Page 27 of Destroyer

Thereisaqueueat the club. Little Night is certainly popular here. The Little in front of us started crawling the moment we got inside the foyer. Nico just stands there, cool as a cucumber, sucking on the dummy like it's second nature. It comes as natural to him as chewing on the end of his pencils.

Finally, it is our turn.

"First time here?" The man at the desk eyes us up and down. "Most of the Littles start crawling when they get here.”

"I is not crawl. I is big boy," Nico declares indignantly, around the dummy in his teeth. "Tell him, Daddy."

"Yes baby. You are a big boy," I nod. Calling him baby is so natural.

"Look, I even practise big boy writing." Nico opens the brand-new change bag that hangs over my shoulder, and fumbles around inside.

"Not do I like this bag, Daddy. Everything is moved. I like Daddy's old bag." He pulls out his colouring book and slaps it down on the reception desk. "Look. This is my bestestist writing in the whole big world."

Nico glosses over pages of his colouring and the messy handwriting he used to label everything. Showing the tatty old book is a great idea for convincing this guy we were not as new to this lifestyle as the props we brought with us. He lets the book stop on a bird he coloured, near the end. "I writed burd."

He actually wrote pain-gin when I told him what type of bird it was, then crossed it out because he said the penguin looked too happy, and he write beaurd under it. Then he crossed that out too and wrote bird.

"Wow. That is brilliant writing. You wrote that really well. Would you like a sticker?" The receptionist offers.

"Ooh, Daddy. Can I put a sticker in my book? Please Daddy?"

If I had known his begging would make me feel like this, I'd have bought a roll of stickers for him at home. I never thought baby talk would turn me on, but hearing Nico beg makes me want to rip his clothes off and give him the world.

"Sure, baby. As long as you remember…"

"Pleases and thank yous." Nico finishes my sentence, excitedly bouncing on his feet. He is such a good actor; he could convince anyone.

"Please Mister Weception man, can I have a sticker for my bestistest writing, please?"

"Of course. Which one?" The guy holds up a sticker page for Nico.

He picks a bright yellow flower, and the reception guy helps him stick it in the empty space on the page.

Nico glances at me, and then bounces more. "Thank you, Mister Weception man."

"It's our first time playing in public," I grin. "I guess I'm worrying about nothing."

"Worrying for your boy is completely natural," the man grins. "But he is such a sweet boy. He'll love the other Littles. We have one Little who is going through an acting out stage, but all the other boys are adorable."

I fill in the form while the guy welcomes a few more familiar faces through. Nico pokes his tongue out at a stroppy looking Little, who sticks his out back and then smiles back.

"Done. Time to go in." I pre-warn my little con artist.

We are allowed through the coveted door into the club. I have made it further than anyone else in the Thayer cartel, and it's all thanks to Nico.

"Where do we sit?" The room is set up in booths around the outside, semi-circles of bench seats, with large play mats on the floor. Three seems to be a comfortable number per booth, and there are lots of spaces, but we're here for one man in particular. This is going to be a waste of Nico's amazing acting if we don't get close to the guy. I am prepared for that. Piotr isn't going to let a total nube sit within earshot of him. We might have to become regulars here before we even see the guy in question.

Nico weaves his hand in mine and starts pulling me forward.

"Here. Please Daddy." He stops by a booth of three men and two littles. "Can we play here Daddy?"

"Um, only if these Daddies don't mind you playing. We don't know them, and you are a little overexcited."

"I is not. I totally am standing both feet on the floor. Look Daddy, look at my feet."

I look at his feet, both looking normal and perfect on the floor.

"Please Daddy, can the bouncy boy join us?" The little who poked his tongue out at Nico in line turns to his Daddy.

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