by Mia Monroe
Legend’s hands rub across my belly. “Is there more?”
I nod. “I went on some dates here, looking for that elusive perfect Daddy. There was a very dominant man. I thought maybe he could be the guy, but I quickly learned he wanted absolute submission. He asked me to stay with him for a weekend to show me, and I agreed.” I shake my head. “It was awful. Sexually, I’m submissive. Obviously. But in my day-to-day life, I like to have some say, but he didn’t want that. He wanted me to sleep in a cage, and be fed by him.”
“A cage?”
“Yeah. He had this big crate thing with a mattress and blankets. It was at the foot of his bed. He liked his boys to sleep in there. Boys were possessions to him, not people.”
“Did something bad happen to you?”
“No. By Saturday night, I was so stressed. I knew that wasn’t for me, but I didn’t know how to assert myself. My consent wasn’t something he was interested in. We went to bed that night, and as I lay there awake, I found the courage I needed to stand up for myself. I got up and packed my things. It was barely morning when I woke him and told him I was leaving. He was mean about it and told me I was a shitty boy and no Daddy would want me. I think I kind of believed him, but I left.”
“That’s good. Very good.”
“I was proud of myself.” I sit up, twisting around so I can face him. “I was glad I met him because that experience taught me to speak up. When I met you, I thought I would remember that lesson, but I wanted you so much, I would have done anything for you. Literally, anything.”
Legend nods, watching me with affectionate eyes.
“And then you taught me another lesson. You showed me how a Daddy should be. You respected me as a person and asked about my limits. You didn’t let me go too far. You’ve shown me what a healthy relationship looks like. Even when I start to rely on bad habits, you gently pull me back. For years, you were a dream, a fantasy in my head, but actually, you’re everything I want and need in real life too.” I wipe away a tear, smiling. “Thank you, Legend, for helping me see myself differently. I am beautiful and talented, and, um, I’m a good boy.”
“Aw, Bentley, you’re a perfect boy for me.” He takes my hands in his. “Why don’t we get out of here and talk in bed?”
I nod. “Okay, Daddy.”
After drying off, we lie in bed together, facing each other. Legend has a beautiful smile on his face as he brushes my hair from my forehead.
“Can I tell you a story?” he asks.
I nod. “Please.”
“I was twenty-four when I discovered the Daddy lifestyle. A friend of mine saw it in me and invited me to a party. There was this boy there that I took to. We spent the night and then the weekend and then months together, and I learned how to embrace this part of me. I experimented with different aspects, trying to find my place.”
“Did you love him?”
“No. It was just...sexual. It was a few more years before I started to bring that side of me into my work. That also allowed me to explore my boundaries even further. Unfortunately, I attracted boys looking for someone domineering and strict, but I wanted to be doting and spoil them. It resulted in a lot of frustrating outcomes.”
I nod, just listening.
“Then I met Arian, and, at first, it seemed like I had found my match. He was beautiful, yes, but he was also sweet, and I thought he loved me. I fell hard and fast, and I was so blinded. All I wanted was his happiness. The more popular we got, the more he changed, but I was so wrapped up in him at that point, I just…” He shrugs. “I just went along with it.”
“That’s when the rough Daddy stuff started?”
Legend nods. “We did one scene and it blew up. Arian latched on to that. He comes from a bad background, and all he wanted was fame and money. The more I pushed back, the more we fought, but then the cameras would roll, and I would fall in line. I was complicit. I liked the money and attention too. When the cameras went away, I would be left feeling empty and used.”
“That’s sad.”
“It is. It all fell apart the day I reached my limit. I hated the scene, but I hated myself more for allowing it. I tried to reason with him, but he couldn’t see anything but the fans and the money. He purposely tried to destroy me, and I thought it worked. I walked away, gave up a twenty-year career, refused to date. I didn’t trust myself anymore. I couldn’t imagine sifting through boy after boy to find the right one.”
“Yeah.”
“And then you showed up. Like a rainbow after a rainstorm. You were this bright spot in what had become a life covered in fog. I couldn’t see my future, but then you came to show it to me.”
My stomach tightens as my breath hitches. “Really?”
“I’ll be honest. I expected a few pleasant fucks and that’s it.” He smiles. “But spending time with you was addictive. You made me feel like myself again. You reminded me who I was before Arian. Remember that script I told you about?”
“Yes.”
“You tore it up. I made you stand in front of the mirror to see your beauty. You made me stop hiding behind a mistake. You make me want to step up and be the man and the Daddy you need. Your smile cleared the fog and left hope and happiness in its place.”
“Daddy,” I whisper.
His brow furrows. “I don’t want you to feel any pressure, but I do want to be honest with you. I…”
I grip his hands. Is he going to tell me he loves me? Could he? That would be the most amazing thing ever.
“Bentley...I want this with you so much it leaves me breathless sometimes. There’s a little part of me still afraid to trust this, but every day I whittle away at it.” He cups my cheek. “I’m falling for you, sweet, precious boy. Slowly, you’ve put my heart and my dreams back together. I want us to last forever.”
I blink rapidly. He didn’t say love, but that was damn close.
“I want that too.”
He smiles. “Good.”
I scoot closer for a sweet kiss that quickly turns heated as Legend pulls me on top of him. I want to tell him that I’m insanely in love with him, but I know that will come in time. For now, I let my thoughts drift away, overcome by the feel of Legend’s tongue tangling with mine, his strong hands gripping my back as if he’s afraid I’ll fall if he doesn’t hold me tight, his hardening cock pressing against my thigh.
He rolls us over so I’m on my back and he’s gazing down at me. “You’re so beautiful.”
I smile. “Yes, Daddy. I’m beautiful.”
The smile my response causes is all I ever need. Seeing Legend happy and relaxed is my crack. Being the source of that is the force that pumps blood through my veins. He is my world, but somehow, I haven’t lost my balance. In fact, he’s given me a firm place to stand.
When he enters me, it’s sweet and slow, unlike most of our dirty, gritty sessions. He holds me close, kissing me, whispering words of praise until I’m on the verge of tears. His body is a perfect complement to mine. I fit against him as if I was created just for this—just for him. He draws me to my release, gently dragging me over the edge, and as I fall, smiling happily, his name dances across my lips.
“Legend.” I run my hands down his back. “Perfect Daddy.”
He smiles. “Perfect boy.”
“Bentley?”
I open my eyes, blinking to focus on Legend. “Hmm? It’s still dark.”
“Your phone is buzzing, baby.”
“Oh.” I reach for it on the nightstand, but I sit up when I see the name. “Finn? What’s wrong?”
“Shit. It’s early there, isn’t it? Did I wake you?”
“Doesn’t matter. Is something wrong?”
“He died two hours ago.” His voice cracks, tearing at my heart.
“Aw, Finny. I’m sorry.”
He sniffs. “I didn’t think I would cry, you know? I knew it was coming. The last couple of weeks were hard to see him. It’s still hard.”
“Of course it is. It’s okay to cry.”
�
�I need you. I feel so lost and alone right now. There are so many questions, and I don’t know what to do.”
“I’ll find a flight right away. I’ll get there as soon as I can, okay?”
“Thank you.”
“Where are you right now?”
“Just got back to my apartment from the hospital.”
“Okay. Stay there. You don’t have to make any decisions today.”
“Okay. I can do that. Thanks, Bents.”
“Of course.”
I hang up, rubbing my forehead. “Finn’s dad passed away. He’s a mess. I have to get to Ohio as soon as possible.”
Legend nods. “I’ll look online for a flight while you pack and shower.”
“Can you come?”
His eyes widen. “Come to Ohio?”
I nod. “I don’t know how to help Finn. I don’t want to go by myself. You could meet my family too if you don’t hate that idea.”
His features soften. “Is that what you want?”
“Very much, and I want Finn to know he has a place here in LA. I could help him find an apartment and work and stuff.”
“He could stay here for a while. We have space.”
My heart beats hard in my chest. “Really?”
“Really.” Legend smiles. “It sounds like he needs a soft place to land for a bit.”
“You’re too good, Legend.”
“Why? Because I want to make my boy happy and help a friend?”
“You’re generous.”
“I have it to give.”
I tap his chest over his heart. “I meant with this.”
Twenty-One
Legend
After a rushed morning of buying plane tickets and getting packed, the two of us step off the plane in Bentley’s home state of Ohio. I’ve never been anywhere this far east before, and saying it couldn’t be more different than Los Angeles is an understatement. It’s definitely quieter, much more spread out. It looks like a pure place to grow up.
We walk through the airport, Bentley holding my hand and explaining to me that he’d rather just grab a taxi over to his friend’s apartment before telling his parents that he’s in town because they’ll monopolize his time.
We make it to ground transportation and, as we wait, another key difference from being in LA becomes noticeable. People look at us, a mixture of curiosity and judgment on their faces. An older woman waiting next to us glances down at our entwined hands, then up at me. She smiles when she sees me looking at her.
“Cute that your son still likes to hold hands.” There’s a question in her tone as if she’s trying to confirm her assumption.
Bentley looks at her and scoffs. “Oh honey, this is not my father.” He smiles. “But he is my Daddy.” He gives her a cheeky wink as she startles.
“Oh.” She moves away from us, and we both laugh.
“Think I should’ve worn my ‘Porn Stars do it for an audience’ T-shirt?”
Bentley pokes my tummy. “That would’ve been funny.”
It’s our turn for the taxi, so we slip in and make our way across town to where Finn lives. I’m excited to meet Bentley’s friends and family and see where he grew up. I just wish it was under different circumstances.
Once we arrive at the apartments, we grab our things and pay the driver, then head up to Finn’s apartment. Bentley knocks on his door. And as soon as it opens, a tall, lanky kid falls into Bentley’s open arms. He sobs on his shoulder, so I turn around to give them a moment of privacy.
After a few minutes, Finn looks up at me with a sad smile, even though his face is drenched in tears. “Hi,” he says. “I’m sorry.”
“No, please don’t be. I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you,” he says. “And thank you for coming. I just don’t know what to do. I don’t have anybody else. The hospital is asking me all kinds of questions about what I want to do for a funeral and other things I just don’t know how to answer. My dad tried to prepare me for this stuff, but I guess I just didn’t deal with it.”
“That’s okay,” Bentley says. “We’ll figure it out together, right, Legend?”
“Yeah, exactly. I’ll do what I can. Maybe I can make some phone calls for you.”
Finn’s face lights up. “Really? You would do that for me?”
“Of course. I want to be helpful.”
“That’s why I brought him,” Bentley says. “He’s a good Daddy. He’ll take care of us.”
Jeez, no pressure. The three of us walk to the living room that hasn’t been cleaned in many days from the looks of it. There are empty food boxes, beer bottles, and soda cans strewn around. Dirty clothes lay in piles on the floor and the drapes are pulled. It’s musty as fuck in here.
Bentley doesn’t react. He simply shoves things off the couch to make a place for us to sit. I’m starting to wonder if it isn’t grief that makes his apartment look like this, but how it always looks. I’m not his Daddy, but if I were, he’d be cleaning this up as soon as his time of mourning was over.
I sit and listen as Finn reminisces about his dad and all the good things they shared. It’s a very sad moment, watching someone process a loss as deep as a parent. I feel for him and wish there was something I could say that would make it better. Instead I just offer silent comfort.
Bentley suggests that Finn take a shower and then a nap. He and I will look through the things the hospital gave Finn and see if we can make sense of stuff while he gets some rest. He shows us a box of papers his dad gave him before he died. Finn tries to put up a fight, clearly trying to be an adult, but both of us insist that he’s mourning and needs to rest and take care of himself. Finn finally gives in and shuffles off to his bathroom.
“Wow, that was hard,” Bentley says as soon as we’re alone. “I’ve actually never seen Finn cry before. But I guess if you’re going to cry, losing a parent is a good reason.”
“Yeah. I can’t say that I understand how he feels, fortunately, but it’s got to hurt. Especially because he doesn’t seem to have any other family.”
“No, he doesn’t. I think things are kind of strained with other family members because he’s gay, you know?”
“That’s unfortunate when that happens.”
“Unfortunate? It’s bullshit,” Bentley says with rare venom in his voice. “They were so nice to us both growing up until he came out, and then, all of a sudden, he wasn’t good enough for them anymore. Not his dad. His dad always treated him exactly the same. The way a dad should treat his son.”
“That’s good. I can also understand how much more that loss would be felt.”
“Exactly. How soon is too soon to tell him that I want him to move to Los Angeles?”
I shrug. “I don’t know, baby. You know him better than I do. If he’s as lost as you say he is, I’m guessing getting through the funeral is first, then maybe he’ll be ready to talk about moving.”
Bentley nods. “Yeah, that’s a good point. Funeral first. Well, let’s start looking at this paperwork and see if we can make sense of anything.”
An hour goes by as we figure out that Finn’s father wanted to be cremated and that the hospital is already taking care of those arrangements. All we have to do now is figure out if Finn is having a funeral, but based on what Finn has said about not having any family members, that doesn’t seem like something he would want to do.
Just in case, we set about calling a few funeral homes to find out what prices would be. It’s extremely expensive, but I’ve already made up my mind. If it’s important to Finn, and he doesn’t have the money, I’ll put the money up, no matter that the kid will likely argue with me. After figuring out that stuff, and finding a small life insurance policy with Finn as the beneficiary, I start cleaning up the apartment.
“Is it always like this?” I ask.
Bentley nods. “Yeah, he’s one of those people who always seems disorganized and disheveled. He makes a resolution every year that he’s going to figure out how to get organized and clean up
his apartment, but as you can see, it doesn’t stick.”
“How does he live like this? It’s a disaster. I’m not judging him, but it feels like life would be a lot easier if it wasn’t like this.”
“I know. We’ve talked about it before. You know how I like to clean things, but he didn’t like me to clean his apartment for him.”
“Okay, well, you could always blame it on me because I’m not leaving it like this. Especially if he’s going to be moving soon. It needs to be organized so it can be packed up and brought out to Los Angeles with us.”
Bentley smiles at me. “You’re such a good Daddy. He’s not even your boy and you’re taking care of him.”
“I care about you so that extends to him too. I want you both to be happy and healthy.”
“I know, Daddy. That’s why you’re so perfect.”
I chuckle. “I’m not perfect, Bentley.”
He grins at me. “Perfect is as perfect does.”
I just laugh. “You’re too good for my ego, boy.”
“No, Daddy, I’m not too good for you. I’m perfect for you. You said so yourself.”
“You’re right. You got me. Why don’t we finish cleaning up and surprise him? He has a lot to deal with right now. This is one thing that we can take off of his plate.”
“I agree. Let’s do it.”
Bentley and I spend the next hour boxing up trash, gathering clothes off the floor, and cleaning a kitchen that, to be honest, should be shut down by a health inspector. By the time we see Finn again, he walks into the living room still groggy from sleep, wearing only his boxer shorts.
Bentley immediately gets mad. “Finn. Cover yourself up in front of my Daddy.”
He laughs. “Sorry. I forgot you guys were here.” He runs back to his bedroom. He returns wearing sweatpants and a sweater. He smiles. “Better?”
“Way better,” Bentley says, patting the seat next to him on the couch. “How was your nap?”
