Derrick's Awakening - Chapter 7 (Patreon)

He didn't really need an excuse to visit, which was a good thing, since he wasn't able to come up with one. He was nervous about taking his backpack again, worried it was going to raise suspicions if he started to do it regularly... But nobody had seemed to think anything of it, other than him. And if he kept doing it, and they grew accustomed to it, soon they'd barely even notice, and he could go grab more diaper whenever he wanted...

He wasn't going to do that, of course. Malory was his friend, and he liked Mrs. Holland, too, and he felt guilty enough about the first couple times he'd stolen from them, and pre-emptively so for the trip he was in the midst of planning. He didn't want to make a regular thing, like their house was just a diaper bank for him to continually make withdrawals from... He had very much enjoyed his experiences with diapers so far, however, and this was the best way he had to get ahold of more.

He had thought, originally, he could wait; his stash was growing thin, but he wasn't all the way out. Now that it was on his mind, though, he was desperate to get it over with... And, if he did, he'd be certain not to run out, to have an urge to wear that he couldn't fulfill, unless he was at work, or around his friends. It felt so nice, too, knowing he had a good, healthy collection of them waiting for him. It made it feel more real, more like he was a little boy who needed them.

Backpack slung over his shoulder, he stepped out of his room, hurrying for the front door, a light blush on his cheeks as he passed by the living room, where Branden had returned. He didn't know why he was embarrassed, as there was no way his roommate knew what he was going to do, or what he'd done earlier that day, but perhaps it was simply the memory of knowing, not that long ago, that he'd been sitting in the same spot where Branden was now, wearing a diaper... It was impossible, yet a part of him was sure the other boy could somehow pick up on the residual energy of that, could see through him and his deepest, darkest secret...

"Hey, Derrick," Branden spoke up, turning his head, making Derrick flinch and freeze. "Can we talk?"

Derrick's hand, suddenly wet with sweat, curled around the strap of his backpack, gripping it tightly as his heart began to pound. There was no way... Had his fears been correct after all?! This couldn't be happening! It was so unfair... He'd had so much fun, had been so happy that he was able to start exploring this new interest more, and, as soon as he had, he'd gotten himself caught!

What was he going to say?! Was Branden going to kick him out for being a weirdo?! What would Derrick do then? Where would he go? None of his friends were looking for roommates, and there was always the chance Branden would tell them about this, and they wouldn't even want him couch-surfing at their place. And if he was just relegated to living in someone else's living room, how would he ever have the privacy, or opportunity, to wear his diapers again?!

Of course, his mind did drift to the Holland household, to staying with them full-time... It would make it so much more convenient to grab a diaper whenever he wanted. Would that make it more obvious, though? If he was taking one every night, for instance, would that be easier for Mrs. Holland to spot than him taking a bunch at once every now and then? 

Not to mention that Mrs. Holland - and probably Malory, too, for that matter, since she'd been around it plenty as well - would almost definitely have enough experience with seeing kids in diapers to recognize when he was wearing them, even under his clothes, so he really couldn't risk wearing them there... If he overslept one morning, and Mrs. Holland came in to find him on the couch, or spotted him on the way to the bathroom to change, then he couldn't imagine she wouldn't know.

They did have a guest bedroom, but they hadn't used it as that since Mrs. Holland had started babysitting more professionally. It was set up as a quiet/nap room, with a bed, yes, with rails on it to keep the sleeper from falling out, along with a crib. Maybe they'd let him sleep there - he had to admit, the idea did pique his interest now that he considered it, wondering if, maybe, he could fit into the crib - although he suspected not. If kids got dropped off particularly early, Mrs. Holland would take them in there to get some more sleep before breakfast, and she'd probably want to be able to continue to do that. She could do that with Derrick there, technically... It might be a little weird, of course, and she likely wouldn't want to disturb Derrick with that if he was still asleep, or make the kids nap with some grown-up they didn't know in the room with them.

"I'm... uh..." Derrick swallowed, pointing towards the door, wanting to slink out of there as quickly as he could. It wouldn't make the problem go away, clearly, and might make it worse... The longer Branden had to stew on it, the more angry he might get that Derrick was doing this in the apartment. What if he went snooping through Derrick's things, and found his last couple diapers?! 

He wasn't prepared for this, though, and he needed some time to do that... Not that he was likely to do it at Malory's house. He'd want to ignore it, and no doubt he would, shoving it out of his mind so he could worry about getting more diapers, until he was on his way home and the memory of what was waiting for him came crashing back... He'd still have put it off for a little longer, however.

"This will only take a minute," Branden stood up, stepping out from around the couch. Derrick took a step back instinctively, the much taller boy feeling so much more intimidating, scarier, now. He wasn't a violent person, that Derrick knew of, so he didn't expect he would try to fight him over this... If he did, Derrick knew he didn't stand a chance...

"I-I can explain," Derrick told him, his mind reeling, struggling to come up with a way to not have to do that, to pretend it was anything other than what it was. "J-Just give me a..."

Branden moved not towards him, but to the kitchen, looking back at Derrick cowering across the apartment with confusion. "I mean, there's not much to explain," he shrugged. "Look, if you want to Pooh bear it when I'm not around, that's your business... I just want you to clean up after yourself so I don't have to think about it."

"H-Huh?" Derrick furrowed his brow, his fear making it hard to process the words, especially when they were so different from what he'd been anticipating. Branden rolled his eyes, gesturing to the floor, and Derrick crept closer, confused... Until he saw his pajama pants, where he'd let them fall when disrobing that morning, lying in a heap. "Ohhh!"

He couldn't help letting out a chuckle, the revelation of what had happened slowly washing over him. "It's not that funny," Branden glowered. "I don't want to have to picture that, man!"

He would probably be happier imagining that than the truth... Or, at the very least, it would seem more normal to him. "Sorry," Derrick said, trying to contain his relieved laughter as he walked over and picked up his PJs. "If it makes you feel any better, I wasn't..."

"I don't need to know the details," Branden held up his hands. "Just take your clothes off in your own room, you know?"

"Sure," Derrick promised. He was partially glad Branden had stopped him... He was worried he'd stumble over the word 'underwear' as he said he'd been wearing them, at least. He didn't see any reason Branden would jump to assuming that meant he'd been wearing a diaper instead - he'd likely assume it meant he was lying - but it was probably better not to push his luck. He took the pants back to his room, tossing him on his bed, and headed to Malory's house.

He felt lighter somehow, more confident... He hadn't really accomplished anything, yet it seemed like he'd gotten away with something by the skin of his teeth, and he'd been given a new lease on life. He'd known there was only a minuscule chance Branden could have found out about what he'd done in the apartment, all by himself, but he'd worked himself up about it so much that he still felt like he'd dodged a bullet.

He was riding the wave of that victory when he arrived at his destination, and the fact that Malory didn't even question the backpack this time only added to it. Seeing those diapers at the store, realizing he shouldn't buy them, had been a low point, yes; for the most part, this day had been amazing, however, and he saw no reason to assume that was going to change now.

He still had to wait for Malory to decide to use the bathroom so she wouldn't notice that he took his bag with him, but even that worked out in his favor, as she excused herself not long after they went up to her room. Like an old pro, he slipped out after her, scurrying down the steps. He did catch a glimpse of Mrs. Holland down the hall, though he didn't let that bother him, giving her a wave as he stepped into the bathroom. There was no point worrying about it, he thought to himself, proud that he hadn't freaked out. That would have made her suspicious... Now, it didn't look like he was doing anything other than going to the bathroom.

He even remembered to flush the toilet, and run the sink, after stuffing his backpack full of diapers, recalling what had happened last time. And, remembering how Mrs. Holland had been waiting for him outside the door then, he was bracing himself for it this time, expecting it since he knew she'd seen him go in. 

Sure enough, there she was, standing and looking down at him as he stepped out. He didn't like to think that he was an old pro at stealing from the house of one of his friends, but that was what it felt like as he pulled off what seemed to be the perfect heist, at last. The third time was the charm, apparently, as he'd anticipated everything, did it all right, and had his biggest haul yet to take back home, and hopefully keep him satisfied until he could responsibly buy some of his own...

"Hi!" he smiled up at her. "Sorry, you weren't waiting to get in there, were you?"

Mrs. Holland gave him a small smile, and shook her head. "No, I wasn't," she told him. "I was waiting for you."

He'd been hoping she would say that; he didn't want to presume she was going to invite him for dinner again, but he was there at the right time of day for it, and he knew it would be better than anything he could scrounge up at the apartment, or grab from a drive through on his way home. "Okay," he nodded, ready to tell her yes.

"Are you busy?"

That wasn't what he was expecting, but it wasn't that odd. Was it her way of seeing if he had plans already? "No."

"Could you come into the living room for a minute?" she asked.

He frowned slightly. "Uh... Sure," he said. There was no reason not to, except that Malory would be more likely to beat him back to her room... Even then, he doubted it would matter, since it hadn't last time. He followed her into the living room, sitting down on the sofa when she gestured to it, while she stayed standing, emphasizing the difference in their size all the more.

"I don't really know how to say this," she spoke up after a moment or two of indecision. "So, I guess I'll just come right out and do it. Can I see what's in your bag?"

His eyes widened, blood running cold. "Wh-What?"

"Your backpack," she said. "Could you open it for me?"

"I-It's just a spare outfit," he stammered. "I-In case I get called in..."

"I hate to accuse you of anything you might not have done," Mrs. Holland told him, "but the past couple times you've come to the house, there have been diapers missing from that bathroom afterwards... And that backpack of yours looks an awful lot bigger than it did when you went in."

Derrick cursed silently, all his good luck from earlier in the day seemingly running out at once. "Wh-What do you..?" he shook his head. "D-Do you think I've been...? D-Diapers?" The final word came out in a squeak, and he prayed the woman believed it was from disbelief, and not embarrassment. "Wh-Why would I...?"

"I'm very sorry if I'm wrong," Mrs. Holland said, hand reaching out for the backpack, Derrick's arms closing around it instinctively. "I just have to know..." She pulled it free from Derrick's grip easily, Derrick watching in horror, squirming in place frantically, as she started to unzip it, struggling to come up with a good reason why she shouldn't, and failing utterly...