Page 7 of Soft
I chuckled at his exuberance, allowing him to pull me. Normally he wouldn't be able to, given Fisher was a tiny little thing.
"I like your hat, Fish."
He blushed, nodding. "Yeah, me too. I bet there's one for you somewhere, but I don't know." He looked around the room like he could see it just sitting out in the open.
No. Princess Aster had it. It was tucked away somewhere safe. He didn’t like losing anything princess-related, and considering he was hosting the party, it fit.
I also looked around, noting the streamers and balloons everywhere, the massive cake in the kitchen, and the entire crew roaming around. There were the Princesses and their Daddies, of course, but I could also spot Patrick, Miguel, and Matteo along with their group. I even caught sight of Ronan, one of the NightShade security guys I'd been introduced to once. He was intense, to say the least.
Before we could figure out where the hat was or do anything else, Princess Aster popped up out of nowhere.
"Geez," I said, clutching a hand to my chest dramatically. He didn't really startle me, but Princess Aster loved the flair. I would give him a performance anytime I wanted to keep him smiling. That was my curse as a Daddy. I never wanted to punish my Little. My hot temper when it came to my career was nowhere to be found with my partner. I wanted to dote on them, to spoil them to the ends of the earth and back.
"I'm so glad you made it, Paxi," Princess Aster said, drawing me from my own thoughts. "Doyle said he left a note, but you could never be sure with him. He gets distracted so easily."
"That he does," I said, opening my arms for the hug I knew Princess Aster wanted. Fisher jumped in as well, and I was quickly enveloped in a group hug that just felt wonderful. These guys were family, and it was going to be hard to leave them. ButI knew in my heart that this was the right choice for me, that Grizzly was going to take my career to where I wanted it to be.
When we pulled apart, Princess Aster grabbed my hand. "We're going to get you a hat, and then I'll explain the party rules."
Fisher skipped away, likely because he already knew the rundown, and since Princess Aster had mentioned the hat, his job was done. I allowed myself to be tugged through the massive crowd. While there was plenty of space for everyone to sit and relax, the Littles didn't seem to want to be still. They were bouncing around from person to person and conversation to conversation, giggling and expressing themselves as usual.
When we finally made it to the kitchen where the giant cake looked even more impressive in person, I spotted the only hat that could possibly be mine. It had a catcher's mitt, baseball, and baseball bat balanced precariously on top of each other. It looked to be the tallest hat in the place, and when I put it on my head, it definitely increased my already above average height.
Princess Aster clapped his hands. "It's perfect. I'm so glad I went with this design. Now we can spot you easily. No hiding."
I shrugged, because he was right. I did tend to hide at times because it was more fun to sit and watch everyone's interactions than to be in the thick of things. I'd learned more about myself and my desires as a Daddy hanging out with them, mostly by observing.
"What were these rules you mentioned?" I asked him after he'd had the appropriate amount of time to adjust my hat how he wanted. I was thankful the neck strap allowed it to sit on top of my baseball cap. I would feel a bit naked without it.
"Well, the rules are simple," Princess Aster started. "Since you didn’t bring a gift—which was intentional, hopefully Doyle told you that—the gift the birthday boy requested was that everyone bring a piece of gossip with them."
I took his words in for a moment, trying to make sure I understood exactly what he'd said. "You're telling me that this is a birthday party and the birthday boy asked for gossip. And that was it?"
"Yep," he said, popping the P dramatically.
"And whose birthday is it? Doyle wasn't very clear on that. Neither was the invitation."
Princess Aster grabbed my shoulder and turned me towards the crowd. "I'm sure you can tell now."
One glance around the space and it was crystal clear. Ean was wearing a fabulous dress and had a crown atop his head. I should have realized when Princess Aster wasn't wearing his normal tiara that I could easily spot who was in charge today by the headwear.
"I would think Ean wouldn't want to hear about gossip, given his former career."
My words were honest, though not fully accurate. Ean still did work in the entertainment industry. He just didn't let it control his life like he had for so long. It helped that his husband Rhett was extremely protective and supportive. There really wasn't a reason for Ean to work at all, with all of the time they spent between the ranch and the tattoo shop.
Really, it was none of my business. I was, however, curious about the gossip part.
Princess Aster raised his hands in the "I don't know" gesture. "I asked him what he wanted and he said gossip. Personally, I think he got so used to hearing it in Hollywood that it's a default for him. But I also know that he wants to make sure no one worries about what to get him. You know how people can be. They're intimidated at the thought of buying him something."
I gave him a slow nod of understanding. "True. There are definitely some difficult decisions when shopping for all of you, between your Daddy spoiling you and the fact that a few of you have more money than God. It's mind-boggling, for lack of a better word."
Princess Aster clasped his hands together in front of him and swayed side to side. "It's honestly the best. I can't complain. And at the end of the day, if gossip is what he wants, I have it in buckets."
I smiled down at him. "I'm sure you do, considering you're the hub of all the information here."
"You're darn right I am."
It was then that Charlie walked up behind him, wrapping his arms around his husband and kissing his neck. The way Princess Aster closed his eyes was jealousy-inducing. I wanted a love like that. I wanted a partner who I could care for, like all of these men cared for their boys and Littles.
