Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Henry relaxed as he lounged in the sunshine of his backyard, Kal snoring beside him in the thin strip of shade. He had decided to take a few months off after several long movie projects and left the world behind him with Kal, headed for the one true place he could be himself in, the gated community of Huntersville, California. It was situated in the secluded Southern California Mountains, established on private property that required a thorough application and background check to even get through the front gate. Once in the gate, everyone was required to sign an iron-clad confidentiality and non-disclosure contract, protecting the residents that either lived there permanently or vacationed there; like Henry.

While Henry loved being in Huntersville, it was bittersweet, seeing the couples there with their special Little one, while he still looked for his. Henry longed to have a Little, a Baby Girl, to cherish. He wanted to hold her and rock her, to feed her a bottle of warm formula and rice cereal and lay her down for a nap in her crib, inside her Nursery. But, being a famous celebrity and always busy, it was hard and complicated for Henry to find a girlfriend, let alone a girl that was a Little. Even more so, the worry of being outed as a Daddy Dom gave Henry a great amount of anxiety. He was afraid that if he found a Baby Girl and something went wrong, she would go to the press or announce it on social media that he was a Daddy Dom and into the Dom and Sub dynamic, knowing the possible implications it would have on his career.

His family didn't even know that he was a Daddy Dom.

Henry sighed, hearing his cell start to ring, knowing it was probably his manager, since she had been calling him on and off for the last week he had been off at Huntersville, trying to get him back for this or that project, but Henry was stubborn, besides he needed a break and to recharge his batteries. But, when he looked at his caller ID, he noticed it was the number for the Mayor of Huntersville, Luca Shannon.

“Luca, how's it going?” Henry smiled, answering his phone on the last ring.

“I'm doing great, Henry. I hope you're doing really well too?” Luca replied, his voice was light, but Henry could hear a slight edge to it.

“I am, just enjoying my vacation so far.”

“I'm glad to hear it.” Luca said, nodding his head as he chewed on his lip and stared at the two open files on his desk. “I was wondering if I could talk about something serious, if you're all right with that.”

Henry pressed his lips together. “Depends on what you mean by, serious.” Henry replied, conflicted and nervous.

“It's nothing too serious, there's no trouble or anything, I promise you that.” Luca said, trying to ease Henry's nerves. “But, I know in your file, it says you would be willing to foster a Little, if a situation were to come up.” He explained, tapping one of the files, Henry's file.

“I did check that box.” Henry answered, gulping and feeling his palms grow slightly damp, his breathing hitching in his throat.

“Well, I have a Little coming in, female obviously, and you know all Littles need a Big to take care of them, while they're in Huntersville.”

“I do.” Henry nodded, standing up and started pacing around the gorgeous and expensive pool.

“She doesn't have a Big, so she would need a Foster Big. So, I thought I'd give you a call and see if you would like to Foster her, before I went down the list of the other available Fosters in Huntersville.” Luca explained to Henry, glancing over to the prospective Little's file that sat right next to Henry's.

Luca had read the application the Little had submitted to Huntersville in hopes of being accepted into their private bubble of a world, and as he did the more he thought about Henry, she ticked so many of the boxes Henry had marked down as seeking in a Little, though she had a past and some troubles, Luca didn't think it was anything that would keep them from clicking and making a perfect and adorable Daddy and Little couple.

“If you want, I can have Daniel bring a copy of her file down to you, so you can look it over and see if she feels right for you.” Luca suggested to Henry's silence.

“I would like that, thanks.” Henry replied, his mind whirling.

“All right, I'll have it down to you in about ten minutes.”

“Sounds good.”

Ten minutes later, the doorbell rang and Henry opened it to Luca's assistant, Daniel, who smiled at Henry brightly and handed him the file and went on his way. Taking a deep breath, Henry took the file upstairs to his office and sat down. He flipped the file open and was greeted with a sweet photo of a young woman with beautiful eyes and shoulder length hair. She had the sweetest, but shyest smile on her face and Henry could tell she wanted to glance away from the camera as the photo was being taken of her; it made Henry grin as he set it on his desk, then continued on with her file, finding out her name.

“What a beautiful name.” He muttered to himself, eyes glancing back at her photo.

He read where she was originally from and when her birthday was. She was dainty and what caught Henry's attention was her background; she'd never had a Daddy before, but a boyfriend, that she had recently broken it off with, and what looked like to Henry, was an abusive relationship, causing her to be very timid and shy. That worried Henry to a degree, he didn't want her to be afraid of him or have a hard time trusting him, but he was willing to try and work on that with her.

“Strangely, she doesn't have an occupation listed.” He frowned, looking through the rest of the file and couldn't find it, before picking up his phone and calling Luca back.

“Henry! So, what do you think about her?” He asked in a chipper tone.

“I like what I see so far, but I don't understand why she doesn't have an occupation listed.” Henry explained to him, leaning back in his office chair.

“She no longer has one, due to an injury.” Luca replied, running a hand through his hair.

“What injury?” Henry frowned even harder. “I need to know this stuff, Luca.”

“She was snowboarding with family and friends on a trip, when something went wrong and it caused her to break her back.” Luca explained to him, sighing heavily. “While she's fully recovered after several years of rehab and hard work, she wasn't able to return to any level of work and hasn't worked in the last two years.”

“She's been living with her parents ever since.”

Henry stared at her file for a moment longer, biting his lip. “When is she due to arrive?” He asked, finally.

“Tomorrow morning, at nine am.” Luca replied, the smile was clear in his voice, knowing Henry was going to foster her.

“I'll be at your office to meet her at eight forty-five, sharp.”

“I'll be here.” Luca replied, overjoyed.

Henry sat on the overstuffed sofa in Luca's office in the town hall of Huntersville, the Little's file in his hands. He had already read her file twice since the night before, but he wanted to be familiar with her, on paper, as much as he could be, before meeting her in person; in twenty minutes. On paper, she was shaping up to be the perfect Little for him. She was an Adult Baby, which was what Henry wanted, so he already had it on his list to find out what she had brought with her and what gear he would need to provide for her from the Huntersville shopping center, since all Henry had in the way of a set up for a Little was the nursery connected directly to his master bedroom, patiently awaiting the day he brought a Little into it.

“I see you're excited.” Luca said, looking at Henry from his desk, as he caught Henry's smile from over the top edge of the file folder.

“I am, I'm also really nervous.” Henry admitted to him. “It's been four years since I had a Little, and we weren't very serious. I suppose she and I won't be either, but to a degree, we'll be more serious than Mia and I were.” He set her file down beside him. “Huntersville is a serious Big and Little only community, so she will always be in Little Space, to whatever degree, where Mia was only in Little Space when she visited the privacy of my home in London.”

“And here you can step outside with your Little and not fear being judged for it.” Luca nodded, understanding.

“Or photographed by paparazzi or a resident that'll sell it to the media or post it on Instagram or something.” Henry replied, blanching at the thought.

“Nothing like that better happen here, or there'll be major trouble.” Luca frowned, almost heated at the mere idea of it.

“I don't think it will.” Henry told him, trying to cool and calm him. “Everyone is super nice and respectful of me. I feel like I work a normal nine to five, instead of huge movie and tv productions.” He chuckled, all two hundred of the residents of Huntersville welcomed him with open and accepting arms, it was one of the reasons he had joined and tried to vacation there as often as he could.

A soft knock sounded on Luca's office door, then opened to Daniel, who smiled at Luca and then at Henry. “She's here.” He told them, giddy, then scurried away.

Henry gulped and took a deep breath to gather and calm his nerves, knowing she was going to be just as, if not even more nervous and possibly scared of her new surroundings and the prospect of him fostering her for an unknown amount of time, so he wanted to make a good first impression and put her at ease, when they finally met. Luca stood up and Henry followed him out of his office and down the hall to a conference-like room, where they found her with Daniel, who was keeping her company, until they arrived. Henry easily met her eye as he moved into the room, since Luca was several inches shorter than him, and felt both his heart and his stomach clench, gulping thickly.

You were even more beautiful in person than the photo gave credit for.

Your hair was a little bit longer than it was in the photo and pulled up into a bun, no doubt to help keep you cool under the hot California sun. You had on a breezy, cream colored tank top and cute short shorts, that had hugging and smiling marshmallows on them, that made Henry smirk, with ankle socks and easy, slip-on shoes. Everything about you screamed; Little, to Henry's internal Daddy. Especially, your cute shorts and the fact you had shoes with no laces, told him the rough level of your Age Play, without him having looked at your file. You were a Baby all right, and if you weren't fully in Little Space, there was a high chance you were a Toddler, too young of a Toddler to know how to tie your own shoes, needing the slip-ons when you were in that degree of Little Space, just to put them on, when you needed them.

He felt his hands tingle to take a hold of you, to fold you into his arms and never let you go, to protect you inside of them forever and ever, to coddle and spoil you. You set off his Daddy in every way possible and Henry loved every bit of it.

“Hello.” Luca smiled at you, dropping his voice and turning on his own Daddy instincts, being the Daddy of a Little Boy himself, named Peter. “Welcome to Huntersville, I'm Mayor Luca Shannon, I help run the town.” He told you, softly. “It's a pleasure to meet you.” He said, extending his hand to you.

You looked at his hand, met his eyes and looked at his hand again, then dropped your eyes to the floor, before extending your hand and taking a hold of Luca's, gently. Henry tilted his head as he observed you, he knew you were timid, it had been noted in your file, but he wasn't sure if your reaction to Luca wanting to shake your hand was a product of your being timid or just nervous.

Likely, all the above. Henry settled, mentally.

Henry looked back at you and was slightly surprised to find your eyes on him. But, your eyes regarded him softly, with a curiousness that seemed to be muffled in thick cotton, as if you feared anything, but a blank expression would cause him to react negatively towards you. Wanting to disprove that possible theory and just wanting you to feel at ease with him; Henry smiled brightly at you.

“This is Henry.” Luca said, stepping sideways, unblocking the path between you both. “As you know, from the Huntersville's booklet you get, when you apply for a residency application, all Littles need a Big, and if they don't have one, we find them a foster Big. Henry here has agreed to be your foster Big.” He explained to you, grinning like crazy, he had been trying to find Henry a Little since the two of them met three years earlier and hit it off, easily falling into a friendship and a bond as fellow Daddies.

“Hi.” Henry said, his voice was very soft and low, keeping his muscular body relaxed, knowing just how imposing he could be; carefully holding out his hand to you.

You slowly extended your hand to him, still holding his eyes. You bit your lip, feeling Henry gently slip and close his big hand around yours, but he didn't squeeze, he just had a reassuring pressure about your hand, that gave you a small amount of ease. Henry smiled a little more at you, feeling your hand relax in his and saw a little bit more life come into your eyes; a layer of that thick cotton falling away.

“Is it okay, if I'm your Big and I take you home with me?” Henry asked, lifting a brow at you.

You bit your lip and looked up at him, shyly, but nodded your head at him. “Yeah.” You squeaked, quietly, the first words you spoke, since Henry and Luca came into the room.

“All right.” He smiled at you, feeling butterflies in his stomach.

“Are you both sure?” Luca asked, looking between you. “This means full supervision and care.” He said, brows lifted in emphasis. “Nothing left out, unless the two of you agree on it.”

“I'm sure.” Henry nodded, eager and excited. “You know, I'll take absolute care of her.” He smiled, glancing at you, your hand still folded in his, and chuckled, as he watched you smile shyly.

“I'm okay with it.” You replied, your body scrunching up a little bit, bashfully, making you look so cute to the two Daddies.

“All right then.” Luca grinned, clapping his hands together. “Henry, I entrust her into your care. You do know what will happen if you don't take proper care of her?”

“I do, and it won't happen.” Henry said, firmly.

“I know, but I have to get the formalities out of the way.” Luca chuckled, smiling at his friend. “So, with that, you two are free to go or stay for a little while and get to know each other. I'll let you decide and will be in my office, if you need anything.” He said, before stepping out of the room.

Henry looked down at you and gave your hand a gentle squeeze, getting you to look up at him. “Did you travel far?” He asked, tilting his head at you.

You nodded your head, gulping. “I did.” You replied, telling him where you came from, softly.

“That's a long flight, not counting the two hour drive to Huntersville from the airport.” Henry replied, biting the corner of his lip as he regarded you, he could see the start of the dark circles under your eyes, and didn't doubt you were jet lagged and the time zone changes were going to wear on you.

You nodded your head at him, blinking softly, you were slipping into Little Space and your body hurt from sitting so long on the long flight. Henry scanned the room and saw the one, black and large, rolling suitcase by the conference table.

“Is this all you have?” He asked you, stepping forward and pulling up the handle.

“Yes.” You replied, pressing your lips together.

“All right.” Henry nodded back at you, still holding your one hand and took a hold of the handle to your suitcase. “Let's get you settled in, Little one.” He cooed at you, sweetly, leading you out of the conference room and down the hall to the welcoming area of the town hall, where there was a buzz of other Littles, Mommies and Daddies.

Henry looked at you as you edged a little closer to him as you headed for the main doors of the town hall, going for Henry's car parked out front.

“I know. It takes a little getting used to; seeing Mommies, Daddies and other Littles so out in the open like this.” He said, letting your hand go long enough to push open the door and motioned with his head for you to step outside first. “But, trust me, once you do, it's wonderful.” He smiled at you, encouragingly.

“I'm sure you'll make Little friends in no time, as well.”

Chapter Text

You bit your lip and glanced away from Henry, unsure about making Little friends yourself. But, you followed Henry to his Audi RS Q8, your mouth dropped open seeing the sleek, black and electric car. You hadn't seen anything so fancy before, especially since you were about to get into it. Henry opened the back door of his car and lifted your suitcase and put it in.

“Lord, what do you have in here?” He chuckled, teasingly, and looked over at you. “Little one?” He frowned, seeing your face. “You all right?” He asked, moving over to you and rested his hand on your arm, feeling the muscle under his palm jump slightly.

“Mmhm.” You nodded, blinking, but your eyes were still unfocused on the car. “Fancy.” You mumbled, licking your lips.

Henry smiled and chuckled again. “It is.” He nodded, rubbing your arm, then gently directed you over to the passenger side, opening the door and letting you get in, before pulling your seat belt over you and secured it, before getting into the car himself. “All right, are you hungry?” He asked, looking over at you as he started the car.

“A little bit.” You mumbled, looking at the futuristic looking dashboard.

“All right, I'll make you something when we..” Henry paused for a second, it felt a bit strange for what he was about to say, but cleared his throat. “When we get home. I'm sure you're exhausted and would like a nap too.” He frowned over at you, thinking about things.

“What do you have in your luggage?” He asked, with a soft head tilt.

“Just clothes, my blankie and stuffie, mostly.” You told him, shrinking your seat.

Your voice was getting smaller and your vocabulary was shifting, alerting Henry to your slipping into Little Space more and more.

“You need a pamper, when you sleep, don't you, Baby?” He cooed at you, slipping smoothly into his own Daddy Space without even meaning too, the tone of your voice and your body language triggering him.

“Yeah.” You gulped and pressed your lips together, bowing your head.

Henry reached out, lightly touching his fingertips under your chin and lifted your head. “You don't have to do that, Baby Girl.” He uttered, softly, his eyes bright and loving. “I'm not going to hurt you.” He assured you, his thumb caressing your cheek, sweetly. “And you have nothing to be embarrassed about, I promise.” He whispered, his eyes holding yours, steadily.

“Now, let's stop by the shopping center and get you some pampers for your nap.” Henry said, turning towards the steering wheel again and pulled out of the parking spot. “We'll do some more in depth shopping later on. Right now, I just want to get you settled down and comfortable. I know you're jet lagged and the time-zones are probably going to make you a bit cranky.” He smiled, looking over at you, seeing you looking at him and smiled even more.

He couldn't get over how cute you are and how obedient you seemed so far, and you seemed very well mannered and even tempered, but you were still very nervous and shy, and exhausted from your trip. So, Henry was sure he wouldn't find out your true Little identity until you were all sorted out and more comfortable. In a few days, he hoped you didn't change too much from what you were like at the moment. Though Henry had a reputation as a Brat Tamer, he wanted a sweet and loving Baby Girl, one he didn't have to tame and always put over his knee or take down to the punishment room.

But, he knew time would tell with you, so he didn't push it or you, for that matter.

“Okay, Little one.” Henry said, opening your car door and unbuckled your seat belt. “When we're out and about like this,” He explained to you motioning around as you stepped out of the car. “You're to hold my hand, at all times; unless I say otherwise. You understand?”

“I understand.” You nodded up at him, sucking your bottom lip in between your teeth.

“Good.” Henry nodded back and held his hand out to you.

You took his hand instantly and followed him through the, surprisingly, busy parking lot of the shopping center that Huntersville had. You looked around, seeing other Littles holding their Mommy or Daddy's hands, some just walked beside them, while others ran off ahead of them, their Big yelling after them to stop, slow down and come back; and mostly being ignored. All the Littles looked different, some were dressed in almost regular clothing, giving away that they were Middles, others were dressed as Littles, onesies, overalls or cute outfits, many of their bottoms were bulky and padded with pull ups and pampers, others held stuffies, small blankets and sucked on pacis or their thumbs.

It felt surreal to you, to not only see so many Littles and Bigs, but to see them so freely in the open, smiling and waving at each other, stopping to talk and chat, before heading inside the shopping center for their items. You had spent so long hiding your Little self from your family, friends and even yourself, that it was like jumping in a frozen lake with the first cold shock of the water. You didn't know what to do or where to look, when you finally entered the shopping center, it had everything, from regular household goods, groceries, auto supplies, a small mall and an area for everything, any kind of Little might ever like or need.

Henry paused for a moment, glanced at you and grabbed a cart, before taking you towards the Little section. “Do you know what size you are?” He asked, once you reached the pamper and pull-up aisle.

“Four.” You replied, your hand on the handle of the chart, where Henry had put it.

Nodding his head, Henry browsed the selection of pampers and pull ups, tapping his foot on the polished, white linoleum flooring. Settling, Henry grabbed a box of zoo animal print pampers and a box of Mickey Mouse pull ups, for good measure. With those, he grabbed baby wipes and a wipe warmer, not wanting to use cold wipes on you. After he squared away your pampers and pull ups, he directed the cart towards another aisle and reached out for a container on one of the shelves, when you delicately touched his elbow.

“What, Sweetie?” Henry cooed, brows lifted in interest.

“I'm lactose intolerant.” You mumbled to him, glancing at him and at the container he was about to grab.

Henry looked at it and realized his near error. “That wasn't in your file.” He frowned at you.

“I must have forgotten it. I'm sorry.” You gulped, shifting on your feet.

“It's all right, Baby.” He smiled at you, the back of his fingers brushing your cheek, then grabbed two lactose free containers of formula and a thing of banana rice cereal to thicken the formula up with.

Once Henry had the formula and rice cereal, he grabbed a couple of bottles, and even a bottle warmer, then stood in the aisle for a moment, contemplating if he wanted to get more for you, when he noticed you eyeing an adorable, elephant sippy cup with a silicone spout. Smiling, Henry took it off the shelf and put it in the cart with the rest of the items.

“Okay, Pumpkin. That should do for right now.” He said, pushing the cart towards check-out. “We'll do more shopping tomorrow. For now, let's get this paid for and go home, then I'll get you fed and down for a nap.” He told you, putting all of the items on the moving belt.

“Hey, Henry.” The cashier beamed as she started ringing up the items. “How are you doing?”

“I'm great, Mel.” Henry replied, smiling back at her. “I just started fostering Huntersville's newest Little.” He explained, beaming at you, as you shyly hid behind him. “Come on, Baby.” He cooed at you, laughing. “Say hello to Ms. Melissa.” He prompted you, taking your hand and giving it a gentle squeeze, but the action told you to obey him, none-the-less.

“H-hello.” You stuttered, pressing your lips together and barely meeting the other woman's eyes.

Melissa smiled brightly at you. “Aren't you a cutie patootie?” She giggled, smitten with you. “How does it feel to finally have a Little?” She asked Henry, continuing to ring up the items on the belt. “I know you've been wanting one.”

“So far, so good.” Henry replied, his cheeks coloring a little bit as he glanced at you. “She's being a very good girl for me.” He praised you, giving your hand another, reinforcing, squeeze, instantly making your face glow at his praise.

Henry smiled at you, taking note that you seemed to very much have a praise kink; and winked at you.

“You should introduce her to Benji.” Melissa said, ringing up the last item and pulled up the final total. “I'm sure the two of them would hit it off.” She smiled, thinking about her own Little Boy. “He's over at Daycare right now, though. Mama has to work!” She chuckled, shaking her head.

“I think that would be great!” Henry replied, nodding his head and looking at you. “I plan on getting her settled and comfortable, first, then having her spend a day at daycare with some other Littles, so she can make some friends.” He explained to Melissa, pulling out his wallet.

“Maybe, even have some play-dates with Benji, even Aspen and Eric.”

“Oh!” Melissa gasped loudly.

You startled at her loud exclaim, wrapping an arm around Henry's and whimpered.

“It's all right, Little one.” He cooed at you, brushing his fingers through your hair, soothing you, and smiling softly.

“She'll love Aspen and Eric.” Melissa said, dropping her tone, sorry she had scared you. “They're both total sweethearts.”

“They are.” Henry agreed, swiping his bank card and paying for all the items, then loading all the bags into the cart. “I'll see you later, Mel.” He nodded to her, politely. “Say good-bye, baby.” He told you, looking at you, expectantly.

“Bye-bye.” You replied, your voice tiny as you gave her a little wave.

“Bye, Sweetie. It was nice meeting you.” Melissa grinned, warmed by you, then turned to her next customer.

“Good girl.” Henry praised you as you walked out of the store together.

You felt a warmth in your belly as Henry called you a good girl, that you hadn't felt before. You liked hearing him call you a good girl, you liked it when he praised you, it made your anxiety go away when he did.

You wanted him to do it more often.

Henry got you in the passenger seat and opened the back of the car to put the shopping bags in the trunk, then joined you upfront, slipping into the driver's seat. “All right, pumpkin, let's head home and get you laid down.” He said, just as you yawned. “Such a sleep baby.” He cooed, directing the car towards the street his magnificent two story house was on, that he had custom built in Huntersville.

“Wow.” You exclaimed, quietly, your mouth falling open as he pulled into the driveway.

“I'm glad you like it.” Henry chuckled, turning the car off and getting out. “All right, one thing.” He said, stopping as the two of you approached the front door. “I have a dog, Kal, and he's going to get excited about seeing you, all right?” He warned you, in advance.

“Okay.” You nodded, your eyes wide at the mention of a dog; you loved animals.

“All right.” He nodded and opened the door, stepping inside with you.

You were no sooner inside, when a bark echoed throughout the house and a black and white, bear-looking, dog came bounding into the foyer. Henry slipped between you and Kal, body checking the Akita, so he didn't knock you over.

“Easy, Kal.” Henry said, pushing Kal off of him. “We don't wanna scare your new playmate, do you?” He smiled, letting Kal roughhouse with him for a moment, before taking a half step aside, so you and Kal could see each other.

“Doggy.” You giggled happily, grinning as Kal pushed up against your legs and bent over rubbing and scratching him all over. “Hi, doggy.” You beamed, as he pushed up on his back paws and licked your face.

Henry wasn't sure who was more excited, you or Kal. “All right, come with me.” He said, grabbing Kal, and motioning you into the living room. “Stay here, while I bring everything in from the car. I don't want you going anywhere else, understood?”

“Yes.” You nodded, sitting on the floor and started playing with Kal.

Smiling, Henry went back out to the car and grabbed all of the shop bags and your suitcase, bringing them in and setting your suitcase down in the foyer, before taking the shop bags into the kitchen and putting them away, then setting up a bottle and dropping it into the bottle warmer. While your bottle warmed, he turned his attention to getting you ready for your nap, after you finished your bottle. So, he took your suitcase and pampers upstairs, before coming back down to the living room, for you.

“Come here, baby.” He cooed at you, gently pushing Kal aside and leaned over, wrapping your arms around his neck and picked you up with ease.

You felt your stomach swim as he picked you up, automatically wrapping your legs around his waist. You'd never been held like this before and it felt strange and disorienting, but Henry had you securely in his arms and resting on his hip, as he ascended the stairs to the second floor, where all the bedrooms were. You looked around as he took you into, what was clearly, the master bedroom and felt a qualm in your stomach, but it relaxed as he passed an open threshold to the right and entered a nursery, equipped with a rocking chair, changing table, dresser and a crib.

Henry laid you down on the changing table and stepped away, picking up one of the packages of pampers and opened it, taking out a pamper decorated with giraffes, lions and zebras, then grabbed a package of baby wipes and a small bottle of baby powder. Taking a deep breath, he set them down on the changing table and looked at you for a moment, before curling his fingers around the waistband of your shorts and underwear, slipping them off of you, then carefully bent your legs to your chest; noticing the soft tremble of your thighs.

“What kind of stuffie do you have?” He asked, wanting to get your mind off the fact a slightly strange man had you half naked on a changing table and was about to wipe, powder and pamper on your bottom.

“He's a man-tea.” You replied in your Little Space voice, sucking on your bottom lip.

“Oh yeah?” Henry cooed at you, opening the wipes. “Does he have a name?” He asked, pulling out a wipe and gently, but quickly and thoroughly, swiping your delicates.

“D-Dewey.” You cooed back, feeling the cold wipe between your legs, since Henry hadn't had the time to warm them up yet.

Henry smiled softly at you, warmed. “Dewey, the Manatee.” He said, lightly dusting your petals with the lavender and chamomile scented baby powder. “That's a sweet name for a manatee.” He told you, wrapping a hand around your ankles and pushing your hips up, slipping the fresh pamper under your bottom and letting you down again.

“He keeps me warms.” You said, as Henry secured the tabs of your pamper.

“He keeps you warm?” Henry frowned at you, head tilting

You nodded your head at him. “He's a Warmie.”

Henry narrowed his eyes for a moment, then turned to your suitcase, unzipping it and found your gray manatee stuffie right on top. “He has some weight to him.” He said, balancing him in his hand.

“You can puts him in the microwave and warms him up and huggles him.” You explained to him, watching him hold your favorite stuffie.

“Oh, one of those.” Henry nodded, getting it. “I understand now.” He smiled at you, holding the soft and heavy manatee out to you. “All right, love.” He took a deep breath, picking you up in his arms again. “Your bottle should be nice and warm for you, by now.”

Henry carried you downstairs and into the huge and lavish kitchen. All the appliances looked professional and top of the line, from the huge, stainless steel refrigerator with a water and ice dispenser, a top of the line AGA stove, the long counters and island were topped with gray quartz, the sink was in-set into the island, the cabinets were either a warm gray or a dark wood tone, and the floors were polished wood. Henry gently bounced you on his hip, smiling at you lovingly, and stopped at the counter, where there was a small, squat window, showing a little strip of something outside, but he reached out to the bottle warmer that now sat beside his Nespresso machine.

“Oh yes, nice and warm.” He smiled at you, bouncing you again as he gave the bottle a good shake. “Is there anything specific you do before you sleep?” He asked, taking you back upstairs to your new nursery.

“I like to read, it helps my brain be quiet.” You replied, repressing the growing urge to lay your head down on his shoulder and nuzzle your face into his neck, with a yawn.

“That's easy, what do you like to read?”

“My Kindle Fire is in my bag.” You told him, losing your battle and laid your head on his shoulder, your eyes half lidded.

“All right.” Henry cooed back, softly resting his scruffy cheek against your temple, warmed that you were getting comfortable and snuggling into him, your hand fisting the opposite shoulder of his shirt.

Henry took you into the nursery, pausing for a moment to grab the Kindle Fire 8 that was tucked in the inside pocket, then turned towards the padded rocking chair in the corner by the window. He froze for a moment, paralyzed, he hadn't used any of the items in the nursery since he set them up in the room; laying you down on the changing table to put your pamper on was the first time that piece of furniture had been used since it came out of the box, the same would be true for the rocking chair and the crib. It was surreal, and suddenly terrifying to Henry, to be using them, to be holding you as you burrowed into his muscular body, whimpering sleepily, smacking your lips together softly, your lips brushing the skin of his neck as you did.

He was suddenly afraid that he wouldn't be able to take care of you properly. What if you didn't click and you weren't a compatible Daddy and Little couple? But, your soft whine pulled Henry out of his sudden insecurity, snapping him back into Daddy mode.

“Sshh, it's all right, Baby Girl.” He murmured, sitting down in the rocking chair and started to gently rock back and forth. “I've got you now, you're okay.” He whispered to you, setting your Kindle down on the table beside the rocking chair and gave your bottle one more shake, before shifting you in his lap. “Here, Little one, open up.” He coaxed you, quietly, rubbing the toasty warm and milky nipple against your lips.

“There's a good girl.” Henry smiled at you, as you opened and allowed him to slip the nipple into your mouth. “Yes, you're such a good, little girl. Yet, so sleepy and hungry.” He cooed at you, watching you gently suckle your bottle, a small bead of formula and milk gathering in the corner of your mouth as you did.

Henry gently thumbed away the droplets at the corners of your mouth and carelessly wiped them on the thigh of his jeans, then tenderly caressed your cheek, feeling the muscles of your mouth work as you drank down the bottle's contents. He felt himself, and you, relax as you sat in the rocking chair together, it really crushed many of his worries and concerns, you were completely exposed to him as you laid prone in his lap, half asleep and sucking down a bottle of baby formula as he held it for you, and you were relaxed and seemingly unconcerned by all of that, just wanting your bottle.

“You're beautiful.” He sighed, brushing his fingers over your skin and felt the moistness on your forehead. “And warm.” He noted, it was rather warm in the nursery. “All done, Baby.” He chuckled, taking the empty bottle from your mouth, as you gave a small and sleepy whimper of protest.

Henry clicked his tongue at you, sitting the bottle on the table, next to your Kindle, and shifted you in his lap again, nuzzling the side of his face against yours. You stirred some, having dozed off as you guzzled down the warm, milky and banana flavored formula, your chin resting atop Henry's broad shoulder, as he rubbed and gently patted your back. You realized, quickly, what Henry was doing, he was burping you.

You gulped, realizing Henry was going to fully baby you, through and through.

It didn't really concern you that he was, you identified as a Little and an Adult Baby and a Diaper Lover. But, you never had a Daddy before, you had always been on your own and the most you had ever allowed yourself to Little was to color, to occasionally wear a pamper or a pull up, if your parents were going away for a weekend and you could get away with it, and sleep with your stuffie and paci, that was hidden in your suitcase. So, Henry feeding you a bottle like a baby, with formula, putting a pamper on you, like a real baby, and burping you, as you rocked in the chair, was a shock, like everything else that was going on.

Especially, since you knew he was about to read to you and lay you down in the crib, your first ever crib nap.

You also felt strange, only having on your tank top, a pamper and your socks, since Henry had taken off your shoes and shorts, when he pampered you, not slipping your shorts back on afterwards. Now, you sat, cradled in his wide lap, practically naked, and you could feel a pressure working its way up from your stomach to your throat, making you whimper quietly into Henry's ear, which only caused him to pat your back a little bit harder.

Giving in, you let it out, letting out a soft burp and felt Henry smile, pressing his palm to the middle of your back and rubbing in firm circles.

“Good baby.” He cooed into your ear, his voice a deep timber, as he rested back in the chair, slouching slightly and picked up your Kindle, and turned it on. “Let's see what we have, hm?” He hummed, unconsciously patting your padded bottom, then lifted a brow at the book in your queue. “The Wardstone Chronicles: the Spook's Secret.” He read the title of the book off the eerie cover displayed on the screen.

“It's good.” You mumbled into his curls. “It's about a boy, Tom, who's apprenticed to a person they call a Spook.” You explained to him, moving to press your forehead to his neck and look at the screen of your Kindle.

“A Spook?” Henry replied, lifting a brow at you and the device.

“Yeah. He's a man, the Seventh son of a Seventh son. A Spook can only be a Seventh son of a Seventh son. Something about them being born in that order, makes them special, gives them, kinda, magical powers to see things, others can't. Like, ghosts and boggarts. A Spook goes around the County, what they call their area of the world, and deals with them; ghosts, boggarts, witches and so on. No one really likes Spooks either, but they need them.” You told him, lifting your eyes to look at him.

“They even fight a bane and some old gods, like Pan.” You said, caught up in explaining the book to him. “It's a twelve or thirteen book series, and this is book three. I really like it.” You told him, smiling softly.

Henry stared at the Kindle as you told him about the book and thought of the Witcher books and games, a Spook sounded no different than a Witcher, like Geralt. It piqued Henry's interest in the book and the series, it sounded like a dark fantasy and Henry loved fantasy books. He pressed his lips together and looked down at you, then smiled softly, his lips brushing your forehead.

“All right.” He said, shifting in the chair a little bit, tapped the cover of the book on the screen and watched the words appear on the screen, it seemed he was in luck, you were only three chapters into the book, so he wouldn't be too clueless as to what was going on. “'Good to see you, Tom.' he said, putting his arm around my shoulders.'” Henry started to read aloud.

You followed the words as he read them, but your eyes slowly grew heavier with each line, before finally falling shut, lulled by a warm and full belly, jet lag and Henry's comforting voice. Henry glanced at you, grinning, as he read a few more lines, until he heard the definite change in your breathing. Your snores were only soft exhales of breath, wafting against his neck in warm waves. But, he set your Kindle aside, still rocking for a few minutes; he didn't want to get up, he just wanted to sit there with you forever and hold you. You felt comfortable in his lap, your weight and warmth was soothing to him, he felt like he found the right Little, as if you were destined to be his, his Baby Girl, and Henry was determined to keep you.

“What do you think, Bear?” He whispered as Kal wandered into the nursery, and stopped in front of him. “Should we keep her?” He asked, rubbing your arm as you whimpered and shifted, soothing you. “She's a timid and shy, little thing. Certainly has some demons and scars, but we'll take care of her, our sweet baby.” He cooed, biting his lip, and pressed them to your forehead.

“Let's lay her down, bud.” Henry said and stopped rocking, slowly standing up with you in his arms. “Ssshh,” He licked his lips, hesitating for a moment. “Daddy's got you, Baby.” Henry lowered the side of the crib and carefully laid you in it, supporting your head as he rested it on the pillow already inside the crib.

“Right, your blanket.” He said to himself, turning back to your suitcase and grabbed the black, white and gray checkered blanket, finding it quite heavy; only to realize it was a weighted blanket. “You like weighted things.” He said, turning back towards you with the blanket, noting the weight of Dewey as well.

Henry laid the soft and heavy blanket over you and smiled as you smiled in your sleep and curled up into a ball beneath it. He grabbed Dewey from on top of the changing table, to give it to you, when he watched your hand slip out from under your blanket and you put your thumb into your mouth; sucking on it.

“Mmhm.” Henry hummed, pressing his lips together and shaking his head, in a disapproving way. “Not my Little.” He said, setting Dewey in your crib and went back into your suitcase. “If she's the kind of Little, I think she is.” He mumbled to himself, searching through your clothing and every pocket the luggage had. “Ah-ha!” He explained, pulling out a crystal onyx paci, he looked back over his shoulder at you through the bars of your crib, he was surprised that your paci was black, but he didn't dwell on it.

Standing up, he leaned over the side of your crib and wrapped his hand around your wrist, pulling your thumb out of your mouth and carefully replaced it with your paci and tucked Dewey beneath your blanket. He stared down at you, head tilted, and gently rubbed your back, as he watched you suck on the transparent black paci; a contrast to the cream tank top, animal print pamper and the gray colored bed sheets he had on the crib.

“Am I stupid for falling for her too soon?” He asked the space around him, then looked down, feeling Kal bump his leg. “Suppose we'll find out.” He said, putting up the crib rail. “I need to get my second shake in and do my work out.” Henry mumbled to himself, going into the top drawer of the mostly empty dresser and pulled out a device.

“Means I need to set up the nanny cam.”

Henry moved over to his own bed, across from your crib, and turned on the nanny cam, his brow creased as he started setting it up. He pulled his phone out and linked the two of them up, so he could access the audio and video feed from an app on his phone to see you in your crib and nursery, from wherever he was in the house; giving him peace of mind. With the nanny cam set up, Henry set it up so the camera was angled into your crib, looking between the cam and his phone for optimal coverage.

“There, that's better.” He smiled down at Kal, feeling good about it, then turned the nursery's air conditioner on low and walked towards the bedroom door. “Are you going to stay with her, Kal?” He asked, turning to see that the Bear was sitting on the plush, white and light gray trellis rug in front of the crib, not moving and watching you sleep.

“Watch her good, buddy. She's our precious baby.” Henry said, softly, his eyes big and tender, as he looked over at your sleeping form.

You moaned softly and gave your paci a gentle suck, smiling against the mouth guard and nuzzled in under your weighted blanket, content. Until you felt the bulk of your pamper move with you and the dampness of the pamper's core. Your heart and brain started to race, you didn't remember falling asleep with a pamper on, and you never wet them when you slept. You were alarmed and horrified, how would you hide this from your parents, when you got up?

Opening your eyes, your heart started to race even more, your hands shaking as you, unconsciously, hugged Dewey tighter to your chest, frightened at the sight of the crib bars in front of your face and the strangeness around you, your eyes starting to water. In your exhaustion from jet lag and dropping so deeply into Little Space, because of Henry's experienced Daddy skills, you had forgotten where you were. You whimpered, fearfully, curling in on yourself, your body cradled into the orthopedic memory foam mattress, as you stared through the bars of the warm gray, Medford crib, looking through the open threshold to a regular master bedroom that was empty.

Your stomach turned and you sucked even harder on your paci, trying to soothe yourself, while you tried to figure out and remember where you were and why, when a big head popped up on the other side of the crib's railing, startling you. Kal looked at you, pushing his black snout through the bars the best he could and darted his long, pink tongue out, just managing to lick your knuckles as you continued to clutch Dewey, in your terror. But, sensing your distress, Kal took two steps back and lifted his head, his curly tail as erect as it could possibly get, before he let out a piercing bark; making you press your palms to your ears.

Henry was working out on his leg press, sweat pouring off his forehead in the warm room, when he heard a loud bark echo in the house and the nanny cam app on his phone let out a chirp, alerting him that the sound had come from your nursery.

“Christ, I hope Kal isn't barking at a squirrel or something.” He sighed, sitting up and wiping his flushed face on a gym towel, reaching out and picking up his phone. “Baby Girl needs to sleep off that jet lag.” He said, opening the nanny app and saw Kal standing in front of your crib, his face pressed to the bars again, tail slightly wagging, and you moving, just a bit.

He could just tell by the position you were laying in, that you were awake, but it was Kal's body language that set off most of his alarms, he knew now that Kal had only barked because there was something seriously wrong with you. Concerned by it, He dropped his phone and rushed upstairs to your nursery, his eyes wide as he approached your crib and saw the frightened expression and tears in your eyes.

“Hey, Little one.” He cooed at you, softly, quickly putting down the crib rail. “What's wrong, sweetheart?” He hummed, pulling away your blanket and picked you up into his arms. “Did you have a bad dream, Baby.” He asked, rubbing your back and nuzzling his cheek against your hair, walking around the nursery with you.

You gulped as Henry held you tight in his muscular arms, your cheek pressed to his shoulder and still sucking on your paci. You were still startled and disoriented, but you remembered again where you were, the moment Henry appeared in the nursery, still a bit sweaty from his hour and a half long workout in his home gym, his face and body flushed. But, being in his arms, pressed against his strong and solid body and knowing now that you were safe and not in some strange place, not kidnapped or something, you calmed down; nodding your head against his shoulder.

It had been a nightmare of sorts, after all. Just a waking one.

“Aw.” Henry murmured, kissing your temple and patting you on the back. “It's all right, honey. You're all right, I've got you now.” He whispered into your ear. “No more nightmares, baby doll.” He smiled, feeling you relax and turn your face into his neck. “Oh, someone needs a change.” He hummed, patting your bottom and felt how swollen it was, then turned towards the changing table.

Henry laid you down and opened your pamper, slipping the soiled pamper off of you and tossing it into the bin, beside the table. Henry saw you flush and your toes curl as he opened the wipe warmer, pulling out a toasty warm wipe and smiled at you softly, trying to be reassuring and casual, wanting you to get used to him changing you, touching you and taking care of you.

“What's wrong, baby?” He asked, seeing the light of conflict in your eyes as he used the wipe on you.

“I don't usually wet, when I sleep.” You admitted to him, shyly.

Henry bit the inside of his cheek, his stomach full of butterflies. “You're just a tired baby.” He cooed at you, powdering you and securing your fresh pamper closed, then rested his hands on either side of you and brought his face level to yours. “That's all.” He smiled down at you, bending his head forward a little bit, and rubbed noses with you.

“Besides, you'll get used to being in your pamper, or your pull up, all the time now.” He told you, brushing his fingers through your hair and watching you stifle a yawn in your fist. “Still a sleepy baby.” He sighed, tilting his head at you, caressing your cheek with his thumb. “You wanna lay down for a little while longer?” He asked, softly, he could see you were having a hard time keeping your eyes open.

“Mmhm.” You nodded, blinking sleepily at him.

“All right.” He smiled, picking you up and snagged your paci up off the changing table and laid you back down in your crib, covering you up and making sure you had Dewey, then popped your paci back into your mouth. “Sleep tight, pumpkin.” He cooed at you, patting your back, gently.

Henry stayed there with you, until you fell back to sleep, then went back downstairs to the gym and finished off his work out.

Chapter Text

It was around four in the afternoon, and you were still asleep, which didn't bother Henry, he knew you were exhausted after your flight and was all right with letting you sleep for a while, but he did want you to eat and planned on waking you for dinner. But, for lunch, Henry put together another bottle for you, adding a little more rice cereal into it. He went upstairs to the nursery and set the bottle on the table next to the rocking chair, before turning his attention to your sleeping form. Henry didn't want to wake you, so he put down your crib rail and slowly pulled back your blanket, grinning and chuckling to himself as you curled up on yourself as he did, and carefully took Dewey and your paci from you.

“Ssshh.” He murmured as he eased you out of your crib, cradling you in his arms and carrying you over to the rocking chair. “Hush, Baby.” He cooed to you, sitting down, your head resting on his chest, as he picked up your bottle, rubbing the nipple against your lips.

You whimpered, shaking your head and turning your face away from the bottle and into Henry's chest. Henry shifted, maneuvering you and getting your bottle back to your mouth, but you rejected it, pressing your lips together and causing some of the milk to dribble down your chin. Henry frowned, wiping away the spilled formula, and shook his own head, not understanding why you weren't taking the bottle.

“Fussy.” He sighed, then felt your hand squeeze his bare bicep and let out a soft, moaning sigh. “I see you, Little one.” He cooed in a deep voice, grinning brightly.

Carefully balancing you in his lap, Henry tugged his blue tank top off over his head and tossed it over the top of the rocking chair. Almost the exact moment Henry's tank top was off, you melted into him and burrowed in against his body, rubbing your cheek against his chest and collarbone, moaning softly, as you nudge your nose against his neck and into the nook between the edge of his jaw and his earlobe. Henry smirked as you rubbed your face against the hollow of his chest.

“Oh, look at you.” Henry cooed at you, rubbing your back as you settled down, cheek pressed to his bare collarbone, he melted at the sight of you, giddy, that you were reacting so much to the feel of his bare skin. “Now, let's see.” He said, picking up your bottle and presenting it to your mouth again, rubbing it lightly against your lips.

You moaned and rubbed your cheek against his chest, for a moment, the tip of your tongue slipped out between your lips, tasting the apple and banana flavored cereal on them, you smacked your lips together at the taste, then opened your mouth, finally accepting the bottle from Henry. Henry let out a soft and relieved sigh, and started rocking the chair.

“So, Baby loves skin contact.” He noted out loud, watching your face. “Daddy will remember that from now on.” He said, brushing his fingers through your hair. “Let you sleep a wee bit longer, while I make us some dinner, then I'll give you a bath and get you down for a proper bedtime.” He told your sleeping form, tilting his head to the side. “Then, we'll have our first, real and full day together. I'll need to get you on some kind of routine, of course.” He said, biting his lip, knowing he had to figure out that bit.

Henry hadn't planned or expected on fostering a Little while he was on vacation in Huntersville, let alone falling in love with you in the few short hours he had you with him, so he wasn't at all prepared for you and his Daddying skills were rusty and out of practice. He knew he would have to get you more gear; clothing, bath items, toys to play with and anything else he might and will need for you, he would need to put you on a schedule, giving you a nap time and a bedtime. He sighed, running a hand through his curls and rested his head against the padded back rest of the rocking chair.

“One thing at a time, Cavill.” He mumbled to himself. “Don't overwhelm yourself, or you’ll overwhelm her.” He said, meditatively patting your pampered bottom.

“Hey.” Henry whispered, rubbing your back, gently waking you from your long nap. “You've gotta get up and eat dinner, Pumpkin.” He cooed, smiling down at you as you sighed, rubbing your face against Dewey. “Hey, baby.” He chuckled as you looked up at him. “You feel all right?” He asked, putting the crib rail down and leaned over you, biting the inside of his cheek as you reached out for him, and let you wrap your arms around his neck, picking you up.

“Mmhm.” You hummed, laying your head down on his shoulder with a soft sigh.

Henry melted, as you cuddled up against him, folding your arms in against his chest, noting that you were deep into your Little Space. “Good, I'm glad.” He murmured, rubbing your back gently, and turning, Henry carried you downstairs to the dining room and sat you down at the dinner table, then sat down beside you.

You looked at the plate that was in front of you and licked your lips at what was on your plate. Henry didn't have any Little food in the house, but thanks to a good friend, who did him a favor and ran to the store for a box of mac and cheese, with the pasta that was shaped like the characters from Frozen, Henry made that for you, then tossed together the healthy, baked chicken nuggets recipe he had learned from one of his fellow Bigs, along with some peas; your brand-new elephant sippy cup sat beside your plate, full of apple juice. Henry, himself, had his typical meal to keep in line with his diet and workout routine.

“You hungry, precious?” Henry asked, picking up the spoon beside your plate.

“Yes, please.” You nodded your head, with a body wiggle.

Henry grinned, seeing the happy wiggle of your body as he scooped up some of your mac and cheese, and blew on it gently, before holding it up to your mouth. You opened your mouth, humming as the delicious and creamy food was deposited inside. Henry chuckled as you moaned and hummed, picking up a chicken nugget and blowing on that too, so it didn't burn your fingers and mouth, he handed it to you, letting you nibble on it, while he dug into his own dinner some, before feeding you more mac and cheese.

“Come on.” He grinned at you, watching you press your lips together as he held a spoonful of pea up to your mouth. “Open.” He cooed at you, amused and chuckling at you as you huffed softly through your nose. “Good girl.” He praised you, feeding you the peas, then sat the spoon down and handed you the sippy cup, to wash your peas down with. “Here.” He handed you another chicken nugget.

You held the chicken nugget in the thumb and index fingers of both your hands and nibbled on it, happily. Henry watched you as he ate, you were happy and content to munched on your chicken nuggets and eat the mac and cheese, less so when it came to the peas, but Henry was strict when it came to fruits and veggies, so he made sure you finished them off; praising you when you ate them and giving you either a sip of your apple juice or something else on your plate to replace the taste with.

He smiled at you, picking up your napkin and wiped your mouth, gently.

“All done.” Henry said, taking up your plates and standing.

“All done.” You echoed back in a soft, childish voice, making Henry laugh and pat you on the head.

“You're adorable.” He cooed at you, brushing his fingers against your cheek as he came back to the table, having loaded the dinner dishes into the dishwasher and turned it on. “And still a tired baby girl.” He added, watching you trying not to yawn. “Come, let's get you in the tub for your bath.” He told you, scooping you up.

You bit your lip and pressed your mouth to his collarbone as he took you back upstairs, to the master bedroom, thinking about him bathing you. You hadn't been naked in front of anyone other than your one boyfriend before, and that was years ago, and he certainly never bathed you. The prospect of Henry seeing you completely naked, soaking in a bathtub of water, while he washed you, head to toe, was disconcerting. Henry sat you down on his bed and turned his attention to your suitcase, rummaging through it for a moment, before pulling out two articles of clothing and holding them up to you.

“Jammies?”

You nodded your head at him, shyly.

“All right.” Henry nodded back, laying them on your changing table with a fresh pamper, so they were ready to go, when he pulled you out of the bath. He went into the huge master bathroom and stoppered the large, soaking tub that was there.

He turned the hot tap and twisted the cold, until the water flowing out was toasty warm, then let the tub fill. Going into the linen closet, Henry pulled out a towel and a washcloth, then removed a bottle of shampoo and body wash. He paused for a moment, ordinarily, Henry was specific about how he liked his Littles, but he had to remind himself that you weren't officially his Little and it was was your first day together and he didn't want to push you and freak you out, so he shoved those thoughts aside, sticking with just a normal, warm and calming bath for you.

With the tub full and everything for your bath ready, Henry turned his attention to you, pulling your shirt off over your head, unclasped your bra and gently pushed you back to lay on his bed, removing your slightly full pamper, wadding it up and tossed it into the bin from the foot of his bed, then took off your socks, leaving you naked on his bed.

“Oh!” Henry gasped, his brows going up, stepping away from you and going into the nursery, he pulled open a couple of the changing table drawers. “Oh.” He frowned, his brow deeply creased. “Could have sworn I had some lotion. Oh well, I'll buy some tomorrow.” He shrugged, then came back and picked you up, unbothered that you were stark naked and he was fully clothed.

“In you go, sweet pea.” He hummed, easing you into the warm water.

You cooed as you went into the pleasantly warm water, sitting down and looking up at Henry, watching him tug his blue tank top off and toss it onto the vanity; not wanting to get water on it, in case you splashed. He smiled at you, setting the body wash, shampoo and wash cloth on the edge of the tub and knelt beside it. He reached up and gently tugged your hair free from the messy bun it was in, slipping the clear, rubber hair-tie around his wrist as he watched your hair fall to the top of your shoulders.

“Are you okay, if I wash you?” He asked, tilting head at you.

You pressed your pouty lips together, blinking shyly at him, but nodded your head; giving him consent; he was going to do it eventually, so might as well start now. Henry smiled at you, his thumb brushing your cheek, then grabbed a small cup and dipped it in the water, using his other hand, he touched his fingertips under your chin and tipped your head back, before carefully pouring the water over your hair. He combed his fingers through your hair, then grabbed the shampoo, it was the only shampoo he had in the house, his Method, Sage scented, two-in-one shampoo and conditioner, he figured it would work for the one bath tonight, then tomorrow he could go shopping for your own shampoo.

“Close your eyes and keep them closed, til I tell you to open them.” Henry instructed you, carefully turning your back to him, head still tilted back as he squeezed the shampoo into his broad palm.

He worked the shampoo into your hair, a smile twitching at the corner of his mouth as he did. You moaned as his strong fingers massaged your hair and scalp, it felt wonderful to have him washing your hair, for any reason, especially since you were so exhausted from your flight, but also coming down from the stress and anxiety of what you would find when you reached Huntersville. You hadn't told your family where, exactly, you were going in California, you had only told them that you were heading to California for an unknown amount of time, wanting some alone time and to soak up the California sun.

It terrified you to think what they could say if they found out you were in Huntersville. The world knew what Huntersville was, it had made it into the news and spotlight, fifteen years ago, when the development had started construction, getting loads of mixed reviews and a lot of animosity. But, they weren't breaking any rules by doing what they were doing, it was technically no different than a rather large resort, other than having their own fire and police department, shopping center, town hall, Mayor and town officials. They even had their own post office. You had given your parents the address to a P.O box of the next closest town to Huntersville, trying to keep their suspicion low.

Huntersville had it all with a unique twist, dynamic and requirements to join and live there.

Henry rinsed off his hands once he finished working the shampoo into your hair, picked up the cup and started rinsing it out, careful not to get it in your face. “You're such a good girl.” He praised you, turning you back around, once he finished, using the dry wash cloth to wipe your face. “For your first time, you're doing very well.” He told you, smiling softly.

“I'm proud of you.” He whispered, softly.

“Thank you.” You replied, your body scrunching up, shyly.

“You're welcome, Princess.” Henry chuckled, finding you incredibly adorable and sweet. “All right, Baby Girl.” He sighed, wetting the wash cloth, then soaped it up.

Starting with your neck and shoulders, Henry worked his way down, washing your body with meticulous detail. You gulped as he carefully and slowly moved across your chest, you glanced at him, but Henry's eyes were modestly on your face, giving you a sweet smile, before he moved on to your arms, then your stomach and legs. You both looked at each other and you whimpered, knowing what was next and last to be washed, but Henry had already touched you down there several times, changing you and putting you in a pamper. So, taking a deep breath, you opened your legs a little bit and bit the inside of your lip, but didn't meet his eyes.

Taking the hint, Henry quickly washed your privates, before moving away and rinsed the soap off of your skin. “There we go. All nice and clean.” He cooed at you, reaching into the water to pull the stopper on the drain. “Almost nothing feels better than a warm clean body, before bedtime.” He told you, with a wink.

“Give me your hands.” He told you, holding out his own. “Very good. Now, stand up.” He instructed you, supporting you and making sure you didn't slip. “Stay put, don't move.” Henry turned and grabbed the towel off the vanity next to his tank top and unfolded it.

Turning back to you, he wrapped the towel around you, seeing your soft shiver and started rubbing you down with the towel. You wiggled and whined as Henry dried you off, the fabric of the towel felt rough against your warm skin, agitating you. Henry hushed you, looking at you as he finished drying you off seeing how it agitated you, but patted you on the arm, and secured the towel around you, then pulled you out of the tub.

“Oh, that's cute.” Henry laughed, realizing your grey, holiday-print pajama bottoms had footies, grinning as you blushed, as you laid on the changing table, towel wide open. “Pamper first.” He said, powdering you, then slipping the pamper on, followed by your pajama bottoms and a light t-shirt. “Oh, baby.” He cooed at you, as you let out a huge yawn and smacked your lips.

“It's been such a long and hard day for you, hasn't it.?” He asked, affectionately, rubbing your belly through your shirt.

Henry pressed his lips together and pushed them forward with a pop as he thought, then picked you up, grabbing your paci and slipped it into your mouth. He held you, standing in the middle of the nursery, bouncing you in his arms, gently, then turned and went down stairs, laying you down on the couch. “Stay put, Baby.” He told you, his voice and facial expression very firm, as he pointed a finger at you to get the point across.

“You move off this couch and I'll pop your bottom.” He warned you, seriously, as he straightened up.

You blinked, wide eyed, up at Henry, shocked and caught off guard that he threatened to spank you, if you moved off the couch, while he walked away from you, going into the kitchen. You gulped, eyes panning around the room, terrified to move a muscle as you laid there, waiting for him to come back from doing whatever it was he was up too. You relaxed some as Kal came up beside you, touching his cold, wet nose to your temple, making you scrunch up your body and giggle around the thick nipple of your paci. You reached up and patted his snout, stroking his head and between his erect ears; you really loved Kal, you had always loved animals, and wanted a dog.

Henry came back a short time later, seeing you had rolled onto your side on the couch, your body curled around Kal's head as he sat beside the couch. You pet and nuzzled your face into Kal's thick neck, both of you excited and happy to be interacting with each other. It warmed and relieved Henry that the two of you got along so well and seemed to be so smitten with each other, it made fostering you so much easier.

“Okay, baby.” He called out to you, slightly regretting it as he watched your body jerk and heard your frightened gasp; he licked his lips and settled himself. “We're off to bed, Sunshine.” He said, picking you up and patting your bottom, taking you back upstairs and sitting in the rocking chair with you. “Since you ate your dinner so well, especially your peas, but you were too tired for a proper dessert, I'll give dessert to you in another way.” He explained to you, shaking an angled bottle as he held you in his lap.

You tilted your head at the bottle, it was a different color than your last bottle, unaware of the bottle Henry had fed you for lunch, since you were out cold. You were curious to what was in the bottle Henry had in his hand, you were also curious to why Henry was still shirtless. Smiling at you, Henry shifted you, cradling you in his lap, so your cheek was pressed to his bare collarbone and held the bottle up to your mouth. You sucked on the nipple and instantly moaned as the milky goodness filled your mouth.

“Yeah, you like that, don't you, baby girl?” Henry cooed at you, grinning and nodding at you, slyly. “Your formula, plain rice cereal, lactose-free milk, with a dash of vanilla extract and a nice scoop of rich and chocolaty Ovaltine.” He said, gently rocking as he watched you excitedly suckle your bottle.

“Hey, hey.” He rumbled, pulling the bottle from your mouth with a loud pop. “Easy, you're going to make yourself sick.” He warned you, before putting it back in.

You nodded and slowed down on your suckling, staring up at Henry, your eyes heavy and content. Your first day as a real Little and with a serious Big, wasn't as scary and strict as you feared it to be. You were afraid Henry was going to force a lot more onto you. You were scared that he might even force himself on you, since he was a Big and inside Huntersville he was the boss, anything he said and did was the law since he was your Big and you were just a Little, under his care and rule. You didn't mind having Henry as your Big at all, you felt safe and happy with him; nuzzling your face against his warm chest with a soft sound that only a Little could have made.

Henry smiled down at you, brushing his fingers through your damp hair, clicking his tongue and rubbing your belly with his free hand. “You all right, sweetheart?” He asked, setting your empty bottle aside, and turning you in his lap, so he could burp you.

“Mmhm.” You hummed back, your body was dead weight in Henry's lap, you were already falling back to sleep.

“Good.” Henry whispered, almost soundlessly. “We have a big day tomorrow.” He told you, patting and rubbing up and down your back in a steady pattern. “That's it. That's my good girl.” He praised you as you let out your burp. “Yes, you are.” He sighed, standing up and moved over to the crib, laying you down and covering you up with Dewey and your paci.

Biting his lip for a moment, Henry leaned in and kissed you on the cheek, then pulled up your blanket. “Good night, Angel.” He whispered to you, before moving away.

Going to a control panel mounted on the wall, Henry turned on a light between the nursery and his bedroom, using it as a nightlight for you, in case you were afraid of the dark, then turned the air conditioner in nursery back on, knowing how warm the house was and how warm you were; he didn't want you to get uncomfortable and sweaty during the night. With that done, Henry slipped into the bathroom, stripped down and took a shower, thinking about everything he was going to buy you the next day; onesies, outfits, toys and everything else; he couldn't wait. He also wanted to convince you to allow him to be your official Daddy; the thought of you calling him Daddy, made Henry moan and his cock stirred.

“Keep it together, Cavill.” He grunted, running his hands through his soaking wet curls as he stood under the scolding hot spray of water. “With time, patience and skill, she'll allow you to be her Daddy for real. Maybe she's already considering it? Or, she even considers me, Daddy, but it's too soon? This is her first experience in the dynamic with other people and not hiding.”

“Give her time, be patient with her, and teach her. It'll work out.”

Chapter Text

The four am alarm on Henry's phone went off on his bedside table, making him groan. Rolling onto his back and stretching his sleepy body, he laid in bed for a few moments longer, smiling up at the dim bedroom ceiling, knowing you were laying several feet away in your crib, still sound asleep. Your introduction yesterday had gone incredibly well, you had behaved, meaning he didn't have to give you any warnings or punishments, granted you had slept through most of the day, trying to combat your jet lag. But, for the time you were awake, you were shy, sweet and well mannered, you were everything Henry had wanted in a Little, though he did want to help you break out of your timid shell.

Getting up, Henry took a quick shower and dressed, pausing to check on you, finding you curled up in your crib and peaceful. Smiling, he turned on your nursery monitor and went downstairs to his home gym, starting his morning workout, before he got you up for the morning. When his workout was done, he went back upstairs, found an outfit in your suitcase and laid it out on the changing table, then started the bathtub, before going to wake you.

“Baby.” He cooed at you, pulling away your weighted blanket and rubbed your back, chuckling as you whimpered, hugging Dewey closer to your chest. “Wakey, wakey, Baby girl.” He murmured, brushing his fingers through your hair and rubbing your arm.

You moaned, softly, shifting as you felt Henry rubbing your arm and back, gently stirring you. You took a deep breath, looking up at him with sleepy eyes and smiled at him, unconsciously sucking on your bottom lip. Henry smiled back at you, putting down your crib rail and leaned in and was semi-surprised when you reached out to him, wrapping your arms around his neck as he wrapped his arms around you and picked you up.

“Morning.” You hummed into his ear as you settled on his hip.

“Good morning.” Henry grinned and laid you down on the changing table. “Did you sleep well, Pumpkin?” He asked, tugging off your pajama bottoms and opening the tabs of your full pamper.

“Mmhm.” You nodded up at him, twisting your hands up in your shirt. “Did you?”

Henry chuckled, smiling even more at you, and gently untangled your fingers from your shirt. “I slept very well, thank you for asking, Baby.” He cooed at you, warmed at your genuine interest and curiosity about him and his own well-being as he took care of you.

You nodded your head at him, lifting your arms so he could pull off your shirt, then let him carry you into the bathroom, where the already warm tub of water was waiting for you, lowering you into the water. Henry bathed you like he had the night before, dried you off and laid you back down on the changing table, putting you in a pamper and dressing you in the outfit he had gotten out, then took you both downstairs, so he could make breakfast.

“You watch some cartoons, while I make us breakfast.” He told you, sitting you down on the couch and picked up the tv remote, finding you some cartoons to watch, before heading into the kitchen.

You sat cross legged on the couch, Kal jumping up on the couch beside you, while you watched SpongeBob SquarePants. You looked up, when Henry walked back into the living room and held out your elephant sippy cup to you, smiling at him, you took it and sucked on the spout, your mouth filling with grape juice.

“All right, baby doll, breakfast is ready.” He told you, bringing you into the dining room, where your food awaited you on the table. “What?” He frowned, hearing your gasp.

“I love Honeydew.” You replied, eyes wide with excitement, seeing the fruit.

“That's good to know.” Henry smiled at you, picking up a piece and handing it to you.

“Mmm.” You moaned, popping it into your mouth and chewed happily on it. “So tasty.” You proclaimed, after swallowing.

Henry was amused by your excitement over the breakfast he had made for you both, holding a bowl of brown sugar and cinnamon oatmeal in his hand and dipped a spoon into it, then held out the spoonful of the gooey oats up to your mouth. You opened your mouth quickly and moaned as the warm food filled it, your body wiggling, something Henry was quickly learning you did when you were happy and excited about something.

“We have a lot to do today, baby girl.” He told you, between spoonfuls of your shared oatmeal. “We have to go shopping for gear for you, since I don't really have anything for you here. I wasn't planning or expecting to have a Little while I was here. So, I'm rather under-geared and not supplied for you. Minus what you brought for clothing, what I have in the house already and what we bought yesterday, when I picked you up at Luca's office.”

“Okay.” You nodded, eating another piece of Honeydew, semi-oblivious of what he was talking about, rather deep into your Little Space this morning.

“Look at me, baby.” Henry said, picking up a cloth napkin and wiped the melon juice and drool off your lips and chin. “You do understand, I intend to fully and completely baby you.” He told you, once your eyes met.

“To the fullest extent.” He made it clear to you.

You blinked at him, pulling somewhat out of the cloud of your Little Space at his words. You had suspected Henry, and whatever Big that was chosen to foster you, would baby you to a deep extent, being you were a Adult Baby and a Diaper Lover, it's that level of Age Play and Regression that it usually entitled, unless the two practicing adults decided on something different for their dynamic. But, it looked like you and Henry's dynamic would work to the fullest extent, but part of you was worried, even scared, and shy about being babied so much.

But, you never know until you try, right? And Henry would understand and ease up, if you didn't like that deep level of it. Wouldn't he?

You gulped at him, shifting in your seat. “Okay.” You nodded at him, reserved.

Henry reached out and took your hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze. “It'll be all right, I'll take good care of you.” He promised you, smiling.

“I know you will.” You replied, you had no doubt about that, Henry hadn't given you any reason to believe he would do anything opposite.

“All right, pumpkin, off we go!” Henry said, after you finished breakfast and Henry got your shoes on, then led you out to the car.

You shifted in your seat, as Henry drove to the Huntersville shopping center, feeling self-conscious about the fact you were wearing a pamper out in public. Henry glanced over at you, watching you shift and heard your periodic whimpers, making him frown.

“What's wrong, honey?” He asked, as he stopped at a four-way, red light. “Is your bottom bothering you?”

“Sorta.” You replied, glancing away from him.

What was wrong clicked with Henry and he smiled at you, reaching out and patting you on the thigh.

“Baby girl, you're in a community full of Littles. You're not the only one wearing a pamper, sweetheart. There's nothing to be shy about.” He told you, letting you take his hand in both of yours. “You'll get used to it, with time.” He assured you, flipping his turn signal, then made the turn onto the street the shopping center was on.

Finding a parking spot and getting you out of the car, Henry found a cart and slipped you into the seat of the cart, pushing you and the cart inside the shopping center and got down to the shopping trip mission. He started in the bath aisle first; finding a sweet almond, two-in-one, no tears, shampoo and conditioner, with a lavender and chamomile body wash. Then, remembering how the towels he already had seemed to bother your skin, Henry grabbed several new, hundred percent and high thread count, Egyptian cotton towels and washcloths. He even grabbed a couple of bath bombs, as a treat when you were an extra good girl and to make bath time fun and interesting for you.

With those, he looked at the bath toys they had on the aisle, glancing at you and lifting a brow. “See any you like?” He asked you.

You sucked your bottom lip between your teeth, looking shyly at the bath toys next to you, then pointed to one. Henry followed your finger and smiled, grabbing the selection of six different colored bath crayons and put them in the cart. You took a deep breath, feeling some of your shy anxiety melt away, and leaned a bit closer to the toys, your eyes locking onto an assortment of floating toys. Taking those too and putting them in the cart, Henry also grabbed a hippo themed, zip up and mesh, toy organizer, that suction cupped to the side of the wall, to put all your toys in, once you were done playing with them and he pulled you out of the tub.

The bath items squared away, Henry moved onto the next concern, clothing. He knew you had clothing with you, but having been in your suitcase, you only had enough outfits for a week, before you had to wash them again, and they were clothes a Big would wear; not that that was a bad thing, but you were a Little and Henry wanted you to get used to that and be comfortable with being a Little, to be proud of about being a Little.

So, getting you Little appropriate clothing was essential on his list of things on the shopping trip.

“All right, let's see what they have.” He said, checking out the racks and shelves in the Adult Baby section. “What colors do you like?” He asked you, looking over his shoulder.

“No pink.” You said, sternly, your bottom lip stiff with your seriousness.

A smirk pulled on Henry's lips, it was the most defiant he had seen you yet, and he found it adorable. “All right, no pinks. Any other colors that don't work for you?”

You shook your head at him.

“All right then, I can work with that.” He proclaimed and started sifting through the selections. “Hm.” He hummed, frowning over at you as he held a onesie in his hand, unsure what size you wore.

Grabbing two sizes of the onesie, Henry pulled you out of the cart and took your hand, directing you over to a changing room the section had and stepped into one of the private rooms. He set the onesies down on a little bench that was inside and worked on pulling your shirt off and tugged down the shorts you were in, leaving you standing there in your pamper and shoes. Picking up the largest onesie first, Henry slipped it over your head and helped you get your arms through the holes, then carefully snapped the three buttons on it closed between your legs and over your pamper. He looked you over in it, tugging on it gently in places, before unbuttoning it and taking it off of you and putting the other one on you, and biting the inside corner of his lip, then shook his head.

“This one is a bit too tight on you.” He said, taking it off of you and helping you back into your regular clothing. “So, you wear a size six.” He noted, more to himself than to you, taking you out of the changing room.

Now knowing your size, Henry picked out numerous onesies for you, in all different, some were solid colors, except for pink, of course, others had shapes, patterns and sayings on them, he even got you bedtime onesies. He moved onto other clothing, cute shirts, overalls, shorts and leggings, things that would be easy to pull over and pair with the onesies you would mostly be wearing. He also got you some dresses and skirts, if you were to attend some of the formal gatherings that Huntersville sometimes had at the massive gathering hall, that they were famous for, at least inside Huntersville and the Big/Little community across the US, for their Christmas, New Year's, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving and Halloween parties they threw annually. Henry had only been to a Fourth of July party and had found it incredible.

But, the Town officials were known to throw other extravagant parties, for one reason or another, and Henry wanted to be prepared, just in case one happened, while you were there.

He got you socks as well, he noticed you very much preferred ankle socks, so he stuck to that and got several packs of them, along with some super cute thigh highs. Turning around after collecting your socks, he found you had pulled one of the towels out of the basket behind you and was holding it to your chest, making him tilt his head at you, as he dumped the socks into the basket with the rest of the items.

“What are you doing with that, Little one?” Henry inquired in a soft, but firm tone.

“Soft.” You whimpered, gulping, clutching it tighter to your chest and rubbing the soft fabric against your cheek.

Henry's brow creased deeply, there was something off about you, the look in your eyes weren't right, they were almost disconnected, but frightened and anxious. He stepped up to you, wrapping his arms around your waist and leaned into you.

“What is it, sweetie?” He asked you, dropping his firm tone some, and softening it even more.

“You can tell, baby.” He coaxed you, sweetly, rubbing his palms up and down your back, which was almost rigid. He was growing worried as you just sat in the seat of the cart, hands twisting up the expensive fabric of the towel and your eyes shining. “Come on, honey. I can't help you, if you don't tell me what it is.” He gulped, feeling his own anxiety start to rise.

“Please, tell me.” He whispered, almost soundlessly, what sound he did have, was almost a beg.

You shook your head and took a deep breath, leaning forward and pressed your face into his chest. “Noise.” You whimpered into his shirt.

Henry let out a breath and folded you into his arms, resting his chin on top of your head. “It's all right, love.” He murmured, rocking you gently side to side. “Just focus on the sound of my voice, hm.” He told you, softly, moving his head so his mouth was close to your ear. “Just breathe with me. Nice and easy. Take your time. We're not in a rush, and we have all day.” He spoke to you, ever-so-gently. “You're doing so well, too; and I'm proud of you, Nugget. You're such a very good girl, you know that?”

“You're my good girl and I wouldn't want you any other way.”

He confessed to you, he didn't know why, maybe because he didn't know what else to say to you or because he thought it would help calm and soothe you, if you knew he loved you and cared about you deeply. He cared about every part of your mind, body and soul.

You blinked into his chest, hearing his whispered words, his warm breath caressing the cove of your earlobe. You gulped, unsure what to say to his words, you hadn't expected such a confession; Henry calling you a good girl and that he was proud of you, was one thing, it was part of praising a Little. But, him calling you, his good girl. What had he meant by that? You wondered. Was he claiming you as his Little, permanently? Did he want to be your real Daddy, full time, like in a relationship, and not foster you any more?

No. You thought, squeezing your eyes shut against the idea. It's barely been a day! Why would he love me so quickly, or want to be my, for real, Daddy, so soon? Or at all, for that matter? I'm broken and damaged goods. Look at me now, I'm having a breakdown in the middle of the store. But, look at him, he's trying his best to soothe me and care for me. He's buying all of these things to take care of my Little self, even when he really doesn't have too. He hasn't hurt me, in any way. He always asks permission before he does something, like changing my pamper or bathing me. Why would he lie? Perhaps, he was telling the truth.

“I'm sorry.” You mumbled into his chest, before pulling away from him.

“No, baby.” Henry cooed, shaking his head at you, cupping your face in his hands. “You have nothing to be sorry for, dove.” He assured you. “You just need to tell me, when you're getting overwhelmed, all right? So, I can help you through it.” He told you, rubbing your cheeks with his thumbs. “Do soft things help you calm down and soothe you, when you get overwhelmed like that?” He asked, looking at the towel you still held, interested and wanting to learn every little bit about you, so he was prepared.

“Mmhm.” You nodded at him, rubbing your thumbs over the towel and brought it to your nose, rubbing it there as well.

“I'll keep that in mind for you, then.” He told you, smiling and kissing your forehead. “Are you okay enough now, for us to continue on?” He asked, moving his hands from your face to your shoulders, massaging them. “You can keep a hold of the towel.” He added, softly.

“I am.” You replied, your voice small.

“All right then, sweetheart.” Henry smiled, winking at you.

Assured you were all right, Henry turned back to the clothing, scanning around for anything else he wanted to get you or you might need. When he saw nothing that interested him or he thought you needed, he started perusing up and down the other aisles, but Henry paused in one aisle, when you suddenly gasped.

“What does my Little one see?” Henry cooed at you, interested and smiling, his brows going up.

“Stuff!” You pointed to the stuffed animal on the shelf, kicking your feet. “Stuff!” You echoed again, biting your lip and looking up at Henry. “Peas?” You asked, in the smallest voice Henry had heard out of you yet.

“All right.” He whispered, nodding his head and stepped over to the stuffed animal, it was a black dragon. “Oh, he glows in the dark.” Henry said, reading the tag attached to it's horn.

“Yay!” You exclaimed, clapping your hands. “Glows.” You grinned, holding your hands out for the stuffed animal.

“Do you like things that glow-in-the-dark?” Henry asked, handing it to you, grinning as you let go of the towel that you'd been clutching for the last forty-five minutes and replaced it with the dragon.

“Yes.” You nodded, vigorously. “Dark is scary.” You said, your brow furrowing at the small plushie.

Henry nodded, his assumption last night had been correct, you were afraid of the dark, which gave him an idea, but it would have to wait for him to put it into action. Until then, you both moved on. Henry got you more things, a hair brush and a package of Scunci, no-slip grip gel, hair ties and clips and hair detangler, just in case.

“Hen?” You mumbled as he stared at two tubes of rash cream in the pamper aisle.

“Yeah, baby?” He replied, not looking up at you.

“I'm tur-thy.” You told him, smacking your dry tongue against the roof of your mouth.

Henry looked up at you, then. “Okay, honey.” He nodded, quickly picking a cream and dropped it in the basket. “Let's get you something to drink.” He directed the cart to the food section and found a small bottle of water, cracking it open and held it against your mouth as you gulped down the cold and refreshing water

“Are you good or do you want more?” He asked, holding the bottle between you.

“More, peas.” You replied, licking your wet lips.

Nodding, Henry held the water bottle back up to your lips, letting you drink down as much as you wanted, which ended up being the rest of the bottle. “You were a thirsty girl.” He commented, screwing the cap back on the bottle and putting it in the basket, so he could pay for it later, then let out a huff through his nose.

“I think I might need to purchase a Little bag for us.” He commented, pressing his lips together as he regarded you. “I should carry around some pampers for you, for when you need a change and not just rely on the ones they kindly supply in the changing rooms around town. They tend to be, quite, bulky. But, I also need to be mindful of when you do get thirsty, and probably carry around something for you to snack on, if you get a little peckish.” He said, chewing on his lip as he thought about it.

Henry never had a Little or was in a situation that required him to have a Little bag on him, when he went out with his Little, because he always stayed inside the privacy of his home, where he had everything he needed for them. It seemed both you and Henry were in new territory together in Huntersville.

“Well, back at we go, Little one.” He said, setting off.

He found the aisle, where they had Little bags, picking out a black, backpack style Little bag, that had an insulated compartment for two bottles, a spacious pamper organizer, a big pocket for other things, like your favorite stuffie, bottled water, snacks and anything else Henry might bring, it even had a pocket for his own stuff. It was perfect for what he wanted and needed it for, so he added it to the growing collection of items in the cart.

“What's that?” You asked, watching Henry take something off a shelf and drop it into the cart.

“It's a swaddling blanket.” He replied and saw your inquiring head tilt. “I'll show you, when we get home.” He smiled at you, sweetly, kissing your cheek. “I'm sure you'll like it, being you like soft things and the reassuring pressure from your weighted blanket.” He explained to you. “All right, there are a couple more things I do want to get you, but they're too big to put in the cart and probably my car, so, I'll have to order them off the app and have them delivered to the house.”

“App?” You echoed him, playing with your dragon, and pretending it was flying.

“Yeah, Huntersville has an app, you can use it for basically everything inside the community.” Henry replied, watching you play with the stuffed animal. “You can use it to order fast food, kinda like door dash, or an Uber, contact the Huntersville fire or police department, or make a doctor's appointment, or if you need a babysitter. You can also use it to have almost anything delivered to you.”

You looked up at him. “That's cool.”

“Yeah, it is.” He smiled at you. “Let's make one last pit stop and we'll go home.” He told you, pushing you and the cart out of the aisle.

Henry directed you both into the food aisle, grabbing another thing of lactose-free milk and other food goods. But, you lifted a brow at him, when he grabbed several containers of pureed baby food, but he also got some gummy snacks, squeeze applesauce, yogurt and fruit pouches for you to snack on.

“You want to pick a juice?” He asked, stopping in front of them.

You pointed to an Ocean spray, Cran-grape juice on the shelf and Henry added it in, putting in apple juice and a big container of a natural juice of some kind you didn't catch.

“All right, sweetheart. We're all done.” He said, pointing the cart in the direction of the check out stands. “We'll check out, load up the car and go home. Then, I'll make you some lunch and put you down for a nappy.” He cooed and smiled at you, he could see you were getting really tired, no doubt still jet lagged.

“Henry!” A voice yelled from the other side of the aisle.

“Huh.” He frowned, turning around and saw a beautiful and tall, caramel skin woman coming towards you both, pushing her own cart, a man sitting in the basket's seat, who was twisted around to see who she was calling out to, a blue paci in his mouth.

“Paci.” You mumbled under your breath, seeing it, catching Henry's attention.

He knew he had forgotten something.

“Henry, oh my god, Mel told me you were fostering!” She exclaimed, grinning between Henry and you. “You are cute as a button.” She giggled, touching her fingers underneath your chin, light and playfully. “Henry, why didn't you call and tell me?” She asked, planting her hands on her hips and looking at him, sternly.

Henry chuckled at her, grinning. “Hello to you too, Jazzy.” He replied to her, opening his arms and giving her a hug.

He had known Jasmine Patel since he first came to Huntersville, four years before, she was one of the first fellow Bigs he met, when he arrived to the community, a year after the house had finished being built. She had approached him at the Fourth of July party he attended, a week after arriving, introducing herself and her Little Boy, and the two of them had struck up an instant friendship, having similar interests and having a lot in common when it came to being a Mummy and Daddy to their Littles.

“Well, I've been a bit busy with getting her settled in and comfortable. I haven't really called anyone, other than Sybil next door to me for a quick favor.” He said, smiling at you, sweetly. “But, this is her.” He introduced you to them, explaining where you had come from.

“Hello, darling.” Jasmine cooed at you, softly.

“Hello.” You whispered back, knowing Henry was probably going to tell you to say hello to her, like he had yesterday with Melissa, the cashier.

“Baby, this is Ms. Jasmine and her Little boy, Eric.” He introduced them, stroking your arm.

“Looks like you're getting all set to be with her.” Jasmine said, glancing at the cart.

“I am.” Henry nodded, looking at the cart too. “I wasn't prepared for a Little, so I'm doing it now with her.” He said, smiling softly at you, and gave you a playful wink, chuckling as you smiled shyly and looked away.

“Oh, she's sleepy.” Jasmine said, puffing out her bottom lip in a cute way, seeing you try to suppress your sudden yawn. “We shouldn't keep you, I know how cranky a Little one can get, when they don't get their naps.” She said, looking at Eric, who dropped his head, abashed, but batted his lashes at her, his green eyes bright with mischief.

“It's nice meeting you, kitten. I hope maybe Henry and I can set up a playdate for you and Eric.”

“We can try that in the next couple of days, maybe.” Henry answered, studying you. “We'll see how it goes.” He said, giving your arm a gentle squeeze.

“I will be calling you later on, for sure, Cavill.” Jasmine added, narrowing her eyes as Henry.

“I'll answer it.” He chuckled, giving her another hug and nodding his head at Eric, before you parted ways with them. “I forgot one more thing, then we'll go, baby. I promise.” He told you, navigating through the store and into the baby aisle. “I forgot about pacis.” He said, looking at the vast selection of them. “I know you have the black one, which I must say, I find a bit off for you.” He explained to you, smiling.

“I like it.” You replied, scrunching up on yourself.

“I can tell, sweet pea.” He chuckled, kissing your forehead. “Why don't you pick a couple?” He told you, motioning to them. “That way, if something happens to your black one, you'll have another one, and we'll have one for the car and your Little bag.”

“Can I have that many?” You asked, looking at him, surprised.

Henry grinned at you, broadly. “Of course you can, baby girl.” He laughed, amused at your wonder. “You're free here in Huntersville, Nugget. To be yourself. To be a Little, and that means having as many pacis as you want.” He told you, sincerely.

You bit your lip and looked at them, tilting your head side to side, then pointed to the two packs of alternated, blue and white, polka dot, Alpaca pacis with matching clips, and another that had an elephant on the guard. But, there was one that really caught your attention, but it made you shy and look away.

“What one do you want, pumpkin?” Henry asked, scanning the pacis, trying to see if he could spot the one you wanted.

Whimpering, you shook your head at him. “No.” You mumbled, crankily.

“Little one, I asked you a question.” He said, sternly, staring at you. “Show me the paci you want.” He instructed you, not leaving room to argue with him. “Or I'll put your other ones back.” He told you, firmly.

You whimpered again, shifting and your bottom lip quivering, you felt silly and stupid for the one paci you wanted the most. It wasn't relevant. But, Henry was telling you to do something and as your foster Big and being his foster Little, you had to obey him. So, you lifted your hand, not looking up or at Henry, and pointed at the paci on the shelf. Henry followed the line of your finger and saw the light gray paci with the words 'I love Daddy' written on the mouth guard and understood what your problem was, why you were being shy about what it said, what it meant.

Henry grabbed the paci off the shelf and moved to stand in front of you.

“You came here, for a Daddy.” Henry said, softly, it was both a statement and a question.

You nodded your head, still not looking at him, hugging your dragon to your chest and wishing it could fly you away somewhere else.

“I came here,” He licked his lips. “Looking for a Little.” He said, in the same tone and meaning, looking at the paci in his hand, rubbing his thumb over the wording, then sighed heavily. “And Christ, you set off every point of my Daddy instinct and want.” He admitted aloud, shaking his head. “I want you so badly. I want to keep you. But, I'm afraid too, because we've only known each other for two days.”

You blinked, listening to him as he spoke, realizing he actually did want to be your Daddy, after all. You looked up at him, nervous and a bit sick to your stomach, unsure if you were reading him right. “You wanna be my Daddy?” You asked, point blank, hoping you weren't wrong, because if you were, it would hurt so badly.

Henry instantly grinned, his face and eyes brightening, like the California sun outside, hearing you say Daddy, while referring to him in the same sentence. “I really want to be your Daddy, sweetheart.” He admitted, completely. “Badly.”

“If you want me to be, that is.” He added, his smile fading a little bit as he gulped.

“I do want you to be my Daddy.” You replied, gulping back at him, eyes wide.

“Then, I'll be your Daddy, sweet girl.” He told you, brushing his fingers against your cheek.

“From now on?” You asked, looking up at him, excited, but still nervous, it was a whole new game changer, on top of everything else going on.

“From now on.” Henry nodded, and held the 'I love Daddy' paci out to you, as a show that he meant it. “Now, let's get this stuff paid for. You really need a nap.” He laughed, seeing the tired circles starting to darken under your eyes.

“Okay.” You smiled, excited now that you knew Henry was really your Daddy now.

Henry felt light and excited as he swiped his card, paying for the several hundred dollars worth of items for his Baby Girl, knowing that he got to be your Daddy and no longer your foster, that he got to take you home and get you ready for a nap, then he would get to work putting all the stuff away, while you slept. He was finally a full fledged Daddy and allowed to be out in the open, to show the pride he has in his Baby Girl, and he intended to show how proud of you he was to everyone in Huntersville.

“Oh, such big yawns.” Henry cooed at you, as he pulled into the driveway. “Just give me one second, and we'll go inside.” He said, searching the bags and finding what he was looking for; the swaddle blanket. “All right, time for a nappy, sweetheart.” He told you, opting to carry you in from the car, knowing how tired you were.

Leaving the shopping bags in the car, Henry carried you into the house and made you a quick bottle, feeding it to you in the nursery and found you had a very full pamper, when he changed you.

“All right, your swaddle blanket.” He said, as you laid on top of the blanket. “Just tuck your legs in here.” He explained, slipping your legs into a snug pocket that was stitched into the blanket, going all the way up to your chest, then maneuvering your arms to cross over your chest, he folded to flaps that were also attached onto the blanket, stretching them over you and securing the Velcro that was attached to them, leaving you in a snugly swaddled position.

“All snug as a baby bug.” Henry cooed at you, winking, then picked you up and laid you down in your crib, tucking Dewey in close to you and slipped your paci into your mouth, before putting up the crib rail, he stayed there with you, rubbing your back and shushing you, until you fell off to sleep. “Daddy loves you, baby girl. So very much.” He murmured, kissing your hair, then got to work putting away all the stuff he had bought.

With you down for your nap, Henry turned on your nanny monitor and went back out to the car, pulling out bag after bag from the trunk and carrying them back into the house, dropping them in the foyer, until he had them all inside.

Once that was done, he quickly ordered the items he wanted off the Huntersville app that he couldn't manage from the shopping trip, then got down to putting the massive haul away. He removed all the clothing, towels and washcloths from the bags, took the tags off of them and tossed the first load into the washing machine. He put the new bottles, sippy cups and Little themed plates and silverware in the dishwasher, removed the pacis from their packaging and quickly washed them in the sink. He went out to the car and put one of the alpaca pacis in the center console, then put the other one into the Little bag, before filling it with pampers, wipes, a tube a rash cream, a thing of sunscreen, and a small first aid kit he had laying around the house, in case you got hurt. He planned on putting more in the bag, when you went out somewhere.

But, for now, Henry hung the bag up on the coat rack by the door.

Henry took your bath stuff upstairs to the master bathroom, hanging up the toy storage hippo and tucking the toys inside, then set your shampoo and conditioner and body down next to his. He put your hair ties, brush and toothpaste in the drawer in the vanity and the detangler in the medicine cabinet. Then, quietly, stored the extra boxes of pampers and baby wipes in the small closet in your nursery, the rash cream, lotion and baby powder in your changing table. He paused as he was walking out of the nursery to head back downstairs, hearing you whine in your sleep and turned back around, stepping up to your crib, reaching in and picked up your paci, that slipped out of your mouth, and rubbed it against your pouty lips, gently shushing you until you took it and waited until you settled again, then went back to what he was doing.

He was putting the first load of wash in the dryer, when his phone rang in his pocket. “Hello?” He answered, pressing it to his ear with his shoulder, and went back to the laundry, wanting to get at least one load dried before you woke from your nap.

“Mr. Cavill, I'm Marcus, I'll be delivering your orders in about fifteen minutes.” His caller replied, matter-of-factually.

“Oh!” Henry replied, straightening up. “Great, thank you so much.”

“Of course, sir.” Marcus replied, smiling.

They hung up and Henry quickly finished filling the dryer and started another load in the washer, before meeting Marcus at the front door, helping the younger man carry the items into the house and tipped him, before Marcus went on his way.

“Perfect.” Henry said, grinning at the boxes in the living room. “Now, I have everything for her.”

He was really excited now.

You opened your eyes and sighed, you felt good and well rested. Henry was right, sleeping in the swaddling blanket had really made your nap a million times better, but the only downside was you couldn't really move now that you were awake. But, it didn't take long for Henry to show up, once you were awake, so it wasn't so bad.

“Hey, beautiful.” He cooed at you, unstrapping the flaps of your blanket, freeing your arms, and let you kick your legs free. “How was your nap?” He asked, picking you up into his arms.

“Really good.” You replied, wrapping around him with a soft sigh, and rubbing your cheek against his shoulder.

“Good.” Henry smiled, rubbing your back and laid you down on your changing table. “I've gotten a lot of your things put away.” He told you, opening your pamper and frowned at it slightly, but shook his head. “I also got the things we didn't get at the store, delivered, while you napped, and set them up.” He explained to you, freshening you up and taking you downstairs, where he had lunch waiting for you; a Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich, that Henry used a heart-shaped sandwich cutter on, removing the crust and making it look cute and fun, with apple slices and a sippy cup of chocolate milk.

But, there was a unique difference about your lunch today compared to the day before, there was an adult sized, high chair in the dining room, set up beside the dining table. The tray of the high chair was sitting on the dining table and Henry slipped you off his hip and into the padded seat of the chair, before securing the tray over your lap, locking you in, then set your new purple lunch plate and purple, firefly Nuk sippy cup on it.

“All right. You eat your lunch and be mindful you don't stuff your face, while you're at it.” He told you, holding your gaze. “I still have to finish the laundry, since I washed all the clothes, towels and washcloths we bought today.” He said, just as the timer on the washing machine went off.

Henry walked away from you and you looked around your high chair. It was a dark gray, metal framed high chair, the seat was thickly padded and the fabric was gray and patterned with white elephants. There was a foot rest connected to the front two legs for you, so you were reasonably comfortable sitting in it. Humming, you picked up one half of your heart-shaped sandwich and took a bite out of it, your eyes scanning the kitchen until you found the open door of the laundry room, seeing Henry's back to you as he leaned into the top-loading washing machine, pulling out soaking towels, socks, onesies and other articles of clothing, to toss them into the open dryer. You could see the tall pile of clean laundry on top of a table inside the laundry room, waiting for Henry to fold and put them away.

He caught your eye on him as he turned back towards the washer and smiled as you grinned brightly at him, your eyes lighting up. He couldn't get over the crazy butterflies in his stomach, when he looked at you, but especially when you smiled at him like that, and you seemed to find smiling at him easy. He winked at you, which made you smile even more and giggle, kicking your feet excitedly. He chuckled, watching you do your little happy body wiggle at him.

“God, you're adorable.” Henry chuckled, shaking his head as he turned back to the laundry.

You finished your sandwich and sucked on a few mouthfuls of your chocolate milk to wash away the signature stickiness of the peanut butter, then focused on your apple slices, contently swinging your feet still as you did. Losing yourself in your own Little world and not paying attention to anything specific, even humming softly to yourself, when Kal suddenly jumped up and put his front paws on the tray, catching the edge of your plate and causing it to tip over, as well as startling you.

“No.” You whimpered as he tried to gobble up your last two remaining apple slices.

Alerted to your started gasp and whine, Henry looked up and saw you and Kal in a battle of wills.

“Kal!” He snapped sharply at the Akita, storming out of the laundry room and pulled him off your high chair. “You know better than to jump up like that, Bear.” He said, scolding him and taking him out of the kitchen. “Lay down, naughty boy.” He sighed, shaking his head at Kal, before turning on his heels and going back into the kitchen, finding you in tears.

“Hey.” He sighed, removing the tray from the chair and picked you up. “Hush, Little one.” He cooed at you, swaying on his feet as he held you and rubbed your back, trying to soothe you. “It's all right, baby girl. You're not in any trouble, sweet pea. Daddy promises. It's Kal that was naughty, not you.” He explained to you, sweetly, cupping the back of your head and pressing his lips to your forehead, feeling your tears dampen his neck as you hid your face.

Henry looked around, trying to remember where he put your dragon, before it clicked and carried you into the living room and snagged the black, glow-in-the-dark creature up off the coffee table. “Here, Baby. You want your Dragon?” He asked, gently rubbing the silky plush against the bare skin of your arm, knowing the softness of its fabric might help calm you.

You took a shuddered breath and wrapped a hand around the dragon's neck, clutching it between your and Henry's chest and laid your head on Henry's shoulder. Henry smiled, kissing your warm temple, still swaying on his feet and rubbing your back, but he could still hear your sniffles.

“You never did name your dragon, did you?” He said, finally, turning his face into yours. “You know, a dragon can't fly, unless you name them.”

You frowned deeply into Henry's neck, then lifted your warm face, looking into his blue eyes with your wet ones. “Real-we?” You mumbled, blinking at him, a few of the tears that were balancing on your lashes dripped down your cheeks.

“Mmhm.” Henry nodded, gently wiping your face, smiling softly at you. “You do want him to fly, don't you?” He asked, lifting an inquiring brow at you.

“Uh-huh.” You nodded your head, vigorously, your mouth hanging slightly ajar.

“All right then, what do you want to name him, so he can fly?” He asked, taking the dragon and holding him up.

You studied the dragon, pressing your lips together as your tears dried up and you calmed down, your earlier upset forgotten in your concentration. “Glowie.” You finally decided, looking at Henry, with an expression that looked for his approval.

“I like that.” Henry smiled at you, then suddenly gasped, his face filling with shocked wonder. “Look!” He exclaimed to you. “You gave him his power, Baby!” He said, pretending Glowie was flying towards you.

“Look at him flying!”

You giggled, wiggling in Henry arms and took the dragon as it reached you, grinning at Henry as he smiled back at you, kissing your cheek. Assured you were all right again, he sat you down on the couch and turned on the tv for you, giving you something to watch, while he finished washing and folding the laundry, then putting them away in the dresser the nursery had. With everything done, he joined you on the couch, smiling as you wiggled your way into his side and laid your head on his shoulder, content on how well the day went.

Chapter Text

“Hello?” Henry answered his phone.

“Henry, It's Luca! How's it going with you and the Little one?”

Henry blushed, glancing at you as you sat next to him, still cuddled up into his side and sucking on the 'I Love Daddy' paci, while you both watched Shrek Two on the tv. “One second.” Henry replied, pulling the phone away from his ear. “You keep watching the movie, baby. Daddy has to take this.” He told you, then stood up and went into the kitchen.

“It's going incredible. But, it's actually changed, quite a bit.”

“Changed? Changed, how?” Luca frowned, leaning back in his chair in his home office.

“It's only the second day, but she and I have decided to make it official between us.” Henry informed the Mayor, grinning like a love sick puppy.

Luca grinned into the phone. “So, you're officially her Daddy, then?”

“I am.” Henry nodded, running a hand through his curls. “She's mine.”

“I had a feeling it would happen.” Luca admitted, chuckling, tickled pink. “I didn't expect it quite so soon, but hey, if the two of you are sure and agree on it, then who cares.”

“We're both very sure about it.” Henry assured him, biting his lip. “We openly agreed and I now have everything I need to take care of her and make her comfortable and happy.”

“I'm happy for you, Henry. I really am, I know how much you've wanted this.”

“For a really long time.” Henry said softly, glancing into the living room to look at you, still glued to the tv, oblivious and content. “She's what I've been waiting for.”

“It was worth it, then.”

“Then, some.” He nodded, biting his lip and tilting his head at you, as you laughed at something funny that was happening in the movie.

“Well, I just wanted to check up on the two of you, but seeing as the two of you have it more than covered, I'll let you be.” Luca told him, resolved that Henry was more than capable of taking care of you.

“Thanks for thinking of me first, when she came, Luca. I really appreciate it.”

“You're not just one of my residents, Henry. You're also one of my good friends.” Luca replied, sincerely. “But, you're welcome, nonetheless.”

Getting off the phone with Luca, Henry went upstairs for a moment and set out a onesie, socks and a pamper on your changing table, getting that part ready for after your bath, but brought down a package of wipes and a pamper to the living room to change you on the couch. He was troubled, when he opened the pamper you had on, only finding it wet.

So far, he had only changed wet pampers on you since you had arrived at his house in Huntersville, not seeing a single bowel movement and was sure you hadn't used a bathroom in the house, unless you had sneaked into it, while he wasn't paying attention to you or he was asleep. He studied you as you laid on the couch, head turned towards the tv, not wanting to miss anything on the movie.

No, she wouldn't be sneaky. Henry thought. She couldn't be sneaky.

You couldn't sneak into the bathroom during your naps because your baby monitor would have notified him at the slighted sound, so if you had crawled out of your crib, used the toilet and flushed it, the monitor would have picked it up, and he would have heard it during the night. Which meant, you hadn't had a single movement since arriving in Huntersville yesterday, it bothers Henry that you hadn't had one, but it wasn't uncommon for people not to have one for a day or so. So, if you didn't have one by lunch tomorrow, he'd know if something was up.

With your pamper changed, Henry left you to finish Shrek and started dinner, then put you in your high chair and sat in a chair at the table beside you and fed you from there. With dinner out of the way, Henry took you upstairs for a bedtime bath and you were excited about playing with your new bath toys, you were even more excited as Henry pulled out one of the bath bombs he bought.

“You're my Little now and things will be different, then they would be, than if I were still just fostering you.” Henry said, undressing you. “You understand that, right?” He asked you, biting his lip, a slight uneasiness in his stomach.

You nodded your head, looking up at him, but saw the slight reservation in his blue eyes, feeling it fill your own chest, biting your lip. Henry brushed his fingers over your cheek and through your hair, leaning in and kissed your forehead, tenderly. He took a deep breath and got on with it. He liked to groom his Littles in specific ways and now that you were officially his Little, he was all right with grooming you in those ways, but knew he still had to be careful with you, you were still shy and timid and learning how the Dynamic worked and what kind of Daddy he was.

Moving away from you, he grabbed one of the old towels and laid it on his bed, then pulled up a chair that was at a small laptop desk in the master to the edge of the bed. “Lay down on the towel.” He instructed you, motioning to it with his head.

Gulping and chewing on your lip, your stomach all knotted up, you did as you were told, laying down the spread out towel, heart pounding as Henry went back into the bathroom. He reached for something underneath the vanity, grabbed something else out of the medicine cabinet and ran a washcloth under the hot tap of the sink. Henry brought the hot wash cloth over to you and gently laid it between your legs. You couldn't suppress the moan that passed your lips as the hot cloth rested over your private area, making Henry smirk at you, taking a seat on the chair that was now situated between your legs.

“No, no. Keep those legs open.” He cooed at you, tapping his finger on your knees as you started to close your legs, like a set of magnets. “Good girl.” He whispered, when you dropped them back onto the bed, then opened the leather pouch he had brought out with him, revealing a round metal disc, a strange brush and a straight razor.

You gulped, fully realizing what Henry was about to do.

Henry opened the metal disc, then picked up the brush, dipping it into the little dish of warm water he had set on the bedside table, then swirled the brush into the Sandalwood and Bourbon scented shaving cream inside the disc. Henry removed the cooled cloth and started to gently lather up the fine hairs of your mound, making you squirm some as he did. Once done with that, Henry picked up the straight razor and opened it, then looked up at you, a seriousness in his eyes.

“Do not move, you understand.” He told you, firmly.

“Mmhm.” You whimpered, biting your lip, gulping.

“That's a good girl.” He praised you. softly, carefully touching his thumb above the line of shaving cream, pulling your skin taut, then touching the sharp edge of the razor to your soapy privates, before starting practiced and skilled strokes of the blade, removing the hair and revealing smooth and warm damp skin beneath. “Little one, I told you to be still.” He scolded you, but kept his voice very low and soft, remembering how you cried when he scolded Kal during lunch, not wanting to make you cry, as you twitched.

“I don't want to nick you.”

“I couldn't help it, I'm sorry.” You whimpered back at him, pressing your lips together. “Why are you doing this, anyway?” You asked, timidly.

Henry sighed, wiping razor on the towel, between your legs. “Several reasons.” He answered, bending one of your legs out, like a frog's.

“One, it makes cleaning you easier, like when I bathe you or I'm cleaning you with a baby wipe, during a pamper change. Two, you'll be wearing a pamper, or a pull up, a lot. So, you don't get a lot of air movement around your special parts, like you do with big girl undies, which causes a good environment for you to get rashes, as well as the fact that you're peeing in your pampers, and being in a soaked pamper for any length of time, such as overnight, is what causes rashes as well.” He explained to you, frog bending your other leg. “So, if you get a rash, I'll have to treat it with a rash cream, obviously, and it'll help heal faster and it'll be easier to treat, if you're bare down here.” He said, pausing for a moment, to rub his thumb over the now smooth skin of your private area, causing you to softly gasp.

“Three, California is a really warm place, on a good day, and you'll get warm down there in your pamper, which mean you'll sweat, on top of regular moisture of your privates, that'll cause the baby powder I use on you to get pasty, and cleaning that up, when you're not bare, just short of putting you in the bath every time, is a chore with wipes, of just using them up, needlessly. So, grooming you solves those issues.” He clarified, maneuvering your leg again, pushing your knee up to your chest.

“I also just prefer my Little to be groomed this way. It's clean, easy to maintain and as a Baby girl,” He grinned at you, his cheeks slightly pink. “Babies don't have hair down there. It adds to that level of Age Play.” He chuckled, focusing on his task again, and finishing up.

Henry wiped the razor clean, used the towel you were laying on to clean off the remaining soap off your now spotless privates, then stood up, taking the shaving kit and damp washcloth with him, putting the kit away, he ran the washcloth under cold water and returned to you.

“It's going to be cold, Baby girl.” He warned you, just before laying it over your privates, making you hiss and jerk as he did. “All right, I'm going to get your bath ready.” He told you, turning back into the bathroom and started drawing your bath, dropping in your bath toys. “All right, my little nugget.” He cooed, removing the towel from your privates and tossed it into the sink, then picked you up.

You gasped, feeling your now bare privates rub against the soft fabric of the gray sweatpants Henry was wearing. Henry glanced at you from the corner of his eyes and chuckled, smirking, then slipped you into the tub of warm water. You smiled at your bath toys, grabbing a hippo as it floated by.

“Are you ready for your bath bomb, baby girl?” Henry asked, holding up the dark purple and blue bath bomb in his hand.

“Yes!” You nodded, jerking excitedly and causing the bath water to almost slosh dangerously over the edge of the tub.

“Careful with the splashes, Baby.” He warned, carefully dropping the bath bomb into the water with you.

“Ooo.” You cooed, fascinated as the bomb fizzed and bobbed in the water beside you, leaching out it's blue and purple color, changing the water with it. “Pretty!” You smiled up at Henry, happily.

“It's very pretty, honey.” Henry agreed with you, pulling off his Kansas City Jay Hawks t-shirt he was wearing and knelt down beside you, picking up the small, plastic cup on the bath tub's edge and dipped it into the water. “Head back and eyes closed.” He instructed you, then started getting your hair wet, and grabbed your Sweet Almond shampoo, lathering it up into your hair.

“Okay, you can open them up.” He told you, after rinsing it out, and wet the soft, Egyptian washcloth and was about to squeeze your Lavender and Chamomile body wash into it, when he heard Kal start barking up a storm downstairs. “Stay put, my little Duckling. Don't get up and don't splash.” He told you firmly, standing up and going downstairs to see why Kal was kicking up such a fuss and realized he hadn't unlocked his doggy door and the Akita couldn't get out to the backyard to use the bathroom.

“Sorry, Bud. It's been a busy day.” He apologized to him, before heading back upstairs to you.

He made it near the threshold of the bathroom door, when he noticed your hand was between your legs, feeling your privates. He was about to seriously scold you for it, but caught himself, realizing you weren't touching yourself in an intimate way, but in a more curious way. He quickly understood that you obviously hadn't groomed yourself in such a way before, and it was strange and new to you. You were only touching yourself out of curiosity of how it felt and to get used to it. Entering the bathroom, Henry knelt back down beside you and reached into the water, wrapping his hand around your wrist, chuckling at your startled and caught red handed expression, and pulled your hand away from your privates, making you glance away from him, chastened.

“You're not to do that anymore, is that understood?” He told you, still holding your wrist in his hand. “If I catch you touching your Princess parts again, I will spank you.” He warned, assuredly.

“It's a big no-no.”

You gulped, wide eyed, but nodded your head. “I understand.” You whispered back at him.

“It's Daddy's job to make you feel good.” He told you, his voice softening and letting go of your wrist, picking up the washcloth and soaping it, finally finished bathing you.

You moaned softly as Henry dried you off with one of the Egyptian cotton towels, the soft fabric felt nice against your warm and clean skin. Henry smiled at you, happy at the turn of events, knowing the previous towels agitated you and your skin. With you dry, Henry carried you to your changing table, where your clean pamper, bedtime onesie and socks awaited you. But first, Henry rubbed you down with the lavender, chamomile and ylang-ylang scent, Aveeno Stress Relief lotion he also bought. Feeling you relax even more under his hands, watching your eyes grow heavy as he did, smiling to himself. Lotion rubbed into your skin, Henry got you dressed and carried you over to the rocking chair, sitting down and picking up your Kindle, turned it on and pulled up your book, starting to read to you, until you fell completely asleep.

Sighing, Henry went into the bathroom and leaned into drain the tub, he noticed something he didn't when he pulled you out of it, written in your purple bath crayon, on the side of the bathtub, was 'I love my Daddy.' His shoulders relaxed as he grinned at the little note and looked back through the bathroom doorway, smiling at the darkened nursery you slept in, touched. He went back into the bedroom, grabbing his phone off his nightstand and took a photo of it, setting it as his lock screen image.

“My baby girl loves her Daddy.” He said, proudly, as he stepped into the shower. “Never doubted it, of course.” He added into the shower head.

You woke with a gasp, sitting up in your crib, and clutching Dewey to your chest. You looked around the dark room, only a dim light in Henry's room illuminating anything. Biting your lip and popping your paci into your mouth, You climbed over the rail of your crib, dropping onto the plush rug at the foot of it, then sat there for a moment, before turning onto your hands and knees and crawled across to Henry's bed, paused again, before crawling into his bed.

“Hen-we?” You whispered around your paci, touching his arm softly. “Hen?” You said, a little bit louder, then frowned, letting your paci drop out of your mouth. “Daddy?” You gulped, shaking his arm.

Henry took a deep breath, grunting, and opening his eyes, a deep frown between his brows as he looked up at you, surprised to see you sitting next to him, in his bed. “Baby?” He blinked at you. “What-what are you doing out of your crib? What are you doing awake?” He asked, sitting up next to you and rubbing at his eyes and face. “What's wrong, sweetheart?” He frowned at you, seeing your face and the way your bottom lip trembled.

“You had a nightmare, baby girl.” He realized, sighing softly, pulling you into his arms. “It's all right, baby girl. Daddy's right here.” He whispered into your ear, then, pulled back his blanket and laid you down with him, covering you both up and fished your paci out of the void of blankets, giving it back to you.

“Go to sleep, Baby. I'll keep your nightmares away.” He whispered into your ear, curving his body around you, giving you the feeling of safety as he did, enabling you to fall back to sleep.

Henry sighed as he opened your pamper after you finished lunch, finding it, yet again, pee soaked. “Is your tummy bothering you, Baby?” He asked, tilting his head at you, after securing your pamper and gently rubbing your belly, feeling it was a little firm.

“A little bit.” You replied, biting your lip at him.

“When was the last time you went number two?”

You shrugged your shoulders at him, lip still between your teeth.

Henry nodded his head at you. “You need to go number two, sweet girl.” He told you, patting your tummy.

You glanced towards the master bathroom, that could be seen from your changing table in the nursery, then back at Henry, who chuckled and smiled at you, getting it now. You weren't having constipation issues, you were holding back going in your pamper. He shook his head at you, tapping two fingers on the bulge in the front of your pamper.

“You go in your pamper, that's what it's for.” He told you, amused.

You looked up at him, your eyes wide, and shook your head at him, clearly freaked out at the thought of going number two in your pamper and having Henry change and clean you up afterwards. “No.” You whined, still shaking your head.

Henry sighed, leaning over you, leveling his face with yours, so your eyes met fully.

“You're my baby, and you knew I was going to baby you, when you came home with me. You knew you were going to get babied, when you came here, full pamper use is what comes with that. Every Daddy and Mummy in Huntersville does the same thing, there's no special treatment for you, little lady.” He explained to you, firmly, lifting a stern brow at you. “Now, you have until tomorrow morning to have a proper bowel movement, I'm not going to go about playing this game with you and risk your health. So, don't try playing it.” He told you, pulling back and snapping the buttons of your onesie closed over your pamper, then picked you up and brought your back downstairs.

The rest of the pampers he changed that day were still pee soaked, showing him the first open and stubborn defiance you had given him since you had met and he brought you home with him. He was both surprised and disappointed in you, letting it show with each change, and not giving you dessert after dinner or reading to you after your bath, just putting you straight to bed in your crib.

When Henry woke the next morning, he did his morning routine before waking you, he prayed the entire time, that you had broken out of your defiance and had a movement during the night. He held a bated breath as he opened your pajama onesie, after waking you up and laying you down on the changing table; slowly opening your pamper, half feeling like Charlie Bucket, hoping to find the golden ticket to one fucked up chocolate bar.

“Sweet girl.” He sighed, frowning at you, finding a wet diaper. “Why.” He huffed, rhetorically, shaking his head at you, then walked away for a moment and came back, holding a measuring cup of a thick white substance, grabbed you by the arm and sat you up, holding the cup out to you.

“Drink this.” He instructed you, firmly.

You licked your lips and gulped, knowing it was a laxative of some sort, but you shook your head at him. “Please.” You begged him, bottom lip puffing out at him.

“That's not going to work, Little girl.” Henry replied, shaking his head at you. “Take it and we can be over this.”

You sighed, whining. “No, I don't want to.”

“Do you want to do this the hard way?” He asked, sternly, his jaw stiff as he felt his patience run thin with you. “Because I will, you're not getting out of this, and you will learn to use your pamper properly.”

You didn't answer him, you just scrunched up your body and whined. Henry huffed through his nose, shaking his head at you and stepped away, pouring the liquid Dulcolax back into the bottle and removed a box from the medicine cabinet, ripping it open and took out one of the items from inside, before washing his hands and going back to you, in the nursery.

“Lay down.” He told you, before carefully pushing you back on the changing table pad and rolled you onto your side, as you squirmed. “Stop it, you had your chances.” He scolded you, straightening your bottom leg and bending your upper leg to your chest, before carefully spreading your cheeks. “Oh, baby girl, you do not wanna clench.” He purred at you, smirking as you squeezed your little hole closed as he touched the pointed tip of the rectal suppository to it.

“Open that sweet little pucker.” He chuckled at you, gently rubbing your leg with his free hand, trying to coax you into relaxing for him.

“Come on, Baby. Once you start behaving for Daddy, the better all of this will go. Your tummy will feel so much better too.” He tried persuading you. “Unless, you want me to spank your bottom? I mean, it's already bare and ready for me, if that's the case.” He said, giving your bum a gentle pinch, making you gasp and jerk.

You whined, biting into your lip, and burning with embarrassment as you unclenched and felt Henry push, not only the suppository into your bottom, but also the very tip of his finger as well. You couldn't believe this was happening, you hadn't expected this part. You expected to go number one in your pampers, then to be allowed to go number two in a regular toilet, you never had a bowel movement in a pamper when cleaning up yourself. Now, knowing that Henry had basically forced a rectal laxative up your bum and was putting a pamper back on you, with the expectation of you going number two in it, then changing it and cleaning you up, once you had gone, was so embarrassing and almost humiliating.

“Oh, look at that face.”

Henry cooed, smiling at you, after fixing your onesie over your diaper. “You can be mad at Daddy all you want, Darling. But, this is how things are here and you need to get used to them. I won't be having you refusing to go number two, getting yourself sick and seriously hurt because of it, forcing me to take you to the doctor, who's going to do the exact same thing, and you know it.” He explained to you, seriously, with a deep crease between his brow.

“You have no one to blame, but yourself for this.” He told you, half-unsympathetically. “Especially knowing that she might report me to Luca.”

You frowned up at him, confused. “Report you for what?”

“Neglecting you.” Henry hissed, pressing his lips together, a bit worked up.

“Not ensuring your physical well-being, like ensuring you're going number two. Huntersville is very serious about the safety and well-being of Littles, since they're so easily abused by their Bigs. So, if the Huntersville Doctor, Jan Evers, sees a Little she thinks isn't being taken care of properly, she sends a report to Luca and he investigates it, making sure they're safe and if they're not, they're given resources to leave their Big. The same goes for anyone that thinks a Little is in trouble, they tell Luca.”

“But, you're not hurting me.” You whined, blinking at him, your lips pouty as you started to feel bad.

“I know I'm not and I would hope she would think I wasn't either. I'm sure she would identify it as a behavioral issue, but misunderstandings happen.” He told you, sighing and running a hand through his hair. “Anyway, now we can't do what I had planned for you today, because you'll be evacuating, at least, three days of nonsense.” He sighed, picking you up, not wanting you to think he was heartless, just because he was upset with your refusal to go number two in your pamper and forcing him to give you a suppository.

“What were we going to do?” You asked, latching onto him, tightly.

“I was going to take you to the really cool park that's here.” He explained, taking you downstairs. “Then, out to eat at their Little restaurant, to get you out of the house and show you around the community, maybe let you meet some other Littles.” He told you, holding you on his hip as he walked around the kitchen, putting together a bottle for you.

“But, if you're a good girl the rest of the day, I'll take you to the park tomorrow.” He said, sitting down on the couch, with you in his lap.

You burrowed in against Henry's bare chest, rubbing your face against his chest and latched onto the nipple of the bottle, sucking gently on it. Henry rubbed your back as you drank down your bottle, watching the news on the tv, while you did, but looked down at you as you whined, pitifully, and curled up, pulling your knees up to your chest.

“Sshh.” He hushed you, setting your bottle aside on the couch, and pressed his hand to your stomach, feeling it rumble against his palm. “Looks like it's kicked in, sweetness.” He said, rubbing your belly and kissing your forehead as you whimpered, pressing your face into his neck. “Oh, sweetie.” He cooed, feeling your face flush.

“Why don't you lay down, baby?” He suggested shifting you.

“No, Daddy.” You whined, wrapping your arms around his torso.

Henry tilted his head at you, feeling his heart skip. “You called me Daddy.” He whispered, grinning like a happy fool.

“I called you Daddy last night.” You mumbled into his chest.

His bottom lip puffed out a little bit, saddened that he missed you calling him Daddy for the first time. “I must have still been out of it, when you did.” He said, softly, and brushing his fingers through your hair, then frowned even harder, hearing the audible gurgle of your stomach, it sounded almost painful.

“Oh, Kitten.” He sighed, sympathetically, locking his arms around you. “My sweet baby, it looks like it's going to be a long day, honey.”

Henry felt your stomach become rock hard against his and your whimpered grunt, knowing instantly what was going on, and rubbed your back and tummy, until he felt you relax in his arms again, wiping the thin layer of sweat off your forehead. “Here, baby. Just lay down on the couch for a moment, Daddy'll be right back, all right.” He whispered to you, gently shifting you out of his lap and laid you down on the couch beside him, kissing your warm cheek, before getting up.

Racing upstairs, Henry grabbed a package of wipes and pampers, with a bottle of baby powder and the pamper genie, but pausing for a moment, setting the genie down and grabbed one of the towels that weren't Egyptian cotton, tossed it over his shoulder, and carried on, taking them back downstairs to you. Setting the genie at the end of the couch, the wipes, towel, powder and pampers on the coffee table, before leaning over and picking you up, then grabbed the towel and spread it on the couch. With the towel acting as a barrier on the couch, Henry laid you down on it, grabbed your paci off the coffee table, putting it in his mouth for a moment, before putting it into yours. You sucked on your paci, whimpering around it and sniffling, as Henry opened the box of pampers and removed one with the image of a sleeping bear on it.

“All right, sweetie pie.” He cooed at you, sitting down on the couch between your legs and unsnapped the buttons of your onesie, then opened the tabs of your pamper, before you crossed your legs. “Now, Little one.” Henry sighed, shoulders slumping as he looked at you, frowning. “There's nothing to be shy or embarrassed about, love. You're not the first Little, who's poopy pamper I've changed.” He reasoned with you, putting his hands on your knees and tried pulling your legs apart.

“Come on, Baby. Don't do this, please.”

“No, Daddy.” You whined, letting go of your paci. “No, not done.” You told him, incredibly embarrassed.

“Oh.” Henry replied, eyes flaring and brows going up, quickly securing the tabs of your pamper again. “Sorry, pumpkin.” He apologized, embarrassed himself, realizing he should have checked with you first, knowing you hadn't gone in days and the suppository was really working hard on you. “Tell Daddy, when it's okay.” He told you, leaning sideways and picked up his phone, opened the Huntersville app and ordered an adult sized, elephant print, changing pad and put it on rush delivery.

“Oh-tay, Daddy.” You mewled at him, relaxing your legs, and letting them fall open for him.

Henry smiled softly at you, seeing the growing dim light of Little Space in your eyes, and reached out, popping your paci back into your mouth, then undid the tabs of your pamper again. Unfolding and carefully rolling it up at the same time, Henry secured it closed and tossed it into the genie, then grabbed a wipe from the package and started cleaning up your bottom. You watched him as he cleaned you, gulping around the nipple of your paci, your number two wasn't completely solid, but none of it seemed to bother Henry, his expression was the same as it always was, when he changed your pamper, breathing normally and only used three wipes to get you thoroughly clean, then powdered and slipped a fresh pamper onto you.

“There, all done.” He smiled, winking at you, then stood up and went into the kitchen, to wash his hands. “See, baby girl, it wasn't so bad, and you were acting like it was the end of the world.” He teased you, playfully, laughing as you looked shyly at him. “Daddy's here to take care of you, baby.” He whispered to you, leaning over and kissing your forehead.

“You wanna watch a movie, while Daddy does his work out?” He asked, stroking the side of your face.

“Mmhm.” You nodded, blinking up at him.

“Okay.” He cooed at you, then his eyes lit up. “I know, I have something for you.” He said, pulling away, then disappeared, coming back a second later with a strange object, that he sat down between the coffee table and the tv, then plugged into the wall. “Come to Daddy, sweet pea.” He murmured, scooping you up and carried you over to it.

Henry laid you down into the reclined, half egg shaped seat of the piece of furniture, that was incredibly comfortable as you settled in it, burrowing and curling up further into it; which made Henry chuckle. Henry reached beneath the seat, to the controls and switched it on, and suddenly you were swaying and bobbing in the seat, realizing it was an electric, adult sized, baby rocker. You moaned softly, finding the motion of the rocker comforting and soothing as it moved, it even seemed to help your stomach some.

“You like that, baby?” Henry asked, straightening up, and smiling down at you, as he watched you.

“Yeah, Daddy.” You mumbled, eyes heavy.

“Good. I thought you might.” He said, moving around the rocker, to snag the Union Jack blanket off the back of a chair and use it to cover you up. “Is there a special movie, my special girl wants to watch?” He asked you, stroking your hair, knowing it was probably useless to put the movie on, because you were almost asleep.

“Paddington Two?” You muttered, barely audible.

Henry nodded, licking his lips and smiled down at you. “All right.” He whispered, kissing your temple, then stood up and grabbed the remote off the coffee table, searching Amazon Prime until he found the talking Bear movie and put it on for you.

Before Henry went to his work out, he went upstairs to the nursery and grabbed your baby monitor, and set it up in the living room, to keep an eye on you there, and came to the realization he would need more than one of them for this reason, because you wouldn't always be napping or be in the nursery and in his eyesight. He did remember one of his other Daddy friends wiring his house with CC cameras, in nearly every room, that connected to his phone and to a closed feed on his computer, for him to keep an eye on his Little, no matter where he was in the house; and if Henry remember correctly he even had cameras in the backyard, for when his Little was out there alone as well.

“I'll have to set that up for here.” Henry said, opening the door to his home gym. “I can't solely rely on the one baby monitor to watch her. There's too many places for her to be, and I can't be everywhere she is.” He told himself, picking his bench press and started working out.

Henry checked on you, tenderly brushing his fingers through your hair as he leaned over you, hushing your soft whimper. He straightened, when a knock sounded at the door, and moved to answer it, finding it was the delivery guy with your changing mat and thanked him for it. With your changing mat spread out on the couch, Henry turned off your rocker and uncovered you, gently picking you up, not wanting to wake you from your nap, as he laid you down on the mat, then opened your pamper.

“Starting to get used to it.” He whispered to you, cleaning you up and putting a clean pamper on you, leaning in to press a kiss to your bare belly.

Leaving you on the couch, Henry went into the kitchen, making a bottle for lunch and joined you on the couch again, cradling you in his lap and rubbing the nipple against your mouth, until you took it and started suckling. You moaned, feeling the warm, milky formula in your mouth and opened your eyes, blinking up at Henry, who smiled back at you, kissing your forehead.

“Hey, Baby.” He cooed, sweetly.

You smiled at him around the nipple of the bottle, before going back to finishing it off. “Hi, Daddy.” You murmured, nuzzling your face into his neck and cuddling even more with him.

Henry grinned, brightly, loving the sound of you calling him Daddy and the feel of your body folded up in his lap. “You have a good nap, baby doll?” He asked, rubbing your back and running his fingers through your hair, petting your body.

“Mmhm, I did.” You nodded, sighing softly, pressing your cheek to his shoulder, content.

“Good. Is your tummy feeling better too?” He asked, nosing your hair.

“It still hurts a bit.” You admitted, biting your lip.

Henry sighed softly and stood up with you. You hugged your legs tightly around his waist, holding back a whimper as he took you upstairs to the master bedroom, knowing he was likely going to give you another laxative. Henry laid you down on his bed and went into the bathroom grabbing another suppository from the box, but broke it in half, washed his hands and returned to you. He lifted a brow at you, asking the silent question, if you were going to fight him again. You bit your pouty lip and shook your head at him, giving into him, he was trying to take care of you and Daddy knows best.

“That's Daddy's good girl.” Henry praised you, unsnapping your onesie and undid your pamper, rolling you over onto your side and arranging your legs, before spreading your cheeks and gently pushing in the suppository. “Such a good baby.” He cooed at you, picking you up again and rubbing your back. “How about a treat, hm?” He smiled at you, carrying you into the kitchen and opened the freezer.

“You want an Ice Lolly?” He asked, pulling out a box of Scribblers Popsicles.

“Ooo!” You cooed, wide eyed, straightening up in his arms at the sight of them. “Yes, please.”

“Such good manners.” Henry purred at you, happily. “What flavor do you want, baby girl?” He asked, tilting the box, so you could see the list of flavors of the front of the box.

“Watermelon!” You declared, bouncing excitedly on his hip.

“Easy.” He chuckled, smirking at you, opening the box to fish out a watermelon flavored Popsicle, then turned, and put the other Popsicles back in the freezer, before grabbing the dish cloth off the counter, and taking you back into the living room, sitting you down with your Popsicle.

“Mmm.” You hummed, licking at your Popsicle, wiggling your body and swaying your head as you enjoyed it.

“You are so adorable, when you get happy about something.” Henry laughed, watching you. “Your little body wiggle is so cute.” He smirked, using the dish towel to wipe a dribble of melted Popsicle off your chin.

“What's that?” You asked, pointing to the changing mat Henry had folded and put on the coffee table.

“It's a changing mat.” He replied, leaning forward and picking it up, unfolding it to show it to you. “I bought it, while you napped. I also used it to change you, while you napped.” He chuckled, smirking at you, watching you get shy. “You're such a shy baby.” He teased you, brushing the back of his fingers against your warm cheek.

“But, you still love me?” You blinked at him, shoulders scrunching up.

Henry blinked at you, brow creased with confusion. “Why wouldn't I, love?” He asked, shaking his head at you.

You gulped, looking back at your Popsicle and shrugged your shoulders. “I don't know.” You mumbled, gulped, and took a feeble lick at your Popsicle.

“I think you do, Little one.” He replied, lifting a brow at you.

“My ex used to get mad at me about how shy I am.” You replied, softly. “Said it was embarrassing, that he couldn't take me anywhere because of it.” You explained to him, staring at your half eaten Popsicle. “When we would go out somewhere, especially if it was to meet people, like his friends, he always made me sit in the corner and keep my mouth shut with no eye contact, so no one would ask me any questions or notice me.”

Henry's annoyance with this guy grew with each thing you told him. “He was the last guy you were with?” He asked, lifting a brow at you.

“Yeah.” You nodded at him. “He's the only guy I've been with.” You added, faintly.

“Was he only verbally abusive towards you?” He asked, biting the inside of his lip as he did.

You took a deep, shuddering breath and gulped, thickly. “No.”

Henry put his arm around your shoulders and hugged you into his side, kissing your temple. “You will never have to worry about that again, sweetheart. Not with me.” He promised you, smiling softly. “Now, finish your treat, before it melts away.” He told you, chuckling.

You smiled back at him and went back to enjoying your Popsicle, feeling even more safe with Henry than you had with anyone else before.

Chapter Text

Henry opened the back door of the car and took out your Little bag, slung it over his shoulder, then took your hand and hit the lock button on the car fob, making the car double beep and the locks close. Since you had behaved the day before, taking your suppository and learning to use your pampers properly, Henry had kept his promise of taking you to the Huntersville Park.

“Are you excited, Baby?” He asked you, smiling as you approached.

“Yeah.” You nodded, before your mouth fell open, seeing the huge caste themed entrance and walked across the drawbridge, into the actual park itself. “Oh, wow!” You exclaimed, seeing the giant, metal structure castle playground.

It had a tall twisting, blue plastic slide, bridges of all sorts of levels with observation towers and decks, a faux rock climbing wall, crawling tunnels, a chain spider web, that you climbed up to reach one level of the castle, a sliding pole, it had a hidden playhouse underneath it, on the ground level, stepping and jumping pads, a half sunken tugboat with a normal, metal slide from the top deck, where the steering wheel was. There were teeter totters, swings, an enormous sandbox, monkey bars and millions of places to play hide and seek.

It was the most incredible thing you had ever seen before and you couldn't wait to play on it, not knowing where to start first. Henry smiled at you, seeing the excitement in your eyes, watching your body wiggle and felt you squeeze his hand.

“You ready, baby?” He asked, needlessly.

“I'm ready, Daddy.” You nodded up at him, practically vibrating.

“All right.” He smiled at you, showing you over to a cluster of tables that were shaded by large umbrellas and set your bag on a free table, smiling and nodding his head to a few of the Mommies and Daddies he knew.

“Hey, Henry.” Jasmine's voice came from beside you. “Little one.” She smiled as she stopped at the table.

“Hello.” You smiled back at her, softly.

“How are you guys doing today?”

“We're doing really well.” Henry replied, smiling back at her and wrapping an arm around your waist. “This Little one is excited to play at the park for the first time.” He said, playfully wrinkling his nose at you, making you giggle. “Hello, Eric, it's good to see you again.” Henry said, addressing Jasmine's Little Boy.

“You too, Mr. Henry.” Eric replied, blushing himself, tugging on the front of his overalls.

“You remember Eric, don't you?” Henry said, softly, looking down at you.

“Mmhm.” You nodded, biting your lip and glancing over at Eric, pressing your shoulder into Henry's side.

“Why don't the two of you go play.” Jasmine said, setting her and Eric's own Little bag down on the table with your and Henry's. “Mommy and Daddy want some Big time.” She chuckled, smiling over at Henry.

You looked up at Henry, looking for his approval and reassurance. Henry smiled at you, rubbing your back and kissed your forehead, then patted your pampered bottom, giving you a little start forward.

“Off you go, Little one, Daddy'll be right here, if you need anything.” He told you, winking.

Gulping, you looked over at Eric, who was patiently waiting for you to follow him towards the playground. Taking a deep breath and clutching onto your still remaining excitement to play, you followed Eric towards the castle, where at least a dozen other Littles were playing and having a good time as well.

“She really is a timid, little thing.” Jasmine commented, sitting down at the table with Henry, and opened up her Little bag, to pull out a bottle of water for herself.

“She is.” Henry agreed, removing a bottle of still, Rosemary water from his own bag. “She was quite abused and misused in her previous relationship, and this is her first DD/LG relationship, especially so out in the open. So, she's still getting used to that aspect and dynamic.” He explained to her, taking a deep swallow of the herb-infused water.

“Yesterday was a show of that.” He commented, offhandedly, licking his lips.

“What do you mean?” Jasmine frowned, tilting her head at him.

“She was refusing to use her pamper properly.” Henry replied, shaking his head and glancing over to the play set, seeing you and Eric at the top of it already, getting ready to go down the twisting slide. “So, she made herself constipated and I had to give her one and half suppositories.”

“That's why you didn't call me about her and Eric's play date until today.” She nodded her head at him, understanding now. “Naughty little thing.” She chuckled, smirking. “That must have been exciting to clean up after.”

“It wasn't as bad as it could be. But, I think she's gotten the hint not to do it again. She had a poopy pamper before we came today.”

“That's good. It would be sad for such a sweet girl to have such an upset tummy, for such a silly reason.” Jasmine sighed, brushing her hair off her shoulder. “Eric's pulled that stunt with me a few times over the years, for one reason or another. A good laxative and a solid spanking always sets it straight.”

“I haven't had to seriously discipline her yet and I loathe the day I have too.” Henry frowned, he didn't want to punish you, not even with something as small as a timeout, but he was your Daddy and if he needed too, he would.

You climbed the brown, diamond tread stairs to the top of the castle structure, Eric climbing up behind you. You were patiently waiting behind another Little boy that was getting in position to go down the twisted, blue slide before you, and turned around to talk to Eric, while you both waited for him to finally go down, but you were interrupted.

“Who are you?” A snooty voice asked from the other side of the structure.

“Oh god.” Eric huffed, rolling his green eyes.

You turned around to face the owner of the voice, finding a girl in a pretty pink dress with heart shaped polka dots on it. It barely covered her lower half and the pink Barbie underwear she had on underneath of it; her light up trainers were Barbie themed as well, with her frilly socks poking out over the top of them.

You told her your name quietly, blink at the other girl, with nervous butterflies filling your stomach.

“Hanna.” The girl replied with the same snooty tone, her face smug and nose stuck in the air. “You must be new in town.”

“She is.” Eric replied for you, seeing how nervous and overwhelmed you were getting. “She's Mr. Henry's new Little.” He explained, stepping a little closer to you, trying to show his support.

Hanna blinked at you, her nose dropping down an inch. “You're Henry Cavill's Little?” She asked, sounding shocked.

You gulped and glanced around. “Yeah.” You nodded, not understanding why that was such a surprise.

“You don't look like a Brat.” Hanna commented, lifting a brow at you, her snootiness recovering. “Mr. Henry always has a Brat Little. He's known for being a Brat Tamer. His punishments are so harsh, I heard he spanks his Littles for small things, like not drinking enough water or making eye contact with him.”

“That's not true.” You whimpered, frowned at her, and shook your head.

Henry hadn't punished you for looking him in the eye, he seemed to value eye contact with people, especially with you, and while drinking plenty of water was important to him and he made sure you did, he never punished you for not drinking it either. Henry hadn't punished you for anything, he had given you warnings and stern words, but never a punishment.

You didn't understand why Hanna would lie about something like that.

“Oh yeah!” Hanna hissed, stomping her foot, angrily. “Then, why does he give advice on how to deal with Brats to other Mommies and Daddies in Huntersville? He even does meetings sometimes at the gathering halls, like seminars. He's the most notorious Brat Tamer in Huntersville, and if you're with him, it must be because you're a Brat.” Hanna said, grinning at you, triumphantly.

“I'm not a Brat.” You whined, your brow pinching with anger and hurt feelings.

“You're calling me a liar, Brat.”

“Come on, let's go down the slide and play something, somewhere else.” Eric said, gently pulling you towards the entrance of the slide. “You go first.” He said, but his eyes were on Hanna. “You're such a jerk, Hanna.” He hissed at her, after you had gone down the slide, then followed after you.

“Oh, Aspen!” He grinned, finding one of his best Little friends at the bottom with you, once he reached it.

“Hey, Eric!” Aspen grinned at him, giving him a hug.

“Penny, this is Mr. Henry's new Little.” He said, introducing the two of you.

“Oh, I heard about you from my Daddy!” Aspen grinned, turning towards you and gave you a tight hug. “It's really nice to finally meet you.” She said, giddy. “You guys want to play a game with me and Jamie?” She asked, motioning to a Little boy a few feet from her.

“Sure, what do you wanna play?” Eric asked, perking up.

“Yeah, what do you want to play?” Hanna's voice asked, as she exited the slide behind you. “And if you don't let me play, I'll tell my Daddy on you.” She threatened, planting her hands on her hips.

Eric, Aspen and Jamie all sighed and your eyes darted to where Henry was still sitting at their table, still talking to Jasmine and now another man, but your shoulders dropped. You didn't want to let one Little ruin your fun and cause trouble. What if Hanna was right about Henry being a Brat Tamer, and it caused him to punish you for stirring up drama with other Littles? He had brought you to the park to get out of the house and make Little friends, after all, and starting a fuss on your first outing, especially together as Daddy and Little, wasn't a good introduction to the community.

Daddy would so punish me for causing drama with Hanna. It wouldn't look good on him, if I was starting drama with the others. You thought, chewing on your lip, your heart pounding. He'd never take me out anywhere ever again.

“Fine, Hanna. You can play with us.” Aspen huffed, annoyed. “How about hide and seek?” She suggested to the group.

“That sounds good.” Jamie grinned, nodding his head.

“Yeah.” Everyone else agreed.

“Okay, you guys go hide and I'll count.” Aspen said, going to the stairs of the castle structure, covering her eyes, and started counting.

The group scattered around the play structure, you went underneath it, to the hidden house that was there, and sat down on the little stool that was staked in the ground, to patiently wait for Aspen to come and find you.

“You think you're better than me, don't you?”

“Can't you just leave me be?” You sighed, looking up at Hanna. “I haven't done anything to you.” You whimpered, frowning at the other girl.

“I don't think so, Brat.” Hanna laughed, pushing you off the stool and into the dirt. “Aw, is that Little Baby Brat going to cry?” She taunted you, watching you gulp and sniffle, looking at the bloody scrape on your knee. “Gonna soil your diappy, Baby Brat? Bet Daddy'll spank your butt black and blue!”

You sniffled, taking deep and shuddering breaths as your eyes burned and watered, wanting to cry. But, you took a deep breath and pulled yourself up to your feet, gulping down the thick saliva in your mouth and glared at Hanna with watery eyes for a moment, before turning and running out of the hidden house, Hanna laughing after you.

Aspen came in a few moments later, unaware that you had been there with Hanna.

“Hey, Baby Boy, are you having fun?” Jasmine asked as Eric approached her at the table.

“Uh-huh.” He nodded at her, smiling. “I'm thirsty, though.” He told her, sitting down beside her.

“Where's my Little one?” Henry asked, scanning the castle for you.

“Dunno.” Eric replied, frowning over at him. “She must have found the best of hiding places. We started playing hide and seek, like twenty minutes ago, and none of us have been able to find her.” He explained, taking the sippy cup of juice from Jasmine.

“What?” Henry snapped, caught off guard and standing up, he frantically scanned the playground for you, his heart pounding as he did. “Oh, thank god.” He sighed with relief, spotting you on the swings, a little ways from the castle, and crossed the space between the table to you. “What are you doing over here, all by yourself, sweetie?” He asked, frowning and shaking his head, confused.

You shrugged your shoulders at him, not meeting his eye. “I wanted to swing.” You mumbled to him, toeing at the rubber mat the swings were set up on.

“Then, why are you just sitting there, Little one?” He cooed at you, tilting his head, his eyes soft, but firm, then noticed the dried trickle of blood on your left knee. “Baby, what happened?” He demanded, stepping up to you and kneeling down, closing his hands around your calf and lifting your leg to get a better look at the blood and dirt encrusted cut on your knee.

“I fell.” You whimpered, biting your lip as he gently brushed the dirt off the wound, flinching slightly. “While we were playing hide and seek.”

“Why didn't you come and get me, honey?” Henry sighed at you, clicking his tongue.

You looked away from him and spotted Hanna a little ways off, smirking at you. Gulping, You gently pulled your leg out of Henry's hands. “It doesn't really hurt.” You told him, quietly.

Frowning, Henry looked over his shoulder and caught sight of Hanna as she was running off towards the teeter totters, his brow creased and sighed, looking back up at you, getting an idea of what was going on. He knew Hanna's reputation for tormenting her fellow Littles around Huntersville, and you were a prime target for her; you were new, shy, timid and less likely to fight back.

“Is Hanna bullying you?” He asked you, out right.

You blinked down at him, your bottom lip trembling a little bit, then nodded. “Yeah.” You whimpered, your voice breaking a little bit, rubbing at your eye with the back of your knuckles. “She pushed me.” You added, with a small hiccup.

Henry growled, deep in his throat. “That little Brat.” He huffed, glaring over his shoulder.

“I'm sorry, Daddy.” You whined, sniffling.

“Hey, it's not your fault, pumpkin.” Henry cooed at you, cupping your face in his hands. “She's a very big Brat and her Daddy needs to correct her on it. But, that's nothing for you to worry about now, sweetheart. Daddy'll fix that later on.” He told you, running his thumbs under your eyes, wiping away your unshed tears that balanced on your lashes, then studied you for a moment, before smiling brightly at you.

“You want me to push you for a bit? Then, we'll go for something to eat for lunch.”

You smiled softly at him, nodding your head. “I'd like that, Daddy.” You whispered back to him.

“Okay.” He winked at you, standing up and moved behind you.

Henry started pushing you on the swing, smiling as you laughed and giggled, gripping the chain tight as he pushed you higher and higher, you kicked your legs with his pushes, wanting to go as high as you could on the swing, grinning and forgetting how upset you were about Hanna picking on you. After several long minutes, Henry slowed you down, grabbing the swing to pull you to a full stop and let you hop off.

“Come on, sweet cheeks, let's put a plaster on your boo-boo.” He said, taking your hand and guided you back to the table, before pulling open your Little bag and taking out the little first aid kit he had inside, removing a Mickey Mouse band-aid and an alcohol-free, wound cleansing towelette.

Sitting you down at the table, Henry opened the towelette and cleaned the blood and dirt off your leg and cut, giving the top of your wound a gentle kiss, before applying the band-aid and giving it a soft pat, to make sure it stayed in place.

“All better, baby.” He cooed at you, sitting beside you and pulled out a sippy cup of Cran-grape out of the main pocket of the bag and handed it to you. “My brave girl.” He whispered, kissing your cheek and rubbing your back, smiling as you blushed. “Are you ready to get some lunch, sweetness?” He asked, squeezing your thigh.

“Mmhm.” You mumbled around the spout of your sippy cup. “I'm really hungry. But,” You bit your lip and leaned into him. “Pamper.” You muttered under your breath, biting your lip and looking him in the eyes.

Henry smiled at you. “All right, we'll do that before we go.” He told you, then looked at Jasmine. “We'll meet you at the restaurant.” He said to her and they nodded at each other, gathering their things.

Henry took you to the bathrooms in the playground area, taking you into a private changing room and locking the door behind you. He set the Little bag down on a small table in the room and pulled down a change table that was bolted securely to the wall, spreading out your changing mat over it, to give you a barrier against the icy cold plastic, then picked you up and laid you down on it, tugging down the cute black and gray, star shorts you were wearing with a gray onesie with black, printed arrows on the front.

“Look at you.” Henry grinned at you, finding how full your pamper was. “Using your pamper, like a good girl.” He praised you, cleaning you up and tossing your soiled pamper into the bin, before closing up your onesie and slipping your shorts back up, then helped you down off the changing table. “Did you at least have some fun at the park?” Henry asked, as he drove you both to the restaurant to meet Jasmine and Eric.

“I did.” You nodded, touching the band-aid on your knee. “Eric introduced me to Aspen and Jamie, when we started to play hide and seek.” You told him, tracing Mickey's face. “I like them.” You added quietly to yourself.

Henry looked over at you. “Is that when Hanna started to give you a hard time?”

“No, she showed up when Eric and me were waiting to go down the slide and said some mean things. But, we went down the slide to get away from her, that's when Aspen and Jamie showed up and wanted to play hide and seek. But, Hanna made us play with her, so when I went to hide under the castle, she followed me and said more mean stuff, before pushing me.” You explained to him, scrunching up in your seat.

“I didn't wanna get into it with her, so that's when I went to the swings.”

“Well,” Henry sighed, pushing his jaw forward. “I'm glad you didn't argue with her or push her back. It's very mature of you, honey. I would have hated to punish you for it as well, especially since she badgered you into it.” He told you, glancing over at you,

He was very proud of you, but he was also bothered by Hanna targeting you.

“But, what did she tell you?”

You bit your lip and grew quiet.

“Come on, tell me.” Henry said, after a few moments, even more bothered by your silence.

“That Luca only put me with you, because I was a Brat, and you're a Brat Tamer.” You finally blurted out, feeling your stomach twist up, nauseously.

Henry took a deep breath and let it out harshly, straightening up in his seat. “Baby, you know full well, that you're not a Brat. I know that you're not a Brat.” He told you, squeezing the steering wheel. “I'll be honest with you.” He said, looking over at you as he stopped at a red light. “If you were actually a Brat, I wouldn't have agreed to foster you.” He admitted, bluntly. “Yes, I am a Brat Tamer, my previous two Littles were Brats, through and through. My subs were Brats as well.” He told you. “But, I don't want a Brat anymore. It's exhausting to always have to be on top of them, spending ninety percent of my time putting them over my knee with my hand throbbing, from spanking the hell out of their bottoms or chasing them, when they run out of the time out corner, or taking them down to the punishment room and restraining them.”

“Just everything that comes with having a Brat Little.”

“I don't want that anymore. I want a sweet Little. I want a Little, that'll behave and be a good girl.” He said, grinning brightly. “One, I can spoil and cuddle, that I don't have to put over my knee or in the time out corner, unless absolutely pushed too, and I fully believe I've found that Little, in you.” He told you, reaching out and taking your hand in his, pulling it over and pressing your knuckles to his lips.

“You're such a good girl, and I love that so so much.” He confessed to you, clutching your hand. “That's why I agreed to foster you, after reading your file. You gave me all the right signs of not being a Brat, and you've proved me right so far.” He told you, with a deep conviction.

“I love you. You are the Little, and the woman I've been looking for.”

You smiled at him, touched by his words. “I love you too.” You whispered back, your eyes soft as you looked at him.

Henry smiled back at you, feeling his heart skip a beat.

You and Henry reached the restaurant and went inside, finding that Jasmine and Eric already had a table. You looked around the brightly decorated restaurant as you joined them, it was divided into two sections, one portion was the restaurant and the other half was like a giant play house at a McDonald's.

“No, Eric, you just finished playing.” Jasmine was scolding him, when you both got up to the table. “We're eating lunch and going home, so you can take a nap. That's final, Little Boy.” She told him, pointing an expensively painted Gucci, Marcia Cobalt, long almond nail at him.

Eric kicked his feet, heels drumming against the bench seat, and puffed out his bottom lip as he started his tantrum. “But, I wanna, Mama!” He cried, tears filling his minty eyes.

“Boy, put those crocodile tears away or all you'll eat for lunch is Brussels sprouts.” Jasmine told him, popping him on the thigh, then turned her attention to you and Henry. “Hey, guys.” She smiled, warmly.

“Hey, Jazzy.” Henry smiled back at her, motioning for you to take a seat first. “Someone is getting a bit fussy.” He teased Eric as he slipped into the booth beside you.

“No.” Eric pouted, staring down at the table.

Henry chuckled at him, before opening the small box of crayons for you, so you could color the paper place mat that was in front of you, giving you something to do, while you patiently waited for a server to come over and take your orders. You quickly got lost in coloring the happy, smiling fox in the middle of a meadow, with a basic sun in the sky, accompanied by two puffy clouds. You gently rocked side to side as you switched between the crayons, oblivious of the conversation Henry and Jasmine were having with each other or that Eric was still pouting at the table, arms crossed over his chest, absorbed in his own woe.

“Hey.” Henry whispered, gently resting his hand on your back, not wanting to startle you, after seeing how focused you were on coloring. “Your picture is looking really pretty, baby.” He smiled at you, seeing the progress you had made with it in such a short time.

“How about some chicken tenders?” He suggested, having looked over the Little's section of the menu.

You nodded your head, eagerly. “Yes, please.”

“Such sweet manners.” Jasmine observed, smiling across the table at you, chuckling as you scrunched up, shyly.

Henry smiled, proudly, at you, patting your back and kissing your temple. “What do you want to drink?” He asked you, showing you the drink section of the menu.

Pressing your lips together, you glanced at the menu for a moment. “Pink lemonade.” You said, looking up at him.

“All right.” He nodded, patting your thigh and letting you go back to coloring your picture.

A server showed up at the table not long later, taking Henry and Jasmine's orders for the table, then took them to the kitchen, coming back a few minutes later with the drinks and passing them out, before scurrying off to another awaiting table. Henry sat back, gliding his fingertips up and down your back as he watched you color, watching you tilt your head side to side, as you observed your picture and the crayons. He was curious about how the wheels in your mind were turning, what they were telling you, as your fingertips touched the black, then the brown crayons, before changing your mind and picking up the red one. You colored a little bit, then picked up crumpled napkin beside your hand, touched a clean corner of it to the portion of the picture you had just finished filling in and rubbed over it, using the napkin to blend the crayon in with the colors around it and smoothed it out.

Henry was in awe of your skill and technique, making a mental note to get you some art supplies for home.

“All right, Little one, you can finish after you're done eating.” He told you, holding your warm plate of chicken tenders and French fries.

Nodding, you slid your drawing to a safe spot on the table, enabling Henry to set your plate down in front of you, then focused on his own plate of a burger and onion rings. You hummed as you tore a piece off one of your tenders and dunked it in the honey-mustard sauce that was also provided to you, then popped it into your mouth. Henry chuckled at you, as he munched on one of his onion rings, always happy to see you happy.

“So, how are the two of you settling in together?” Jasmine asked, before taking a bite of her chicken fajitas tacos.

Henry stared at you for a moment. “Quite well, I think.” He said, finally. “Nothing major or all that minor has happened. We're settling into a decent routine as well, I think.”

You nodded in agreement. “I think so.” You said softly, nibbling on a fry, now that you were getting used to Henry changing your messier pampers, everything else was falling into place with you two.

It was a simple and easy routine that you really loved. You were enjoying the structure and balance, the lack of stress of having to make so many choices yourself, allowing Henry to make them for you, so you could slip into Little Space as deeply and for as long as you wished, with no judgment or worries; just love, affection and care, of the most premium kind.

Yes, you agreed that things were going quite well between you and Henry, and nothing major or minor had happened between you, and you hoped nothing would.

“The two of you look absolutely perfect together, by the way.” Jasmine grinned, her honey-brown eyes sparkling. “You compliment each other so well.”

Both you and Henry both grew bashful, glancing away from Jasmine as she and Eric grinned. You all chatted as you finished your meals, and you collected the crayons and picture, after you were done and were preparing to go home, wanting to finish it, when you got home. The four of you parted, Jasmine and Henry promising to have another play-date for you and Eric again soon, before everyone got into their cars and on their prospective ways home.

“Do Eric and Ms. Jasmine live here too?” You asked, looking over at Henry, curiously.

“They do.” Henry nodded, focusing on the road. “But, they sometimes vacation elsewhere.” He explained to you, flipping on the blinker to turn onto another street. “Are you ready for your nap, baby girl?” He asked, catching your jaw popping yawn from the corner of his eye.

“Yeah.” You nodded, rubbing at your eyes with the back of your hands, like a sleepy toddler. “I'm super seepy, Daddy.” You hummed, smacking your lips, and starting to really regress into your Little Space.

“All right, darling. We'll take a nap when we get home.” He promised you, making another turn, onto the street the house was on. “We're almost there.” He told you, feeling tired himself. “Come here, honey.” He cooed at you, opening your door, after parking in the driveway and unbuckling your seat belt.

You loosely wrapped your arms around his shoulders, clutching your half-finished picture in one hand and your box of crayons in the other. Henry picked you up and closed the door with his foot as he held you, nearly dead weight in his arms, patting your back as he walked up the pathway towards the front door, already feeling your breathing against the skin of his neck changing as you began to drift off; lulled by the safety of his arms and the warmth of his body against yours. Henry carried you upstairs and gently laid you down on your changing table, taking the picture and crayons out of your hands and set them aside, then took off your shoes and socks, followed by your shorts. Unsnapping your onesie, he quickly changed your pamper, then glanced at your crib and lifted a brow at it, then down at you, biting the corner of his lip.

“I wanna cuddle with my Baby.” He cooed softly, shrugging out of his jacket and going into his room, tossing his jacket on the back of a chair and pulling down the blankets of his bed, toed out of his shoes and went into his closet, to change into a tank top and a pair of shorts.

He came back into the nursery as you started to fuss on the changing table, probably sensing you weren't in the right place for your nap or that you didn't have Dewey and your paci. Henry quickly grabbed your stuffie and soother, tossing them on his bed, and picked you up, hushing you as he did. Stroking the back of your hair and kissing your temple, he carried you to his bed and laid down with you, before covering up. He slipped your paci into your mouth and tucked Dewey against your chest, since that would be the first place you would look for him, then hugged you against his own chest, nuzzling his nose into your hair and inhaling the scent of sweet almond, as he drifted off.

Chapter Text

Your hand closed around the bulk of Dewey's body as you shifted, becoming aware of the lack of weight on top of your body and opened your eyes, finding yourself in Henry's bed, for the first time, and not your crib. Frowning and rubbing at your eyes as you sat up, you looked around for Henry, but saw no sign of him. Popping your paci into your mouth, you scooted on your pampered butt to the edge of the bed and went to the bedroom door that was cracked open, and stepped into the hall. Looking up and down the hall, before noticing another slightly open door with a light on inside of it. Going down towards it, you stopped just outside the door, biting your lip as you heard Henry's voice inside the room.

“No, Dany.” Henry sighed, rubbing his face and raking a hand through his hair. “I'm not coming back.” He told his manager, sounding annoyed with her. “I told you, I'm taking, at least, the year off. I need a break to recharge my batteries. I feel like I'm going to burn completely out, if I don't take time off. Then, I really won't be able to meet with any prospective directors and casting assistants.”

He let out a groan, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Fine, I'll see what I can do.” He said, before hanging up and set his phone on the desk in front of him.

Biting your lip, you slipped down to your hands and knees and scurried down the hallway, just making it to the stairs, when Henry stepped out of his office. Henry instantly noticed you, even lost in the residual fog of his conversation with Dany. His eyes grew to the size of plates as he saw you reaching downwards to the first step. Feeling his stomach clench, Henry shot across the hall, startling you as he scooped you up into his arms.

“Whoa.” He frowned at you, brow pinched. “No, you don't! You do not go down the stairs like that.” He scolded you, shifting you to his hip. “That's very dangerous, Kitten. What are you doing awake, anyway, hm?” He asked you, gently pulling your paci out of your mouth. “You've only been down for thirty minutes.”

“No know where you went.” You mumbled in a teeny voice, tucking your arms in against his chest.

Henry sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, before opening them and kissed your cheek. “I'm sorry, baby. I just had an unexpected work call I had to take.” He told you, gently patting your bottom. “I didn't think you would notice I was gone, or that it would take so long.” He admitted, turning back towards the master bedroom. “Let's go lay back down for a little bit.” He said, laying you down and joined you, smiling as you turned around to face him, nuzzling your face into his chest.

“My sweet girl.” He cooed into your hair, stroking your back, before you both finally returned to your interrupted nap.

“Angel?”

Henry called out, coming into the living room, where he had put you down on your Starry Sky print, Memory foam Japanese floor mat to watch the animated movie, Inside Out, so he could do his afternoon workout.

The only catch was, you weren't on your pad or in the living room any longer.

“Little one!” He called out again, feeling a mild panic in his chest.

He turned on his heels and checked the dining room, then went into the kitchen, finding the dishwasher was wide open and several of your bottle pulled out and stacked on top of each other, before going to check the laundry room and found you there; the container of detergent pods poured out onto the floor and mostly stacked in a rough pyramid shape. Henry was almost amused, even though he was upset with you, for being in the laundry room, playing with something that you shouldn't be.

“No!” He barked out suddenly, snapping forward, to yank the laundry pod out of your hand as you attempted to put it in your mouth. “What are you thinking? You don't eat that!” He admonished you, tossing the detergent disk on the washing machine and twisted you around, cupping your face in his hands.

You grunted loudly at him, bottom lip wobbling as your eyes glassed over and filled with tears, pushing out both of your feet as you looked up at your Daddy; both seeing and feeling how upset and disappointed he was with you. Henry looked at you, his eyes wide with his bundle of emotions and thoughts as he studied you, only then noticing and realizing the deep light in your eyes, even through the thick tears starting to roll down your cheeks.

You were in your deepest form of Little Space, your Littlest self.

This was Baby You.

“Shit.” Henry cursed under his breath, it was the youngest regression he had seen you delve into yet.

“So, you're a crawler.” He said, drastically softening his voice, and wiping at your tear filled eyes. “You obviously have a thing for stacking things, and are very inquisitive with shoving things in your mouth.” He noted more to himself than to you. “I've never had a crawler Little before.” He chuckled at you, picking you up and taking you back into the living room, where you should be. “That's okay, though. Daddy can fix that.” He said, sitting down on the couch with you in his lap, facing him.

“But, you were a bit of a naughty girl.” He cooed at you, rubbing his hands up and down your sides, feeling the soft tremble of your body; you knew, even in the obvious deep level of your Little Space, that you were in trouble. “You know, you weren't supposed to leave your pad, where Daddy put you, so you could watch your movie. Don't you, baby?” He asked you, nodding his head gently. “But, you went on a little adventure, huh?” He purred, smiling and chuckling, softly. “Pulling things out of the dishwasher and playing in the laundry room.”

He clicked his tongue at you and shook his head.

“You know better. Don't you, Muffin?” He inquired, squeezing and massaging your hips, as he held your moist and meek gaze.

You nodded your head at him, shifting in his lap, rubbing your pampered bottom against his thick thighs, chewing on your lip and grunted again. Your mind turned back to what Hanna had told you at the playground about Henry being a Brat Tamer. Henry sighed at you, ordinarily he liked verbal affirmation from his Littles that they had done some wrong, but it was clear that you had little to no verbal communication in your full Little Space, so he took what communication you gave him.

He studied you for a moment, lightly drumming his fingers against the sides of your thighs as he considered if he wanted to punish you for your little adventure, through the kitchen and laundry room. You had made a mess that he would have to clean up, before he made dinner. But, he also hated for such a good day to be spoiled by a punishment. Besides, you had only been acting like the Little you were and deep down, Henry had found it rather adorable. You hadn't really made a serious mess either. The bottles and laundry pods were neatly stacked, when they could have been thrown all over the laundry room and kitchen floors, ripped open and slimming up the floor. He could easily put the pods back into their storage and the bottles were clean, only sitting in the dishwasher, waiting for him to put them away in the cabinet.

“I'm not going to punish you, Baby.” He told you, brushing his fingers through your hair. “This time.” He added, lifting a brow and tipping his head forward as he met your eyes, seriously, his Brat Tamer edge showing. “But, next time, you'll find yourself in time out, at the least.”

“Got it?”

You nodded your head at him again, gulping thickly. “Sore-we, Daddy.” You said, in a babyish voice.

“I know you are, Little one.” He cooed at you, pulling you into a hug. “Daddy knows you are.” He whispered into your ear, rubbing your back with a soft sigh.

Henry cuddled on the couch with you, as you finished watching the movie together, before setting you on the couch beside him and got up, going into the kitchen and put away the bottles you had stacked between the island and the refrigerator, then put all the detergent pods back in its container and made sure to put it up on a higher shelf, now that he knew he had a crawling and exploitative Little on his hands.

“Baby gates.” He said to himself, as he went into the pantry to start pulling out things for dinner. “I need to get the house wired for those cameras too. I wish I could have the tech guy come by tomorrow and start doing it. But, I have to go to that damn meeting in LA. Which means dropping Little one off at Daycare for a couple of hours tomorrow instead.” He sighed, making a list of things he had to do before going to bed.

“It'll be fine, I'll get it done.” He assured himself, shaking his head to try and stop the worry from crushing him.

With you down in your crib for bedtime, Henry went back downstairs and called Jasmine on the landline. “Hey, Jazzy.”

“Henry.” She greeted him, with a chipper tone. “What's up?”

“Could I ask a favor?” He asked, cutting to the chase.

“Of course, what is it?”

“I have to go to LA for a couple of hours tomorrow. Dany is making me meet with some director about a film project and I can't take my Little one with me. So, I need to drop her off at Daycare. I was really hoping, if you could drop Eric off as well, so she has someone there that she knows.” He explained the situation to her.

“Absolutely!” Jasmine agreed, without hesitation. “Eric really enjoyed playing with her today at the park and I'm positive he'll have a blast with her at Daycare. I'll even rope Tommy into dropping off Aspen.”

“I would greatly appreciate it, Jazzy. It's going to be her first time without me with her and I would hate to just drop her off and leave, knowing she doesn't know anyone here, especially after everything that happened with Hanna this morning.”

“Is that little horror giving her issues?” Jasmine asked, her protective Mommy rearing to life.

“She bullied her pretty badly at the playground; pushed her and everything.” Henry growled back, remembering he still had to contact Hanna's Daddy, Matteo, about his little Brat targeting his Girl.

“I swear, one of these days, I'm going to put that wretch over my knee and give her the tanning she truly deserves. Not those powder puff taps Matteo gives her. But, you have my word, Hen, Eric will be there at Daycare tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Jasmine.” Henry replied to her, relieved, before hanging up with her, feeling a lot better, knowing that you would have at least one friend and ally at Daycare, while he was in LA.

“Okay, dove. Daddy has to go out of Huntersville for a couple of hours, and I can't take you with me, sadly enough.” He frowned at you, as he bathed you the next morning. “So, I'm going to drop you off at Daycare with Eric, and probably Aspen as well.” He explained to you. “If you're a super good girl, like I know you are. I'll take you to the epic toy store Huntersville has and you can pick out anything you want.” He told you, smiling brightly, and trying to imbue you with as much positivity and excitement as he could.

“How's that sound?” He asked, still smiling at you, even seeing the alarm in your eyes.

“Do I have too?” You asked back, whimpering, blinking at him and biting into your bottom lip.

“Yeah, baby. You have too.” Henry sighed, gently touching your cheek with his wet fingers. “I would take you with me, if I could. But, I can't. My manager wants me to go audition for a role, one I don't actually want, and it's not really a place for a Little. There won't be anything for you to do, other than sit in the car and twiddle your thumbs, until I'm done.” He explained to you, as he continued to give you your morning bath.

“If you don't wanna do it, then why are you?” You asked, playing with one of your bath toys, feeling a tight lump of anxiety in your chest.

“Because, Dany promised, if I auditioned for the role, whether I got it or not, that she wouldn't pester me about taking time off from work for the next year.” He explained to you. “Which is what I really need. I've been working nonstop from movie to movie, from show to show since I landed my role in the Tudors. But, especially since I got my role as Superman.” He sighed and sat back on his heels, resting his hands on the edge of the tub. “I realized after sleeping for nearly two days, when I returned home to London, after filming a war movie in Dubai and Jordan, I was burning out and needed time off. So, I packed a bag and flew out here with Kal, because no one, other than the people that are already here, know that I'm here. My manager doesn't even know I'm here and I want it that way.”

“It's a lot more peaceful.”

“Tired Daddy.” You cooed, tilting your head at him.

“I am tired, sweet pea.” He nodded at you, leaning forward again, and kissed your forehead. “But, I'm starting to feel a lot better.” He smiled at you.

You were starting to make Henry feel incredible, giving him a new purpose, that wasn't to stand in front of a camera, deliver a line and to always be a certain way. He could be himself with you, his real self.

“Hey, look at me.” Henry said as you stood outside the brightly colored and decorated Daycare.

“If Hanna is here today, I don't know if she is or not, and she starts bothering you, I don't want you to let her get to you, okay?” He told you, squeezing your hand. “Don't cause any trouble, but don't let her bully you either.” He said, firmly.

Henry didn't abide bullies, having dealt with many in his life.

“Just play with Eric and your friends, and with the other Littles that are here.” He told you, kissing your forehead.

“Okay, Daddy.” You replied, biting your lip.

“Good girl.” He praised you, taking your hand and led you inside the pleasantly air conditioned building.

“Mr. Cavill!” A cheery, young lady grinned as you two approached the front desk. “Hello there.” She greeted you, sweetly.

“Hello.” You replied, before tucking your face into Henry's arm, making both Bigs chuckle at you.

“Dropping her off, I'm guessing.”

“I am, Anabelle.” Henry nodded, slipping the Little bag off his shoulder and handed it to her as she held a hand out for it. “I put her in a fresh pamper before we left the house, so she should be fine for a little bit.” He explained to her. “There's also a couple of her favorite snacks in the pouch, as well as a sippy cup, in case she gets thirsty.”

“Excellent.” Anabelle grinned at him, putting the bag in a little cubby. “We have your contact info in our computer system, so if anything should happen to your Little cutie, we'll contact you right away.” She assured him, resting her hand on the sleek, top of the line computer monitor.

“I would greatly appreciate it.” Henry replied, smiling at you, a small qualm in his stomach about parting with you, having a quick feeling of second thoughts of not taking you with him, but shook it off, knowing you were in good and professional hands. “Daddy'll be back as soon as I can be, baby.” He promised, kissing your temple, and let you cling onto him for a long moment.

“Off you go. Eric's patiently waiting to play with you.” He told you, putting his hands on your shoulders and turned you around to show you Eric standing on the other side of a wall of windows that blocked off the play area from the front desk area of the Daycare.

Eric waved excitedly at you, grinning brightly, and you waved back at him, just mustering a smile for him. Henry patted you on the bottom, giving you a gentle push towards Anabelle as she walked around the desk and opened the door into the play area, the sound of other playing Littles filled the waiting area.

“Hey!” Eric exclaimed, appearing in the doorway, bouncing on his toes, his Mommy had told him it was your first time at the Daycare and your first time being away from your Daddy, so he had to be extra nice to you, and to also make sure no one picked on you.

Gulping, you looked up at Henry one more time, he smiled at you, nodding his head encouragingly. You started in Eric's direction, crossing the threshold into the play area, smiling shyly at Eric.

“Bye, Mr. Henry!” Eric said, waving at Henry.

“Bye, Eric.” Henry chuckled at the Little boy. “Bye, Baby.” He called to you.

You looked at him, stomach twisting. “Bye, Daddy.” You answered, your hand twisting in the front of your onesie.

Henry smiled at you softly, and knew the sooner he left the easier it would be on you both.

So, he turned on his heels and walked out of the Daycare, getting back to the car and sat there for a moment, gripping the steering wheel tightly, white knuckled, still fighting the urge to just take you with him. He knew he had to fight it, He couldn't allow either of you to get separation anxiety, especially not you. It would cause a catastrophe of issues, if he gave in and pulled you out of Daycare, especially after less than five minutes, and took you to LA with him. You would have more issues, if he always kept you attached to his hip, breeding an environment for you to develop a bratty attitude, tantrums and meltdowns to the times he couldn't bring you with him.

“She'll be fine.” Henry told himself, starting the car. “She has Eric to play with and distract her.” He said, as he pulled out of the parking space. “Once she gets used to the other Littles and the staff, who are not only Mommies themselves, they're trained professionals! They have degrees in behavior, development and therapy, and they're all certified in first aid, for god's sake! She's in just as good hands, if she was with you now.” He convinced himself, reaching the main gate of Huntersville and entered the pass-code to let himself out.

“It's just a bit of separation anxiety, because we're so new to each other and we've bonded so well.”

“It'll do us some good to be a part for a few hours, and like Anabelle said, if anything happens to my Baby girl, she'll call me—fuck! Where's my phone!” He gasped, patting his pockets and slamming on the brakes, only to relax, when he saw his phone in its usual place, when he was in the car, on it's mounted grip.

He let out a heavy breath, scrubbing his palms over his face and slumped in the driver's seat for a minute. “Jesus, I wasn't at all like this with Mia or any of my other Littles and submissives. The only anxiety I had was being found out about being a Daddy Dom. The only pain I felt was when we broke up and parted ways.” He tapped his phone and smiled at the background photo. It was of you and Kal laying on the living room floor together, your heads tilted together, you smiling up at Henry and what looked like Kal smiling too.

He had taken it the afternoon before; and it greatly helped him calm down and center himself.

“This is real.” He said to the photo, quite suddenly putting his finger on the thing that had been lurking just under the surface since he first opened your file and saw your photo. “This isn't a fling or filling a secret need and void. It's real. She's real and so much more than my Little.” Henry looked at himself in the rear view mirror.

“We're real.” He grinned, feeling the happiest he's been in his life.

“Welcome to Huntersville Daycare!” Eric said, throwing out his arms and turning in a circle, his voice echoing a little bit in the vast room. “It's a really neat place!” He told you, grinning ear to ear. “We have a playhouse, swings, a jungle gym and a foam pit in this room alone.” He explained, pointing out the play sets in the room you were standing in, then gently took your hand and showed you through to another room. “This is what we call the school room, we have building blocks, art supplies, board games and books.”

“We also have a room for naps, changes and the red and green room.”

“What's the red and green room?” You asked him, lifting a brow at him.

“The red room is where we go when we've been bad, for either a time out or a spanking.” He replied, blushing slightly. “Oh, I wonder if Ms. Anabelle put your name up yet!” He said, perking up suddenly, then raced out of the school room, leaving you to race after him.

“No running!” A lady called out to you both.

“Sorry, Ms. Kay!” Eric replied, slowing down to a speed walk. “Oh, look! She did.” He said, pointing to a large chart beside a closed door with a sign on it, that had two sad and crying faces and the words, 'Red Room' between them. “See, your name is here.” Eric said, touching your name on the chart.

It was a simple printed label tucked into a clear sleeve.

“If you've been good, you get a gold star. But, if you've been bad, you get a red, sad face sticker.” He explained to you. “When you have all gold stickies for ten visits in a row, then you get to go into the green room.” He pointed to another door, on the other side of the chart, across from the red room, that had a sign with smiling faces and the words, 'Green Room', between them.

“You can pick a toy or a stuffie, from inside that room. But, if you have a red sticky between the gold stickies, you have to wait even longer to go into the room.”

“That's pretty cool.” You said, looking at all the other names and stickers on the chart, finding Eric's name a dozen or so names above yours, He had six gold stars in a row, but two red ones after that, followed by two more gold stars, then you noticed Hanna's name, having dozens of gold stars and only one or two red stickers among them.

“Hey, guys!” Aspen's voice echoed over to them.

“Penny!” Eric yelled back, greeting her, excitedly.

“Hey.” You smiled at her, nodding your head politely.

“It's her first day at Daycare, so I'm showing her around.” Eric smiled at the two girls.

“Oh, welcome!” Aspen grinned, hugging you. “You guys wanna play on the swings?” She asked, motioning to the empty swing set.

“Sure.” You and Eric nodded, then the three of you headed over, picking a swing.

“So, how are you liking Huntersville so far?” Aspen asked, as the pair of you swung past each other.

“I'm liking it so far.” You replied, when you went by her again. “It's really nice to have a place, where I can be myself at, without worrying about other people finding out and judging me for it, you know? It's also nice to have fellow Littles to hang out and play with, and finally have a Daddy.”

“Did you not have one before?” Eric asked, on a pass by.

“Nope. I had no idea how to find one or how to even make sure they were actually one and not someone saying they were a Daddy, but were just looking for...you know.” You winced, slowing down on the swing.

Eric and Aspen giggled, grinning at you. “We know.” They nodded, cheeks colored.

“But, when I found out about Huntersville, I applied for a booklet about it and learned all about it. I knew it was the perfect place to find a legit Daddy and a place to belong.” You explained to them, swinging a teeny bit.

“I understand that.” Aspen nodded at you, having wanted the same thing for herself. “I found my Daddy Tommy here; while another Big was fostering me. We just clicked and it's been history ever since.”

“Jasmine and I met several years ago, at a private Big and Little event in New York, and hit it off. Then, after a few years of being together, we applied for residency here, and moved here permanently.” He told them his story. “My Mommy owns and runs the nail and hair salon here in Huntersville.” He said, proudly.

“My Daddy is a private contractor and works mostly from home.” Aspen said, smiling, proud too. “What do you think about your Daddy being a super famous actor?” She asked you, tilting her head.

“It's a bit strange.” You replied, you hadn't put a lot of thought into it, you had been shocked, when Henry first walked into the meeting room and you realized he was going to be your fostering Big in Huntersville. “I didn't expect to show up at Huntersville and go to the Foster meeting, so I could meet my Big, and have Henry freaking Cavill walk in.”

“Girl, I bet!” Aspen laughed, the sound carrying. “I would have fainted, if I were you.”

“I thought I was going too.” You giggled, tucking your hair behind your ear. “But, I don't think about that fact he's a celebrity and a famous actor.”

“That he's Superman!” Eric exclaimed, grinning.

“Right.” You chuckled, shyly. “But, he's just—” You grinned, thinking about Henry and your relationship. “Daddy.”

“Three little babies, sitting on a swing, one fell off and then there were two...”

“Oh, for the love of..” Aspen growled under her breath. “Get lost, Hanna.” She huffed at the other girl.

“I don't have too, Aspen.” Hanna snapped, with a flick of her hair and a lift of her nose.

“Come on, guys.” Eric said, standing up from his swing. “Let's go somewhere else.”

“Yeah.” Aspen said, getting up too.

You followed them, ignoring Hanna as the three of you walked away, but Hanna stuck out her foot as you moved by her, almost managing to trip you, if Aspen hadn't grabbed you by the arm and balanced you at the last moment.

“What's your issue, Hanna?” Aspen barked, letting go of your arm and almost getting into Hanna's face. “If you have something to say, say it!” She hissed, balling up her fists, her hazel eyes ablaze.

“Come on, Penny.” You whispered, grabbing her by the wrist, noticing Ms. Kay's eyes on you all. “It's not worth it. She's not worth it.” You told her, sincerely, biting your lip nervously. “Let's just go into the school room and play a board game or color something.” You suggested, gently tugging on Aspen's arm.

“Yeah, you're right. She's not worth anything.” Aspen replied, relaxing, and continued onto the school room with you and Eric. “God, that girl burns my butt.” She said, as you all walked into the room. “I wish someone would put her in her place.”

“People like that always get their karma.” You commented, finding a bin of colored pencils, while Eric pulled out a stack of coloring books, putting both of them on a table in the middle of the room, where the three of you sat down.

You shuffled through the coloring books, until you found a mandala themed one, then flipped through it until you found a mandala you liked, smiling to yourself about how much you would love to have it finished and present it to Henry, when he came to pick you up.

It had been a harmonious fifteen minutes, you, Eric and Aspen were coloring together and chatting; when it was, yet again, disturbed by Hanna, who was followed in by another girl. She walked up to the table and kicked it's leg, causing the colored pencil you had touched to your picture to skip across the page, messing it up in a way that prevented it from being fixed.

“Aw, poor baby's picture.” Hanna cooed, mockingly.

Your body went rigid, one eye twitched as you took a deep breath and slapped both of your palms and the colored pencil down on the table, startling all the other Littles in the room. You jerked your head up to look at Hanna, your eyes darkened as your anger brewed inside of you, causing the color to drain from Hanna's face, watching a small tremor vibrate down your spine. All of which happened, just as Anabelle approached the doorway of the rooms, seeing Hanna kick the table, messing up your picture, that she knew you had been quite absorbed in, having checked on the three of you Littles in the room from the security camera that was in there from the front desk. But, she had also seen your outburst, waiting to see what more you might do, but you relaxed, rolling your eyes at Hanna, and crumpling up the soiled picture.

“All right, Little ones!” Anabelle said, coming into the room, stopping any further from happening. “Pamper checks!” She smiled, sweetly. “Hanna, why don't you go play.” She told her firmly. “Oh, and expect a red sticker, for ruining that picture so rudely.” She added, as Hanna started to leave the room.

Hanna pouted at Anabelle, but as she went out the door, she glared at you, Aspen and Eric. Anabelle checked your, Eric, Aspen and the other Little's pampers, finding they all needed a change. “All right, Little ones, off for a fresh diaper.” She cooed, guiding the group out of the school room and into the changing room, where there was another lady, setting up the changing stations.

“They all need a change, Lizzy.” Anabelle told her. “I'll get their bags.” She said, then stepped out of the room, coming back a moment later, arms loaded with Little bags. “Okay!” She put each bag down on each of the Little's changing stations.

You gulped as you laid back on your changing table, Lizzy smiled at you brightly, tugging down the leggings you had on and popped open the snaps from over your swollen pamper. The only upside to your first pamper change at the Daycare, was you hadn't gone number two; you had vowed you would hold that bit, until you were sure it was Henry changing that pamper. Lizzy opened the Little bag Henry had prepared for you and removed a pamper from inside of it, cleaned you up and put the pamper on you, before fixing your clothes.

Changing you in minutes.

“Such a good girl.” Lizzy praised you, after you slipped off the changing table.

“Can I have my sippy, please?” You asked her, biting your lip.

“Certainly, love.” She nodded, taking it out of the front pouch and handed it to you.

“Thank you.” You smiled at her, then sucked on the spout, following Anabelle out of the room with Aspen and Eric.

“Did babies have a nice change?” Hanna asked, planting her hands on her hips.

“Oh, shut it, Hanna.” Aspen huffed, rolling her eyes. “We all know you wear pull ups at home.” She said, then she, you and Eric went back to coloring in the school room, leaving Hanna slack jawed at the voiced secret.

Henry was relieved to be back in Huntersville, after being gone for three and a half hours. He was even happier when he pulled up in front of the Daycare, knowing he was about to be back with his Baby girl again. He had missed you terribly, and focused on little else, even having a hard time focusing on the script in his hand and the conversation with the director and his assistant.

But, it was all over now and it didn't matter, all that mattered was you.

“Welcome back, Mr. Cavill.” Anabelle smiled as Henry walked into the front desk. “Come to get your Little one?”

“I have.” Henry grinned at her. “I hope she's behaved.” He added, assured you had.

“Quite!” Anabelle nodded at him, turning towards your cubby for your Little bag and held it out to Henry. “She's an incredible girl, Henry. She kept two other Littles from getting into a spat.”

Henry blinked at her, shouldering the bag. “Did she?”

“Mmhm. Though, I was worried for a moment, she was going to get into one of her own.” Anabelle replied, blinking with a slight frown.

“What do you mean?” Henry frowned, worried.

“She was quite absorbed in coloring a picture, when one of the other Littles purposely kicked the table she was sitting at, causing her to mess the picture up.” She started to explain to him what Hanna had done. “She had got quite upset about it, slammed her hands and her colored pencil on the table and stared rather angrily at the Little. For a second, I really thought she was going to take the other girl's head off.” She admitted to Henry, who looked alarmed.

“But, as quickly as she got mad about it, she calmed down again.”

Henry was concerned, your outburst wasn't anything he had himself encountered with you, but he was proud and relieved that you hadn't allowed your anger to control you and acted out on it. “I'm glad to hear, she behaved herself.”

“Yes, she definitely earned her first gold star.” Anabelle smiled, moving from behind the desk and went to go get you. “Your Daddy's here for you.” She said, stepping into the school room.

You looked up from the book you had been reading and grinned, excited to hear Henry had finally come to get you, after what felt like an eternity. “Okay!” You said, jumping up to your feet and putting the book back in its place. “Bye, guys!” You bid to Eric and Aspen, giving them quick hugs, you were more than ready to be back with Henry again, so you wasted no time following Anabelle back to the front desk.

“Hey, Baby girl!” Henry grinned, brightly, as you came through the door to the waiting area, opening his arms as you dashed over to him and folded you up against his body. “Christ, I missed you.” He mumbled into your hair.

“I missed you too.” You grinned into his chest, taking a deep breath of his scent and felt yourself relax and forget about all the silliness of Hanna trying to bother you. “A whole lot, Daddy.”

Henry chuckled, nosing your hair, softly. “Thanks for taking care of her, Anabelle.”

“Anytime, Henry.” Anabelle smiled at the two of you. “She's a joy.”

“Come on, sweetness. We have a toy store to go to.” Henry smiled at you, taking your hand and walked out to the car with you.

“Oh, I have something for you.” You said, once in the car.

“Do you?” Henry replied, looking over at you, giving you all his attention.

“Mmhm.” You grinned at him, excitedly. “It's in the bag.”

“All right.” Henry smiled, pulling the bag from the back seat and into his lap, searching through until he found a beautifully colored mandala. “You colored this for me?” He asked you, touched and amazed, it was quite intricate.

“Uh-huh.” You nodded, smiling at him.

“I love it, Baby.” He told you, leaning over to kiss your cheek. “It's beautiful, and I can't wait to find a place to hang it up.” He smiled, then tucked the picture back into the bag for safe keeping. “All right! To the toy store!”

You clapped your hands and wiggled in your seat, excited about going to the toy store. “Yay!”

“Ms. Anabelle told me you were a very good girl today.” Henry said, as he drove towards the center of town. “Stopping other Littles from getting into trouble.”

“Uh-huh.” You nodded at him, shyly. “Hanna showed up and she tried to pick on me, Eric and Aspen, while we were on the swings. So, we were leaving to go somewhere else, when she tried tripping me again.”

“I swear, that brat.” Henry huffed, shaking his head, his brow creasing.

“But, Aspen helped me not too, and she got mad at her, got in her face and started yelling at her. I noticed Ms. Kay watching and didn't want Penny to get into trouble, just because Hanna's a meanie. So, we went into the school room, to color.”

Henry glanced over at you. “Is that when you had your little, mini tantrum?” He asked, lifting a brow at you.

You scrunched up in your seat, biting your lip. “It was the first picture I wanted to color for you.” You whispered, looking at your lap and picked at your nails. “But, Hanna kicked the table, while I was in the middle of coloring it, and made me mess it up, so I couldn't fix it.”

Your eyes got dark again as you recalled Hanna's bratty act, catching Henry's notice.

“It really made me mad and I really wanted to hit her.”

“But, you didn't.”

“No.” You whined, shaking your head. “It wouldn't have fixed the picture or stopped Hanna from being a bully.”

“You would have also likely gotten your bottom spanked by Anabelle. Then by me, after we got home.” Henry told you, firmly, giving you a hard look. “But, I'm very proud of you, and the control you have over yourself, even in Little Space.”

“Minus yesterday.” You mumbled, biting your lip.

Henry laughed, shaking his head at you. “No, Little one. That's just normal Little behavior.” He grinned over at you, amused. “Especially, since it seems you're an inquisitive crawler, whilst in your deepest level of Little Space.” He added, chuckling. “And, you really like to stack things, when you're that Little, which I find a bit odd.”

You glanced at him from the corner of your eyes. “Why?”

“Well, if I had to take a guess, in your full Little Space, you're an infant, and based on your predilection to crawl, instead of either staying stationary or walking, your infantilism is between six months to a year old.” He explained to you, turning into the parking lot of the toy store. “Most babies that age haven't started stacking things yet, that's generally a toddler thing.” He told you, finding a parking space.

“But, if you like to stack things, you like to stack things.” He smiled over at you, then got out.

Taking Henry's hand, you walked through the parking lot and towards the Huntersville toy store, which was themed like a jungle. You squeezed Henry's hand with excitement as you walked in, looking around at all the toys, the seemingly endless aisles, shelves and display cases full of all kinds of them. Henry looked down at you, smiling at your giddiness to look around at the vast selection in front of you.

“Anything specific you want to look at first, Little one?” He asked, lifting a brow, and grabbed a hand basket.

“Colors?” You replied, bouncing on your toes and pressing your lips together.

“The art aisle is this way.” He said, turning towards the right aisle.

You gasped at all the art supplies as you turned into the aisle. “Pretty!” You squealed, tugging on Henry's arm.

“Go on.” He grinned, laughing. “You can pick two coloring books.” He told you, setting the basket down and looking at the art supplies on one side of the two sided aisle.

While you looked at coloring books, Henry picked out a zip up case of a hundred and twenty count, professional quality, colored pencils, the same kind for dual tip markers and a seventy-two count of artist-grade soft pastels, giving you the option of which to color with, then grabbed a couple of blank sketchbooks, dropping the items into the basket.

“Did you find the coloring books you wanted?” He asked, when you came up to him, holding the books in your hands.

“Yes.” You nodded at him, proudly showing him the hundred page mandala and the other was a Creepy Kawaii. “I want these ones!” You grinned up at him, excitedly. “Please?” You added, remembering your manners, amongst your excitement.

“Do you have a little Goth side?” Henry grinned at you, taking the Creepy Kawaii coloring book from you and flipping through it. “With your black paci and now with this.” He playfully teased you.

Your cheeks warmed and looked down at your feet. “A little bit.” You admitted to him.

“That's adorable.” He chuckled, putting the coloring book in the basket. “You can have them.” He told you, resting his hand on your head.

“Thank you!” You squeaked, putting the other coloring book in.

“All right.” Henry sighed, leaning down and picked up the basket, starting for the end of the aisle, but paused, when something caught his eye and looked at you, tilting his head. “Hm.” He hummed, setting the basket down again and picked up an acrylic paint set, containing forty-eight different acrylic paint colors and twelve brushes.

He looked at you again, making you blink at him, your head tilting slightly, he knew he would likely have to supervise you, while you used the paints, to ensure you didn't make a mess or if you were deep in Little Space, you didn't try putting any of it into your mouth. Henry was interested in what you would do with all the art supplies, once he got you home.

“Stay put for a moment.” He told you, putting the paint set into the basket and went down the aisle to grab a couple of paint canvases for you to use. “Okay, let's find some things for you to play with, when you're in Little, little, Space.” He told you, going down a couple of aisles and found a baby and toddler aisle.

“Ooo.” You suddenly cooed, rushing over to a toy on the shelf.

“You like that one?” Henry asked you, picking it up, it was a stacking toy, with colored shapes that fit into specific pegs attached to a board.

“Mmhm.” You nodded up at him.

Henry chuckled and put it into the basket with a rainbow stacking tower. “Oh, these look like a lot of fun.” He smiled at you, picking up a four pack of play dough and some kinetic sand.

“Daddy, what are those stuffies?” You asked, pointing to the other side of the aisle.

“They're paci stuffies.” Henry replied, turning around to look. “They hook onto the ring of your paci.” He explained to you, scanning the selection, before his eyes landed on the one he knew you would love; an elephant, then plucked it off the shelf. “That should do it. We need to make a pit stop at the shopping center, before we go home.” He told you, taking your hand in one of his and the basket in the other, escorting you to the checkout line

“Why?” You asked, as the cashier rang up and bagged the items.

Henry smirked, licking his lips. “I have a crawling Little, I have to make sure I keep out of things.” He teased, kissing your forehead. “Thanks.” He smiled at the cashier, swiping his card and taking the bags, letting you walk beside him, so he had both hands free to carry them.

He put the bags in the trunk of the car and you got into the passenger seat, before you both went off to the shopping center. Henry grabbed a cart and you both went inside, to the Little section; where Henry inspected the baby gates and other Little safety items. After nearly twenty minutes of comparing three different types of metal baby gates, Henry picked a matte brown, adjustable baby gate that allowed him to use it on stairs, doors and entryways. He also picked up a couple safety straps to put on the dishwasher and anywhere else he felt he might need them in the future, and cabinet latches for the kitchen and laundry room.

“You like putting things in your mouth.” He commented to himself, directing you to another aisle. “I have an idea for that!” He grinned to himself, so proud. “Teethers!” He chuckled, grabbing a silicone, gel-filled teether toy and a ring of silicone beads, with a wood ring and silicone elephant attached to it, as well as a feeding teether.

You held your hand out for the elephant teether.

“Daddy has to pay for it first, baby.” He smiled at you, putting them in the cart, then noticed your butt wiggle. “Do you need a change?” He asked, frowning at you. “Okay.” He nodded, eyes wide as you nodded at him, urgently. “I forgot your bag in the car.” He groaned, taking you towards the bathroom, leaving the cart long enough for you both to go into a private changing room. “That's all right.” He sighed, grabbing one of the supplied pampers from the dispenser, with a small package of wipes.

“Why didn't you tell me sooner you needed a change?” He asked you, finding your pamper absolutely full.

You shrugged your shoulders at him, stifling a yawn in your fist.

“Hm.” Henry hummed at you, tossing your soiled pamper into the bin and putting the fresh one on you. “It's been a long day, hasn't it?” He said, fixing your leggings.

“Mm.” You grunted back, wrapping your arms around his neck as he picked you up off the changing table, sleepily rubbing your face against his neck. “Ba?” You hummed in his ear.

“I'll make you a bottle when we get home.” He whispered back to you, carrying you out of the changing room and back to the cart, and not putting you down, Henry pushed the cart to the checkout line.

“Don't bother putting the gates on the belt, I can just enter their code from here.” The cashier told Henry, keeping his voice low, when he noticed you were sound asleep in Henry's arms.

Henry mouthed his 'thank you' and put the smaller items on the belt, carefully shifting the arm he had braced underneath your bottom, so he could reach for his wallet and pay for the items. “Sshh.” He hushed you, pushing the cart and carrying you across the parking lot to the car, at the same time.

Putting you in the car first and buckling you in, Henry reached into the center console for your paci that was stored there. “It's all right, baby.” He cooed at you, rubbing the orthodontic nipple against your lips and massaged your thigh, calming you. “Good girl.” He whispered, kissing your cheek, then closed your door as quietly as he could, before going to the cart he stopped at the back of the car and loaded the stuff into the trunk, with the toys, pushed the cart into its corral and headed home.

Chapter Text

Once at home, Henry took you inside and laid you down on the couch, where he knew you would be safe, while he got everything inside. Then, went about making you a bottle, like you had asked for in the store. He tugged his shirt off and sat down on the couch beside you, slipping your paci out of your mouth and shifted your into his lap, smiling as you melted into his arms, nuzzling your warm cheek against his chest with a soft sigh and the sweetest smile, Henry had ever seen, as he slipped the bottle's nipple into your mouth.

“God, I love you so fucking much.” He cooed at you, gently rocking side to side and kissed your forehead. “My beautiful baby girl.” He smiled, brushing the back of his fingers against your cheek.

When you finished your bottle, Henry gently burped you and carried you upstairs to your crib, laying you down and tucking you in with your paci, blanket and Dewey.

“What a day.” Henry sighed, putting the freezable teether in the freezer and paused for a moment, before going back upstairs and went down the hall to one of the spare bedrooms, pushing the door open and standing in the threshold as his mind considered the idea that had occurred to him. “A play room.” He whispered, smiling and nodding.

“I'll turn this into her play room.”

Going downstairs again, Henry unpacked everything that was bought and put them away, putting up a baby gate at the top of the stairs and in the laundry room doorway, before scrolling through the Huntersville app for the number to Huntersville's tech guy, Toa Tilo, who could wire CC cameras throughout the house, so he could have a more serious set up of baby monitors to keep an eye on you.

“Yes, hello!” Henry said, when Toa picked up his call. “I'm Henry Cavill, and I live on Elmwood Street.” He explained, knowing that if he mentioned the street he lived on, it would pique Toa's interest a little bit more, since Elmwood street was the part of Huntersville where the most wealthy, influential and upper class Bigs lived, meaning they would more than likely buy the most expensive and top quality tech he had in his inventory.

Which was exactly what Henry meant to do.

“Mr. Cavill, it's great to hear from you!” Toa replied, smiling. “How can I help you today?” He asked, eagerly sitting down in his office chair.

“I have a new Little, that I wasn't prepared for.” Henry explained to him, chuckling, sitting back in his own office chair, his eyes on the live feed of the baby monitor sitting on his desk, showing you curled up in your crib; he grinned, seeing you shift, rubbing your blanket against your face, before settling again. “I only have a generic, little baby monitor for her, but I would like to wire the house with CC cameras and I know that's right in your wheelhouse, from what I've heard from other Bigs and the reviews on the Huntersville app.” He told him, running a hand through his curls.

“I want the absolute best you have, in your inventory. Money isn't a concern or a factor. I just need to make sure she's safe and sound, especially since she's a very small Little, with the habit of crawling about and wanting to get into things.”

Toa nodded his head, listening to everything Henry was telling him and jotting down a few notes for himself. “I can completely understand your concern for her well-being, Mr. Cavill. My own Little one has a habit of getting into things herself. It's a fright to monitor them, while they're just sitting still and minding their P's and Q's, but when they're on the move, it's a whole other level.”

“You can say that again.” Henry chuckled, smirking.

“I'll compile all of my newest cameras and gear for you.” Toa explained to Henry. “Do you have a space in your home, where you can link all of this to? It will need a hard wire space, even though you will still be able to access it remotely.”

“Yes, I have a home office upstairs.” Henry answered, glancing around the spacious office that housed his gaming PC and laptop, with most of his work stuff.

“Excellent.” Toa nodded, making another note. “How many monitors would you like? Just so I know if I should bring more than one.”

Henry bit his lip, he had the monitor for his gaming rig, but he would like to be able to play his game and still see you, if you were elsewhere in the house. “I'm not sure how many rooms, we'll actually be putting cameras in.” He admitted he hadn't picked out all of the rooms, other than the master and nursery, the living room, kitchen and a few outside, and what would eventually be your playroom.

“I'll bring a couple with me, and we'll do a walk through of your home, and decide once we do that, then we can figure out how many monitors you'll need for your office.” Toa told him.

“That's fine.” Henry nodded, relaxing. “Is it possible for you to come by and do it tomorrow?” He asked, biting his lip, he really wanted to get it over with, for his own peace of mind.

“Let's see.” Toa woke up his computer and accessed his work schedule, tapping his foot as he checked it out. “I am completely free tomorrow, so it will be fine. I can come by around eight or nine-thirty am, whichever works for you, Mr. Cavill.”

“Eight am will be perfect.” Henry assured him, already feeling better.

“Great, I'll see you then.”

“I look forward to it.”

“Be a good girl.” Henry said, pointing a gentle finger at you as he set you down on the couch and pressed play on a movie he pulled up on his Disney Plus account. “And stay put.” He added, with a teasing smirk.

You pressed your lips together, nodding your head and burrowed down into the couch cushions with your paci and Dewey, eyes gluing to James and the Giant Peach as it started on the massive flat screen.

Henry patted you on the head, smiling softly, then turned his attention back on Toa, who had set up his selection of cameras on the dining table. “That is quite the selection.” He chuckled, looking them over.

“Yes, they are.” Toa chuckled back at him, smirking, and began explaining all of the cameras to him. “All of these have audio included with their live feeds, as well as night vision and their angle can be manipulated.”

Henry nodded his head, liking what he was hearing. “I like that.”

“These two..” Toa pointed to two of the cameras on the table. “Also, have built in microphones.” He said, smiling over at Henry.

“Impressive.” Henry smiled back, tilting his head at them, then chewed on his lip, surveying on them, before making his choices. “I'll take those.” He said, pointing out his choices to Toa.

“Okay.” Toa nodded at Henry, writing them down on his clipboard. “Now, we just need to know where to put them.” He said, looking at the Brit. “They are all ceiling mount.”

“I want them that way and I, for sure, want one here in the kitchen.” He replied, motioning around the room with his hand.

Toa moved around the kitchen, he had been installing CC cameras for a long time, and knew what angles and where the best places were to mount them, once he knew what room they were meant to go in. “For the maximum coverage of your kitchen, the back sliding glass door and your laundry room door, this space would be the best place to secure the camera.” He explained to Henry, pointing up to the spot on the ceiling with the tip of his ball point pen.

“I trust your opinion.” Henry assured him, with a nod. “The next one, I would like in the living room.”

“Okay.”

The two men moved into the living room, smiling sweetly at you as they did, then discussed that camera's placement, before moving upstairs, for a camera in the Nursery and down the hall in what would become your playroom. Henry also had Toa set one up in the back veranda, where he could see it and the pool area, as well a camera on the front porch, as well as several other locations in the house. With all the decided locations of the cameras, plus two extra monitors to live feed them, Toa got to work mounting and wiring them throughout the house and into Henry's office.

“Oh, hey! Huntersville is having a pool party this weekend.” Henry grinned as he sat down beside you on the couch, now that there was nothing more he could do to help Toa. “That sounds exciting.” He said, giddy about going to a Community Event for the first time with you.

“Yeah.” You nodded, grinning at him, but there was a soft shadow of apprehension in your eyes.

“We have to get you a bathing suit!” He said, lifting his brows, realizing you didn't have one. “We'll go tomorrow and get you one.” He smiled at you, kissing your hair.

“Okay, Mr. Cavill, all of your cameras have been installed and connected to their set up.” Toa said, coming into the living room, four hours later. “Here's a pamphlet on the app, so you can access their feed from your phone.” He explained, holding the little, three-fold booklet out to Henry. “If you have any issues or need anything else, you know how to contact me.”

“Thank you so much, Mr. Tilo.” Henry replied, standing up and walking to the door with him. “I really appreciate it. It gives me a great deal of peace of mind having the cameras.” He told him, opening the door for Toa, and extending his hand.

“Then, it was a job well done, Mr. Cavill.” Toa grinned at him, taking Henry's hand and shook it, firmly, before being on his way.

“That really does make me feel better.” He said again, unfolding the pamphlet and pulling his phone out of his pocket.

“Daddy?” You cooed, drawing your knees up to your chest.

“Hm?” Henry hummed back, lifting a brow at the screen of his phone as he searched for the app he needed in the Google Play store.

“Teef?” You asked, lifting a brow back at him.

Frowning at his phone, he looked over at you. “Teeth?” He replied, blinking at you, not understanding, his brows drawing together.

“Cold Teef?” You replied, tilting your head at him.

Henry smirked a little, before turning on his heels and went into the kitchen, pulling open the freezer door and took out the frozen teething ring, bringing it back to you. He sat down on the couch and held it out to you. You smiled and took it from him, putting the icy cold ring into your mouth, moaning softly as you sucked and chewed on it, chilling your lips.

“There we go, all set up.” Henry smiled, clicking through the individual camera feeds. “You like that teether, don't you?” He asked, watching you num on it from the camera in the living room, before turning his head to look at you.

“Mmhm.” You mumbled around it, nodding your head at him.

Henry bit his lip for a moment, before wrapping his hand around your wrist and pulled the teether out of your mouth. Leaning in close to you, he hesitated a second longer, before pressing his warm lips to your chilled ones. You gasped silently, caught off guard by his kiss, something Henry had wanted to do since he met you. Henry pulled away, when he felt your lips were warm again, looking into your surprised eyes, but watched you smirk at him, and chuckled, relieved that you weren't repulsed by him kissing you on the lips.

“Look how cute you are.”

Henry smiled, looking you over in your one-piece, red and white polka dot, Minnie Mouse swimsuit, and gently pinched your cheek. “Let's get some sunblock on that precious skin.” He said, picking up a gel, SPF fifty, sunblock and squeezed some of it into his hand, then started rubbing it into all of the exposed patches of skin and your face. “There we go, baby doll.” He cooed at you, kissing your forehead, and slipping a pair of shorts onto you, then put sunblock on himself.

“All right, Princess, time to go swimming!” He smiled at you, grabbing your Little bag, then took you by the hand and walked out to the car with you.

Henry drove to the huge community pool that Huntersville had, since not everyone in Huntersville had the luxury of a pool on their own private property. There were at least two dozen people around the pool area already, when you arrived, that was surrounded by umbrella topped tables, a couple of barbecue grills, a couple of which were lit up and had hot dogs, burgers and other items grilling on them; even multiple, huge coolers full of drinks.

It was a down right party.

“Hey guys, over here!” Jasmine called out, waving you and Henry over to the table she already had reserved for her, Eric, you, Henry and Aspen.

“Hey, Jazzy.” Henry smiled at her, setting your bag down on the table. “How's it going, Tommy?” He asked, acknowledging the other male at the table, who was Aspen's Daddy.

“It's going great, Hank. I see, this is your new Little cutie.” Tommy grinned, winking at you.

“This is her.” Henry grinned at you, watching you shyly hide behind him. “Can you say hello, Little one?” He asked, squeezing your hand.

“Hello.” You squeaked, pressing herself against Henry's back.

“Hello, Darlin'.” Tommy greeted you back, tipping his head to you.

“Where's Aspen and Eric?” Henry asked, lifting his brow at the other two Bigs.

“They're already over in the pool.” Jasmine replied, pointing to them as they paddled around the deep end.

“You wanna go in the pool with them, baby?” He asked, turning to you, but you shook your head at him. “Don't you wanna play with Penny and Eric?” He asked again, frowning at you, confused.

You glanced over at the pool, to your friends, catching Aspen and Eric's attention and they waved at you, but you looked up at Henry and nodded your head at him, slowly.

“Well, you have to get in the pool, silly girl.” Henry chuckled at you, tugging down your shorts, but frowned again, when you, yet again, shook your head at him, then narrowed his eyes, a suspicion creeping over him. “Honey, can you...“ He licked his lips, gulping. “Can you not—swim?” He asked, head tilting at you.

You bit your lip, embarrassed, and shook your head.

Henry's eyes flared with alarm. “Why didn't you tell me, Dove?” He asked, cupping your warm face in his hands, but saw your embarrassment, and realized how he took knowing how to swim for granted. “That's all right, Princess.” He cooed at you, kissing your forehead, then pulled his shirt off over his head and tossed it over your Little bag and slipped off his flip-flops. “Come on, Sweetness, let's get in the pool.” He said, taking your hand and directed you towards the shallow end. “I've got you.” He murmured, keeping a hold of you as you took the three steps into the water, pulling you close to him as you shivered, the water being chilly.

You held onto Henry, your hands clutching his thick biceps, as you moved a little bit deeper in the shallow end. Henry smiled at you, as Aspen and Eric swam over from the deep end to greet you both, but you still didn't let go of Henry, legs wrapped around his waist.

“Hey.” Aspen grinned, keeping herself afloat, while Eric easily stood, being the same height as Henry.

“Hey.” You smiled back at her.

“Are you okay?” Eric asked, lifting a brow at you.

“Um..” You pressed your lips together.

“She doesn't know how to swim.” Henry explained, softly. “Yet.” He added sweetly, smiling at you; fully intent on teaching you at some point soon.

Eric and Aspen nodded, understanding and stayed in the shallow end with you, enjoying the leisureliness of it, even playing with a couple of the pool toys that came floating by. But, the fun was disturbed, when Jasmine came to the edge of the pool, calling out to Henry, and asking for his help with something pertaining to the party activities.

“Of course.” He nodded, bringing himself and you to the edge of the pool, then sat you on the edge, and pulled himself out. “You either sit here or you go back to our table, Little one. Nowhere else, understood?” He told you, strictly.

“Yes, Daddy.” You replied, tilting your head back, to look up at him.

“Good girl.” He nodded at you, before going off to help Jasmine and the other Bigs.

“I'll be back, I have to go potty.” Aspen said, getting out of the pool and scurried over to the bathrooms.

Eric pulled himself up and sat down beside you, both your feet dipped in the pool and swishing in the water. “I like your bathing suit.” He commented, smiling at you.

“Thanks.” You replied, smiling back at him. “Sorry, I can't play in the pool with you and Aspen, properly.”

“Ah, it's nothing.” Eric brushed it off, shrugging his shoulders. “Pools are overrated, and this isn't the funnest event Huntersville has, either! Wait until the Halloween Trick o' Treating! It's so much fun, we have all the best candy!” He grinned at you, laughing.

“Who wants ice cream!?” A voice yelled out behind you.

“Ooo!” You and Eric gasped, twisting around to see Henry and several of the Bigs had gone to help distribute the ice cream.

“Race you!” Eric said, jumping to his feet and ran towards the line.

You shot up and chased after him, laughing, not even caring that you lost, you just wanted ice cream. You waited in line with Eric and got excited, when you finally reached the front, Eric got a fudgesicle and you got a grape Popsicle, smiling up at Henry as he handed it to you, with a wink. You and Eric walked around with your Popsicles, enjoying them and chatting as you did so.

“I'll be right back, I'm going to go throw my stick away.” Eric said, before walking off towards the nearest trash bin.

Nodding, you paused to wait for him to come back, lifting your hand to lick the melting purple juice off of your fingers and the back of your hand, not noticing someone coming up on you, until you felt hands on you and tipped off balance. Your almost finished Popsicle dropped to the ground as you tried to regain your balance, but failed, falling sideways, into the deep end of the pool. Eric was halfway back to you, when he saw Hanna shove you into the pool, gasping and twisted around, looking for Henry.

“Henry!” He screamed, getting the Brit's attention as he was handing another Little an ice cream cone. “Pool! Pool!!” Eric yelled, jumping up and down, while pointing frantically to the pool, his face full of horror.

Henry's eyes darted to the pool, instantly understanding what was going on, feeling his adrenaline spike, as he dashed forward, hurtling a chair that was in his way and dove into the pool. He frantically swam towards you and wrapped his arms around you, then shoved off the bottom of the pool and propelled to the surfacing again. He rested you back against his chest and swam to the shallow end, then carried you out of the pool as you coughed up the pool water you inhaled; shivering and shaking from the cold water and the shock and fright of the situation; while clinging onto Henry for dear life.

“It's all right.” Henry panted into your hair, rubbing and patting your back, making sure there was no more water in you. “It's all right, baby. Daddy's here.” He said, hugging you against him, once he was sure you had expelled all of the pool water. “What happened?” He snapped at Eric, as he came around with Jasmine, Aspen and Tommy, as well as several other concerned pool goers.

“Hanna.” Eric said, pointing a finger at the other Little, as she approached. “She pushed her, when she wasn't looking.” He told Henry, glaring at Hanna. “I saw the whole thing!”

“I did not!” Hanna barked back at him, then twisted around to look up at her Daddy. “They're always picking on me, Daddy.” She pouted, stamping her foot.

“Oh no, you little Brat.” Henry hissed, venomously, cupping the back of your dripping head, not holding back his rage.

“Now, Cavill.” Hanna's Daddy started, holding out a palm to defend his Hanna.

“Don't even try it, Matteo.” Henry interrupted him, sharply. “Your little Brat has been tormenting and bullying my Baby Girl since they met. With zero just cause.” He growled, glaring daggers into the other Daddy and his Deviling. “I've been meaning to discuss this with you. Hanna's pushed her to the ground, amongst other things. Just being mean is one thing. But, a Little shoving another Little into the deep end of a pool is plain spiteful.”

“Made even worse by the fact that my sweet girl doesn't know how to swim.”

“I didn't know that.” Hanna blurted out, involuntarily,

“So, you did push her in the pool?” Matteo asked, looking down at his Little, his gaze growing severe and angry.

“She--”

Matteo lifted a brow at her, daring her to lie again. “Little Girl?” He growled, narrowing his eyes.

“Yes, I pushed her into the pool.” Hanna sighed, bowing her head and admitting her defeat.

Growling and pushing his chin forward, Matteo grabbed Hanna by the upper arm. “I truly had no idea she was behaving so horridly.” He said, gritting his teeth and staring down at Hanna, who looked horrified. “I'm so sorry that she's been such a little beast to your precious Little one, Henry.” He offered his heartfelt apology. “Rest assured, we're going home, this instant, and she's going to feel her roguish behavior, for the next week.” He told him, with a stiff nod of his head.

“I hope so.” Henry replied, holding Matteo's eyes, coldly.

Matteo hauled Hanna through the crowd, gathered their things and left.

“Is she okay?” Jasmine asked, coming forward to check on you.

“Shaken up, amongst other things.” Henry replied, cupping your face in his hands and gently rubbing his thumbs over your irritated and wet eyes. “I'm just going to take her home.” He told her, scooping you up in his arms and carried you over to the table, pulling out one of the towels he packed in the bag and wrapped it around you. “Come on, baby.” He cooed into your ear, as he carried you to the car. “I'll take you home and draw you a nice warm bath, then we'll cuddle on the couch for a little bit.” He promised, as you continued to shiver against him.

Henry left everything in the car, when you finally reached home, just carrying you straight into the house and upstairs into the master bathroom. Setting you on the counter and tugging the towel tighter around you, Henry started the bath, adding a bit more hot water than usual to it, then turned back to you and helped you out of your bathing suit and into the tub. He smiled at you, as he cupped the warm water over your shaking and goose-bumped skin, hoping you didn't see how angry he still was, but not at you. You hadn't done anything wrong, you had been innocently enjoying your frozen treat, like the marvelously good girl you are, when that evil brat decided to attack you, out of the middle of nowhere.

What crushed Henry the most, was the look on your face.

It was a lost, withdrawn and betrayed expression, that you wouldn't make eye contact with Henry, just casting them down and to the side, blood shot from the chlorine and the silent tears you had intermittently shed. He knew his Baby Girl was traumatized and likely wouldn't want to ever get back into the pool again, and part of him couldn't and didn't blame you for that, he would have felt the same way in your shoes, but he didn't want you to be afraid of anything, especially not the pool, because of Hanna and her cruel antics.

“Why doesn't she like me?” You mumbled, as Henry rubbed you down with the towel, after getting you out of the tub.

Henry sighed through his nose and dropped his chin to his chest, looking you in the eyes. “I don't know, Baby.” He told you honestly, brushing his fingers through your wet and clean hair. “All I do know is she's a mean and naughty Brat Little, that needs to be set straight by her Daddy.” He said and finished drying you off.

He could still feel you shivering a little bit, which he didn't like at all.

“How about a bottle, hm?” He asked, smiling brilliantly at you, hoping to liven you up a bit.

But, all he got was a somber nod.

“All right.” He sighed, kissing your forehead, then picked you up again and took you into the nursery, laying you down on the changing table, to put a pamper on you, with an 'I love Daddy' onesie and fluff socks. “Just lay right there for a moment, okay? Daddy needs to get out of these shorts.” He told you, before going into his walk-in closet to get out of his damp swim trunks, just pulling on a pair of loose joggers. “Come to Daddy, Baby girl.” He cooed at you, coming back into the nursery.

“Are you still cold, honey?” He asked, as he opened the baby gate at the top of the stairs, you were still shivering, as you clung to him.

“No.” You rasped, nuzzling your face into his neck.

“Hm.” He hummed, rubbing up and down your back, going down the stairs and into the kitchen. “You don't have to be afraid anymore.” He told you, shifting you carefully to his hip, so one of his hands was free to make your bottle. “You're safe and sound now.” He tried reassuring you, taking the banana cereal and the formula out of the pantry.

“I know.” You whined, hugging your arms around his neck. “It just..” You started to say, but trailed off.

“It just..what?” Henry frowned at you, measuring the contents into the bottle, then screwed on the cap and dropped it into the warmer. “Tell me.” He cooed at you, resting you on the counter.

You pursed your lips and shifted, your eyes losing focus for a moment, as your mind went elsewhere. “One of my cousins was supposed to teach me how to swim, once, when I was seven or eight. But instead, he tossed me into the lake and stood on the shore laughing, until someone heard and came to see what was so funny, then realized what my cousin had done and they pulled me out of the water.”

Henry pressed his palms to the counter on either side of your thighs and looked you in the eyes. “That's why you never learned to swim. The one time you trusted someone to teach you, that someone you trusted to do so, broke that trust and nearly let you drown; while having the time of his life about it.”

“Yeah.” You nodded, looking down at your lap. “I've had others offer, but..” You shook your head at him, gulping, as a strong shiver quaked down your back; not understanding why most people tended to be so mean to you.

“You got into the water with me.” Henry pointed out, lifting a brow at you.

“I knew you wouldn't let go of me.” You replied, blinking at him, with such an innocent look in your eyes.

Henry blinked back at you, head tilting slightly. He hadn't expected that to be your reply, making him realize just how much you trusted him, which hadn't fully sunk in, until that very moment. It gave Henry an unbelievable amount of pride and happiness knowing that you trusted him so completely and seemingly unconditionally, especially with something like getting into a pool, after being so traumatized by so many negative experiences with it.

“There's no way in hell, I would have let you go, knowing that you couldn't swim.” Henry told you, resting his hands on your hips. “I wouldn't have let you go, even if you could stand up in the water.” He added, plucking up your bottle as the warmer beeped. “I want to teach you how to swim.” He explained, carrying you into the living room and settled on the couch, reaching for the Union Jack blanket from behind it and draped it over you, then slouched into the cushions and kicked his feet up on the coffee table.

“If you would allow me too, that is.” He added, picking the remote up off the cushion beside him and found something on the tv.

You grunted at him, nudging his chest with your cheek and making him chuckle at you, getting the hint that you just wanted your bottle at the moment, putting the swimming lessons on the back burner. Giving the bottle a shake, Henry let you latch onto the nipple, smiling as you moaned softly around it, your body going slack in Henry's lap and arms, as you gently suckled down your toasty warm and thickened formula. He stroked your cheek with his index finger as you fed, his eyes on the Kansas City Chiefs game as they played against the Cleveland Browns, trying to keep his passion and enthusiasm for the game contained, while he held and fed you, in case he jostled you in the middle of a swallow and caused you to choke.

“Such a good girl.” He purred at you, once you finished, shifting you carefully, and patted your back through the blanket, until you burped, then let you cuddle in his lap again. “Oh, look at that yawn.” He cooed, watching your face scrunch up with it, as it stretched across your face, your lips smacking together, then nuzzle your face into his hairy chest, whimpering softly. “So sleepy, huh.” He whispered, brushing his fingers through your still damp hair, seeing you had dropped quite deeply into Little Space.

“Are you Daddy's sleepy girl?” He asked you, tracing the tip of his finger down the bridge of your nose. “Yes, you are.” He smiled down at you, as you made a small and babyish noise at him. “My sweet sweet baby.” He chuckled, enamored by the sweet sound. “How I love you, my baby.” He cooed, smitten and soft with you. “Why don't you nap, honey pie. I'll hold you.” He whispered, kissing your forehead, then leaned forward to hook his pinky into the ring of your purple alpaca paci on the coffee table, slipping it between your lips and holding it to your mouth, until you started suckling on it.

“Nap nap time, baby.” He murmured, tucking the blanket in around you, and got you both more comfortable on the couch, thinking about dozing off for a little while himself, before doing so, you held in his arms.

Kal even jumped up on the couch, to curl up beside you both, joining the napping session.

Chapter Text

Henry lifted a brow as he caught a glimpse of a Little in a blue onesie crawling through the foyer, from the living room, where you were supposed to be watching Luca on the couch, and into the kitchen. You disappeared on the other side of the island for a moment, before appearing around the corner to his left. He paused as he stood at the counter, where he was portioning out some of his MuscleTech products into two shakers, and looked down at you as you crawled over to him, resting your back against the island and your shoulder against the side of his calf. You tilted your head back and grinned up at Henry, eyes bright and happy, living up to the yellow, cursive letters on the front of your custom made onesie, 'Daddy's Sweetest Baby Girl' Henry had custom made and ordered it from the Little section of the Huntersville App himself.

“Hey there, Sweetheart.” He cooed at you, dumping the level scoop of whey protein into a shaker. “What are you doing in here, hm?” He hummed at you. “You're going to miss out on your movie.” He told you.

“Elp?” You cooed back, lifting an interested brow at him.

“Hm.” Henry frowned down at you for a moment, but smirked taking out one of his spare shakers and a spoon, handing them down to you. “Can you stir that up for Daddy?” He asked you, even though it was empty.

You vigorously nodded your head at him, excited to help Daddy with whatever it was he was doing. Dipping the spoon into the empty shaker, you happily stirred it around, as if there really was something inside of it, humming softly to yourself and rocking on your padded bottom. He chuckled, smiling down at you for a moment, before finishing up. Once he was finished portioning out his supplements into the two shakers and putting the lids on everything, Henry reached down for the shaker and spoon you had, with a smile and a wink, then pretended to add it to his other shakers, before putting them away in the refrigerator.

“Ood elp, Daddy?” You asked him, smiling.

“The best help, baby doll.” He smiled at you. “Someone's feeling like an extra small baby today.” He murmured, squatting down in front of you and cupped your face in his hands, rubbing his thumbs over your cheeks.

You pressed your lips together, your body wriggling and kicking your legs a little bit, as you nodded your head at him, grinning. Henry smiled back at you, he loved it when you were almost in your full Little Space. He patted you on the head and wrapped your arms around his neck, standing as he picked you up and sat you on his hip, before carrying you over to your high chair and got you settled into it.

“Daddy's going to try something different with you.” He told you, going into the pantry. “So, humor me.” He said, pulling open a drawer and removed a special, purple rubber-tipped spoon, then moved back around to your chair. “You wanna try some nummies for Daddy?” He asked you, pulling a chair up in front of you and sat down.

“Num nums?” You cooed back at him, curiously tilting your head at him.

Henry grinned broadly at you, amused and smitten with his Little Baby. “Yeah. Num nums, Baby.” He nodded at you, opening the container he had brought over with him. “What do we have?” He sighed, looking at the container's packaging. “Apple and Banana with mixed Cereal. Well, I know you like those things.” He said, dipping the spoon into the pureed baby food, then held it out to you.

“Ah, open.” He cooed at you, clicking his tongue.

You bite your lip for a moment, studying the baby food, before opening up and allowing Henry to insert the spoon into your mouth. You rubbed the pureed food over your tongue, lips smacking softly as you pondered on the flavor of the food and whether or not you actually liked it or not. Henry studied you back, brows lifted, as he watched, half expecting you to spit it out.

“Good?” He asked, once you actually swallowed.

“Ood.” You replied, nodding your head.

“Good.” Henry smiled, giving you another spoonful. “I'll remember that.” He said, getting up for a moment, to grab the dish cloth off the island counter, but stopped to grab another container of another flavor, and brought them back, gently wiping your face with the cloth. “Who could that be?” He frowned, getting up again as the phone rang, grabbing it off the cradle and pressed it to his ear with his shoulder, so he could keep feeding you.

“Cavill.”

“Henry, it's Jazz.”

“Oh, hey!” He smiled, perking up. “How's it going, Jazzy?”

“It's going well, how are you?” She asked, stroking Eric's head as he cuddled with her.

“Same, same.” Henry answered, feeding you the last few bites of the Apple and Banana baby food. “Is everything all right?”

“Yeah! Everything's fine. I just have a question for you.” Jasmine said, smiling down at Eric. “Eric asked me, to ask you, if it was okay, if your Little one could spend the night.” She explained to him, combing her fingers through her Little Boy's soft, brown hair.

“Oh.” Henry replied, surprised by the request, but pleasantly so, and smiled at you. “I'm sure we can work out a day for that to happen and that she would love to spend the night with you and Eric.” He said, wiping your mouth and sitting back in his chair.

“Eric would be ecstatic, if she did. Tommy's already said Aspen could spend the night too, as soon as the three of us figure out a day for them.” Jasmine told him, smiling down at Eric, as he beamed, excited that Henry agreed to allow you to spend the night with him and his Mommy.

“How about this Friday?” Henry suggested, getting up from his chair to look at the calendar hanging on the refrigerator.

“That would work wonderfully for me.” Jasmine agreed, twisting her fingers in Eric's hair.

“Excellent.” Henry nodded, then hung up with Jasmine, smiling over at you. “You've got a sleepover date, Baby.” He grinned at you, excitedly. “You excited to spend the night with Eric and Aspen?” He asked, sitting back down in his chair.

You bit your lip, you liked the idea of a sleepover with your friends, but you were also terrified of being away from Henry, even for a few hours, let alone a whole night. Henry rubbed your leg underneath the tray of your high chair, seeing your reluctance, but knew it would wear off once you got to Jasmine's place and got distracted with all the fun you would be having with your friends and fell asleep.

“You'll have a blast.” He said softly, giving your knee a gentle squeeze. “Here, let's see how you like this nummy.” He told you, removing the freshness seal on the clear, square container, dipped the spoon into it and then deposited it into your mouth, only to watch your face instantly twist with incredible dislike of the flavor.

Henry didn't mean too, but he couldn't help it either, as he openly laughed at your disgusted face.

“Oh, baby.” He cooed, still laughing and grinning at your expression, before holding the dish towel under your chin. “Spit it out, Princess.” He chuckled, not wanting to force you to swallow something you apparently found incredibly vile, and checked the label to see what flavor it was. “All right, pumpkin, no green beans.” He smiled, tossing the towel in the sink and green bean puree away in the bin, then wiped your mouth and chin with a damp paper towel.

“We'll try the other two flavors later.” Henry said, picking you up out of your chair and carrying you upstairs to the nursery, changing your pamper. “You're so beautiful.” He grinned, kissing your bare belly, making you giggle.

You repressed the urge to wrap yourself around Henry as you walked up the footpath leading up to Jasmine and Eric's home, four blocks away from where you and Henry lived in Huntersville. Sensing your anxiety, Henry kissed your temple and squeezed your hand, trying to calm you and instill some measure of confidence into you as you reached the door and he pressed the doorbell.

Eric yelled your name, as he yanked the door open and bum rushed you.

“Eric Giovanni!” Jasmine's voice barked from behind him, before she appeared, hands on her hips. “What have I told you about opening this door yourself?” She scolded him, narrowing her eyes.

Eric looked abashed as he stepped away from the open door, letting Jasmine greet Henry and you herself. “Sorry, Mama.” He whined, his eyes glued to his bare feet.

Jasmine sighed, rolling her eyes and shook her head, reaching out to comb her long, stiletto nails though the back of his hair. “You're fine, my sweet boy.” She cooed at him, softly, before turning her attention to you and Henry. “Please, come in.” She said, stepping aside.

“Thanks.” Henry grinned at her, amused.

“Here, I'll take that.” Jasmine offered, holding her hand out for the Little bag Henry had resting on his shoulder.

“There are pampers in there for her, but she shouldn't need a change until bedtime and I gave her a bath before we came, so she's squeaky clean.” He explained, grinning teasingly at you. “There's also two bottles already filled with her lactose-free milk for her, since she has a very sensitive tummy, and a change of clothes, should she need them for any reason, with her stuffie and paci, and she has her weighted blanket.”

“Excellent, she's all set.” Jasmine smiled, looking over at you, as you stood shyly next to Henry, already in your jammies.

“Okay, baby.” Henry said, turning to you and pulling you into his arms. “I'll see you in the morning. You be a good girl for Ms. Jasmine, like you are for Daddy, okay?” He told you, rubbing your back and kissing the top of your head.

“Okay.” You replied, nuzzling your face into his shirt, mildly clinging onto him and trying to hold his scent in your nose.

“I love you, baby girl.” He whispered to you, tilting your head back.

“I love you too, Daddy.” You cooed back at him.

Henry grinned at you, leaning in and kissed you on the lips. “All right, I'm off. Have fun, pumpkin.” He told you, slowly pulling away.

“Now, Eric, why don't you take her into the den and you two can watch Paw Patrol, while you wait for Aspen to come.” Jasmine suggested, slipping your Little bag onto her shoulder and holding out her hands for your blanket. “I'll take your blankie, honey. Oh my, that's heavy.”

“It's twelve pounds.” You commented, out of nervousness.

Jasmine smiled at you, sweetly, winking and gently touched your cheek.

“Come on.” Eric said, taking your hand and leading you into the den. “Oh my god! So,” He pulled you down onto the floor beside him, in front of the huge flat screen tv in the den, but glanced back to the doorway, making sure his Mommy wasn't there. “Did you hear what happened to Hanna?” He asked, looking back at you.

“No?” You blinked at him.

“So, after she pushed you in the pool, her Daddy took her home and apparently really let her have it.” Eric explained to you, crossing his legs and leaning forward. “I saw her at Daycare two days later and she could barely sit down for story time. Another Little, Chloe said, that she heard that Hanna's Daddy used a braided rope paddle to spank her.”

You blinked at him again. “That must really hurt.” You squeaked at him, gulped, feeling your heart pound at the thought of Hanna's punishment.

“You haven't been spanked before, have you?” Eric asked, tilting his head at you.

“Um...” You took a deep breath, biting your lip. “I've never been spanked, no. But, I have been hit before. Just not by a Daddy.”

“Oh.” Eric gulped, regretting his question. “Well, I'm glad you've never been spanked, it really freaking sucks.” He said, trying to turn the conversation back around. “Anyway, Hanna finally got the karma she deserved. I hope she leaves you alone now. It's not fair she keeps bothering you.”

“No, it's not.” You agreed.

The conversation died down and you both turned towards the tv, paying attention to the episode of Paw Patrol that was on. You laughed and giggled as you watched it, then perked up, when the doorbell rang and shot up with Eric, getting to the door as Jasmine opened it, showing Tommy and Aspen standing on the other side. The three of you Littles were excited to be together, especially knowing that there was no way for Hanna to intrude in your circle of fun.

Jasmine filled sippy cups with juice for you all and set up the board game of Candy Land for you to play and sat down on the couch in the den, watching one of her shows on the tv, while she monitored the three of you, making sure you all got along and no one cheated during the game. Once dinner neared, she popped in an oven pizza, put down place mats on the table in the den, serving the pizza there.

“Is everyone sleepy?” Jasmine asked, picking up the plates from the table, watching you and Eric yawn, while Aspen was already laying down on the carpet.

“Yeah, Mama.” Eric nodded, rubbing at his green eyes.

“Okay.” She nodded, taking the plates into the kitchen, before coming back and going into a small closet in the den and pulled out a couple of sleeping mats she had, since Eric had sleepovers with his Little friends a lot. “Okay, babies, let's get ready for bed.” She cooed, laying out the mats and gently clapped her hands to get your attention.

“Nu-nus?” Eric whimpered at his Mommy, his bottom lip puffed out and wobbling.

Jasmine smiled at him, her honey-brown eyes soft and motherly. “Let's get the girls settled first, baby boy.” She purred at him, softly, then turned and grabbed your and Aspen's Little bags. “Does anyone need a change?” She asked, looking at the three of you.

“I do.” Aspen nodded at Jasmine, hips wiggling as she felt the moisture of her pamper.

“All right.” Jasmine nodded and looked over at you. “Do you need one, sweetie?”

You bit your lip, gulping, but nodded your head.

“All right. Nightie changes.” She said, pulling out a pamper from your and Aspen's bags, then grabbed a package of wipes from Eric's supply. “Lay down on your mats.” She told you and Aspen, motioning to the sleeping mats.

You and Aspen crawled over to a plush and comfortable mat and laid down, as Jasmine walked over to them. Sitting down at Aspen's feet first, she pulled down her pajama bottoms, removed her soiled pamper and cleaned her with a wipe, softly humming as she slipped a fresh pamper under Aspen's hips and secured the tabs, then scooted over to you. Your toes curled shyly, as Jasmine opened the snaps of your onesie and she changed you, avoiding the other woman's eyes as she did. Jasmine smiled at you, gently patting you on the tummy, when she was finished, then closed your onesie up again.

With you and Aspen changed, Jasmine handed you both your stuffies, pacis and blankies and you got comfortable on your mats. As you hugged Dewey to your chest, you noticed something different about him. Bringing him to your nose and taking a deep breath, you were greeted by the scent of Henry's cologne. But, Jasmine paused at you, seeing a small glance of hesitation in your eyes and knelt down beside you, gently brushing her fingers through your hair and over your cheek, which made you relax and softly sigh.

“What is it, Little one?” Jasmine whispered to you, still stroking your cheek in a soothing way. “Do you need something, Bunny?” She asked, tilting her head.

You pulled your bottom lip between your teeth and sucked on it. “Can I have a bottle, please?” You asked, your voice just barely a whisper.

“Of course you can, cuteness.” Jasmine nodded, chuckling at you. “I'll be right back, Eric. I'm going to make her a bottle real quick. Then, Mama will give you Nu-nus.” She told him, before leaving the den for several minutes and coming back with one of your angled and vented, Evenflo bottles that Henry had prepared for you and your sleepover. “Here you go, darling. Be careful, so you don't choke, okay.” She cooed, holding the warm bottle down to you.

“I will, thank you.” You replied, taking the bottle from her and putting it in your mouth; feeling strange that you were bottle feeding yourself.

“All right, Muffin.” Jasmine sighed, moving over to the couch, where Eric was sitting, waiting for her. “Time for Nu-nus.” She said, peeling off her shirt and revealing a lace nursing bra underneath it, as she sat down on the couch beside him.

Eric licked his lips as he shifted on the couch and laid his head in Jasmine's lap as she unclasped one breast of the nursing bra, revealing her heavy breast. Jasmine leaned forward as Eric turned into her body and latched onto her exposed and dusky nipple, suckling as sweet mouthfuls of breast milk filled his mouth, making him moan. You sucked on your bottle as you half watched, intrigued and surprised, that Jasmine breast fed Eric as part of their Mommy Dom and Little Boy dynamic. You had thought about something like that before, but it occurred to you that you wouldn't, since it wasn't something you and Henry could likely do in your own dynamic. You saw the way Jasmine stroked Eric's hair and the nap of his neck as he suckled her, his hand cupping the top of her breast kneading in a gentle and rhythmic way, aiding in the flow of milk going into his mouth, as his eyes grew heavy.

Jasmine felt your eyes on her and looked up at you and smiled, giving you a playful wink that made you shyly smile around the nipple of your bottle, turning your head away.

When Eric finished breast feeding, Jasmine gently steered him to his own mat and got him settled, covering him up, making sure he had his paci, his stuffie dog, Brutus, then turned on a nightlight in the room for everyone. Having her own home wired with CC cameras from Toa, Jasmine turned the lights out and got herself ready and then went to bed upstairs in the master.

It was around one am, when Jasmine heard crying through her feed from the CC cameras and hurriedly wrapped a robe around herself and rushed downstairs to the den, finding you sitting up on your mat, thick tears rolling down your cheeks, with a startled Eric and Aspen trying to comfort you.

“What happened?” Jasmine asked, concerned, as she sank to her knees beside you and wrapped her arms around you.

“She had a real bad nightie mare, I think, Mama.” Eric murmured, his eyes red with sleep.

“Yeah.” Aspen agreed, eyes wide.

“It's okay, honey.” Jasmine purred, rubbing and patting your trembling back, trying to soothe and calm you down. “Ssshh, It's okay, sweet pea.” She told you, rocking side to side, but you continued to cry into her neck, hiccupping and gasping, starting to hyperventilate. “Oh my, what a naughty dream you must have had.” She cooed, stroking the back of your head, a lump in her throat at the sounds you were making; concerned for you.

“Come on, sweetie. Come with me.” She told you, pulling you up to your feet and coaxing you out of the den. “You two lay back down.” She said over her shoulder to Eric and Aspen, then took you into the living room. “Sit down, honey.” She sat you down on the couch, before snagging the phone off the coffee table and dialed Henry's number, knowing he was the only person who could get you to calm down again.

Henry jerked out of his sleep, hearing the house phone ring, especially since he had put it on his nightstand, in case Jasmine called him, in the event anything happened to you. He quickly sat up and grabbed the phone off the table.

“Hello?” He answered, his voice raspy from sleep.

“Henry?”

“What's--?” He started to ask her, but stopped midway, hearing the sobs in the background on her side of the line and instantly knew it was you. “What happened?” He asked, alarmed and already flinging the blankets off of himself and getting out of bed.

“She's had a nightmare and I can't get her to calm down. I didn't know what else to do for her.” Jasmine explained to him, rubbing your back and petting your hair, as she hushed you.

“I'm on my way.” Henry replied, then hung up and tossed the phone on the bed.

Henry jerked on his joggers and a tank top, before flying downstairs, snatching his car keys off the table by the door and only paused long enough to lock the front door, before hauling ass to the car and flying down the streets to Jasmine's place. She opened the door before Henry's hand even lifted to knock and he breezed in quickly, zoning in on you, still on the couch, crying. It was like you sensed him, before you saw him, because you looked up and eyes losing what little focus they had left and your breathing picked up even more, your arms shooting out for him, whining. Henry rushed over to you, dropping onto the couch beside you and pulled you into his lap.

“It's all right. It's all right.” He cooed into your ear, cupping the back of your head and squeezing his eyes shut as you pressed your face hard into his chest and sobbed, he had never seen you like this. “It's all right, baby. Daddy's got you now, I'm not going to let anything happen to you.” He promised, rocking you.

Jasmine gave you both privacy, going back into the den to check on Aspen and Eric, while Henry calmed you down.

“Breathe, Baby.” Henry told you, pulling your face away from his chest and using the bottom hem of his tank top to wipe your wet and snotty face. “Come on, honey. Deep, slow breathes. That's it, sweetheart. Good girl.” He nodded at you, as you started to listen to him, gulping and forcing yourself to take deep breaths. “Good girl.” He brushed his fingers through your hair, then tucked you in against his chest again, cupping the side of your head and pressing his lips to your hair.

“Ssshh, I'm right here, honey. I'm right here.” He cooed at you, feeling your hands claw and twist up in the back of his tank top. “There, that's better.” He sighed, once your breathing evened out and your tears dried up. “What happened, baby?” He asked, frowning at you. “Hm? You must have had a really bad dream.” He said, tipping your head back, so you looked up at him, with your red and tear stained eyes.

You nodded at him, your bottom lip trembling. “Bad monsthers.” You rasped in a small voice.

“There's more monsters, my Little One.” Henry assured you, kissing your sweaty forehead. “You're safe with Daddy and here with Jasmine.” He told you, spotting a tissue box on the coffee table and leaned forward, plucking a tissue out of the box and holding it to your nose. “Blow, baby.” He murmured to you, wiping your nose as you did.

“Oh, thank you.” Henry smiled up at Jasmine, taking the warm bottle she had sweetly prepared for you.

Jasmine nodded at him, gently touching the top of your head, before vanishing again. Henry removed his tank top, then scooted back on the couch, shifting you more comfortably in his lap and held the bottle to your lips. You grasped Henry's wrist and closed your mouth the nipple of the bottle, laying your head on his shoulder and started to gently suck down the contains.

“All right, baby.” Henry whispered, once you were finished and he burped you. “Let's get you laid back down.”

You whined and grunted, your bottom lip wobbling. “Daddy, hom.”

“Ssshh.” He hushed you, rubbing your bottom lip with the pad of his thumb. “You really wanna go home with Daddy?” He asked you, lifting a brow.

You whined again, nodding your head.

“What will Eric and Aspen think?” He asked, tilting his head. “They're already worried about you. Now, you wanna go bye-bye, cutting your sleepover short. Don't you think that will hurt their feelings?”

You blinked at him and glanced over at the doorway of the den, where Eric and Aspen were waiting for you to come back and lay down with them, hoping you were okay, then back at your Daddy. You did wanna go home with Henry, you wanted to be in his arms again, to cuddle up with him and know you were safely in his reach, inside of your crib, in case your nightmare came back. But, you didn't want to make your friends sad or make them worry either.

“Mare?” You asked, pressing your lips together.

Henry licked his lips. “I'll stay until you fall back to sleep.” He told you, brushing his fingers through your hair. “How's that? I'll make sure no more nightmares come and bother you.”

You sighed, then nuzzled your face into Henry's neck, making him smile. Henry stood up and carried you back into the den, smiling at Eric and Aspen as he leaned over and laid you down on your mat, covering you up and slipping your paci into your mouth, then tucked Dewey in against your chest, kissing your temple, gently.

“Good night, Baby.” He whispered against your temple, then stepped out of the den, finding Jasmine in her kitchen. “I'm sorry about that.” He apologized to her.

“There's no need. She didn't do it on purpose and no one can replace the comfort of her Daddy.” Jasmine assured him with a smile.

“Good morning, Little ones.” Jasmine smiled, stirring the three Littles,gently. “Let's get everyone changed, then I'll start breakfast for us.” She said, laying out a pamper beside each, then easily and methodically changed the three of you in no time, before putting on some morning cartoons, while she made pancakes.

Jasmine set down place mats on the breakfast table with silicone plates, putting three steaming pancakes on each of them, drizzling maple syrup over them, then sliced up a couple of bananas and divided the slices onto the plates, before scrambling up a few eggs and adding them to the plates as well, topping the breakfast off with sippy cups of orange juice.

“Okay, Littles, come eat!” She called, standing in the doorway of the den, getting everyone's attention.

You, Eric and Aspen followed Jasmine into the dining room, taking a seat in front of one of the plates and picked up the fork. You looked down at your pancakes and grinned, they were circular, emoji face pancakes, you had the heart eyes, winky face and sunglasses emojis. You looked over to Eric's plate, seeing he had heart eyes, happy face and tongue out emojis, while Aspen had sunglasses, happy face and winky face for hers. You were about half way through breakfast, when the door bell sounded through the house and Jasmine stood up from her place at the table, where she was sipping a cup of coffee and scrolling through her iPhone 6.

Jasmine crossed through the living room and the foyer to answer the door. “Morning, Hen.” She grinned at him.

“Morning, Jazzy.” He smiled back at her, nodding his head.

“She's nearly done with her breakfast.” She told him, standing aside to allow him into the house.

“Great! How was she after I left?” Henry asked, lifting a brow at her.

“She was fine! Slept soundly the rest of the night, without a single fuss.” Jasmine assured him. “She's in a great mood this morning as well.”

“That's a relief.” He sighed, comforted that you didn't have any lingering effects from the terrible nightmare you had during the night.

“Daddy!” You squeaked, twisting in your seat as you heard Henry and Jasmine coming into the dining room, your face and eyes lighting up as you grinned at him.

Henry paused in the doorway of the dining room, smiling back at you, but he was frozen as he stared at you. He felt a tremendous warmth in his chest seeing and hearing your excitement at seeing him there, coming to get you, so he could take you home. Your elated squeal of Daddy, the moment you realized he was there, no hesitation, just joy, excitement and love, all for him, it was everything Henry had wanted and had been waiting for as a Daddy.

“Hey, Baby Girl.” He cooed at you, softly, still grinning. “Good morning, Eric. Good morning, Aspen.” He greeted the other two, politely, not wanting to be rude and leave them out.

“Morning, Mr. Henry.” They both greeted him back, smiling.

“Eric, you know better than to talk with your mouth full.”

“Look, Daddy, my ancakes has faces.” You said, pointing down at your plate, to the mostly eaten heart eyes pancake.

Henry moved behind you, kissing the top of your head. “Yeah, they do! That's really cool, sweetie.” He smiled at you, glancing up at Jasmine, who smirked at him.

While you finished your breakfast, Henry gathered your things and put them into the car, greeting Tommy as he showed up, as he put your blanket and bag in the back seat. Aspen greeted her Daddy happily, but not with the enthusiasm you had greeted Henry with, giving him a small bit of pride, as he took a damp paper towel and wiped the sticky syrup off your lips, chin and cheeks.

“You ready to go home, Pumpkin?” Henry asked, lifting an eyebrow at you.

You bit your lip, looking around the table at Eric and Aspen, who looked at you, the three of you didn't want to separate, having had so much fun together, even with your unexpected nightmare. Henry looked at you, a half smile on his face as he saw your reluctance, happy that you found a set of friends that you enjoyed being around and treated you right. But, you looked back up at him and he saw the other light in your beautiful eyes.

You had greatly missed your Daddy.

“I am, Daddy.” You said, nodding your head at him.

“Okay. Why don't you say bye-bye.” He told you, lifting his brows and motioning his head towards Eric and Aspen.

“Bye.” You replied, waving at the other two, then slipping out your chair. “Bye, Ms. Jasmine. I loved my ancakes.”

Jasmine beamed at you, as she cleaned Eric up. “Thank you, sweetheart.”

Henry grinned at you, his pride in you only swelling as he took your hand and walked out to the car. “That was a very nice thing you said to Ms. Jasmine, sweetheart.” He told you, buckling your seatbelt, and playfully tapped you on the nose, making you giggle and scrunch your body up. “I'm proud of you, baby girl.” He cooed, kissing you on the cheek.

“Good, Daddy?” You asked, wiggling in your seat as Henry pulled away from the curb.

“Very good, honey.” He reaffirmed to you, reaching out to pat you on the thigh.

Getting home and settled back in, you crawled into Henry's lap as you sat on the couch together. Henry smiled at you, rubbing your back and kissed your forehead, his eyes going back to the news on the tv. You closed your eyes and rubbed your nose along the side of Henry's neck, taking slow and deep breaths as you did, causing Henry to pause and focus back on you, curious to what you were doing.

“Little one?” He purred, gently patting your pampered bottom.

“I missth you, Daddy.” You moaned, resting your head on his shoulder, your nose still buried into his neck.

A grin crept across Henry's face. “I missed you too, baby.” He cooed quietly, realizing you were taking in the scent of his skin, re-familiarizing yourself with him and his smell.

“Can me, Eric and Aspen play again?” You asked, biting your lip.

“Of course you can, Nugget.” Henry replied, frowning softly.

You were quiet for a moment, biting your lip as you thought about something from the night before. “Do you know what Hanna's Daddy did to her?” You asked, your voice sounding more Big than it had in the three weeks you had been with Henry.

Henry blinked, caught off by the sound of your voice and the topic. “No, baby. I haven't inquired into it.”

“Eric told me.”

“Did he?” Henry frowned, narrowing his eyes for a moment, he knew Eric had a itch for gossip.

“Mmhm.” You nodded, wiggling closer to Henry's body. “Said, he spanked her with a braided paddle thingy.”

Henry pressed his lips together, taking a deep breath and let it out with a deep 'hm', that rumbled in his chest. “That's none of our concern now, Little one. It's good, that he's disciplined her for what she did to you. But, how he did it, is between them, not us or anyone else for that matter. Do you understand that?” He told you, rubbing his palm over your back, in firm circles.

“Yes, Daddy.” You gulped back, closing your eyes again.

“Good.” He sighed, kissing your forehead, but his brow was pinched, troubled that you knew the nature of Hanna's punishment, and a very harsh one at that.

Chapter Text

“Hey, you're not supposed to be in here.” Henry warned, seeing you stop in the doorway of the home gym, sitting down on your bottom, as he set down the weight he was using and stared at you, but smiled and shook his head, holding his hands out to you. “Come here, baby.” He cooed at you, licking his lips as he watched you turn onto your hands and knees and crawl over him.

You crawled a lot, but Henry had only caught small glimpses of your crawling, so to see you crawl the full length of his home gym, your eyes locked on him, the dim and cloudiness of full Little Space in them as you did, really did things to Henry. He could tell you were really starting to gain a good measure of confidence and comfort around him, if you were now starting to crawl and wander around the house without him, which made a large portion of him feel good, but he was also learning just how Little you could be. You could have easily walked down to the gym to see what he was doing, but you actively chose to crawl, and if you didn't want to crawl, you wanted him to pick you up and carry you; you plainly loved it when he held you, for any reason.

Neither option bothered Henry, they actively played into the level of a Daddy Henry had always craved to be.

He pet your head, when you finally reached him, sitting between his knees and staring up at him as he sat above you, on his weight bench, eyes locked on his, as if waiting for him to tell you what to do next or to simply do it for you, like the good and obedient Little you were. Henry reached down and cupped your cheek, caressing your skin with his thumb as he held your eyes, so smitten with you.

“You are so beautiful.” He whispered quietly, smiling at you, but he sighed as the doorbell rang, echoing through the house. “Come, up you go, Nugget.” He cooed at you, slipping his hands under your arms and picked you up, setting you on his hip. “You're not allowed in here and you know that.” He told you, carrying you out of the gym.

“Not without Daddy, at least.” He said, pausing to set you back down on your mat, in the living room, then hurried to answer the door.

“Hi, Mr. Cavill. I'm Krista Barnes.” A woman introduced herself as soon as Henry opened the door.

“Pleasure to meet you. Ms. Barnes.” Henry replied, looking her over. “Is there something I can help you with?” He asked, lifting a brow at her.

“Yes, I'm a social worker, here in Huntersville.” Ms. Barnes answered, opening a purse hanging from her shoulder, to pull out a stapled packet of papers.

Henry felt a cold chill race down his spine and freeze his stomach solid. A social worker? Why was a social worker coming to his home to talk to him? He hadn't done anything wrong that he could think of. You were happy and healthy, and you had everything you needed, and more, for him to take care of you.

Jesus! Henry thought, eyes flaring with horror. What if the officials of Huntersville felt I wasn't watching her well enough, when that brat Hanna pushed her into the pool, and wanted to investigate, to try and take her away from me?

Krista looked up, after getting the papers out of her bag, and saw the horrified look on Henry's face and in his blue eyes, instantly feeling terrible for causing him such panic. “No, no!” She said, waving her hands in front of her, the packet flapping. “It's nothing like that, Mr. Cavill. I assure you, I'm not here for that type of business. I've heard nothing but amazing things about you.” She tried to put him in as much ease as possible.

“Then, what are you here for?” Henry asked, only mildly relieved.

“You've been a Foster for a month now, and it's my job to see how that's going. But, to also remind you, that now that you have been her Foster--” She tried to explain to Henry, before a loud crash sounded behind him.

“Fuck!” Henry barked, spinning around and dashed into the living room to check on you; Ms. Barnes on his heels.

But, you weren't in the living room.

“Oh, she's at it today.” Henry sighed, running a hand through his hair, then ran down the hall to the gym, finding you sitting on the floor, next to the mess of his warm up gears, luckily none of them were weights and could seriously hurt you, but you still pulled them down and tipped over the shelf they were once neatly organized on; two of your fingers sucked into your mouth as thick tears balanced on your lashes.

“Little Girl.” Henry huffed, both upset at you for being in the gym after telling you not to be and concerned that you hurt yourself, seeing your fingers in your mouth. “You know better than to be in here. Daddy just told you not to be. Didn't I?” He scolded you, squatting down and closing his hand around your wrist.

“Let me see.” He said, pulling your saliva covered fingers out of your mouth.

“Ouchy, Dada.” You whined, your bottom lip trembling, oblivious to Ms. Barnes being in the room with you and Henry.

Henry's eyes darted to yours, caught off-guard by you calling him Dada, something you had never done before. “Yes, I see that, honey.” He told you, his voice was quiet, but strained, as he looked at your wet, blue and purple fingers. “Did the shelf hit your fingers, pe—pumpkin?” He asked, catching himself from calling you pet, something he only did when he was truly upset with his Littles.

“Mmhm.” You nodded, you could sense Henry's disapproval.

Heaving a sigh, Henry stood up and took you with him. “Come on, baby. Let's get some ice on your little fingers.” He told you, carrying you into the kitchen. “I'm sorry, Ms. Barnes. I'll only be a moment.” He said to the other lady, taking out a gel filled, ice bag from the freezer.

“No rush. Take as long as you need, Mr. Cavill.” Ms. Barnes replied, waving it off, but her observant social worker eyes followed him around the kitchen. “Your Little comes first.”

Henry nodded his head, appreciatively, sitting you down in your high chair. “Put your boo-boo hand right there, honey.” He instructed you, tapping the tray in front you. “Good girl.” He praised you lightly, and gently put the ice bag on your hand, unconsciously kissing your forehead as you hissed.

“All right, what were we discussing, Ms. Barnes?” Henry asked, turning back to her, and rubbing his face.

“Yes, as I was saying.” Ms. Barnes said, setting the packet in her hand down on the island counter. “You've been fostering her for a month now, and with that one month mark, there are a few things you need to do.” She began to explain to him, flipping through the papers. “One of them is to schedule an appointment with our local doctor. Now, I'm sure, she's perfectly healthy, but it's still a requirement we have here in Huntersville, just to touch bases and keep our Fosters, Mommies and Daddies in the loop with their Littles.”

“Of course, that makes a lot of sense.” Henry nodded, frowning at the papers. “I have been thinking of taking her to one anyway, just to get her a check up. So I can learn about that side of her.” He explained to her, glancing over at you.

“We have also had a change in policy here in Huntersville.” Ms. Barnes said, flipping through to a page near the back. “I'm unsure if you heard, but there was an accident, not that long ago.”

Henry frowned over at her. “No, I hadn't.” He replied, troubled. “I hope everything's all right.”

“There was a car accident, and two Littles were injured.” She explained to him, her brow pinched.

“Dear lord.” Henry gasped, shocked.

“They're thankfully okay, only one of them had a serious injury; a broken arm.” Ms. Barnes told him, turning the packet towards Henry. “But, with that incident, the town officials have become concerned with Little safety in town.”

“Understandably.”

“Indeed.” She nodded at him. “So, the new policy requires all Bigs with a Little to have either a booster seat or a car seat for them, depending on their age.” She explained to him, pointing out the exact area in the policy that stated the requirement and glanced up at him, gauging Henry's reaction; she'd had this conversation with dozens and dozens of other Bigs in the surrounding weeks and many of them were upset about it.

“All right.” Henry nodded, unbothered by the requirement of having a car seat for you, it did give him a certain, comforting, amount of relief to know you would be safe in the car, if something should happen.

“Excellent!” Ms. Barnes beamed, comforted by Henry's compliance. “Huntersville's shopping center and the Community App already has them in stock, so you shouldn't have any issue ordering or obtaining one for your adorable Little Girl.” She said, grinning over at you, who was rolling and playing with the ice bag in your unhurt hand.

“Great.” Henry smiled at her, then over at you, stepping over to you and patted you on the head, before putting the ice pack back on your bruised fingers. “Also, for the record, I'm no longer fostering her, we've made things official.” He told Ms. Barnes, stepping back up to the island with an air of pride.

“Oh, have you?” Ms. Barnes replied, her brows going up. “Have you filled out that paperwork?” She asked him, tilting her head to the side.

“No.” Henry replied, reluctantly. “Luca never told me there was paperwork for it. I knew there was the paperwork to sign up to be a Foster, but nothing about being a Daddy...” He said, trailing off.

“That's Luca.” Ms. Barnes chuckled, shaking her head. “There isn't paperwork, if you come into Huntersville with a Little, that's already yours. But, if you Foster a Little and you make the relationship official, like you two have, then there is a little bit of paperwork to do.” She explained to him. “It's nothing serious. It's just a piece of paper, stating that you're no longer fostering her and are taking full responsibility for her, instead of temporarily.”

“I can fax it over to you and you both can sign it and fax it back to me.”

“Thank you.” He nodded at her, a little annoyed that Luca forgot that part. “Is there anything else?” He asked, pressing his lips together.

“No, that should cover it.” She replied, fixing the packet of papers and slid it over to Henry. “You can keep this. There are new bits of information in it, there's a calendar in there somewhere with all the dates and times of Huntersville's upcoming events, if you and your baby girl would like to attend any of them, as well as this month's newsletter.” She told him, digging into her purse again.

“Is it okay, if I give her this?” She asked Henry, pulling out a blue colored lollipop from an inside pocket.

Henry bit the inside of his lip as he glanced over at you, who had the oblivious and almost numb look of Little Space in your eyes. You had ignored most of the conversation Henry and Ms. Barnes were having, not interested in whatever it was they were talking about. You were more interested in the cold and fun feeling of the ice bag and making faces at Kal, who was sitting beside your high chair. He was slightly conflicted about allowing you to have the lollipop treat, you had misbehaved, when he told you to stay out of his gym, after carrying you out of it and putting you back in the living room, so he could answer the door and speak with Ms. Barnes, which he still needed to address, and intended to do so, once Ms. Barnes had left.

But, he folded, you had behaved, while he and Ms. Barnes spoke to each other about serious Big things, being quiet and respectful.

“Of course.” He nodded, smiling softly. “Little one, Ms. Barnes has something for you.” He said, getting your attention as you were leaning forward, trying to put the ice bag on Kal's head. “Can you sit up for her, please?” He asked, reaching out and gently taking the ice bag from you.

“Yeah, Dada.” You nodded, sitting back in your seat and looked up at Ms. Barnes.

She was wearing white high heels with a very stylish, light gray, cardigan knit suit with capri pants and a cami top, her red, wavy hair was a shoulder length bob. Ms. Barnes was rather pretty, as she approached you, a sweet smile on her matte red lips, her arm half held out with the clear packaged lollipop between her thumb and index finger. You blinked at her, your back straightened up a little bit, seeing the piece of candy in Ms. Barnes hand, subconsciously licking your lips in anticipation of having it in your mouth.

“Would you like to have a lolly, sweetums?” Ms. Barnes asked, holding the lollipop out within your reach.

You bit the corner of your lip, your unhurt hand half lifted up off the tray of your chair, but you looked over at Henry first, your eyes asking your Daddy for permission, asking him if it was okay that you took the candy from the nice lady. Henry crossed his arms over his chest, but a smile touched his lips as he looked back at you, nodding his head, letting you know it was perfectly okay that you took the treat from Ms. Barnes.

“Yes, peas.” You replied, your eyes darting back to Ms. Barnes. “Tank you.” You said, when Ms. Barnes allowed you to take it from her hand.

“Oh, you are such a sweetheart.” Ms. Barnes grinned at you, touching your cheek gently, making you grunt at the contact. “Well, Mr. Cavill, that should cover my visit. Do you have any questions for me?” She asked, stepping away from you.

“No, ma'am. I do not.” He shook his head at her, licking his lips.

“Very well, don't worry about walking me out. I shall let myself out.” Ms. Barnes smiled, winking at you as she walked by, leaving.

Henry flexed and rolled his shoulders. “All right, Kitten. Give me your lolly.” He said, holding his hand out for it. “You can have it later.” He told you, taking it from you and setting it aside, before looking at your hand, your fingers were bruised, but he didn't believe they were broken. “You were a very naughty girl.” He told you, touching a finger under your chin and tipped your head back, so you looked him in the eyes.

“Bad, Dada?” You whined, blinking up at him, frightened guilt flooding your eyes.

He felt a rushing tingle move over him, hearing you call him Dada, realizing you must be in a seriously deep level of Little Space, but he couldn't let you off. Henry had learned that, no matter what level of Little Space you were in, when you were crawling around and exploring the house, if there was something blocking your way, like a closed door or a locked baby gate, you wouldn't attempt to open it, you would just turn around and go somewhere else. If he had remembered in his rush, to close the door to the gym, you wouldn't have crawled back down the hall, from the living room and into the gym, exploring one of the very few rooms you haven't had a ton of access to. You both shared blame in the incident that resulted in you pulling down the shelf of his warm up items and hurting your hand, it didn't make you a bad baby, just a naughty and curious one.

But, Henry paid for his hurried forgetfulness by you getting hurt, and now, you had to pay for yours, by disobeying him.

“You're not a bad baby, Dove.” He said, kissing your forehead. “Never a bad baby. But, Daddy told you not to go into the gym, didn't he?”

“Yeah.” You nodded, whining, as your bottom lip puffed out.

“Mmhm.” Henry nodded back at you. “It's dangerous in there for you, baby doll. See what happens when you go in there, especially without Daddy with you?” He asked, carefully holding your hurt hand up for you to see. “You get owies, huh.” He cooed at you, tenderly kissing your fingers. “So, Daddy's going to put you in time out, for not listening, when I told you to stay out of there.” He told you, calmly, before stepping away for a moment.

He came back with a small, dark blue and backless stool with the words 'Time Out' painted on the top of the seat, in white, stencil letters. The unique part of the stool was the big, sand hourglass built into the underside of it. Henry took it over to a corner in the living room, so he could keep a close eye on you, while he sat on the couch, but set it just so you couldn't see the tv from where you sat.

With your time out stool where he wanted it, Henry came back to you in your high chair and found you had gotten upset, while he was setting up your time out corner. Sighing, he freed the tray from your chair and set it on the dining table, picking you up and patting your back, soothing you a little bit, even though it went against his usual disciplining ways. Ordinarily, if Henry's Littles were crying or upset, in any way, about their punishments, he would ignore it and continue their punishment, since he only punished them when they deserved it. But, you were different, he couldn't help but want to comfort you, hearing your quiet sniffles and feeling the gentle drip of your tears on his neck.

Even still, he carried you into the living room, turned your stool upside down, so the hourglass started pouring and sat you down, facing the corner.

“You'll be in this corner and on your stool, for fifteen minutes.” He told the back of your head, taking a steady breath. “I want you to be still and be quiet, while you're on your time out stool. If you try getting off your stool or make a fuss, I'll add another two minutes onto your time out, each time. If I have to add an additional ten minutes to your time out, I'll put you over my lap and spank your bottom.”

“Nod, if you understand me.” He explained to you, in a soft, but firm voice.

You gulped thickly, thinking about him spanking you, your mind thinking of how Eric told you about Hanna's spanking and shivered. You nodded your head, vigorously, then forced your body to go stock still, biting into your lip to keep quiet.

“Good girl.” Henry praised you, before turning to go sit down on the couch, surfing for something to watch on the tv, while also keeping an eye on you.

Henry glanced at the hourglass under your time out stool and down at his watch, you had been quiet and still for nine minutes, making him very proud, none of his other Littles and subs had taken their time outs and punishments as well and as obediently as you were. They would have been whining, complaining and escaping, but not his good girl.

He grinned at you, before looking back at the tv.

Six minutes later, the hourglass had emptied and you were still exactly as Henry instructed you to be. He got up and stepped up behind you, staring down at you for a long moment. You still didn't move or open your mouth, even though you were hyper-aware of Henry being there, the warmth and scent of his body washing over you. Henry took a deep breath and smiled down at you, allowing his pride in you to show as he rested his hand on the top of your head, bending over and grabbing the spindle of your stool, he twisted you around to face him, before dropping into a squat.

“I'm proud of you, dove.” He told you, honestly, caressing the side of your face. “Daddy's very proud of you, Baby girl.” He said, brushing your hair out of your face and tipped your head back to look up at him. “You took your time out so well, like such a good girl.” He praised you, shifting to pick you up into his arms and kissing your damp cheeks. “You took your time out better than any other Little, ever.” He said, carrying you into the kitchen and picking up the lollipop that Ms. Barnes had given you.

“Do you know what you did wrong?” He asked you, twisting the lollipop between his fingers.

You nodded your head at him, your hand fisting in the front of his shirt. “Mmhm.” You whined, licking your lips, your eyes filled with remorse.

“What did Baby do wrong?” Henry inquired, lifting a brow at you.

You bit your lip and squeezed your legs around Henry's waist, as you blinked at the lollipop in his hand, subconsciously licking and smacking your lips together in anticipation of what flavor it would be, once you got it into your mouth, while struggling to reconnect the verbal communication wires in your mind, having regressed so far past them in your Little Space. Seeing you had regressed so far and knowing that in that level of your Little Space, one of your chief interests was putting things into your mouth, Henry put the lollipop into his pocket, hiding the distraction away from you and rested your bottom on the edge of the counter, leveling his blue eyes at yours.

“Look at me.” He cooed at you, gently cupping your face in his hands, maneuvering your head until you looked at him properly. “That's it, good baby.” He murmured, smiling at you. “Does Baby know she was a naughty girl?” He asked, prompting you.

You nodded your head at him, but Henry tapped his index finger against your lips.

“Use your words.” He told you, lifting a brow at you. “You can do it.” He encouraged you. “Daddy knows his Good girl can use her words.”

“Y-yes.” You whimpered, blinking at him with doe-like eyes.

“Baby knows better to go into Daddy's gym, doesn't she?” He said, tilting his head down slightly, his eyes still holding yours.

“Yes.” You gulped, licking your lips and gulping.

“Are you allowed to go in there without Daddy?”

You shook your head at him. “No, Daddy.” You replied, your bottom lip puffing out a little bit.

“Why aren't you allowed in there without Daddy, Little one?” Henry asked, rubbing his palms up and down your back, feeling you start to stiffen, as if you thought you were in trouble again.

“Baby get boo-boo.” You answered, relaxing a little

“That's right. You will get hurt if you go into my gym without me. It's off limits for that very reason.”

“I promise, Daddy, to not do it again.” You said, softly. “I'm sorry.”

Henry took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I accept your apology, baby, and I hope you don't do it again.” He told you, gently kneading your hips. “I gave you a warning the first time you didn't listen to me. I put you in time out the second time you didn't. If you do it a third time, I will spank you. Do I make myself clear to you?”

You gulped, your stomach a little queasy at the thought. “Yes, Daddy.” You nodded, scooting towards him and twisting your hands into the back of his shirt.

“Good, and I really hope you do.” He told you, folding you into his arms and kissing your hair. “I would be loath to spank that precious little bottom of yours.” He whispered into your ear, closing his eyes and held you closer, feeling your shiver.

“Daddy has to get you a car seat.” He murmured more to himself, stroking your back.

“Why?” You asked, rubbing your cheek against his shoulder.

“Well, apparently, there was an accident somewhere in Huntersville, where two Littles were injured and the town officials have decided to add a new policy in the town rules, stating that all Bigs with a Little, such as you and I, need to have either a booster seat or car seat, so they don't get hurt.” He explained to you, as he felt you yawn against his neck. “So, Daddy has to get you a car seat, to be in compliance with that policy and I also have to get you an appointment with Dr. Evers, so you can have your first month check up.” He told you, picking you up and moving about the kitchen, putting together a bottle, before going upstairs to the nursery and sitting down in the rocker.

“Ssshh, such a fussy baby.” He cooed at you, as you fussed in his arms, turning your face into his chest. “It's been a long morning, huh.” He purred, shifting you a little higher in his lap, so your cheek rested on the bare skin of his shoulder, and rubbed the warm nipple of your bottle against your pouty lips.

“Drink your milk and Daddy'll lay you down for a nap.” He told you, stroking your cheek.

You fussed for a moment longer, before your hand clasped his thick forearm and moaned softly, then opened your mouth, allowing Henry to slip your bottle into your awaiting mouth. Henry smiled down at you, feeling you knead his arm as you gently suckled on the bottle, soft slurping sounds breaking the silence every now and again as you lost suction around the nipple. Henry hadn't realized you had fallen asleep, until Kal came ripping into the master bedroom, barking up a storm about something, startling you from your slumber in Henry's arms, causing formula to dribble down your cheek and chin, startled tears filling your eyes.

“Kal, hush.” Henry hissed at him, crossly, setting your bottle down and stood with you in his arms, grabbing a soft cloth from a drawer in your changing table and wiped your face, sitting back down in the rocker with you. “Sshh, baby, it's all right.” He murmured, patting your back and rocking, humming softly to you. “It's all right, lovie.” He soothed you, calming you down enough to get you to finish your bottle.

“There there.” He sighed, rocking you a little while longer, until you fell asleep in his arms again, and stood up, gently laying you down in your crib, putting your paci into your mouth, folded Dewey into your arms and covered you up. “Sweet dreams, Darling.” He whispered, kissing your temple and putting the railing of the crib up.

With you down for your nap, Henry took the time to order a few things off his Prime account and checked out car seats on the Huntersville app, finding one that was nicely padded with soft fabric, that was graphite gray with orchid purple accents, and a comfortable looking headrest, and the harness looked easy to secure. Liking that car seat, Henry ordered it, then moved on, getting the number to the Doctor's office off of the packet of papers Ms. Barnes had left with him.

“Huntersville Doctor's Office, Kelly speaking, how may I help you?” The receptionist at the front desk answered.

“Yes, hello!” Henry replied to her. “I'm Henry Cavill, I need to make an appointment for my Little, for her first month check up.” He explained, going into the kitchen.

“Of course, Mr. Cavill.” Kelly replied, with a chipper tone. “Would you like a morning appointment or an afternoon appointment?” She asked, bringing up the appointment scheduling calendar on her computer.

“Do you have one for early afternoon?” Henry asked her, biting his lip.

“We have a two pm, for this coming Wednesday.” She informed him, lifting a micro-bladed eyebrow at her monitor. “If that works for you?”

“That works perfectly.” Henry nodded, turning towards the giant whiteboard calendar that was hanging up on the kitchen wall and picked up a red, dry erase marker, penning in the time for your appointment.

“Excellent, Mr. Cavill.” Kelly smiled, adding Henry's name into the time slot. “You'll need to bring in your Little fifteen minutes early, to sign in for her appointment. I also see here, she's already sent us her medical files, as per Huntersville's requirements for Littles applying for residency, so Dr. Jan will look it over before her appointment and we'll go from there.” She explained to him.

“Sounds great, thank you so much.”

“Anytime, Mr. Cavill. Have a great day.” Kelly replied, sweetly.

“You as well.” Henry answered, hanging up with her. “Nice to have all that set up.” He said to himself, pocketing his mobile, then set about preparing some mozzarella sticks for you, having found some dairy-free mozzarella sticks at the store the day before, and knew you would go wild for them, when he surprised you with them at lunchtime, after your nap.

Chapter Text

“Are you ready to try out your car seat, baby?” Henry smiled, carrying you out to the car.

“Yeah, Dada.” You nodded, bouncing on his hip, excitedly.

Henry grinned even more at you, he had learned that you called him, Dada, when you were completely in Little Space, full regression, and finding it incredibly adorable and sweet, he loved you calling him Dada, as much as when you called him, Daddy. He patted your bottom as he opened the back passenger door, where your new car seat was, and slipped you off his hip and into it, letting you get comfortable for a moment, before helping you put your arms through the straps, then hooked the buckles securely into the harness between your legs.

“Comfy?” He asked, lifting a brow at you.

“Mmhm.” You nodded, snuggling into it and smiling at him.

“Good.” Henry nodded back, patted you on the head and put your Little bag in the front seat, before closing your door. “All right, sunshine, off we go.” He said, sliding into the driver's seat and turning the car on.

“Sips?” You asked, happily kicking your feet as you pulled out of the driveway.

Nodding his head, Henry reached into the bag, pulling out your sippy cup of Bubble Gum Pedialyte and held it back to you. You leaned forward and took your sippy cup in both hands, then rested back in your car seat, sucking on the spout, contently, as you stared out the window. Henry glanced back at you, through the rear view mirror, smiling at your happy-go-lucky mood and hoped it would hold until you both got to the doctor's office and into the exam room; he winked as you looked over at him, feeling his eyes on you.

Henry turned into the parking lot of the doctor's office and found a parking spot, front and center. You let go of the spout to your sippy cup, the hiss of air going back into the cup filled the car as you looked around and Henry got out, moving around to your door. You gulped, seeing the sign out front of the building, realizing what was going on and where you were, looking at Henry wide eyed as he opened the door and leaned in to press the release button for the straps on your car seat, then slipped his hands underneath your arms to pick you up.

“No, no no!” You whined, curling up on yourself in an attempt to prevent Henry from picking you up.

Henry took a deep breath and let it out slowly, lifting an eyebrow at you. “Yes, Little one.” He told you, pulling your feet back down, so he could try picking you up again. “Now, come to Daddy.” He cooed at you, but his expression left no room for you to argue with him.

“No boo-boos.” You whimpered, jerking your body as he pulled you out of the car, almost going dead weight in his arms. “No boo-boos, Dada. Home? Go home!”

“I know you don't have any boo-boos, baby.” He said, grabbing the Little bag. “But, you still have to see the nice doctor, Sweetums. It's just a simple check up. We'll be in and out, you'll see.” He told you, kissing your cheek and opening the door of the office.

“Hi, we’re here for the two o'clock, with Dr. Evers.” He said, stopping at the front desk and looking down at the receptionist.

“Oh, Mr. Cavill.” The receptionist smiled up at him, then over at you. “What a cutie you have! I'll get you signed in right now. If you could just fill this out, then you can have a seat and you'll get called back shortly.” She told him, handing him a clip board with a piece of paper on it, then typed on her keyboard.

“Thank you.” Henry replied, taking the clipboard from here, and a pen from the cup, then turned towards the sitting area and found a seat, sitting down with you in his lap. “Let's see.” He sighed softly, scanning the single page of questions. “These are easy enough.” He said, penning in the answers to the questions, then tucked the clipboard between his thigh and the arm of the chair, before turning his attention to you, who sat stiff as a board in his lap.

“Do you want to play with the toys, while we wait, baby?” Henry asked, motioning across the room to the play area, but you shook your head. “You wanna watch some toons, then?” He asked, digging out his phone and tapping the Netflix icon on his home screen, going into the profile he made for you and found your favorite cartoon on the streaming service, pushing play on a fresh episode for you, managing to distract you with it.

That was until a Little boy came into the office, literally kicking and screaming, as his Daddy tugged him to the front desk, putting you on edge again. Henry sighed, rubbing his hand up and down your back, trying to get you calm again, while praying the Daddy and his Little didn't sit beside you, fearing the close proximity would only have a negative effect. But, his prayer was ignored as they sat down one seat over, the Little boy sitting on the floor in front of his Daddy, kicking his feet and flailing his arms, thick tears streaming down his hot and beet red face. But, his Daddy sat in his chair, calmly filling out the same paperwork Henry had just gotten through for you.

Henry felt the Brat Tamer streak in him wanting to get up and paddle that Little boy's bottom right then and there, in the middle of the waiting room, for everyone to see, acting like that. Then, do the same to his Daddy. There was a time and a place to ignore your Little's bad behavior and this Little's behavior was not it. His Daddy should be taking him aside and either be giving him the proper chance to calm himself down, giving him a stern warning to collect himself, or he would find himself with a real reason to be making such a fuss, or he would be taken into one of the changing rooms and having his bottom heavily blistered. He looked over at the other waiting Mommy and Daddy with their Littles, who were also in the waiting room, seeing how they were also on edge with the Little boy's epic tantrum, and sighed.

“It's all right, honey.” Henry cooed into your ear and kissed your temple. “Pay no attention to him.” He told you, sighing again. “You're being such a very good girl, and when we're done here, I'll take you to go get some ice cream.” He promised, hoping it would relax you and get you to focus back on him and the cartoon still playing on his phone.

“How's that sound?”

“Okay, I guess.” You whimpered, your eyes still glued on the Little boy.

A door opened and a young lady stepped out with a clipboard in her hand. “Cavill?” She called out, looking up from the clipboard and scanning the waiting room, she skipped over the screaming Little, like he was a perfect angel, completely used to such scenes.

“That's us, dumpling.” Henry said, grabbing the paperwork and stood, shifting you to his hip and approached the nurse with a friendly smile. “Hello.” He nodded to her.

“Afternoon, Mr. Cavill.” She greeted him, then looked at you. “Hi there, cutie.” She grinned, reaching out to lightly touch your arm, chuckling as you burrowed into Henry's chest. “If you come back with me, we'll get her weight first.” She said, holding the door open for Henry and pointed over to the scale on the other side.

Nodding at her again, Henry passed through the door and set you down on your feet in front of the scale. “Go on, baby. It's not going to hurt you.” He smiled softly, when you didn't move, but just stared up at him, with a face that begged him to pick you up again.

Biting your lip, you stepped onto the scale and the nurse popped up beside you, patiently waiting for the digital numbers to appear on the teeny screen, before scribbling them down on her clipboard and motioned that it was okay for you to step off the scale again.

“This way to your exam room.” She said, pointing down the long hallway.

“Perfect.” Henry smiled, taking your hand and started to follow the nurse, but stopped, when you tugged on his arm and puffed out your bottom lip at him, whimpering softly. “All right.” He chuckled, getting the hint and picked you up, settled you on his hip and carried you down the hallway to exam room number eight.

Henry gently sat you down on the exam table, hushing you as you whimpered and balled your fists up in the sides of his hoodie. “I'm staying right here, lovie.” He promised, kissing your forehead.

“Let's get this beautiful girl's temperature and blood pressure.” The nurse said, holding out the oral probe of the thermometer, with a sweet and charming smile.

You heaved a sigh, knowing there was no getting around it, and opened your mouth for the nurse, causing Henry to smile proudly at you. The nurse winked at you, slipping the thermometer into your mouth, then carefully wrapped the pressure cuff around your arm and pressed the button on the machine, so it would fill up, squeezing your arm.

“So, you are here for her one month check up, with Dr. Evers.” The nurse asked Henry, while there was a free moment. “Is that correct?”

“Yes, it is.” Henry nodded at her, rubbing his palms up and down your thighs, trying to keep you calm and happy, while smiling at the nurse.

“Excellent.” She replied, looking over the sheet of paper he had filled out in the waiting room, before writing down your temperature and blood pressure.

“Is her pressure good?” He asked, tilting his head.

“It's spot on.” The nurse reassured him.

“That's comforting.” Henry said, grinning at you, and kissing the tip of your nose.

“Dr. Evers will be in shortly, she's just wrapping up with her last patient, then she'll join you.” She informed Henry, typing on the computer in the room for a moment.

“Thank you very much.” He thanked her, nodding his head at her.

“Of course.” She smiled at both of you, before stepping out, to tend to the rest of the patients.

“See, Baby. So far, so good.” Henry cooed at you, brushing his fingers through your hair. “It hasn't been so bad, has it?”

You gave him a look that told him you weren't quite convinced yet. “Yeah.” You mumbled, chewing on your bottom lip.

“You're doing great, Pumpkin.” He praised you, kissing your cheek. “Keep it up.” He encouraged you, turning your cartoon back on, just to fill the time, while you waited.

Ten minutes after the nurse left, a light knock sounded on the exam room door, just before opening, revealing a forty-two year old woman, with straight hair, that started out jet black at the roots, but faded to an ash gray at the tips. She wore minimal make-up, and honestly, she didn't need the foundation and blush she had on, from what you could tell. She had a killer complexion. Dr. Evers was several inches shorter than you were as well, and clearly fit underneath her long, doctor's coat; her hazel eyes were warm, welcoming and very comforting, instantly soothing what anxiety and terror you still had lingering inside of you, that Henry and your cartoons hadn't been able to smooth out.

“Mr. Cavill.” Dr. Evers greeted him, with a light Australian accent, extending her hand to him. “It's a pleasure to meet you.”

“You as well.” Henry replied, smiling at her and taking her hand in his, gently shaking it.

“This must be your gorgeous baby girl, I see.” She said, turning her eyes to you, who scrunched up, shyly.

Henry chuckled, smiling at you. “This is.” He nodded, brushing the back of his knuckles against your warm cheek. “We've been together for a month now. So, it's time for her first check up with you.” He explained to her, giving you a playful wink.

“How is it that the two of you got together?” Dr. Evers asked, pulling over her rolling stool and taking a seat on it.

“I've been a resident of Huntersville for several years now, and signed up to be a Foster, when I applied for residency.” Henry began explaining to her, casually, feeling just at ease with Dr. Evers as you did. “I haven't had a Baby Girl since I've been a resident here, though.” He said, frowning for a moment. “That was until she applied for residency here, a year ago. Then, she was accepted a month and a half ago and arrived a month ago. Mayor Shannon called me and asked if I would be her Foster Big, since she didn't have one, and I accepted.” He grinned at you, proudly, knowing that that feeling would never fade, no matter how long the two of you were together.

“So, are you her Foster Big or her Daddy?” Dr. Evers asked, frowning at Henry, having seen on the appointment scheduling that Henry was listed as your Daddy, not your Foster Big.

“I'm her Daddy. We made that official, not long after meeting.” He replied, clearing up her confusion.

“Excellent.” She nodded, understanding, as she scrolled through your medical files on the computer. “She seems to be very healthy and well rounded.” She said, not seeing anything worth noting aloud. “I'm sure you are already aware of her being lactose intolerant?”

“I am.” Henry nodded at her, gently patting the small of your back.

“Good.” Dr. Evers mumbled to herself, reassured that Henry was attuned to the dietary needs you had, but her eyes narrowed at something on your chart, before darting over to Henry and back to the screen. “Let's give you a quick look over.” She said, standing up.

Henry untangled your hands from his hoodie and stepped aside, but stayed in a place, where he was still in your full view, just in case you got nervous and frightened again, and you could see him. Dr. Evers took up the place Henry had been in, smiling softly at you, as she took the stethoscope from around her neck. Putting the earpieces in her ears, she gently pressed the diaphragm of her stethoscope to your chest and listened to the sound of your heart and rested breathing.

“Can you take a big breath for me?” She cooed at you, smiling brightly.

You blinked at her, eyes darting to Henry, who nodded encouragingly. Biting your lip, you took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Dr. Evers moved the stethoscope to a new place on your chest and prompted you for another breath, repeating it three more times on your chest, before moving behind you and pressing the diaphragm to your back and asking you to do it all over again.

“She sounds a teeny bit congested.” Dr. Evers said, draping the stethoscope around her neck again.

“Does she?” Henry replied, his brows pinching with concern.

“Yeah, it could just be the air out here.” She explained to him. “It's dry mountain air. It lacks a lot of moisture, so it can cause congestion. It's a lot more common and normal than you think. It's nothing either of you have done wrong, I assure you.”

“What can I do to help it?” He asked, biting his lip.

“I'll prescribe her an allergy pill, that she'll take daily for the congestion.” Dr. Evers replied, picking up an otoscope. “A humidifier or a vaporizer that can add extra moisture to the air will also help with her congestion.” She told him, checking your ears and nose, then put the instrument back and continued the rest of your examination. “She's in perfect health other than that.” She told Henry, stepping aside, but let out a heavy sigh.

“But, there is one thing we will need to address, during this visit.”

“All right.” Henry nodded, ready to do whatever it was that was needed.

“It's been eleven, almost twelve, years since she's had her tetanus shot.” Dr. Evers told him, delicately, looking over at you, who's eyes darted between her and Henry.

Henry gulped and felt the room grow smaller. “Oh.” He croaked, then cleared his throat and regained his composure, before you picked up on it.

“Would you like a moment to prepare her, while I get it ready?” She asked, biting the inside of her lip; having a Little of her own, she knew the potential, world ending, results of giving you a shot could cause.

“Yes, please.” Henry nodded at her. “Thank you.” He said, as she got up and left the room, giving the two of you privacy.

Your eyes darted between the closing door and Henry, feeling the change in the room, you saw how guarded Henry had suddenly become. After a month together, the pair of you had become quite bonded together, in tuned, so you knew there was something wrong, and it made your anxiety and fright come flooding back.

“Daddy?” You groaned, breathing hard, and making grabby hands for him.

“Ssshh, it's okay, Princess.” Henry cooed at you, letting you take his hands as he stood between your legs, kissing your forehead. “It'll be all right. You're being such a good girl. I'm so proud of you, honey.” He told you, squeezing your hands, and pressed his cheek to your hair, collecting himself, knowing he had to keep himself strong, for you.

“It'll be over before you know it. Daddy swears.” He whispered, wishing he had known about you needing the shot beforehand, so he could have been more prepared for it.

“What's she want, Dada?” You whimpered, sucking on your pouty lip.

Henry felt his already sore heart get tugged on, hearing you call him, Dada. “You're rather overdue for a very important shot.” He told you, gulping, his stomach lurching at your teary sounding whimper, as you pressed your face into his chest. “I'm sorry, love.” He whimpered back, pressing his lips to the top of your head. “I had no idea when we were coming here today. I just found out too. If I had known you needed a tetanus shot, I would have prepared you for it, before we left the house. I swear, I would have.” He told you, firmly wrapping his arms around you, hoping the pressure would be comforting.

On some level.

“Please, Dada. No pokes.” You begged him, looking up into his face with wet and pleading eyes.

“You need it, Baby.” Henry cooed at you, wiping, fruitlessly, at your tears. “I'm sorry, it's too important.” He told you, pressing his lips together. “If you can take your stick, like a good girl, not only will we go get some ice cream, Daddy will get you a really neat surprise, as well.” He said, his eyes flaring, trying to distract you and perk you up, unsuccessfully.

“But, you need to behave. You can do that for Daddy. Can't you, baby girl?” He murmured, caressing your damp cheeks with his thumbs as the door to the room opened again, and Dr. Evers reentered with the shot in her hand.

You whined and grunted, scooting to the farthest edge away from Dr. Evers and buried your face into the front of Henry's Adeptus Custodes Hoodie. Henry hushed you, rubbing your back and kissing the top of your head, nodding his head at Dr. Evers, when she lifted a brow at Henry, in silent question. Dr. Evers gently lifted the short sleeve of your onesie, cleaned a spot on your upper arm with an alcohol swab, and uncapped the tetanus shot. Henry wrapped his arms around you, in an effort to make sure you kept still, as the doctor inserted the needle into the muscle of your arm, in a practiced and muscle memory movement. You gasped and jerked, tugging on the back of Henry's hoodie as Dr. Evers pushed in the shot's plunger, injecting the solution, then removed the needle from the sore injection site, then gently pressing a cotton swab to the spot.

“What a brave girl you are.” Dr. Evers cooed at you, patting you on the thigh.

“Such a brave girl.” Henry agreed, kissing your forehead and patting you on the back.

“Now, do you want a Blue's Clues plaster or a Hello Kitty one?” Dr. Evers asked, holding up the two band-aids and tilting her head at you, still hiding in Henry's chest and hoodie.

Whimpering, you peeked out from Henry's hoodie, sniffling, and pointed to the Blue's Clues one, before hiding again. Both Bigs chuckled at you, before Dr. Evers handed the Blue's Clues band-aid to Henry.

“Perhaps Daddy should put it on her.” She suggested, with a smile. “I've also already put the prescription for her allergy pill in with the Huntersville Pharmacy. All you need to do is pick it up.” She informed Henry, washing her hands in the small sink that was in the room.

“Thank you so much.” Henry replied, removing the protective film from the sticky tabs of the band-aid and very gently smoothed it over your injection site.

“Anytime.” Dr. Evers answered, pulling open the door. “It was a pleasure meeting you both. I hope you have a good rest of your day.”

“Same to you.” Henry grinned at her, scooping you up into his arms. “You did good, sweet pea.” He told you, gently bouncing you, as you continued to sniffle into his neck. “You more than earned your ice cream and surprise today.” He said, carrying you out to the car. “And a definite nappy, when we get back home.” He added, strapping you into your car seat, then gave you your paci.

With you secure in your car seat, Henry got behind the wheel, quickly made sure he remembered where the ice cream shop was, before heading off that way.

“Are you excited?” He cooed at you, smiling as he pulled into a parking space, right in front of the ice cream shop, Frostbite.

You looked at him, your pouty lips pressed together.

“Oh, you are a cranky baby girl.” Henry grinned, his chest rumbling with a laugh. “Come on, buttercup. This'll cheer you up.” He told you, scooping you up out of the car and took you inside the chilly business. “You can have a medium cup.” He whispered into your ear, as you stood in front of the giant board along an otherwise bare concrete wall.

“What flavor do you want?” He asked, gently swinging his hips to rock you.

You chewed on your lip as you scanned the almost endless options of flavors, before one of them really jumped out at you. “Bubble Gum.”

Henry smiled, seeing you start to come back out of your shell. “All right, any toppings?”

“Gummy Bears!” You replied, really coming alive, as you looked at him with huge eyes.

“Okay, Bubble Gum ice cream with gummy bears.” He laughed, turning towards the serving counter.

“Welcome to Frostbite, what can I make you today?” The worker asked, smiling brightly at you and Henry.

“I need one, medium, Lactose-free, Bubble Gum ice cream with light gummy bears.” Henry told her, smirking. “I don't need this one bouncing off the walls.” He joked, lifting a brow at you. “Also, a small, original, Cheesecake with Strawberries.” He added, ordering something for himself.

The cashier rang up the frozen delights and Henry swiped his card, before stepping out of the way for the Mommy and her Little Girl behind you, so they could order their own treats. You moved down a little bit, peeking through the protective glass as another worker behind the counter started working on your orders.

“What's he doing, Daddy?” You asked, looking at Henry, curiously.

“He's going to make your ice cream, Baby.” Henry replied, grinning at you.

“From scratch?” You frowned, watching the worker fill a metal bowl that was sunken into the counter in front of him, with the ingredients of your ice cream.

“Mmhm.” He nodded at you, then pointed over at a giant and shiny, metal tank. “You see that? It's a Nitrogen tank. He's going to use that to make your ice cream, watch.” He explained, as the worker pressed a button and a nozzle, positioned above the bowl, came to life with a thick fog of below zero temperature Nitrogen, obscuring the bowl.

“Whoa!” You gasped, eyes wide with surprised and impressed wonder, glancing at Henry, and grinning.

“See.” Henry cooed, kissing your cheek.

“Dat's so cool!” You proclaimed, bouncing on Henry's hip, making the worker smile and giggle at you.

“Told you, this would cheer you up.” Henry said, sitting at a table with you, eating your chilly treats.

“You were right, Daddy.” you nodded, dipping your plastic spoon into the vibrant blue ice cream in your paper bowl, trying to get as many gummy bears as you could in the process. “Daddy knows best.” You said, before shoving the spoon into your mouth, and looked across at Henry.

“That I do.” Henry smirked, digging into his own ice cream.

“What's the surprise, Daddy?” You asked, after you and Henry left the ice cream shop, and got back into the car, wondering where Henry was taking you now.

“Well, it wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, now would it?” He chuckled, looking at you through the rear view.

“I guess not.” You frowned, pressing your lips together, as you thought it over.

Laughing, Henry pulled into the shopping center parking lot and went inside, navigating the store, until you reached the electronics department. “Let's see.” He hummed, looking at the tablets on display. “Hm.” He picked up one of the tablets, checking out it's specs.

It was a Galaxy Tab S7+ with 512GB of space and 5G connectability.

“This one will work.” Henry decided, grabbing one that wasn't a display model, and took it up to the cashier.

“That's a lot of monies.” You commented, seeing the price tag on the register.

“Money isn't a concern, Little one.” Henry replied, rubbing your back and paying for the tablet. “Now, let's get you home. I'll set this up for you, find you a little game for you to play on it, then you can take your nap.” He told you, taking you back out to the car.

“Okay.” You yawned, slumping in your car seat.

Henry stopped at the pharmacy to grab your allergy pill, then took you both back home.

Henry sat on the couch, you leaning against his side, your head on his shoulder, as you watched him unbox the tablet, turn it on and go through the process of setting it up and activating it. Henry searched around the Google Play Store for several minutes, until he found a fun stacking game for you to play on it. Handing you the tablet, Henry let you play the game, while he made a bottle, then watched you play the game as you sat in his lap and drank the bottle down.

“I can watch my show, Daddy?” You asked, as he laid you in your crib. “Peas?” You added, puffing out your bottom lip and giving him puppy dog eyes.

Henry narrowed his eyes, humming deep in his chest, but gave in. “All right.” He sighed, grabbing the device and turned on an episode of the cartoon, before handing it to you. “Sleep tight, Nugget.” He cooed at you, kissing your forehead, then turned out the lights and turned on the A/C, the day being exceptionally warm.

You licked your lips, as you watched Henry close the bedroom door from the corner of your eyes, before turning off your cartoon, and found the internet browser. Activating the tablet's keyboard, you typed into the browser's search engine, searching for what you had your mind set on. While Henry was downstairs in the kitchen, making a pre-workout, Shatter Elite energy shake, his blue-tooth earbuds in, humming along to the song that was playing off his playlist, when it was interrupted by a distinct dinging sound. Frowning, Henry put down his shake and grabbed his phone, opening the live feed of your nursery, and found something that shocked him.

“Jesus.”

He gulped, licking his lips, as he watched you kick off your weighted blanket and reach between your legs, whimpering as you stretched your sore arm, but tugging open the three snaps of your onesie. “Oh, Little one.” He sighed, grinning, as you pulled your up onesie to try and gain access to your pamper, but whined, Henry realizing you had gotten your tetanus shot in your dominant arm, hindering your task.

Pulling his earbuds out and dropping them on the counter, then abandoning everything else on the counter with them, Henry went back upstairs to the nursery. Quietly opening the master bedroom door, he slipped inside, just in time to see you slip your hand inside your pamper, your soft and breathy moan filling the quiet space.

“What are you doing, Baby girl?” Henry whispered softly, startling you, making you yank your hand out of your pamper and try to hide your tablet. “Let's see what my baby has.” He said, reaching into your crib, pulling out the tablet you had hidden behind your stuffies. “Is this what you like, Kitten?” He asked, pressing play on the video you had on the screen, lifting a brow at it.

“Maybe.” You mumbled, wishing you would just shrivel up or that your crib would swallow you, also wondering what Henry would do to you, having caught you trying to touch yourself.

The last time you had done this, out of complete innocence, he had promised to punish you. You shivered at the thought of it, licking your lips.

“Are you going to spank me?” You whimpered, meekly, biting your lip.

Henry tisked, setting the tablet aside, then leaned his forearms against the railing of your crib, looking down at you. “Daddy has told you not to touch yourself, haven't I?” He cooed, glancing at your unbuttoned onesie and messy pamper. “Mischievous baby girl.” He hummed, grinning, reaching in to gently glide his fingertips over the strip of exposed skin above your pamper, chuckling as he felt your skin twitch, being ticklish.

He bit the inside corner of his lip, gulping, as he dared to slip his fingers inside your pamper, his eyes locked on yours as his hand moved deeper, sliding home, fingertips resting lightly on your folds. You let out a shuddered breath, licking your lips and curling your toes, still holding Henry's blue eyes, yours begging him to touch you more. Smirking, Henry used his free hand to pop open the tabs of your pamper, then started to gently rub your folds, loving the feeling of touching you, feeling you grow wet against his hand, the sounds you made, and how you pushed your hips up into his hand, for more friction.

“Oh, sweet baby.” He purred at you, giving your clit attention, grinning as your moan filled the room around them. “Yeah, such a good girl.” He encouraged you, slipping a finger between your folds, collecting your juices. “Hm, I wonder.” He said, lifting a brow, then lifted his hand to his mouth, slipping his finger between his lips, tasting you, with a satisfied moan.

“You taste like sweet nectar.” He grinned, his hand going back to your pussy.

“Daddy.” You moaned, face twisted in pleasure.

“Oh, I love the sound of that.” Henry rumbled back, moaning and feeling himself get hard. “Do you wanna come for your Daddy, Baby?” He purred at you, his blue eyes darkening, watching you melt into the mattress of your crib, hips wiggling to work with his fingers, moaning and whimpering.

“Yes.” You nodded, gripping his forearm, nails digging into his skin. “Yes, please. Please, Daddy, I wanna cummy.”

Henry grinned, nodding his head. “I'll give you a cummy, baby doll.” He promised you, working his fingers against your sensitive, little pearl, his eyes falling shut for a moment, to listen to all the sweet, music like noises his darling girl was making as he pleasured you, before opening them again, hearing the sudden change in you, sensing how close you were to coming.

“That's it, honey.” Henry cooed, watching you fall apart. “Come, baby.” He said, clearing his throat. “Come for me.” He told you, firmly, his expression honed in on you. “Come for your Daddy.” He sighed, feeling the gush of your orgasm against his fingers, the shiver of your body and the way you bit your lip.

“Uh, Daddy.” You called out, slowly relaxing as your orgasm faded.

“Christ, I didn't think it was even possible for you to become even more gorgeous than you already are.” Henry commented, licking his fingers, and stepping away from your crib, to grab a couple of baby wipes, cleaning you up and wiping off his hand. “Let's get you in a fresh pamper.” He said, picking you up and laying you down on the changing table.

“Now,” He chuckled, lightly tapping the front of your secured pamper. “I told you, about touching yourself. I broke my own rule by indulging you, so we were both rather naughty about it.” He sighed, a teeny part of him was disappointed that he did caved in, pleasuring you, after finding you touching yourself, when you were supposed to be napping, instead of giving you the spanking you were supposed to get, not an orgasm.

But, Henry didn't regret it, either.

“I won't be making that mistake again, though. So, if I catch you touching your cute, little princess parts again, cause Daddy saw you.” He laughed, pointing up at the CC camera in your nursery. “I will spank that adorable patootie of yours.”

You shied at him. “I'm sorry, Daddy.” You replied, remorsefully.

“Good.” Henry nodded, kissing your belly. “But, for next time, all you have to do is ask Daddy, Little one. I have no qualms about making my Baby Girl feel good.” He told you, brushing his fingers through your hair and against your cheek. “Especially if it helps her sleep.” He added, much softer, watching you yawn, then picked you up and put you back into your crib, covering you up and settling you back in.

“Nighty night, darling.” He grinned at you, kissing your temple, then carefully took your tablet, and went back downstairs with it.

Henry finished watching the video you had pulled up on it, finding he was rather turned on by it, undoing his jeans and relieving himself of his raging hard on, before turning the video off, and turning on the parental controls with a pin, so you couldn't turn the controls off, now stopping you from looking at anymore porn videos and the such.

“My Baby girl.” Henry grinned, sitting back on the couch and kicking his feet up on the coffee table, thinking about how he made you come. “I made my Baby girl come for the first time.” He chuckled, grinning up at the ceiling, giddy.

Chapter Text

“Come on, Baby. You can do it.” Henry said, holding his arms out to you, as you stood on the first submerged step of the pool in the backyard.

It was an extremely warm day in Huntersville, so Henry thought it was a perfect opportunity for you both to get into the pool and cool off, as well as teach you how to swim. He just had to get you all the way into the pool first. You were hesitant as the cool water lapped at your calves, your mind panning back and forth between Hanna and your cousin pushing you into the water and almost drowning because of it. You trusted Henry, with your heart and soul, you knew he wouldn't hurt you or do anything to betray your trust in him, but it warred with your past trauma, freezing you solid on that step. Henry also warred with himself, wanting to take your hands and guide you into the pool with him, but he wanted you to do it on your own, to just step into the pool with him, then you could go from there.

He wanted you to find trust in yourself, to get through your previous hurt.

You licked your lips, heart thundering in your chest and toes curling around the edge of the step, as you looked down into the water, feeling like you were staring down the side of a steep cliff.

“I'm right here.” Henry whispered, sincerely, gulping thickly. “I won't let anything happen to you.” He promised, softly.

Your eyes flickered up to Henry's, face still turned down towards the water, as you heard his words, feeling them wrap around your heart, like a flotation device. Biting into your bottom lip, you slid your foot forward, easing it down to the next step, as Henry's face brightened at you, excited that his Baby girl was conquering her fear and getting into the pool all on her own, only needing a few encouraging words from her Daddy.

“Look at you, sweetheart! You did it!” He cheered, when you stepped off the last step and into the pool, standing in front of him. “I'm so unbelievably proud of you.” He told you, gushing, and cupping your face in his hands and kissed you deeply on the lips.

“That wasn't even the hard part.” You sighed, when he broke the kiss.

“That was the hardest part.” Henry replied, not wanting you to discredit yourself. “Learning how to swim is the easy part, love. But, you overcame your fears and got into the pool. It's great, it means you're making progress! You didn't even want to get into the pool at the Community Event a few weeks ago. You only got in, because I took you into the water myself.” He told you, caressing your face.

“Now, look at you.”

“Yeah, you're right.” You nodded, blinking up at him, starting to feel pretty proud of yourself.

“Now, the easy and the fun part.” He grinned, resting his hands on the back of your arms and pulled you against him, before he leaned back, allowing himself to float in the water and buoyed you with his body as you laid against his chest, neither of you touching the bottom of the pool. “Easy.” He cooed, feeling you tense up against him, gliding his fingertips up your back, water lapping all around you. “I've got you, I'm not gonna let go.” He murmured, gently kicking his feet to keep treading water with you.

“Now, kick your feet, just like I am.” Henry instructed you, staring into your wide eyes.

You focused for a moment, on the feeling of Henry's feet moving, on the current they made through the water around you, then slowly started moving your own legs in the same pattern, your hands gripping his shoulders, a sliver of your mind frightened he would suddenly let go of you. He nodded his head at you, when he felt the motion of your legs fall into sync with his, then slowly moved one of his hands from your elbow, stretching it out into the water and swishing it back and forth, stirring the water up and pushing you both a little further into the pool.

“Keep it up, you're doing good.” He urged you on, turning his head for a moment as he caught sight of Kal pacing the edge of the pool. “Kal, no.” He warned the Akita, knowing what the Bear was thinking, and hoped to nip it in the bud, before it happened.

Henry focused back on you, letting himself sink a teeny bit in water, so you would be more in the water than on top of him, seeing if you would float. Which you did. He smiled at you, watching you tread water on your own, but still holding on to him. You felt Henry move from under you, your panic rising as you realized it, but you calmed once you realized you weren't sinking now that Henry wasn't keeping you afloat himself anymore.

You looked at Henry with shocked surprise, that you were the one keeping yourself above water, just by kicking your feet and keeping your hands on him.

“Told you, easy.” He chuckled, kissing the tip of your nose, then righted himself, standing up, the water washing against the middle of his chest. “Keep those little legs going.” He told you, slipping his hands under your armpits to hold onto you. “Such a strong girl.” He praised you, turning in a circle, then slowly walking backwards towards the stairs in the shallow end, as you kept kicking your feet, letting you get the feeling of propelling yourself through the water.

“Shit.” Henry snapped as Kal came cannon-balling into the pool, splashing water all over the two of you, and pulled you momentarily closer to him.

“That's naughty language, Daddy.” You blinked at Henry, shaking your head as water dripped down your face.

“Yeah, that is. Isn't it, Baby doll.” He replied, wiping the water out of your eyes. “Daddy's sorry.” He cooed, kissing your forehead.

“I forgive you.” You replied, smiling brightly at him.

“Thank you, that makes me feel better.” Henry grinned at you. “I suppose Kal just wants to help you swim too.” He said, as Kal doggy paddled by. “He's just adding in his own technique.”

“It's a silly one.” You answered, watching Kal happily swim around the shallow end of the pool.

“That it is.” Henry agreed with you, chuckling. “Now, where were we?” He sighed, shaking his head. “Right.” He nodded, carefully maneuvering around you, hooking an arm around your middle, half holding you up and half letting you hold yourself up in the water. “All right, darling. You're doing amazing with your kicks and keeping yourself afloat.” He told you, watching your legs still going, smiling at the way your little swimsuit rode up, exposing one of your cheeks a little bit.

“Now, we're going to work on your arms.” He told you, easily maneuvering you with his singular arm underneath of you, making you glide through the water, which made you giggle and squirm with delight. “See, you're having so much fun now, aren't you, precious?” Henry grinned at you, making you sail through the water again, loving the sound of your happy laughs, your earlier fears and anxiety about the water seemingly forgotten in the moment.

You put your arms out on your own, unconsciously, swishing them through the water, much like you had seen Henry do for a few moments before, and Eric and Aspen at the Community Pool Event a couple of weeks ago. Henry smiled at you, watching your instincts kick in, watching you work your arms, but didn't quite have them in sync with your legs yet. So, Henry kept a hold of you, moving around the pool with you, giving you an instruction here and a tip there, encouraging you the whole way through. When you were finally in sync, Henry licked his lips, very slowly removing his arm from underneath of you, but never leaving your side, until both of his arms were down by his sides and you were floating and swimming freely in front of him, blissfully unaware that his arm was no longer a safety net beneath you.

His heart pounded in his chest, as the two of you moved along the shallow end of the pool, you swam away, grinning up at Henry, so proud of yourself, Henry incredibly proud of you, but wondering when you would notice he no longer had a hold of you. He wanted to point out that he was no longer holding you, but part of him was terrified to do so, knowing that you could freak out, getting scared and end up flailing in the water and sinking, forcing him to pick you up and take you out of the pool.

But, there was the chance, you had gained enough confidence that you would be perfectly all right.

“Hey, Baby.” He cooed, touching the small of your back, getting your focused attention, as you and Kal interacted. “Look.” He said, holding his palms out for you to see, he was no longer touching you, that all your effort in swimming was your accomplishment.

You paused, but kept yourself above water, looking into Henry's eyes with a mix of horror and surprise. You felt your anxiety spike, realizing that you were just floating freely in the water, without Henry holding you, making sure you didn't sink. The fear of drowning started to consume you again, making your arms and legs feel heavier than river rocks, encumbering your ability to use them and keep your head above the waterline. But, you shook your head, obviously you didn't need Henry to hold onto, so you could swim. You were crushing it just minutes before, doing countless laps around the shallow end with Henry and Kal right beside you, and if anything had gone wrong, Henry was still by your side to pick you up and save you.

Taking deep breaths, you calmed yourself down, regaining your composure and use of your arms and legs, the heaviness going away in them. Henry saw your reaction, the eclipse of your fright and terror to relaxed ease, and was very proud of you, and relieved himself.

“I knew you could do it, Baby.” He whispered, kissing your temple. “And I'm really touched that you trusted me enough to allow me to teach you how to swim.” He added, sweetly, brushing his fingers through your wet hair.

“I'm honored.”

“Thank you, for teaching me.” You replied, turning your head to capture his lips in yours. “I had a lot of fun.” You whispered against his mouth.

“I'm glad.” Henry smirked, wrapping his arms around you and hugged you against him. “I had a lot of fun too.” He said, with a wink.

“I can't wait until the next pool party, so I can play with Eric and Aspen in the water.” You told him, laying your head on his chest, lulled as he laid back in the water, his arms locked around you, and being rocked by a gentle current of the pool water.

Henry smiled, kissing the top of your head, warmed and touched. “Me too, sweetheart. Me too.”

You laughed as you ran around Eric's backyard, playing Tag with him, while Henry and Jasmine sat under the covered patio, smiling and watching the two of you.

“They're so adorable.” Jasmine chuckled, sipping her iced tea.

“They are.” Henry agreed, softly sighing, as he watched you chase after Eric, his blue eyes shining with unguarded love. “Her birthday is in two weeks.” He commented, biting his lip.

Henry had been thinking about your birthday coming up for the last month and what he wanted to do to celebrate it. He wanted to go all out for your big day, already having Eric and Aspen on top of the invite list for guests, though he wasn't at all sure who else would be going, he knew you and fellow Little Jamie liked each other, so he wasn't a bad choice to add to the list. It wasn't like Henry was going to find the contact information for your parents and family and fly them out to Huntersville as a surprise for your birthday. He knew they had no idea you were a Little, let alone living in the Big and Little Community, in the secluded Southern California mountains, with a man, who you'd only known for two and half months, and who, you were not only slowly forming a relationship with, but who you also submitted to and called Daddy.

“What are you going to do about it?” Jasmine asked, looking over at Henry.

“I'm not totally sure.” Henry sighed, softly. “Well,” He blinked, his eyes catching Jasmine's above ground hot tub. “I taught her how to swim recently.”

“Oh, did you?” Jasmine replied, perking up and smiling, happy for you.

“Yeah. She said she was looking forward to the next Community Pool party to swim with Eric and Aspen, now that she does know how to swim.” He said, the wheels in his mind turning as the idea formed. “I had a look at this month's event calendar, there isn't a pool party on it. So, why make my Baby girl wait to swim with her friends?” He explained, turning his eyes back to Jasmine, to see if she was catching on to what he was saying.

A grin crossed Jasmine's lips, making her honey-brown eyes sparkle. “A pool birthday party.” She nodded, completely understanding Henry's idea. “I like that idea, and I'm sure she'll love it.”

“I hope so.” Henry answered, biting his lip. “Do you mind watching her for a bit? There are a couple of things I want to do at home, and it's going to take a lot of my attention. So, I won't be able to keep it on my Little adventurer over there.” He chuckled, motioning to you.

“Of course!” Jasmine agreed, readily. “I enjoy having her little pampered bottom running around over here. She's such a joy.” She confessed to Henry. “She has an uncanny ability to keep Eric out of trouble, as well.” She added, lifting a brow at her Little man.

“Thanks, Jazzy.” He said, finishing off his drink, and stood. “I've been setting up one of the spare bedrooms as a playroom for her, and I'd love to finish it up for her birthday.”

“It's no issue, Hank. None at all.” She assured him.

Nodding his head at Jazzy, Henry called you over, smiling at you. “Daddy's going to leave for a little bit, Little one. So, you're gonna stay here and play with Eric, and behave for Ms. Jasmine. Okay?” He told you, brushing your hair out of your face.

“Okay, Daddy.” You nodded, a bit out of breath from playing with Eric.

“Good girl.” He grinned and kissed you, before returning home.

“Are you spending the night?” Eric asked, when you went back over to him, excited expectation in his eyes and face.

“No, my Daddy just went to go do something.” You told him, a teeny bit disappointed with him that you weren't spending the night with him too.

“You think it has to do with your birthday?” He asked, sitting down in the grass with you, both of you too tired and hot to keep playing tag.

“Maybe.” You frowned, shrugging your shoulders and picking at the blades of grass by your ankles. “I don't expect much, though.”

“Why not?” Eric replied, frowning back at you, picking the dandelions and braiding them together, wanting to make a pretty flower crown for his Mommy. “Because he's only been your Daddy for a couple of months? You don't think he'll go all out, cause of that, and maybe because he doesn't know all your likes, for prezzies?”

You let out a heavy sigh, pressing your lips together for a moment. “No, Henry is really good at knowing what I do and don't like, almost eerily so, cause sometimes he doesn't know what I do and don't like, but still somehow nails them anyway.” You clarified to Eric, chewing on your lip. “It's just, like, I didn't have a lot growing up. So, I didn't expect a lot. It's become a thing in my life. Don't expect things, if you do expect something, don't expect it to be much.”

“That's sorta heavy.” Eric commented, giving you a sad and sympathetic expression. “But, surely, since your Daddy is Henry, freaking Superman, Cavill, he'll go all out for your birthday!” He said, resolute in his opinion. “I mean, fudge! You're Mr. Henry's first Little in at least two years, that means something to a Daddy and a Mommy, and if the way he treats you and the way he looks at you says anything, that man worships you.”

“I wouldn't say he worships me, Eric.” You replied, feeling a heat rush into your cheeks. “That's a bit much.”

“Girl,” Eric huffed, leaning forward and staring directly into your eyes, with a seriousness you had never seen in the other Little's eyes before. “I've been around tons of other Mommies and Daddies in the fifteen years I've been an active Little, and I've never seen a Daddy trip over himself to take care of his Little, the way Henry Cavill does with you.”

“He's smitten and utterly devoted to you.” He told you, leaning back again. “If my Mommy wasn't the same way with me, I would so be jealous of you.”

That comment did make you laugh, smirking at him.

“Littles!” Jasmine called out, standing at the edge of the patio. “Come inside, it's lunch time!” She informed the both of you.

You and Eric got up and raced each other inside, before sitting down at the dining table, and instantly got excited about lunch, finding a pizza lunchable for each of you. Both of you dived into the lunchables, giggling as you either put more pizza sauce on one of the three pre-made crusts, or all pepperonis or cheese on another, making a bit of a mess on the table. But, Jasmine shook her head at the two of you, as she sat on the other side of the table, eating her own lunch.

“All right you two troublemakers.” She chuckled, standing up. “Can you help me clean up?” She asked, bringing out a trash bin from the kitchen.

Nodding your heads, you and Eric helped Jasmine clean up the mess on the table, then cheered, when she rewarded your helpful behavior, by putting on the new Cruella movie on Disney Plus, in the den for you both to watch. You curled up on the recliner that was in the den, while Eric and Jasmine cuddled on the love seat, but you noticed the Mommy and Little, sometime through the movie, shift and Jasmine push up her shirt, to nurse Eric; but kept your eyes on the movie.

You felt your stomach flip, unconsciously licking your lips.

“She fell asleep, while we were watching Cruella.” Jasmine chuckled, as she led Henry into the den, when he came to pick you up.

Henry smiled down at you, all curled up on the recliner and sound asleep. “Thanks for Little-sitting her for me, Jazzy.” He whispered, as he carefully hoisted you up into his arms, hushing your sleepy whimper.

“I already told you, she's a joy. I'll happily watch her any time you need me too.” Jasmine replied, walking to the door and pulling it open for him. “And even when you don't need me too.” She added, chuckling.

“I'll keep that in mind.” Henry grinned, giving her a wink as he went out, taking you out to the car and eased you into your car seat. “My special Little girl,” He said, leaning over you in the car, brushing his fingers over the side of your face. “I'm going to make your birthday an event to remember.” He promised your sleeping form.

“Daddy, can we go somewhere today?” You asked, sitting in your high chair, swinging your feet.

“Where, Baby girl?” Henry replied, scooping up another spoonful of Apple and Cinnamon oatmeal and paused, before holding it up to your mouth, so you could answer him.

“Lake Arrowhead.” You said, then opened your mouth for your breakfast, but Henry frowned at you, head tilting with surprise and confusion, still not giving you the oatmeal.

“Lake Arrowhead is an hour and a half away from Huntersville, Little one. That's without traffic.” He told you, finally depositing the oatmeal in your mouth, before setting the bowl and spoon aside. “Why do you want to go there?” He asked, picking up the washcloth he had draped over his thigh, to wipe your mouth.

You bit your lip and glanced away from him for a moment. “I have a P.O box there.” You finally replied, gulping with butterflies in your stomach.

Henry took a deep breath, nodding his head, as he let it out, understanding what you wanted. “That's where you told your parents you were staying, isn't it?” He asked, sitting back in his seat, holding your shy gaze. “You told them you were staying at Lake Arrowhead, while you're really here with me. But, actually, you're just using that community for a post office, so they don't know where you really are.”

“Yeah.” You nodded, not meeting his eye. “I mean, your manager doesn't know you're here.” You stated, glancing at him. “But, does your family know that you're a Daddy and here in Huntersville?” You asked, curiously tilting your head at him.

“No.” He answered, clearing his throat. “My agent, colleagues, co-workers and family don't know that I'm a Daddy or that I have a residence here in Huntersville. The only friends of mine that know are my Huntersville friends.”

“So, when you leave Huntersville, you're just Henry. Not Daddy Henry.”

Henry licked his lips, his brow pinched. “Yes and no.” He sighed, running a hand through his curls. “My previous Littles that I was with, before I applied for residency here at Huntersville, were within the privacy of my own home. It was the only place I could be with them. So, I have Daddy'd outside of Huntersville, just not to the extent that I am with you here, in Huntersville.” He explained to you.

You smiled at him, your body wiggling in your high chair, touched that you had the honor of having Henry's full Daddying attention and love. “But, yeah. That's why I wanna go to Arrowhead. I haven't checked my P.O box since I set it up, and that was before I left home for here.”

“See what goodies your parents have sent you for your birthday.” Henry smiled at you, picking your oatmeal bowl back up, so he could feed you the rest.

“Yeah.” You nodded, a bit reserved on the subject. “It probably won't be much though.” You commented, after swallowing a mouthful of oatmeal. “But, my parents do their best.” You added, quickly.

He held your eyes for a moment, blinking at you. “That's what counts.” He said, getting up and setting the empty bowl in the sink, then let you out of your chair. “Well, Little one, looks like we're going on our first outing, outside of Huntersville together.” He told you, picking you up and carrying you upstairs to the nursery.

“Let's get you into a different outfit.” He said, laying you down on your changing table.

Opening your dresser, Henry pulled out a pair of white and black, bohemian elephant print leggings and a loose gray tank top, as well as a pair of regular underwear. Setting the outfit down, Henry removed the shorts and onesie you were wearing, as well as your pamper. Slipping your Big Girl clothing onto you, then scooping you up, Henry took you back downstairs, to put your shoes on you, then he stepped away for a moment, to remove your car seat from the back seat of his car, not wanting to draw any potential attention.

“Do you have the key to your box?” Henry asked, coming back in from the garage.

“It's in my luggage.” You answered, still sitting on the couch, where Henry put you.

“Right.” He nodded, heading back upstairs, where he had your rolling suitcase in his walk-in closet.

Searching your suitcase, Henry found your turned off phone and a key ring tucked in an inside pocket, he wondered why you hadn't asked him to use your phone to contact your parents in the months you'd been with him in Huntersville, he even considered bringing your Galaxy S10 down to you with the key ring he was sure the key to your P.O box was on, but decided not too.

“All right, I have your key ring.” He told you, holding it up as he came back into the living room. “Let's get in the car.” He said, motioning to the door to the garage.

“Off on a road trip, a road trip!” You sang, dancing in the passenger seat, making Henry chuckle.

“Hey, why haven't you called your parents yet?” Henry finally dared to ask, as the gate to Huntersville closed behind you. “You've been here for almost three months, and you haven't had any contact with them, that I know of. They must be worried about you, I would be.”

You bit your lip, pulling your shoulders up to try and hide your face. “I don't want them to ask me questions.” You answered, feeling his gaze on you. “I already feel bad about lying to them about where I am.” You added, quietly. “I know they wouldn't understand.”

“They don't understand.”

“How do you know they don't understand?”

“Because, even though I never knew the terminology of what a Little was, I've always been one.” You confessed to him, dropping your shoulders, knowing there was no hiding from Henry with this conversation. “All my life, I've loved having a paci on me or using a bottle. My parents always gave me shi-”

Henry shot you a stern look as you started to say a bad word, making you gulp, something about no longer being in Huntersville, made a part of you forget about minding your manners in front of your Daddy.

You cleared your throat. “My parents always gave me issues--” You corrected yourself, getting an approving nod from Henry. “for always wanting them. My mom basically bullied me out of using them when I was seven. I stopped using them, until I was like eighteen, when I got my first job and moved out on my own, and bought them myself. But, my mom found them again, when she came over unexpectedly. She started digging at me about them again, until she thought I stopped using them again.”

“But, you didn't?”

“No, I just got way better at hiding them.” You replied, picking at your nails, ashamed and embarrassed. “I can only imagine the grief they would give me, if I told them about being at Huntersville, and being so into DD/lg and AB/DL.” You told him, the thought of telling your parents or them finding out, made you unbelievably sick to your stomach. “I don't know which I'd ever be able to face again; them or the dynamic.”

“If it were to happen, I would be so mortified and demoralized by it.”

“I can understand them not liking or understanding your choice in lifestyle.” Henry said, reaching out to rest his hand on your thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze, letting you know in that action that he loved and supported you. “But, you're their daughter, and they shouldn't bully your choice of lifestyle.”

You grasped Henry's hand in yours, like a lifeline. “Thank you.” You muttered, looking over at him, feeling incredibly soothed by his touch and words.

With luck on your and Henry's side, the traffic was good, and you made it to Lake Arrowhead within the hour and a half distance between it and Huntersville. Henry followed the voice on his Google Maps, until he saw the sign for the Arrowhead Post Office and found a place to park.

Now so used to your roles back at Huntersville, you stayed in your seat, while Henry got out of the car, going around to your side and opened your door, smiling at you and chuckling as you shyly smiled back at him, stepping out of the car. Locking the car, Henry took your hand and the two of you headed towards the Post Office, holding the door open for you to step inside, you found the room full of the P.O boxes and the row where your box was. You flipped through your key ring, until you found your key to the box and pulled it open.

Your life's motto was lived up too, don't expect much, seeing the inside of your P.O box, and felt the press of Henry's palm on the middle of your back, as you reached inside for the two envelopes that were inside of it.

Almost three months, you hadn't spoken to or seen your parents in three months, and all you had in your P.O box was a simple envelope and a purple envelope, no doubt a birthday card. At least they had sent you a birthday card, you thought, locking the box back up.

“Perhaps, they only sent you the letter, because you haven't turned your phone on, since you've been here.” Henry pointed out, walking out of the Post Office with you.

You nodded, clutching the envelopes as Henry opened your door. “Makes sense.” You replied, slipping into the passenger seat, but your heart still hurt knowing that even after only three months of no contact, all they sent was a single letter and a birthday card to check up on you.

You wondered, if you would even find anything on your phone, when you turned it on to check for text messages and voicemails.

Henry took a moment, before getting back into the car with you, feeling himself becoming angry with and for you. He couldn't go a day without his mum shooting him a text to see if he was all right. He could only imagine what his mother would do if he dropped all communication with her for nearly three months—well, he didn't need to imagine what Marianne would do. Henry knew what she would do. His mother would start frantically looking for him. Even though all five of her boys were fully grown men with lives, careers and families of their own, spread out all over the globe, Marianne Cavill kept tabs on them, like the loving, protective and attentive mother she had been all of their lives.

So, to think that your parents, so far, didn't seem to have much concern for where you were or at least to know that you were safe and sound, had Henry's blood boiling. But, he took a moment to collect himself, before getting into the car with you again, offering you a sweet and loving smile.

If your parents didn't care about your well-being, Henry Cavill sure as hell would, and he wouldn't let you forget it or feel otherwise, either.

You slumped in your seat, as you tucked the letter between your legs, opening the purple envelope, and pulling out a plain, heavy, brown stock card that had a cartoon birthday hat on it, with streamers and the words 'Happy Birthday' beneath it; the letters of happy were in different colors. A twenty-dollar bill fell out as you opened the card, and saw your mother's handwriting on the inside of the otherwise blank card.

Happy Birthday, Turtle. Your father and I hope that you're having fun at Lake Arrowhead, with whatever it is you're doing out there. Take this money and buy yourself something. - Mom

Henry watched you tuck the money back into the card and the card back into its envelope, before turning your attention to the letter, he could hear your breathing hitch as you read it, feeling a lump form in his throat, before reaching out, and squeezed the back of your neck.

“Well, that went better than I thought it would.” You commented, tucking the letter away with a heavy sigh.

“How so?” Henry frowned, massaging your neck.

“Well, for starters, it's more of a note than a letter, and it begins with, we hope you reached Lake Arrowhead safely and are having a blast there. However, we're worried, since we haven't heard from you since you left. Your father and I are concerned that you've joined some sort of...” You chuckled, but it was toneless. “Cult or strange group up there, and have been, and I quote, brainwashed.” You snorted, looking over at him.

“I told you, they wouldn't understand.” You reiterated your previous statement from the way to Lake Arrowhead. “They would probably think Huntersville is, said kind of cult, and that you and I met at Lake Arrowhead and then you managed to, somehow, brainwash me into being your Little.” You told him, rolling your eyes at the notion of Henry doing such a thing to you.

“They're so ridiculous! It's infuriating and embarrassing, at the same time. I just want to be myself!” You huffed, getting angry and worked up over it. “I don't even want their stupid, fucking birthday money. I want them to leave me alone, so I can live my life, with you.” You growled, throwing the two envelopes into the back seat, with force.

“Hey.” Henry snapped, softly, only halfheartedly being stern with you, as he gently pinched your cheek, getting your attention and making you refocus on him, and not completely on your anger, disappointment and other brewing feelings about your parents. “Take a couple of deep breaths and calm yourself down.” He told you, in a soothing voice. “You don't have to do anything you don't want to do, Baby girl.” He said, using the controls on his side of the car to crack open your window, so you had some fresh air as the pair of you whizzed down the highway, back towards Huntersville.

“If you don't want to spend the money they sent you for your birthday, then you don't have to. We'll put it away when we get home, and it'll be there if you ever want to.” He told you, taking your hand in his. “If being a Little is being yourself, then do that. Do whatever it is, being yourself is.” He took a deep breath, an excited rush filled him.

“If you want to spend your life with me,” He said, biting his lip and looking over at you.

“I want to spend it with you. However we spend it, it doesn't matter to me. If it's as Daddy and Little, or just you and me. As long as we're together.” He confessed, his voice and eyes softening as his love for you overtook him, bringing your hand up and pressed the back of it to his lips. “I love you, with my heart and soul. You've become my whole world.”

“I love you too, Henry.” You declared, squeezing his hand and melting in your seat, and feeling everything else fade away, except you and him.

Chapter Text

Henry put the finishing touches on the invitations for your birthday in a week, feeling excited about it, as he went out and put them in the mailbox, for the mailman to pick up, while you were down for your afternoon nap.

He had everything set up for your magical day, your birthday presents were hidden in the closet of his gym, knowing you wouldn't go in there, especially after what happened the last time you were in his gym. So, they were safe from you finding them, if you went on your Little Space adventures around the house, and now all the people on the guest list would be getting their invites in the next day or so.

“Hey, Gorgeous.” Henry cooed, walking into the nursery, smiling as you yawned up at him. “Did you have a good nap?” He asked, putting the railing of your crib down and tilted his head at you, smiling softly.

You nodded your head, stretching your body with another sleepy yawn, before reaching out for Henry with a soft sigh. Smiling broadly, Henry reached in and picked you up, patting your bottom, then hummed, feeling the plump swelling of your pamper under the fabric of your dark blue Galaxy Owl onesie, that also happened to glow-in-the-dark.

“Someone needs a change.” He murmured into your ear, kissing your temple and turned towards your changing table, laying you down on it. “Oh, that's a full nappy.” He commented, opening your pamper. “I should have checked you, before I laid you down.” He mumbled to himself, putting a fresh pamper on you and snapped closed your onesie, before taking you downstairs.

“Ba?” You hummed into his ear, as Henry carried you downstairs.

“Of course.” Henry smiled, kissing your cheek, then sat you down on the couch, before going into the kitchen to make you a quick bottle. “Your tummy feeling okay?” He asked, after you finished your bottle and he set it on the coffee table.

“Mmhm.” You nodded, snuggling into his chest.

“You sure?” Henry asked, lifted an eyebrow and turned you, laying you down on the couch beside him.

“Yes.” You nodded again, biting your lip.

“Positive?”

“Yeah, I'm sure.” You tried to reassure him, blinking up at him.

Henry opened your onesie, tugging it up to expose your belly and curled his fingers into your sides, making you squirm and giggle. “I'm not so sure, Baby Doll.” He grinned at you, leaning in and blew against your exposed tummy, making you shriek with laughter and wiggle beneath him.

“No, no, no!” You cried out, as Henry continued to blow raspberries against your belly and tickled your sides.

“Yeah, I didn't think your tummy was feeling good, Nugget.” Henry chuckled, a mischievous sparkle in his blue eyes, as he placed soft kisses all over your quaking stomach.

“No tickles, Daddy.” You wheezed, gripping his shoulders and tugging on his shirt.

“Oh, tickles.” He replied, brows going up at you. “I can do that.” He grinned and nodded, impishly, before pressing his lips to your stomach again and blowing hard against it.

“Daddy!” You howled, trying to wiggle out from underneath him, but you were trapped, caged between him and the couch, as he continued to tickle you. “Daddy, please!” You begged him, tossing your head back and still tugged on his shirt, tears streaming down your face.

A bark echoed above all the noise you and Henry were making, as Kal came bounding in, hearing the two of you making such a ruckus from his bed and came to investigate, then tried to join in on the fun. Kal put his paws up on the couch, barking at you and Henry, his tail wagging like crazy.

“Help, Kal!” You cried, giggling and kicking your feet, reaching out for the Akita's assistance. “Save me!”

“Oh no!” Henry shook his head, leaning back. “You're all mine! He can't save you from the Tickle Monster, Little one!” He laughed, tickling your sides and stomach with his hands, grinning as he watched you continue to melt into a hysterical fit of laughter and giggles.

You squirmed and wiggled, scooting yourself up the couch, before quickly rolling over onto your belly and got up onto your hands and knees, making Henry gasp as he realized you were escaping his attack.

“No, you don't!” He snapped, lunging forward as you dashed over the arm of the couch. “Lord, you're quick!” He commented as you hopped over the arm and landed on your feet on the other side, standing up. “You're not going to escape the Tickle Monster for long, Baby Girl.” Henry purred, standing up, but half crouched, both of you ready to pounce or bolt.

You grinned at Henry, still a bit out of breath and a little sweaty from all his tickling. “I think I will, Daddy.” You giggled back at him, faking to the right, before dashing to the left and rushing by him, laughing victoriously as you ran across the living room; Kal following after you.

Henry watched you vanish around the corner of the living room, but didn't go after you for a moment, grinning to himself. He loved the little playful mood that had grown between the two of you, and didn't doubt you were now going somewhere else in the house to hide. His playful tease, that had turned into a tickle session, was now a game of hide and seek between you, him and Kal.

He hadn't played hide and seek with his other Littles in the past, there hadn't been many wholesome, playful and silly games he had played with them, other than a few board games. He had tried tickling Mia once, he couldn't remember why or even if it was part of their Daddy and Little Dynamic. What Henry did remember was Mia getting angry at him for it. She had ended painfully kneeing him in the side and huffily getting up, confusing him for a moment, until he fully realized she didn't like being tickled, and he profusely apologized for it and tried to making up for it, but Mia wouldn't allow him to, and just left his place, not talking to him for nearly a week.

But you, you were having a blast, even when you were begging him to stop.

Chuckling to himself, Henry cleared his mind of the past and went looking for his now and future.

“Now, I wonder where she could be.” He thought aloud, stepping into the kitchen and noticed one of the dining chairs was slightly pushed out and sideways, part of Kal's thick body poking out from between it and the one next to it, with noticeable giggling that was being horribly muffled. “Gosh, my Baby Girl is such an expert hider, I don't know how I'll ever find her.” He said, planting his hands on his hips and shook his head. “Maybe, she'll be lost forever.” Henry remarked, clicking his tongue.

“Oh, what's that I hear?” He asked, as you let out a snort, and walked a bit closer to the table.

You slapped both of your hands over your mouth and pinched your nose, trying to silence your giggles, before he found you, unaware that Henry was right behind you, until it was too late.

“Hey, who's this under my table?” Henry asked, pulling the chair out suddenly. “Why is there a Little Goblin hiding under my table, with a Bear?” He said, grabbing your ankle and pulling you out.

“Such a pretty Goblin too.” He chuckled, smiling down at you, eyes glittering.

“I'm not a goblin.” You giggled up at him, smirking.

“No?” Henry laughed back. “Certainly look one to me.” He said, before he started tickling you all over again.

“Ah!” You squealed, wrapping your hands around his wrists and tried pulling his hands away from your stomach, to no avail. “No, it's not fair!” You laughed without abandon, writhing beneath him.

“What's the magic word? And, I'll stop.” Henry grinned at you, still tickling you.

“Please!”

“Nope!”

“You win!”

“I know I've won, darling. But, not the magic word.” He chuckled, leaning in to blow against your belly, making you shriek.

You panted, face sweaty, as you looked up at Henry, wracking your mind to try and think of his magic word, before it hit you. “Daddy.” You said, out of breath.

“Always a sweet sound out of a lovely mouth.” Henry commented, as he stopped tickling you and kissed you even more breathless. “Oh, that's a sucky sound.” He pouted as the doorbell rang. “I'll be right back, Nugget.” He said, standing up and leaving to answer the door.

Taking a long moment to catch your breath, you got up tip-toed out of the kitchen, biting your lip as you saw Henry talking to a man that was at the door, before dashing off for a new spot to hide.

“Thanks.” Henry smiled, taking a box from the mailman, before turning back inside and closed the door behind him. “Little one?” He frowned, realizing you weren't in the kitchen anymore or in the living room. “Where did you go?” He sighed, putting the box aside, before he started looking for you, knowing what you were up to.

He checked the pantry and the half-bath, he knew you weren't in the laundry room, upstairs or in his gym, so that left one last place, making him smile to himself as he approached the hall closet and opened the door.

“You found me, Daddy!” You called, grinning up at him.

“I did find you, Baby.” Henry chuckled, smiling as he saw you hiding under the coats and hoodies hung up in the closet. “No more hiding, sweetness.” He told you, as you started to crawl through his legs, using them to catch and stop you from going any further. “It's lunch time.” He said, bending over to snap you still open onesie closed, then turned around to scoop you up into his arms and pressed a long kiss to your cheek.

“Okay.” You pouted, sad that you couldn't go hide and have Daddy find you again, it was a lot of fun. “Can I have dino nuggies?”

“Of course, you can, sweetheart.” Henry nodded, taking you into the living room and setting you down on the couch again, before putting something on the tv for you to watch, then went into the kitchen to start your lunch.

“Morning, Birthday girl.” Henry whispered smoothly, rubbing your back as he woke you up on the morning of your birthday.

You groaned, rolling onto your back and rubbed at your eyes. “Morning, Daddy.” You rasped at him.

“Are you excited about your birthday, Little one?” He asked, changing your nighttime pamper and smiling at you, he was excited himself.

“I am.” You nodded at him, biting your bottom lip.

You were excited for your birthday, you were interested to see what Henry had planned for you during the day and what kind of presents he had gotten you and if anyone would show up to give you a present too; you were more than sure Eric and Jasmine would come by and give you a card, possibly a little gift, but not anyone else.

“Good.” Henry replied, grinning and kissing you. “You're going to have such a good day.” He told you, then got you dressed.

“Breakfast?” You asked, frowning as Henry put your shoes on.

“We're going out for breakfast this morning, Dove.” He answered you, putting on his own shoes, before the two of you got into the car and went to one of Huntersville's three restaurants. “What do you want, sweetheart?” He asked, looking across the table at you.

You sucked on the tip of your index finger, feeling put on the spot for a moment. “Pancakes?” You replied, lifting a questioning eyebrow at him, unsure.

“What kind of pancakes?”

You shifted in your seat, half wishing Henry would just pick for you, like he always did when you went out to eat. “Chocolate Chip...” You replied, trailing off.

“All right.” He smiled at you, then searched the menu for his own breakfast.

The server came over to your table and took your orders, bringing your chocolate chip pancakes and bacon with a sippy cup of apple juice and Henry's waffles, eggs, hash browns and bacon breakfast with straight and strong black coffee.

“Jasmine's asked me to drop you off at her place, so she and Eric can give you their gift.” Henry informed you, after devouring half of his breakfast. “So, we're going to go there, in a little bit.”

“Okay.” You nodded, taking the last bite of your pancake.

“I also have something for you.” He said, pushing aside both of your empty plates, before pulling out a box from his front pocket.

Your eyes grew wide at the box, realizing it was a jewelry box, and your birthday present.

“I hope you like it.” Henry whispered.

“How could I not?” You replied, looking up at him. “It's from you.”

Henry grinned and revealed a white gold, tennis bracelet with your 4ct birthstones, in a flower pattern, inside of the box, causing your mouth to drop to the table in front of you.

“Oh my god, Henry.” You gasped, blinking at it, as it glittered in the restaurant's lighting. “That must have been so expensive.”

Henry left out an amused laugh, still grinning at you. “My love, money is of no concern to me.” He told you, setting the box down on the table, between you, and delicately picked up the bracelet. “Especially, when it comes to you, only your happiness and well-being is. So, don't worry about what anything costs. That is no longer any of your concern now that you're with me.” He said, gently picking your left hand and gingerly clasped the bracelet around your wrist.

“Do you like it?” He asked, his brow furrowed as he looked across at you.

You gulped, looking down at your wrist and gently touched the bracelet, feeling the cool metal, yet to be warmed by your body heat, and nodded your head. “I love it.” You replied, looking across at him, an excited and touched twist feeling in your stomach. “Thank you, Daddy.” You whispered, licking your lips and felt a bit misty eyed.

“It's all my pleasure, Pumpkin.” Henry cooed, reaching out to hold your hand, knitting your fingers together. “I love you, and I love doting on you.” He said, rubbing his thumb over your knuckles. “But, first, we have somewhere to be!” He announced, waving the server over and paying the bill for breakfast.

“Where are we going?” You asked, holding Henry's hand as you walked out to the car.

“Someplace outside of Huntersville.” He grinned, opening your door.

You nodded, getting into your seat, you had wondered why your car seat wasn't in the car and you were sitting up front with him. “What kind of place?” You asked, as you approached the main gate.

Henry chuckled, glancing over at you. “I'm not giving you any hints.” He told you, patting your thigh. “You'll see when we get there, Love bug.”

Whining, you gave him a fake pout, wiggling deeper into your seat and laid your hand on top of his, settling on being surprised, when you got to wherever it was.

An hour later, Henry pulled into a forest shaded, asphalt parking lot and parked. Getting out with you, he walked hand and hand with you towards a low cabin building with a black, carved bear with a sign announcing you had arrived at the Big Bear Alpine Zoo. You gasped, bouncing on your toes as you walked beside Henry and tugged on his arm, ecstatic about a zoo.

“The zoo!” You grinned at you.

“Yes.” He smiled back at you, walking up the admittance ramp. “It's not just a zoo though, it's also a rehabilitation center and wildlife rescue.” He explained to you. “They just opened it to the public a couple of months ago. They have a hundred and sixty animals and eighty different species.”

“Wow, you really know your stuff!” The lady running the admittance desk commented, taking Henry's card to pay the fee for the two of you and handing his card back.

“Protecting wildlife is very important to me.” Henry replied, taking his card and tucking it back into his wallet.

“Then, you're in the perfect place.” She smiled at the two of you. “Enjoy your visit.”

“Thank you.” He nodded his head at her, then walked into the Zoo with you.

The two of you walked around the Zoo, seeing the bears, Arctic and Grey Foxes, all of the birds, the Ravens, Eagles and Hawks. You were memorized by the Grey wolves that were there, looking up at Henry, slack jawed.

“I didn't know they were that big!” You said, looking back at the large dog as he walked along the fence line. “He's even bigger than Kal is!” You exclaimed, leaning a little over the wood fence, that spaced you from the enclosure.

Henry chuckled, his fingertips rubbing your back. “Just a bit.”

“They're so cool. I love wolves.” You said, memorized by the animal.

“Wolves are incredible, but I have one more thing to show you.” He told you, directing you away from the wolf enclosure and to another one, the last one you hadn't seen in the zoo.

“You see those two cats?” Henry asked you, stopping in front of the fence.

“Yes.” You nodded, seeing the two large and fluffy cats inside the enclosure.

“They're Snow Leopards.” Henry smiled at you. “Asha and Shanti; sisters.” He told you, watching the two majestic animals lounge in their home. “They're sorta one of your other presents.” He said, offhandedly.

You blinked at the Snow Leopards, then up at Henry. “What?” You squeaked, confused.

“Big Bear allows you to adopt and sponsor animals in their zoo and wildlife center.” Henry explained, looking down at you. “So, in your name, I adopted these two for your birthday.”

“So, my kitties?” You asked him, excitedly looking them over, noticing each of them were missing an eye.

“In a way, yes.” He chuckled at you. “The sponsorship money helps keep them fed, housed and loved. You have some gifts at home that I'll give you when we get back.” He told you, glad that you were excited about it, he loved sharing his conservation efforts with everyone in his life, and you were no different.

You were feeling happy and bubbly as you skipped back to the car, as you left the zoo. So far, this was easily shaping up to be the best birthday you ever had, two amazing and thoughtful presents from your Daddy, gave you such a high that nothing could pull you down from.

And, you weren't even aware of all the other things Henry had planned for you and the rest of the day!

“It's the birthday girl!” Jasmine cheered, opening the door and throwing her arms around you.

You giggled, hugging her back, and feeling her overwhelming amount of love.

“Eric is so excited to show you the present he made you.” Jasmine told you, ushering you into the house.

“He made it?” You replied, shocked to hear it.

“He sure did!” She nodded, grinning at you. “It took him all week to make, he used most of his allowance money to buy everything he needed.” She told you, super proud of her Little guy. “He's in the den with it, so why don't you go in and join him.”

“Okay.” You smiled at her, then up at Henry, before scurrying off to the den.

“So, you're all right with watching her, while I get the party set up back at our place and have the guests arrive?” Henry asked, as soon as you were out of the room and earshot.

“Henry, I'd steal that Little Princess from you, if I could.” Jasmine smirk, slyly, at him. “I'll keep her, well I should say Eric, will keep her occupied, then when I get your text, the three of us will head on over.”

“Awesome.” Henry grinned, excited and nervous butterflies in his stomach as he ran through the mental list of your birthday for, easily, the billionth time during the morning.

You popped into the den and found Eric sitting on the couch, hunched over the coffee table and a package that was a bit messily wrapped, showing he had wrapped it himself with no help from his Mommy, and from the way he kept fussing with the white wrapping paper with colorful, cartoon owls and putting tape pieces on various spots that were sticking up.

“Oh crap!” Eric suddenly gasped, catching you out of the corner of his green eyes, startling the daylights out of him. “You scared me!” He panted, pressing a hand to his heart, but quickly recovered, snatching up your present and jumping up to his feet, to rush over to you with it thrust out, in his excitement.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!” He yelled, bouncing on his toes and wiggling his hips, his eyes huge and alive as you took the package from him. “Here, let's sit down, so you can open it.” He said, motioning to the couch.

Nodding your head, you sat down and balanced the gift on your thighs, even though the wrapping paper was messy, you carefully unwrapped it and found a purple gift box inside of it. Eric shifted beside you, antsy for you to see the present that he worked so hard on. You smiled at him and removed the lid, plunging your hand inside and grabbed something, medium sized and flat. Pulling it out, you found it was a rustic, oval slice of wood, the bark still on the edges, both front sides were sanded smooth, but it was one side that caught your attention.

It was a picture of you and Eric together, it was one that Jasmine had taken, one of the times she had watched you, both you and Eric grinning at the camera. The edge of the photo was outlined by gold enable and the whole thing was glossy.

“It's a DIY photo transfer to wood project I read about!” Eric explained, smiling between you and the photo. “I did it all by myself too! All my Mommy did was give me my allowance, drive me to the store and order the wood piece online, so I could have the supplies I needed.”

You rubbed your thumb over the photo, incredibly touched that Eric had taken so much time, effort and his own allowance to make you something with his own two hands, especially after the talk the two of you had about your past birthday experiences. Setting the picture in your lap, you twisted your upper half sideways and hugged your arms tightly around his neck.

“Thank you so much, Eric.” You told him, choked up. “It means a whole lot to me.”

“I know.” He whispered back, hugging you warmly.

“I love it too.” You added, pulling away from him with a little sniffle.

“Oh, thank god!” Eric gasped, falling back on the couch cushions, with dramatic relief; making you laugh.

“So, what did Eric make you?” Henry asked, coming into the den, smiling at the two of you.

“This!” You announced, proudly holding up the picture.

“Oh wow, that's incredible, Eric!” Henry exclaimed, taking the picture from you and looked it over. “It's really creative of you.” He said, impressed with Eric's present, then looked down at you. “There's something I need to do, for a short moment. So, you're going to stay here with Jasmine and Eric, while I get it settled.”

“When I'm finished, Jasmine will take you home, all right?”

You blinked up at Henry, caught off guard by his announcement. “Okay.” You squeaked, gulping.

“Good.” Henry smiled, kissing your forehead. “I won't be long, I promise.” He reassured you, seeing your apprehension. “I'll take Eric's present home with me too, so it'll be safe.” He added, putting it in the gift box.

“Be good.” He told you with a wink, before leaving.

“Oh, he is so going to set up your birthday party!” Eric said, leaning in close to you with an excited grin.

“Maybe.” You replied, chewing on the inside of your lip.

“Who wants to play a game?” Jasmine sang out, coming into the den, a game board already in her hand, she had at least an hour to occupy you and Eric, while Henry helped set up everything for your birthday party and for a majority of the guests to arrive.

Your heart sank a little bit, as you got out of Jasmine's car, returning home after spending two hours with her and Eric, the house looked as it always did. The front door opened and Henry came out, greeting the three of you.

“Hey, Baby, did you have fun?” He asked, cupping your face and kissing you.

“Yeah.” You replied, softly.

“Great.” He grinned at you, a secretive twinkle in his eyes, looking over your head to Jasmine. “Why don't we go into the backyard and relax.”

“I love that idea!” Jasmine chimed in, taking Eric's hand, winking at him and Eric winking at her.

You frowned as Henry led you around the side of the house, confusing you and increasing your growing suspicion. Opening the side gate, Henry smiled at you, squeezing your hand as you approached the backyard, where you were starting to see things that didn't belong there. You looked up at Henry, and beamed, your confusion steadily being replaced by excitement as you fully realized it was your birthday party!

“Happy birthday, Baby Girl.” Henry whispered to you, kissing you for a moment, before an eruption happened.

At least a dozen people that you could see, yelled happy birthday to you.

You looked the group over, you saw Aspen and her Daddy, Tommy, and Jamie and his Mommy, Grace. There was also Mayor Luca with his Little Boy, Peter, who you had met several times at Daycare. Ms Anabelle was even there with her Little Girl, Saya. Everyone else, you had met in passing, they were friends of Henry's, that you had gotten along with. But, the people weren't your main attraction, there were all sorts of toys floating in the pool! A circular, unicorn floatie, pool noodles, a huge turtle and crocodile, an inflatable slide on the edge, for going into the pool, rafts, balls and a raft with a bonnet for shade. At one side of the huge yard, was an enormous sandbox, with every kind of sand toy you could imagine, so you could pretend you were at the beach. On the other side, was a slip and slide, with water streaming onto the tarp you slid across on.

“Is that what I think it is?” You asked, pointing to a tall structure a little further back.

“Yes, it is.” Henry nodded, grinning at you.

Your face instantly lit up with mischievous excitement at the bouncy castle, and started to run towards it, but Henry caught you by the arm and pulled you back to him. “Daddy, I wanna play!” You told him, wiggling impatiently.

“I know you do, sweetheart.” He chuckled, brushing his fingers against your cheek. “But, you have to get changed first.” He told you, looking you over, still in the outfit he put you in that morning, and very inappropriate for swimming and running around. “Why doesn't everyone start the fun, and we'll be right back!” Henry called out to the party-goers, looking around, not wanting them to wait.

“Help yourself and if you need anything, please let me know!” He said, motion to the catering table that was loaded with everything from a Little to a Big could want, while enjoying the festivities. “Now, come, let's get you in your bathing suit, then I'll let you loose.” He remarked, smirking to himself.

Henry took you inside and upstairs to the nursery, quickly wrangling your wiggling body into your swimsuit. “I'm really glad you're excited about your party.” He said, taking a moment to just have you to himself, before the two of you dived into the chaos.

“Part of me was worried that you wouldn't.”

“Why wouldn't I?” You replied, blinking and shaking your head at him. “It's the most thoughtful, elaborate and biggest thing anyone has ever done for me. You've quite literally created the best birthday I have ever had, within the very first hours we've been awake. Now, you've raised that bar.” You sat up on your changing table and wrapped your arms around Henry's neck, looking him in the eyes.

“Thank you so much.” You whispered, your voice breaking up as you said it. “You have no idea how much it all means to me.” You told him, your fingers caressing his hair.

“It's my pleasure, my love.” Henry replied, emotional himself, as he gently rubbed noses with you. “I'll have to one up myself next year.” He grinned, before pecking you on the lips and picked you up. “Now! Off to your pool party, Baby Girl!” He proclaimed, carrying you downstairs and back out to the backyard, setting you on your feet.

“Go wild, Little one. But, not too wild, hm.” He told you, winking at you.

“No promises.” You giggled, then ran off to find Eric and Aspen.

Henry watched you slide into a space next to your friends, grinning and excitedly bouncing on your toes, chatting them up, all of you bubbling with excitement. He was glad to see everything was going well, people were in the pool, several Littles were in the bouncy castle and the sand box, and a few Bigs were by the refreshments table, while you, Aspen, Eric, Jamie and Peter headed for the slip and slide.

“A job well done, Henry.” Luca said, approaching the Brit. “You really pulled off an amazing birthday party for her.” He told him, holding a cold one out to him.

“Thanks, Luca.” Henry replied, nodding his head and taking the bottle from him, taking a long pull off of it. “She deserves it.” He said, watching you get a running start at the slide and dive at it, sliding down it's length, making him smile as you laughed, your friends cheering you on. “She's an incredibly special girl and I love her.”

“I'd give her the world, even if it meant paying for it with my soul.”

“Three months does a lot to a man's soul, it seems.” Luca commented, taking a sip of his own beer.

“Love is powerful.”

“I bet I could do a spin!” Eric declared, before charging the slide and tried to do the spin, only to skid off the slide and into the grass to the side of it.

The group laughed at him, as he got back up and joined them.

“I wanna hit the bouncy house.” You said, then raced over to it, climbing up the steeply bloated steps and into the house, wobbling on your hands and knees for a moment, before standing up.

Smiling, you slowly started to bounce and allowed yourself to really get going, jumping as high as you could. You were soon joined by your friends, a jumping contest starting between you, to see who could get the highest. You were having so much fun, laughing with your friends, even when you lost your balance and fell over, curling up and holding your sides as you got stitches from laughing so hard.

“Babies, be careful in there.” Anabelle's voice called out from the entrance of the bouncy castle.

“We will be, Ms. Anabelle.” Peter replied, smiling at her as he continued to bounce.

“I'm parched.” Aspen panted, laying spread out on the floor of the castle.

“Me too.” Eric agreed, wiping his sweaty face.

“Yeah, my throat hurts from laughing so much.” You giggled, staring up at the inflated roof. “You want to go get some drinks?”

“Yes!” Jamie declared, bouncing to the entrance on his hands and knees.

You all roared at him, before doing the exact same thing. Weaving your way through the crowd, you made it to the table where all the Little refreshments and treats were. You grabbed an apple Minute-Maid, Eric snagged a Fruit Punch, Hi-C, Aspen took a bottle of water, Jamie had a Fanta and Peter downed a Gatorade in almost a whole gulp.

“Are you all right, Bug?” Henry asked, coming up behind you, gliding his hand up and down your back.

“Mmhm.” You nodded, grinning at him, your eyes sparkling and showing how much fun you're having. “Just thirsty, and a little hungry.” You told him, spying a cupcake that you really wanted to stuff in your face.

“Well then, help yourself, Little one.” He told you, seeing you staring at the baked good. “That's why it's there.”

“Yes.” You hummed, picking it up and licking your lips, peeling back the colorful paper. “Smells so good.” You cooed, before biting into it. “That is so good.” You moaned, tasting the chocolate cake, whipped peanut butter filling and Marshmallow frosting.

“Worth it, then.” Henry grinned and kissed your hair, then picked a napkin up and wiped the frosting off the edge of your mouth.

“I don't have to do the 'hour before the pool' thing, do I?” You asked, looking over at the pool, with a long look, the cool water was alluring, after getting hot with all the jumping in the bouncy castle and the afternoon sun.

“No, Baby. You don't.” Henry chuckled, cupping your cheek. “Just be mindful.”

“Okay.” You smiled, then pushed out your lips to him.

He smiled at you and tilted his head down, kissing you. “Go have fun, Baby Doll. We'll be doing something in an hour.”

“Okay, Daddy.” You nodded, giving him a quick hug around the waist, then ran to the inflatable slide at the edge of the pool and climbed onto it.

Sitting on top of the slide, you paused, a moment of terror gripping you as you looked into the water of the deep end the slide was perched on. You hadn't been in the water since Henry taught you how to swim, you wouldn't have him in the water with you this time, to support you. But, you looked for him in the crowd, finding him standing in a huddle of Bigs, and as if he felt your need for him, Henry looked up and smiled at you, before returning to his conversation. You suddenly remembered the Community Pool party, when Henry saved you from drowning after Hanna pushed you in, and all your sudden fear vanished, and you pushed yourself off, sliding into the deep end of the pool.

You splashed into the water, going under for a moment, before you kicked your feet and pushed yourself to the surface again, taking a deep breath of air and feeling incredibly proud of yourself.

“You did it!” Eric cheered, as he swam over towards you from the shallow end. “You're doing great too.” He said, smiling at you, glad that you could swim freely with him and Aspen now.

“Thanks.” You grinned back at him.

“Now, we can teach all the fun stuff about swimming!” Aspen giggling, splashing you in the face.

The three of you splashed each other and played with the pool toys. You swam to the stairs at the deep end of the pool and went down the slide dozens of times, having a never-ending blast with your friends. Licking your lips, you felt a sudden and odd rush fill you, that you couldn't quite explain and you rushed up to the pool slide and stood up on it, fully intent on jumping off of it and into the pool.

“Yes, do it!” Eric encouraged you from the floating turtle. “Do a cannonball!”

“Yeah, a cannonball!” Aspen and Jamie agreed, sitting on the edge of the pool, their legs dipped in the water.

“Absolutely not!” Henry's voice roared, angrily behind you. “You do not jump off of that, Little girl.” He scolded you, his arm hooking around your waist and yanking you off of the slide, with a gasp. “That slide is not there for you to be jumping off of it. You'll get hurt doing that.” He told you, taking you over to the covered patio, and sitting you down in a chair.

“Just because it's your birthday and your party doesn't mean you can act up and be naughty.” Henry chided you, leaning in and holding your eyes, his own laser focused, with his jaw stiff.

“I'm sorry, Daddy.” You gulped, your mouth going dry. “I don't know what came over me.” You admitted to him, chewing on your lip, and chilled goosebumps racing over your skin.

Henry sighed and ran a hand through his hair, before pinching the bridge of his nose. “Just don't do it again.” He told you, softly. “You can slip and fall backwards. I don't want you to get hurt.” He said, kissing your forehead.

“Henry, we might have a brattier problem?” Jasmine said, coming up to you both.

“What do you mean?” Henry frowned, turning towards her.

“We have two new guests to the party, and I'm sure you didn't send invites too, either.” She said, motioning over to the open side gate.

Looking across the yard, you saw Matteo standing by the gate, looking around at the lively party, and standing beside him, the notorious Hanna, looking uncharacteristically nervous and out of place and holding a medium size present. You felt a rush of anger, that she had the audacity to come to your birthday party, after everything she'd done to you in all the times you had encountered each other. You also felt confused as to why she was there at all, or how she even heard about your party.

Henry looked at you, gulping. “I'll be right back.” He said, clearing his throat and squaring his shoulders, before crossing the yard to deal with the new attendees. “Matteo, how can I help you?” He asked, looking the other man square in the eyes and not acknowledging Hanna, whatsoever.

“We heard from the Community Grape Vine that it's your Baby Girl's birthday.” Matteo said, shifting awkwardly, his hand on the small of Hanna's back. “I know you didn't invite us and there's been drama. But, I thought this could be an olive branch.” He explained to Henry, hope in his eyes.

“I really am sorry, Mr. Henry.” Hanna mumbled, her eyes shifting around, before she held the present out to him.

Henry bit his lip, then carefully took the present from her, standing there for a moment, feeling the weight of the gift in his hand. “If you'd like to stay, we're about to open presents. So, you can watch her open yours.” He offered, stepping sideways.

“That would be great.” Matteo replied, smiling down at Hanna.

“Feel free to help yourself to the catering table as well.” Henry added, before returning to you and Jasmine on the patio. “They brought you a birthday present.” He said, showing you the shiny, silver wrapped object in his hand.

You looked at the present, like it was a wrapped bomb about to go off. You wanted to tell Henry to toss it in the garbage disposal and let Kal shit on the remains, before burning them. But, looking into his eyes, you could see there was no chance that was going to happen. Henry was going to make you open that present and be nice about whatever was inside of it.

'You don't stoop to a Bully's level.' His blue eyes said, and he was right.

“That's nice of them.” You mumbled, shuffling your feet.

“Yes, it is.” Henry agreed, nodding his head. “So, why don't we start opening your presents.” He said, setting the box down on a nearby table.

“Okay.” You sighed, rubbing your palms over your bare thighs.

“Are you cold?” He asked, frowning at you, watching you shiver, it was getting into the evening and the air was growing a bit nippy.

“A little bit.” You rasped at him, scrunching up your shoulders.

“I'll grab you one of my hoodies, while I bring out your other presents.” He told you, heading towards the sliding glass door.

“You bought more?” You asked, twisting around to look at him over the back of the chair, a surprised brow lifted at him.

Henry paused, halfway in the house. “Of course, I did.” He laughed at you, amused. “It's my Baby's birthday! A special reason to spoil you even more than usual. Silly Muppet.” He teased you, going inside.

“I don't know what to think.” You mumbled to yourself, facing forward again.

“What do you mean, sweetie?” Jasmine asked, having heard you.

You gulped, forgetting she was standing close by. “I usually get one present from my parents, then some cards from other family and friends, maybe some cash from my grandparents.” You replied, looking up at her. “I'm not used to all of this.” You said, gesturing to all of the people still having a blast in the backyard. “He's already gotten me this amazing, and stupidly expensive, bracelet and he adopted a pair of Snow Leopard sisters in my name, at the Big Bear Alpine Zoo; which couldn't be cheap either. Nor could have been this party.”

“He's done all of it, just because it's my birthday.”

Jasmine moved over to you, cupping your face in her hands and tilted your head back, her brown eyes were warm and tender. “Yes, he did it all, because it is your birthday. But, he specifically did it, because he loves you and you are his Girl. Henry has a huge heart. He loves spoiling the people he cares about. He loves making them feel good and loved, like they matter and that they're special; and there is no one on this planet, Henry wants to make them feel that way more, than you, Little one.” She told you, sincerely.

“I've known Henry for several years, and he hasn't been very happy in those years. He's been grateful for what he's had in his job and family. But, he's been lost, with not being able to be himself, with someone he could love the way he's always wanted too. You've given him that, in the last several months and Henry won't let that go unappreciated.”

“Everything okay?” Henry frowned, stepping back out onto the patio, his arms full of wrapped boxes and a hoodie tossed over his shoulder, a brow raised at you and Jasmine.

“Great.” Jasmine grinned, gently pinching your cheeks, before dropping her hands. “Just having a girl to girl moment.” She assured him, before taking a couple of the boxes from him. “I'll put these with the others.” She told him, whisking them away.

“Thanks.” He replied, still a bit suspicious, but shrugged it off. “Here, Baby.” He cooed, setting the boxes he still had in his hands down and helped you into his soft, green Royal Marines hoodie. “I brought you some slippers too.” He said, taking them out of his back pocket and slipped them onto your feet.

“It's getting chilly.”

“Thank you, Daddy.” You replied, looking into his eyes as he knelt in front of you. “I'm having a lot of fun.” You told him, biting the inside of your lip.

Henry looked up at you, holding your gaze for a moment, before resting his hands on your knees. “I'm really happy that you are, Princess.” He smiled. “It's more than I could have hoped for.”

“I should be saying that.” You chuckled at him, resting your hands on his shoulders.

“It's good to agree.” He laughed, kissing your forehead as he stood up. “Now, let's start opening your presents, then we can have cake.”

“Can we not sing happy birthday?” You asked, shuddering at the thought.

“Oh, it's going to happen, Dove.” Henry grinned, winking at you.

You groaned, dropping your head forward, horrified at the thought of all the guests singing to you, but there seemed no way around it, so you resigned yourself to your fate. You and Henry crossed the yard to a table piled with presents from Henry and all of the guests, and you took a seat in front of the table, while Henry stood beside you and gained everyone's attention.

“It's time for the presents to be opened!” He announced, as the group circled around, making you feel shy, and a bit claustrophobic. “Afterwards, we'll sing happy birthday and cut the cake!” He explained to them, before turning towards the table. “All right, Baby girl, here's the first one for you.” He said, grabbing a black box with a chocolate brown ribbon wrapped around it.

“This one is from Anabelle and Saya!” He proclaimed, reading the white and gold tag on it.

Henry handed the box over to you and you tugged the bow free, opened the lid and found something fluffy and fuzzy inside of it, with yellow moons and purple stars on it. You looked up at Henry, interested, and he smiled at you, reaching out to grab the object and pulled it out, revealing it to be a blanket, with two pillow cases underneath. You reached into the box and stroked the pillowcases, cooing at how silky they felt under your fingertips.

“I thought they would be a nice addition for her crib.” Anabelle beamed, seeing you clearly liked her and Saya's gift.

“That they will be.” Henry agreed, folding the blanket back up and tucking it back the box, for safekeeping.

“Can I sleep with the blankie tonight?” You asked, as Henry set the box aside, so he could give you the next present to open.

“Yeah, Baby.” He grinned, nodding at you. “Here, this one is from Aspen and Tommy.” He said, handing you a large and bright gift bag, that was quite heavy.

“You're going to love it!” Aspen yelled, sitting cross legged in the grass in front of you, excited for you to open her present.

You smiled at her, setting the bag down and reaching inside, grabbing a hold of a box that was inside of it and hoisting it out, revealing a baby doll inside a protective packaging, equipped with a little car seat, outfit, paci and baby bottle.

“Oh, it's so cool!” You squealed, clutching it and looking it over, excited about it, you had wanted one of them.

“Yeah!” Aspen grinned, scooting closer to you, pointing out different things about the baby to you, like the disappearing liquid in the bottle and how the baby actually cried, if you put batteries in it.

Henry glanced over at Tommy, who mouthed his apologies about that part of the doll, but Aspen had insisted they get you that doll for your birthday, and he couldn't talk her into any of the others that were on the store's shelf. So, he conceded. He slipped a pair of ear plugs into your gift bag for Henry, knowing how loud and annoying the baby's cries could be, since Aspen had a very similar baby doll at home herself.

You continued on with the other presents, getting different types of toys, a case of reusable pampers, really cute onesies and stuffies. You even got one present that were two pop-up tents with a tunnel that connected them. Then, it came time for the last present, Hanna's present. You took it from Henry, both of you exchanging a look, before you opened it and peeked inside, before you pulled out whatever was inside. Your eyes flared, seeing what Matteo and Hanna had gotten you for your birthday, completely caught off guard by it.

“Let's see it, Baby.” Henry cooed at you, touching the back of your head, gently.

Licking your lips, you pulled the present out. “It's this, Daddy.” You told him, mouth ajar, as you held up the red and black, Nintendo Switch for Henry and the party goers to see.

“There's a carrying case and a game inside the box, as well.” Matteo's voice said, from inside of the crowd. “It's Animal Crossing, so it should be more than appropriate for your Little one to play.” He explained, an edge of apprehension in his voice, hoping he wasn't over stepping by getting the present for you.

“That's incredibly thoughtful of you.” Henry replied, taking the Switch box from you and examining it. “I'm sure she'll have a blast with it.” He said, turning it over, then set it on the table with the other presents.

You scanned the crowd and found Hanna and Matteo in it, Matteo smiled at you, when your eyes caught each other's, and you smiled back at him. You had no issue with him, he hadn't done anything to you, just because he had an evil Brat for a Little, and he was clearly trying to correct that now that he knew about it. Your eyes moved from Matteo to Hanna, you expected her usual cold and hateful stare, but you were surprised to find them meek and obedient looking, as she stood tucked into her Daddy's side, his arm wrapped around her shoulders. Hanna looked back at you, staring at you for a moment, before sighing and rolling her eyes, and looking elsewhere.

Well, it seems not everything has changed.

“Happy birthday--” A voice started to sing, drawing your attention away from Matteo and Hanna.

“Oh dear, God.” You groaned, pressing your hands to face, mortified at the prospect of more than a dozen people singing to you, as Jasmine slowly carried your cake towards you, two number candles with your new age lit in the middle of it.

Henry laughed down at you, rubbing your back and squeezing the nape of your neck, then started singing along with her, the rest of the party chiming in too. You sat there, listening to them sing 'Happy Birthday', Eric and Aspen sing obnoxiously loud and off key on purpose, just to make you squirm and tease you. Henry stopped singing and bent close to your ear, so you could hear him over all the noise.

“Make your wish, sweetheart.” He purred, beaming at you, proudly.

You took a moment to think about your wish, then closed your eyes and leaned forward, taking a deep breath, as Jasmine stood in front of you with your cake, and blew your candles out, everyone stopped singing to clap.

“CAKE!! I WANT CAKE!” Eric screamed at the top of his lungs, jumping to his feet, and rushing to the table, his Mommy set the cake on.

“Eric, if you don't calm yourself down, you won't be getting any.” Jasmine scolded him, planting her hands on her hips. “Now, with your outburst, go to the back of the line! You get a piece of cake last.”

“But, what if there isn't any cake left, Mama!” Eric whined, stomping his foot in the grass.

“Then, you should have thought about that, before you started screaming. Now, go.” She ordered him, pointing to the end of the forming line.

“Here, I'll go with you, Eric.” Aspen said, stepping out of the line and following him, out of solidarity.

“That boy.” Jasmine sighed, shaking her head and turned back towards the table, so she could help Henry cut and distribute the cake. “I swear.” She laughed, her frustration with him quickly vanishing, like it always did.

“Don't you just love them.” Henry laughed back, handing out a plate of cake.

“Amen.” The cake recipient chuckled, before walking off with their plate.

“Oh.” Jasmine frowned, pressing a hand to her chest. “I have to step away for a moment. Will you be all right?” She asked Henry.

“Yeah, I'll be fine.” He assured her, giving her a concerned look.

“All right.” She nodded, then scurried away.

“Here's your cake, my sweet baby.” Henry said, handing you a slice of cake and a plastic fork. “You go sit down right there and enjoy it. I don't want you going in the pool anymore either. It's too late and too cold for anymore swimming tonight, all right?” He told you, brushing his fingers through your hair and kissing your forehead.

“Okay, Daddy.” You nodded, taking a bite of your cake and moaning, it tasted so sublime.

“Good girl.” He smiled at you, kissing you. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” You smiled back, wiggling, as you went to find somewhere to sit.

“Your birthday has been incredible!” Aspen said, sitting down next to you, and Eric joining, with a slice of cake each.

“It really has been.” Eric agreed, his mouth full.

“Yeah.” You nodded, grinning as you dug your fork into your cake, ecstatic about your day. “I couldn't ask for anything better.”

“I could think of one more thing.” Eric said, looking over at you.

“Oh?” You replied, lifting a brow at him, chewing.

“A sleepover?”

Your eyes came to life, looking over at Aspen, who smirked at you and nodded.

“Yes.”

“I have one last present, Henry.” Jasmine said, finding him inside the house.

“Oh yeah, what's that?” He replied, turning off the sink and turning towards her.

Jasmine held up a small bottle full of a white liquid. “This.”

Henry frowned at it, reaching out and taking it from her. “Is this what I believe it is?” He asked, taking the cap off of it and smelled it. “Is this...”

“Breast milk.”

“Why in the world, are you giving me breast milk, Jazzy?” Henry asked, putting the cap back on the bottle and frowning even harder at her, confused.

Jasmine smiled at him, knowingly. “You have a very lovely, and curious, Little girl.” She told him, matter-of-factly.

Henry's shoulders dropped and he leaned back against the sink counter. “She's been watching you feed Eric.” He sighed, understanding now. “I'm so sorry, Jasmine. I'll talk to her about it.”

“Don't. There's no need.” Jasmine assured him, waving it off. “It's perfectly natural and she's not the first, or last, Little or person that's done it or will do it. She's actually far more discrete and mindful about her curiosity than others are. She doesn't stare or anything, but she does notice, and I've done this long enough to know.”

“She is curious.”

“It's also nothing she and I can really do together.” Henry admitted, looking at the bottle in his hand. “Not to be rude, but is it—safe?” He asked, glancing up at her.

“It's meant for real babies, and if done haphazardly, it can be dangerous.” Jasmine admitted. “But, I get tested by Dr. Evers every month for infections and anything else I can pass through the milk to Eric, and the others I pump for, so I don't harm and endanger them. I take Adult Breastfeeding just as seriously as I take being a Mommy Dom.”

“Wait!” Henry interrupted, starting to laugh. “You share your milk with people, other than Little Eric?”

“I do.” She nodded, smiling, unbothered and unashamed by it. “I have a small circle of people I pump milk for here in Huntersville. I produce far more milk than Eric drinks, since I have a hyperlactation issue. It just started with Saya getting curious one day, just like your Little one, and me giving her some of my milk and going from there.” She explained to Henry. “It really helps me from getting engorged with milk, which is incredibly painful and dangerous to my life, and can cause me to stop producing for Eric.”

“So, it's a win-win situation.” Henry nodded, turning the still warm bottle in his hand.

“If she finds she likes it, and the two of you are interested in it, I'll be more than happy to give you a supply.” Jasmine told him, smiling sweetly. “No charge, of course.” She added, with a wink.

“Thanks, Jazzy.” He smiled back at her, tipping his head, then slipped the bottle of milk into the refrigerator. “It's getting late.” He said, trying to stifle a yawn.

“Yeah.” Jasmine nodded, feeling tired herself.

“I think it's time to call it a night.” Henry said, rubbing his face and going out. “I wanted to thank everyone for coming!” He called out, getting everyone's attention as they loitered around, talking to each other and relaxing. “It was amazing to have you, and my Baby Girl is very thankful for all the presents that you got for her and for coming to her special day. It's been great! We hope you had a spectacular time and get home safely.”

“Daddy?” You skipped over to him. “Can Eric and Penny spend the night?” You asked, stopping in front of him, with a hop and looking up at him, giving him a hopeful and angelic face, hoping it would convince him into letting them stay over.

Henry took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “They'll have to ask their Mommy and Daddy.” He replied, looking at them, over your head.

Eric and Aspen perked up, looking at each other, then took off in different directions, to find Jasmine and Tommy, to ask if they could spend the night with you. Henry reached out and stroked his fingers through your hair several times, tilting his head to the side, as he smiled at you, lovingly. You smiled back at him, holding onto the front of his shirt, feeling a bubble form around the two of you, blocking out the whirlwind of people filing out of the backyard to go home, now that the party was over.

“Hey.” Henry said softly, touching the tip of his index finger to your cheek, delicately.

“Hi.” You replied, smiling at him.

“How are you feeling?” He asked, resting his hands on your hips.

“I feel all right. Tired and worn out, a little bit hungry, and sore from all the walking, running, jumping and swimming around I've been doing all day. But, I'm doing all right.” You reassured him, moving in, to press your cheek against his chest and closed your eyes as he folded you into his arms.

“Me too.” Henry sighed into your hair, kissing the top of your head, and swaying a little bit. “It's been a long day, but a great day.” He said, smiling to himself.

Chapter Text

Henry felt a rush of panic inside of himself as the front door closed behind Jasmine and he was officially alone with three Littles, for the first time ever in his Daddying career.

He marveled at how Jasmine commanded the controlled chaos of you, Eric and Aspen, to create a massive blanket and pillow fort in the living room, which ended with the three of you calmed and content inside of it, watching the Tim Burton version of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, all of the lights in the house turned off, minus an LED, Starry projector you had gotten as a birthday gift, that was on inside the shabby fort, acting as a nightlight.

Though he wasn't too sure how much he liked the fort, since he couldn't see inside of it from the living room's CC camera, the construction had the three of you wrangled and managed, so he left it be. Henry was sure, even with his inexperience of having more than one Little in his care at one time, his extensive experience as a Daddy and Brat Tamer would see him through one night. Tommy and Jasmine had given him express permission to reprimand Aspen and Eric if need be, and let the two Littles know that he had their permissions to do so, should they try to cross Henry during the night.

“Little ones, you're going to sleep, once that movie is over.” He warned from the blanket opening of the fort, the corners of his mouth twitching at the groans of disappointment.

“Okay, Daddy.” You sighed, pressing your lips together and rubbing the soft blanket Ms. Anabelle had given you against your mouth.

Nodding his head, Henry stepped away from the fort and went into the kitchen to put away the remaining food and drinks from the party, and tidy up a bit. By the time he was done, he could hear the change inside the fort and peeked inside, chuckling to himself as he saw the three of you piled inside, passed out and leaning against each other, sound asleep.

Smirking, Henry turned the movie off and covered Eric and Aspen up with a blanket, so they didn't get cold during the night, and went about locking up the house for the night, before going upstairs to shower and crawl into bed himself.

You woke with a soft gasp and shifted, your arm numb and full of pins and needles, as you wiggled it free from underneath Eric. Biting your lip, you crawled out of the blanket fort and paused, glancing up in the direction of the camera mounted in the corner of the ceiling, before standing up and tip-toeing towards the staircase. You stopped at the baby gate and found it closed, a habit Henry had no doubt formed over the long weeks of you and him being together. Ordinarily, you wouldn't touch it. Ordinarily, you wouldn't have to touch the gate, Henry would be taking you up and down the stairs himself, if you needed to be up or downstairs.

But, right now, you really wanted to be upstairs and there was no way of getting Henry's attention, without possibly waking up Eric and Penny.

So, you closed your hand around the lock and unlatched it, the gate opening without a sound. Gate opened, you crept up the stairs, expecting your Daddy to appear at any moment and demand you tell him what you were doing, not only awake, but coming upstairs. But, Henry didn't show up, when you reached the top, opening the baby gate there, and going down the hall to the master bedroom.

Your heart fluttered, as you pushed the master bedroom's door open, clenching for a moment as it creaked, filling the still and silent air around you. Henry was resting on his side in bed, facing inward, his breathing soft and steady, the room otherwise was dark and still. You felt your hands shake as you approached the bottom of the bed, throat tight and feeling jittery, as you started to crawl into bed with him. But, the slight movement of the bed had been enough to alert Henry, making him jerk slightly and raise his head, brow deeply creased.

“What are you doing?” He groaned, before sitting up and looking at you, frozen at the edge of the bed, half crouched on it. “Well?” He asked, when you didn't answer him, a full minute later. “What's the matter, Little one?” He pressed, shaking his head, confused and worried.

You floundered, staring at him wide eyed, mouth working, but nothing coming out for the longest time, before you found some mental traction. “I don't feel good. Can I sleep with you?” You blurted out, blinking rapidly at him.

Henry's face softened and his head cocked to the side, licking his lips. “Yeah.” He nodded finally, pushing back his blankets and making room for you. “Come here, Baby.” He cooed at you, patting the mattress beside him.

You scurried over the bed, to the made space for you, and tucked yourself into it, biting back a smile as Henry covered you up, feeling how his body had warmed the blankets that now covered you. Laying down, you turned towards Henry, letting him wrap his arms around you, and nuzzled your face into his bare chest, smelling the body wash he used in the shower he took before bed and the scent of his skin, making you sigh. Henry sighed back, his breath ruffling the hair at the top of your head, as his hand stroked the length of your back.

“What's bothering you, honey?” He asked you, whispering against your forehead.

“Um...” You mumbled, tracing a pattern on his chest. “My tummy.”

“Mmm.” Henry purred, his eyes falling closed, his hand slipping between the two of you and gently started rubbing your belly. “Too much cake, perhaps.” He said, softly.

“It hurts lower, Daddy.” You told him, scooting up a little bit, and sucking your lip between your teeth.

“Does it?” He replied, lifting a brow, but his eyes never opened, and moved his hand down lower. “Does Daddy need to give you another laxative?” He asked, with a mischievous twitch to his lip.

“No.” You whimpered, shaking your head, throat closing at the thought.

Henry opened his eyes and looked at you. “I think you might, Dove.” He told you, reaching between your legs and tugged open the onesie he had changed you into. “Can't have an upset tummy, now can we?” He cooed, peeling back the tabs of your pamper and removed it, dropping it over the side of the bed, to the floor.

“No, Daddy.” You replied, your eyes shining at him with a light that only been in them once, while you were with Henry.

“Let's see, if we can make it stop hurting.” Henry said, his hand going back to your stomach. “Tell me when I reach where it hurts, Kitten.” He rasped, his voice dripping as his fingers started to slowly wander downward.

Your lips parted, a soft gasp escaping them, your eyes locked to Henry's, as if he had entranced you. “Lower, Daddy.” You moaned, the muscles of your stomach twitching, but you didn't giggle or laugh, it was beyond that feeling.

“Lower?” He asked, lifting a brow at you.

“Please.” You begged him, soundlessly, nudging your hips, impatiently. “Lower.” You whined, biting your lip.

Henry's hand ventured lower and found the smoothness of your mound, that he had kept meticulous, the tips of his fingers less than an inch away from where you wanted him to be, before his hand changed course, gliding over your thigh to cup the back of your knee and hooked your leg over his own hip. He looked into your eyes and smiled, tilting his head enough to kiss you softly on the lips, his hand slipping back between your legs, sliding home, over your pussy, cupping it in his palm.

“Does that feel better now, Princess?” Henry cooed, against your lips, looking into your eyes.

“God, yes.” You moaned back, your hips making small movements against his hand.

Henry smirked, amused to feel you rutting against his palm. “You're a needy little Kitten tonight, aren't you?” He chuckled at you, folding his middle finger inward, to slip it between your folds, finding how wet you were becoming. “You want something to rub against?”

“Daddy can give you that.”

He rolled onto his back, taking you with him and yanked the blankets off of both of you, then pointed to the door. “Close it.” He told you, firmly. “We don't want the babies to hear us. Then, take your onesie off.” He said, making it very clear to you, that the pair of you had changed Head Spaces.

“Yes, sir.” You replied, getting out of bed.

“Good girl.” He praised you, unconsciously rubbing himself through the fabric of his boxers, as you quickly padded over to the door, closing and locking it, before getting naked. “Come here.” He purred at you, grinning, gesturing to himself.

Licking your lips and feeling a rush, you crawled back into bed and over Henry, laying on top of him, just like he had motioned you too. Henry cupped your face in his hands, bringing your face to his and stared into your eyes, his were set and stern, but held a certain softness, looking for something from you.

“Please, Henry.” You whispered to him, your lips so close to his, they brushed as you spoke. “Please.”

Henry pressed your lips together, devouring your mouth with the hunger of a man stranded on an island all of his life, his hands all over your body, pressing into your skin and in your hair. He jammed his thigh between your legs, making you whimper as he rubbed against your sensitive petals.

“Now, that we've gotten the door closed and my pretty little Kitten is naked.” Henry said, breaking the kiss and tucking his pillow behind his head, grinning brilliantly at you. “Let's see just how much my Girl wants.” He told you, stroking the side of your face.

“I want you, Daddy.” You moaned, squeezing your thighs around Henry's, trying to keep still, the slightest movement sent pleasurable waves through you.

“Oh, I know you do, Pet.” He chuckled at you, kissing the tip of your nose, teasingly. “Prove it to me.” He instructed you, gently bouncing his leg, making you gasp and moan. “You were so needy a few minutes ago, that you were rutting against my hand.” He said to you, amused and loving the feeling of your breasts rubbing against his chest.

“If you want me, you're going to show me. So, go on, finish what you were doing with my hand.” He smiled, watching the expression on your face, as you realized what he wanted you to do. “My thigh will give you far more surface to rut against, than my hand would have.” He explained to you, even in the dimness of the bedroom, you could see his eyes darken to a stormy-blue.

“I--” You floundered, you had never done anything like that before, rubbing against Henry's hand hadn't been a conscious thought, but now that you were thinking about it, it seemed radical and impossible. “Daddy—I...”

“Ssshh...” Henry hushed you, cupping the sides of your neck and gently squeezing, before gliding his hands down to grab your hips. “It's so easy, you know that, Kitten.” He purred at you. “Do you want Daddy?” He asked with a deep timber.

“Yes, Henry. Please.” You begged him, tormented.

“What do you want from Daddy?” He inquired, groping your hips, nails digging into your skin.

“I--” You sighed, squeezing your eyes shut and pressed your forehead to the hollow of his clavicle.

What did you want from Henry? Other than him?

It had been years, since you were sexually intimate, with your last boyfriend. He hadn't been the greatest lover or bed mate. He was much like the rest of your relationship, greedy and rough, and often sloppy. What you wanted never mattered. He didn't care about your pleasure, and if you did manage to orgasm, it was rare and only by accident and chance. You would often spend hours, if not days, afterwards uncomfortably sore from being intimate with him.

So, initiating this with Henry had been utterly spontaneous.

Whatever had woken you with the dire need to come upstairs and be intimate with Henry, had been strong, so strong, and it still was. But, you were confused and scared. You were scarred and broken. Which made you even more afraid that this would fall apart and you would lose your nerve to have sex with him, to just be sexual with him, period. That only created a paranoia of, what if you were incapable of being sexual with Henry, no matter how much the both of you wanted to be, other than that one off time of him fingering you, and Henry became frustrated by that. That your relationship was only Daddy and Little, non-sexual.

Would that eventually be a deal breaker, and your relationship come to a close?

You wanted Henry. You wanted him to touch you again, like he had that day. But, you also wanted Henry to touch you more than that. You wanted to feel him. You wanted Henry to be inside of you. You wanted to know what it was like to have a real man make real love to you, to have someone that really cherished you, do something so intimate and sensual.

“I want you, Henry.” You moaned, looking up at him. “I want all of you. I want to give you all of me.” You told him, sincerely.

Henry smiled at you, a lump in his throat. “You have all of me, Baby Girl.” He told you, honestly, cupping the back of your head in his palm. “You did the moment we met, in Luca's office. I'm not going anywhere, now or ever.” He whispered, kissing your forehead tenderly. “I'm a patient man. I know, you've been hurt and that you are hurt. That doesn't deter me from wanting to be with you or from loving you.” He said, stroking your spine.

“You take your time. I'll be right here, whenever you do.” He promised, with a wink.

You melted against his chest, resting your chin on it, and sighed, touched and a bit emotional. Henry had understood what you wanted and what you were worried about, then supported you, instead of making you feel like you were flawed and useless. Your thighs tightened around his, hips moving back and forth at first, interested and testing about how it felt rutting against his leg, and let out a whimpered moan. Henry smirked at you, his eyes knowing and mischievous as he planted his foot on the mattress to steady his leg for you, feeling the skin of his thigh grow slick.

“That's it, Baby.” He whispered his encouragement to you, nodding. “Find what feels good.” He told you, rubbing his palms up and down the back of your arms.

Nodding your head, you moved your hips up and down, and it felt a lot better than going back and forth, rubbing your clit. But, it still didn't feel right. So, you rolled your hips, rocking your hips in a circular motion, and buried your face into Henry's chest, biting into it, as you let out a deep and loud moan, that pattern hitting all the right places.

“There it is.” Henry laughed, groaning as your teeth sank into his skin, and pulled your face away from his chest, seeing the deep bite-mark just above his nipple. “Now that my good little Kitten has what she needs, she can give Daddy a show.” He smiled, pushing you up and bit the corner of his lip, seeing your pussy pressed to his thigh, slick with your juices.

“Ride Daddy's thigh, sweetums.” He purred, his voice deep, but stern and demanding. “Then, Daddy'll play with you.” He grinned, wickedly.

Slowly licking your lips, you rested your palms on Henry's stomach, feeling hard-earned abs flex beneath them, caressing the patch of hair around his navel as you started to hump his leg again, letting out every noise that escaped you come freely. Henry grinned up at you, his hands resting on your thighs, watching your hips gyrate, and how you started to work yourself up into a frenzy.

“Easy.” He smoothed his hands up your thighs and grasped your hips, steadying you. “Take your time, Precious. Enjoy it.” He encouraged you, massaging your hips.

You slowed down, trying to find the right pace, now that you had the perfect rhythm down. Henry smiled at you, keeping a hold of your hips as he felt you slip, his thigh absolutely drenched and slick, making you slide. He was in love with the sight of your breast bouncing in front of his face, reaching up a hand to cup one of them, kneading it in his big mitt.

“Fuck me, you are the most gorgeous woman I've ever seen.” He panted, out of breath, even though he was just laying there, watching you do all the work.

You smiled shyly at him and dropped your chin down to your chest, hair hiding your face.

“Oh, Sweet girl, don't do that.” Henry moaned, reaching up to brush it behind your ears. “Let me see that beautiful face.” He told you, smiling up at you. “Such a beautiful face.” He whispered softly, bouncing his leg a little bit, making you gasp.

“Fuck, Henry.” You grunted, before faltering and froze, looking down at him, wide eyed.

Henry laughed, pulling you down into a kiss. “You're fine, Angel.” He reassured you, wiping the sweat from your face. “I'll let you get away with two more bad words.” He teased you, with a wink and giving your ass a playful smack, that echoed in the room.

Your heart started beating again, your backside smarting as you started rutting against his thigh again. “I-I think...” You moaned loudly, feeling the snake inside you start to tightly coil.

“Mmm.” Henry hummed, feeling your movements become uneven, gripping your hips and helped guide your movements.

You hugged your thighs tight against Henry's, rocking against it, letting out breathy whimpers with each movement and contact of your sensitive and overstimulated clit, the tight coil of your orgasm slowly started to unloosen with your pleasure. You allowed yourself to get lost in the passion and the moment, no longer worried or afraid of retribution for enjoying it and for actually having an orgasm. Henry grinned as your eyes fell shut with the height of your passion, your sweet as honey sounds filling the bedroom, like a well penned piece of music to Henry's ears.

“Oh gods” You mewled, biting your lip, the last loop of your pleasure untwisted, coming hard and convulsing against his thigh. “Henry! Henry!” You cried out in a breathy chant, shamelessly, not caring if you woke Aspen and Eric downstairs.

“That's a good girl.” Henry cooed at you, holding you up as the last of your orgasm faded away, feeling the thick ribbons of your come leak down his thigh and into the black cotton of the boxers he was still wearing. “You did so well for Daddy, sweetheart.” He praised you, swiping his fingers through some of the leftover slickness on his thigh and licked it off his fingers.

“And you're as tasty as ever.” He added, with smug pride. “Now, Daddy wants to play with you, Baby Doll.” He said, grabbing you and making you straddle both of his thighs, spreading them and yours wide open, exposing your glistening pussy to him and his mercy. “Hm, such a lovely kitty you have.” He hummed, cupping it in his fingers and making you whimper.

“So silky and perfect.”

“I've often dreamt of how well you'd take me inside of you. If you can take all of me.” He said, his blue eyes a combination of focused and unfocused as he rubbed your folds, thinking about feeding his cock inside of you.

You gulped, blinking down at him, your stomach twitching as he spoke about it, wondering just how big he was, if he was curious if you could manage him. Then, let out a hiccuping gasp, surprised to feel the tip of his finger ring around your moist entrance, before slowly easing it inside of you. You pressed your lips together and moaned, even with your core being relaxed from your climax and naturally lubricated, Henry's finger was thick and you hadn't been touched properly in a long time, having not even deep fingered yourself, so his single digit stretched you.

“You're so small.” He observed, hooking his finger inside of you and rubbing the sensitive flesh of your core. “I don't want to hurt you.” He purred, licking his lips and rubbing your pearl with his thumb, making you mewl.

“Please.” You begged him softly, brows knitting together.

Henry clicked his tongue at you. “You're so tight, Baby girl.” He told you, honestly, gently working his finger in and out of you, feeling a teeny bit of resistance, even without you clenching up on him. “Daddy's got to give you attention first, hm.” He said, before gently rolling over, to lay you down on your back, removing his finger from inside of you.

“Hush, Kitten.” Henry laughed at your protesting whine, as he got out of bed. “As wet as you still are, Daddy needs more to open you up.” He told you, stepping into his closet for a moment, and coming back with a black and purple tube in his hand.

He paused beside the bed, staring down at you as you laid naked in his bed, a gorgeous sight Henry had wanted for so very long. But, he considered taking off his boxers and crawling back into bed with you, but decided not too, feeling the time just wasn't right for that yet. So, he joined you back in bed, leaning over you and capturing your lips in a deep and passionate kiss, stroking your bare chest, before sitting back and popping open the cap of the bottle.

“What's that?” You asked, looking at him innocently.

“Lube.” Henry replied, squeezing the cool, thick and clear substance into his hand and coated his fingers with it, before tossing the bottle onto his pillow. “Bend your leg up to your chest and hold it for Daddy, Princess.” He instructed you, looking you in the eyes.

Nodding your head, you grabbed the back of your knee and hugged it to your chest. Praising you, Henry rubbed his slick hand up and down your petals, making it extra slippery, before delving his finger back into you, coating your core with the lubricant. You moaned and pressed your head back into the pillow beneath it, a shiver racing down your back at the strange feeling.

“It feels weird.” You whimpered, licking your lips.

“It's the lube, sweetness.” Henry chuckled at you, smiling. “It's got a warming sensation to it, should help with any discomfort you have, while I prepare you.” He explained, leaning forward and lining kissing over your stomach and between your breast to your throat, gently sucking on your pulse.

You lifted your free hand and brushed them through his curls, tightening your fingers at the back of his head and nudged your hips down on his finger, only feeling a tiny bit of soreness through the pleasurable blossom of warmth inside of you, radiating from Henry's working digit. You tugged on Henry's curls, making him growl against your throat, and you moaned as he sunk his teeth into your flesh, leaving his own teeth-marks in your skin, just as you had left on his chest; which were still faintly there. Henry pulled back, his eye focused on you as his finger moved more quickly in and out of you, testing the ease of how well it moved within you, and any discomfort it might still give you.

“All right, Dove.” He spoke so softly to you, easing all by the very tip of his finger out of you, grabbing the lube off his pillow, opened the cap with the thumb of his free hand and squeezed a dollop of it over your folds. “Take nice and slow breaths for me, okay.” He said, his blue eyes tender with apprehension.

“Okay.” You replied, taking a deep lungful of air and letting it out.

“Good girl.” Henry smiled, kissing you.

Henry touched the tip of his ring finger against your entrance, rubbing it and the excess lube all over your folds and opening, hoping to make the transition of his second finger as easy and painless as he possibly could. He bit the corner of his lip, breath catching in his throat with the prospect of hurting you. But, he carefully pushed his digit in and not only felt the ring of muscle at your entrance constrict around both first knuckles, but saw and heard it as well, your abdominal muscles flexing and you letting out a strangled whine. Henry gave you a soft smile, pausing, holding the tips of his fingers inside the rim of your core and massaging your calf with his free hand, coaxing you back into relaxing for him.

“Relax, love.” He whispered to you, kissing your knee. “You're all right and I know it hurts, baby. But, I promise you, it will pass the sooner you calm down, and relax around my fingers.” He encouraged you, lovingly. “You're only making it worse, by tensing up like this, darling.” He told you, hoping to coach you into settling down. “You can be a good girl for me and relax, can't you?” He asked, lifting his brows at you, inquiringly.

“My sweet baby girl, that does what Daddy asks of her. Who wants to know what it feels like to have her Daddy inside of her.” Henry grinned, impishly. “But, for that to happen, she has to open up that pretty treasure box of hers first, hm.”

You squeezed your eyes shut, listening to Henry's voice as you took deep and short breaths, trying to will your body into relaxing against his fingers and to ignore the painful burn that his thick fingers had blooming between your legs and up the small of your back, while they stretched you wide open. Your hands clawed at the blankets beneath you, twisting them up in your fists, but finally managed to get yourself to relax again, and fluttered your eyes open to look up at Henry, who was staring at you with tender concern and never-ending love, then nodded at him, giving him your permission to continue on.

“All you have to do is tell me no.” Henry told you, his eyes wide with worry that you were only doing this to please him.

“Yes.” You said, plain and breathy.

“All right.” He nodded, kissing you on the lips.

Henry slowly continued to ease his fingers into you, pausing every few moments to allow you to adjust to the new level of being spread open, until he finally had his middle and ring fingers buried to the last knuckle inside of you. He smiled at you, feeling an excited streak fill him, seeing his fingers disappear into you, your wet and velvety warmth housing them with such pleasing warmth, that the K.Y couldn't mimic. After letting his fingers rest inside of you for several long minutes, Henry started to move them. He didn't move them out of you, only moving enough to stimulate you and cover the length of your core, gradually scissoring them open, opening you even more, causing you to cry out.

“I know. I know.” Henry cooed at you, brushing his fingers through your hair and kissing you. “But, you're doing so well.” He smiled at you, shifting to rest beside you, and started stroking your forehead, wiping away the light sheen of sweat that was there. “Open your legs a little more. That's it, good girl.” He hummed, nuzzling the side of your face with his, before curling in his fingers and making you cry out in a mixture of discomfort and pleasure.

“Henry.” You whined, clutching at him.

“Soon, pumpkin.” He replied, pressing his lips against your forehead and spread his fingers wide open, thrusting them up and down. “Very soon.” He said, turning his hips to press his rock hard cock against your hip, letting you feel how aroused he was, and how ready he was to be inside of you.

You turned your face into his chest and moaned, rocking against his fingers, the pain that had been there had subsided, leaving only a mild discomfort that you could push through with the amount of pleasure Henry was bringing you. Grinning into your hair, assured now by your movements, Henry removed his fingers and sucked them into his mouth, groaning at your taste, before he wiggled out of his boxers.

Your mouth dropped open and a small sound came out of your throat, seeing Henry's cock spring loose from the black fabric, surprised by its length and girth, understanding now why he was so adamant on preparing you so extensively. Henry smirked at you, chuckling at your expression and reaction to his manhood, as he shifted between your legs, grabbing you by the knees and tugging you down the bed to him, resting your bottom on his thighs. You lifted a brow at Henry, when he didn't do anything for a moment, curious to what he was doing and why he was waiting.

“You know, that I love you.” He asked, gently rubbing his palms up and down your sides, cupping your breasts for a moment. “No matter what happens or how intimate we are.”

You looked up at him and grasped one of his wrists, bringing his hand to your mouth and pressed your lips to his broad palm, feeling a small callous just below one of his fingers from years of lifting weights, during his intense workouts; your eyes never leaving his. “I know and I love you too.” You whispered back to him.

Henry nodded his head softly, replacing his palm at your lips with his own, reaching out once more for the purple and black tube on his pillow, but your hand beat him to it, your eyes met and he saw a glint of mischievousness in them that made him chuckle deep in his throat, withdrawing his hand from the bottle. He understood, he had been doing most of the touching all night, while you laid mostly passively in bed, you wanted your chance to explore him, as he had gotten his to discover you. He slipped his arm beneath you, supporting your back, and picked you up with almost unnerving ease, sitting back on his heels and letting you rest in his lap, shifting to sit cross-legged in the middle of the bed, giving you all the access you wanted to his body.

Smiling at him and feeling a tad shy, like you were put on the spot now. You set the bottle of lubricant beside you, nervously licking your lips, before lifting your hand, with a shuddered breath, and pressed your fingertips to his collarbone, tracing along from one shoulder to the other, then traveling downward, swirling your fingers in the short fur that covered his well-defined upper chest, pressing your palm against his sternum and felt the steady and soothing beat of his heart underneath. Henry watched you explore his upper body, feeling your fingers lightly touch different parts of him, before twitching and chuckling as your hand touched a ticklish spot on his ribs, on his right side.

“So, you're ticklish.” You grinned at him, your eyes dancing.

“I am.” He admitted, smiling back at you. “But, not as ticklish as you are.” He added, playfully tickling your sides, making your squirm in his lap, rubbing on his cock as you did, making him moan deep in his throat. “It's the only ticklish spot I have.” He told you, stroking the small of your back and kissing the bridge of your nose.

“Mmhm.” You hummed, lifting a brow at him, not quite believing him, but left finding out for another time.

You bit your lip, dipping your hand between your bodies and took a hold of Henry's cock, making him hiss as you touched the sensitive skin. He was heavy in your palm, thick and long, like everywhere else that made up Henry, you also noticed he was uncut, not that it mattered any. You rubbed your thumb gently over the head of his shaft, collecting several beads of pre-cum, smearing it. The pulse against your palm as you slowly started to stroke him was robust, pumping more blood into his desire, causing the tip to slowly darken.

Henry's eyes fell shut, feeling your hand work him, the corner of his lip upturned. It was everything he had been waiting for, and more if he was honest. He hadn't expected you to touch him like this. He didn't quite expect you to allow intercourse yet either, and Henry was more than all right with that. He would give you all the sexual attention you wanted him to give you, to whatever the extent. So, this change in events was a happy little surprise to be woken up too. He didn't know what had spurred you into it, and he wasn't about to question it either, he was just going to ride it out with you.

Satisfied with touching him, you picked up the lube resting against Henry's thigh and opened it, squeezing some of it into your hand, before carefully closing your hand around the base of Henry's cock again, coating it with the slick substance as best you could. Henry moaned as the lubricant took a moment to warm up on his already heated flesh, a shiver wracking his big shoulders.

“I'm sorry.” You mumbled, gulping at him.

“It's not your fault.” He mumbled back, half opening his eyes to look at you.

You nodded your head at him, gulping again. “I-I want you, please.” You stuttered, scooting closer to him, wrapping your legs around his waist and your arms around his neck.

“I wanted you more than anything.” Henry admitted, wrapping an arm around your waist and pushed you up, then reached underneath you, taking himself in his other hand, and rubbing the throbbing tip of his cock against your slick folds, making you whine and whimper into his ear, as you buried your face into his neck and shoulder. “Ssshh” He hushed you, licking his dry lips, panting heavily into your hair and gulping thickly, as he guided himself into you, then let you slowly sink down onto him.

“I've got you, my Kitten.” He moaned into your ear, rubbing your back. “Daddy will always have you.”

You whimpered softly, even after Henry taking so long to stretch you with his fingers, his shaft opened you more, but you loved it, feeling yourself conform to Henry's body, becoming completely and utterly his, once and for all. Henry felt the same way, folding his arms around you, locking your arms down to your sides, with the slow feeling of being swathed inside of your core.

It was blissful for both of you, huddled so closely together, sharing the same breath, uncaring about anything else in the world, other than being connected in the most sensual way possible.

You felt your bottom brush the top of Henry's thighs and let out a deep breath, realizing you were completely filled up with him and you felt every inch of him, from tip to base, the tell-tale thick vein running his length pulsed against your taut walls, like a second heartbeat, giving you a heady feeling.

Henry buried his nose into your hair, pressing one hand to the small of your back, while keeping his arm around your shoulder-blades, wanting to keep you close to him, as he nudged his hips up into you for the first time, thrusting into the tiny bit of space that was left inside of you, moaning loudly.

“Oh fuck, baby.” He panted in your ear, rubbing his nose against your temple. “So tight. So damn warm.” He gasped, moving more steadily into you. “Look how well you take Daddy's cock, Princess.” He chanted into your ear. “You take it like the good girl you are, yes you do.” He chuckled, tugging on your earlobe and snapping his hips sharply upwards.

“Henry!” You cried out, dropping your head back, and rolling your hips in time with his thrusts. “Good god, it feels so good to have you inside of me. So damn good.” You whimpered, pressing your sweaty foreheads together and staring into his eyes.

“You only have one naughty word left.” Henry teased you, kissing your lips.

You chuckled, rolling your eyes at him. “I'll use it wisely then.” You retorted back, running your fingers through his damp hairline, brushing the stray curls off his forehead and out of his eyes.

Henry moaned at you, feeling a tingling sensation float through his spine, emanating from endorphins that were starting to rush through him, while his heart rate and blood pressure began to spike, giving off Henry's warning sign.

“I'm going to come soon.” He huffed, licking his lips and felt his balls start to draw taunt, reaching between your sweaty bodies to start stimulating your clit. “Come on, sweetness. Come with Daddy.” He growled, rubbing you harder, feeling himself close to losing it. “I want you to come with me.” He hissed, his movements becoming erratic and uneven.

“Daddy.” You whimpered, rocking back and forth between his hand and his cock, coming undone.

“Let go, little dove. Let go.” Henry panted back, face flushed and glistening with fresh beads of sweat, the first spurt of his release filling you.

You gasped, feeling that strong and hot gush inside of you, giving you that last little push into your second orgasm in an hour. “Motherfucker!” You roared, clawing down the length of Henry's back and making his growl, his eyes flaring at you.

“I need to cut those things.” Henry hissed roughly, between gritted teeth, more than positive you'd drawn blood. “You all right?” He asked, minutes after your passions calmed down, caressing your back and kissing your hair.

“Mmhm.” You nodded against his neck, eyes closed and relaxed against him. “I'm sorry about scratching you.” You mumbled, feeling a scratch on one section of his back.

“It's fine, baby.” He chuckled, smiling, holding your hand in his and felt how long your fingernails were, before gripping your hips and hoisting you off of his flaccid cock, then laid you down on your belly and picked up the lubricant, that was a 2-in-1.

You moaned softly, feeling Henry's strong hands massage the warming substance into your skin, pressing his thumbs into the small of your back, before working his fingertips up the middle of your spine and fanning out over your shoulders to knead the base of your neck. You melted into the mattress beneath you, moaning into the pillow ingrained with Henry's scent, your toes curling, making him smile down at you, feeling you become putty in his palms. Henry leaned over you, tilting his head to the side, to see your face, and laughed, finding you had fallen asleep.

“God, I love you.” He smiled, brushing your hair out of your face and gently kissing the corner of your mouth, before moving away, slipping out of the bed.

Henry padded into your nursery and grabbed a package of baby wipes, bringing them back and used a few to clean you and himself up, before tugging the blankets over you and hushed your sleepy whimper. He yanked on his pajama bottoms and stepped out into the hallway, going downstairs to the living room to check on Aspen and Eric, but found them much the same as they were the last time he saw them, before going to bed, they hardly moved during the night.

Reassured that the two Littles were more than all right, he went back upstairs to you, slipped off his pajama again, and joined you in bed, cradling you in against his chest, with a more than content sigh, and smile, and fell asleep.

Chapter Text

“Morning.” Henry smiled, seeing your eyes open.

“Morning.” You smiled back, shyly.

Henry kissed the space between your brows, his fingertips stroking the middle of your back. “I have something I want to show you.” He whispered, kissing you on the lips, before getting out of bed, tugging on his pajama bottoms and plucking up your onesie. “Come here.” He smirked, wiggling his fingers at you.

You turned and scooted towards the edge of the bed closest to him, letting him put the garment on you and scoop you up into his arms, locking your legs around his waist, with a yawn. Pressing your cheek to his shoulder as he opened the bedroom door and carried you down the hallway; you were curious to what he had to show you that was down at this end of the house.

“It's your last birthday present.” Henry told you, stopping at the door across from his office.

“But, it's not my birthday anymore.” You replied, lifting your head.

“I know it's not, sweet pea.” He laughed, kissing your cheek, and reached out to grab the door handle. “But, I didn't get to show it to you yesterday, with everything that was going on. So, I'm showing it to you now.” He explained, turning the handle and pushing the door open.

Your mouth fell open as you straightened up in Henry's arms, seeing the room, instantly understanding what it was. It was your playroom. Henry grinned at you, stepping into the room with you as it filled with the early morning sunlight, showing off all of the things he filled and decorated it with over the last few weeks.

There was a large, plush trellis rug covering most of the hardwood floor, a low, light gray table on top of it in the middle of the room with very comfortable looking cushions placed around it, for sitting. All, but one, wall was a warm gray, the other was striped white and gray, with your name written in golden cursive. Squat, white, three shelf bookcases pushed up against them were mostly empty, waiting for you to fill them with whatever you wanted to put on their shelves, but some had the things Henry knew you liked to read and your favorite coloring books. Three large toy chests lined the farthest wall, one of them already filled with the toys you were given the day before and some of the ones you already had.

You noticed two things that interested you, one was a macrame, hammock chair hung from the ceiling by the window in the room, giving you a view of the backyard and light to read by during the day. The other was in the corner, it was a thick pad, large enough for you to lay comfortably on, much like the Japanese mat you laid on a lot in the living room. But, there were key and noticeable differences with this mat, it was circular and had raised petals, like a flower, as if it would keep you from rolling off of it, and cartoon foxes in the center, as well as two crossing bars over it, with different hanging objects.

You realized it was a baby play mat, and grinned at the prospect of playing with it.

“Now, you have your own space.” Henry said, moving around the room with you. “You have a physical Little Space.” He chuckled, amused by his own joke. “It'll be easier for Daddy to keep you in one place as well.” He commented, rounding back to the door and pushing it closed. “Now that you have a playroom, you can't really wander off.” He said, flipping a latch and revealing that it was a Dutch door.

“I can keep a much better eye on you now.”

“But, that ruins all the fun.” You giggled, grinning playfully at him.

Henry chuckled at you, kissing your cheek and playfully blowing against your neck, making you laugh and squirm in his arms. “There's more than one way for you and I to have fun, Nugget.” He smiled, giving you a gentle bounce.

“How was my Little monkey?” Tommy asked, as Aspen wrapped herself around her Daddy's waist.

“A little angel.” Henry chuckled, smiling at the Little girl. “All of them were.” He said, smiling at you and Eric.

“How about some Big time?” Jasmine suggested, combing her fingers though Eric's hair. “We can drop the Little ones off at Daycare and we can go out for brunch.”

“I like that idea.” Tommy nodded, smiling at Aspen and playfully tapping her on the nose.

“Yeah, I could go for that.” Henry agreed, glancing at you.

“Let's go.” Jasmine smiled at the group, before heading for the door.

Everyone filed out of the house and into the cars, Henry, Jasmine and Tommy dropped you, Eric and Aspen off at the Huntersville Daycare, before going off to eat, having their Big time together, while leaving the three of you to have some Little time.

“Where'd you go last night?” Eric asked, sitting on the swings with you.

You looked abashed, glancing away from him.

“What did you do?” He smirked, his green eyes twinkling, knowing something juicy was up.

“I-uh..” You giggled, nervously, grinning like a fool. “We—um... Henry and I... uh,” You looked up at him, wrinkling your nose and nodded your head. “You know.”

“Did you guys have sex.” Eric squeaked, excitedly.

“Yeeaah.” You nodded, biting your lip, and smiling proudly.

Eric pushed his swing closer to yours. “How was it?” He asked, lowering his voice.

You sighed softly, remembering the night before with a rush of different emotions and feelings. “It was incredible. It was so much better than I thought it would be, if I was ever sexual with a guy again.” You told him, honestly.

“Henry is such a good lover...”

“Oh yeah?” Eric teased, wiggling his eyebrows at you.

“Oh, shut it.” You laughed, nudging him. “He's gentle and considerate. But, he's also really experienced and knowledgeable.”

“That doesn't surprise me in the slightest.” He commented, swaying side to side on his swing. “He's been a Daddy for a long time, and most people that have been in this lifestyle for long periods of time, tend to be masters in the bedroom.”

“Nice pun.” You smirked at him, rolling your eyes.

“Thank you.” He grinned, cockily.

“What are you guys talking about?” Aspen asked, coming back from a pamper change.

“She got her fancy tickled last night.” Eric chuckled, teasing you.

“Oh my god, really!” She laughed, taking up a swing beside you.

You laughed, shyly. “I did.” You replied, and told them about it.

You, Eric and Aspen played on various structures in the Daycare, having a fun time, while your Daddies and Mommy were still having their brunch. You glanced up from the teeter totter you were playing on with Aspen, hearing the door open, wondering if it was your Daddy coming to get you, but saw it was only a new arrival, Hanna. You bit your lip and sighed through your nose, brows knitting together as you saw her cross the open space from the doorway leading from the front desk area to the school room, ignoring all the others playing on the equipment.

“I'll be right back.” You told Aspen, carefully getting off the teeter totter.

“Where are you going?” She asked, frowning up at you.

“There's something I want to do.” You replied, turning towards the school room. “Hanna?” You called out to the other girl, finding her standing by the bookcase, alone in the room.

She turned at the sound of your voice, a sour look on her face. “What do you want?” She hissed, lifting a sculpted brow at you.

You gulped and stepped further into the room. “I just wanted to say, thank you for the birthday present that you and your Daddy got me for my birthday yesterday.” You told her, biting the inside of your lip.

“Oh.” Hanna replied, with a huffy air. “Yeah, sure. You're welcome and whatever.” She told you, waving her hand in a dismissive and uncaring manner.

You took a deep breath and licked your lips, gathering some courage. “Look, I know we've gotten off on the wrong foot.” You started, clearing your throat. “Though, I'm unsure how or why.” You mumbled to yourself. “But, I would like to try and get to know you better, and maybe even become friends with you, or at least better acquaintances.” You told Hanna, sincerely.

“Friends.” Hanna hissed at you, stepping closer. “You think I would want to be friends with someone like you?”

“You don't even know me.” You replied, frowning at her, trying to repress your hurt feelings.

“I know enough about you.” She answered, smirking, seeing she was affecting you. “I don't make friends with babies.” She laughed, looking you over. “Wetting yourself and looking so silly in your outfits, that your Daddy puts you in.” She teased you.

You narrowed your eyes at her and tilted your head. “You're jealous.” You whispered, blinking at her. “That's it, isn't it?” You asked, raising your hand. “You're jealous that Henry's my Daddy and not your Daddy. That you're not the one he's babying.”

“I'm not a baby, I'm a Middle, there's a difference.” Hanna growled, growing angry, her face red.

“Doesn't mean you don't want to be babied.” You relied, grinning at her, realizing you were right, she was jealous of you and of what you had, that's why she was bullying you; she wanted Henry to be her Daddy, not Matteo.

“You little bitch.” Hanna snarled, lashing out at you, snagging the bracelet Henry had given you and yanking on it.

You gasped, feeling the bracelet break, the chain cutting into your wrist as it gave away, before falling to the floor between you. You stared down at it, mouth hanging open with shock, tears pricking your eyes and a wave of nausea hitting you, before you looked up at Hanna, letting out hard and angry huff of air through your nose, nostrils flaring, seeing the snotty, smug and unapologetic look on her face.

You were reacting before you were thinking, anger boiling inside of your body, like an erupting volcano. Your hand shot out, closing the gap between you both, and connecting to Hanna's cheek, letting out a sharp ringing slap in the otherwise empty school room, making your hand burn and sting, like lava. Hanna let out a strangled and shocked sob, stumbling back and holding her searing cheek, looking at you with tearful eyes, her bottom lip trembling.

“Little girl!”

Your anger instantly cooled, hearing Henry's voice roar into the room door, eyes growing wide and blanching, all feeling, but the throb of your hand, leaving your body; knowing your fate was sealed.

Henry stomped into the room and grabbed you by the elbow, pulling you against him, his other hand catching your chin, to tilt your head back and look up at him. You repressed a strangled whine, seeing the pure rage in his blue eyes as he looked down at you, feeling him vibrate with his disappointment and anger.

“What's wrong with you?” He hissed, his face pinched with how mad he was. “You do not hit! You know better than that, Little girl.” He reprimanded you, without concern of who heard. “Don't you?”

“Ye-yes, Da-Daddy.” You hiccuped, blinking up at him, tears dripping down your hot cheeks. “Bu-but, sh-she bro-broke my-my bracelet.” You cried, pointing down to it, without looking away from him.

“I don't care.” Henry snapped, the crease between his brows deepening. “You don't hit her, pet. You know that. I taught you better than that.” He scolded you, his eye twitching slightly.

“That is a bad baby.”

You sucked in a sharp breath and felt like you had gotten punted in the gut, hearing your Daddy call you a bad baby, furiously hot tears starting to cascade down your face. “I'm sorry, Daddy.” You croaked, a soccer ball sized lump in your throat.

“Not yet.” Henry whispered, letting you go and bending over to scoop up your bracelet. “As for you, your Daddy will hear about this.” He said, holding up the broken piece of jewelry for Hanna to see. “You.” He looked at you. “I want you at the front desk, to wait for me. Talk to no one.” He ordered you seriously, his blue eyes daring you to cross him.

“Yes, Daddy.” You whimpered, chewing on your lip and shuffled out of the room, as Anabelle came in.

“I saw.” She said, looking at Henry. “I'll deal with Hanna.”

“Thank you.” Henry replied, not moving as Anabelle led Hanna out of the school room and to the naughty room. “Fuck.” He growled, scrubbing a hand over his face and through his hair, taking a moment alone in the room to collect himself, before joining you at the front area of the daycare.

“I'm disappointed in you, pet.” He told you, on the drive home. “There aren't words to tell you how much either.” He sighed, shaking his head and squeezing the steering wheel.

You pressed your lips together and sniffled, shifting in your car seat, you expected your time out when you got home, and dreaded it, but knew you deserved it. Henry said nothing as he opened your door and unbuckled you from your seat, took your hand and marched you into the house, straight into the living room; he dropped heavily onto the couch, and tugged you between his legs. Your eyes widened and your stomach lurched into your throat nauseously, immediately realizing what was going on.

It wasn't a time out.

“No.” You whimpered, eyes swimming with unshed tears, your hand gripping Henry's so tightly, your nails dug into his skin.

“You know better than to tell Daddy no.” Henry barked at you, angrily, brows knitting together, not amused with your continued defiance. “You sealed your fate, when you raised your hand to Hanna. I didn't allow her to harm you, and I won't allow you to harm her.” He told you, sternly, his jaw stiff and his lips pressed into a thin and angry line.

“Please, Daddy.” You gasped, pulling on his arm, whining.

“Stop it.” He snapped, pulling you back towards him, then bent you over his lap, trapping you between his thighs. “I don't want to hear it, pet. You did this to yourself, and you know it. Now, you'll deal with the consequences of your actions.” He told you, tugging down the leggings you were wearing, before unsnapping your onesie and removing your full pamper, exposing your bottom to his mercy, disappointment and intentions.

“I don't want to hear you, while I give you your punishment.” Henry explained to you, glancing at the back of your head as he heard your sniffle and felt the soft tremble of your body against his thigh.

Despite how angry Henry was, with his stern, Brat Taming Daddy attitude pushing forward, it was shielding the anxious hurt he actually felt, knowing he was about to deliver your first major and severe punishment, not only since being with him, but ever, since you'd never been spanked before. But, he collected himself, and kept on.

“Same rules as your time out.” He said, his voice slightly softer. “Be still and be quiet. You do either, the more spanks you'll get. Do I make myself clear?” He asked, his voice becoming stern again.

You gulped and nodded your head, thick and hot tears dripping from your lashes to the carpet below you, before you yelped, Henry's hand popping you across one cheek.

“I asked you a question, which means you use your words.” He growled at you, annoyed.

You took a shuddered breath. “Ye-es, Da-Dadd-y.” You whimpered, voice strained.

“Good.” Henry replied, sharply, rolling his shoulders. “Now, be quiet.” He ordered you, focusing his eyes on the light print on your butt cheek.

You sucked your bottom lip between your teeth and bit down on it, waiting, fearfully, for Henry to start spanking you. Licking his lips, Henry pressed one palm down in the center of your back, ignoring the feel of the skin and muscle there jumping underneath of it, before connecting his other palm to your bottom, evenly covering both cheeks. Your toes curled at the painful sting sizzled up your spine with the harsh contact, then let go of your lip to grit your teeth against the three hard and quick succession of slaps, one to each cheek and another to both, keeping them even to minimize bruising. Then, with two more hard spanks to your butt, Henry's legs released you and he sat back, running his smarting hand through his hair and sighed heavily, feeling exhausted.

He let you rest over his knee for a few minutes, his throat tight as he listened to your struggle to keep quiet, holding back your tears, you had lost the ability to be still a couple of minutes ago, shaking in his lap. Henry touched his fingertips to the base of your neck and gently rubbed down your spine, until he got to your hot and smarting backside. Sighing again, Henry grabbed and shifted you, until you straddled his waist, spacing his thighs so your bottom rested comfortably between them, kissed your sweaty forehead, then tucked your warm and wet face into his neck and shoulder, rubbing up and down your back.

“It's all right.” He cooed into your hair, his sternness melting away to the heartbreak he felt. “Let it out, Baby.” He whispered, folding his arms around you, his heart wrenching as you let go and started to really cry. “Ssshh, it's all right, Little one. You took your spanks so well.” He told you, slipping his hand up inside your still open onesie and started to methodically rub your back.

“Yes, you did. I'm proud of you.” He mumbled, pressing his lips to your forehead. “Very proud of you. Even though I'm still upset with you for slapping Hanna, like you did.” He said, shaking his head, remembering the sight he walked in on at the Daycare.

Henry had finished brunch with Tommy and Jasmine and arrived at the Daycare to pick you up; the other two Bigs decided to leave their Littles at the daycare, so they could run a few errands.

“Welcome back, Mr. Cavill.” Anabelle smiled up at him, standing up from her chair behind the desk. “Come for your Little one?”

“I have.” Henry grinned back at her.

“Let's see where she's at.” She replied, looking at the security cameras, flipping through them, until she found you.

“She really loves the blanket you got her, by the way.” Henry informed her.

“Oh, I'm so glad.” Anabelle beamed, excited that you loved her and her Little Girl's birthday present so much. “It looks like she's in the school room.” She told Henry, pressing a button under her desk, making the door leading into the play area unlock. “Why don't you go on through and get her.” She suggested, nodding at him through the door.

“Thanks, Anabelle.” He answered, nodding his head politely to her, and pushed open the door.

“Henry!” Eric yelled from the top of a play structure, about to go down the slide, waving wildly at him.

Henry looked up and waved back at the Little boy, before continuing onto the school room, pausing in the doorway, hearing your and Hanna's voices inside.

“Doesn't mean you don't want to be babied.” You were saying to the other girl.

“You little bitch.”

Henry saw the angry twist to Hanna's face as she lashed out at you, her hand catching on your bracelet as she did, snapping it off your wrist. He felt a frustrated jolt, tired of this unruly Brat making your life such a hardship and endlessly bullying you. He started to say something to Hanna, hoping to defuse the situation, when time suddenly slowed down, seeing your arm shoot out, palm connecting to Hanna's unsuspecting cheek, causing Henry's jaw to hit the floor with shock and horror.

A shiver went down Henry's back, like someone poured a bucket of ice water down it, as he felt his Brat Tamer coming out.

“Little Girl!” He roared, his eye twitching, as it boiled over.

“I-I...I--” You sobbed into his neck, the spot on his shirt that your face was pressed to, was soaked with your tears. “I just wa-wanted to-to th-thank her..” You told him, clutching at him, and tugging at the sides of his shirt.

“For what, sweetums?” Henry asked, frowning, confused.

“M-my bir-birthd-day present.” You replied, rubbing your dripping face against his chest.

Henry cupped your tear slick face in his hands, bringing it up so your eyes met. “You just went into the school room to thank her for giving you the Switch as a birthday present?”

“Mmhm.” You nodded, sucking on your trembling bottom lip. “I-I was be-being ni-nice, Da-da. Hon-honest.” You whimpered, knees squeezing his hips.

“I believe you, Princess.” He replied, his voice tender, caressing his thumbs over your cheeks and under your eyes, feeling a sharp stab in his heart at the sound of you calling him, Dada. “I don't understand why that upset her though.” He sighed, his brows frayed.

“It didn't.” You sniffled, gulping thickly. “I don't think it did, at least.” You added, your own brows drawing together, taking a deep breath and hiccuping. “It was after I thanked her for the game.” You explained to him, tracing the large, red and blue letter K on his shirt.

Henry shook his head at you. “What do you mean?”

“I told her, I'd like to get to know her better.” You answered, shifting and instantly regretted it, hissing as it disturbed your smarting backside. “To maybe even become friends, or at least acquaintances. Something to perhaps lessen the trouble between us.” You recounted to him, pressing your lips together, uncertainly.

“But, she said no, because she doesn't make friends with babies, especially ones that wet themselves.” You took a deep, uneven breath, bottom lip quivering.

Henry pressed his lips together and pushed his jaw forward, seeing your face and how much Hanna's words had hurt you; especially knowing how long it had taken you to become comfortable with being such a small Little, and a Little in general. He hated that little girl, and wished Matteo would leave him alone with her, with full permission, for just five minutes, then he'd give that spoiled hellion the punishment she truly deserved, putting and making her understand her place.

“She teased me about my outfit too.” You continued, glancing down at the onesie you had on, it was one of your favorites too, it was purple, made of soft Jersey cotton, and decorated with black, outline llamas.

“I love my outfit.” You mumbled, thinking of the simple black leggings you had on with it.

“That's all that matters, sweetheart.” He told you, resting his hands on your hips and massaging them.

“She's jealous.” You murmured, twisting your hands up in the bottom of Henry's shirt. “That's why she's so mean to me.”

“Jealous of what, Little one?” Henry replied, shaking his head, taken aback.

“Me and us.” You frowned back at him. “She's mad that you're my Daddy and not her Daddy.” You confessed to him, meeting his eyes.

Henry narrowed his eyes at you, caught off guard and surprised at this piece of information. “Is that so?” He said, turning it over in his mind. “Well, we'll deal with that later on.” He told you, wrapping his arms around your waist and hugged you against his chest, kissing your cheek, before standing up with you.

“Boo-boo, Dada.” You said to him, showing him the cut on your wrist, caused by Hanna yanking your bracelet off.

“Oh, you do have a nasty boo-boo, Pumpkin.” Henry replied, seeing the two centimeter cut on the outside of your wrist, red and angry, slightly smeared with blood. “Let's get that cleaned up.”

Henry carried you upstairs to the master bathroom, gently setting you down on the sink, before pulling open a drawer. Taking out a small tube of ointment and a plaster, he rubbed a small dab of ointment into your cut and smoothed the band-aid over it, then planted a small kiss to it, for good measure; making you giggle.

“There, all better.” He smiled at you, kissing your temple. “Let's give your bottom some attention now.” He whispered, scooping you back up and moving to lay you stomach down on his bed, disappearing into his closet for a moment, to come back with a small brass and black colored jar in his hand.

Twisting off the lid and tossing it onto the bed next to you, Henry scooped up the white cream that was inside with three fingers. Spreading it evenly into his palms, he turned his attention to your bum, pressing his hands to your cheeks, still feeling the heat he spanked into them, as he started to carefully massage the cream into your battered flesh. You moaned, feeling the cream soak into your skin, feeling an icy tingle spreading across it, pushing out the hot pain that was there from Henry's stiff hand, making you push your bum into his hands, wanting more relief.

“I want you to know something, dove.” Henry said, after finishing, and rolled you onto your back. “I don't enjoy punishing you. Especially when I have to spank you.” He told you, honestly, his eyes on yours, were filled with hurt. “But, you were a very bad girl, and Daddy had to punish you.”

“You understand that?”

You gulped up at him, feeling a lump in your throat. “I do, Dada.” You nodded at him, pressing your lips together.

“All right. Good.” Henry sighed, kissing your forehead. “I love you.” He whispered against your skin, before pulling away and going into your nursery, grabbing one of the reusable pampers you had been gifted, smirking at the different colored hearts on it.

Henry secured the pamper on you and snapped your onesie over it, picked you up and moved to the head of the bed. He pulled down the blankets and laid you back down, tucking you in. He smiled at you, then gave you Dewey and slipped your paci into your mouth, stroking your hair.

“Go to sleep, Nugget.” He cooed, sitting down on the edge of the bed. “You need a nap.” He told you, rubbing your side as you snuggled down into the mattress and under the blankets, nuzzling your face into his pillow. “I'll make you some lunch, when you wake up in a little bit.” He promised, staying with you until you fell asleep, then got up and turned out the lights.

Going out of the bedroom, but leaving the door open a crack, Henry went down the hall to his office, sitting down in his chair and leaning back in it, he rubbed a hand over his face. Drumming his fingers on his desk for a moment, Henry picked up his phone and called Jasmine, someone he had always been able to vent about Big stuff.

“Henry!”

“Hey, Jazzy.” He smiled, always cheered to hear her voice.

“I heard there was a little issue at Daycare today.” She said, biting her lip as she sat at the front desk of her salon, in central Huntersville.

Henry let out a heavy breath. “Yeah, there was.” He replied, biting his lip. “My Little one decided to give Hanna a taste of her own medicine.” He told her, swaying back and forth in his seat.

“She slapped her.”

“Oh my god.” Jasmine laughed, her head falling back. “I wish I could have seen it. But, I understand she needed the punishment, you can't allow that behavior.”

“No, I can not. But, what bothers me is what caused it.”

“What was it?” She asked, frowning.

“It seems, as to what Hanna told her, that Hanna's jealous I'm not her Daddy.”

“What?” Jasmine snapped, smirking.

“Yeah, I don't even know how that's come about.” He told her, shaking his head, baffled.

“Well,” She sighed, chewing on her lip as she thought about it. “Hanna arrived three months after you did. She was being fostered by another Daddy here, Gavin, while a permanent Daddy was found for her. Perhaps, she knew you were without a Little and wanted you to be her Daddy, but didn't have the courage to ask.”

“I wouldn't have taken her as my Little.” Henry answered, shortly. “She's not the right Age play and she's far too much of a fucking Brat.” He said, frowning at the background on his computer monitor, it was a photo of you, looking into the camera, and smiling around your 'I love Daddy' paci. “I don't want a Middle and I'm over having Brats, and she's far more than just a Brat; there aren't enough polite words to use to describe what she is.”

Jasmine chuckled, smirking to herself. “She's a bitch.” She said, not afraid to say it herself. “But, it would make sense why she wants to bully your sweet Little thing. If Hanna secretly wants you as her Daddy, but can't, she's projecting her jealous anger onto the one person she can; knowing she can't turn it onto you, without getting into some serious trouble.”

“But, the trouble she gets into by harassing my Baby Girl.”

“Littles bullying each other is commonplace, Henry.” Jasmine told him, pressing her phone to her ear to take the card of a customer, coming to the counter to pay for their haircut. “Some of it is harmless and some of it is what Hanna is doing.”

The customer, an older lady, looked at Jasmine, giving her an expression that told her she had issues with Hanna as well, as she took back her card, rolling her eyes and giving Jasmine a wave as she went out the door.

“And Hanna is one of Huntersville's biggest bullies, apparently.” She added, watching the woman head back to her car. “Sadly, your Princess is the perfect target.”

Henry heaved a heavy sigh, moving the mouse over and opening the CCtv feed in the bedroom, to see you curled up in bed, Kal pressed up against your back, apparently having joined you at some point. “I know she is. Even without Hanna's apparent prejudice of her being my Little Baby. She's an easy target for anyone wanting to hurt someone. She's timid, quiet and withdrawn. She's unlikely to say something, if someone's hurting her or if she does, it's usually after they've done something that's really harmed her.” He said, watching you shift in bed, nudging closer to Kal.

“She tried thanking that Brat for the Nintendo Switch that she and Matteo bought her for her birthday. That's how it all started, with the slap and the breaking of the bracelet.” He said, digging the broken piece of jewelry out of his pocket and laying it on his desk.

“Didn't that bracelet cost you a grand?” Jasmine asked, lifting a brow.

“Over, actually.” Henry replied, touching one of the flower shaped gemstones. “Just shy of twelve-hundred dollars.”

Jasmine whistled into the phone. “You must be pissed, then.”

“Oh, I am.” Henry nodded, eyes flickering back to the monitor, noticing you make a sudden move. “I'll be calling Matteo by the end of the day to speak to him about it.” He told her, narrowing his eyes at the screen, seeing you start to thrash, paci coming free from your lips and Dewey tumbling to the floor.

“Jazzy, I have to go.” He said, and hung up, before she even answered him.

Henry jumped up from his desk and rushed down the hallway, shoving open the bedroom door as you cried out in your sleep. “Baby!” He called to you, pulling away the blankets and wrapping his arms around you. “It's all right, honey. Daddy's here.” He cooed at you, brushing your hair out of your face and kissing your cheeks and forehead.

“Wake up, sweetums.” He coaxed you, pulling you into his lap and patting your back.

“No.” You whimpered, shaking your head and body, your hands coming out and into contact with Henry's chest. “No.” You cried again, eyes barely opening, as you took a hiccuping breath. “Please.”

“Ssshh, it's all right, Nugget.” Henry whispered, nodding his head at you. “You're all right.”

“Please, no.” You whined, pushing on his chest, trying to break free from his arms, tears welling up in your eyes.

Henry shook his head at you, brows knitted together and creased, confused. “What is it, what's wrong, sweet pea?” He asked, struggling to keep you in his arms. “Talk to Daddy, dove.” He begged you, gulping thickly.

“No more, Daddy.” You mewled, still squirming in his lap, trying to push away from him. “No more spanks, Dada. Please?” You sobbed, blinded by tears washing down your cheeks. “No more.”

Henry squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his chin to his chest for a moment, realizing what was happening, and was devastated. You had seemed and appeared fine, after your punishment, but apparently you weren't and Henry had missed it, or when he laid you down for your nap, it flared up during your sleep, perhaps a nightmare had triggered it. But, your PTSD was in full swing, causing you to not only become afraid of Henry spanking you again, but of Henry himself.

“Oh, Baby Girl.” He sighed, crushed and fought back his own tears. “No, Little one. No, I promise. No more spanks.” He told you, pushing your hands aside and grabbing your wet face. “Look at me.” He said, hopelessly wiping at your tears. “Please, Baby, look at Daddy.” He begged you, pressing your foreheads hard together.

“I'm not going to spank you again. I promise, Little one. I'm not. I swear.” He told you, rocking both of you side to side. “That's all over with. You took your punishment, Dove. You don't have to be afraid, especially not of me.” He gulped, a knot in his throat at the thought of you being afraid of him.

“I'd never hurt you, even if I have to spank your bottom sometimes.”

You panted, rocking yourself and whimpering, still feeling the residual soreness of your bottom, your mind clouded by your PTSD, torn between trying to pull away from Henry, wanting to get away from him and hide, like you had with your ex, when he had hit you, and wanting to cling onto Henry, to hide inside of your Daddy, where, deep down inside, you knew there was safety.

It was terrifying and exhausting in of itself.

“Will you just let Daddy hold you?” He asked, lifting his brows at you and biting his lip, not wanting to just pull you against his chest and cause you any more distress than what you were already in.

“Pretty please?” He added, pulling a smile and trying to be lighthearted.

Licking your lips, you nodded your head, feeling yourself start to tip back out of your PTSD. Henry was relieved, pulling you fully into his lap and hugged you against his chest, tucking your head underneath his chin and closed his eyes, cupping the back of your head with one hand and rubbing his palm up and down your back with the other, feeling you go slack against his body, drained by the rush of emotions and adrenaline from your episode.

“I'm sorry, Dada.” You whimpered into his neck.

“No, baby. It's not your fault.” He whispered into your hair, sighing softly. “I should have known better.” He told you, kissing the top of your head. “But, it's all right, I've got you. Just relax, I'll take care of you, sweetheart.” He said, hugging his arms tightly around you.

Chapter Text

You whined, locking your ankles together and clinging harder to Henry, as he attempted to put you down on your mat in the living room, making him sigh and straighten up again, his forearm bracing under your bottom.

“Please, baby.” He begged you, patting your back. “I need to put you down, so I can take Kal on his walk.” He told you, his brows knitted together with his frustration. “I'll pick you back up, as soon as I come back. Pinkie promise.” He said, holding his pinky out to you, hoping it would convince you.

Ever since you had woken up that morning, you refused to not only be out of his sight, you refused to not be in his arms. If you couldn't see Henry or specifically be in his arms, you would instantly start whining and crying, until he came and picked you back up again, soothing the frenzied agitation you'd worked yourself into. It had taken nearly ten minutes for him to calm you down again, after he detached you from his body and went to the bathroom, for less than three minutes, you sitting on the couch in a full crying fit, with snot coming out of your nose; soaking the front of your onesie and his shirt, forcing him to change both.

It didn't honestly bother Henry that you wanted to be so close to him, but he needed to get things done throughout the day to keep the house running and in order, and ninety percent of those things required him to use both hands, and he couldn't do that, when either one or both of his arms were full with holding you.

“Just give me five minutes, that's all I'm asking.” He whispered, brushing his fingers through your hair and swaying on his feet, hoping to calm the storm he saw starting to brew in your eyes. “Fuck.” He sighed, as the first tear dripped down your cheek to your jawline. “I'm sorry, Little one.” He apologized, kissing your tear away, and felt Kal bump against his leg, making him groan, feeling like he was between a rock and a hard place.

“Hm.” Henry hummed, turning on his heels and taking you upstairs to your playroom. “I know, love. I know you don't want me to put you down, but Daddy really needs to take Kal on his walk, and I know you're not going to walk with us.” He tried reasoning with you, pulling your legs from around his waist and setting your butt down on one of the cushions at the table in your playroom.

“I'm sorry, pumpkin. It'll be all right, and you'll live, I swear it.”

“When I come back, I'll pick you up again, all right?” He said, untangling your arms from his neck, and felt like a complete monster as you started to sob and kick your feet in your distress. “Oh, darling.” He sighed, cupping your face and kissing your hot forehead. “It's not the end of the world. Daddy will be back. Why don't you play with one of your toys until I come back?” He suggested, going over to one of your toy chests.

He opened the chest and searched around it for a moment, before pulling out one of the toys he knew you loved to play with, a small bag of blocks, and brought them back to you, dumping them out on the table next to you with an encouraging smile, nodding his head at you. You glanced at the toys, pausing in your fit, with a couple of hard sniffles, to considering whether or not you wanted to play with them or not, before your bottom lip quivered particularly hard and you pushed them away from you, looking up at Henry and reached out for him, jerking your body as you whimpered and whined at him, tears starting all over again.

Henry pressed his hand over his eyes and groaned, defeated.

“I don't know what to do.” He said, looking down at you, not happy to see his Little one so distressed, for any reason, and felt his rough position as Kal came to sit between you. “I know, Bud. But, Baby isn't having a great day, it seems.” He told the Akita, patting him on the top of the head and pressing his lips together. “Your walk will just have to wait until she's better, Kal. Until then, I'll let you out in the backyard. I'll be right back, sweetness.” He said, kissing your wet cheek, figuring you couldn't get any more upset than you were if he quickly jogged downstairs to let Kal into the backyard.

You watched Henry close the lower half of your playroom door and vanish from view, letting out a loud whiny snort. Pouting and feeling unloved, you turned to your hands and knees, and crawled away from where he put you, going over to the corner where your play mat was, and crawled underneath it. You laid down on your mat, curling up on it, still sniffling and crying.

“All right, baby.”

Henry called, opening the half-door and came back into the playroom, but frowned when he didn't see you where he'd set you down, his heart stopping for a moment as he quickly scanned the room for you, and relaxed seeing you on your mat. “Jesus, what a fucking day.” He huffed, carding a hand through his hair and crossed the room to you, carefully picking you up, hushing your sleeping protests.

“You are such a teeny tiny baby today, so deep into your Little Space.” He observed, rubbing his lips against your hair, then carried you out of the room, down to the nursery.

Henry laid you down on your changing table, having felt how full your pamper was in the playroom, and unbuttoned your onesie to open the reusable pamper you were wearing, and was surprised to find the core of it spotted with red. He frowned at your sleeping face, it wasn't like you not to tell him that your monthly was happening, it also wasn't like you to act like this when you were on your period. But, Henry knew the event could make emotions and moods wild, and clearly you were so deep into your Little Space, your only way of communicating that was to get upset and cranky, just as you had been.

Clicking his tongue at you, Henry opened the drawer to your changing table and took out the menstrual underwear you used during your monthly and slipped them onto you, with a much better understanding of why you'd become so clingy and emotional.

“Why didn't you tell me?” He sighed, cradling you against his hip as he went downstairs to the laundry room and treated the stained pamper, then tossed it into the washer, turning it on. “Ssshh.” He hushed you, adjusting to hold you in front of him, like a baby koala, smirking as you rubbed your cheek against his chest for a moment, turning your nose into him and taking a deep breath, before relaxing again, soothed by the assurance of his scent and feel of his body.

Then, an idea hit him.

“Hm.” He hummed, digging his phone out of his back pocket and opened the Huntersville app. “I hope they have what I'm thinking of.” He said, pushing you up a little higher on his chest and pacing around the kitchen, while he searched the app for what he had in mind to solve the problems both of you had.

Henry grinned at his phone. “It's perfect.” He said, kissing your head and hitting the buy button. “It'll work so perfectly. I'll be able to get everything done and you'll get to stay close to me.” He explained to your unconscious form, gently stroking your back.

“My little Koala.” He chuckled, completely amused at the idea, before going to relax on the couch with you, while the item in question arrived.

Henry carefully held you in his lap, still asleep and unaware of what he was doing with you, as he situated the device he had bought and that had been just delivered to the house five minutes before. Biting his lip and lifting a brow at the semi-strange item, Henry glanced at the instructions on the couch cushion beside you, and carefully started following them, securing it and wrapping it around you both, then tugged it tight, before standing up, feeling your weight shift against his chest, and tightened it a bit more.

“There we go.” He grinned, resting one palm on your bottom and the other on the back of your head, the full weight of your body held against his chest with the adult sized, baby sling he'd just put on with you. “Now, we can get things done, without any tears.” He said, kissing your hair and moving towards the kitchen and started doing some of the tasks in there he needed to get done.

You took a deep breath, your nostrils filling with the warm scent of Henry's body, the heat of his body pressed against you, but there was something else pressing on you, like your weighted blanket was on top of both of you and Henry. You opened your eyes, feeling Henry move; he reached up to put a washed plate into the cabinet, and frowned at him.

“Oh hey, sweetheart.” Henry grinned at you, noticing you were awake finally.

You blinked up at Henry, like a deer in headlights, seeing both of Henry's hands were free, and your arms and legs were barely wrapped around him, but yet you were still being held closely against his body. Henry grinned even brighter at you, seeing your sleepy confusion, as you stared at him, mouth slightly agape.

“Daddy had some things he needed to get done.” He told you, gently patting your back. “I also didn't want to put you down, knowing you'd probably wake up and get upset again, so.” He explained to you, swaying side to side. “I fixed it. There's a lady here in Huntersville that makes and sells adult sized, baby carriers.” He said, proud of his idea and solution.

“I got one and that's what's holding you to me.” He chuckled, kissing your forehead.

“That's cool.” You smiled back at him, hugging your arms around him.

“I'm glad you think so.” Henry replied, excited that you liked it. “Also, why didn't you tell me your period started?” He asked, going back to drying and putting the dishes away.

“I didn't think it was going to start for another day or two.” You answered, pressing your cheek to his chest and watched him, in a complete warm and lazy comfort strapped to his chest. “Guess I was wrong.” You sighed, figuring by Henry's answer and the lack of a pamper and more of a panties feel around your middle, that your monthly had started and he had caught it, while you napped.

“I'm sorry.”

“Hush.” He dismissed your apology, shaking his hand and tilted your head back so he could kiss you on the lips. “It's a natural thing, Little one. We both know you have no control over when it happens.” He soothed you, his hand lightly patting your bottom.

“I think I might need to change birth controls.” You said, offhandedly, pressing your lips together.

“Well, if you want too, I'll make an appointment with the Huntersville Doctor's office, so you can talk to them about it.” Henry replied, finishing up with the plates and turning away, opening the sliding door for Kal to go out into the backyard.

“They have an OB-GYN here?” You asked, frowning against his chest.

“Yes.” Henry nodded, pulling his phone from his pocket and opening the app to take a look. “Mary-Rose Tuffin. She's thirty-two and—good lord, she has two Littles, two boys, Casper and Bowie.”

“Hm, I met them at Daycare.” You replied, recalling the two boys.

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah, they're identical twins, and Bowie is always wearing orange and Casper is always wearing blue.” You told him, blinking as you remembered, no matter when you saw them and what kind of outfit the two boys were in, it was in those two shades. “The only other difference between the two of them is that Bowie is a Middle and Casper is a Little, like me.”

“It's impossible to tell them apart otherwise.”

“Their Mummy probably put them in different colors to tell them apart.” Henry commented, chuckling to himself. “But, she's the OB-GYN for Huntersville. So, if you want to change your birth control, just tell me when, and I'll make the appointment for you.”

“You wouldn't be annoyed?” You asked, tilting your head back to look up at him.

“It's your body, Nugget.” Henry replied, frowning at you. “I know how much your monthly can affect you. I mean, look how much of a fussy Baby you've been today, and that's the least of the issues it causes you. All the painfully little whimpers you were making during your nap, I know are from your cramps.” He told you, bothered by your pain and discomfort, especially since there was little he could do to make it better. “So, if changing your birth control could stop or ease that for you, then no, that would never annoy me.”

“Besides, it's your body, sweetheart. That is out of my hands and not my call as your Daddy. Do I want us to be safe, when we have sex? Yes, I do. So, birth control or condoms would be a must. But, I could never control your menstrual cycle...”

“You could.” You interrupted him. “You choose not to.”

“Yes.” Henry chuckled, grinning. “That's a better way to word it. I choose not to control your monthly cycle, because that, to me, feels wrong. I already control so much of your life. I don't wanna be,—well now, I want you off your birth control, so you can be in the discomfort of your courses, for whatever reason I told you not to take it. It's as if I'm telling you, 'We're having kids now, stop taking it. I don't care if you want kids with me or not. I'm your Daddy, you do as I say'.”

“If that makes any sense to you.”

“It does make sense to me, and I appreciate that you understand my ovaries are my ovaries.” You told him, sincerely.

“Always.” Henry whispered, kissing you tenderly. “It's not like you're sick and I can just give you some cold and flu medicine to remedy it. It's far more complicated than that.”

“Tylenol would be nice though.” You replied, feeling another wave of cramps hit you, constricting yourself around Henry's body, like a snake.

“Yeah.” He nodded, his face soft, but pinched with concern and sympathy, as he carried you out of the kitchen and upstairs to the master bathroom. “Fuck.” He hissed, realizing he was out of Tylenol. “We were going to have to make a run to the store anyway.” He sighed, rubbing his nose against the hair at the top of your head and hugging his arms around you, as you whined into his chest.

Henry carried you back downstairs, going through the kitchen to open the back door, and whistled Kal back into the house, before going out to the garage, carefully unstrapping you from him and helping you into your car seat, then dropped the sling into the passenger seat and got into the car himself. Pressing the garage door button on the driver side visor, Henry pulled the car out and pressed the button again, so the door closed, then headed towards the Huntersville shopping center.

“Snugs?” You grunted, as Henry opened your door in the shopping center parking lot.

Chuckling and grinning, Henry nodded at you, reaching around to grab the sling from the front seat, then took a moment to situate you against his chest with it. “Daddy's Koala.” He hummed at you, playfully, walking across the parking lot, towards the automatic doors.

“Comf.” You moaned, nuzzling your face into his chest, with a teeny whimper of pain.

“That's all Daddy wants, Baby.” He cooed at you, rubbing and patting your back, as he entered the center with you.

Henry negotiated the crowd of people and aisles until he found the pain relief aisle and stood in front of the wall of labels, with different brands of pain relief products. He grabbed a box of Tylenol and tossed it into the small push cart he grabbed on the way in, then studied the other medications for a long moment, before grabbing a box of Midol, Multi-Symptom, gelcaps, figuring that they might help you more than the Tylenol.

With the medicine, Henry paused by the Little's aisle to grab you one of your favorite snacks, a thing of Sweet Potato, Gerber Puffs, then continued on to pick up the other things the house needed.

“What, Baby?” Henry asked, as your insistent grunting. “What do you want?” He inquired, brushing his fingers through your hair and pressing his lips to the top of your head.

“Hm!” You grunted again, motioning to a blue box on the shelf, beside you.

“You want the graham crackers?” He asked, reaching out and resting his fingers on top of the box.

“Mmhm.” You nodded, sighing softly when he grabbed it and dropped it into the cart.

“Henry.”

Henry turned, wrapping an arm around you. “Matteo.” He replied, seeing the other Daddy, also noticing he was holding Hanna's hand as she stood beside him.

Hanna looked at you, nestled up against Henry's body, almost completely fallen back to sleep, seeing you kept warm by his body heat, the soothing beat of his heart in your ear and the reassuring pressure of the sling around you, totally uncaring that she was there with her own Daddy, made every bratty quill inside of her bristle with the jealousy you had uncovered; as she glared daggers into you.

“I've been meaning to call you.” Matteo said, looking down to Hanna, noticing Henry's eye on her and the look in hers, and gave her hand a warning squeeze. “I contacted Zak at the jeweler's and paid for the bracelet's repair.” He explained, looking away from Hanna. “I know it's been three weeks, but someone's been keeping me busy.”

“That's quite all right.” Henry smiled at him, patting your bottom and swaying a little bit, feeling you gently grow heavier against him. “They're a handful.” He agreed, observing the envious look in Hanna's eyes, that you were in the baby sling and she clearly wasn't; and couldn't help the comment.

“Thanks for having my Little's birthday bracelet fixed, we both appreciate it.”

“It was only right.” Matteo answered, nodding his head.

“Well, I have a few more things to get done, then I have to get my Baby back home, she's been needing Daddy's extra love today.” Henry explained to him, nodding his head back to him, before turning to go with you. “Hush, munchkin.” He cooed at you, bouncing you as you whined, fussily rubbing your face against his chest and twisting your hands up in the back of his shirt. “We'll be home soon, sweetheart.” He whispered to you, pulling the paci out of his pocket that he'd brought in with him, from the console of the car, slipped it in his mouth for a moment, before giving it to you, clipping it to your sling, and finished the shopping.

“Look how precious she is.” A person in the check out line cooed, seeing you comfortable in your sling, suckling on your paci and out cold against Henry's chest.

Henry instantly beamed at them, rocking side to side with you. “That she is.” He agreed, proudly.

“Snug as a bug.” They chuckled, before paying for their items and going on their way, allowing Henry to put all your stuff on the belt and go home.

Feeling Henry stroke your hair and gently patting your back, you opened your eyes, with a gentle coo, and looked up into his smiling face, realizing you were back home again; sitting on the couch together.

“Here.” He whispered, opening the two prepackaged Midol gelcaps, popping them into your mouth, then held a cup of water to your lips.

You gulped at the water, washing down the medicine. “Thank you.” You said, after Henry set the glass of water aside.

“Mmhm.” He nodded, kissing your temple. “How about a bath?” He suggested, rubbing his palm over your thighs, seeing you were still lethargic and experiencing the discomfort from your cramps. “Maybe, that'll help you a little bit.” He said, standing up with you and took you upstairs to the master bathroom.

Henry set you down, a slight twist in his stomach as he did, expecting you to burst into tears as your socked feet touched the heated tile floor. But, you only made the smallest noise of protest, before grabbing the bottom hem of his shirt, content with that level of contact with him, while he leaned over and got the tub filling with warm water, adding in the Lavender and Rose Hip bath salt you used for your cramps into the running water.

“Bubbles?” You mumbled, watching him measure the bath salt in.

“In a second.” Henry replied, closing the jar and setting it back on the shelf, then picked up the Kids Stuff, Color Changing bubble bath soap, that he had bought offline and poured the liquid in with the bath salt. “There we go, Dove.” He smiled, turning towards you.

“Bubbles, bubbles.” You chanted, happily. “Bubbles, Daddy.”

“There's my happy girl.” He cooed at you, getting you out of your clothing and into the nice, warm water. “My happy, happy girl.” He sang, getting out your toys and setting them afloat, before kneeling down beside the tub.

“Look, Daddy.” You grinned, pointing to the bubbles as they started to turn from orange to green.

“Yeah, it's cool, huh.” He smiled at you, cupping water over your shoulders and back.

“It's magic.” You said, scooping some up in your palm to examine them, then blew them off, once they had turned fully green.

Henry chuckled at you. “Definitely magic, Angel.” He agreed with you. “Don't splash, Baby.” He purred at you, as you roughly set down one of your toys in the water. “I said, don't--” He started to scold you, as you continued to splash, only to get a face full of water and bubbles with a particularly hard one.

“Oh.” You squeaked, watching the water and soap drip off of Henry's bearded and irked face, onto his drenched shirt and to the puddle of water on the floor, soaking into the knee of his jeans, while his eyes were squeezed shut for a moment, as you bit your lip to try and hold back the tint of amusement you felt at the sight of him. “I'm sorry, Daddy.” You gulped, then cleared your throat as your amusement broke through it a little bit.

“You know better than to splash, while you're in the bathtub, Kitten.” Henry finally spoke, jaw pushed forward and lips pressed together, his blue eyes opening to glare at you.

“Mmhm.” You nodded, blinking, like a deer in headlights, your heart starting to pound in your chest, all your amusement lost at seeing how pissed he clearly was.

Henry leaned forward, his hand going into the water, towards the plug to drain the water, noticing your knees slowly moving towards your chest, but his hand changed directions suddenly. You gasped, jerking as water hit your face, blinking it away to see Henry's face had changed, he was grinning at you, his blue eyes bright and alive, nothing like they had been a moment before, making you realize that Henry hadn't been mad at you after all. You giggled nervously at him, relaxing as he finally drained the tub and stood up, pulling a towel from the linen closet, then helped you out of the tub and wrapped you up in it.

“Be still, you wiggle-worm.” He cooed at you, chuckling, as he had laid you down on the changing table. “Here, silly butt.” He said, handing you Dewey, then playfully booped you on the nose, then grabbed your lotion.

Pumping a little bit of the creamy substance into his big hands, Henry spread your lotion over your belly and sides, methodically massaging it into your skin and hoping to soothe the still occurring cramps and discomfort.

“Ooo, is cold, Daddy.” You shivered, in your extra Little Space voice, curling your toes and drawing your knees up to your chest at the sensation, hugging your manatee.

“Oh, is it, buttercup?” Henry hummed back to you. “Daddy's sorry.” He apologized sweetly, making sure the lotion was warm next time; holding it in his hands for a minute, before rubbing it into your chest and shoulders.

“Is that better, Little one?”

“Mmhm.” You nodded, holding Dewey up, hyper-focused on him, as he flew around above your head.

“Good.” He smiled, placing a gentle kiss to your shine. “It's good to see you've calmed down.” He commented, slipping a pair of non-slip ankle socks onto your kicking feet, before scooping you up, patting your back and smiling at you. “Are you a hungry, baby girl?” He asked, feeling, and hearing, your stomach rumble against his.

“Yes.” You nodded, vigorously, pressing your lips together.

“Let's get you something to eat then.”

“Nummy-nums!” You grinned, clapping your hands as Henry carried you downstairs to the kitchen, slipping you into your high chair. “Nummies!”

Henry laughed aloud, grinning at you as he walked around the island. “Nummies for my happy Princess!” He proclaimed, relieved and happy to see your glowing personality again, after such a rocky and tear filled morning. “Here, why don't you munch on these, while Daddy gets you some lunch.” He told you, opening the container of sweet potato puffs and pouring them into a small bowl, then setting them on the tray of your chair.

Pulling out the steamer and setting it up, Henry pulled out two nice sized sweet potatoes from the pantry and diced them into cubes, before dumping the cubes into the steamer basket and covering it, to become tender in the boiling water.

“Ah!” Henry called out, catching you dropping several of your puff stars on the floor for Kal. “No, those are yours, not Kal's.” He corrected you, lifting a warning brow.

“Puppy treats?” You replied, bouncing in your seat, eyes wide with Little Space innocence, as you looked across the island at him.

Henry pressed his lips together, then let out a defeated huff; he couldn't deny his Baby Girl, when she looked so beautiful and angelic, tugging on his heart strings, in a way only your Little Space self could.

“All right, Puppy treats.” He relented, going into the cabinet for Kal's dog treats, a cabinet he had to lock, because you would crawl into the kitchen, while his attention was elsewhere, and feed them to Kal wantonly.

He had walked into the kitchen, more than once, to find you and Kal, in cahoots, on the kitchen floor with the plastic container of treats, almost completely gone.

Grabbing two of the miniature T-bone steak shaped treats from the container and locking it back up again, he walked around the island to you, holding one of them out to you. Happily kicking your feet, excited to give your partner-in-crime more treats, you took it from Henry's fingers and leaned sideways, grinning down at Kal, who looked up at you, every inch of his thick and furry body wriggling with excitement and impatience.

“You a good doggo puppy, Kal.” You told him, letting go of the treat.

Kal's mighty jaws opened and snapped up the treat, greedily chewing it up, then looked over to Henry, knowing he had another one for him, but Henry's eyes were on you. Kal was an incredibly important and huge part of his life, so for someone in his life to click with him was vital. Henry had worried, when he first agreed to be your Foster Big, that you and Kal wouldn't get along or that if you did, it wouldn't be anything major.

But, seeing you and Kal together, it made Henry's heart warm and melt, the two of you were as close as he and Kal. Henry sometimes thought you and Kal were even closer than he was to the Bear, especially when you were in your Little Space.

“Again, Daddy? Again?” You chanted, reaching out for the other treat.

“Last one, then no more treats for the Bear, Baby girl. Okay?” He told you, handing over the treat.

“O-tay, Dada.” You nodded, booping Kal on the nose with the treat and giggling, before letting him take it from you.

“That's my good girl.” Henry smiled, cupping the back of your head and kissing your forehead, before going back to the stove, taking the steamer off the heat.

“Tasties, Dada?” You asked, watching him, open a high cabinet.

“Sweet potato, Nugget.” Henry replied, pulling down a food processor. “With some banana and cinnamon, just how you like it.”

Henry had started to make you your own pureed foods, liking that he knew what was in the food he was feeding you and that he could make it more healthy. He dumped the tender, sweet potato cubes into the processor, then cut up the banana and added that in too, with a half tablespoon of cinnamon. Securing the lid on the processor, then pouring in one-fourth cup of milk, Henry started to puree it to a smooth consistency.

“Mmm, tasty!” He hummed, dipping a spoon in and tasting it. “I think it needs a little bit more banana, though.” He said, slicing up another banana, but paused for a moment, going into the pantry and adding a small squeeze of honey into it, mixing it up.

“There we go, all finished.” He smiled, scooping some of it into a storage container and the rest of it into a bowl. “Are you ready for some lunch, sweetheart?” He asked, putting a lid on the container and putting it in the refrigerator.

“Yes, Dada!” You declared, straightening up in your chair, licking your lips.

“All right!” He smiled, taking up your bowl and a spoon, but stopped in front of you. “Why don't we get comfy?” He said, tilting his head at you, walking away for a moment, before coming back and releasing the tray of your high chair, picking you up and carrying you into the living room.

Henry sat down on the couch with you in his lap, finding something interesting on the tv, then took up the bowl and spoon. Dipping the rubber tipped spoon into the light orange puree, Henry held it up to your mouth and you opened up, allowing him to deposit the thick substance inside. You moaned, enjoying the sweet potato and banana food, snuggling into Henry's chest, watching the tv and opening your mouth whenever you felt the brush of the spoon against your lips.

You whimpered, as your stomach cramped, pressing yourself closer to your Daddy, turning your face away from the full spoon as it came up to your face. Henry glanced down at you, pulling the spoon away slightly, seeing your face twisted in discomfort, knowing what was wrong and waited, rubbing his bearded cheek against your hair, in a soothing way.

“I wish I could take it away, pumpkin.” He whispered, silently, against your forehead, hearing you groan, your knees pressing into his ribs.

Henry set the bowl and spoon aside, knowing you weren't going to be interested in it, and didn't blame you. He rubbed your arm and side, shifting you slightly and started to gently pat your back, trying to offer you any measure of comfort he could, while you suffered.

“Oh shit.” He cursed, hearing a throaty noise come from you, and started to panic, his eyes panning around the couch, coffee table and living room, frantic to find something before the event it foretold happened. “Wait, wait!” He begged you, seeing washcloth on the far arm of the couch and tried to half dive for it, but it was nearly impossible with you still seated in his lap.

You whined loudly, making another throaty, choking noise, breaking out in a cold sweat and lost the battle to hold back, your lunch erupting past your lips and splattering all over the front of Henry's chest and down your chin.

“Aww.” He groaned, eyes falling shut and shoulders slumping, feeling the heavy and warm substance slid down his black, v-neck.

“I-”

“No.” Henry shook his head, cutting you off, gulping thickly and sighing. “No, baby. It's-it's not...” He pressed his lips together, feeling it soak in. “I'm—It'll be--” He laughed, grinning for a moment and opening his eyes again, looking at you.

“You don't feel good, sweet pea.” He said, finally collecting himself. “It's not your fault. Daddy understands. I can't be mad at you for that.” He assured you, smiling at you, despite the nauseating feeling of cooling vomit on his chest and in his lap.

He finally grabbed the washcloth and used it to wipe the spit up off your mouth and chin, before slipping you off his lap and scooting forward. Henry very carefully stripped his shirt off, managing not to gag or throw up himself in the process, before taking off his sweats and folding the two articles of clothing up with the washcloth and taking them into the laundry room, then went upstairs to change into something else.

“Here.” Henry whispered, holding out a tiny measuring cup of some purple syrup. “It'll help your tummy.” He explained to your confused face.

You took the cup from him and downed it, grimacing and whining at the vile and not quite grape taste. Henry chuckled, sympathetically, and took the measuring cup from you, exchanging it with a sippy cup of Cherry Punch, Pedialyte for you to wash it away with.

“I am really sorry, Daddy.” You said, shifting to lay your head down on Henry's thigh.

“I told you, Nugget, it's fine.” He replied, pulling a blanket from the back of the couch and covering you with it, then started playing with your hair. “I just want you to feel better, baby.” He said, looking down at you, his Cerulean eyes tender.

“I will.” You sighed, sucking on your sippy a couple of times. “In five days.” You quipped, rolling your eyes.

“Hey,” Henry cooed, patting your hip. “Sit up, for a moment.”

You sat up and Henry jumped up, rushing down the hallway towards his gym and came back a moment later, carrying what looked like a small, gray lap blanket. He smiled at you, bent behind the arm of the couch for a moment, and popped back up.

“Lay on your back.” He told you, sitting back down on the couch and let you cradle your head in his lap. “Here we go, I don't know why I didn't think of this before.” He said, laying, what you now realized was a heating pad, over your stomach and abdomen. “Keep you warm and help your tummy pains.” He purred, turning the pad on and turned it up to the middle heat setting.

“If that gets too warm or it's not warm enough, just let me know.” He said, picking up the remote. “Now, what do you want to watch, my sweet dove?” He asked, twisting your hair in his fingers.

“Shrek three?” You replied, looking up at him with a smile, the intense and comforting warmth of the heating pad felt godly.

“As you wish, princess.” Henry answered, smiling back at you.

Chapter Text

“Ween, Daddy?” You asked, sitting in Henry's lap, in his office upstairs.

“Yeah, Baby. It's Halloween time.” He nodded, smiling at you. “We're going to look for our costumes.” He told you, kissing your shoulder. “The Huntersville annual Halloween party is in a week, so we need them.”

“What are we gonna be, Dada?” You asked, tucking yourself in against his chest, and looking at the monitor of his computer.

“I don't know, pumpkin.” He replied, licking his lips and frowning at the screen of Halloween costumes and make up. “What do you wanna be?” He asked, looking down at you.

“Mmm.” You hummed, pressing your lips together and shook your head, hugging your arms around his chest. “I wanna be Grogu!” You said, perking up and grinning at Henry.

The pair of you had just finished watching the second season of the Mandalorian together, and you had fallen in love with the little Yoda-like creature. Henry smiled at you, kissing your forehead and reaching out, typing on his keyboard and bringing up Mandalorian costumes and scrolling through them until he found one you got excited about, it was a full body onesie, with a headband that matched Grogu's ears and outfit.

“That's the one you want, sweetums?” He asked, cursor hovering over the buy button.

“Yeah, that one, Daddy! That one!” You nodded, bouncing in his lap and clapping your hands.

“All right.” Henry laughed, buying it. “Then, I guess that makes me Mando.” He said, finding a Mandalorian costume for himself. “Now.” He turned his chair away from his monitor, bouncing his leg and tapping your mouth with two fingers, getting your full attention on him. “We'll be going to the Halloween Party. But, you have to be the best Little one until the party or you'll be sitting at one of the tables, while your friends get to trick or treat and play games all night.”

“Do you understand Daddy, Baby girl?” He asked, lifting a stern brow at you.

You gulped and licked your lips. “I promise, Daddy. I'll be a good baby.”

“I expect nothing less of you, sweetheart.” He replied, kissing you tenderly. “I just wanted to be clear.”

“What kind of games will there be?” You asked, chewing on your bottom lip.

“I know there's a hay maze, for sure. A skull toss, where you try to get plastic skulls into holes for so many points and get a reward for it. They turned the town meeting hall into a haunted house, and there's going to be a gypsy fortune teller. As well as a costume contest, among loads of other fun games and activities.” He told you, listing some of the things he remembered being on the October Huntersville town memo.

“I like the sound of the hay maze.” You said, excited about your first ever Halloween party. “I wanna do the haunted house too!”

Henry smiled at you, stroking your back. “We'll do all of that, baby doll.” He assured you. “I promise.” He chuckled, then kissed your cheek and stood up with you in his arms. “But, it's lunch time, munchkin.” He declared, carrying you downstairs and slipping you into your high chair.

Henry bustled into the kitchen, pouring some goldfish into a bowl and set it on your tray with a sippy cup of apple juice for you to munch and sip on, while he made both you some lunch, putting your favorite dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets into the oven, when he heard a splash.

“Uh-oh.”

“What are you uh-oh-ing, little girl?” Henry asked, straighten up to see the lid of your sippy cup in one hand and the cup in the other.

“Fishies swim.” You replied, grinning over at him brightly, trying to look like an innocent angel. “No?” You gulped, as Henry slowly shook his head at you, while biting the inside of his cheek. “No.” You shook your head back at him, your attempt at an angelic smile turned mischievous.

“What did I just tell you, while we were upstairs looking at Halloween stuff, Kitten?” Henry said, carefully taking the apple juice filled tray from over your lap.

“Be a good baby.”

“Mmhm.” He nodded, picking you up. “You know, you shouldn't have opened your cup and poured it out into your tray.” He told you, taking you into the living room.

You huffed into Henry's neck, knowing full well what was coming next, and were proven right, when your pampered bottom rested on your time-out stool.

“You know the rules.” Henry reminded you, patting you on top of the head.

You nodded your head, sighing and frowning at the wall in front of you. Nodding his head at you, Henry went back into the kitchen, grabbing your tray to carefully drain the juice out of it and dump the soggy, goldfish pieces into the trash, before washing and drying the tray, then set it aside to finish making lunch.

“All right, little one.” He smiled at your back. “You know why Daddy put you in time-out?” He asked, squatting down to your level, once he had you turned around, happy you took your time outs so much better than you than your first one.

“Yes, Dada.” You nodded, your bottom lip sucked between your teeth.

“No more oceans at the bottom of your tray, dove.” Henry warned you with the amused smile he had been holding back the whole time. “Your fish have swum their last.” He chuckled, securing you back into the high chair, then set your plate of nuggets and apple slices with a fresh sippy cup of juice on the tray in front of you, before sitting at the dining table beside you with his own food.

“Rawr!” You roared, picking up a T-Rex shaped nugget.

Henry chuckled at you, his mouth full. “I'm frightened.” He said, once he swallowed.

You brought the nugget to your mouth and bit the head off. “No more scary.” You smiled at him, proudly.

“I feel so much better.” Henry assured you, laughing.

You giggled back at Henry, and took several pulls off your sippy cup, before nibbling on an apple slice.

“Will we go trick o' treating at people's houses?” You asked, arm hugged around Henry's neck as he carried you upstairs for a nap.

“Mmhm.” Henry hummed in your ear, gently patting your back.

“We get all the candy, Daddy.” You mumbled, sighing softly as Henry laid you down on the bed.

“Soon, Nugget. Soon.” He smiled at you, chuckling, knowing you would only have one thing on that Little mind of yours for the next week, Halloween Candy.

Henry was about to crawl into bed with you, wanting a nap for himself, when he heard the phone in his office ring, it had been ringing for weeks, but Henry had been ignoring it. He knew it was Dany. No doubt calling to try and tell him, she had gotten him another audition or interview he needed to do, but he wanted her to understand how serious he was, when he told her he was taking the year off, he still had five months to that year and he was taking every single one of those one hundred and fifty-two days off, no auditions, interviews or engagements would persuade him otherwise.

But, the ringing kept up and it was starting to disturb you as you tried to sleep. So, he quietly went out, closing the bedroom door behind him, and went down to his office, to begrudgingly answer the phone.

“Dany, we're not having this discussion again.” He said into the receiver before she said anything.

“I get it, Henry. You want to take the year off.” Dany sighed heavily back at him.

“Then, why have you been calling?” Henry replied, raking a hand through his curls, and dropping into his chair.

“You haven't been keeping track of yourself have you?” She answered, an edge in her voice.

“What, do people think I got kidnapped?” He laughed, shaking his head.

“No.” Dany sighed again. “They want to know who she is, Henry.”

Henry shivered, like he was doing the ice bucket challenge all over again, then quickly leaned forward and started searching his name on the internet. Sure enough, there were photos of you and Henry, photos of the two of you together at Lake Arrowhead, when you had gone to check your P.O box for news from your parents, and there were photos from when he took you to the Big Bear Alpine Zoo for your birthday as well. Henry could feel his heart thundering in his throat and roaring in his ears, blocking out any words Dany was saying to him.

What if they found out?

What if his fans put two and two together, realizing that you were his Little?

Oh god! Henry blanched at the thought. They'll rip her apart. My sweet girl, the things they'll say if they find out she's a Little and she finds out about it. I can't let them find out.

“What?” He rasped, just hearing Dany over his thoughts and heartbeat.

“Who is she?” Dany repeated her question.

“A woman I met.” He replied, feeling himself get defensive and overprotective of you.

“Henry, people are talking.” She pressed him. “If this woman you met can put a bad light on you and your career, I need to know as your manager.”

“She won't.” Henry answered, shortly. “She's a good woman and I love her. That's all that matters.”

“I want you to address this stuff about you and her, on Instagram. To quiet everyone down.”

“Absolutely not.” He snapped, pushing his jaw forward. “I don't want her dragged into that world.”

“She has been, Henry. They're talking about her, about the both of you.”

“They'll talk about her, whether I make a post about her and I or not, Dany. We both know that.” He sighed, kicking himself for being so stupid and not being more careful, while the two of you had been out; he allowed himself to be lulled into the comfort of Huntersville and forgot that the world outside of the town didn't afford that luxury. “I found a peaceful world, where it's just she and I, and nothing, but those two things matter.”

“And when your year is up, Henry? Where will that peaceful world be, when you're jetting all over the world to film movies and tv shows, doing press tours, interviews and the duties of your job? More importantly, where will she be?”

Henry pushed his jaw forward, those questions had dogged him since he met you and he realized he didn't want to be without you. “We'll decide when we get there.” He finally replied, once his blood pressure went down.

“Until then, I'll see you in five months, Dany.”

“Right, Henry.” She sighed, shaking her head.

Henry hung up the phone and pressed his palms to his face, letting out a deep growl of frustration, feeling he had failed in the pursuit of protecting you from that part of his life. It took everything in Henry's powers to shut off his computer and not read anything anyone said on the photos that had surfaced of the pair of you. He got up from his chair and stepped out into the hall, tapping his bare foot a few times, before turning and going down to your playroom, pushing open the half door, and walked around the room, spinning your hanging chair and pushing aside one of your sitting cushions with his foot, before leaning down and picking up a little blue play-doh bear you had made that morning, then put it back down again.

He rounded the table and closed the lid to one of your toy chests, turned and sat down on it, leaning his head back on the wall behind him and closed his eyes, sitting there for a long moment.

Sighing, he got back up and walked back down to the bedroom, standing there at the edge, watching you for a moment, sleeping easier now that it was quiet in the house again, before stripping and laying down beside you. You moaned in your sleep and turned, feeling the intense heat of his body behind you and like you always do, you moved towards it. It made Henry smile that you craved him, even in your sleep, you always needed him.

“My sweet girl.” He cooed, wrapping his arms around you and pulling you against his chest. “My amazing woman.” He whispered into your hair, stroking the small of your back. “Fuck the rest of the world, you and Kal are the only world I need.” He declared, pressing his lips to your forehead.

“You look so cute.” Henry grinned, putting the Grogu headband on you.

You grinned at Henry, you absolutely loved your Halloween costume and you were even more excited to go treat or treat in it and see Aspen and Eric in their costumes too. “You look good too, Daddy.” You said, looking at him dressed up as the Mandalorian. “Where's your helmet?” You asked, looking around for it.

“Don't worry about it.” Henry replied, tapping you on the nose. “Now, come, my little Jedi! We have trick or treating to do! The whole gang is waiting for us at the town center.” He told you, taking your hand and leading you out to the car.

“This is Halloween, this is Halloween!” You sang, happily. “Tricks and treats! Candies and fun! 'Ween is fun!” You continued, skipping to the car.

Henry grinned at you, buckling you into your car seat. “It's going to be a blast, little one.” He chuckled, making sure he brought your jacket, in case it got cold out, then drove to the town center, where Jasmine, Eric, Tommy and Aspen were all waiting for you two to join them.

“You need one more thing to tie in your outfit, baby girl.” Henry said, directing you to the back of the car, and opened the trunk. “You ready for this?” He asked, reaching in and grinning at you, expectantly.

“Yeah, yeah!” You nodded, bouncing on your toes.

Henry pulled out a dark purple Halloween bucket that made your eyes light up as you saw your name printed on the front of it in black, below a spooky face pumpkin. “That's not all.” Henry smirked, touching something under the rim of the bucket, and suddenly the bucket came to life with different colored, flashing lights.

“Your treat or treat bucket.”

“I love it!” You squealed, your body wiggly with joy, as you held your hands out for it.

“I'm glad.” Henry beamed, letting you take it. “Let's go find everyone else.” He said, taking your other hand and weaved through the thickening crowd of people around the town center, where the haunted house and most of the festivities were being held.

“Henry!” Tommy's voice called out, his arm shooting up and waving, showing where he and the others were.

“Hey all.” He greeted them. “Your costumes look great.” He complimented them, looking over their outfits.

Tommy and Aspen were Scarecrow and Dorthy, while Jasmine and Eric were the King and Queen of Hearts.

“So do the pair of you.” Jazzy grinned back.

“Are you ready to hit some houses?” Tommy asked, resting his hand on Aspen's back.

“Yes!” The three of you Littles cheered.

The three Bigs grinned, shaking their heads and took their respective Little's hands and picked a direction to start going to houses at. You tugged excitedly on Henry's arm, grinning up at him as he looked down at you, smiling back and leaned in to kiss your forehead.

“You all right?” Jasmine asked, while you, Eric and Aspen raced up to the first door with Tommy, to knock.

“Yeah, why?” Henry replied, glancing away from you to look at her.

“You seem a tad distracted.” She told him, her expression was concerning.

Henry heaved a sigh, biting the corner of his lip. “There's photos of me and her online, from the few times we left Huntersville together. People are demanding to know who she is, and my manager wants me to address our relationship on Instagram.” He confessed, a nauseating knot in his throat. “She doesn't know yet, and part of me really doesn't want her to know.”

“Oh shit.” Jasmine cursed, her face falling with the realization of how serious it was.

“That's a naughty corner word, Mama.” Eric playfully scolded her, as the four of you returned.

“You're sure right, Bud!” Jasmine replied, pulling her face back together, and grinning at him. “I guess Mama isn't having any candy tonight.” She chuckled, planting her hands on her hips.

“Naw, I forgive you, Mommy.” He answered, shaking his head and pulled a piece of candy out of his orange and black, pumpkin head bucket, handing it to her.

“What a sweet baby boy I have.” She smiled softly at him, taking the fake, gold foil wrapped coin from him, and gently cupped his cheek.

“Daddy?” You blinked up at Henry, tilting your head at the odd expression on his face.

“Did you get any good candy?” Henry asked, shaking his head to clear all the trouble swirling around it, not wanting it to overshadow your trick or treating.

“Yeah.” You nodded, holding up your flashing bucket.

“Look at all that gold!” He cooed, ogling it. “You're rich, baby!” He grinned at you, hoping he had pushed down the festering despair he had looming over his head.

“Mmhm.” You replied, biting your lip, sensing something was off with him.

“Come on, I'll go with you up to the next one.” Henry promised, stroking the side of your face for a moment, before taking your hand and walking down the sidewalk to the next house.

“Trick or treat!” You, Eric and Aspen called out as the door to the next house opened, grinning at the middle aged woman on the other side.

“Oh, look how absolutely precious the three of you look!” She grinned at the three of you, her hand to her chest. “Are you their Daddy?” She asked, looking up at Henry.

Henry chuckled at her. “I'm this one's Daddy.” He grinned, patting you gently between your Grogu ears. “His Mummy and her Daddy, and I are taking turns at each house.” He explained to her.

“That's super sweet.” She smiled, dropping a handful of candy into each of your buckets. “You three lovelies have a spooky night!” She called out, waving after you all.

“You too!” Henry replied, waving back at her politely.

The group walked towards the next house, you, Eric and Aspen walking ahead of your Bigs, gushing about the candy in your buckets and what activity you wanted to do first once you were done getting candy. When, all of a sudden, from behind a tree to your right, a figure jumped out onto the sidewalk in front of you, yelling at the top of their lungs behind a blue light up, Jason Purge mask and wielding a knife. All three of you screamed, frightened beyond belief, and spun around to run into your Big's arms, which were open and waiting for you, and before either one of the Bigs could give the frightener a tongue-lashing, a voice barked out behind the Purge Jason.

“Alexander Jiang!”

The Purge Jason's arms and shoulders dropped with defeat, along with what you now realized was a fake knife, and a muffled. “Crap.”

“I told you to wait for me, while I went inside to get my coat, and what do I come back outside to see!” The owner of the voice finally came into view, a young woman with long, dyed purple hair and stylish, gold wire framed glasses, that were perched on the tip of her nose. “You being a little jerk to these sweet angels.” She berated him, steam almost coming out of her multi-pierced ears.

“I am so sorry.” She said, looking at your group. “My little boy, and husband, just gets so into this holiday it goes to his freaking head. You, mister, will definitely not be eating your candy tonight.” She informed him.

“But...” He started to protest, pushing up his mask, but a lift of her brow quickly cut him off. “I'm sorry.” He mumbled over to you, Eric and Aspen.

“Your apology is accepted.” Tommy replied, rubbing Aspen's back as she hid her face in his chest.

“Have a good night.” Jasmine added, brushing her fingers through the back of Eric's hair

“You all right?” Henry whispered to you, hugging his arms around you and gently rocking side to side.

“Yeah.” You nodded, calming down and taking deep breaths to fill your nose with Henry's scent, which always had such a soothing effect on you.

“Good.” He cooed, kissing the top of your head and gently fixed your headband. “You guys want to hit a couple more houses, then head back to the town center and do some activities?” He asked, looking at Jasmine and Tommy.

“I think that's a good idea.” Tommy agreed, nodding his head, and looking at Jasmine.

“So do I.” Jazzy nodded back. “I was asked to run the Skeleton Ring toss.”

“All right.” They all nodded.

The group moved down the block, trick or treating at the rest of the houses, without anymore scares, and returned back to the town center, where Jasmine left Eric in Henry's care, while she went to work the booth she had offered to run for the event.

“What do you gremlins want to do first?” Henry asked, looking at you and Eric.

“Haunted house!” You exclaimed, face big with excitement.

“Yeah!” Eric nodded, excited as well.

“All right, the haunted house it is.” Henry smiled, taking your hand and led the way to the town hall building.

You snaked your arms around Henry's and pressed your cheek to his bicep, as you waited in line with Eric; Aspen and Tommy joined in behind you. Henry smiled at you, placing a gentle kiss between your Grogu ears.

“I don't want you to get frightened.” He whispered to you, the closer to the door you got.

“It's a haunted house, Daddy.” You replied, looking up at him. “You're supposed to get scared.” You told him, tilting your head.

“I know that, Dovey.” Henry answered, reaching into the pocket of his costume for the tickets everyone needed to enter the haunted house and handed them to the attendant at the entrance. “But, there's scared, cause you're having fun and there's frightened, because you're getting overwhelmed.” He explained to you, stepping into the darkened building, filled with screams and other noises, flashing lights and the horrors of a haunted house.

“Eric?” He heard the other Little boy gasp and jump as something reached out in the dark and grabbed him, causing him to grab the back of Henry's costume.

“Right here.” He croaked, pressing himself closer to you and Henry.

“It'll be all right.” Henry chuckled, letting Eric take his other hand and gave it a fortifying squeeze.

“Thanks.” Eric mumbled to Henry, holding onto Henry's hand with both of his.

With every corner there seemed to be someone jumping out and screaming at you. You nearly had a heart attack walking down one narrow and pitch black hallway, when the fake front of a mac truck blared it's horn and lights at the group, blinding you momentarily. Aspen started to bawling, when a demented clown with a high pitched voice and a bloody face started following her.

“You wanna be my dolly, little girl?” The clown asked, grinning twistedly at Aspen.

“No!” Penny sobbed, trying to hide under her Daddy's arm.

It wasn't a few seconds later that you heard Tommy growl out a warning to the clown.

“Fuck off, or I'll make you my dolly.” He hissed, under his breath, annoyed that the performer was purposely following longer than they should have been.

Getting the hint, the clown melted into the darkness, going back to their section of the haunted house.

“That wasn't so bad.” Eric said, as the cool night air hit his face.

“Tell that to my hand.” Henry teased him, smirking. “You were holding it harder than she was.”

Eric blushed, glancing away from Henry, who laughed.

“I'm going to calm Aspen down, so don't wait around for us.” Tommy said, still trying to soothe her after the clown incident.

“All right.” Henry nodded, giving Aspen a sympathetic expression. “How about we go get something to warm us up with?” He suggested, looking at you and Eric, it had grown a rather nippy out.

“Yeah!” You and Eric cheered, throwing up fists.

Henry smiled at the two of you, shaking his head, before finding your way to the drinks stand. “Can I have three pumpkin spice, hot chocolates, please.” He asked, greeting the person behind the stall.

“Absolutely!” They beamed, picking up Halloween themed, paper cups and ladled the spiced hot chocolate into them. “Would you like whipped cream and spice on them?”

“Only on two.”

Nodding, they topped two of the steaming cups with whipped cream and a dusting of pumpkin spice, before putting black lids on them. “Here you go, enjoy!”

“Thanks!” Henry smiled, handing you and Eric the cups with whipped cream and pumpkin spice and took up the plain for himself.

“Can we play some games?” Eric asked, between sips of his hot chocolate.

“Sure.” Henry nodded, quickly checking the tickets in his pockets. “What games do you guys want to play?”

“Skull toss!” Eric answered, pointing to the booth across from you.

“All right.” He took out the four tickets and handed them to Eric, before watching him give it a try, laughing at Eric's not so great attempts to get the plastic skulls into the holes, and watching him get angry about it.

“You want me to try for you?” He asked, after Eric tossed his last skull.

“Please?” Eric pouted at him. “I want to get Mama the bat.” He explained, pointing to the stuffed creature that cost two hundred points.

Understanding Eric's goal, Henry offered the booth operator another four tickets and received five plastic skulls. Biting his lip and shifting his stance, Henry lined up the skulls on the counter in front of him and picked one up, spinning it in the palm of his hand as he studied the game. There were four holes worth points, one was worth twenty-five points, which was the largest hole, another was worth fifty points, that was much smaller, the next was seventy-five points and smaller still, and the fourth hole was worth a hundred points, and was just big enough to toss the skull through, with a skilled shot.

Taking a deep breath, and feeling a bit of pressure, Henry tossed the skull in his hand, watched it bounce and roll around the rim of the fifty point hole, acting as if it wasn't going to go in, before finally dipping into the hole, with a hollow thud.

“Yes!” Eric cheered, jumping up and down.

Henry smiled at him, picking up another skull. “We still need a hundred and fifty points.” He chuckled, then focused back on the game, taking a shot, only to miss and have skull roll into a tray at the bottom of the game board. “Crap.” He tisked, picking up the next skull, a deep crease between his brows forming and his competitive nature starting to flare up.

“So close!” The booth operator frowned, after Henry tossed his last skull, sinking it into the twenty-five, for a score of a hundred and twenty-five.

“One more time.” Henry said, slapping more tickets on the counter.

You frowned up at Henry, biting your lip, as he tossed the skull in his hand, before tugging on his costume. “Daddy, can we paint pumpkins?” You asked, pointing over to the mini pumpkin painting station nearby.

“In a minute, baby.” He replied, not looking at you as he picked up the next skull, determined to get Eric the bat he wanted for Jasmine.

You bit your pouty lip, to repress a whimper, as Henry put another four tickets on the counter, feeling ignored.

“Finally!” Henry laughed, taking the soft, black bat from the booth operator, grinning triumphantly. “Here you go, Eric.” He said, handing the stuffie over to the Little, who was ecstatic to have it. “All right, my sweet baby, you wanna paint a pump--” He started, turning towards you, but froze, when he realized you weren't there anymore, only your full candy bucket in your place.

Henry yelled out your name, frantically searching the crowd for you, his heart drumming against his ribs. “Oh god.” He swallowed, becoming frightened. “Did you see where she went?” He asked, looking at Eric and the booth operator, but both of them shook their heads, they had been focused on watching him play the game.

“Oh dear god.” Henry gasped, raking a shaking hand through his hair. “Eric, take this.” He instructed him, picking up your candy bucket. “And go find your Mummy. Do not go anywhere else. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, sir.” Eric nodded, taking your bucket, and looking at Henry, super concerned.

“Good. I have to go find her.” Henry said, already moving through the crowd, in search of you.

You put your bucket on the ground at your feet and scanned the area around you, before seeing the hay maze. Looking at Henry one more time and seeing he was still absorbed in the skull toss, you bowed your head and wandered off towards the maze. You knew you needed six tickets to get into the maze and that Henry had all of them, but you had managed to melt into a group that was already going in, slipping inside unnoticed by the person at the entrance of the maze.

After getting in the maze, you broke off from the group, taking random turns and quickly getting lost inside of it before long.

You stopped for a moment, cupping your hands to your mouth and blew into them, as the night got even colder and the thin fabric of your costume wasn't helping you stay warm anymore. It made your realize how stupid you had acted, running away from your Daddy, because he was giving Eric's wants more attention than yours for a moment. You turned around, deciding to go back the way you came and return to Henry, but quickly came to the realization of how lost in the maze you were, every turn and passageway looking the same as the last.

“What's wrong, little one?” A male voice asked behind you.

“I-I...” You hiccuped, crying in the middle of the passageway, arms hugged around your body for warmth and comfort. “I...wa-want-t...” You sobbed, bottom lip quivering at him.

“Oh, it's okay, sweetheart.” He cooed at you, resting his hands on your shoulders. “Are you lost? Where's your Big?” He asked, picking you up and settling you on his hip. “Huh? Did they leave you all alone in here, baby cakes?”

“N-n-...” You grunted, squirming in their arms. “I want...” You blubbered, uncomfortable.

“What do you want, honey?” He asked, as you pushed on his chest, tilting his head at you and watching fat tears drip down your frozen cheeks.

“She wants you to put her down.” Another voice barked.

You twisted harshly in the man's arms, letting out a hoarse and teary grunt, as you reached out, almost falling out of his arms, before your palms hit Henry's stiff shoulders and he yanked roughly you out of the other male's arms, holding you tight against his chest as he glared red hot daggers into him.

“Who the hell are you?” The man asked, scrutinizing Henry.

“Her Daddy.” Henry hissed at him, between gritted teeth. “What the fuck are you doing, picking up another Big's Little?” He demanded, fuming.

“Why did you abandon her in a maze?” He countered, lifting a brow at Henry.

“I didn't.” Henry replied, eye twitching. “She ran off. That's beside the point. You don't pick up another Daddy's Little.”

“She was upset.”

“You still don't pick another man's Little without that Daddy's, or Little's, permission.” Henry told him, pressing his hand to your back, as you shook in his arms. “Upset or not.” He barked, jaw stiff.

Henry was heated that this Daddy had the gall to pick you up without his permission, but he was far more pissed off that he had clearly picked you up without your permission. It was against Big etiquette to pick up or handle another Big's Little without their express permission, and this Big had disrespected that code.

“Henry!” Jasmine's voice called out. “Is everything okay!? Eric told me that she went missing.” She said, rushing up to the three of you, instantly sensing the hostility.

“Yeah.” Henry nodded, not wanting any further issues, he just wanted to take you away from the scene, so he could care for you. “Just clearing it up.” He told her, stabbing one more visual dagger into the other Daddy. “Come on, Princess, let's go somewhere warm.” He purred into your ear, feeling you shivering against him growing, and knew it was because of you being cold and upset.

“What was that?” Jasmine asked, as the three of you weaved your way out of the maze, you latched firmly in Henry's arms.

“He found her in the maze.” Henry replied, not looking at her. “He picked her up, when she didn't want him to.” He added, quietly, turning his face into yours and kissed your chilled temple.

Jasmine looked at the two of you, understanding some of the tension. “I'll leave you to it.” She said, before breaking off, to go back to her booth and Eric.

Henry took you back to the car, turning it and the heater on, while sitting in the passenger seat with you. You expected him to scold you for being naughty and running off, but Henry buried his face into your neck, his arms locked around your waist in a vise-like grip. It was quiet for a moment, before you heard a loud sniffle.

“I'm sorry, Baby.” Henry mumbled into your neck, hugging you closer to his chest. “I'm supposed to protect you. I'll protect you better.” He babbled, confusing you. “I promise. I promise to protect you better.” He gulped thickly, tears dripping onto your thawing skin.

“Daddy promises, sweetheart.”

“Um...” You floundered, shaking your head, and hugging your arms around his head, sensing he was the one that needed the consoling at the moment. “I believe you, Henry.” You whispered into his wild curls. “I know you will, Daddy. I'm the safest, when I'm with you.” You reassured him, kissing and nuzzling his hair.

“I'm sorry for running off.” You added, softer. “I got jealous, you were paying attention to Eric.” You admitted, biting your lip as Henry looked up at you.

“I figured as much.” He replied, shaking his head at you, taking your still freezing hands and pressing them between his. “You're my baby girl. My attention will always be yours. Even when they're somewhere else.” He assured you, kissing your chilled fingers. “But, don't you do that again.” He warned you, touching the tip of his index finger under your chin.

“Or you'll have the attention of my hand on your bottom.”

“I promise, Daddy.” You swore, shifting in his lap at the thought of being spanked.

“Good.” He smiled, kissing the tip of your nose. “You still wanna paint a pumpkin?” He asked, lifting a brow at you.

You perked up, smiling at him. “Can I?”

“Yeah. Then, we'll get your candy from Jazzy and Eric and head home, it's well past your bedtime.” He told you, kissing you again.

Excited and warm again, Henry put your jacket on you and took you to paint a pumpkin, taking photos of you painting a silly face on a little baby pumpkin that he picked out, before finding Jasmine and Eric at the Skeleton Ring toss booth.

“Thanks for guarding my candy.” You said to Eric, taking the bucket from him.

“You're welcome, and I promise I didn't eat any of it.” He replied, smiling at you. “I heard that another Daddy picked you up, without you wanting him too.” He added, leaning in close as he said it.

“Yeah, when I got lost in the maze.” You nodded, chewing on the corner of your lip. “I didn't like it.”

“I don't blame you.” Eric shook his head, frowning.

“I love Halloween!” You giggled, sitting on the living room floor, your Halloween candy spread out in front of you, so you could survey what you had.

“I got you something.” Henry said, his hands behind his back.

“Oh?” You replied, looking up at him.

Henry brought his hands out, revealing a black Squishmallows, Sugar Skull plushie. “I won it, during one of the rounds at the Skull Toss.” He explained to you, letting you take it from him.

You gasped at it. “It's so silky.” You purred, stroking the front of it. “I love it, Daddy.” You smiled up at him, hugging the plushie to your chest. “Thank you!”

“I'm glad you had a good time, pumpkin.” He smiled at you, brushing his fingers through your hair. “And Happy Halloween.”

Chapter Text

You skipped beside Henry as the two of you walked down the sidewalk, taking Kal on a walk and to enjoy the warm sunshine and beautiful day, a gentle breeze blowing around you.

“Oh!” Henry gasped and quickly grabbed your elbow, just as you tripped over a crack in the sidewalk, catching you, before you could fall. “You all right, baby?” He asked, steadying you.

“Yeah! I'm fine, Daddy.” You replied, looking up at him with a smile. “Thank you for catching me.” You said, hugging his middle.

“Always, baby doll.” He sighed, kissing the top of your head and hugging you back. “Let's go on back home.” He said, turning both you and Kal around, heading back towards the house.

“Is there something you want to do, while I work out, darling?” Henry asked, hanging Kal's leash up on the coat rack.

“Can I watch a movie on my kindle, in there?” You asked, looking up at him, but pointing behind you, down the hallway, where Henry's home gym was.

“You know you're not allowed in there.” Henry replied, shaking his head at you.

“But, you'll be in there, though.” You argued, brows drawing together.

“I know I'll be in there.” He answered, lifting a brow at you, not impressed with you back talking to him. “But, you will not be, though. So, go sit on the couch.” He told you, pointing to it through the entryway of the foyer.

Sighing and pouting, you shuffled over to the couch and plopped down on it. Henry stared at you for a moment, considering whether he needed to just take you upstairs for an early nap or if he needed to set your butt down on the time out stool. But, sighing, he shook it off and went upstairs, deciding not to feed into your behavior and encourage it further, while he grabbed your kindle off his nightstand and brought it back down to you.

“Watch your movie, and when I'm done with my workout, we'll do something together.” He told you, holding the device out to you. “Sounds good?”

“Yeah.” You nodded, burrowing into the couch cushions.

“Good girl.” He praised you, patting you on the head, then headed down the hall to the gym.

You pulled the blanket off the back of the couch and covered up with it, deciding you wanted to watch one of your Daddy's movies, but couldn't decide which one to watch. So, pulling up the internet browser on your tablet, you searched Henry's name, intent on finding his IMDb page to help you decide. But, what you found instead had the breath catching in your throat and an icy shard driving itself down your spine, with nauseating pain.

There were photos of you and Henry plastered all over the internet, with articles speculating on who you were and what you and Henry were doing together. With a shaking hand, you clicked one of the articles and read through it. It was the generic speculation of who you were, how you and Henry met, how long you might have been together and if the two of you were going to go official any time soon. You scrolled down to the bottom, finding the comment section, and instantly regretted it. The comments weren't all nasty, a lot of them very sweet and supportive of you and Henry.

But, several of them were nasty and disgusting.

Some said you needed to lose weight, while others said you needed to gain weight. People said you were only with Henry for his fame and money, that you looked like a fake bitch. Others said, you didn't look old enough to be with Henry, even though you were less than ten years younger than him. The tablet slipped out of your sweaty hands as your heart convulsed in your chest, anxiety and panic crushing down on top of you, like a mountain of bricks.

“Oh, dear god!” You snapped, blood draining from your face. “What if they find out about Hen and I being into DDLG?” You whimpered, feeling dizzy and lightheaded. “It'll ruin his career.” You gulped, frightened at the thought of Henry losing his job, knowing how much he loved acting.

Then, you remembered something else and panic filled you even more.

Getting up, you tiptoed to the staircase, quietly opening the baby gate at the bottom and ascending them to the gate at the top, then went into the master closet, pushing into the far back, until you found the suitcase you had arrived with. Sitting down on the closet floor, you unzipped it and rummaged through, until you found your cell phone and turned it on, it still had half a charge on the battery. You stared at it, with bated breath, as it vibrated nonstop in your hand with dozens of texts from your parents, each growing from normal texts to worried and finally, angry.

You only read the most recent texts, your mother demanding you to answer her and your father, to tell them where you were and why you were being seen with a strange man, having no idea who Henry was, having been told by several family members, family friends and others that you were all over the internet with Henry.

“Fuck.” You cried, dropping your phone to the floor and pressed your hands to your slick face.

Setting the dumbbell on the rack with the rest of them and wiping his face, Henry stepped out of the gym and walked into the living room, eyes darting around the room for you. “Baby?” He called out, moving over to the couch to pick up your tablet, turning it around to see what movie you had been watching, only to see the comments section of the article you had been reading.

“'She's only going to use him to get Insta-Famous, then dump him. Just like all of his other girlfriends.'” The top comment read, making his heart sink into his stomach. “'When was the last time she ate something?'” Asked another, with a food emoji.

“Oh no.” He muttered, eyes huge and his mouth hanging open, before dropping the tablet on the couch and yelling out your name, going into the foyer, then noticed the baby gates on the stairs were wide open, something they never were.

Henry rushed up the stairs and searched for you, before finally finding you in the closet. “What are you doing in here, Little Dove?” He asked, stepping into the closet with you, and slowly kneeling down.

You let out a hard breath and shoved your phone across the carpet to him, hugging one of your legs and rocking back and forth, trying to self-soothe. Henry picked up your phone and activated the screen, finding the still open list of messages from your mother on it.

Mom: Please, answer one of us. We're so worried about you!

Mom: Turtle, it's been months. Your father and I just want to know you're all right. If something's happened, we'll figure it out.

Mom: Your Aunt just phoned me; she's said she saw photos of you with someone on the internet. What have you gotten yourself into, Turtle?

Mom: Why aren't you answering us? Has he done something to you?

Mom: Who the hell is that man you're with!?

Mom: What have you gone to that state for? Whoring yourself out?

Henry set your phone down, unable to read any more of your mother's texts, as they only got worse.

“Hey.” He whispered, barely audibly, reaching for you and stretching out his legs, as he did, to pull you between them, and huddled you against his chest. “Ssshh, it's all right. It'll be all right, I promise.” He choked, even though he wasn't sure how it would be, as he squeezed his arms tightly around you and rocked you; crying on the closet floor with you.

“Why?” You sobbed into Henry's chest.

“I meant to tell you about the photos.” He replied, pressing his palm up and down your trembling back. “But, I just didn't know how to tell you.”

“I don't care about the photos, Henry.” You told him, slightly pulling away to look up at him. “I knew, when I agreed to be your Little, that things like that would likely happen, if we went out.” You admitted to him, chewing on your bottom lip. “But, why do people have to be so cruel?” You asked, a pained frown pinching your brow and face.

“They don't even know me.”

Henry sighed softly, and cupped your wet cheeks in his hands. “I know they don't know you, my sweet girl. But, don't let what they said get to you. It's not worth it. You are perfect, just the way you are, and we both know you're not with me to get Insta-Famous either.”

“You read the comments?” You asked, with wide eyes.

“Some of them, yes.” He nodded, half frowning.

“But,” You froze, sighing and gulping thickly.

“But—what, Nugget?” Henry frowned back at you.

“My parents think I'm a whore.”

Henry let out a growling sigh, his upper lip stiff, scowling as the word came out of your mouth. “Now, you listen here.” He said, firmly, picking you up to sit you on his thigh. “There is one absolute thing I will not ever abide by, and that's you thinking you're a whore or anything of the like, or allowing anyone's nasty comments, your mother's included, to make you think so either.”

“Do you understand me?” He asked, looking hard into your eyes.

“I understand.” You nodded, leaning in against him and nuzzling your face into his neck and shoulder.

“I love you.” Henry whispered into your hair, squeezing his eyes shut. “I love you so much, my very precious girl.”

“What are we going to do?” You asked, sitting in Henry's arms, back downstairs, on the couch.

“I don't know.” Henry sighed, chewing on the inside of his cheek, as he mulled it over. “We can either ignore it, and go on with our life as we have been, or we can address the articles and comments.” He said, thinking back to what Dany had suggested to him weeks before, about making an Instagram post.

You shifted in Henry's lap and looked into his thousand-mile stare. “What do you think we should do?” You asked, more specifically.

Henry drew in a deep breath and held it for a moment, before his troubled blue eyes focused on you and he let the breath out. “We still have four and a half months, until my year off is over.” He said, slowly.

“When you have to go back to work.” You said, blinking at him.

“Yeah.” He nodded, rubbing your thigh.

You felt a pang of sadness fill you, as Henry finally voiced and confirmed that the peaceful and idealistic life you had hoped for here in Huntersville, and had finally gotten with Henry, would be ending in few short months, because you doubted you could stay here by yourself, without Henry or that Henry would want to leave without you.

You certainly didn't want to be without Henry.

“How are we going to do this, if we're aren't here in Huntersville?” You asked him, lifting a worried eyebrow.

“It's not impossible, baby.” Henry replied, a soft smile tugging up one corner of his mouth. “We'd just have to be incredibly careful and more reserved about it. But, just because we leave Huntersville, doesn't mean you won't be my Little one anymore, or I won't be your Daddy.” He reassured you, gently bouncing his leg, trying to soothe your distemper.

“It would take some godly force to prevent that from happening.” He chuckled, kissing your cheek.

“What if someone finds out, and they tattle on you?”

Henry's amusement cooled some, and he licked his lips. “It could be a bit of a problem for my career. But, then again, it might not be. I don't know. We're both consenting adults and we're not doing anything that's against the law or wrong.”

“But, what if it costs you your career?” You asked, panicked by the notion. “I don't want you to lose what you love.”

“I love you.” He said, firmly, holding your chin between his thumb and index finger. “If I'm outed as a Daddy and it costs me my career as an actor, it would suck, but I can find work elsewhere. But, if I lose you, there is no other you out there I want.” He told you, passionately. “There's no one in this universe that can replace you.”

“You're it.” He proclaimed, pressing his forehead to yours. “So, come what may, it's you and I.” He whispered, silently.

You closed your eyes and wrapped your arms around his neck. “You're forgetting something.” You murmured back, opening your eyes again.

“Oh?” Henry replied, meeting your gaze, confused.

“Kal.” You giggled, smirking at him.

Henry laughed aloud, grinning. “How horrid of me. It's you, me and Kal.” He corrected his statement.

“You promise?” You asked, your bottom lip slightly pouty.

“I promise.” Henry nodded back.

“Pinkie promise?” You asked again, holding out your pinkie to him.

“Pinkie promise.” He chuckled, gently hooking his pinkie with yours and leaned in to seal it with a kiss.

“I am afraid, though.” You said, biting the corner of your lip.

Henry tilted his head at you, his face soft with concern. “Of what, baby?” He asked, his thumb gently caressing your side.

“My parents are clearly angry.” You said, troubled. “I haven't spoken to them since I left, and they weren't happy that I left.”

“Were they not?” Henry replied, lifting a brow at this new information.

“No.” You shook your head at him, biting your lip and looking down at your lap, ashamed. “They were angry that I was coming out here, without a plan or a job to support myself or anything...”

“Because they don't know you're here in Huntersville.” He nodded, understanding.

“Yeah.” You nodded back at him. “I just couldn't stand it anymore. Not just having to hide being a Little, but having to deal with their hostility.”

Henry shook his head at you, not understanding. “Hostile about what?”

“That I was living at home again. That I've been unable to work, due to my injury, and I didn't want to go back to school, so I could maybe find a job I could do. Though, I didn't mind the thought of going back to school. I just didn't want to go to school for what they wanted me to go to school for. I don't want to be a doctor or whatever.” You explained to him, fidgeting.

“So, they were always angry about me not doing anything with my life and mooching off of them.”

The blue of Henry's eyes darkened, like an ocean during a storm, and his opinion of your parents darkened with them, the more he learned about them.

“I shouldn't be surprised that my mom thinks what she thinks, after seeing those photos of us.” You mumbled, sighing. “Probably thinks I'm mooching off of you or something. But, I'm afraid, what if they come looking for me or if they act vindictive, and contact the media about us?” You said, looking up at Henry, terrified that your parents would do their best to come between you and Henry or make your lives a living hell.

Henry pushed his jaw forward and ran the tip of his tongue along the inside of his lip, you knew your parents better than he did, and if you were afraid of them doing something as dirty as contacting a media outlet to discuss the two of you, then it worried the hell out of Henry as well. He rested his palm on one side of your head and made you lay it down on his chest, then pressed his breaded cheek to the top of it, before wrapping his arms snugly around you and slumping down against the couch cushions.

“Let's worry about that tomorrow, Dove.” He whispered into your hair, toeing out of his shoes and kicking his feet up on the coffee table. “Right now, let's just wind down and watch something special on the tv.” He said, grabbing the blanket you discarded on the other side of the couch and covering you both up with it, then picked up the remote and turned on Disney+.

“Ooo, Jungle Cruise.” You cooed, excited to see the movie start on the huge flat screen.

“Yeah, Baby.” Henry nodded, pressing play on the movie, then started to gently pat and rub your back in a rhythmic pattern.

“I've been wanting to see this, Dada.” You said, your voice and mindset starting to drop into Little Space, where Henry wanted you, knowing it would help you relax and not focus on the stress of your parents being angry and the world knowing the pair of you were together.

“I know, Kitten.” He purred at you, rubbing his nose against your hair, sweetly. “You've been a very good girl of late, so Daddy thought it was time to reward you for it.” He said, smiling softly as he felt your hand slip up inside his shirt and press against his side, always drawn and needing skin contact with him.

You sighed softly, lulled into the comforting and numbing fog of Little Space, enhanced by being so near and held by Henry, that it made all the fears and troubles you had a few minutes ago melt away into the background. It was why you had so desperately wanted to come to Huntersville and find a Daddy, they made you feel safe, care and worry free, something you didn't have the luxury of back at home, with your parents.

You wouldn't trade it for anything, you thought, drifting off.

Your heart thundered in your chest, as you paced and clutched your phone in your hand, having charged it through the night. You had decided to call your parents, hoping to cool their tempers and ease some of their fears.

But, you were absolutely terrified and overwhelmed.

You had asked Henry not to put you in a pamper or your Little clothing that morning, knowing you would be talking to your parents at some point, whenever you drummed up the courage, and you really didn't want to be in a pamper or a pull up when you did. Though, the way your anxiety was mounting, you were starting to second guess that decision, feeling like you were going to pee yourself at any second.

Henry himself was in his gym, with his own anxiety and pent up emotions, swinging a twenty kg kettle-bell in front of a full wall of mirrors. He wanted so badly to help you, to make your parents understand how precious and amazing you are, that their anger and judgment towards you was unfounded, immature and wrong. But, he also knew that if he got on the phone with your parents or was in a room with them, he'd end up giving them a very serious piece of his mind, and it wouldn't be pretty.

So, when he was sure you would be calling them, he excused himself to the gym, needing something to blow off his anxiety and steam, to keep himself from taking the phone from you, knowing it would only make things worse for you.

One of the very last things Henry ever wanted to do to you.

Taking a deep breath, you pulled up your phone contacts, slim as they were, mostly your family members, parents, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, with a few friends from school, your old job or that you met while rehabbing your injury, with not much else.

So, finding your mother's number on the list didn't take but a short scroll.

Biting your lip and looking around the living room, you decided to go upstairs, stepping into the master bedroom, and pushing the door closed with your foot as you pressed the call button with a shaking finger and pressed your phone to your ear.

“Gods give me strength.” You mumbled to the long rings buzzing in your ear.

“Turtle?” Your mother's voice said, when the line finally picked up.

“Yeah, mom.” You replied, forcing a smile, even though she couldn't see it. “I'm sorry it's been so long since I've called. I've just been really busy.” You told her, feeling your stomach twist into a hot knot.

“Busy? It's been eight months!” She snapped at you, her anger rising already. “Eight months without a word! There wasn't a day, an hour or a minute in those eight months you couldn't have called or texted your father or I, to tell us that you were all right? Or at least have read our texts!” She scolded you.

You felt the bedroom spin as your mother reprimanded you, just like she had when you were a child and growing up, it made you feel smaller than Little Space ever could. “I know I should have, Mom. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry and upset you and dad.” You told her, resting your hand on the dresser next to you, trying to steady the room.

“What are you even doing in California?” She demanded, pacing the living room of your childhood home.

“I-” You paused, breath catching in your throat.

What were you going to tell her you were doing in California?

“Well?” She pressed you, impatiently.

“I just needed to find myself.” You squeaked, finding your voice again. “I needed a change in scenery.”

“Oh, and you found that, did you?” She asked, sharply. “With that man you've been seen with. Is he your change in scenery and helping you find yourself? What is he using you for? A plaything?”

“Don't you dare speak of Henry like that.” You hissed back at her, a rare anger flaring to life inside of you; you could take your parents disrespecting you, but you would never allow anyone to disrespect or badmouth Henry. “He is a good man! He's a better man that I deserve. But, I love him and he loves me. That's all that matters to either of us.”

“Yeah, how did the two of you meet?”

“We met in town.” You replied, while purposely being vague, knowing your mother could tell when you were lying. “He's in town, on vacation, we met and hit it off.” You told her, glancing at the framed photograph of you and Henry on top of the dresser.

“Have you slept with him?” She growled, low.

You were silent, you weren't going to verbalize your answer to her, but you weren't going to deny it either. You honestly didn't owe her any of these answers or this call. So, you let the silence do it for you. You heard her hot and infuriated huff on the other end of the line, as well as your father cursing in the background.

For some reason, it gives you an odd sense of satisfaction.

“We raised you better.”

“You raised me to be ashamed of myself.” You blurted out with disgust.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing.” You replied, gulping and reeling yourself back, as you realized your mistake.

“We want you to come back home.” She said, rolling her eyes at your father.

“No.” You snapped, shaking your head. “I'm not returning home.”

“That wasn't a question, Turtle.”

“Don't call me that! I hate that nickname!” You barked, tears burning your eyes. “I'm not coming back home. This is my home. Henry is my home now. I'm happy here, happier than I have ever been. Anywhere! Especially, back home with you and Dad. I'm staying here with Henry. He loves me and he takes care of me.”

“If you loved me, then, that's all that should matter to you and dad.”

“He doesn't love you!” She hissed back, spitting her venom like a cobra. “You're just another of his playthings. When he gets tired of you, he'll toss you out onto the street and look for the next pretty, little thing that excites him to play with. Then, you'll come crawling back home, to me and your father, and we'll have to pick up the pieces.”

“Just like we did, when you broke up with your ex and after your accident.”

“Don't patronize me.” You whimpered, weakly, a tear dripping down your cheek.

The bedroom door opened and Henry stepped into the room, unable to work out anymore, and having heard the bedroom door close from downstairs, when you came upstairs. Henry had gone up a minute or two afterwards, standing in the hall and listening to your conversation with your mother. But, he couldn't take standing out there anymore, especially after hearing your voice start to break.

He reached out and gently soothed his thumb across your burning cheek, wiping away your elusive tear, his face a mixture of tender affectionate that rippled with restrained frustration and anger, he could hear your mother through your phone's speaker, berating you, amongst other things, only increasing your stress, panic and tears.

“No.” You whimpered into the phone, even though you weren't actually listening to your mother anymore, your focus had shifted to Henry, squeezing your hand around his thick wrist as he cupped your cheek, like a steadying lifeline.

The moment the tears started to flow freely from both of your eyes, was the straw that broke the camel's back for Henry. He leaned in and kissed your forehead, his lips lingering against the clammy skin of your brow, before reaching up with his other hand, closing his fingers around your hand and cellphone.

“Let go, Baby.” He murmured to you, pulling his lips away from your forehead to look you in the eyes. “It'll be okay, I promise.” He nodded at you, licking his lips, and tasting the salt of your sweat on them.

“Is that him!?” Your mother demanded, hearing Henry's voice, now that he was so close to you. “Don't you listen to him!” She screamed, eyes bulging with her rage.

“He doesn't know what's best for you!”

You stared into Henry's eyes, your mother's words ringing in your ears, and you knew they were a lie. Of everyone you had ever met, Henry had your best interests in mind and in heart, always. He knew what was best for you, and when he didn't, he always managed to figure it out and make it happen, quickly, efficiently, and full of tender, loving affection. Henry was never patronizing to you, even when you were in trouble, disobeying him and breaking the rules, he was calm, fair and level headed.

Henry was everything your parents and your ex weren't and hadn't been.

“You're wrong.” You replied, softly. “He does know what's best for me.” You said, in a strong voice.

Henry gently touched his forehead to yours again, acknowledging your statement, and felt your hand relax underneath his, allowing him to take your cell phone from you and press it to his own ear, silently listening to your mother scream and rant, then took a deep and calming breath.

“Ma'am, your daughter is a grown woman and she is capable of making her own decisions. She's made this one. For what love you and your husband have for her, you would respect that and leave her in peace.”

“Who do you think you are?” She asked, with clear disdain.

He licked his lips, knowing exactly who he was.

Henry was your boyfriend and your Daddy. He was the man that loved you more and above himself and all other things. He was the man that would always take care of you, your wants and your needs, no matter what they were or what they cost him; and he always would.

No matter what, and no one, especially your parents, would stop him.

“The man that cherishes your daughter more than life itself. Who will take care of her, who has been taking care of her. I will never tire of her. I will never get rid of her. She's the love of my life.” He told her, calmly and sincerely. “Now, if you can't respect that, then I suggest you don't contact her again, unless she makes contact with you.” He said, matter-of-fact.

“You can't tell me what to do with our dau--” She started to yell, before Henry simply hung up, turned your phone off and tossed it on the dresser.

“Come here, baby.” He cooed, pulling you into his chest and folding his arms around you. “I'm so sorry, sweetie.” He whispered into your ear, kissing the top of your head, as he listened to you struggle for air, while having your face pressed into his chest. “I'm so sorry.” He repeated, cupping the back of your head and swaying, trying his best to soothe your torrent of tears and emotions, as they crashed into him, soaking his sleeveless workout shirt.

“I-I--” You sobbed, snot dripping out of your nose, smearing across your face and the fabric of Henry's shirt. “I kn-knew i-it. I sh-shouldn't ha-have ca--”

“Hush.” Henry shook his head, quieting you. “Hush, Little one.” He purred, petting your hair and caressing the length of your back. “I know it doesn't feel like it now, but it'll work out, my love. All of this will work out in the end.” He told you, stretching a smile across his face, despite the vortex of emotions and worries consuming him, but he pushed them down, and pushed his Daddy forward, going into full protective mode.

“Look at me.” He prompted you, touching his index finger under your chin and lifted your head. “It's not the end of the world, baby doll. We'll get through this; you have my promise.” He whispered, raising his hand and presenting his pinkie to you.

You sniffled hard, trying to clear your stuffed up nasal passages, as you looked up at Henry with red, wet and shining eyes, bottom lip puffed out and trembling with the rest of you. You stared into his eyes, then glanced at his stuck out pinkie, chin wobbling, before taking a deep breath and hooked your pinkie to his, you believed Henry, when he said it would work out, he had never given you cause to doubt his words, and didn't believe he would begin now.

“Okay.” You rasped, sighing.

Henry sighed back, kissing your forehead, before stepping away from you for a moment, going into your nursery to grab the box of tissues off your dresser and brought it back to you. Setting the box on his dresser, he pulled three out, using one to wipe your nose and mouth, then tossed it in the bin, before holding the second to your nose.

“Blow.” He whispered, tenderly, to you.

Grabbing the sides of his shirt, to steady yourself, you blew as hard as you could into the tissue, feeling your nose clear up, allowing you to breathe freely again. Henry smiled at you, folding the tissue up and dabbing at your nose with a clean side of it.

“Good girl.” He praised you, tossing the soiled tissue into the trash bin, with the first one, before using the last tissue he had in his hand, to delicately dry your still wet jawline, cheeks and eyes. “You're my good girl.” He cooed, watching a tear on the outside corner of your left eye soak into the wrinkled, white fabric of the tissue, then closed his fist around it.

You left out a soft whimper, shuffling forward, and wrapping your arms around his waist, your head hitting his chest with a dull thump. Henry chuckled involuntarily, closing his arms around you, as you went slack against him, understanding your silent want from him. Nosing to your hair for a moment, Henry picked you up off your feet and turned towards the bathroom, to set you down and turn his attention to the bathtub, closing the drain and starting the warm water.

“I'll be right back, Princess.” Henry cooed softly at you, kissing you, then stepped out of the bathroom, going into the nursery and taking out your favorite onesie, socks, pamper and lotion, laying them out on the bed, with a spread out towel for you to lay on, once you were out of the bath.

He turned towards the bathroom and noticed your face through the open door, biting his lip. He went back into the nursery and retrieved your paci from inside your crib, bringing it to you in the bathroom. His head tilted as he presented it to you, meeting your eyes affectionately, just having the Daddy instinct that you really wanted and needed it. You looked up at him, with a look that confirmed that instinct, before opening your mouth for him to slip the clear nipple inside.

“Let's get you into this nice and toasty warm water.” He whispered, as he opened a tall and cylindrical tube, full of a blue powder-like substance, shaking some of it out under the running tap, turning the crystal clear and steaming water the same color and creating a healthy layer of foamy bubbles over the surface, before capping the container and storing it away.

“Arms, Dove.” Henry smiled at you, tugging on your simple shirt, with a playful wink, hoping to make you smile.

But, you didn't, you just raised your arms for him.

Henry sighed softly, pulling your shirt off over your head and tossed it into the hamper behind him, before moving onto the rest of your outfit. Picking you up with ease, Henry helped you into the bathtub, smiling, as you moaned, settling into the heavenly water and started to relax again. Henry set your bath toys in the water with you, before kneeling beside you, gently starting to cup the bubbly and fragrant water over your shoulders and back.

“I'm going to have to buy you some more of your favorite bubble salts.” He commented, scooping up some of the bubbles in his palm. “Do you want to try the Apocalypse Bath Magic one this time around?” He asked, lifting a brow at you, before gently blowing the bubbles off his hand.

“I bet it'll turn the water black.” He smirked at you, his blue eyes mischievous and playful.

Your eyes shifted to Henry's, they were a tad muted, still trapped under the stress of your phone call and slowly dropping into Little Space. But, the mention of your favorite bath salts and bath bombs really piqued your interest, making you nod your head at him, excited about trying the black bath salt from Cosset.

“I'll order it, after your bath.” Henry told you, happy to see your eyes light up for the first time, since yesterday morning. “I bet it'll smell so wonderful too. We haven't encountered one of their products yet, that hasn't.” He babbled, pumping some of your calming scent shampoo into his hands, then started to massage it into your hair for a moment, before picking up a soft, silicon bristle, shampoo brush and used that to massage the shampoo the rest of the way into your hair and scalp.

Knowing how much you loved the feeling of it.

You moaned softly, slumping back slightly, your back resting against the side of the tub closest to Henry. You felt the tension inside of you really start to melt away in the water and under Henry's tender touch, and you finally let go of that stress, as you closed your eyes. It wasn't right of you to hold onto it, while Henry was trying so hard to make you relax, forget and drop you into Little Space.

“There we go.” Henry smiled, laying you down on the towel spread out on the bed. “Ooo, it's a bit cold, isn't it, sweetheart.” He purred at you, seeing you shiver and the goose-bumps race over your bare and damp skin. “It is starting to get more and more chilly lately.” He commented, stepping away from you and over to the master bedroom's control panel, turning the heat on.

“Winter is nearing.”

You turned your head, letting your paci slip out of your mouth, since Henry put it there, before your bath. “Does it snow here, Daddy?” You asked, looking up at him, innocently.

“It does snow up here, pumpkin.” He nodded at you, using your elephant towel to rub you dry.

“Balls.” You giggled, grinning.

Henry paused, looking down at you, brow creased and lifted. “Come again.”

“Balls, Daddy.” You replied, wiggling on the towel, excitedly. “We can throw balls, when it snows!”

“Oh!” Henry exclaimed, understanding suddenly and happily, fearing he was on the edge of having to scold you. “You're talking about snowballs.”

“Yeah! Balls!”

Henry snorted, his cheeks coloring and glancing to the side for a moment, trying to keep himself together. “Yes, baby. Yes.” He wheezed, before bursting into a fit of laughter, knowing full well, you weren't messing with him.

You were too deep into Little Space at this point, to play with him like that. It only made Henry laugh even harder, because you weren't aware of it, either. Just staring at him, with perplexed innocence at his laughing and flushed face.

“My silly baby girl.” He grinned, leaning down to kiss your forehead, then dipped lower, for a sneaky raspberry against your exposed and unprotected belly.

You squealed beneath Henry, kicking and flailing your feet, while slapping the palms of your hands against his shoulders and biceps, feeling him blow more of them, for a few more moments before pulling back, kissing your cheek. Henry let you calm down and catch your breath, before rubbing you down with your lotion and slipped on your socks and pamper.

“Baby milk?” You asked, as Henry helped you into your onesie.

Henry paused and looked into your eyes for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah, Daddy'll give you some baby milk.” He told you, snapping the onesie closed, and picked you up.

Taking you downstairs, Henry rested you on his hip, letting you latch onto him, like a koala, while he took a bottle out of the cabinet and turned towards the refrigerator. Pulling open the fridge door, he removed a small, eight-ounce, sealed bag and shut the fridge again; turning towards the bottle warmer. Henry set the bottle he had down and opened the lid, before looking at the black sharpie at the top of the sealed bag, dated for less than a week before, then ripped the bag open and poured its contents into the bottle.

“Okay, Baby milk is warming up.” He said, dropping it into the warmer, and turning his attention back to you, rocking on his feet.

You had your head laying on his shoulder, but tucked under his chin, arms locked around his broad shoulders and legs the same way around his waist; just nestled in against his body and relaxed. It made Henry happy to know that you had been able to move past the stresses of the day, even for a little while.

The bottle warmer beeped and Henry plucked the bottle up, deciding to take you and the bottle upstairs to the master, laying down with you on top of him, covered up and comfortable, hoping it would enable you to fall asleep, to nap for a little bit. He rubbed the nipple against your lips and watched you start to suckle.

Henry was fascinated, that was to say, he always was, when you drank a bottle. But, this bottle was special. What you had dubbed, Baby Milk, was actually Jasmine's breast milk. After she had gifted him a bottle of it at your birthday party, he had given it to you the next night, and you had developed a liking for it, almost instantly. It was like nothing you had ever tasted before. It was a bit more watery than regular milk, but it was super creamy and tasted sweet, almost like honey, nothing like the regular milk and formula that Henry usually fed you.

That being said, you only wanted and craved Baby Milk, when you were super deep into Little Space or were in a mood for it. So, Henry made sure to store it to stay fresh and Jasmine always kept you on the top of her list for those she pumped for, since she loved you so much.

Henry drew out of his thoughts, feeling something warm spreading over the fabric of his shirt and looked down, seeing you had indeed fallen asleep, causing milk to dribble out of your mouth, spilling and soaking into the garment; making him sigh and lift a brow at your sleeping face.

“So is the life of a Daddy.” He said, resignedly, with a faint smile.

Chapter Text

Henry knew you had your phone on you, seeing you dive your hands into the pouch of his dark green, Royal Marines hoodie has you sat on the couch with Kal, kicking your socked feet as you watched your afternoon cartoons. The device had vanished from the dresser the day after you confronted your parents, and you had been hiding it from him ever since, like you were afraid he would take it from you. But he didn't take it back from you, he wasn't sure what you were doing, carrying it around with you, and it worried him.

But, you seemed to be in an upbeat mood, which gave him hope and ease.

“What is it, baby!” He called out from the kitchen, hearing your sudden gasp.

“Look, Daddy!” You yelled, jumping up and rushing to the large bay window in the living room, pressing your face to the frosty glass.

Henry tapped the level scoop of whey-protein into his shaker cup and rounded the kitchen island to join you at the window and saw what had excited you so much. There were a few sparse, but fat, snowflakes starting to fall outside, floating gently down to the lawn that Henry had only yesterday raked and collected the leaves into trash-bags, then mowed a bit lower than usual, knowing the possibility of snow sometime soon, and wanted to prepare for it.

“Can we go play in it, Daddy?” You asked him, excitedly. “Please?!”

Henry chuckled down at you, resting his hand between your shoulder-blades. “I don't want to burst your bubble, Little Dove, but—it's not cold enough for the snow to stick just yet.” He told you, delicately. “It's just cold enough for the snowflakes to form and fall, and that's all, Honey. We still have a little while until we get any real snow to play in.”

You pressed your lips together, saddened and disappointed that you couldn't go outside and start a snowman or throw a snowball, it hardly ever snowed back where you came from, so the prospect of it snowing at Huntersville so you could do those things, and with Henry and Kal, was a top ten Bucket List item for you. Henry saw your disappointment, and it crushed him, until he got an idea, smirking down at you and took your hand in his, tugging you gently towards the front door.

“Pick up your foot.” He instructed you, opening the foyer closet and grabbing your rain boots.

“What are we doing?” You asked, frowning at him as he slipped your boots on your feet, then put a beanie on your head and over your ears.

Henry smiled at you, pulling on a coat and his own boots and beanie, before opening the front door and going out into the front yard with you. “There might not be snow on the ground for us to play with, but there is snow in the sky for us to play with.” He explained to you.

“How are we supposed to play with snow in the sky, Daddy?” You asked, skeptical. “It'll melt.”

“Do you doubt your Daddy, Little girl?” Henry asked, looking down at you, trying to be serious, but his face wouldn't cooperate with him, showing his amusement.

“Yes.” You nodded, your face showing your own doubting bemusement.

“I'll teach you to doubt your Daddy, Little Dove.” Henry huffed, feigning hurt and sternness, before tilting his head back, closed his eyes, and sticking out his tongue.

You watched Henry, lifting an eyebrow at him for a moment, until you watched a snowflake lazily drift down from the pewter gray clouds overhead and towards him, landing on the tip of his broad tongue. A grin spread across your face and your body wiggled with excitement, seeing your Daddy catch a snowflake, making you giggle up at him. You threw your head back and stuck your own tongue out, excited to catch snowflakes, like Henry. Henry looked at you, watching you swivel your head to catch as many snowflakes as you could, making him chuckle.

“See.” He cooed at you, gently pinching your chilled cheek.

“I shouldn't have doubted you.” You said, looking over at Henry.

Henry chuckled at you again, shaking his head, then leaned in to kiss you, warming your lips with his. “I'll survive.” He mumbled against your mouth.

“Can we make a giant snowman, when it snows?” You asked, when Henry pulled away, noticing a few other Littles and Bigs that were out, tilting their heads back to catch an errant snowflake.

“Absolutely.” Henry nodded, smiling at you.

“And one of Kal!”

Henry laughed, shaking his head. “We can make a Snowman and a Snow-Kal.”

“Yay!” You shrieked with joy, jumping up and down.

“Come, it's too cold for you out here.” He told you, squeezing your hand and guided you back inside the house. “Settle back in, sweetheart.” He said, helping you out of your boots and removed your beanie, taking a second to fix your mussed up hair.

You skipped back to the couch, dropping down beside Kal and focusing on your cartoons again, while Henry finished portioning out his shake, before pulling down a mug from the cabinet. He bustled about the kitchen, pulling out the gallon of lactose-free milk from the fridge and metal can from the pantry. Henry carefully portioned out the contains of the metal can into the mug, then used his Nespresso machine to heat up the milk and pour it into the mug, even frothing some of it for the top, before adding mini-marshmallows and topping it all off with a bit of Reddi Whip.

“Hey.” He smiled at you, coming into the living room, the toasty warm cup in his hands.

“Is that hot cocoa!?” You asked, eyes wide with surprised wonder.

“Mmhm.” Henry nodded, carefully setting it down on a coaster on the coffee table in front of you. “It was rather chilly outside, and nothing can warm someone up better than hot cocoa.” He grinned at you, pulling his vanilla, whey-protein shake out of the pocket of his sweatpants, and sat down beside you.

“Thank you.” You smiled, picking it up, cupping it in your hands and moaning as the warmth in the cup seeped into your palms, then took a sip of it. “Mmm.” You hummed as the rich, milky and chocolaty liquid filled your mouth. “So good.”

Henry grinned at you, reaching over to run the pad of his middle finger underneath your nose, collecting a smear of whip cream off of it, before bringing it to his lips and licking it off. “I'm glad I got it right.”

You watched Henry close the bottom half of the dutch door of your playroom and smile at you, and smile back at him. Once he was gone, going downstairs to do his second workout of the day, you pulled out your cell phone from the pouch of his hoodie, turning it on.

It buzzed a few times, before calming down again. You didn't know why you needed it all of sudden, after months of never even thinking about it. The texts were from your mother, you never answered them, but she was spurred to send more and more texts, clearly seeing you were reading what she was sending to you. They all repeated the same demands she had been making over the past several months and the threats she had made over the phone. But, as you stared at the new texts she'd sent the previous day, a new text came in from her.

Mom: If you don't answer me, within the next forty-eight hours, I'll make a Facebook video saying that he met you back here at home, taking advantage of a naive girl, with his grand and famous life, before whisking you away from your loving family, and we haven't heard from you since.

Your heart stopped, you had no doubt your mother was vindictive enough to do it. Getting up, you tip-toed to the door of the nursery and opened it, stepping out and into Henry's office across the hall, knowing there was no camera there, before calling your mother's phone.

“Why are you doing this?” You asked her, before she could say a single thing to you.

“Because, you're hiding something and we want to know what it is.” She replied, coldly.

“Then, try asking me, instead of threatening me and the man I love.” You retorted, matching her tone, despite shaking in your socks. “Or is that really it? You and Dad can't take I'm not under your thumb anymore? Even after making it abundantly clear you didn't want me there, complicating your life and mooching off of you.”

“Why are you there, wherever there is?”

“If I tell you and you utter a single word of it to anyone else and it gets out to hurt Henry,” You started, your body stilling quite suddenly. “I will make you regret having me as a daughter, more than you already do. Do we understand each other?” You asked her, calling her by her name, instead of mom or mother.

“Crystal.” She replied, with a hint of shock in her voice at your tone and gull.

“I'm a Little.” You told her, plainly. “That side of me you always tried to shame for liking pacifiers and baby stuff. That's why I like them. That's why I came out here to California, to join the Huntersville community. So I could finally be free of your and Dad's judgment about who I really am, and I am free of it, and I will forever stay free of it.”

“I don't care if you accept that or not. I don't care if you accept me or not, because I now have people and a system that does love and accept me for who I really am.”

The line was quiet for a moment, all you heard was the sound of her breathing, before it went dead, and the sudden rush of whatever came over you that enabled you to stand up to your mother so completely bottomed out of you, and you dropped into Henry's desk chair; your cell phone clattering to the floor at your feet. You took a moment, taking slow deep breaths in and out, before bending forward and picking up your phone and shuffling out into the hall, just as Henry was opening the baby gate at the top of the stairs.

“What were you doing in my office?” He asked you, brow creased as he stared down the hall at you.

You gulped thickly, a shiver running down your back, as the Little inside of you screamed with warning that you were either going to be spending some serious one-on-one time on the time out stool or Henry was about to spank your bottom for both leaving your playroom and going into his office without his supervision and permission, and for just telling your mother both of your secrets without cluing him in on it first. But, as quickly as you thought it, you saw a look eclipse Henry's face, a look that told you he could see something was very wrong and the Little in you was wrong as well, he wasn't going to discipline you, as he took the first long stride towards you.

“What's happened?” He demanded, grabbing you by the elbows.

Your mouth hung open, but words still wouldn't form, so you held up your phone, hoping to give yourself an extra moment to rewire your brain.

Frowning, Henry took your phone from you, shaking his head, then his own mind started to connect wires. “Your parents.” He sighed, looking at you again.

“Yeah.” You choked out, blinking blankly.

“Fuck sake, what now?” He snapped, exasperated.

“My-my mom threatened to make a video, if I didn't answer her, basically saying what I originally theorized.” You answered, your brain finally functioning again. “That we met at my hometown and you more or less brainwashed me with your...with your—uh...star studdedness, kidnapped and withheld me from them. So, they rolled it all up.”

“Jesus fucking Christ.” Henry huffed, raking a hand through his sweat damp curls. “And you called her?”

“I did.” You nodded, feeling a pit in your stomach and a burning in the back of your eyes, afraid he was about to get very upset with you. “Please, don't get angry, Daddy.” You mumbled, bowing your head.

“Why am I going to get angry?” He asked, dropping his chin to his chest, trying to look you in the eyes.

“I told her.” You muttered under your breath. “I told her about being a Little and that I was here, in Huntersville.”

Henry drew a deep breath and glanced around the hallway for a moment, before lifting your head. “What did I tell you?” He asked, looking you straight in the eyes. “When we talked about the possibility of me being outed as a Daddy?”

“That it would suck.” You whispered, biting your lip.

“Mmhm.” He nodded, pressing his lips together. “It would suck, baby. But, it's not the end of the world.” He reassured you, shaking his head. “As long as we're together, that's all that matters to me. You, me and Kal. That was the promise we pinkie swore on.”

“So, you're not mad at me for telling her, I'm a Little?” You asked, somewhat shocked.

“Truthfully?” Henry replied, lifting a brow at you, and bringing his face closer to yours. “I'm actually incredibly proud of you.” He answered, a massive grin spreading across his lips. “I know how hard that was for you. I know how long you've held that inside and how long you hid that from them, and so many others, including yourself.” He told you, his thumb caressing your cheek.

“So no, I'm not mad at you, Little one.” He chuckled, kissing you, gently.

Henry took a deep breath as he woke, rolling over in bed, searching out for his little one, but came up with empty sheets, and let out his breath. He had woken up without you before, you liked crawling out of bed to sit on the floor to play with Kal. So, he sat up, expecting to see you sitting beside the bed, clinging onto the Akita, but instead found the Bear sprawled out on the hardwood and snorting in his sleep. Henry's eyes shot to the bedroom door and saw it standing wide open.

“Fuck.” He snapped, struggling out of bed and charged into the hallway, calling out your name as he went.

But, received no answer.

Henry rushed down to your playroom, praying you had decided to go down there and color or something, while you waited for him to wake up, but found the bottom half of the door closed and the room empty, causing Henry's pounding heart to thunder even more.

“Where are you?” He said, spinning on his heels and running down to the other end of the hall, towards the stairs and discovered the baby gate at the top was wide open, telling him you had gone this way. “Please, don't have made a mess.” He sighed, jogging down the stairs, craning his neck into the living room first and didn't see you, before changing directions for the kitchen.

The kitchen was still in one piece and not messy, further confusing and worrying Henry as he looked for you, before catching a glimpse of something out the back sliding glass door and pulled to a stop to go over and look at what it was. There was a thick layer of snow on the ground outside, covering the grass and the covered pool in the backyard. Much of the snow was as pristine as when it fell from the sky overnight, but, from the back door to the gazebo, there was a trench of footsteps. Henry turned and rushed back to the foyer, slipping his feet into the first pair of footwear he could, his sandals, tugged on a hoodie, and ran out into the backyard, towards the gazebo.

Reaching the tall structure, Henry found you inside of it, quite happily building a snowman and humming to yourself as you did. You were still in the fleece onesie he had put you in the night before, but apparently had the frame of mind to put on your Uggs before coming outside to play in the fresh powder. He could see you were shivering from the cold, your onesie wet and frosty, with your hands, face and the tips of your ears red from it, and your nose running. Your ears twitched at the sound of crunching snow behind you and looked up, instantly beaming at Henry as you saw him coming towards you.

“Daddy!” You giggled, eyes bright.

“Hey.” Henry replied, his voice a mix of amusement and annoyance. “That's a nice snowman you have going there.” He commented, nodding his head at the waist high snow sculpture.

“Yeah?” You grinned, dazzled that Henry liked your snowman, that you had spent such hard work on. “He's Ted.” You told him, patting more snow into the torso of the snowman's body.

“Ted?” Henry echoed, lifting a brow at you. “Why Ted?”

You shrugged your shoulders at him. “Just cause.”

Henry snorted, shaking his head at you, then moved forward, sliding his chilled hands underneath your armpits and started to pick you up. You whined as he did, not wanting to go in, and squirmed to get out of his grasp, so you could go back to working on Ted, but Henry only shifted his grasp on you, to pull you closer to his chest. Frustrated, you jerked your body backwards, breaking out of Henry's arms and plopped butt first on the floor of the gazebo with a thud and grunt, then twisted around to crawl away from your Daddy. Henry growled at you, it was too early in the morning and too cold out to deal with a bratty baby, as he reached out, grabbing your ankle with one hand and smacking you on the bottom with the other; you let out a hiccuping gasp of surprise.

“Come here, pet.” Henry hissed at you, pulling you back to him. “It's freezing out here and you're not dressed for it.” He scolded you, turning you around and picking you up, securely in his arms. “Look at you.” He sighed, seeing your nose running over your lips. “You're going to get sick.” He huffed, shaking his head at you, then carried you back inside.

“Outs?” You asked, biting your snotty lip as you looked at Henry, apprehensively.

“Yes.” He nodded at you. “After I get you out of your cold and wet onesie and warmed up.” He told you. “You know you're not allowed to be out of the bedroom without Daddy. Especially when I'm not awake. But, to be so silly as to go outside, dressed as you are, in the snow to build a snowman.” He clicked his tongue at you, as he laid you on the changing table in the nursery and pulled off your boots. “That's not only naughty, it's dangerous. You can get hypothermia, or you could have slipped on a piece of ice and hurt yourself and I wouldn't have known.” He said, unzipping your onesie and tugging it off.

“Look at you, trembling.” He whispered, brow deeply pinched, seeing the goose-bumps covering your still icy skin. “Get you a nice warm shower and something warm into your belly, to get you warm again, then your bum's going on your time out stool.”

You bit your lip as you pressed them together, looking up at Henry, your eyes wide and glassy, you hated being on your time out stool, especially after having so much fun building Ted, the snowman, but you also knew Henry was right about everything he had said. So, you didn't argue or fuss about being punished for your behavior, you deserved it. Removing your soiled pamper, Henry picked you up and carried you into the shower, turning the taps until the water was pleasingly hot, letting you stand under the spray, before grabbing your shampoo, body wash and a washcloth, then joined you in the glass-enclosed stall.

You wrapped your arms around Henry's waist and pressed yourself to him, nuzzling your face into his wet chest. “I'm sorry, Dada.” You mumbled, rubbing your cheek against his collarbone.

Henry blinked slowly down at you, gently rubbing the soapy washcloth over your back. “I'm sure you are, Dove.” He cooed, kissing the top of your wet head. “But, you're still going into time out.” He added, making it clear you weren't going to cute your way out of your punishment.

Sighing, you resigned yourself to it and allowed yourself to enjoy the feeling of Henry bathing you and washing your hair. Once you were clean and dry, Henry dressed you and carried you downstairs, setting you on the couch, with no cartoons, as he went into the kitchen to make you both breakfast. When it was finally ready, he set you up in your height chair, setting a plate of sliced up bananas on your tray with a sippy cup of orange juice. He had a bowl of oatmeal on the table in front of him, with a plate of bacon, scrambled eggs, steak and his morning protein shake. Popping the cap on his shake first, he took several deep gulps of it, then set it down, before scooping up a gooey spoonful of oatmeal and held it up to your mouth.

“Open up.” He cooed at you, lifting a brow.

You licked your lips, before opening your mouth for the oats, slowly chewing them, as you watched Henry put the spoon down and cut into his own breakfast, trying to draw out how long it took you to eat yours, to prolong your punishment. But, Henry was wise to your strategy as he sat back, savoring his cut of steak, before swallowing.

“I know exactly how long it takes you to eat all of this.” He said, motioning to the spread of food. “I've fed your wee butt, myself, every day, several times a day, for many a month, little girl.”

You gulped, knowing where this was going.

“So, every moment you draw it out, is another minute added to the twenty-minutes you'll already be spending in time-out.” He told you, pointing into the living room, where your stool was dutifully placed, in the most wicked corner of all the entire house. “The choice is up to you.” He added, picking up your oatmeal spoon.

“And if I were you, I'd pick the lesser evil, instead of the greater.” He said, softly, presented another mouthful to you, a lifted brow of question on his face, eat normally and get it over with or draw it out and spend much of the morning pouting in the corner.

You stared at him, eyes steeling, do you let him negotiate you out of this with common sense, cause you knew he was right, Henry would play your little game, if you wanted to toss that ball into his corner. You had wanted to build a snowman since seeing that first flake fall in the front yard, and had waited patiently everyday since. For two weeks, you waited and when you happened to wake up before Henry this morning and looked out the window above the bed and saw the huge and fat flakes falling, you couldn't contain yourself, bolting out of bed and down the hall for the backyard, never thinking to wake Henry up, and somehow never managing to wake him in your excitement.

Part of you regretted going out as poorly dressed as you were, but at least you had the wherewithal to put shoes on. You could still almost feel the chill of the snow on your skin, even after the nice, warm shower you took with Henry. But, you really wanted that snowman and Henry would have taken too long to wake up, then he would have wanted you both to shower and have breakfast first, because the routine comes first, before layering you up to keep you warm. What if all the snow had melted by then? You would have missed it and would have had to wait for it to come again, if it came back at all. That part of you didn't regret hauling butt outside at first chance to play in it and build Ted.

But, now you have your consequences to deal with.

Sighing, you opened your mouth, accepting the oatmeal and a teeny bit, your time-out, thinking—praying—maybe, if you took your time-out well, Henry would let you go back out in the afternoon, to work some more on Ted.

“That's what I thought.” Henry smirked at you, winking at you.

You narrowed your eyes at him, mad, and Henry just chuckled at you.

“All right, butternut.” He said, wiping your mouth and removing the tray, then slipped you out of your chair. “Off you go. You know the rules. I'll set a timer on my phone and come get you, when your time is up.” He told you, nodding his head towards the corner.

You felt your cheeks grow warm, looking at him, surprised by him wanting you to do a practical walk of guilt to your stool. You groaned as he gave you an affirming pat on the bottom, then started towards your stool, stopping in the foyer to look over your shoulder at Henry, batting your eyes. Henry grinned, laughing and shaking his head.

“Sweet bunny, but no.” He chuckled, pointing to your stool.

Dropping your shoulders and continuing, you dumped yourself on the blue piece of furniture, folding your arms defiantly across your chest and stuck your bottom lip out at the wall in front of you. Henry chuckled again, setting up the timer on his phone, before collecting up the breakfast dishes and took them over to the sink, flicking on water and started washing them up, gently humming to himself as he did them.

He turned off the sink and started wiping it down, now that he was finished with the dishes, but heard sniffles coming from the living room and frowned, his shoulders slumping. Sighing, he draped the dish towel over the edge of the sink and rounded the island to the dining table, checking his phone, you still had five minutes until your time-out was over, he understood your excitement for the snow, Henry was excited about it as well. But, he hadn't expected you'd get upset like this, it had been a long time since you'd gotten worked up over a time-out.

Biting his lip, Henry crossed the foyer to check on you, but was surprised to find you weren't actually crying, your sniffles came from your nose running and you trying to keep it under control. Frowning, he grabbed a tissue out of a box on the coffee table, then turned you around in your stool and bent over, gently wiping your snotty nose.

“You feeling all right?” He asked, tilting his head at you and softly stroking the side of your face.

“Mmhm.” You nodded, sniffling again.

“Hm.” Henry hummed, putting your arms around his neck and picked you up. “Let's check your temperature.” He cooed, taking you upstairs to the bathroom. Resting you on the counter, Henry rummaged through the drawer in the vanity for the thermometer and turned it on. “Open up, baby.” He smiled at you, holding the device up to you.

Looking between Henry and the thermometer for a moment, you sighed and conceded, opening your mouth and letting him slip the probe under your tongue and closing your lips around it. You held it in your mouth until it beeped and Henry removed it, checking the screen as it flashed at him.

“Well, you don't seem to have a fever. So, that's a relief.” He said, rinsing the thermometer off and putting it back. “But, that runny nose is a little bothersome.” He told you, grabbing a bit of toilet paper to wipe your nose again. “We're going to stay in today, little one.” He sighed, deciding to let you free of your last five minutes of your time-out.

“But, Ted's going to melt, Daddy.” You protested, pouting against Henry's shoulder.

“Oh, baby girl. Ted's not going anywhere for a while.” He assured you, rubbing your back as he carried you down the hall to your playroom. “It's going to be freezing cold for at least a week. So, Ted will be in his winter wonderland out in the gazebo, safe and sound.” He told you, grabbing a box of coloring supplies and a couple of your favorite coloring books.

You gasped and straighten up in Henry's arms. “Kal'll eat him!” You exclaimed, with horror.

Henry grinned at you. “Kal will do no such thing. The Bear will protect Ted from all of the pesky sun-rays that seek to melt him.” He assured you, kissing your cheek and carrying you downstairs to the living room. “Here, look.” He sat you down on the couch and retrieved his phone, pulling up the CC feed of the backyard for you to see Ted.

“He's just as you left him, Princess.” He said, showing you the video and kissing your cheek. “Why don't you color Ted a picture?” He suggested, motioning to the markers and books he set on the coffee table.

“Yeah!” You nodded, lighting up at the idea, and slipped out of Henry's lap to sit between his legs on the floor between the couch and coffee table, scouring through the coloring books until you found a picture you thought Ted the Snowman would like, then got down to coloring it.

Henry sat on the couch, watching tv and playing with your hair, while you continued to color pictures, but he felt your shivers, and paused what he was watching. “You cold, baby?”

“A little.” You answered, still focused on your page.

He licked his lips as a thought came to him, and leaned forward, gently taking the marker out of your hand and closed your book. “Come to Daddy, Sweet Girl.” He cooed, patting his thighs, a smirk playing on his lips.

You twisted around, needing no further prompting from your Daddy, as you crawled into his lap and nuzzled in against his heater like warmth. Henry hummed, happily, wrapping his arms around you and pressing his palms against your back, rubbing them up and down, and kissing your neck and shoulder; making you shiver for a different reason this time. Henry situated you in his lap and reached between your legs, unsnapping your onesie and peeled it up to remove your pamper, which happened to be full.

With you free of your pamper, Henry worked on the ties to the loose joggers he was wearing and shifted them down his thighs, along with his boxers, making you gasp as you felt the unshielded heat of his cock. He turned his face into your neck, nuzzling your ear and rubbing the small of your back with the heel of his palm, feeling himself grow hard as you whimpered and wiggled against him. You gripped his biceps and bit into your bottom lip, rubbing down on him with a delicious moan that filled the small gap between you.

“Dad-dy.” You whined, nudging against him.

“Ssshh.” He hushed you, gulping thickly and taking a heavy breath, trying to keep himself in control. “I know, little one. I know.” He rasped, restraining himself as he wrapped an arm around your waist and held you still. “Just—relax.” He wheezed, the hand on your back slipping between your bodies, so he could grasp himself and line up with your dripping entrance. “Nice and easy.” He cooed at you, pressing his lips to your temple, and helped you slowly sink onto him.

“I thought,” You moaned loudly, feeling Henry's girth spread you open, just as always. “We weren't allowed to do this.” You sighed, nudging his temple with yours. “When I'm Little.”

Henry chuckled, licking his lips and kissing your cheek. “We're not.” He answered, smirking abashed. “Daddy's being rather naughty, isn't he?” He asked, looking into your eyes, his blues shining with mischief. “I'll have to put myself in time-out, later on. But, I just wanna keep my baby girl warm and there's nothing warmer than Daddy's cock.” He grinned, quite proud of himself as he reached for the throw blanket on the back of the couch and covered you with it.

“Just rest, little one. No funny business.” He told you, kissing your temple and shifting down more comfortably on the couch, making you moan as it shifted and pushed him deeper into your core. “Sorry.” He grinned, patting you on the back.

“No, you're not.” You giggled and whined at the same time, snaking your arms around his waist and laid your head on his shoulder, tucking your face into his neck.

“You're half-right.” Henry chuckled, picking up the remote and pressing play. “But, you're warm at least.” He teased you.

You laid on top of him, feeling the hot throb of Henry's manhood nestled inside of you. It radiated in you, like an odd bit of sun, filling you with heat from the pit of your belly and outward, on top of the natural warmth of Henry's body overall. On top of the lazy effect of being snowed in, the steady beat of Henry's heart and the sound of him breathing, your eyes slowly grew heavy and you found yourself falling asleep. Henry chuckled, feeling your weight melt into his chest and the soft moan you made, your breath warmly wafting against the side of his neck, as he continued to rub and gently pat your back.

You moaned and shifted in Henry's arms as you laid cocooned in his arms, laying in bed with him, before settling again. But a few minutes later, you stirred again, groaning, before wiggling out of Henry's embrace and rushed out of bed, waking him in the process.

“What's going on, babe?” Henry asked, groggy as he sat up and brushed his hair out of his face.

You didn't answer him, rushing for the bathroom and the toilet bowl, wrenching and vomiting violently into it.

“Shit.” Henry barked, yanking himself out of bed and going to you, making sure your hair was out of the way as you continued to throw up; a deep and worried frown pinching his brow. “It'll be all right, sweetie.” He cooed, once you finally stopped puking and dry heaving, reaching out to flush the contents down.

“It hurts.” You whined, pressing your back against his shins, a layer of sweat covering your face.

“I know.” Henry answered, caressing the top of your head affectionately, before helping you brush your teeth and rinse your mouth out. “Come here, pumpkin.” He purred, picking you up and snuggled you back into bed, tucking his pillow under your head. “I'll be right back.” He said softly, tucking the blankets in around you, before going downstairs to fill a sippy cup with Pedialyte and bringing it back up to you.

“Sip slowly on that.” He told you, holding it out to you, before going back into the bathroom for the thermometer. “You let Daddy take your temperature, sweetness?” He asked, sitting on the edge of the bed beside you, a soft pout on his lips, to try and coax you.

You whined, sucking on your sippy cup for a moment longer, but relented, pulling the silicone spout out of your mouth and let Henry replace it with the probe. He stroked your back, face and hair as the two of you waited for it to announce your temperature, trying to soothe you and give you some type of comfort. He could see your nose was still runny; which he cleaned up, your eyes were red and seemed to bother you, by the way you kept blinking and rubbing at them, but it could just be from how tired and restless you had been all day, even with that special, rule breaking, nap you had.

“Let's see now.” Henry hummed softly, removing the thermometer, once it beeped, then groaned at it, seeing it flash yellow at him, you had a medium grade fever. “Looks like you're getting very sick, darling.” He said, morosely, setting the thermometer on his nightstand, and stood up, going into the bathroom to run a wash cloth under a tap of cool water, then returned to gently press it to your forehead, which he now felt was burning.

“This is what happens, when you go outside in a snowstorm to build Ted, so poorly dressed.” He clicked his tongue at you, but held no reprimand in the tone. “I hope this will teach you to wait for Daddy next time.” He whispered, kissing your warm cheek, then crawled into bed with you.

You whined, pouting, your head and body throbbed, your throat felt like a volcano on the pinnacle of exploding, and your stomach started to protest again. While all you wanted was Daddy to cuddle you, not lecture you; which Henry did ultimately do. So, you rolled over to pres your face into his sternum, wanting to hide from feeling icky. Henry chuckled, reposition the damp cloth on your forehead, and uncaring that it was also pressed to his bare chest, as he wrapped around you, fingertips ghosting over the base of your spine, hoping to nudge you back to sleep, since you needed your rest as a sick baby.

“I'm right here, Dove.” He whispered, as your hand tugged at the fabric of his boxers. “I'm not going anywhere.” He murmured, sighing heavily, hearing the uncomfortable sound of your stomach.

Henry gently pushed you over onto your back and delicately rested his hand on your belly, not wanting to apply too much weight or pressure and cause you to throw up again, before he started to rub your tummy in slow and careful circles, keeping his palm flat. You moaned both from trying to keep your stomach down and how good it felt to have Henry rub it, finding it really helped the rest of you relax. With a few more whimpers, you managed to fall back off to a fitful sleep, much to Henry's relief; however he never managed to fall back to sleep, too anxious about you being sick.

“Come on, Princess, open up for Dada.” Henry half-cooed and half desperately begged you. “I just need to see if your temperature went down.” He tried explaining to you, exhausted.

You whined at him. “No.” You rasped, crawling across to the other side of the couch, hiding your face into Kal's neck.

Henry heaved a hard sigh, he had been trying to check your temperature all morning, to no avail. “Please, Baby Doll.” He entreated you again, giving you puppy dog eyes, hoping to guilt you into the action. “For Dada?”

“Nuh-uh!” You shook your head, hugging your arms around Kal.

“You're breaking Daddy's heart, sweet pea.” He sighed, rubbing the side of his face. “Well, if my darling Princess won't let Daddy take her temperature orally, perhaps I'll have to take your temperature the other way.”

“There's not another way, Dada.” You replied, shaking your head at him.

“Oh?” Henry smirked at your amusing naivety. “Are you sure about that, Pumpkin?” He asked, his eyes flickering to your bottom.

“You wouldn't?” You squeaked, turning your bum into the couch cushions, the distant memory of a suppository flashing into your mind.

Henry laughed at you. “There's one way to find out, Dove. So, are you going to let Daddy take your temperature, like a good girl or am I going to have to get the naughty girl thermometer?” He asked, lifting a brow at you.

“But, I don't need it.” You tried to negotiate with him, hoping to talk Henry out of using either thermometer. “I'm feeling a lot better, Dadd--'' You started to say, before breaking into a horrible sounding cough, with a dry wheeze.

“Oh yeah, Dove! You sound so much better!” Henry nodded at you, wincing as you continued to cough, reaching for the cloth off the coffee table and wiped the sweat off your forehead and the drool from your lips. “You're so damn warm, baby cakes.” He whispered, more to himself than to you.

“I just stopped coughing.” You tried to argue.

Henry met your eye, his were both stern and pleading. “I'll give you five minutes to make your choice.” He told you softly, lowering his head slightly. “If you're going to be a good girl and let me take your temperature the correct and easy way with the oral thermometer, then come get me in the kitchen.” He explained to you, carefully, not mincing his words. “But, if you don't and I have to come back here in five minutes, then you're getting it the hard way, with the rectal thermometer.”

“Do we understand each other, Little one?” He asked, brows lifting at you as his jaw stiffened.

You gulped thickly, biting your lip. You knew part of Henry's ultimatum was to push you into taking your temperature regularly; you knew full well Henry didn't want to go the hard route, the Brat Tamer route. You honestly didn't know why you were pushing back with him, maybe it was just you being cranky and irritable from being sick; but you just nodded your head at your Daddy, who cupped your cheek and kissed your forehead for a long moment, before standing and going into the kitchen. He let out a deep breath and pressed his palms to the counter of the island for a long moment, before turning and taking out one of his protein shakers, setting up his afternoon shake, while occasionally glancing at the doorway of the kitchen and the clock on the stove; praying you would come shuffling in at any moment to tell him you'd behave and take your temperature.

But, five minutes went by, and you didn't show up.

“Fuck.” He sighed, staring at the clock for another long minute, before going back into the living room and discovered you had vanished. “I see how it is.” He groaned, rubbing his face and slumping his tense shoulders. “Won't take your temperature, but you'll play hide and seek.” He hummed, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. “Come on, Baby Girl. We could have gotten this over with so long ago. We could be all nuzzled up on the couch, watching Inside Out or Raya and the Last Dragon, or even Encanto! We haven't seen that one yet!” He said to the air around him, he knew you hadn't left the living room, the baby gate on the stairs was still closed and the censor he had installed on the door of his gym hadn't gone off.

It was the only place you could be.

“But, it seems Baby needs to get her temperature taken and put down in her crib for a nap.” He said, scanning the room, and spotting the edge of your blanket, that had once sheltered you on the couch from your chills, poking out from the closed flaps of your reading tent in the corner. Sighing, he approached the tent, flicking back the flaps and found you inside hiding under your blanket and a decent sized unicorn stuffie that was inside. “Oh look, there's a Princess in this castle!” Henry laughed, smirking at you, as you dared to peek an eye out from under your blanket.

“Come to me, Princess, your ball awaits.” He teased, reaching in and grabbing you.

“No ball.” You pouted, kicking your legs as he held you in his arms.

Henry laughed, patting your bottom as he took you upstairs. “Maybe, after you nap.” He said, pressing his lips to your temple. “That's if you don't fight Daddy anymore.” He added, going into the medicine cabinet in the master bathroom.

“I'm sorry.” You blurted out, seeing Henry remove the thermometer.

“Oh no.” Henry roared, grinning at you, and shaking his head. “You had your time to relent. I even gave you an extra minute, then you hid from the choice you made.” He chuckled, holding up the rectal thermometer. “This is the bed you made, Kitten. Now, you're going to lay in it. Or should I say, it's going to lay in you.” He smirked, amusing himself.

Henry made sure to clean the thermometer first, then took you into the nursery, picking up a small jar of petroleum jelly as he went. He maneuvered you, so you laid across his lap as he sat in the rocking chair, setting the thermometer on the small table beside him for a moment, to unsnap your onesie and remove your pamper. You whined, feeling the cool air of the nursery touch the heated skin of your bum, shivering, but relaxed some, when Henry gently caressed the small of your back for a moment. He opened the jelly and applied a generous amount of it to the probe end of the thermometer, wiping the excess between your cheeks, making you gulp at the contact.

“Now relax, Little one.” He purred at you, rubbing your back for a long moment.

Using one hand to give him access, Henry slipped the thermometer between your cheeks and pressed the short stem past the tight ring there, causing you to gasp and jerk at the cold and invading feeling it gave you, your back tensing against it.

“No, don't push it out.” Henry chided you, pushing it back in place and holding it there. “If it's not where it's supposed to be, it'll read wrong, and we'll have to do it all over again. You don't want that, now do you?”

“No.” You groaned, gulping thickly, shaking your head fervently.

“I didn't think so.” He replied, caressing your back with his free hand. “Few more seconds, you're doing good, baby.” He praised you, watching the numbers on the screen climb, then the device finally beep.

You let out a sigh and fully relaxed in Henry's lap again, when he removed the thermometer.

“Your fever's still bad.” He sighed, frowning hard at the numbers, before grabbing a tissue and wiping the probe off. “I'll give you some more cold and flu medicine, then lay you down for a nap.” He said, tossing the tissue away and setting the thermometer aside; righting you in his lap and kissing you on the cheek.

“You did well, for what that's worth.” He added, standing up with you and laying you down on the changing table to put a fresh pamper on you and fix your onesie. “Let's get you settled down.” He said, holding you against him. “Give you a bit of this first.” He removed a bottle of liquid Tylenol from the medicine cabinet, filling a rubber stopper with the cherry-flavored syrup and squirting it into your mouth, chuckling at the disgusted look on your face.

“Uck.” You whined, nose wrinkling.

“As long as it helps you feel better, Princess.” Henry replied, smiling and gently bouncing you in his arms. “Come, Daddy'll make you a special bottle.” He said, taking you down to the kitchen, where he started to sit you down in one of the dining chairs; but you squeezed your thighs around his waist and whimpered, fisting his shirt.

“All right.” Henry chuckled, getting the hint, and straightened back up.

Henry removed one of your bottles from the dishwasher and the milk from the fridge, portioning out some plain rice cereal into the bottle with a dash of cinnamon and a scoop of Ovaltine, before filling the rest of it up with milk and dropping it in the warmer. He rested back against the island, rubbing your back and winced as he listened to you fall into a renewed coughing fit, burying your face into his chest, groaning as the painful coughs agitated your sore throat, making it feel like you were swallowing liquid-fire. Henry felt helpless as he listened to you, at a loss for what to do to make you feel better and lessen your illness and discomfort.

“I'm sorry, sweetie.” He whispered into your hair, once your fit subsided.

You whimpered in reply, throat throbbing too much to speak as you clung onto Henry, tears running down your cheeks. The warmer beeped and Henry took up the bottle and you both returned upstairs, turning out lights and turning on the Ocean Wave ASMR over the recess speakers in the nursery, then settled in the rocker with you. The chocolaty and cinnamon-y milk tasted good, but swallowing hurt your throat, making you fuss and squirm in Henry's lap, wrapping your hand around his wrist. He tilted his head down at you, brow furrowed, he could see the hesitating movements of your throat and heard your pained mewls. You turned your head away from the bottle, spilling a line of milk over your cheek as you hid your face into Henry's chest.

“I know it hurts, little one.” He cooed at you, sympathetically, as he wiped your cheek. “But, you need to drink a little bit more.” He coaxed you, turning your face back out of his chest. “You know your tummy acts up after you have Tylenol, if you don't have something on it.” He reasoned with you, holding the bottle close to your lips again. “Neither of us want you throwing up again.” He whispered, placing a gentle kiss to your blazing forehead.

“It won't help that poor, little throat of yours.” He sighed, as you allowed him to put the nipple back in your mouth.

You managed a couple more ounces of the milk, before refusing anymore of it. Sighing, Henry set it aside and rocked with you for a short while, caressing your hair and rubbing your back, letting you nuzzle your face into his neck, before getting up and laying you down in your crib, made sure you had your stuffie and paci, then covered you up with a light blanket. Before stepping out, Henry turned the air on low, just to make sure you didn't get too warm, because of your fever. Now, with you laid down, Henry did some chores about the house that he hadn't been able to in the last three days you'd been sick, cleaning up the living room, doing the laundry and another load in the dishwasher, and finally, a short work out.

Letting out a huff, after finishing his work out and wiping the sweat from his face, Henry went up to the nursery to check on you, pausing in the doorway as he heard the audible wheeze of your breathing from inside the crib, even sound asleep. It sounded painful and wet, making you cough briefly, from time to time, disturbing your sleep for a moment, before you settled back to your dreams. You weren't getting any better and Henry's worry was turning into worried fear. Turning on his heels, he went back downstairs and retrieved the house phone, dialing the Huntersville clinic.

“I need to make an appointment for my Little.” He said, as the receptionist answered. “It's rather urgent, I fear she's pretty sick.” He expressed to her, chewing on his lip and pacing the kitchen. “I need the soonest appointment you have for Dr. Evers.”

“All right, Mr. Cavill.” She replied, checking the scheduling on her computer. “We have one for seven tomorrow morning.”

“We'll be there.” Henry replied, the teeniest amount of relief filling him as he hung the phone up.

Henry gently bounced you on his knee, as the two of you sat in the waiting room of the clinic, it was empty, minus the two of you and the receptionist, the snow still falling heavily outside. You were exceptionally fussy this morning, you had refused breakfast, even when Henry abandoned what he originally made you, in favor of a breakfast you were ordinarily ecstatic for, but you had pushed that away as well, and Henry didn't have it in him to discipline you, knowing how ill you were. You had been in tears nearly all morning, and most of the night, your coughing grew worse, which made you bring up thick and discolored mucus, with a few spots of blood, from your raw throat. The only thing that hadn't really changed was your fever, it hadn't gone up; but it hadn't lessened either. You shivered with chills and whined with body aches, and each breath came with a wheeze.

You were clingy and restless, cranky and in pain, and there wasn't anything Henry could do, but bring you here to the doctor's office, and pray that Dr. Evers could do something for you, to either lessen your symptoms or at least bring you some sort of comfort.

“Mr. Cavill?” Dr. Evers' nurse called out, appearing from the back. “You and your Little one can come back now.” She said, smiling between the pair of you, a soft and sympathetic look in her brown eyes as she looked at you.

Shifting your little bag on his shoulder and standing up with you, Henry followed the nurse to the exam room in the back. “She might let me sit her down.” He said, when the nurse motioned to the table in the room. “But, she might not.” He added, eyeing you, skeptically.

Henry slipped the bag off his shoulder and onto a chair across from the table, then turned towards it, pressing his lips together and holding his breath, readying himself for the tears and tantrum, as he slowly rested your butt on the table, his stomach clenching as your face started to twist in tell-tale sign of tears. “I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere.” He cooed at you, hugging his arms around your waist. “I just need to sit you down, my sweet girl. That's all.” He tried reassuring you, smiling brightly at you.

“Can I take your temperature?” The nurse asked, holding out a thermometer probe, and smiling at you sweetly.

You narrowed your eyes at her and shook your head, scooting closer to Henry.

The nurse chuckled, more than used to Littles that refused letting her do things, like temperature taking. She turned, for a moment, opening a drawer and pulled out a sheet, before turning back to you and Henry. “Maybe, you'd like to pick out a sticky, while you get your temperature taken?” She said, showing you the sheet full of different kinds of stickers.

“Ooo.” Henry cooed, boosting up the nurse's kind and smooth gesture. “Those are really cool stickers, baby.” He said, smiling at you.

You started at the stickers for a long moment, they were really cool and you did want one, so you opened your mouth, allowing her to insert the probe of the thermometer and took the sticker sheet from her, carefully scanning it, before you finally found the one you wanted, pointing it out to the nurse, as she removed the thermometer.

“Aw, that's a pretty one.” She said, smiling at the head of a pastel unicorn, then removed it from the sheet and held it out to you.

“Where do you wanna put your sticker, baby doll?” Henry asked, brushing his fingers through your hair, affectionately.

You bit your lip for a moment, studying the sticker, then pointed behind Henry, to your Little bag. Nodding his head, Henry grabbed it and let you smooth the unicorn onto the bag. Henry made extra sure the sticker would stay in place, then put the bag back, as the nurse opened a pressure cuff. Taking the hint, Henry unzipped your coat and pushed it off your shoulders, so the nurse could put the cuff around your arm and inflate it, pressing his lips to your moist forehead as you whine at the uncomfortable squeeze around your upper arm.

“Such a good girl, my brave girl.” He whispered to you, smiling weakly.

“Dr. Evers will be right in.” the nurse assured the two of you, once she was done, then stepped out.

“You need to blow your nose, Kitten?” Henry asked, seeing you have an issue breathing through your nostrils, and went into the bag, pulling out a small package of tissues and removing one. “Here we go, Dove.” He purred, holding it up to your nose and letting you blow into it as hard as you could. “All better?” He asked, tossing the used tissue into the bin by the door.

“Mmhm.” You mumbled, nodding your head at him, managing to breathe through one of your nostrils, which was better than none.

“Good.” He smiled, massaging your hips.

There was a light rap on the door and it opened, admitting Dr. Evers, who smiled at you and Henry. “I hear we have a sick baby girl on our hands.” She said, giving you an empathetic look.

“We do.” Henry nodded, taking a deep breath. “She's been terribly sick for nearly a week now, after deciding she wanted to go build a snowman in nothing, but a onesie, while Daddy was sleeping.” He explained to her. “I feel stupid for not bringing her in sooner to make sure she didn't have hypothermia or something--” He paused for a moment, a deeper horror striking him.

“Christ, I hope it's not something because I was an idiot.”

“How long was she out there?” Dr. Evers frowned at him, tilting her head.

“I don't know. At least long enough to build a snowman, he wasn't very large, so it couldn't have been long.” He answered, biting his lip.

“Were her lips blue or anything of the sort?” She asked him, taking the stethoscope from around her neck.

“No.” Henry shook his head. “I took her in quickly and got her warm. I gave her a warm bath and all that.”

“When did she start presenting symptoms of being sick?”

“She had a runny nose, after I gave her breakfast, an hour or so later, during her time-out for going out in the cold without me and so poorly dressed. I took her temperature at the time, and she didn't have a fever.” He explained, gulping. “But, it was that night, she woke and started throwing up and she did have a fever, it's gone downhill ever since.”

Dr. Evers nodded her head. “Well, according to the chart, she's got a pretty decent fever still, from the temperature my nurse took a few minutes ago.” She explained to Henry. “I can clearly hear she has a wheeze as well. Has she been coughing?”

“She's been coughing and bringing up phlegm, as well as a sore throat.” He nodded, glancing at you, guiltily.

“Right.” She nodded, looking bothered. “Can you undo her onesie, so I can listen to her breathing?”

Henry nodded, quickly unsnapping the buttons between your legs and lifted you enough for Dr. Evers to gently pull the fabric up. She put the ear-tips of her stethoscope in and lifted the bell to your chest to take a listen, touching the cold object to your feverish skin, which you were having none of. You reared back, jerking your whole body away from her, causing both her and Henry to gasp at the violent motion. But Henry's reflexes were quick and agile, one hand going to the back of your head, while his arm wrapped around your waist, keeping you from falling back onto the table and getting away from the good doctor.

“Easy.” He cooed at you, his brow pinched as he looked at you with critical concern. “She just wants to listen to your lungs, sweetheart, so she can help you feel better.” He tried to explain to you, sitting you back up. “That's all, Bunny.”

“No.” You whimpered, your voice weak and raspy. “Cold.”

“Oh, I know it is, isn't it?” Dr. Evers agreed with you. “I can understand, the stethoscope is cold and she's overly warm from her fever.” She said, looking at Henry, taking a moment to hold the stethoscope piece between her hands. “It shouldn't be cold anymore, darling. You want to touch it and see?” She asked, holding it out for you to check.

You glanced at Henry, who nodded his encouragement, and you reached out a shy finger, touching the diaphragm of the stethoscope and indeed found it warm to the touch this time, before withdrawing your hand again, twisting it up in Henry's long sleeve shirt. Dr. Evers smiled at you, sweetly, then gently slipped the stethoscope underneath your onesie again and pressed it against your chest, listening to your labored and wheezing breath as she moved it about.

“Can you take a deep breath for me?” She asked you. “As deep as you can.” She encouraged you.

Groaning, you drew in the deepest breath you could, coughing some as you did. Dr. Evers had you take several more deep breaths, changing spots on your chest, before moving the stethoscope to your back and repeating the process there, then put the device back around her neck. She pulled on a pair of gloves and grabbed a tongue depressor from a small glass jar, and something from her front pocket.

“Can I look at the back of your throat?” She asked you, with a sweet smile.

You looked at the wood tongue depressor and the pen-like thing in her hand and shook your head.

“She's not fond of opening her mouth.” Henry commented, though he knew exactly what the doctor had and wanted.

“I see.” Dr. Evers chuckled, smirking. “Not fond of doctors?”

“Possible.” He answered, frowning at you. “She's also just incredibly fussy.” He sighed, biting his lip as he studied you for a long moment, he needed to get whatever illness you had treated, so you would get well again, to do that Dr. Evers needed to be able to properly examine you; hard to do, when you were being cranky and difficult.

“I might have an idea.” He said, looking back to the doctor and lifted a brow at the tongue depressor in her hand.

Dr. Evers instantly understood, grabbing a second tongue depressor and turned to Henry. “Well, if little one won't allow me to peek at her throat, maybe Daddy will?” She said, lifting a brow at him.

“Of course, I have nothing to hide.” He answered, opening his mouth for the nice doctor.

Lightly using the depressor, Dr. Evens shined what turned out to be a pen light into Henry's mouth, giving it a good and convincing inspection, before pulling back. “Everything looks great.” She grinned at him, spying you from the corner of her eyes.

“Great.” Henry smiled back at her. “It didn't hurt one bit, either.”

“You have a very brave Daddy.”

You looked between them, biting the corner of your lip, your heart pounding in your chest. If your Daddy could do it and it didn't hurt him, then maybe you could do it too. Licking your lips, you tugged gently on Henry's shirt and lifted your brows at him, making his smirk at you.

“You ready to let her look at your throat now, Baby girl?” He asked, brushing his thumb over your cheek.

You nodded your head at him. “Yeah.” You mumbled, quietly.

“Open up then.” He instructed you, nodding his head back at you.

You opened your mouth and Dr. Evers gently pushed your tongue down with the depressor and shined her light into your mouth, inspecting your throat, frowning slightly as she did, before removing the tongue depressor and tucking the pen light back in her front pocket. Henry didn't like the look on her face as she peeled off her latex gloves and tossed them in the trash bin, before seating herself on a small stool, it greatly increased his anxiety and stress over the matter of your health.

“What is it?” He asked, distracting himself for a moment by snapping your onesie closed again.

“Looking just at her many symptoms and her outward appearance, she has a very serious flu.” Dr. Evers started to explain to him, watching Henry fuss over you. “But, listening to her lungs, her fever, the way she's wheezing, the phlegm she's producing and the clear pain she's in, when she coughs, I'm more than sure she's developing atypical pneumonia, also known as Walking Pneumonia.” She tried to put it as lightly as she could, knowing no Big or Caregiver liked hearing their Little was sick, especially as sick as you were.

Henry squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his lips together, his hands bawling up into fists for a moment as he mentally beat and berated himself for allowing this to happen, for so poorly neglecting you. You tilted your head at him, your brain having slipped quite deeply into Little Space, from being sick and exhausted, you were a bit oblivious to the seriousness of Henry and Dr. Evers conversation, but not even Little Space could keep you from understanding your Daddy was greatly upset by something, and nudged him gently, getting Henry to open his eyes and look at you.

“I'm fine, Baby.” He whispered, his breaking a little bit as he spoke. “I should have brought her in sooner.” He added, directing the comment at Dr. Evers.

“I doubt it would have made a difference really.” The doctor replied, cocking her head at the couple. “I've read her file. She has a bit of a compromised immune system, she likely would have developed this no matter what, and the only thing bringing her in sooner would have done, was possibly take a couple of days off how long she'll be sick.” She tried to reassure Henry, seeing how badly he was being on himself. “Even if you had brought her in an hour after she was in the cold. The only possible chance was her not getting sick in the first place.”

“Which would have been a miracle in its own right, any of us would have gotten sick from being outside, like that.”

“She couldn't have been out there, if I was awake.” Henry answered, gruffly.

“No, she wouldn't have been.” Dr. Evers agreed, nodding her head. “But, she was just being a Little overly excited about the snow and did something naughty, because of that. Not something you could have controlled, Henry, since you were sound asleep.” She reasoned with him. “Or else you would have.”

Sighing, Henry nodded his head, she was right, if he had been awake, when you noticed it snowing outside, he would have stopped you from going outside, dressed as you were, which would have prevented you from getting sick. But, he wasn't, creating an unavoidable and unfortunate situation.

“What do I need to do to get her well again?” He asked, looking over at her.

“I'm going to prescribe you an antibiotic, Doxycycline, for the pneumonia and Codeine, for her coughing and comfort.” Dr. Evers told him, turning towards her computer to put in the orders. “Other than that, she needs as much rest as she can get and plenty of fluids, as well as trying to get her to eat what you can. Plain toast, Baby food, if you go that route with her, a bottle. Things that are light, but filling on her stomach.”

“I can do that.” Henry nodded, glad of a plan and solution. “Anything to get my Princess healthy and happy again.” He said, smiling at you, and brushing his fingers through your hair.

“Absolutely.” She nodded, smiling over her shoulder at the two of you. “You know where our little pharmacy is?” She asked, turning back to Henry.

“I do.” He nodded at her, slipping your coat back onto you.

“Excellent, I put it into an urgent rush order, so Kim, the technician, should have it done in about twenty minutes.” She told him, going into a small drawer and pulling out a lollipop, holding it out to you with a sweet smile on her face. “I hope you get better soon, little bug.”

You grinned at her, shyly taking the offered candy from her. “Tank you.”

“Such a good girl.” She praised you, chuckling.

“Thanks, Dr. Evers.” Henry said, slinging your bag over his shoulder and scooping you up. “I really appreciate it.”

“That's what I'm here for, Mr. Cavill.” She replied, brushing it off and opening the room door for him.

Henry carried you back out to the waiting room, which was also attached to the Huntersville pharmacy, and waited for your medicines to be filled, before the two of you could go home. He balanced you in his lap, while he searched through his phone for something, but looked up, when you held out your lollipop to him.

“You want me to open it for you?” He asked, lifting a brow at you.

You shook your head at him, pushing it closer to him.

“Oh.” Henry sighed, a smile spreading across his lips. “No, baby.” He cooed, shaking his head at you and gently pushing your hand back towards you, understanding you were trying to cheer him up, by giving him your treat, figuring if it cheered you up, it would do the same with him.

“That's your lolly.”

You frowned at him, looking down at your deep purple colored lollipop for a long moment, before holding it out to him again, making Henry chuckle and soften at your sweet gesture.

“I'm touched, Sweetie.” He said softly, hugging his arms around you. “But that's the only lolly you have. If Daddy takes it, you won't have one. So, you keep it. Daddy'll be fine without it.” He explained to you, kissing your temple. “I appreciate your sweet gesture though.” He added, cuddling you.

You sighed, cuddling back with Henry, until he got the alert that your medicines were ready, then headed off back home.

Getting home after your appointment, Henry made sure to put something on your stomach, after asking the pharmacist every question under the sun about the two medicines Dr. Evers had given you to feel better, learning that he should make sure you had something to eat, when you had a dose of the Codeine, since it could make you sick to your stomach, then battled you on swallowing both the cough suppressant and the antibiotic. Once done, Henry laid you down on the couch with your favorite blanket and stuffie, before going to pop in a DVD.

“Hey, where are you going?” He asked, watching you crawl across the couch and lean over the arm. “Come on, baby. You need to be resting.” He sighed, sitting down and resting his hands on your hips to pull you back. “What?” He frowned, as you pushed the stuffie you grabbed towards him.

You grunted at him, nudging him in the chest with the cat stuffie until he finally took it, then crawled across his lap, back to where he had originally put you, tucking yourself back under your blanket with your manatee, and laid down.

“You're intent on cheering Daddy up, aren't you?” Henry inquired, resting the stuffie in his lap.

“One lolly.” You replied, looking back at him. “Many stuffies.”

Henry laughed in reply, nodding his head at you. “My rare and sweet girl.” He said, pressing play on the movie, then maneuvered to lay behind you, cuddling with you, while making sure to keep the stuffie you gave him in hand.

Chapter Text

 “One more day, short stuff.” Henry cooed, tossing the plastic medicine spoon into the sink behind him. “Then, you'll be all finished with your medications.” He smiled at you, then helped you off the island, patting you on the bottom as he directed you out of the kitchen.

“I can't wait.” You answered, skipping into the living room. “I don't mind that antibiotic, because it tastes like bubble gum.” You said, dropping onto the couch and snuggling up under your blanket. “But the other stuff tastes worse than what one of Kal's farts smells like.”

Henry laughed out loud, shaking his head at you. “I can't comment on what your cough medicine tastes like, but Kal's gas does smell something awful.” He grinned, removing the movie you had just finished watching, before he made you take your medicine, and slipped it back into the case.

“Any requests, Princess?” He asked, lifting a brow at you.

“Can we watch Jungle Cruise again!?” You asked, bouncing in your seat.

Henry took a deep breath, the pair of you had watched the Disney movie, easily, thirty times in the last week, but if it made you happy, Henry was content on watching it again. He slipped the DVD case in his hand on the shelf and grabbed the remote off the coffee table, then joined you on the couch, pulling up the streaming app on the tv and turned on the movie. You grinned at the screen, excited, you even offered Henry some of your blanket, then leaning in against him, with a soft and satisfied sigh. A few minutes into the movie, Kal joined the pair of you, jumping up on the other side of you, and you sat up for a moment, covering him up a bit with your blanket too; making Henry smirk sideways at you.

“What?” You frowned at him.

“Nothing. Just a proud Daddy, is all.” He replied, snaking his arm around your waist beneath the blanket. “You share so well.”

“I don't want you and Kal to get cold.” You answered, resting your head on his shoulder.

“I know.” Henry whispered, nosing your hair for a moment, before pressing his lips to your head.

You were swaying in the macrame, hammock chair that Henry had hung up in your playroom not long ago, reading one of your books, the Dutch door half open, while Henry sat in his office across the hall. You frowned at the sentence you were on, hearing Henry's voice float in towards you, but shook it off and focused back on what you were reading.

However, his voice reached you once again.

“I heard that they're doing a casting call for....”

You missed what the call was for, biting your lip as you felt a flush of anxiety rush through your body. Henry was inquiring about casting calls, that could only mean one thing, he was looking for work again; and your time in Huntersville was drawing to a close. Henry's year-long vacation was ending. Gulping thickly, you set your book aside and stood up, creeping towards the door to listen in on him.

“Yeah, there's still a month left. Then, I'll be back to work and everything it entails. ” He told whoever he was talking to, you imagined it was his agent, Dany. “No, Charlie, I'm—hold on, one second.” His office door opened completely, and his head came through the opening of your playroom door, startling you so badly that you screamed.

“Are you eavesdropping on Daddy, little girl?” Henry asked, opening the door and stepping into the room with you, having spotted you through the Playroom's CC camera.

“N-no.” You whimpered back at him, slowly stepping away from him.

“Where are you going, Nugget?” He frowned at you, seeing your face, he knew you heard some of what he had said to his younger brother. “Come here.” He said, holding a handout to you. “No, you're not in any trouble, but it is rude to eavesdrop.”

You bit your lip, but took Henry's hand and let him pull you into his chest, rubbing your cheek against his shirt and locking your arms around his waist. You took deep breaths of Henry's scent, the soap he used to do the laundry and wash his body, the cologne he used, but importantly the lingering smell that was unique only to Henry himself, a smell you wished you could burrow and wrap yourself up in. Henry frowned down at you, feeling you nudge your nose into his armpit a little bit to get a stronger whiff of his scent, something you only did, when you needed extra comfort.

“Come on, sweetheart.” He sighed, scooping you up and carrying you into his office, sitting down in his chair and picking his phone back up. “All right, sorry, Charlie. I'm here.” He said, reclining in his chair and rubbing your back. “Yeah, so there's a casting call that Dany sent me in an email about, for a show based on the Witcher games.” He told his brother, picking up their conversation. “Netflix is doing it, and I've got Dany contacting the casting agent for the project to see if they have a Geralt in mind, because I'm determined as all hell to get that part.”

You nuzzled Henry's neck, rubbing your nose just under his ear, where you found most of his scent was and sighed, melting in his lap as you listened to him speak to his brother, still bothered by the subject.

“What's wrong with my little one?” Henry asked, once he was off the phone.

“Nothing.” You replied, hooking your arm around his shoulders.

“No fibbing.” He answered, narrowing his eyes at you. “You only rut for my scent like that, when something's bothering you.” He reasoned with you, pressing his lips to your forehead.

“You smell good.” You told him, shifting him in lap.

“Mmhm.” Henry hummed, nodding his head, skeptically, but he didn't press you. “Okay, little one.” He sighed, resting his chin atop your head and closed his eyes.

Henry knew you were aware of how close to the end in Huntersville you both were and expected you to be upset and anxious about it. You had come to Huntersville to stay, to live there more permanently, while Henry only came to the Community to vacation, and that was a rare occasion, because of his work schedule. He hadn't come to the secluded Community, almost a year before, looking for a Little or expecting to foster one, only for it to turn into a more permanent situation. If you were still his Foster Little and he was leaving, as hard as it would be on you both, you would have been passed on to another Foster Big in a month's time, when Henry left, and true be told, Henry would have probably asked Tommy or Jasmine to Foster you, not willing to trust anyone else to care for you, Foster or not.

But, you weren't Henry's Foster Little anymore, you were his Baby Girl, forever and always.

So, the two of you needed to make the best of the situation as it was. He needed to prepare you for this upcoming change and the life ahead of you, traveling the world with him and Kal, movie and tv sets, premieres and everything else.

But, right now, there were slightly more important things on Henry's mind.

“I'm dropping you off at DayCare tomorrow morning.” He told you, after a long silence.

“Hm.” You replied, stirring, having dozed off. “Why?” You asked, tipping your head back to blink up at him.

“I have to go do something in the city.” He replied, tenderly brushing his fingers through your hair. “I'll probably be gone most of the morning.”

“I wanna go.” You whined, pouting at him.

Henry smiled at you, kissing your forehead. “No, Nugget. You've gotta stay here.” He told you, rhythmically patting your padded butt. “I don't need you getting cranky, before we have to leave.” He sighed, swaying side to side in his chair.

You frowned hard at him. “Leave? Leave where?”

“You'll find out when I get back home tomorrow.” He answered, pressing his lips together, and refused to tell you anymore.

“Fine.” You whined, scowling at him.

“Behave, Monkey!” Henry called to you, as you went to join the other Littles in the play area of the Day Care.

You shot Henry a dirty look, which only made him chuckle, then found your way to the swing set, where you knew at least Eric would be, since his Mommy owned the local Huntersville hair salon and ran it every day, Eric was at Day Care almost every day of the week.

“You're alive!” Eric screamed from across the open space, his voice echoing, as he launched himself off his swing and raced towards you. “My Mommy told me you got really sick!”

“Yeah, but I'm better now. My Daddy made me take two icky medicines until I got well again.” You told him, pouting down at your feet.

“Well, I'm super glad you're okay again.” He smiled, giving you a hug.

“I'm not, though.” You mumbled, hugging him back. “Daddy and I are supposed to be leaving somewhere soon, but he won't tell me where.”

“Oh no.” Eric frowned, pulling back from you. “Is that why you're here?”

“I don't know. He said, he had to go into the city for something and it might take him all morning to get back and didn't want me to be cranky, by taking me along.” You explained to him, following him back to the swings and taking one up next to him.

“I wonder what it could be.” He said, as the two of you started to swing together.

“Me too.” You replied. “I hate surprises.”

You soon forgot about wondering why Henry had dropped you off at DayCare, playing and catching up with Eric quickly filled your morning and interest, until the door to the play area opened and Anabelle appeared, planting her hands on her hips and smiled as she watched you giggle on your way down the twisting slide.

“Hey, Little one!” She called out to you. “Your Daddy is here for you!” She informed you, pointing behind her, to the waiting area.

Your face brightened up, but you spun around and threw your arms around Eric's neck. “I'll see you later, Eric!” You told him, excited that Henry had come back.

“You'll have to tell me what he was doing in the city and all that!” He said, hugging you back.

“I will!” You yelled over your shoulder, running towards Anabelle and the front of the Daycare, ready to go home. “Daddy!” You squealed, beaming at Henry, before launching at him.

Henry grinned at you, catching and picking you up. “Hey, baby girl.” He purred, squeezing his arms around you and kissing you, happily. “Did you have a good morning?” He asked, setting you on his hip and taking your bag as Anabelle held it over the counter to him.

“Mmhm.” You nodded, locking your arms around his neck.

“Good, I'm glad.” Henry smiled, nodding his head to Anabelle, then carried you out to the car.

“Where'd you go?” You asked him, settling into your car seat and studying him.

“I told you where I went, pumpkin.” He replied, pulling out of the parking space.

“But, what did you do?”

Henry grinned at you; his blue eyes mischievous. “You'll find out soon enough, silly butt.” He told you. “But first, we need to go home and pack.”

You blinked at the back of his head, caught off guard. “Pack? Pack for what, Daddy?”

“We're going on a trip.” He explained, focusing on the road in front of him. “There's some people I want you to meet.”

You gulped, feeling your heart pound. Who could Henry possibly want you to meet that requires you to pack and go on a trip? Everyone was here in Huntersville, weren't they?

It made you anxious to think you two were leaving Huntersville to the extent you needed to pack. You weren't ready yet, even though you were a month away from leaving the gates of this haven behind. Maybe, this was what Henry was doing, he had set something up to prepare you for life outside Huntersville with him, as his Little. Henry wouldn't just rip you out of the security of Huntersville and toss you into a world of flashing lights and glamour. You tried to relax on the rest of the drive home, but your mind kept jumping around to other ideas of what Henry was up too.

“All right, my dear.” Henry cooed, carrying you inside, and kicking the door closed with his foot, while protecting you from Kal jumping up. “Let's make you a bottle, then I'll lay you down for a nap.” He said, turning into the kitchen.

“What about the packing?” You asked, watching him go about the task.

“I've got it handled.” He replied, calmly. “I want you well rested, when we get on the plane.”

Your eyes snapped to his face. “Plane?” You squeaked, surprised.

“Mmhm.” He nodded, distracted by measuring rice cereal into the bottle. “A private jet, to be exact.”

“A private jet.” You echoed back, even more shocked.

“I hope you're not playing the 'Repeat Daddy' game, Kitten.” Henry frowned at you, not amused.

“No.” You frowned at him, biting your lip and shrinking slightly in his arms.

“Good, there's no corners in the jet.” He said, returning to making your bottle. “So, I'm not below or above resorting to popping your butt, if you misbehave.” He told you, shaking up the bottle's contents, before setting it up to be warmed. “It's a long flight to where we're going, and I want you to be on your absolute best behavior. You understand me?” He explained, shifting you to rest in front of him, so your eyes met more readily.

You slowly licked your lips. “Yes, sir.” You gulped thickly, thinking about the flight crew seeing Henry spank you for being bad, and shivered, before he hugged you close to him.

“Good girl.” He whispered into your ear, twisting side to side as he held you.

Henry fed you your bottle, then laid you down in your crib for your nap, before pulling out the suitcase you came with and his own suitcase. He laid them open on the bed and started filling them, you watched from between the bars of your crib, for the few moments you were still awake, noticing Henry was mostly picking the Big Girl clothing you had, which in reality shouldn't have surprised you; you were going out of Huntersville and being in your Little clothing would have drawn attention to you and Henry.

The world wasn't as understanding, accepting and nonjudgmental as the Community of Huntersville is, that's why you had come here in the first place.

But, you trusted Henry, you thought, as you finally drifted off to sleep, sucking gently on your paci.

You held Henry's hand as you followed him through the airport, he had a Kansas City Chiefs cap pulled low over his face and kept his head tilted slightly down, not making eye contact with anyone, but you, as you walked beside him, the hood of your jacket pulled up and shading your face, in hopes that both of you could quickly get to the gate the jet was parked at with as few people, and any possibly paparazzi, noticing you as possible. But, it was made slightly impossible, since Kal was hard to hide, he walked on the other side of Henry, his blue rope leash gripped tight in his opposite hand, his black head perked up high with all the sounds and smells of the airport around him, strutting with grace and confidence. But, it seemed like many of those around you were too busy rushing to their gates or to baggage claim to really notice the three of you, your bags already on their way to the plane.

“You all right?” Henry whispered to you, pausing for a moment in a traffic jam of people in a small intersection.

“I'm fine.” You replied, but felt antsy and overwhelmed by all the people and noise, especially by the lack of why you and Henry had to take this trip and who you were meeting. “But--” You started to say, but the people started moving and Henry took you and Kal with them.

“But, what?” He asked a moment later, once the three of you were clear of them.

“I have to pee.” You told him, wiggling your hips a little bit, it had been nearly a year since you'd worn Big Girl underwear for such an extended period of time, so having to hold back on going was hard.

“Fuck.” Henry hissed under his breath and frantically scanned the area around him, but saw no signs or indications of a bathroom nearby, and felt his own urgency build. “We're only a minute from our terminal, can you hold it?” He asked, looking back down at you, hopeful and startled, suddenly regretting not just putting you in a pull-up, it wouldn't have shown too much like a pamper.

You whined and shifted to your other foot. “Yeah.” You nodded, pressing your lips together.

“All right, come on.” He said, rushing towards the gate now, more than ever.

“Mr. Cavill?” The attendant at the gate asked, as you both arrived.

“Yes.” He nodded, letting go of your hand to present her with airline tickets and passports. “We'd like to board, right now.” He told her, feeling like shit for rushing her and coming off rude, but he needed to get you on the plane and into the bathroom as quickly as possible.

“Of course, Mr. Cavill.” She nodded, checking the tickets and passports.

Henry felt his eyes twitch at the young lady, it felt like she was going slower than cold syrup and Henry could see your potty dance was getting more incessant as you stood beside him. When the attendant finally scanned everything and handed them back to him, he crammed them back into his pocket and led you and Kal to the door of the gate as she opened it.

“Your bags are already on board for you.” She was saying, walking down the long tunnel to the jet's door.

“Excellent, thank you.” Henry said, absentmindedly.

The attendant pulled open the door and stepped out of your and Henry's way, giving Kal a sweet smile as he trotted by her. “Have a good flight!” She said, before going on her way.

“All right, baby. Let's get you to the bathroom.” Henry said, dropping Kal's leash.

You shied away from Henry, dropping your eyes to the floor. “I don't have to go anymore.” You mumbled, shamefully.

Henry's eyes flared and dropped to your pants, then exhaled with defeat, seeing the wet spot creeping down between your legs, where you had wet yourself, only a split second after the attendant turned her back to leave. At least she hadn't seen your accident and shame. You couldn't imagine her face, if she saw you wet yourself, or how she probably would have blasted it all over social media, humiliating Henry in the process. He wouldn't want to take you anywhere with him, he'd probably dump you as his Little in a second.

“Hey.” Henry cooed at you, seeing your bottom lip tremble and your eyes well up with tears, understanding some of where your mind was going. “You're all right. Accidents happen, baby girl.” He told you, cupping your face in his hands and wiped his thumbs under your eyes. “You haven't worn Big Girl panties in a very long time.” He tried to reassure you, dropping his hands to the button of your jeans, gently tugging them open.

“So, you just have to remember how to hold it in, like a Big Girl does.”

He got you out of your soiled jeans and underwear, before finding your suitcases in the back of the plane, luckily the main flight crew hadn't arrived yet, so you both had the privacy to deal with the accident. You noticed Henry had packed a couple of your reusable pull ups in your suitcase and looked up at him with a hopeful expression.

“No, Little one.” He shook his head at you, slipping your fresh underwear on you. “You need to get used to wearing your underwear again. Those for nighttime or for your naps, when you go to sleep.” He explained to you, opting to put you in a pair of leggings this time, since it would be easier for you to slip down, when you had to go to the bathroom, instead of struggling with the button and zipper of a pair of jeans; then slipped your shoes back on.

You sighed with huff, biting your pouty lip as you sat back up, but knew Henry had a point. People would notice the padding of your middle, if you were wearing your pull ups and there was the possibility of being found out, if your pants pulled down just right and someone noticed them poking out the top. No one would be around when you were in bed to sleep, other than Henry and Kal, so it was much safer and private to wear them then.

Again, Daddy knew best.

The flight crew finally arrived onboard, introducing themselves to you and Henry, before settling themselves in and getting to their positions on the jet, to make preparations for take off. Henry made sure Kal was settled, then turned his attention to you, motioning you to a seat and had you secure your seatbelt, before taking up a seat across from you, putting on his own seatbelt. A minute later, the jet came to life, causing the cabin to vibrate, and the captain's voice came over the intercom system, announcing he would be taxing the plane to the runway, followed by the movement of the jet turning away from the terminal and towards the short line of commercial planes.

“How long is the flight?” You asked, lifting an eyebrow at Henry.

“Little more than twelve hours.” He replied, reclining in his seat. “With a stop in New York to refuel, before we continue on to our final destination.”

“Which is?” You pressed, biting your bottom lip, anxious, you hated surprises.

Especially long-winded ones like this.

“I told you, you'd see when we got there.”

Your shoulders slumped at him, unamused and losing patience. “But, I want to know now.”

Henry's eyes narrowed at you. “You'll know when we get there and no sooner.” He told you, a hint of warning and impatience in his voice. “If you insist...” He continued as you opened your mouth again to protest. “When the plane levels out, I can put you down for bed early.” He threatened, lifting a stern brow at you.

You clamped your mouth shut and scowled at him, but didn't say anything more on the subject. Henry sighed, shaking his head at you, hoping your temperament evened out during the rest of the flight. When the jet finally leveled out and it was safe to move about the cabin, Henry released his seatbelt and stood, going to check on Kal, who was content in his spot on the plane, then to the back, where the restroom was.

“Can I get you anything to drink, Ms.?” The flight attendant asked, approaching you.

“Um...” You gulped and bit your lip, your eyes flickering for a second to the back of the plane.

“We have tea, coffee, soft drinks, juice, cocktails, wine, bottled water, champagne and energy drinks.” She rattled off everything that was available to drink onboard.

You knew Henry would probably lose his mind if you had any alcohol, even though it wasn't something that was the end of the world. So, you pushed that out of your mind, you considered your other options on the list she gave you.

“What kind of energy drinks do you have?”

“We have Monster, Rockstars and Bangs.”

“Do you have any Rainbow Unicorn flavored Bangs?” You asked, looking up at her.

“I can check, if not, I'll let you know what flavors we do have.” She told you, before walking away.

The stewardess returned a minute later with a bright blue and pink can in one hand and a clear, plastic cup in the other, setting them on the table in front of you, before leaving you be. You cracked open the Bang, not bothering with the cup she supplied you with, instead taking deep gulps of the Dragon Fruit flavored drink. Henry appeared beside you, staring down at you as you slowly lowered the can from your lips and set it on the table, looking up at him.

“Is that an energy drink?” He asked you, blue eyes narrowing at you.

“It is.” You nodded, lifting the can and taking another gulp of it. “The nice stewardess asked if I wanted something to drink, this is what I wanted. It's a long flight, said so yourself, and nothing makes time pass faster than an energy drink.”

“Until you get the sugar rushes, then end up crashing out, when it ends.” Henry replied, taking up his seat again.

“I've never crashed from an energy drink, thank you very much.” You grinned at him, swirling the remaining liquid in the can. “I used to drink three of these a day, just to get through school.”

Henry's jaw hit the table as he looked across to you. “That's unhealthy.”

“The high school I went to was unhealthy.” You laughed back at him. “I slept like crap back then, so if it wasn't for these--” You held up the Bang. “I would have constantly been falling asleep during my classes. Which, incidentally, in my school was deeply frowned upon.”

“What do you mean, 'deeply frowned upon'?” Henry asked, shaking his head in confusion.

“If you were caught falling asleep in class, and your teacher was a jerk, you could get ISS, or In School Suspension, or if the school itself was feeling extra, suspended for two days.”

“That's insane!” He barked, outraged.

You shrugged your shoulders at him. “It is. I got ISS six times one year and suspended twice in a three-month period, in another.”

“Because you were tired.” Henry hissed; brow furrowed. “Sounds like that school needs to be investigated.”

“Probably, but I managed to survive to graduation, thanks to Monster and coffee.” You sighed, swilling the last of your Bang.

“No more energy drinks.” Henry said, leveling a brow at you.

“Can I have some tea?” You asked, returning your own brow.

Henry smirked at you and nodded. “I don't think they have your Caramel Macchiato creamer though.” He added, glancing over his shoulder.

You sighed, dramatically. “I'll have to suffer without it, then. As long as there's honey.”

“I'm sure there will be.” He chuckled, knowing you loved honey in your tea.

“Stop.” Henry frowned at you over his laptop, as you drummed on the table.

“But, I'm bored.” You whined, rolling your eyes and turning sideways in your chair, draping your legs over one arm and your head over the other, using the edge of the table to twist side to side.

“I packed your tablet in your suitcase. Why don't you grab it and play one of your games or watch one of the movies that's loaded on it?” He suggested, studying you.

You pressed your lips together, then got up and went back to where your suitcase was, unzipping it and found your tablet tucked on the side. Taking the device out, you joined Kal on the bed that was on the jet, laying on your belly with the tablet propped up on Kal's side as you stared at your options of playing one of your games, either Candy Crush, Gold and Goblins or Mahjong or watching Howl's Moving Castle, Casper, Moana, Spirited Away or Tangled.

“What do you think, Kal?” You said, looking up at the Akita. “A movie or a game?”

Kal turned his head to look at you.

“Tongue out for a game or an ear twitch for a movie.” You told him, pressing your lips together.

There was a long moment, before Kal's ears twitched to a sound at the front of the plane.

“Movie, it is!” You exclaimed and decided to watch Tangled first.

A little while later, Henry closed his laptop and rubbed his face, before getting up and going to the back of the jet to check on you, you had been in the back for a few hours, and he hadn't heard a peep from you in that time. He smiled, finding you sound asleep with your tablet on your chest, he gingerly picked up your device, finding you had fallen asleep while watching Spirited Away. Turning the movie and your tablet off, Henry set the device aside and shooed Kal off the bed, then gently maneuvered you to lay properly on the bed, before laying down behind you, slipping an arm underneath you and hugging you back against his chest.

Henry leaned over you, gliding his fingers through your hair and massaged your back, waking you as gently as he could. You drew a deep breath through your nose, groaning and curling up, before opening your eyes and looking up at him. You became aware of how still and quiet the jet was around you and wondered if the plane had reached New York for the refuel.

“Are we in New York?” You asked, rubbing at your eyes, as you sat up.

He grinned at you. “No, sweetie, we stopped in New York several hours ago.”

“Ah.” You pouted, bummed you missed the city.

“Come on, it's time to go.” He told you, helping you put your shoes back on. “I took your hoodie out of your suitcase; it'll be a bit nippy once we leave the airport.” He explained to you, pointing to it and backing away from you.

You got up and grabbed your hoodie, pulling it on over your head, before following Henry to the front of the plane.

“Can you hold Kal's leash for me?” He asked, clipping it to Kal's collar.

“Yeah.” You nodded, taking the held out leash.

“Thanks, baby.” Henry smiled, before grabbing the handles of your and his suitcases. “Go.” He said, motioning to the open door with his head.

You guided Kal off the jet, down the terminal to inside the airport, which was remarkably quiet and still. Minus a couple of other travelers and airport workers, there didn't seem to be too many people in the small airport. You looked above to the skylights overhead and saw the dark sky and first hints of stars.

“Come on, Nugget. I've got a car waiting.” Henry said, pausing beside you.

Nodding, you followed Henry through the airport, stifling a couple yawns in the process and felt relieved, when you saw the automatic doors come into view. Henry paused just outside the doors, pulling his phone out of his back pocket and scrolling through his text messages for a moment, before pocketing it again.

“All right, the car's been parked this way.” He sighed, looking in the direction of the short-term parking lot, then to you and Kal. “Why don't you and Kal sit right there,” He pointed to a bench by the door. “And I'll be right back.”

“Okay.” You nodded, taking Kal over to the bench, and took a seat.

Nodding his head to you, Henry took the suitcases and headed off in the direction of the car, moving as quickly as he could. You looked around you, while you waited for Henry to come back, taking a deep breath of the cool air, catching the scent of the sea on it as you did. You heard the engine of a vehicle and looked up, hoping it was Henry, but noted it was coming from the wrong direction. But a minute later, Henry finally pulled up, getting out to help you put Kal in the back seat, before the two of you piled in with him.

“I already ordered us some take-away and we'll eat it when we get home.” Henry told you, driving out of the airport and onto the public roads. “We just need to pick it up on the way.”

“All right.” You nodded, staring out the window, the more you looked around you, the more you grew suspicious of where you and Henry were.

Pausing long enough to pick up the pizza he ordered, you and Henry proceeded, the city falling away to a small rural area, Henry turned off onto a small road, until he came to a large and closed gate, rolling to a stop before it. He put his window down and reached out to a box beside him, putting in a passcode that allowed the gate to swing open, admitting you. The driveway was long and lined with small lights, before finally reaching the front of the house, where Henry parked before the garage, killing the engine. Taking up dinner, Henry got out of the car with you, letting Kal out to roam, sure the Akita needed to relieve himself. You glanced around the property, it looked huge, the paving of the driveway extending further to the side of the house, between the garage and the house was what looked like a glass sun-room, the house itself was brick and stone, the entryway before the front door was overgrown, but manicured and well taken care of, so it didn't impede on anything, and there were trees, planters and bushes dotting the landscape; without another house in the dark distance.

“Wow.” You sighed, turning in a circle as you followed Henry to the front door.

“You like it?” He asked, putting the key in the lock. “I don't generally have to worry about my privacy here, but privacy is still nice.” He said, pushing the door open and ushered you inside.

“It's huge.” You answered, looking down at the light hardwood floors, the front room was spacious with arching entryways, a stairway leading to the second floor. “And homey.”

“This place is home.” Henry said, going for the kitchen, setting the pizza box on the table in the middle of the room and turning to grab plates and cups out of the cabinet. “Come sit down, so we can eat and go to bed. It's been a long day.”

“It has.” You nodded, taking a seat and licking your lips at the slice of pizza Henry set down in front of you, your stomach growling.

Henry took a seat beside you, picking up his slice and took a healthy bite out of it, moaning at the amazing cheesy and saucy combination, chewing it slowly as his eyes rolled shut to savor it. You looked over at him, grinning at his almost euphoric expression, like he was having a coming to Jesus moment.

“You're not hungry, are you, Puppy?” You asked, smirking at him as he finally swallowed.

“I feel like I haven't eaten in days.” Henry replied, wiping his mouth.

“Give the man a little bit of grease and all hell breaks loose.” You teased him, taking a bite of your own food.

“Well, when you're denied it for so long, it does make you go a little mad.” He joked back, winking at you. “Are you full?” He asked, after finishing off a third piece.

“Mmhm.” You nodded, pushing your plate away.

“All right.” He nodded, using his napkin to wipe a bit of pizza sauce off the corner of your mouth. “Let's go to bed, baby doll.” He said, pushing away from the table and standing.

“Okay, Daddy.” You replied, yawning and getting up.

“I knew that Bang was going to fuck you up.” Henry sighed, seeing the expression on your face, before picking you up.

“That's a bad word, Dada.” You mumbled, your head resting heavily on his shoulder.

“Mmm, it is.” He smirked, carrying you out of the kitchen and upstairs to the master, tugging down the blankets and gently laying you down. “I'll be right back, just going to bring up our suitcases.” He told you, kissing your temple.

“Okay.” You murmured, already in the process of falling asleep, jet-lagged.

Henry smiled at you, before returning downstairs, he made sure Kal had come back inside, through the doggy-door installed on the back patio, before locking all the doors and arming the security system, then grabbed the suitcases and went back up to you. He left his suitcase by the door and laid yours on the hope chest at the foot of the bed, unzipped it and removed one of your reusable pull-ups and your favorite pajamas, tossing them on the bed, before rounding it to you. He tilted his head at you, then chuckled, realizing you'd fallen asleep. As carefully as he could, he tugged off your shoes and peeled off your leggings and underwear, lifting your hips, so he could slip the pull-up onto you, followed by the black and gray, short shorts that barely covered your pull-up. You groaned and stirred, when Henry sat you up, looking up at him, as you lifted your arms, so he could take off your hoodie and shirt, allowing him to put you in the matching tank top, before resting your forehead against his chest.

“Lay down.” Henry whispered, gently rubbing your back for a moment, before coaxing you. “Oh, I almost forgot.” He said, returning to your suitcase and digging into the inside pocket, removing your 'I love Daddy' paci.

“You brought my paci?” You asked, blinking up at him.

“Of course, I did.” He cooed at you, clipping it to the front of your tank top. “I know my Little one might be able to do without a lot of things, but your paci is not one of them.” Henry said, smirking at you as he covered you up.

“You're one fussy baby without it.”

“I was fine on the plane.” You pointed out, burrowing under the blankets.

Henry grinned at you, blue eyes sparkling. “That's because you had my thumb.”

You looked at Henry startled, but then vaguely remembered sucking on Henry's thumb at some point during your long nap on the plane ride. You really hoped the flight attendant hadn't seen you doing it, it would have been mortifying. But, Henry didn't seem bothered by the fact, so she must not have.

“Sounds?” You frowned at him.

“I have that covered.” He replied, crossing the room and opened the sliding glass door that led out onto a balcony.

You lifted a brow at Henry for a moment, but a second later, the soothing sound of ocean waves came crashing through the open door. “Oh.” You sighed, relaxing.

Henry grinned at you, nodding. “Mmhm.” He nodded, staring out the window. “I've fallen asleep to those very sound countless times, while growing up. We're literally a short walking distance from the beach and not much further from where I grew up.” He told you, a tone of fond nostalgia in his voice.

“Is that why we're here?” You asked, rolling onto your other side, to see him. “To see your hometown?”

“Mostly.” He answered, moving away from the balcony. “You'll find out the rest in the morning. Right now, Princess, you need to go to sleep.”

You held your arms out to Henry and whined, wanting him to lay down with you; he chuckled yanking off his Adeptus Custodes hoodie and shirt, kicked out of his shoes and shoved down his jeans, before turning out the lights and crawling into bed with you. He pulled you close and kissed you softly, before slipping the nipple of your paci between your lips.

“Good night, baby girl.” He whispered, nuzzling the side of your face.

The cry of seagulls, the sound of crashing waves and bright morning sun filtering in through the open drapes greeted you as you woke up, rolling over onto your back and stretching with a satisfying moan. It was your first morning in Henry's home island of Jersey, but you could already get used to waking up here, if it was waking up like this every morning. You glanced over at the clock on the nightstand and gasped, it was well over two hours after the time you usually woke up, you scrambled out of bed and downstairs, searching for Henry.

“Daddy?” You called out, coming into the kitchen, but got no response.

Henry was nowhere in the house, so you stepped out onto the back patio, which you hadn't had the chance to check out the night before. You found a fenced in tennis court and a glass enclosed, heated pool that overlooked a large field. The whole property was stunning as much as it was secluded, the soothing smell of the sea air and warm sun, it was a paradise on Earth.

“Morning, gorgeous.” Henry's voice called, as he approached, coming from a small building, separate from the rest of the house, sweat shining on his forehead and drenching his tank top. “You just wake up, Princess?” He asked, leaning in to kiss you.

“Yeah.” You nodded, kissing him back. “You didn't wake me up.” You added, looking up at him.

“I know I didn't.” He smirked at you, wiping the sweat from his face. “We're on vacation, Nugget, and you're jet-lagged. So, I let you sleep in.” He told you, gently patting you on the butt. “Let's get you some breakfast and get ready for the day, little one.”

“Okay, Daddy.” You sighed, following him back inside.

You frowned as Henry put you in a pair of underwear, you prayed you wouldn't have another accident like you did the day before, once was enough embarrassment, twice was just pathetic and sad.

“So, what are we doing today, Daddy?” You asked, hopping down the stairs after him.

“I'm going to show you around Jersey.” He replied, smiling over his shoulder. “All my favorite places.”

“Like the Zoo!” You answered, ecstatic.

Henry had told you a lot about the Jersey Zoo countless times, and you knew how important the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust with the zoo was to him, remembering several posts he made on his Instagram about it and the Durrell Challenge he did. You were excited at the thought of finally seeing the famous zoo that held such a passion in Henry's heart.

“That will be one of them.” He nodded, pulling a chair from the kitchen table out for you. “Not today though. It'll take all day just to show you around the island and a lot of the day to show you around the zoo. So, we have some time management on our hands.” He told you, going about making breakfast.

“How long are we going to be here?” You asked, sitting down at the table.

“Maybe a week.” He replied, pulling open the fridge.

You frowned at him, watching him pull food items out and carry them over to the counter beside the stove. “Did you go shopping, while I was asleep?”

“I did.” Henry answered, cracking a couple eggs into the pan. “It's only a five minute drive to the market.”

“Scramble?” You asked, lifting an eyebrow at his back.

“Scrambled eggs coming up!” He sang, holding up his metal spatula.

“So, where to first?” You asked, as Henry slid your plate in front of you.

“I've got several things planned out.” He answered, picking up his fork. “Show you a couple of the beaches, one of my favorite castles, the botanic gardens, satisfy that historical nut in you, and check out the Jersey War tunnels, then dine at the La Mare Wine Estate.” He rattled off, digging into his breakfast.

“It all sounds like a lot of fun.” You smiled, taking a bite of your eggs.

“Yeah.” Henry nodded, grinning over at you. “Tomorrow's a whole other ballgame.” He muttered to himself.

You frowned at him. “Why's that?”

“No reason.” He answered, clearing his throat. “Let's just focus on today, baby girl.” He said, patting your thigh, lightly.

With breakfast finished and the dishes put in the sink, you and Henry went back upstairs and brushed your teeth. Henry already had a day bag packed with supplies, a couple bottles of water and snacks, in case you got hungry along the way, some sunscreen, a small first aid kit, a portable charge bank, in case his phone started to die, since he knew he would be taking an armload of photos, as well as putting a backup outfit in the trunk of the car, should something happen to the one you're wearing, and a package of baby wipes, Henry had learned about the versatility of baby wipes in the year of Daddying you.

“All right, to the car!” Henry declared, slinging the bag over his shoulder.

“Kal?” You asked, looking down at the Akita.

“Kal's going to stay home.” He told you, opening the front door. “It's just you and me today, Princess.” He smiled, stepping sideways so you could go out the door first.

“Daddy and Little time.” You said, skipping out the door.

Henry grinned, closing the door behind him as he went out. “Exactly, Baby.” He nodded, opening the passenger door for you. “Daddy and Little Day.” He chuckled, slipping behind the steering wheel.

“Where to first, Daddy?” You asked, twisting in your seat to look at Henry.

“Let's see.” Henry sighed, looking at his watch. “We have about ten minutes to catch the Ferry.” He said, starting the car and pulling around to get down the driveway, pausing long enough to open the gate and then continued on.

With the sun up and shining, you got to see Jersey in all its beautiful and lively glory, people walking or biking along, soaking up the nourishing Vitamin D, the architecture was stunning, even with the mix of new and modern. The car rounded a corner and one of the harbors came into view, the tall masts of every kind of ship and boat imaginable glittered and bobbed against the cobalt of the ocean behind them, taking your breath away in the process. Henry smiled over at you, resting his hand on your thigh and gently squeezed it, before scanning up ahead and slowed down to pull into a public parking area.

Getting out, you noted the sight of a castle out in the distance, a body of water separating you and Henry from it. Henry took your hand and led you down the sidewalk, checking his watch again, then glanced at you and smirked, seeing the absolute wonder in your eyes as you looked around Saint Helier, it filled his soul to see you fall in love with the place he was born and raised, it was also refreshing to see it.

“Oh, oh!” You bounced on your heels beside Henry, your eyes sparkling. “Can we make a wish?” You asked, pointing over to a magnificent fountain in the square. “Please, please, please?” You begged, hopeful.

Henry checked his watch one last time, before smiling at you. “Sure, Dove. We still have four minutes.”

“Yay!” You squealed, grinning happily.

You and Henry quickly crossed the street to the fountain that you marveled at. The water was inset in the ground, while a set of seven bronze statues, six adults and a small child, were positioned on a three step platform, clutched in a couple of the statues' hands, and tossing it up in the air, is what looked like a sheet, or perhaps a flag.

“It's a marvelous fountain.” You said, stopping at the edge of it.

“That it is.” Henry nodded, digging out some loose change he happened to have in his front pocket. “It represents Jersey's resilience during its occupation in World War II.” He explained, dropping a coin in the palm of your hand, before separating one out for himself and putting the rest back in his pocket.

“I'm glad it did.” You replied, before squeezing your hand around the coin and closed your eyes, even holding your breath a little bit, as you made your wish, then flipped the coin into the water at your feet; followed by Henry's a moment later.

“What did you wish for, baby?” Henry asked, as you both crossed the street again.

“I can't say, or it won't come true!” You answered, frowning up at him.

“Oh, my apology.” He laughed, smiling at you. “I forgot how wish-making works.”

“Silly Puppy.” You cooed, shaking your head.

“Hmm.” Henry chuckled, leaning to press his lips to your temple.

“Is that the ferry?” You asked, pointing over to a large, blue amphibious vehicle.

“It is.” He nodded, reaching for his wallet, as the pair of you reached the ferry booth. “I have a membership pass.” He told the attendant inside the booth, taking out his pass card and handing it over.

“Just the two of you?” The attendant asked, scanning the card in the system.

“Yes, sir.” Henry confirmed, nodding his head, taking the card back and slipping it back into his wallet.

“Enjoy your ride and tour of the castle.” The attendant smiled.

“Thanks.” Henry smiled back, before moving away with you.

You and Henry found a place on the ferry, Henry letting you take the window seat as he settled his bag between his feet. The plastic coverings that went over the windows of the ferry were rolled up and tied in place, letting the cool and fresh sea air blow in, only filling you with more excitement about the trip across to the castle. You looked over at Henry, feeling his hand rest on the small of your back, and smiled, letting your enthusiasm show; he grinned back at you happily that you were having fun. Soon, the ferry slowly rolled down the waterfront and into the water, and you poked your head out the window, watching the ferry go from driving on wheels to propelling through the water, like a boat.

“That's so cool!” You exclaimed, looking over your shoulder at Henry.

“Yeah, it is.” He grinned, nodding his head at you, keeping an arm around your waist and scooted a little bit closer to you. “I bet I see a dolphin before you do.”

Your eyes grew large with wonder and shock. “No way!”

“Yeah.” Henry nodded, chuckling. “These waters are famous for them, and it's high tide.” He told you, casting his eyes over the sparkling water.

“I want to see one.” You said, pressing closer to the window and looking for any hints of the mammals.

Henry rested his chin on your shoulder, his head resting against yours as he searched the sea for the sleek animal. It was about two minutes after the ferry launched that Henry spotted the stealthy movement in the water and the peak of a dolphin's fin for a brief moment, before it vanished. But he didn't say anything to you, knowing the moment he did, you'd get upset for not spotting it first. However, a moment later, he felt your body start against his, followed by a soft gasp of surprise, as a pair of dolphin fins ascended and glided through the water close to the ferry.

“Dolphins!” You pointed, smiling with wonder.

“Two of them!” Henry answered, nodding. “You won, sweetness.” He purred, placing a gentle kiss on your neck.

You grinned at him, wiggling closer to him. “They're so beautiful.” You whispered, watching the dolphins leap past the ferry, going in the opposite direction.

“But not as beautiful as you.” Henry whispered back, his lips brushing the rim of your ear.

You scrunched up in your seat, shyly, looking over at Henry. “Sappy.” You giggled at him.

“Hm.” He hummed back at you, rubbing his nose against your cheek. “The things you do to me.” He sighed, pressing his forehead to your temple for a moment, before pulling away. “Let's see if we can get a photo with the dolphins in the background.” He said, pulling out his phone.

“Yeah!” You nodded, beaming.

You and Henry shifted in your seats, so the window was behind you and both of you were in frame, it was just a matter of being patient for the dolphins to reappear, as soon as they did, Henry snapped the photo, then looked at it.

“I like it.” He smiled at the image of you together.

“I love it.” You nodded, in agreement. “You take a lot of pictures of me.” You pointed out, seeing the photos on Henry's phone.

“Naturally.” Henry purred, smiling at the endless list of photos of you, only broken up by photos of Kal or something else he'd found interesting enough to take a picture of. “You are my pride and joy.” He told you, tapping one of the photos to enlarge it.

It was a photo of you playing on the front lawn with Eric and Aspen, during the summer, the three of you chasing each other with super-soakers and water balloons. Henry swiped to the left, revealing another photo, of just you this time, your back was to Henry and the camera, as you sat in a bathtub full of bubbles, obscuring anything truly inappropriate, while you used your bath crayons to draw a decent sized masterpiece on the wall in front of you.

“Other than Kal, that is.” You added, looking at the photo bashfully.

“Ladies and Gentlemen!” The voice of the ferry driver came over an intercom system. “Welcome to Elizabeth Castle.”

“Looks like we're here, Nugget.” Henry smiled, tucking his phone away and picking up his bag.

The ferry rolled out of the water and up a short walk, until it stopped and allowed its passengers to disembark. The group from the ferry dispersed, while you and Henry headed for the first gate up ahead, you glanced around in wonder at the enormous structure, even in its weathered state. You tried picturing what it looked like in its day of glory, regime soldiers populating its grounds as they went about their duties. You bet it looked stunning, but just as imposing and intimidating to those outside of it, you were standing inside its walls, and you got that feeling.

“King Williams Gate.” Henry said aloud, as the two of you went under it.

“Kal would go crazy to sniff all that grass.” You said, pointing to the castle green.

“The Bear would indeed.” Henry chuckled, nodding in agreement. “And probably attempt to pee on every blade of grass.”

Your nose scrunched up. “Ew.” You giggled, looking up at Henry, grossed out.

The two of you continued up the walkway, finding short, barreled cannons pointing out ports in the wall with metal slats bolted across them, you could almost picture the ghosts of gunners of old standing beside them, looking out to sea, scanning the horizon for threats to bombard with cannon fire. You peaked over the railing of the bridge you crossed with Henry, entering yet another gate, this one a bit more fortified than the first, the thick and studded doors were pushed back out of the castle visitors' way.

“These are the parade grounds.” Henry explained to you, sweeping his hand out in front of him.

“So, this is where the soldiers would show off?” You asked, looking up at him.

Henry laughed, smirking down at you. “Something like that, little one.” He nodded, amused.

You let go of Henry's hand and he opened his mouth to call you back, but quickly cut himself off, as you laughed and did a cartwheel, understanding what you were doing, doing a parade on the grounds. He pulled out his phone and took a photo as you did another cartwheel, then captured your handstand and twirl, smiling as you had fun. Once you had your fun, you skipped back to Henry and took his hand, leaning against him to catch your breath, as he guided you towards a winding set of stone stairs. Henry pointed out the guard house, the governor's home, the magazine and breakwater, as well as the hospital, until you reached the highest point of the castle grounds.

“This doesn't look right.” You frowned, shaking your head at the clear modern construction of concrete, steel and iron.

“This was added to the castle in 1942, during the second World War, by the German occupying army.” Henry explained to you. “They added bunkers and search lights as well.”

“When was the castle itself built?” You asked, climbing a set of steel stairs to stand on top of the search tower.

“It was originally built in 1594. But it's been destroyed and rebuilt a few times since.” He told you, standing beside you and looking at the island of Jersey across the water, feeling a stout pride in his island home.

“Let me show you something.” He whispered, then led you back down the stairs.

Henry guided you through the castle grounds and into the magazine tunnel, before pausing for a moment, smiling at you over his shoulder in the dimly lit space, then reached out in the dark. There was the sound of an unoiled hinge swinging open and Henry disappeared, tugging you after him. You and Henry approached a bright, shining light on the other end and blinked, once you came out into it, standing on a small rise, where just beyond, the ocean wave crashed and lapped against.

“The secret passageway to the sally port.” Henry grinned, glancing up at the cloudless sky.

“That's really cool.” You smiled back at him, hugging his arm. “This place is super cool.” You sighed, closing your eyes at the feel of the ocean spray against your face.

“This is just the start of it, baby girl.” He replied, kissing the top of your head. “Come on, let's head back.” He said softly, directing you back through the secret doorway. “Before we disembark back to the island on the ferry, do you have to potty?” Henry asked, looking at you seriously.

“No.” You answered, vigorously shaking your head.

“You're positive?” He inquired, narrowing his eyes at you.

“As positive as there's ten cannons over there!” You replied, pointing over to the line up.

Henry looked to where you were pointing and chuckled. “I believe you.” He said, his voice light with amusement. “Let's head out to the ferry then.”

“Oh, Puppy, they have escape rooms!” You gasped with excitement, seeing the advertisement as you and Henry entered the Jersey War Tunnels, tugging on the back of his coat.

Henry grinned at you. “I know they do, love.” He chuckled, gently patting you on the back. “Maybe, we'll come back and do one.” He told you, herding you away from the tunnel that led to where the escape rooms were.

“You promise?” You asked, biting your lip as you looked up at him, your eyes bright with hope.

His heart skipped a beat and he sighed softly. “I promise.” He cooed, kissing your forehead lightly.

You grinned up at him, content with his promise, and started examining the exhibits, some depicting a hospital or surgery room, or the glass enclosed exhibit that looked like someone's small dining room. You stopped before a tall, slab of stone, that bore a Winston Churchill quote chiseled into it, “Let'em starve. No fighting. They can rot at their leisure.” You looked up, hearing Henry's muffled growl from behind you.

“What's it mean?” You asked, frowning at him.

“When Normandy was liberated, it cut Jersey, Sark and Guernsey off from supply lines, both German and Allied. The German Foreign Ministry sent word, through the Red Cross, to Churchill and London, saying that they would allow the evacuation of everyone, other than the men of fighting age, off the three islands, to combat the steadily growing lack of food and growing starvation.” Henry told you, staring coldly at the stone.

“Instead of allowing this, since it was obvious that the Germans weren't giving up the islands and once the women, elderly and children were gone, there would likely be enough food for them, Churchill dashed the German Foreign Ministry's idea, stating; Let'em starve. No fighting. They can rot at their leisure.”

You stared up at Henry, your mouth ajar as he told the story, you had no clue this had happened during the war. “What happened? Obviously, you guys managed to survive—somehow?” You said, licking your lips and shaking your head at him.

“Barely.” Henry huffed, shaking his head back, but his eyes were still on the stone. “For three months afterwards things grew worse, the Channel Islanders struggled to survive on what food there was. Until a ship sailed from Lisbon with supplies from the Red Cross, carrying food, medicine and clothing for us.” He whispered, his face softening.

“They made six more visits, until Jersey was finally liberated on May Ninth.”

“That's just a few days before your birthday.” You said, smiling up at him.

Henry chuckled, his eyes finally breaking away from the stone to look down at you. “Yes.” He nodded, resting his hand on your back.

“Churchill was a jerk monkey.” You huffed, rolling your eyes at the quote.

“Now, now.” Henry laughed, shaking his head at you. “It's debated whether he was talking about the island or the Germans.”

“It better have been the Germans.” You said, making a mean face at the stone.

“Who's that?”

“Well, I'm sure some member of your family was here, when all this was happening.” You said, looking back at him.

“Yes, my maternal-grandparents and that part of my family was.” He nodded, tilting his head at you.

“Well, he was mean to them, so he was a jerk.”

Henry smiled at you, kissing you tenderly. “You're a tender soul.” He purred against your lips. “Feisty, but a tender soul.”

You continued on and perked up, seeing the Tunnel Cafe, which had delicious looking cupcakes under protective glassware. “Cupcake?” You said, looking up at Henry.

“Hm.” He hummed, looking at his watch. “It is lunch time.” He said, glancing around the little cafe for a free table. “You can have it, after you eat. So, what do you want to eat?” He asked, looking up at the menu.

You chewed on your lip for a long time, studying the menu in front of you, before answering. “The cheese sticks?” You mumbled, shifting on your feet.

“Venezuelan cheese sticks.” Henry said, reading it off the board. “Sounds good. Right, we know what we want.” He nodded and approached the ordering counter. “Hi, we'll have the Venezuelan cheese sticks, the Arepas and one of your chocolate cupcakes, with a pot of tea.” He told the lady behind the counter.

“Certainly.” She smiled at Henry, writing the order down on a slip of paper, before ringing it up on a cash register.

Paying for the meal, you and Henry took a seat at a vacant table and patiently waited for your food to be made; your tea arrived presently, and Henry poured you both a cup of the rich and golden-brown liquid into a cute, porcelain teacup.

“So, what do we have left?” You asked, lifting the cup to your lips and took a careful sip.

“The botanic gardens.” Henry replied, slowly turning his spoon in his tea. “With dinner at the Estate.” He told you, his eyes slowly moving over you.

“Do we get to taste wine?” You asked, lifting a brow at him.

Henry clicked his tongue at you, a smirk turning up one corner of his mouth. “Why would one go to La Mare Wine Estate, if not to taste the finest wines in Jersey, darling?” He asked, his tone teasing.

“Little things.” You answered into your teacup, before taking a deep swallow.

“Oh, but today we're about Big things.” He purred, finally taking a sip of his cooled tea. “So, naturally big things taste wine.”

Smirking at him, you bit the inside of your lip, giddy about the wine tasting; you hadn't had wine in almost three years, or any alcohol in a year and a half. It was a no-no for Littles to drink the forbidden spirits, though you had seen Eric sneak sips of his Mommy's wine coolers at events, when none of the Bigs were looking, and had thought about doing the same, but the terrifying thought of Henry catching you drinking, sneaking, made you shiver and was enough to deter you from attempting it. You never really considered asking Henry if it was all right, if you were a Big Girl for a little while and enjoyed a glass of Pink Moscato or Pinot Grigio.

What could it hurt?

You had watched Henry share wine coolers and glasses of wine with Jasmine before, and a couple bottles of Guinness with Tommy, when the group of you were hanging out together for an event at Huntersville or just so you, Aspen and Eric could have a play date. He's also just enjoyed a small glass of Ardbeg in the evenings, once or twice.

So, what would be so wrong with you popping out of Little Space every once in a while, to join him. Maybe not in the whiskey drinking, but then again, you'd never tasted it before, other than the once on Henry's lips, after he finished a glass of it and he kissed you, getting the sharp and smokey taste on your own lips, accompanied by a spicy, cinnamon-like sizzle on your tongue as he pulled away.

“What are you thinking about, Muffin?” Henry asked, narrowing his eyes at you as he studied the far off and dreamy look in your eyes, and the way you slowly licked your lips.

“Hm?” You started, blinking a few times to clear your thoughts and focused back on him.

“Go on a little trip of your own?” He teased you, picking up the tea pot, and refilling your cup.

You giggled, abashed. “Something like that.”

The food arrived and you moaned as you bit into the marinara dripped cheese stick, eyes rolling shut as you chewed it. Henry watched you from across the table for a moment, a huge grin on his face, chuckling when your eyes locked with his, as you swallowed.

“Give a girl a bit of grease, and all hell breaks loose.” He teasingly quoted what you had said to him the night before.

You shifted shyly in your seat, clearing your throat and took a sip of your cooled tea. “It's super tasty.” You told him, licking your lips.

“That's all that matters.” He cooed, going back to his own meal.

“That was so beautiful.” You sighed, as you left the botanic gardens with Henry. “It smelled so good, with all the blooming flowers.”

“Yeah, it did.” He agreed, pulling open your car door. “All right, my McNugget, we have about an hour until our reservation at the Wine Estate. So, why don't we check out the Central Market Place.” He said, smiling over at you.

“That sounds fun!” You beamed, nodding your head at him.

Nodding his head, You and Henry took the short drive to the market square, passing through the bright red gates encompassing the large area. You gasped softly, looking around the bright and colorful space, it had blue, red and white, triangle flags hanging from the pillars and glass ceiling, there were open air stalls and small, little shops with chalkboard signs dotting every available space, showing off today's special or the shop's specialty item. There was even a colorful water fountain smack in the middle of the market, displaying baby cherubs sitting atop vases with water streaming out into the main base that was surrounded by plants, it even had floating lilies in it.

The market seemed to cater to everything imaginable, there were fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh cut flowers of every kind and color, there was a sweets shop, with the smell of something delectable wafting from it and made your mouth water, there was an ice cream shop across from that, a place to buy wine from the Channel Islands, and a cafe, that served Texas Chili with Fries, which made you chuckle.

“The market seems pretty amazing.” You said, looping your arm with Henry's.

“Mmhm.” Henry nodded, pausing at one of the open stalls, and surveying the produce that was neatly organized, before tearing off a green, eco-friendly bag from the roll mounted above the produce and filling it with three or four apples, securing it closed. “You want to grab a hand basket for me?”

“Yup!” You nodded, skipping over and picking up the green basket from the stack and bringing it back, watching the young lady running the stand weigh the apples, then ring them up and hand them back to Henry.

“Thank you.” He smiled at the woman, paying for them and gently set them in the basket.

“Sweets?” You inquired, eyes darting over to the candy shop.

Henry looked over, his eyes scanning the chalkboard sitting up against the door frame, advertising fudge, salted caramels, biscuits and black butter. “All right.” He nodded, smiling at you. “But, you can have them after dinner.”

You picked out some fudge and a couple of biscuits, while Henry grabbed a glass jar of Jersey's famous Black Butter. With your sweets, you and Henry continued to stroll about the marketplace, Henry picked up a few more things of produce, before he paused, pulling out his phone and searching for something for a moment, then put it back and approached the fresh flower stand. Not even bothering to look at them, he picked up two red tulips and purchased them, before turning towards you and held them out. You smirked at him, your heart fluttering in your chest and your breath catching in your throat as you took them from him.

“A good symbolism of my perfect and eternal love for you.” Henry said softly, smiling at you, his cheeks slightly colored.

Your cheeks warmed as you brought the tulips to your nose and took a deep breath in of their scent. “I love them.” You smiled, your eyes holding Henry's. “But, I love you more.”

“That's a relief.” He chuckled, then checked his watch. “Oh, we need to get going, baby, or we're going to be late for dinner.”

“We can't do that.” You answered, gasping.

“No, we can't.” He replied, quickly purchasing a cloth grocery bag and putting all the items you guys had bought into it, then headed back to the car to drive to the La Mare Wine Estate.

The Estate was a large plot of land with a large brick house, surrounded by stunning vineyards and manicured lawns. The sights of Jersey just kept taking your breath away and amazing you, Henry was so lucky to be raised on such a beautiful island. A worker for the Estate showed you and Henry to a table, where Henry ordered a bottle of the Estate's Lillie Brut wine.

“That wine is so good.” He grinned at you. “It's a Rosé sparkling wine, they make with Pinot Noir and Seyval Blanc grapes.” He told you, his taste-buds already remembering the last time he tasted it.

A waiter came to the table with the wine and two glasses, setting one in front of each of you, before tearing off the silver foil, removing the wire around the cork and finally popped the cork, making the rose-colored liquid bubble up the neck from the released pressure. Picking your glass back up, the waiter poured the lively spirit into the glass, before setting it back down in front of you and doing the same for Henry.

“Do you know what you would like for dinner?” He asked, setting the wine bottle down, and lifting a brow between you and Henry.

“Not just yet.” Henry replied, smiling kindly at him.

“I'll return momentarily, then.” He answered, inclining his head to the menus on the table, and stepping away.

You picked your glass and took a small sip of the wine, the taste washed over your palate, its flavor reminded you of bright and fresh strawberries, like you had just picked it off a sun-kissed vine, with a hint of grapefruit and something a little spicy, maybe ginger, while the bubbles tickle your nose. All and all, it was incredibly good, and you took a deeper sip of it.

“What do you think?” Henry asked, taking a gulp from his own glass.

“I really like it.” You told him, honestly.

“Good, I knew you would.” He smiled, picking up a menu.

You did the same, scanning the one-page menu on a fancy card stock. “The pan-fried salmon in curry cream sauce sounds spectacular.” You said, licking your lips as your mouth watered, loving the idea of salmon.

“That does sound delicious.” Henry replied, brows going up. “I think I'll try their burger.” He sighed and set the menu down, catching sight of the waiter and lifted his arm to signal him over. “We're ready to order.” He informed him, smiling. “She'll have your pan-fried salmon in the curry cream sauce, and I'll have your red wine-infused burger and chips.”

“Excellent.” The waiter smiled, writing the orders down and took up the menus, before going to put them into the kitchen.

“I've had a lot of fun today.” You whispered, tracing the tip of your finger around the rim of your glass, briefly looking up at Henry. “It's been...” You shrugged your shoulders.

“Different.” He smirked, understanding your train of thought, he had fleeting thoughts of the same thing throughout the day. “We've spent almost a hundred percent of our time together in Huntersville, doing Daddy and Little things. While this is more--”

“Boyfriend and Girlfriend activities.” You finished his sentence, butterflies in your stomach.

“Exactly.” Henry nodded, biting his lip. “It's been great.” He chuckled, blushing. “Not that our time in Huntersville hasn't. I wouldn't change it for anything in the world.” He added, quickly, not wanting you to think otherwise.

“I know, Puppy.” You replied, smiling back at him, reaching out to touch his hand.

Henry turned his hand and held yours, rubbing his thumb over your fingers. “I'm glad we met.”

“I am too, Henry.” You gulped, squeezing his hand.

“Your food.” The waiter smiled, bringing over your steaming plates.

“Oh, those look amazing.” Henry purred, licking his lips at his big, juicy burger.

“Mmhm.” You agreed, eyes big as you studied your yellow curry cream sauce covered cut of salmon, picking up your fork and knife, cutting into the perfectly pan-fried fish and savored the bite. “Oh lord.” You moaned, nodding your head at the explosion of flavors and spices in your mouth.

“That is sinful.”

“Not as sinful as this.” Henry said, stealing your fork and a bite of your salmon.

“Hey!” You gasped, faking outrage.

“You know my weakness for curries.” He chuckled, handing you your fork back. “And that one is exceptional.”

“Well, then this is only fair.” You countered, plucking one of his thick cut potato chips off his plate and shoved half of it into your mouth. “Mmm, they spiced those with something!” You moaned, around your mouthful.

“I wouldn't know, I haven't had one yet.” Henry replied, head tilted as he stared at you with amused outrage.

You giggled as the water washed over your bare feet, after dinner, you and Henry had gone down to the beach, just as the sun was beginning to set into the horizon, beyond the St. Helier shore. You were a bit tipsy from the third glass of wine you had during dinner at La Mare Estate, giggly and playful as you hung on Henry's arm. Henry himself had enjoyed his first glass of wine and nursed a second, without finishing it, trying to be mindful of the fact he would be doing a little bit of driving.

“You know, I'm-I'm surprised at you.” You said, watching the foamy water retreat.

“Oh, why's that, baby girl?” Henry replied, shifting his grasp on your arm.

“You,” You poked him in the bicep. “Let me,” You poked yourself in the chest. “Have three glasses of wine.” You said, holding up three fingers, frowning at them.

“That's surprising?” He asked, tilting his head at you.

“Yeah.” You nodded, with a soft hiccup. “I expected you to let me have at least one, maybe two. But certainly not three, and I think there was a good alcohol percentage in that wine.”

“Hm.” Henry nodded, seeing your point. “Well, you're a Big Girl.” He told you, looking out over the water. “So, Big Girls can have more than one, or even two, glasses of wine, if they want.” He said, looking back down at you. “I'm sure, you know your cut off. Even still, I don't think I would have let you have more than like, six.”

“Oof, that's a lot of wine.” You chuckled, pressing your alcohol warmed cheek against the cool skin of his arm. “I'm not like—some wine mom.” You joked, grinning like crazy.

“A wine mom? What the hell is a 'wine mom'?” He asked, laughing aloud.

“A wine mom is a mom that drinks box wine all night after her kids go to bed to cope with whatever.” You laughed back, rolling your eyes at the concept.

“Definitely not a wine mom.” Henry agreed, amused. “But, you know what I mean, about being a Big Girl.”

“I do.” You nodded, sighing. “And I appreciate that.” You added, looking up at him.

Henry smiled softly at you, pausing for a moment to kiss you. You smiled up at Henry, when the kiss broke, then continued walking with him, enjoying the wet sand under your feet and the water swirling around your ankles. Until something in the sand up ahead caught your attention and you let go of Henry, running up to it and leaned over to dust the sand off of it, finding a seashell, about the length of your pinkie. It was a spiral, almost like a unicorn's horn, bits of it glittered in the dying sunlight, it was an ivory white, with bits of chestnut brown and an almost deep Lavender, it was beautiful.

“What do you have, baby?” Henry called out behind you.

You picked up the shell and ran back to Henry, holding the delicate object out to him. “A shell.” You answered, placing it in his palm.

“It's pretty.” He smiled, gently running a finger down the shell as he admired it, then held it back out to you.

“No, yours.” You shook your head at him.

Henry smirked, cupping the back of your head with his free hand and pressed his lips to your forehead. “Thank you, sweetie.” He murmured, carefully closing his hand around the shell. “I'll cherish it forever.”

You grinned proudly at him, before turning away to continue down the beach, but didn't get far, before you accidentally stepped on something in the sand, an audible crunch filling the air. You grunted as something sharp hurt your foot and stepped back, your back bumping into Henry's chest as he came forward to make sure you were all right. Looking to where you stepped, you spotted a sand dollar, half buried in the sand, but now crushed into several pieces and felt your heart squeeze and your bottom lip tremble, the pain in your foot all, but, forgotten.

“Oh no.” Henry groaned, knowing the expression on your face, having seen it countless times back in Huntersville. “Honey, it's all right.” He cooed at you, wrapping his arms around your shoulders and pulling you against his body.

“I killed it.” You blubbered; eyes obscured with hot tears as you buried your face into Henry's chest.

“No, you didn't.” He replied, trying to mask his chuckle in your hair. “Oh, little one.” He sighed, smirking, despite himself. “That sand dollar is stark white, and they're only that color when they're already dead, baby doll.” He tried to reassure you, rubbing your back as you trembled against him, sure some of your upset had to do with the fact you were tired from all the day's activities and the three glasses of wine from dinner. “I should get you back home and in bed.” He said, cupping your face in his hands and wiping away your tears.

“Come on, darling.” He guides you back to the car. “There's a good girl.” He praised you, as you slipped into the passenger seat. “What a day.” He laughed, walking around to the driver's side.

“And just wait until tomorrow.”

Chapter Text

The morning was warm as you chased Kal around the backyard, giggling as the Bear suddenly turned around to chase you, forcing you to turn on a dime and rush off to get away from him; laughing as he barked.

“Baby, be careful!” Henry called out, standing on the patio with a cup of coffee as he watched the two of you play, chuckling and sipping at the strong black liquid.

You made a loop, since Henry made it clear you weren't to leave the backyard, since you were supposed to leave soon, but as you turned, something caught your foot and you tripped, hitting the ground hard. Henry spit his mouthful of coffee out in surprise and set his cup on a patio chair, before sprinting over to you, already hearing your sniffles as you pushed yourself up onto your hands and knees.

“Are you all right, sweetie?” He panted, his hands shaking with adrenaline. “Let Daddy look at you.” He said, putting his trembling hands underneath your arms and hoisted you up as he stood, hugging you tightly against his chest, and carried you back into the house.

Henry sat you down on the kitchen table and started checking you all over, ignoring the wet grass strains on the brand new outfit he had gotten you before flying out to Jersey. He ran his hands down your arms, feeling your trembling beneath his palms, as he looked for bumps, scrapes and any indications of a broken bone, before moving to your legs, finding a pretty bad cut on your knee, a thin line of bright red blood running down your shin, specks of dirt and bits of torn, blades of grass stuck to it.

Other than that, you only seemed to be shaken up.

“Okay, all right.” Henry nodded, taking a deep breath to calm himself, knowing being upset himself would only add to your agitation. “You're all right, pumpkin, Daddy's going to make your owies all better again.” He told you, pressing his lips to your hot forehead. “Stay right here, Daddy will be right back.” He said, then rushed upstairs to the master bathroom, grabbing small medical kit and trotted back down to you in the kitchen.

“I'm here, honey.” He cooed, smiling at you, trying soothe and cheer you up. “You wanna pick your sticky out, while Daddy cleans up your boo-boo?” He asked, opening a metal and pastel, tie-dye plaster tin, and held it out to you, showing you three different size and colorful plasters neatly organized inside of it.

You nodded, bottom lip puffed out as you took the container from him, sniffling, as you looked down at the bandages with wet and dripping eyes. You dragged a fingertip along the clear plastic wrapped plasters, looking at each one, before removing a blue one with rainbows and clouds on it. Henry soaked a cotton pad with anti-sting, wound wash and started gently cleaning your cut knee, using several cotton pads to get the job done, before taking the cute plaster from you and opened it, placing another kiss to your forehead, and smoothed the bandage over your cut, then kissed that too.

“There, all better, princess.” He smiled at you. “You were such a brave girl.” He cooed, hugging and kissing you.

“My outfit, though.” You pouted, looking down at your airy top and skirt that met the top of your knees.

Henry drew in a deep breath, nodding his head. “Yeah.” He sighed, biting his lip. “I should have put you in it before we left. That was an oversight on my part.” He said, shaking his head. “All well, I'll put you in something else.” He picking you up off the table and went up stairs, helping you out of the ruined outfit, then rummaged through your suitcase for something else.

He found a nice pair of shorts and a stylish top, that would help keep you cool during the hot day ahead. He winked at you, as the top settled around you, and kissed the tip of your nose. With you changed, Henry quickly treated the grass stains on your other outfit and tossed it in the washer, before helping you get your sneakers on.

“Where are we going, Daddy?” You asked, resting your foot on his thigh, so he could tie your laces.

“Some place special, Little one.” Henry smiled, tugging firmly on your laces, making sure they didn't come untied.

“Hints?” You said, perking up at him.

Henry smirked at you, putting your foot down. “No, sweetness. No hints. You'll find out, when we get there.” He told you, winking at you.

“No fun, Daddy!” You huffed, crossing your arms over your chest, pouting at him.

“Oh, I know. Daddy is such a spoil sport, aren't I?” He laughed, grinning at you, then looked at his watch, frowning. “We need to get going, pumpkin. Kal!” He yelled out, getting a bark back, as the Akita came bounding into the room.

“Let's pile into the car.” Henry said to both you and Kal, while picking up a backpack sitting by the front door.

You sat excitedly, and nervously, in the passenger seat as you, Henry and Kal zipped through the center of St. Helier, curious to what your destination was and what made it so special to Henry. Henry slowed the car and turned onto a residential street, with a magnificent view of the ocean, winding through the neighborhood, until he pulled up along the curb of a beautiful, two-story home and killed the engine. Your stomach clenched, seeing several more cars outside the house, the realization of where you were and why you dawning on you, as Henry got out of the car, opening the back so Kal could jump out too.

“You coming, silly goose?” Henry teased you, opening your door, grinning, his blue eyes dancing.

“Yeah.” You squeaked, stepping out onto the sidewalk with him and the Bear.

Henry took your hand and led you up the foot path to the front door, not even bothering to knock, just opening the door and went inside, Kal shooting out in front of him. “Mum!” Henry yelled out, an excited smile on his face.

“Henry!” He was greeted back, before a petite, blonde woman appeared, the biggest smile on her face as she looked up at her son. “There's my boy!” She laughed, throwing her arms out to him.

Henry blushed like crazy, as he let go of your hand and moved towards her, stooping slightly to hug her. “I've missed you, Mum.” He whispered to her, closing his eyes as she squeezed her arms around his thick torso. “It's so great to see you again.”

“It's amazing to see you too, Hen.” Marianne replied, patting Henry's back, then looked over to you. “Is that her?” She asked, looking back to her son.

“It is.” Henry answered, his grin broadening, as he turned to look at you, pride and love oozing from every pore. “The love of my life.” He gushed, shamelessly, chucking as you grinned shyly at them.

“Your brothers and father are on the back deck, why don't you say hello to them.” Marianne suggested to Henry, resting her hand on his bicep.

Henry looked between you and his mother, but nodded his head, and headed in that direction, leaving you and his mother in privacy. You felt your heartbeat sky rocket, shifting on your feet and shyly looked around the entryway, while Marianne studied you for a long moment.

“Henry's told me a great deal about you.” She finally said, drawing your attention back to her.

“Um, has he?” You replied, wondering exactly what Henry had told her. “He's told me some things about you.” You told her, honestly.

“Yes, he has.” She nodded, moving closer to you. “He speaks very highly of you, and he clearly loves you very much.” She said, her eyes never leaving your face. “It makes me very happy to know that my son is. He hasn't been happy in a very long time.” She explained, biting her lip. “Especially, in past relationships.” She added, her vision losing focusing for a moment, something you had seen Henry do numerous times, when something either bothered him or he was deep in thought.

Got it from his mother, then. You thought to yourself, with a small smile, the two of them looked a lot alike.

“I hope you're happy with Henry as well?” She said, meeting your eye again.

“More than I can tell you, Mrs. Cavill.” You replied, firmly, nodding your head at her. “Henry has...” You paused, struggling to find the words to voice all of the things Henry had made you feel and experience. “He's loved me more and better than anyone in my life ever has. You and your husband raised a rare and true man.”

“I thank you for that.”

Marianne smiled at you, nodding her head. “Please, call me, Marianne.” She told you, lightly touching your hand.

“Of course, Marianne.” You nodded, smiling back.

“Come, let's go join the boys.” She said, seeming to have officially approved of you, and being with her son. “Hopefully, they haven't already burned down that section of the house.” She quipped, rolling her eyes and showing you to the back deck.

Going through the living and dining room to a pushed open, glass and metal accordion door, you found Henry on the back deck with his father and four brothers, and smirked as you saw he had one of his siblings in a headlock, while the other three stood around them, laughing.

“Do you give up!?” Henry asked, grinning down at the back of his younger brother's head.

“Hell, no!” Charlie roared back, squirming to get loose from Henry's vise-like grip.

“On you!” Henry laughed, rubbing his knuckles into his brother's scalp, messing up his short curls, as hard as he could. “Give it up, Charlie!” He taunted, grunting as Charlie landed a punch to his inner thigh. “Is that the best hit you've got!?” Henry huffed, rolling his eyes.

“Pulling my ACL hurt more than that!”

“Henry, let your brother go.” Marianne warned, stepping onto the deck with you.

Henry groaned, but let Charlie go, then smiled over at you. “Guys, I would like to introduce you to someone very important to me.” He said, changing gears, and held a hand out to you.

You took Henry's hand and moved to stand beside him, allowing him to tuck you into his side and wrap his arm around your shoulders, kissing your temple, as he introduced you to his brothers, Piers, Nik, Simon and Charlie, as well as his father, Colin. They all greeted you back, warm and politely, making you feel part of their close unit.

“Where's all the wives and kids?” Henry asked, looking around at his brothers.

“They're going to meet us at the park.” Nik answered, glancing down at his watch. “Figured it would be less noisy, if it was just us first.” He said, smiling over at you.

“Good plan.” Henry nodded, grateful, he had been a little worried you would get overwhelmed by meeting his sister-in-laws, nieces and nephews, all at once. “Do you guys want to head over there now?” He asked, looking around the group.

“I think we should.” Marianne chimed in. “I don't want to keep them waiting.”

“Let's go!” Simon said, and headed off the deck.

“We're going to a park?” You asked Henry excitedly, once the three of you were back in your car.

“Oh yeah!” Henry grinned, nodding his head. “Well, it's not so much a park, as it's a zoo.” He corrected himself, glancing over at you, knowing you were about to pop with elation.

Your face lit up like a million watt bulb. “We're going to the Durrell Zoo!!” You yelled, bouncing in your seat, and gripping Henry's arm. “Really, really?” You asked, shaking him by his arm.

“Really, really! We're going to the Jersey Zoo, baby girl.” Henry laughed, patting you on the thigh.

“Yes!” You squealed, turning in your seat to look back at Kal. “We're going to the Zoo, Kal! It's going to be so freaking awesome!” You giggled, smoshing up his face.

“Easy.” Henry warned you. “Sit forward.”

“Sorry, Daddy.” You giggled, losing none of your enthusiasm.

Henry rolled his eyes and shook his head, smirking at the road ahead of him. “You're fine, my love.” He assured you and reached out to take your hand in his.

“Can we go seen Ben, Daddy?” You asked, looking at Henry with big and hopeful eyes, wanting to see the fruit bat Henry had adopted a few years before.

Henry grinned over at you. “Yes, Baby, we can go see Ben, the bat.”

“Yay!” You grinned, twisting forward in your seat, elated at the thought of finally seeing the bat you had seen several photos of.

Pulling into the Jersey Zoo parking lot, you, Henry and Kal piled out of the car and met up with Henry's family out front of the zoo. You felt your shyness come out, meeting his sister-in-laws, nephews and nieces, trying to remember all of their names as everyone was introduced to you, catching Charlie's wife's name was Heather and their young sons were Oliver and James. Everyone else's names were a blur of letters and faces, before you all filed into line for admittance.

“I missed all of that, minus Charlie and his family.” You admitted to Henry, as he paid for your tickets.

Henry grinned, chuckling down at his wallet as he pulled out his bank card. “Don't worry, sunshine, you'll learn their names soon enough.” He reassured you, touching the small of your back and ushered you inside the bustling zoo.

“Hi!” One of Henry's nephews said, stopping in front of you with a hop and huge smile.

“Hello.” You replied, startled. “You're...” You gulped, narrowing your eyes and tilting your head at him.

“I'm Thomas.” He answered, twisting his upper body. “That's my dad.” He said, pointing out Nik in the massive Cavill crowd.

“Right.” You nodded at him. “What's up, Thomas?” You asked, awkwardly glancing around for Henry, who had gone to help Simon with something.

“Are you my uncle's girlfriend?” Thomas asked flatly, lifting a blond eyebrow at you.

You licked your lips and cleared your throat, timidly. “I am.” You rasped, nodding your head, heart thundering in your chest. “Does that—bother—you?”

Thomas looked you over, then shrugged his shoulders. “No, as long as you don't make him sad, like his last girlfriend did.”

“That's reasonably fair of you.” You replied, pressing your lips together. “But I don't intend on doing anything to hurt him. I love him very much.” You told him, sincerely.

“Cool.” Thomas nodded, seemingly satisfied, then ran off to join his group of cousins.

“Cool.” You muttered to yourself, blinking after him, before gasping as you felt something grab your hand and looked down to see an adorable little girl with bouncy, chocolate brown curls and lively blue eyes, she made your heart stop for a second, reminding you so much of Henry.

“Well, hello there, beautiful.” You cooed, grinning down at her. “What's your name?”

“Niah!” Simon's wife called out, just realizing the toddler had escaped from her stroller. “Oh god, I'm so sorry.” She panted, rushing over to you and her daughter.

“It's quite all right.” You smiled, brushing it off. “She's gorgeous.”

“And just as mischievous as her siblings and cousins.” Her mother replied, resting her hand on Niah's head. “I'm Victoria, by the way.” She reintroduced herself to you.

“Pleasure to meet you.” You nodded back.

“Come on, Niah, let's get you back in your pram.” Victoria said, taking the little girl's hand and started to guide her away, but her little angelic face twisted up and her bottom lip puffed out, as fat tears threatened.

“Uh-oh.” You gasped, sensing a tantrum.

Victoria stared down at her daughter. “Strange. Ordinarily, and no offense, she hates being around strangers. But she seems oftly attached to you for some reason.” She observed, looking up at you, with a creased brow.

“Hm.” You hummed, staring into the toddler's eyes. “Well, for the sake of saving avoiding a tantrum, I'd be all right with holding her hand.” You offered, without thinking about it.

“I would hate to impose on you.” Victoria protested, frowning.

“It's no trouble.” You replied, looking up at her with a smile. “I'm sure she'll lose interest in me soon enough and want her Mommy back.” You chuckled, shrugging your shoulders.

“All right then.” Victoria nodded, then went back to deal with her other two children.

“I see you made a friend, while I was gone.” Henry said, appearing beside you, with Kal.

“Yeah, she broke free from her stroller and attached herself to me.” You replied, looking up at him. “When Victoria tried to take her back, she started to throw a fit, so I offered to watch her, until she lost interest and wanted her Mommy back.”

“Kindred spirits.” Henry laughed, teasingly.

You frowned at him. “What's that supposed to mean?” You asked, as the group moved towards the first exhibit.

“You're both little girls.” He smirked, taking a hold of your other hand, and gave it a squeeze. “She probably senses that in you. Toddlers can be quite intuitive. So, she probably thinks you're a possible playmate for her to hang out with. Since her siblings are boys, so are many of her cousins, and they're a bit older than her.” He explained to you, thoroughly amused with the idea of his niece sensing the Little in you.

You looked down at the toddler, who grinned at you excitedly and felt your heart jump, both from how downright cute she was and how much she did set off the Little in you as well. But you looked over at Henry. “Isn't that a bit weird though?” You asked, frowning at him.

“I'm a grown woman, Little or not, and she's an actual Toddler.”

Henry looked at you. “No, it's not.” He said, firmly. “There's nothing weird about having innocent fun, baby. As long as it's just that. Innocent. Nothing should stop you from wanting to have a good time.” He explained, staring deep into your eyes. “No matter what age you are. Grown ups have fun with Toddlers all the time, and there's nothing weird or wrong with that.”

“You're right.” You nodded, biting your lip.

You walked around with Henry, and Niah, who continued to hold onto your hand with no indication she was letting go anytime soon, admiring the animals in their habitats. You grinned at the otters zooming about the water, your eyes bright with wonder and marveling at the sleek creatures, who glided so easily through the water. Henry stood just behind you and Niah, grinning to himself as he watched the near identical facial and bodily reaction between you and the toddler, as you observed the Otters, but smiled even more as you leaned down to pick her up, so she could see them better.

It made Henry feel so soft, seeing you interacting with his family in such a positive way.

You looked down as Niah started pulling on your arm and making grunting noises. “What's up?” You asked, tilting your head at her.

Niah tugged on your arm again, then stuck out a teeny pointer finger in the direction she was looking. You scanned the area for a second, before your eyes finally focused on what it was she was indicating, the concession stand just across the way, just as a father and his little boy turned away from it, licking delicious looking ice cream cones.

“Ooo.” You cooed, looking back down at her. “Those look good.” You agreed, getting where her brain was going, then looked over at Henry, who snorted.

“We haven't even had lunch yet.” He reasoned, smirking.

“That could be our lunch.” You replied, logically.

Henry laughed, his belly flexing. “No, it can't be your lunch.” He shook his head. “You don't want to teach her a bad habit, now do you?” He asked, lifting a brow at you, but found endless amusement out of the exchange.

You looked down at Niah, then huffed, your shoulders slumping. “No.” You groaned, you didn't want to teach her something that might stick and make her parents' lives hard, especially if it got the Toddler in trouble.

And you, for that matter, since you had taught it to her in the first place, Henry wouldn't let you live that down.

“I didn't think so.” Henry nodded, smiling proudly at you, then glanced at his watch. “We still have about twenty minutes til lunch time.” He said, looking up at you, slipping the backpack off his shoulder and opened the main compartment. “But you can have a little snack.” He told you, pulling out a small, foil package of your favorite fruit snacks, and opened it for you.

“Okay.” You nodded back, taking it from him, popping one in your mouth, then passed one down to Niah.

“She's just so attached to you.”

Simon commented, twenty minutes later as the group sat at a group of picnic tables, having lunch. “I've never seen her like this.” He said, staring at his daughter sitting pressed up against your side and going to town on her peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

“Have you, Tia?” He asked, looking at his wife.

“Nope.” She replied, shaking her head.

“She's always been a good judge of character.” Marianne chimed in, studying the two of you.

“That's true.” Simon nodded, going back to his lunch.

“She does have a youthful soul.” Henry teased, smirking at you, watching you shyly hid your face.

Niah tugged on your sleeve, after you both finished your lunch and pointed over to the little play area that was beside the picnic tables, smiling up at you with a peanut butter and jelly smeared cheeks. You chuckled at her, wiping her face, before making sure it was all right with her parents, then took her over to the structure. Niah excitedly climbed the worn wood steps to the top of the slide, making sure with each step up that you were behind her, before continuing on. The two of you had to wait for a kid already at the top to go down the twisting, green slide, before you could sit down in the shaded opening and reach out for Niah, carefully situating her in your lap.

“You ready?” You asked, smirking at her excitedly, feeling the Little in you flaring up.

Niah squealed and clapped her hands together.

“Here we go!” You giggled, pushing off and sending the two of you whizzing down the dark tunnel.

Both of you laughed on the way down, you hugging Niah tight, so she didn't get bumped around on the descent. Rounding the last twist in the slide, the bright sunlight at the exit appeared, you stiffened your legs and as you came out, you dug your heels into the dirt and stopped you both at the edge of the slide.

“That was fun, huh?” You grinned, looking around at Niah.

“Fun!” Niah exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air. “Again.” She laughed, looking at you over her shoulder.

“All right!” You nodded, not needing to be enticed.

You and Niah raced back up to the top of the play structure and got into position, before going down the slide again, having just as much fun the second time as you did the first. But as you sat at the bottom of the slide, Niah noticed the plaster on your knee, gently touching it and frowning up at you.

“I fell down and got a boo-boo.” You explained, your eyes clouding over for a moment, as you remembered that morning's accident in the backyard.

“Hey, cuties!” Henry called out, approaching the play set with a smile. “Who wants ice cream?” He asked, knowing it was a silly question.

“Oh, Ice cream.” You grinned at Niah, sitting her down on her feet, then got up and took her hand. “We do!” You called back to Henry, smiling at him.

“I don't know.” He replied, pressing his lips together and frowning at the two of you. “Neither of you sound too excited about it. Maybe we should just do without any ice cream.”

“What? No, we want ice cream, Puppy.” You protested, looking outraged. “We want it now.”

“Not with those manners.” Henry replied in a low voice.

“Please, can we have ice cream now?” You corrected yourself, but with no less urgency.

He narrowed his eyes at you. “I suppose.” He nodded, slowly smirking, and held his hand out to you.

You wiggled with enthusiasm, grasping Henry's hand, then let him guide you and Niah towards the other group, who were all lining up at the concession stand to wait for their ice cream, before finishing the rest of the zoo as you enjoyed them.

“Niah, mummy needs to check your pamper.” Victoria said, addressing the toddler, who scooted closer to you.

“It's all right.” You said to her, sweetly. “I'll be here, when you get back.” You smiled at her, nodding your head.

The toddler looked apprehensive, but let go of your hand and went to her mother, who led her away to the public bathrooms.

“Hey.” Henry whispered, coming up behind you. “We still need to meet Ben, before we leave!” He said, resting his hand on the small of your back. “Let's go do that.”

“But I promised Niah I would be here when she got back.” You replied, looking up at him.

“She'll be all right, Nugget.” He smiled at you, pressing his lips to your forehead. “We won't be long.” He promised to you.

“All right, Hen.” You nodded, trusting him.

With a small chat with a staff worker, you and Henry were allowed into a small enclosure, where they brought out the bat, its leathery wings wrapped around its midnight-black and furry body as it dangled by its feet from the handler's gloved arm. You cooed at the curious creature, hugging Henry's arm as the handler let Ben fluttered over to a bit of green webbing and hung from that.

“Would you like to feed him?” The handler asked, grinning at you.

“Can I?” You asked, eyes big with excitement and a little bit of nervousness.

“Absolutely.” They smiled, nodding.

“I'd love too!” You replied, nodding back fervently.

Chuckling, they left for a moment, only to return with a white cup full of different cut up fruits and handed it to you, before disappearing into the background. You removed a banana piece from the cup and held it out to Ben, who stretched open his little mouth and took it from you, starting to contently num on it, while Henry stood behind you, taking photos of you and Ben, smiling at you fed him more bits of fruit.

“He's so cute.” You gushed, staring into his big brown eyes. “Oh, you dropped it.” You giggled, watching the strawberry half fall out of his mouth, bending down to pick it up.

“Baby?”

You blinked at Ben, as he took the strawberry back from you, then turned around to face Henry and felt your mouth it the floor, seeing Henry bent down on one knee before you. “Henry?” You squeaked, hands started to shaking so hard, the fruit in the cup rattled.

Henry reached into his back pocket, increasing your nerves and shock, as he brought out a velvet black box and opened it for you to see the glittering ring inside. You felt your mouth go dry at how expensive and exquisite the ring looked, it was a petite twist platinum band, with diamonds inlaid into one of the twists.

“I know, that we've only really known each other, and been together, for a year, but I feel like I've known you for so much longer than that.” Henry started to explain to you, gulping thickly, his stomach churning with worry. “I was a lost and lonely man, before you came into my life. You filled empty and dark spaces, many I never even knew I had. You're so incredibly sweet and funny, there isn't a day that goes by that you don't make me smile and laugh or look forward to the next moment. You're kind and thoughtful, you put others before yourself, always wanting others to be happy and at their best. You're so incredibly intelligent and unfailing, when you set your mind to something, like when you finally decided to come to Huntersville, so you could live the life you had always wanted too.”

You bit your lip, feeling your cheeks grow warm as Henry spoke.

Henry took a deep breath, trying to settle his nerves. “You are all the woman I have ever wanted and looked for in my life. You're the Little I've dreamed of as a Daddy, for as long as I can remember being one.” He told you, his voice growing more steady. “You said once before, and I truly hope it hasn't changed since then, that you wanted to spend your life with me; I want to spend my life with you.”

He paused for a moment, then cleared his throat, looking intently into your face.

“Will you make me the happiest man—and Daddy—on the planet and...” He started, hopeful. “Marry me?” He asked, feeling the pressure of asking you lift.

Your mouth worked for a moment, your mind whirl-winding and short-circuiting around the unfolded event before you. Not ever in your life did you think you would have a man a quarter as amazing and handsome as Henry Cavill proposing to you, especially having that same man being your exceptional Daddy. You felt like you had stepped into one of those DDLG fan fictions or books you had read so often before finally making the leap and applying to Huntersville. Here you were, with Henry freaking Cavill, your Daddy, proposing to you in a bat habitat in the Channel Islands.

Like, who did this happen to? Not you!

Did it?

You reached down with your free hand and pinched your thigh and winced. Okay, yeah! This was really happening, Superman was proposing to you, you hadn't fallen asleep back home at your parent's place, projecting your Daddy fantasy onto Henry.

Everything over the last year zoomed through your brain, standing in that meeting room, when you first arrived to Huntersville, scared out of your mind you had made the wrong decision to go there and live out your dream to be a full-time Little, and watched Henry walk in with Luca, who explained Henry would be your Foster Big, until a Daddy could be found for you. Only for Henry to become your Daddy a few days later. Henry making you take that suppository, which you could look back at now and giggle about, taking you to the park for the first time, where you met Eric and Aspen. Henry teaching you to swim and throwing you the greatest birthday party ever, and how your birthday sleepover ended with you being intimate with him, your punishments, horrible, but fair as they were.

But Henry had loved you with every fiber of his being, heart and soul, whether you were in Little Space or a Big Girl, it didn't matter. He covered it all and made sure you knew you are his world. You never felt more wanted, loved and needed by someone, like you did when you were with Henry.

“Yes.” You nodded, grinning at him, tears dripping down your cheeks. “Yes, Henry Cavill, I would love nothing more, than to marry you.”

Henry's face beamed as he stood up and removed the ring from the box, he took the cup out of your hand and set it on the ground, then gently slipped the engagement ring onto your ring finger, before cupping your face in his still trembling hands, tears flowing down his own face as he kissed you deeply.

“You've done the impossible, love, you've made me an even happier man.” He chuckled, rubbing noses with you and wrapping his arms around your waist, hugging you tight against his body.

You laughed, leaning against him. “I'm glad.” You smiled, resting your forehead against his collarbone. “Is this why you didn't want me going into the city with you?” You asked, studying your ring.

“It is.” Henry nodded, closing his hand around yours. “Would have ruined the surprise.”

“Couldn't have that.” You chuckled, wrapping your mind around it. “Who all knows about this?” You asked, looking up at him.

“My family, obviously.” Henry chuckled, kissing the top of your head. “Jasmine and Tommy know as well.” He added, bringing your adorned hand to his lips. “Jasmine helped me pick it out.” He said, kissing your finger, feeling the cool piece of jewelry against his lips. “But, you'll be helping me design the most important ring of all.” He cooed, tipping your head back and gazed into your eyes.

“My wedding ring.” You grinned, giddy at the thought.

“Congratulations!” shouted everyone as you and Henry rejoined his family.

“Welcome to the family.” Piers smiled, pulling you into a hug. “It's about time we evened out the women and the men.”

“Thanks.” You giggled, hugging him back, feeling a deep sense of belonging as you looked around at everyone patting Henry on the back, shoulder or arm, smiling up at him as they celebrated the news.

You got hugs from everyone else, thanking them for their celebratory remarks.

“Can I text Eric and Aspen?” You asked, as you and Henry walked through the parking lot towards your car.

“Of course, you can, beautiful!” Henry chuckled, getting Kal into the back seat, smiling at you over his shoulder.

Giddy, you hopped into the passenger seat and pulled your brand-new cell phone out, Henry had bought you the device after your last confrontation with your parents, enabling you to use it freely without having to worry about abusive texts and calls or having to block them, whenever you used it to communicate with your friends. You posed your hand in front of your phone, angling it just so that the sunlight flooding through windshield glittered on the diamonds, then snapped a photo of it, sending it to Aspen and Eric on your group chat.

Penny: OMG, that is so stunning! You know there's a sweet price tag on that! Congratulations!

Eric: Ha! About time he put a ring on your finger! How did he propose?

You: He took me to the Jersey Zoo, and we went to the Bat Habitat, to meet Ben the Fruit Bat, and while I was feeding the bat, Henry popped the question.

Eric: That's so freaking sweet and romantic!

Penny: I wish Tommy would have proposed to me like that!

“What are they saying?” Henry asked, peeking over at you.

“They're excited for us.” You replied, looking up. “Penny also wished Tommy had proposed to her like you had proposed to me.” You added, giggling and hugging your phone to your chest, excitedly.

“Well, I'm glad I nailed it so well that I incurred Aspen's jealousy.” Henry laughed, patting your thigh and leaning over to kiss your temple.

“You knocked it out of the park, Henry. Ten out of ten, Disney Prince.” You grinned at him, snaking your arms around his, then glanced down at your phone as it beeped.

Penny: Are we invited to the wedding?

“They want to know, if they're invited to the wedding?” You said, reading the text out loud.

“Of course, they're invited to the wedding, why wouldn't they be?” Henry answered, looking down at you.

“Don't know.” You frowned, biting your lip. “But how are they going to come to the wedding, when they live in Huntersville, and your family doesn't, and they don't know about you being my Daddy?” You asked, looking up at him with a questioning expression.

Henry's mouth worked for a second. “Well, we can have the wedding somewhere else, where everyone can attend without any cross over.” He explained, chewing on his lip.

“Ooo.” You cooed, nodding your head. “But where, Daddy?” You asked, getting so excited.

Henry laughed out loud. “Baby girl.” He purred, kissing the top of your head. “We've only been engaged for an hour. We don't have to decided everything right this minute.” He told you, stopping in front of the gate leading up to the house.

“Let's enjoy this time together, we'll get to planning the wedding soon enough, where we'll plan out all of these things.” He reassured you, opening the gate. “I promise.”

“I trust you, fiancé.” You replied, grinning at him, eyes filled with love and happiness.

The sun had set and underneath a long, wooden trellis, the front of which was wrapped in fresh flowers and the farthest draped with strings of glowing, golden orb fairy lights, illuminating you, as you stood before Henry in a romantic and vintage rose-colored, extra length ball gown, with beaded lace appliques at the top of your bodice and the bottom of your floaty tulle skirt, and a matching veil. While Henry wore a stylish black, three-piece, Hugo Boss suit, with a dress shirt that matched the color of your wedding dress. The audience before you, filled with Henry's family, Jasmine and Eric, Tommy and Aspen, as well as Luca's Little Boy, Peter, and a few of Henry's friends he had made through his career, like Jason Momoa, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot and Simon Pegg, were mostly in darkness, except for electric lanterns hanging from thin poles at each end of every row of seats, giving the whole nuptials setting a secluded and private glow and bubble.

“Do you, Henry William Dalgliesh Cavill, take her to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?” Luca asked, since you both had asked him to officiate your wedding, feeling since he had brought you together, he might as well marry you to, looking up at Henry.

“I, Henry William Dalgliesh Cavill, will take her, to be my lawfully wedded wife, because you are my everything. You are my light, and you've shown me more love than I've ever known. You have allowed me to be my true self..”

There were a few chuckles from the crowd, making you and Henry glance out, knowing who had made the sounds.

Henry blushed, squeezing your hands and looked back at you. “I vow to always be your protector, and confidante, responsible for making sure your every need is met, every want is reached, and every dream realized. No matter what I need or have to do. I love you. You are my one, my only, my forever.” He whispered, his voice weakening around an emotional lump, as tears dripped down his face, bringing your hands up to his lips and kissing them.

Luca smiled at Henry, touched by his words, then looked at you. “Do you, take Henry to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?”

You took a deep breath and grinned up at Henry. “I will take you to be my lawfully wedded husband, with the deepest pride. I feel overwhelmingly lucky and proud to be standing beside you today, Henry. In you, I found a partner for life, a safe place, someone I can be the most vulnerable with. It's in you I've learned to accept myself and that no matter how bad things seem to be, it'll be you--” You paused for a moment, chuckling as Henry pulled a tissue out of the sleeve of his suit jacket and delicately wiped away your tears, careful not to ruin your make up.

“Do just that.” You grinned, melting.

“For the rest of our lives, babe.” Henry beamed, tucking the tissue back into his sleeve.

“Well, if that is all from the amazing couple.” Luca spoke up. “You may present each other with the rings.” He smiled at you both.

Nodding, Henry turned to his best man, Charlie, who handed him a platinum band ring with a heart-shaped, one-carat diamond and one smaller, princess cut diamond on each side of that, since you were Henry's heart and Princess, so he could slip it on your finger with your engagement ring. Smiling at Henry, you took Henry's ring from your maid of honor, Aspen, it was a platinum ring with a Tungsten inlay.

“It's a great honor of mine, to announce with the power given to me by the great island of Jersey, the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Cavill!” He announced, once you slipped Henry's ring on, proudly throwing his arms out wide and grinning at his two friends.

“You may kiss your bride, Henry.” He added, with a wink.

Henry didn't need a second instruction, cupping your face in his hands and stepped forward, while being mindful of your dress, and kissed you as deeply and as passionately as he ever had before, stealing your breath away. Everyone in the audience stood up and started clapping, Henry's brothers whistling and Jason calling out loudly, making both of you smile and shake your heads at them.

“I love you, Mrs. Cavill.” Henry cooed against your lips.

“I love you too, Mr. Cavill.” You whispered back, pressing your forehead to his.

Henry beamed, his eyes softly closing as he rubbed noses with you. “Come on, Baby Girl, let's go celebrate us.” He grinned, taking your hand and walked down the aisle with you.

Going inside the venue, where there were purple lights lining the walls, sheer cloth hanging from the ceiling, like you were in a tent, with twinkling lights above it, making it look like stars, there were lanterns on the tables and at the front of the room was a platform, where your and Henry's table was, the place of honor and attention. Everyone found their seat, where dinner and drinks were served, people came up to a mic stand to speak and say something about you and Henry, making everyone laugh or cry.

“I forgot to tell you.” Henry said, after Jason recounted a hilarious story from the filming of Justice League. “I got that role I was going after with Netflix, The Witcher.” He told you, taking a sip of his champagne.

“Oh?” You replied, taking bite of your creme brulee, that was served as dessert. “I'm proud of you. I knew you would get it, Hen.” You smiled, patting his thigh and kissing his cheek.

“Thanks, honey.” He chuckled, pressing his hand on top of yours. “But we don't start filming for four months, and I don't need to start preparing for it for at least two months.” He explained to you, digging into his own dessert. “So, I was thinking, why don't we have our honeymoon in New Zealand for two weeks, then spend the rest of that down time in Huntersville?” He asked, lifting a brow at you.

“I don't think either of us are quite ready to leave yet.”

You beamed at Henry. “I love that idea, Puppy.” You nodded, wiggling in your seat.

“Huntersville?” A voice echoed, making both you and Henry start, looking over at Henry's father, Colin. “Isn't that that kink community?” He asked, looking between you.

Henry gulped thickly, whiter than the cloth on your table. “It—is.” He croaked, feeling his tie grow tight around his throat.

Colin lifted a brow at his son. “What are you doing going to that place?” He asked, carefully.

“Um...” Henry's mouth worked for a moment, before he cleared his throat and straightened up, looking at you. “Do you trust me?”

“You are my husband.” You replied, like it was natural.

Nodding, Henry stood up and rounded the table, to the mic, that he father had been going to, when he heard your and Henry's conversation. “Everybody!” He said, gently tapping the mic, grabbing everyone's attention, feeling a clammy sweat break out over his forehead. “I--” He looked behind him and you smiled at him, knowing where this was going.

“We have an announcement to make.”

“Oh, don't tell us she's pregnant already!” Simon yelled out.

Henry laughed, feeling his nervousness break. “No!” He replied, tugging his tie loose. “But, uh—some of you already know this about her and I, but to many of you, it will be—news. My wife and I met at a special community called, Huntersville. What that means is, I'm a Daddy and she's a Little.” He confessed to the room of his dearest friends and family, looking around at all of them, feeling his hands tremble a little bit.

“I hope that doesn't upset any of you.”

“Dude, you have the biggest Daddy Energy I have ever fucking met!” Jason boomed, pushing his chair back on two legs. “I knew that shit ten minutes after I met you! So, no, I'm not upset about it.” He said, grinning at Henry.

“Why would that bother us?” Nik replied, looking up at his little brother, frowning. “It's your life, you can do whatever makes you happy, Hank, and she truly makes you happy.” He nodded, winking up at you.

“That's all that matters to me!”

There was a low murmur around the room, everyone nodding and smiling, and Henry felt every ounce of his nervousness and fear of being judged by his friends and family for being a Daddy go out the window, you brimmed with tears, feeling like you had finally found your tribe, the real family that would accept and love you, whether or not, you were in Huntersville.