Page 2

Merritt

Gonna get little cake.

Little cake is big cake.

Big cake for an empty tummy.

Empty tummy…shhh…no telling the Daddy.

Daddies didn’t like empty tummy littles even if they were just friend Daddies or borrowed ones. And my new Daddy friend probably liked rules and veggies and good food before little cake.

Shh.

No rules yet meant I didn’t have to tattle.

“Do you want cake?” He was a sharing Daddy. I knew it and I was smart. “I’ll help you pick it out. I’m a good helper.”

Daddy huffed and did his glare.

He was cute when he was trying to be stern.

The men were wrong.

He was a cute Daddy and not the naughty word type.

“I think you are going to be a very enthusiastic helper.” Daddy knew I was smart too. “Yes. You may help me, but I don’t like coconut. Most other flavors are fine to me. Do you have any you don’t like?”

“Hmm. Sticky. I don’t like sticky.” It got on fingers and lips and everything.

Daddy nodded and looked serious ‘cause he knew it was important stuff to know. “I will remember that. Thank you for letting me know, but if I accidentally get something related to sticky wrong, what are you going to do?”

Oh, Daddy liked quizzes.

I was smart.

“Tell Daddy.” That made him smile and I swung our hands back and forth. “Daddies aren’t mind readers even if the Kenzie little at the diner says they should be.”

Daddy rolled his eyes. “I’ve heard about him.”

Would giggles make me naughty?

Kenzie was naughty, so it was probably okay.

“Everyone knows about Kenzie.” He liked attention. “His Daddy said he’s not a mind reader. He’s human, so that’s okay.”

“I’m not sure the mate bond counts as mind reading.” Daddy got a thinky-thinky look and frowned bigger. “I think mind reading is a more active skill that’s paranormal in nature.”

“Kenzie’s Daddy says we’re aliens. Does that count?” I wasn’t sure. “I like being an alien.”

Daddy groaned and made someone behind us in line giggle.

“Aliens are very interesting.” Daddy was being silly. “I think you’d be a cute little green alien.”

Hmm.

Oh, Daddy thought the people behind us didn’t know.

Everyone seemed to know and everyone was interesting…but I was a good boy and played along. “You’d be a good big alien with lots of arms. Kenzie said Lorne reads books with tentacles.”

They were both naughty and Daddy knew it too because his eyes got big. “Do not tell me what aliens with tentacles do.”

I giggled.

The lady behind us giggled.

Kenzie’s human friend with the grumpy Daddy snickered.

The grumpy Daddy man sighed. “I don’t want to know either.”

“I won’t tell.” I wouldn’t have to. I could just ask Kenzie when they were around and he’d tell them. Or the men at the diner could tell them. Or the lady at the post office.

There were lots of helpful people.

“I’m a good boy.” I said that so nicely everyone made big happy sighs.

“I think we need to work on our definitions of that, but it’s our turn, so you’re saved for now.” Daddy tried to sound grumpy but I knew he was silly. “Alright, have you decided if you want a big one or some littles ones? I think three small pieces would make one big one.”

“Oh, that’s hard.” Good Daddies were hard too. “Um…the small ones. Yes. Three is better than one because then I get different kinds. That’s the yummy way to do it.”

“Alright. That’s what I’ll do too.” Daddy thought he was being sneaky and peeked over at me. “But I might need help.”

“Yes. I’m a great helper.” Daddy needed me, so I’d do a good job. “But no coconut. I remember.”

But he could like chocolate.

And strawberry.

And the pretty blue one.

“What flavor is blue?” Tugging on his hand, I pointed to the pretty one that sparkled but looked…dangerous? “That one. It’s sparkly.”

“Oh that’s…very bright.” Daddy was using his polite words, but his face said blue might be yucky. “Should we try it?”

Polite and he liked adventures.

That was the best kind of Daddy.

“Oh, it’s mine, Daddy. It sparkles.” The excited voice that popped up like a cute monster in a movie made Daddy sigh.

It was quiet, so it was okay.

But I had to save Daddy, so I turned and smiled. “What does blue taste like?”

Berries?

Weird gum?

Something that would turn me into Spider-Man?

“Bananas.”

Huh?

Daddy made a huh face too but he didn’t turn around until he had his Daddy face back on. “Thank you for letting us know.”

Daddy was going to put bananas on his no cake list.

“When did we get blue bananas?” Oh, it was one of the diner men. “Why don’t we have those in the diner? Walmart doesn’t got them either.”

Daddy kept looking polite until the man gave a big, big sigh and glared at the blue cake. “We’re always the last to get the good stuff. We didn’t even get those new snack cakes until everyone else in the country got ‘em.”

Time to save Daddy again.

“That one, please.” Hurry. Hurry. Had to get my cake quick before I had to take Daddy away. We had to be nice and sometimes that was hard. “And that one and that one.”

What did Daddy want?

Nothing blue.

“And the Daddies will like that one and those two. You count even if you haven’t told the men at the diner.” I shrugged when Daddy raised one eyebrow. “You’ve got me, so now they know.”

Oh well.

“That’s very true. I have you, so now they know.” Daddy looked like he was still debating if he liked that idea, but the grumpy diner man kept distracting him by talking about weird ice cream that they never got either.

Daddy looked like he was going to complain about drama or manners or something, but I was a good helper and picked up the forks and even got our napkins. “Got it. I’m your helper.”

I was a great helper because I’d picked out the cake and kept him from getting in trouble.

We were visiting and that meant we had to be nice.

Everyone said so.

They also said we weren’t allowed to tell the locals they were weird or naughty or nosy.

It was hard but I was going to be a good guest and I was going to help Daddy too. That was really hard for dragons, so I was going to be Daddy’s good helper.

“You are a wonderful helper.” Daddy’s lips finally turned up at the corners. “In a variety of ways.”

Cake ways.

People ways.

Napkin ways.

“Thank you.” I was amazing and I was going to tell everyone at the diner next time I saw them. “Where should we sit?”

“Somewhere…quiet.” Daddy looked like he was going to say something naughty but he caught it before it escaped. Sometimes stuff escaped but we had to try to be polite. “I think I saw some tables outside. How about we see if one is free still?”

“Yes.” I liked outside. “I’m patient too.”

Daddy scrunched up his face then nodded. “I appreciate that. We have an audience.”

A big one.

And they giggled.

“It’s not rude to say they’re nosy because they already know that.” Everyone already said it, so it wasn’t mean. “See? They nodded too.”

“It’s nice that they understand their…trouble spots.” Daddy glared as a lady dragon giggled. “Yes. Outside is a good idea.”

Oh. I could be a good helper.

Pay attention to the people.

Make sure no one got in my bubble.

Make the bubble.

Make the bubble quiet.

“I did it, Daddy.” I made a quiet bubble. “Now they can’t listen, so I can call you Daddy. You’re my Daddy. Did you know that?”

Daddy snorted. “Yes. I’d figured that out. Now I have a question of my own, little mage. Do you know you’re my mate?”

“I’m a good mate. I’m smart and I didn’t call you Daddy until I made it quiet, so they can’t be nosy and now I can ask if I can call you Daddy around people. Not everyone likes that. I don’t like that around my family but they’re not here, so it doesn’t count. Nothing counts here because everyone knows about littles and they don’t care.” They didn’t understand it but they didn’t care. “What’s your Daddy rule, Daddy?”

“That’s a very good question.” Daddy pushed open the door with his shoulder and let me go first. “Firstly, yes. Everyone in this town knows about Daddies and littles and a variety of other interesting lifestyles.”

The ponies.

The men at the diner liked the pony people.

“So there is no way to keep them out of our personal life.” Daddy was frustrated but smart, and he kept us going and going with my bubble keeping the people out. “So here you may call me Daddy wherever you like or need to. If someone around here doesn’t like it, well, then we’ll have words.”

Oh, Daddy would be dangerous.

Dangerous Daddy Dragon.

Oh, that could be Daddy’s superhero name.

“Around my family we pretend everyone is boring, but like I said, I have a cousin here who’s a little and several other fun things have popped up with different relatives.” Daddy shrugged as he set our cakes down on the table. “So I wouldn’t worry if it came out, but I’d rather not talk to my family about that sort of thing. Wren aside, of course.”

Little birdie cousin.

Got it.

“I don’t little around family but there’s no family here, so I can be me wherever I be me.” I shrugged as I plopped down. “And when I’m me, I get special desserts and toys and coloring pages.”

I liked nosy people.

Daddy sighed. “I’m glad they’ve been very nice to you. I’d hate to have to eat them.”

“They’re crunchy. Kenzie’s sparkly friend Lorne said so.”

Dragons were weird.

Weird Dangerous Daddy Dragon.

Yep.

Daddy was a superhero.

And my mate.

“Oops. Here we go. I don’t think I want this one. Will you help me so I don’t waste the food?”

Special Weird Dangerous Daddy Dragon.

Hmm…that might be too long for his superhero name. I’d figure it out later. I got to keep him, so I didn’t have to rush.