The streetlights dimly illuminated the lonely rural road. The hum of his tires against the pavement was his only company as he made his way home from the convenience store. Left, then left, then right, and so on. Jake had taken this road countless times.

Absentmindedly, he considered dinner for the night. Pizza again? Perhaps something a little healthier instead? It didn't really matter to him, as long as he didn't have to think too long about it. Retirement had that way of bringing that mindset out of him.

After settling on just having another TV dinner, his mind shifted back to his purchase at the store. He cracked open his soda, took a generous swig, then brought his eyes back to road level. Once he did, however, his gaze met with a lonely figure walking on the side of the road. A child with a bag. What possible reason could a kid have to be walking alone this late?

Jake pulled alongside the child and slowed to his pace. "Hey, are you lost?" Jake shouted out the passenger side window. The child, surprised, turned toward the vehicle and squinted to try and see inside. Jake realized how this must seem to the boy, and added, "It's dangerous to be walking there. You want a ride home?"

The boy looked up and down the road, it was clear that he was hesitant, but considering the alternative of having to walk home in the dark, he finally decided to accept the offer. After a breath, he opened the car door and sat inside, placing his plastic grocery bag between his legs. Once the rustling subsided, Jake introduced himself.

"I'm Jake" He said.

His passenger's breathing was shallow, and he kept one hand near the door handle. Jake pulled away from the spot where they met and they made their way further down the road. 

"So where are you headed?" Jake tried again for a response.

The child stared up at Jake with his green eyes, unblinking but half open. His whole demeanor implied that he was exhausted. Finally, he answered in a quiet voice. "Weston." Jake nodded. Weston wasn't too far out of the way, and he was happy to help out. They drove on in silence. Jake kept an eye on the road while his passenger sat there, staring out of the window.

As they neared Weston, the child started to fidget in his seat, shuffling the plastic bag under his feet. Jake noticed his behavior out of the corner of his eye and inquired, "Need to stop for a bathroom break? We're pretty close now." He gave the young man a look, and the boy shrank in his seat.

Shaking his head, he replied in a whisper, "No..." His eyes fell to the floor, darting back and forth while he tried to think. As his driver started to turn his attention back to the road though, he suddenly spoke up once again. "Could we... stop for food?"

Of course. The kid was most likely famished after walking for however long. "We can stop at McDonalds if you want. I think I remember there being one in Weston." Jake offered. The boy sighed in relief when he heard those words. He nodded, and the two continued on.

They arrived at the restaurant just before nine o'clock. The parking lot was empty save for the vehicles of the employees. Jake started to pull into the drive-through, but was quickly interrupted by another request. "Can we go in?" The child asked timidly.

Jake raised an eyebrow as he shot his passenger an inquisitive look. The boy sat there like a nervous turtle, and his eyes were searching for a response. Jake hesitated, but decided he might as well humor the kid. "Alright, but we shouldn't stay for too long."

The pair made their way inside through the front doors. The interior was sterile and quiet. Jake stepped up to the counter to order with the boy on his heels. "What'll it be?", The cashier spotted them and set about his job.

Jake turned toward his charge and made a face to ask what he wanted. The child looked down shyly and mumbled quietly, "Uh... nuggets." He turned back toward the counter and ordered. Three cheeseburgers to share, and a mcnuggets Happy Meal for the kid. He paid with his debit card and they shuffled over to a booth. While they waited on their food to arrive, Jake thought to be cordial with the boy and make small talk.

"I never caught your name." Jake began gently. 

The kid snapped out of whatever he was thinking about and looked Jake in the eyes. Almost as if he took the inquiry as a demand, he quickly responded. "My name is Alex." The boy's voice was soft and weak. Jake was worried by how fearful Alex had been since they crossed paths. He was far more timid and jumpy than a kid should have any business being. He felt bad for him.

Their food arrived not a minute later. The tray was sat between them, and Alex eyed the happy meal. "You didn't have to..." He whispered and looked down guiltily.

Jake made a face and sat the box in front of him, promising that it was no big deal. "I thought you might like a treat after your rough walk. It's really no big deal. I promise." Jake smiled and all Alex could do was blink at him. He was nearly shocked to be treated so kindly.

"...Thank you." Alex calmly stated.

Jake went about unwrapping his first burger and Alex opened his box. The boy was careful to remove everything gingerly as to not make any noise, placing each item on the table in front of him. Only then did he open his nuggets and begin to eat.

Jake watched him with concern, taking in his features in the bright lights of the restaurant. His hair was dark brown, and messy. His eyes were a deep green and framed with circular lenses. He was unusually thin, and his ill-fitting t-shirt was stained from lack of washing. Most concerning of all was the darkened bruise wrapped around his left wrist.

The boy efficiently finished his nuggets and quaffed his drink, idly pondering the happy meal toy between his hands. A non-posable figure of a character from a recent animated movie. After eating, he started to get restless. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and could be seen trying to hide his glances at Jake.

"We shouldn't stay much longer." Jake offered. "They'll be cleaning for the night soon."

Jake stood and the child followed close at heel. Once they were outside, Alex began to lag behind slightly. He shuffled his feet and looked down the road, presumably in the direction of his house. Jake walked ahead, waiting patiently for the boy to follow and taking note of his behavior.

They sat together in the car, and Jake started the engine. He paused for a moment, considering the facts before looking over at the child. "I know we just met, but I'm worried about you." He stated bluntly.

Alex's eyes fell to the floor again, but he shook his head slowly. "I don't want to go home." He softly muttered, tears falling down his cheeks.

Jake's suspicions turned out to be correct, but hearing it from the boy himself made him choke up. His inner idealist wanted to find a way to protect the poor child. He couldn't let him face another night of abuse.

"Well... Why don't you... stay the night at my place?" He offered against his better judgement and rationality. "We can figure something out in the morning."

Alex pondered the offer. Though the doubts running through his mind ultimately gave way to a simple fact. This strange man had been kinder and more respectful to him than his own parents had ever been throughout his whole life.

Hesitantly, he nodded at the man. "Okay."

Jake smiled gently, relieved that he would be able to provide a safe place for the boy. That despite Alex's reservations, Jake could prove his noble intentions.

Alex fidgeted and looked around at the unfamiliar scenery as they drove out of town toward Jake's house. Every so often, he would catch the man looking over at him with concern. The streetlights faded from sight and the car disappeared into the cover of a thickly forested area. Following the road for several more minutes, they finally pulled onto the long, secluded driveway.

"This is it." Jake gently announced, pulling the car into the attached garage. He shut off the engine and looked over again to check on Alex. He could imagine the stress that relying on a stranger like this could be causing him. "You'll have your own room. Don't worry." 

Alex gathered his bag and followed Jake inside. The room immediately off the garage seemed to be his kitchen. "You can leave your shoes here." Jake nodded at the shoe rack beside the door while removing his own.

Alex plopped down onto his bottom and yanked his shoes off. His laces looked as though they had been triple knotted and the boy had some trouble with his second shoe. He stood and padded over to the awaiting man, leaving sweat marks on the tiled kitchem floor.

Jake glanced at the plastic bag Alex had been carrying. "So, what do you have in there?" He motioned toward the bag.

"Some clothes." The boy explained briefly.

"You ran away from home, then." Jake surmised. 

Alex's eyes grew wide and his mouth hung agape signifying that he was correct. The boy's situation must be dire to have prompted such drastic action. To have naively believed that he could get by with so little. That he wouldn't be found and returned to his home.

"Sorry, it's getting late. Your bedroom, then." Jake oriented himself back to the task at hand. "This way."

He led the boy upstairs to his guest bedroom. There was a full sized bed with fresh linens on top of a wooden frame. A single dresser sat against the wall, the drawers empty. The walls were painted white and undecorated.

Alex yawned at the sight of the bed and stretched.

"I have a few spare shirts if you need something clean to sleep in." Jake offered.

Alex looked down at himself, not once considering before that he needed pajamas of any kind. He was so used to just sleeping in what he had on. He nodded silently and Jake left the room, returning shortly with a large, fluffy blue shirt.

"I'll wash your clothes tonight, too. Just leave them all together in your bag and I'll handle it." Jake turned and left once more.

Only standing still for a moment more, Alex set about getting ready for bed. He undressed down to his cartoon underwear and pulled Jake's oversized shirt over his head. It had a faint odor from sitting in the closet unused for so long, but it was a welcome change to his stained, dirty outfit. Upon Jake's suggestion, the boy also divested himself of his socks and underwear, the former of which looked like they hadn't been changed in a week.

With a sigh of relief, Alex then climbed into bed and snuggled up beneath the covers. His eyelids grew heavy from exhaustion and soon he was fast asleep.

After such a tense evening Jake was ready to get some sleep himself, but the boy's laundry had to come first. The smell coming off of the clothes could only be described as a combination of sweat and urine, and they desperately needed attention. 

While dealing with the small articles of clothing, Jake could only ponder his options with the boy. Sending him home was the obvious, most legal option. He could report the abuse and everything would be fine... Except that Alex would probably end up in foster care if he didn't have any trustworthy family to live with instead.

Alternatively... No. He shouldn't even entertain the thought. Alex wouldn't want to stay with him forever, right? Not to mention the prison time if he was found out by the authorities. Snapping himself back to the present task, he finished the laundry and folded everything neatly. Alex would be pleased to have clean clothes for the first time in a while. 

With that done, he turned his attention to getting himself ready for bed. Normally he would spend a while on his computer, but it was much later than his usual bedtime and he conceded to himself to restless sleep.

***

The next morning, Jake woke up early and went downstairs to the kitchen. He made himself a cup of coffee and sat at the dining room table browsing on his phone absentmindedly. Underneath his normal routine, he racked his brain for ways to help Alex.

Before Jake could get too deep into thought, he heard padding steps behind him. On shaky legs, sniffling, and letting out little sobs was Alex, and the front of his oversized borrowed shirt was wet.

"I'm sorry..." Alex sputtered between sobs. "I'm sorry..."

"No, no. It's ok. Are you ok?" Jake stood and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. This caused Alex to tense up for a second but when he looked up to see the man's genuinely concerned expression, he relaxed himself enough to let himself be helped.

"We should get you cleaned up. Do you prefer showers or baths?" Jake asked, leading Alex by the hand to the bathroom.

"Bath please." Alex replied, still a little shaky.

Jake nodded and moved to the bathtub, turning on the water, he tested the temperature and adjusted it accordingly. Alex began to disrobe in front of the man, wanting to get out of the cold wet shirt. This caused Jake to blush and turn away. "Do you need help with anything?" Jake asked with his back to the child.

"I think I'm fine now..." He sighed. "Thank you. For everything."

Jake smiled to himself and collected the wet garment. "You're welcome." He responded.

***

One load of laundry and one bath later, it was already going on ten in the morning. Alex dressed himself in his laundered outfit from last night and made his way into the living room to see Jake. If ever there was a time for a decision, it was now.

"So..." Jake started. "I guess we should talk."

The child's lip quivered. He knew this moment was coming. He tried to avoid thinking about it, but he couldn't deny that he was afraid of the prospect of being sent back to his family. "Can't I wait a little longer?"

"That's not an easy proposition, legally." Jake solemnly explained. "The police may already be involved, and the timing of all this is very important. I only have so long before I'm suspect number one in a kidnapping case."

"I don't want to go home. I'll just run away again if you take me back." Alex threatened.

Jake sighed heavily. "Then what do you want to do?"

The boy clenched his fists and looked at the ground. "I want... I want to stay here. With you."

"Oh." Jake felt his heart skip a beat at those words. He had been searching for a solution to his predicament and had expected nothing less than the worst outcome. But this was enough to give him real hope of saving the child.

"Do you understand what that really means? You'll have to give up your old life completely..." Jake tested the boy, shifting his posture to face him directly.

Alex nodded. "I'm not going back."

Jake looked him in the eyes. Cold determination filled the boy's gaze. Seemingly prepared to do anything to stay away from his family. He was genuinely convincing for one so young. They spent a moment staring at one another, neither wanting to break eye contact.

The silence gave way to Jake accepting the boy's resolve. "Alright." He began. "You'll stay here from now on."

Alex's face turned pink as he unconsciously smiled at his victory. "Thank you, Jake..."

Jake smiled softly too. Maybe he was doing the right thing. 

There was just one problem. He was totally unequipped to care for a child. He would need to buy things for the boy, food, clothes, toys... The list was endless. Tonight, he would make a trip to stock up. Everything purchased after that would have to be online as to lay low for a while.

The pair sat in each other's company silently. Each contemplating the idea of a future together. The silence was broken, however, when Alex's stomach growled.

"Oh! You must be pretty hungry." Jake realized, patting the child on the head. "You haven't eaten anything today."

***

The two had a small meal together before spending the rest of the day orienting Alex to the layout of the house. They talked about Alex's preferences regarding decor and clothing, his interests and his dislikes. Getting to really know each other was going to take a while, but this was a good start.

Eventually, that night, Jake left the child watching a movie and went on his shopping trip. The nearby department store had basically everything he required. He purchased a few outfits, pajamas, bedding, underwear and socks, and some personal touches for Alex's room. One final thing needed to be addressed, however.

Large packs of bedwetting pull-ups lined the towering shelves before him, and he was reminded of the scene earlier that morning. Erring on the side of caution, Jake purchased the biggest pack of the most absorbent brand.

By the time he arrived back home, it was almost nine o'clock. He kicked off his shoes at the door and set the bags down in the living room, but noticed that Alex was somewhere else in the house. Jake called out to the child, hoping to determine his location without a lengthy search. In reply, there was a slight bumping noise from upstairs, and shortly after, Alex descended the stairs in a hurry.

Jake had his suspicions about what the boy was up to, but decided to focus on the task at hand rather than stir up any issues. "Come take a look at these."

Alex padded over to inspect the package held before him. The front label read, 'Good Dreams Overnight Briefs'. A fine euphemism, but he could only blush at the implication that he'd have to wear these crinkly pull-ups every night.

Sensing the boy's hesitation, Jake reassured him. "Lots of boys your age wet the bed sometimes. If you end up not needing these, then that's good. But otherwise I'm sure you'd prefer to keep your sheets dry at least."

Taking the first pull-up out of the package, Jake handed it to the boy with a smile and sent him to get changed for bed. Shortly thereafter, he made his way upstairs himself. 

Alex was in his own bedroom nested in his blankets reading a picture book, clothed in Jake's oversized t-shirt with his protective underwear poking out from underneath. His clothes from the day were strewn about the floor in a loose pile.

The gentle footsteps of his caregiver roused Alex from his single-minded consumption of the book in his hands. "Oh, sorry i got a little distracted. Did i put this on right?", He said as he flipped the t-shirt up. His uncertain expression coupled with the sudden exposure caused Jake to stifle a chuckle.

"Yes, kiddo. It looks good." He replied, trying to not embarrass the child too much. 

Alex lowered the shirt and collapsed back into the pile of blankets with a grunt as Jake collected his clothes from the floor. It was then that the man noticed that Alex was still wearing his socks in bed. They were certainly cleaner than the previous day, but allowing Alex to wear the same clothes for multiple days was something he wanted to avoid. "Lem'me have those too.", He said gesturing to the child's socks.

Swiveling his legs around, Alex complied and dangled his feet in front of Jake, who scoffed at the notion that he was meant to remove the boy's socks for him. Jake gave him a teasing tickle on his toes as he pulled the socks off one-by-one. A small squeak escaped Alex's lips as he pulled his bare feet away in response causing them both to giggle.

Before Jake turned to leave the bedroom, they exchanged a look in silence; each of them was content in this moment, seeming that they had both finally found someone to care for; although neither of them would admit to it at this time, this was the beginning of something truly special for each of them.

The man stood in the doorway and bid the child good-night, and with that he switched the light off and left the door cracked behind him. On his way to his own room, Jake placed the child's dirty clothes in the laundry room hamper. Shutting the bedroom door behind him, he undressed and sat down for some private time at his computer. 

He didn't have much free time over the past couple of days, but tonight he was finally able to indulge in his regular bedtime routine. Across several websites he checked his notifications for new pictures from his favorite porn creators. He was fairly kinky too, enjoying bondage, petplay, etc... But socks were his favorite fetish. Soon, he was stroking himself with his free hand and imagining himself under the feet of a dominant boy... man. He meant to think man, not boy.

Clicking from website to website, image to image, he edged himself a few times before he finally found a picture he found hot enough to finish to. Hot cum shot into the awaiting sock held over his penis as he moaned quietly in pleasure.

Jake sat in the afterglow for several minutes. A particularly powerful orgasm. Once he felt himself returning to normal though, he pondered his choices over the previous two days. Was he a good person sheltering a child from abuse, or did he simply crave human companionship like everyone else? Was he responsible for a glorified kidnapping? Couldn't he just have gotten a boyfriend or something like a normal person?

He snapped himself out of it with a shake of his head. These kinds of intrusive thoughts were natural in a situation like this. His actions were far from black and white, he'd admit, but he would never take advantage of a child for his own whims.

With that, he put his crusty sock back in the desk drawer for use another day and retired to bed.

***

The following day, Jake awoke to the morning sun shining in his window. His first thought was of Alex and how he was going to spend the day with him. He rolled out of bed and was content to just throw on a t-shirt to wear with his shorts before leaving the room. The hall was silent as he made his way to Alex's room to check on him, and sure enough, when he cracked the door open the child was still fast asleep.

Jake decided to go and have a little coffee before Alex woke up. After descending to the kitchen, he spent a good portion of the morning sipping coffee and organizing the items he had purchased the previous night. Soon after nine o'clock, Alex padded down the carpeted steps into the living room rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Mister Jake... I had another accident." He said with his eyes half shut. 

The man set his cup down on the coffee table and strode toward him with his arms open, "It's alright, buddy, we'll have you cleaned up in no time. And hey, no laundry to worry about today!"

Alex put on his brave face and followed Jake to the tub once again. One bath later, he was ready to take on the day. Only this time, he would do so in his brand new clothes.

It was like Christmas for the boy. He didn't know what to say except his profuse thanks at every turn. It was the most he had ever been able to call his own. By the end of the morning, the clothes were put away in Alex's dresser, and the boy had decorated his room according to his taste. In no time at all, it was lunchtime, and then it was evening again, and then night. The pair had spent the better part of the day watching movies and were both curled up on the couch.

Sitting side by side, they took in the last part of an animated feature about cars. Before the movie was over, however, Alex was yawning and his eyes were heavy. Jake had his arm over the back of the couch, legs crossed and eyes trained on the TV. To Jake's surprise, though, he soon felt the boy's weight pressing into his side. When he shifted slightly to see what was happening, he found Alex already asleep, head resting near his chest.

Jake froze. His stomach filled with butterflies. He had a newfound... urge. A nurturing instinct had awoken inside him. 

He hadn't quite considered the idea of attachment to the boy at this point, deciding instead to focus on the sheer responsibility of it all. The man would have to sort these feelings out himself, but for now, it was nice to know that Alex trusted him enough to relax near him.

Once the movie was over, Jake helped the boy get ready for bed. Alex's half-asleep movements were less than helpful to him, but he managed to get him changed into a fresh pull-up and tucked in without incident. Jake covered him with a blanket and walked out of the room. Just as he was reaching for the light switch, Alex peeped a cute little 'good night' to the man.

Jake smiled on his way to bed, content with himself. Perhaps parenting wouldn't be so bad as he'd heard.