“Doggie, I’m Shelby. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” I wasn’t sure if I should pat his head or shake his paw, so I did both, then lifted my penguin. “This is Mr. Waddles. He’s from the North Pole. We’re watching a movie set in his homeland, but now he stays with me. Do you like living with Harvey?”
“I think he tolerates me nicely.” Harvey settled in beside me. “Can you keep Doggie company while I eat? Just be careful with him. He’s elderly.”
“I’m sensitive too, don’t worry.” I set up the plushies so they could see the TV. Doggie was soft and sweet. I smiled, my heart fluttering at the much-loved fur under my fingers. Harvey kept an old friend, just like me.
“Do you need anything else? You know, to get…comfortable?” he asked.
I shook my head. “Mm-mm. I don’t use a binky because Mom spent too much fixing my teeth.” I showed them off in a silly grin, making Harvey laugh, before I had another forkful of spaghetti. “Just let me be me. You focus on nurturing. Lots of kisses. Spank me if I’m naughty.”
He raised his eyebrows. “That’s what you want? No time outs or anything?”
“Spanking would relieve more stress, I think. Especially with aftercare, where you rub the smack spot.” Part of the joy of age play was someone taking care of me. Since I’d never done itwithsomebody, that part was a little fuzzy. But now I had Harvey. Maybe he was the missing piece I needed to be happy.
Of course, my job and my family were growing increasingly unsteady, so maybe I needed a few more things.
Ugh, that was too Big to think about. I sucked on my sippy cup and cuddled up to Harvey and the stuffies. They loved me. I loved them. Like that purple dinosaur used to sing about with his friends. Yeah, Harvey meant more to me than a friend, but in this state, I didn’t want to complicate things. I was safe and happy.
He squirmed and grabbed a pillow to put at our backs. “You preferthisto the table and chairs? I could’ve angled the TV.”
“It’s too far away now. You should let me on the bed.” I laid my cheek on his arm and batted my eyelashes up at him.
“After,“ he promised, kissing my forehead. “Not with marinara involved.”
The warmth left behind by his lips curled my toes in the best way. I hugged our friends and Harvey’s arm to try and keep the love in.
“So cute,” he muttered, dabbing my lips with a napkin.
Helikedit. He likedme. Even my Little tendencies.
I wiggled under the pretense of dancing to the song emanating from the TV. This was the best. We ate and chatted through the holiday special, my tendencies flowing from Little to Big. During some songs, I acted out the lyrics or made commentary with our plushies.
Harvey nudged my foot. “Maybe you like these movies because they’re often about someone’s differences being a good thing.”
“They can be.” I curled my legs over Harvey’s lap and played with Doggie’s ears. It was nice to know we had some similarities.
24
Big
I liked Harvey’s studio apartment. I liked the green, special-edition game controller he let me use to play a bowling game. I liked the novelty mugs from The Bern we used for hot cocoa. And I liked the plaid comforter, which Harvey wrapped around me like a cape, although I liked it even better when I pulled it up over my head to form a hood.
Harvey laughed and kissed my nose. “Aren’t you a cutie?”
“That’s me.” I wiggled my hips.
This was heaven. Tasty, cozy heaven. With Harvey. And, um, privacy.
People considered this kind of thing a kink, and maybe it was, but I didn’t consider it sexy so much as intimate. I didn’t necessarily get horny. It just helped me relax. But with Harvey, the vibe was different. A toe-curling honey glow kept building in my chest and tummy. When Harvey tucked me into his bed and kissed my forehead, I squealed with glee. He cared for me. He gave me his blessing. And I wanted him to be close to me. Closer than a date or a boyfriend or a friend with benefits. He wasplaying as my prince charming. My Daddy. Not adad. A special person just for me. And somehow, I made him happy by doing my thing.
During a commercial, I rolled over in my cocoon and admired the ink on canvas propped on his bookshelf and hanging on the walls. “Pretty. You did these?”
He rubbed his neck. “Yeah, I wouldn’t have been so pretentious to hang them or anything, but they did well in some high school festival, so–”
“That’s amazing. Good job, Harvey.” I pushed his leg. “My artist. We should color. I have crayons somewhere.”
“After this episode, maybe.” He smiled and lifted his arm, allowing me to burrow against his side while we watched a popular cartoon about misfit sea creatures that’d been on since we were both kids.
All bundled up with pasta and warm beverage in my tummy, I was awfully comfy. I yawned and cuddled with Harvey. Everything was nice. Happy. Sweet. I never wanted to leave.
