Page 11 of Tantrum Interrupted (Blue Collar Daddies in the City #10)
HUNTER
Hunter never asked for rescue, but I could sense he was close to needing it.
As his star glowed brighter, the haters showed up in droves.
He loved what he was doing, but it was getting harder for him to avoid all the negativity that just brought him down.
At one point, he was checking his mentions so often it was causing physical anxiety.
That’s when I had to turn off his notifications and limit the amount of time he could doom scroll.
I had less patience for melodrama, but I could see where things were heading.
When you love a guy like Hunter, you get to know his patterns.
And in the six months we’d lived together, I knew exactly what it meant when he didn’t have an appetite for breakfast or was too anxious or tense to regress.
It was so palpable, I could almost feel it in the air.
He was coming off a winning streak and that seemed to draw out the worst of the worst. The messages came in faster than we could delete them.
You’re so cringe.
Why do you lisp?
Kill yourself.
Daddy got you on a leash?
People like you make me sick!
The bot-blocker helped, but some always got through.
Unable to stand by and watch him get destroyed by the career he loved, I started moderating his chats and editing his videos. A few strategic bans helped slow things down but not completely.
I still took photography jobs a few days each week, but the rest of my time was devoted to Hunter.
He needed me, so that was where I needed to be.
I’d watch his streams from the kitchen while I was cooking dinner, listening for any change in his voice or demeanor. I’d built up a sixth sense for the tides of the chat. Always scanning the vibe of the emojis and when things were swinging in the wrong direction.
I’d only turned my back for a few minutes to get the roast in the oven, but by the time I checked the chat again, I was too late.
Hunter never actually cried out because that would mean letting go, but when I heard crashing sounds coming from his game room, I knew he was at his limit.
“Hey, baby.” I grabbed his fist just as he was about to slam it into the solid oak desk. “Let’s take a break.” Two controllers were shattered on the floor and the bowl of popcorn he’d been eating was scattered in every direction.
“Why are they so mean?” His eyes were rimmed in red, and I wanted to carry his weight for him.
“I don’t know, sweetheart. But you’re sweet and kind and perfect.” I held him to my chest and kissed the top of his head. “Will you let Daddy help you get past this hurt?”
He whimpered against my chest and nodded.
“Upstairs.” I was firm but not loud. I wanted him to know I wasn’t mad at him, but I was very serious. “Now.”
He jerked his head up like he was startled, but there was relief in his eyes. He wanted this. Needed it. I’d been talking about discipline since we met, but we’d never gotten to that point. Yet.
Hunter moved obediently, and the tension started to loosen in his frame as he climbed the stairs.
I slowly followed until we were both at the side of the bed. I unbuttoned my cuffs and rolled up my sleeves as he just stood there and watched.
His pulse fluttered in the hollow of his throat, and he was sweating through his shirt. “Take off your clothes, baby.”
I sat on the edge of the bed and watched him strip down. When he was fully naked, I patted my thigh. “Come to Daddy.” I didn’t leave space for any hesitation. “Now.”
He came and draped himself across my lap. It was a little awkward, but that just added to the authenticity of the moment. This was us. This was how we were together.
“Like this?” He let me arrange his arms so his face was pressed to the bedspread and his bare ass was right under my palm.
“Exactly like this. You ready?” My hand settled heavy on his lower back.
He nodded and buried his face in the mattress. But that wasn’t enough.
“Use your words, Hunter.”
“Yes, Daddy. Please.”
“Good boy.” I rested my palm on his ass and felt the twitch of muscle under his skin.
The first slap wasn’t hard, but it made him jolt all the same. “Ungh.”
I let the silence stretch long enough for the sting to bloom and then gave him another swat, this time harder.
Each hit broke down the tension in his body until he finally let go. The small whimpers turned into full-body sobs, and by the time I was done with five, he could hardly breathe through the hiccups.
I pulled him up against my chest and held him. “You’re okay, sweet boy. Daddy’s got you.”
He buried his face in my chest and wiped snot all over my t-shirt, but I didn’t give a fuck.
I held him tighter and rocked him as he cried it out. After a few minutes of deep-seated emotional release, he started to quiet.
Hunter wiped his face on the back of his hand then wrapped his arms around my neck as if he was worried I’d let go. Never, baby. Never.
“I love you, Hunter.” My words were soft, but he heard me. “You know that, right?”
He snuffled and nodded with his eyes still squeezed shut. “I know you do, Daddy.” His voice was hoarse but becoming more clear. “I felt it before, and I feel it now. You love me enough to take care of me.”
“Always.” I held him even tighter. “Always and forever, baby boy.”
I knew it wouldn’t be the last meltdown. Not for a boy like Hunter. But I also knew that he would always let me pull him back from the edge.
Brandon hates the dentist. One too many bad experiences as a child has made him avoid the dentist's chair for most of his life. Luckily, he has good teeth genes and hasn't had many problems in adulthood. That's why they sell floss and tooth brushes to the general public, right?
Sebastian is the best dental tech Dr. Weismann has ever had.
He's kind and gentle and always puts weary patients at ease.
But when a big, burly man comes in with an impacted wisdom tooth, even someone as sweet as Sebastian has a tough time breaking through to the stubborn man.
So Seb takes drastic measures and pulls out some of the tricks he uses with children to make them feel comfortable.
He never expects it will open up a dialogue between the two men that could change both of their lives forever.