Page 15 of Daddy Bear Picnic

“All things considered, you acted like a Daddy before you ever approached me about it.” He tucked his teddy between his knees, perched on it almost. “Like, rescuing me from the porch, and then from that couple, and in general, your attitude has been—well, it’s been really warm.” He blushed, a cute red flushed stripe twinkled across the bridge of his nose and cheeks. “I never thought I’d meet someone on the first day.”

Unpacking the basket to reveal all the things I thought would be favorites for a little, I watched his expression and face, still blushing and smiling. I couldn’t tell what he thought about the film wrapped sandwiches with sticky labels dictating their contents. “Ham and cheese, plain ham, plain cheese,” I said. “Take your pick.” Two shiny red apples. A Tupperware of pineberries. Two ripe bananas. “If you don’t want these I’ll wait for them to go soft and make banana bread.” A sheet of thin mint Girl Scout Cookies, and a multi-pack of apple juice, still inside the plastic keeping the six of them together. The contents of the basket were rounded off by bottled waters.

“You’re very prepared,” he said, blinking wildly at the selection.

“I was going to add chips to the basket as well, but I really didn’t want you to think I was just throwing food at you,” I told him. “Besides, too much junk food isn’t good, and I’m a good Daddy, so I made sure to pack appropriately.”

“Was I that obvious?” he asked in a squeak. “I always wonder if people think I’m a little. It’s not something I’m ashamed of, but it’s like broadcasting personally information. I don’t really want to be screaming it.”

“No, not that obvious. Your keyring, the box, the look in your eye, and the way you seemed to search for me in the corner of the room. I guessed you were either a little, or you had a crush on me and the teddies were a red herring.”

Malcolm looked away with a smirk. “It’s true. I do have a crush on you.”

I planted my hand on his thigh and felt the smooth skin of his legs. “You shave?”

“I like the way it feels on my onesies,” he said. “I guess you don’t.” He snort-laughed. “I mean, I imagine you’re hairy everywhere.”

A knowing look in his eye, as if he was undressing me. It didn’t seem like the first time he’d undressed me with his eyes. And last night when I went to his room in a robe, I’d given him more than a sneak preview of my body. “I can be your giant teddy bear,” I told him.

“Daddy bear,” he giggled.

“So, tell me more about what being a little means to you,” I said. “And I’ll tell you what being a Daddy means to me. Or should I go first?”

“Can I have a juice first?”

I tore an apple juice carton free from the plastic and handed it to him. “For me, being a Daddy means looking after and out for a little, it means anticipating their needs, and soft domination. If that’s what you’re looking for, then we might be compatible.”

As I spoke, he prodded the straw into the carton and inhaled it all in his mouth with one big squeeze. He nodded, pulling away from the straw and sucking back air. “Yes,” he said. “Last night, after you tucked me into bed, I had the—” he chewed his bottom lip, but I knew where it was going. “Hardest erection. I didn’t do anything with it. I just laid there, curling my toes up all excited.”

“Looks like we have that in common then,” I said, unwrapping the cheese sandwich. “I couldn’t get you out of my mind. I couldn’t stop thinking about the way you looked in that onesie, and how you invited me into your room.”

“I wouldn’t have mind if you stayed,” he whispered.

“I want to take it slow,” I told him. “I don’t rush anything in life, except scrambled eggs, but that’s a whole other story about cooking eggs.”

“That’s reassuring.”

“More reassuring is that you plan on living in town,” I said. “I don’t want to ruin something with someone who is already friends with everyone in town. Especially the town mayor. He probably likes you more than me since you know about those teddy things.”

He giggled. “Yeah, the Sublime teddies are a huge thing.”

“Plus, he’s also a little.”

Malcolm gasped. “He is?”

“Yeah, there’s a littlelittlecommunity right here in town,” I said. “I’m not sure if it’s a secret thing, but once you’re settled, I’m sure they’ll invite you. How about later, maybe before we tear down the porch, I take you by the community center or the library, there’s notice boards you’ll find they have coded messages on there.”

I hoped I was allowed to tell him that. I only knew because I’d asked Leo at the library and putting two and two together about those keyring teddies, he was probably also a little. It was good Daddy behavior to guide my little in the right direction, all I needed was a—

“Thank you, Daddy.”

Right on cue. “You’re welcome. Now, do you want ham and cheese, only ham, or only cheese?”

“Mhmm, what kind of cheese?”

“American, it’s two cheese slices. Not sure if—”

“Yum! Yes, please. I’ll take a cheese. Thank you.”

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