Greetings, and welcome to the first chapter of Child's Play! ^_^ I wasn't originally going to write and share this work, but it was the plot bunny that would not be denied. Whether this is your first time reading one of my works, or you are a return reader, thank you very much for taking the time to read my story. I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 1: Stumbling Into It
"Eat your food, Nico." Jason's voice was somewhere between a plea and a command. He'd been watching his longtime boyfriend push the food around his plate for the past twenty minutes and he'd had enough.
Nico looked up at him defiantly, but said nothing. He even went so far as to put his fork down and begin to stand.
Jason reached out and caught Nico's shoulder, pulling him back down into his seat. "Eat your food," Jason ground out, trying to keep his voice low so as not to attract the attention of the other campers.
"You're not my mother," Nico hissed back, wrenching out of Jason's grip and storming off.
Jason sighed and leaned his elbows on the table and his head on his hands, grateful to be alone at his table for once. The camp had more or less done away with enforcing people to eat at the tables dedicated for their cabin, especially since the exchange program began between Camp Half-blood and New Rome. The dining pavilion had been expanded as well as the cabins. In addition, new, smaller cabins had been constructed for adult demigods that wanted to stay at Camp Half-blood, which was now honestly more like a village or a small town. Jason and Nico had moved into one such cabin two years ago. The cabins for adults also housed small kitchens with plates similar to those from the dining pavilion, and small braziers for burnt offerings. Nico and Jason often ate alone in their own cabin, but tonight Jason had wanted to see some of their friends and the newer campers… Now he wished the thought hadn't come into his head.
Standing, Jason resolved to go after Nico. There was a small clearing at the top of a hill not far from here where Nico usually went when he was upset or frustrated. It had the advantage of being fairly isolated while offering a good vantage point of a large section of camp. Jason made his way there, making a point not to be silent. The last thing he wanted to do was startle Nico.
Most demigods were born with ADHD and dyslexia, which was widely recognized. Most demigods also developed some form of PTSD because of what the life of a demigod required. This second fact was less recognized until recently. Nico did a decent job of coping with his own emotions and flash backs, but he had a very exaggerated startle response, and would generally stab first and ask questions later.
As he crested the hill Jason saw Nico in the clearing, practicing some attack drills with his sword. Nico gave no sign of having seen or heard him, so Jason called out to him as he approached.
Jason frowned when Nico turned his back to him, continuing to practice his drills. "Nico, I want to talk to you," Jason persisted, still closing the distance between them.
More silence.
"Nico, talk to me," Jason insisted.
"Go away!" Nico shouted turning around and swinging his sword at Jason as he did so. The sword came very close to Jason, and he had to fall backwards to avoid being hit.
Nico's eyes went wide and he dropped his sword, crouching by Jason's side. "Jason! I'm sorry," he murmured, his voice much softer than a moment before, and filled with worry. "Are you hurt?"
Jason glanced around then shook his head. "No, you missed me." Jason sighed and sat up, pulling Nico into his lap as he did so. Nico offered no resistance, pressing his face into the side of Jason's neck. Jason wound his arms around Nico, slowly rubbing his back. Nico almost never cried, but Jason suspected he was close to tears now. "You can't lose control of your temper like that, Neeks," Jason scolded.
"I know," Nico muttered miserably, his arms clutching Jason tightly. "I'm sorry."
"What's got you so worked up today?" Jason asked, leaning back to try to meet Nico's eyes.
Nico sighed and leaned back slightly, his eyes downcast, and he shrugged. "I don't know, I think I'm just tired."
Jason leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss into Nico's forehead. He doubted this was really everything, but Nico has never had an easy time talking about his emotions, and he wanted to reward the effort. "If you're tired you should have told me," Jason murmured.
Nico grumbled softly, but made no other reply. Jason sighed and held him close. Their relationship had begun three years ago, shortly after Piper and Jason had, more or less, mutually broken up. To date, Jason's one concern was Nico's persistently low self-esteem, which often led to him not taking care of himself. Jason wanted to help, he would be happy to, it was in his nature to help and to care, but Nico had an independent streak that often pushed him to the point of foolishness. No matter how many times Jason assured him that he was not a burden, Nico never seemed to completely believe him.
"Let's head back to our cabin," Jason suggested.
Nico nodded and together they stood, making their way back down the hill. Jason, who had grasped Nico's hand to help him stand, held onto it for the duration of their short walk, only releasing it with a small squeeze after they were inside their cabin.
Nico immediately slumped himself into one of their arm chairs, and started listlessly flipping through the pages of a book he had been reading.
"I'm going to hop in the shower," Jason announced. "You should take your turn after, and we should turn in early."
Nico shrugged, and while his limited response irritated Jason, he decided not to comment on it, heading into the shower as planned. When he was finished he emerged, still slightly damp, with a towel riding low on his hips, and a small cloud of steam trailing in his wake. Nico was still curled in his chair, book in hand.
"Your turn," Jason announced, walking over to his boyfriend and ruffling his hair.
Nico made a small noise in the back of his throat indicating he had heard Jason, but made no other response. Jason felt his irritation rising into aggravation. He could see the dark circles like bruises under Nico's eyes. It was true Nico struggled with nightmares, all demigods did, but that was even more of a reason to take what control you could, and turn in early when you needed it.
Jason's hand shifted to Nico's shoulder, gripping it tightly, but not tightly enough to cause pain. Slowly, Jason leaned down and said, "Nico. Take. A. Shower." His voice was not at all loud, but it was commanding. Jason saw a small shiver run through Nico before he gingerly put down his book, and stood up. He glanced over his shoulder at Jason, but he didn't seem upset, only questioning. Jason motioned again to the bathroom and Nico walked inside.
As he dressed for bed Jason pondered Nico's behavior. Jason recognized that he had slipped into a tone of voice he normally only used when he was dominating Nico. They had explored each other's likes and dislikes over the years, and that included sexual preferences. Early on in their relationship Nico had reluctantly admitted that he enjoyed being dominated, but it was primarily about the power exchange, not pain. It wasn't something either of them were interested in as a lifestyle, but it was a nice change of pace from time to time and Jason, who had been in charge of others for many years of his life, had no qualms about indulging Nico. In truth he enjoyed seeing Nico so happy and relaxed as he was when Jason dominated him. That domination had never strayed outside of the sexual before, and Jason hadn't planned on it, but Nico hadn't seemed to dislike it. Still, Jason resolved to check in with Nico when he was out of the shower. Silence, or lack of complaint, was not consent, and if he'd overstepped a boundary, he wanted to know it.
About twenty minutes later, Nico stepped out of the bathroom, a towel positioned neatly around his waist. Jason stood and went over to Nico with a hug and a smile. "Hey," he murmured, pressing a kiss into Nico's damp hair.
"Hey," Nico murmured, leaning into the embrace. He seemed less tense now, for which Jason was grateful.
"When I ordered you to take a shower before, did that bother you?" Jason asked, getting right to the point, as usual.
Nico shook his head no. The response was quick, but Jason didn't doubt it. They had talked at length about the importance of consent, and while Nico was admittedly very shy about some things, mostly sexual things, he had promised never to lie to Jason if he was uncomfortable. "No," Nico added, then after a moment he continued in a much softer voice, "I liked it."
Jason smiled. "Good." He squeezed Nico gently then guided him over towards their dresser. "Get dressed."
Nico rolled his eyes, but complied with a small smile. "Yes, mom."
Jason waited for him under the covers, and when Nico joined him, Jason pulled him close, so that Nico's head was resting on his shoulder, and his body leaned against Jason's chest. Nico sighed and melted into the embrace. For all his shyness, Nico was an absolute glutton for physical contact; a need Jason was only too happy to meet.
For a few long minutes they simply lay there, and Jason ran his fingers lightly across Nico's back. At length, Jason lifted Nico's book from where he had placed it on the nightstand, and opened it. "You were just starting chapter four, yes?" He confirmed.
Nico looked up at him dubiously and nodded. "Yes, why?"
"You've been having a rough time sleeping this past week; I thought I would read to you, and see if that helped."
"Are you sure?" Nico asked, looking hesitant.
"I'm sure," Jason replied, "Unless you have any objections."
After another moment's thought, Nico shook his head and nestled back down into Jason's side and shoulder. Jason kissed the top of Nico's head once more before he began to read. Jason hadn't read the earlier chapters, but Nico often talked about what he was reading, and it didn't take long to get caught up on the plot. Jason was no actor, but he did his best to give each character a slightly different tone of voice which Nico seemed to appreciate, given his smiles and several chuckles.
Nico sighed and snuggled further into Jason's embrace as he listened, feeling both very safe and very cared for. It wasn't long before he closed his eyes. A soft smile played on Nico's lips while Jason's breathing and soft voice lulled him into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.
Several days later, Jason and Nico were sitting down to lunch, this time in their own cabin. Jason had hoped that with privacy, Nico would eat more, but as usual he was only picking at his food. Jason frowned down at his own meal. Nico had always been too thin, but Jason had hoped that with time he would realize he had a place, a home, and a family, even if they weren't exactly a blood family. Perhaps it was just hard to eat well after spending so much of his early life without a steady home.
Jason didn't want to argue, but he knew Nico couldn't continue like this forever. Will was forever harassing Nico about his low iron or low B12.
"If you don't like your own peas, you can try mine."
Jason looked up and found Nico holding out a spoonful of peas to him with a wry smile on his face. Jason realized that while he was brooding he must have forgotten about his own food. He stood slightly to lean over the table and take the offered peas into his mouth.
Jason smiled as well as he could around the spoon when he saw Nico's eyes widen and a faint blush color his cheeks. Nico, despite his great love of physical affection, was very reserved. Nico made to pull back his spoon, but Jason pressed his lips together, fighting him.
"Jason," Nico complained, and tugged again.
Jason however, was persistent, and muttered, "mh mhhh," around the spoon to indicate that he would not give it up.
Nico laughed softly, despite himself. "Jason, come on, give me the spoon back."
Jason at last relented, smiling softly at Nico's continued laughter while he chewed. Once he had swallowed, Jason scooped up a small pile of his own peas and held them out to Nico.
Nico looked up and his eyes widened again. "You can't be serious."
"Oh, but I am," Jason insisted, holding his spoon out to Nico. Nico looked at him dubiously for a long moment before sighing softly and leaning forward to accept the proffered spoon, a faint blush staining his cheeks.
"I love you," Jason said softly and Nico pulled back and began to chew. He was pleased to see Nico's blush deepen slightly.
"I love you, too," Nico murmured, once he had finished chewing.
For a minute there was silence and Jason watched a slightly flustered Nico push his food around his plate. Jason's concerns about Nico eating resurfaced, but this time with a possible solution.
"So, is it my turn again?" Jason asked. Nico looked up at him, confused, and Jason meaningfully eyed Nico's plate.
Nico looked down at his plate then up at Jason, his mouth half open in an unspoken question. At last he managed, "You want me to feed you?"
"Yes," Jason replied in a matter of fact tone, leaning forward expectantly. In truth he wanted Nico to eat, and wasn't opposed to feeding him if that's what it took, but he felt this roundabout approach was more likely to result in success than a direct request.
Nico looked back and forth between Jason and his plate a few times before reluctantly filling his spoon, this time with egg salad, and holding it out to Jason.
Jason made a big show of leaning far across the table to reach the spoon and, just as before, made Nico tug a few times before he would release it.
"You're silly," Nico murmured, but Jason didn't care because the smile that had situated itself on Nico's features was blinding.
Jason cut a small bit of chicken from his plate and held out his fork to Nico. Nico blinked at him dubiously for a moment before leaning in and accepting the food, his smile returning.
They went back and forth like that for a few minutes before Jason felt safe enough to say, "Why don't you come over here? I could reach you better that way."
Nico, mostly giggles and smiles at this point, readily agreed, and lifted his plate and silverware from the table. He crossed to Jason's side of the table and set his things down. He had intended to return to his side of the table for his chair, but found Jason's arms encircling his waist and pulling him onto Jason's lap with calculated swiftness. Nico let out a small squeak of surprise as he felt himself falling, then turned and attempted to glower at Jason. Unfortunately Jason's laughter was infectious and the glower did not last long.
"Jason, what are you doing?" Nico asked, squirming in Jason's grip while Jason peppered his face and neck with gentle kisses.
"Loving you," Jason replied, smiling when Nico's giggling returned. Nico was rarely this unguarded or happy; Jason felt privileged to see it. With one last kiss to the tip of Nico's nose, which caused Nico to scrunch his face cutely in reaction, Jason leaned back and scooped up another spoonful of peas. "And feeding you, I hope."
Nico rolled his eyes, but leaned forward to accept the spoonful of peas without hesitation. While Nico chewed, Jason ran his hands along Nico's torso and legs, lovingly caressing him without trying to arouse him.
Slowly, Nico reached out to the table and cut a piece of his chicken for Jason, securing it on the end of his fork before carefully lifting it to Jason's lips. Jason accepted the chicken, his eyes fixed on Nico with an intensity that made Nico blush again.
They continued as they had before, each taking turns feeding the other from their own plates. When Jason's plate was empty Nico moved to continue to feed him, but halted when he felt Jason's' large hands cover his own. Nico turned back to Jason, a question in his eyes.
"I ate more than you had before we started this, so I've finished my meal. You still need to eat though." Gently, Jason slid the utensils from Nico's grasp and used them to secure more chicken, which he held out to Nico's lips. "Please, let me?" Jason expected a protest, and was both surprised and pleased when Nico leaned forward and opened his mouth. Jason watched the fork disappear between Nico's lips with deep satisfaction. If only it were always this easy to get him to eat.
Nico felt himself flush under Jason's careful attention, but the sensation wasn't unwelcome. He felt warm and safe and loved. The sensations were so powerful they were dizzying. At first he'd felt embarrassed and flustered, but now he didn't want to stop. When he took the last bite of food into his mouth, Jason leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss into his temple.
"I love you, Nico."
Nico swallowed and sighed contentedly, leaning his head against Jason's broad shoulders.
"I love you too," Nico murmured in a soft, small voice. Nico closed his eyes and nestled further into Jason's embrace, breathing him in. Nico smiled when he felt Jason's' arms tighten around him and another soft kiss was pressed into his hair. Nico hadn't meant to fall asleep, but he was full and happy, and the movements of Jason's chest as he breathed created a gentle rocking motion that lulled Nico into a wholly unexpected nap.
The next time Jason saw Piper she had an unnaturally large grin on her face. It was unsettling.
"Hi Jason!" She called, running over to him from the practice arena. Jason had been en-route to the training area and Piper easily fell into step beside him, her hands linked firmly behind her back as she walked.
"Hello," Jason said hesitantly, eyeing Piper with suspicion. She wasn't usually mischievous, the Hermes cabin more than filled that role for the whole camp, but she was definitely up to something.
Jason didn't like secrets or surprises, he'd experienced too many bad ones in his lifetime. Piper especially was a very direct person, a big believer in open and honest communication in relationships and friendships alike, which made her behavior all the more concerning. He stopped walking and faced Piper directly. "What are you doing?"
Piper smiled guiltily and poked at the grass with the toe of her shoe. "I was going to stop by your cabin yesterday, but you were…busy when I got there."
Jason frowned in confusion. Piper and he, as well as most of the other demigods that had fought together during the last war, had all remained friends. They often spent time together, even after Jason and Piper's mutual break up. The fact that Piper had come to spend time with him wasn't odd, and she was one of his more discreet friends, so wouldn't barge in if she could tell she would be interrupting something. Only… nothing had happened yesterday for her to interrupt.
"I didn't know that you had that kind of relationship," Piper rushed to continue, "And then I didn't know if either of you had seen me at the window, or if I'd upset Nico. I'm sorry if I did. I bought you a small gift to apologize." She held out her hands to them and in them was a small square box.
"You don't have to apologize…" Jason said, still confused. "We didn't even know you were there."
Piper smiled in relief. "That's good. I didn't mean to invade your privacy. I had no idea you had that kind of relationship with Nico, but you know I don't judge." She gestured with her hands, still offering him the box. "It's just a small gift; I think Nico may like it. I wasn't sure exactly what he was comfortable with, but this seemed like a safe bet. You don't have to tell him it was from me if you don't want to," Piper hesitated as Jason took the box as last. "Although if he's open to the idea, I wouldn't mind babysitting."
"Babysitting?" Jason asked, looking up at her with his hand frozen just over the lid of the box. "Piper what are you talking about?"
Piper shrugged looking guilty again. "I wasn't sure how much you two had explored or were interested in. I just wanted to let you know that I can keep a secret, if it is one, and that I support you two."
"Piper-" Jason began, but Piper cut him off by gesturing back at the box with a smile.
"Open it? It's really none of my business, but I'm curious if you think Nico would like it."
After a long moment of hesitation, Jason reluctantly lifted the lid from the box. When he saw what was inside his jaw fell open with surprise. Inside the small box was a dark blue pacifier with a glow-in-the-dark star pattern on the guard. "Piper, what makes you think that Nico would like this?" Jason lifted his confused, disbelieving gaze up to Pipers troubled one.
"Is he not that young? I wasn't sure. I mean when I thought about it, it made perfect sense that he was a little, but I didn't know how young, and then I thought the gesture was more important-"
"Piper," Jason cut her off. "Nico's twenty three…I really thought you knew that."
Piper shook her head. "Jason, I know his actual age, I just thought the two of you might be involved in age play."
"In what?" Jason was actually starting to get a headache now.
Piper frowned and stepped a bit closer. "Age play," she repeated, gesturing as though she expected to see the light of recognition in Jason's eyes, but all she read there was confusion. Piper took a breath. "Ah, maybe I assumed too much," she shook her head, "It just seemed like such a strong possibility once it was in my head." Piper's gift for seeing possibilities had never wavered, and there had been several requests for her over the years to play matchmaker, all of which she had refused. She did, however, occasionally offer advice to people about love or sex, regardless of whether they were in a relationship or not, if she felt a possibility that would really help or hurt them, and wanted to give them a nudge in the right direction.
"What is age play?" Jason asked, still at a loss to understand the phrase.
"Okay," Piper murmured, placing her hands on her hips and scanning the field around them for a moment before bringing her gaze back to Jason. "Age play is pretty much what it sounds like. Someone acts or just feels younger. Sometimes they're as young as an infant, or a young child, or even as old as a rebellious teenager. They're called a 'little.' It can help with stress relief, especially when they have someone they trust to take care of them, a 'big.' Someone to be a big brother, or a Mommy, or Daddy, or other type of parental figure. There's more to it, but I'm no expert."
Jason chuckled once. "Could have fooled me." Piper, despite her protests against matchmaking, liked helping others and had engaged in a great deal of research and even some schooling at New Rome to better understand healthly relationships and healthy sexuality in all its wide variety of expressions. There was almost nothing she wouldn't talk about, because she never wanted anyone to feel shamed as long as what they were engaged in was safe, sane, and consensual.
Piper rolled her eyes at him, and continued with her explanation. "Sometimes age play can be sexual, somewhat like a daddy kink or mommy kink, but it doesn't have to be. Some people are in romantic relationships and engage in age play, and some are in a platonic relationship. Sometimes someone enjoys age play entirely separately from their sexual life, and may engage in age play with their romantic partner and possibly some close friends as well."
"Which is why you offered to babysit," Jason murmured, finally understanding.
"Exactly," Piper agreed. "People who are young or little act very much like children and need guidance, affection, and discipline. For some people it can be a strong emotional regulation tool. Some people choose or want to wear diapers if they feel young enough. Little's, I think, can also be referred to as adult babies."
Jason leaned back on his heels, trying to take in all the information Piper had just shared with him. Like Piper, Jason believed in being open minded and letting people be who they were, so long as it was, as Piper often said, safe, sane, and consensual. At length he asked, "And why did these thoughts come into your head when you tried to visit us yesterday?"
Piper blinked slowly and said, "He was in your lap, and you were feeding him. I thought…" she trailed off and shrugged.
Jason glanced down again at the pacifier and smiled. It was cute and it would certainly make an interesting story for Nico later. Looking back up at Piper, he said, "Well, sorry to disappoint you but that's not something we've ever tried." Jason pocketed the box with the pacifier and shifted his weight, preparing to continue walking when Piper reached out and grabbed his wrist, stopping him. Jason turned back and looked at her, his confusion returning. He had his explanation, he thought they were done. "What?"
Piper bit her lip for a moment before replying, "I wasn't kidding when I said I saw a lot of possibility around you and Nico and age play. That might not be something you've ever tried, but are you sure you don't want to?"