Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
Shea
Theo was a bad liar. At least, they’d always been with me.
Maybe others would have let it slide, but I was too in tune to them.
There was a certain hitch to their voice when they cried, and I’d been hearing it all morning.
Unfortunately for me, my regression had reached a stubborn level where I couldn’t bring myself to speak, so all I could do was silently reassure them.
If their mind worked anything like mine in that moment, I could probably put a finger on what had them so upset: Our week was already halfway over.
I’d already been getting texts from Sophie about how much she missed me and couldn’t wait to have me home. I wished I could return the sentiment. I couldn’t get excited about seeing Sophie again without thinking that it came with leaving Theo.
My eyes burned, and I scrubbed at them to will the tears not to fall. Not yet. I still had three more full days and was going to make the most of them.
“Are you still tired, baby?”
Aha, that was my chance. The last thing I wanted to do today was finger paint or even play at the lake. All I wanted was Theo. I nodded, hoping they would agree to take me back to bed. It wasn’t a total lie. I had sacrificed an hour of sleep to get my mouth on them.
Theo gathered the remnants of my breakfast and their coffee and swept them away.
I gestured toward the front door, signaling that I needed some fresh air.
I stuck my fingers in my waistband, calming myself with the softness of the diaper beneath.
It surprised me how fast I’d adjusted to it.
I no longer waddled—at least, I didn’t think so.
According to Theo my “diaper butt” was “absolutely precious.”
Tyler sat on the steps, nursing a bottle of Gatorade in between holding his head between his knees.
Snickering, I dropped down next to him—only to jolt away a second later.
A familiar shiver shot down my spine. By the time I registered the stinger in my arm, my throat was already starting to tingle.
Tyler said something next to me, but it was like he was speaking underwater.
My pacifier fell out of my mouth and tumbled to the ground, but I could only gasp for air. My airway constricted. My vision blurred. The sounds around me all morphed into warbling, unidentifiable noises. I couldn’t even reach for my pocket to get my own EpiPen.
I glanced down. Round red hives covered my arms and legs. They itched. God, they itched and I couldn’t move my hands to scratch them.
Then another stab shot through my leg. I whimpered and attempted to jolt away from it, but a strong hand held me in place.
I fought and wrestled, but to no avail. I was too weak.
Another pair of arms tugged me against a plush chest, and Theo’s comforting scent wrapped around me and calmed me almost instantly.
They rubbed my chest, forcing my lungs to fill with oxygen.
My vision cleared, and the burning in my throat subsided—perhaps too slowly for my liking.
Theo brushed through my hair, softly whispering in my ear.
The shapeless blur in front of me gradually formed into Jordan kneeling in front of me.
He massaged my thigh, making sure the drug worked its way through my system.
Tyler stood behind him, tears streaming down his cheeks.
“Shea…” Theo muttered. “You with me, sweetheart?”
I could only murmur something incomprehensible, only to cough and wet my diaper as a result. Theo handed a bottle of water over my shoulder, even holding it to my mouth so I could drink.
“Alright, guys. Let’s get inside.”
It was only then that I noticed the small crowd that had gathered around the steps.
Kaylee—as small as she was—did her best to corral them back inside, instructing them to leave the dining hall through the side entrance and get to their activities for the day.
Though one of them stuck out. Bright blond hair moved through the crowd, green eyes.
“Dakota’s going to check you out, okay? They’re a medic.” Theo explained, rubbing my arms. The hives stung, but their touch brought me too much comfort for me to make them stop.
Jordan rose to his full height and stepped back to make room for Dakota. Tyler huddled into the man’s arms, turning his tear-filled eyes into his chest.
But I didn’t have time to apologize for scaring my friend. “Hi, Shea,” Dakota said softly, capturing my attention with their kind green eyes. “Can I put this on you?”
I nodded and let him put the alligator-clamp thingy on my finger.
He also rucked up my shorts, administering another shot of epi directly into my skin.
I whimpered when he massaged the area again, already feeling a bruise form.
Theo hugged me tighter. “It’s okay, baby,” they whispered in my ear. “Da’s got you.”
The adrenaline kicked up my heart rate, and my hands began to shake.
“Your oxygen and heart rate are good. Can I listen to your chest?”
I nodded again. My breaths were starting to come easier, and I was able to relax into Theo’s arms. They still whispered softly in my ear, tenderly shushing my cries. Their voice was my only comfort in that moment. I was flushed, wet, and my throat hurt. And I still fucking itched.
Dakota put a stethoscope against my chest and instructed me to take a few deep breaths. They seemed satisfied enough, giving me a kind smile. “I’m okay with your vitals, but I have to ask: Do you want to go to the hospital?”
“No!” I shouted, louder than I intended but Dakota didn’t seem to be bothered by my outburst. I softened my voice. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay. I don’t blame you. But I do have to get that stinger out, and that might be uncomfortable. Is that okay?”
I twisted to look up at Theo. Their eyes were glossy, but the corner of their lips quirked into a tender smile. “I’m right here.”
I didn’t like pain. Particularly sharp pains.
They reminded me too much of that needle in my arm and the night my entire life went to hell.
I swallowed hard, wincing against a sore throat.
Theo’s eyes said everything Dakota’s mouth didn’t: If the stinger didn’t come out, then I was going to the hospital.
Recurring reactions were a risk either way, but taking the stinger out was the best option.
Sighing, I shifted, only for Theo to lift me into their lap like I weighed nothing. I tucked my face into their neck while they and Dakota had a hushed conversation.
“Do we need to take him inside?”
“Not if he’s comfortable here.”
Theo shuffled beneath me, then I felt soft silicone pressing against my lips. “Open up, little one.”
I did so without a second thought. I trusted Theo, and when they placed a new soother onto my tongue, I happily accepted it, already digging my teeth into the nipple in anticipation of the pain.
Of course they had a backup pacifier. I don’t know why I ever thought they wouldn’t. Da thinks of everything.
“Can you pull his sleeve up?”
Theo held my sleeve out of the way, and I flinched once I felt Dakota’s fingers on me. I’d have to apologize to them later. “I’m sorry,” they murmured, cleaning my skin with an alcohol wipe. “I’ll make this quick. Big pinch.”
My teeth sank right through the rubber in my mouth. Theo held my sleeve up with one hand, rubbing my back with the other.
I whimpered when whatever tool Dakota was using popped off the skin.
“Almost there, Shea. You’re doing great; small sting now and I’ll clean you up.”
It was over before I could register the pain. Something cool was spread onto my skin, followed by a bandage.
“There we go. All finished.” Then to Theo, “keep some EpiPens nearby. If he starts having any symptoms, straight to the hospital, okay?”
“Thanks, Dakota.” Theo kissed my cheek, still softly rubbing my back. “You did so good, Shea.”
My eyes were wet when I opened them. Sniffling, I rubbed them dry. I spat the emaciated pacifier into my hand, grimacing at the sight of the shredded rubber.
“It’s okay,” Theo soothed. “There’s plenty more where that came from.”
“Wet,” was the only word to come out of my mouth. It was near silent and my throat was killing me but I was so uncomfortable. My arm still stung from the bug sucker that Dakota had used. The hives were fading, but still itched like crazy and all I wanted was ice cream.
But the wet diaper was something I could address right away.
Well, something Theo could address.
“Think you can walk? Or should I carry you inside.”
Inside. With all those other campers who just witnessed me nearly die from a freaking bee sting. No thanks. In place of a verbal response, I shuffled off of Theo’s lap and onto my feet. My legs shook, but I continued.
“You alright?” Theo asked me, keeping a hand close to my back as I found my footing.
Satisfied that I wouldn’t fall over, I nodded and leaned into Theo’s side with an arm around their waist. Every footfall back to their cabin was a risk, but I had full confidence that Theo wouldn’t let me fall. They’d pick me up and carry me before that would happen.
Forgoing the changing table, Theo laid me across the bed and worked a towel under my hips. My eyes slipped shut, and I let Theo clean and change me. I didn’t want to decide between what to wear, or if I wanted another diaper or not. I trusted Theo to know what I needed.
They stripped me down first, then used warm washcloths to bathe me as best as they could, taking extra care around the site of the sting. I moved pliantly, lifting my hips when they instructed me to, and happily accepted the unshredded pacifier offered.
My regression had always been my safe space—my happy place, but I never realized how much potential it had, what it was missing.
I thought a scene here and there was enough for me, but I was so far off the mark that we weren’t even in the same room.
Theo was the missing piece. I hadn’t wanted a “here or there” Daddy, and that wasn’t going to cut it anymore.
Not when I had them—not when I had my Da predicting my every move before I made it.
Knowing that I needed to be as small as possible, that a diaper over training pants or nothing at all would ground me even further into that regression.
Putting me in nothing but a T-shirt because they knew I hated sleeping in pants.
Nudging me to the side so they could lay closest to the door because they knew it made me feel safe.
I folded myself into their side as they stretched out next to me, finding my place on their chest like a magnet.
My arm fell over their stomach, thumb stroking the soft skin on their side.
I wasn’t sure what came over me then, but I nuzzled against the plush skin under my cheek, masked only by the constricting fabric they wore.
Theo’s breathing picked up, and I could practically hear their thoughts spiraling.
As quick as the thought came, it was gone.
Suckling on Theo was one thing during sex, but it was another to do it in such a vulnerable moment, especially since they’d been so insecure that morning.
The last thing I wanted was to do something that would make my Da uncomfortable.
I rested my head on their chest again, tightening my grip on them and trying my best to relax. Theo helped, even if they didn’t say anything. Their chest rose and fell with each deep breath, and I felt myself easing closer to sleep.
Eventually, I landed in that state where I was dozing, but aware of my surroundings. Aware enough to feel when Theo shifted beneath me. I shuffled over, thinking they needed the bathroom or something, only for them to lay back down. “Sweetheart,” they whispered.
“Hmm.” My eyes didn’t open, but I turned toward the sound of their voice.
Da hooked their finger into the ring of my soother and tugged. “Can I have this please?”
I spat it out without another question, shocked when they guided me back down to their chest and fed their nipple into my mouth.
They let out a small huh and jolted as I latched on and sucked, but then they relaxed.
Their fingers threaded through my hair, stroking softly, and I easily drifted off to sleep.