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You'll stay right by my side, where you'll be safe.

Summary:

Age/puppy regressor! Johnnie who likes going on walks and into public with his caregiver! Jake, but always ends up wandering off and having anxiety attacks so Jake buys a leash that connects a cuff on both of their wrists by a lengthy cord.

Notes:

Age regression: when someone reverts to a younger headspace/mindset, typically around young teen to child age but can go as far back as a few months old. This can be cognitive, mental, or emotional. Typically an involuntary defense mechanism but can be turned into a coping mechanism.

Nothing in this fic is sexual or romantic, Jake calls Johnnie love and kisses his forehead once but it's all in a platonic friendly sense. Read as romantic if you want idc.

ALSO. there's a part in the fic where it's mentioned that Johnnie thinks he knows what the leash is, he thinks it's a leash. Nothing more nothing less. He's seen them used on children before but didn't want to assume what it was. (I wanted to clarify Incase someone thought that Johnnie thought it was like sexual restraints or something.)

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It'll be fine, this will help him. Jake reassured himself as he opened the package from Etsy that had just came in the mail, right as they were about to leave for some clothes shopping. Very convenient timing, it's almost funny the more Jake thinks about it. Anyway, Jake opens the box and takes the safety leash out of it's plastic wrapping. He immediately undoes one of the black leather cuffs, this one had "Jake" embroidered on it in red letters, opposed to the other done that had "Johnnie" embroidered in the same red letters, and wraps it around his wrist. He sighs in relief when he's able to comfortably fasten the Velcro around his more muscular wrist. Thank God measuring his wrist was worth it, he just hopes that johnnies side fits just as well. It better, or the awkward conversation where Jake had to measure Johnnie's wrists for a made up reason would've been for nothing.

"Hey Johnnie, c'mere kiddo!" Jake calls Johnnie to his room, Johnnie had been teetering between his normal headspace and his regressed headspace all day, so the nickname wasn't a big deal. Besides, Jake figured small, joyful, go with the flow, Johnnie would be more easily accepting of this new object than overthinking, easily embarrassed, big Johnnie.

After a few moments, soft padding of feet on carpet could be heard, growing louder as the physically older approached. Johnnie reached the door frame of Jake's already opened door and curiously peaks into it. "Yea, Jake? What's up?"

Jake looks over from standing at the edge of his bed, where the packaging for the safety leash lays now abandoned. "Hey love, c'mon in" Jake says with a hopeful smile on his face, he couldn't deny that he was nervous about how the emo might react. What if he got the wrong idea?? Jake swears all he wants is to make sure Johnnie stays in his sight while in public, so he's safe, That's all!

Johnnie happily walks over and flops onto Jake's bed, maintaining a sitting position with one bent leg and one leg hanging off the edge. Johnnie immediately catches sight of the leash, he thinks he knows what it is but he doesn't want to assume. Though his cheeks grow a light pink behind his recently applyed foundation.

"What's this, Jake?" Johnnie asks, tilting his head to the side as he looks down at the object in his caregivers hands.

"This is a safety leash, you know how you tend to get lost in public when you're small? This is so that doesn't happen. You'll stay right by my side, where you'll be safe. Is that okay?" Jake asks showing Johnnie the cuff around his wrist and the other cuff which has the others name on it.

Johnnies face is now a bright red under his foundation, if he wasn't feeling so small right now, he would've worried about if he applied enough to cover it up. Johnnies head felt fuzzy under Jakes gentle yet questioning gaze. Questioning, oh yea, Jake asked a question!

"Uhm.. yea that's okay" Johnnie mutters playing with his fingers, wide blue eyes starring into relaxed brown ones let's Jake know his response is good, no freak out, and two signs of Johnnie regressing deeper into his headspace. Thank God, this is gonna go better than he thought it might.

"Do you want to try your side on, pup?" Jake asks, extending the hand that holds johnnies cuff out to the mentally younger. Johnnie smiles and nods, curious as to how comfortable it might be. Jake smiles back and undoes the Velcro on johnnies cuff and gently wraps it around his skinny pale wrist, he fastens the Velcro strap and smiles as he sees it fits perfectly.

Johnnie looks at it for a moment, lightly tugging on the coiled up elastic cord that attaches him to his caregiver. After the moment passes his face brakes out into a wide smile and looks up at Jake's face.
"It fits so good!! N it's soft too!!" Jake chuckles in response, ruffling the emos already messy hair.

"I'm glad you like it, love. Do you want to use it today while we're out?" Jake asks, placing a kiss to his friends forehead. "Yea!!" Johnnie exclaims, bouncing where he sat. "Good boy, are you all ready then?" Johnnie nods eagerly in response.

"Alrighty, lets go grab my keys then!"