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My throat hurt around the pacifier. Daddy's thumb moved across my cheek. "You don't have to punish yourself for something you didn't do." I sniffled. His eyes warmed. "That's my job anyway, remember?"

A tiny laugh came out around the pacifier. "There he is," Daddy murmured. I leaned forward and pressed my forehead against his. "You're my good boy, Mikey. Being sad because somebody got scared doesn't make you guilty. It means you care about him."

The knot in my chest loosened a little. Daddy tapped a finger against the pacifier. "Want this off?" I shook my head hard. He chuckled. "Then you can stay right here as long as you want." I curled back into him. He's the best Daddy in the whole world.

Sometimes I still had those thoughts that I didn't deserve how much he cared for me, that maybe I was too spoiled or too needy or too small. But I knew better than to let myself sit in those thoughts for long. Daddy had spent too much time teaching all of us that needing care wasn't the same thing as being a burden.

A little while later, I saw Max and Dominic walking toward us. Max's eyes were still a little red, but he looked much better. Not glowing, exactly. Not like nothing had happened. Just calmer. Dominic walked close beside him without touching him, like he was making sure Max knew he was there without crowding him. I instinctively hid my face against Daddy's neck.

"Mikey?" Max said. I peeked out. He smiled. Daddy's hand rubbed my back. Max came closer. "You don't have to hide from me. I got overwhelmed," he said. "I thought I could handle more than I actually could, and then when the blindfold went on, I froze."

Daddy nodded. "That wasn't you failing."

"I know that now," Max said. Dominic gave him a look. Max smiled faintly.

"I'm working on helping him," Dominic said. Daddy's mouth twitched.

"Good.”

"I wish I'd been able to say my safeword," Max continued, "but Bella noticed anyway. She stopped. Everybody stopped."

"That's what they're supposed to do," Daddy said. "Words matter, but they're not the only thing people watch in a scene."

Max nodded. "I still want to get better at speaking up sooner."

"That's a good goal," Daddy said. "Just don't turn freezing into something you blame yourself for."

"I won't."

Dominic cleared his throat lightly. There was something different about him. Not completely different. He was still Dominic — calm, controlled, looking like he could terrify half the room just by raising one eyebrow. But he looked almost... happy.

JJ apparently noticed too, because for the first time in ages, he sat up straighter.

"What?" he asked suspiciously. Dominic looked at Max. Max immediately went pink. I pulled my face farther out of Daddy's neck. "What?" JJ repeated, louder.

Daddy gave him a look. JJ lowered his voice. "What?"

Max started smiling. "Dominic asked me on a date."

JJ froze. I froze. Sawyer looked up. Dominic's mouth curved into the smallest smile.

"And he said yes," Dominic said.

JJ made a strangled sound. "OH MY GOD—"

"Inside voice." Daddy said. JJ physically clapped both hands over his mouth. His whole body was vibrating. Max laughed.

"We talked for a long time," he said. "We're not doing anything official. We're not starting a dynamic tonight. We're just going to go on a date and take things slowly."

Dominic nodded. "Very slowly."

"And Dominic said he'll stay with me tonight if I want him to."

"I will," Dominic said. Max looked at him.

"I want him to."

The fondness in Dominic's expression made my chest feel warm. JJ looked like he was about to explode again. Max stopped in front of him. "We're okay, JJ."