Page 19 of Immortal Bonds

Creighton smiled at his phone, ignoring the looming decision over the letter and what it meant for himself, Eden, and the man who'd come into the shop. He began typing back.

I have been busy working, Daddy. I had a big project that was on a tight deadline.

I see. It's the one you've been doing every night while we've chatted.

Creighton sent back a smiling emoji.

Yes, Daddy. That's the one.

Do I get to see this project? Are you able to share anything?

Creighton bit his lip. He probably shouldn't share the dragon with his Daddy. That would be breaking confidentiality, right?

Except his Daddy didn't live in San Noctis, and it was likely he didn't know these dragons. It wouldn't do anything, right? He thought about it for a moment longer before deciding it would be okay.

"I guess I'm doing this," Creighton muttered to himself as he snapped a photo of the dragon on his desk. He zoomed in close to make sure nothing in the background would give away where he was. Not that his Daddy would be able to find him, but still. He wasn't ready for that conversation.

Creighton sent the picture, then waited.

The response he got made him laugh loudly in the quiet space of his shop.

Oh my goodness. Little biter, they're gorgeous.

You create magic, baby.

I'm so honored you shared this with me. I'd love to see more of your work.

The color alone is mesmerizing.

Creighton blushed with every bit of praise given to him. His chest warmed, and he wished, not for the first time, that he and his Daddy could see each other in real life, that they could be together and cuddle and do all the things he longed to have.

But he wasn't brave enough. He didn't believe he was as talented as his Daddy said. Even with a successful business under his belt, he didn't have positive things to say about his own work like that.

Eden had told him he was far too humble, that if he could take a bit more pride in his work he would be even more successful. "You could do world domination, stuffy style," Eden had said in those exact words.

Creighton didn't take anything Eden said like that to heart. He knew that the other man enjoyed his stuffies along with his other clients, but world domination via stuffies was far-fetched. And Eden had a knack for the dramatics.

Thank you, Daddy. I like them.

It was quiet for a few minutes, so he put his phone down, not knowing what else to say. He turned back to the dragon stuffy and the letter. In a few short stitches, the project would be finished. He would need to let Eden know it was ready and decide just how they were going to connect to get it to him.

Meanwhile, there was so much else going on. The man who had entered the shop, the pending dragon council vote, the unease amongst the horde, his own worries about how things would end up, and so much more. It was like his mind could memorize every single inconvenience and inconsistency and magnify it a thousand times. He shook his head and prepared to finish his project.

While he longed to talk to his Daddy more, he had no clue how to continue the conversation. He didn't want to brag about his projects, and he had no clue what his Daddy was up to.

"Oh, wait. That would be good." He sent the text.

What are you doing right now, Daddy? Keeping busy?

A reply came instantly.

It's been busy, yes. I'm sorry it took me so long to get back to you. I was thinking of a way to let you know that you should take compliments as they're intended. I think you don't value your work or yourself, and that won't do.

Creighton gulped, amazed that the other man could see so much when they couldn't actually see each other. Then again, he'd learned a lot about his Daddy through text over the years. They'd discussed all the basic first-date conversations. Then they'd talked about the deeper things you might share with a best friend.

There was very little he didn't know other than, of course, where his Daddy was, what type of species he was, and what he did for a living.

Oh, and of course, his real name. Though "Daddy" was the perfect title, knowing someone's real name gave it a bit more formality.