Chapter Fifteen

Forrest

It was date night, and we were attending Chained's annual Christmas fundraiser. Their largest fundraiser of the year and for a good cause, it was a no-brainer for us to attend.

He was my Daddy, of course, but we weren't going in that dynamic. The event was too ginormous for me to be comfortable in little space. At least not for me. Instead, I was wearing jeans and a T-shirt. He, on the other hand, was in slacks and a button-down shirt. Cliff definitely looked better than I did, but I didn't mind. It was him I was looking at, not the mirror.

We walked in and received a program for the evening. There were demonstrations throughout the facility, an auction, and a meal. Best of all, the money raised was going to a local youth shelter for LGBT kids, making sure they had everything they needed for Christmas. The goal this year was to fulfill their Christmas ornament wish lists as well as getting them laptops for school. Based on the crowd already here, I guessed it was doable.

"What demonstrations would you like to see?" Cliff asked, as we stood to the side, looking at the schedule.

"I've always thought shibari is beautiful. It's not something I'd be comfortable doing, but I'm definitely interested in watching it." I could give my complete trust to a caregiver, but once my movements were restricted, I struggled. I had a daddy once who wanted to swaddle me. That lasted exactly one attempt.

He agreed, and we made our way down the hall past the little room to a space I hadn't noticed before where someone was demonstrating basic knots. From there, things progressed until they were showing us how those same knots looked on their submissive. It was fascinating to watch and only confirmed it wasn't my kink, though I wouldn't mind watching again—it was stunning how the knots laid on the submissive's skin.

After his demonstration was done, we went to see a "pup agility course." Of course, it wasn't just pups. There were kittens, a pony, and even a koala. I'd never seen a koala in a play space before, but apparently, they're quite agile, or at least this one was. They completed the course like a boss.

It was fun getting to see different sides of the club.

"Want to check out the auctions?" Daddy gave my hand a squeeze. Unlike the smaller demonstration areas, the auction display was full-on packed.

"I think so." It was the most honest answer I could give.

Hand in hand, we wandered through the silent auction. Most of the items were holiday-themed in the first section—local artisans had made decorations and quilts, etc. The next section was a bit fancier and experience based: resort holidays, fine dining, skydiving, those kinds of things. The next section it began to get fun.

From what I'd seen so far, it was the largest area, filled with kink-oriented prizes. Anything and everything a little could want, including custom-designed diapers, some of the most beautiful leatherwork I'd ever seen. A nine tails had me almost wishing I liked impact play, and the custom furniture including beds with hooks for all kinds of fun activities was getting a whole lot of attention. There was a bit of everything, including a year's worth of cookies from the local baker who had prepared the delicious treats for the little craft day. I suppose that wasn't exactly kink related, but since we enjoyed them here, it was close enough.

Cliff and I separated and put our names and bids down for the items we were interested in then met up again and sat down for the live auction.

This was where the bigger prizes were. I liked a lot of the items up for bid, but my favorite was some beautiful art glass. I did not take it home with me, the final bid more than I paid for my very nice car. Still, I was happy because it meant that not only were those kids going to fill their wish lists and get laptops but probably some winter gear and maybe even some really good headphones as well. Everything was going high. I loved it.

We watched more than we bid and had already opted to skip the meal. Cliff had made reservations at a steak place we'd been talking about, and, after so much time at the crowded club, none of it in the little room, we were ready to leave. I was over peopled and over noised.

We'd made a good decision not planning to play tonight. The little room had been packed, not only with littles and their caretakers but also with people who were just curious. I was glad they got to experience it, but it wasn't the right day for me to be playing there.

"I'll be right back." We had barely reached the locker rooms near the exit when he announced he had something to do. I assumed he was going to the restroom, but when he came back, he had a gift bag with him.

"What's that?" I asked.

"You'll find out later." Which only made me even more curious.

After grabbing our phones and keys, we stepped outside, flurries in the air, adding to the festive atmosphere of the evening.

"Thanks for understanding why I didn't want to stay the entire time." I'd been up front with him about it when we made the plans. I'd been working hard at sharing my feelings with him, instead of holding them inside until I could no longer do so. It took a bit at first, but I was so glad for it.

"No, I get it." He squeezed my hand. "It's overwhelming when they have big events like that. And besides, I kind of want you all to myself."

"I approve this plan." I stood up on my tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "Let's go have dinner."

The steakhouse was next to one of the fanciest hotels in the city, something I hadn't considered when I chose my wardrobe for the night. As we got out of the car, I started feeling nervous about how underdressed I was. But of course, Cliff had already thought of that and opened the trunk. He had a button-up shirt and jacket for me, as well as a jacket for himself. He was such a good daddy.

"You're always looking out for me, aren't you?" I asked, pulling on the shirt and starting to button it.

"Of course I do. That's my job. That's what daddies do."

"It's not the only thing daddies do," I teased, playfully smacking his butt. "Maybe, if I'm a good boy at dinner, you'll show me what else daddies do."

"Might those things be in bed?"

"Actually, I was hoping they were in that little bag." I wasn't sure why it was calling to me so much, but it was. It was going to be a distraction all through dinner, too. Silly bag.

"It's driving you bonkers, isn't it?" He nipped at my bottom lip. "Want Daddy to let you open it now?"

"More than anything."

I tucked in my shirt and pulled on the jacket, waiting for his response. I still had jeans on, but I looked good—good enough for where we were going.

"It was in the buy me now section, and, well, it called your name." He handed me the bag.

I hadn't even noticed that area and, if I hadn't been so desperate to know what was inside, I'd have asked him where it was. When I pulled out the item from the bag, I realized I hadn't seen it before, so if I had been there, I was lost in the commotion.

It was the cutest little Christmas tree I'd ever seen, only, unlike my stuffie, it had lights painted on in a way that sparkled as if they were really lit. It was forged out of a combination of metal and glass, and it was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.

"I love it!" I said, hugging him tight. "I love it so much."

"I'm so glad, my sweet boy," he said, taking the tree from my hands and setting it gently in the trunk. "There's not much I like more than making you happy."

"Good thing you're really good at it." I kissed him, looking forward to the proper thank-you I had planned for him later.