Aw Adorable

lately i’ve been daydreaming about intellectual dads 🫠 is this anything?

dads who teach/work in academia and wear cute suits to work and let their lil girl pick out their tie for the day. or if he’s a more casual dad, he lets her pick out his band tee for the day (arguably hotter)

dads with a library full of foucault, butler, jung, and fanon, as well as angelina ballerina and chrysanthemum and if you give a mouse a cookie.

dads who get into passionate, excited intellectual banter with their smart lil daughter and get overwhelmed with pride for how intelligent she is

dads who ask their daughter’s opinion on every piece of art, every book, every movie, every album they consume, and values her opinion greatly

dads who say “tell me about that book you’re reading” while they’re changing their girl’s diaper and seeing how far she can get before she’s giggling and babbling

dads who keep a littlest pet shop/polly pocket/other little trinket from their daughter at their desk at work

dads who are anti-ai and instead of using any kind of generative ai, creates things by hand, like little notes and doodles for their girl

dads who know their girl is their intellectual equal, but still like to melt her brain and reduce her to a whiny needy thing

(this is FICTION. all characters are consenting adults.)

arlo was the only person emmy wanted to talk to at the company retreat. she realized this was problematic because he was technically her supervisor, but he was also so fucking cool.

emmy was sipping coffee at a table with him and a couple other people in their department. the presence of arlo was enough to funnel half her attention and energy towards him. she couldn’t help it. if he was in the room, she was drawn into his magnetic field.

“good morning everyone!” the director of their company said into a microphone in a false cheery voice. it was too early for this shit. “i hope you’re all ready for a day of bonding and fun! this company really is like a family, and all of our new hires will get to see that today.”

arlo and emmy shot each other a look. just an imperceptible glance, but it felt loaded with meaning.

arlo was 41 and had been at the company for 13 years.

this was emmy’s first “big-girl” job, as she’d been calling it. she’d been nervous out of her mind until she’d gone into the office for orientation and met the man who would be her boss.

arlo was significantly older, with tired kind eyes, brown hair that went to his shoulders, and a scruffy beard. he was tall. he towered over emmy, but his energy was gentle. kinda silly. he was soft-spoken and witty. he wore band tees to work and drank more coffee than was probably healthy.

emmy was immediately obsessed with him.

when when they had met that first day in the office, there was instantaneous rapport between them. like electricity flickering back and forth.

he had poured her coffee into a faded grateful dead mug and complimented her white converse with the little charms on them. she’d been worried they might be a little too unprofessional, but arlo thought they were cute.

now, at the company retreat in the middle of the woods, emmy was sitting across from arlo, sipping coffee that he had brought her (with just a splash of cream, he’d gotten the color just right) and trying not to blush every time his eyes met hers and he made a silly face.

“well, are you feeling nice and inspired?” arlo asked dryly as they walked out of the dining hall together after breakfast. “the boss loves reminding us that this company is a family.”

emmy glanced around at their other coworkers mingling and meandering around the campgrounds.

“i’m not sure i want any of these people in my family.” she said softly to arlo, making him laugh.

“i don’t blame you,” arlo said, heading towards his cabin. he leaned in the doorway, looking down at emmy. god, he was so much taller than her, it was making her feel so delightfully small.

“i’m gonna go answer some emails, kid. stay outta trouble, okay? i’ll be in my cabin if you need anything. just do a special knock so i know it’s you. if it’s anyone else, i’m pretending i’m not home.”

emmy giggled. “a special knock?”

“yeah, like this.” he demonstrated, knocking a strange, silly pattern on his door. “if you do that, i’ll open up.”

“okay, boss.” emmy said in a sing-songy voice. “you’re really not opening up for anyone else?”

arlo shot her a wicked grin. “hell no. i give these idiots too much of my time already. you’re one of the only people around here with any sense.”

“i take after you.” emmy said. she wasn’t sure what possessed her to say it, but arlo didn’t even bat an eye. he just nodded sagely.

“you do. seriously, don’t work too hard today kiddo. these retreats are bullshit, and i’m gonna make sure you’re treated well here anyway. if anyone gives you trouble, just send them my way.”

emmy felt her cheeks warm at this special attention. the way he was looking out for her, protecting her.

“arlo?” emmy asked as he headed in the door. he paused, expression open and curious. “don’t work too hard either.”

he chuckled, and nodded. “you got it, kid.”

——————————————————

emmy didn’t bump into arlo again until later that evening.

he was sitting by the campfire, the orange glow illuminating his kind, tired face. a guitar sat in his lap and he strummed it passively.

emmy found a spot next to him and plopped down on a log serving as a makeshift bench.

his eyes met hers and he raised his eyebrows and made a goofy face. emmy giggled. she couldn’t help it.

“how was your day?” he asked quietly, so only they could hear. “did you survive ice breakers and team-building games?”

emmy shuddered. “somehow i survived capture the flag with brad from accounting. ’m very brave.”

“brave girl.” arlo agreed, continuing to play his guitar.

emmy found herself enamored with the way his hands handled the instrument. those large hands that were still nimble and skillful. she wondered what they would feel like handling her.

she looked up at arlo, and there was a sly, knowing expression on his face. like he somehow could read her mind.

emmy’s cheeks warmed. she couldn’t tell if it was from the fire or from the proximity to arlo. arlo who smelled like cedar and spice. arlo whose crooked grin made her melt. arlo, who seemed to be able to read her like a book. a book that only he seemed to have access to.

“do you like s’mores?“ he suddenly asked.

“what?” emmy was dazed, snapping out of her daydreams.

“there’s marshmallows if you want to make s’mores. i feel like you like s’mores.” arlo said with a knowing look.

“of course. who doesn’t like s’mores?”

“good point. monsters, maybe.”

emmy giggled and grabbed the bag of marshmallows and skewers.

“why did you think i would like s’mores?” emmy asked.

“you seem like you like sweet things.”

“this is true. i do. and do you?”

arlo considered. “i like certain sweet things.”

“mhm. and would you like me to roast you a marshmallow, boss?”

“sure, but i want mine burnt.”

“of course you do.”

——————————————————

later that night, emmy couldn’t sleep. the cabin was hot, and her roommate, a lady who worked in the accounting, would not stop snoring.

emmy tossed and turned on the flat camping mattress. the shoddy bedframe creaked, and carol let out another snore.

emmy couldn’t take much more of this.

finally, she sat up in bed, squinting through the darkness. through the windows of her cabin, she could see the yellow glow of the light on from next door.

arlo.

emmy glanced over at her roommate. carol from accounting was in deep sleep, snoring like a beast. she wouldn’t miss her.

emmy stood up and tip-toed out of the cabin in her slippers. the hot, humid summer air hit her like a blast. she was wearing only a cotton babydoll nightgown and her slippers.

there was something else… emmy was also wearing a thick nighttime diaper under her nightgown. it was embarassing, but she still wet the bed sometimes. she didn’t want to risk any accidents, especially when sharing the room with a coworker.

emmy tiptoed across the path over to the cabin next door. her diaper crinkled with every step. she hoped arlo wouldn’t notice.

this was definitely inappropriate… going to her boss’s cabin in the middle of the night. she knew that. but she didn’t care. and she somehow knew arlo wouldn’t care either.

she did the silly knock on the door to the cabin next door, and a sleepy arlo answered, knocking the breath out of emmy.

he was leaning in the doorway, tall and lean and muscular. his pajamas were a wrinkled arcade fire t-shirt and a pair of striped boxers. a pair of tortoiseshell glasses were perched on his nose. emmy had never seen him with glasses on.

“hi.” he said, looking not at all surprised to see her.

“hi.” she replied, arms crossed over her chest, suddenly feeling embarassed and small. this was a stupid idea.

“can’t sleep?” arlo asked, opening the door wider for her. “c’mere, i’m making some tea.”

she nodded, relieved that he wasn’t making this weird. he wasn’t making this complicated, even though it certainly was complicated.

emmy slipped in.

“carol from finance snores like a bear.” she said, sitting on the edge of his bed. she was careful to keep her legs closed, so he wouldn’t be able to see her padding.

luckily, they were blissfully alone. arlo was high up enough in the company to get his own cabin. no roommates.

“no bears in here.” arlo poured some hot water from the kettle into a mug with a tea bag. it was sleepy time tea, the kind with the bear in pajamas on the box. “except for this guy.”

emmy accepted the tea. her fingers brushing arlo’s.

the AC unit in this cabin actually worked, unlike hers. emmy sighed in relief as the AC ruffled her hair, cooling her sweaty forehead.

arlo poured himself his own tea and sat down on the bed, a few feet of distance between them.

“you look exhausted.” he said, watching her carefully.

“i am. im so tired and it’s so hot in my cabin and carol will not stop snoring like a chupacabra!!!”

arlo chuckled. “a chupacabra?”

“something like that.”

“you’re welcome to stay as long as you need to cool off. the AC in these old units is hit or miss. i got lucky this year.”

emmy sipped her tea. she enjoyed the cool air and the warm presence of arlo.

“is it okay if i lay down?” emmy asked tentatively, as she kicked her slippers off.

“go for it, kid. i’m a night owl. i’m just gonna be answering some more emails.”

arlo got up, walking over to the small desk and chair in the cabin.

emmy relaxed. this was fine. they weren’t doing anything. her AC wasn’t working, so she was cooling off. that was all.

she curled up in arlo’s bed while he worked, her diaper crinkling softly as she got comfortable. the rhymthic sounds of his typing were like a white noise machine, and the warm tea in her tummy was making her sleepy.

she yawned, curling up on her side and closing her eyes. just for a few moments.

she felt herself dozing off…

———————————————

emmy woke up to the warm, woodsy smell of arlo. and the familiar smell of something else… something blushier.

she giggled, sleepily nuzzling in closer to the warm weight next to her in bed. it felt strong and steady and familiar.

“daddyyyy…” emmy said softly, mind fuzzy with sleep.

“daddy? that’s a new one. morning, sweet girl.” ” came the deep, scratchy sound of arlo’s morning voice.

emmy froze, realizing several things at once.

first: she was still in arlo’s bed, curled up against his chest, his arm draped gently around her, his cheek resting on her head. and sunlight was streaming in. she had slept there all night.

second: she had wet her diaper. a lot. so much that she could smell her own pee wafting up from her diaper.

and there was no way for her to move without arlo noticing it. surely he could already smell it.

emmy’s heart raced, as she reached a tentative hand down to feel her diaper. it had swelled so much, warm and squishy and sagging between her thighs. she hadn’t wet this much in a long time.

there was no hiding this.

oh god. oh god oh god oh god.

arlo’s arms were still draped around her, steady and warm.

he cleared his throat.

“how’d you sleep, kid? you need a change?”

emmy froze. she squirmed in bed and looked up at arlo.

“wh-what do you mean?”

he smiled sleepily, then reached over and grabbed the hem of her nightgown, lifting it just a bit to see her sagging diaper.

“oh, you definitely need a change. you want me to take care of it?” he asked with a knowing grin.

emmy couldn’t believe what was happening.

she had slept with her boss. she had slept with her boss and called him daddy, and now he was offering to change her diaper?!

“i- i don’t understand. how’d you know?!” emmy asked, cheeks burning with heat.

“i saw your diaper when you were curled up last night. this nightie doesn’t hide much, kiddo.” arlo chuckled. “be honest… did you want me to see?”

emmy felt like she might explode from embarassment. but also… the way arlo was handling this… he was so calm. so gentle. like this was the most normal thing ever. he wasn’t weirded out at all.

he even seemed… kinda into it.

“maybe i wanted you to see,” emmy mumbled, looking down at the mattress.

“attagirl, that’s what i figured.”

“is this…okay? are we… allowed to be doing this?”

arlo shrugged. “it’s nobody’s damn business but ours. i’m more worried if you are okay. is this too much? if it is, we can just pretend it never happened.”

emmy shook her head. “it’s a lot to wrap my head around. but it’s not too much.”

arlo nodded, giving her some space.

“daddy?” she suddenly asked, and he lit up at the word. she had been trying it on for size, seeing how it felt in her mouth, how it felt directed at arlo.

it felt good. it felt right.

“yes, baby?” he responded.

“is…is it okay if i call you that?”

“i want you to call me that.”

emmy relaxed a little bit, arlo’s calm presence was making her feel safe and normal and like everything would be okay.

like she and him were both right where they needed to be. like they were always bound to end up in this dynamic.

“i think…i think i do want you to change my diaper.”

- someone leaning over and buckling my seatbelt

- tying my shoe for me (especially if you pat it afterwards??)

- zipping up my jacket

- making me hold your hand before crossing the street

- moving me by my belt loops/waist

- handing me my water bottle to make me drink it

- slightly condescending nicknames

- "why don't you be a good girl and *instructions*?"

- brushing my hair out of my face

- opening my drinks for me

Let’s play outside together 💛

“Now, now, pumpkin. It’s not fair to blame daddy because you had an accident, is it?”

“But…but you wouldn’t let me go to the potty.”

“That’s not true, sweetie. I just said you had to hold it a little longer, and you couldn’t. You had an accident just like a little baby.” She whimpered at that, tucking her face into their chest and sniffling louder. “You know what that means, don’t you?”

“Please don’t, daddy. Please!” She directed her best pouty lip in their direction, but they just smiled, far more amused than sympathetic–the meanie–and kissed her.