“Well, well, what we have here?”I mused as Zach and the littles raced back to the picnic table where we’d all been watching them playing on the bounce bags. We’d all been nervous at first, knowing play time would send Chase and Matty into their little headspace, but without any clue how Zach would react to them. It turned out we had nothing to worry about. It was sweet watching him helping them, like he would a younger sibling or cousin.
The difference in Zach between when Chase and Matt dragged him away from our group and now, was like night and day. His cheeks were flushed bright and his face was going to hurt if he smiled any broader. He bounded past the other two boys, practically toppling me to the ground when he failed to stop before hitting me.
“Did you have fun?” I asked as I draped an arm over his shoulders.
He nodded furiously, not even trying to hide his amusement.
“I bounced higher than anyone else,” Zach proclaimed. “That means Chase is on bathroom duty the week after Thanksgiving break.”
Matt began snickering. Zach glared at him. I wasn’t sure I even wanted to know what their inside joke was about. “I am glad you had fun. Your cider is probably cold by now. We can get you another if you’d like to warm up.”
“That's okay. I'll get more later. We need to go if we're going to do the hayride.” Daniel patted his legs and Zach sat in his lap without hesitation. The two of them looked ridiculous with Zach towering over Daniel, but he quickly settled, his eyes drifting closed as Daniel’s hand slid under the hem of Zach’s sweater.
Jayden eyed me curiously, as if he was trying to see a hint of jealousy that didn’t exist. He was protective of me, and I understood that, but he’d need to accept that this was what I wanted.Theywere the piece I didn’t know was missing in my life.
“I thought you said you didn't want to do any of the stupid, kiddie stuff.” I cringed as I said the words, quickly glancing at Chase and Matt to make sure they weren't offended. They were too busy whispering amongst themselves to even realize what I'd said.
“It might not be so bad,” Zach hedged. He pinched his bottom lip, twisting it to one side and then the other. “You were right. I shouldn’t have said the stuff I did before. This place isn’t so bad. And I had a lot of fun with Chase and Matt. I’m glad they still want to be my friend after what an asshole I was to them.”
“They’re good guys,” Daniel reminded him, pulling Zach into a tight hug. “But I’m proud of you for being man enough to apologize for the way you behaved. And I hope you know there will be consequences if either of us feel like your head is stuck up your ass again.”
“Did you know about them? Zach asked as we waited for everyone else to throw away their garbage. “I mean, that they’re…you know…or maybe you don’t. Shit. I don’t know what the protocol is for things like this.”
“Relax, babe,” I said, moving in behind him. Zach immediately calmed being sandwiched between the two of us. “Yes, I already knew. Partly because Chase is my brother, but also because I knew what to look out for.”
“And you?” Zach asked Daniel. “Did you know, too?”
“Yeah, I did,” Daniel confirmed. “It’s one of those thing you have to see to even begin to understand. You’ll find there are a lot more people than you would think, who are kinky in one way or another, but it’s not the type of thing you can bring up around just anybody.”
“I get it, I think.” I could tell Zach was still upset that he was the last to know by the way his body slumped against Daniel. I wished I could take him home and reassure him it hadnothingto do with us not trusting him. “And you didn't tell me because you didn't want them to be upset, right?”
“That’s theonlyreason, Zach,” I promised him. “Would you want anybody talking about the things we do without your permission?”
“No, I don't think I'd like that very much,” Zach admitted. “But you could have told me sooner. If I knew, I never would have said half the shit I did.”
“Would you have listened?” I challenged him.
Zach's shoulders slumped forward. “Probably not. But you could have threatened to punish me if I didn’t quit. It got me hard when Daniel said I’d be in trouble if I do it again.”
“And that’s why we’ll need to be very careful about how we discipline you,” I teased, rubbing my half-hard erection against his crease. “It doesn’t do any good if you start going out of your way, trying to earn a punishment.”
Zach tensed, and I worried I’d crossed a line. He turned to face me. “You know I'll never be like them, right? I like when you do things to me, and seeing them act like little boys was fun, but I don’t want to be like that. Does that make sense?”
“Sweetheart, I don't need a little to take care of,” I reassured him. “You are perfect just the way you are.”
Daniel scoffed. “Perfect might be a bit of a stretch.”
“I'm not that bad,” Zach protested.
Daniel quirked an eyebrow.
“Okay, so maybe I was, but I won't be anymore,” he promised. “But I figured if you wanted that type of relationship, it was better to say it now than when there’s no chance of walking away without massive issues.”
I wrapped my arms around Zack's waist, tugging him into the darkness. “Babe, I don't want to have what they have. There are all sorts of different dynamics on the kinky spectrum, and just because we respect their relationship, doesn't mean we need to try it out.”
“But I still think we should at least give the puppy play a try,” Daniel interrupted. He scratched behind Zach's ear, chuckling when Zach leaned into the touch. Theremightbe something there, but it would be a hell of a long time before he was willing to admit to his curiosity. Luckily, time was something we had plenty of. “Matty and Chase might like having a play pal.”
“Are you guys coming or not?” Jayden bellowed.
