention until you are needed."

Nod. "Yes, Chris." 

He hasn't been given permission to ask questions, so he doesn't ask how Chris likes his coffee. Probably Chris will tell him in the morning in any case. 

"Milk, no sugar."

…huh. 

Another nod. "Yes, Chris." 

Then Chris will curl up on a corner of the couch to write something out longhand. 

Marlo finds a book that looks interesting and finds a chair that isn't in Chris's direct line of sight and reads. 

His posture is different. Not a lot, but he's not holding himself at attention. 

Interesting. Chris makes a note of it but doesn't correct it. 

He fidgets more, like this; he tries to keep it to small things, doesn't entirely succeed. 

He reads until his time is up. 

Chris doesn't prompt him when his free time is up, doesn't seem to notice, watches Marlo to see what he does.

He looks at Chris for a moment — it's possible that he actually hasn't noticed the time but Marlo would be surprised — and then, when Chris doesn't respond, puts the book down and notes the page and goes back to the table to study. 

He can see the smile in his peripheral vision. He doesn't stop studying but you can see from his face, from the way his shoulders relax, that he's noticed. 

He's very sensitive to praise. Not sure whether it's best to beat that out of him or cultivate it. Some masters like their slaves responsive. 

At 9:20pm precisely, Chris puts aside his paper with a sigh, goes to the bathroom, changes into pajamas, goes into bed, and regrets that he can't yet have Marlo getting himself off on Chris's boot to help him go to sleep.

He reaches a stopping point at 9:26, which gives him less time than he'd like but more time than he needs. He's in his cot by 9:30. 

Chris does not dream, or at least doesn't remember that he dreams.

He wakes up a little after six and checks whether Marlo is in bed.

He is. 

(He dreams about — he never remembers what he dreams about anyway and he certainly doesn't remember now.) 

Chris kicks him. "Lazy. You wake up before me."

He jolts awake; it takes him half a second to realize where he is, and then he's on his feet and standing at attention. "Yes, Chris."