Lavellan

Jordan is very book smart but common sense isn't common for him lol of course his general insecurities play a hand in it as well.

From Tenant to Baby: CH 7 By the time the pair finally arrived back home, Jordan was shifting uncomfortably in his seat. His pull-up was still soaking wet and uncomfortably cold. The truck had barely stopped before he was hopping out and cringing at the even more uncomfortable feeling of standing in the wet pull-up. “I’ll be right back.” He said to Derek, turning to his unit. “Be right back? What’s up, kiddo? Changed your mind about seeing the website?” Derek asked, a sad look passing over his face. Immediately, Jordan sought to remove it. “I need the bathroom. Really bad.” It wasn’t a big lie. He needed the bathroom, but not the toilet. And he was sure Derek would know if he threw the used pull-up in the bathroom trash now. “My bathroom’s closer. C’mon.” Derek said immediately, pulling his keys from his pocket and heading for the front door of his place. Not able to argue, Jordan shuffled over. As soon as the door was open, he made a beeline for the bathroom and locked himself inside. Looking around, the bathroom was very similar to the one in his dream. Except for this time he was uncomfortably wet, not basking in a warm bath. Jordan pulled his pants down to his ankles and his underwear down to his knees. The pull-up was swollen and sagging between his legs. It was a wonder how he hadn’t leaked. The sides of the pull-up ripped easily in his hands. Jordan couldn’t help but shiver as he removed the protection and exposed his damp skin to the chill of the bathroom. He threw the pull-up into the trash and immediately took the bag out and tied it up. Maybe he could hide it in the kitchen trash, he thought. The cleanup was just as unpleasant as the ride home. His skin was sensitive and already a bit raw from the extended period in the used pull-up. He did the best he could with wet toilet paper, but eventually comforted himself with the idea of a nice warm shower when he got home. Two knocks on the door caused him to flinch. “Take your time, buddy. I’ll just be in my office. Straight past the living room.” Derek informed him and his footsteps faded away. With a sigh of relief, Jordan washed his hands and pulled his underwear back up. It was a bit weird to not have the pull-up on after wearing it most of the day, but he had no time to dwell. Securing his pants, Jordan peeked out of the bathroom. Derek was nowhere to be seen. Jordan was quick as he shoved the bag with the soiled pull-up into the trash bin, making sure to cover it with napkins and wrappers. Only then did he head toward the office. The office was small, but home-y. There was a large L-shaped desk with several small filing cabinets on top. A simple desktop computer with a swivel chair Derek was currently sitting in was against one wall. Besides a large bookshelf, the only other piece of furniture was a large toy chest that sat in front of a small square of foam mats and blankets. Clearly, Derek used it as a play area for the kids he babysat while he worked. “Hey,” Derek greeted as he turned around and stood from the chair. “C’mon. I just got it pulled up.” The look on his face was softly hesitant as if he were talking to a wounded animal. He motioned for Jordan to take the seat he vacated. Confused, Jordan plopped down and pulled himself up to the desk. His hand immediately went to the mouse and started to browse. The homepage was a neutral gray color with the title “Daddy Der and Mommy Mel’s Babysitting” at the top. There was a large textbox that Jordan didn’t bother reading, instead, he scrolled down and clicked the accept terms and conditions box. The page then turned to a photograph of Mel and Derek standing on her rustic-looking porch. ‘Mommy Melanie Parker and Daddy Derek Kay welcome the mommies and daddies and little ones that find their way to this page. Whether from word-of-mouth or ads posted, we are excited to meet each and every one of you and wish only the best for your little one in our care.’ Read the caption underneath the photo. It really was a simple website. Everything seemed standard until Jordan selected a drop-down menu. Home Gallery Reservations Meet Us Other Services Jordan clicked on the gallery and waited as the page loaded. And boy did it load. The young man couldn’t help but flinch in his seat as the sight of Derek sitting on his own couch (The couch Jordan had sat on many times before) filled the screen. It wasn’t so much that part that surprised him. No, it was the grown adult man sitting in Derek’s lap that surprised him. The man was dressed in pajamas that looked exactly like the oversized pair Jordan had in his apartment at this very moment. There was a blurred box covering the man’s eyes, ears, and nose, but the matching pacifier in his mouth was in clear picture. “What the-” Jordan muttered as he clicked the next arrow. Another photo, this time of Mel with yet another grown man leaning against her on her couch. She cradled his head close and guided a bottle of what looked like milk to his face which was also blurred out. In both photographs, Mel and Derek had peaceful, happy grins on their face. The next photo showed a woman, a bit older than Jordan it seemed, laying on a changing table Jordan had never seen before. She wore a baby pink onesie that was unbuttoned on the crotch exposing a thick matching pink diaper. Jordan’s eyes traced hands on the waistband seemingly securing the diaper in place until they reached Derek’s face. The man wasn’t looking at the camera, rather, he was giving the woman a soft, adoring glance. “These…these are adults.” Jordan gasped, clicking through the gallery more rapidly. Each photo was either Mel or Derek interacting with an adult dressed in infantile clothing, engaging in some sort of roleplay. “All of these are adults!” “Yeah…” Derek gave a tired sigh. “It’s complicated. I know. But I wanted to tell you. I didn’t want to keep this from you. Especially if you were wanting to work with me…” “I don’t-” Jordan huffed out his own sigh. “I don’t understand.” His hand reached up to swipe through his hair, tangling in the locks. “Well,” Derek started to explain about his clientele. How they were all adults. Every single one. The one who left the pacifier on the couch, the one who enjoyed the pasta Jordan had made, even Andrew. And some of them would even schedule and pay for appointments to have a caregiver (Either Derek or Mel) take care of them as if they were genuinely a little kid. “It’s innocent. It’s harmless. It’s…It’s not as bad as it seems.” Derek finished with a plea. Jordan was baffled. His eyes slipped toward the computer screen once more where the slideshow continued on its own, this time showing an image of a woman being fed in an adult-sized high chair. “You make the furniture. Like that crib for Andrew.” Derek nodded. “I make the furniture sturdy enough to support adult sizes. Mel makes clothes custom to fit them. We have other friends that have other supportive side businesses, but Mel and I are the only babysitters.” “So all those times where you were taking care of me wasn’t because you’re used to being around kids…It’s because you’re used to treating adults like kids?” Jordan felt just the slightest bit of offense. Derek said nothing, but Jordan knew the answer already. “This is…unbelievable.” “If you want to go home, I understand. You can forget I ever said anything and we can continue just being landlord and tenant.” Derek spoke softly, and Jordan’s head jerked up to stare at him from where he was watching the images flash. “What?” “I wouldn’t want to force you to be around me if I make you uncomfortable. Don’t worry about your rent, it’s the least I could do-” “Wait- wait- wait!” Jordan halted Derek’s words, standing suddenly enough that Derek had to step back to avoid being stepped on. “I wouldn’t- It’s weird. Okay? Definitely strange.” Jordan cursed himself as Derek’s face fell even further. “But it’s not bad! I’ve never heard of something like this before. It’s just a lot to process. But I’m not going to leave because of it.” Hope bloomed in Derek’s face and Jordan couldn’t help it as he moved to hug him like he had just a few times before. His arms wrapped around the other man’s waist tightly. “You’ve done so much for me. Regardless of why that means a lot…Yeah, it’s an adjustment. But not a dealbreaker.” Derek’s arms circled his shoulders and Jordan could feel a tension bleeding from him. “I’m so happy to hear that. I’ve been worried…I thought Mel would strangle me when she realized you weren’t in the know.” Jordan managed a small laugh before pulling away and sitting back down at the computer. He clicked on the option labeled ‘Reservations’ and was greeted by a sign-in page. He clicked on ‘Guest’. What appeared was an information input page that was quite extensive. From food allergies to favorite colors, preferred pet names, emergency contacts, etc. Jordan scrolled through it all until he arrived at a calendar with most of the dates greyed out of use. At the bottom of the page was a selection bar for either Derek or Mel. The ‘Meet Us’ tab was self-explanatory. The page was divided in half with a portrait picture of both Derek and Mel. Derek posed in a nursery, hand held out as if waiting to welcome someone inside. Mel was standing in the kitchen with a brightly colored apron on while holding a large adult-sized bottle in either hand. ‘Derek Kay is a soft, fun-loving daddy born and raised and thriving in the college city of Brookside. While he attended college for a time he soon found a passion for woodworking and used his skills to create beautiful works of handmade furniture for all your little needs. Derek invites any Little One wishing for the true caregiver experience into his home. Ask him about sports or ask him about sci-fi, Derek knows a little bit of everything to adapt to each Little One’s needs. Set up an appointment today and Derek guarantee’s a fun and comforting experience.’ ‘Mel Parker defines herself as the perfect suburban mommy. With the patience of a saint and the cooking skills of a Micheline-Star chef, Mel finds her home in the kitchen. Mel has a Little One of her own named Andrew who just loves making new friends, but she does encourage one on one appointments as well. This mommy offers a sweet and doting experience unlike any other for any Little One wanting to feel a mommy’s embrace. Set up an appointment today and Mel eagerly awaits meeting you!’ They each had their own little biography with even more photos of happy adults playing their roles as babies. The ‘Other Services’ tab was devoid of photos. The entire page was covered in a dark grey border with several emails and websites listed. All of them offered various services as the name implied. Adult-sized baby clothes, furniture, toys, and even hypnosis tapes. “Wow. You guys have quite the website…” “Thanks. Andrew helped us make it…” The pair sat in awkward silence for a moment more before Derek cleared his throat. “Would you like to see the nursery?” Jordan had to admit. He was curious. He had seen bits and pieces from the photos, but he knew seeing it in person was different. “Sure.” Derek thrummed with concealed excitement. “It doesn’t look like much right now, because I change up the decor depending on the Little One’s preferences.” He prefaced as they came upon the only other door in the hallway that Jordan hadn’t paid any mind to. It wasn’t locked, just there. Ready for anyone to walk in. As Derek opened the door and stepped inside, Jordan was surprised by how bland it looked. The window had no curtains and the mattress in the crib was bare. All of the furniture was given a light stain, the pale wood color looked nice against the light grey color of the walls. There were several empty shelves along the walls, but all in all, it was laid out much the same way as Mel’s was. “Andrew doesn’t mind sharing his nursery when Mel has guests, but I always pictured turning the guest room into a guest nursery if I ever found a little one of my own,” Derek mentioned as Jordan walked around the room. He touched the mattress in the crib finding it to be just as soft as Andrew’s even without sheets. “How haven’t you found a little of your own yet if you’ve been doing this for so long?” Jordan couldn’t help but ask. Derek shrugged as he went to sit in the rocking chair by the window. “A lot of the littles we watch have caregivers of their own back home. But I’ve just never met the right one. I’m not sure how to explain it…Mel says I’m too picky, but I don’t think I am.” Jordan made his way to the changing table and peeked into one of the top drawers. His face reddened as he saw stacks of pull-ups staring back at him. Although, there were the superhero printed ones marketed to boys, but also a stack of princess ones clearly marketed for girls. “Picky? How?” He cleared his throat as he closed the drawer. “Well, some littles have a sort of array of roles they like to play. The baby, the toddler, the kiddo, etc. I find those visits to be the most interesting. But there are some that just have one way they like to play and that’s it.” Derek waved his hand in the air. “I don’t mind it that way. But if I were choosing a long-term arrangement, I’d want…variety. Y’know?” “I guess I could see that.” Jordan nodded as he opened another drawer. This one held what could only be diapers. Jordan could see the pink patterned one from one of the photos as well as several others. He couldn’t stop himself as he reached into the drawer and ran his hand over the front. It crinkled under his hand and Jordan jerked his hand back as if burned. “Uh, anything else you’re picky about?” Jordan could feel Derek’s eyes on him as he closed the drawer and opened another. “Preferably, I’d love to have a little boy,” Derek says honestly. “I don’t mind women, but I just relate easier to men.” This drawer held several rows of pacifiers. Each one had a plastic cap clipped on to protect the nipple from getting dirty, Jordan assumed. Beside them were a few clips that he recognized from stores. Jordan closed the drawer and moved on. “Anything else?” “I’d want him to be younger. Mostly because I feel it’s easier to teach them. It may be a bit selfish, but younger boys are a lot more flexible with what they like. It doesn’t hurt that they would be easier to hold. And I feel it would just be awkward to baby someone who probably knows more about this lifestyle than even me.” After that, Derek needed no prompting. “I would want someone I have interests with outside of the lifestyle. Some people want a 24/7 arrangement and I can’t accommodate that with my businesses.” Jordan continued looking through drawers and found other accessories like cloth diapers, diaper covers, booties, and even mittens. “Makes sense.” “Considering a vast number of our clients have a mommy or daddy already though, my chances drastically decrease.” Derek shrugged. “But I haven’t lost hope.” Jordan stood up from the bottom drawers of the changing table. “It’s always good to stay positive.” He smiled reassuringly at Derek. Derek stood up as well, motioning to the closet. “Want to see some of Mel’s work?” “Sure!” Jordan went to the door and pushed it open to reveal a walk-in closet. The majority of it was filled with clothes on hangers, but there were also some boxes on top that Jordan presumed the possible decor was. Derek was more than excited to show Jordan Mel’s work along with some of his favorite items. “Really, the pajamas you wore were pretty cute. Mel gifted those to me when we first decided to go into business together.” Derek gushed. “But there is something I’ve kept hidden and I haven’t let anyone actually wear it yet.” Derek walked to the back of the closet, seemingly knowing exactly where the item he wanted was. It was a set of navy footed pajamas. The main color was blue with a few white buttons to fasten it on. One thing Jordan immediately noticed was the drop seat, but the one thing that stood out the most was “Daddy’s Baby” written in white writing on the front of the sleeper. “That’s pretty cute. I can tell why it would be your favorite.” Jordan nodded, even though he wasn’t a little, he could tell cute garments apart. Derek looked down at it in his hands and smiled warmly. “I always imagined my little one wearing this. I mean, I let the other littles call me Daddy all the time. But this…” Jordan felt a pang of something in his chest at the desperation in Derek’s voice. The hope Derek felt was that he would find his perfect little. And have something unique just for them. “It’s special,” Jordan surmised. The older man nodded, relieved that his meaning was noted. Jordan smiled. Inwardly, he promised to find the perfect little one for Derek. After all, he deserved to be happy. With all the good Derek did he deserved it. A/N: Forgive any typos or formatting errors. It's late but I wanted to push this chapter out quickly.

Despite his warning, Max was actually a pretty heavy sleeper. He had to be in a house with so many younger siblings running around. Pretty soon though, he started to wake up, shifting and kicking the blankets away while rubbing his eyes.

From Tenant to Baby: CH 6 The crib was easy to put together despite there being no instructions. Derek seemed very confident in every move, and Jordan found himself filling in as best as he could. The entire time, he listened to the chatter between both Derek and Mel. They spoke like old friends, and Jordan supposed they were. But one thing became apparent the more of the crib they assembled…it was huge. From the infants Jordan had seen in his life, four of them could easily fit into the crib they were currently putting together. And Derek had a lot of support installed already. It was almost as if he were preparing for a baby elephant to lie inside the crib. “I’ve never seen a crib this big before.” He noted out loud during a lull in the conversation. Mel immediately perked up from her spot in the rocking chair. “I know! Isn’t it great? My little Andrew is going to love it! He makes friends with just about any baby I bring in the house, but I always felt bad that they couldn’t share a crib.” Her face fell in a soft frown at the thought. “I always had to stagger naptimes, or one of them had to sleep in the guest room. But Derek was too happy to make a double wide crib for me so the babies can share.” “Looking back, the idea was so obvious. I’m surprised nobody else thought of it.” Derek piped in. “Then again, not many people are in the babysitting business we’re in.” “Wait, you’re both babysitters?” Jordan asked in surprise. He thought that title only applied to Derek! “Oh, of course,” Mel gave him a motherly smile. “We share the same client pool. We also help each other out. I make the clothes, he makes the furniture and toys. We trade products.” Derek’s sudden clearing of his throat startled Jordan. “Hey, Jordan, mind reaching over and grabbing me that baggie of screws?” Derek asked, pointing towards the toolbox to Jordan’s right. “Sure,” Jordan agreed as he leaned over to stretch and reach the bag. The conversation faded for just a moment as he finally secured his fingers around the bag and pulled back to hand it to Derek. However, as he held the baggie out, Derek looked at him with the softest look Jordan had yet to see. “Wha-?” He questioned, holding up the bag. “Are these not it?” “No those are right.” Derek took the baggie and started to fish around inside for a screw. “You’re doing great.” He praised. “He sure is.” Mel agreed immediately causing Jordan’s face to heat up. “U-uh…anyway.” He cleared his throat awkwardly flustered. “You two are basically business partners?” Mel opened her mouth, but Derek spoke. “Yes. We’ve been partners for about…4 years now, I think?” “Mhm! And we even share a website!” Mel said eagerly. “When we’re done here, I can show it to you. It’s adorable.” “Wouldn’t you rather-” Derek interrupted suddenly and Jordan’s head shot up to look at him in surprise. “Uh, make cookies with him, as you said? I don’t want to take up his entire day if he’s planning on doing homework tonight.” The two of them passed looks at each other. It was almost an entire conversation all on its own. Jordan’s head went back and forth to turn and look at both of them, but whatever wavelength they were on was unreadable. “...Sure. We can do that.” Mel eventually nodded. “I wouldn’t want to impose.” But Jordan’s protests were waved off as usual. Finally, as they slipped the mattress into place onto the frame, Mel squealed. “Oh, Derek, this is just perfect! Thank you so much.” Jordan watched as they shared a hug as he gathered the stray tools and screw bags around the area. He put them all in the tool bag and zipped it up before Derek called out to him. “You’ve been a great help, Jordan,” Derek said meaningfully. “How about you take the tools back to my truck while I give Mel her surprise and then you two can make cookies?” Having no argument, Jordan did as he was told. It was only as he was half-way to the truck that he realized the truck was most likely locked and he didn’t have the keys. Awkwardly, he shuffled back onto the porch only to hear spirited whispers from inside. “-didn’t you tell him?!” Mel’s motherly scolding was unmistakable. “I’ve been meaning to! Honest.” Derek sighed. “You saw how I greeted him! I thought he was your- I must have looked- you made me seem like a fool-” Mel’s volume picked up just slightly before she was hushed by Derek. “I apologize, okay? I mean it. Really. I’ll tell him when we get back and let him think about it. But even if I tell him, that doesn’t mean he’ll want…” Derek’s words trail off into a sad spiral and it’s then that Jordan starts to feel that he shouldn’t be eavesdropping. He had a feeling he was the subject of the conversation, but he had no idea what they were talking about otherwise. For as long as Jordan knew Derek, there was no inkling that he was hiding something. Derek had always been open and honest, answering every question that Jordan had. What could he possibly be hiding? Jordan pushed the door open, trying to appear as if he was just walking up the steps. Both adults’ heads swiveled toward him and Jordan could see that Mel was pulling back from a hug from Derek as they stood in the middle of the living room. “Sorry,” He spoke shyly, ducking his head at the attention. “I forgot to grab the keys to the truck.” “Oh,” Derek perked up, digging a hand into his pocket. “That’s my fault. Here you go, kiddo. Just make sure to lock it when you’re done.” Derek walked over and pressed the keys into his hand. Jordan disappeared back out the door and put the bag of tools in the truck as they were before. There were no whispers when he approached the door again. In fact, Jordan could hear delighted squealing even from outside the door. Neither adult paid him any mind as he walked in once more. And Jordan found himself having to walk around a corner, following the sounds of happiness, to find the pair. They were sitting at the dining table, the cardboard box Jordan had carried inside upon their arrival between them. The top was opened and tissue paper was spread out along the surface. Mel reached into the box and pulled out a familiar wooden block. “There’s so many in here!” She said as she put it on the table and pulled out another. This continued until nearly the entire table was full of blocks. “I wanted to make sure, Andrew had enough,” Derek explained with a happy grin. “Speaking of-” He looked over the table and started to grab seemingly random blocks. Mel cleared a spot for him as he started to lay them out in a line. When he was finished, Jordan could see ‘Baby Andrew’ written out on the table in the same soft green that the walls of the nursery were painted in. “Oh my goodness,” Mel whispered, her hands coming up to cover her mouth. “It’s perfect.” Jordan walked into the dining room to see tears in Mel’s eyes. However, as her eyes jumped to track Jordan’s entrance, she started to wipe them away. “Jordan, baby! I don’t mean to be so emotional. Just give me a moment and we can start making cookies.” She promised. “No rush,” Jordan said immediately. “Take your time.” Eventually, Mel calmed herself. Her cheeks were still red from the emotions, but her smile was more than genuine. “Alright then. Derek, please go put Andrew’s new blocks in his nursery while I get started with Jordan.” Mel grabbed Jordan’s hand and took him into the kitchen. “Grab the sugar and four from the pantry, please.” Jordan did so and came back to the counter to see several mixing bowls sat down. “What kind are we making?” He asked curiously. “Traditional chocolate chip!” ____ Making cookies with Mel was peaceful in a way that Jordan didn’t expect. She gave clear instructions much in the way that Derek had while building the crib. They had no recipe to go off, but Mel didn’t seem to need it. “You’re a very good boy,” Mel said suddenly, and Jordan paused as he was sifting flour. “I- what?” He stuttered, face heating up already. Mel didn’t seem fazed, her hands never stopping as she scooped butter into another bowl. “Not many adults would let Derek take care of them as much as you have. At least not without protest. But you let him. And Derek might not say it, but he appreciates it a lot.” “I don’t really mind, I guess,” Jordan shrugged. “Sometimes I have a lot of anxiety about it, but at this point, I trust Derek to tell me if I’m pushing too far.” “You pushing too far?” Mel asked curiously. “Well…yeah?” Jordan set the sifter aside, dusting flour from his hands into the sink. “I’m an adult. I should be independent. But ever since moving in, Derek’s cooked for me more than I’ve cooked for myself, he’s offered me a job after I’ve cried to him about mine, I’ve even-” Jordan stopped his train of thought with a screeching halt as he realized he almost mentioned the fact that he pissed in Derek’s guest bed. Something about the accepting and open feelings coming from Mel lowered his inhibitions. “Well, he’s put up with a lot from me that most friends wouldn’t. Certainly not a landlord.” “He wants to.” “I know. He’s used to taking care of kids. But still…It’s a weird feeling. I don’t know how to describe it.” Jordan finished weakly. But Mel nodded sagely. “I think I know what you mean. You feel like a placeholder. Like Derek cares for you out of instinct because that’s what he always does when he sees someone in need. And you’re afraid of relying too much on that. As if one day you’ll lean too hard and Derek won’t want to catch you?” “...I guess?” Jordan’s response was weak as he added the flour to the wet ingredients of Mel’s bowl. “I know it might be hard for you to take my word for it, Jordan, but I don’t think you have to worry about that…In fact, I think you and Derek are having similar feelings. Of course, that might just be the mommy in me, but I think you two will work out just fine.” “But won’t he eventually have kids of his own? I mean, what’s stopping him? He loves kids, he loves taking care of them, why doesn’t he have any of his own?” A question that had been scratching at the back of Jordan’s mind finally burst outward. But rather than retract it, he let it sit in the air. Because wasn’t that the unspoken worry? Mel gave Jordan a look he wasn’t sure of. Almost as if her words had a double meaning. As if she were hinting at a secret she couldn’t tell, but Jordan had no knowledge of. “He just hadn’t found the right person…” Jordan wanted to ask more, to get a solid answer rather than half riddles, but Mel turned on the hand mixer and the kitchen was full of noise. “Can you grab the chocolate chips from the pantry, sweetie?” She called out and Jordan turned to comply. ____ It was just passed lunch as Jordan and Derek headed back home. A plate of still-warm cookies sat on the center console. The pair had eaten hamburgers and fries at a cute little shop right down the road from Mel’s before starting the journey home. But Mel’s words rang out in his mind in the quiet cabin of the truck. And as Jordan’s head leaned against the seatbelt, he let the thoughts run over him. ‘Uh-oh!’ Dream-Derek’s voice called out to him. Turning his head to look at him, Jordan saw him standing in the doorway of the guestroom. ‘Another accident?’ Fear shooting through him, Jordan looked down to see a dark stain spreading across the front of his pajama pants. Jordan immediately opened his mouth to apologize, but Dream-Derek was suddenly by his side. ‘No worries, buddy. I’ll clean you right up.’ Jordan found himself in a bathroom once more, only this time, Derek was filling the tub with the bubbles and toys Jordan had seen before. As much as Jordan wanted to speak, to apologize, to question him, his mouth wouldn’t open. And Derek turned to him, scooping him up and placing him into the warm bath. His pajamas were gone from one second to the next in the weird way dreams worked and he was wrapped in the warm suds of the bath. Jordan’s hand reached out, grabbing a rubber duck and squeezing it. Only, as he squeezed it, instead of a squeak it let out the noise of a car horn. Jerking awake, Jordan looked frantically around to see the familiar surroundings of the truck. “Woah, it’s alright,” Derek called as he reached over to grab Jordan’s hand. “It’s okay. Just an idiot on the road. We’re alright.” He soothed. Jordan took a deep breath, using his free hand to rub at his face. “How long was I asleep?” “About 30 minutes. We’re in a bit of traffic so it’ll take us a bit longer to get home. You can take another nap if you want.” “No, m’okay. I’ll do some schoolwork.” Jordan shifted to reach for his backpack and immediately froze. He was wet. The comforting warmth of the bath in his dreams now pooled into the unfamiliar feeling of wetness around his privates. He looked down, expecting to see a wet patch, but it seemed like the pull-up held the accident just fine. Jordan spared only a moment to think about just how screwed he would have been if he had taken off the pull-up that morning. He would have pissed in Derek’s truck! And now they were in traffic, no telling how long it would be until they arrived home. “Everything alright?” Derek asked gently. “Huh? Oh…Yeah. Fine. Just trying to think about what work I need to do first.” Jordan lied, pulling his backpack into his lap. Derek merely nodded. “If you’re up for it, when we get home I can show you the website Mel and I run. I think it’ll give you a better idea of our company.” “Yeah, sure.” Jordan thought nothing of it, more worried about sitting in a wet pull-up for at least another hour. This ride was going to suck… A/N: Thanks for the patience for this chapter while I worked out my technical issues! I also had a general question for readers as I was unsure about certain details of the story. Would you all prefer it if the relationship between Derek and Jordan stayed platonic? Like two friends. Or a father and son? Or would you want it to be romantic as well?

Funny enough I use google docs. I even have offline editting enabled. But for some reason when my internet crashed the document froze and where it keeps track of how often it's saved, it wouldn't update. Eventually I refreshed the page and 90% of the chapter I wrote was gone. Very unfortunate. But im fast replacing it!

I lost the entire chapter I was working on ? I had it almost done and then my internet crashed and none of it was saved. I will try to get it out sometime during the weekend ?

Max didn't need to be told twice as he stepped into the room and went towards his bed. He removed the bag of kid clothes and his own worn out clothes and placed them on top of his other boxes before climbing up. The day had already held so much emotion, not to mention the labor of carrying his own boxes to the dorm room. "Try to keep it down please." He asked, curling up under the blanket.

Without a word, Max kicked the slides off. He paused to place them beside each other by the door. "There."

Max took it immediately, more concerned with leaving than his dignity. "C'mon. Let's go!...please." He added quickly as an afterthought.

"...asking." Max mumbled, blushing.

Max huffed in annoyance, soaping his hands up and rinsing them in silence. "Let's go back before someone sees me." He demands.

"I know how to wash my hands." Max sighed as he walked towards the sink. They were raised higher for the average college student so it was a bit awkward to reach the faucet, but he was well practiced in reaching things taller than him. He had to most times.

"Tell you when I need something?" Max answered. "Be good and obey?" He followed up. He wasn't sure what answer Kyle wanted, but knew those were proper responses. Kyle had most often called him a 'good boy' after he did those things, of course.

"Hmph." Max huffed, but found himself leaning into the hug after such a high emotional close call. He didn't often get hugs back home. His own jaded attitude mixed with his desire to be seen as just another grown up kept him from experiencing them. But here, in an empty bathroom stall, he felt he could give in just a bit.

Max's face fell into a glare as he tucked himself back into his underwear and pulled his pants up once more. "I'm not a baby. You're just mean."

"I am a big boy," Max weakly defended himself as his stream tapered off. "It's your fault I almost had an accident." He blamed Kyle.

Max wanted so badly to force Kyle from from the stall. But it was either tell Kyle off and piss himself. Or not. Shoving his pants down his hips, he barely had enough time to pull himself from his underwear and aim for the toilet before his bladder was giving out. A forceful stream hit the porcelain bowl and Max sighed at the immediate relief.

Max couldn't help but whine. "Can't hold it long!" He shuffled from foot-to-foot, shoving his feet into the slides despite their childish appearance. He didn't care.

Max gasped as the tickling stopped leaving him no distraction for his now immediate need to go to the bathroom. But he didn't feel like arguing terminology. "Yes, please!" He reached out to grab Kyle's offered hand, using it to pull himself to the end of the bed despite his clenched muscles.

"I am!" Max whimpered weakly. "I'm ticklish! I'm- I'm-" his brain knew the words to say even as his shame tried to fight for his last bit of dignity. But, pretty soon his shame wasn't enough. "I'm your ticklish little boy!" He blurted, eyes clenching shut as his hands darted between his legs to hold himself.

"No, no, no!" Max shrieked between laughter. He kicked weakly, toes curling in vain to ward away the tickles. "No more!" Tears sprung to his eyes without his control and a fluttering desperation started to build in his bladder.

Against his will, a small giggle broke from his mouth and he jerked back from The tickling fingers. "N-No!" He forced the smile away. "No tickles!"

"...Fine." Max pouted as he thought about the dangers of walking barefoot outside. "But I don't want to." He made sure to specify.

Max's face turned bright red as he looked at the shoes. "But those are for babies! I can't wear those in public!"

"Because I'm a big boy." Max defended himself. "I may be small, but I'm mature!"