Reaching down, I grabbed another book from the shelf and sat down on the edge of the bed. Ellery wiggled as they adjusted their blankets around them until they were wrapped as snug as a burrito.
As I began reading, Ellery’s eyes grew heavy. Every time I turned a page, their eyes would pop open and they’d try to pay attention, but then they’d lose the fight only to stir again. After a few more pages, Ellery’s eyes stayed closed and their breathing evened out. I knew they were asleep. My sweet princess was tired and desperately needed rest. Unsure of how long they’d be asleep, I decided to leave the door cracked and head out to the living room.
I sat on the couch, drinking an ice-cold bottle of water I grabbed from the fridge. Ellery was perfect. It was almost impossible to believe our conversation during breakfast was real. My princess shocked me, but it wasn’t because of them. I was a Dominant who liked to bottom. Iknew never to judge by appearances, but I’d been so busy convincing myself we wouldn’t be compatible, too sacred to get my hopes up, that I couldn’t believe the words coming out of their mouth were true. But they were true. Now I just needed to know if my princess wanted me to be their Daddy too.
Hope coursed through me stronger than it ever had before. Ellery must have cast a spell on me, because that’s the only explanation I had as to why I was pulling up the online advertisement about the house for sale next to Daniel’s.
The hope swirling within me grew stronger as I read the property listing details. It had plenty of space for my art and Ellery’s sewing equipment. The main room was huge, with plenty of space for a massive king-sized bed. I found myself wondering if Daniel could build us a princess canopy frame.
Was it too soon to be thinking about Ellery and me moving in together? Probably. But the thought didn’t scare me. Houses sometimes took months to buy, and if we still weren’t ready to take that step, I would happily wait until we were. My heart squeezed at the thought. Even if we never got to that point, I was in my mid-forties and ready to settle down into a real home. I just hoped that when the time came, I’d be able to share it with someone.
My family weren’t rich, but they were good with money, and I’d received a small inheritance from my grandparents when they’d passed. On top of that, having lived in apartments most of my adult life, I’d managed to save up enough to hopefully buy the house outright. That was also why I’d waited so long. It would have felt silly to take on that much debt and deal with all the hassle of a mortgage when Ididn’t need the space. I’d always thought I may still have to take out a mortgage anyway, but I hadn’t expected to be single and saving money till I was forty-four.
With my mind made up, I filled out a form to contact the realtor. Then, feeling brave after making such a big decision, I opened my messages and texted Daniel.
Hey, man. I was thinking we could have dinner some evening this week. I’d like to sit down and talk with everyone before we go to the club.
The anxiety I thought would grip me didn’t. Don’t get me wrong, I was still incredibly nervous, but it was more about the changes to come. Now, instead of pure panic, it also left a flurry of excitement in its wake. Just as I went to close my phone, the typing bubbles popped up, so I waited for his reply.
Daniel
That’s a great idea. Since Tristan and Ellery have never been there before, we can both talk to them about it. Although, you’ll probably do most of the talking. You know more than I do since you basicallywork there.
Daniel knew I didn’t work at the club, but he was right. I knew the ins and outs of how everything worked better than he did. Even when I wasn’t painting a mural at the club, many of my clients were members, and it was easier to discuss business in a space familiar to both my clients and me. The front of the club had a restaurant and bar; it was the perfect safe place to meet with them.
Sounds great. How's Thursday at six?
Thankfully, I didn’t have many projects this week. The pet room didn’t open for a few more weeks, so I had plenty of time. It was rare for me to stay away from a project this long, and even though my fingers were itching to pick up a brush, I didn’t want to be anywhere else but here, taking care of Ellery.
Daniel
Perfect. See you then.
Placing my phone down, I looked around to see if there was anything I could do, but the house was surprisingly clean. My mind wandered to Ellery sleeping, how peaceful they looked, and how I had read to them. Once again, I thought of their books and opened my phone.
Scrolling through my contacts, I smiled triumphantly when I found who I was looking for. Cameron.
Hey, Cameron. I hope you’re doing well. I have a personal project I’d like to discuss with you.
My finger had barely left the send button when it buzzed in my hand. Thankfully, I’d remembered to put it on silent, so it didn’t wake Ellery.
“David! It’s been a while. Forgive me for the call, but you know how I am with projects. What you got for me?”
Cameron’s excitement was palpable and made me chuckle. “I don’t mind texting all the details, but it would’ve been a hassle, so I much prefer this. I recently met a little who enjoys princess play. They’re nonbinary, and all of their books feature princesses who identify as girls. Would you be available to write and format a book? My digital drawing skills are a bit rusty, but I’d really like to illustrate a book for them.”
Cameron squealed, and I swear I could hear them jumping up and down. “Yes, a thousand times, yes. It’s different than my usual work, but it’s such a sweet and beautiful idea. I can help you. If you’d like, we can get together sometime this week and discuss a general storyline, and then when I finish the rough draft, you can get started on the illustrations.”
“That sounds amazing. Thank you, Cameron. I’m sure I’ll have more questions for you when we meet, but thank you so much for helping me with this.”
“You’re welcome, David. I’m super excited. This is amazing. I’m going to start brainstorming ideas. See you later!”
“Bye—” I didn’t even get to finish my sentence before the line went dead. I wasn’t offended; it actually made me laugh. Cameron was an excellent little and extremely creative. When he discussed any project, it became his whole focus, and everything else was easily forgotten. But I didn’t fault him for it; I was the same way about my paintings. It was just who we were.
Excitement and hope coursed through me at a dizzying rate. I’d spent so long just floating through life one day after another. It felt like it was time to start taking charge and finally get what I wanted. My body felt heavy, and my eyes struggled to stay open. I felt as if all my energy had been zapped out of me as I succumbed to sleep.
When I woke, there was a warm weight pressed on top of me. I slowly opened my eyes, and the sight before me nearly made my heart melt into a puddle. Ellery was lying atop me with a purple fuzzy blanket tucked around us. Their head was on my chest, their face covered by their beautiful hair. I gently brushed the raven locks out of their face, tucking them behind their ear.
I had no idea why they were lying on top of me, but I couldn’t find the energy to care. Their body felt so nice against mine. It had been so long since I’d held someone. I hadn’t realized how much I missed it. Before I could even stop it, I had one hand cradling the back of their head and my other around their waist, just soaking up their warmth.
