“Full?” I asked.
“Yes, sir. Thank you.”
“Good.” I ruffled his hair, gentle. “I like seeing you eat.”
He went pink, and I let it be.
He tried to do the dishes, but I waved him away, so he sat quietly, waiting for direction, even if his eyes kept gazing at the dishes I stacked as if it worried him.
I dried my hands and turned to him. “So. About tonight.”
His fingers twisted in his lap. “The club?”
“Yeah. The one near Charlotte. They’ve got a Little room. I want you to see it. No expectations, no tests. Just…see what it feels like.”
He looked terrified—and a little hopeful. I smiled, slow and sure. “You’ll be safe. I’ll be right there. If you want to leave, we go. Deal?”
A small nod. “Yes, sir.”
That was enough.
The drive there was quiet again, but softer somehow. Less fear, more wondering. When we parked outside, he hesitated, taking in the blank building front.
“Hey.” I reached out, palm up. Not a command, just an offer. “With me?”
After a beat, he slipped his hand into mine.
Inside, the club glowed gold and warm, a low hum of conversation. Adrian caught my eye from across the room andlifted a surprised brow, but I shook my head. Later. This was just for Clayton.
The Little room’s sign and a picture of a teddy bear made him stop. I opened the door and let him look.
Soft carpet. Bright beanbags. A movie playing low on the TV. Two grown men and a woman in onesies laughing over a tower of blocks. A snack table loaded with juice boxes and crackers. It smelled like sugar and crayons and calm.
Clayton went still. Not afraid this time—just overwhelmed.
“Easy,” I murmured. “Just look.”
He did, eyes wide, drinking it in.
When a Little with a badge readingRowan – Monitorapproached, I recognized the nervous glance he sent to his Dom across the room. The Dom nodded encouragingly, and Rowan smiled.
“Hi!” he said brightly, then looked to me. “My name's Rowan. Would it be okay if I showed him around? It’s Quiet Night, so just coloring and puzzles, but we’ve got dress-up too.”
I smiled, catching Clayton’s uncertain gaze. “I think that sounds perfect.”
Rowan offered his hand, and I held my breath until Clayton took it. Rowan’s Dom…Daddy I guessed, stood up and held out a hand.
“Gabriel.”
I knew most places didn’t always give last names out, so I didn’t think it strange, and I shook. “Felix.”
Gabriel poured us both a coffee. “New to the club?”
I shook my head. “I've been, but never in here. I’ve been in the scene a while, but I don’t consider myself a Daddy.” I saw Gabriel’s puzzlement. “He’s a sub, but I think he needs more. I’m a member at Black and Gold, but we don’t have a dedicated Little space.”
Gabriel smiled, kind and a little knowing. “You remind me of me. Rowan was playing at being a Little because he considered it a safe space. He needed structure. Rules, food, sleep. The basics. But he’s actually more into the sort of toys an older child would like, even if when he feels extra safe, he can go deeper.”
“Clayton ran a retail department. He’s very talented.”
