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Chapter Fifty-Two: Cold This wasn’t happening… this wasn’t happening… Disoriented, muted, and panicking, Adam closed his eyes as he felt a lurch in his stomach. He wasn’t ready to find out how vomiting out his nose felt, so he put all of his effort into controlling it. He grabbed the Amazon’s suit jacket as he curled forward, trying to focus and will himself to calm down, or at least not let his panic forcefully eject his breakfast. The effort caused his entire body to break out into a sweat, and he began to shiver, but it was working, though it also rendered him unable to keep awareness of his surroundings.  He felt and smelled the open air for a few seconds, and by the time his brain recognized it, he was descending into a car, which he could tell from the sound of the car doors. Adrenaline jolted through his body, causing him to open his eyes as wide as possible. For a moment, he had dared to hope they were taking him to a known vehicle — his grandfather’s, maybe. But no. The nausea caused a clench in his gut as he anxiously looked around at it. It was old. Low tech. Dirty. Grey cloth seats, with tons of stains and some rips. The suited Amazon had entered the back and unceremoniously dumped Adam into a car seat. The blonde was not immediately restrained, so he jumped to his feet and grabbed the door handle. His shaking hands found purchase on the worn plastic handle, and he rocked back with all his might and weight, which successfully pulled the handle fully open — but the child safety lock was on. “Ey!” the suited Amazon barked and reached out, grabbing Adam’s shoulder and pulling him back into the car seat. Adam let out a pained shout as a stinging shock reminded him that it was the arm the other Amazon had roughly pulled, and he groaned into the inflated bulb as he grabbed at his shoulder and dug his fingertips in, grimacing through the pain. His arms were navigated around as the suited Amazon buckled him into the seat. Just as the hand pulled away, Adam grabbed at it and looked up at him desperately, pointing to the pacifier; he was ignored as the suited man steadied himself between the front passenger seat and the rear as the car peeled out of the parking lot. 『 Check him for trackers, 』the driver spat, glaring briefly into the rearview mirror and then quickly jerking the steering wheel to the left. The man flew forward, pressing his hands against the window of the car door next to Adam, hovering an inch over him. The blonde stared at the tie for only a second, then grabbed it and gave it a yank, gesturing once more to the pacifier. 『 What am I looking for? 』the suited man asked as he sneered at Adam, grabbed the top of his tie, and pulled it out of his grasp, causing a fabric burn sensation in his hand that he tried to yelp from, but the inflated bulb absorbed the sound. The Amazon began inspecting Adam, running his hand through Adam’s hair, along the backs of his ears, then working his way down the Little’s body. 『 No idea, could be anything. You’re going to have to change him before we get there, 』the driver explained as he roughly turned again, weaving through traffic and choosing turns at the last possible second. 『 What? Why? 』the man scoffed, sneering as his eyes inspected the diaper before his hand did; Adam grimaced when the man’s fingers pressed against the padding, curling his legs in, a momentary flash of kicking his hands away tempting him. It was semi-wet, which the blonde barely clocked, unsure exactly when that happened.『 He’s fine. 』 『 Because of his mother, you idiot, 』the driver hissed, continuing to roughly weave through traffic.『 She could have put tracking tech on him. 』 『 In a diaper? 』the backseat Amazon grumbled, shaking his head in disagreement. Adam’s breathing quickened when his mother was mentioned, and he glared at the back of the driver’s head. Perhaps he had known subconsciously before hearing that, but it was all clicking in his head that this was targeted. They knew Mung, apparently enough to fear him. They had known Jae-yung was his son and that Joomi was his mother… he tried to clamp his jaw over the inflatable bulb, wanting badly to clench his jaw in anger, but it was futile. Breathing an annoyed sigh out of his nose, his eyes moved between the two as he began taking in every little bit of detail he could about them. Would it matter? Would he get the opportunity to do anything about it? He didn’t know, but it felt like the smart thing to do. He was going to memorize every detail possible. It gave him something to focus on other than his pain. The driver had two scars from this angle and was the man who had grabbed him from the tunnels. He had a chunk of his right ear missing and a prominent scar that ran across his right knuckles. He was right-handed. Mustache, goatee, and a pierced ear (left). The one touching and inspecting him had smoker’s breath, yellowing, crooked teeth, light-brown eyes, and was clean-shaven. He had a round face. His lips were chapped, his Adam’s apple was prominent, and his upper lip sneered a lot - right about where a scar was. His hands were cold, and he was sweating. He was nervous. Good. Asshole. He leaned between the front seats to grab a plastic bag, and Adam stared at the logo: a wireframe, an unbroken line forming the shape of an owl, with its eyes forming the double-o in the word ‘Sanhoo’. He was surprised to see the word in Albionic lettering, but he didn’t think far beyond that; he kept his focus on every detail, hoping something would present itself as useful, if not now, then for later. Adam tried to lean away from the guy, but there was no room to go, as the large hands began pulling at his shirt and getting a lay of his outfit. He groaned when he saw the onesie, and if the blonde could have smirked at him, he would have. Or maybe not. His emotions were all over the place; his eyes watered as his conflicting emotions battled for center stage, and his hands gripped the belt nervously – then it hit him. Little Boja! He didn’t have Little Boja! He let out a long, mournful groan as he tilted his head upwards and closed his eyes, tears streaming down his cheeks. He had nothing. Nothing from home but these clothes, and he was about to lose them, too. 『 Hey, kid’s crying, 』the smoker said with an air of concern. 『 No shit, 』the driver scoffed. 『 Get him changed first, you can breastfeed him later. 』 The smoker glared at the back of the driver’s head as his lip sneered, and he growled something under his breath. He unbuckled the restraint, shooting Adam a warning glare, and quickly ripped off the pants. Adam let out a muffled yell as he patted the smoker’s hand and pointed to the pacifier again; this time, he made an exaggerated sniff, and thankfully, upon hearing the obstruction that was the quickly forming snot, it clicked. The man gave a nod as he reached forward, grabbing the gripper, and he paused, staring at Adam. “No scream, okay?” he warned, and the blonde nodded ever so slightly. After a frown and a nod, he clicked the gripper, and the bulb shrank; Adam let out a relieved sigh as he pushed the pacifier out with his tongue, swallowed the drool that had accumulated under it, and rubbed his jaw. Without warning, the shirt suddenly lifted over his face, and he gasped slightly, before the shirt was roughly pulled over his head and his arms were dragged with it. He grabbed at the pacifier clipped to the shirt and tried to pull it through the shirt’s sleeve, shooting a pleading look up at the man, who arched an eyebrow. It was just a pacifier and a normal one at that. The Amazon pulled the pacifier from Adam’s hand and inspected it thoroughly, looking for any sign of technology. Looking down at the inflatable one in his lap, he held it up and pointed to the obvious mechanical components he was very familiar with, trying to prove that his was normal. Unfortunately, this appeared to make the Amazon more suspicious. He sneered slightly as he grabbed the inflatable one and compared it to the other. He let out an annoyed sigh as he shoved the normal one into the shirt and pants, balled it up, and dropped the inflatable one into Adam’s lap. The blonde nervously looked up at the suited man, who was now tugging at the cream onesie fabric, searching for any signs of technology. 『 Looks fine, 』he said as he leaned forward to roll down the window and shoved the clothes and pacifier out of the moving car. 『 They’re just clothes. 』 『 Wrist band, 』the driver pointed out. The smoker cursed, grabbing Adam’s arm, ripping off the blue band, and throwing it out the window, too. “Where are you taking me?” Adam asked as soon as the window was rolled up. The smoker looked down at him, then towards the driver. 『 Pretend you don’t understand, 』the driver instructed. “I understood that,” Adam growled, glaring at the driver’s ear. The Amazon next to him reared back slightly in surprise, and the driver grumbled something under his breath. “Just be good,” the Amazon next to him said hesitantly, eyeing Adam warily as he buckled the carseat restraints once again. Aargh, fuck. The momentary satisfaction of catching them off guard hadn’t been worth the long-term implications or the risk. It would have been better to stay under the radar and let them talk over him. He clenched his jaw and closed his eyes, turning his head as far away from the smoker as he could. After a moment’s breath, he lifted his hands to his face as it twisted in agony, seeing the flash of Jae-yung getting pushed and the last look he gave before disappearing down the slide… Hearing an echo of Joomi calling out for him. He hadn’t said goodbye. He and Jae-yung had just run off to play. He hadn’t said he loved her at all today. Hell, he hadn’t said he loved Boja in… too long. His entire face turned red, and he felt the tips of his ears burn as he broke out into a sob. He pressed his palms against his eyes, and he slammed his head back into the cushion of the car seat. The smoker tried to put his hand on Adam for comfort, but the blonde jerked his arm away and screeched out as he kicked his legs in the air. The Amazon put his hands up, mouthing something, and sat back in his seat. Adam clenched his jaw as he grabbed the front of his onesie and tried to reel the emotion back in, but it was too late. He was able to keep the noise contained through holding his breath or yelling into the crook of his elbow, but the tears flowed consistently, and his nose began to drip. He lifted the collar of the onesie to wipe at his eyes and nose, then used his hands to wipe it on the car seat upholstery. The inside of the car remained silent, save for Adam’s sniffles and heavy breathing, for a good twenty minutes as they navigated tight roads until they reached an industrial-looking sector. By this time, his face was sore from crying and rubbing, and he could feel it was stinging and likely very red. The driver parked outside a building and dialed his phone, but didn’t put it to his ear; he typed a few numbers, then hung up. He turned, making eye contact with the smoker Amazon, who frowned sympathetically. Adam’s nostrils flared as he whipped his head in the opposite direction and glared up at the window, letting out a string of curses in his head and insulting the man every way possible. After about thirty seconds, the car pulled into the garage, and the driver let out a relieved sigh. 『 All right, let’s set up, 』he announced as he tossed a look back over his shoulder, then exited the car. The other man nodded and unbuckled the car seat. “What’s going on?” Adam gasped as he looked up at the clean-shaven man and grabbed at his hand. “Jebal?” It was the form of please that was considered begging. He had first heard it from Jae-yung, and he had leveraged it with Kang without knowing its full implications. Since then, he had come to understand that it was meant for urgent, serious situations and was used by those of lower status to plead with someone higher up. If it wasn’t for the seriousness of the moment, he might find it amusing how casually Jae-yung used it for the smallest of requests. The Amazon’s eyebrows furrowed in surprise, then his eyes looked up as he tracked his partner in crime (literally). He clenched his jaw, then looked down at Adam. “You stay with us for a time,” he explained quietly with a heavy accent. “Make sure no, uh,” he paused, waving a hand in the air as he tried to find the right word. “Uh… follow. Then you, uh, get pick up.” “By who?” Adam breathed in a panic, his eyes widening as his reddened face managed to turn pale. “Don’t know,” the Amazon frowned as he put his hands around the Little’s chest and pulled him out of the car seat. Adam clenched his hands into fists and his jaw tightly; he believed him, but it wasn’t the answer he wanted. Pair that with being held by this man who reeked of cigarettes, his face contorted in disgust and pain, and he shivered as he pointed to the ground. “I can walk,” he declared while sounding like he was trying to offer. The man grunted and grumbled as he slid across the backseat, sitting Adam on his leg, and opened the door. The Amazon looked at the ground, mumbled something under his breath, and pulled the Little up as he stood. Glaring downward, he could understand why; they were in some kind of industrial garage, and the ground was filthy and littered with tools, buckets, and junk. Still, seeing the logic of the choice didn’t make the circumstance any better. He surveyed the area as the Amazon walked over to the other, who had already set up a netted playpen in the center of a makeshift living room. There were two misshapen, stained sofas with a folding tray serving as an end table, facing an old television that looked older than Adam. The first man gestured to the playpen, and Adam was quickly dumped in it. He blinked, staring at the… nothing that was in it. Then shivered. The ground was concrete and cold, and the thin plastic floor of this cheap playpen gave him no insulation. “Hey, can I…” Adam asked as he stood, crossing his arms over his chest to conserve body heat. Both Amazons looked over at him. “Can I have a blanket or something? It’s really cold.” The two men looked at each other. 『 Where are the clothes? 』the goatee one asked. The clean-shaven one cursed as he retrieved the bag from the car. Adam continued to shiver, keeping his arms pressed against his chest as tightly as possible, looking between the one in charge, who grabbed two beers from a janky old fridge, and the other, who walked the bag over to the playpen and dropped it in. 『 Fucking change him, 』the one in charge growled as he gestured a beer towards him. 『 Why is he still in that? 』 『 It’s clean, 』 the other sighed as he reached in, grabbing the bag again before jamming his hands under Adam’s armpits and lifting him up. 『 It’s a normal onesie, and she wouldn’t put a tracker in a diaper. That’s dumb. 』 『 I didn’t ask for your opinion, 』the man grumbled as he plopped backward onto the couch, setting down one beer on a nearby table and opening the other. 『 Just do it. 』 Adam’s jaw clenched, glaring down at the bag as he was carried over to the couch, regretting having said anything. He should have just suffered through the cold; then maybe whatever harm came to him would bite them in the ass for letting it happen. He was laid on his back on the couch, and the Amazon sat down next to him, peering into the bag. Adam crossed his arms and pulled his legs in, still shivering. The Amazon curled his nose up as he pulled out a pink footie pajama set. Adam stopped breathing as he stared at it. It was the worst kind of girly. It was cherry blossom-themed, but that detail quickly left his mind as there was a decorative frill up the center alongside the zipper, and when the Amazon spun the thing around, there were 3 rows of frills right across the butt. Undoubtedly, they would flare up and be accentuated by a diaper. “No,” Adam said as he shook his head and pointed to it, his head shaking ‘no’ while still shivering. “No, no, no.” “Ehhh,” the Amazon grimaced as he looked into the bag and pulled out a sample pack of diapers, a pink pacifier, and a headband with a gaudy, massive bow. He tossed Adam a sympathetic look that informed him there was nothing else in the bag. “Nope. Nope. Happy to freeze to death, thanks,” he declined rapidly, turning his body to the side to slide off the couch, but the Amazon caught him. 『 It’s just this pink shit, 』the man complained as he pinned Adam down on the couch with one hand and held up the pajamas with the other. The other one groaned and let out a string of curses, chugged the remainder of his beer, and slammed it on the end table. 『 Do I have to spell every fucking thing out, you fucking idiot? They’re looking for a boy, so we dress him up like a girl. 』 『 They’re looking for a blonde. Isn’t this going to draw more attention? 』 Adam’s eyebrows rose in surprise. Perhaps smoker asshat wasn’t so bad after all. 『 Put the bow on, and they’ll think his hair is dyed, 』the other shrugged. 『 But… 』the smoker stopped, contorting his face.『 He’s a boy. And he doesn’t want to wear it. 』 『 It’s not like he’s got any ladies to impress, 』the other chuckled as he stood up and stretched.『 What’s it matter to him? 』 Adam’s face began to turn red as he glared at the ceiling. The smoker shrugged, having no reply to that, and released his hand from the blonde’s chest, moving his hand to unsnap the onesie. Taking this opportunity, Adam began thrashing and kicking at his hands, which caused the Amazon to rear back slightly. He jerked his body to his right and fell to the ground, catching himself with one hand, and tried to make a run for it despite the cold and his state of undress. Much like in the gym, he didn’t get very far; massive hands grabbed his shoulders and lifted him up, tossing him back onto the couch. “NO!” Adam shouted, followed by feral growls as he tried throwing punches and kicking again. He didn’t know why it mattered to him so much, but it felt like something he could control or reasonably deny. In a series of events where he could do practically nothing to help himself, this felt… achievable. 『 That’s it, 』muttered the other man who walked towards the fridge. “Come on,” the smoker grumbled as he maneuvered his cold hand under the onesie to pin Adam down again, and used the other to pull it off. He grimaced and winced as he was kicked, slapped, and clawed at, but it did very little to slow him down. “You’re dead, you know that?!” the Little snarled, feeling a fiery burn in his chest as he sneered at the man, trying to dig his fingernails into his hand. He meant it, too. While in a much calmer space, Adam did not like Kang’s violent solutions, and he would never approve of them… But in this moment, he relished it. Whatever happened to him, these were dead men walking. Or, at least, that’s what he was going to tell himself to get through this, and whatever was next. “When Eomma finds me - when my grandpa finds you - you’re fucking DEAD!” The Amazon hesitated as he stared at Adam, but it was unclear if he was taking the blonde’s threats at face value or if he was just surprised he was swearing. Either way, it was satisfying. “YOU’RE DEAD –” In a flash, the inflatable pacifier was in his mouth again, and the bulb once more took up every space in his mouth possible. 『 Yeah, yeah, 』the other Amazon dismissively replied, rolling his eyes and waving a hand as he walked away. 『 He’ll calm down in a minute. 』 Adam blew air out of his nose, growling and making any kind of noise possible, still kicking and punching. 『 Who’s his grandfather? 』the other asked with a tone of concern. Adam blew a laugh out of his nose and glared victoriously at the smoker… until he realized the inflatable bulb had a distinct taste to it. His eyebrows furrowed as he let the taste sink in. 『 Who cares? 』the other shrugged dismissively. Adam’s eyes widened as he finally recognized the taste, and he immediately began to panic. His hands moved to the pacifier as he tried to grab at it, then patted at the man’s hands in desperation, but the pleas went ignored. The smoker asked another question, probing further as to the details of this mission, but Adam was far too distracted to really listen. Without a power source, some voltage through his spit, he couldn’t use the tooth spike, but he started rubbing his feet on the couch anyway; maybe, maybe with enough static electricity… after a few desperate seconds, he touched his lip… but nothing. He let out a frustrated yell and began pulling, tugging, and struggling against the pacifier, even trying to force his spit upwards through his nose to get the paste out. But it was futile. There was no way to spit it out, and the tingling on his tongue had already begun. He closed his eyes as they began to water again, slamming his head against the couch in frustration. The smoker fell quiet, lost in thought, continuing to undress Adam by pulling the onesie over his head, then moved on to his diaper. He knew to expect relaxation and giddiness, so when he felt a tingling in his hands, he nodded. It moved to his feet, and by then, he wanted to smile, but the pacifier prevented it. He still felt cold, which was progressively getting worse as he lost more clothing, but it didn’t feel as bad as before. He lay on the couch, naked, for a good minute while the old diaper lay on the floor and the Amazon struggled to unfold the much thicker diaper one-handed. Adam took in a breath as he squinted at it – it had a weird shape to it. The leg cuffs had a dramatic fanning out towards the back, and he arched an eyebrow curiously. He tilted his head to the side, and he slowly realized there was a logical benefit to his drugging. Well, two benefits, really. The first was that he could actually tell himself there were logical benefits to things like this, and his anger, if he was angry at that, was muted and distant. Like a Little in the back of the room, with an inflated pacifier in their mouth, unable to be heard. The second was that in moments where he would otherwise be panicking and trying to fight everything, he could instead observe. He let out a muffled laugh, and he turned his attention back to the man, who took Adam’s laughing as a good sign and removed his hand from his chest to stretch out the diaper. 『 See? Much better, 』the other laughed as he lifted his beer in the air in a toast to himself. The smoker nodded in agreement, and Adam stared at the man’s face. As the Amazon leaned forward, he lifted the Little by the legs and slid the diaper underneath, taking each step very slowly, appearing unsure or unpracticed. Adam let out a giggle as he reached his hand forward and poked the hole between the shirt buttons, where he could make out the man’s tattoos. “You like tattoos?” the Amazon smiled, unbuttoning a few to show more of his tattoos before he continued taping on the diaper. Adam nodded as he stared at them and lifted his hands to open the shirt more, and he stared at the tattoo of a tiger. Boja… No, the tattoo tiger’s eyes were yellow. Boja’s… “I have no association with the tiger branch.” Adam let out a giggle as Boja’s words echoed in his mind, and he nodded again. The tiger branch… They were… Japok? His eyelids fluttered as they began to struggle to stay open, but they were pinned to the tiger. Darkness and blurring crept at the edges of his vision, but his focus on the tiger kept it sharp as his arms were handled first, tucked into the pink, ruffly pajamas, then his legs. Boja… Eomma… Ziiiip. The Amazon gave a satisfied smile at himself, seeing the job done – well, almost. He tugged the flowery headband over Adam’s head with the large flower facing forward, and then the smoker gave a proud nod. The two began to talk and move around, but it had turned into background noise as Adam struggled to stay awake. His entire body felt far too heavy to move, and any movement he made cost him a considerable amount of the little energy he had left. The darkness grew, and he succumbed to it, drifting off into a calm sleep where his dreams were a jumbled mess. He sat petting Little Boja, who turned into Boja, who turned into a massive stuffed Little Boja. He dreamed of being at his ceremony reception again, surrounded by giants all murmuring and chatting, as he crawled through the legs without a care in the world. In between these disorienting visions, his eyes would flutter, threatening to awaken. Each time, he could only catch a different voice, a different smell, or his body being handled and moved. Then he’d fall back into the land of confusing images, such as being held in Joomi’s warm embrace, only to be set down on the netting of the gym and begin to fall through, hearing her scream his name. This shifted into Jae-yung turning into a bear, getting admonished by Bak, and returning to his normal, grinning self. Chana pulled a rabbit out of the moon and began to play cards with it. On and on it went… Throughout all the visions, Kang was always there. Never engaging in the dream, never commenting or reacting, but ever present. He groaned as the nonsensical firings in his brain were giving way to reality. His tongue was the first thing he could feel, and it took a good few minutes to realize he could move it freely. He began to run his tongue over the roof of his mouth and then slowly smack his lips, his eyelids still feeling too heavy to open. He let out a small moan as he began summoning the energy to fully wake up, his hearing sharpening. 『 I don’t understand, 』a familiar feminine voice replied, sounding more incredulous than confused. 『 You don’t have to. He’s waking up, 』a masculine, nasal voice replied, though it sounded more like an order. The woman hummed, and Adam fluttered his eyelids open, feeling the approaching footsteps. The apparatus he was in shifted and swung, flying through the air as he took a deep breath, then let it out in a breathy huff as the carrier was placed on a firm surface. Adam heard the unclicking of the restraints, and he fluttered his eyes open, which then shot open wide as he gasped, seeing the familiar face of Seo-ya. “My, myyy,” she cooed in a teasing tone, her eyes tracking the flower headband, then down to his pajamas as she smirked. “Don’t you look adorable.”

Control top pantyhose....cut off.

Hey everyone! Has anyone tried the European Tena Super? I’m living in Spain and just saw them at the pharmacy. I'd love to hear some feedback or if anyone has any info on how they perform. Thanks! Here’s a picture of them.

Yup, and now she's stuck in baby and punishment mode.

Chapter 41: The late afternoon sun cast long golden shadows across the canyon as Bill and Chris finally made their way back toward the shuttle stop. The excitement of the day had softened into a sleepy, content exhaustion that settled warmly over both of them.   Chris walked slower now, his hand tucked securely in Bill’s while Elvis rested beneath his other arm. His cheeks were slightly pink from the Arizona sun despite the sunscreen, and a few wisps of hair stuck out wildly beneath his cowboy hat from the wind.   “You got a little sun today,” Bill observed gently.   Chris touched his cheek dramatically. “Am I turning into a tomato?”   “Maybe a tiny one.”   Chris gasped. “Cowboy tomato.”   Bill laughed softly as the shuttle bus pulled up beside them with a hiss of brakes.   Inside, the bus felt pleasantly cool after the warm afternoon outside. Most of the passengers looked tired in the same happy way — quiet conversations, sleepy children leaning against parents, cameras full of photos and memories from the day.   Chris immediately claimed a window seat again while Bill settled beside him.   The moment the bus started moving, Chris noticed something tiny perched near the edge of the window frame.   “Daddy,” he whispered urgently. “LOOK.”   A little desert lizard no bigger than Bill’s hand clung to the outer windowsill near the back of the bus, somehow riding along despite the movement. Its tiny toes gripped the metal while its head darted curiously from side to side.   Chris lit up instantly.   “Oh my gosh.”   He pressed closer to the glass carefully, smiling so hard his cheeks hurt.   The little lizard tilted its head slightly as if noticing him too.   Chris tapped the window gently. “Hi buddy.”   For the next several minutes, Chris stayed completely entertained by his tiny reptile companion. He whispered dramatic narration for its “adventure,” insisting the lizard was clearly hitchhiking across the canyon in search of snacks and treasure.   Bill simply watched him with quiet amusement.   The warm sunlight through the windows caught Chris’s sleepy face perfectly — pink cheeks, crooked cowboy hat, pacifier clip hanging from his shirt, pure happiness radiating from every expression.   It struck Bill again how magical the whole trip had become.   Not because of the destinations.   Because of moments exactly like this.   Eventually the shuttle rolled back toward the lodge area, pine trees replacing canyon cliffs outside the windows once again. Chris gave the lizard one final solemn nod before it disappeared from sight.   “Goodbye, brave traveler.”   Bill chuckled quietly. “I think you made a friend.”   Back at the hotel, both of them were starving after the long day exploring.   The hotel restaurant buzzed warmly with evening energy — families laughing over dinner, hikers recounting their adventures, soft country music drifting through the rustic dining room. A giant stone pizza oven glowed near the back wall while the scent of garlic, melted cheese, and baked dough filled the air.   Chris studied the menu very seriously.   Then he frowned.   “Daddy…”   “Yeah?”   “They don’t have Christmas burritos.”   Bill immediately burst out laughing.   “Buddy, this is a pizza place.”   Chris looked genuinely disappointed. “But I was craving them.”   “You just had them like yesterday.”   “And they were AMAZING.”   Bill grinned while gently steering him back toward the pizza section of the menu.   After several minutes of negotiations, Chris finally agreed to split a large pepperoni pizza with extra cheese and breadsticks.   “Fine,” he sighed dramatically. “But Christmas burritos are still winning.”   “Noted.”   The pizza arrived bubbling hot a short while later, and Chris immediately forgot all complaints.   Within approximately thirty seconds, sauce somehow ended up everywhere.   Cheese stretched across his chin.   Pepperoni slid off slices.   At one point he gestured too enthusiastically while talking and nearly launched a breadstick across the restaurant.   Bill laughed harder with every passing minute.   “You are an absolute disaster.”   Chris grinned unapologetically through a mouthful of pizza. “It’s really good.”   Several nearby diners smiled watching the pair laugh together, and one waitress complimented Chris’s cowboy hat again as she refilled their drinks.   By the end of dinner, Chris looked exhausted all over again — heavy eyelids, slower movements, and that clingy tiredness that always appeared after especially emotional days.   Back upstairs, the cozy lodge room felt wonderfully quiet after the busy restaurant.   Bill immediately started running a warm bubble bath while Chris changed into pajamas nearby. Soon the bathroom filled with steam and the scent of vanilla soap while mountains of bubbles floated across the water.   Chris melted happily into the tub with a tired sigh.   “This is the best bath ever.”   “You say that every bath.”   “Because baths are awesome.”   Bill sat nearby on the closed toilet lid while Chris lazily pushed bubbles around the water and talked sleepily about the canyon.   At one point Bill casually checked in about the small cage arrangement they used as part of their routine, keeping the conversation gentle and matter-of-fact.   “You still comfortable with everything, buddy?”   Chris nodded sleepily while scooping bubbles into his hands. “Mhm. I still like it.”   “Okay. Just making sure.”   Chris smiled softly. “I know.”   The conversation passed naturally and comfortably before drifting back toward sillier topics — canyon dinosaurs, pizza rankings, and whether the shuttle lizard had a family waiting for him somewhere.   After the bath, Bill got Chris cleaned up, lotioned, and changed into a fresh diaper and soft pajamas covered in little stars. Chris looked impossibly cozy by the time Bill carried him out into the main room wrapped in a fluffy towel like a sleepy burrito.   Soon they were curled together on the couch beneath a blanket with a Pixar movie playing softly on the television.   The firelight flickered gently across the room while the cool mountain night settled outside the windows.   Chris snuggled tightly against Bill’s chest holding Elvis and Patches while Bill fed him a warm bottle. Every few minutes Bill rubbed slow comforting circles across his back as the movie played quietly in the background.   Chris tried very hard to stay awake.   Really hard.   But halfway through the bottle, his eyelids started drooping lower and lower.   “You fading on me?” Bill whispered softly.   Chris gave the tiniest sleepy nod.   A few more slow sips later, the bottle tilted lazily in his hands and his breathing deepened against Bill’s chest.   Asleep.   Bill smiled immediately.   Carefully, without waking him, he pulled out his phone and snapped a quiet picture.   Chris looked impossibly peaceful there beneath the blanket — cowboy hat abandoned on the coffee table, stuffed animals tucked beneath his arms, bottle still loosely held against his pajamas while the soft Pixar movie glow lit his sleepy face.   Bill stared at the photo for a long moment afterward.   Then he looked back down at Chris resting safely against him and felt his chest tighten with quiet happiness all over again.   The Grand Canyon had been unforgettable.   But somehow this moment felt just as important.     Chapter 42: Morning arrived quietly over the lodge, soft sunlight filtering through the curtains while cool mountain air pressed gently against the windows. Somewhere outside, birds chirped in the pine trees and distant voices drifted faintly up from the hotel courtyard below.   Inside the room, however, absolutely nobody seemed interested in moving.   Chris was sprawled sideways across the oversized bed like a starfish, one arm wrapped around Elvis while Patches had somehow ended up shoved beneath his stomach during the night. His cowboy hat rested crookedly on the nightstand beside the little wooden bear he’d bought for Bill, both illuminated by the warm morning light.   Bill stirred first.   For a few moments he simply stayed still, watching Chris sleep peacefully beside him.   The road trip had changed something between them in the best possible way. Every long drive, every messy meal, every sleepy cuddle at the end of the day seemed to knit them closer together somehow.   Bill smiled softly and brushed a hand through Chris’s messy hair.   A few lazy minutes later, Chris finally scooted closer and curled against Bill’s side with a huge sleepy yawn.   “What’re we doing today?” he mumbled.   Bill shrugged softly. “Honestly? No idea.”   Chris blinked up at him. “Really?”   “Really. No schedule. No huge driving day. Just exploring.”   That answer alone seemed to relax both of them instantly.   No alarms.   No rushing.   No miles left to cover.   Just another day together.   Eventually, however, reality returned in the form of Bill noticing the unmistakable overnight bulk beneath Chris’s pajamas.   Bill raised an eyebrow knowingly.   Chris immediately groaned.   “You noticed.”   “I noticed.”   “Maybe if I stay very still…”   “That’s not how this works, buddy.”   Chris flopped dramatically onto his back. “This road trip is full of betrayal.”   Bill laughed as he gathered supplies from the diaper bag.   Their morning routine had become second nature now — calm, comfortable, and filled with sleepy little conversations that always made Bill smile. Chris stayed clingy while Bill changed him, still only halfway awake as he leaned against Bill’s shoulder during cleanup.   “You’re extra sleepy today,” Bill observed gently.   “We climbed a whole canyon yesterday.”   “That’s fair.”   Soon Chris was changed into a fresh diaper and dressed for the day in jeans, a flannel shirt, and of course his cowboy hat, which he insisted on adjusting carefully in the mirror afterward.   “Very important,” he explained solemnly.   “Critical cowboy business.”   “Exactly.”   Downstairs, the hotel breakfast area buzzed softly with travelers beginning their own adventures for the day. The smell of coffee, syrup, eggs, and bacon filled the air while sunlight poured through the giant lodge windows overlooking the pine-covered hills.   Chris immediately loaded his plate with alarming enthusiasm.   “Buddy,” Bill laughed, watching him stack pancakes beside scrambled eggs and sausage, “you’re building a mountain.”   “I’m growing.”   “At this rate you’ll become a moose.”   Chris grinned proudly. “A cowboy moose.”   They found a quieter table near the windows where they could watch the morning sunlight spill across the trees outside. Chris looked much more awake now, happily drowning pancakes in syrup while swinging his legs beneath the chair.   Bill sipped his coffee and glanced toward a rack of tourist brochures near the lobby entrance.   One in particular caught his attention.   The front showed smiling kids in cowboy hats riding horses beside the words:   “AUTHENTIC COWBOY EXPERIENCE!”   Bill picked it up curiously while Chris worked on demolishing a pancake stack nearby.   The brochure promised horseback rides, lasso lessons, old western games, campfire cooking demonstrations, and even “official junior cowboy training.”   Bill immediately smiled to himself.   This had Chris written all over it.   When he returned to the table, Chris looked up suspiciously through a mouthful of pancake.   “What’s that?”   Bill slid the brochure across the table dramatically.   Chris studied it for approximately three seconds before his eyes widened to cartoon levels.   “WAIT.”   “Yep.”   “HORSES?!”   “Mhm.”   “LIKE REAL COWBOYS?!”   Bill nodded while laughing softly at the pure excitement spreading across Chris’s face.   The brochure practically shook in Chris’s hands as he flipped through it.   “They teach rope tricks!”   “Oh no.”   “And cowboy games!”   “We’re in trouble.”   “And LOOK—” Chris nearly gasped. “YOU CAN RIDE HORSES.”   Bill watched him glow with excitement for a moment before asking gently, “What do you think? Sound fun?”   Chris looked up immediately, grinning from ear to ear.   “It sounds AWESOME.”   Then his excitement softened slightly into something more sincere.   “Can we really go?”   Bill smiled warmly across the breakfast table.   “Yeah, buddy. I think we can really go.”   Chris looked so overwhelmingly happy in that moment that Bill felt his chest tighten all over again.   The cowboy hat.   The canyon.   The endless road trip memories.   Now cowboy camp too.   This whole adventure was becoming everything either of them could’ve hoped for and more.   Chris carefully folded the brochure and hugged it dramatically against his chest like treasure.   “I’m gonna become the greatest cowboy ever.”   Bill laughed. “That seems ambitious.”   Chris grinned confidently.   “You’ll see.”