by Jayda Marx
“I’ll take these to the laundromat tomorrow,” Israel said as he rested the plastic bag he carried onto a pile of dirty laundry on the floor. I placed my own bag on top of the cabinets and Israel gave me a pretty smile.
“Thank you for walking me home. It was nice to not be so scared.”
Everything Israel said was so sweet, yet laced with a little sadness that got me right in the gut. “It was my pleasure.” I enjoyed getting to know him on our little stroll. "If you get ready for bed, I'll get you tucked in for sleep."
"Really?" At my nod, he hustled into the bathroom and after a few minutes, returned with his teeth brushed and all ready for bed. I would've liked to help him with his routine, but I didn't want to push too far.
I pulled back the blanket draped over his bed and patted the thin, lumpy mattress. "Climb in." Israel crawled into bed and rested his head on his pillow, hugging his rabbit toy close to his chest. I tucked his blanket tightly around both of them and asked, "Would you like to hear a story?"
His eyes sparkled as he nodded excitedly. "I'd love to!"
I sat down on the edge of his bed and thought for a few moments; I'd dreamed of this moment for so long and I wanted to get it right. Finally I began, "Once upon a time, there was a handsome prince named Izzy."
"I like this story already."
I chuckled and combed my fingers through his hair. He didn't even flinch when I exposed his ear, and my heart warmed. He was comfortable with my presence and touch, and confident that I wouldn't think less of his imperfection.
"Prince Izzy and his trusty rabbit-" I paused the story to ask, "What's your rabbit's name?"
He inspected his toy for a moment before answering, "Flopsy."
I smiled and told him, "That's a great name."
"Thanks."
I cleared my throat and continued, "Prince Izzy and his trusty rabbit Flopsy decided to go berry picking. Izzy had heard that there was a huge crop of blackberry bushes inside the forest and decided to visit because they were Flopsy's favorite snack."
"They ventured into the woods and followed a path that wound past trees and wildflowers, and they jumped on rocks to cross a small creek. But soon, the path disappeared. The trees became thicker and blocked the sun, so the sky grew darker. Izzy was scared; he and Flopsy were lost."
Israel's eyes were wide and his grip was tight on the blanket covering him. My intention wasn't to scare him, so I moved the story towards its happy ending.
"Just when Izzy wondered how they would ever get home, he saw something moving ahead of him. He thought it might be a fox or a bear, but he was happy to discover that it was a traveller named Niko."
Israel interrupted by cupping his hand around his mouth and whispering, "You forgot to say handsome traveller."
"Forgive me," I replied with a smile, and then corrected, "He was happy to discover that it was a handsome traveller named Niko." Israel nodded his approval. "Niko asked the prince, 'Why do you look so sad?' and Izzy told him all about the blackberry crop and getting lost."
"'Don't worry,' Niko told them, 'I know exactly where the berries are. You've just gone off the path; follow me'. And so, Izzy and Flopsy followed Niko further into the woods until they reached a clearing. The sun shone down on bushes full of the biggest berries Izzy had ever seen; some were as big as his thumb. And they were the sweetest fruit he'd ever eaten."
"Once the three of them ate delicious berries until their stomachs were full, Izzy turned to Niko and said, 'Thank you for helping us find our way. I don't know what we would've done without you. I want to give you a gift to repay you for your kindness. As prince, I can offer you anything; money, jewels, a room in my castle...tell me the desire of your heart and you shall have it."
"What did he choose?" Israel asked, hanging on my every word.
"Niko replied, 'I don't need riches or castles, for I have my own. My heart holds one desire over all others; you. I long to not only call you mine, but to share a very special relationship with you. I want to hold and protect you; to care for you in every way. I will cook for you, sing to you, bathe you, buy you toys and watch you play. Because I want to be more than your partner, lover or best friend. I want to be your Daddy, and spend my days taking care of my little one'."
The way Israel's eyes glistened with moisture told me that he understood my desires weren't confined only to the story. I put all of my cards on the table and asked him, "And what was Izzy's answer?"
"Yes," he replied in a whisper. "He said yes." Israel sat up quickly and threw his arms around my neck. I squeezed him tightly, running my hand up and down his back. "I've read about Daddies who take care of their boys and don't think they're silly for liking toys or stories or bath time, but I didn't think I'd ever meet one. And I never believed one would want me."
"Believe it," I said into his curly hair. "I want you with everything I am."
"I want you too." My heart fluttered in my chest as he sat upright. "How did you know that I'd like my bunny and a story? How did you know that I wanted a Daddy so, so much?"
How could I explain Fate's pairing and our perfect match without telling my identity? I feared it would be too much for one night. Instead, I smiled down at him and said, "I've been waiting a very long time to find my special boy. When I saw how sweet and beautiful you were, I hoped with everything inside me that you would agree to be mine."
Israel threw himself on me again, and I chuckled as I patted his back. He rose up again and began firing off questions. "What if I'm not good at being your boy? I've never been anyone's boy before; I've never even been anyone's boyfriend before. I was always too afraid my father would find out and punish me...especially if he knew what I wanted to do with a man. Does that bother you? What if I don't know what to do? When will I be little? What if I don't want to be big? What if you change your mind? How can I make you happy?"
"Shh, shh, little one," I soothed. "You don't have to worry about a thing. Daddy is here to take care of you now." It was the most incredible sentence I'd ever spoken. "It doesn't bother me that you aren't experienced; if anything, it makes things more special between us. I'll show you everything, and you don't have to wonder about how to make me happy; you thrill me by just being yourself."
"You can be little as often as you like; you're a grown man and can choose the headspace that makes you happiest. There's no shame in what you want, and life is all about finding what gives you joy. You never have to worry that it's too much for me. I've known that I'm a Daddy and a caregiver nearly all of my life and those are things that aren't going to change." I combed through his hair again and checked, "Did I answer all of your questions?"
Israel nodded. "But I think I'll have a hundred more."
"I'm happy to answer them all, but right now, you need sleep." I patted his pillow and he lay back down, cuddling his toy. I'd love to cuddle him as well, but didn't want to push beyond his comfort level. Instead, I'd stand guard at his front door all night to ensure his safety. "You rest well, and then I'll come back and we can get some breakfast together in the morning."
Izzy's eyes popped open wide. "Like a date?" I nodded and his smile stretched from ear to ear. "Oh, yes! A breakfast date with my Daddy!" My stomach somersaulted at the name on his lips. It was worth the 694 year wait.
"That's right. We'll go anywhere you like."
"I'm going to go to sleep really fast so it will be morning quicker."
I laughed out loud, letting the joy bubbling within me dance around the room. "I'm excited too."
But our excitement died away when shouting rose up from somewhere in the distance, leaking through the thin walls of his apartment building. Curses and threats flew freely between two male voices, and Izzy gripped his blanket.
"It's okay," I told him gently. "No one is going to bother you." I'd make sure of that personally.
Izzy's sweet call of, "Daddy?" tore my eyes away from the wall from which the shouting came from. When I turned to him, I found his expression full of worry and need.
"Will…will you stay with me tonight?"
It meant the world to me that this man who was skittish about most things sought comfort from me. He trusted me even if he didn't understand why; our souls were already forming a bond. We were meant to be together and the pull between us was so strong that even his human body was responding.
I thought for a moment about pulling him from his bed to take him to my own home and away from this environment, but it would take a long while to cross town at human speed. Plus, it was already past what I thought was an appropriate bedtime for my boy.
When I answered, "There's nothing in this world I want more," Izzy's face lit up and he pulled down his blanket, offering me the space beside him. "Is it okay for me to take these off so I'm more comfortable?" I tugged at the fabric of my jeans, and Izzy swallowed thickly as he nodded.
The shouting died away as I slipped off my shoes and socks. I tucked my earpiece and mic into my pocket, and then removed my pants and sweater until I stood before him in just a pair of tight black boxer briefs.
"Oh yum," he whispered, and then his eyes widened, he made a squeaky sound, and threw the blanket over his head to hide. Apparently, he hadn't meant to say it out loud.
He was so goddamn adorable, but also in distress, so I scrubbed my smile away with my hand and sat on the edge of the mattress. I requested, “Izzy, please look at me,” but he just shook his head beneath the blanket. “Why not?”
“I’m too embarrassed,” was his muffled reply.
“Because you think my body is yummy?” Israel groaned and I couldn’t help but laugh. “Please don’t be embarrassed; I’m flattered. I want you to enjoy my body.”
He lowered the blanket so that one pretty eyeball looked out at me. “Yeah?”
“Of course I do. As much as I want to be your Daddy and care for you, I also want a romantic relationship with you. Is that what you want?” I wasn’t worried about his answer, judging by how excited he was for a date.
“It is!” Izzy pulled down the blanket a little more, showing both eyes and his nose.
“I’m glad. And part of that is enjoying and loving on each other’s bodies.” My cock thickened at the thought of getting my hands on Israel and making him feel good.
The blanket inched down until his mouth and chin popped out. “Do you like my body?”
“I think it’s delicious,” I told him with a wink.
“But you haven’t seen it yet. What if it’s covered in hairy moles or something?”
I laughed as I shook my head. “It wouldn’t matter. You’d still be the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen.”
“I don’t have hairy moles,” he assured me, and I snorted another laugh. “I do have a gross belly button, though.”
“Nothing about you could be gross,” I argued, but he nodded his head quickly.
“My mom said it was mutated.”
For the love. A head pike is too good for that woman. “May I see?”
He thought for several moments before finally nodding and agreeing, “Okay.” I pulled the blanket down to his hips, but allowed him to raise his sweatshirt up a few inches.
His abdomen was smooth and slim, and I could make out the bumps of his hip bones through his skin. Right in the center of his stomach was a precious little bump of a belly button. “Izzy, there’s nothing mutated about this; it’s an outie. Lots of people have them.”
“Really?” he asked in surprise. How a parent could let their child live their life thinking they were disfigured, and then actually disfiguring them by chopping off their fucking ear was beyond me. But Izzy had me now, and I’d never make him feel anything but beautiful.
“Really. And this happens to be the cutest outie in the world.” I booped the knot with my finger, making him giggle.
He pulled down his shirt and gave me a sweet smile. “Thank you, Daddy.”
My heart damn near exploded with happiness; Izzy was sliding effortlessly into his little headspace. It was no wonder, since his parents sucked ass and left him afraid of so many things and in need of a tender touch. Still, I was thrilled with how quickly things were progressing.
Vampires knew their mate instantly and instinctively, fell in love immediately, and cemented their bond as quickly as possible to begin their life together. When a human was involved, things tended to move a bit slower, unless the human was aware and receptive of vampire culture. Though Israel wasn’t well versed in our ways and maybe even a bit nervous about a relationship in itself, he was open and ready to explore.
I was more than ready to experience everything with my true love, but I’d be as patient as he needed me to be. That didn’t mean, however, that I wouldn’t check to see what he was ready for. Lying there with his curls fanned out around his face and his pretty smile, he was impossible to resist.
I cupped his cheek and caressed my thumb back and forth over his smooth skin. His pouty lips beckoned to me, and I asked, “Have you ever been kissed, little one?” His smile vanished when he swallowed hard and then slowly shook his head left to right. My pulse raced at Fate’s precious gift; Israel was only and forever mine. “May I give you your first one?”
He barely whispered the word, “Please.”
I slowly descended on him as my heart beat wildly behind my ribcage. I kept my gaze on his until the moment our mouths touched, and then my eyes instinctively closed with pleasure. His lips were soft and warm against mine, and they vibrated when he gave a quiet hum.
I kissed him gently but thoroughly, tasting every inch of his lips and fighting the urge to plunge my tongue into his mouth before pulling away. When I opened my eyes, I found that Israel's were still closed, and his lips were parted slightly.
His eyelids fluttered open and he asked in a whisper, "Can I have one more?"
"You can have as many as you like," I answered with a smile, and pressed our lips together again. I pecked and nibbled his plump flesh, but just when I moved to slide my tongue across his lips, a second round of shouting leaked through the walls and Israel flinched, jerking away from me.
"Sorry," he offered quietly. "I don't like yelling." I wondered how much he'd had to endure in his lifetime.
"It's okay, little one." I climbed onto the small mattress beside him and pulled him close. After covering us both up, I patted my chest and Izzy rested his head upon it. "Daddy's got you," I told him, the words filling my heart and warming my soul. I cupped my hand over his exposed ear to block out his neighbors' noise and hummed a lullaby he'd hear through my chest to soothe him. Izzy nuzzled closer to me. Vampires can not use their gift of persuasion on their mates in order to ensure free will, or else I would help Izzy off to sleep.
Even with only the quiet tune to relax him, my mate was snoozing in a few minutes, his breath fanning across my skin. Once the yelling subsided, I shimmied to the side of the bed and leaned over to grab my phone out of my jeans pocket. Izzy was a heavy sleeper and didn't even stir from my movement.
I dialed the number for my closest friend Jett, who answered on the first ring, "Tell me all about him."
I smiled widely and replied, "I suppose word travels fast." I imagined that Soren and Remus filled him in when they returned to the coven house. "It was incredible; we were tracking a rogue pack and I found him hiding. He's timid and nervous, but we made an instant connection and he asked me to stay with him tonight; not in a sexual way, but just holding him is better than all the sex of my life combined. His name is Israel and he's… fuck, he's perfect, Jett. He's gorgeous and sweet and he's in desperate need of a Daddy; his parents were total garbage and mistreated him all of his life. He needs someone to protect him and soothe his fears. He's everything I've been waiting for and more."
Jett chuckled goodnaturedly on the other end of the line; it was unlike me to gush, but I couldn't help myself. "I'm really happy for you, Nikolai. You deserve it."
"So do you. I hope you find your own mate soon." Jett was younger than I was, but had still waited for his match for centuries. Like me, he wa
s a Daddy, though he was looking for a different type of little. While my ideal boy was shy and in need, Jett's match would be strong and confident, but searching for an escape and naughty times. "May I ask you for a favor?"
"Of course. What can I do?"
"I hope to bring Izzy to my home soon, but it's not suitable for him. Could you please help get the space ready?" It was too difficult to have a room prepared for a little just to see it sitting empty. I never brought men home into my space; I wanted that to be a special experience with my mate. I'd had bedmates, but shied away from relationships or playing with another boy.
Jett was a bit different; he had a few boys he played with frequently, but they all understood that nothing was exclusive or romantic. When Jett found his mate, ties would be cut and he'd long for no one else.
"Sure," he replied cheerfully. "I'll get your place ready for Israel." I trusted Jett to take care of everything; he was like a brother to me. He had a copy of my apartment key for emergencies, and could easily slip in and prepare the space. "What sort of things does he like?"
I looked down at the sleeping man in my arms, smiling at the way he hugged his toy rabbit close to him. "Soft things; I'd like him surrounded with things that make him feel safe."
"You got it. Do you need clothes, too? Or do you have those already?”
“I need a few outfits for him; I want to buy him more as soon as possible, but if you could stock him with some clothing in size small, I would appreciate it greatly.”
“Don't worry about a thing; I'll stock your place for when you bring your mate home." Everyone in the coven had vast resources and I knew he'd spare no expense. A master vampire finding his beloved was a reason to celebrate; bonding with their true love and completing their heart and soul made a master stronger and keener to lead their coven even better.