Page 10 of Aries (PAHL #1)

Vin

Leaning around the open fridge, Vin peered into the living room. “Where are you going?”

Aries froze in the process of standing from the couch.

Vin closed the fridge.

Aries’s big bright blue eyes darted around the room. “Drink?”

“On the coffee table in front of you.”

“Bathroom?”

“You just went.”

Aries whined as he dropped down on the couch. “But I’m bored!”

“No video games,” Vin reminded him. He shouldn’t have told Aries that he had fixed the game console and found the handheld device. In the last twenty-four hours, Aries had shown how quickly he could bounce back, and the boy was having a hard time.

Huffing, Aries flopped back on the couch and crossed his arms over his chest. He was having trouble controlling his emotions. Aries still didn’t remember the hit or flying through the glass, thankfully, but his body did. He would grow agitated then quickly sorrowful and sad.

Vin set the bacon he’d pulled from the fridge onto the counter before he crossed over to Aries.

Spotting him, Aries’s bottom lip began to tremble.

Crouching in front of him, Vin gripped Aries’s knees and gave them a squeeze. “It’s okay to be upset. That was a dirty hit, and you shouldn’t have been hurt.”

“I’m all better,” Aries said.

“The doc will decide that tomorrow,” Vin told him.

Aries sniffed. “I never did anything to those guys.”

“I know, baby,” Vin pulled Aries into his lap and sat on the carpet. “They’re assholes. They’ll be out for the rest of the season. Maybe longer.”

Aries buried his face in Vin’s neck. “They could have hurt one of my brothers.”

“I know.” Vin rubbed Aries’s back. He’d seen real fear when they’d had to sit down and explain to Aries what had happened. They’d even watched the hit on him from replays with their friends there for support. This was actually the first time they’d been alone since Vin had brought Aries home.

He rocked and cooed to Aries until the young man relaxed in his arms. Vin pulled back to peer down at Aries. “Would you like something to do?”

“Yes, please,” Aries said almost desperately. “I don’t want to think about it anymore.”

Aries wasn’t supposed to be getting worked up so maybe some of Vin’s special tasks were in order. He kissed Aries’s forehead. “Okay, baby.”

Vin started to put Aries to the side, but his boy grabbed his wrist.

“What is it?” he asked gently.

“Real kiss, please.”

His sweet boy was always so polite. Tilting his head, he ran his tongue over Aries’s lips. Aries tried to chase his tongue.

“You aren’t supposed to be working yourself up,” Vin pointed out.

“I just want a kiss!”

“I’ll always give you all the kisses you want,” Vin vowed. He kissed Aries. He tried hard not to deepen the kiss and get carried away, but the boy tasted too sweet.

By the time Vin pulled away, they were both breathing heavily.

“You are a bad boy,” Vin admonished.

“Good boy.” Aries batted his lashes at him.

“Trouble.” He nipped Aries’s bottom lip before he did have to set Aries down and rose.

“Come back!” Aries reached for him.

“I have to get your present,” Vin stated firmly. He too wanted to go back and have Aries on his lap once again. Instead, he returned to the kitchen where he had set several of the fun coloring books that Vin had ordered for Aries when they’d been on the road and the colorful thin markers.

“Prezzie!” Aries clapped and wiggled.

He was such a little in the making.

Vin grabbed the pile and turned. Aries had gone to his knees in front of the coffee table and watched with his big bright eyes. Vin showed him the pile. “You could color for me?”

Immediately Aries’s face brightened. Then he frowned. Vin hurried to return to his boy.

“What’s wrong?” Vin asked, going to his knees as well. He was totally not as young as Aries, and he couldn’t stay in that position for long.

“It’s okay?” Aries asked quietly.

“Okay? What, baby?”

Eyes still down, Aries pointed to the coloring books. “To color? I know you gave me stuff to keep me busy when we were on the road, but it’s okay to color here too?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?” Vin asked seriously. He was very interested in why Aries would think differently.

Instead of responding, Aries shrugged.

“Not good enough, little one,” Vin said. “I need you to talk to me. If coloring is something that you enjoy then why wouldn’t it be okay?”

Aries sighed. “Sometimes…some of the guys…”

Yep, his boy belonged in Vin’s lap for this conversation. Vin snorted. When had he started using the word yep?

He rose, pulling Aries to his feet as well. As Vin directed his boy over to their chair, he noticed that Aries kept glancing at the coloring books Vin had left on the coffee table. Aries obviously wanted them.

Vin sat and encouraged Aries to climb up.

Once they were situated, Vin asked his question again. “Why wouldn’t it be okay to like coloring?”

“It’s childish,” Aries told him. “Like collecting stuffed animals.”

Like the ones on Aries’s bed? “Who told you that, baby?” Vin didn’t see Aries’s brothers giving him a hard time. They liked to tease but both Nix and Gem were very protective over Aries.

“Some of the guys on my college team,” Aries said quietly.

Vin grunted. “A couple of young punks that were probably all about toxic masculinity.”

Aries nodded. “They didn’t like me.”

“Baby.” He cupped Aries’s face. “Everyone likes you.”

“They didn’t.” Aries shrugged. “When we got drafted, it apparently messed up their plan to play at college with their high school friends. They kept bullying me. Nix kept getting into fights with them. It was a mess.”

That was interesting. “What happened to them?”

“They transferred to another college and we got a few new players like Shawn. It was much better after that.”

“But they still made you feel bad about stuff you like,” Vin pointed out.

“Yeah. It was like that with my decorator. I tried to stand up for myself but I…I just want everyone to get along.”

“Well then let me make this crystal clear,” Vin said.

Aries nodded.

“I don’t think there is anything wrong with coloring or even collecting stuffies. I don’t think there is anything wrong with whatever makes you happy. And I’m super old so I’m kind of an expert on this topic.”

Aries giggled just as Vin had been intending.

“Feel better?” Vin asked.

“Yes.”

“And do you want to color?” Vin questioned even if he knew the answer.

“I do. I like how I feel when you give me a task and I don’t have to worry about anything else.”

Which brought up something that Vin should have already discussed with Aries. “Let me ask you a question.”

“Okay.” Aries wiggled and started to kick his feet happily.

Vin was a little worried about the sharp mood swings, but he would bring it up with the doc in the morning. “Do you know anything about BDSM or kink?”

“Of course,” Aries replied easily.

Wait! What? “Of course?” Vin demanded, harsher than he meant.

“I went to the club with Gem and Nix,” Aries said.

“I thought…you didn’t like—”

Aries grinned. “Oh, I didn’t do scenes or anything like that. But I love to dance! It’s so much fun, dancing, and the club had lots of rules about not touching and stuff. I could be on the dance floor all night long and as long as I had my black armbands on, no one ever messed with me. Gem felt better with me going to the club where there were people watching out for us more than just a club in the city.”

That made total sense, and Vin was impressed with Gem’s thinking. “But Gem and Nix did scenes?” he questioned.

Aries hummed. “That’s not really my place to say.”

“You are absolutely correct, baby.”

“Why are you asking though?” Aries questioned.

Now Vin was getting nervous. And he didn’t get nervous. Ever. “You met other people in the clubs?” he asked instead of answering.

“Sure. Subs and boys and girls. They were fun to dance with and understood my boundaries.”

Subs. Had Aries never wondered if he was submissive?

Vin cleared his throat. “When I gave you tasks to complete, I think you went into sub space.”

Aries tilted his head to the side as he watched Vin. “I went to sub space? Is that even possible?”

“It is,” Vin assured him. “It wasn’t something I planned that first time. I just thought having something to do would help with the boredom. But you told me that you felt funny and floaty.”

Aries’s eyes widened. The violet shining. “Nix told me about sub space! I can’t believe I never put it together.”

“Sub space can feel different to different people. It’s also achieved by many methods. I hadn’t realized it would happen until after the first time.”

“Wait, so you’re a Dom? You know about sub space?”

Vin nodded.

“And I’m a sub? I didn’t ever think I was submissive.”

Vin smiled. “Again, submission can look different from person to person. For you, you like when I take control, when you don’t have to make decisions.”

Aries nodded. “That’s true.”

“I enjoy taking care of you. Making sure that you have everything you need to make you safe and happy.”

“You do make me feel both those ways. Safe and happy. I just thought that was a boyfriend thing. Even before you were my boyfriend.”

“It can be,” Vin told him. “We don’t have to do anything further.”

Again, the head tilt. “Am I missing something?”

“Did you ever meet any littles?” Vin questioned.

“The subs that wore diapers and had bottles? Yeah, they were cute. The pups were awesome too. I always threw a ball for them.”

“Yes, pups are adorable. Age play doesn’t have to include diapers and bottles. It could be about coloring or letting your Daddy take care of your needs. There’s no wrong way to indulge as long as everyone involved in a consenting adult and agree to what they’d like to get out of the relationship.”

Aries was staring at him with his mouth open.

“Aries?”

“Daddy?” The word was barely audible.

“Yes, that’s what some littles call their partner. We don’t have to—”

“Daddy,” Aries said more firmly.

“I’d like to try to be your Daddy,” Vin confessed. “To see if we like this dynamic for our relationship.”

Aries wiggled. “It’s kind of sexy.”

That surprised a bark of laughter out of Vin. “Is it?”

Aries bobbed his head as he grinned. “Totally.”

“So, is this something that you’d like to explore with me? Being little?”

“What would I have to do?”

Vin was pleased with the excitement he heard. “We could pretty much keep going at the pace we’ve been taking. I could help with your diet and meals like I have been. Give you tasks to keep you calm. You could color and play. Collect all the stuffies you want.”

Aries cackled. “This sounds too good to be true. I might fill my entire second bedroom with stuffed bats.”

Vin would buy Aries all the stuffed bats they could find. “I’d also like to introduce more little aspects as time passes.”

“Like what?”

“Maybe a pacifier? Not all littles use them, but I noticed that when you get involved in coloring, you suck on your bottom lip.”

“Pacifiers?”

“It’s something we could try? You don’t have to decide now. And it’s always okay to tell me no. I won’t get mad. We have to find what works for the two of us. And communicate. It’s important that we talk just like this.”

Aries squirmed. “What…what about other people?”

“Baby.” Vin had to keep his voice steady. “I’m not into sharing and I don’t think that is something you’re ready for. We haven’t—”

“No.” Aries waved his hand. “I’m not into sharing either. I didn’t even think I would have one boyfriend. I meant would other people have to know?”

“That’s up to us as well. We can keep it between us until you’re comfortable sharing it with others. If you ever are. Not everyone is.”

“Maybe, maybe we could keep it between us while we explore. At least at first. It was really cool with the littles at the club that they could get together for play dates, but I don’t know if I’m ready for that.”

“That’s fine.”

“But I’d probably tell my brothers eventually. I can’t really keep secrets from them,” Aries said.

“I’ll be there with you when you tell them if you want,” Vin offered.

“It’s not like either of them have room to tease me,” Aries said. “I know their secrets already.”

Very interesting. “Feel better now?”

“Can I have a snack?”

Uh, Vin wasn’t expecting that. “A snack?”

“Maybe an apple? Or some juice?” Aries batted his lashes.

Jeez, his boy was already learning how to play the innocent card.

“And I should bring some of my bats in here with me as I color. You can just tell anyone who drops by it was your idea. Yeah, that’s a good plan. I’ll say that you insisted. No one would question that.”

“Okay.” Vin didn’t know if he agreed with that logic, but he’d come up with a solution if need be. Plus, some of his teammates like Robbs already knew he was a Daddy Dom.

“And Shawn would color with me sometimes in our dorm room, so he probably wouldn’t think it was weird if I was coloring. I’ll save him his own coloring book too since he always colors outside the lines. It’s like he doesn’t even try!”

“Alright. I think—”

“And I can have a snack, right? You didn’t answer. I’m hungry and whatever you’re making smells really yummy.”

“I—”

“Please?”

“You can have a snack,” Vin found himself replying. Just like always, Aries was thinking about a million different things at one time, leaving Vin to struggle to keep up. The boy was just so adorable when he got excited.

“Snack!” Aries popped off his lap. “I’m gonna get my bats!”

“Three!” Vin called as Aries rushed across the room.

“What?” he whirled.

“Three bats,” Vin clarified.

“But—” Aries popped out his bottom lip. “The other ones will be sad.”

“Three at a time,” Vin said firmly. “We can rotate them until everyone has a turn.”

“I guess.” Aries kicked at the carpet in front of him.

“Unless you’d rather have a nap instead of a snack?”

“No! I’ll get my bats, and you get the snack!” He raced off without any more arguing.

Chuckling, Vin rose from his chair. He had a pot of homemade potato soup on the stove that he still needed to crisp the bacon for. He’d make his boy a snack, with apples, and something more substantial.

He returned to the kitchen and found himself humming. Which Vin immediately stopped. He didn’t hum. What was wrong with him?

* * * * *

Aries

Yawning, Aries pushed his coloring book to the side.

“Tired, baby?” Vin asked as he rose from the chair across from him.

Aries nodded. “But I still want to watch Gem’s game.”

“That’s fine. Let’s put your coloring stuff up and then we’ll cuddle on the couch and watch.”

His phone dinged in his pocket at the same time a knock came at the door.

Aries looked up at him with wide eyes.

“It’s fine, baby. You weren’t doing anything wrong. Up on the couch.”

“Okay.” Aries climbed up and pulled the blanket he’d thrown off earlier over him and his bats.

Vin grabbed the coloring books and markers and stashed them in the kitchen drawer before he strolled to the door. His phone dinged again just as he reached the door as another knock came.

He pulled the door open and glared at Robbs. “I said text me when you were on your way, not already here.”

Beside Robbs, Zany was shuffling his feet with a blush on his face.

“What’s going on?” Vin demanded. He was pretty sure that he had never seen Zany embarrassed. Zany was the most easygoing guy that Vin had ever met.

“Nothing,” Robbs said as he shouldered past Vin. “Something smells good in here.”

“Soup’s on the stove. Help yourself,” Vin called back. He returned his attention to his goalie. “Everything okay?”

“Sure,” Zany was still struggling to meet his eyes but shrugged. “My car wouldn’t start but I knew Robbs would be heading over so I called him for a ride.”

“Come in here,” Vin ordered. “Are you hungry?”

“I could eat.” Vin directed Zany into the kitchen where Robbs was already shoving a spoonful of soup in his mouth.

“You could have waited,” Vin admonished.

Robbs’s gaze darted from Vin to Zany and back before he shoved another mouthful in.

“I’ll make you a bowl,” Vin offered Zany.

“How’s Aries?” Zany asked quietly.

Vin glanced across the room, but the tired boy had succumbed to sleep already, not even staying awake to see who the guests were. “Better. He’s pretty bored but I’m sure that the doc will clear him tomorrow. At least for practice.”

“That’s good. It was pretty scary.” Zany accepted the bowl. “Thanks.”

“What’s wrong with your car?” Vin questioned.

“It’s a piece—” Robbs started.

Zany’s head snapped in his direction. His eyes narrowed. The usually calm goalie looking murderous.

“I’ll take a look at it tomorrow,” Robbs finished.

Zany’s shoulders relaxed.

“Are we watching the game?” Robbs demanded.

“Just don’t shout at the screen. Aries barely fell asleep.”

Robbs snorted as he carried his bowl from the kitchen. Zany rolled his eyes before he followed. Vin stared after them. There was something going on. Something that Robbs was about to say that Zany hadn’t wanted to hear. He didn’t know if he should press or not.

Another knock on the door.

Vin sighed.

Admittedly, he was mostly a loner. He liked his quiet time. Vin had enjoyed the few hours he’d had alone with Aries, but that seemed to have come to an end. Being with Aries meant that they were constantly going to be surrounded by friends. People were just drawn to Aries.

He answered the door to find Shawn and a very pretty young lady and a cute-as-fuck golden doodle in the hall.

“Hey,” Shawn said.

Vin nodded.

“This is my girlfriend, Sandy, and our dog, Finn. They were worried about Aries too.”

“Come in,” Vin invited. “Hi Sandy. Nice to finally meet you.”

“Hi, thanks, it’s nice to meet you as well. I always feel like I know all of Shawn’s teammates because he talks about you all the time.”

Vin chuckled. “You mean he talks all the time.”

Sandy’s sweet laughter filled the room. “He and Aries were always entertaining us in college. Especially if Nix was around. I think I just got used to all the talking.”

“I can see that.” Vin motioned them further into the room.

“How is Aries?” Sandy asked quietly, concern lacing her words. “That was an awful hit.”

“He just fell asleep, but the game is about to start so Robbs should be yelling at it soon.”

Shawn laughed. “Crazy defenseman.”

Vin noticed that Shawn held something behind his back. “What do you have?”

Shawn flushed. “I…” He looked around. “Who’s all here?”

“Just us, Robbs, and Zany.”

“Okay good.” Shawn brought out a large black bat with an orange belly and toes. It was cute. “I brought Aries something to cheer him up.”

Sandy nodded. “Aries has been collecting bats since we met him.”

“He’ll like that,” Vin said with a smile. “I only let him bring three into the living room earlier.”

Shawn laughed. “Probably a good idea to set boundaries. Our dorm room was full, and he even had to keep some on my side of the room.”

Sandy nudged her boyfriend. “Shawn wasn’t any better since he bought Aries’s a lot of those bats.”

Shawn shrugged. “They made him happy.”

Vin enjoyed seeing a glimpse of Aries’s life before him. Shawn and Sandy had obviously been good friends and they both seemed to accept Aries the way he was. Hopefully, that would help as Aries’s started to explore more of his little side. “There’s fresh homemade soup on the stove if you want some,” Vin offered. He could always make more later.

“We just ate but thanks.”

Vin followed Shawn into the living area. Aries was sitting up now as he rubbed his eyes while petting the happy dog who was drooling on him.

“Thanks for bringing Sandy and Finn,” Aries said. “I guess it’s okay that you came too although you could have just dropped them off.”

“But I brought you a prezzie!” Shawn teased.

Aries narrowed his eyes. “Why?”

“Because my best buddy was hurt!” He whipped the stuffed bat from behind his back.

Aries lit up and made grabby hands. “Gimme!”

Shawn started to hand it over when Aries froze darting his gaze to Robbs then Zany.

It was going to be hard for Aries to hide his little side when he fully embraced that part of himself. He was already struggling. Vin took a step forward to intervene when Zany cheered.

“He’s so cute!” Zany gushed. “Where did you get him?”

“At a little shop on the corner by my house. It was in the window, and it reminded me of Nix, so I knew that I had to get him for Aries.”

“He’s awesome,” Zany said again. He even gave the bat a little pat on the head. “I forgot you all went to college together.”

Crisis averted and Aries was happily hugging his new stuffie. Vin joined his boy on the couch, pulling Aries into his lap.

“The game’s starting,” Robbs grunted out.

“I hope I’m better by the time we play Gem next week,” Aries said, cuddling into his chest. “I was really looking forward to beating him.”

“I’m positive you’ll be back to being a menace in order to torture your brother.” Vin patted his back.

“Good. And we better win!”

“Hear, hear!” Shawn threw his hands up.

“Gem is a really good goalie,” Zany said. “He’s faster than any goalie I’ve ever seen.”

“You’re just as good a goalie,” Aries said fiercely.

Zany rolled his eyes but didn’t argue.

They’d have to work on Zany’s confidence. It was only his third year in the league and the first two had been spent with the last place team. When their old goalie had retired the previous year, Vin had been excited when he’d learned they’d picked up Zany in a trade. Zany’s old team was in a rebuilding year that would take many more than just one.

“I’m just saying that for his size, he shouldn’t be able to stop some of the pucks he does,” Zany argued with Robbs.

“Sounds like you have a bit of a crush,” Robbs accused. And he did not seem happy about that.

Zany dropped his gaze and he squirmed. “I do not.”

Vin was picking up some very interesting scents coming from both Robbs and Zany. He wondered if anyone else noticed. Sandy was the only human in the room but maybe? The dog had joined them on the couch, lying on Aries as Aries lay against Vin. Shawn was explaining something on the screen to Sandy.

“I can introduce you when we play him,” Aries offered.

Robbs’s growl was low, but Vin still heard it.

Very interesting.