Page 89 of Learning to Change

“No.” That was not cute. Not even the hot model they’d got to wear the outfit could make it cute. “But wouldn’t he look adorable wagging a fluffy puppy tail?”

I was arguing about what tail Joel needed.

How had my life come to this in just a week?

“I guess if it’s a cute inside tail.” Tate had obviously decided that it was his turn to manipulate me, but anything was better than Joel pretending to be a mouse. “He needs to be able to wag and an inside tail would probably be easier.”

Bullshit.

The snickers spilling out of Joel said he knew that too.

“I think that sounds reasonable.” Yep, and better than him being a mouse or anything like that. “He’s going to look very good with a fluffy inside tail.”

And I wouldn’t complain about it either.

Joel wiggled off me and onto all fours on the bed, wagging his imaginary tail as he giggled. The fact that he was in adorably mismatched pajamas made it cute, but I had a feeling it would be something else completely when he was fully dressed as a pup.

I wasn’t sure if Joel could imagine that part, and the innocently sweet smile he aimed in my direction didn’t make that any clearer. “Cute, Daddy?”

“Yes.” Was there a way to explain to a little that Daddy thought the tail would be confusingly sexy? “You’re going to look very cute, baby boy.”

Tate’s dirty snicker said he’d guessed some of what was going through my head, but Joel just threw himself at me again. “Yay.”

Yeah, I was going to have to figure out how to bring that up at some point, but the questions got pushed to the back of my head as Joel started wiggling his imaginary tail again and aimed his smile at Tate. “Cute?”

Tate’s laughter was wicked and made Joel giggle. “Oh yes. You’re going to be a very cute pup.”

Coming over to the bed, he sat down on the inch of free space beside me and leaned over to give Joel a quick kiss. “And you’re going to be a happy one. Do you think your pup would like to wear a cage too?”

Weirdest fucking conversation ever.

“Oh.” Joel’s eyes got wide and he looked like he’d never thought of something so perfect. “Wiggles and wags and tugs.”

Whipping his head around to look at me again, he flopped down and aimed his best give me what I want face at me. “Daddy? Tugs too?”

For fuck’s sake.

Okay, I was his Daddy and Daddies answered questions their littles asked...no matter how weird they were. It’d literally been in the Daddy Instructions website I’d found. I could do it.

“Yes, I think you’d like the tugs your cage gives you. It’s probably going to bounce when you run around and play.” Based on how his body would be positioned, that seemed logical, but I was glad when Tate’s nod backed me up. “You like tugs.”

He liked them a lot.

Wiggling over us, he was doing his best to look adorable so he could get his way. “Tugs and wags and barks and playing.”

“We’ll find lots of games for our pup to play and you’ll have lots of fun wagging and barking.” Between tugs and wagging, I had a feeling he’d have lots of fun.

“Lots.” Tate snickered and waggled his eyebrows which made Joel start laughing again.

“How do you make that sound dirty?” I shouldn’t have asked but it just popped out.

“It’s a gift.” Looking proud of himself, he leaned over Joel and started tickling him. “One your baby boy really likes.”

“So does your naughty boy.” My comeback got more giggles from Joel and as Tate finally stopped tickling him, Joel flopped down over me and wiggled his bottom.

“Naughties.” Giggling again, Joel buried his head in Tate’s lap.

I couldn’t decide if he was being naughty or just hiding his face against the first soft surface he found, but no matter how it started, it turned interesting when Tate moaned. “Yep, that’s naughty but it’s really nice too.”

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