Chapter 7 #2
When we reached the loudest part of the house, he opened a door to reveal a large space decked out with everything a Little or Middle could want.
There were video consoles off to one side, a pool table, and arcade-style games against the wall.
On the other side were play tables with various coloring books and small toys.
There was a mat that several boys were lying on, running cars across.
I could see a small kitchen station set up, and it looked as if one of the men was measuring out snacks.
I smiled at the man who had led me there. "Thank you for bringing me. Where is the host? I would like to thank them for being so kind."
He pointed to a young man seated on a familiar face's lap.
"Jake Bellport," I said, voice full of wonder. The man was a legend. While he wasn’t an athlete, he was one of the people pushing hardest for the queer sports community.
He owned the local hockey team and had two partners in a poly relationship.
The man I recognized who Jake happened to be sitting on was Maddox, one of his men.
I didn't see Leon, their other partner, though I suspected he was here as well.
I took off in Jake's direction. When he spotted me, his eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands.
Maddox tightened his arms around Jake's waist, whispering something in his ear that made Jake's eyes widen.
I smirked, because the one interaction left no doubt these two were definitely Daddy and Boy, which meant Maddox and Leon were good at handling someone rambunctious.
As much as Jake's reputation for being an advocate was well-known, he was also said to be chaotic.
"Hi! Jake, right?"
He stood, keeping one of his hands linked with Maddox's. "Yes, hi, I'm Jake Bellport. And you’re Paxton, right? Princess Aster said you would be coming."
"That's me," I said, not commenting on the fact I’d only just been told about this party yet Princess Aster had managed to RSVP for me. "Thank you for letting me join. I didn't expect to meet any other people in the lifestyle on this trip."
Jake nodded quickly. "Yeah, you probably didn't, and that's fair. But to be honest, it is totally okay that you're here. We are a welcoming group. We're always looking for new Daddies to add. Do you have a boy that will be coming with you, or a Little perhaps?"
I shook my head, my smile drooping a bit. "I wish. There's someone I've had in mind, but I don't even know if he's kinky. We barely know each other, if I'm being honest."
Jake reached out his free hand to touch my shoulder. "Hey, don't get down about it. I had no idea that my Daddies would be Daddies when I convinced them to come here."
Maddox stepped up behind him then, his hands moving to grip Jake's waist. "Is 'convinced' what we're calling it? How about coercion? Blackmail? Trickery?"
Jake swatted at his chest. "Oh, you are so full of it, Daddy. You know you love that I brought you here. Your enemy is now your lover."
Maddox rolled his eyes as Jake cackled.
I looked around the room to see if this was normal behavior or if I had happened upon something unexpected.
No one turned at the sound. It was as if they were used to Jake being loud, and at the end of the day, no one really even cared.
I actually liked that—the idea that people could be themselves and feel comfortable without any type of scrutiny.
As I took in all the different faces, some familiar and others not, I came across one that stopped me cold. I couldn't help but stare. There was no way, no chance, that this was happening.
Jake waved his hand in my face, drawing my attention back to him. "Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost. Is there someone here you don't like?" he whispered. "That would be super awkward, right?"
“It’s not someone I don’t like. It’s… the Little. The one I just told you I didn’t know if he was kinky or not.”
“He’s here?!?” Jake pressed himself into my side.
I swallowed, my throat tight from what I was seeing. Grizzly, the big, beautiful man I’d been obsessed with was here, at this party, holding a stuffy and playing with other men who were clearly Little as well.
“Yes, he’s here. And I’m losing my shit over it.”
Jake snorted, then quickly covered his mouth. Maddox pulled him away from me, then gave me a look of understanding. Daddy to Daddy, he got where my head was.
“You should go talk to him. Make it known why you’re here, so he doesn’t panic when he sees you. I’m sure together you can navigate this new development.”
His words should have been a comfort. He was speaking from experience, though his situation with Jake was definitely different in that his boy already wanted him, meaning Maddox only had to work out his side of the equation. I had a feeling that wasn’t the case here.
Grizzly had been completely professional. He didn’t appear interested in me at all.
I took a deep breath. When I let it out, I allowed determination to fill me up. It was now or never.
Slowly, as to not scare anyone, I walked through the moving bodies toward the area where Grizzly sat in a beanbag chair. The thing was huge and fluffy, making the man look small in a way I immediately loved. I would be getting one of these for him if he became mine.
I was almost to him when one of the boys looked my way. He stopped talking mid-sentence. That, of course, drew all eyes my way.
When Grizzly turned, I noticed he was also wearing glasses. I’d missed that detail from across the room. Likely because I was stunned to see him at all.
Now that I was closer, I could appreciate him in his Little form. He had on an oversized shirt, a pair of shorts, and some soft slippers with clouds on top.
He was fucking precious.
Kneeling down beside him, I smiled at his nervous expression. “Hi there, Grizzly. I’m so glad we ran into each other. I’d gone to look for you this morning but missed you. Must be fate that brought us here.”
Grizzly remained silent even after I finished. I worried he wasn’t even going to breathe, but then the guy who’d been talking poked Grizzly’s arm.
“It’s not nice to be quiet. My Daddy says it’s rude. Tell him hi back,” the young man said before turning to me. “I’m Finn. Who are you?”
I smiled at him. “My name is Paxton. My friend Doyle told me that Princess Aster heard about this party. He thought it would be good for me to find other Daddies in the area since I might be moving here.”
That got Grizzly moving again. He choked out a garbled, “You’re a Daddy?”
Hearing the word from his mouth was like a shot of serotonin. I immediately wanted to hear it again. But right now, my boy needed reassurance. He needed to understand me seeing him this way wasn’t a problem at all.
“I am. It’s been something I’ve explored for a few years now.” I paused, wondering if it was too forward to ask my next question. “How long have you been a Little? Is your Daddy here?”
Grizzly’s eyes widened. “No… I… no have…”
“He doesn’t have a Daddy yet. Grizzly is still shy. He has lotsa uncles though,” Finn replied.
“I see. Well, that’s good to hear. Maybe you and I can play together some time since neither of us have someone. It looks like everyone else here is paired up.”