by Ruby Keller
When we walked into the prison, I could finally hold onto my Daddies’ hands proudly. When I turned around, I saw Peter smiling. From the happiness in his face, I knew he meant what he said. It truly didn’t matter to him if I was gay, straight, or in a throuple relationship. He loved me just the same. Despite putting on a brave face, with each step I took I knew I was moving closer to my father - the man who had tried to irreparably ruin my life and almost succeeded - and so I grew more and more nervous.
My Daddies must’ve known how I felt, for they now looked at me with concern. I tried to look brave when I nodded, telling them non-verbally that I could do this, that I hadn’t changed my mind yet. I had considered bringing my binky along with me to feel relaxed but I knew the world wasn’t ready to accept Littles yet. Besides, I didn’t want my father to use my lifestyle against me. He had a history of belittling and humiliating me at every opportunity.
I waited as they checked us in, and when we finally entered the meeting room I froze when I saw my father sitting at an empty table, his gaze just as piercing and cruel as before.
“Are you okay, honey?” Oliver rubbed my back in small circles when moments passed and my body still refused to move. It reminded me that I wasn’t alone. I had my lovers with me and no matter what, at the end of the day, I would still go back to my home in the woods and into their loving arms, while my father would go back to spending time behind bars where he couldn’t hurt me.
It was strange how old habits die hard. I could never look into his eyes for fear of punishment and while I could look into them now, it still made me shiver, but nearly not as much as before. I was a lot stronger now because I had my Daddies with me. They would go through fire to protect me.
I took a deep breath and walked over to the table before taking a seat, everyone else sitting around me.
He smiled and tried to hold my hand on the table but I pulled away, the fear of his touch making me shiver again. “I knew you’d come one day. How could you not? I raised you right despite your sins. Are you here to beg for forgiveness, son? Have you finally come to your senses and realized that I only gave you what you deserved?”
“No, father,” I said loudly, hoping my voice wouldn’t shake. “I’m here to tell you that you were wrong. You’ve taught me all my life that I was unworthy of love, that I was so disgusting it was impossible to love me. Well, I fell in love twice and these are my boyfriends. I also have a real parent in Peter who loves me unconditionally. Everything you’ve said was a lie and therapy has helped me see that. You brainwashed me for years and it was all for nothing, for now it’s all undone. I finally see things as they are. You were a bad father and you’re in prison for robbing me of my childhood.”
He shook with fury as his face turned red. “You’ve always been a disappointment. How dare you-” I held up a hand and shushed him.
“I’m not done yet. God, it always annoyed me how you cut people off. I’ve obeyed you all my life hoping you’d eventually like me, but your opinion simply doesn’t matter to me anymore because you’re a horrible human being. You no longer have control over my life and I disown you as my father. You simply aren’t worthy. That’s all I came here to tell you. I don’t want to hear anything you have to say anymore, because you mean nothing to me.”
When he opened his mouth to speak, he looked like he was about to start shouting, but nothing would change my mind. I stood up as he began shouting at the top of his voice, calmly turning around and taking the hands of my men before walking out of the room, Peter close behind.
“We’re proud of you for facing your demons, honey,” Oliver said as we headed out of the prison. “I hope you feel better now.”
I did, and also a lot lighter for getting things off my chest.
Once we were back in the car I turned to Peter. “You’re the only parent in my life now, Peter.”
He smiled and nodded. “Trust me, I won’t let you down as he did.”
Chapter 21: Lance
The moment we reached home we sat on the couch and motioned for him to sit with us.
He sat in our combined laps, smiling brightly as he looked between us. “Are you proud of me, Daddy? I feel very proud to have conquered my fear.”
I nodded as I wrapped an arm around him, Oliver handing him the stuffed bear to hold onto. “Conquering your fears is no small feat, sweetheart. I hope you realize that.”
Oliver raked his fingers through his hair. “Healing from a lifetime of physical abuse is an important milestone in your life, and I’m glad to have been on the journey with you every step of the way. You’re barely the same boy I first met about a year ago. You had so much pain in your eyes back then, so convinced that your father was right in hating you. You went from having Stockholm syndrome and sympathizing with your father to now realizing him for who he truly was, a manipulative liar and your oppressor. I’m so proud of you, my brave boy.”
He beamed as his chest swelled with pride from hearing us praise his braveness.
He threw his arms around us. “I couldn’t have done it without you, Daddy. I wanted to get better so I could love my Daddies the way they deserve. I thought I was broken and you didn’t deserve damaged goods.”
“You weren’t damaged goods, sweetheart.” I gave him a peck on the lips. “You shouldn’t call yourself that. We would’ve stood by your side and loved you just the same had it taken you years to fully recover. But we’re glad you don’t suffer anymore.”
There were times when Oliver had to hold him in his arms until he fell asleep because Elijah had troubles falling and staying asleep. It was one of the reasons I had fallen for Oliver, because he was such a good Daddy for sacrificing his own sleep, standing guard all night to put Elijah back to bed when he woke up several times through the night from nightmares. On the rare occasion that Oliver accidentally fell asleep standing guard, Elijah would wander around the house all night, worrying about how damaged he was. But to our relief, he’d been sleeping through the night ever since he started therapy.
He sighed in contentment as we pulled him higher up in our laps, his head now resting on my chest. “It does feel good to have a full night’s sleep. I don’t even have the nightmares anymore, the ones where I go back to living with my father and it’s back to merciless beatings and whippings. I know they were just dreams, but they felt so real. Things happened just like in those dreams, me having to take my shirt off because he enjoyed watching my skin turn red, and the joy in his eyes as I beg him to stop.”
Oliver kissed his head. “I wish I could save you from him in your dreams too. But you don’t have to think about the bad times anymore.”
He used to daydream a lot back when I met him, replaying the physical abuse over and over in his head until there was nothing but sadness and hopelessness in his eyes. I hadn’t caught him daydreaming ever since he returned from the psych ward, and I hoped the change would stay.
He shook his head, rubbing his cheek against my shirt as I felt his warm breath through the shirt on my chest. “I don’t. I thought my father would control me all his life. But that has changed because you saved me from him, Daddy. Now my future holds nothing other than my Daddies’ love.”
I felt a wet spot on my shirt so I knew there were tears in his eyes. He didn’t want to be seen crying so he continued to hide his face in my chest, embarrassed about the tears. I looked at Oliver and he knew just what our boy needed. We brought our chests closer so our boy was sandwiched between our bodies. We embraced him in a hug for a long time as he occasionally sighed in contentment.
When he finally broke the hug I said, “Now, who’s ready for a surprise?”
His eyes twinkled up at me as he began wiggling with excitement. “The big secret surprise I’ve been waiting for?”
“No, sweetie. You’ve got to wait just a little longer for that one. We have a special something planned just for you.”
He gaped in awe and it made me chuckle. Some boys desired new toys and clothes, but all our boy wanted
was a nice evening with his Daddies, so that was exactly what we were going to give him.
We let him have his afternoon nap, except it was almost evening now. When he woke up, we gave him two options of clothing, both of which were bear-themed. Once he knew what the surprise was, he would appreciate the selection of clothing. He didn’t like to make decisions when he was in his Little headspace but it was nice to let him choose when the decision was as small as this.
He looked at the outfits seriously, picking one up before changing his mind again. “Such a hard choice. What’s a boy to do?”
“Do you want us to make the decision?” I asked and he instantly nodded, so I handed him the one with a mama bear and her cub. “I think this one is well-suited for the surprise.”
He gasped and then began bouncing in excitement. “Teddy and Coco are part of the surprise? But-” his smile faded as he looked at us in confusion- “But it’ll be dark soon and they never come over after it’s dark.”
Oliver chuckled. “Our boy looks so cute when he thinks too hard. No, honey. Coco and Teddy aren’t involved. You’ll see once you get dressed.”
We usually undressed him but now he was so excited because it had something to do with bears that in one swift motion, he pulled his pants down and took his shirt off. He stood there stark naked while Oliver and I laughed.
“No time to laugh!” He said, turning around and wiggling his ass. “I need the surprise right now!”
We dressed him up while he continued to wiggle. Bears truly were his favorite animal. He loved them just as much as Clayton loved dinosaurs or Michael with wolves. What was it with boys and animals?
His excitement peaked when we packed the backpack with his binky and stuffed bear. It meant we were going outside and he loved it when Oliver drove us places. It didn’t matter where we went. He just liked to look outside the car window while holding onto my hand.
Oliver drove us into the city and when he stopped before my home he began wiggling again.
I walked over to the other side of the car and opened the door. “This is your surprise.”
“We’re at your mansion, Daddy.” He smiled as I took him into my arms. “So this is my surprise, my first sleepover at your place. I love it but it’s so big I’m scared I’ll get lost in it. What if you never find me?”
Hopefully, it would soon be our home instead. We wanted to give him a glimpse of living in the city so he could make a wise choice one day when we’d ask him where he’d like to live, the woods or the city.
Oliver chuckled, kissing him on the cheek. “As if we’ll let you out of sight for more than a minute. We’re glad you don’t find it clingy how we spend every second of the day with you.”
He blinked blankly as we walked up to the porch, the sun beginning to set for the day. “Well, I don’t want to stay away from my Daddies for more than a second either, so that makes three of us.”
Stepping in, I put him onto the floor and handed him the new coloring book we’d bought. “Why don’t you do some coloring while I cook some dinner in the kitchen? Your Daddy will watch over you here in the living room.”
He crawled after me, the coloring book in his hand. “I can color in the kitchen with you, Daddy.”
Oliver helped me chop up vegetables while our boy colored sitting cross-legged on the floor. By the time dinner was ready he had colored the big bad wolf in the woods, holding up the book proudly against his chest for us to examine and praise.
Putting him in the highchair, we fed him pasta, sneaking in a lot of finely chopped vegetables that he was too busy noticing because we sang him his favorite song If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands. He clapped his hands every time he took a bite, adorably wiggling to the tune in his seat.
After wiping his mouth, it was finally time for his surprise. Oliver took him in his arms, carrying him down to the basement as I led the way. We went through the temperature-controlled wine cellar and the game room with a pool table before reaching the home theater. It was big enough to make his jaw drop, complete with wall sconces and elevation differences to accommodate a small crowd. The steps had underneath lighting so we wouldn’t trip and the room had a 4k laser projector with a big screen.
“I didn’t know the restaurant business was booming,” Elijah said to me before turning to Oliver. “Should we open a restaurant together named after me, Daddy? I wouldn’t mind being rich and raking it in like Daddy Lance.”
I laughed, taking him from Oliver’s arms into mine. “The restaurant is just one of my businesses. It’s the smallest of all but it’s the most important one because it was Clayton’s dream. Now, are you excited for your surprise? I know you wanted to go to the cinemas holding onto your stuffed bear and sucking on your binky. Since you’re afraid people are gonna make fun of you we brought the cinemas to you. I hope you didn’t get your hopes up for the surprise, sweetheart, because it’s just movie night with your Daddies on a bigger screen.”
He shook his head as I put him onto the couch between us. “I love it. There’s nothing better than staying in with my Daddies.”
Oliver handed him his favorite stuffie and he held it in his arms, sucking on the binky Oliver pressed between his lips. Wrapping our arms around him, we cuddled with our boy. When I switched the projector on, a mama bear appeared on screen, her cub trying to catch up with her.
He popped his binky and pointed at the screen as he wiggled between us. “Daddy, look! It’s Coco and Teddy! They’re movie stars now. No wonder they don’t come over as often.”
It was, in fact, the film Bears, a nature documentary about a mama bear’s struggle to protect and raise her young cubs. However, the similarity to Coco and Teddy was uncanny, which was why I knew Elijah would love it.
Oliver laughed and kissed his head. “They’re different bears, honey. They do look a lot like them, though.”
As we watched the mama bear go through struggle after struggle to save her cubs from starvation and other threats, Elijah tried hard not to cry, squeezing his stuffie tighter instead. But he finally gave in at the end when everything turned out fine, a tear flowing down his cheek as the credits rolled.
“That was so beautiful.” He sniffled as we comforted him with hugs. “Coco must’ve struggled so hard to raise Teddy. I’m glad they have us to help them when food gets scarce in the woods. Michael says people hunt bears for fun. Will Coco and Teddy be alright, Daddy?”
“Of course.” I smiled and kissed his head. “You know how strong Coco is. She’s a good mother and she’d do anything to protect her cub.”
His eyes twinkled up at us. “You both are like the mama bear. You do so much for my happiness. You protect me from everyone and everything.”
Oliver laughed and nodded. “We’ll be whatever you want us to be, little one. But that would explain why you’re so cute, because you’re a bear cub in disguise.”
We talked about the film for a while, discussing how the mama bear was just as brave as Coco, and the cubs just as naughty and cute as Teddy. I knew he’d need something to cheer him up when the film ended, so I played a funny animated short film next and went back to cuddling up with him. It had him giggling and laughing out loud within minutes.
Watching our boy’s happiness was more interesting to me than watching the film, and so I watched his reactions for the rest of the short film instead, smiling every time he threw his head back and laughed hysterically. When I looked at Oliver, he had the same joy in his eyes from watching our boy happy. I took Oliver’s hand which was on Elijah’s shoulder and kissed it. These were the simple joys of life, and as long as I had my men with me every simple moment would feel just as precious.
Chapter 22: Oliver
It had been a week since our visit to Elijah’s father in prison. Elijah was a much happier boy now and rightfully so. His father was the source of his worries and now he had cut him out of his life. Lance and Elijah were such hurting souls when I first met them, Elijah was haunted by his father’s cruelty and Lanc
e was sad because he missed Clayton. It was such a privilege to watch them turn into a happier version of themselves, and as a Daddy, it brought me immense joy that I had played a role in that change.
Now I drove my men to Lal Mahal for dinner, the small Indian place by the beach. Elijah told me it translated to the red palace, but it was too small to be anywhere near a palace. It was Elijah’s idea to go there because that was where his mother had fallen in love with Peter twenty years ago. It was there that they had formulated a plan to elope to Germany after his birth, which was far enough to hope that his father would never find and kill her, a threat he had made should she ever leave him. The restaurant signified love and pursuit of happiness to Elijah now, and so he wanted us to visit it too.
We picked up Michael and John on our way who were excited because they weren’t very familiar with Indian cuisine. The boys chatted noisily in the back and Elijah had no clue that today was the day we had chosen to ask him if he’d like to live in the city. We had been to Lance’s home every other day over the past week to give him an idea of how living in the city feels like. He and I had lived in the woods for almost a year and a move back to the city was a big change.
When we reached, we sat at a table barely big enough for the five of us. The place felt cozy and homelike, and Elijah always raved about the food there. We ordered rogan josh and some samosas on his recommendation. As we waited for the food, I handed him his stuffie from the backpack, which he slowly slid underneath the table and held it in his lap. There weren’t a lot of people around and that meant our boy wouldn’t have to hide who he was. Despite our assurances that we’d take care of any consequence of him being a Little in public he refused. He didn’t want to involve other people in his lifestyle. Times like these when it was hard for people to notice, we liked to hand him his stuffie so he could be himself and just relax.
“Your Daddy and I have something to ask you, little one.” I held onto his hand and stroked it with my thumb, nodding at Lance.
