Page 18

My alarm goes off too early the next morning. I'm still cuddled close behind Tyler. I don't think we even moved throughout the night. My arm is wrapped around his stomach, our legs tangled together, my nose against the back of his head. He fits so well against my body.

As much as I want to stay in bed with Tyler, I have to get ready for work.

I pull my arm back, smiling when Tyler lets out some semblance of a protest and tries to grab for me to stop.

I'm pretty sure he's not even awake, which makes it all the more adorable.

I shut the alarm off and sit up in bed. Tyler is definitely still asleep.

He's rolled over onto his back and I see his sinfully soft lips parted just slightly.

I move slowly to get out of bed. I have an hour before I need to leave, but I plan on making us breakfast and I have to shower. Working on Sundays is a drag, but I know I'll have Tuesday off this week so I'm hoping that Tyler will stay again Monday night.

Sir Fluffikins is already waiting by his empty food bowl. I pick it up on my way into the kitchen. He immediately follows me and jumps up on the counter next to where I usually prepare his food. His head butts against mine and I shoo him away.

"You're not going to get anything if you don't wait," I tell him sternly.

He looks up at me, blinks slowly in his little creepy orange demon cat way, and lets out a demanding meow.

I'm most certain he's telling me off with all the colorful cat language words.

I stop making his food and stare at him.

"I'm not going to continue making your food if you're going to be like that, Fluff. "

We're locked in a stare down. Usually he just tries to get to his food before I'm done mixing it together, but today he's being a pain.

I don't let up though. He can have just the dry food if he doesn't behave.

It might also be that despite waking up next to Tyler in bed and having the best day with him yesterday, I'm in a bit of a mood that I have to leave him for a twelve hour shift.

After a moment, Fluff licks his lips and then hops down and sits at my feet. He gives a soft meow but nothing else.

"Thank you. Was that so hard?"

I startle when there's a noise behind me. I turn to see Tyler with his hand over his mouth, suppressing a laugh. I finish mixing Fluff's food and put it back on the mat next to his water bowl. I turn my attention back to Tyler and see the amusement in his eyes.

"What?"

"You just treated your cat like you did me yesterday when I didn't want to eat lunch." I look from Tyler to Fluff and back. I did, didn't I? I shrug and wrap my arms around Tyler to hug him against my chest. He's not much shorter than me. He's smaller than me, though, and fits perfectly in my arms.

"Guess I'm just getting into this whole Daddy thing."

"You already have that in the bag," Tyler says against my chest. I loosen my hold and he looks at me with a soft morning smile. "I had a lot of fun yesterday."

"Me too," I whisper. I give him a quick peck before pulling away and washing my hands to start our breakfast. I'm making a protein shake for myself and an omelet for each of us. I add in peppers, onions, and some fresh greens. "What are your plans for today?"

"I have to go back home and do some laundry and get ready for the week. I also have to finish filling out my college stuff."

"Did you decide what classes you want to take?

" I ask. I slide his food onto a plate and join him at the table.

I know I'm cutting time short, but I'd rather be a couple of minutes late than miss a morning like this.

Has it only been two weeks since that first time he came over? Sure. Do I care? Not a bit.

"Not entirely," Tyler says. He sounds sad, but continues.

"I wanted to be able to take at least a few credited classes a semester, but with a full time job and all the medical stuff, I don't think I'll be able to handle it.

Safely, at least. I tend to get stressed out on tests and deadlines.

So I'm maxing out at two classes a semester.

It'll take me an extra year to get the degree and I'm already a year behind, but I know it's what I can do, so I'm trying not to feel bummed about it. "

"That's great, Ty." I reach over and take his hand in mine. "I'm proud of you for not pushing yourself and learning your own limits. I know it can suck, but you're still going to have that degree in the end."

He gives me a tight smile, but I can see the pride growing in his eyes that he's doing the right thing. I squeeze his hand once more before letting it go and taking another bite of my breakfast. I keep the conversation going, wanting to hear him talk about anything.

“Are you excited to be going back to school?"

"A bit nervous," he says. "But I am excited. I love the coffee shop and I’ll work there as long as I can, but I want to be able to do something a little more creative as well."

"What's your dream career?" I ask. I slyly check my phone and see I have about twenty-five minutes before I have to leave. He doesn't answer and when I look at him, I can see he's staring at his empty plate way too intensely. "Ty?"

"I don't want to say," he mumbles. "You'll think it's weird. My parents did when I first told them."

"Baby, I promise you that I am not one to judge." I feel like he should know that already, but from his comment about his parents just now, I can see he has reservations in telling people what he wants to do.

He looks at me and I keep my face neutral. He could say he wants to take classes to learn how to ride a unicycle and I'd support it. I would definitely make him buy the necessary safety gear, but I would support it.

"I want to be one of the people that work on marketing things, like commercials or writing scripts for them or movies."

"Commercials, really?" I try to hide the surprise in my voice, but I know a bit slipped out. In this day and age, commercials aren't really a thing much anymore. You can purchase a subscription to most things to not have them. Even with music, the radio isn't near as common as it used to be.

"I was part of this group in my Freshman year where we had to write a script and film a commercial for some local thing," Ty starts. "I really enjoyed writing it and helping film it. I was proud of the end result."

"Do you still have the commercial? I want to see it."

"I have it on a USB drive somewhere," Tyler says. "I'll try to find it for you. Do you have to leave now?"

"I have to get a shower and then I'll head to work," I say. I stand up and put our dishes in the sink before reaching across the counter and grabbing his medicine. I toss the two orange bottles to him. "Don't forget to take these."

"Got it, Daddy." His eyes twinkle and he gives me a genuine, if slightly smirky, smile.

"I'll be checking in with you throughout the day as well." I walk by and kiss the top of his head. "I'm going to go shower, but feel free to hang out here for a bit if you want. I'm sure Fluff wouldn't mind some snuggles."

"Thank you." He tilts his head back to look up at me and I can't resist. I give him one more kiss before walking to the bathroom.

As I strip down and turn on the water, my thoughts travel to yesterday.

Everything we did, from the moment we woke up to falling asleep, was fun and perfect.

I know I took a big chance on bringing up the bondage thing, but the way he let me hold him and tease him and then agreeing to see an apartment with me?

I'm really entwining my life with his, but I can't help it.

I want all of our mornings to be like this, to wake up together and have breakfast, to talk about our plans.

I know he's only twenty and I have to remind myself that we have plenty of time and can take things slow. I’ll slow down after we move in together. Maybe.

When I get out of the shower, I can see Tyler curled up in bed, fast asleep again. Fluff is laying in my spot and watches me as I make my way to the closet to grab my scrubs for today.

"If it isn't my favorite nurse." A very familiar, deep voice calls out and I look up on instinct with a smile already on my face.

I'm only halfway through this shift, but it hasn't been terrible today.

Knock on wood, I think to myself. I see my work besties, Derrek and Veronica, only a few feet from the nurses' station.

"How are you, Brandt? We missed you on Friday night." Friday night, when I was at the Munch with Tyler, learning all about the world of Daddies. I'd make that choice every single time.

"Yeah, sorry, I had other plans already," I say but don't elaborate, even though I know these two are jonesing for some gossip. Derrek rests his arms against the counter and looks at me. I give him a blank stare back until he rolls his eyes.

"Secrets are no fun," Veronica says with a sing-song voice.

"You're not getting information out of me," I say.

I close down my computer station because I know this exchange is going to end with me going to grab a late lunch with them.

It's one-thirty in the afternoon. I grab my phone and stand up before either of them can say anything else.

"I might spill one or two details if someone buys me lunch, though. "

"On our salary?" Veronica laughs. "You know we can barely afford our own lunches."

"Speak for yourself," I say. "It's not my fault I took advantage of that free education program to get my nursing degree."

"It is your fault that you're so young they gave you that option.

" Derrek is only thirty-four, but he's a bit bitter that it was only a couple of months after he graduated and got hired here that the hospital came out with that option.

I was working as a scheduler for a year at that point and decided to go for it.