“Oh.” He leans in, kisses her with a twist of his head and a half-smile. “Am I stern?”

He is dubious about this. There are times when he must be stern, but it isn’t his natural state, only what he has chosen when the other option is to play the boy. If he does that, he isn’t the only one who may suffer.

A string of kisses follow the question, and his mouth eventually makes its way to her neck.