Chapter Seven
Payden
I couldn’t help yawning, I was tired. Stone and I played so hard today, and the really great part was he actually did play with me. He was a hands-on Daddy—the best kind there was.
“Little unicorn, I saw that yawn,” he teased. “Time to take off your costume and get ready for bed.” He slid right into Daddy mode.
“Will you read to me, Da, err, Stone?” my face heated to a ridiculous level. I almost called him Daddy. That would surely be one way to get him to hop off the train. “After I take a shower?”
“Absolutely. Which story?”
“Um, you pick.” There was no better way to end our day than with story time.
Seriously, the new me was gonna be the best version of me.
No more settling for the wrong men. I wanted a forever with a man like Stone.
Who was I kidding, I wanted that to be Stone.
Now all I had to do was find a way to keep him after the trip ended.
Go-go Payden’s brain!
I wondered how much stuff was hidden inside the gift baskets we won.
Yup, just that fast the squirrels jumped from thinky mode to prezzie mode.
We had dropped the baskets off after Bingo then headed to the party car and danced until our feet hurt.
After a late dinner we were too wiped out to try any of the other events but now that we were back in the cabin, I was ready to tear into our goodies.
“Scrubby, scrubby, scrubby. Wash, wash, wash,” I sang as I soaped up and washed my hair.
I can’t remember the last time I was little for an entire day, and I got so many new toys.
“B-I-N-G-O. B-I-N-G-O. B-I-N-G-O and Bingo was his name-o,” I sang the familiar childhood song as I dried, slathered on lotion and put on my jammy-jams. Now I was all ready for my story.
“Were you singing in there, little unicorn?”
“He-he,” I blushed. “Maybe.”
“You are one adorable boy. Did you want to pick through your baskets first and see the treasures hidden inside?”
“Treasure hunt? Yay!” Stone had lined them up in a row on the bottom bunk. “We still have cupcakes left too.”
“I hope so or I’d be chasing your sugar filled butt across the cars,” he rolled his eyes. “What else did you win?”
“We won. It was a team win. Here, hold my new uni Hugo, please.”
“Hugo? Where did that name come from?” Stone stared at the stuffy like the name would suddenly make sense.
“I dunno. Just popped into my head.” I pulled more stuff out.
“Lots of bubbles. Bubbles are so fun. Lookie, a coloring book and crayons.” I couldn’t wait for playtime.
“New blocks and cars that go really fast. Vroom! Vroom!” they raced across the bunk, but all my energy was gone.
There was a cute unicorn train set so now Thomas, and his friends had even more friends to choo-choo along the train tracks with.
Stone slid the curtains closed. “Okay, sleepy boy. Crawl into your bunk and I’ll tuck you in before story time. You can tear through the rest tomorrow. Maybe we can squeeze in some downtime in our room so you can unwind and play with them.”
“Maybe,” I yawned. “Can’t remember the schedule.” Could hardly remember my name at this point. “Let me clean up so you have somewhere to sleep.” And if he woke up with me curled up beside him I’d throw sleepwalking under the bus, or train, in this case.
“Up you go,” Stone was careful to keep his hands on my back as he helped me up. “Let’s get you tucked in.”
I held up both my uni stuffies. “Sassy Pants, meet Hugo,” They hugged then I tucked them in beside me. “See, you’re a good Daddy, Stone. You even tuck your boy in.”
He chuckled. “A good Daddy, huh? Don’t they usually come with an overflowing bank account?”
“Nope, just need an overflowing heart filled with love.” I was a smart boy and knew Stone already had that. He’d just forgotten was all and I had a week to help him remember. I’ll be the bestest boy ever.
He cleared his throat and sat at the chair across from the bunks, directly in my line of sight. “The Brave Little Unicorn.”
I didn’t remember seeing that book, but then again, I’d only glanced at them.
“One day, a brave little unicorn hopped a train, searching for a new adventure. This unicorn was smart, wise beyond his years and knew without a doubt that this world held great things for him.”
Yawn. “Smart little uni.”
“Yes, he is,” Stone turned the page. “During one of the trains stops the little unicorn stumbled upon a lost soul, pouring his heart into the lyrics as he sung.”
Wait, was this little uni me? “I like this story.”
“The little unicorn saw something in the man and bravely reached out and invited him to join him on his journey.”
I sat up, suddenly full of energy. “It’s me! It’s me! I’m the brave little unicorn!”
“Indeed, you are, sweet boy. Hopefully, I’ll be as brave as you someday.”
“This story’s gonna have a happily ever after, I can tell.”
“The unicorn and the man played games and ate good food and talked. It was like they’d known each other forever. Kindred spirits, some might say, but they were happy as they played. Across the states they traveled, staring out at the ocean, making wish after wish, hoping they’d come true.”
“All the wishes that this trip would never end,” I yawned again.
“I’m happy to hear that, sweet boy, but it’s time for bed.”
“But the story isn’t over.”
“Not even close, tomorrow night there will be a whole new chapter. This story is in its infancy with so much more to tell.”
Stone was right, our story had only just begun.
He turned off the light and crawled into the bunk beneath me. “Goodnight, little unicorn.”
“Goodnight, Daddy Stone.” That felt so right and since he didn’t correct me, I was sticking to it.
Sneaking out of bed was a big old fail. My foot got caught in the ladder and I swung sideways and landed on Stone.
“Oof!” he grunted.
“Sorry. I got stuck.” Not the best way to start the day.
Or was it still night? “Gotta potty.” I darted into the bathroom.
Falling on top of Stone jolted my bladder way too much.
Should’ve put on a pull-up before bed, but I wasn’t sure how he’d react to that.
I didn’t always wear them, but every once in a while, when I was super tired, I did.
Oopsies weren’t any fun and some Daddy’s got really mad when they happened.
I shut off the light, quietly opened the door, and tiptoed across the floor. The sound of the train running over the tracks pretty much drowned out most noise. “Eep!” I squealed when his arm reached out and tugged me into the bunk beside him.
“There,” Stone snuggled in, “much better.”
Do I slide out? Cuddle up? What are the rules here? Rules were good, they kept things in order. But I was so comfy, with his arm around me, his warm breath on the back of my neck. Sleep, yes, sleep would be nice.
This was… this was…
Sooo comfy…
“Morning, little unicorn.”
That deep, familiar voice. The um, morning situation poking my backside. Where am I? Oh yeah, train. Stone. Ugh, my own morning… situation.
Remain calm, Payden. You know this happens to most men.
“What’s going on in that brain of yours? You stiffened up and kinda froze. Did I do something wrong?”
Stupid, stupid overthinking brain. Be brave, like the unicorn in the story.
“No, just me being me.” Fear of rejection?
Yes please, times ten. But this was Stone, if you don’t let him in you’ll never know if he’s the forever you’ve wished for.
“I was um, first I was afraid you’d regret this, then I was being weird about, you know,” I pushed against his erection.
“Cause I am too, and, well my brain spiraled from there.”
He chuckled. “There’s just something about you, Payden, I can’t quite explain it. My life is chaotic, but being around you has brought a sense of calm. Perspective, really. You jostled my brain,” Stone squeezed me. “In a good way.”
“I’m your brave little unicorn.” Maybe a bit too brave, given that unfiltered assumption.
“Yeah, I think you are,” he kissed the back of my neck. “Let’s get breakfast and see what’s happening today.”
“I-I, I have a schedule, but we don’t have to adhere to it,” I quickly added. “Sorry, I’m kinda OCD with some things.”
“Did we follow it yesterday?”
Whoa, I hadn’t considered that. “I don’t think so.”
“And how did that turn out.”
Best. Day. Ever. “It was fun.”
“Sometimes throwing the schedule away and winging it is better. Let’s see what’s going on and then we can choose from there. Sound like a plan?”
My head bobbed before the words came. “Yes, Daddy.” I threw in to see his reaction and got a squeezy kinda hug in return.
“Yes, sweet boy.”
Yay! I just might be the right Daddy’s sweet forever boy. Just had to work through a few bad melons first, as Mom would say. “Shoot, I need to check in with my parents. Is that okay?”
“Of course it is, why wouldn’t it be?”
Cause my last Daddy said our relationship stayed between us. “I-I’m really close with my parents.” There, now to see how he reacts.
“That’s great. I don’t have any to be close with.”
“What?” I sat up so fast that if I were an inch taller I’d have whacked my head on the top bunk. “You don’t?” He shook his head. “Brothers or sisters?”
“Nope. No family at all or I likely wouldn’t have been sleeping in the park these last couple of years.”
I wasn’t having this and neither would Mom once I told her. I crossed my arms, determined to take charge of this. Everyone deserves to be loved and we’d show Stone that. “First thing when we get home is we visit my parents. Mom will hug the stuffing out of you.”
Stone smiled, though it was kinda sad. “I don’t have a home, little unicorn.”
“My home is your home. You can stay there, even if you don’t keep me.”
“Sweetheart,” he cupped the side of my face, and I leaned into his touch. “I have a feeling I’ll never want to be without you.” Gently, Stone pulled me toward him. “Tell me to stop if this isn’t what you want.” Before he started the whole second-guessing thing, I pressed my lips to his.
“I want.” More than he knew. I longed to be touched and held, not kicked out and shoved into a cab as soon as the man I was with was done with me. How had I not seen how wrong that was before now? Granted, Stone couldn’t kick me off the train, but I still didn’t feel as though he would if he could.
We kissed and cuddled then giggled when our tummies grumbled.
“Time to get our day started, sweetheart.”
For me, it already was.
Another quick kiss then Stone took a shower while I was dressing and checked in with my parents. Maybe overthinking Payden should go away and the brave version on the platform yesterday should take over. He made really great decisions.