Two years later

Rowan's Daddy sat him with great care on the cushion he always reserved for him. Rowan was wearing his Lightyear t-shirt after they had gone to see the newer film and Daddy had bought it for him to wear in the cinema, and some matching shorts. He had his special cup for water that wouldn't spill next to him, and he let Daddy fuss around him for a few minutes even though he was comfortable in the space Daddy created.

He almost felt sorry for the sub on his knees, because despite the number of times Daddy had told different subs, Rowan would always be the boy he went home with, and some people looked at Rowan and thought Daddy could do better. They only saw the boy who wasn't tiny. They thought they saw a boy whose size made him too big to be a boy, but in actual fact—as Daddy always said—it made him the perfect size for Daddy's lap.

And not to be mean, Daddy had arranged for a new Dom to provide aftercare. This Dom liked the sub on his knees, but he didn't have the skill with the bull whip that Daddy had, and the sub was a masochist.

Rowan had wanted to cry the first time he had seen Daddy do this, and questioned all over again why Daddy would want him. He thought the other things they enjoyed, the sensory play, the orgasm control, the morning spankings, were simply not enough. Rowan's biggest fear for a very long time was that Daddy or Master Gabriel, when he was like this, would simply grow tired of him. That he could never be enough for what his daddy needed. He'd worked that insecurity through mostly with the therapy that Daddy insisted on but it had been Matthew, of all people, that had convinced him in the end. The sub who had been so mean in the beginning but eventually had become a friend. Not the same as Charlie or Dash, but Rowan finally understood.

He'd gone into the locker room to change his pad because that particular night seeing Daddy get all growly with a new Dom who had been careless had brought back a few unhappy memories. Daddy had sat and cuddled him for a while, but then Rowan had decided to get changed. Matthew had been in there, just sitting with his back to the lockers and looking like he'd been crying.

He'd taken one look and stood there, torn between rushing back out and worried that Matthew was upset. "Are you okay?"

Matthew gazed at him with moisture filled eyes. "Why would you care? I've been a bitch to you since the day I came here."

Rowan sat down and thought about what Matthew was really saying. "I think sometimes it feels like a competition. You never said a word after you saw me with Paul." He refused to give that man the title of Master. Apparently, he'd moved away and Rowan was glad. And not that Rowan blamed him for the puppy-play. Rowan should have shared his limits. That was on him. What he did blame him for was how nasty he had been at the bookstore.

Matthew shrugged. "Anyone could see you were uncomfortable."

"But you could have commented. And you didn't."

"I could have been a bitch, you mean?" Matthew leaned back and brushed a hand over his face to hide the tears in them.

"Tell me what's wrong." Rowan added some force to his question. Something he would never have been able to do before.

"If I could move away, I would do."

"Why?" But Rowan had a good idea.

Matthew glanced at him half in exasperation, but Rowan needed him to say it. That's what Daddy made him do, so there was no mistake. Matthew seemed to curl in on himself. "As if you didn't know everyone hates me."

That took Rowan a little by surprise. "Hate is a strong word," he hedged.

"Let's not pretend that both Master Gabriel and you, as his boy, are one of the most popular couples in the club. The way you go seamlessly from being a sub, to being little, is what books should be written about." Rowan managed to keep the smile from his face because at book number five—two fantasy and three BDSM romances—Daddy had successfully written three around their dynamic. And of course, he was his editor.

Amongst other things.

They'd bought their dream house six months ago. Daddy had steadfastly refused to let Rowan contribute more than fifty percent, and he was okay with that. Rowan didn't work what was classed as full-time, and he was good with that as well. Besides, someone had to take care of their three rescue dogs.

Daddy had never gone back to work. After lots of hard work and edits, he had gotten an agent and an advance that paid for another four months away from work. But Daddy knew Rowan loved the books he self-published in another name as well. They were a good team.

"I thought you'd scened with Killian?" Because his friend had come to the club and discovered that while he liked the idea of a Daddy-Dom, it was being one rather than wanting one, and he definitely wasn't a submissive.

"But he's so young," Matthew whined.

"Is he?" Rowan asked. "He's inexperienced and learning, but—"

"He's so freaking hot," Matthew finished for him. Matthew looked up. "But all the subs want him. And no one likes me." He sent Rowan a look that made Rowan think Matthew liked Killian far more than he was saying.

And Rowan's heart clenched at the longing and desperation in Matthew's voice. He'd been there. The fact was that because Gabriel and Rowan were popular for some unknown reason, stories had abounded about Matthew's treatment of him, and Doms shied away from Matthew as a result.

"Yes, but how many people do you know that's a boy who has a Dom that's personally sponsoring him?" Gabriel had taken Killian under his belt, which was what tonight's demonstration was all about. Killian wasn't ready for that yet, but he'd watched in awe.

Matthew raised his gaze. "You really think Master Gabriel would put in a good word for me?"

"Absolutely," Rowan promised.

Matthew jumped to his feet and hugged Rowan. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "All my life I was taught the only way of getting ahead was by taking others down. I don't deserve you as a friend."

Rowan hugged Matthew back. Some day he wanted to hear what had turned Matthew into who he was, but Daddy was waiting for him, and he didn't think Matthew was ready to share just yet. Rowan and Matthew left the locker room and Daddy put his arm around him and tucked him close when he came out. "How's my baby boy?"

"Perfect," Rowan answered, knowing he was. Well, no one was perfect, and it had taken some time, but Rowan was happy in his skin. He wasn't ever going to be tiny, but he didn't care. Daddy loved something to cuddle.

And he adored being cuddled. Sometimes he could play with Charlie. Sometimes he felt more like Dash. Sometimes he would gather up Bear and go sit on Daddy's lap.

But it didn't matter.

Because he was loved, and Daddy didn't care how big or how little he was.

Janice had given up trying to contact him. She'd tried for so long, but he honestly didn't care. He pitied her. It was sad that some people needed to take people down to make themselves feel good, but as Daddy and his dad said, life was too short. And interestingly, Daddy Sean had taken Daddy on one side and told him he would personally see to it that her name was flagged unofficially. She would never be able to hurt anyone else again.

He had a new family. Clare was amazing. He got on especially well with one of Hilary's boys, who was struggling with math and felt silly asking his mom for help.

And he was in love, and didn't know how his life could be more perfect.

But he would spend every day for the rest of his life making sure.