[Featured in FreetheLGBT: Diverse Literature reading list and Humor: Young. Dumb. Full of Fun list]
Colin Mitchell, a photographer at a well-known store, Snapshot, is openly gay--mostly. His ideal experiences are sexcapades that are always subtle, n...
Warning: Cuteness overload in first half and smuffy tension in second half
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This was the first time Colin was babysitting Lily without Peter. After Ivy had called to ask if he could take up the role while she took up an extra shift at work, he also took up the task of taking care of her until her mother returned.
It would be fun. It had been fun all the previous times, he expected that. What he didn't expect was how... dull things seemed after a while.
"Hey, flower?"
"Yes?" The girl said, closing the small book she was reading-- or trying to. She was listening to the audiobook version while she followed along with her fingers running over the raised bumps on the pages of the physical book in her hand. Now the voice reading had stopped and her attention was on Colin.
"How do you feel about going out for a while?"
"Out where?"
Colin actually hadn't considered where he'd take the little girl if she agreed-- he thought she might prefer reading the book for the fourth time in a row since she'd done it thrice already. Nonetheless, the ideal place should be somewhere Lily would be interested in going.
"Guess."
"The park?"
Then the park they shall go. "How did you know, Lily?"
She shrugged, small shoulders rising and falling with a slump while her hands made a clueless gesture. "I guessed."
"Can you give me my coat?"
Colin handed Lily the article of clothing after taking it out of her bag, and watched as she felt around for the arm holes, slipping her small hands through them and shrugging the material on. She stretched out her hand after she was done and the brunet placed her scarf in it.
"You can get dressed by yourself?" Colin asked watching her as she adjusted the scarf and huffed out a breath.
"Yup. My mommy lays out my clothes for me so I put them on. But sometimes, I get them from the closet myself." She gave Colin a big, proud smile that made her eyes draw to a thin line. Looking at her beaming face, Colin could do nothing to stop the smile that turned his own lips up.
"Then why did Pika-- Peter take you to the changing room when you came to the studio?" Colin bit his lip at his fumble.
"I can't do the zippers."
"Makes sense." Colin proceeded to hand her a knit hat as he slipped on a jacket and tied his own scarf around his neck. Once done, he took Lily's hand and they set off for the family park a couple of blocks away. In the elevator, Colin let the little girl push the button that sent them to the first floor. That little act made Lily smile again as he held onto her hand and walked her to his car. Colin could feel his heart fucking melting anytime she held onto him a little tighter.
