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Chapter One
Mossie was distraught.
They were so distraught that even when theytriedto speak, all that came out was a wail and some more snot. They were not at their most attractive. Which was a shame because the guy they’d been wheeled in front of, clutching Giraffe and sobbing their eyes out, was incredibly attractive. In fact, had they not been about to throw a full-blown temper tantrum, they might even have hit on him.
But Giraffe was in bits.
Vaguely aware of questions being asked of them, Mossie tried to pull themself together, but every time they caught sight of Giraffe’s sorry face, tears fell unbidden down their cheeks.
The hot guy stopped trying to ask them questions, and instead held his hand out so he could take a look at Giraffe. Mossie paused for a moment, and then with an extra big sniffle, anxiously held their stuffie out.
It had been more than a little traumatic, they had to admit. One moment they’d been walking along in St James’ Park, after having lunch with a friend, and then some dog had come up and savaged Giraffe before Mossie had even had a chance to snatch their cuddly toy up. By the time the owner had managed to prize him out of the dog’s mouth, the damage had been done. Teeth marks, drool, and holes where there most certainly shouldn’t be holes.
If it hadn’t been for the fact that Mossie had been having lunch with Rubie, they didn’t know what they would have done. Rubie, for all that she was the most enthusiastic Little that Mossie knew, was very practical. And as the Finance Manager at Stuffie Hospital London,she’d knownexactly where to take Giraffe. She’d swept them all up into a cab, directed the driver straight to her place of work, and then deposited a tearful Mossie and bedraggled Giraffe in front of one of her coworkers.
“Hey,” said the hot guy again, and this time, Mossie tried to actually pay attention to what was being said. “All of this is fixable. You’ve nothing to worry about; your Giraffe is in good hands.”
One large snuffle as they wiped a rogue tear roughly from their face. “You promise?”
The smile he gave them was warm and kindly, and Mossie had to fit the urge to throw themself into his arms for a cuddle. “I promise. Now, why don’t we go and sit down for a bit. You look like you’ve had a bit of a shock.”
Mossie nodded shyly, and then even more shyly, took the hand he offered them, and followed him through to where there was a big comfy sofa, a table, and it looked like Rubie was making herself a mug of hot tea.
“Tea?” he asked.
Rubie laughed in the corner as Mossie made a face. “They don’t like tea.”
“It’s like dirty water,” asserted Mossie. “I like hot purple though?”
“I think I can make you a hot purple,” he said, “if you’ll tell me how?”
They nodded, and explained that it really was as simple as adding blackcurrant squash to boiling water. “I’m Mossie, by the way. They/them pronouns. I think in all of…” they waved their hand back towards the restoration hub, “…I forgot to ask yours.”
“I’m Daniel,” hot guy said. They really had to stop thinking of him as hot guy. “He/him pronouns.”
Daniel was a nice name. It sounded solid. Mossie kind of needed solid in moments of disaster like this.
He poured out the hot purple once the kettle was boiled, and then came to sit next to them on the sofa. “Here you go. So how do you know Rubie?”
That made Mossie pause for a moment; but Rubie saw their look and nodded. “It’s okay Moss, I’m out at work. The whole work team gave me a post-surgery present!”
“Oh okay,” they said, relieved. “We met at a post-surgery support group, after I’d had my top surgery.” They shot a look at Daniel, but he didn’t seem phased in the slightest. Well, that was a relief. Some people got incredibly uncomfortable when they explained that they’d gotten rid of their tits; they didn’t seem to appreciate that it had just made Mossie feel wrong every time they saw a photo of themselves in a mirror. As if they were inhabiting a body that wasn’t theirs. Since they’d had top surgery, that hadn’t been a problem anymore, and the cute boyish shirts that they’d always loved now actually fit them properly! “And then we bonded over stuffies. Because stuffies.”
Daniel looked like he wanted to ask something, but his mouth opened and closed a few times before he settled on a question. “Yeah, cos I know that Rubie likes…Little things.”
Well that was adorable. He was trying to ask the question without asking the question. They grinned at him. “Are you asking if I’m a Little, Daniel?”
He sighed in relief. “Oh thank fuck. Yeah, I kind of guessed after how you reacted to Giraffe’s accident, but didn’t want to assume… And it feels a bit inappropriate to just come out and ask.”
Mossie laughed. “Yeah, it can be an awkward topic of conversation if you ask and the person has no idea what you’re talking about! Though I imagine you meet a fair number of Littles working here. Are you a Little?”
He ran his hand through dark shoulder length hair. “Nah, I lean more Caregiver.”
Their tummy felt funny then, and Mossie couldn’t help but think about that instinct that they’d had, the one where they’d wanted to throw themselves into his arms and sob. He looked like he’d be a good Caregiver. An excellent one.
A Daddy.
They had to clear their throat a few times before they could get their next question out. “Do you have a Little of your own?”
