He Calls Me "Mistress" in Bed. Outside of It, the Title Means Nothing

Editor's Note: This is a reader-submitted story. At BADISM, we believe sharing real experiences helps us navigate the complexities of power and desire. Below is M.'s story, followed by our perspective and advice.

 

"My boyfriend introduced me to D/s relationships. I became his Dom and really got into it — but I feel like I can never truly get a handle on him. What am I doing wrong?" — M., 24, Seattle

The Story: As told by M.

 

Three weeks into our relationship, my boyfriend confessed he has a submissive side. I was curious and tried it.

Honestly? I loved it way more than I expected.  He's really into it.  

He calls me "My Mistress," asks for permission — the whole thing.

But sometimes he feels like a completely different person, and I genuinely don't know how to handle it.  I never really know what energy to bring.

Last weekend I caught him messing with a locked box he couldn't open, one of those cheap combination locks. I immediately had this flash of him in bed. I was feeling playful, so I just said: "Aww, is the locked-up little pup trying to break free?"  It was just the two of us, totally casual, kind of teasing.

He just went quiet like I'd said something forbidden.  Nothing like the version of him I'd seen react to that same word before.

Later he told me he didn't want to be called that outside the scene — that it made him uncomfortable.

I genuinely thought I was being affectionate. What did I do wrong?

 

The Reality Check: You're Learning, and That's Good.

You're a new Dom. It shows.

But credit to you for showing up and trying. Many people would've just Googled "how to be a Dom" and caused damage without even knowing it.

You noticed something was off. That puts you ahead.

But caring isn't the same as knowing. And there's one fundamental truth you need to grasp:

Your partner in a scene is not the same person as your partner at home. Not because he's two-faced, but because of containment.

 

The role has an off-switch.

Not everyone in BDSM wants a 24/7 dynamic.

When he submits to you, he's not handing you a permanent pass.

He's opening a door, in a specific context, on his terms.

By teasing him in a "vanilla" moment, you walked through it, uninvited, without knocking. Even with the best intentions, you crossed a boundary.

That specific title in the right context: charged, consensual, electric.

That same title outside the agreed space: uncomfortable — because to him, the scene isn't on right now.

Same word. Completely different container.

 

Multitudes, Not Contradictions.

The gap between who someone is in bed and who they are in the worldhas always made people uneasy. It's been debated, pathologized, and used as ammunition.

But separating your BDSM role from day-to-day life is common. Research by psychologists Ali Hebert and Angela Weaver suggests that this compartmentalization is healthy. The person on their knees in the bedroom might be the person running a meeting Monday morning.

Submission isn't passivity, it's just a different gear.

The bedroom doesn't define anyone. It never did. Your partner can go fully into a power dynamic in one space, and hold completely different values the moment they walk out.

What happens in the bedroom is an agreement — with a beginning, a context, and a door.

Identity isn't fixed,  it layers and shifts depending on where you are and who you're with.

 

So What Now?

He wasn't going cold, he was asserting a boundary. Respect that by being equally direct.

Have a deep talk. Define exactly where the scene starts and where it ends — clearly, not just implied.

Locate the Edges. Ask him where the his limits are outside of the bedroom. Then listen. Skip the defensiveness and listen to actually understand the world you're building together.

Want to dive deeper into the machanics of power?  Resources can be found in our BDSM community or simply click [link].

 

BADISM don't believe kink needs to be defended or explained, but it does need to be understood. Whatever you're building — build it like you mean it.

 

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