Chapter Nine
James
He knocked on the back door of the main house and waited.
Jacob pulled open the door and looked at him questioningly.
“Hey!” James said quietly grinning up at the professor.
“No cake?” Jacob asked as he pulled the door open wider.
James laughed. “I have a bag of gummy worms in my backpack.”
Jacob groaned. “Please tell me that isn’t what you had for dinner.”
“That’s not what I had for dinner,” James parroted.
Jacob narrowed his eyes. “What did you have for dinner?”
That was a very good question. Normally James took his meals seriously since being well fueled meant that he could train harder. Of course, the one night he’d skipped dinner was when Jacob would ask.
Once Jacob had left the coffee shop with his chai latte, James had decided that he’d waited as long as possible. Jacob’s reminder that Scott would be home soon meant that it was now or never. James didn’t even know if he was a little. Now it was time to find out.
“I’m going to take the silence for the answer it is,” Jacob growled. “Come inside.”
Stepping into the warm kitchen made James smile. Breakfast had been delicious but the memory of them teasing and Jacob relaxed for once would stay with James. If Jacob wanted to feed him again, then who was James to complain? “I didn’t come for dinner.”
“We can talk while you eat,” Jacob replied. He snagged James’s helmet and backpack, setting them on the countertop by the back door before placing a hand on James’s back.
James allowed himself to be towed toward the small table in the corner of the kitchen.
“Sit,” Jacob ordered. “I have some soup left over from my own dinner.”
“What kind of soup?” James asked as he slid into the same chair that he’d sat in that morning. He didn’t really care what kind of soup Jacob was warming up for him. James ate just about anything except sushi. Yeah, that was a big no for him. But soup. Soup was good.
“Are you going to turn down soup?” Jacob asked while stalking to the fridge.
“What if I hate soup?” James asked just to be a brat.
Jacob whirled. “Who hates soup? What kind of heathen are you?”
Laughing, James grinned. He was glad that he’d made the decision to approach Jacob. It was time. He knew it in his heart. “I don’t hate soup.”
“Then you’re just feeling like a brat?” Jacob questioned. He went about pulling a bowl out of the fridge while grabbing other things.
“Maybe.” James shrugged. “Not sure what I’m feeling.”
Jacob stood in front of the stove, heating the soup. Because why would he use a microwave like a normal person? And James didn’t think the soup was from a can either.
The scent of something yummy filled the kitchen. James’s stomach growled and he rubbed his belly.
“You really didn’t eat?” Jacob asked. He walked from the stove to grab a breadbasket from the counter and brought it over to him. “Eat some bread.”
James stared at the brown wicker basket covered with a thick white towel. He slowly lifted the edge of the towel. “Is that homemade bread?”
Jacob snorted.
“You made homemade bread?” James asked again.
“And homemade potato soup,” Jacob told him. “A filling meal that should take care of that rumbling tummy.”
That sounded like such a Daddy thing to say. Which brought James to his reason for the late-night stop. “I was too nervous to eat,” he admitted.
Jacob stopped as he reached to pick up the spoon that he’d been using to stir the soup.
Instead of looking at Jacob, the bread became very interesting to James.
“James.” Jacob said his name softly.
“I want to do it,” James admitted. He picked up a piece of thickly sliced bread. “With you.”
“You want to explore age regression,” Jacob said.
“With you,” James said firmly. This was important.
He could have asked Josh. There were friends of Michael’s that might be available.
It wasn’t Josh that James was interested in.
James wanted to explore more than just finding out if he was a little.
Or middle. A sub. So many options. He only knew that he trusted Jacob to guide him.
“Okay.” Jacob finished stirring the soup and turned off the heat under the pan. “Let’s get you fed first.”
James concentrated on the bread in front of him. He pulled off the top before nibbling on the slice.
“It’s okay, you have no reason to be nervous,” Jacob said as he placed a bowl in front of James, then handed over a spoon.
“Thanks,” James whispered. Leaning forward, he sniffed the soup. It really did smell good. “Cal cooks whenever he’s on shift at the fire station. He makes homemade rolls. Your bread is better.”
Jacob chuckled as he settled back into his chair. “Thank you. I like to cook.”
James scrunched his nose. “I hate cooking.”
“After experiencing your baking, that doesn’t surprise me.”
That had James jerking his head up. “Hey! The cake ended up being good.”
Jacob nodded with a small smirk forming. “I am an excellent baker.”
James rolled his eyes. “Fine. Whatever.” Dipping his spoon into the bowl, he filled it before bringing it up to his mouth. Immediately flavor exploded on his tongue. He quickly dipped his spoon again.
“Good?” Jacob asked with a laugh.
“So good,” James replied around a mouthful.
“Swallow then answer,” Jacob chastised.
“Yes, Daddy,” James teased. Or it was supposed to be a tease. Like when James joked around with Cal. He glanced over at Jacob as panic started to fill him.
“Hey.” Jacob grabbed the back of his neck. “You’re fine. Nothing to worry about.”
“Sorry.” Now that James had committed to his exploration, it felt weird. A little freeing but weird.
“Finish eating,” Jacob ordered.
“Okay.” That was something that he could do. Everything else? Yeah, no idea what he was doing there.
Too soon his bowl was empty.
“Would you like some more?” Jacob asked, sliding the bowl toward himself.
James wanted to say yes just to put off what would come next. Instead, he shook his head. A full bowl of soup and three slices of bread were his limit. “No, thank you.”
“Let me clean up really quick, then I’ll take you to the playroom,” Jacob said.
Why was it easier with Jacob telling him instead of asking. “Okay.”
Jacob washed the bowl and spoon James had used. Replaced the soup in the fridge then washed the pan. He wiped down the table where James had eaten. It hadn’t even taken five minutes.
Crossing the room, Jacob held out his hand. “Ready?”
Was he? James slipped his hand into Jacob’s. “Yeah.” That might be the biggest lie that James had ever told in his life.
The hall wasn’t even that long but with each step closer to the room that James knew existed seemed to take forever.
They passed the living room with a lamp on beside the couch.
Just as many blankets as last time. What was up with that?
James didn’t have long to worry about that as they reached the entrance to the playroom.
“You don’t have to do anything that you don’t want,” Jacob assured him.
“I don’t know what I want,” James replied. And that was frustrating.
“I know,” Jacob said. “That’s what I’m here for.” He drew James into the room.
The room was almost separated into sections. Or at least as if by age ranges. James ignored the toys that looked like they were meant for a baby. He walked over to the shelf that held a collection of green army soldiers.
Jacob stayed by his side, holding his hand the entire time.
“Ever play soldiers?” Jacob asked.
James nodded. “When I was younger. I always made Scott play the invading army. I won, of course.”
Jacob’s chuckle was warm. “Did you have superheroes on your team?” He pointed toward an entire plastic container of action figures.
He started to shake his head before gasping. “Kane!”
“Kane? Who’s Kane?” Jacob froze from where he’d been reaching for the container.
“Kane. My action figure buddy. He’s in my backpack.”
Jacob picked up the container. “Would you like me to get him for you?”
James rolled his eyes. Of course he did. He snatched the container from Jacob’s hand then the one with the little green men. “Duh.”
“Careful, boy. Corner time wouldn’t be fun.”
That was a worry for another time. James was already remembering how much he used to love playing invading armies with his brother.
He really had made Scott be the bad guy.
Or in charge of the bad army was more accurate.
And James’s army was always the winner. Until Scott had wised up and started to add wizards to his army.
That hadn’t been fair. They’d only had one wizard and Scott hadn’t shared.
Did Jacob have any wizards?
James carried his two containers over to where there was a plush rug in the middle of the room. He set the containers down then went back to see what else he could find.
Ha! Dragons. That would be better than wizards. And he could protect his city from the air as well as land.
Hmm, what about…there! A ship and…yes! Mermaids!
James cackled as he collected everything he needed. It was like being in his very own toy store. Anything that James could want was just there. And he didn’t have to worry about sharing. This was awesome.
He jumped as something touched his shoulders.
“Shh, just me.” Jacob finished slipping the cape around his shoulders. “Have to get your commander’s cape around you. How will you lead the troops if they don’t know who you are?”
James grinned up at Jacob. That was a good point.
Jacob frowned down at James’s full hands. “Do you really need all those toys?”
“Yes!” James hissed. He turned to walk back to the rug where he’d left the other toys. His new action figure sat beside the container in his red cape. “Lieutenant Kane. You’re late!”
Lowering himself to his knees, James shook his head at his lieutenant. Very bad form to be late in front of the other recruits. James would let it go this time but if it happened again, Kane would need a talking-to. Maybe Kane needed corner time.
James dumped out the containers. The rug was almost the perfect size to be the land that needed to be protected.