Chapter 4 Sebastian
SEBASTIAN
I was floating in warm water, surrounded by colorful coral and friendly fish.
"Don't worry, Nemo. Daddy will find you!" The words came out of my mouth without me even thinking them, and in my dream, they made perfect sense. Of course Daddy would find Nemo. Daddies always found their boys when they were lost. That was what Daddies did.
In my little cocoon, I felt safe and warm and protected, like nothing bad could ever happen as long as I stayed right where I was, which was—
Something in my subconsciousness came forward, and I woke myself up.
The first thing I noticed was how comfortable I was. My head was resting on something solid, and there was a steady heartbeat thumping beneath my ear. I was curled up against someone, and their arm was draped loosely around my shoulders.
Brandon. My patient. Shit.
My eyes flew open, and I looked around. The movie was over, and I was asleep against Brandon’s chest.
I lifted my head slightly and looked up at the sexy man, hoping he was asleep too so I could sneak out.
But nope. He was wide awake and smiling down at me. “Good nap?” His jaw was still a little swollen, but he didn't seem to be in pain anymore. The painkillers must have kicked in.
And then I fell asleep on him like some kind of weirdo.
Oops.
I sat up quickly and pulled away from his warmth. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep on you like that."
There was something soft in his eyes that made my stomach flip when he rubbed the back of my neck. "It's fine. You looked comfortable."
"I was, but that's not the point." I ran my hands through my hair and tried to get my thoughts in order. "I shouldn't have just shown up here like this. You need to rest, and I just barged in with sugar and drugs and forced you to watch a silly movie."
"You didn't force me to do anything." He shifted on the couch and winced slightly, his hand going to his jaw. "I liked having you here."
My heart did a little flip at that, but I couldn't let myself get carried away. I was his dental tech. This was completely inappropriate, and I’d probably lose my job if Dr. Weismann found out I was stalking his patients.
"Still, I should go. You need to rest, and I've already taken up enough of your day. "
I stood up and started gathering the empty pudding cups to keep my hands busy before I did something stupid like curl back up against him. "Do you need anything else before I leave? Water? More pudding? Another pill?"
"Sebastian." His voice was low and had just the right tone to make me stop what I was doing and look right at him. "You don't have to leave."
"Thanks, but I really do." I forced a smile and headed for the kitchen to throw away the trash. "I've got some errands to run, but call if you need anything."
Truthfully, I didn't have any errands, but I needed to get out of here before I made things even more awkward than they already were.
I slipped on my shoes by the front door while trying not to look at Brandon as he pushed himself up from the couch and walked over to me. He moved slowly, like his whole body was sore, and I felt a pang of guilt for keeping him awake when he should have been napping instead of watching me nap.
"Thanks for checking on me." He leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms over his chest. "And for the pudding. And the meds."
"Of course." I fumbled with my car keys and tried to think of something to say that wouldn't make me sound like a complete idiot. "I'll call you tomorrow to check in again. Make sure you're doing okay."
"I'd like that." He smiled at me, and it was such a genuine, warm smile that my heart started racing even faster.
I reached for the door handle, ready to make my escape before I said or did something even more embarrassing.
And then Brandon spoke again.
"Thank you for the pudding and cartoons, Sebastian." His voice was soft and playful, and there was a hint of something more in it. "I had fun being Little with you."
I froze and looked into his eyes. I couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. Couldn't think.
Oh my god, he knew. Not only what being Little meant but that I was Little.
I let out a strangled gasp and yanked the door open, practically throwing myself out onto the porch. "Gotta go. Bye!" I didn't wait for him to respond before I bolted for my car, my face burning from embarrassment.
He knew I was Little. No one knew I was Little. At least, not anyone IRL. I’d only told online friends who I never had to face for real.
Of course, that did make it kinda hard to even think about a relationship, but I was too afraid of how guys would react when I told them in person. So I never did.
But Brandon knew and still wanted me to stay.
I fumbled with my keys and finally managed to unlock my car. I hopped into the driver's seat and slammed the door behind me, gripping the steering wheel like it was the only thing keeping me grounded.
My mind was racing, trying to replay every single moment from the last few hours. What was I thinking when I leaned against him? I wasn’t. I wasn’t thinking at all.
And then I fell asleep on him like some kind of needy puppy. But he smelled so good and felt so warm. How could I not doze off and dream about swimming with Nemo?
Oh god, the dream.
I mumbled something about Daddy finding Nemo while I was asleep on Brandon's shoulder. Did I say that out loud? And more importantly, did he hear me?
I dropped my head onto the steering wheel and let out a groan.
Of course he heard me. I’d been a sleep talker my whole life. No way did that stay in my head where it belonged. It was no wonder he knew I was Little. I had zero filter when I was regressed, and apparently, that extended to my subconscious too.
I started the car and pulled away from the curb with my hands shaking on the wheel. I needed to get home so I could think. There was no way I could ever face him again without dying of embarrassment. Guess it was time to update my resume…and move to a new country.
As I drove, I tried very hard not to think about what had just happened, but one thing Brandon said just wouldn’t leave my mind.
"I had fun being Little with you."
When he said it, he didn’t sound judgmental or disgusted at all. If anything, he'd sounded...amused. Maybe even pleased.
Maybe it was something he wanted to do again.
My stomach did a weird flip at that thought.
But I couldn't let myself go there. Brandon was my patient. This whole thing was already wildly inappropriate. I'd shown up at his house uninvited after stealing his address from his file and then fell asleep on him like we were an old married couple.
Not to mention the fact that he knew I was Little, and there was no going back from there.
I pulled into my driveway and turned off the car, but I didn't get out right away. I just sat there, staring at the garage door underneath the apartment I rented when one more moment came to mind.
He called me sweetheart.
My heart started pounding again, but this time it wasn't from embarrassment. It was from something else. Hope, maybe.
What if Brandon wasn't just some random guy who happened to notice I was Little?
What if he was...
I shook my head and forced myself to get out of the car. I was getting ahead of myself. Just because he was sweet to me didn't mean he was a Daddy. And holding my hand during his procedure and letting me sleep on him didn't mean he was interested in me either.
Then again, it didn’t mean he wasn’t.
I walked up to my apartment and let myself inside. With a heavy sigh, I tossed my keys on the counter and then collapsed onto my couch.
I was just about to scream in frustration when my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and saw a text from an unknown number. Thanks again for everything today. I really appreciate it.
It had to be Brandon. How did he get my number? Oh right, I'd called him from my phone this morning.
I stared at the message for a long moment with my thumb hovering over the keyboard. What was I supposed to say to that? You're welcome, and sorry for falling asleep on you and talking about Daddies in my sleep?
That would definitely make things even weirder.
I typed out a response and hit send before I could second-guess myself. Of course! Just doing my job. Hope you're feeling better.
A few seconds later, my phone buzzed again. I am. Thanks to you.
I read the message three times, trying to decipher if there was any hidden meaning behind it. Was he just being polite or was he flirting with me?
I flopped back against the couch cushions and groaned.
I was so screwed.
Because it didn't matter how inappropriate this was or how much distance I should put between us for the sake of professionalism. I liked Brandon and wanted to get to know him.
Especially if he was okay with me being Little with him.
My phone buzzed again with another message from Brandon. Can I ask you something?
My heart jumped into my throat. Sure.
The dots popped up and seemed to take ages before his message appeared. Do you usually make house calls or was today unique?
I cocked my head, not sure how honest I should be. Then I remembered my ultimate goal of wanting to get to know him, so I couldn’t start our friendship off with a lie. I’ve never done that before. In fact, I’ll probably be fired if Dr. Weismann finds out.
I won’t tell if you don’t. Another bubble immediately popped up, and I didn’t breathe until his next message came through. I’ve never had someone take care of me as well as you did. Usually, I’m the one doting on sweet boys like you.
I stared at the message as my face heated up all over again.
He was definitely flirting with me.
And the worst part? I didn't want him to stop. Letting me cuddle and nap on you was the Daddiest thing I’ve ever experienced.
I’ll take that as a compliment. It was definitely meant as a compliment.
I bit my lip and tried to think of a response that didn't sound completely thirsty. But before I could type anything, another message came through.
Have a nice evening, Sebastian. I'll talk to you tomorrow.
I didn’t want to stop talking, but he was still my patient first. You too. Take your meds and drink lots of water. But no straws!
Yes, sir. No sucking for a few more days. Got it.
I nearly dropped my phone as all the blood in my body headed south. He was teasing me, but it still conjured images that had no business running through my mind.
I put my phone on the coffee table and pressed my hands to my face, trying to calm the butterflies that were bouncing around in my tummy.
I was definitely smitten with Brandon Cooper.
And based on the way he was texting me, there was a teeny-tiny chance he might’ve been smitten with me too.