“You are pretty, yes. My good boy, too.” I rubbed my thumbs along his hip bones, not going any further in touching him than that. “But I want to know your thoughts on what you liked in those books.”
Another deep blush, which at least got his sniffles under control. His eyes bounced from side to side, then back to the floor, my lap even. But never my face.
I waited him out, letting him get his thoughts in order.
“Cuddles?”
“I know you like those. And the stuffie.”
He nodded quickly, pulling it closer to his chest. He almost got his thumb to his mouth before he remembered where he was.
It really was easy for him to slip into that mode.
“What about the pacifier? Is it too big? Too small? I have other brands you can try.” Most of the littles I played with liked the softer brand, the one that had thinner plastic and fit in smaller mouths, just like Oakley’s.
When he didn’t say anything, I went on.
“It’s okay to like that kind of stuff. Paci’s, sippy cups, toys, and even bottles and diapers, if you want to try them.”
I highly doubted he’d be comfortable doing diapers any time soon.
He shifted again, and I had a feeling he was trying to keep his body from kneeling before me.
“Tell me one thing you didn’t like in those books?” Maybe that would be the better way to go. Or…actually, I had another idea. “I won’t use any of your dislikes against you. Ever. I may try to get you to work through some fears, but I won’t force something on you just because I may enjoy it. For instance, kneeling on rice. It can hurt your skin, and you wouldn’t learn anything from that sort of punishment as you would by standing in the corner.”
His eyes widen. I guess he at least never had to do that before, nor would he.
“You’re too sweet to make you kneel on rice, so I’ll never do that.”
“Thank you.” He breathed. “I…paci’s are nice.”
“I will have a chore set out for you tomorrow to do while I’m out. Those first books you read?” He nodded, holding his breath. “At the back, you saw checklists. I want you to mark them. Follow the directions that are in there. Green for something you will do easily that won’t cause you to panic. Yellow for the ones you’d do, but don’t like. And red for things that you hate the most. The ones that put you into panic. Mark anything you have done with Donny with a d.”
He nodded once. I could feel his heart beating through his entire body, but he was at least not panicking just yet.
“All of the books you read with the baby things on them. You’ll have a couple of days to work through them. And ask me if you are confused on anything. There’s some strange terms in there that will be confusing.”
“Do…I…” he paused, taking a deep breath. I was more proud that he was trying to say something instead of just assuming my answers. “Mark the….other stuff too?”
I tilted my head, trying to remember what exactly was in all the books. “Sure. Sex things, Little things,Dom things. All of it. It’ll let me know what you won’t tell me.”
He nodded once. “Okay.”
“Now,Littlesneed a person to care for them. Show them rules, and be there to make sure they are safe, and to help them grow in every part of their life. This person lets the Little be able to relax and be whoever they want to be.”
“I’m….I…I’m not that.”
“No, little one. You are not.” I smiled, pulling him a step closer to me. He stood between my legs, and I could feel his breath on my face. “That’s my job. My place is to care for you, be there for you when he need cuddles, or to read to you at night. My place is to keep the monsters away.” I wasn’t going to dare say the word that I’d love nothing more for him to call me. I wasn’t going to put that word in his brain, even if it was already there.
“I’m like a caregiver, you could say. Someone to protect you. Which means you have to start talking. Start telling me when you need something. I’m not a mind reader.”
He gave some sort of noise that said otherwise. But I wasn’t a mind reader. I was a mood reader, which wasn’t the same thing.
“For now, I’m your Bash. You can call me whatever you feel comfortable calling me as.”
Chapter 34
Oakley
