4. Dexter

Chapter 4

Dexter

I couldn't get Avery out of my head. That damn package from Little Dreams was haunting me. What the hell was in it? My mind shuffled through the possibilities, each one more exciting than the last. A onesie? Maybe, but that seemed too tame. A pacifier? Jesus, should I even hope for that? Diapers? Fuck. If they were diapers, I was completely screwed.

"You okay, Dex? You look like you've seen a ghost." I snapped out of my spiraling thoughts and realized I'd been staring blankly at my coffee cake for who knows how long. "Yeah, just...thinking."

Tammy, the sweetest waitress the diner had ever hired, refilled my cup. "About the possible Little on your route?"

A humorless chuckle escaped my lips. "Yeah, and that’s between us. I don’t know anything for sure."

Tammy was a Little too, but she was in a relationship with both a Mommy and a Daddy, so I didn’t have to worry about discretion where she was concerned. "My lips are sealed, but the only way you’re gonna know anything for sure is to talk to him. Figure out how to ask him out. Or offer to bring him dinner and see if he wants nuggies or filet. That should solve the mystery pretty quick."

“Yeah, I guess it would.” I ran a hand through my hair, and nodded. "That package from Little Dreams. I can't stop wondering what's in it."

"So whatcha gonna do about it?" She raised an eyebrow and cocked one hip out. The sassy little thing needed spanking.

"I’ll give you that a conversation is due." Overdue if the last forty-eight hours of not being able to rest or think about anything else was an indication. “I just have to be respectful of his privacy. There’s a fine line between accidentally noticing who is sending him packages and approaching him to be his Daddy.”

"Fair." Tammy chuckled and crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, if it were me, I’d be staring out my window and waiting for you to come back. The poor guy is probably gonna go broke ordering stuff just to see you, whether he’s Little or not.”

“If he’s even interested.” I wasn’t sure that he was, but I had eyes and had felt his watching me every time I walked up and down his walkway. “I’ll say something the next time I see him. I promise.”

She stared for a moment before nodding her head. “Okay, then. Now that that’s settled, Mommy asked if you were coming over for game night on New Year’s Eve."

I took a drink of my coffee and then smiled. "I wouldn’t miss it. And who knows, maybe I’ll even bring a friend for you to play with."

The next evening, I trudged up the snowy walkway to Avery’s front door with a soft package tucked under my arm. Another delivery for the potential Little I was hoping to ask out on a date. This was in generic packaging, so probably clothes or a soft toy.

My heart clenched at the thought of him living there alone, with no caregiver. If he truly was a Little, he needed someone to be there for him when he wasn’t in the mindset to be a grownup.

As I neared the porch, a flash of movement caught my eye. There, sprawled in a snowbank, was Avery himself. His thin arms and legs swept back and forth, carving a snow angel into the white powder. "Avery! What are you doing out here?" I quickened my pace as I went to him. "It's freezing!"

It took a few seconds for Avery to acknowledge me and look in my direction. A slow grin split his face. "Daddy Santa? Like my angel?"

I scanned his outfit with growing alarm. No hat or gloves. Just jeans and a jacket but neither were waterproof. Even in the low moonlight, I could see his fingers and ears were turning an angry red. And based on his speech, he was in Little space, which was not okay in this weather. "Yeah, I do, but it’s too cold for you to be out here right now. Let's get you inside." I extended a hand to help him up.

Avery tried to pout but his face seemed to be moving slowly. "More angels, Daddy Santa. Not cold anymore."

That was definitely not what I wanted to hear. It was fucking freezing, and if he couldn’t feel it anymore, he was worse off than I had feared. "Let’s go in for some hot cocoa? Then maybe we can find you some proper winter gear so you can play safely."

His eyes lit up. "With ‘mellows?"

"With extra marshmallows." I bent down and scooped him up into my arms, not trusting him to be able to walk on his own. “After you warm up.”

As I stepped into Avery's house, my eyes were immediately drawn to the colorful array of stuffed animals perched on every available surface. Plush bunnies and teddy bears peeked out from shelves, and his glass work was displayed along the hallway.

My days as a scout taught me winter safety and getting his core body temperature up was my first priority. Avery was soaking wet and shivering violently when I kicked the door closed behind me. His lips and fingertips had taken on a blue hue, and he couldn't even manage to string together a coherent sentence anymore. The decline was quick, and my heart pounded in my chest as we kept walking. “Where’s your bathroom?”

He made a grunty noise that wasn’t actually a word, so I checked each room until I found the large bathroom with powder-blue porcelain that looked original to the mid-century bungalow.

“How about a warm shower? That should help.”

“Ba-ba-ba-bafffff…” His teeth were chattering dangerously loud, and I was afraid he might chip one.

“No, baby. Not a bath. You can sit down, but I don’t want you to slip under.” I sat him on the closed toilet and then reached into the shower to start the hot water. While it flowed, I stripped Avery of his sodden clothes. I didn't even take notice of his nakedness, fully focused on getting him warm and safe from harm.

His skin was like ice against mine, and I couldn't help but shiver too, despite the adrenaline coursing through my veins. Once the water was warm without being too hot to the touch, I lifted him up and gently put him into the blue tub, fully under the warm spray.

Avery’s whole body was tense, like it was frozen solid, but he was just going into shock. He shivered uncontrollably, so I dropped into the tub behind him, fully dressed, willing my own body heat to transfer to him.

Several minutes passed with the water cascading over us before he finally started to relax, his muscles loosening up and his shaking subsiding. Once he was out of the danger zone, I noticed a change come over Avery. His previously glassy eyes began to clear and a childlike wonder crept into them.

A soft whimper of surprise escaped his lips as he pulled back and looked at me. "D-Daddy...S-Santa?" His voice was barely audible over the sound of the water, but at least he seemed more coherent.

My heart melted in both relief and joy at the sight of him in this vulnerable state. "That’s right, Avery. I'm here. I've got you."

His face lit up with adoration, and he melted into my arms as he finally started to warm up. For the first time in years, a warmth spread through me that had nothing to do with the shower's heat. I truly felt needed and appreciated. Avery needed me, and I was here for him. Not just to bring a package but to truly take care of him. It was fucking amazing.

With a contented sigh, Avery closed his eyes, resting his wet head on my shoulder. “A Daddy Santa miracle.”

As I held Avery in my arms, I couldn't help but marvel at the trust he had placed in me. This man, in all his vulnerability, was allowing me to be the Daddy Santa he needed. Even if just for a little while. I kissed the top of his head and breathed in his warm scent. His weight in my arms was grounding, anchoring me to the role that I was becoming more and more obsessed with filling in his life.

After a few more minutes, I rubbed his back to get his attention. “Avery, honey. Let’s get you into bed.”

“Bed, Daddy.” He nodded against me. “With milkies.”

Fuck, this boy was perfect. “Yes, Avery. Daddy will find your milkies.”

There was an open cabinet with folded towels just beyond the tub, so I turned off the water and reached for a towel. I stood up with Avery still leaning on me and wrapped him up like a burrito and helped him out of the tub. But I was completely soaked, still in my clothes, and there was no way I could leave them on and not track water through his entire house.

Without thinking too much about what I was about to do, I slipped off all my clothes and left them in the tub. Then I quickly dried my hair and chest before wrapping the towel around my waist. When I looked again, Avery was staring at me with big eyes and a noticeable erection poking out of the gap in the towel. “I need a diaper, Daddy. Hurry.”

He was standing right by the toilet, so I wasn’t sure what he meant. “Do you want to use the toilet, Avery? I can step out or I can help you. Just tell Daddy what you need.”

“Not for potty.” He shook his head and his hand popped out of the gap, holding his hard cock. “Because it feels good.” He stroked himself. “I’m feeling good now, Daddy.”

“Okay.” I used another towel to dry my legs and feet then stepped out onto the tile. “Where are your diapers?”

He took a deep breath and a bit of clarity seemed to take over. “Are you really a Daddy? If not, you can leave now. I don’t want to…upset you.”

God, he was sweet. I wrapped my arms around him and held him to my chest. “Yes, sweet boy. I am a Daddy, and I’d love to Daddy you tonight.” I kissed his head. “Tell Daddy where your diapers are and I’ll help you feel good.”

He exhaled deeply and melted against me. “In my playroom.”

I thought back to my quick exploration of his home on my way in and remembered it. “Do you wanna wait for me in your bedroom while I get what you need?”

Avery nodded and pushed his thumb into his mouth.

I wanted to kiss around that thumb but he wasn’t in the right mindset for anything other than his diaper and bed, apparently. So I walked him to the bedroom and then ran into the playroom for a diaper. When I came back, he was lying on the bed with his towel fully open. The ambient temperature was comfortable, but I didn’t want him to be so exposed until his body was fully regulated.

When he saw me, he bent his knees and let them fall on the bed, still watching me with his thumb firmly planted between his lips.

Doing my best to keep my cock from tenting the towel and poking out the way his did earlier, I focused on the clinical aspects of diapering him. I separated the folded cotton and stood between his legs. “Bottoms up, kiddo.”

Avery kept his eyes locked on me as he lifted up and let me slide the diaper beneath him. He lowered and waited for me to fasten it up, gently moving his hard dick to the side so I could close it up without hurting him.

“How’s that, sweet boy?”

He pulled his thumb out of his mouth and then sighed. “Perfect.”