15. Kyan
Chapter 15
Kyan
With his Daddy out on business, Kyan had the run of the house – and he was determined to make the most of it too. After much persuasion, Matteo had agreed that Reece and Benjamin could come over to his house for a playdate, a decision that filled Kyan’s heart with joy.
There were caveats to the playdate of course…
No one was to enter Matteo’s study.
Noise was to be kept to a sensible level.
And under no circumstances was Kyan to leave the house.
Kyan was more than happy to accept these conditions and was simply delighted to have the chance to play with his friends in his temporary home. And as he changed into his apple patterned romper, Kyan couldn’t help but feel excited at the prospect of showing off his big gothic townhouse with all its nooks, crannies, and atmospheric rooms.
The fact that it was actually Matteo’s house and not his wasn’t going to stop Kyan showing off everything the house had to offer. The truth was that Kyan felt comfortable there. Matteo had done and said all the right things to make Kyan feel more than welcome. It might have been way bigger than his cozy apartment, but Kyan was starting to see how one day he might even consider it to be his home.
Whether or not Kyan ever did make the townhouse his real home would depend on Matteo. After all, he was the Daddy, and it would need to feel like it was the right thing to do. However for now at least, Kyan was more than happy to host a playdate from his Daddy’s large old house…
‘Okay, Gambit, I think we’re all set,’ Kyan said, looking at the spread of snacks, drinks, and treats that he had laid out on the floor of the playroom. It was picnic time, and with a large magenta tablecloth on the floor, the setting was just right for a Little and stuffie picnic…
I hope Reece and Benjamin like it here.
Of course they will. Who wouldn’t?
I just need to make sure I stick to Matteo’s rules…
Kyan was just about to fetch some lemonade from the refrigerator when he heard the doorbell chime. And after scurrying over to check the security camera, Kyan charged over to the door to let his friends in and get them off the front steps as quickly as he could – after all, the last thing that Kyan, or Matteo, wanted was for any of the neighbors to see two Littles arriving.
‘Yay!’ Kyan exclaimed, holding the door open and bustling his BFFs inside before carefully shutting the heavy, bullet-proofed front door. ‘Quick. Get your butts in so I can shut this door and let the fun begin.’
Kyan duly shut the heavy door behind him and watched as his friends took in the sights of Matteo’s house.
‘This place is something else,’ Benjamin said, his eyes drawn to a pair of very conceptual paintings hung on the wall of the lobby. ‘Matteo is an art lover?’
‘Yeah, and he says we can go to all his favorite galleries once everything is worked out,’ Kyan said, skipping across the lobby space toward the playroom.
‘And that will be when exactly?’ Reece asked. ‘Secret playdates are fun, but I want us to be able to roam free. Just like we’ve always done.’
‘My Daddy’s got it covered, I know he has,’ Kyan giggled. ‘Come on, let’s hit the playroom.’
‘I want to explore first,’ Benjamin said, removing his coat and letting it drop onto the floor. ‘Look, I’ve got my cow romper on. And Little Master Moo wants to wander all over his new field!’
‘Same!’ Reece said, removing his coat to reveal his favorite milkshakes and ice cream patterned romper. ‘Let’s explore. Unless you’re too afraid of your Daddy spanking your butt?’
Kyan rolled his eyes and folded his arms. He suspected that his two Little friends might try and get him in trouble. Together, the three of them always loved to make mischief, and it was clear from both Reece and Benjamin’s energy upon arrival that they were in the mood for something similar today. And after making them wait a moment, Kyan decided that he was too…
‘Okay, let’s do it!’ Kyan said. ‘The picnic can wait. Let’s be a team of time travelling Littles. We’ll make a space rocket out of pillows in Matteo’s bedroom, and we’ll travel from room to room, discovering new worlds and amazing creatures.’
‘And we’ll bring plenty of snacks too,’ Benjamin giggled, his eyes wandering over toward the kitchen. ‘And drinks.’
‘Yeah, and our stuffies will be our assistants,’ Reece squealed.
‘Let’s do it!’ Kyan cheered, momentarily forgetting about Matteo’s instruction to keep the noise to a respectable level as he let out a loud whoop of joy that was soon joined by both Benjamin and Reece’s loud whoops. ‘Let’s go, Littles!’
With that, the three excitable boys stormed up the stairs and charged into Matteo’s bedroom. And it wasn’t long before the duvet was on the floor, pillows were flying, and bed sheets were being ruffled to the point that they were barely attached to the bed.
Kyan hadn’t let loose like this for some time, and it felt good.
Matteo may have put his strict instructions in place, but Kyan was sure that he wouldn’t mind a little bit of rumpus and mess if it meant that he could relax and enjoy his playdate to the fullest.
And with plenty of time before Matteo came home, there was very little stopping Kyan doing precisely as he wished – but there was always the possibility that too much of a good thing could prove deadly…
‘ Noooo ! The sherbert snakes are all finished,’ Kyan said, tearing open the candy wrapper and double checking inside. ‘Oh well.’
As the Littles had made their way around Matteo’s house having all the fun in the world, they had also gradually worked their way through the stockpile of snacks, sweet treats, and candies on offer too.
As far as Kyan was concerned, he was disappointed to have no more sugary treats, but could live with it. Benjamin on the other hand had a very sweet tooth and wasn’t going to be so easily dissuaded…
‘Let’s take a trip to the candy store,’ Benjamin said. ‘There’s a place a block or two away. I saw it on the Uber ride here.’
‘Oooh, yes!’ Reece said, lying on his back and kicking his feet in the air as he played with his stuffie. ‘More treats is a great idea. And I think I could do with some fresh air too. I’m kinda hot.’
‘You guys…’ Kyan said, knowing full well that Matteo had explicitly forbade him from leaving the house. ‘I don’t think that’s a good idea. Daddy says…’
‘Daddy says what?’ Benjamin asked, putting his hands on his hips and arching his eyebrow. ‘Daddy says you can’t have more treats? That doesn’t sound right. He won’t mind if you only go out for ten minutes.’
‘Yeah, and we’ll all look after each other,’ Reece added, clearly very keen on the idea. ‘Come on, let’s do it. And let’s get real… Matteo won’t ever know we’ve gone. We’ll be back before he’s even left wherever he is right now. I say we do what we want and to hell with the rules!’
‘Rebel Littles for life,’ Benjamin said, a look of the sweetest, most devilish mischief on his face. ‘It’s up to you now, Kyan.’
Kyan could see both Reece and Benjamin looking at him with hope and expectation in their eyes. On the one hand, Kyan knew that Matteo had very clearly told him that he wasn’t to leave the house under any circumstances. Kyan knew that his Daddy wanted to keep him safe from harm – but maybe he was taking things a little far? After all, Matteo himself said that he lived in a very respectable and quiet neighborhood. There were hardly likely to be assassins out and about on the tree-lined streets.
‘Come on, just say yes!’ Benjamin said, grinning from ear to ear. ‘We can even buy our stuffies some extra treats too.’
Kyan was close to breaking. He was feeling super-pumped from the fun playdate and not to mention all the sugar that was coursing around his veins. Kyan hopped from one foot to the other and back again as he struggled to give an answer.
I know I shouldn’t.
Daddy said no.
But… Daddy’s not here!
‘Okay, fine, let’s do it,’ Kyan blurted out, still not sure whether it was the right thing to do but feeling a flash of adrenalin as he said the words out loud. ‘But only to the candy store and straight back again, right?’
Benjamin and Reece nodded their heads in approval and the three Littles were jumping for joy as they hugged on another. It might only have been a quick trip to the candy store, but Kyan hadn’t felt this normal in what felt like a long time.
His mafia Daddy might not approve but in that moment Kyan simply didn’t care.
And like his friends said, what Matteo didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him either…