35. Tennant
Iescort my Sweet Boy to his room. Though he casts a longing look toward the medical room where Cristian is stuck for now. Or perhaps in wonder of where Lio may be. Either way, it’s been a long night and he needs to sleep, even if it’s still early for us.
The roller coaster of the last few hours…
It’s certainly not what I expected. And yet, it peeled back more layers to who this man is.
I can’t deny the way I want to dig in, to own him and unravel every inch of him.
It’s an odd feeling. Completely different from the way I am with my other lovers in some ways.
The need to master him, to control him, is more powerful for some reason.
Perhaps because he only shows his vulnerability to me.
It’s a conundrum that I’ll solve—eventually.
For now, I can be patient, even as my mind spins with the knowledge that this was the first date either of us has had. At our age.
Our backgrounds didn’t lend us to flowers and chocolates… just guns and knives. Crimson has always been our love language. Part of me wants more of this odd romance, and the other… Well, I may need some time to process. As much as that irks me.
After tucking my Sweet Boy in with a kiss, and a note to do wicked things to him later, I walk out of his room and into the hallway.
Taking out my phone, I send a message to Leandro to investigate Gerald.
It wouldn’t surprise me if he goes crying to the Senator, and if so, he needs to be taken out.
Really, that needs to happen just for the way he talked to my Boy.
So little time, though… Maybe I can give that task to Chaos to deal with. Now that he’s doing better, it’s time for him to start pulling his weight.
After receiving an acknowledgment, I shove my phone into my pocket and head toward my other Boy.
It’s been a while since I’ve spent quality time with my Topolino, and what I was working on is finally complete.
The idea might have formed because of Ignacio—not that I'd ever tell him that—but I made it my own.
Something for my Topolino to enjoy and remember how much I care about him, especially when he feels alone.
Ignacio needs to avoid interfering with my Benjamin. I’ll mark my Topolino all he wants, and make sure his ex sees the results—ridiculous “bestie” status or not, Ignacio is not touching what’s mine in this case. It’s bad enough that Chaos spoils Roman.
This place is somewhat of a maze, with people moving every which way and playing musical rooms, but Benjamin’s bedroom has remained the same.
Part of me hopes that eventually I’ll be able to drag him into the orgy bed that Roman talks about, but I know we have to rebuild trust. My poor Topolino has struggled too hard, for too long.
The low burning irritation is still there at how I could have missed all the signs, but I shove them away, because tonight? Tonight, I’ll start making up for it.
Knocking on the door, I wait for it to open. Curbing the instinct to just walk straight in is difficult, but it’s part of my plan to re-earn his trust and pretend he has some autonomy. Thankfully, he doesn’t keep me waiting.
My Topolino is captivating, and the dark urge to mark him rises as soon as the door opens. Truthfully, Ignacio was right to call him a little mouse. He manages to activate my prey drive without any effort…
His face lights up the moment he sees me, and that’s it.
Game over. I swoop in, crushing him to me, and almost devouring him in one inhale.
Fuck. I can’t get enough of this Boy. All my Boys give me something different…
something unique. Just like my lovers. But Benjamin?
He can bring me to my knees in ways I didn’t know was possible.
Pulling back, I stare at his kiss-swollen lips, that starry gaze, and his incandescent happiness just from being near me. I shake myself out of my reverie, though I acknowledge the disbelief that churns deep inside that he’s still here, still willing to give me a chance after everything.
“I have a surprise for you,” I announce, unexpectedly finding excitement rising up over what’s to come—and my potential reward.
He raises an eyebrow, looking at the bed and then at me. I shake my head as he scowls, demanding, “And this surprise requires us to leave this very comfortable room with a bed?”
“Yes, but you’ll be glad for it. Now, let’s go.” I grab his hand, tugging him toward the doorway.
Although he grumbles, there’s a faint blush to his cheeks, and he’s not able to hide his pleased expression. It looks good on him: his happiness, his contentment. Most of all, I love the sassy style he’s incorporated into his life again.
The makeup is getting bolder, the clothes more feminine—his shirt even has ruffles to it. And I can only hope that tonight goes further in giving him back his sense of self. Therapy certainly seems to be helping, but this is something special only I can give him.
It doesn’t take long to reach the room I had specially designed. I may have spent a little too much time choosing how to furnish it, but when I open the door and escort him in, the stunned silence is my prize.
Only after several minutes does he venture further than the doorway. He starts to touch items, one at a time, exclaiming low and muttering words I can’t hear. When he’s almost at the midpoint, he whirls around and races toward me, jumping onto me like he’s a monkey instead of a little mouse.
Laughing, I twirl him around, setting off a round of giggles that buoy my own spirit. This. This is exactly what he needed—what we needed. When he slides down me, he stands and tips his head back, staring at me with stars in his eyes.
“You did all of this for me?” His voice is thick with unshed tears, amazement, and awe.
Touching his face gently, I stroke him, trying to tell him by touch what I can’t with words. “Of course, Topolino. You need a place to discover yourself. All of you. I wanted to create that for you. So you have someplace safe to experiment and find out who you are inside—with me by your side.”
He shakes his head, seemingly at a loss for words, as he looks around the room, taking it all in. There’s a large flat-screen TV, a gamer chair, a bean bag, a couple of old-school arcade games, a bed in the back corner, and video game and superhero posters all over. And most importantly…
“I think you have every video game console there is here. This… This is more than I thought possible. You are the most incredible man I know.”
I smirk, taking in the sheer glory of Benjamin’s worshipful praise.
There's self-satisfaction at the knowledge that I did this, that the pleasure blooming across his face is because of me, and with it comes a twisted pleasure of knowing I have him right where I want him. There’s a moment of hesitation, though, underneath the excitement, which isn’t right, so I grab his hand again, tugging him closer to the consoles before letting him go.
“Play until your heart’s content, Topolino. I’ll grab a shower while you do. You don’t need to worry about me. I’ve made sure this room is stocked for the both of us.”
I nod toward another smaller sitting area with a comfortable overstuffed chair, some books, and a few other items of mine.
This way, he can slip into his time of being a Middle with his Daddy nearby.
There’s also a small mini-fridge and microwave, plus a pantry where one of the closets used to be.
Walking over, I open it for him to see what’s inside.
“Oh, my God. That is so much junk food!” he exclaims, aghast at the sight, even as I try to smother the chuckles.
Giving my best Daddy look, I respond, “And that’s why, when you want something, you’ll ask Daddy for it. But treats aren’t bad to indulge in once in a while.”
He wavers slightly. I know he keeps himself on a strict protocol as a physical therapist. Now that he’s recovered from his injury, he’s healthier than ever, which is saying something since he never was one to overindulge in the past.
Going through the pantry myself, I pull out a bag of chips and a candy bar before taking them over to him.
I hold them out and wait. Hesitating, he glances from the items in my hands to my face, biting his bottom lip and shifting his weight from one leg to the other.
Already, I can see the stress start to fall away from him.
Finally, he takes both items carefully before throwing his arms around me, likely crushing his snacks slightly, but I don’t give a shit. When he steps away, his face is alight with glee and mischievousness. He goes up onto his toes, waiting for me to kiss him again.
I brush our lips together gently, slowly, letting him feel my strength and comfort. When he finally drops down onto his heels, it’s like looking at another person. And that’s exactly when it hits me. I’m seeing what Ignacio told me about. What Ian tried to explain to me.
It starts small, but soon, a large smile stretches across his face, and he exclaims, “Thanks, Daddy!” before running over to the TV.
He shoves the junk food onto one of the small tables next to the bean bag before turning everything on.
It feels like I’ve barely blinked before he’s diving onto the bean bag and starting to play some action game.
Shaking my head, I let him go, even though my body winces just thinking about jumping on a fucking bean bag. It can’t be comfortable. Which is why I have my own oasis to enjoy after a quick shower.
Thankfully, I’ve left clothes in here for both of us. Nothing fancy. I want this to be our time to relax, to reconnect. However, with the way my Topolino loves to be marked, blood is always a possibility.