Chapter 9 #2
“I am beyond excited,” Song explained. “And a little scared. I was kinda wondering if maybe you guys would want to come up and see one of the shows and go to the zoo and aquarium with me?”
Gasping, Zachy nodded, wide-eyed, excited, and at a loss for words because that would be so cool and they were on vacation, all three of them, well, almost, since tomorrow was Papa’s last day at the office before they shut down too.
“Can we, Daddy, please, please, please, please, please?” Zachy said once he finally remembered that it was a question that Song needed an answer to as well.
“I think that would be a wonderful idea,” Daddy said.
“We could all use a vacation, and the chance to visit a magical city and take in the sights with you sounds positively perfect. We can talk about the dates tomorrow as well as the places you want to visit and work out an itinerary. I’m certain Walker will be accompanying Ajay, so I’ll put in a call to him and see what he’s come up with so that we can plan the perfect outing for you three to decompress and enjoy some little space time during your trip. ”
“Oh my gosh,” Song gushed, “Thank you. I wasn’t sure if I’d even have a chance to be little while we were there, since I was just going to be with my bandmates.
Ajay did say that his daddy was going to come with him, and I was a little sad because I would be so far away from you guys even if I knew we’d still video chat. ”
“Anytime you’re worried about something like that, I want you to bring it up right away before you start stressing out over it,” Daddy told him.
“I know we’ve kind of slid into a routine of spending time together without really sitting down to talk about what it meant for the four of us as a unit, but I want you to understand that we are looking ahead to a future where the four of us are together in every way.
Do you understand what I mean when I say that? ”
“N-not entirely,” Song stammered, turning to look at Zachy, who couldn’t quite make out the expression in his eyes with how dark it was in the back of the car now that they’d left the downtown area. “Are you saying that you guys want to date me?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” Daddy explained. “We’d planned to sit down and talk to you about it now that things were less hectic, but hearing the uncertainty in your voice, I’m glad we’re discussing it now.”
“Will you be our boyfriend?” Zachy asked.
“Hell yeah I will,” Song replied. “This is the best early Christmas present ever!”
“Yay!” Zachy replied, wishing he could throw his arms around Song, but that would have to wait until they got home.
The snow was starting to get thicker, and all moving around in the back seat would do was distract Daddy, who was totally focused on the road, though he chuckled at Song’s response while Song squeezed Zachy’s hand and started talking excitedly.
“I kept hoping you’d ask,” Song said. “But we were all just getting to know one another, so I knew it would take time for you guys to decide if that was how you wanted to see our friendship proceed or if you wanted me to remain firmly in the friend zone.”
“The more time we spent together, the clearer it became, to all of us, that the four of us were meant to be together,” Daddy explained.
“It was the same feeling I had a year ago, when Zachy and I met, and he later introduced me to Cooper. They were actually together at the time but struggling with their dynamic as Daddy and little. Sometimes things just fall into place in ways that we rarely expect, like you and Zachy clicking in the playroom on your first night at the club. In a way, I feel like these last few playdates have been less about you guys having the chance to be little and play together and more about the four of us discovering all the ways our lives intersect in so many different areas. Your saying yes to a relationship with us means our holiday season has just gotten a lot brighter. I couldn’t be more thrilled.
Trust me when I say Cooper[TM5] will feel the same way when he hears about it. ”
“I wish I could hug you right now,” Zachy said.
“You keep those seatbelts on, both of you,” Daddy cautioned. “The roads are seriously slick out here. I’m going to have to creep along for the next few miles, so no squirming back there, understood?”
“Yes, Daddy,” they replied, holding tight to each other’s hands for the rest of the slow ride back to the brightly lit house, neither moving nor even saying much until Daddy had safely parked the SUV in the garage.
There were a few skids along the way, and one fishtail that had left Song and Zachy gasping and trembling in their seats.
But they never let go of one another, and they never did anything to distract Daddy either.
The moment Daddy turned the engine off, Zachy and Song fumbled with their seatbelts and crashed together, clinging in the backseat, squeezing the stuffing out of one another. Daddy chuckled as he opened the door next to Song and scooted in so he could hold them too.
“Those were a few scary moments, boys,” Daddy murmured. “Doubt any of us will be going anywhere for the next few days, so let’s go in and see what Papa has in store for us and give Song the chance to get a shower and settle in for the night.”
“Are we gonna camp out in the living room again?” Song asked. “That was so much fun.”
“That’s one option,” Daddy explained as he finally turned them loose. “Or you could join us in the bedroom; our bed is more than big enough.”
“Seriously?” Song said, turning in his seat so he could hug Daddy properly.
“Long as you don’t mind waking up to a clingy octopus wrapped around you in the middle of the night,” Daddy said, chuckling as he reached over to ruffle Zachy’s hair. “It can make going to the bathroom tricky when someone’s persistently hanging on.”
Giggling, Zachy waved when Song turned to look at him.
“Bring on the tentacles, Octopus boy,” Song declared. “I love a good clingy cuddle.”
Laughing, Daddy shook his head at them. “Bed it is. But don’t say we didn’t warn you.”
“I’ve been warned,” Song said. “Not that warnings have ever stopped me from going after something I truly wanted. Besides, I’ve been accused of being an aggressive cuddler myself.”
“Seriously?” Zachy replied, giggling.
“Yup.”
“Know what that means?” Zachy asked.
“What?”
“Cuddle-bug contest!” Zachy declared, climbing out from the back to do a squirming happy dance, only to turn and see his Papa in the doorway leading from the garage to the house with his phone in hand, the soft clicking letting Zachy know that he’d been taking pictures of him.
“Papa, Papa, Song said yes to going out with us!” Zachy declared, rushing to hug him after the long day apart.
“Did he?” Papa said, holding out an arm as Song raced over to hug him too.
“I did, I did,” Song said as he cuddled with them. “You’re happy about it, right?”
“Beyond happy,” Papa declared as he squeezed them together. “And more than ready to celebrate the awesome news. Who’s ready for their surprise?”
“Me! Me!” Song and Zachy replied.
“You’ve got me curious,” Daddy said as he joined them, carrying Song’s backpacks. “Though when we left this morning, I could have sworn you said you would be stuck at work later than we were tonight.”
“That was the plan,” Papa replied. “Until an enterprising team member solved the problem, I expected it to take all night and most of tomorrow. Which is my other surprise. I don’t have to go back to work until after New Year’s; now let’s get in there before we let all the heat out.
It’s starting to feel like a pair of naughty imps have been snow dancing again. ”
“Happy, happy!” Zachy whispered, giggling the moment his Papa groaned and scowled at him.
“Snow, snow dance!” Song squealed, shaking his tush as he waddled in.
“We’re gonna wind up buried,” Papa groaned as he followed them, but it was Daddy who put it all into perspective with just a few words.
“Maybe, but at least we’ll be together.”