Chapter Fifteen
Two days had passed since he and Gareth had returned from Lancaster, and three since the sting had gone down. It was almost ten a.m. and Kit was still lying in bed, not yet ready to face the day. Gareth had been feeding him his breakfast in bed every morning, but not pressuring him to get up any earlier. Then he’d gently encourage Kit to begin his day, even going so far as getting in the shower and washing him, along with laying out his clothes.
More than ever, Kit knew that being Daddy’s boy was right for him. Maybe he hadn’t heard of this lifestyle before learning about it from Gareth, but now that he’d experienced what having a Daddy was like, he couldn’t imagine sharing his life with a man any other way.
Kit rolled on his side and clutched the pillow beneath his cheek. He might not have had any examples growing up of what a healthy relationship looked like, yet that was no longer a concern. Kit knew exactly what one looked like now. He only hoped that Gareth wanted this as much as he did, that Gareth wanted to be his Daddy forever.
The bedroom door opened a fraction, which was Gareth’s way of checking to see if Kit was stirring before coming inside.
“I’m awake, Daddy.”
Calling Gareth Daddy most of the time was helping calm him and Gareth didn’t seem to mind at all. If anything, the way his face beamed and his eyes shone with affection whenever Kit did, confirmed he approved.
Gareth smiled as he came in. He sat down next to him then began stroking Kit’s hair out of his eyes. “How are you feeling this morning?”
Kit smiled back. “Grateful.”
“Oh?” Gareth arched his eyebrows. “I like the sound of that. What in particular is making you grateful?”
Kit stuck out his hand from under his pillow and laid it on Gareth’s. “You. Us. That Ted really is out of mine and Mom’s life.”
Gareth leaned over and gave him a soft kiss. “I’m grateful, too. Especially the part about us.”
“For sure?”
He didn’t want to sound needy, but ever since the sting he’d been feeling extra sensitive.
“Of course, baby boy.” Gareth started petting his hair back again. “Is there something I’m not doing that’s leaving you feeling vulnerable?”
“No, not at all.” Kit smiled up at him. “You’re amazing.”
Gareth’s hand traveled to Kit’s shoulder and he began gently massaging it. “But there’s something inside you that’s questioning whether I want you, want us.”
Kit winced. “Yeah. Is that bad?”
“No, baby. Not bad at all. Given the newness, never mind the uniqueness, of our relationship, I’d say it’s perfectly natural.”
Kit brushed his thumb across Gareth’s hand as he tried to come up with the best way to let Gareth know how he felt.
“You’re right, I know you are. I guess…” No. He couldn’t tell Gareth he loved him this way. It had to be the perfect moment. “I’ve come to realize that I do love being a boy, that this lifestyle is amazing. But only if you’re my Daddy.” He averted his gaze. “I was just making sure I wasn’t hoping for something different than you are, that’s all.”
Gareth gave him another kiss, parting Kit’s lips with his tongue to delve inside. Kit resisted at first, then remembered Gareth telling him he didn’t care about morning breath, so he let Daddy take control. That was the point, right? Let Daddy worry about things, even the mundane stuff.
After one more swipe through Kit’s mouth, Gareth straightened. “You’re not hoping for something different than me, not at all.” Gareth carded his fingers through Kit’s hair. He couldn’t get enough of that—it was so soothing. “Are you ready for breakfast?”
“Yeah, um…” Why was he hesitating?
“Baby? Remember, anything you need to ask is fine.”
“You’re still going to feed me, right? Like the past two days?” Kit’s ears burned. “This’ll be the last time, I promise.”
Gareth shook his head and Kit’s stomach fell.
“No, baby. This won’t be the last time. I’ll feed you every single day if that’s what you want.” Gareth squeezed his shoulder. “Eventually, it’ll be more real to you how much I get out of feeding, bathing, helping you. It’s not a chore, not at all.”
“Yeah?” Kit scooted to an upright position. “I mean, obviously you’ve been telling me that over and over. I suppose it’s that I enjoy it so much so it seems like it must be a hassle for you.”
“Why is it a hassle because you enjoy it?”