Cal (A Little Christmas Season Three)

7. Simon

Chapter 7

Simon

As soon as Cal climbed onto the rocking horse, I knew he was a Little looking for someone to play with. His big side began to melt right off him, and he was regressing right in front of my eyes.

I wanted to be that person for him. The one who was there to take care of him when he needed someone to ease the burden, which was why I offered to let him paint. But I could immediately sense the stress that painting the nutcracker caused Cal, so I gave him something else to work on. “What about this?” I lifted a shoebox from under the table. “I need the inside of this painted black so I can start a nightscape. It’s really easy. Just cover it all in black. You can’t make a mistake.”

“I can’t?” He took the box from me and looked inside. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure, sweet boy.” I pulled a wide brush out of a jar and handed it to him. “See. Big brush for big strokes. You don’t have to be careful at all.”

“Okay.” His features softened and he smiled. “I’m better when I don’t have to be careful.”

I ran my finger along the collar of his shirt. “Maybe you should change so you don’t mess up your clothes. I can give you a big t-shirt to wear.”

He swallowed hard and then looked down at the box. “I brought some clothes to change into…in case I needed them.”

“You did?” I needed to touch him, to reassure him that whatever he was thinking wasn’t something he needed to worry about. He was safe with me. I cupped the side of his neck. “What did you bring?”

He shrugged but didn’t look up.

“Cal.” I lowered the register of my voice, calling on my Daddy voice to get his attention. It worked exactly as I expected it to, and Cal looked up into my eyes.

“Yes, sir.”

Fuck me. He was perfect. If I could just swap that sir for Daddy, we’d be in business. I ran my finger along his jaw and whispered, “Tell Daddy what you brought.”

He gasped and stepped forward, practically falling into me. “Comfy jammies, but not because I expected anything. Just…in case.”

I wrapped my arms around him and inhaled the peppermint scent of his shampoo. “That was smart, Cal. I’m proud of you for remembering.”

“And something else.”

I went still, not entirely sure I’d heard him. “You brought something else?”

He nodded against my chest, seeming nestled between my pecs. “Yes. It’s…my secret. I want to tell you something about me that most people don’t know.” Cal pulled back and looked up into my eyes. “And you can tell me a secret about you, if you want.”

That was intriguing. “You can tell me anything.”

He took a deep breath and reached into the side pocket of his cargo pants then pulled out a red tube of candy. “Um, this is how I identify.”

I looked at the package and raised an eyebrow. “As a Skittle?”

He looked down. “Oh, oops.” He turned the tube another forty-five degrees so I could see the rest of the label.

“Skittles Littles?” I cradled the back of his neck. “You’re trying to tell me that you’re a Little?”

Cal nodded and bit his lip. “Do you know what that means?”

I smiled and pressed a kiss to his forehead. “What kind of Daddy would I be if I didn’t know from the day I met you that you had a Little side that was desperate to come out?”

“So, it’s okay with you?” He put his hands on my shoulders and then slid down, stopping short of my chest. “Are you the kind of Daddy who likes Littles? Because not all of them do.”

“I love Littles.” I tugged on his right earlobe. “And I’d love to see you in your jammies.”

Cal took a deep breath and slid his hands lower so they were cupping my pecs. “Is there a secret you want to share with me? Because I promise I’m okay with it.”

That was an interesting word choice. “Okay with what?”

“Anything.” He shrugged and averted his eyes. “Everything.”