Page 68 of Just A Little Fling

Once we were all properly wrapped in blankets, all eyes turned to me. I clutched Saffy to my chest while I worked out the words I needed to say. “Did Rory tell you what happened at work the other day?”

Jakob, Owen, and Anders exchanged confused looks while Rory shook his head vehemently. “No, I would never do that to you. The only thing I said to Anders was you didn’t feel well.”

“Oh my god, Nico, are you okay? Did you get hurt? Did something happen?” Jakob asked in a rush.

“I don’t know. I guess the easiest way to explain it would be that I kind of had a panic attack, then regressed at the office to being little. I asked for Babbo, which is what I call Levi, and somehow, Gabe figured out he should call Levi. He came and brought me home.”

“First, that’s the cutest name ever. Second, is he a good Daddy to you?”

“Oh my gosh, he’s the best. I hadn’t really articulated being little and not middle like we both thought I was. The other weekend, when I ruined his flowers coming home drunk, I felt myself regressing then, but I didn’t say anything to him, and he didn’t say anything to me. He still took care of me, though, so I think he kind of already knew. It was pretty obvious. But…”

“But what?” Rory asked. “Do you think there’s something wrong with being a little?”

“No, that’s not it at all. I just… I just… I don’t know how to do this with him. I’ve never dated anyone because it was all hookups or whatever, so I’ve never had a relationship with anyone. I’ve always wanted to be independent and never wanted to settle down, except now I’m thinking I do want to settle down, except I already told him I don’t want that, so I can’t go back on it because then I don’t even know if he wants to settle down with me and it’s just a big flippin’ mess and now he’ll think I’m a flake.” The words whooshed out of me in one long word vomit of an info dump. I threw myself back against the chair and waited for their verdict on the mess I had managed to get myself into within a week.

“Holy stream of consciousness, Batman,” Jakob said with awe.

“Owen, you’ve known Levi the longest. What do you think of all this?” Anders asked him. I held my breath while I waited for him to speak. His brow wrinkled while he thought about my brain dump.

“I think you’re underestimating him.”

“Why do you think that?” asked Rory.

Owen stared intensely at me as if trying to convey a message I wasn’t getting. “Because Levi’s always been the levelheaded one who wanted to settle down but never did. He could have married that guy he dated for years but didn’t. He could’ve gotten with someone right away after the breakup, but he didn’t. Maybe Levi is more open to a different life than people give him credit for.”

“I want independence, and I’ve been clear from the start that if it’s not casual, it’s not for me. But then he floods my brain with pheromones or serotonin or something, and I want him to stay my Babbo too. Honestly, it’s rude of him,” I said.

“You think it’s rude of him to make you happy?” Jakob hooted.

Rory joined in and then they were both falling over each other like a bunch of baboons.

“Are you two drunk?” I asked.

“It’s gonna take a lot more than a sippy cup of boxed wine to get me drunk,” Jakob said haughtily.

“You’re so tough. Did you stay up ’til nine o’clock last night?” Rory teased.

“I stayed up until nine-thirty, thank you. Papa said I had to go to bed because I had an early meeting and get grumpy when I don’t get enough sleep, but whatever, it still wasn’t nine.”

Jakob’s indignation made it hard to keep a straight face, and we all dissolved into giggles and laughter while Jakob sniffed the air and pretended we weren’t laughing at his expense. Even the always-reserved Owen was laughing.

“Boys,” Anders, the voice of reason, interjected, “how are we going to solve Nico’s problem?”

“I don’t understand why you can’t have both? I think you need to give him a chance to show that he can give you what you want and still be mindful of what he wants too. It’s not an either-or proposition. Let him help you navigate this change of circumstances so you’re both happy with where it goes.”

“Owen, that was insightful,” Rory said without a hint of sarcasm. He was genuinely delighted. These boys were adorable with each other.

“Thank you, Rory. I’m more than just fantastic taste.”

“Speaking of fantastic taste, I think you have it, and I don’t. Do you think you could help me make this place look better?”

Owen’s face broke out into a delighted smile. “Oh my gosh, I’ve been waiting for you to ask me. It has taken everything in me not to volunteer, but Bear said you might take it the wrong way.”

“Why on earth would I take it the wrong way? Has he seen what you can do?”

“Of course, he’s seen it.” Rory laughed. “He decorated Barrett’s house before the guy even knew he was in love with him.”

“A boy can dream, and mine was to live there with him, so I decorated it accordingly.”

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