4. Elias

Chapter 4

Elias

He hadn't already been oversharing.

Monsters?

I was starting to understand why Dally had insisted Milo only have one drink. Little Milo was wonderfully chatty, so I could only guess at how fascinating drunk Milo would be.

"Thank you for the compliment." He was adorable. "And can I say that I'm glad Dally approves of me?"

I wasn't sure what I'd have done if he hadn't.

"Me too." Milo's feet started wiggling under the table, sounding like he wanted to swing them but couldn't. "He said he'd find me people to talk to but we usually like different people."

I could see that…for one thing, Dally liked making boring people squirm and I wasn't sure Milo would've found that to be an enjoyable activity.

"I think Victor is going to like both of you, just for different reasons." That had Milo looking slightly confused, so I gave him a wink. "He's not allowed to think you're as cute as I do."

Giggling, Milo rocked back and forth in his seat. "He thinks Dally is cute."

"Probably." I wasn't sure if Dally was somehow his type or if he just found chaos fascinating, but either way I was glad that he was focused on someone other than Milo. "But you're very cute too and I don't want to ask Dally to help me bury any bodies."

That would be awkward at the very least…because I was pretty sure he'd be glad to help.

"Oh, you can't do that." Milo looked serious enough that he made me curious. "Then he'd have to find a new place to bury you if you turned naughty."

"Yes, have to keep your burial sites private." What had I been thinking? "You have a very good point."

They had a very weird friendship.

"How long have you known Dally?" I thought the question was easy but as I picked another bite for him, he shrugged. "A long time?"

"Yeah." Happily eating a cracker with chicken salad on it, Milo did a happy dance in his seat as he enjoyed his snack while he thought. "We went to school together forever."

Math was evidently hard when Milo was little.

"I don't have any friends I've known that long." The idea seemed weird if I was being honest but that might've been because most of the people I'd grown up with were assholes.

"Dally's my only longtime friend." Starting to look longingly at the brownie on our plate, Milo seemed distracted as he chattered. "I jumped from house to house to house as a kid and he kept me. His mom liked me too. She said I was a good influence and reminded her what normal was."

All right, not polite but understandable under the circumstances because Dally was unique.

"You said he was the baby of ten kids?" I couldn't imagine that many kids.

Nodding, Milo accepted a zucchini fry dipped in ranch, only mildly pouting. "Yes, his father said his mother never figured out where they came from, but Dally's older brother said his parents were just stupid and fucked like rabbits."

Ah.

Laughing seemed inappropriate but it was impossible to hold back. "You'd have thought after just a couple they'd have figured it out."

Milo shrugged, grinning as I finally cut off a piece of the dessert he wanted so badly. "They figured it out at some point because Dally's mom told us about the birds and bees and when the bees love each other very much and can do things too. But she must've figured it out right before she had Dally."

Well, at least his conservative-leaning family hadn't missed how interesting Dally was…or how interesting Milo was.

"Did you ever date Dally?" It seemed like the most innocent version of that question I could've asked but Milo scrunched his face up like I'd just asked him to eat a bug.

"No. He's bossy." Milo's response was odd but understandably honest as well.

"I can see that being a problem." He was also a delightful troublemaker and Milo didn't seem to find that sexually attractive in a partner.

No, he liked Daddies and frowning assholes who got him brownies.

"And Dally's mom said you don't sleep with family and we're like brothers." Milo shrugged. "She didn't understand some bees have special needs and ours didn't match either."

So she could understand the bees wanting to hang out and sting each other but kinks were confusing?

"Not everyone understands special needs." That seemed to apply to nearly every group, so I wasn't terribly surprised in general, but Dally was outgoing enough that I wasn't sure how she could've missed figuring it out.

Nodding enthusiastically as he pushed the plate to me, he gave me a big smile. "You finish. I'm full, Daddy."

"Thank you." I took him at his word since I'd made sure he got plenty as we were talking, and though I thought he was done with the conversation, he surprised me.

"It's okay that she didn't understand. Dally found the internet and then Dally's dad told his older brother to talk to us. So it was fine." Milo's version of events sounded very innocent but I was picturing utter chaos.

"He's nice too and he likes bees and birds and stuff." Milo shrugged, possibly only vaguely understanding about the older brother's stuff. "He said their parents are insane, so he'd help…and he did."

Weirdest family ever.

I couldn't imagine what it would've been like to grow up like that, but Milo seemed to have enjoyed just being on the periphery of it. "I'm glad he could help."

And that he probably saved them from bizarre internet predators.

Dally didn't seem like he'd have a lot of common sense when it came to figuring out that kind of stuff online…especially when he was younger.

"Me too." Taking a drink of his juice, Milo was adorably careful as he set the glass back down. Something about the way he was holding the cup said little Milo had ones with handles at the very least. "He even knew what being little was. He's so smart too. You'd like him since you're smart."

I wasn't sure I had enough imagination to picture that, but I nodded anyway. "He sounds helpful too."

Our definitions of smart could've been very different, but at the very least, I could agree on the helpful part. Milo looked pleased with my assessment and accepted it happily as he bounced to a new topic. "Did you have anyone be helpful to you?"

Interesting…but understandable based on our discussion.

"Not really." My family seemed to be based on survival of the fittest. "I had…let's call it some struggles dating and someone was very helpful and pointed out I might want to explore BDSM."

They'd actually screamed at me that if I was going to be that big of a control freak asshole, then at least I needed to learn to spank people too.

That had been an eye-opening date but I'd appreciated the information in the long run.

His drama queen antics and the way he'd ordered the most expensive thing on the menu, not so much.

"Helpful people are important." Wiggling in his seat again, Milo gave me another big smile. "They're usually bossy, though."

Oh yes.

"I think that comes with the territory, actually." Giving him an exaggerated frown to make him giggle, I sighed. "Just hadn't thought of it that way. Maybe you're helpful too?"

That got more laughter but before he could tease me back, Dally appeared like he was a demon we'd accidentally summoned. "He's got to go to the bathroom. I'll bring him right back. You don't know him well enough to see his penis yet."

Okay.

Well.

"No tummy aches." Milo sighed, standing up when Dally took his hand. "I shouldn't show it to you yet."

It was turning into the most interesting first date I'd ever had, but since I wasn't sure it was actually a date, he probably had a good point. "You're right. But I'll be patient and wait right here."

"Good." Dally approved of my answer as he dragged Milo off but he just couldn't stop there. "I'm glad you're a good Daddy. I'd have to get the four-wheeler out to hide your body and I just realized it's in the shop."

Yes, the most interesting first something ever.

"You seemed to have had an interesting night." Victor's smirk had me rolling my eyes as I lifted my glass to my lips. "A kiss on the cheek from an adorable little? You had tongues wagging."

"I'm not interested in gossip." I didn't have to be because he'd tell me anyway. "I'm just interested in finishing my drink before I head home."

I'd made it clear to Milo that while my socializing was done, I'd promised to stay with Victor a bit longer before I left for the night. He'd been fine with that, but Dally had very pointedly asked me if I was going to get a snack for any other little there.

My answer to that had been no but he'd been slightly skeptical until I'd actually set the time for my date with Milo and had my number in his phone.

That was one skeptical sub, but he seemed to be vigilant about watching over Milo, so I wouldn't complain.

Too much.

I'd wait and see on that one. It seemed that Dally was only a good decision-maker when Milo was little and otherwise they traded roles. I wanted to see how much trouble he got Milo into before I classified him as chaotic good or chaotic neutral.

"Well, you'll be pleased to know that there were a variety of Doms and just Daddy types in general that were terribly jealous, and more than a few frustrated men at that far table in the corner that were debating how you got to know Milo so quickly." Victor's gleeful recounting of the gossip had me sighing.

He loved it.

Wearing an evil grin, he was nearly rubbing his hands together. "Evidently, Dally had been singing Milo's praises to just the right people and half the room had been eager to meet him. You're now the most hated member of the Daddy subset of the Lactin Brotherhood. Congratulations."

He was insane.

"There aren't that many Daddies in the club, are there?" I thought it was a reasonable response, but he laughed, nearly spilling his drink.

"That's the part you're focusing on?" Shaking his head as he got his snickers under control, Victor went back to smiling. "Yes, and you'd know that if you hung out around here more."

"I work." And I wasn't the best at socializing no matter what Milo had thought about my ability to flirt with him. "And I have spent years as a member."

I just focused on the practical side of things and had availed myself of their specialized therapists.

"I've made friends too." It wasn't my fault that the people I actively talked to were either in long-term relationships or were traveling for work. "And I let you drag me here tonight, didn't I?"

Wait.

"You set me up." His laughter said I was right. "Did you concoct this scheme with Dally?"

I knew the answer before he could respond. "No, he's not subtle enough to have done this. You were one of the men who heard him talking last week."

"Yes, and I'm not going to apologize for it either." He didn't look sorry in the slightest. "I hadn't gotten a chance to talk to Dally before but I'd heard enough gossip to be curious."

"You are a nosy old woman at heart." In another time he'd have been one of those old women who looked out her window and didn't miss a single detail.

"I don't know how you're not." Victor shrugged. "It paid off tonight, though. You met an adorable cutie and I had a wonderful time following Dally around. Getting a firsthand view of his chaos is much better than simply hearing about the results."

"I'm starting to see why you two got along so well." I couldn't decide if it was just an immediate friendship or something more, but I wasn't going to poke at it too much. Victor always looked like a cheerful flirt but he was an incredibly private person…one who hadn't dated in a very long time.

"I had a marvelous time and he even explained in detail what he'd do to your body if you hurt Milo." The gleeful evil was back on his face. "He's wonderfully creative."

And just a bit insane.

Hmm, based on the women Victor had dated, Dally might be just his type.

"I don't want to know." Not under any circumstances. "But I have no intention of hurting Milo."

I admittedly had terrible taste in men, but even I could see that he wasn't the type to attack unexpectedly. There were some questions about my ability to give him what he needed, but objectively I could see that I'd done a pretty good job for our first encounter.

"Fine. Take away all my fun." He was doing his best to look hurt but there was still a shark staring out from behind his eyes. "But to make up for it you have to tell me about your date."

Glaring at him, I raised one eyebrow and got a laugh from him. "For now, I won't tell anyone anything we talk about. Not even Dally."

Was he planning on talking to Dally again?

No.

I wasn't going to ask.

"Thank you." Giving up, because I knew I'd talk about it eventually, I discreetly glanced around us to make sure we had privacy before I continued. "I think it went very well. Being taken care of seems to be a trigger for his little side. He was sweet and funny and overshares a lot more little than he does as a sober grown-up."

That got another laugh from Victor. "Sounds like Dally. What he thought was regular conversation versus oversharing was fascinating."

I'd heard.

"But it was a good thing because Milo told me a lot about what he liked and it just showed me who he was. I think I'd have worried more about that side of things if he'd stayed a complete grown-up during our talk." Date? Scene? "Seeing firsthand how he communicates and what makes him happy definitely gave me less to worry about."

There were still great gaps in my knowledge base, but nothing I'd seen so far made me uncomfortable with his little side.

Victor was still smiling as he finished his drink, but I could see his brain whirling as he set down his glass. "Did you get a chance to see what you have in common outside of the Daddy and little stuff? Did you talk about his interests in lactation?"

Did we discuss anything stressful?

"No." I shrugged when he gave me the raised eyebrow look back. "Dally made it clear I wasn't to push things too sexual."

Because Milo would've let me.

"So that kept things at a certain level and I was trying not to think about the lactation part of it." Not because I hated it or was trying to avoid it completely, but I'd never dated anyone like Milo and I wasn't sure what he was picturing.

"He's not just okay with it." Victor smirked when I scoffed and rolled my eyes. "And he's not just looking for a new kink."

No, he wasn't.

"No, he's looking for a Daddy who can take care of him." In a very unique way.

The only question was if I was that Daddy or not.