“ Come on, Danny. You know you like it,” TJ purred. He reached between his legs again to rub his groin.
“ I mean it, Jay, go away.”
“ Why, what am I doing?” TJ asked, feigning ignorance.
“ You have a way of starting things that gets me into trouble.”
“ Okay, kid, if that's how you want it.”
With a wicked grin, TJ rubbed the top of his head, gave him a wink, and landed a playful slap to his backside.
Danny yelped and called him an “ass” through gritted teeth. He could hear TJ laughing as he sauntered out of the room.
Great, thought Danny. Now what the hell am I supposed to do? TJ shows up, and in less than five minutes, he reactivated the throbbing in my ass, and left me with a hard on.
Grimacing at the sight of his fervent erection, Danny wished he had let TJ stay long enough to finish him off and clean him up before Mitch or Antonio came back. He realized that TJ was such a horn-dog that just about anything turned him on, but the request to put his thumb in his mouth had really thrown him. Why TJ took such joy in teasing him, Danny had yet to figure out.
TJ was the stereotypical surfer dude. He was the tall, athletic, blond-haired, beach beauty who everyone was attracted to. Women wanted him, and men wanted to be him (unless they were gay, then they wanted to 'do' him). Wherever he went he was the center of attention. Danny couldn't imagine he ever felt the sting of rejection.
Yet, for some reason, it was Danny he gave his attention to that fateful night a year and a half ago. Watching from afar, Danny assumed TJ was egotistical. Unlike him, he was confident and flirtatious, and skilled at playing to an audience. After spending time with him, TJ proved sensitive and caring. These aspects of his personality, Danny later learned, was reserved for a select few. He was deep in thought when he heard Mitch clear his throat. Caught with his hand on his crotch, and his head wedged between the corners of the wall, Danny startled to a standing position.
“ Okay, Danny,” Mitch began to say as he walked over to him, “you have been there long enough.”
Inexplicably, Danny felt the lump rise back in his throat and the tears well up in his eyes as Mitch helped him to pull up his briefs and step out of his pants.
“ I think it’s time to get you back into bed so you can start this day over with a better disposition.” Mitch hoisted Danny over his shoulder and carried him up to their bedroom.
Danny said nothing; he was too tired to resist the pleasure of being carried. As soon as he was tucked into bed and Mitch quietly closed the door behind him, Danny rolled over on his stomach, closed his eyes, sucked in his thumb, and fell into a fitful sleep.
Antonio entered the room nearly eight hours later. By early evening, Danny had awoken and fell back to sleep at least three times. The blanket had fallen off the bed leaving Danny tangled in the sheets. Antonio couldn't help but smile at the sight of him. One hand was in his underpants, and the other was covering his face with his thumb resting on the inside of his open mouth. Laughing silently, Antonio called out to his longstanding life partner. They had checked on Danny several times throughout the day. Each time he was in a different position, but always contentedly sucking his thumb. They wondered if this was a new habit Danny was developing, or if it was an old one they failed to pick up on. Either way, he obviously found it soothing. Although Mitch considered it to be a little worrisome, they didn't mind too much, and Antonio found it rather cute.
“ Wake up, sleepyhead, it's almost dinnertime,” Antonio called to him.
Startled out of a strange dream, Danny bolted upright. Embarrassed once again, he crossed his arms around his knees, and hugged them to his chest. Mitch stopped chuckling when he saw the red swollen face under the messy mop of hair. Guessing the reason behind the troubling frown that spread across his lover’s face, Antonio stepped in and said, “Why don't you check how dinner’s progressing, and I'll bring Danny down shortly?”
A little taken aback, yet appreciative of the support, Mitch muttered in agreement. Allowing Antonio to take charge, he headed back downstairs. Antonio fetched a washcloth from the bathroom and ran it under cold water. With a gentle smile he walked over to the bed and sat next to Danny. “How are you feeling, sweetheart?”
Danny leaned sideways and rested his head on Antonio's shoulder. Antonio wrapped his arms around him and pulled him to his chest while gingerly placing the cold compress to his face.
“ What's the matter, baby? Did I wake you from a bad dream?”
Unable to explain his current level of distress, Danny nodded his head against Antonio's shoulder as tears slid down his face. Mad that he couldn't seem to stop his eyes from leaking he rubbed them with an agitated fist.
“ It's okay, baby, it's okay to cry,” Antonio crooned.
Danny let his fist drop as Antonio brushed away his tears with the cloth. Antonio soothed the boy by running his fingers through his hair. They sat like that for almost fifteen minutes until Antonio told him it was time to join the others for dinner. He walked Danny to the bathroom so he could relieve himself and wash his tearstained face. Antonio then brought over another pair of soft flannel pants and helped Danny to step into them.
"I don't wanna go down there," Danny confessed.
Antonio gave him a sympathetic side hug. "You have to face everyone some time. Better sooner than later."
Chapter Four
Eating Like a Big Boy
Danny entered the dining room behind Antonio feeling more than a little self-conscious.
“ Hey, sleeping beauty,” TJ called, with a wink.
Danny averted eye contact and lowered his head.
Ricky smiled anxiously as he took in the fading red mark on Danny's face and the delicate way he walked to the table. He was at least glad that the tension from the morning had dissipated. “We made fried chicken tonight,” Ricky said brightly, knowing it was one of Danny's favorites.
“ We made fried chicken tonight,” Ricky said brightly, knowing it was one of Danny's favorites.
Although he hadn't eaten all day, Danny didn't have an appetite and would have welcomed the opportunity to skip dinner altogether. But he didn't have the heart to disappoint Ricky, so he returned a small smile and a meek “Thanks.”
“ Sorry, but Danny has a bowl of oatmeal he is still expected to eat.”
Crap! Danny cursed to himself. When was this day ever going to end?
“ I hope you didn't think that by throwing a tantrum you would get out of it?” Mitch chided.
Taking a deep breath, Danny told himself, I can do this. It’s no big deal .
“ You may have what the rest of us are eating after you have finished your oatmeal.”
Danny rolled his eyes and gave a shrug to indicate his indifference. Discouraged by his response, Mitch decided it was time to teach Danny the importance of maintaining a respectful attitude.
“ Seeing as how you had such a hard time eating your breakfast like a big boy, I'm going to help you with dinner.” Mitch pointed across the table. “Go get your bowl and bring it here.”
Red-faced, Danny quickly contemplated his options. Biting his upper lip as his lower one was swollen, he glared up at Antonio who gave him a sympathetic look, but showed no evidence of intervening. Recognizing he was on his own, Danny picked up the bowl of oatmeal placed beside his plate, and brought it slowly to Mitch. Assuming correctly that he was once again the center of focus in the room, Danny kept his eyes to the floor. Mitch pulled a chair from the table, placing it directly to his right at the head of the table.
“ From now on, your spot is right here next to me. Take a seat.” Mitch took the bowl from Danny and placed it in front of him.
Without thinking, Danny angrily slumped down into the chair. Wincing, he slid slightly back
up before gently easing back down. TJ choked trying to stifle a laugh. Danny rewarded him with a seething glare causing TJ to pucker his lips and give him a kissy face. Ricky elbowed TJ in Danny's defense while Danny covertly scratched his eyebrow with his middle finger.
“ Do you have something you wish to say?” Mitch directed his question at TJ.
“ No, sir, I'm fine,” TJ said, unfazed by his slight reprimand.
“ Good, let's keep it that way,” Mitch warned.
Talk about being on the hot seat, Danny felt like his ass was on fire sitting on the hard dining room chair. Mitch picked up the bowl of oatmeal and turned to Danny. “Since you were unsuccessful in eating your oatmeal this morning, I am going to help you get started.” He scooped up a spoonful and held it to Danny's mouth. “If you can show me how well you can cooperate, I'll let you try it on your own. Open up.”
Danny understood that Mitch was putting him in his place. He just wished he didn't have to do it in front of everybody. He wanted to rebel against his treatment. But what could he do? Cross his arms and turn his head like a toddler? Or, tell him to fuck off and run out of the room? He already tried that. And what did that get him? So, with as much self-constraint as he could gather, Danny turned his head to avoid seeing Mitch's stern face, and slowly opened his mouth.
“ Good boy,” Mitch encouraged.
When his big Daddy slipped in a mouthful of creamy oats and sugar, Danny didn't think this day could get any worse. Mitch fed him two more spoonfuls before presenting him with an empty spoon. “Do you think you can handle the rest on your own?”
Danny gave a quick nod and reached for the spoon. Had he not grown to have so much disdain for oatmeal over the course of the day, he would have noticed it didn't taste too bad.
Mitch jerked the spoon away. “Are we going to need a lesson in manners first?”
“ No.” Danny pouted in frustration.
“ That's 'no, sir' to you, young man.”
“ Yes, sir. I mean, no, sir.”
“ Good. Now let's try it again. Do you want to eat like a big boy?”
Danny cringed. He bit his upper lip to keep from answering without cursing or crying. Mitch patiently held out the spoon waiting for Danny to collect himself and make the right decision. He knew this was difficult for him, but it was important. Unless Danny wanted things to continue to escalate as they had this morning, he needed to learn to accept his place in the household.
Danny was afraid he was taking too long to respond, and didn't want Mitch to make the choice for him. “Yes, sir,” he spat out.
“ I'm glad to hear that,” Mitch acknowledged.
Danny took the spoon from him and placed it in the oatmeal. Why , he fought to understand, was it so hard to eat oatmeal?
Mitch watched Danny fill his spoon and take the first successful bite on his own. When he was satisfied by Danny's progress, he turned his attention back to his own food. A collective sigh was felt throughout the room. Danny half listened to the strained conversation taking place around him, but did not add to it, concentrating instead on getting through his meal. Eventually, the atmosphere became more relaxed and Danny's mind began to wander.
“ Take a deep breath and drink some milk,” Mitch advised.
Danny blinked and looked up. He had no memory of the glass of milk being placed in front of him. TJ was whistling a happy tune while bringing out dessert. It was the first time Danny noticed that everyone else had finished eating dinner. He wondered how long he had been sitting there with tears in his eyes holding onto his spoon. Danny resented the fact that he was often given milk while the others enjoyed a beer or a glass of wine with dinner. Just because he was a few years shy of the legal drinking age, he couldn't see why in the privacy of his own home it was such a big deal. Danny irritably reached for the milk and almost knocked it over. Mitch reached out and put his large hand over the glass to steady it. He then examined Danny's bowl and saw it wasn't nearly half empty.
“ Okay,” Mitch said in resignation, “it seems this was harder for you than we thought.”
He placed the bowl and glass of milk out of Danny's reach. “Come to me,” he ordered.
Disappointed in himself, Danny stood up and didn't have far to go when Mitch pulled him to his lap. Danny closed his eyes and braced himself, certain he was in for another spanking. To his surprise, Mitch shifted him slightly to his left thigh, and said, “Let me help you.” He lifted the milk and brought it to Danny's lips. Danny put his smaller hand over Mitch's, and Mitch let him assist in guiding the milk so that he could take a sip. Danny was forced to take two more sips before Mitch put the glass down and brought up the bowl of oatmeal. Danny wiggled as Mitch gave him time to adjust his sore bottom. He felt strangely taller sitting on his lap, until he saw the spoon of oatmeal in his face. Then, he felt so small he wished he could disappear.
The fight had finally gone out of Danny, and he opened his mouth to let Mitch feed him. Danny was confused by his conflicting feelings. Unlike TJ, he did not revel in mischief or find submitting to dominant men arousing. And, unlike Ricky's easygoing peaceful ways, Danny couldn't keep himself out of trouble. Not that he would ever regret his decision to be there. From the first night TJ brought him home he felt a sense of peace he never felt before. There was security in knowing that he didn't have to fight alone. If he were on his own again, he'd be completely lost. He just hated being treated like a child, and it was embarrassing to admit he needed help.
“ Are you ready for another spoonful? You're almost done.”
Mitch's voice brought him back to the present, and he recognized for the first time that Mitch didn't seem to be angry that he was feeding him. He braved a peek around the table. Everyone appeared to be enjoying each other’s company. Nobody was disgusted with him. If they weren't embarrassed, why should he be? Well, he was still embarrassed, but when Ricky gave him one of his endearing smiles, and TJ turned to wink at him, Danny felt relief.
As if on cue, Antonio walked over, bent down, and kissed him on the forehead. “Are you feeling better?”
Danny nodded his head before remembering to add, “Yes, sir.”
“ I see you finished your dinner. Would you like some dessert?” Antonio asked.
Danny leaned back to rest his head against Mitch's chest. He answered with a polite “No, thank you.”
Mitch wrapped comforting arms around Danny and requested a cup of coffee to go with his apple pie. After finishing their dessert, TJ and Ricky left to watch TV. Antonio took a seat next to Mitch while they finished their coffee and chatted.
Shortly after, Mitch ruffled Danny's hair and announced, “Night's not over, little one. You still have two apologies to make.”
Danny knew exactly what Mitch was referring to, and swallowed. He had wanted to apologize to Antonio, but it was hard to face what he did.
“ I didn't...I don't know why...I mean... I'm sorry....”
Before Danny could finish his sentence, Mitch scooted him forward, tapped him on the hip, and suggested, “Why don't you go over to him and tell him.”
Danny slid off Mitch's lap to stand in front of Antonio. His stomach flip-flopped when he detected the bandage on Antonio's arm where he bit him. Antonio noticed Danny staring at his arm and took both of his hands in his.
“ I'm sorry I bit you.”
“ Thank you, Danny. I'm sorry if I frightened you.”
“ Thanks.” Danny didn't not know what else to say.
Antonio smiled and gave him a hug. Danny melted into his arms and managed not to cry. Antonio patted him on the backside. “Why don't you go make your apologies to TJ.”
“ Yes, sir,” Danny answered, trying to please and not letting on that he had already apologized to TJ.
Chapter Five
A Goodnight
Danny found TJ in the family room sitting on the couch with Ricky. He walked tentatively up to him.
“ They let you loose?” TJ grinned while patting the empty spot next to him on the couch.
Danny sat down carefully and asked, “Whatcha' watching?”
“ I dunno, some movie Ricky picked out.”
Ricky leaned over TJ to kiss Danny. “How you doing, sweetie?”
“ Okay,” Danny said simply.
Then, remembering why he was there, he gave an impish smirk and said, “TJ, I promise never to throw a bowl of oatmeal at your head again.”
“ No? What are you planning on throwing next time?”
“ I can't say for sure. It depends on what I'm near when you piss me off,” Danny joked back.
“ Oh, it does, does it?” TJ wrestled Danny over his lap swatting him lightly on the backside.
“ Ow! Stop!” Danny whined through giggles. “Why do you like spanking me so much?”
“ Because you got the best little ass made for spanking.”
“ Oh, is that why everybody's had their hands on it today?” Danny fought his way off TJ's lap and crawled over to Ricky. “Except for Ricky,” he acknowledged.
“ I think you must like it. Why else would you work so hard to get it spanked so often?”
Ricky pulled Danny away from TJ's groping hands and into a protective hug. “I won't let that big bully get you,” Ricky promised playfully.
Danny stuck his tongue out at TJ, who responded by tickling him. Danny tried kicking him away through belly laughs.
Hearing the commotion, Antonio entered the room to check on things. “Okay, boys, settle down,” he cautioned.
“ Yes, sir,” TJ and Ricky answered in unison.
Danny blushed guiltily knowing he was sent there to make an apology. He added a quick "Yes, sir," fearing he was in trouble again.
“ So, what's on TV?” Antonio asked. No longer worried about things getting out of hand, he relaxed into a nearby chair. It was good to see Danny in a lighter mood and his boys getting along.
Bringing Home Danny Page 4
