"Compliments aren't meant to be a bribe," Derek replied. "Sometimes they call it...'praise kink'," he shrugged one shoulder. "You please me. I want you to know that you please me. You don't seem to think that you do."
He patted the boy's cheek, softly. "The frustration doesn't negate the things about you that I enjoy, you know. It's not a scale that needs to be balanced."