“Hello, I’m Elena Mitchell. We spoke over the phone.”
David stepped forward and shook Elena’s hand, but then returned to my side and placed his hand on the small of my back. “This is my partner, Ellery. They’ll be touring the place with me today.”
Elena smiled. “Nice to meet you both! Follow me, and I’ll show you around.”
Elena was wonderful and seemed genuinely proud to show off the property. As we made our way through the house, I started to envision what it would look like to call this place home.
The kitchen was pretty standard but had all new appliances. The living room was wide open yet cozy, with a beautiful brick fireplace.
When we reached the bedrooms, David was excited, looking at each room individually and trying to decide which would best fit our needs. By the time we’d seen all four bedrooms, David had already picked out which room was which.
The largest of the bedrooms would of course be ours. David would take the spare room with the most windows for his art studio, so he’d have good lighting. The guest room with the double closets would be my sewing room, and the fourth would be our “guest room,” but I knew David really meant it would be our Daddy-little room.
With every idea that left David’s lips, the idea that this place was meant to be our home became an even clearer reality.
When the tour was over, Elena took us back into the living room. “Why don’t I give you two a moment to discuss things in private, and when you’re done, we can schedule a time to meet if you wish to move things forward.”
We both thanked her, and she walked away, giving us time alone. When the front door closed, I felt David’s arms wrap around me from behind. He leaned forward and nuzzled the crook of my neck. “What do you think, darling?”
Resting my hand on top of his, I felt myself melt into his touch. “I love it, Daddy. It’s so perfect. This might sound crazy, but the second we walked through that front door, it felt like home.”
David released his grip on me and spun me around. The pure excitement and joy in his eyes made my breath stutter. “I’m so happy to hearthat, princess.” David cupped both of my cheeks and kissed my nose. “Would you like to stay here while I discuss everything with Elena, or would you like to go over to Daniel’s and hang out there?”
I stayed silent for a moment, contemplating my answer. Part of me was curious and wanted to stay with David; the other part worried that if I stayed, I would get into my head and worry about my ability to contribute. David said he wanted to take care of me and support me, that he’d been planning for this. Deep down, I knew he meant it. I knew he wanted to do this and even found pleasure in it.
In the end, I decided it’d be best if I went to hang out with Tristan. Part of me felt guilty. I didn’t want Daddy to think I was leaving him to handle everything on his own. Anxiety and indecision tore through me. Maybe if I told Daddy how I was feeling, he’d know how to help.
“Daddy, I’m stumped. I don’t want to leave you to handle all of this on your own. But at the same time, I’m worried that if I’m involved in a conversation about money, I’ll fixate on it and question my ability to contribute. I want to be your partner and your princess, but this feels more like a Daddy thing than it does a partner thing. Even though it feels like it should be a partner thing.”
Daddy hummed in thought while idly stroking my cheek with his thumb. “I think that makes perfect sense, princess. You’re right, in typical relationships, this would likely be something both partners did together. But darling, this is our relationship, no one else’s. You’re right, with the dynamic we have and the way we have it set up for us, this is very much a Daddy thing. I have no issue taking care of all the boring numbers and paperwork while you go next door and have fun with your friend.”
Daddy leaned down again and kissed me on the lips. He pulled back way too soon, but my body chased his. I opened my eyes to protest but stopped when I saw the seriousness that now covered his face. “But, princess, don’t misunderstand me sending you next door. At some point, you’ll be needed to sign paperwork because you will be on the deed.”
I managed to stifle my shocked gasp, but when I opened my mouth to retort, David stopped me. “Before you try to argue, let me explain. I love you, Ellery. I love you as my partner and as my little. I take being a Daddy very seriously, and as your Daddy, I will always make sure you have what you need. If anything were ever to happen to me, I want to make sure you’re taken care of. Please allow me this. If it truly makes you uncomfortable, I won’t do it. But no matter what, you will be taken care of, I promise.”
By the time he was done speaking, tears were streaming down my face, and my heart felt so incredibly full I was worried it would burst. I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him as if my life depended on it. “I love you so much, Daddy. I’m not a huge fan of being on the deed because it feels like something I don’t deserve, but I want to. I fell in love with you for so many reasons, David. One of the biggest reasons was how fiercely you love and protect those you care about. It’d feel like a crime to deny you this when it’s one of the things that makes you who you are.”
David’s smile was nearly blinding as I kissed his rosy cheeks. “But only if you allow me to pay for our groceries and one other essential household bill. I’ll let you pick.”
Unexpectedly, Daddy’s smile grew impossibly wider. “That sounds perfect, princess.”
David and I talked for a few more minutes before he led us outside to where Elena was scrolling on her phone. “Welcome back. Are you ready to discuss options?”
“Actually, if you don’t mind, I’m going to walk Ellery next door to a friend’s, and then I’ll be back to talk with you.”
Elena smiled and waved us on. “Of course, I’ll see you in a moment. It was nice to meet you, Ellery.”
“Thank you, Elena, I’m very excited about the house!”
We said our goodbyes, and David grabbed my hand, lacing our fingers together before leading me across the yard and knocking on Daniel’s door.
Daniel answered the door almost instantly and looked slightly flushed, almost like he had run here. “How’d it go? Are you going to buy it?”
Both David and I giggled at Daniel’s apparent excitement. “It went great, and yeah, I think I am. I’m actually just here to drop Ellie off before I handle all the boring details. Figured our little ones could have some playtime before dinner.”
Daniel smiled knowingly and urged me inside. “Sounds good. Dinner should be ready when you’re done. Come on in, Ellie, I’m sure Tristian is—”
I didn’t get to hear the rest of his words before I had my arms full of an excited Tristan.
