Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

VINCE

Holy shit .

No, really.

Holy shit!

Baron's not just into daddy kink. No, he's…well, I have no personal experience with this stuff, but I'm pretty sure he's into age play.

I want to facepalm at how oblivious I've been to the signs.

Beyond the whole "Daddy" thing, there's his childlike exuberance, his innocence, the way he blushes when he talks about his penis…and when he said he wanted to show me his toys? He actually meant toys . Stuffies, blocks, cars, and a train set.

How do I know this? Because the gorgeous young man is currently sitting cross-legged in the middle of his Lego-themed bed, introducing me to his stuffies by name.

"…and this ," he says with fanfare and pride, brandishing a floppy tiger toy, "is Sir Roars-A-Lot." He holds him close to his chest, hiding his face behind orange-and-black striped fur. His blue eyes peek out from behind a tuft of orange, framed by two furry ears. "He's my favorite."

God damn it, but I still think he's adorable. Even while I'm kind of freaking out — because I'm on board with being called Daddy, but this? This is a whole new level of kink I wasn't prepared for.

"He's cute," I say, wondering how I can back out of this when, as far as he knows, I've been okay with it since the beginning. Then my heart sinks because I don't know that I want to back out. But…it's age play . It's not just some cute guy riding my dick and calling me Daddy. It's intense .

Clearing my throat, I decide I need some air and a moment to think. "Bear, I've just remembered I need to make a call. I'm going to step outside real quick, but I'll be right back, okay?"

He smiles. "Okay, Daddy."

My heart thuds, the word taking on a whole new meaning as it registers this time.

My phone is in my hand before I've made it onto the tiny street-facing balcony. I slide the glass door closed behind me and lean against it as I glare out into the darkness, holding my phone to my ear.

Anson answers just before I'm certain his voicemail is about to kick in. "Vinnie, what's up?"

"You could have told me that Baby Bear is into age play," I growl down the line, keeping my voice low. On the other end of the call, my best friend cracks up.

"I tried!" He laughs, and I picture him shaking his head. "Dude, I tried to warn you?—"

"How do you even know people with these kinks?" I demand, refusing to acknowledge that, yeah, he did try to talk Baron and me apart last night. Then, feeling hurt that I was left out of the loop, I ask, "And why didn't you tell me?"

Anson sighs. "I joined a kink club a couple of months ago. I…Well, the why s don't really matter." He clears his throat and I wonder what else my best friend has been keeping from me. "Anyway, I didn't tell you because I've been figuring stuff out."

"You didn't think I'd listen?" It stings even more to hear that he didn't trust me. "You thought I'd judge you?"

"Nothing like that, asshole," he huffs. "I just didn't want to bring it up until I was more comfortable with it myself."

Well, that makes sense, I guess.

Apologizing, I tell him as much.

"Anyway," he redirects, "how'd you finally work out that Bear's a Little? Did he tell you?"

"I…um…" Releasing a long breath, I close my eyes and admit, "He invited me to come and play, and I thought…"

Anson's renewed laughter is raucous, drowning out the rest of my explanation. "Wait, wait, wait… You're at his place now ? For what you thought was a booty call? And he's, what, got his train set out for you?"

"His stuffies," I grumble to the sound of more laughter. "Shut up, numbnuts, and tell me what I should do."

"How am I supposed to shut up and tell you what to do?"

For fuck's sake, how is this guy my best friend?

"Anson…"

"Okay, okay. Geez, take a deep breath, big man. Calm down."

I growl in frustration.

"Alright, alright. In all seriousness"—his tone shifts from jovial to all business—"the way I see it, you have two choices. You can embrace those caretaker tendencies we both know you have and just go with it to see if you like it, or you can tell Bear you got your wires crossed and should probably leave." He pauses. "Just…be gentle with him, man."

A sinking feeling hits me when I consider walking away. "You think I'd be a dick?"

"No, but… ugh ," Anson exhales. "It's not my place to say anything, but he's… young , Vince. He's young, and new to dating and putting himself out there."

I think back to Baron's shy admission that he's never had anyone to call Daddy before and a suspicion tickles my brain. "Are you saying he's a v?—"

"Uh-uh. You have to talk to him. I've already meddled way too much."

"Anson…"

"Go. Talk to Bear. Be your sweet, considerate self and you'll be fine."

"Anson."

"Gotta run. Bye!"

And with that, the call ends.

Sadly, I'm no closer to knowing how to handle this situation when I head back into the small apartment. The more I look around, the more I realize that I should have seen the signs. There are stuffies on the worn couch, and action figurines on the little, square dining table, as well as a stack of coloring books and a small bucket of colored markers. The desk pressed against the wall between the dining area and the living area is also littered with figurines, and the DVDs on the shelf next to the TV are all kids' movies.

Shaking my head, I cross the space and take a steadying breath before I step back into the bedroom…where I freeze in my tracks.

I was not expecting to find Bear rubbing his stuffed tiger over his crotch.

His eyes are closed, his head thrown back in ecstasy. His red hair is wild, having air dried after his bath, lending him an ethereal vibe as he grinds up into his toy.

My cock plumps back up, finding the sight erotic even while my brain struggles to understand why I'm not freaking out more over this age-play thing.

Maybe Anson was right: maybe my inherent desire to take care of people extends to…Daddying? Is that even a word?

I swallow roughly as Bear moans, pressing his stuffie harder against his crotch, his fingers tightening in the fur.

Why is that so fucking hot?

He makes another plaintive sound and I decide it's unfair to watch him when he obviously doesn't know I'm here, so I clear my throat.

Baron freezes and his eyes fling open. His cheeks turn bright red, and he looks at me guiltily.

"I…" he starts, then stops and bites his lip.

The part of me which had planned on apologizing and leaving is silent. Instead, I'm ridiculously horny and genuinely curious. Cocking my head, I ask, "What were you doing, Baby Bear?"

His chest rises and falls, and he swallows audibly. "Playing?"

"Playing?" I repeat with an amused chuckle, inching closer to the bed. "Do you play with your stuffies like that a lot?"

Back to chewing his bottom lip, Baron looks down at his lap and nods.

"I see."

"I wanted to wait for you, Daddy," he blurts, seemingly surprising himself as much as he surprises me. "But then I started thinking about how good you made me feel in the bath and when you fixed my ouchies…and my penis got really hard."

It's so cute the way he says "penis" instead of "cock" or "dick." I don't know why, but it is. Struggling to keep a straight face, I try to channel some semblance of Daddy energy. "So instead of waiting for Daddy, you started without me, even though I promised we would talk about how excited we both felt?"

His eyes widen and his jaw goes slack. "I didn't mean to be naughty, Daddy. I promise. I'm really a good boy."

Well, fuck.

Why does that go straight to my dick, too? Maybe there is something to this kink…no…this lifestyle. And it is, apparently, a lifestyle. One glance around Baron's room in combination with his consistently childlike personality confirms that it's really not just about kink for him. He is a Little.

Could I be a Daddy?

Do I want to be?

My heart thuds rapidly, but not from fear or distaste. It's from excitement. Nevertheless, I have to come clean with him. If I'm going to try this, Baron has to understand that I've got no idea what I'm doing.

His gaze follows me as I walk over to sit beside him on the bed, the mattress dipping under my added weight. I take his hand in mine, smoothing my thumb over his knuckles. "I have to be honest with you, Baron," I tell him, and his open expression turns guarded. I force myself to continue. "I, uh, I got my wires crossed last night, and again earlier tonight," I admit. "I didn't realize that you meant you were after a Daddy Daddy." He tenses, but he doesn't pull away. I sigh and explain, "I thought…I thought you were just, y'know, calling me Daddy. Like…light kink?"

"Oh…" His face flushes and now he does tug his hand out of mine, gripping the tiger in his lap for comfort as he looks down, dejection and embarrassment written all over him. "I'm sorry. I thought because you're best friends with Anson…"

"I know." I'm not going to tell him I had no clue about my best friend's kinky side. To be honest, I still don't know anything about it, only that he's been visiting a kink club. "But, Bear, I want to try. If you'll have me."

I'm afraid he's going to give himself whiplash with the way his head snaps back up. " What? "

Smiling softly, I reach for his hand again and he grips mine tightly in response, as if he's afraid I'll otherwise disappear. "I want to be your Daddy. Well, I want to try. I don't have any experience with this stuff, and I'll probably fuck it up, but…I feel a connection between us, and the thought of walking away just because I've never done anything like this before tears me up inside."

"I don't have any experience either, Vince," Baron tells me seriously. "I've never had a boyfriend or a Daddy. I've been on dates before, and I've kissed before, but that's it. So this is all new to me, too. And"—his plump, pink lips curl into an adorable smile—"you're not gonna mess it up. You've been Daddying me all night. You wrapped me in your big arms and cuddled me while I was scared and sad. You buckled my seat belt, you fed me cookies, you gave me a bath, you kissed my boo-boos, and you dressed me. You're everything I want in a Daddy. We can learn the rest together."