Chapter 5
Chapter five
David
The palm of my hand fit perfectly on the small of their back as Ellery led us to their apartment door.
Thankfully, they lived on the first floor, so we didn’t have to climb any steps.
I had a feeling they felt worse than they were letting on, and I didn’t want them to use more energy than they had to.
“This is me.”
Ellery unlocked the door and led us inside.
The space was average, but it was wide open and looked pretty spacious.
It didn’t surprise me that with two littles living here, the space was colorful and cozy.
There were various pillows and blankets scattered throughout the living room, and the furniture and decorations were an explosion of color.
It all worked surprisingly well together.
“I love your living room. It’s all so bright and cheerful, and it looks cozy. I definitely won’t have an issue finding a pillow or blanket to sleep with tonight.”
Ellery shuffled a bit, speaking softly. “If you want, we can message Daniel and ask if you can sleep in Tristan’s bed. I’d hate for you to be stuck on the couch.
I smiled warmly, taking their hand in mine and placing a soft kiss on the back of it. “Thank you, darling, but I don’t want to invade his space. Your couch looks pretty comfy. I think I’ll be okay.”
Ellery’s cheeks flushed the prettiest shade of pink. It made me want to devour their mouth with mine. If they were interested in me the way I was in them, a conversation would have to happen before anything else, so I refrained.
“Okay, thank you for offering to stay. I feel even more gross now, so I’m going to go take that shower.”
It was on the tip of my tongue to offer to bathe them and help them get ready for bed, but we weren’t there yet, so I settled. “While you do that, I’ll get your medicine ready. Is there anything else you need?”
Ellery shuffled nervously on their feet with their chin tucked into their chest. Their nervousness pulled at my heartstrings, and I suddenly found myself wanting to help put them at ease and provide anything they needed.
“I want to help you, Ellery. If it’s something I’m not comfortable doing, I’ll let you know, so please don’t be scared to ask me for something you want. I’m here to take care of you.”
Ellery looked up at me, still nervous but more confident than before. “Um, Daniel said . . . you’re a Daddy, right? Does that mean I can ask for Daddy things, like a bedtime story?”
My heart nearly beat out of my chest. They were adorable. Even if I weren’t a Daddy, that request alone would’ve had me reading them a bedtime story.
“That’s right . . . I’m a Daddy. I would love to read you a story before bed. After you take your medicine, we’ll pick out a story together, okay?”
Ellery bounced up and down on their heels, nearly vibrating with excitement. “Yay! Thank you so much. I’ll be right back.”
Ellery raced down the hall and disappeared behind a door. I’d been with them all day, and even while sick, their bright, sparkly personality shone so brightly it was almost blinding.
The second they left the room, it was as if a dark storm cloud had resurfaced, and I found myself wishing their sunshine would come back and chase it away.
My hand subconsciously moved to my chest in an attempt to ease the sudden tightness.
Not in all my forty-four years had I ever had a person affect me this intensely in such a short amount of time.
It honestly freaked me out a bit, but I was so tired of feeling closed off and alone.
I took a deep breath, calming my anxiety, and headed back to where I had set their bags.
Pulling out the bottles of medication I had stashed away, I grabbed them and headed to the kitchen.
Thankfully, it wasn’t hard to find the princess-themed sippy cups.
I didn’t want to give them too much to drink since they’d thrown up recently, but they needed to stay hydrated and take their meds, so I filled the cup halfway with some juice and set aside the pills I needed.
I made my way back into the living room and placed the pills and sippy cup on the coffee table. Just as I placed them down, I heard the shower turn on. Good. They needed to get all the sickness germs off them.
Knowing they may be a bit longer, I decided to take a look around. One of the walls was covered in various framed photos. I walked closer, wanting to get a better look.
Almost all of the photographs were of Tristan and Ellery. Some of the pictures were of them in their princess dress and dragon onesie, striking various poses. Others were just selfies of them over the years and shots taken at craft events.
Both of them looked so incredibly happy. They shared a bond similar to the one Daniel and I had. They were more than just best friends; they were a family.
A familiar warmth spread through my chest, followed by a tinge of guilt.
If I were to do this, pursue Ellery, I needed to not only come out to them but also to Daniel.
I didn’t want Ellery to feel like they were keeping a secret, and it was well past time to let Daniel in and see all of me.
I suddenly wanted nothing more than to share my story with them and be a family, maybe even move in next door.
But there were things I had to do first, including making Ellery mine.
In the meantime, I was going to take care of Ellery and make sure they knew I always would, no matter what. Even if what I assumed was mutual attraction went nowhere, they were Daniel’s boy’s best friend; they’d always have a place in my life.
“Hey, I’m back.”
My head whipped to where Ellery’s voice came from the hallway. My thoughts were running so fast, I hadn’t even noticed the water had turned off.
“Welcome back. Feel better now you’re all nice and clean?”
Ellery nodded and came to stand beside me. “Yes, I still feel a bit weak, but the shower definitely helped wash off some of the funk.”
“I’m glad.” I smiled softly at them and then pointed at the wall of photos. “Sorry, I wasn’t trying to snoop.” I looked back at the wall, smiling when I noticed another picture. Both littles had their arms wrapped around one another, grinning from ear to ear. “You’re both so close.”
Ellery smiled. “We are. He’s like my brother.
I don’t have any contact with my genetic family, but they were never all that good anyway.
It worked out pretty great, though. I have Tristan and Daniel .
. .” Their cheeks heated, but they puffed their chest out, determined yet nervous. “And now I have you too.”
Damn. Their words nearly knocked me on my ass. I nodded, taking a deep breath and gathering my words. “That’s right, you do. Sometimes the best family is the one we make along the way.”
“Exact—” Their words were cut off by a loud yawn, making me chuckle. “Come on, sleepyhead, let’s get those meds so we can start your bedtime story.
They took their meds easily, and I couldn’t help but ruffle their hair, making them blush. “Good job, darling. Let’s get you that bedtime story.”
“Yay, thank you.”
“No need to thank me, I like taking care of you. Plus, you deserve it after taking all of those icky meds.”
Ellery’s blushing face was precious. They grabbed my hand and led me down the hall to their room. “Sorry, it’s kind of cramped in here. Sewing is amazing, but it takes up sooo much space.”
The room was an explosion of purple and pink and even soft shades of blue. There was a twin-size bed with a slim four-poster bed frame and a princess canopy. The frame was decorated with a sheer purple curtain that was covered in sparkles.
There was a tall dresser and a nightstand next to the bed, but the rest of the room was filled with sewing equipment.
There was a rack filled with dress bags, a table topped with a sewing machine and thread, and lots of storage boxes containing supplies and fabric.
Each box was labeled, and everything was well organized despite the small space.
“I hope to have more space eventually, but for now it works.”
“This is amazing. Everything is so well organized, and the princess bed is gorgeous. It looks comfy.”
Ellery’s face flushed at the mention of their bed, but maybe it wasn’t just the bed, so I decided to add, “It’s the perfect bed for a princess, isn’t it?”
Ellery made a choked sound as a visible shiver ran down their body. Fuck. They bit their lip, tugging it nervously between their teeth. “It is. It’s really comfy and makes me feel small and safe.”
“That’s wonderful, princess. You deserve that and so much more.
” Ellery’s body was practically vibrating, and their eyes were so full of heat it made my dick throb.
I needed to slow down. Tonight was about Ellery and helping them feel better.
Tomorrow, if they were feeling up for it, we needed to sit down and talk.
“Thank you, David.”
“You’re welcome, Ellie. Now, where are your books?”
Ellery smiled, seeming relieved at the change in topic. “They’re on the bottom shelf of my nightstand. Can you please pick one for me?”
The request made me feel like a king. Sure, it was just a book, but the fact that Ellery already felt so comfortable asking me for something and trusted me to choose for them was a heady feeling. “Of course, Princess Ellie, I’d be honored.”
Their smile was pure sunshine, but there was a hint of a smirk underneath. I had a feeling Ellery had a playful side to them that I had yet to see fully, and I couldn’t wait.
“Thank you, Daddy David.” That little brat.
They were totally getting back at me for the princess comment, and honestly, I couldn’t blame them.
I already thought Ellery was perfect, but damn, they just kept getting better.
I wasn’t into the super-bratty type, but Ellery wasn’t a brat.
I had no doubt they would brat out occasionally, but it wasn’t who they were.
They were the perfect combo of sweet and sassy, and it was addictive.