physical regression The Pumpkin Prince (CH. 1: 1/31)

[Lavellan]

The Pumpkin Prince: Prologue

A/N: Hello again! This story will be my next pet project on this site and it's an idea I've had since October. It's taken me this long to put it into action. but I hope you'll enjoy it. This story focuses on our Main Character Nathan who finds himself in a mysterious world where he must masquerade as the child of a prestigious Count. It's a bit weird, I admit, but vampires and supernatural creatures are my special interest and I've been wanting to write this story for months. It won't contain much of a horror element as much as the Halloween tag may fool you. It will contain semi-forced regression, coercion, intimidation, breastfeeding, bondage, and despite all of that, a lot of fluff. This is just the prologue and while it may seem like a lot so far, I promise we haven't even gotten to the best bit. Without further ado, let's get into it!

Nathan hit the bottom of the chasm with a harsh thud. He had no time to prepare himself as the ground had crumbled beneath his feet while walking through a simple pumpkin patch; practically picked clean by patrons the previous days. Groaning, he found he had landed on yet another pumpkin which broke most of his fall. Hissing, he pushed himself up onto his knees. There was a throbbing in his rib and it was with no light amount of disgust that Nathan found he was covered in pumpkin goop. 

“Fuckin’ hell,” He tried to comment but a rustling of leaves nearby halted him. He finally noticed his predicament as he absorbed his surroundings. He was deep in a cavern, the walls arching up some 30-40 feet up. Lanterns hung down from the ceiling along with a multitude of simple floating candles. He found himself in the middle of a bountiful pumpkin patch. Very Charlie Brown-esque. 

The rustling grew nearer and was soon accompanied by a voice. “Fibby, Tibby, is that you? You know your mom said she’d ground you if you two picked my pumpkins again-” Time seemed to stop as the figure revealed himself and Nathan felt his stomach drop. 

Standing in front of him was a tall, lanky figure. It towered over him and was dressed in well-worn overalls; the kind with patches on the knees and one strap broken. It wore gloves that had to have been white at some point but were now stained a dark brown with time. A simple threadbare flannel under the overalls and worn black rainboots finished the ensemble. However, what shook Nathan was the burlap sack over the figure’s face. Bits of straw poked through the bag forming a patchy beard while the bag conformed to the shape of a face. The eyeholes were wide and expressive and looked down at Nathan with what he was sure was a faux concern. 

“Oh, you poor thing-” The Scarecrow cooed as he leaned down toward Nathan, finally forcing him to act. 

“AHHHH!” Nathan screamed, scrambling away as quickly as he could. Which wasn’t very quick mind you. He found himself slipping in the pumpkin goop until his back hit a large white fence. Pain shot through his side and leg at the moment, but Nathan was more focused on the scarecrow now approaching him quickly. Another scream tore through him. 

“Shhhh!” The scarecrow hushed him quickly. “I’m not gonna hurt ya, little guy. Honest.” 

Throat now burning from exertion Nathan could only whimper as the scarecrow shuffled closer. Its gloved hand reached up toward the bag on his head and pulled it off slowly. With the bag off, Nathan balked at a very familiar sight. 

“M-Mister Myles?” He stuttered looking into the soft wrinkles of Mr. Myles Patch, the sweet and kind middle-aged man who kept his minuscule town stocked with award-winning pumpkins every fall season. 

Mr. Myles nodded slowly, seemingly emboldened by Nathan’s waning fright. He snuck a bit closer, gently placing a hand on Nathan’s leg causing him to gasp in pain. “You bumbled yourself quite a bit.” He muttered worriedly. “We need to get you inside so I can call a doctor before anyone sees you here.” 

Nathan opened his mouth to speak but had to bite down on his lip to fight a wail as Myles lifted him from the remains of the pumpkin. He was swiftly carried inside what looked to be a cozy cottage. Mr. Myles wasted no time carrying him towards a living room that looked like something out of a granny’s dream home catalog. However, the couch was more comfortable than it looked as Mr. Myles laid him down. “Sit tight, kiddo while I call a doctor.” 

‘I’m not a kid.’ Nathan wanted to comment as he was 17, about to be 18 come next season. But he was more focused on trying not to cry what with his throbbing leg and side. There was quick mumbling coming from the tiny kitchen. Mr. Myles saying something about ‘-An emergency. Come quick and come alone.’ When he returned, he held a glass of clear water, a thin straw sticking out the top rim. 

“Come on,” He encouraged as he held the straw to Nathan’s lips. “Have a sip.” 

The water was cool and refreshing to Nathan’s sore throat, but it didn’t erase his questions. 

“Where am I?” He demanded. “What happened?” 

Mr. Myles bit his lip before putting the glass down and sitting on the armchair nearby. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. It sounds crazy.” 

Nathan huffed out an annoyed breath. “I fell through the ground into a pumpkin patch owned by a scarecrow who just so happens to be the friendly old man who lives up the street.” He summed up. “I’m in pain and I want to go home. Just tell me what’s going on!” 

Mr. Myles seemed to be battling with himself for a moment longer before he sighed. “This is Autumn Hollow…A village that’s existed below yours for centuries…It’s another world, of sorts. The hole you fell in was a portal. I don’t know how you found it, usually, it’s closed.”

“I was walking through your patch…” 

“I closed up yesterday morning, though, son. Shouldn’t you be trick or treatin’?” 

Nathan shrugged and winced. “I was passing through. Clearing my head.” It was definitely more than that. But he wasn’t about to dump his whole home life on what was essentially a stranger. Luckily, a quick knock on the door saved him from having to explain. Mr. Myles got up to greet the doctor and soon he was leading in an elderly woman in a black apron. She looked nice enough with her grey hair curling around her ears under a wide-brimmed black hat. 

When she saw Nathan tense with pain on the couch, her face fell. “Oh you poor dear,” She set a heavy bag down on the coffee table with a thud and pulled a square cloth from her pocket. Nathan could only lay there as she dabbed at the pumpkin goop drying on his face. 

“Ma’am, are you a doctor?” He asked hesitantly. 

“Oh, sweet child. I’m better than a doctor,” She smiled reassuringly. “I’m a witch!” 

“Can you help me?” Nathan pleaded. He had seen so much already and frankly he wasn’t in the mood to dispute the logistics of an old woman being a witch while laying on a couch belonging to a scarecrow. “I’m in a bit of pain.” 

Immediately, the witch nodded. “I’ll fix you right up, baby. We gotta let the cauldron boil.” 

What followed was a series of terrifying events all leading up to an anticlimactic finish. As the unseen cauldron started to boil, the witch disappeared into the kitchen with Mr. Myles leaving Nathan a mere 20ft away. 

“Myles hand me your eyes of newt.” 
“Lucky I picked some up not too long ago.” 

“Now we add the spider legs…” 
“We need the plan to get him home. You know I can’t tote him through town.” 
“Spider. Legs. Myles.” 
“Right, apologies.” 

“I could have sworn I brought some snake fangs…” 
“Right here. So what do you think we should do?” 
“Hmm…You have a half-sister, don’t you? The one married to the Count?” 
“So?” 
“Say he’s your nephew. Problem solved.” 

“You’re missing the moon drops-” 
“Don’t tell me how to brew!” 
“Well- I can’t say he’s my nephew! Nobody would believe that even if he could pass as their son, why would she let him visit now?” 
“It’s none of their business. Just say he’s your nephew and move on.” 
“But he can’t pass for Hollow Folk, Debs.” 

This bickering continued until Nathan felt as if his stomach was turning inside out. After all, goat’s tears?! No way he was drinking that. He’d rather suffer. 

But when Mr. Myles and the witch returned, she wasn’t holding some disgusting concoction in a glass bottle. Rather, she held a plain white mug with a mountain of what looked like whipped cream and chocolate shavings. The cherry on top was a cookie wafer straw sticking up through the foam. “Okay, baby. I made you some nice hot cocoa to help you feel better.” 

Immediately Nathan looked at her with mistrust. There was no way that came from those ingredients. But she only looked at him with gentle regard. “Come on, son. You don’t want it to get cold.” 

Very hesitantly, he took the mug, wincing as Myles propped up pillows behind him to sit up. Nathan sniffed the mug, but only smelled sweet chocolate and whipped cream. He licked the whipped cream peak and found it to be exactly as he remembered it to taste. His reservations slowly disappeared when he took the wafer straw into his mouth and took the tiniest sip. 

It was hot chocolate. Warm, sweet, creamy even. Not even burning hot considering how quickly they had brought it out to him. As he took another, deeper sip, he realized his aches and pains were starting to melt away. Breathing was getting easier. His knee throbbed less and less before halting completely. Each sip of the delicious liquid made him feel warm and soft. Before he knew it, the mug was empty. Even the whipped cream had melted into the cocoa and he crunched the softened wafer straw before putting the mug on the coffee table. 

“Feel better?” The witch asked and Nathan nodded. 

“Thank you, ma’am,” Because he had manners. 

“Oh, please,” The witch sat down on the couch beside him, ignoring the pumpkin goop smeared on the cushion. “Call me Debbie.” 

Nathan gave her a gentle smile before Mr. Myles’ throat cleared. “I’m glad you’re feeling better, son, but we have to get you home before nightfall.” 

“We’ve already discussed it, Myles. He’ll play your nephew and you can get him to the return portal!” Debbie groaned. “I can make him look like Hollow Folk if it makes you feel better, but it’s not as big of a deal as you say.” 

“Whatever gets me home.” Nathan agreed readily. 

Myles ran a hand over his face, somehow ditching his gloves when Nathan didn’t notice. “What if my sister hears?” 

“Then you can explain. She’d understand. She’s not as uppity as you make her seem. She was a small farm town girl at one point.” Debbie seemed determined, rooting through her heavy bag. “I have just the thing too.” 

As she was searching, Myles pulled on his burlap sack once more. It was a strange sight to see as it contoured to his face looking identical to him now that Nathan wasn’t panicking. Debbie hummed triumphantly as she pulled out what looked to Nathan to be a set of plastic vampire fangs. The kind that came with a cheap vampire costume and made it hard to talk. He wasn’t sure of the intelligence of the Hollow Folk, but a simple set of plastic fangs couldn’t possibly fool them. Debbie, understanding his confusion, pointed to Myles. “It’s like his mask, son. This will disguise you well enough to fool anyone in town. Pop them in, and bite down as hard as you can. Be prepared to adjust.” 

Nathan had no idea what adjust meant but he took the fangs anyway and slipped them into his mouth. Before he bit down, Debbie stood. “I’ll get the sink ready for a bath.” 

He dismissed her words as more magical nonsense and bit down as hard as he could. A rush of warmth overtook his body. It almost felt like the drop of a roller coaster and his back met the soft pillows. Opening his eyes that he didn’t know he closed, Nathan took in the sight of the cottage. What was originally a dimly lit, the worn-down cottage was now a rich, homely environment. There were motes of light casting soft shadows around the room and he couldn’t help but stare. 

“The improved eyesight is a pretty good deal,” Myles noted and Nathan was startled upon realizing Myles towered over him so harshly. 

‘Give me space!’ He tried to say, but what came out was a high-pitched slur. “Spay!” 

“Spuh-” He stuttered. “Spay!” 

“Easy there, son,” Myles reached for Nathan and lifted him off the couch by his underarms. “The magic goes by your spiritual maturity. Relax and let me get you home.” 

Nathan ignored him. “Me dow’! No!” He squirmed as he was carried to the kitchen, just as cozy and lit as the living room. And Debbie had filled a large farm sink with sweet lavender-scented suds. 

“Let’s get that pumpkin guts off him. I’ll bathe him while you find him something to wear?” 

Nathan was stripped much to his protest and deposited into the sink. To his horror, he fit inside. He felt tears fill his eyes as he looked up at Debbie. “Noo!” He warbled. Looking down at his hands. They were small and chubby, little clumsy sausages gripping the edge of the sink. 

“Baby,” Debbie cooed, running a warm cloth down his back. “The sooner we get you clean the sooner you can go home.” 

“No’ baby!” Nathan pouted, pushing the suds in rebellion as tears started to dribble. “Wan’ go ‘ome!” 

“You will,” Debbie promised. “Trust me.” 

He cried through the entire fiasco that was the bath and even harder as Debbie wrapped him in a fluffy red towel to dry while Myles hunted for clothes. “That man,” Debbie huffed the longer he took. “Grab anything and I’ll shrink it down!” 

Myles returned soon enough with a handful of garments. First was a billowy nightshirt in impeccable condition. Not a spec of dirt or wear which happened to be a sharp contrast to the entire home. The second was a rectangle of fabric. “This was my sister’s growing up,” He held out the nightshirt. “And I figure this…Is necessary.” He held out the fabric. 

“Oh, my my,” Debbie said with a pleasant smile. “He’ll look so adorable. Like a little Pumpkin Prince should!” She grabbed the garments and held a squirming Nathan over to Myles while she shrunk them to size. 

Myles bounced Nathan slightly, trying to cheer him up. “You’re gonna go home, kiddo. We’ll go right after we get you dressed.” 

Nathan’s cries ceased from exhaustion once the clothes were ready. Debbie slipped the nightshirt over his head and tied the neckline in a neat bow. His humiliation increased as he realized the strip of fabric was in fact a diaper. But it was an old-school sort. The kind that was done up with safety pins Debbie had no trouble conjuring out of thin air and secured the diaper on. “There we go, Viscount Dracul.” She spoke in a heavily accented tone before scooping him into her arms and encouraging him to lean against her shoulder. 

“Let’s go then.” And Nathan watched as Myles packed a small canvas bag with various items. A blanket, a stuffed pumpkin plush, and an umbrella which most definitely shouldn’t have fit in the bag but did. “Remember, Nathan. I’m your uncle. Your mommy and daddy let you stay with me for the day and now we’re sending you home. You are 18 months old and you’re very tired after a long day of playing.” 

“M’tay.” Nathal gave a shuddered breath. It wouldn’t be too hard to pretend to be exhausted, he thought. 

Boy was he wrong as they stepped out into the front yard. If the inside of the cottage was straight out of a movie, the outside view was an otherworldly vision. Myles’ cottage sat on top of a large hill overlooking an entire village. The village was abuzz with sights. Quaint little houses all as cozy and homely as Myles lined up along a grid of walkways. But the further out the walkways went, the more the town changed. It was as if it were one big carnival. The music carried through the air, wrapping around Nathan’s mind and luring him in. He could smell the sweetness of caramel apples and kettle corn. 

“Head down, baby,” Debbie instructed softly. 

The trio walked (well Nathan was carried) down the hill to the entrance of the town. Chatter could be heard all around. They didn’t make it far before a chirp-like voice called out to them. 

“Mr. Myles! We’ve been looking for you,” Nathan turned his head to see a rather short creature with the head of a raven approaching. “We need another judge for the pumpkin carving contest!” 

“I wish I could, Cork, but I need to get this little guy home.” 

“Oh?! Who is this?” They asked stepping up to Debbie. 

“My nephew,” Myles said quickly. “Really we have to go. His mother wants him home before nightfall. And he’s already so sleepy. You know how babies are-” 

The bird creature gave a pleasant tweet as it held its hands-wings? Up to Debbie to receive the child. “Let me get a looksie!” Nathan watched Mr. Myles give Debbie a look as she bent over and handed Nathan over. 

“He doesn’t look so sleepy to me,” Cork trilled while looking Nathan over. “What’s his name?” 

“Uh..” Myles’ eyes shifted back and forth to get an idea. “Nathaniel.” 

Cork nodded and Nathan felt a delicate feather pressing his chin down slightly. He let out a noise of discontentment and Cork let him go quickly. “Such a strong name. And I can see his fangs poking through he’s gonna be a heartthrob for the ladies. I can already tell!” Cork handed Nathan back to Debbie as he started to squirm. “You should bring him ‘round to Martha. She’d love to meet him!” 

“I would, but-” 

“Martha!” Cork cawed through the air. 

Pretty soon a whole horde of Hollow Folk came to get an eyeful of Mr. Myles’ nephew Nathaniel. And with them came gifts. Nathan couldn’t help but preen at the attention even if some of the Hollow Folk made his tiny heart clench at the sight of them. They were all quite nice from their first impression. He didn’t know which one had deposited a sunflower crown on his head, but it made him feel special nonetheless. One woman in a similar, newer-looking, black apron compared to Debbie’s came up with a small spoon food of orange-tinted puree. “Let’s see how the baby likes my pumpkin pie.” 

Nathan wasn’t one to turn down treats, especially if they were as delicious as the hot cocoa he was served before. The tiny spoon slipped into his mouth and he mushed the paste around with his clumsy tongue. It was miles better than the store-bought pies his mother tended to buy at the last moment for Thanksgiving. The filling filled his mouth with warmth and as he swallowed his bite, he couldn’t help but let out a gurgled giggle. “‘Ummy!” He tried to tell the woman who visibly melted at the sight of his joy. 

“Oh my stars, he loves it!” She cheered triumphantly. 

“Now, wait a minute,” A sweeter voice chimed in from the back of the crowd. “I want him to try mine!” 

“And mine!” 

Several more voices piped up and Nathan found himself the sole judge in a pie-baking contest. Debbie sat down on a bench made from woven fibers and a line of women wanting their pie judged filled in front of her. When each pie was tasted, and each woman gave a word of praise from his limited vocabulary (because each one, he swore, was the best pie he had ever tasted) he was handed a large blue ribbon. “Which one was the best?” Debbie encouraged him to pick. She even set him down on his feet to choose despite his bare feet. The ground was soft even for a child, tufts of grass not too long to trip, but long enough to cover the soil. He took one step forward towards the group. 

Nathan blinked at the group of women eagerly waiting to be chosen for the ribbon. This attention was as far different than before. He was the center of attention, but rather than doting on him, they were waiting for him to do something. It was all too familiar to his parents. Waiting for him to decide on a college, waiting for him to graduate, waiting for him to do something impressive. Eager to just get it over with, Nathan rushed over to the first woman, the youngest of the group, and handed her the ribbon. He didn’t wait for their response before he rushed to the nearest adult he recognized which just so happened to be Myles. Myles of course wasted no time scooping him up into his arms. 

Nathan buried his face into the rough texture of the flannel on Myles’ shoulder and held onto him tightly. “‘Ome. ‘Ome.” 

The revelry of the group seemed to dissipate as they realized their judge wasn’t as enthusiastic as before. “Oh no,” One baker cooed softly. “Did we scare him?” 

“No, no,” Myles was quick to assure. “Poor baby isn’t used to such a large crowd. He’s really looking forward to seeing his Mommy and Daddy again.” 

“Well, if Mary would bring him by once in a harvest moon he wouldn’t be so jumpy,” Someone scoffed. “But she’s pretty busy up in her ivory tower now, too busy to say hi to us hicks, huh?” 

“That’s my sister you’re talking about,” Myles warned. “She’s just been busy what with her work and now the baby-” 

Debbie took it as a great time to step in. “You all forget how old-school the Count is. He was around before we folk started to spread out. It took him and Mary a great deal of thinkin’ before they decided to let Myles keep the baby overnight.” She lied flawlessly. “Now instead of judging a first-time mom, we should all be thankful and show her her faith was not lost on us to show her baby boy a good time.” 

“But that can wait til the next trip!” Myles stepped in once more. “She only let me watch him for a few hours so we should get him back about now-” 

“Awww can’t it wait just a little longer?” Cork lamented. “We haven’t had a baby around since Tibby and Fibby were born!” 

“And that was over a decade ago!” 

“Next time,” Myles swore. “If I don’t get him back by nightfall, she’ll be so angry she won’t let me watch him again.” A gasp overtook the crowd as if he admitted to some heinous crime. And then it wasn’t so hard to walk through the village. 

People waved and cooed at Nathan but didn’t try to halt their path. A few times, they would hand the boy small trinkets and gifts which he accepted happily. A hand-carved wooden dog, a necklace with a bat on the end, and even a woven bracelet slipped onto his chubby wrist. Despite his fright from before, Nathan felt his heart sink the closer and closer they grew to an old white building with purple light emanating from stained glass panes. Was he ready to go home? Wouldn’t it be better to just stay here where people clearly wanted him around? 

He made a small noise of distress and Myles patted him on his back soothingly. “We’re almost there, bud. You’ll be home soon.” 

“Wha…” The baby stuttered, fingers dipping closer to his lips in nervousness. “I ‘tay?” He asked. 

“What is it?” Myles asked, pausing in his steps and looking at Nathan’s hidden face. 

“Wan’ ‘tay.” Nathan spoke clearer. 

Debbie chose then to pipe up. “I think he’s asking to stay, Myles.” 

At once, Myles’ face fell. “Oh, son,” 

“Wan’ ‘tay.” 

“You gotta go home, son. Your parents are probably wondering where you are. I already told the town you’re going home…Your place is up there,” Myles motioned to the dirt ceiling. “You’ll go home and eat dinner and…this will all just seem like a weird dream.” 

Tears sprouted in Nathan’s eyes as his lip quivered. “Nooo!” 

Myles didn’t know what it was like. Myles could just disappear down here where people liked him and forget about the outside world. His fists struck, thumping against Myles’ shoulder without force but the man kept walking. 

“Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad thing if he stayed,” Debbie piped up. “Just for a little while…” 

“Time moves differently up there, Debs,” Myles sighed. “Each night here is two months up there. He has a life and family up there. And we can’t keep him. Especially if my sister heard that I’ve been toting around a topsider as my nephew.” 

Nathan sobbed heaving breaths. If he went home, he’d have to go back to a family who barely cared about him. To friends too busy deciding their own futures to even spend the day with him. To the stack of transcripts and pamphlets on his desk demanding he decides what he was going to do when there wasn’t anything that interested him in the world. He wasn’t an athlete or a genius. He was just Nathan, a small-town boy who sometimes bagged groceries at the EZ Mart on the corner. What was there in the world for him when there was something so homely and soft right under his feet? 

Myles kept walking until he opened the door to the white building. He set Nathan down on the ground and Nathan found himself in a small room. The purple light came from an arched portal in the wall, swirling and glowing with energy. “Now all you have to do is walk through that portal and you’ll be home…” 

“Wan’ ‘tay!” Nathan said once more but Myles shook his head. 

“No, you don’t, buddy. You have a life you need to live…And I’ll still see you around occasionally. Maybe even come back to my patch next year and I’ll share a cup of cocoa with you.” 

Nathan looked up at Myles, his face crumbled and pleading. 

“You’re breaking my heart here, kid.” Myles sighed… “Go on…”

Hands balled up in the fabric of his nightshirt, Nathan turned to the portal and ran through. Clearly, he wasn’t wanted…

Nathan woke up on the cold hard ground with a gasp. Shooting up, he turned his head around to see that he was once more back in the pumpkin patch. He was in his old clothes free of any pumpkin guts and part of him wondered if he had just dreamed the entire thing. Tears bubbled in his eyes and he took a moment to cry at the loss. But as he went to stand, several things caught his eye. There in the grass was a sunflower flower crown, a hand-carved wooden dog a bracelet…and a plastic set of vampire fangs. Fishing around his neck, he felt the cold chain of a necklace as well. So it had happened…

Gathering his trinkets, Nathan stood and had no other choice but to head home…He walked into the back door hoping to not be noticed, but his luck had always been terrible. 

“Nate? Is that you? Where have you been?!” His mother called out from the kitchen. “I haven’t seen you all day!” 

“I was over at Mike’s house…we were…looking at scholarships…” He lied quickly, already heading for the stairs and going up. 

“Well, we already ate dinner.” She called up to him. “Your plate’s in the fridge.” 

“Thanks, mom…” 

She left him alone after that and Nathan was free to hide away his new trinkets on his nightstand. He would lay in bed that night and dream about a world underground. People who looked odd, but had hearts made of gold. Being doted on. Being loved. He’d shed tears on his pillow, hoping one day he could go back.
 

[Pierry Louys]

Good beginning! I understand the motivation of Nate wanting to stay since he thinks he is overwhelmed! Curious to see what gonna happen next , and hope that shows why Nate thinks he gonna be happy there 

[Lavellan]

The Pumpkin Prince: Chapter 1

Decisions, Decisions

A year passed at a snail’s pace. Nathan turned 18, and then he was 2 months shy of his 19th birthday. He ended up choosing the local community college at his parents’ rush for his choice. They weren’t impressed, but it was something. He chose to get his basics out of the way first to give himself more time to decide on a major. Most of his friends chose colleges out of state to get away from the small farm town, but there Nathan stayed. He still lived with his parents, saving money on housing, but made it a point to stay gone all day. 

He went from bagging groceries to being a manager at the store which was where he saw Mr. Myles for the first time since the portal incident. He had expected Mr. Myles to pretend it never happened, but no. The man smiled at him as he stocked a display and even started to make his way over to him from across the aisle. Somehow this was worse than just simply being ignored. Nathan dropped the can of beans in his hand onto the shelf and took off down the aisle, leaving the empty cardboard box behind. He didn’t look back, making his way to the break room and shoving himself into a far back table. Childish tears sprung up in his eyes as he leaned against the table. At the time, it had only been three months since the night Nathan fell in the pumpkin patch. 

These instances happened several more times involving Mr. Myles seeing him in public, acknowledging him fondly, and Nathan scurrying away. 

Nathan came to realize that, while he was living his life in a somewhat productive manner, he wasn’t happy. There would be times when he would smile and laugh, but those were vastly outnumbered by the nights he’d spend in bed, holding his flower crown or wooden dog. Sometimes- Well most of the time, he couldn’t help but shed some tears. 

After a particularly harsh argument with his parents, Nathan stomped up to his room and threw himself onto his bed. He took the time to give a good cry into his pillow, letting loose his frustration and sorrow, before a tapping broke him out of his sadness. Sniffling, Nathan picked his head up to hear the tapping once more coming from his window. He had no idea what it could be, but the hope that maybe he’d be able to go back to Autumn Hollow got him out of bed. He pushed his curtains aside and almost screamed at the sight of a large spider on his window. The only thing that stopped him was an envelope tinted yellow with time and had his name written on it. It was stuck to the window with an intricate web, but upon seeing that the letter was found, the spider took off across the wall and fell to the ground somewhere. 

Quickly, before he could be seen by someone passing on the street, Nathan opened the window and took the envelope. Ripping it open, he found a small note inside written in scratchy handwriting. 

‘Nathan, I realize you might not want to see me again after what happened last year, but there’s something that has come up and I need your help urgently. Please, as soon as you wake up tomorrow, come to my patch. Bring the teeth and I’ll be there waiting. I’m sorry for how things played out, but I really need you. Waiting, Myles Patch.’ 

This was the opportunity Nathan had been waiting for! And it sounded very important! Nathan could barely put himself to bed with all the excitement teeming through his body. But as the sunbeams peeked over the horizon, he grabbed the plastic vampire teeth from his bedside table and snuck out the back door of his home. The pumpkin patch was almost a straight shot from his home and, as the note suggested, Mr. Myles was there waiting for him. 

“Nathan,” Myles said in relief. He wasn’t wearing the overalls and flannel, nor the burlap sack this time. Instead, he wore simple black pants and a short-sleeved blue polo. “I admit I expected you not to show…” 

Nathan shifted uncomfortably and shrugged. He made sure to keep his distance from the man in case he tried to hug or otherwise touch him. “You said it was urgent…so here I am.” 

“Right…” Myles nodded and tossed his head in the direction of his home. “So…how have you been?” 

Nathan took up walking beside him towards the house and shrugged once more. “Fine, I guess.” 

“That’s good. Heard you got in ta’ college. The one downtown.” 

“Yeah. Macy Sterling got into Harvard though. And Jamie into Caltech. Community College lets anyone in,” Nathan berated himself for being so pessimistic but it was true. 

“Hey,” Myles bumped his shoulder playfully. “College is college. That’s something to be proud of-” 

Nathan interrupted him with a harsh scoff. “Tell that to my parents. To them, I’m just one big disappointment. Y’know I heard them talking the other day about how they wished they had another kid.” 

Myles looked suitably shocked at the sudden admission. “I’m sure they didn’t mean-” 

“You don’t know them. And you don’t know me!” Nathan nearly spat. “But I get it, I’m just some dumb kid who fell into your pumpkin patch and made you take care of me for a few hours on Halloween last year. Trust me, I’ve spent the last year thinking about it. So just tell me what you want and I can go back to my shitty life.” 

Myles looked like he wanted to say something more on the subject, but something stopped him. He sighed shakily and ran a hand down his face. “Alright, I’ll cut to the chase…My sister found out about the lie we used. She and her husband showed up last night and they want to meet you.” 

“Meet me? Why?” Nathan couldn’t help thinking that maybe he was in trouble. Although there was nothing he could have done. He was at the mercy of everyone else. 

“She found out she supposedly had a son. Apparently, she’s curious as to who that might be.” Myles summarized, but Nathan was sure it was more than that. “So when we get there, you’ll put in the teeth, I’ll bring you to her, she’ll look you over, I’ll explain what happened, and you should be free to go.” 

“And that was urgent enough to send a spider to my house with a note?” Nathan asked dejectedly. 

“It was either that or she show up on your doorstep asking about you. Despite my lack of knowledge about your family, I assumed that wouldn’t turn out well for you.” 

They happened upon the house quickly after and it was almost exactly like the cottage underground, just less worn down. Myles snuck them in through the back door and waited for him to put the teeth in right then. The same warmth and stomach drop feeling took over, but rather than fall to the floor, Nathan felt arms catching him securely. His clothes fell to a heap on the floor leaving him once more in the nightshirt and cloth diaper. Myles held him close despite Nathan’s obvious resistance. 

“Just a little longer and we’ll be done,” He promised, putting a hand under Nathan’s butt to support him despite his squirming. 

“Myles? Are you back so soon?” A soft voice called out from where the living room would be and Nathan could feel Myles tense up. 

“Yes, Mary, I am. Give me one moment.” Nathan looked up at Myles and saw a bead of sweat on his brow. Was Myles scared? Nathan giggled at the idea and Myles gave him a stern look as if he knew what he was thinking. “Don’t laugh at me. She was very upset when she arrived and she can be very spiteful when she wants to be!” 

Before Nathan could say anything more on the matter, Myles walked through to the living room with Nathan in his arms. Nathan’s head turned to see just who Myles was afraid of and couldn’t believe his eyes. The woman on the couch was beautiful. She wasn’t as old as Myles, in fact, Nathan couldn’t find a single wrinkle on her face. She looked like she had the slightest hint of makeup on with the flush to her cheeks and pink tint to her lips. Her hair was done up into a braided black bun at the base of her neck. She wore a baggy cardigan that came down to her knees and simple blue jeans to go with it. She was devoid of heels or flats, instead wearing pristine black sneakers. Beside her sat a man that was the complete opposite of her soft cozy attire. 

He sat rigid on the older couch and wore a black business suit with his black hair combed and gelled to the side. He wore a stern expression, a wrinkle almost permanent between his eyebrows. Mary was soft and welcoming whereas he was rigid and cold. The only affection coming from him was the hand he used to cradle one of Mary’s. But even that disappeared as she brought her hands to her face to cover her mouth. 

“Oh my stars, he’s precious,” She cooed and reached for Nathan. “Give him to me!” 

Myles reluctantly handed him over and Nathan found himself cradled in her arm immediately as if it were natural for her. Nathan couldn’t help but become shy as her bright perfect smile stretched across her face when she looked down at him. He was on his back, neck braced on her inner elbow and she used her free hand to pet his chubby cheeks reverently. “He’s so cute. Like a little angel. And his curls!” She spun a twisted lock on her finger gently.

“Easy, darling,” The man commented, resting a hand on her opposite shoulder, the other on her thigh. “Too much excitement and your heart will burst!” It was clearly a joke but tinged with a warning. 

“But, Honey,” She pouted, lip quivering with emotion. “Look at him, he’s perfect.” 

She bounced Nathan slightly as if trying to catch the man’s attention with him but he continued to look at her with concern. 

“Tell us about him,” The man demanded of Myles suddenly. 

Myles stuttered from his spot in the armchair. “I- Well- He’s around 18 years old. He’s in college. His name is Nathan Gray. He works at the EZ Mart.-” 

“Yes, yes, we know that,” Mary spoke up, taking her eyes off Nathan for one second to look at Myles. “But what about him? What does he like? His favorite color? Food?” 

“...I’m not sure.” Myles sighed. “I don’t know much about him personally.” 

“You had someone impersonating my son and you do not know anything about him?” The man spoke in offense. 

Myles’ hands went up in the air. “I tried talking to him several times, but the boy just didn’t want to see me.” 

“Well you must have done something, then,” Mary’s voice raised and Nathan gave a noise of fright before she calmed immediately and took to bouncing him once more. “He’s so sweet, I can tell.” 

It was then Nathan’s little stomach growled. He hadn’t eaten anything that morning and had been avoiding meals with his parents off and on for months. But at the sound of the small rumble, Mary’s face lit up. “He’s hungry!” 

“I can whip up some-” Myles went to stand but Mary shook her head. 

“I’ve got it,” And she passed Nathan over to the man beside her before pushing the cardigan off one of her shoulders. She wore a red tank top underneath and pushed the strap down as well to expose one of her breasts. Nathan’s eyes widened and he squirmed in the man’s arms. But he held him firmly. Looking up imploringly at the man, because surely he wouldn’t want some 18-year-old boy nursing from his wife, Nathan tried to get him to speak reason. But the man didn’t seem to care. 

“Wha-” Myles covered his eyes and turned away. “Mary what are you-” 

“You know we’ve been trying for a baby for years. Nursing is a perfectly normal thing for any mother and Debbie has been giving me potions to help.” 

She didn’t seem bothered at all and accepted Nathan back into her arms. Her free hand reached up to grasp her breast and guide the nipple to Nathan’s face. He tried to air his protests but that gave her the perfect opportunity to slip her nipple into his mouth. He still tried to fight, but in his smaller body, he just didn’t have the strength or stamina. Nor did he want to bite such a nice woman. And with a bit of encouragement, a few drops of sweet milk landed on his tongue. Nathan’s stomach growled eagerly at the promise of sustenance. 

“I’ve heard of this before,” Mary conversed casually. “Poor babies being so hungry they can’t bring themselves to latch.” 

“Allow me, Dearest,” Her husband soothed, leaning over to look Nathan in the eye for the first time. There was a split second that Nathan swore he saw his pupils turn a crimson red, but it faded too quickly to be sure. “Relax, little one,” The man insisted and Nathan felt like his body had turned to jelly as his honey-sweet voice entered his ears. “Be a good boy and drink from your mama.” 

The words were an order and Nathan couldn’t help it as his mouth latched onto Mary’s breast. The milk took a moment to flow faster than a few drops at a time, but he couldn’t help the pleased coo that left him. His stomach was grateful for the milk. 

“You aren’t his mother!” Myles protested, grabbing a blanket off the couch and offering it to her blindly. “He’s 18!” 

“You know 18 means nothing in comparison to us, Myles,” Mary took the blanket and used it to swaddle Nathan as best as she could without dislodging his latch. “And you are the one who concocted some scheme to pass him off as ours.” 

“That was Debbie!” 

“Then I should thank her for getting me the baby I’ve always wanted.” 

The room grew quiet as Nathan nursed. His pudgy little hands came up against his will to cup her breast and keep it in his mouth. He couldn’t help it when his eyes slipped shut. This warmth, the love he could feel pouring (no pun intended) from Mary was what he kind of longed for. The kind he had just the lightest touch of a year ago before it was ripped away from him. 

“Mary…you can’t keep him…” Myles said softly. “He’s got a life here. Parents. Friends. A job. You can’t just take that from him.” 

“My wife can have whatever she wants. I’ll see to that.” The man said protectively. 

“What about what he wants, Vlad?” 

“You don’t get to decide what he wants,” Mary said passionately. “You shoved him through a portal as soon as possible when you were the reason he was in Autumn Hollow at all! You know better than to leave your portals open!” 

Myles scoffed. “So you’ve been talking to Debbie. Was she the one who told you about Nathan?” 

“Of course, she was the one to tell me about Nathaniel!” Mary’s spirit caused her to jostle Nathan and disrupt his nursing. Before he could help it, a sad whimper escaped past his lips. Immediately, she calmed. “Shhh, it’s alright, little one,” She cooed while petting Nathan’s curls and cheeks. “Mama’s here.” 

“Look,” Vlad, apparently, spoke calmly, although even Nathan could hear the warning edge in his voice. “What’s done is done. And, Myles, as much as I respect you as Mary’s brother, this decision has been made.” 

The flow started to taper and suddenly Mary’s finger had perforated his latch. Before he could get too upset, she switched him around and he found her other warm breast pressed to his mouth. “Don’t worry, baby. I’ll start producing more now that I have you to nurse.” She assured. 

“You can’t just kidnap him and force him to be an infant for the rest of his life.” Myles implored. 

“He will not be an infant all the time,” Vlad spoke up. “We have agreed that we are in this not just to have a baby, but to take care of Nathaniel as well.” 

“He’ll have two rooms. Two lives.” Mary piped up. 

“We will take care of him in both aspects. You could even come to visit him.” 

“If he wanted you to,” Mary was quick to add.

Myles slumped down in the armchair, wiping a hand down his face. “You’ll start a panic. Kids don’t just go missing here, Mary.” 

Mary shook her head. “It’s not as if they’d trace him back to you. And he’s an adult in this world. Even if they did find him, they can’t force him to come back.” 

“But you can’t force him to go.” 

“Oh for the love of-” Vlad seemed to finally get annoyed as he held his hands out to be handed the baby. “We will settle this now.” 

Mary uttered soft reassurances as she once more broke his latch on her breast. “You can finish in a moment, baby,” She promised when Nathan began to squirm. 

Vlad’s arms were secure when he held him. Rather than hold him in the horizontal position as before, he sat Nathan to straddle his thigh. Of course, one of his larger hands supported his back to keep him from falling over. Nathan’s squirming turned more urgent as he started to make grabbing hands toward Mary. He couldn’t explain the urge, but something was telling him he needed her back. His stomach was no longer growling. But her milk was soothing. Something felt right laying in her arms. 

It led to Vlad gaining his attention once more and there was the same flash of red pupils before Vlad spoke. “Sit still, Nathaniel.” 

Nathan stilled. 

“It’s not right for you to use that trick on children-” Myles tried to complain, but Vlad waved him off. 

Nathan stared up at Vlad in confusion as the man’s hand reached for his mouth. “Open up,” The man encouraged. 

It was between one second and the next that Nathan was no longer the 18-month-old baby and instead was his usual 18-year-old self. Embarrassingly, he was as naked as the day he was born. Vlad didn’t seem to care, his hold only adjusting to allow the blanket Nathan was swaddled in previously to rest across his shoulders to preserve his modesty. He didn’t look to care that there was a naked man straddling his knee. His free hand merely held up the plastic set of teeth to look at them. “Debora has a great talent for enchantments,” He praised. 

“She really does,” Mary praised but looked expectantly at Nathan. “Sweetheart now is your time to speak up.” 

“My wife is correct,” Vlad’s attention was caught once more. “Would you like to stay here in this town, living the life you have been. Or would you rather come with us and be treated like royalty?” He asked softly. “Not only would your needs be met, but you will have anything you could ever wish for.” 

“We’d love you unconditionally,” Mary added. “Both as a baby and a man.” 

“You would be our son. Forever.” 

“Now, think this through,” Myles butted in. “Just because your life now might not be what you would want it to be doesn’t mean you should sign your life away to be with strangers.” 

“That’s hurtful, Myles,” Mary glared over at him from where she had leaned in to look at Nathan closely. 

The siblings bickered back and forth, seemingly forgetting that they were waiting on an answer. Nathan’s hands shook from where they were bracing himself on Vlad’s chest. The blanket was nice to keep most of the chill away but he didn’t like feeling so exposed. “I-” He stuttered. 

“Remember your parents,” Myles encouraged. “Your friends even. They’d miss you terribly. They’d worry for you.” 

Vlad was quick to add on. “You could make new friends in our community. We wouldn’t lock you away from the world. And you could leave a letter behind so they knew you’d be safe.” 

“And you could send postcards.” 

“Think about your community here!” Myles pleaded. 

Nathan’s lip quivered. On one hand was everything he’d been missing for the past year. On the other was the life he had for 18 years…what was he to choose? 
 

[Pierry Louys]

Great chapter happy to se a new one 

[Cute_Kitten]

A cute start to a cute story! 

[LittleFenny]

Partway through the first part I found myself wondering if this was a Halloween prank. That the supernatural community was finding someone each Halloween to trick into being their baby for part of the evening. But what it's really working out to be, I like this!

[Lavellan]

The Pumpkin Prince: Chapter 2

A/N: My other writing platform has been offline for over 24hrs, so here I am. Have a silly lil chapter because after July 4th means Halloween times :3

 

New Home

“I don’t know…” He finally muttered after what felt like forever. His hands reached for the blanket draped over his shoulders and pulled it closer. 

“You don’t know?” Mary asked. But rather than accusatory, her voice was just curious.

Nathan nodded, sitting with his back ramrod straight, trying not to lean too much onto Vlad. “I don’t- I don’t like it here,” He said honestly. He didn’t like it in his small town at all. His life was nothing special and since learning about the world under his feet, he couldn’t stop thinking about it. And every time he saw Myles around town, it was as if the man was teasing him with the knowledge that he could never be a part of that world. “But I don’t know if I’d like…the baby stuff.” 

“Well, your autonomy would be taken from you,” Myles quickly interrupted, trying to sew the seeds of doubt in Nathan’s mind. “You’d have to do what they said whenever they say it. You wouldn’t be an adult anymore. Even if they say they’ll accommodate your adult life-” 

“You make us sound like villains,” Mary scathed, her eyes dark as they glared at Myles. But before the pair could get into another spat, Vlad spoke up. 

“Then we can do a trial run of sorts,” He nodded as if he already decided that it was what they were going to do. “Two weeks. One in this form, another in your infant form. That way you understand what your life would be like both ways and there will be no misunderstanding. And if you want to go back to your old life, that’s acceptable.” 

“How is he to explain a two-week absence?!” Myles tried to get bent out of shape about the suggestion, but Nathan shook his head at him. 

He already knew the small hick town wouldn’t miss him for two weeks. A few calls and everything will be as it was when he returned. “I can do that.” 

“Then it’s settled!” Mary’s eyes sparkled with excitement, her hand was holding her tank top front up to cover her breast, but she made no move to put her arm back into the strap. Obviously, she was waiting for him to finish nursing. The thought made Nathan blush. 

Myles was obviously angry or at the very least annoyed by being overruled in the discussion, but Mary saved him from having to deal with it when she presented the set of teeth to him once more. Nathan slipped the teeth into his mouth and bit down, feeling the rush of magic overcome him. He was once more a baby and (thankfully) clothed. Vlad handed him back to Mary and she removed her hand from her shirt. Nathan continued to nurse while Mary and Vlad took to discussing the arrangement between themselves. Sensing he was being purposefully excluded, Myles stood and excused himself from the room.

“We can leave tomorrow evening. I’ll help him pack and then we’ll go home-” 

“Wouldn’t you rather spend this time getting his nursery ready for him, my dear?” Vlad asked. “Dust the curtains, wash the sheets, etcetera?” 

“Oh!” Mary gasped as if she hadn’t thought of that before. “You’re right! I’ll start on that tonight, and you can bring him home tomorrow!” 

It was with those words that Nathan made his way home that night. He had already sent a text to his boss about visiting a college friend out of state. And he told much the same story to his parents at the dinner table. They were, of course, overjoyed at him potentially looking at universities. And he woke the following day to a dismissive text from his boss saying he would still have his job when he came back. 

There wasn’t much for him to pack. He wasn’t even sure if he should pack at all. Half the time he would be gone, he would be an infant. So it wasn’t as if he would need too many clothes. He did, of course, make room in a small backpack for the trinkets that the citizens of Autumn Hollow gifted him. And by the time he made his way out to the old pumpkin patch, he couldn’t help but feel a bit excited. It would be one of the first times he had ever been out of his small town. Despite the nerves that he had about the infant treatment he had no doubt this would be an interesting experience. 

Only Vlad was waiting in the patch for him, which was odd. Approaching, Nathan ducked his head down to avoid eye contact. “Hello, sir,” He said respectfully. 

“Good evening, Nathaniel.” 

Nathan didn’t think it was the right time to correct him about his name and instead took to walking beside him towards the small cottage home. 

“Before we meet with the other, I would like to have a talk with you,” Vlad shattered the silence like a pane of glass. Looking up for the first time, Nathan looked at him with curious eyes. He didn’t speak, but Vlad continued on anyway. “My wife and I have been looking for ways to have children of our own for many years now. Clearly, we were unsuccessful.” 

Nathan nodded slowly. 

“Having this opportunity means the world to her,” He explained. “I have not seen her this happy since we were married…Do not ruin this for her.”  His voice never dipped below the calm professionalism he always seemed to speak with, but Nathan could imagine the warning tone being conveyed. “She’ll let you go back to your old life even if it breaks her heart. But at least try to make these two weeks special for her.” 

“I…” Nathan hesitated, really thinking over the words he wanted to say so that he didn’t offend Vlad. “I want this to work out.” He said honestly and started pulling on a loose thread of his hoodie to avoid making eye contact. 

A hand gently patted his shoulder before Vlad started back on his previous pace. “So do we.” 

The rest of the walk was silent. Nathan gave a small wave to Myles and Mary who stood in the kitchen drinking cups of coffee together. Mary immediately put her cup down and walked over to Nathan. She was shorter than him, he noticed. But she had no problem pulling him down into a gentle hug. “Hi, Nathaniel!” She cooed. “I’m so excited to show you your new home!” 

Vlad walked into the house behind him, giving his wife a fond look before turning to Myles. “I think it best we are on our way to show Nathaniel around his new home.” 

Mary finally pulled away from the hug just in time for Nathan to see Myles giving him a sad look. But the man didn’t say anything. He merely nodded and set his own cup down. Further along the counter, he had a small case that held the enchanted teeth and Myles handed that over to Mary’s reaching hand. What followed was a bit of shuffling as Nathan handed Vlad his back of possessions and put the teeth into his mouth. Mary wasted no time picking him up from the floor and cuddling him close while Vlad grabbed his discarded clothes. 

“There’s my little man!” Mary muttered softly while petting Nathan’s curly hair. 

The group was led by Myles through a part of the house Nathan had never been in. There was an old dining table on one side, but on the other was a set of stairs leading down to what looked like a basement. The three adults made their way down the steps and Nathan found himself amazed as Mary and Vlad’s looks seemed to change between one blink and the next. 

Mary had been beautiful before, of course. But she was downright enchanting in the basement lights. Her skin had lost its gentle tan giving her a pale visage, sharply contrasted by red lipstick and black eyeshadow. Her long black hair hung down in perfect curls over her shoulders. Nathan was tempted to pet them to see if they were as soft as they looked. Her casual suburban mom get-up was replaced with an intricate red dress with black lace accents. The neckline plunged down to the skirt leaving most of Mary’s chest exposed beside her breasts themselves. Nathan blushed, resting his head on the exposed skin of her shoulder. From this position, he could see Vlad standing behind them looking very intimidating. 

The man was even taller than before, head almost brushing the low ceiling of the cottage basement. His outfit was nearly stereotypical with the pointed-collared cape, white cravat, and matching red waistcoat. His hair wasn’t quite slicked back but it was carefully styled so that a single hair wasn’t out of place. His eyes reflected a bright red into the dim basement light. 

“Alright, the portal’s up and running,” Myles broke Nathan out of his analysis and motioned to a portal that looked very similar to the one from Autumn Hollow except this one was glowing red instead of purple. 

Vlad wasted no time slipping through but Mary hung back just a bit to face Myles. “You could visit in a few days,” She assured him. “I’m sure Nathaniel would love to see you.” 

Nathan caught Myles’ eye and Myles gave him a sad look. What was his problem? Nathan couldn’t help but wonder. “I don’t know. Depends on how busy I am with the patch.” 

“You have 364 days to tend to that patch, Myles,” Mary rolled her eyes but looked down to give a fond glance to Nathan. “Say bye-bye to Uncle Myles, baby.” 

Nathan’s little hand waved goodbye to Myles and he gave a small smile. “Buh-bye My’es!” 

“...Bye, kiddo.” Myles sighed and Mary wasted no more time before stepping through the portal. It was nowhere near as disorienting as it was the first time around. 

Nathan turned his head every which way to get a good look at the area and found that they stood in the midst of what looked like a giant foyer. Or maybe it just looked massive because he was in an infant's body… Either way, it was just as regal and elegant as the married couple appeared to be. 

“Lunch should be ready shortly, Dear,” Vlad said, taking a pocket watch out of his pocket and checking the time.

“I’ll meet you in the dining room, Love. I want to show Nathaniel his room!” 

Nathan was then absconded away with little fanfare. Mary’s excitement was tangible and he couldn’t help but smile as she wandered through the maze of hallways until she came across a double archway door. The decor was a mixture between moody and warm. There were obvious aspects of Vlad’s darker, more stereotypical touch with darkly painted portraits, orange-lit lamps, and various other furniture in shades of black and grey. But occasionally they would rush by something that Nathan knew immediately to be Mary’s doing. A large monstera plant in a bright red pot, string lights crisscrossed on the ceiling, Even furniture covered with soft-looking throws and puffy comfy pillows. 

The nursery was no exception. 

The nursery was nearly the size of the cottage Myles lived in. The ceiling was high up, most definitely encroaching on different stories. The top of the nursery looked to hold a small library with brightly colored spines of books lining the shelves. Several plush couches sat around the space aiding in the ability to relax and read at the same time. On the main floor that they stood on, the crib took up the center of the room. It was circular, which Nathan had never seen before. And from where he sat in Mary’s arms, there was no frame holding it up, rather, it floated in mid-air. It was covered in drawn curtains that were most likely to protect him from the rays of light that beamed in from the several windows on the outer wall looking out over a garden. Despite being in a gothic mansion, the entire space was lit up with life. 

Even Nathan, who wasn’t an infant most of the time, was astounded by the detail put into the nursery. Various baby furniture littered the area as well as toys. Some of the toys even seemed to move on their own! The subtle reminders of magic made Nathan feel as though he might have been in a dream. Mary took her time walking around the space to give Nathan a chance to see everything. 

When they made it back to their original spot, She looked down at him, catching his attention. 

“What do you think?” She asked, a hint of nerves in her voice. And Nathan realized that she’d probably been working on something like this for quite some time. She’d wanted a child for so long, it gave her so much time to plan and put into motion everything she could ever want her baby to have. And if this were the nursery, just what did that mean for the rest of the house? 

Rather than try to voice his astonishment to the woman, Nathan smiled brightly up at her and rested his head on her bare shoulder. Mary’s face melted into a look of adoration. For a moment, Nathan thought she would start crying, but she gave a shaky laugh instead. “I’m so happy you like it, baby.” Nathan could imagine that they worked very hard on it. And while it probably wasn’t meant exactly for him, he was flattered that he was the receiver of the effort anyway. 

There was a large clock on one of the walls of the nursery that had the usual face, but a bat-shaped pendulum swinging from side to side under it that Mary glanced at. “I’m sure my baby’s very hungry. Let’s meet Daddy in the dining room, yeah?” 

“‘Kay,” Nathan responded needlessly as Mary immediately started to walk out the door back into the maze of hallways. 

The dining room was as regal and beautiful as everything else in the home. And it was far fancier than Nathan felt was warranted for a simple lunch with three people. Well, two adults and an infant. Vlad was already there, sitting at the head of the rectangle dining table, and had an untouched plate of food in front of him. He smiled slightly at the entrance of Mary and with a wave of his hand, the seat beside him pulled itself out from under the table. When Mary sat down, he summoned the chair to the table with another wave of his hand. 

“I trust he liked his nursery?” Vlad asked, sipping at a black crystal glass. 

And for a moment there was silence before Nathan realized he was being spoken to. Speaking as an infant was hard, Nathan realized. It was like talking with a mouthful of peanut butter. Some of the words came out fine but the rest were gibberish. 

‘The room was very nice.’ Was what he meant to say, but what ended up coming out was: “‘Oom ve’y p’etty.” 

His face heated up in embarrassment as Mary started to coo over him. But soon after Vlad encouraged the meal to start. Mary was very casual in the manner that she pulled the bust of her dress down to expose her breasts. Nathan knew that if he didn’t voluntarily latch on he would be made to by Vlad’s red eyes. And while it did cause an unbelievable amount of embarrassment, he forced himself to start nursing. At first, he closed his eyes, thinking that would help. And it did, surprisingly. Mary and Vlad seemed to pick up a conversation of their own about some sort of paperwork Vlad needed to do after lunch. There were the soft clinks of silverware meeting plates occasionally, but it seemed like the pair had the same amount of grace they always possessed even while eating. 

Nathan’s awareness faded back in sometime later and he hadn’t even realized he was dozing off while nursing. 

“I suppose he’ll be having a nap after the meal?” Vlad asked Mary who hummed affirmatively. 

“I thought about taking him out to the garden first, but that can wait.” 

“Well, if he sleeps long enough for my work to be finished we could make it a group effort.” 

“That would be lovely,” The smile was evident in Mary’s voice. 

They then started talking about what sort of plants they could do in the garden, but Nathan’s exhaustion seemed to catch up with him. It was strange as he’d never taken to napping during the day before, but now it was as if he couldn’t stay awake if he tried! The next thing he knew, he was being rested on the soft mattress of what he assumed to be his crib. Nathan’s subtle fussing must have tipped off Mary that he was waking up as she started to softly shush him back to sleep. It was that mixed with the gentle swaying of the crib under him that caused him to drift back to sleep. 

________

His dream consisted of his adult self standing in front of the cash register at his job. He checked people out monotonously, but no matter how many people he went through, the line never seemed to shorten. It was to the point where people in the line started to get disgruntled. And just when Nathan felt tears welling in his eyes, it was as if there were a hand passing through his hair. Calm, assured movements stroked through his curls even as the patrons in his dream grew more upset. 

“Ease yourself, son,” A rich soothing voice rang out in his mind. 

The mixture of gentle touches and soft assurances helped to dissolve the scene in front of him and instead, he was presented with a peaceful night sky. The sweet taste of hot cocoa on his tongue. The warmth of a thick blanket on a chilly night. Distant laughter of children having fun. 

“That’s it, my boy,” The voice continued. “Rest now.” 

Nathan had no choice but to do just that. Not that he was complaining of course. 
 

[Hugues]

Such a nice chapter! Will we have a new one recently?.

[Hugues]

Well, another.Halloween has gone. My dear friend, can we have another chapter as a.treat? Pleeeease!

[keith60]

I hope there is more to this story soon 

[Hugues]

Every time I read this story,, I want to became Nathan.