by L. Michael
“Fine. We won’t tell her. For now. But you will tell her when she’s back, okay?”
“Okay.”
I could live with that. It would still be wrong to tell her that Robert was about to walk free, but it was a better choice than to call her now. Maybe, there was no need to tell her at all. Maybe…I turned back to Ian.
“What’s going to happen at that hearing? Is there a chance that they keep him locked away?”
“It’s a hearing, that means people will speak on his behalf and yours.”
“Mine? But I’m officially dead.”
“Yes, but that doesn’t mean that people can’t speak for you,” Ian explained. “I know that the DA who worked on your case will be there. The cop who was first at the crime scene. The doctor from the hospital in Pinewood. And a Collin O’Rourke came forward as well.”
“Collin…”
I blinked and tried to remember the young boy, who was my first real friend. He lived just a mile or so through the woods. We were both strolling through the woods when we met. We were twelve. He was the first kid I’d ever seen, who didn’t live on the compound. For two years, we’d meet in the woods whenever we could. Collin brought me books from the real world. We talked about the differences between our families. He told me what his parents said about my family, and I shared what my family thought about outsiders. He opened my eyes and showed me a different point of view. He never pushed or said I was wrong. Collin was also my first kiss, which happened two days before I decided to get away from my family.
“He…he’s going to speak up for me?”
“Yes.” Ian nodded, and his lips formed a sad smile. “I spoke to the DA. Collin approached the DA and said that he was your best friend and that he knows why Robert…did what he did. He told the DA that he would do everything to make sure that Robert pays for what he did to you. He said that he still misses you and that someone should speak up for you. Someone who cared about you.”
“Oh.”
We were only fourteen when all the crap happened. To know that he cared about me…he must have been devastated when I died. I swallowed hard and tried to blink back tears. During the time where my family thought that I was finally old enough to learn everything about camaraderie, white supremacy, how to fight, or defend myself, Collin had been the only good thing in my life. For the first time in years, I thought about him and wondered what had happened to him. Was he happy? Did he still live in Pinewood? Did he ever get over the grief of losing me? The rest of Ian’s visit passed over my head as I mulled over my past.
Later that day, when Caden and I lay snuggled up in bed, Charlie curled up on his stomach, Caden gently turned my face so I could look at him.
“Tell me about Collin.”
“I don’t know what to say about him.”
“You seemed heartbroken when Ian mentioned him.”
Heartbroken? Yeah, maybe I was. Collin had been my first and only real friend. My first kiss and the first man I had feelings for. How could a person not be heartbroken when you lose that special connection?
“We met playing in the woods surrounding the compound. He was exploring and wanted a closer look at the compound. At first, he feared me because everyone had warned him about the people living there. But then he gave me a chance, and we became great friends…he taught me everything he learned in school. He brought me books about the holocaust and how it ended. He brought me books about all sorts of topics that my family thought were wrong. He…he showed me the world beyond the compound.”
“I’m sorry that you lost him.”
“I wish I could tell him that I’m alive. I wish I could make his grief go away.” Sighing, I cuddled closer into Caden's side, and that got me a kiss on the head. “I wish we could be friends again.”
Caden let me lean into his side and signed, “I’m sorry, that you can’t do that.” Caden kissed me again, and then he was quiet for a moment before he signed, “You still can have friends, Henry. Not Collin, but what about Sam? Or Josh? You need someone right now.”
Caden laid his finger on my lips and shook his head when I opened my mouth to reply that I had him.
“Not your Daddy, Baby Boy. Someone just for you. Think about it, if I mess up, who are you going to talk to about it?” Smart Daddy. He knew what I was going to say.
“You would never mess up.” Nope. Never. Yeah, ok, I admit that I knew that it was only a matter of time before he messed up and that Caden wasn’t a unicorn Daddy. But I wanted to believe that Caden was perfect.
“The point is that you need a friend, Henry. Why don’t we invite Jakob and Sam over for lunch tomorrow? Do you think you could give them a chance?”
Could I? I burrowed my head further into Caden’s side. When Ava had succeeded in dragging me to the Rainbow Room, years ago, I’d seen Jakob a couple of times. Then I did meet Sam the last time I was there. He seemed friendly and kind, and Caden had promised me that he only dug into my past because he cared. I shrugged again but then nodded. Maybe Caden was right. It would be nice to have a friend to talk to again.
Chapter 14
Caden
The next morning, Henry was not his usual playful and funny self. He didn’t even let me change him. Since Ian left, Henry was quiet. When I finished the dishes after breakfast, he wasn’t at the table. Charlie bolted towards me and yowled as if he was about to die. Little drama queen. Sighing, I closed the dishwasher and bent down and scratched his ears.
“He’s hiding, isn’t he?”
“Meow.”
“Yeah, I thought so.” I looked at the open door of the nursery and sighed again. Questions swirled in my head.
Was it wrong to invite Sam and Jakob over for lunch? Would another day have been better? Maybe dinner sometime during the week? Was it right to pressure Henry into a friendship with Sam?
Henry needed friends, and I was sure it would work out. Sam was a great guy. It was hard not to like him. He could be someone who would be there for Henry, someone who showed him that he wasn’t alone. Someone who could help me teach Henry that family is not about blood but about the people you choose.
“Caden?”
Henry’s small, shaking voice pulled me out of my thoughts. He stood in the door to the nursery. He was biting his lip, and his nose was wrinkled as if he was disgusted by something. Worried, I rushed over to him.
He was looking at the floor, so I signed, “What’s wrong?”
“Can I ask you something?”
“You can ask me anything, Henry.”
“Do you regret it? I mean, our weekend?”
“Come with me.” I took his hand and led him over to the sofa, and our blanket fort that sat unused behind. Looking at it, I felt sorry for him. All he had wanted was a weekend with his Daddy, and what he got was…well, some playtime and some cuddling. I sat down and gently pulled him with me. As soon as he sat on my lap, Henry cuddled into me, so I raised my hands and signed, “I don’t regret anything, Cupcake. I know that we had different plans for our weekend, but I don’t regret it.”
“I wanted to do so many things with you. Now, the weekend is almost over.” Henry sighed, sat back, and looked at me. “We didn’t even buy a cock cage.”
Oh, my little sex-driven Monkey. I laughed out loud and patted his diapered butt. Henry wrinkled his nose and stuck his lower lip out in an adorable pout.
“Henry, do you want this to be over after the weekend?”
“What? No.”
“Then why are you assuming that we’re not going to do all the things we wanted to do?” I raised my eyebrow, and Henry frowned. After a moment, a huge smile appeared on his face. The first since the visit from Ian. “How about this. We order one today, and when the package arrives tomorrow, I’ll come over for dinner.”
“Then, we’ll try the cock cage, right?”
“Yes, Cupcake. We’ll try it out. But only if you can be a good Boy for Daddy and leave the package closed until I arrive.” Henry's head bopped up and down, but when he o
pened his mouth to say something, I put my finger on his lips to stop him. “And if you try to enjoy our time with Jakob and Sam. Can you do that, Cupcake?”
The little brat grinned, stuck his tongue out, and licked my finger. “Yes, Daddy. Can we order it now? Please?”
As if I would wait any longer. I’d never met anyone so eager for a cock cage before, and his enthusiasm was addictive.
“Go get your computer, so we can…”
Henry hopped off my lap and nearly fell over Charlie, who hissed at him.
“Sorry, Charlie,” Henry shouted over his shoulder as he raced away.
“We’ll buy you a toy to play with,” I promised Charlie and gently picked him up to make sure Henry would not trip over him when he came rushing back.
There were grumbles and rustling from Henry’s writing area, and then a shout, “Got it.”
Henry raced back and sat down beside me, put his laptop on the coffee table, and opened the lid. “I know a site where we can get one. This is going to be so much fun.”
It would be interesting to see how long it would take for Henry to realize cock cages weren’t all fun and games. There was still a question I had, so I leaned over and gently tapped his shoulder to make him look at me.
“Are you okay, Henry? You were quiet this morning, and you hid in your nursery. Now you’re all…”
“I’m fine now. I just…” Henry sighed and shrugged. “I think when I woke up, I just realized that it’s Sunday already. I was so happy when you called Friday and said that you would come here earlier. Now it feels like I missed out on two days, you know. Then I wondered, if…if, you regretted it, and I was scared of your answer.”
“I meant what I said earlier. I don’t regret anything, and I’m not running away just because of your past. Being a Daddy means to be there and to help in bad times, too. I’m not a good-times-only Daddy, Henry.”
“I guess I was just scared to lose you. I just found you.”
“Oh, Henry.” Leaning over, I gently pulled him back onto my lap. Then I cupped his face in my hands and kissed him. Trying to put everything I felt for him into it, I deepened the kiss quickly. My sweet Boy held onto me and moaned, which was my signal to stop. Making sure that he was focused enough to watch my lips, I smiled at him. “I promise you won’t lose me because of your family, Henry. I can’t even think of a single reason why you could lose me right now.”
“You could die in a car crash. Or get struck by lightning. What if you fall from a ladder and…”
“Shh, Cupcake. Stop that.” In college, I took some psychology classes, so I knew where those thoughts were coming from. But hearing Henry speak his fears that tore at my heart. “One day I’m going to die, Henry, there is no need to lie about that. I will die from old age or have an accident. But to be honest, I know that no matter what happens, I will die a very happy man. I was blessed to meet you and to have you in my life. I will cherish all our time together. Do you understand?”
Henry looked at me, his eyes filled with tears and wonder. Then he nodded. “Yes. Only death can separate us.”
“My little writer.” Smiling, I kissed him again. “Now that we established that, how about we look at the cages. I think you need a reminder that I’m your Daddy and that I will always be your Daddy?”
“Did you just say that you love me?”
“Oh, please, give me some credit. I may not be a writer with the perfect words, but I would never say it like this.” Henry giggled, and then he kissed me.
“You love me.”
“Cock cages. Now.”
“Shouldn’t we call it a love cage?”
“After a week, you’re going to call it a torture device.”
“Wait? What?” Henry’s eyes grew big. “A whole week? You wouldn’t do that.”
“Who knows?”
Grinning, I shrugged and leaned forward so I could reach his laptop. Opening his internet browser, I could still feel him staring at me, but I kept my eyes focused on the computer—no need to give away all my secrets.
Two hours later, we’d ordered two different cock cages, three plugs in various sizes, a cock ring, and some silk rope. Henry’s interest in the silk rope caught me by surprise, and who was I to deny him the experience. To be honest, the image of Henry bound to the bed with silk rope…yeah, well. Of course, I ordered it for him. Not to mention that I would buy him everything he wanted. It would be a joy to spoil him to see that smile on his face and the wonder in his eyes.
By the time I closed the lid of the laptop and sat back, Henry was wiggling on my lap. Grabbing his hips, I gently turned him so that he could straddle me.
“Feeling better now, Baby?”
Henry sighed deeply and shrugged. “Kind of?”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“I think I do feel better, but now I’m horny.”
Laughing, I shook my head. “Is that so?”
“Yes.” To prove his point, Henry rubbed his diapered butt over my groin. “Daddy?”
“Yes, Cupcake?”
“Do we have time for a special change?”
I glanced at my watch. It was a few minutes after ten, and Jakob and Sam wouldn’t be here until eleven. Deciding to tease him a little bit, I let my hands roam to his back, cupping his butt.
“I don’t know, do you need a change?”
“I need a special change, Daddy.”
Then he started to move his hips again, and I groaned. Now I was the one who’d prefer to cancel the lunch date. My cock was rock hard, and I wanted to do way more than just give him a special change.
“I think you need a shower?”
“A shower?” Henry wrinkled his nose. “I’m not dirty, and I don’t smell. I don’t, do I?”
Shrugging, I bent forward and sniffed at his neck. Henry erupted into a fit of giggles, and I did it again. Then I leaned back and made sure that he could read my lips.
“Nope, you smell perfect. I still think you need a shower.”
“But…oh. Oh.” Henry's eyes widened, and he groaned. “A special shower?”
“Very special, Cupcake.” Tapping his hip, I encouraged him to get up. “Come on. We have thirty minutes.”
Grinning, I watched Henry scramble of my lap and hurry to the bathroom. I rearranged my hard-on while I watched his cute butt disappear behind the door. Oh yes, this shower was going to be special. Wondering if Henry would wait for me, I went after him. Sure enough, my sweet Boy stood in the middle of the bathroom, dancing from one foot to the other.
“Naked, please, Daddy.”
“Good job, waiting for your Daddy, Cupcake.”
Before I undressed him, I walked to the large walk-in shower and turned the water on. By the time I had my Boy naked, the water should be warm enough for us to enjoy it. Behind me, Henry made an impatient sound. That didn’t rush me. Even though I knew Henry needed this, I kept an eye on the clock to make sure we weren’t interrupted.
“What’s a special shower, Daddy?” Henry asked, as soon as I turned around and walked back over to him. Grinning, I kissed his nose before I answered.
“A shower where Daddy gets to wash you very…” I lifted the hem of his shirt. “Very…” Henry raised his arms, and I pulled it over his head. As soon as his beautiful face reappeared, I kissed him on the lips. “Thoroughly.”
“Wow.” His pupils dilated, and his voice was barely a whisper. Guessing that I’d lose his concentration on lipreading, I stayed silent while I undressed him. When I opened the tapes of his diaper, his cock sprang free, and Henry moaned. “Does thoroughly include my willy?”
“Yes, Cupcake.”
“And my balls?”
“Yes, Cupcake,” I repeated and grinned when he shivered.
“And my…”
Laughing, I stood up, cupped his checks, and waited till I had his full attention. “You know exactly what thoroughly means and now get into the shower, while I undress, my little sex-driven Monkey.”
“I’m not a s
ex-driven Monkey.”
“No? So, you don’t want me to wash your willy and your balls?”
“Only if you want them to explode.” I blinked at his statement, and then I burst into laughter when Henry continued, “I wonder how you would explain that to a cop. Sorry, Jakob, but I have to cancel because I made my Boy’s balls explode, and now I have to bury the corpse.”
“If you keep talking, instead of getting in the shower, I’m not responsible for your exploding balls.”
“On my way.” Henry wiggled out of my grasp and rushed into the shower. “Just hurry, I’ll get started.”
I opened my mouth to call after him not to touch his willy, but it was pointless. Henry couldn’t hear me. He had already turned his back to me. The only way to stop him from touching himself was to shrug my clothes off in record time and join him.
Sure enough, when I stepped up behind him and looked over his shoulder, his hand was wrapped around his hard cock. Carefully, so as not to spook him, I reached around and grabbed his wrist. A desperate moan escaped his lips. He turned around and blinked up at me.
“No touching without permission, Henry.”
“Like all the time?”
“Yes, like all the time. This willy is Daddy’s to play with.” To punctuate my words, I wrapped my hand around his cock and gently stroked it.
“But…” Henry moaned again, and for a moment, I thought he’d lost his concentration on lip-reading, but then he blinked. “But what about…when you’re not here?”
“That’s what the cage is for, right?”
“Oh. Oh, yes.”
Precum leaked over my hand and made me moan. Henry was the first man interested in more than just age play, and the thought of Henry’s cock locked up for me…I shivered under the hot spray.
“You still reading my lips?” Henry blinked a couple of times but nodded. “You like the thought of being locked up for Daddy, right?”
“Y-yes.”
“Have you ever imagined how your diaper would feel around your caged willy?” Henry’s head shook so quickly that I feared he would give himself whiplash. But his eyes stayed focused on my lips, and I could feel his cock twitch in my hands. “Whenever you move, your diaper will brush over the cage and remind you who your willy belongs to.”