Eric & Scotty: Scotty's Sprinkler

"Isn't this great, Scotty?"

"It's Scott." Scotty mumbled, making sure to say it as quietly as he could. If Eric heard him, he would be in big trouble.

"We're both gonna be lifeguards!" Eric said, grinning down at his brother. "What was that you muttered?"

"Nothing." Scotty blushed as he felt Eric lift his chin so that he met his eyes. Why was an eleven year old this tall? Mom insisted he was only a foot taller, but it might as well have been a mile with how high Eric's head seemed to be.

"You don't have secrets from me, Scotty." Eric said. "So, whatever it is you said, you deserve what?"

"I dunno."

"Pow pows on the bum-bum."

"Do you have to call it that?" Eric ignored him, swatting Scotty's bottom three times in rapid succession. It was not a hard spanking, just enough to remind the tiny fourteen year old who was in charge. “Now are you excited with me, Scotty?”

“Yeah.” Scotty said through gritted teeth.

“You get to be a big boy lifeguard.” That was what did not make sense to Scotty. Much as he hated to admit it, in the eyes of the rec center, he was a little kid, barely over six years old. Why had they agreed to let him be a lifeguard? He knew in his gut that Eric had some sort of trickery planned, but how could he stop it from happening? Eric had so much control over him. “Unless you don’t want to be a big boy lifeguard?”

“I do.” Said Scotty with a sigh.

“Do what?”

“Want to be a big boy lifeguard.” Eric grinned. He had Scotty so well trained, it was difficult to even remember when he had thought of him as the big brother.

“We’d better get you dressed then, shouldn’t” he pulled his phone out of his pocket as it chirped. Scotty sighed. Their parents had decided that they should have a phone for the summer in case they needed to be contacted. It was theirs to share and only for emergencies, but Eric had immediately decided it was exclusively his phone. What made it worse was that mom and dad did not even seem to care that Eric had broken their rules about it being for emergency use only.

“At least we know it won’t get lost like that video game we got you” was all his dad had said. Scotty had retorted that it was not lost, it was in his room somewhere, but that had only made his dad chuckle and stand by Eric’s decision to monopolize the phone.

“Well,” Eric’s voice pulled Scotty from his thoughts. “I guess the pool’s closed for emergency cleaning, so lifeguard class is postponed until tomorrow.”

“Emergency cleaning?”

“That’s right, buddy! Someone puked in the pool, I bet.” Scotty nodded, not really paying attention to Eric’s speculation. He was relieved that he would be spared from whatever humiliation Eric had planned for him.

“Ok then” Scotty said when he got the sense that Eric was waiting for him to say something.

“Don’t look so blue, bud. I have a plan for what we can do instead.”

“Oh, god” Scotty muttered, which earned him another swat to the bottom. “Ow! Stop!”

“Sorry, forgot how delicate my baby brother is.”

“Eric. Stop.” Eric grinned cheekily, but listened for once.

“I need to go to the garage to do something for dad. Can I trust you to be a good little boy while I’m gone?” Scotty tried and failed to hide his delight at being trusted to be a lone, a rarity ever since Eric had taken control. The taller boy smiled, but said nothing.

“Yeah.” Scotty said.

“Hmm, I’m not sure if I believe you. Promise me?”

“I promise”

“To?”

“To be a good boy.”

“A good little boy, Scotty. Say it right.” Eric knew his brother well enough to know what the impish grin growing on his face meant before he even opened his mouth.

“It right.”

“Brat.” Eric could not help but grin at his brother’s goofy wit. “Behave. I’ll be back in ten minutes.” He bent over and kissed Scotty’s forehead. “Can you show me ten?” Scotty came dangerously close to swearing at Eric, but knew that that would be possibly the worst thing he could do. He half-heartedly raised his hands. “Very good. Ok. Be back in a jiffy!” Scotty breathed a sigh of relief as Eric finally left him alone.

He knew better than to try and lock his door or even close it. Eric had threatened more than once to move Scotty into his room if he tried to keep him out. It was infuriating that mom and dad never seemed to be around when Eric said things like that. It was terrifying to think that they might side with him if they did overhear. They wouldn’t, would they?

Scotty was fairly certain they did not believe half of what Scotty had told them Eric had done. A few careful words from Eric and their parents accepted that Scotty was just being overly dramatic. How could they not notice how weird it was that Eric had switched him to brightly colored underoos and usually talked to him as if he was a toddler? How had they not noticed that the rec center kept sending them fliers about activities for kindergarteners? It was so frustrating!

Scotty sighed as he realized ten minutes had already passed and all he had done was bemoan his hopeless situation. He heard Eric coming back. The nice thing about Eric being so big was that he could not sneak up on him. The stairs creaked with each step he took.

“Good news, buddy!” Eric announced. “Found a way for you to cool off.”

“What is it?” He asked apprehensively. “We’re not still going to the rec center, are we?”

“Nope. It’s a special surprise. Let’s get you dressed for swimming.”

Knowing all too well that there was no point in resisting, Scotty pulled his shirt over his head, barely holding back a yelp as he felt Eric eagerly tug down his shorts and underwear all at once. At the rec center, he usually got to stay in his underwear, but Eric had no such reservations at home, getting Scotty naked as quickly as he possibly could.

“Let’s get your swim diaper on, kiddo.” Scotty simply grunted. “You always wear your swim diaper.” It was crazy how quickly something that Eric had only started making him do a few weeks ago had become something he always did. “How about you lie on your bed and I’ll put it on you?”

“Why can’t I ow!” Eric chuckled at the sound of his hand on Scotty’s bare bottom.

“Hmm” he said.

“Hmm?” Scotty fought giving Eric the satisfaction of seeing him rubbing his stingy bottom.

“I think we should start doing all your swats on your bare bottom, don’t you?”

“What?” Scotty was taken aback. “Why?”

“Oh, let me translate into little boy. All your pow-pows will be on your bare baby bumbum now.” The way Scotty squirmed made Eric feel all warm inside.

“Why?”

“Because. I know they hurt more, but you’re a big boy and you can handle it. Aren’t you?” Scotty’s mouth opened and closed, but he could not think of anything to say. Eric tousled his hair playfully.

“Go on, Scotty. Lie down on your bed so we can get your swim diaper on.”

Eric had quickly done away with the phrase Little Swimmers, choosing to call them swim diapers exclusively. Nothing shut Scotty up more quickly when he was in one of his moods than reminding him that he still wore diapers sometime, even if they were swim diapers. If and when they went on vacation, Eric would expand the types of diapers that Scotty wore, but that was not something he needed to trouble his baby brother with right now.

“Look, Scotty! Nemo and Dory!” He grinned. “Remember when we saw those Nemo undies at the store? Why didn’t we get those for you?”

“Cuz.” Scotty muttered, watching Eric very slowly slide the swim diaper up his legs.

“Cuz why? Don’t you remember?”

“Weren’t they the wrong size?”

“Nope. They were the exact same size as your Pikachu undies.” He held them up as if Scotty had forgotten. “C’mon, Scotty. I know you remember. It’ll be more embarrassing if you make me say it, don’t you think?”

“Cuz they were boxers,” Scotty mumbled. Eric patted his brother’s thigh as he finally got his Little Swimmers situated.

“That’s right, Scotty! And Scotty doesn’t like wearing boxer briefs, does he? Nope! Just baby boy briefs for Scotty!” Eric admired his brother lying there, upset but still reasonably docile in nothing but his swim diaper. He loved that the blue diaper even had a little drawstring decal, as if it wanted nothing more than to be a real swimsuit all by itself. “Well, it will be today.”

“What?”

“C’mon, buddy.” Eric said, ignoring Scotty’s questions as he picked him up and set the small boy against his shoulder. He would not be able to carry him down the stairs, but he could at least take his squirming brother to the stairs. “Down we go. Hold on to the railing.”

“I know.” Eric watched his brother go down the stairs, grateful that he was not too fussy about moving through the house in nothing but a skimpy swim diaper. It covered what needed covering. “You said we’re going to the backyard?” Judging by his tone, he was clearly upset.

“We need to swing by the bathroom first. Someone needs some sunscreen!” Taking Scotty’s hand, he pulled him along, taking advantage of his longer legs to force the small boy to hurry along beside him, bare feet slapping on the floor. “Now where did that sunscreen go?”

“I don’t need sunscreen.”

“I’m not putting up with a grouchy little boy who’s all sunburnt.” Eric said. “Sunscreen or we don’t go outside.”

“Fine. Let’s stay inside.”

“Hush. Oh! I know why you're all fussy.” He smiled down at Scotty. ‘It's because I've been calling you little boy, haven't I? Silly me. Remind me what you are.”

“No”

“C'mon, Scotty. We've gone over this a lot. You're a big boy in some ways, a what in others?”

“I won't say it!” Eric was amazed that Scotty could deny it even sitting there in just a diaper.

“Say it or you'll get pow pows.”

“Baby.”

“What was that? Say it or else.”

“I'm a baby!”

“That's more like it!” He grinned. “Now I need to find that sunscreen or we'll have to stay inside.”

I want to”

“Now you’re just being silly, Scotty.” Eric said, talking over his brother. “Here it is! Sit still while I get you all set for outside time.”

“What are we even doing out there?” Scotty knew he would not like the answer.

“Let’s look at the facts. What are you wearing?” Scotty held his lips tightly shut, which only made him look more like a little boy who was not getting his way. Eric rubbed sunscreen into his shoulders, giving him a moment to see if he would give in without further prodding. “Well, baby?” Scotty mumbled something. “It’s easier to be understood when you open your mouth, buddy boo. Come on. What do babies like you call your Little Swimmers?”

“My swim diaper.”

“That’s right, baby! You always wear that when you’re swimming, so…”

“We don’t have a pool in the backyard.” All at once, Scotty knew what was waiting for him. “No. No way.”

“What?” Eric asked with a smile. “Sit down on top of the potty so I can do your legs.”

“I feel all greasy!”

“That’s how we know you’re safe.” Eric replied, kissing the top of Scotty’s head. “Just think, if you didn’t wear your sunscreen, you might get tan lines around your diaper!” He chuckled. “And then there’d be no way to deny that you’re a baby.”

“I’m not”

“I know.” Eric said indulgently. “You’re only a baby in some ways and a big boy in others, right?”

“Well”

“Of course right.” Eric interjected. “You’ve been wearing your swim diaper all summer and the rec center even sent you that fun coloring page, remember?” Scotty groaned. Eric had insisted he color it in immediately and, somehow, their parents had thought it was perfectly normal to have their teenage son’s coloring on the fridge. “Alright, I think we’ll all set.”

“I don’t want to go outside like… like this.”

“You’re just saying that because you’re overheated. Once you cool off in the sprinkler” There it was: confirmation of what Scotty had feared. Eric had dug out the old sprinkler and it was waiting for him in the backyard. “You’ll feel much better.”

Scotty knew it was pointless to resist as long as Eric had his hands on him. He felt so greasy from the ridiculous amount of sunscreen that Eric had put on him that he was amazed he was even able to hold his hand as tightly as he was.

“You love holding big brother’s hand, don’t you, baby?” Scotty only grunted. “Well, you always pick it at the store over sitting in the cart, don’t you?” That much was true. Of course, Eric did not always give him a choice. Sometimes, he ended up in the cart no matter how he protested. Worse, that gave Eric free reign to buy Scotty whatever he wanted, once again somehow not raising any red flags with their parents. That was how Scotty ended up with the soft blocks that he could see in the living room as Eric took him past on their way to the backyard.

Scotty remembered when Eric had gotten the sprinkler for his third birthday. It was a bright cherry red fire hydrant with a smiling face and three foam-covered hoses that waved around, blasting water everywhere. Scotty had felt too big to be playing in it by the time he turned seven, but now seven years later, he knew he would soon be playing in it again.

“Are we forgetting anything?” Eric asked, grinning down at Scotty. Here he was, in the backyard wearing nothing but a swim diaper. Everything was going perfectly, he thought, as Scotty shaded his eyes with his free hand. “Hmm… a hat.”

“What?”

“We’ll have to get you one next time we go to the store, hmm? Maybe one of those Cookie Monster caps?” Eric shrugged. “Probably too mature for my baby brother.”

“Shuddup.” Scotty mumbled.

“None of that, baby.” Eric said. “Let’s get the sprinkler on.”

“But… won’t I slip in the grass?” Eric smiled. Scotty must be desperate if he was appealing to his desire to protect him.

“Not if you’re very careful.” He squatted down the fourteen inches or so that separated them so that he could look Scotty right in the eyes. “Can you promise to be careful for me?” He could almost hear the sigh growing inside Scotty, so he preempted it with a belly tickle. Scotty was so helplessly ticklish that even the lightest brush of Eric’s fingers made him giggle. How could a fourteen year old be so irredeemably babyish in so very many ways? “Promise me?”

“I promise.” Scotty forced out from among his giggles.

“Not good enough.” Eric said in a sing-song voice. He loved tickling Scotty while making him say things to his exacting specifications. It really drove home to Scotty how powerless he was, just the baby plaything of his brother. “Promise you’ll be careful.”

“I promise” Scotty tried to squirm away from the renewed tickling from his brother. He tried so hard to catch his breath. “I promise be careful.” Eric grinned. It was so wonderful when Scotty skipped words and sounded even more like a little boy who did not quite get sentences yet.

“Promise you’ll be a careful baby.”

“But”

“We’ve been over this, Scotty. We’d be here all day if you had to promise to be a careful baby in some ways and a careful big boy in other ways. Don’t you want to play in your fun sprinkler?” He kissed Scotty’s cheek. “Go on. Promise to be a careful baby.”

“I promise to be a careful baby.”

“Mumbled bashfully just like a baby.” Eric praised. “Now, how about you ask me nicely to turn on your sprinkler for you?” He could tell Scotty was getting very annoyed. Would he act out? Would Eric have to spank him out here in the yard? Eric could not decide if he wanted to do that or not.

“Can you please turn on the sprinkler?” Scotty’s tone made it clear that he hoped Eric would finally relent after all this torment. It almost made Eric want to show Scotty just how bad it could be.

“Of course I can.” He could make Scotty regret getting annoyed over the smallest things later, he thought. Eric turned the spigot and turned to smile at Scotty. “Well, go ahead, buddy. I’ll be right here in case you slip and get a booboo. A little baby booboo.”

Scotty sighed and looked at the fire hydrant as its hoses began to wave back and forth. Even a short distance away, it had enough reach to hit his bare feet, his toes curling in the grass as they recoiled from the frigid water. The sun was hot against his back, but that did not mean he wanted to run through the sprinkler. How long did Eric expect him to stay out here, making a fool of himself anyway?

“What am I supposed to do?” He asked, more to the air than to Eric.

“Run through the sprinkler. Have fun.” Eric said, sitting down on a patio chair. It was only a matter of time before Scotty would let down his guard and play. He was sure of it. Then he could pull out his phone and record it to show their parents. The more ‘proof’ he had that Scotty liked his treatment, the easier it would be to regress him further without their parents objecting. They already saw him as the mature one. Why else would they give him a phone? Sure, they had told Scotty it was for the both of them and only for emergencies, but Eric knew the truth. It was his.

Scotty was still standing there, so Eric decided he needed some prodding. He thought for a moment.

“How about you try to jump over it without getting wet?”

“That’s not possible.”

“Bet you could if you jumped high enough!” He stealthily took a photo of Scotty standing there in just his Finding Nemo swim diaper. That picture alone was worth all of this. Scotty sighed.

“Fine. I’ll try.” He knew he was bound to fail, but if it would get Eric off of his back, he was willing to try. “Can you not record this?” He nodded to the phone in Eric’s hand.

“Not a chance.”

“Then I won’t do it.”

“I’m going to record you even if I say I’m not, so isn’t it better just to see me openly doing it?” Scotty sighed. “Cute little baby sighs.” Eric cooed. Scotty rolled his eyes and muttered something distinctly unbabylike under his breath.

“Here I go. I guess.” He said, running forward. The way that the hoses waved around all directions convinced him that his best hope was just to stay as dry as possible. He would get wet. There was no doubt about that.

Scotty charged forward and leaped, his feet slipping in the wet grass just as he left the ground, causing him to wave his arms and kick his legs in an ungainly manner as he flew over the hydrant, the sound of water against the plastic of his swim diaper as loud as thunder to his ears. He grimaced as he landed, Eric’s laughter echoing in his ears just as much as the plastic sound had.

“Adorable!” Eric exclaimed. “That was great, baby!”

“I am not a baby!” Scotty seethed.

“Whatever.” Eric said. “Now that you’re wet, why don’t you” he paused. “Careful, Scotty! There’s a bee by you!” Scotty froze. Eric stood up from his chair and walked slowly toward Scotty. “I think you should be okay. He’s just buzzing around. Move closer to the sprinkler and I think it’ll be okay.” Scotty nodded. Sure, he hated Eric being bossy, but his life could be at stake!

Eric smiled as Scotty inched toward the sprinkler. There was not really a bee, but he did not mind using Scotty’s sheer terror of being stung by a bee to his advantage. Just last summer, at their old house, Scotty had been stung and sobbed uncontrollably for most of the afternoon. Thinking back, it amazed Eric that he had not realized right then and there how much of a baby Scotty really was. He had even called him Scott back then, a thought that seemed entirely foreign now. Scotty was a baby, a baby named Scotty who played in the sprinkler in nothing but his Finding Nemo diaper.

“I think you’re safe.” Eric said. “Just stay in the sprinkler and the bee won’t bother you, baby.” He settled into his chair, smiling at the cute picture before him as Scotty kept nervously looking for bees, hiding in the safety of the sprinkler.

Nervous as he was, Scotty had to admit that the cool water from the sprinkler felt good on his shoulders and back. Before long, he forgot himself and began to just have fun. He kept trying to jump over the sprinkler, then dodge around the jets. He knew that Eric was probably having the time of his life watching him and he soon came down to earth. He looked over to the green plastic chair. Eric was gone!

He looked around before he saw Eric standing over by the fence that divided the back yard from the side of the house. Who was he talking to? Eric laughed and shifted slightly, allowing Scotty to see the girl he was talking to. Oh, god! A girl and here he was, playing in the sprinkler in nothing but a freaking swim diaper!

Scotty’s heart pounded. He had to get inside. Now. He headed toward the house, but Eric spotted him.

“Scotty, come over and say hi to Daisy.” Scotty froze. At least Eric had called him his name instead of baby. He seethed as he realized that was good news to him. “Scotty, come here. Don’t be rude.” With a groan, Scotty walked over. There wasn’t even a towel for him to wrap around himself.

The girl, Daisy, smiled as she watched the small boy immodestly in just a swim diaper shuffle over.

“And who is this little cutie?”

“Say hi, Scotty.”

“Hi.”

“Scotty, huh? Your baby brother?”

“What gave it away?”Eric asked with a chuckle. “He’s just trying to beat the heat with his favorite sprinkler.”

“Very cute.” Daisy smiled down at him. She looked to be about his age, but he could tell that she fully bought into the idea that he was a little kid. His current outfit did not help.

“Can I go inside now?”

“We’ll go inside in a sec, baby.” Eric said. Scotty’s cheeks burned as Daisy cooed.

“He’s not a baby. He’s a big boy.” She said just about as patronizingly as she could. “Aren’t you?” Scotty felt as if he could not blush any deeper than he already was as he nodded meekly, fighting back the tears of embarrassment welling up in his eyes. Eric almost preternaturally sensed Scotty’s rapidly developing tantrum, kneeling down and hugging Scotty. After all, what better way to impress this attractive girl than playing up the part of the caring big brother?

“I think I’d better get little Scotty inside.”

“Oh, ok.” She smiled and waved down at the boy. “Buh-bye, Scotty! It was nice meeting you.” She glanced at Eric, her warm smile taking on a different meaning. “And I’ll definitely text you.” Eric grinned up at her. “Once you’re done babysitting.”