It was mid-morning when Ethan received a text message from Lucas. Apparently, he had volunteered to drop his own younger brother at the mall when he heard that Ethan was going to be there, and asked if they wanted to meet up. Eric cheerfully pretended he had no idea how Lucas knew this information, and promptly invited himself along for the trip as well. Though he certainly wanted to see Lucas, Ethan was also wary of doing so -- he did live a somewhat paranoid existence due to his 'deficiency' and that extended to even his boyfriend -- but he reluctantly agreed.
With that settled, the two brothers got dressed, left the house, and headed to the mall.
Once inside, Ethan handed Eric some money and sent him on his way. He had no intention of forcing Eric to be a third wheel tag-along around him and Lucas, and the younger Morales didn't protest, taking the cash and promising to be in contact via cellphone if anything was needed.
His brother had barely disappeared from view when he heard a familiar voice.
"Hey!" Lucas was looking particularly dashing in faded jeans and a close-cut tee that emphasised his physique. His hair was styled -- lightly gelled and swept back -- and his eyes lit up and he gave a warm smile as he walked up. He looked amazing, and Ethan's heart skipped, from both attraction and fear at once.
"This is my brother, Conor," Lucas started, "and this is my boyfriend-"
"Ethan. Couldn't be anyone else." The younger Sorensen interrupted, waving a hand in greeting. "He won't shut up about you. I've never seen him get dressed up just to go to the mall."
The family resemblance was clear, with no doubt they were brothers. Conor was fourteen, athletic, and the first impression Ethan got was he seemed more boisterous and outgoing compared to the calmer Lucas. Where Lucas was strawberry blond, Conor was solidly a redhead, with a good smattering of freckles and a slightly paler complexion. He was a couple of inches shorter than Ethan because of his age, but it was obvious he would grow to be a similar height and build as his older brother.
"Ignore him. He's just clowning. Some might even say it's his speciality." Lucas laughed, before giving Conor a pointed look. "Aren't your friends waiting for you?"
"They sure are!" He began to walk off, turning to step backwards for a couple of seconds as he gave his parting response. "Can't disappoint the fans. Nice to meet you Ethan! Thanks for the ride, bro! Catch you both later!"
In a repeat of Eric's departure, Conor was gone not more than five seconds before ANOTHER voice grabbed their attention.
"Ethan! Lucas!" Haylee came flouncing up from the opposite direction. She was in sports shoes, a skirt that trod the borderline between cute and inappropriate, and a fairly tight top with the brand name emblazoned right across her chest, the ensemble finished with a lightweight jacket and sunglasses. Every single item was some kind of designer brand, and another reminder that her family was rich.
She looked fantastic though, and Ethan briefly wondered how he -- the fraud that he was -- had ended up in the company of these two attractive individuals who were the real deal.
"Mind if I join you?" She glanced back and forth between them. "I was getting bored by Amy and Jessica talking about the merits of Louboutin versus Louis Vuitton. I may enjoy the high-end, but it's not a fucking religion. So ... as soon as I saw my two favourite boys, I ditched them." She shrugged. "Not much of a contest, really."
Lucas and Ethan looked at one another.
"Sure?"
"Uh, I don't mind."
"Great!" She slid between them and hooked an arm through each of theirs. "Where to first?"
--------------------
They spent the next little while wandering around, talking, people-watching, and meandering through several shops. Despite how much he wanted to be there, Ethan also felt on edge, almost like he wasn't sure he was even allowed. He had this constant feeling that he was waiting for the shoe to drop with his two hot classmates, and that they were about to prank him, and reveal his true self to the entire mall.
His imagination even conjured an image -- pants pulled around his ankles in the middle of a bustling crowd, dozens of onlookers staring, hands over mouths, snickering, shocked expressions, as they gazed upon the smallest penis they had ever seen.
Ethan's face reddened, horrified, and his babydick immediately engorged, hardening to full size.
"So, stud, you're quiet today." It was just him and Haylee waiting outside a department store while Lucas was going through the checkout with some items for an upcoming family birthday. "Rough night? I can sympathise. I had a chore to do yesterday evening, and it turned out to be ... smaller ... than expected."
"What do you mean s-smaller?" Ethan stuttered, the word's unintentional humiliation preventing him from deflating even slightly, his mini-erection staying dutifully iron hard from the double meaning. "Isn't that better?"
"In this case, definitely not. Though, the result was satisfying." She smirked, and Ethan frowned, lost about what she was referring to, before she nudged his arm. "Enough about me. I have to know ... are you and Prince Charming a thing now? He's certainly acting as if you are."
"Uh, yeah. We- ... we are."
Haylee's face split into a wide grin. "Hell yes! You can just call me the matchmaker queen, because I know how to make it happen. Congratulations!"
"Thanks."
As she began to list off the reasons why she 'knew you would make a great pair from the start', he gave noncommittal responses, his mind beginning to drift again. Haylee was hot, and fun, and opinionated, and he wondered why someone of her standing was friends with him. He wanted to be with Lucas, but he couldn't help thinking about what it would be like to be with a girl like her -- he had never experienced REAL sex after all. He was too small for actual penetration, a silent shameful admission that kept his hardon at full strength, but that didn't stop him from wanting to know what a pussy would feel like around his babycock.
"Alright, I'm done." Lucas emerged from the store, purchase completed.
"Just in time!" Haylee's eyes lit up as she spotted a fashion accessories stand across the way from where they were sitting. "I wanna check THAT out! Sorensen, you're subbing in. I'll be back in a few, it's your turn to babysit."
Babysit?
Was that a veiled joke?
Ethan tried not to let it sink in too much, but he could almost hear the mocking addendum: 'Babysit the baby boy, that is.'
In a flash she was off, and Lucas sat down in her place, only a slight bit closer.
"Hi." He smiled.
"H-hey."
"First chance we've had to be alone together for more than five seconds." He nodded to where Haylee was animatedly examining a rack full of overpriced earrings. "She's a lot of fun, but kinda full-on."
"Yeah." Ethan chuckled nervously. "That's true."
"You're looking nice today, by the way."
The compliment made Ethan blink in surprise. He felt like a troll next to Lucas, but he managed to stammer out a reply.
"Thanks. Uh, um, y-you too."
"I wish it wasn't so busy." Lucas lowered his voice. "I ... kinda want to kiss you right now, but I guess you probably aren't interested in PDA?"
A public display of affection? He did want to kiss Lucas, but ... he wasn't sure why Lucas would want to kiss HIM. His heartbeat picked up, and it felt like this was the prelude to his boyfriend tricking him, a distraction that would be taken advantage of to dramatically reveal his secret to the world.
"No, I- ... I don't want anything public." He cleared his throat, even more anxious than before, and stood, wanting an excuse to get out of the situation. "I, uh, have some shopping I should get out of the way too."
"Oh." Lucas seemed taken aback, but he rolled with it. "Should I come with? I c-"
"No!" Ethan interrupted a little too quickly, knowing full well he could NOT have anyone else join him for this particular task, and especially not his boyfriend. "I'll just ... get it done real fast and be back with you guys after. Promise."
"Okay. See you in a bit then?"
"Y-yeah! Definitely."
With that, Ethan was away, leaving behind a slightly baffled and perplexed Lucas at the abrupt exodus.
--------------------
Finally alone, it took a few minutes for Ethan's pulse to calm. Though he was still on edge and fearful, he had to at least get finished the original reason he had come to the mall in the first place. The mental pressure of having two socially intimidating -- to him at least -- friends was a little much and now he could at least think more clearly.
Covertly making sure that nobody he knew was in visual, Ethan slipped through the entrance into the place he needed to visit.
A children's clothing store.
Making his way to the boys' underwear section, he studied the selection.
It was one thing to be wearing boxers with the crotch expertly padded, as he was today, to maintain the image of the fake Studly Ethan that he had worked so hard to cultivate. Around home though? There was FAR too much spare room without any of that extra fabric, and he knew he wasn't even remotely large enough to need it.
No, he was Babycock Ethan, and he needed something fit for his true size. Fortunately, bikini briefs were perfect for a youthful mini-package, and that was what he had. The problem was, his hips and butt were of teenage proportions, so he had to spend some time calculating which size he would need. Settling on XXXL, clearly designed for overweight or abnormally-large young boys, Ethan was about to take a couple of packets of plain white, but he hesitated.
Instead, he reached over and grabbed two licensed packets. Festooned with cartoon images of comic book superheroes and full of bright colours, Ethan clutched them closely as he walked to the cash register. He wasn't sure why but he really wanted to get them -- he was a kid where it counted, and he did like superheroes.
"Hey there." The cashier, a girl around his age, greeted him with a flirtatious smile.
"Just these, thanks. I love the- ... uh, I mean, my little brother will love the design." He placed them on the counter, the lie a quick and necessary fabrication to dodge his accidental near-confession.
"Aww, that's sweet of you to shop for him! He must be a fan of comics." She commented as she bagged them and rang them up, and Ethan paid using his card. "Pity more boys aren't as mature and adult as you. Nor as handsome." She handed him the receipt.
"Uh, t-thanks." He stuttered, nodding awkwardly at her as he scooped up his new underwear, his immature babydick rising mockingly inside the padding again, too small to be noticed by anyone else as Ethan left the store, his face hot.
--------------------
"I gotta hand it to you," said Haylee as they waited in the food court for Ethan to rejoin them, "I've never seen him interested in anybody until you came along."
"He told you?" Lucas seemed surprised, but he didn't try to deny it. "He's a bit flighty about the same-sex thing, so I've been trying to keep it low key."
"Well, I kinda pushed him to give you a shot." She shrugged and took a big sip of her drink. "If it wasn't for that, I'm not sure anything would have changed."
"Then I should thank you. I was interested in him from the moment we met."
"You're welcome." She paused and her eyes narrowed, thoughtful. "Say, just out of curiosity, he hasn't told you anything about a ... ring, has he?"
Lucas blinked, the surprise much more pronounced this time. "You know about that?"
"Oho! So do you!" She giggled. "Which means you probably also know what he's been doing for Eric, right?"
"Yeah. I think it's amazing, actually. I mean, I'm not sure I would do the same for Conor for any stretch of time, but it's the icing on the cake of what I like about him."
"Mhm." She agreed. "I should probably tell you that before you two happened, Ethan and I had a little bit of history together." Quickly, she held up her hands. "Nothing since then, I swear! I'm not the homewrecking type or anything. The reason I'm telling you this is because the whole swapping deal isn't just a cutesy big-brother thing, as I'm sure there's some kind of sexual dynamic for Ethan too. For me, honestly, it was the kinky type of hot. I don't know what exactly it represents to him, but it certainly has SOME sort of meaning. So what I'm trying to say is: you should talk to him about it and figure out his feelings."
A sexual dynamic?
Was Haylee saying that the swapping was a turn-on for Ethan?
Either way, finding out where they stood would certainly make the relationship clearer and easier to navigate.
"That's actually a really good idea." He nodded. "I think I'll do that. Thanks again."
"Hey, don't mention it." Haylee shrugged, and winked. "So long as I keep getting eye candy, and you two are happy? Everybody wins."
--------------------
Across the mall, Eric spent some time in a couple of gaming stores browsing before he decided to actually do what he was there to do. Convincing Lucas to meet them had taken absolutely no effort at all, so Eric was more than happy to give them alone time if it would help Ethan's mood. Besides, he was happy merely to have the big shared cock back where it fit best. All the trouble with Brandon and Jared was behind him -- he had learned his lesson ever since his mistake with the dogs -- and he believed he had earned his redemption. Just the size of it, knowing it was there and attached to him once again, made Eric feel SO much better.
Today, he was in a tee, hoodie, and some low-waisted joggers. Normally, they would fit fine, but the loose fabric and low waist cradled the plump rounded mass as if he were an over-endowed adult. It wasn't notable at first glance, but with any scrutiny the bulge was mouthwateringly obscene, the fabric clearly supporting a weight that an eleven year old wasn't meant to be carrying. A lot of people didn't notice, but from time to time he got disbelieving surreptitious double-takes from a few who saw just what he was packing.
For Eric, it didn't get old.
He LOVED the way it looked, and he LOVED the unspoken attention.
Choosing one of the smaller clothing shops in an out-of-the-way part of the complex, Eric went inside. It was quiet in the store, with him being literally the only one apart from the staff. They were two college-age employees, both with ID badges; a guy named Travis, and a girl named Selena. They were talking when he entered, and she paused to smile and say hello, while he barely even looked Eric's way, and immediately went back to their conversation.
Eric had to laugh to himself. He was hardly an expert on romance at his age, but he instantly recognised Travis was into Selena, and far more interested in chatting her up than dealing with non-existent customers.
Walking through to the underwear selection, he looked over what was on offer. His fondness for being big had given him a particular appreciation for boxer shorts over other types of underwear. The snug close-fitting garments were fine for when he had the small shared cock, but for the large? They were too constricting. His teenage penis was magnificent, and it deserved the comfort and breathing space of boxers, not to mention he liked the satin style material. Getting any type of briefs felt weirdly inappropriate and childish, and Eric nodded in approval as he skimmed over the sizes for plain black, blue, and red boxers.
"Travis, don't! I don't think he's-" Selena's voice interrupted his thoughts.
"It's okay, I got this." The guy was walking over to him with a stern expression, his body language confrontational. "Hey, excuse me, what do you think you're doing?"
"Uh?" Eric stared at Travis in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Don't play dumb." He admonished. "Do you think we can't see?"
"Um, I'm shopping for clothes?" He looked around, bewildered. "I haven't even chosen anything yet."
"Okay, you're gonna go over to the changing room," he pointed to the door just a dozen feet behind them, "and take out whatever is stuffed in your pants."
OH!
Now the situation made sense.
"I don't have anything stuffed in there." Eric struggled not to laugh, and decided to play it perfectly straight and honest. "Except for my penis. It's really big," he supplied helpfully, giving both employees an innocent cherubic smile that was at total odds with his words.
"Buddy, getting smart and making jokes isn't going to help you." Travis was visibly annoyed. "Shoplifting is serious. Either go in there and take it out, or I'll contact mall security and they'll get your parents involved."
"Fine." Eric sighed, rolling his eyes, and headed for the changing room. "If that's what you want, that's what you'll get."
Closing the door on Travis' smug victorious face, Eric looked down at himself. Yep, he could definitely see why they would assume theft, it certainly did seem like a rolled up garment could be crammed in there. Too bad for Travis it was something far more impressive than stolen clothing. Carefully lowering the joggers and his underwear down to about mid-thigh, Eric breathed in at the pleasant sensation of the cool conditioned air on his junk. He faced fully to the door, making sure they would get an eyeful the moment it opened, and then spoke so the employees could hear.
"You can come in, I took it out like you asked!"
The latch turned, the door creaking slightly as it swung wide, both of them standing just outside the entrance.
"Right, now that-"
Travis stopped, his eyes immediately bugging out. Before him was the short skinny Latino kid, pants half down. From the kid's groin, a thick flaccid cock jutted, longer and girthier soft than his was hard. It lay over two enviably fat balls that almost seemed to be fighting for space against the boy's slender upper legs. The pair stood in stunned silence, their stares causing his blood to flow, and his cock quickly rose, proudly thickening and lengthening as it pumped up from their astonished inspection. Reaching maximum size, the shaft throbbing, a bead of liquid forming at the tip, Eric licked his lips, and spoke.
"Told you it was penis," he said, bluntly. "Just ... a LOT of penis."
"S-sorry!" Travis spluttered, before he ducked out of the doorframe and away in pure mortification.
Selena's mouth was open in shocked amazement, her attention fixed on his groin. When he spoke, she shook her head, and she came back to reality, her eyes darting again to his face.
"Um, choose anything you want to buy," she squeaked, her cheeks flushing, the words coming out double speed, "and it's yours, free of charge! Sorry for the problems, take all the time you need."
With that, her eyes dropped to his crotch again, unable to NOT take another peek, but she caught herself this time, stopping smartly to push the door closed so quickly it basically slammed.
Eric snorted. He wrapped his hand around it, and gave a happy squeeze.
His pet was performing like a champion today; one of the many reasons he loved it.
When he got home, he was going to give it a reward.
Or two- ... no, scratch that, three rewards!
Three warm wet rewards.
--------------------
By the time Ethan caught up with the other two, they were relaxing in the food court. Lucas handed him a cup with a sealed lid and straw. "Strawberry boba. You like that flavour, right?"
"Yeah, I do." Apprehensively, he took it, surprised that Lucas had remembered what he enjoyed. "Um, t-thanks. Sorry if I kept you guys waiting."
"It's no sweat." Lucas smiled and pulled out the chair next to him, so Ethan could sit, and the older Morales felt his heart flutter, along with the associated pang of paranoid concern. "We didn't mind."
"Hey Lucas," Haylee cut in, "you said you dropped your brother off. Is that him there?"
They looked where she was pointing. Sure enough, in the middle of a half dozen boys his age next to a fast food kiosk, there Conor was. They were talking somewhat loudly, egging on the younger Sorensen as he ate some kind of meat wrap that looked drenched in a dangerous combination of different hot sauces. His face was red, his eyes watery, and his expressions almost comically exaggerated as he crunched his way through it, his friends commentating excitedly all the while.
"What is he doing?" She asked, an eyebrow raised.
"Oh, yeah, that's him." Lucas chuckled, and shook his head. "He said something about doing this extra-spicey challenge he saw online. If it wasn't that, it would be another equally ridiculous stunt. There are no limits when you're a freshman."
"No kidding. I can't decide whether boys that age are maniacs or idiots. Maybe both?"
"Definitely a little of both for Conor. If it's sports or any kind of social media caper involving his friends, he's competitive and likes to please. Loves the thrill of performing almost as much as he loves the attention."
"Aw! He seems so eager! It'd almost be cute if he wasn't snorting the tabasco like it's going out of style." She bit her lip, amused by his antics, before an idea happened, and the conversation changed tack. "Ooh! Photo booth! It's been forever since I've been in one of those. Come on, we're gonna get some pictures!"
She was away, pulling them both up and along with her, threading their way through tables to the side wall where the machine was. Without hesitating, they piled into the booth and drew the curtain. She was flashing her credit card past the machine, tapping at the touch screen buttons, and then -- it was starting!
Despite his continuing discomfort and neurosis over the entire mall experience, Ethan made the best of it, pulling silly faces and playing along with the other two. She added a bunch of weird borders and graphical effects to the first pictures, and then they did a second 'normal' lot, and then following that, a third batch that was just as dumb as the first. Finally, Haylee waved her card a fourth time, but then stood, grabbing her shopping bags.
"I gotta take off, I'm meeting my mom in twenty for a late lunch. This is only for you lovebirds! Make it look disgustingly sweet." She pulled down her sunglasses and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. "If you get me. Bye!"
Then, out the door and gone before either of them could speak.
"Uh, before we start," Lucas slid a little closer into the gap Haylee had vacated between them, "if I made you feel weird earlier, I'm sorry. Maybe talking about PDA was going too far."
Ethan swallowed, his nerves spiking, his fear pronounced. What if this was a ruse where he got caught out, revealed?
"Truthfully," Lucas continued, "you haven't been acting like yourself today, and if it's my fault in any way, I want to know so I can make it right. I really like you, Ethan. You can tell me anything. I don't want to mess this up, because I feel so lucky that I managed to get you in the first place."
Lucky?
Something about that word seemed to pierce through his thoughts, leaving a mental hole in the strange psychological shell that had encased his mind and perceptions.
Lucas WAS being completely sincere.
Ethan breathed in sharply.
Had he been wrong about his suspicions?
His boyfriend was just concerned about him.
That was all.
Metaphorical cracks began to extend down the side of the mind-cage.
What else had he been wrong about?
The figurative cracks widened, deepened, and proper rationale began to seep into the constructed mental bubble.
No, he was just a kid, he couldn't expect to keep someone like Lucas when he was so tiny-
Wait!
Was he ... really?
From somewhere, a simple word arrived in his head.
Swapped.
He was swapped.
Through that realisation, the psychological shell burst, shattering into pieces, and the delusion dissolved.
All at once, everything became clear.
He wasn't actually small, because he was swapped.
With utter incredulity, Ethan finally understood what was going on.
He had -- really truly -- believed he was Babycock Ethan, for nearly an entire day.
What. The. Fuck.
Had he actually been unable to differentiate fact from fiction?!
It was meant to be nothing more than a strange alter-ego, a harmless voice in his head.
Not his REAL personality!
"Ethan? Please say something."
Snapping out of his internal crisis, Ethan reached over, his heart thumping, and hit the start button. He pulled Lucas closer, and their lips met as the first photo was taken. Then again for the second, third, and fourth. They were still kissing twenty seconds later, and Ethan finally broke it off to lean over and hit print, without any image modifications. He handed one set to Lucas who was trying not to smile too widely as he took it.
"Okay," Lucas breathed, gazing reverently at the strip of pictures, "I am definitely keeping these. You convinced me."
"Don't worry," Ethan laughed, the stuttering agitation gone, replaced by relief, "you never had ANYTHING to worry about."
--------------------
They left the mall about an hour later. Ethan wanted to spend longer, but Eric was getting bored and Lucas reluctantly had to leave. Heading out to the carpark, the Morales brothers climbed into Ethan's car and drove home. On the way, Eric told him about the incident at the clothing store, breaking into giggles constantly as he described what happened, and Ethan could only listen in total amazement. What sort of idiot would approach a child that way?
Still, free clothes were free clothes.
He let Eric keep the money though, telling him to save it for something he wanted.
Arriving home, the younger brother was off to the kitchen to say hello to their father, who was fixing a snack. Ethan headed to his room, head still awhirl with the events of the day, and plopped down onto his bed.
He still couldn't get over the fact that he had thought it was all real.
Having what was basically a full-fledge psychotic break from reality was a little difficult for Ethan to comprehend. His brain had even invented a false history, writing a narrative for his past so watertight that it was disturbing.
It had all been so REAL.
"What's wrong with me?" He murmured to himself. "Why has the ring made me so weird in a perverted way?"
Trying to make sense of it, the bag on the bed next to him caught his eye. Reaching inside, he pulled out his purchase from earlier in the day, and it struck him.
"I bought children's underwear for myself! I- ... I can't wear these."
There was no way anyone could see him in kiddy undies.
BUT ... it seemed like a waste to throw them away, and a part of him was curious.
More than curious.
He got up and locked his bedroom door. Then he opened one of the packets and took out a pair. Ethan stripped off his pants, and the padded boxers, before he stepped into the new garment, pulling it up his legs, shimmying the material over his hips and butt until it was sitting in place.
The fabric was soft and very pleasant on the skin, the fit tight but comfortable all around. The only place different was the crotch, where it was looser but still clingy.
Ethan stood in front of the mirror and took in his reflection.
Toned upper body and legs that looked great as always, but in the middle? Cartoonishly bright colours and juvenile patterns, superheroes in action, and the tiny soft bump of a young boy almost at double digit age.
The image was embarrassing in a way he didn't know how to express, and also horrifying and scary too. He knew that he couldn't let anyone else see him like this.
But, at the same time, they were the most comfortable underwear he had ever worn.
Ethan didn't want to take them off, and he loved the way they hugged his skin.
He loved how RIGHT they felt.
Then, somehow, that image wasn't QUITE so bad.
He even began to feel admiration for what he was looking at.
"I ... look good." His mouth was dry, pulse pounding. "I DO look good."
He stroked his hands across his thighs and groin, marveling at the sensations.
"I have to keep them. I'll need them if- ... if I'm going to be a kid sometimes." He whispered, and he nodded slowly. "I shouldn't be so afraid. Maybe choosing to be Babycock Ethan once in a while isn't so bad."
Beneath his roaming fingers, he felt his child cock twitch in response, concurring and approving of the sentiment completely.