Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12

Jett

The view is better than I imagined.

Snow-capped mountains. Golden hued skies. Animals roaming freely. The entire experience takes my breath away.

I'm unsure how long I stare at the window as the scenery passes. It must've been hours, because when I finally come to, I'm surrounded by people and noise.

Blinking, I take a look around to see what the hell is going on. Who are all these men? And why do they all seem to know each other?

Most importantly, though, is my need to use the restroom.

I tug my thumb from my mouth — wait, what? My thumb was in my mouth?

This day is getting strange now. I haven't done this in ages. Not since I was a small boy who'd grown too big over the summer and couldn't cope with the stares. I'd quit cold turkey by the time school started since I didn't want anyone else to see my habit. They would have teased me relentlessly for it had they known.

I push those nasty thoughts away, my focus turning to the man beside me. He's the reason I'm here now after all.

Daddy coordinated this trip. And it seems while I've been sightseeing, he's been making friends.

I slip away to the bathroom as quietly as possible, then return to my seat. Daddy's gaze is knowing when he looks my way. I was probably squirming a bit before I woke up.

He's talking to two men on his other side, a couple from what I can tell. The taller one has dark hair, bright eyes, and a kind smile. His arm is wrapped around the smaller man possessively.

The smaller man is only that way in size. I can tell from his tiara, pretty pink makeup, and flowery outfit that he's a force to be reckoned with.

When my gaze catches his, he smiles widely. "Ah! You're finally joining us!"

My eyes widen, though I nod.

"I'm Princess Aster. This is my husband and Daddy, Charlie."

"Nice to meet you Jett. Your Daddy has been keeping us company while you've enjoyed the views," Charlie tacks on to the end.

Part of me wants to curl up in a ball because these men are so openly discussing kinks. Another part really wants to find out more about them since they're obviously well established in their connection.

"Sweet boy." Daddy draws my attention away from the couple. "Is everything ok? Is this too overwhelming? We can go back to our room if you need some time."

I'm shaking my head before I even realize my answer is no. The kind people make me want to stay. I want to learn more about them and how they've come to know the man who coordinated this entire trip.

"Stay. We should stay." Turning to Princess Aster, I give him the kindest smile I can. "It's nice to meet you both too. I'm Jett, though you already know that. I like your tiara."

He grins. "Thank you. It's one of many my Daddy has given to me. All special princesses should have one. Are you a princess too?"

"No… I don't think I am." With a frown, I realize I'm not all that sure. I can't picture myself in a tiara or a dress. They probably don't even come in my size anyway.

The dress part. Not the tiara.

Pretty sure they make those in all sizes.

Lost in my debate over clothing options for larger boys, I miss the next question. Shaking my head, I tune back in right as Daddy says, "We'd love introductions to your friends. It would be best if we could go slow. The whole group raining down on us might overwhelm my boy."

Thankful for his kind gesture, I tuck myself against his side and nuzzle his neck. The urge to suck my thumb again is strong.

So dang strong.

I don't though. To slip away into my mind again would be wrong. I need to know what's going on around me. At least for a little while longer.

"Let's start with two couples then. And we'll go in order or how they joined our friend group. It might make it easiest," Princess Aster says while Charlie flags down two sets of men.

As they move closer, I take in their appearances first. One couple is made up of a laid-back guy in jeans and a tee, while the man beside him is in comfy sweats. The one that looks comfy has a pacifier clipped to his shirt and is tightly squeezing a small teddy bear.

The other couple has a massive guy, though he's not as big as me. He's covered in tattoos and is wearing a shirt that has a bakery name on it. His partner is wearing leggings covered in pastries and a shirt that says, "Creamed by Daddy".

"The first friend I ever really had in this lifestyle was Byron," Princess Aster says while pointing to the boy in comfy sweats. "He's pretty shy, too, like you, Jett. His partner is Jasper, Charlie's brother."

It's then I see the family resemblance. There is no doubting the two men share a bloodline.

Introductions continue with bratty Doyle, who apparently loves dirty jokes, and his husband, Pierce, "a bakery wizard" as Doyle explains it.

My Daddy snaps his fingers. "I've heard about your place on social media! We've got a great place back home, but I've always wanted to try something from your menu since I saw the feature."

Doyle shimmies happily. "See, Daddy! Told you people from all over would hear about you after that interview. You owe me a new flavor."

"Yeah, yeah, sweet boy. You win this round." Turning to us, he gives a nod. "If we weren't on the train, I'd whip you up something. We can exchange numbers and maybe work something out to get you a taste test. I love sharing my creations with people. It's no bother to ship it if needed."

I don't share anything about myself. It's not who I am.

Deep down, I want to speak up. I want to tell them all about the train we're on, or maybe a cool fact about the route we'll take. I could spend hours going over details.

But I've learned over time that most people don't care like I do. They don't see the beauty of it all. To them, it's a moment in time, or maybe a vacation.

To me, it's a masterpiece.

Kind of like when the perfect play happens on the field. When Bellamy throws to Aries and he runs it in to score. When the board lights up, our points climbing higher. When the fans scream at the top of their lungs because we've done it again, we've won the game.

It's the same level of energy for me, just with something many dismiss.

"What made you guys want to spend Christmas on a train? I know why we did it, but I'm curious why you're here when you probably have games to prep for," Doyle asks.

"Games?" Pierce questions.

"He's a football player from Bellport. I recognize him because a guy at the office is from there. He's a loyal fan despite moving away for college and rarely visiting."

I nod along, unsurprised by his description. A lot of our fans are similar in their dedication.

It's great for business, terrible for being discreet.

"I was Jett's Secret Santa. Since trains are his most favorite thing in the world, and he'd never been on one, I felt it my duty as his — well, I was hoping to be his Daddy — to treat him to his most wanted ride." Daddy's hand squeezes mine where I've managed to lace our fingers together. I don't even remember reaching for him. It must have been instinct at some point in the conversation.

"Awww. That's so sweet," Jasper says. "What a fantastic meet cute! Right, baby?"

Byron nods, his gaze locked on me. "Hi, Jett."

His shyness soothes my nervous edges. "Hi, Byron."

The men around us ignore the delayed greeting as they ask Daddy questions about what he does and what our plans are for the train journey. I miss most of the conversation as Byron comes to squat down on my other side.

It shouldn't feel so natural to speak with him. He's a stranger.

Yet, it's maybe one of the easiest things I've ever done.

Once he's close, he whispers, "They're all a bit much sometimes, but I love them like family. They'll welcome you too if you want. No pressure."

"I'm not sure I know what that means. It's only been me and my mom all my life," I admit.

"Oh. In that case, I'm adopting you as my new friend. I think we probably have more in common than the others anyway. At least so far. You'll probably want to talk to Neil later since he can give some perspective on what it's like being a little that doesn't fit the stereotype."

I blink at him, shocked that my unease is so noticeable.

I'm not at all like Princess Aster, Byron, or Doyle. They're all smaller than their men, whereas I'm much larger than my Daddy.

"That might be nice. Daddy didn't want me overwhelmed meeting everyone at once."

Byron nods. "Makes sense. Neil is over there, and he's older than both his daddies."

"Both?!" I wince as my voice rises a bit too high.

When Daddy looks my way, I shake my head and tuck my chin to show my embarrassment. He squeezes my fingers reassuringly, then dives back into the talk with the others.

"Yes, Neil has two Daddies. They were best friends who were secretly in love with one another for years. When they found Neil, he kind of became the glue that held them together. But yeah, he's not the younger boy like some might assume happens in all Daddy/boy pairings."

I turn to look around the room for this Neil character. He's easy enough to locate, since he's the only person with two men doting on him. Even from afar, I can feel the love radiating between the three of them.

"Wow. He looks so happy."

Byron grins and says, "He is very happy. And you can be too if a Daddy is what you truly want."

He doesn't ask, though I can see the curiosity in his eyes. Deciding I can trust him, I lean over until we're in our own private bubble.

"I've wanted a Daddy for a while, I just didn't always know what it meant. Micah — Daddy — is perfect, and I want to keep being his. I just don't know if I'm a good boy."

Someone leans against my back and whispers, "You're the perfect boy for me."

I gasp, my eyes widening as I realize it's Daddy.

Byron giggles. "Jett got caught," he singsongs at me.

"He did, didn't he, Byron? My boy was thinking bad thoughts. Good thing I overheard enough to correct him." Daddy rubs his hands down my back and arms. It's a comforting touch, one that I wouldn't have accepted in the past. But now it feels right. It feels welcome.

"Sorry, Daddy. I didn't mean to think bad thoughts."

Admittedly, I never really do try. Sometimes they simply pop into my head.

"Next time you're worried, come to me. I'll sort you right out, ok?"

I nod, then lean back into his touch. My eyes close and everything else fades away.

Even as a child, I wasn't one for physical touch. My mom could hug me, but she was it. I didn't even want to high five people in school.

Probably why I didn't have many friends.

By the time I made it to the team in Bellport, people knew I was a loner. It wasn't a big deal to them to skip me when they did their celebratory embraces.

And sure, I'm mostly fine with it.

Mostly because there are rare times where I sense how disconnected I am.

"They really are the freaking cutest couple ever! Or maybe second cutest if you count us. Right, Daddy?" Princess Aster cries out.

Laughter floats up around us from the small group of men we're gathered with. I laugh softly too, because the statement serves to drag me out of any negative lingering thoughts I had.