Josh looked up from where he’d been sitting on a bench staring at the floor. “Hey, James.”
“What’s wrong?” James asked while moving closer.
Josh pressed his lips together, flattening them.
“Come on, man.” James straddled the bench across from Josh.
“I stopped by the coffee shop on my way in this morning,” Josh told him.
“Okay?” James hadn’t gotten a call from Luca. If something had happened like a break in or something, surely Luca would call.
Josh blew out a long breath. “Dawson had…a reaction.”
James tried to hide his wince. “Bad?”
“I’ve never heard a scream like that outside being in a war zone,” Josh said quietly. “It chilled me to the bone.”
His own experience was limited. James knew that Dawson had suffered a couple of episodes while living with Luca.
“There was nothing I could do to help,” Josh voiced.
“I know.” James had been there. Not for a full episode, as Dawson called them. But when Dawson flinched at sudden loud noises or if a customer got too close, both he and Luca made sure to stand between Dawson and the rest of the world.
“He was embarrassed when he came back to himself. Wouldn’t even look me in the eye,” Josh told him.
“Don’t take it personally,” James replied.
“I want to help him,” Josh confessed. He quickly shook his head. “He barely even speaks to me.”
“Dawson needs friends,” James said thoughtfully. “He can be around Luca. And most of the time me. You’ve become a regular figure. And he does talk to you. Even if it’s to be a smartass. Baby steps, man.”
Josh snorted.
“What?” James asked confused.
“You just said baby steps to a Daddy who wants to have a baby of his own.”
James knew his eyes were bugging out as Josh started to laugh.
“It’s fine.” Josh waved his hand while still chuckling. “I think having two friends find and claim their boys had messed with my head. Has me longing for something that might not be there.”
“You’re talking about Dawson,” James guessed.
Josh shrugged. “It was just a thought. Age regression can help with PTSD. Take the person out of their environment and give them a safe space.”
James had to think about that. Now that he had his own experience—if he could call two play sessions that—James could see what Josh was talking about.
“Thinking pretty hard over there,” Josh pointed out.
“I think I can see it,” James admitted. “Loosely. It’s not like I’m an expert or anything.”
“I wasn’t aware you knew enough to be an amateur,” Josh responded with a grin. “Unless there’s something that you’ve been hiding?”
Arriving at work, James didn’t have any intention of revealing his secret. But maybe this wasn’t something that needed to be a secret. He shrugged before meeting Josh’s gaze that held curiosity.
“Please tell me it’s with the professor Daddy that came to visit you in the coffee shop.”
James glared.
