“It’s not my fault!” Kevin’s screeching tone said he honestly believed what he was saying, but the way Bryan seemed to be chasing him through the house said he might be deluding himself.
They sounded like thunder and Kevin’s shriek as Bryan might’ve gotten close enough to grab him said chaos was quickly incoming.
“Do you know what he did?” Kevin had done something. He might’ve thought otherwise but that didn’t make it true.
Maddox was barely holding back laughter as he shrugged, but he managed to look like a serious Dom as the troublemakers ran into my office. Kevin nearly crashed into my desk as he made a last-minute strategic shift and aimed for Maddox. “Master Maddox, I didn’t do it.”
Oh, interesting.
Maddox flashed a smirk but it was quickly under control as he pulled Kevin into his lap to keep him from running away again…or crashing into something that would land him in the emergency room. “It’s okay. We’ll figure out how to fix it.”
As Kevin deflated like a popped balloon, Bryan caught up and decided I was his port in the chaos, glaring at Kevin as he plopped down on my lap. “You did do it.”
Giving me a very impressive pout, he aimed wide eyes at me. “Daddy Jeremy, he did it. He really did.”
Were they actually talking about the same issue?
It felt a bit like that old Who’s on First skit.
Maddox was still trying to look like a good Dom but he was failing miserably. I, on the other hand, was actually a good Dom and mimed to Bryan to take a deep breath. As he obeyed, I ignored Kevin’s whiny huff and focused on Bryan since he was in my lap. “We’re going to hear both of your explanations, but I would like you to go first. I’m going to listen to both of you, though.”
That had Kevin mostly shutting up, but that might’ve been because Maddox was giving him a good cuddle and had kissed his cheek.
“Yes, Daddy Jeremy.” Bryan was still looking wide-eyed enough that I was counting on him to be right about at least a good chunk of the drama, but he was doing his best to calm down. “I’ll be good.”
That seemed to be a dig at Kevin based on his huff, but I knew another Maddox kiss would make him feel better…or at least go a long way in making him feel even more confident about being right.
“Thank you. Now why are you upset?” That might not have been the best place to start, but I was hoping it would get us to the heart of the matter quickly.
The beginning could’ve been so random we’d never make it to the end of the story.
“Because Kevin was naughty.” Thankfully, he kept going before Kevin could escape Maddox’s hold.
Maddox was fast when his boy’s life was on the line and quickly wrapped Kevin up in a tight hug as Bryan continued almost primly. “He tattled before we could talk to you and Daddy. I said we needed to tell you first, but he said it was his question and he was a big boy.”
Okay, that was technically a reasonable explanation but it really didn’t give me a lot of details.
“It was my question and I knew the answer. I am a big boy.” Kevin’s genuine frustration didn’t help the situation, but it let Maddox give him another good snuggle.
Kevin seemed to like the attention and focused again on Maddox. “It was, Master Maddox.”
Before I could decide how much was manipulative drama and how much was genuine, Maddox gave him a quick peck. “Okay, then tell us what the question was about. Who asked you the question? Why do you think Bryan wanted you to talk to us about it before you answered it?”
That got a huff from the dramatic cutie on my lap, and he snuggled down closer to me and stuck his thumb in his mouth. He didn’t seem jealous of the kiss but he was a very unhappy sub that he wasn’t declared right at the first sign of trouble.
He might’ve had a point—but we had to be fair even in the face of Kevin chaos—so I kissed his head and gave him a tickle. That definitely improved his mood, and by the time Kevin had figured out how to answer Maddox, Bryan looked a lot less likely to kill him.
“Cody sent a text but he said we so I think there were other subs there too.” Kevin shrugged as he frowned. “He’s kind of weird, though, so “we” might’ve been him and the people in his head? I don’t know. I’m not being mean. That’s just how he is.”
Bryan had gone very still, then nodded like he agreed with the assessment.
That was progress at least, so Maddox made an approving sound that got more information from Kevin. “Cody said he’d seen us on a date and wanted to know if you and me were a thing or if we were all a thing.”
Oh.
I was starting to see why Bryan had said answering it should’ve been a joint project.
And I could see why Kevin thought it wasn’t.
“He said he knew I was a very good husband and wouldn’t be naughty, but he just needed to know so he could keep it straight in his head…oh, and so he’d know how to invite us places.” Kevin frowned like that was the only part that didn’t make sense. “I think if we’re all dating or together then he thinks he has to invite all of us to do stuff like dinner. Is that right?”
I wasn’t sure and I didn’t think Maddox was either based on his confused frown and vague answer. “Um, I think that’s probably something we should discuss, but I don’t think it’s like one of those Miss Manners rules.”
If she had rules that would fit our life, I’d eat the weird green waffles Kevin had tried to convince everyone to try the other day.
Nothing in nature that color belonged in a waffle…I didn’t care how healthy he said it was.
“Good point.” Kevin settled against Maddox, no longer looking quite so insane. “But he asked, and we said we weren’t ashamed, so I said yes. That’s when Bryan got mad and I haven’t gotten around to telling Cody we can do stuff together or apart.”
That somehow sent his mind whirling in a thousand directions.
“Do you think he’d want to invite you and Bryan to dinner or to a playdate kind of thing? You’re good with toys and stuff.” That’d been asked in my direction but Kevin didn’t stay focused on me long.
Whipping his head around to Maddox, Kevin frowned. “Does he want us to try out a weird restaurant or does he want to see you flog me? He’s kind of nosy once he’s trying to wrap his head around something. But in a nice way. I’m not being mean.”
I wasn’t sure I agreed with that but it wasn’t something I would argue about at the moment.
“He’s probably confused and needs to organize us better?” Before Maddox could answer, Kevin’s brain jumped again. “I wonder who he asked first? Do you think he asked his Daddy and his Dom? Do you think he asked one of the other littles? Someone at work? I’m betting one of the other littles because I’m not sure his Daddy would’ve let him ask that.”
I agreed with the last part but I got bogged down in the rest.
“See?” Bryan popped his thumb out of his mouth. “I told him this was a group thing.”
Kevin stuck his tongue out, not making the situation better at all. “I wasn’t going to lie. We knew they were going to ask. You’re not ashamed of Daddy Jeremy, are you?”
Oh, those were fighting words.
Bryan just about rocketed off my lap, but I got him in time, wrapping my arms around him tighter as I tried to figure out how to keep him from killing Kevin. “He’s just upset. He didn’t mean it.”
The whole situation would’ve been easier to fix if Maddox had stayed under control. But he couldn’t. No, he kept coughing and jerking as he barely held back his laughter, but it was the way he looked up at the ceiling like he thought God would save us that had me deciding what would happen if I threw something at him.
“You’re not helpful at all.” My frustrated tone or maybe the glare I shot him had the laughter escaping.
Kevin couldn’t seem to decide if he approved or was offended, and I thought Bryan was at the same point, but Kevin’s drama wasn’t helping. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”
He’d keep saying that until someone agreed with him, but I wasn’t sure who should take one for the team.
Looking at Bryan, I kept a tight hold on him under the guise of snuggling the insane little. “Can you see where he’s coming from? I don’t mean you have to agree with him, but can you put yourself in his shoes?”
I found myself holding my breath until he started to relax and eventually nodded.
Crisis averted.
Slowly easing his thumb out of his mouth, the tension in his body eased and I thought Kevin was finally safe. “Yes, Daddy Jeremy, he…he’s proud of us and he knew someone would ask eventually.”
Since it seemed like we were making progress, I looked at Kevin and his co-conspirator. “Do you understand where Bryan is coming from? Put yourself in his shoes.”
Kevin let out a sigh that was filled with attitude and drama, but all it took was a nudge from Maddox as he finally stopped snickering to get the words to come out. “Yes, Sir. I might’ve known the first answer really good but I should’ve talked to you guys first because I forgot he might have other questions…and it’s kind of about all of us.”
Sending out a prayer of thanks to the universe that he hadn’t played dumb just to make things harder, I tried not to let him hear the relief in my voice. “Thank you. I think this is a learning experience for all of us, and I think you both need to remember that chasing each other through the house like animals isn’t safe.”
Maddox nodded and took that part seriously. “We need to talk nicely to each other. Got it?”
Both nuts nodded and Kevin gave Maddox a cute cheek kiss. “Yes, Sir.”
Curling back into Maddox, Kevin’s sigh was less dramatic and more apologetic that time. “Sorry, Bryan. I thought you were thinking I was stupid or ashamed of you. You’re my family, and Maddox and Daddy said they knew our friends would ask about it eventually.”
We had.
I just thought we had more time.
It wasn’t even the end of January and they’d only been on a few dates.
“Could he have seen you guys at the club?” Schedules had been busy enough that they hadn’t been back yet, but unless Cody had been hanging out at KFC or the Thai fusion place across town, nothing else made sense.
Kevin and Maddox both froze and looked at one another in some kind of psychic conversation.
“Um, maybe?” Maddox answered as Kevin finally shrugged. “I wasn’t really focused on anyone but Kevin, so I have no idea who else was in the club that night.”
“I was really turned on and Maddox is distracting when he goes all Dommy.” Kevin threw his hands up. “I wasn’t expecting a pop quiz.”
That got a giggle out of Bryan. “Daddy should be mad if you had noticed other people.”
Kevin nodded, looking naughty and slightly relieved…probably because Bryan wasn’t plotting his murder any longer. “Yes, that would’ve just been rude.”
“But they do go to the club.” Bryan frowned like he really couldn’t figure out why they did that, but he accepted it as fact. “And he might’ve said date if he didn’t think mentioning the club would be good manners?”
“Oh.” Kevin’s thoughtful expression made me nervous. “Maybe whoever the we people are don’t know about the club stuff? Who did we tell about that?”
Bryan rolled his eyes. “Probably everyone.”
Laughter would’ve been a bad move on my part, but it was all ridiculously funny.
“No.” Shaking his head, Kevin didn’t look naughty enough to have told many people. “We’ve been really busy, and I wasn’t sure you wanted me to talk about it with people yet. He’s your Daddy so you get first dibs on that kind of stuff.”
Well, that was interesting logic.
“But it was your scene.” Bryan was being surprisingly understanding considering how the conversation had started. “If you get the flogging or spanking or whatever, you should be the one to talk about it. It’s your body.”
Okay, that logic wasn’t bad either.
“But you have strong feelings.” Kevin kissed Maddox’s cheek again and rose to walk over and take Bryan’s hand. “That’s important too.”
As Kevin led his partner in chaos out of my office, Bryan made a thoughtful sound and managed to keep his thumb out of his mouth. “But your body is more important than my feelings.”
They were out of sight when Kevin made a sweet aw sound and I heard a smacky kiss. “Thank you, my body is very important but so are your feelings.”
They were insane.
“They’re adorable.”
Maddox was insane too.
“What are your thoughts on this development?” Ignoring his ridiculous thoughts on how cute they were seemed like the best idea.
Insanity should not be encouraged.
He settled back in the chair and frowned, but it felt more thoughtful than stressed. “I’m both surprised and not that it was Cody who questioned things first. Having two partners probably made him more likely to notice that kind of stuff and he’s the most curious out of the littles.”
“Good point.” Reaching for my cup, I was disappointed to see that it was almost empty. I needed more coffee if I was going to have to deal with this much drama. “But I’m voting on his Doms not having any idea what he’s doing.”
Chuckling, Maddox nodded. “They’d have come over for coffee and talked about it. They’re complete grown-ups.”
Oh yeah.
“What do you think Kevin is going to text back?” I looked up at the ceiling and tried to picture what they were doing. “I thought Bryan was going to go after him.”
More snickers from Maddox made me shake my head. “He had to protect Daddy Jeremy. It was cute.”
It was scary, but it’d been sweet.
“How about let’s say that I appreciate being important to him, but Kevin’s going to end up dead if he doesn’t learn some self-preservation instincts.”
Maddox’s laughter did not give me any hope that Kevin would miraculously find any.