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Mikey giggled. “You can’t eat little boys! Silly Daddy.”
The sound was music to Devlin’s ears, and he took Mikey’s hand. “Come on, buddy, let’s get you something to eat.”
He knew exactly what to give him, as he’d spotted it in Phex’s cupboards during his tour. Healthy, it wasn’t, but they’d work on that a next time. Mikey needed some comfort food, and if he’d bought this, that had to be why.
“Go sit, Mikey,” he said. “Daddy will make you some apple juice, and then I’ll make dinner, okay?”
“Yes, Daddy.”
Mikey quietly sat down, and Devlin quickly filled one of his plastic cups with apple juice and put it in front of him. He emptied it with a few greedy gulps. “Can I have more, Daddy?”
“Yes, you can. One more cup of juice and if you’re still thirsty, we’ll switch to water, okay?”
“Okay.”
He refilled his cup, then grabbed the can he’d found earlier from the cupboard. Locating a can opener was a bit of a search, but finally, he’d found the drawer where it was hiding. He opened the can, dumped the contents into a bowl, then covered it and put it in the microwave.
“I’m having Beefaroni, Daddy?” Mikey’s voice was laced with incredulity, as if he couldn’t believe he was allowed to have it.
“Yes, buddy…with an apple as dessert, okay? Just so you get some healthy food as well.”
“Yes, Daddy.”
He served him his food, happy to heat up a bit of lasagna he found in the fridge for himself. Mikey was quiet as he ate, but considering the speed at which he devoured his food, Devlin attributed that to him being starving and needing fuel first. As soon as Mikey was done, Devlin prepared his apple, and they sat shoulder to shoulder as they ate.
“Thank you, Daddy.” Mikey sank his head against Devlin’s shoulder for a moment. “That was yummy.”
Devlin smiled. “Do you have yummy in your tummy?” he teased, tickling Mikey’s belly button.
“Daddy!” Mikey giggled. “No tickles after eating. I’ll get the hiccups!”
“Good point. Come on, let’s go upstairs. Daddy will sit with you until you fall asleep.”
He helped him brush his teeth, his heart warming as Mikey sank deeper and deeper into his little boy headspace. It never failed to amaze Devlin how much that touched him, to see someone surrender to their needs.
He tucked him into bed, smiling when Mikey snuggled deep under the covers, his eyes already fluttering closed. “Daddy?”
“What is it, sweetheart?”
“I need my binkie and blankie.”
Of course. Devlin looked around, then spotted them at the foot end of the bed. “Here you go, cutie.”
Mikey opened his mouth and took his binkie in, then wrapped his blankie around his hand and put his cheek against it. Before Devlin could even utter another word, he was asleep.
Devlin watched him for a long time, the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest, his pale cheeks, the soft sucking noises he made with his binkie. Oh, the things he felt… Casual was far behind him, way back in his rearview mirror. He wanted Phex. Wanted him with all his heart. Now all he had to do was be patient and wait for Phex to be ready. Devlin would wait as long as he had to because now that he’d met the boy he wanted to make his own, he was never letting him go again.
8
Phex had gone back and forth in the two days since Devlin had made his proposal. He could think of so many reasons why he was desperate for Devlin to take care of him, to help him become better at self-care, to become healthier and happier.
But oh, he was scared. Fucking terrified. Somehow he knew Devlin had the power to break his heart into a million pieces, smash it to smithereens in a way Phex might never recover from. The man was so…perfect. Successful, the sweetest Daddy, seriously fucking hot, and just…perfect. Almost too good to be true.
What if he trusted him, and Devlin broke that trust? What if Phex’s money, his career, would turn out to be too much for Devlin as well? What if he, just like the others, would grow tired of the interruptions, the many hours Phex made, the fact that his business often had to come first? This time, he stood to lose so much more because Devlin had already gotten under his skin…into his heart. He’d tried to keep him out, had fought to close himself off, to ban Devlin from his heart, but he’d failed miserably.
He wanted him. He wanted him as a man, as a lover, as his Daddy, and maybe even as much more. All that was so frighteningly real that every time he thought of it, his chest became tight. How could he take this risk? But at the same time, how could he not? How could he turn his back on what could be his happily ever after? He couldn’t. He shouldn’t. He deserved to be happy, dammit.
And so he made the call. Well, the text, more accurately. He texted him one word.
