by Laurie Lochs
When we arrived at the hospital, the paramedics brought Ma out of the ambulance and rushed her to room 3A. Mark pulled me into the lounge — we weren’t allowed to go with her — and bought me a chocolate bar from the vending machine. “Eat the Snickers, boy. We have a long night.”
“Yes,” I whispered, accepting his offering. “Yes, Daddy.” I took a bite and sunk into his arms.
We sat for hours, drifting in and out of sleep. Sometime around three in the morning, a nurse walked in with a clipboard and let us know that Ma was going to have to spend the night.
“She’ll probably going to have to spend at least a week,” the nurse said, eyeing us cautiously. No doubt she’d broken bad news before. But it was never easy. “She has coronary artery disease. In people like her, it’s caused by atherosclerosis.”
“What’s atherosclerosis?”
“A narrowing of the heart,” she said with a sunken expression. “She needs to eat healthy and stop with the sweets.”
I turned to Mark. I knew what he was thinking. We need to stay, Kyle. I know you want to sleep but right now you need to stay.
Instead, Mark nodded to the nurse and moved my shoulders to face him. “Kyle,” he said, “I want you to come home with me.”
My jaw dropped. This was the last thing I expected. “With you?”
“With me,” Mark said, nodding silently. “You need sleep.”
“But what about—”
Mark held out his finger. “She’s with professionals, Kyle. There’s nothing we can do for her.”
“Nothing…” I let his words sink in.
“Nothing,” Mark echoed, brushing hair from my forehead. “I don’t have my car. I’m going to call an Uber. Let’s go home," Mark said, looking me in the eye. I wanted to burst into tears. Yes, I wanted to say, take me home. Just take me home.
But the words got caught in my throat. And so I did the only thing I could do. I nodded.
And so hand-in-hand, Mark took me home.
Chapter 18
Mark
* * *
I helped Kyle into the backseat of the Uber and gave the driver my address. In no time, we were flying through the city lights and leaving the hospital and broken dreams behind us. We passed Lyndale Avenue where people were getting ready for a night out and where businesses were trying to turn lives around from the coronavirus that had decimated them. We weaved in and out of cars on I-35W until we reached the turnoff for Maple Grove. At last, I pulled Kyle into my arms and led him across the threshold. Home.
The second we got in the door, I sat Kyle at the table and made two steaming cups of hot chocolate with whiskey. The brand was Crown Royal. It was a gift from Emerson Lane who let me work on an investment property he owned by Lake Minnetonka after he’d passed on letting me sell his home. Uncapping the bottle, I poured three capfuls into our mugs and dusted the top with whipped cream and cinnamon.
The boy was only nineteen. But this night called for whiskey.
And Kyle called for love.
“Drink this.” I slid the mug across the table. Kyle picked it up and brought it to his nose. He inhaled the steam and let the hot chocolate calm him.
“Thank you,” he whispered, taking a hesitant sip. Then he took a second, larger sip, and then a third, and then another until half the mug was gone. A bead of whipped cream stuck to his nose and made me want to leap across the table and lick it with my tongue. I wanted to hold this boy in my arms and pepper his neck with soft kisses. But for now — drink.
When Kyle finished half the mug, I took his hand and led him through the house. Just like the first time when Kyle showed up with his little friend and I gave them the grand tour. I let them stay anywhere. But I knew where he would stay tonight.
At last, we arrived at the room where he and Blakely stayed. I pushed open the door and ushered Kyle inside. His eyes shot to his feet. Through the half-drawn window, moonlight trickled into the room and rested on the bed.
“You’ll sleep here tonight, boy.” I wrapped my ams around his shoulder. “It doesn’t look the same but you know that. I had to repaint the walls after you left. It was the only thing I could do to convince Bruce to stay.”
“A lot of good that did.”
I buried him in my arms even harder. “You get it, kiddo.”
Kyle sniffled and inhaled my scent. His body shuddered as he took a deep breath. I didn’t want to know what he was going through. In a way, it reminded me of the time I’d walked in on my great aunt Elizabeth — we called her Aunt Lizbeth for short — one night when she’d had a stroke. Just that afternoon, we’d gone on a walk around Lake Harriet, where she sometimes liked to stop and watch sailboats and feed ducks; and now she was dead. Or at least that’s what my ten-year-old brain thought. Aunt Lizbeth hadn’t died but her brain was never the same. A young nurse, who I ended up crushing on hardcore, had to come five days a week to feed her and help her with chores. On the weekends, I helped not out of loving kindness or a general sense of moral obligation but because my mother, who never got along with Aunt Lizbeth in the first place, felt guilty and was trying to pass her burden onto me. Though I resented helping Aunt Lizbeth fold laundry and eat porridge, I came to love her; but she passed away before I could express to her the depths of affection. But I never forgot the look on her dead face the morning I walked in and she’d had a stroke.
Kyle sunk deeper into my arms. I glanced down. His mouth had opened slightly and was pressed against my shirt. I ran my finger over his lips and watched in amazement as the boy shuddered beneath me. He looked like he hadn’t slept in weeks, the bags under his hazel eyes were dark. Time for bed, boy. Let Daddy tuck you under the covers.
“Lay down.” I brought Kyle to the spare bed and pulled back the blanket. Kyle looked up at me with the roundest eyes and furrowed his brow. Was he scared to be alone?
“Can you stay with me?”
I took a sharp breath. “No, Kyle. That would be…”
Kyle bit his lip. He was begging me to stay. But I knew I couldn’t. Comforting him and holding him close was one thing; but sleeping in the same bed was another. The last thing I wanted to do was force myself on him in his time of need. We’d done things before, but it would be inappropriate for me to capitalize on his emotional wounds to satisfy my needs, even if my needs were rearing their heads with a vengeance. Just the thought of Kyle’s smooth, faun-like body pressed against my own was enough to send my cock into spasms — but I’d let God strike me dead before I put my urges above his safety. The last thing I wanted in this life was to make him feel uncomfortable. And so I prepared his bed and tucked him in, closing the door behind me.
Because it was better that way. I wasn’t crossing any boundaries and I was giving the boy a place to stay. Like when he was fourteen.
With that, I stepped into my own room and turned off the light.
Three hours later, I hadn’t slept a wink. I’d been tossing and turning in my bed the entire night. My mind flitted to Ma in the hospital and Kyle in the boy’s bedroom down the hall. I wanted to push past the doors of his room and take him into my arms. The boy was vulnerable and I was his protector.
Instead, I removed myself from the bed and went to the window. There wasn’t a cloud in the midnight sky. Moonlight floated over the garden and bathed the night in murky white. I thought I might see a little Roman statue — or even a little Roman boy, if I looked hard enough — peeping out from behind my hydrangeas. It was a night that seemed to transport me to another time. It was a glitch in the system, a wrinkle in time.
“He’s safe,” I whispered, taking a deep breath. “He’s in your house and in the same bed he used to sleep in. You’re helping this boy more than you could know.”
I started to close my eyes. Yet I’d done little more than block out the night when, suddenly, a ray of orange light cut across the bedroom and straight into my heart.
“Daddy,” a timid voice whispered. “I can’t sleep.”
I froze. “Kyle? Is tha
t you?”
“Yes, Daddy,” the voice whispered, now closer. “It’s me. It’s your boy. I-I’m so sorry… But I just need to be in your arms.”
I whipped around. Sure enough, the little boy was standing in the hallway. A small teddy bear was dangling by his side. I didn’t know where he found it because he didn’t have a teddy bear when I tucked him in. It must have been a little bear one of the foster placements left behind years ago. It was now being given a second chance at life by Kyle.
“Get over here,” I whispered, beckoning the boy to my side. Kyle tip-toed into the room and then sprinted into my arms. “You’re so good coming to Daddy. You know Daddy will protect you.”
“Yes, Daddy.”
“You know Daddy will do anything for you, baby. Isn’t that true?”
“Yes.”
I glanced down. Kyle was shivering in my arms.
“Come,” I ordered, pushing the boy towards the bed. “Let Daddy protect you. Let Daddy keep you safe from the big world outside.”
Kyle sniffled and nodded. He slipped into the bed and lost himself in the sheets.
Before I slipped into the bed, I took two seconds to study his trembling body in the moonlight. I remembered what I’d thought moments ago about the Roman boy in the garden. My little statue had come to life.
Then I peeled back the blanket and kissed him.
Chapter 19
Kyle
* * *
I moaned as Mark kissed me. A million thoughts raced through my head. Why was he doing this now? Especially when he hadn't wanted to reciprocate earlier in the night?
I wanted to question him. Yet I refused to give up what I'd been craving for so long. All those days in the real estate classes… They were coming to a head. I leaned into the kiss and let Mark take me to the stars.
Mark stepped away from my lips and traced the outline of my chin. "It's going to be okay," he whispered, stroking my cheek. “If at any point you feel uncomfortable, you tell me. I don’t want you to think that you can’t say no. Part of being your Daddy means that I want you to say no if you don’t feel comfortable. No matter what we do or say, you need to know that you can say no at any time.”
My cheeks burst into flames. “You’re embarrassing me, Daddy. I don’t want to talk about these things out loud.”
“It needs to happen, little one. It’s because I care about you.”
A wave of tingles washed through me. I was home. Safe.
“Okay, Daddy. I give you my consent.”
“Thank you, boy.”
Slowly, Mark pulled up the shirt I'd been wearing the entire day. My jaw dropped. Mark lowered his lips to my navel and ran his lips across my tummy.
"Oh, Mark," I gasped, clenching beneath him. But he didn't let me move. I wrapped my leg around his thigh and trembled.
"So smooth," Mark murmured, taking in my scent.
"Like a baby,” I whispered, staring into his eyes. Moonlight pierced his corneas and made the coffee of his irises glisten. It looked like I was staring into a real cup of coffee. "Daddy," I whispered, not daring to break the spell. Not daring to do anything but take in this man who changed my life… The man who rescued me not once but three times. The man who rescued Ma. He was going to do everything in his power to get me on my feet and protect me. He was my teacher, my light, my soul. My Daddy.
"Yes, little one. You're the most special boy in the world. You take such good care of Ma and she’s so lucky to have you."
"You mean it, Daddy?"
"Yes, little one. You're an angel."
"An angel…" I whispered, letting it sink in. I pictured myself with a halo around my head. Was that when Mark saw when he kissed me?
"Mon petit ange."
Mark pulled my shirt to my tummy. He ran his firm hand across the flesh. It was unlike I'd ever felt before. The last time I was in this bed, his hands had been rough, forceful, probing. But this time, he took his time. He moved slowly, as if the entire act was one of deliberation as much as sexual arousal. He wasn't concerned as much with getting to the finish line as he was with making this the best night ever. The most comforting, safe, best night in my life that felt like home.
He knew what I needed. Even if I didn't have the words to say it myself.
With a light grin, I ran my trembling fingers across his waist.
"It's so big, Daddy."
"Yes, little one. You made Daddy very excited."
I giggled. "Does Daddy like little boys?"
"Baby… Don't talk like that. I like boys who are legal in every state, Jesus Christ. Don’t fuck around, boy.”
My breath was sharp and strained. “I-I don’t care, Daddy. I just hope I’m turning you on.”
I was being so naughty. But I couldn't help it. Because with his arms around me, the worries of the night and my future washed away. For the first time, I didn't think of Nino and his struggling pizzeria that I desperately wanted to save. I knew Ma was protected by nurses and medics in her hospital bed and that she was in better hands than if I were looking out for her alone. All that mattered was that I was with Mark and that he wanted me. He was with me in this very bed and he wanted to comfort me and be my Daddy.
"You're so… Little." Mark traced the outline of my hip and planted a kiss on my belly button. This time, I couldn't help but giggle. It felt so silly. My Daddy's beard scraped against my navel and sent a tingle through my spine.
"And look," my Daddy said, guiding my hand to his crotch, "you just made Daddy even more excited. Feel that?"
I stared into Daddy’s eyes. I ran my fingers across the area he was pointing to. To my surprise, it was wet. Damp. Like a patch of silk that had been set out overnight and was now tinged with dew.
"You're wet, Daddy."
Mark shuddered. "Wet for baby," he whispered, kissing my wrist. I thought about what he said earlier, about the angel. All I wanted was for my Daddy to spread my wings.
Suddenly, Mark peeled down his pajama bottoms and pulled out his cock. "See, baby?" he whispered, bringing my hand to the cock. I gasped as I ran my fingers over the ridge. It was firm, thick. I wanted to rub it across my face and taste the tip. A small bead glistened on the head and slipped down to the blankets below. I gazed in astonishment at the new thing that I was discovering for the very first time.
"It's so big… It's so much bigger than…"
"Then what?"
"Than mine," I whispered, covering my eyes. Then with an evil grin, I withdrew my hand from the cock and untied my own pajamas. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and freed my cock from the fabric. One, two, three. Without warning, it suddenly sprung forth and crashed into Daddy's. The two cocks bumped into each other like close friends.
"Oh, baby… It looks so beautiful next to Daddy's."
"If only it weren't so small…" I whispered, not daring to look Daddy in the eye. No doubt he was judging me. No doubt he wished I had a massive cock like other boys.
But Mark said nothing of the sort. Instead of making fun of me, he wrapped his arm around my neck and pulled my head close. My cock throbbed into his body and left a trail of pre-come across his firm abdomen. With his other hand, he massaged my lower back and, before I could speak, slipped a finger through my cheeks. I moaned in his ear as he spread my cheeks with his right hand, probing my hole. Though he'd fucked me in this very bed before, he hadn't been so gentle or kind. Because that's what it was, wasn't it? Kindness. Strength. Love.
"It's… It's inside me, Daddy."
Mark quivered in front of me. "Baby’s so tight."
"Oh, shoot," I whispered with a sniffle. "Is there anything Daddy can do to make it looser?"
Mark grinned. "No, baby. I like your tight hole. You're perfect just the way you are."
With that, Mark laid me on the bed and brought his lips to my cock. He darted his tongue along the shaft until he reached the tip. Before I knew it, he took the tip in his mouth and swallowed it down to the back of his throat. I gasped and squeezed my thighs around
his shoulders. I didn't let go. With his free hand, Mark stroked my balls and massaged my inner thighs. "So soft," he murmured when he came up for air. He didn't stop, didn't break the rhythm. I was about to speak. Before I could, he slipped his finger back into my hole and sucked me with his finger inside me. This time, I couldn't help but cry out. I saw stars.
"It's amazing, Daddy. Whatever you're doing… Whatever this is, it feels so good."
"Yes, baby… Daddy likes to make you happy. Daddy likes to make you feel safe and sound."
"Yes, Daddy. You are. More than you could ever know.”
It was true. With his finger inside me and with his mouth wrapped around my cock, I'd never felt more protected in my life. In this moment, with gentle moonlight trickling through the window, I knew Mark would keep me safe. Whatever life threw our way, Mark would bat it to the ground. With him, I was protected. And littler than I'd felt in my life.
"Wait," Mark said, slipping out of the bed. I wanted to cry but Mark was back before I could speak. A second later, he popped something in my mouth and stroked my chin.
"It's for baby. It's so baby doesn't cry out when Daddy turns him on.”
My eyes shot open. I'd seen Blakely wear one so many times before. But I’d never tried it myself. I'd only tried diapers.
But this… This took being little to a new level.
It was a pacifier.
"Stay quiet, baby. D-Daddy’s going to do something… He hopes you’ll like”
I nodded intently and closed my eyes as tight as I could. I was ready for whatever Daddy was going to give me. Whatever gifts he had in store, I would accept with an open heart.
And an open hole. Because a second later, Daddy spread my cheeks and brought himself to the entrance of my whole. "It's time, baby. It's time for Daddy."
Yes, Daddy. It's your time. Do any and everything to me and if I scream, don't stop. Let my words not slow you down. I want everything you're giving and more.
