“Daddy,” Alex mumbled as he snuggled further into his partner’s side. Jack (who was actually younger by nearly an entire year) hummed and lifted his hand to twirl bits of artificially-lightened hair. “Do we really have to go out today? I don’t like it… they don’t like me.”

“Of course they do, baby boy,” Jack scolded gently. “Who wouldn’t like you? You’re perfect, my little prince.”

“It’s just that… they give me weird looks when I talk to you. Haven’t you noticed it? They don’t like me, daddy,” the elder said, his words muffled in a snug, white, V-neck t-shirt.

“They’re just jealous that you’re my baby boy and not theirs.” Alex knew better than that, but he didn’t want to be a bad boy and argue, not with his daddy. Instead, he sighed and gave a half-hearted nod.

They were silent for no more than five minutes before Alex was adjusting himself enough so that his chin pressed into Jack’s chest. The younger’s eyes were closed, and the barely-there smile that his thin lips donned made him almost look like he was in pure bliss, somewhere far away. When he didn’t open his eyes or make a comment, Alex leaned forward as far as possible and nudged their noses together gently.

“Daddy?” he asked, voice hushed into a whisper.

“What, baby?” Jack muttered back. His thick eyebrows scrunched together on his forehead and his right eye peeked open to be met with his boyfriend mere inches away, breathing in his air. Alex chewed on his lip for a moment before he shifted his body to be straddling the younger man.

“If I’m a good boy, will you let me get dessert? Oreos and ice cream?”

Jack’s eyes opened fully at that, and he was reaching up to tug his partner into a chaste kiss. “Whatever you want, handsome.”

Alex pulled away to grin. His eyes sparkled with the knowledge of getting things his way before they began to darken, nearly being swallowed whole by his expanding pupils. Jack didn’t fail to notice any of it.

“Maybe we could play a little before we have to go?” he asked quietly. “Just a little bit, daddy? You don’t play with me much anymore... I really wanna...”

Jack simpered and tilted his head against his pillow, feigning deep thought.

“I think we might have enough time to play today, but only a little bit. We’ll have to do something later—if you’re a good boy, at least. Bad boys get spanked, and that’s no fun, huh, baby?”

Alex’s teeth pressed into his bottom lip as he shook his head. He loved being spanked, absolutely adored it, but he knew that wasn’t the answer Jack was looking for.

Alex was a good boy, and he always did what his daddy wanted.

---

“... and he’s, like, screamin’ his head off, dude, right? And we’re fuckin’ rolling on the ground because he’s makin’ such a scene and he sounds like such a chick. ‘Why would you do this? What did I ever do to you? Blah blah blah.’ You’d think he’d never watched office prank videos on YouTube before,” Rian said, pulling laughs from his group of friends.

They—meaning Alex, Jack, Rian, Vic, Jordan, Zack, and Jon—were occupying two tables that were only part booth, and, of course, it was just Alex’s luck that he’d end up stuck between Jack and the wall with no means of escape.

It wasn’t all that bad, really. The large hand that rested possessively against his left thigh was definitely something of a comfort, and no one expected him to offer up any stories of his own. Little comments here and there were just enough.

No, his problem didn’t lie with his company—it was his bladder that was the problem.

(And maybe just a little bit was everyone else’s fault because none of them shut up for more than a handful of seconds, and Alex didn’t want to interrupt and get in trouble with his daddy.)

At the very first break in the conversation, the blonde was twisting his fingers into his partner’s plaid flannel and tugging gently to get the younger’s attention.

Jack shifted in his seat and slid his arm around his boyfriend’s waist to bring their bodies closer together. The older man nearly let out a squeak as his bladder was pressed against, and he immediately hid his face in Jack’s neck.

“I need to use the bathroom, daddy,” he whispered. Odd, little dances commenced in his seat as he awaited a response, as though to further prove his point.

All Jack did was nod and stand from his seat to let the elder stand as well. It was as he was slipping past that a hand moved down to latch onto his wrist and pulled him back. At that, he couldn’t suppress the annoyed whine that bubbled up in his chest.

“Come right back, okay, baby?” Jack instructed, tone firm yet quiet so that the odds of anyone else hearing them were slim. Well, as slim as they can get with friends on either side of you, no more than a foot away.

Alex blushed but nodded his agreement, mumbled a, “Yes, daddy,” and accepted the short kiss he was given. When Jack pulled away, the blonde was turned by large hands and then nudged away with a tap to his jeans-covered ass.

Everyone else seemed to have stopped to listen to the exchange. All eyes were on Jack, who had his own eyes focused on Alex’s retreating figure. Even after he’d sat back down and taken a chug from his beer bottle, he didn’t seem to notice the way that no one was talking or laughing like they had been. With just a glance around, he was able to deduce that something wasn’t right.

Still, all he could offer up was a confused, “What?”

“Why do… I mean, dude, it’s… doesn’t it get weird?” Jon voiced, features showing his distaste.

“Doesn’t what get weird?” Jack inquired. His friends probably thought he was just playing dumb, but he genuinely didn’t understand what point they were trying to get across. “I totally missed out on whatever you guys were saying, so I have no idea what you’re—”

“He calls you daddy,” Vic blurt, his expression (as well as everyone else’s) mimicking Jon’s. “Like… dude, that’s… why? Isn’t that something for the bedroom? And he just does it all the time? And you don’t try and stop him? Does he, like… is there something wrong with him?”

“What the fuck?” Jack blurt. He could feel the anger begin to course through his veins almost immediately. Who the hell did they think they were?

“It makes you guys sound like pedophiles, especially when you call him things like ‘baby boy’ or ‘my little prince.’ Doesn’t it make you feel weird to hear him call you daddy? Like, I’m all for weird, but isn’t there, y’know, a line you just don’t cross with your sexual partner? I don’t think I could ever call Zack daddy and be serious about it or anything,” Jordan chimed in with a shrug of his shoulders.

“It’s just that, dude, you were never into this stuff before you two got together and it’s… it’s just really kinda weird to hear. Does he have father issues or something?” Rian asked, his voice even and gentle as though to defuse the situation while also getting the answers they were all dying to have.

“No, he doesn’t have ‘father issues,’” Jack spluttered. His eyes blew wide as he gazed around at all of his friends. “His father is a great man. They have a healthy relationship with one another. I don’t… how could you say… what we do amongst ourselves is none of your business, and if it really bothers you that much, then I guess we’ll be taking our leave. Let me know when you can get over what other people do with their own lives,” he spat as he dug a few dollars from his back pocket and tossed it onto the table.

“Jack, come on, don’t be like this,” Zack said as he stood from where he was sitting with his boyfriend and began to walk after his friend. “Listen, dude, we care about you, and we just… we don’t want other people getting the wrong idea about you two. We didn’t mean to offend you, but we also didn’t know how to approach the topic. It’s not really something that’s talked about every day or anything, y’know? We didn’t mean to sound so judgmental. Everyone has their own, odd kinks—”

“It’s not just a kink,” Jack stressed as he spun on the balls of his feet to face the larger man. “There’s so much more to it than just that. You just wouldn’t understand it, even if I tried to explain it to you.”

“At least try,” Zack pleaded. They were nearing the bathroom, where Jack was more than willing to wait outside of until Alex walked out. “Maybe I won’t understand, but maybe if you put in an attempt, it would help to clear some things up about it.”

The younger man sighed and slumped in defeat before leaning himself against the wall directly across from the bathroom doors. “When he first brought it up to me, it was weird. It was awkward and it made me uncomfortable, especially when he would say it in public. It took a long time to get used to, y’know? I’d never considered being called ‘daddy’ by my own boyfriend, not even in a sexual situation.

“Alex had to explain it to me quite a few times before I began to warm up to it. We don’t call each other what we do because it helps us get off or anything. That’s the general assumption, which I’m sure you’re more than aware of. For some people, that’s how it works. It’s different for us. For us it’s—”

And just like a scene from out of a movie, Alex was pulling the bathroom door open and moving forward to press himself into his partner’s side.

“It’s understanding,” he started, shuffling as close to Jack as physically possible. Their arms snaked around each other’s bodies and held them close as the elder buried his face in his boyfriend’s chest, muffling his next words into near-incoherency. “It’s trust, and it’s wanting the best for the other on both ends. It’s ownership, but it’s in the best way imaginable. I like being daddy’s little boy, and daddy likes it, too. Daddy takes care of me, protects me, and always shows me that he loves me. It probably doesn’t make any sense to you, but it makes me happy, and what makes me happy makes daddy happy.”

Zack watched on as Jack nodded and pressed a kiss to his ‘little boy’s head, followed by nuzzling his face in what could only be described as bedhead.

“We’re no different than any other ‘normal,’ healthy couple, we just… express it in a way that’s not all too common,” Alex continued. “We’re not sick or twisted or anything like that. We’re two consenting adults in a happy, stable relationship. As long as I’m with daddy, I know that everything will be okay.”

Zack took a moment to process everything that he’d been told. Alex was right—he didn’t understand. He didn’t understand a single fucking bit, but he was okay with that. As long as his best friend wasn’t doing anything illegal while also continuing to lead a happy life with the man (or would he be considered a boy?) he loved, then it didn’t matter.

Still, he remained silent in case anything else was to be said. Two… three, minutes passed before he gave a sigh. “It’s still kind of odd,” he started as he began to back away to leave the couple to themselves, “and I don’t think I’ll ever truly be able to comprehend what you’re saying, but… I don’t know. I’ll tell the other guys to stop giving you shit for it, and I’ll try and explain it as best I can.”

Jack offered up nothing more than a nod and a small smile in thanks. There was a gentle clap to both of their shoulders, followed by the sound of retreating footsteps, before the pair were left to their own devices.

They didn’t say anything or make a move. Not a single noise came from either of them as they held each other in the hallway, bodies pressed together so innocently.

Of course, they had to move eventually, and it was only the sound of another of the restaurant’s patrons making their way toward the restrooms that had them pulling apart in favor of lacing their fingers together tightly. Jack was leading Alex through the restaurant when he faltered and turned to ask, “How long were you listening to us talk?”

Alex shrugged. “I heard you when I was washing my hands, and I know I should’ve come out right away, but, daddy, I was really curious. You sounded angry. I’m sorry. Am I in trouble?”

“No, baby boy, it’s okay,” he assured quietly. He knew he should’ve asserted his dominance and declared the need for punishment for disobeying Jack’s request, but he honestly couldn’t bring himself to do it.

The couple continued maneuvering their way through the tables, waiters, and other patrons toward the exit. It was only just before they actually made it to the front door that Jack stopped and signaled the hostess forward.

Jack’s hand left Alex’s own momentarily, and then it was taking up residence around the elder’s waist. A table for two was requested, and after a quick look-over at the seating chart, the hostess nodded, grabbed two menus, and politely directed them into following behind as they, once again, began their trek through the large dimly-lit, crowded room.

A booth was taken, one where the two could actually sit across from each other, and their menus were handed to them before the hostess excused herself to greet more guests. Jack merely pushed the folded booklet away and leaned his upper body on his arms, rested flat against the tabletop.

“I think,” he started, expression serious. He paused for a moment and watched the concern spread through Alex’s eyes before he finally cracked a smile and continued. “I think I promised you something about dessert earlier. Oreos and ice cream? I think they might have something like that here.”

Jack watched on with a smile on his face for the rest of the evening—watched how Alex’s face lit up when he found the dessert he was looking for, watched as he babbled animatedly about how ‘yummy’ it looked, watched as Alex accidentally smeared chocolate sauce, Oreo crumbs, and vanilla ice cream all around his face.

Jack was a good daddy, and he always knew just how to treat his baby boy.

Notes

this is what happens when i'm nervous for my first day of work and can't sleep lol
i'll probs use this just as much as i use my lj but like yee w/e amirite ok
ugh there's no strike through and the paragraph spaces disappear and u gotta change the italics ugh
idk i mean if people like any of the shit i post then i'll keep posting here too but if not then i'll just stick to mibba