Page 28 of Love Unlimited

The babies like to be eaten, Zhong explained, somehow managing to keep a straight face. The fairy guardians only protect them from beasts in the forest.

That’s right, Ash agreed, picking up the story. We’re going to find the beasts. Come on, everybody. They started lining up the carrots and peppers in a new formation. Let’s go exploring. Hold hands with your Daddy! They pushed the peppers a little closer to each of the carrots.

Since Ash was playing happily and Dustin wandered over to the refrigerator, Zhong settled in to watch Ash again. The swimming pool was repurposed as a cave for the beasts, who turned out to be some very sweet but misunderstood broccoli clusters. They were invited back to the elf village.

Zhong turned when Dustin stepped up beside him, running a hand down his back.

I don’t think I imagined this level of cuteness, Dustin told him, glancing at Ash affectionately. This is the best lunch break I’ve had in a long time.

Is the project still killing you?

Like you wouldn’t believe.

Zhong switched places to kneed his fingers down Dustin’s back, keeping his other hand free to sign. He couldn’t wait for Dustin’s stupid project to be over so he could relax more. Maybe he could think of some things to help him let go when he had the time.

Ash is a sweetheart, Dustin continued. I feel like I could watch them all day. If that’s not weird, that is. It seems like they never run out of ideas.

I know. Zhong felt a swell of pride, like all of Ash’s accomplishments were his own. And it’s not weird as long as Ash wants you here. Ash is just amazing.

Dustin gave him a gentle hip check. It looks to me like you’re doing an amazing job, too.

Zhong shook his head. I don’t do anything. Ash does it all themself and I just get to watch.

No, I see you with them all the time. You’re a good Daddy when they’re big. And I’m sure you help them prepare for this to make the transition easier. Like getting them dressed or talking about what you’re going to do? I bet that means a lot to them.

It felt good to hear that, but Dustin couldn’t be farther off. I literally said “I have a present” and I was talking to a four-year-old. I asked if they wanted to change clothes and they told me that I’d already gotten them dressed this morning so they didn’t need to get dressed again. Ash goes into little space instantly. I follow their lead. He showed one index finger following behind the other.

Ash looked up from the village dance party, surprising Zhong because he hadn’t thought they were paying attention. No, you’re the best Daddy I’ve ever had, they reported confidently. Even better than my pretend Daddies in my dreams. They gave Dustin a winning smile, before assuring him, You’re a very good Daddy, too. You can play with me any time. Then they went back to arranging corn-shaped fairies.

That glowing feeling in Zhong’s chest felt like it was about to explode. Like it shouldn’t be possible to contain so much satisfaction and euphoria in something so brittle as his ribs. Dustin slid an arm around Zhong’s back, pushing the glow out to his extremities.

Somehow, it had escaped Zhong’s notice until just this moment that they were Daddies together. Whatever this weird and wonderful thing was that he’d stumbled into, it wasn’t just something he could talk about with Dustin when he needed to think things through. And it wasn’t two separate things, where he and Ash had something, and Dustin and Landon had something that Ash might want to participate in.

It was… something else.

Zhong’s hand twitched toward his pocket automatically, but he paused. It wasn’t always appropriate to take notes in the middle of a big moment.

Dustin inclined his head, already knowing what Zhong was thinking, so he pulled the notebook out anyway. He covered the page he was writing on, not because it was top secret, but because he was still thinking it through.

This was going to need a lot of > symbols. Or maybe something else. Arrows? Webs? No, circles. Circles within circles. Overlapping and intersecting and nestled inside each other.

A bit like Ash’s mushroom village.

Dustin stood beside him, watching Ash play and occasionally interjecting a comment about the rapidly disappearing elf inhabitants. Zhong added a few more circles, trying to capture that chest-expanding feeling on paper.

And then he put his notebook away to watch his sweetheart crunch the heads off of dancing broccoli while he massaged his best friend’s neck, working out the knots of stress.

He felt closer to Dustin than he had for a long time. And maybe he was a pretty good Daddy after all.

Chapter 6

Landon

Landon raced down the stairs, hoping to catch Zhong and Ash before they left. He didn’t know what time Ash needed to go to work, but he knew it was early.

Fortunately, he was just in time. Ash was nowhere to be seen, but Zhong was zipping around the kitchen, packing the most adorable lunch into a divided container with about eight little sections. He didn’t pause as he moved between the refrigerator, pantry, and different cabinets. Landon knew that Dustin and Zhong were close, but Landon was still discovering the full depths of it.

Zhong still hadn’t noticed him, so Landon stepped forward until he was in Zhong’s range of vision and then waved, palm downward, to get his attention.