by Ruby Keller
Lance took his other hand. “You know how we’ve been going over to my place often? What do you think about that? Do you like it there or no?”
He thought for a moment before looking between us. “Yeah, it’s pretty nice there. I mean, it’s so much bigger and the nursery is so much fun because there are a lot of toys to play with. The home theater feels like going to the cinemas and the animated films look so cool. But sometimes I wish I could play with Coco and Teddy too.”
I nodded. “I know it’s a hard choice to make, especially for a boy but we want you to think carefully before you answer. What do you think about living at Lance’s home?”
He blinked, looking puzzled. “You mean like for a sleepover sometimes?”
Lance shook his head as he raked his fingers through his hair. “No, sweetheart. We mean like on a permanent basis.”
“Oh,” he said with a frown in the silence that followed. “I don’t know about that, Daddy. I won’t be able to see Coco and Teddy. You know how much I love them.”
“Of course,” I said. “Which is why we’ll stand by your decision, whatever it might be.”
Michael wiggled in his seat with excitement. “You are considering moving into the city? Oh Elijah, think of all the playdates and fun we could have. It would be so cool to have my best friend living so close.”
“Best friend?” Elijah’s instantly lit up as his eyes widened. “Are you talking about me? I’m your best friend? I’ve never had a best friend before, friend.”
“Of course, silly,” Michael said, tilting his head. “I thought you knew that.”
“I didn’t, friend.” The energy was infectious as now Elijah too began wiggling in his seat. “You’re my best friend too, friend. But that’s obvious, because you’re my only friend.”
“Pish posh.” Michael waved his hand in the air airily. “Everybody wants to be your friend now that you’re a celebrity. Wait till you get to know the boys at the club. You’ll befriend them so fast you’ll forget all about me.”
“Never, friend.” Elijah shook his head, still smiling ear to ear. “You’ll always be my best friend-” then turning to me- “Did you hear him, Daddy? I have a best friend.”
“First of many to come.” I tapped his nose and he giggled. “Didn’t we tell you before? You are likable and anyone would be lucky to have you as a friend.”
“Yes, little one,” Lance said as the samosas arrived. “You just need to trust people sometimes and open up to them. So, what do you think? Want to live in the city? You wouldn’t have to spend hours traveling each day either, now that you’ll be starting work at your Daddy’s company next month.”
“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “I’ll have to think about it before I make a decision. I would miss the bears a lot. They’ve been with me through good and bad times. They’re practically a part of the family now. On the other hand, it would be nice to save hours traveling to work.”
“Oh, he’s gonna look so cute in office attire.” I smiled at John. “I’ll be working from the office too, just to be closer to our boy. I can’t wait to hear him call me boss at work. I’ll have him up against the wall if his performance isn’t up to the mark.”
I was going to be his Daddy and boss, and the thought of having sex with him in both roles made my cock twitch in my pants.
“Daddy, stop it.” Blood rushed to his cheeks as he looked into my eyes, taking my hand underneath the table. “You’re being naughty.”
Lance chuckled and turned to John. “Anyway, Oliver’s data science team was kind enough to take on my project despite having their hands full. They’ll spend the next few weeks analyzing the data to determine which cities and neighborhoods would be most profitable for opening up chains. Our boy will work under the senior data scientists, learning from the best. I wanted to wait till it’s official, but Clayton’s pizzeria is going national soon.”
Initially, Elijah had been hesitant about working under the senior team. He felt I was being partial in giving him such a huge opportunity while there might be others who deserved it more. But the truth was that he had been a straight-A student all his life, which was a remarkable achievement considering how hard things were back at home. Through his hard work, he had hoped his father would be proud of his achievements and begin to love him.
“Congrats, Uncle Lance!” Michael said. “I hope it means what I think it means. A lifetime supply of free pizzas? I’ll be the digital marketing manager after all, and free pizza is the only acceptable payment for such hard work. It may not look like it, but online marketing is backbreaking and thankless work.”
Michael was a digital marketing genius who made a name for himself and a small fortune. He only accepted a select few high-profile clients, but since his Daddy had known Lance all his life, he accepted the offer in a heartbeat.
Lance laughed. “Of course, Michael. I hope you use it wisely. Too much pizza can be bad for your health.”
“Not gonna happen.” John shook his head. “Knowing my boy, you’ll have to roll him out of there.”
“I’ve been a good boy, Daddy.” Looking at Lance with big eyes, Elijah lowered his chin and batted his eyelashes, a move he’d learned from Michael. “Can I have a lifetime supply of pizza too?”
“You already do, silly,” Lance said. “I thought it was obvious.”
Elijah giggled and threw his fists in the air. “Yay! Free pizza. I know what Michael and I will be doing this weekend. We’ll eat till our bellies hurt.”
Chapter 23: Elijah
It was my nineteenth birthday and I didn’t want anyone to know. I had managed to avoid the topic every time it came up. All my life I had been taught by my father that it was the saddest day in our lives, for he claimed it was a reminder of the day I had killed my mother in childbirth. He always made sure I received extra whippings on my birthday just to punish me for being born and merely existing. It had seemed logical all those years but for the first time things were different, and I wanted to remember it for what it truly was, not for what he made me believe.
Nevertheless, it seemed strange to suddenly start celebrating it after all those years. Sure, sometimes as a kid I used all my saved-up money to buy a pastry and wish myself a happy birthday before cutting it in the closet so Dad wouldn't find out, but it was hardly a proper celebration. The day now signified my father’s cruelty and hatred towards me. There was no way anyone could find my birthdate. I had made sure to not mention it anywhere on social media, so it would stay well hidden. It seemed silly to hide such a simple thing from my Daddies, and it wasn’t that I didn’t want to celebrate it. I was all grown up now and it just seemed silly to start celebrating it now.
My birthday also signified an escape from my father’s clutches. A few days after my last birthday he had come across my search history, which included gay porn. He threatened to kill me and I had to run for my life in the woods, where I met Oliver who forever changed my life. It seemed silly to think it had almost been a year since we met, for it felt like we’ve known each other for ages. Love can do that to a person, make you wonder how you’ve lived your life for so long without having them in your life. I was lucky enough to experience that twice, falling in love with Lance soon after and having the same feelings all over again.
I was glad Lance and Oliver didn’t have a clue it was my birthday. They’d probably insist on a grand celebration and I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about that.
I reached home from my last day of work at the restaurant. I would start working at Oliver’s company soon and I was so excited, but it meant I couldn’t work at Clayton’s pizzeria anymore. There was a pot of honey sitting outside the door, which meant my Daddies were trying to summon the bears, which was odd considering they only did that when they absolutely had to. They wanted them to come home on their own schedule, not for treats or meals but because they wanted to.
I opened the door, excited at the possibility of finding the bears home after a long time. But to my surprise, the place had
been decorated lavishly. My Daddies were holding hands and chatting, Michael and John were on the floor feeding carrots to the bears, Peter was standing behind the couch and talking to my high school acquaintance, Shanice. The balloons behind the couch said ‘Happy birthday Elijah’, a big cake sat in the middle of the living room and everyone stood up the moment they saw me walking towards them and shouted ‘Happy birthday!’ together.
Having everyone I knew and cared about under the same roof and showing so much love, I froze. After being punished for every single birthday in my life, I was overwhelmed at the sudden realization that I had loving friends and family this time and it would stay that way for the rest of my life. I didn’t need to hide or fear my birthday anymore, for there were people now who were glad I was born and a part of their lives. After spending a lifetime craving it, I could finally relax knowing that my lifelong desire for being loved was fulfilled.
Still holding onto Lance’s hand, Oliver walked over to me and gave me a quick peck on the lips. “Happy nineteenth birthday, little one.”
Memories of all my past birthdays came rushing back to me, and it was in such stark contrast to my present that it was all too overwhelming. Tears formed in my eyes and threatened to run down my cheeks.
“But Daddy, how did you know?” I couldn’t believe they found out. “I thought no one knew.”
“Daddies know everything, silly.” Lance wiped my eyes and took my hand. “It’s a happy day, sweetie. Don’t cry.”
As they led me to the couch, the bears greeted me the only way they knew, with hugs and licks.
Michael hugged me before picking up a box off the ground and opening it. “Look, Elijah. Daddy and I made a cake safe for the bears. It’s a carrot cake made from honey and it’s safe for animals.”
Coco stood up on her hind legs and sniffed it before taking the box from his hands with her massive claws. She put it on the floor and Teddy took a huge bite of it, Coco putting the rest of it in her mouth. It was gone within seconds and Michael stood there stunned with his jaw open.
Michael shook his head in disbelief. “Wow, one second it was there and it was gone the next. We spent so much time making sure the layers and frosting were perfect. Now I know how Daddy feels when I destroy the block towers he makes within seconds.”
John ruffled his hair. “Aw, it’s alright, darling. It only means they liked it so much. We’ll bake a bigger one next time.”
Peter walked over and threw his arms around me, keeping an eye out for Coco. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for all the previous ones, but I promise to be there for all that come.”
He stepped away when he saw that Coco was looking at him. He hadn’t met her before and it was reasonable to fear her, but I had learned her body language over the months and I could tell she was completely relaxed. She was just curious about the new people in the room so she sniffed them from a safe distance.
“It’s alright, Peter,” Oliver said. “She knows you're not a threat to us. You can feed her a carrot if you’d like.”
He still had his eyes fixed on her, watching her intently and looking ready to run should she approach him. “I’m gonna have to pass. Some other day maybe.”
I was glad Peter was so cool when I told him my boyfriends were my Daddies a few days ago. He had a few questions out of curiosity but nothing out of the ordinary.
“Time to cut the cake, birthday boy,” Lance said, lighting up the candles and wrapping a hand around my waist. Oliver did the same as others behind us stood closer.
They smiled brightly as everyone sang a well-rehearsed happy birthday song, but Michael kept singing after the others had stopped. “Oh, we’re done now? Okay.”
They clapped when I blew the candles out. The lack of fire on the candles now meant Coco didn't fear the cake anymore, so just as I was about to slice the cake, she moved her long snout over the cake and sniffed it before opening her jaws.
I snatched the cake off the table and raised it above my head. "No, Coco. This isn't for you. Your tummy's gonna hurt if you eat it. Who's gonna take care of Teddy if his mom is sick?"
She looked at us pleadingly, so Lance rushed out the door and returned with the pot of honey outside. The instant he put it before them Coco and Teddy dug their snouts in, licking honey with their long tongues.
I was used to being fed by my Daddies in my highchair. But for the first time, I was the one feeding them, letting them take a bite out of a slice before eating the rest.
"That cake looks delicious." Michael's eyes were fixed on it and he was hardly blinking.
When Oliver handed everyone a slice, John handed his to Michael. "Here you go. You can have mine too."
I knew I was too emotional but my Daddies wanted me to be myself, even if it meant crying over everything. As I looked around the room, I couldn't help but get teary-eyed at the small family I had managed to form. Friends were the family you choose and I couldn't have chosen better than Michael and John. After spending years believing my father's words, I had strongly come to believe them. I wished he could see me now, just to see how wrong he was when he taught me that I was a disgusting person who was unworthy of love. All the people and animals in the room were there because they loved me unconditionally. But more than that, I wished my past self could see that things would eventually get better, that I didn't have to blow out the single candle on a pastry all alone in the closet on my birthday and then cry in silence, desperately wishing someone would be my friend or love me.
"Whatcha thinking?" Michael walked over and put a hand around my neck. "The same thing as me I hope, that the cake was delicious. I wouldn't mind having another slice, or ten."
Lance laughed, stepping next to him. "Have as many as you’d like. I'll give your Daddy the recipe. I'm sure he'd love to bake it for you."
"Okay, gather up people." Oliver waved at everyone, standing next to the pile of gifts. "It's time to open some presents."
It was a surprise how big the pile was considering it was just the seven of us. I had never received a present before but there was a first time for everything.
"Okay, so this one's from me." Lance handed me the first present and I could already tell it was a toy from its shape.
"Surprise!" Lance said when I unwrapped it to find a stuffed dinosaur. "I know how much you loved your stuffed dinosaur. It was so nice of you to let me leave it at Clayton's grave. I'll forever remember what you told me that day, that Clayton needed it more than you. It showed who you truly are deep down, a caring person who chooses others' happiness over your own. But it's time you prioritize your own happiness now, sweetheart, and your Daddies will make sure of that."
"Thank you, Daddy." I threw my arms around him and kissed him on the lips. "It looks just like the one I had. I thought it was a special edition that wasn't made anymore."
"I had it custom made to look like the one you had," Lance said proudly. "It took a lot of effort but only the best for my boy."
"Open mine now! It's from Daddy and me, but it was my idea." Smiling brightly, Michael handed me a big box from the pile. He could barely stand still from excitement.
When I opened it, it was the dozen or so wolf figurines that Michael had collected over the years. "Oh, wow. Michael, I couldn't possibly accept this. It took you years to collect these, and I know they mean the world to you."
My bear figurines were a rare collection too, but Oliver had gifted it to me after buying from a collector online and it wasn't cheap.
"Oh, I still have mine." Michael shook his head. "I wouldn't part from mine for the world. I just bought individual ones from seven different collectors so you could have the same ones as me."
It must've cost a fortune and I knew Michael was making the bank, but still, it was so kind of him. They were all handmade collectibles, each of them a different kind of wolf. He knew I loved animal figurines just as much as him. I knew what to gift him on his birthday now, a replica of my bear figurines collection.
"Thank you, Michael." I pre
ssed the box up against my chest and hugged it. "I'll guard them with my life."
Chapter 24: Lance
I knew from Oliver that Elijah had never celebrated his birthday before, so we wanted to come up with the grandest way to celebrate it this year. But as we discussed various possibilities of making it special, we realized throwing a huge party wasn't going to cut it. Our boy didn't crave worldly pleasures like others. All his life he only wanted a family and to feel loved. The best way to give him that, we realized, was to give him what he wanted. So, we just invited the people and animals he cared most about and decided to give him the most amazing presents ever.
"Okay, so this one's also from me." I handed him a small box and his smile faded when he unwrapped it. It did look awfully like it had an engagement ring in it.
"What is it, Daddy?" He asked, too scared to open it.
"You'll see," I said. "Go ahead, sweetheart. Open it."
"Oh," he said when he opened it after a pause. "It's a key."
"It's a key to my mansion, as you like to call it." I smiled proudly as he frowned. "Well, it's our mansion now. Your Daddy and I had a little talk and decided it was the best decision for you. You'd be living closer to work, Michael’s house, the club, and it's got a much bigger nursery. You don't look too excited about it."
Elijah had left the decision up to us a few days ago. It was too big of a decision for him to make and he trusted us to make the right choice for him.
"I am excited." He put on a forced smile, walking over to Coco and stroking her thick fur. "I'll get to have more playdates with Michael and I can make new friends in the city. But it would mean saying goodbye to Coco and Teddy. It all felt so dreamlike, living in the woods with pet bears I mean. But I guess it's time to wake up and go back to the real world now. I'm gonna miss you, Coco." He stuck his lower lip out in a pout as Coco sniffed his face.
"That's where you're wrong, little one." Oliver sat on the floor next to me and took his hand. "We'll still get to see the bears. We had to brainstorm to come up with a way to give you the best of both worlds, and then it hit us. We didn't have to choose between the two houses. We could live in both."
