Maybe.
Only Duncan couldn’t resist proposing it to them and letting them decide. The pair have been together for almost a decade and friends for even longer. The bond between them is strong and unshakeable and yet they’ve always longed for a Daddy to come along and love them as fiercely as they love one another. As far as Duncan is concerned, that is the very definition of what he has to offer them.
Ember: lively, little, and completely non-verbal, he was born without the ability to speak, but that doesn’t mean he holds back when he’s passionate about something. Using sign language and a text to speech device, he helps ease the fears of those who visit the reptile and amphibian sanctuary he works at and educate them on the misunderstood animals.
Rusty: fierce yet vulnerable, trapped in a job he hates, he wars with himself about the things he wants versus expectations. He longs to spend his days creating the things he envisions, not doors and window frames, but with no clear path towards making that happen, he’s been spinning his wheels in a place that’s sent his mental health spiraling.
The cruise seems the perfect way to spend his hard-earned vacation days, and if he should happen to find some of the answers he’s been searching for on the high seas with his Daddy and their boy, then that’s the shimmer on the lollipop.
The big, purple, phallic shaped lollipop they intend to use to enhance their fun.
Seafoam and Saltwater can be found here!
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Exclusive Snippet Below!
“When
we were little, we used to hide in our treehouse when it stormed so we’d be
closer to the sky when it lit up,” Ember signed. “Mama would be so upset with
us when we got home. I don’t know how she always knew what we were up to, but
she was forever lecturing us about how our tree was going to get struck by
lightning one day and we’d be in for one hell of a shock. We kept trying to
tell her that we didn’t have any metal up there, but all she ever said was that
wasn’t the point. She even threatened to have it dismantled if we didn’t
knock it off.”
“Did you?” Daddy
asked.
Little Ember
squirmed, ‘cause Daddy was giving them that raised eyebrow look that usually
meant he already knew the answer to the question and was just waiting to see if
Ember would tell the truth.
“Sort of,” Ember
signed with a shrug.
“Uh-huh, what
happened?”
“The tree kinda
got struck by lightning and split in half,” Ember admitted, feeling his cheeks
heat up as he turned away and carefully fed Rusty a bite, making sure not to
drip anything on his gear.
He left out the
part about him and Rusty being on the way to climb into it when it happened and
seeing the strike from a close enough distance that the light had blinded them
for several seconds before they’d whirled around and sprinted for home.
“You’re lucky you
didn’t get yourselves killed.” Daddy scolded, but his tone was mild, and the
look he gave Ember was a fond one that let him know Daddy wasn’t really upset
with them. “Of course, I can’t say that I was any better about personal safety
in my youth. You know how they talk about kids today imitating the things they
see in video games and movies, well for me, it was the things I read about in
books. Huck Finn building a barge and trying to sail down the river on it,
well, let’s just say I will always be grateful that the Little Blackwater River
is no giant like the Mississippi because I nearly drowned when my raft fell
apart beneath me.”
“Who saved you?”
“My sister, the
only one both brave and foolish enough to be out there on the raft with
me,” Daddy explained. “Even when she told me a couple dozen times while we were
building it what a horrible idea it was, she still got on and tried to help me
make the crossing.”
“She sounds cool.”
“Oh, she is, and I
think you and her will get along wonderfully when you meet. She’s a
paleontologist and travels all over the country on digs.”
“Seriously! A
real-life dinosaur hunter!”
Squeeeeeeeee!
“She knows all
about ancient lizards and how they evolved into some of the species that exist
today,” Daddy explained. “In fact, something tells me that once I’ve introduced
you two, you’ll forget all about Daddy, at least for a little while.”
“I’ll never forget
about Daddy, even with dinosaurs involved.”
“We’ll see.”
Ember and Daddy
fed Rusty in between feeding themselves and made sure he finished his drink and
a bottle of water, then they all headed to the bathroom, Daddy insisting on it
before they got in the ball pit and suddenly decided that they desperately
needed to go. Plus, he needed to remove Rusty’s tail plug and gear, helping him
change into something much cooler to wrestle around in the ball pit in. He was
so smart that way. Ember loved the way Daddy always thought of the things he
and Rusty forgot.
He’d put a quick
end to the harsh ways they used to reprimand themselves when they screwed up,
instituting a rule that they had to talk about five positive things they’d done
for every negative they brought up. It was beginning to make it so that Ember
no longer focused on his mistakes when something went wrong, but also on the
things he hadn’t messed up, as well as his accomplishments over the course of
the day.
Like today.
He had fucked up
and forgotten to leave Daddy a note this morning when he’d run out to get a smoothie.
He’d been so focused on sitting in a deck chair, admiring the sunrise while
drawing the idea he’d dreamed up, that scrawling a message had completely
slipped his mind. The importance of communication had been replaced with
thoughts of slurping on his newest favorite flavor, pineapple creamsicle, while
he sketched his ideas out. His oversight had led Daddy on a bit of an early
morning hunt.
Duncan had been
relieved to locate him, stern in admonishing him, and pleased that he’d felt
comfortable enough to enjoy a morning on deck alone. Not only had he left Ember
to finish enjoying his art time, but he hadn’t brought it up again after
correcting him.
You
can’t move forward if you’re always looking back.
That was one of
Daddy’s sayings and Ember loved it.
Right now, though,
he was looking forward to the ball pit and holy shit!
Black lighting!
Neon balls!
The whole place
was lit up like the goth club back home.
Everything glowing,
even the posters on the ceiling of the room.
There were even
black light paint sticks, which Ember made grabby hands for the moment he
spotted them. Daddy had to snag hold of the waistband of his pants to keep him
from getting ahold of them while Rusty was attempting to lunge for the bin of
neon pet toys.
“Alright boys,
hold on a moment,” Daddy said as he wrapped an arm around Ember’s waist and
half lifted him off the floor. “Let’s let Rusty pick a toy, then Ember, you can
pick a couple colors to decorate yourself and Rusty with if he’d like, okay?”
“Arf, arf!” Rusty
barked happily, while Ember kicked his feet a little, unable to get any
traction, so he finally signed Yes, Daddy, and settled down, going where
Daddy directed them.
Daddy let him
choose three colors just for being so good. Rusty sat down in front of him and
put a hand on his shoulder, leaning in and licking Ember’s face before nudging
the neon purple stick.
Smiling, Ember
drew his whiskers and nose back on for him, since he’d lost them when they’d
removed his gear. Then he drew the big old spot around Rusty’s eye that had
been on his sheepdog headpiece, coloring it in with neon pink. He gave himself
a matching spot too, then decided to go ahead and add purple whiskers and a
pink nose, which he twitched at Rusty and Daddy when he finished. Daddy took a
picture, one of so many he’d promised to turn into a slideshow for them when
they got home. Ember couldn’t wait to see it play out once it was finished.
Something told him that their vacation highlight reel was going to be his new
favorite movie.
“Alright, I think
two colorful little imps are more than ready for the ball pit,” Daddy said with
his hand held out. “Time to hand them over.”
Ember put the lids
back on and did as Daddy said, then Duncan stepped aside and swept his arm out,
indicating that they could go ahead.
Cannonball into
the ball pit? Check!
Neon balls flying
everywhere? Double check!
Metallica’s Enter
Sandman blaring as neon strobe lights began to flash?
Yup yup!
Best. Ball pit.
Ever!
Pride Cruise Collection can be found here!
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