Page 23 of Just A Little Magic

He wrapped one arm around my back and his other rested on my chest. His closed fist drifted higher and higher. The tension in his shoulders was a sign that keeping himself in check was a struggle, so I took his closed fist, pried up his thumb, and guided it toward his mouth. His lips sealed around the digit and he began to suck.

Within seconds, his shoulders dropped and the tension melted from his body. He made soft noises that made my heart and cock swell. I gathered him closer, and the noises increased.

I wished we could stay like this forever, but dinner still needed to be made. It could wait a few minutes though.

“Baby Boy, we can cuddle, but then I have to feed you,” I whispered.

“Da, ’ungry.”

“That’s why I want to feed you, silly goose.”

“Stay.”

“Sweet boy, I’ll stay for a few minutes and then get up to fix dinner. If you’re hungry, we gotta get some food in your tummy.”

I dropped my hand and rubbed small circles against his soft stomach. It wasn’t hard and chiseled. It was soft and squishy, and I loved it. Owen had a solid build, but he hated working out. I sometimes dragged him to the gym with me, but he rarely did the whole workout. Usually, he cut out early and waited for me at the smoothie bar.

After a few minutes, the burrowing eased up and Owen started playing with the button on my shirt. He seemed in better spirits, but I wasn’t foolish enough to think Owen had changed his mind about me. Or us. Owen slipping in and out of little space had everything to do with the bear incident. Under normal circumstances, Owen never allowed anyone to be around when he was little, even with people like Jakob, whom he’d known for years.

“Hey, Baby Boy, why don’t you come into the kitchen with me while I cook dinner? We can find something for you to play with.”

Owen nodded, slid off my lap, and grasped my hand to pull me off the couch.

“Have you been holding out on me? Check out those muscles!”

Owen’s answering giggle was the sweetest sound I’d everheard. I didn’t know how we could have known each other for so long and it was the first time I’d heard it.

Once I had Owen set up at the table, I rummaged through the kitchen to find something to occupy him. The best I found was a couple of Matchbox cars buried in the back of a junk drawer. He occupied himself vrooming the cars around salt and pepper shakers. Every once in a while, there’d be an epic crash that required my help to right them on their wheels and be amazed at how spectacularly they crashed. His hand-eye coordination went out the window when he regressed. Everything would likely return to normal tomorrow, but I had a few more hours left to enjoy being Owen’s temporary Daddy.

“Hey, buddy, let’s clear the table so we can eat,” I told him.

“Da, I play,” Owen responded.

“I know you’re playing, but you need to eat too. There’ll be plenty of time to play after dinner. By then, Lucifer will done with his nap, and we can play with him too.”

That was enough to satisfy Owen, and he put his cars aside and sat at the table. Once I had the food in front of him, I realized my mistake. Giving pasta and sauce to someone who regressed as far as Owen did was a recipe for disaster, especially since we didn’t have a change of clothes. He’d managed to keep the mess to his face but was living on borrowed time.

“All right, hold on. Let’s get situated before you don’t have any decent clothes for tomorrow.”

With that, I wiped down Owen’s face and hands. He dutifully sat through my ministrations without objection. I pulled his plate toward me and spiraled the pasta around the fork. When I raised it to his mouth, he gave me the sweetest smile and opened wide. His little gulping noises were too cute.

I took turns feeding him and myself. His cars snuck back over, and I couldn’t find a reason to force him to givethem up. By the time dinner was over, I’d managed to save his shirt but not his face from sauce stains. This messy boy needed a bath.

“Owen, you okay with a bath? You’re a mess.”

The way his face lit up at the suggestion told me this weekend would end in heartbreak. I had no goddamn idea how I would go back to being just his best friend. I needed to figure that shit out and fast because the keys would be delivered bright and early in the morning.

“All right, baby, let’s get you cleaned up.”

I wiped off Owen’s hands and face as best I could and then guided him into the bathroom. Lucifer was lounging in his basket but perked up when we came in. Owen immediately plopped on the floor to play with him while I drew the bath.

The bathroom had been renovated at some point, but the clawfoot tub hadn’t been taken out. It was situated in an alcove with a shelf that ran around it right above the rim. It was fairly deep, so I left the water running while I rummaged through the kitchen for some makeshift toys. I ended up with measuring cups, a plastic cup, a sieve, and some wooden spoons. They’d work fine.

When I got back, Owen was right where I’d left him, and, of course, Lucifer was right in his lap, purring away. I found some bubble bath under the sink and dumped that in the water. When I looked up, Owen stood beside me, holding his kitten.

“Hey, buddy, we gotta get you in the tub. Do you want me to do it or do it yourself?”

“Da.”

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